sabrefan

We have our first Azamara cruise coming up in February. What night during a cruise does Azamara put on the White Night party? This will be a 17 night cruise, the free shore excursion will be on the third night of the cruise. Are there other events like this that Azamara may put on that I should be aware of?

Have been on 4 Oceania Cruises and just finished our first Viking cruise. I would have to say that food quality, selection and specialty restaurants are overall better on Oceania. That is not to say Viking is terrible, I just thing overall Oceania is better. The buffet on Oceania is much better than Viking. I will say that the sushi on the Viking buffet is very good, better than Oceania.

An interesting subject. My wife and I have sailed on Oceania 4 times, twice on. Riviera, once on Marina and once on Regatta. We just did our first Viking cruise on a Transatlantic on the new Viking Sun. We enjoyed the interior design and overall layout of the Viking Sun but we also like the Oceania Marina and Riviera too. The Regatta not as much. We felt that overall service in all areas is better on Oceania. Food is definitely better on Oceania. Especially the buffet on Oceania. We really like the idea of staff putting food on your plate, no worry about tongs with onta I ate handles spreading disease. The Oceania beds are much better. We found that the included shore excursion on Viking was no big deal, basically and overview of the port. The buffet on Viking was not very organized, bad passenger flow. The main theatre was also small compared with Marina and Riviera. We decided that we would stick with Oceania unless Viking offered a better itinerary and price.

I appreciate the responses so far. Really looking for recent information and different opinions is okay. In response to Cahpek the Viking cruise that we just took was the Viking Sun, a transatlantic from Lisbon to Miami. This was the 5th cruise that the Viking Sun has done. With all the raving reviews about Viking I felt the wait service at both pools was very inconsistent. The buffet, especially at breakfast was very disorganized. I suppose that this crew will improve with more experience but the customer should not be the provider of that experience. The first night that we ate dinner in the main dining room, we ate at a table for 6 and all our appetizers were wrong or delivered late. Wait staff was totally screwed up. Now the next night we had dinner in the main dining room everything was perfect and it should be noted that we ate in a different area of the dining room.

Our cabin steward was excellent, the ship is beautiful. The cabin was comfortable and the heated bathroom floors were very nice. The entertainment is better on Oceania. Food is better on Oceania, no contest. I like the option of a casino, no casino on Viking. We knew this before we booked.

Have cruised on Oceania 4 times, last time two years ago. We are at Elite level on Celebrity. Just cruised on our first Viking ocean cruise. We came away feeling that we preferred Oceania to Viking. We are trying our first Azamara cruise in February. Interested in hearing from cruisers who have been on both Oceania and Azamara regarding how they compare.

We just took our first Viking ocean cruise on the new Viking Sun. This was a transatlantic cruise from Lisbon to Miami. We are taking our first Azamara cruise on the Quest in February from San Diego to Miami. We are at elite level on Celebrity. The Viking Sun is very nice ship. However we found inconsistent service by both pools. Food was okay, passenger flow in buffet was disorganized and entertainment was very average plus no casino. Interested in other opinions from others who have traveled on both lines.

I can confirm this also that there is no tote bag, just got off Viking Sun. My wife however did bring her Oceania bag that she received after our first Oceania cruise. This was our first Viking cruise.

Very funny that someone mentions Viking Ocean cruises. It just so happens that we are going on our first Viking cruise on Monday. We received printed out cruise documents along with leather per ant bag tags and luggage tags for cruise day with our name and cabin number printed on them. Big difference between Azamara and Viking in this area so far.

First Azamara cruise coming up in February. Do luggage tags come to me when final documents are sent out to my travel agent? Or do I have to call them a few weeks before the cruise like I have had to do with Celebrity?

We booked a Panama cruise back on January 20, 2017. The cruise departs San Diego for Miami on February 20, 2018. At that time we qualified for $400 credit to be used for shore excursions. I have a few questions around this. Note, this will be our first cruise on Azamara.

1.) I see that. certain spirits, wine and beer are included. Is this the case only at lunch and dinner? Can I go to any bar on the ship on a sea day at anytime and get a complimentary standard spirit, wine or beer?

2.) Is there a premium beverage package that I can buy at embarkation? If yes, what is the typical upcharge?

3.) If there is a premium beverage package can I use this $400 credit to buy it instead of using foreshore excursions?

If after embarking and you are two days into the cruise and decide the wine and beer that are included in your cruise fare does not meet your expectations, will Viking allow you to still purchase the Silver Spirits Beverage Package?

Does Viking allow you to buy the liquor package if you are two days into your cruise? I only ask this in case you find that the wine and beer that they have available for lunch and dinner don't meet your expectations.

Thank you for the feedback

Going on the Panama Cruise in February from San Diego to Miami. Stops in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Columbia. Just wondering if you could get by with just U.S. Dollars. Dollars would be used primarily for tipping shore excursions.

How many entries do you have to choose from? I would think that if you had a choice of two or three there has to be something decent that would satisfy most people.

Thanks for the information. We will be on the transatlantic cruise in November, Lisbon to Miami.

Will be sailing on transatlantic cruise in November for the first time on Viking. Looking at the Silver Spirits Beverage Package that they offer which costs $219/pp. Wondering if this is worth while since there is beer and wine available at lunch and dinner?

On the Viking web site the package description says that the mini bar is replenished daily. We have a deluxe verandah cabin and I wonder if they put alcohol in your mini bar if you buy the Silver SpiritsPackage?

Looking for experienced feedback on this.

Doing our first Viking cruise soon. We have sailed on Oceania a few times and enjoyed eating dinner a few times in Terrace Cafe which is their buffet restaurant. Just wondering about the food quality and service are like in Viking New World Cafe for dinner?

Just booked our first Viking cruise on the Viking Sun for a transatlantic in November from Lisbon to Miami. We are at Elite level on Celebrity. We like Aqua class as you can eat in your own specialty restaurant, Blu. We have also cruised on Oceania, really love the Riviera and Marina.

We also have a cruise on Azamara through the Panama Canal planned for February, a cruise on Celebrity cruise on Solstice planned for Alaska in June 2018 and a New England / Canada cruise on Royal Princess planned for October 2018. We could be readjusting our plans depending on our upcoming Viking experience turns out.

Although when making cruise plans itinerary and value are also important factors. When we first sailed on Oceania their prices we less than they are now and Viking is not the greatest value.

Just booked our first Viking cruise . We have a deluxe verandah cabin. So we have a mini fridge and we can get wine and beer with lunch and dinner. Can I bring a bottle of liquor and or wine on board in my carry on luggage?

What are formal nights like now on Princess? Do most people get reall dressed up with gowns and tuxedos?

I have been on two previous Princess cruises in 2007 and 2011. I just booked a cruise on Royal Princess for 2018. Have sailed on Oceania where there are no formal nights and Celebrity where rules around formal nights are very loose.

Just booked a Princess cruise going from NYC to Quebec City. Looking at parking my car near the cruise terminal in Quebec City or hotel and then fly to NYC to pick up the cruise ship. Would appreciate any guidance out there on long term parking and hotels with long term parking.

Will be doing our first Azamara cruise in February. Just wondering what the perks and or discounts would be by booking a future cruise while on board this upcoming cruise? For example is the deposit reduced, on board credit, etc.

Thank you all for the feedback on my comparison question of Azamara vs Oceania. My wife and I have previously sailed on Oceania Marina, Riveria and Regatta. We decided to stay with our original booking on Azamara Quest and see how it really compares since we booked with Azamara during their BOGO promotion and we got a good price on a Verandah cabin.

I have not sailed on Azamara before. I do have Elite status on Celebrity. I am currently booked on the Quest to sail from San Diego to Miami. I have also previously sailed on Oceania and looking at a Miami to Lima cruise at the end of December on the Oceania Marina. Just interested in opinions of others who have sailed on both cruise lines.