Cruise Reviews

[Somerset Cruiser]

I have just read a review of Oceana E003 by exxerox, several things not to the reviewers satisfaction, the condition of the ship, the unhappy crew, standard of the buffet, piano recitals, undercooked lamb.

 

It's all about opinions but I would disagree with most of that other than the lamb(I wasn't there) and the Buffet(I was never there either). We found Oceana a fun and friendly place to be, maybe it is due a spruce up, but if new carpet is an essential part of a good cruise....

 

I think I will take no notice of reviews in future, you only have to read about Ventura!, and work on the basis that a poor ship is better than no ship.

[cruisecampo]

We were also on E003 and as first time cruisers thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

Having read reviews about Oceana, P&O and the Caribbean we went with an open mind and were not disappointed.

We have read the review posted by exxerox and agree we did see a small section of carpet taped together but have to say it was not widespread throughout the ship. Other comments made about food, entertainment etc are the reviewers opinions. We do not have the benefit of being able to compare with other cruise lines (I wish). We found the food in the dining room (we were on Freedom Dining) to be excellent although the level of service seemed to vary according to which part of the room you were seated. We had excellent evening meals in the buffet, 2 curry nights and 1 greek night. We also ate in the Cafe Jardine and Horizon restaurants and found them to be worth the supplement.

I celebrated a birthday while on board and a plate of chocolates and a birthday card signed by the Captain was delivered to our cabin. A nice touch.

We did not book an up market cruise. What we received was an enjoyable holiday and value for money.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and who is to say who is right and who is wrong. Dip the big toe in, you might be surprised how warm the water is. :):)

[Johnthed0g]

Trouble with reviews is...people who have never cruised either think ''blimey this is wonderful'' or go with over expectations & are disappointed. On the other hand experienced cruisers may concentrate on issues that a newcomer would find of no real importance.

[KenAndJulie]

We saw the bit of carpet taped together on Oceana, but then on other cruises we saw tiles lifting from the deck, ripped bits of the green deck covering, painted over rusty bits, broken wall tiling in the atrium, discoloured carpets, well worn carpets, broken trim, missing bulbs, chipped glasses, food not cooked the way we would like it, entertainment not to our liking etc. etc. ... however on no occasion did any of it ever detract from our enjoyment of the holiday.

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SImilar when I go home I have to deal with worn carpets, broken tiles, rust on outside fittings, broken items, bulbs out, food not cooked the way I like it (and I cooked it) and entertainment not to my liking (and I have a remote control with access to over 100 channels)

 

There are things that are important and things that are not important and generally the P&O ships are in great shape .. but with several thousand people on them every week you have to expect wear and tear.

[capnpugwash]

I was on Oceana for past two weeks and the ship does look a little tired, it needs new carpet and a lick of paint but it is still a great ship.

See http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1147469 for my review/blog