Vallesan

Horses for courses!! We NEVER eat in the Terrace Cafe in the evenings! We all enjoy different things and that’s one of the charms of Oceania ….. CHOICE!

We are sailing on the Quest in April! Yes hopefully will be the best of both worlds!

Yes you’re right but we just enjoyed the smaller ships but not the smaller cabins! We are trying one of the smaller Seabourn ships in the Spring so it will be interesting to see how it compares with the R class ships. Price for price Seabourn is definitely better than PH on an R class for the cruise we’ve chosen.

Why?

Yes as you say the category is important. On the R class we always book PH but with both Seaborn and Silversea the entry class suites are fine. When we sail Riviera etc. we take a concierge and although they are smaller they are adequate. So, for us, I guess it’s a bit like swings and roundabouts!

Thank you! Very interesting review. We sailed on the Dawn in June this year and on the Riviera October 2022, penultimate cruise before refurbishment. We have sailed Oceania 9 times mainly on the R class ships. Having sailed on the Riviera last year, after several years on the R class ships, I think we now prefer the larger ships. Well we have both the Riviera and Marina booked for the first half of 2024! I think I probably have to agree with most of your conclusions about Silversea. We loved our first Silversea cruise which was to the Norwegian Fjords, but the spectacular scenery may have coloured our view as well! Our butler was unobtrusive but excellent. Arrived with caviar as a surprise some late afternoons, and other goodies too, kept our supply of champagne topped up in the fridge, polished OH’s dress shoes and our glasses(spectacles) and was generally just a really nice guy. At the end of the day I agree with you itinerary and pricing would be my reasons to choose either of the lines and I would probably throw Seabourn into the mix too! They are all excellent in different ways and I think ‘value’ a very personal thing so really difficult to make ‘true’ comparisons. Maybe we should talk about ‘enjoyment’ as the main priority rather than value, and for me, I’m yet to be disappointed in any of my cruises!

‘Free Gourmet Dining’ is available for everyone. You can book the number of nights allocated to your grade of cabin. Bookings are by cabin grade as you suggested. To book: Go to website, top left hand corner “My Account/Reservation” press , sign in or create an account. If you cruise doesn’t show on the next page you can add it. Then just press ‘manage this booking’ which appears on the top right hand-side of the booking which will take you to dining reservations etc. Tours are also available on this page.

I have mobility issues so understand exactly how easily ‘comments’ etc can be construed in a different way to the way an able bodied person might see them. Let’s just leave it. The lady in question was upset. Her perogative No need for anybody else to comment.

I would HATE to sail Oceania with “LARGE SIGNS”. Most people don’t disrespect the loungers. I sail Oceania for its ‘small’ ship atmosphere and would hate for it to turn into the same ideology as a ‘humungous ship’!

So sorry to hear about your experiences. I must admit that I often feel that too high expectations do lead to letdowns but in your case I would feel aggrieved too. Unless it was an emergency repair that was needed after the ship had sailed, I can’t see any reason to carry out such extensive and noisy repairs whilst passengers were cruising. No matter which grade of cabin I had I’d actually have been insulted by the compensation they offered you. It’s doubly insulting because you had paid for a higher suite. I’m assuming from your post that this is your first Oceania cruise although you are familiar with R class ships. It’s a shame that you had such a poor experience. As for the way your wife was treated in Toscana well there is just really no excuse! Sometimes when a trip starts on a bad note there is just no way to redeem it just goes downhill. You tend to notice every mistake or downside and it’s very difficult to see any positives although you seem to have found some. Maybe one of the larger ships would suit you better? Anyway, just wishing you an abundance of positives on any future cruise.

Sorry I don’t think I was clear in my post. There are two points. Firstly, I think I should have said that the description of some tours isn’t always as clear cut as it could be. I have looked at some tours that are described as ‘wheelchair friendly’ or are classed as ‘easy’, when actually they aren’t if you look at the fine print. I always do assess my own ability to take a trip and tend to take very, very few. Secondly, yes, you are absolutely entitled to get 1-8 rather than 1-3 and feel upset if you don’t because of other people not, either reading the description properly or not assessing their own ability correctly, or indeed both. But….. there are nice and nasty ways to show displeasure, just as you might if somebody was late back for the coach! You are probably right to avoid cruise lines, and others, tours entirely then should there be any mishap or missed venue it would not be down to others.

WOW! Your post was really interesting. You sound really balanced. Thank you and yes there are many ‘mobility challenged” people who expect too much!

Good advice. Like your spouse I use a walker if the seas are less than ‘millpond’, otherwise I use crutches. I’ve read descriptions of ‘wheelchair’ friendly tours which leave you for 30+ minutes to ‘walk around’! I suppose this is fine if you use a wheelchair, and you aren’t in an area with ‘cobbled’ streets. I don't and a walker just doesn’t fit the bill. One other thing to be aware of is the other people on the trip. Whilst I’m sure most guides are helpful as are the majority of people on the trips, there are also ‘entitled’ people who complain on these boards about being ‘held up’ etc by people with mobility issues. My only hope is that these ignorant people never end up as ‘less able bodied’ , especialty on a cruise!

Ok. Think I may have narrowed this conundrum to 2 or 3, if there really is an influencer! Who is paying this person?

And if you did have an unlimited budget there would still be ‘no perfect cruise line’ as your expectations would be that much higher! Nothing in life is ‘perfect’! Just enjoy!

If you have never tried Oceania before go with an open mind and ignore the majority of gripes on these threads. Without preconceived ideas the cruise will be what you want to make it!

I guess the crux of the matter is how much are you prepared to pay for Oceania ‘as it is’? As it ‘was’ is really not relevant because it ‘is no longer’ …. it’s changed! Personally when we book a cruise I usually have a rough budget in mind. I only like small ships, no larger than the Riviera. I work out the ‘value’ of a cruise for us, which is obviously very personal. I look at Oceania, my preferred brand, Seabourn and Silversea. I don’t like Viking’s early full payment terms. I do like the inclusivity of Seabourn and love the staff and atmosphere onboard. We cruised with them in Europe in September with included business class flights only because it was great value but that’s not always the case. I love the all inclusivity of Silversea and especially the butler service! But I don’t like Silversea not honouring discounts after you book with Port-to-port. Living in the UK I don’t like door-to-door as I don’t like being charged in the region of £1000-1500 pp for a short flight and 50 free miles transfer with Blacklane. So I will only book with them now if the port-to-port price is one I just can’t refuse! So, for me Oceania ‘is what it is’ and it usually still works for me but, if it no longer works for you you need to look at other lines to see if the value they offer is better for you.

It’s such a difficult issue I think. Notnsure it will ever be solved. Hue do you reconcile the balance on a ship between the ‘well dressed 60 somethings with grown up children’ in their brochures, who they want to attract, with the reality! (Maybe, older, less moblie people with money!) Not sure that many, if any, cruise lines will ever have truly wheelchair friendly shorex. Guess it will probably always be better to book your own. This thread had made me realise I definitely need to speak to Oceania about the availability of private cars in all ports!

“Valencia & Delightful Tapas (VLC-023) May 19, 2024Available Times: --Select Time--10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Tour Pricing £167.00 Simply More Shore Excursion Package £125.25 Port: Valencia Tour Length: Half-Day (Approximately 4 1/2 hours) Tour Description Savor a variety of tapas with locally sourced ingredients at two restaurants in Valencia. Enjoy a selection of red and white wine that perfectly pairs with the tapas. Drive through Valencia and see landmarks that reflect the city’s culture and history. ……. PLEASE NOTE PLEASE NOTE Any allergies must be noted when booking the tour. This tour includes approximately 30 minutes of walking and standing, plus any additional walking at the guests' discretion. The restaurant as well as the walk to the bus passing through the town hall square is paved. The tour is available to wheelchair guests who have a collapsible wheelchair, can make their way on and off the bus, and have a companion to assist them. Those with mobility concerns are cautioned to evaluate their stamina and ability carefully. Casual, weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable, flat walking shoes are suggested.” I think this just about says it all! The tour is available to wheelchair guests ! Not so sure. Spain in general is a very ‘wheelchair’ friendly country. Airport assistance is the best I’ve ever encountered and I’ve travelled on most continents. As you can see from the above tour description, in an accessible friendly country, you still need to be able to make your own way on and off a bus!!! I don’t use a wheelchair but can’t get on and off a bus. So … our only option is a private car tour which are available, at a high cost, in some ports, but they are few and far between. Whilst I understand that Oceania can’t cater for every eventuality on tours I do think they should at least give the option of private 1/2 or full days tours so that the included ‘trip allowance’, under SimplyMore can in fact be used.

Yes, maybe I misunderstood your entire post. Let’s just sail and enjoy!

I assumed one of nightstands moved! Not much point in ‘unzipping’ the mattress’s if they don’t have space between the beds!

Do they not put one of the bedside tables between them?

With all due respect not all the issues you bring up are within Oceania’s control. For example the poor people who missed flights because the ship couldn’t dock in Miami because of weather! I understand the issues with the recent Riviera cruise and the offer of a refund which was then withdrawn. That was incorrect. Probably not good business practice but at the end of the day Oceania/NCLC is ‘business’ and it probably didn’t make good ‘business’ sense to refund the whole cruise and sail empty. Had the ship not sailed then the whole Asia season would have been lost and given the precarious financial state of many cruise lines, that may have been the ‘straw that broke the camels back’! I don’t think any cruise lines like to make itinerary changes unless for very good reason. My guess is it costs them money to do that. In truth when you book a cruise you know that there are many things that are ‘fluid’. As you say you ‘like their onboard product’ , so do I! I just go with the flow and concentrate on the good bits, nothing in life is perfect. Of course we all ‘pay our money and take our chance’ if the odds become stacked too high against Oceania then the answer is simple … sail with another line!

I agree! Oceania should have made people aware of the changes to the original plans. Goodness know if the bathrooms will ever be changed! For me, sailing on May 18th 2024, the small shower is a disappointment, I would have liked the new configuration, but as it’s only one small part of the whole cruise it won’t spoil my enjoyment!

You can assure ‘Bob’s friend’ that O always does its best to accommodate all requests? So I guess that will be a ‘yes’ …….