Cathy Maneri

Is anyone else having problems accessing cruise info on Oceania's website? I can only get the Home Page.

Just sent them an email asking if they are having technical web issues.

This is the reason I've switched to Oceania, great food and service throughout the entire ship and no charge!

Their Kobe Beef hamburgers with truffle hand-cut fries are to die for. You just walk up to the server, give him your order, he gives you a number, you sit down, someone comes over and asks you what you would like to drink and the food is served to you....this is in their pool area called Waves Grill.

WpgCruise I agree with you 100 percent. I've switched over to Oceania....I wanted the "real cruise experience" once again. I had been an avid Celebrity cruiser but I'm willing to cruise less and pay more for Oceania. Oceania, for me is the best cruise experience I've had in all my 26 cruises to date.

Sure, here's one from our personal experience. Not a Lux line but defiantly a large step up from Celebrity.

 

Feb 1 2016, 11 night Celebrity Equinox cruise A1 hump cabin, incl Bev Package paid $211 per night. We're Elite so those "Perks" were also included.

 

Jan 22 2017 10 nights on Oceania Marina, B1 balcony, (upgraded for free to a P.H.) $225 per night. No loyalty "Perks" but an $800 O.B.C. so that pretty much made up for not having Elite "Perks"

 

It's fine to be a fan of a specific cruise line, I have no problem with that at all.

 

For us there simply came a time when we looked at the value for the money and realized that a better product for us can be had for a comparable price.

 

We're all different, what is important to me may well not be for you, the point I'm making is that instead of complaining, see if there isn't another product that meets your expectations at a price point you're comfortable with.

 

Writing to Celebrity, posting to Cruise Critic of your angst won't change the issues we have with Celebrity. I know as I've done that for several years. The "Good Old Days" are not coming back, but a "Good Old Days" experience can be had elsewhere for not much more than a Celebrity cruise.

Yikes....who designed this new website!!!!! and who approved it. Did they even troubleshoot for ease of use.

It's horrible.

They had better redesign it, they are going to lose a lot of business.

As it is, I've switched over to Oceania....Celebrity you are striking out your repeat cruisers.

I have very straight lashes....I've always used shu uemura eyelash curler. Here's the link for it.

http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/product/EYELASH-CURLER,default,pd.html

When I travel Europe I like to wear:

Knit pants (black/dark color) or light-weight corduroy in black (JJill has nice ones)

Lightweight sweater in cotton or cashmere

Cotton long sleeve top (mock or turtleneck)

Colorful scarves, lots of them

Leather jacket in black and whiskey tan

Quilted nylon jacket also looks nice (Land's End)

Low-heeled boots or nice low-heeled leather shoes

Dark washed jeans are great also, goes nicely with leather jacket as well.

I bought the navy All Seasons Blazer. The arms were really tight (and I do not have big arms, just big shoulders). The blazer itself was well-made and looked nice. I just couldn't get my arms in! I don't mind paying money for something that is well-made and will last. I've bought things from Target and other similar stores and ended up throwing them on the junk heap after one of two wearings.

I had the same problem with their blazer.

I personally think Travel Smith is a bit pricey and not worth the money. Have you googled Petite long travel dresses? See if other sites may carry something you would like.

I find the best way to see if a fabric will wrinkle when shopping in a store is to grab it and scrunch it and if it wrinkles you know it might not be good for travelling.

I also bring wrinkle releaser when I travel. You spray it on and with a blow dryer you can get the wrinkles out. Some people hang it in the shower and let the steam do it (I personally have never tried that).

I have bought some of my favorite dresses at places like Ross Stores.

I've been using ROC daytime and night time cream for over 15 years. I like it, never had any breakouts from it. It's lightweight which I like. I've tried the ROC eye cream, but now just use the daytime also for my eyes.

I remember I worked with someone who had modeled and she said that ROC is the best OTC cream.

I never use soap on my face, I use CereVe. I'm almost 63 with few wrinkles.

I now buy JJill, love their asymetrical and tunic tops. Like their lightweight fabric. Perfect for Florida. Always wait for their sales. I used to buy Talbots, but find they are a bit expensive. I like some tops from Chicos, but also wait for their sales.

For shoes: Zappos or Amazon. Been buying sling back pumps with a 1-1/2" kitten heel. I found Trotters to have great shoes at good prices.

Check out 6pm (online).

I usually buy my dresses at Nordstrom. Well I order online, they ship free, I order in two sizes and return to the store which is not far from where I live.

I found an Ellen Tracy sheath dress on the Nordstrom site. Ordered my two sizes, but after googling found the same dress on a site called 6pm for about 60% cheaper. 6pm doesn't have a large selection, but I bought three Ellen Tracy dresses for the price of the one from Nordstrom.

Very happy to get three great dresses at a great price.

I just went through this problem recently "dressing for my body type 5' 1" and age 63". I have a daytime wedding coming up in April in Florida. I started looking for a short dress. I usually look for dresses at Nordstrom's. I can order in two sizes and have them sent to me home (free shipping). If I don't like it I bring them back to the store.

Here was my dilema. I don't were sleeveless, off the shoulder or maxi dresses. So I thought I would try a floral. Big mistake....just isn't me. Well I finally realized that the best dress for me is a sheath. Doesn't look cutesy or too young for my age. I found a black and ivory stripe in a pique fabric, by Ellen Tracy. It has short sleeves, but I'm okay with that. I will not buy anything that I can not wear on a cruise and this dress was perfect. Not only did Nordstrom's have it, but I did some googling and found the same dress for 60% cheaper on another site. Bought it in two sizes and will return one.

I've finally realized I need to shop my age, I'm not 20 anymore. But even at 20, I didn't like florals...what was I thinking?

I was a loyal Celebrity cruiser, but I've switched over to Oceania. I've done two, one on the Riviera and one on the Regatta. They were the best cruises I've been on to date. Already booked for 2017 and 2018. The food, service and itineraries is what makes Oceania a step above.

We just returned yesterday from a 10 day cruise on the Riviera. It was the best cruise ever (out of 65) !

 

Though we come to expect the entertainment at 9:30 pm not to be exceptional, the service and food was excellent.

 

Never a subpar meal, speciality dining superb.

 

Terrace Cafe was excellent; great service. Never a line at the grill at dinner. It appeared most dined in MDR at night.

 

Disclaimer: everyone is entitled to their opinion and what they experienced plus each cruise is unique and quality can change.

Glad you enjoyed Oceania. I have been on 26 cruises, mostly on Celebrity, but I had done two Oceania in the past and they were the best cruises I've taken so far. I'm booked on two more one this year and one next year. Celebrity was great years ago, but not the same in food or service. If you want a nice relaxing cruise with good food and great service....try Oceania.

Hi you can get packing cubes online.

 

I have some of the chameleon brand and they are awesome.

 

Check them out on amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Chameleon-PACKING-CUBES-Travel-Organizers/dp/B01EX4HQ46/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

These are very nice ones. I bought my Eagle Creek a long time ago, before other companies came out with them.

I have both the folders (their are two sizes, the larger better for men's shirts and pants) and packing cubes. I always use them and love them.

Pros on folders: Keeps clothes nice and neat and doesn't need ironing. They have larger ones for men's shirts and pants. Con: can make your suitcase heavier (if flying) May also take up more room in a suitcase, but they lay pretty flat. Keeps everything very organized. You cannot use them for formal wear.

Pros on cubes: Love..love...love these. I use them for underwear, bras, socks, t-shirts (can roll them) and any other small items like belts, purses etc. Keeps everything very organized. You can also just put them in the drawer and unzip them and use them that way, in case you are worried about drawer being dirty. Also use them for electronics and anything small. Buy assorted sizes, you will find a use for them. Cons: None.

I bought Eagle Creek ones at the Container Store. They are very durable and will last a long time.

When was the last time you cruised on Celebrity? They haven't had a formal dress code in at least a couple of years.

I was on Celebrity in April 2016 (Reflection) and they STILL HAD formal nights. All the other nights were casual chic.

Oceania is non-formal, but when you go to the specialty restaurants, they are so lovely, I think a jacket for a man is a nice touch. I, as a women, like to wear a dress to those restaurants. Oceania just has that kind of ambiance.

But overall, formal is not required on Oceania in any restaurant.

Happy Cruising!

As far as drink packages...I stated in an earlier post. I can see this being a total mess for the cruiser. Now 3 packages? Confusion I don't think so much by celebrity but for the cruiser? Yes. I guess I will find out in a couple weeks when we sail the constellation. We both have classic. Anything over $8 in a cocktail you pay full price not the difference. I am a whiskey drinker. Don't like weak drinks so I will post when we get back on how this went. I looked at some drink menus and very few drinks are $8. Could be a ploy by celebrity to get you to upgrade. But hey what's another $100 in the big picture. None of celebrity's lists on the packages are the same. The one on line is different than the one the rep sent in the last couple days. The list on this web site doesn't match the other 2. So just more confusion... 7 and 7's for me...I will figure out how to getter done..

You are totally correct. Most of the drinks are not covered on the Classic Package and they will charge you full price not just the difference.

The only way I would do any drink package is they offer me a Classic Bev for two free and at least a OBC of $300 or more, then I will upgrade with the OBC when I get on the ship.

I was on the Reflection April 2, 2016 sailing 7N Caribbean and Celebrity was offering the following:

Limited Time Offer Valid January 4 - April 30, 2016

Choose 2 Free Perks when you book an Ocean View or higher on most sailings departing April 2016 through April 2018 or

Choose All 4 Perks with Premium bev package when you book any Suite class departing the same as above.

$200 deposit per person and an additional OBC credit rangings from $100 to $500 depending on cabin and length of cruise.

I booked a Veranda 7N Carib on April 2, 2017 and took the Free Classic Beverage Package for two. $300 OBC and also received $150 OBC to be used on my upcoming April 2017 cruise. With the $450 OBC and will upgrade to a Premium Bev Package when on the ship.

Always look for this flyer in your on-board cruise material, if interested.

Great deal.

I have a couple of different jewelry organizers.......one is a tri-fold....

has lots of pockets and zippered areas. The top and bottom areas

go left to right with zippers.....they hold watches and necklaces and the

other pockets I put little bags with different earrings/pendants, etc.

 

The other one is smaller but still holds quite a few pieces.

 

I disagree with the "one necklace and one bracelet go with everything".

If you have different pieces that go with different outfits, then

go for it:D

I do the same thing, I have a trifold organizer and use little bags. Plus it's easier to put it in the safe.

I like to bring one gold chain or omega and bring different pendants to put on them. Earrings are small enough to bring and keep them in separate bags in my trifold.

Works good for me.

I've done over 20 plus cruises and I don't know why whenever I go to my closet to pack, I'm at a loss. Takes me hours to decided and I get exhausted. You would think I would know by now what to pack.

Started packing today for my 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise (I've done many of them and I also live in Miami, so I'm used to hot weather).

I like to pack for my Caribbean cruises with colorful tops and mostly white capris or slacks.

So once I figured out the blouses, white slacks, etc, I decided to lay them on my bed and take pictures of them with my tablet. Even added in the shoes I would wear.

Now when I go on my next cruise, I can refer back to the pictures and not be so stressed out.

Hopefully, they will still fit by the next cruise!

PS: I pack for hubby, he's easier to pack for, and will do the same picture taking as well.

Happy cruising to all!

Glad you had a good Reflection experience.

I'm an avid Celebrity cruiser and will be on the Reflection (for the first time) next Saturday, April 2 (Eastern Caribbean).

I've been on all the Solstice class ships and the Millenium class, but the Solstice class is my favorite.

Since I live in Miami, I do a lot of Caribbean cruises....please don't feel sorry for me! But my favorite has to be Alaska and Canada/New England.

I've brought many of my friends over to Celebrity as well.

I, too, have seen many changes to Celebrity, but I've never had a bad cruise experience with them.

Happy cruising to all!

We are also X Elite Plus and still enjoy X; but O is our preferred line. We find that the service is the way X used to be many years ago when we first started cruising with them. It is also nice not to be nickle and dimed all the time or have your photos constantly being taken and pushed on you. The entertainment and activities on O don't compare to X; but with the port focused cruises, I don't need that many activities and the entertainment is OK.

 

The food quality and included specialty restaurants are a major differentiators. Whenever we take an X cruise now, they aren't as special and we look forward to our next O cruise. Try Oceania, you too will get spoiled by them.

Mike, you couldn't have said it better. I, too, started with Celebrity back in 2002 and will become Elite Plus with my next cruise in December. Although I have only cruised twice with Oceania (Marina and Regatta) I have to say that they were my best cruises in all 26 I've done so far. I just cancelled a Celebrity Reflection cruise and booked another with Oceania.

Celebrity used to have wonderful dining room food and service, but it definitely has gone down since I started with them.

Celebrity has a good product and is always finding ways to make it work better for their repeat customers, but Oceania is consistent with theirs, and that's what I now want for my cruise vacation.

It's nice that Oceania is proud that they can offer a great cruise experience, I don't think Celebrity really cares anymore.

Another way to find out if the bed is near the bathroom is to look for the symbol that states convertible sofa bed (a solid square) or one upper berth (a solid triangle) on the deck plan.

In this case, the sofa will be by the balcony and the bed will be near the bathroom.

To double check, you could call Celebrity and ask them. The Captain's Club agents are very good.

Just back from the two week Pride repositioning cruise and we did the morning tour with Woodwind. The entire excursion was one of the most professionally and well organized I have ever been on in over 20 cruises! Dee is amazing! She is concerned first and foremost with everyone's safety. She personally fits your mask and snorkel and inquires about your level of experience and takes the least experienced with her personally. She also has prescription masks which was amazing for me to be able to see everything clearly for the first time! She also takes along a professional photographer and his pictures are stunning! You have the option to buy them on a disk or a thumb drive. Book early! I booked almost one year in advance and they sold out a few weeks later.

I ditto the above.....you MUST snorkel in Bonaire, it's the best there is in the Caribbean.

I also booked with Woodwind in December of last year, and they are the best there is. Dee and her staff are fabulous. My husband is 72 and I am 60 and we had only snorkeled once before, but she made sure we were with her group and kept an eye on us.

She'll take you to see the sea turtles on the second leg and I agree the photographer took some amazing underwater pictures, it was $35 for the thumb drive. Don't forget to bring cash with you to purchase it and hopefully tip the amazing crew she has.