DENIE

On our Vista cruise sailing January 2024, we noticed a couple ports that seemed to have very few options. I just kept checking back, and one day found a bunch had been added. Glad we were patient. I had started researching private options and wasn't finding what I was looking for, so was relieved to find the excursion that fit what we were looking for.

This goes for any O ship: -book the specialty dining the first opportunity you have - better chance to get the day/time you desire. -Don't use one of your 4 reservations for the first night. If you wander to the maître de' of one of the specialties as soon as you embark, you can probably snag an additional reservation. We did the in Red Ginger last year, in addition to our reservation later that week. Enjoy your cruise! 🙂

@maximize - Thanks for such a comprehensive review. We are sailing on Vista in January 2024 in a Penthouse Suite. We sailed on Riviera (Rome-Barcelona) in June 2022, so will be interesting to compare, although that one was in a Concierge stateroom.

Last June on the Riviera we docked in a very nice facility. It was just a port stop for us though, no embark or disembark.

We had "LG" on the Riviera last June 2022. Kind of hoping he might be on Vista in January 2024! Did a little of everything, with each night usually being a "theme" night.

We are on the 1/9-1/19 portion of the sailing. As others have said, the classes are out there - my wife and her sister signed up for 2 of them. 🙂

We have just 1 Oceania cruise under our belt. I have to say the warmth and friendliness of the staff stands out to us. We have sailed other lines, but this is the only line I've been on when we were recognized by staff after just a couple days, and called us by name. How do they do that?? 🙂 Looking forward to more of that on our 2nd cruise in Vista in January 2024.

We did 3 Celebrity cruises prior to our first O cruise. While Celebrity didn't necessarily lose us (this was "pre-Covid"), we decided to try something different. We just loved the size of the Riviera (O-class), food/dining variety, all included specialty dining, fellow passengers, and generally less crowded feel. Our next cruise is on the Vista in January 2024. As an aside, we were on a December 2022 HAL cruise (Mexican Riviera) on the beautiful Koningsdam. We only did this sailing because we were with about 10 other friends, and they selected this cruise. However, it was definitely much larger, and we were constantly comparing to our Oceania cruise. Love Oceania!

Great post, thanks! We will be there in January 2024 and looking at one of the Resort Pass resorts. Is it easy to arrange for transportation or a cab? TIA! Dale

Sthrngary - LOVE your traveling to Rome tips. I've saved them in a travel folder. We've been to Rome twice, and this will provide some great reminders for the next time. We found many of these to be absolutely true. Thanks for your postings - I really enjoy them! 🙂

Hi Elidance. I'm following as well as we have this stateroom booked for our 1/9/2024 Caribbean cruise. It is one of the few PH's that had accommodations for 3, which we need as well. On the Riviera, the sofa bed was fine for our 3rd guest. Had some discussions with our TA and appears that the balcony is not one of the wider ones (hence the PH3 designation, instead of PH2). We also had concerns in that when we pulled up the deck plans, it is listed as "accessible' just like the standard veranda next to it. The difference was that it does not have the wheelchair image like the veranda next door. Our TA called O (prior to the ships first sailings) and was told that none of their literature shows it as "accessible", and that it is a standard PH3 room. I was conversing with another CC friend (who I communicate with outside of CC), and he had his TA inquire about the same thing (as his TA books a lot more O cruise than ours does) and was confirmed that it is indeed a standard PH3 room. Relief to us - one, we don't need/want an accessible room, and two, we would not want to take one from someone who did need it.

Another convert from Celebrity. After 3 wonderful Celebrity cruises (pre-Covid), we tried Oceania (Riviera - in the Mediterranean) in June 2022. Decided this felt like home! We did go on a HAL December cruise (San Diego - MX Riviera) because a bunch of friends were doing it, and a couple of them picked HAL. While it was also fun, we constantly compared to Oceania, especially the food. The specialties were very good, but the MDR just was not. Give O a try, you will love it! 🙂

We are going to be spoiled. Our first PH suite on Vista in January 2024! Looking forward to many en suite breakfasts, and probably some specialty dining in the evening!

Good questions....I would follow what Mauibabes suggests.

Thanks for the review! We cannot wait to see Vista in January 2024! 🙂

That's our experience too. My sister-in-law cruises with us, and her fare is always 50%, but like you said, she does not get any of the perks and has to fully pay the beverage package.

No exact formula here. However, I do routinely monitor airfare for a while as the dates become available. We are in Scottsdale, AZ, and booked a Vista cruise January 2024, so started watching fares once they became available. This is a special occasion, so wanted to treat ourselves to first-class using AMEX points. One day I noticed that the fare was in the lower side of what I had seen, and a number of 1st class seats were showing already booked. That's all it took - booked them so we didn't loose out. I periodically check back, and so far we are coming out ahead.

Loving the photos I've been seeing so far! We are on the 1/9/2024 sailing from Miami - PH3. I'll wait to see more comments about the "walk-in".

We said bye to Celebrity after our June 2022 Riviera cruise.

Thanks! Beautiful ship - will be on the same sailing as jonthomas.

On our Riviera 6/2022 Mediterranean cruise, I did pack a sport coat. I wore it to the La Reserve dinner as well as the Moet and Chandon tasting. Also wore a couple times in the specialties as if felt appropriate. No tie. The La Reserve was almost 100% sport coats for men.

Same!!! 🙂 And the funny thing is that we did not even subscribe to the WSJ. I recall it was also around the time you indicated. We subscribed to the local Phoenix/Scottsdale paper, but for some reason ended up with a WSJ that day, with an Oceania brochure. We had been Celebrity people before Covid, but with this brochure, the rest is history.

Last Oceania Cruise - June 2022 Oceania Riviera (10-night Rome to Barcelona) Last cruise - December 2022 Holland America Koningsdam (MX Riviera) - did this one because we went with friends who chose the line and itinerary 😁 Next cruise - January 2024 - Oceania Vista - Golden Sands Caribbean After that - will probably book the next Oceania cruise while on board. When on the HAL cruise, we were CONSTANTLY comparing things to our June Oceania cruise, and HAL just wasn't as nice, in our opinion. Not awful, just not as nice.

In June 2022 we really preferred the E-muster, watching the video in our stateroom and then checking in at the muster station. Hoping that is back.

Great thread Gary, and I am loving the responses. I forgot to mention in my earlier comment that I do work with Excel every day (I am not retired), so putting together a cruise itinerary is a pretty simple thing for me. I do understand why some people don't like Excel, though.