FeliciaLee

We had an oceanview, too. It seemed pretty small, but doable (like the bathroom itself). The number one reason we love Oceania is the activities, which are plentiful on port days. There were almost as many sports/trivia type activities as on sea days. Save up those points and buy something really good!

It is a great location if someone likes to swing by for a quick espresso on their way to breakfast, lunch and dinner. But does tend to get crowded.

Thank you for your great review. We were on a slightly bigger ship once with only 400 people, so yeah, O ships definitely feelsmore crowded. Like you, we still had a great time and loved Oceania. Have you checked out some of the good deals on the O ships? Our first cruise cost us each only $142 per person/per day and we also had a $500 rebate due to a pre-covid cancellation. Our upcoming cruise only cost $133 per person/per day with $100 obc. Obviously both cruises were the lowest category and with no perks. But all-in-all we feel that the value is definitely worth those prices and we would be happy to cram ourselves into the small bathrooms.

Don't give them any ideas, Beau! Isn't there a ship that has an oxygen bar in the spa? Extra charge, naturally.

I never really thought about it until we tried Regent. Every day when entering the dining room they'd ask our name and cabin. By like the ninth day, after eating almost every meal in one of the sit-down venues and greeting the same maitre-d virtually every time, it seemed bizarre. Not necessarily because he had to go through the motions, which is totally understandable, but just the cold, aloof look, like he was seeing a brand new face every time. Perhaps just a one off. We seem to prefer Oceania, Crystal and even HAL, but to each his own 🙂

Since we absolutely love both lines, can you start one of these comparison threads here on Crystal's board, please? I will be happy to participate in that

Yes, we did a G guarantee, ended up with a C. No complaints. We are always pleased with guarantees, go figure. Wishing the very same for you!

We booked about four months out of a cruise on Sirena. We legit thought we got the good price due to the guarantee (1k each). It wasn't until later that we realized the price had nothing to do with it. At any rate, we were upgraded to an ocean view and had a fabulous time.

Well, Oceania is only 5.5, not 6. So that is to be expected and hopefully the price reflects that difference. We have been on all four lines, but some only once and our food rankings were: Crystal/Regent/Oceania/Seabourn. YMMV

Yes. And it's free. Enjoy! The symbol looks like a little hanger on the deck plans.

In theory, I definitely agree with this sentiment. We are all different. My husband wouldn't complain if the ship was on fire. He was raised in a "You catch more flies with honey" type of family. My theory is that it doesn't do a business any good if someone doesn't say anything, yet never patronizes said business again and they eventually go under. Jobs lost, etc. The balance is to address an issue without being hyperbolic or rude. I'll keep working on that one 😉

Exactly correct. We only had a couple of glitches on Sirena in January and addressed this issues, which were immediately corrected. And in the end, it ended up being one of the best cruises we have ever taken!

We were on HAL in late October 2022. The food was much more plain than 2018, but still good. There were a few things missing: no upgraded Elemis products, no seasickness medication Overall the product is still excellent for the price point. Enjoy your cruise!

Personally, I'd choose 7131. Although the front of the ship can be wonderfult, if you are prone to seasickness and run into some real weather, you might not enjoy that cabin.

Don't miss the Ily Crema! It was a huge favorite of ours, but the large is way too big, so maybe stick to the smallest size. Cheers!

Yes, seems so. We were either able to get $141 pp/pd or exponentially more for each of the different benefits.

Thank you so much. We were able to get a great deal for one of these today!

It's hard to compare based on a cruiseline that has yet to sail. Having said that, given the similar pricing and your situation, Explora sounds like the better choice. Either way, you are sure to have a great 20th anniversary!

Make sure to try Red Ginger (on Sirena). It is a great experience.

Maggie, we were on another cruise when our date opened for reserving restaurants and then forgot all about it. Well, we were able to get 6:30, but only if we shared a table. If that is an option for you, maybe try that route? Fingers crossed for you!

Really? Wow, I had no idea. And here I thought we got a great deal :)

We were upgraded from G to C. Yes, we were able to book them, no problem. At first we thought we might upgrade due to being at the front of the ship, but then found we liked it there compared to Seabourn, so we canceled our upgrade request (second day of the cruise). We have had great experiences with guaranteed cabins, save one time in over 25 cruises. If you are easygoing they are a bargain.

Great news incoming. Check your e-mail.

Thank you for the beautiful video. It was great meeting you two. I sent you an e-mail, hope you got it!

Oh, that makes much more sense! Either way, an early birthday and a 5-night on HAL would be awesome for you. I'd rather have 5-nights on HAL than 7 on some other lines (we have a 5-night next month on N/A and HAL is really awesome with variation cruises, imo).