ak1004

@Keith1010 any feedback on this?

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you regarding the ports. We had 3 ports cancelled on our last O cruise, one weather related and two Portugal ports due to potential strike, but the decision was very questionable. Food on Az while slightly worse than O, is still very good. My biggest issue with Az is the cabins (for the same reason I prefer O newer ships). While not a deal breaker, the difference is still very significant, and PH is out of the question (I can usually book SS or SB for the same price or cheaper). So theoretically O still wins (itineraries good enough, excellent cabins and excellent food), but if ports keep being cancelled, it's a big issue. This is why we also look at SS and SB, sometimes there are very good deals.

I'm always amazed by such comments. It implies that it's either a tux or a t-shirt? Oceania doesn't have any formal nights, I haven't seen anyone in t-shirts or flip flops in the restaurants in the evening. There is always a middle ground, like a nice dressy shirt and nice slacks. btw, SB allows dressy jeans, doesn't make it any less luxury.

Thank you! Seems strange to put the itineraries and not to have the details. A bit unprofessional..

Okay, I just checked, the issue is only with the new 2025 itineraries, the rest works fine.

What is happening with SB website? They finally listed 2025 itineraries, but when clicking on any itinerary, it shows this: Is it just me?

We sailed on Azamara once and one O 4 times. In my opinion, Azamara food was very good, but not as good as O. Still much better than Celebrity, but I would give O a small edge. Again, my personal opinion based on personal preferences. Azamara CEO once said "Oceania is all about food. Azamara is all about itineraries"

I really hope SS will never be like Celebrity. But you have to admit that the cabins are fabulous. The certain between the bed and the sitting area was a game changer for us. Unlimited black caviar was also very nice. Variety and quality of food. In many areas SS is at least as good as Crystal. Mercedes is no better than BMW, and BMW is no better than Audi. Comparable products, this is why they have comparable prices. No reason it should be different in cruise lines. The clients don't really care that Crystal has to recoup their investment..

Why would I have a bad taste from a 2019 Symphony cruise? As I mentioned several times, we had a wonderful cruise. And I never said I will never use it again.

People on this board are very loyal to their brand. They believe that Crystal is so unique and so much better than other luxury lines, and Oceania is not even considered luxury. People mentioned being "nickel and dimed to death" on Oceania without even providing any details (only alcohol and gratuities are not included on Oceania, so I'm not sure where they can nickel and dime you). People compare Oceania to Walmart. Enough said. So honestly, I'm not sure if any real discussion is even possible on this board when it comes to other lines. But you are welcome to try.

How about infrastructure? Plumbing? A/C? Everything has been replaced on Crystal? How about double ceiling lounges on the Silver Nova? The list is very long.

Yea.. but Walmart doesn’t charge Oceania prices..

Maybe take a look at the new Silver Nova and compare it to Serenity.. I'm sure you will see the difference. And yes, staying in the "old" hotel you also feel the difference, but much less. There are hotels that are 100-150 years old.. ever seen a cruise ship that is even 40 years old?

I'm not an Oceania cheerleader. I'm not loyal to any cruise line. Unlike some people on this board who sailed with Crystal only, we sailed on 11 different lines. We are travelers, not cruisers. We go by destination and price. Not sure why it's so hard for some people to understand. But if the ship is the destination, and you like destination Crystal, and money is not an issue.. by all means.. btw, I never claimed that Oceania is better than Crystal. To me they are comparable, with a very slight edge to Crystal, but not worth the huge price difference. Pretty simple.

You can register as many as you want and then switch. It's pretty easy actually.

I guess everything is relative? O older ships cabins are teensy compared to Crystal, but Crystal cabins are teensy compared to O newer ships and other luxury lines.. But people who like those ships say that they can dock in smaller places that larger ships cannot. So everything has a tradeoff.

You are absolutely right, this is why we don't sail on those ships (they are going to retire within the next 3-5 years anyway) and prefer Riviera, Marina, Vista and Allura (still 2x choices compared to Crystal. As for comparisons, people discuss and compare different lines on all boards. This is why CC exists, not sure why it should be different on the Crystal board. Nobody has a monopoly on CC boards to decide what to discuss (or maybe it's different for this board?)

Probably because someone mentioned food on Oceania, and then you mentioned your friends who complained about nickel and diming on Oceania (mentioning the coins for laundry that were cancelled years ago). Vista: age - 0, entry level cabins (french veranda) 240 sqft, dining 0ptions - 8 Serenity: age - 21, entry level cabins (ocean view) - 210 sqft, dining options - 5? End of conversation.

Of course. And yet the ships always sail full, and the only line I have seen was in the Oceania Club Ambassador office (and there are always two of them and there is always a line). Some people are never happy. You can read many negative review on every cruise line, including the top lines like SS, SB and Regent. For the record: I have nothing against Crystal. We enjoyed our cruise on Crystal very much and did consider it a step above Oceania (but not a huge one). I would love to try Crystal again, I just don't think their current prices are competitive. If things change price wise, we will be on one of their ships for sure.

Well, O has been in business for 20 years, with 7 very successful ships and one more on its way. Must be doing something right. But obviously you cannot please everyone. What some people view as a great value others view as N&D.

All true. We expect more too - this is why sail on O/SS/SB etc and not on Celebrity/Princess. But at some point, the improvement becomes very marginal and not worth the price difference. At least not for us. The jump in the overall experience from Celebrity to Oceania is huge, but the improvement is only marginal from O to SS or Crystal. Is it worth it? Depends on the price difference. Yes, Oceania price excludes gratuities - but a good TA will usually cover them. We paid gratuities only once out of 4 cruises on O. And they are included once you reach 10 credits (two segments of the Oceania world cruise would probably get you there, or pretty close). We don't drink so this aspect is not important to us, but my understanding is that 20% is added only to individual drinks, not to drink packages. Starting from October, WiFi on O will include 2 devices per cabin. Before Crystal inauguration sailing, I looked at Crystal prices and could not justify paying 20-25% more than SS. Reading the latest comments, I'm even more convinced that the value is not there, and there are many better choices in terms of value for money. But obviously many people will disagree. The old Crystal was 20-25% cheaper than other luxury lines for entry level cabins (don't know about higher suites), and for a good reason. If they could charge more, they would. Now they are 20-25% more expensive. Yes, the ships are renovated, but they are still 21-28 years old, and they don't get any younger, and the entry level cabins are still 30% smaller than rest of the luxury lines. Time will tell if people will pay those prices or Crystal will need to adjust. In any case, I really wish them luck. More competition is always good, even if at this point I don't consider Crystal a viable option.

Cuisine on Oceania might not be Michelin level, but it's still better than 80% of the restaurants in Toronto. But people like to complaint. Don't pay too much attention to negative reviews. The only opinion that matters is yours. personally, I still find O food the best at sea, better than SS and the old Crystal.

Well, for some people showing a card each time you order a drink (even if you have the drinks package) is annoying. Some people don't want to show their card at all, so even non included excursions on Crystal or SB can be annoying, and those people might prefer SS (but then they will need to show their card when booking 2 out of 8 restaurants). We all have some insignificant things that annoy us, the question is how the majority of people feels? No line will ever satisfy everyone (as other things in life). We were happy on all small ships we sailed on (SS, O, C and Azamara) and tried not to get the small things to annoy us.

Yes, but with the current dress code, I don't believe it's enforced. I have seen many people without jackets on the Spirit in the theater on formal nights.

Not even on formal nights? I thought they were "one step below", so informal on formal nights and casual on informal nights. Also, does the new dress code applies to restaurants only? Or they might deny entry to the theater without a jacket on formal nights?