Marina PH Questions

[mountain grandma]

While dining in the public rooms is always grand, sometimes when you don't want to "dress" or spend a few hours dining at a table for 6 or 8, dinner in the suite is always a treat. Our butler, Alex, was able to bring several courses, always at the proper serving temperature. Can't wait to be on Regatta again in a few months. :)

 

We have had Alex on 4 of our cruises and think he is fantastic. We just got off the Regatta (Jewels of the Pacific) and it was like greeting a member of the family when he walked in on the first day.

 

Our butler on the Marina last summer was from India (as they all are) and was not nearly as friendly or as easy to understand as any of the butlers that we have had on the R ships (they are all from Eastern Europe). We will be going on the Marina again this September and I am waiting to see what our experience will be this time.

 

When we first began sailing on O, we were in a Concierge cabin. We visited a PH suite on that trip and decided that the extra space in the cabin was definitely worth the price. We have booked a PH on every sailing since. I would say that we use the Butler's services more than some but less than others but for us it is all about the space -- especially when you have a lot of sea days.

 

The regular cabins on the Marina and Riviers are bigger in square footage than on the R ships but, in my opinion, they didn't feel bigger because of the positioning of the closet right next to the bed. They also have the dark wood and that made it feel smaller in the cabin portion since it faces the veranda instead of being in the hallway. We sailed with friends that were in a B category so I was in their cabin several times -- I felt cramped and enjoyed coming back to my PH3. :)

 

The showers on the Marina in the regular cabins are smaller than the PH showers but I read somewhere on CC that the Marina will be going into dry dock in November of 2012 to convert the bathtubs into a tub/shower in all of the bathrooms. That will be a big plus as I felt the showers were very cramped even in the PH3.

 

Whatever the OP decides to do, I am sure they will enjoy their cruise.

 

Billie

[markshale]

[quote=mountain grandma;33513571

 

When we first began sailing on O, we were in a Concierge cabin. We visited a PH suite on that trip and decided that the extra space in the cabin was definitely worth the price. We have booked a PH on every sailing since. I would say that we use the Butler's services more than some but less than others but for us it is all about the space -- especially when you have a lot of sea days.

 

The regular cabins on the Marina and Riviers are bigger in square footage than on the R ships but, in my opinion, they didn't feel bigger because of the positioning of the closet right next to the bed. They also have the dark wood and that made it feel smaller in the cabin portion since it faces the veranda instead of being in the hallway. We sailed with friends that were in a B category so I was in their cabin several times -- I felt cramped and enjoyed coming back to my PH3. :)

 

 

 

The showers on the Marina in the regular cabins are smaller than the PH showers but I read somewhere on CC that the Marina will be going into dry dock in November of 2012 to convert the bathtubs into a tub/shower in all of the bathrooms. That will be a big plus as I felt the showers were very cramped even in the PH3.

 

Thanks for posting your thoughts about the size of the PH cabins vs other veranda options. Your impression of a B vs PH is exactly what I feared. I am sure there is an appreciable amount of room in a B but more is better, especially in the shower.

 

Mark

[Andi2008]

We were on the April 2nd sailing of the Marina (12 day cruise from Barcelona to Rome); about two weeks before the cruise, we took advantage of an upsell opportunity and changed our cabin from a B2 to a PH3 cabin and SO GLAD WE DID. The extra room in the suite was so terrific (our grownup kids were in a B2 so we could do a real comparison). What I loved most about the PH was the walk in closet--all our clothes neatly hung up in a space where we could both stand side by side if needed--I am not a neat freak, but having the closet helped us keep our room tidy the entire trip and it was great! Certainly worth the extra cost of the upsell, and my husband says next time we sail on Oceania (this was our first cruise with them), we will need to book the PH from the start in case an upsell situation doesn't occur.