cadburysmom Posted January 23, 2012 #1 Share Posted January 23, 2012 New to Oceania and considering joining friends on a Marina cruise. My favorite cruiselines are Celebrity and Princess (in that order) and I was wondering if anyone here could compare a cruise on Marina to that of the Celebrity Eclipse, which I sailed to the Baltic in 2010. As far as cabins go, I will not be sharing mine so the lowest priced balcony should allow for plenty of room and I assume a single supplement will be charged. I've read wonderful things about the Marina and just wondering how different the cruising experience would be to Eclipse. Thanks!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skandls Posted January 23, 2012 #2 Share Posted January 23, 2012 We have not sailed on the Marina yet (scheduled for this year). We did a cruise on the Insignia Athens to Istanbul. We have been on several Celebrity ships including the Solstice. We cruised on Oceania when we want to do more 'in port' things. There is not a lot of entertainment but when you are up early for tours that is not much of an issue. It is very nice to be able to wander into dinner without waiting for a scheduled seating. (We liked this option in Blu.) If you are travelling alone - there is no fixed dining on the Oceania ships so it is a little harder to get to know your fellow cruisers - when we went to dinner we were seating mostly at tables for 4. If we are back to the Caribbean the entertainment on the ship is more important. We pay more of our travel dollars when going to ports we have not seen before. So we cruise on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity when we head for the Caribbean. And one of the more upscale cruiselines if I can find a good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathi Posted January 23, 2012 #3 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Can't comment on the Eclipse but as for Marina you can't go wrong. What a wonderful ship she is!!! After 20 odd cruises on several cruise lines this one really met all our exceptations and then some!!! Yes the entertainment was not the best but the ports and the ship more than made up for it. And the food is, in my humble opinion, the best on any ship I've been on!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipcat Posted January 23, 2012 #4 Share Posted January 23, 2012 We sailed on the Equinox,the sistership from the Eclipse (Aquaclass), and also on the Marina (Balcony). The entertainment on the Equinox was better. The food, the service, the ports, the atmosphere on the Marina was excellent and much more better than on the Equinox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadburysmom Posted January 23, 2012 Author #5 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Thank you for all your wonderful replies. That 2 for 1 deal looks pretty sweet so thinking of dragging my son along. He turns 18 in April so also wondering if there are any families on board, namely, older teens. He really enjoyed those he met on our Eclipse Baltic cruise, never using internet once during the entire trip to contact friends back at home. I'm hoping Marina offers a similar crowd. Now to throw another curve ball, how does an Azamara cruise compare? I'm seeing some good deals with them as well. I just tend to hear more praise for Oceania cruises. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudenHoggart Posted January 23, 2012 #6 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Haven't experienced Azmara, but we've done the Celebrity Equinox in Aqua Class and Marina in Concierge Class. Marina has fantastic food, but we also thought the Blu Restaurant (Aqua class-specific restaurant) on Celebrity was great. As many have commented, the showers on Marina are cramped. I agree that entertainment was better on Celebrity, particularly since the sight lines in Celebrity's theatre were MUCH better. Both were very nice experiences and we'd do either of them again. I'd choose between them on the basis of comparative cost and which ports were being visited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted January 24, 2012 #7 Share Posted January 24, 2012 We have done both in the past year - a 2 week Marina in Europe in a PH and a one week Caribbean cruise on the Eclipse in an Aquaclass cabin. With the AQ cabin, you eat breakfast and dinner in a special restaurant, Blu, which IMHO was very comparable, or even a little better, foodwise to the Marina. I liked the specialty restaurants on the Marina better than on the Eclipse, and they are included in the price for the Marina and have an extra charge on the Eclipse. The Eclipse had more than twice the number of passengers as the Marina, but neither ever felt crowded. The entertainment on the Eclipse was much better than on the Marina- anybody who has experience three nights of Desmondo and Cherry on the Marina will echo that sentiment. The Eclipse caters to all ages, with lots of kids, whereas very few kids are on the Marina. The Marina exudes more elegance than the Eclipse and you can't beat those afternoon teas. A sailing on the Eclipse is much less expensive than a comparable sailing on the Marina for a comparable cabin. Either one is an excellent choice- as a matter of fact, we have sailings booked on both the Eclipse and the Riviera (which I assume will be similar to the Marina) over the next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bphman Posted January 24, 2012 #8 Share Posted January 24, 2012 We've sailed Azamara, Marina and Equinox and you can't go wrong with any of them. Of the 3, our favorite was Azamara which we did 2 years ago Athens to Istanbul. It wasn't the ship but the crew and senior officers that made the difference. The Captain knew our name by the end of our 10 day cruise as he was always available. We were very impressed. I felt the food on Azamara and Marina to be comparable overall with different aspects of each being better. Advantage Azamara with free wine and beer with lunch and dinner although liquor prices on Marina were quite reasonable. Azamara had much smaller cabins but were well appointed and comfortable and the ship overall was more intimate than the other two. Marina had larger cabins but not as large as one would think. On Celebrity, you can get a Sky Suite with all the perks and have money left over but food will be a notch lower in quality. We loved the Equinox. Entertainment will also be much better on Celebrity but that is not a strong selling point for us. I would sail all three in a heartbeat and would use itinerary and price in making my decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudenHoggart Posted January 24, 2012 #9 Share Posted January 24, 2012 If you stay in Aqua Class on Celebrity you won't have kids around - either in the cabins or in the Blu dining room. They're not prohibited, but Celebrity won't allow more than two people per room in Aqua Class so that effectively rules out kids in both rooms and in Blu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted January 24, 2012 #10 Share Posted January 24, 2012 New to Oceania and considering joining friends on a Marina cruise. My favorite cruiselines are Celebrity and Princess (in that order) and I was wondering if anyone here could compare a cruise on Marina to that of the Celebrity Eclipse, which I sailed to the Baltic in 2010. As far as cabins go, I will not be sharing mine so the lowest priced balcony should allow for plenty of room and I assume a single supplement will be charged. I've read wonderful things about the Marina and just wondering how different the cruising experience would be to Eclipse. Thanks!:D Well, hello cadburysmom... As you may recall, I sailed with you on Eclipse in 2010... I have also cruised on Marina... The basic differences are obvious-- Eclipse is about twice the size...and with twice the number of passengers... Marina has no formal nights...and dinner is always open seating... Specialty restaurants on Marina are at no extra charge... Entertainment is better on Eclipse...and there is more to do, especially at night...Marina "quiets down" a bit earlier... As to children and teens onboard, you will find few on Marina as there is no regular childrens or teens program...however, when we were on Marina in August, they held a few events for the younger set--cooking classes, art classes, etc. There were about 20 or so, to our count, mostly teens in the 16-20 age range...not a high number...Of course, that cruise was in August--during school vacation time for most... Past that, the experience is actually quite similar-- Both are very nice, newer ships... Both have outstanding food... Both have great service... Both ships have ample, comfortable lounges and public rooms... Both are fairly uncrowded... Both are excellent cruise experiences virtually all the way around... I don't think you go wrong with either... Azamara is a very similar experience to the Oceania smaller ships...You are looking at a 700 passenger ship, open seating, no formal nights, no kids programs, etc. These smaller ships do not have a dedicated showroom, so "shows" are held in a lounge, not a theater setting as one would find on Eclipse or Marina...it does impact the entertainment a bit... Otherwise, it's not a bad choice either (as are taking one of Oceania's smaller ships)...I do prefer the Marina to the smaller ships--a little more to do, more choices...but that's a personal preference issue... As to the "2-for-1" and free airfare, etc., those are really sort of the "standard marketing" at Oceania...If you are just trying to determine the costs, just look at the bottom line, what does it cost me? Figure all the costs for any cruise and compare "apples to apples"... Good luck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldercash Posted January 24, 2012 #11 Share Posted January 24, 2012 . As many have commented, the showers on Marina are cramped. Both were very nice experiences and we'd do either of them again. I'd choose between them on the basis of comparative cost and which ports were being visited. The showers in Aqua class are hard to beat enough space for two people, a rain shower overhead and jets that come out from the sides of the walls! A personal spa in your room. I agree it is a very personal choice and can be based on comparative cost and which ports are being visited. Though if it is based on a very port intensive cruise I would weight it in favor of the smaller ship. We did an Azamara 11 ports in 14 days of the Med and would not want to do that on a big ship plus it would not get into half the ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted January 24, 2012 #12 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Being on a ship like eclipse which has almost 3000 passengers and crew Vs being a ship with 1200, is what I would consider. That and no kids. To me it is an issue of safety and comfort, The larger ship dosent have the deck space for its pssengers to all assemble. Marina does and is easy to get around. Marina is more all inclusive Eclipse is more cost plus for little things from orange juice to TV movies. Ask, do you mind paying for lots of extras or is it ok. Marina dosent cater to children under 21.. so 18 would be marginal. The company makes a big point of that in their sales. Marina has a ship feel and more like a country club or boutique hotel or inn at sea . Eclipse more like huge a las vegas resort. So ask your self where would you like to stay for a relaxing time? Do you like discos and beer bars or piano bars and conversation? Marina appeals to a older well traveled low key person. Eclipse appeals and markets to a younger , modern, hip passenger. Ask, who am I and what sort of atmosphere and people do you enjoy interacting with. It is what you seek from your experience, who you are as a person and how you have enjoyed your self in the past and what you seek for the future.. :cool: Cruise ships are like underware, they all perform a function, however their style and comfort are a matter of personal choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted January 24, 2012 #13 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Being on a ship like eclipse which has almost 3000 passengers and crew Vs being a ship with 1200, is what I would consider. That and no kids. To me it is an issue of safety and comfort, The larger ship dosent have the deck space for its pssengers to all assemble. Marina does and is easy to get around. Marina is more all inclusive Eclipse is more cost plus for little things from orange juice to TV movies. Ask, do you mind paying for lots of extras or is it ok. Marina dosent cater to children under 21.. so 18 would be marginal. The company makes a big point of that in their sales. Marina has a ship feel and more like a country club or boutique hotel or inn at sea . Eclipse more like huge a las vegas resort. So ask your self where would you like to stay for a relaxing time? Do you like discos and beer bars or piano bars and conversation? Marina appeals to a older well traveled low key person. Eclipse appeals and markets to a younger , modern, hip passenger. Ask, who am I and what sort of atmosphere and people do you enjoy interacting with. It is what you seek from your experience, who you are as a person and how you have enjoyed your self in the past and what you seek for the future.. :cool: Cruise ships are like underware, they all perform a function, however their style and comfort are a matter of personal choice. Dan, Obviously, you have never cruised on Eclipse!!! Your "safety" argument is completely bogus... Marina carries 1,258 at double capacity, Eclipse 2,850...but Eclipse is considerably larger...plenty of space to "assemble"...Eclipse is much more spacious than most other "big" ships...Safety is NOT an issue...and it is VERY easy to "get around"...very nicely designed, spacious ship... And, the "atmosphere" is really not that much different...It is NOT a "huge las vegas resort"...In fact, the "feel" of the two ships are very similar... "discos and beer bars" versus "piano bars and conversation"??? You know not what you speak of...BOTH ships have a lot of the SAME amenities... Paying for orange juice and TV movies? I've never paid for Orange Juice on Celebrity...and wouldn't waste my time with TV movies on any cruise...Sure, there are some subtle differences in what you pay for DIRECTLY...Soda and specialty restaurants are a charge on Celebrity and "included" on Oceania...but, the fares on Oceania are slightly higher...in the end, Oceania isn't saving you any money on sodas, TV movies or specialty restaurants...signing for them when received is really not that big a hassle... Sure, the demographics are a little older on Oceania...but few would describe Celebrity as "young and hip"... Consider your own level of knowledge and experience before you write such nonsense!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldercash Posted January 24, 2012 #14 Share Posted January 24, 2012 :cool: Cruise ships are like underware, they all perform a function, however their style and comfort are a matter of personal choice. Couldn't disagree with this statement more, boxers are not comfortable or stylish in the gym you could get by with jockies but compression are the smart choice! The same applies to cruise ships / cruise lines, figure out what the function of the ship is in your cruise and then make your choice. This is your personal preference which can be given as advice but not gospel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millerhm01 Posted January 26, 2012 #15 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Two very different ships with Marina clearly positioned to reach the premium cruise niche. However, for the money, the Eclipse cannot be beat; it's a tremendous value proposition. Goes to many of the same ports, is a beautiful ship, has excellent food and entertainment, and offers a younger demographic. While she carries 2,850 passengers, you never feel crowded or see large crowds anywhere. And every venue is beautifully designed. Oceania is recognized for its cuisine and deservedly so, but the restaurants on Eclipse - especially the specialty offerings - are excellent and will not disappoint. To be truthful, Oceania's ships close down in the evenings - marginal entertainment and the casinos are laughable. That said, the Marina is a spectacularly elegant ship ... and we look forward to sailing on her this Sept. :) Regarding Azamara vs. Oceania, the R-ships from both lines are virtually identical, altough Azamara offers a better value for the money. I actually prefer the attention to detail ofered by staff on Azamara and find the food comparable. However, Marina is a game-changer for Oceania, and the difference will be further extended when Riviera is launched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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