Marina vs R ships

[LuAnn]

All of the above is why I never went to one show on the Marina while I attended a few on the Regatta just after that. I did however faithfully play trivia despite the contortions it required.

 

You are so right Wripro...me, sitting on the arm-rest, between the two rows of my team...must have been quite a sight!! :p :o LuAnn

[LuAnn]

You are forgiven :D;

and yes, I do appreciate the trouble you are going through to check the right box (by booking a cruise after cruise, just to make sure you get it right :)).

I do miss the food on the Marina.

Fair winds and following seas to you both,

Paul

PS We too will sail on the Regatta (in September) and it will be interesting to see how she "feels" after the Marina.

 

can't wait for your input on that! Since we are booked on both TAs on Marina for next year...I guess you know where I'm keeping my vote!! :D LuAnn

[Paulchili]

can't wait for your input on that! Since we are booked on both TAs on Marina for next year...I guess you know where I'm keeping my vote!! :D LuAnn

 

LuAnn,

You too are forgiven (I am in a generous mood today) :D

I do remember you at Trivia - you had the right idea but it couldn't have been very comfortable :mad:, but probably still better than poor Colleen's bruised arm on our team (from turning around all the time).

[CintiPam]

Wripro and Paulchili,

 

Thanks for the responses clarifying to me why you dislike the Marina Lounge. (I stayed away from the boards more than a week this time.:))

 

I finally wrote my Marina review and will post a thread on this board later tonight after I catch up on a week's worth of unread Oceania posts.

[wripro]

Hi Pam,

 

No problem. I see you did not find the main lounge nearly as objectionable as I did. I'm glad it worked for you.

[CintiPam]

Hi Pam,

 

No problem. I see you did not find the main lounge nearly as objectionable as I did. I'm glad it worked for you.

 

Hey, great minds thinking alike!:) I made a comment about this to you just now on my review thread!

[2kiwis]

Have yet to try Marina but see the R ships are still ahead

[Noggins]

Interesting to see your thread continues to create debate, Paul! We sailed with you on the Colonial Crossing and booked a future Regatta cruise - just to check an R again and be sure that our vote would be in the right box. However, having had now several months without a single water melon and duck starter (ooh - just saying it...) we have felt obligated to book another Marina cruise in September as well.

I do hope you appreciate the trouble people will go to to make sure their vote is thoroughly thought through....! (this time we cannot stretch to a PH3 with an extended balcony and have a gty C grade - which we rather hope might just morph into a B something or other....)

 

By the way - we were entirely happy with the Marina lounge - for lecture and shows (albeit the latter often being very full and causing us to sit right at the back)

 

best wishes to you and yours!

 

Hard to believe a year has passed....

But having now completed our second R experience to our two M experiences I can report that we were surprised at our reaction upon returning to the older ship.

We sailed Miami - Barcelona so had many sea days - and the ship was full.

We immediately found ourselves enjoying:

~ the smaller scale of the ship

~ the softer, more classic, furnishings / colour schemes

~ the more comfortable theatre

~ the greater familiarity with the fewer staff needed for fewer passengers

~ the ability to get into smaller ports (eg Horta & St Georges)

~ the smaller scale of the ship (or did I say that already ;))

 

What did we miss?

~ yes, those 2 extra restaurants

~ definitely the coffee (Halve the library to make a Baristas...?:eek:)

~ the larger pool

~ the larger standard room bathroom

 

On balance we reckon it is very much 50/50. And that is absolutely no slur on the new ships - just that the 'old' ones remain wonderful - and still managed and maintained to the highest standard.

 

And here's a thing. We saw FDR on board in Miami taking great interest in a number of areas (not a PR exercise from him, a nitty gritty visit). For the CEO to be so hands on is still probably what ultimately makes O so successful.

 

Riviera next time me-thinks....

[Balloon Man]

Just off Marina a couple of weeks ago and loved the ship. In fact as my review says it is now number 1 in our list. That's because it just edged Azamara Journey into second spot - and Journey is, of course, an R vessel. We are sailing on Nautica at the end of September (and again next April) so it will be interesting to compare an Oceania R ship against one from Azamara.

[roothy123]

Glad you have that #3 option! Based on 1 Marina cruise (February, Caribbean) and 5 or 6 R cruises (various places over the years), I'm on the fence, but a moderate wind would probably push me over to R. Didn't know if I'd like Marina, but have to admit that the addition of two restaurants was really nice, and the art/photography classes a nice addition (if you have time to do them!) While Marina's larger, it really didn't seem "too large" - still fairly quiet spots if you want them. Itinerary is still very important to me, so I'll go on choosing cruises based on that first and worry about the ship later!

 

One thing I didn't like about Marina, though, was that if you wanted to take a picture of something on the shore, I couldn't find a place to do that - had to go up top, which made the people on shore look much smaller, and couldn't get faces much, just tops of heads! In other words, I missed that open area by the casino, etc. on the R ships where you can walk out on either side to take in the view! That was a really minor thing, though!

 

Anyone know of a low spot on Marina where I can take a picture - not through windows, preferably either side of the ship?! (And no, I can't afford one of those suites that stretch across the ship!)

[pacheco18]

For me it is not even close.

R ships win -- so much so that I booked by first Azamara cruise because I wanted to be on an R ship.

Size matters.

I doubt I will sail again on Marina or on Riviera. it would have to be a huge bargain and an itinerary so unique that no one else offers it.

I hope Insignia comes back so I have more Oceania choices because I love O.

 

The only significant plusses for me on the Marina were the buffet in the evening and the cooking classes. Both were sensational. But those 2 plusses are not enough to get me back on O's larger ships.

[Mura]

What did we miss?

~ yes, those 2 extra restaurants

~ definitely the coffee (Halve the library to make a Baristas...?:eek:)

~ the larger pool

~ the larger standard room bathroom

 

 

Halve the library????? BITE YOUR TONGUE!!

 

(As much as I love coffee, I only went to Baristas once and could do without it. I know many of you love it. Obviously I didn't need it!)

 

But I love and adore the library on the "R" ships.

 

I rather agree with you about the restaurants -- in general we have a very slight preference for the "R" ships but I do miss the extra restaurants and the fabulous Terrace Cafe on the "O" ships.

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

Hard to believe a year has passed....

But having now completed our second R experience to our two M experiences I can report that we were surprised at our reaction upon returning to the older ship.

We sailed Miami - Barcelona so had many sea days - and the ship was full.

We immediately found ourselves enjoying:

~ the smaller scale of the ship

~ the softer, more classic, furnishings / colour schemes

~ the more comfortable theatre

~ the greater familiarity with the fewer staff needed for fewer passengers

~ the ability to get into smaller ports (eg Horta & St Georges)

~ the smaller scale of the ship (or did I say that already ;))

 

What did we miss?

~ yes, those 2 extra restaurants

~ definitely the coffee (Halve the library to make a Baristas...?:eek:)

~ the larger pool

~ the larger standard room bathroom

 

On balance we reckon it is very much 50/50. And that is absolutely no slur on the new ships - just that the 'old' ones remain wonderful - and still managed and maintained to the highest standard.

 

And here's a thing. We saw FDR on board in Miami taking great interest in a number of areas (not a PR exercise from him, a nitty gritty visit). For the CEO to be so hands on is still probably what ultimately makes O so successful.

 

Riviera next time me-thinks....

 

I very much echo your sentiments (and those of Mura, with whom I cross-posted).

Overall the R ships have an edge in my book (mainly for being more intimate - with both passengers and staff), but I do miss the food on Marina (2 extra specialty restaurants and that fantastic Terrace Cafe).

I have now made a compromise of sorts. On the TA/many sea days cruises where a PH is "more affordable", we'll do the O class with all that space in the cabin and in -room dining, if desired, and for other, more port intensive cruises, it will be the R ship. Currently we have 2 R and 2 O ship cruises booked.

You can't go wrong with either :D

PS Thanks for reviving this thread. Now that there are many more O class cruisers, it will be interesting to see if the overall balance changes.

[no fuss travel]

I am sitting on the fence between the two classes of ships as well. I really enjoyed the Insignia last February and the only thing I really missed from the Marina was the two extra specialty restaurants and the expanded Terrace Cafe. To cut the library down would be a shame as that was one of the busiest places on sea days. I also found the Insignia to be friendlier as there was less ship to spread out over. Mind you next trip is on the Marina Papeete to Sydney and the reason is the Marina is sailing where we wish to travel to.

[Paulchili]

I am sitting on the fence between the two classes of ships as well. .

 

Be careful - don't hurt yourself! Best get off the fence and enjoy both. :D

[loum140]

Before I sailed on Marina I was sure that booking it had been a mistake because I love the "R" ships for their intimacy, familiarity and the wonderful library. I boarded Marina and set off to explore.

 

First stop the Library. Love the addition of shelves of travel books but hate the claustrophobic feel and the "sleepers" who take up residence and remain there all day. I had to sit on the floor behind one such person to peruse the shelves, and was a captive audience for a very intense and overly loud discussion of a fellow passenger's legal problems.

 

I agree with Mura -- relocate Baristas!

 

Next stop the Terrace. Love the wonderful new food items, but hate the added tables. It seemed to be the only other place on the ship that felt crowded.

 

Stateroom: Love the larger marble bathroom but hate the placement of the sliding door closet next to the bed (C,B,A staterooms). Our next door neighbor never shut the door properly and whenever it slammed itself shut we were woken out of a very sound sleep. But love the automatic light in the closet. Also like the lower shelf on the cocktail table. It comes in handy for all that paper that seems to accumulate in the stateroom.

 

Public spaces: Love the additional spaces and lovely decorations.

 

Food: As good as it is on the R ships, it's that much better on Marina. Red Ginger is a destination in itself.

 

So - Hoping that some changes will be made when Marina goes into dry dock (please put a clock at the pool) we are eagerly awaiting our first on Riviera.

[loum140]

Oops - forgot two very important pluses for Marina/Riviera -- the cooking lessons and the Artist's Loft. I learned a great deal about technique and came home with a whole portfolio of water colors!!

[hondorner]

...And here's a thing. We saw FDR on board in Miami taking great interest in a number of areas (not a PR exercise from him, a nitty gritty visit). For the CEO to be so hands on is still probably what ultimately makes O so successful...

Unless he's out of town or tied up in an unavoidable meeting, FDR visits every Oceania and Regent ship every time they're in port in Miami or Fort Lauderdale (Regent is moving or has moved to Port of Miami), and often he's not seen -- every visit is down to business.

 

I've been sailing the "R" ships on Oceania since 2006, and their small size, "clubbby" decor and perfect maintenance are part of what keeps bringing me back. I'll never give them up, if they're the ones sailing an itinerary I want to visit. But, I loved Marina, and Riviera is now my favorite ship. The larger staterooms, nicer shower, extra restaurants, artists loft, culinary center, Thalassotherapy pool, grill at the Terrace buffet, the Grand Dining Room "spun gold set in crystal" as described by one of the more poetic posters on the forum, La Reserve, Privee and more, have won my heart.

 

I don't drink coffee, so Baristas is obviously not a draw for me, and the library is fine -- it has lots of books that are easy to find, on the honor system as opposed to other ships where they don't reat you as an adult, and that's all I want.

 

The staff is the same on both classes of ships, the service is the same, there is (to me) no loss of intimacy or overwhelming feeling of size, the showroom seats are fine now that they have replaced the drink tables with ones that don't get upset when you cross your legs, and triva was held in Martinis on Riviera's Maiden Voyage.

 

But, the biggest differance is in the area that is probably the single most important for Oceania -- the dining opportunities. Enough has been said about all the sepcialty restaurants and the Terrace Buffet, but not enough has been said about La Reserve, or the culinary center (and Chef Kelly, if you're lucky enough to get her as your instructor).

 

We're taking a western Caribbean cruise in December to ports we have visited numerous times before, simply for the dining opportunities. We've done it on lots of ships, but now we would not even think about taking such a "do nothing" cruise on any ship but Riviera or Marina.

 

But, that's just my opinion :p.

[no fuss travel]

Be careful - don't hurt yourself! Best get off the fence and enjoy both. :D

 

Figure of speech humorously appreciated. I preferred Polo on Insignia, but liked Jacques and Red Ginger on Marina. I am looking forward to both next February.

[2kiwis]

Just back from 28 days on Marina.

 

We had a great time and the ship is certainly beautiful BUT . . . . we missed the atmosphere of the R Ships. They seem to have a different “feel” to them.

 

We can’t say we ever felt crowded on Marina and the extra speciality restaurants were great, along with Baristas. The staff and service was excellent. The bathrooms in the staterooms were fantastic and a great improvement on the R Ships.

 

However, the library is far too cramped and uninviting. When (as was often the case) people were in there relaxing and reading it was really difficult to move around and look at books. Ironically most of the time when there were many people reading in the library, most of them were using e-readers.

 

On the other hand the internet room seemed to be far too big and a waste of space as many people used laptops in their staterooms and of course the days of lessons in photoshop etc are long gone so most of the time the room was empty or only had one or two people in it.

 

To our surprised we didn’t particularly enjoy the Marina Lounge – especially when it was used for trivia, Bingo etc. It did not generate the feeling of camaraderie we experienced on the R ships.

 

Perhaps we might feel differently about the R ships once we have tried them again . . . it will be interesting to find out.

[pacheco18]

Just back from 28 days on Marina.

 

We had a great time and the ship is certainly beautiful BUT . . . . we missed the atmosphere of the R Ships. They seem to have a different “feel” to them.

 

We can’t say we ever felt crowded on Marina and the extra speciality restaurants were great, along with Baristas. The staff and service was excellent. The bathrooms in the staterooms were fantastic and a great improvement on the R Ships.

 

However, the library is far too cramped and uninviting. When (as was often the case) people were in there relaxing and reading it was really difficult to move around and look at books. Ironically most of the time when there were many people reading in the library, most of them were using e-readers.

 

On the other hand the internet room seemed to be far too big and a waste of space as many people used laptops in their staterooms and of course the days of lessons in photoshop etc are long gone so most of the time the room was empty or only had one or two people in it.

 

To our surprised we didn’t particularly enjoy the Marina Lounge – especially when it was used for trivia, Bingo etc. It did not generate the feeling of camaraderie we experienced on the R ships.

 

Perhaps we might feel differently about the R ships once we have tried them again . . . it will be interesting to find out.

 

You are not alone in your sentiments. I am so glad Insignia is back in the fleet as it gives me more chances to find an O cruise I like. I just do not want to be on Marina or Riviera. I do not care about the extra restaurants or the fancy staircase. I think the difference in atmosphere is significant. I recognize that the new ships have many fans, but I am not among them.

 

Azamara is another solid choice if you love the R ships as much as I do.

 

I have 4 cruises on R ships booked -- 2 on Azamara and 2 on Nautica. I will continue to seek out the R ship experience, hopefully on O.

[2kiwis]

You are not alone in your sentiments. I am so glad Insignia is back in the fleet as it gives me more chances to find an O cruise I like. I just do not want to be on Marina or Riviera. I do not care about the extra restaurants or the fancy staircase. I think the difference in atmosphere is significant. I recognize that the new ships have many fans, but I am not among them.

 

Azamara is another solid choice if you love the R ships as much as I do.

 

I have 4 cruises on R ships booked -- 2 on Azamara and 2 on Nautica. I will continue to seek out the R ship experience, hopefully on O.

 

We are also pleased to see insignia back as we thought that once Marina and Riveria came on line we may see a reduction in the R Ships.

 

We haven't tried Azamara but have heard they are really good as well.

[dorisis]

For those who have sailed both R and Marina, it would be great to hear why you prefer which class. It would be interesting to see if there's a common theme among this (albeit) very small sample.

 

I have sailed 5 times on Regatta and once on Marina. Marina decor was not nearly as warm and inviting as regatta. I also felt the service was better on Regatta, I did like the red Ginger but not the Jaques.

 

~Doris~

[Benita]

We have been on all the Oceania ships once and the Riviera twice. We have booked the Riviera for a third time, so our preference is obvious. I like the library better on the R class ships, but everything else more on the Marina and Riviera. The cabins are nicer, but the main reason we sail Oceania is the food and having four specialty restaurants clinches our preference.

[LuAnn]

Marina and will try Riveria next spriing. While we love the R ships...having sailed them several times...we too like the options of the specialty dining venues...and the over style/look of the ship...but that's not to say we would not go back to the R ships!!! LuAnn