Oceania Regatta REVIEW from first-timer, Awe of Alaska 6/30/17-7/7/17

20 people who took the same cruise will offer 30 different opinions. Just read the cc reviews. Best cruise ever is also the worst cruise ever

I rarely pay attention to reviews or opinions unless I know the person and understand the framework for the opinion

Best thing is for everyone to try a cruise line for yourself and see if you like it. No one else can make that determination for you

We love oceania

We do not like Azamara

We can enjoy celebrity in a top suite

We found service on seabourn to be awful

We have 3 cruises booked crystal

We just did a tauck river cruise. Excellent but we don't like river cruising

None of those statements should influence what line you cruise but for sure many will disagree with me

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Bitob

As I struggle to decide if I want to try a river cruise, and respecting your input on CC, I would appreciate hearing why you don't like river cruising. Please email privately, so we aren't hijacking. Thanks.

Marian

tropicalkerry2002 at yahoo dot ca (NOT dot com)

Bitob

 

 

 

As I struggle to decide if I want to try a river cruise, and respecting your input on CC, I would appreciate hearing why you don't like river cruising. Please email privately, so we aren't hijacking. Thanks.

 

 

 

Marian

 

tropicalkerry2002 at yahoo dot ca (NOT dot com)

Sent u email and my phone in case u want more detail

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Thank you for a very interesting review.

Ira

We love oceania

Ditto. I'm the type that doesn't want to mess with a good thing and for us Oceania hits the sweet spot.

Mo,

 

This is probably true for most of us. The question is - you had better food on land or another cruise line?

 

Obviously, there is a huge difference between comparing cruise line food to land restaurants or other cruise lines.

Haven't done any cruises on another line. [emoji41]. We think the food is very good except for the two times that it wasnt. One was a TA Barcelona to Miami. The other was Beijing to Bangkok.

Apparently many people think it should be the best food they've ever eaten. That's rarely going to happen on a cruise ship. On the other hand it may well be, depending on what your normal diet consists of. I cook almost all of our food, using virtually no processed ingredients. And I'm pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. We rarely eat out as I get tired of paying top dollar for food I can do better myself. [emoji33].

Many people eat a lot of processed food and may find the fresher flavours of minimally processed food to be a revelation. Your mileage will obviously vary.

Mo

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Mo, I long ago decided as you have -- why go out to dinner if I can make a better one myself! And for a lot less $$$.

Mura

Mo, I long ago decided as you have -- why go out to dinner if I can make a better one myself! And for a lot less $$$.

 

Mura

I, on the other hand, only wish I could cook like they do at the French Laundry - or at least even at my favorite Chinese restaurant and Dim Sum place :D

If I could, I too would eat at home only :D

OP, Thanks for your time on this review

If you enjoyed the ship design despite the weak points of this cruise, you might consider Azamara in the future. Same R-ships (completely updated last year), and IMHO better food, much better service, and more reasonably priced shore excursions (Oceania's are the most expensive we have seen, and as a result are also the most likely to be canceled for lack of interest).

I have found the complete opposite. AZ reminds me of a Marriott hotel and O is much closer to a luxury hotel. How long has it been since you cruised on O?

I have 3 on AZ (last May was my 3rd due to itinerary only) and 4 on O. Our Regatta cruise in May of 2015 was delightful. I do not think I will cruise on AZ again. Not our cup of tea and will go with O or luxury brands.

As we've often said, different strokes for different folks.

We haven't tried AZ yet but from what I have read, I'm sure O is more our style. That doesn't mean we wouldn't try AZ for the right itinerary. Just haven't seen it yet. (I have occasionally checked!)

Mura

We considered Azamara but for the cruises we are considering, the pricing is insane. A nearly $500 per diem for basic balcony cabin for a Mexican Baja cruise is not reasonable.

Many thanks to Bitob and Paulchili !

It's great that everyone knows what they like, knows what they don't like, or sort of doesn't like a whole lot of anything. And that we can freely express it without fear of a pile on.

I like O- hugely.

Full marks to the poster/reviewer for her time and effort. It simply proves the saying, "chacun a son gout" (each to his/her own taste). Having done 4 trips on Regatta and 7 others on O ships as well as Cunard, Celebrity, Princess and Norwegian, my taste is Oceania and my bias is showing. Keep on cruising and look for the positives in your sea time.:D

For another first-timer perspective on what I believe was the same cruise, I just saw this review by CC member MinxinWA (she has no prior reviews), more from the perspective of someone who stayed in a lower priced cabin and did not do ship excursions (she also gave an overall 3/5 rating, and her opinions overlapped to a great degree with mine about the food experience, but apparently she did not like the ship itself as much as I did)

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=584096

I'm booked for the 11 day round trip out of Seattle in mid-August 2018 as a single. I know - no single suppliments. Can anyone tell me if the prepaid gratutities will be double for me since I am travelling alone?

I'm booked for the 11 day round trip out of Seattle in mid-August 2018 as a single. I know - no single suppliments. Can anyone tell me if the prepaid gratutities will be double for me since I am travelling alone?

If they do, you can always ask the them to reduce the amount. The amount in the FAQ is per person. So only 1 person should only be $16 per day.

We are considering doing a Regatta cruise, but having read the comments about food, makes me think again. I need reassurance that the wonderful food on O is fleet wide, not just on Marina and Riviera.

Can anyone that has been on both Regatta and Marina comment on that?

We are considering doing a Regatta cruise, but having read the comments about food, makes me think again. I need reassurance that the wonderful food on O is fleet wide, not just on Marina and Riviera.

 

Can anyone that has been on both Regatta and Marina comment on that?

On 25+ O cruises on ALL of their ships I have probably had less than 10 meals that I wasn’t thrilled about (and maybe even less). Of all things that can go wrong on Oceania, food is least of my worries.

Of course, this is just MY opinion & experience.

We have been on all of the ships so far multiple times (except for Riviera which will be corrected next May) and in our estimation the food has been of equal quality on all ships. Yes, as has been said, there can be mistakes but for us they have been few and far between. Compared to other lines we have sailed on -- which I admit are not many! -- I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of the ships.

I saw recently complaints about Marina which we left in late November, and the complained about experience was nothing like we had experienced.

Don't forget: There are no guarantees in life!

Mura

Thank you. Good to know that the food is primarily the same fleet wide.

On other lines, Celeb for example, there is a very obvious difference in the food quality and availability from ship to ship. There is a topic on CC right now that has pictures of all the different buffet specialties that are available on the Eclipse that are nowhere to be seen on their other ships.

Thank you. Good to know that the food is primarily the same fleet wide.

 

On other lines, Celeb for example, there is a very obvious difference in the food quality and availability from ship to ship. There is a topic on CC right now that has pictures of all the different buffet specialties that are available on the Eclipse that are nowhere to be seen on their other ships.

I will counter this. The recipes are the same. The quality of the Food Department, Chef, Sous Chef and cooks vary.

FOOD IS SUBJECTIVE -- So....

So just off the Regatta. IMO (some agreed with me and some did not based on conversation with friends and others on board) - I thought the food was very inconsistent. Some days good and some bad. Issue is definitely Quality Assurance -- absolutely no reason to have warm or cold soup -- in excusable in the Terrace (where service delay plays no part).

I love the O croissants and the baguettes. Both of these were not the same every day. Some days buttery and some days not. Banquettes same inconstancy with the crust. Almost like it was a teaching cruise,

1) Toscana -- was most consistent -- excellent chef and kitchen. All meals were good.

2) Pollo -- horrible. Bad 3 of 3. Cooks do not know MR from Medium. Quality of meat for me was dry with little taste -- they asked you what type of sauce you want -- you will definitely need it.

3) GDR at times excellent and at times poor. Again inconsistent. Biggest issue was food temperature.

4) Terrace -- mirrored the GDR. Best were the theme nights (Aussie, Greek, Asia, Indian). Sometimes Food was very bland (like the Indian Vindaloo).

Also you will not find Jacques or Red Ginger on Regatta -- although they one item from their GDR menu daily.

I will counter this. The recipes are the same. The quality of the Food Department, Chef, Sous Chef and cooks vary.

 

 

FOOD IS SUBJECTIVE -- So....

 

 

So just off the Regatta. IMO (some agreed with me and some did not based on conversation with friends and others on board) - I thought the food was very inconsistent. Some days good and some bad. Issue is definitely Quality Assurance -- absolutely no reason to have warm or cold soup -- in excusable in the Terrace (where service delay plays no part).

 

 

I love the O croissants and the baguettes. Both of these were not the same every day. Some days buttery and some days not. Banquettes same inconstancy with the crust. Almost like it was a teaching cruise,

 

 

1) Toscana -- was most consistent -- excellent chef and kitchen. All meals were good.

2) Pollo -- horrible. Bad 3 of 3. Cooks do not know MR from Medium. Quality of meat for me was dry with little taste -- they asked you what type of sauce you want -- you will definitely need it.

3) GDR at times excellent and at times poor. Again inconsistent. Biggest issue was food temperature.

4) Terrace -- mirrored the GDR. Best were the theme nights (Aussie, Greek, Asia, Indian). Sometimes Food was very bland (like the Indian Vindaloo).

 

 

Also you will not find Jacques or Red Ginger on Regatta -- although they one item from their GDR menu daily.

No Red Ginger...well that is a big minus in my opinion....

inconsistency....not good....

hope you made comments...so maybe improvement would be on the way....

No Red Ginger...well that is a big minus in my opinion....

 

inconsistency....not good....

 

hope you made comments...so maybe improvement would be on the way....

Agree on the no RG. Except for Sirena -- the R ships do not have Red Ginger. Yes extensive comments with specifics.