Losing Enthusiasm

[agnesd]

We booked our first TA on Oceania (May22 NY-London.) We usually cruise with Crystal and are very happy with them We have cruised on Oceania a couple of times and did like it. We decided on Oceania because we liked the itinerary but reading all the negatives I am not sure we made the right decision. I think they are significant enough to make for a boring cruise. The lectures aren't good. The activities on sea days are lacking. The entertainment is poor. Etc. I am sure the criticism is valid and is useful. The posters do not seem to be unfair about their dislikes and appear to be frequent cruisers with considerable knowledge but my enthusiasm level has definitely been tempered. I guess I'll have to concentrate on the ports.

[YoHoHo]

As another poster has written, every cruise is different

 

We have had very interesting, well attended lectures and others we have skipped. As for activities I am not sure what else to be offered. There are indeed no climbing walls. I have not taken part in shufflebaord, golf or ping-pong but have usually seen them well attended. On one cruise had lectures I wanted to attend but not miss trivia and yet fit in Bridge class but had a couple of Culinary classes. Had I joined the group playing Mahjong ...

If you are on O-class ships the Artist Loft with various classes are usually very well attended. I have also enjoyed a few wine tastings largely due to the ecellent head Sommelier.

 

Entertainment is sometimes good and sometimes not. However it is very subjective. The 'port lectures' by Destinations' staff are usually worth missing IMHO - usually a recap of their excursions and have seen where they decidely do not answer questions that would benefit those doing their own time on shore. The Entertainment crews productions were always full house. Seen the same productions before but the cast was spot on. (scripting could be better but the production is out of their hands). Well done shows but not so much to my taste. So was it poor - no. Not 'on Broadway' caliber but we're not paying those prices to comandeer such a show for limited run divided by < 700 paying pax either. Last cruise the comedian was SRO with an extra show.

 

We usually very much enjoy the string quartets, the piano player in Martini's (varies) and their 'Name That Tune' nights are always full. On port intensive cruises we often prefer a night cap in Martini's and some conversation in any event. Or a late dinner and too much conversation.

 

What you get out of a cruise I think depends on you. Last cruise DW & I kept much to ourselves and enjoyed a lot of together time. Had a great trip. Our very best though was a TA with few ports and partook in lots of the on-board activities depsite any shortcomings - just had reasonable expectations.

 

If you do go on that cruise I hope you do not let some negative posts start you off with bad expectations as that can be fufilled and temper your enjoyment. I do agree that a post on a negative experience is a good thing & useful information but it must be taken as part of the whole the same as over-the-top positive in any light comments should be averaged out as well.

[LHT28]

We are on the same cruise since there are only 3 sea days in a row I am sure there will be things to do

We booked a couple cooking classes

You say you have sailed on O before so you should be familiar with the offerings

 

 

 

Lyn

Edited December 5, 2013 by LHT28

[rogerthornhill]

agnesd - I understand your concern. We just completed the Barcelona to Miami 14 day cruise on the Riviera. We had read that the night time shows weren't Oceania's forte so we didn't even bother with them. What we didn't expect was to have nothing offered during the many sea days that appealed to us. Thank goodness we'd signed up for the unlimited Internet package as that was our entertainment the entire cruise. We did watch the speakers on the TV, kind of like watching a train wreck. We did go to first one in person and knew that we couldn't sit through another. That speaker thought he was funny. He wasn't.

 

The last few days we realized we were just killing time, waiting to go home. Earlier this year we did a 31 day cruise on HAL that included a trans Pacific crossing. We weren't bored on that.

 

If you like the ports just be ready with plenty of books on your Kindle and take advantage of the unlimited Internet for your sea days.

[treasure4two]

AgnesD,

Even though the previous person sounded bored, we(who have a short attention span), we have to say that we could always find something to do with new friends we met on the roll calls for our cruises, ship offerings, and just relaxing. I suggest you go on the roll call for your cruise. I think you will find others who are interested in meeting and possibly doing things together. We do not have as much money or time as many that cruise on O, but feel it is worth paying more for the cruise line, the ships, and the experience. Please, do not loss your Enthusiasm !! You will have a wonderful time!!

[Paulchili]

With an attitude like that I am certain you will hate the cruise and you should cancel it and book Crystal.

We just got of the same cruise as rogerthornhill and my DW didn't have enough hours in the day to do all the things she wanted to do.

It just goes to show you that "different strokes for different folks" is true on TA cruises as well as in life in general. :)

[RJB]

We booked our first TA on Oceania (May22 NY-London.) We usually cruise with Crystal and are very happy with them We have cruised on Oceania a couple of times and did like it. We decided on Oceania because we liked the itinerary but reading all the negatives I am not sure we made the right decision. I think they are significant enough to make for a boring cruise. The lectures aren't good. The activities on sea days are lacking. The entertainment is poor. Etc. I am sure the criticism is valid and is useful. The posters do not seem to be unfair about their dislikes and appear to be frequent cruisers with considerable knowledge but my enthusiasm level has definitely been tempered. I guess I'll have to concentrate on the ports.

We did this cruise this year and your research is about right as far as it goes. Marina is a wonderful ship and we found enough to do. Some of the ports were good and some were a waste of time. And we wound up with a 5 day crossing as the weather was not good enough to get into 2 of them. All in all we had a wonderful time. Would do a crossing again when we can find the right dates. For us the only negative was the VERY HIGH cost in taxes and fees in flying from London to US. As I said in another post we would NOT end a cruise in the UK where we would have to get back home from there. If that is not a problem you could have a lovely time on this cruise. :):):)

[Paulchili]

Addendum to my post above.

What you are asking here is not possible. You would like us to convince you that you will like the cruise - just not possible. You have to convince yourself (and believe it) that you will like it; and only you can do that.

We had a great time - had fun with wonderful friends (old and new), enjoyed great food and found more than enough to keep us busy. We do not have to be entertained 24/7 - we can entertain ourselves when nothing suitable is offered.

Hope you have a good cruise if you decide to go.

[pacheco18]

Addendum to my post above.

What you are asking here is not possible. You would like us to convince you that you will like the cruise - just not possible. You have to convince yourself (and believe it) that you will like it; and only you can do that.

We had a great time - had fun with wonderful friends (old and new), enjoyed great food and found more than enough to keep us busy. We do not have to be entertained 24/7 - we can entertain ourselves when nothing suitable is offered.

Hope you have a good cruise if you decide to go.

 

I could not agree more.

I certainly would not go on a cruise if I had such gloom and doom expectations.

 

The OP is correct

The lecturers MIGHT be awful. They MIGHT be good. I have experienced both ends of the spectrum on O.

If on board "structured" activities on sea days are your thing you might be disappointed. Depends on what you enjoy. I prefer to do nothing on sea days (and I do it well). I love the cooking lessons but they are not for everyone. I can skip most of the other offerings. Somehow those sea days go by all too quickly.

[hondorner]

With an attitude like that I am certain you will hate the cruise and you should cancel it and book Crystal.

Yep. Although it sounds cold and uncaring to suggest it, the OP is apparently willing to let 3 or 4 negative comments affect her enthusiam, rather than the 800 repeat guests (out of 1250) on the recent Barcelona to Miami TA who obviously find enough enjoyment to do it again -- many several times!

 

Not sure I understand how it might have changed from her previous Oceania cruises -- they've been consistent in the 8 years I've been cruising with them...

[LHT28]

Not sure I understand how it might have changed from her previous Oceania cruises -- they've been consistent in the 8 years I've been cruising with them...

I think the O class ships have more to do during sea days than they did back in 2004 on the R ships

 

I am not a game player but always find something to keep be occupied

 

different strokes

 

Lyn

[ronrick1943]

Really it depends on what you want out of a cruise. Yes the entertainment is very good, however for us we don't cruise for those reasons, we cruise to relax and enjoy the day. Sleep in, late lunch, meet a few new people, take in a movie, a cooking class, a nap and get ready for dinner and have a nice night. Then start it all over again.

Rick

[orchestrapal]

Yep. Although it sounds cold and uncaring to suggest it, the OP is apparently willing to let 3 or 4 negative comments affect her enthusiam, rather than the 800 repeat guests (out of 1250) on the recent Barcelona to Miami TA who obviously find enough enjoyment to do it again -- many several times!

 

Not sure I understand how it might have changed from her previous Oceania cruises -- they've been consistent in the 8 years I've been cruising with them...

 

Look at the few negative reports from mostly first time cruisers and then read those of the 800 repeat guests of which we are two. Great cruises if your not looking for just the few things O does NOT specialize in.

[Hawaiidan]

With an attitude like that I am certain you will hate the cruise and you should cancel it and book Crystal.

We just got of the same cruise as rogerthornhill and my DW didn't have enough hours in the day to do all the things she wanted to do.

It just goes to show you that "different strokes for different folks" is true on TA cruises as well as in life in general. :)

 

 

Could not agree more.

If your anticipating a bad time on any ship your going to find it. Comparing any cruise to Crystal, which you love, will thus always find any cruise lacking.

 

Go with a ship you know you like. Oceania will never be like Crystal and Crystal will never be like Oceania ..a fact that draws a certain demographic to each ship.

If you don't like liver then don't order it and then complain.

[RJB]

Really it depends on what you want out of a cruise. Yes the entertainment is very good, however for us we don't cruise for those reasons, we cruise to relax and enjoy the day. Sleep in, late lunch, meet a few new people, take in a movie, a cooking class, a nap and get ready for dinner and have a nice night. Then start it all over again.

Rick

Right on. I do a lot of things I don't get to do at home. Read books, go to the spa, go to the gym and just generally get to relax. The O ships have a lot more space to get lost in. Good change of pace for us as we mostly have been doing port intensive cruises. :):)

[canuck.qc]

If you have the time, scroll down and read the review from sldispatcher:

LIVE from the Riviera Nov 18 Crossing

How bad could it be to sail on a beautiful ship, enjoy great meals, meet new friends...some good shows some not so, IMO SILLY FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS. You've booked this cruise, give it a try, what's the worst that can happen

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Am I one of the negative posters? We had a good time, and loved the ship, but haven't pulled any punches about the small glitches that we encountered.

 

I'm just not sure if crossings are for me. And yes, the lecturers were boring, luck of the draw. The entertainment was actually very good, at least what we saw. It was just the daily activities that I found kind of lacking. Yes, I read a lot of books. And no, I didn't go to the gym--my bad, in retrospect I should have, but didn't. All this was exacerbated by mediocre weather, at best.

 

But we still had a good time, met some wonderful people, and had terrific dining experiences. Just not sure a crossing is for me I guess.

[ORV]

I was another of the repeaters on the Riviera crossing. Other than a couple of days the weather was fairly lousy, this sometimes colors people's enjoyment of a cruise. Also the seas were medium rough for much of the trip. This could also factor in.

 

While I had plenty to do, or not to do everyday, I can see where some people would like a few more events. I actually mentioned on my comment card that a few more activities would have been nice with that many sea days. If you didn't care for bridge, or scarf tying, or baggo among others then you were out of luck. Personally I was okay just sitting and reading, but many days the weather would make this an inside pursuit.

 

My biggest complaint on events would be with the casino. 14 day TA cruise and we had 2 Texas Hold em tourneys, that's it, no lessons, no BJ tourneys, no slot tourneys. I've never seen this before on any cruise line, including the Oceania cruises I've been on before.

 

I did have a "glorious" time though. Was it great? Yes. Could it have been better? In some aspects yes, but we each have personal likes or dislikes that would affect the answer to that.

 

I certainly agree with those that advise to not let the minority that for some reason or another didn't enjoy themselves, or found quite a few things wrong, or not as good as A, B, X, etc put you off your enjoyment of your future cruise. I always go with an open mind looking forward to our enjoyment. I never go to see what I can find wrong.

[triplestar]

We did the Transalantic cruise this May and really enjoyed it , despite poor weather and 2 missed ports. The Marina is a lovely ship & we were never bored & discovered that we really enjoyed sea days, so much so that we are booked Lisbon to Rio Nov 2014. We are usually port intensive cruisers, but enjoyed the mix of interesting ports & busy sea days. I know that some people were bored & disgruntled, but many were not & we seem to have a lot of laughs. If the budget allowed I would do that cruise again this coming May. One can only speak as one finds & nothing will be a 100% perfect. The half full or half empty glass depends on you.

[RJB]

We did the Transalantic cruise this May and really enjoyed it , despite poor weather and 2 missed ports. The Marina is a lovely ship & we were never bored & discovered that we really enjoyed sea days, so much so that we are booked Lisbon to Rio Nov 2014. We are usually port intensive cruisers, but enjoyed the mix of interesting ports & busy sea days. I know that some people were bored & disgruntled, but many were not & we seem to have a lot of laughs. If the budget allowed I would do that cruise again this coming May. One can only speak as one finds & nothing will be a 100% perfect. The half full or half empty glass depends on you.

We were on the same crossing and agree with you 100% Had a wonderful time and the 2 ports were no big deal. We got into Cork much earlier than we expected and we had extra hours to walk about the town and still take our tour. As to the missed ports, better safe than in trouble. :)

[agnesd]

Thanks for all the input. We did sail with Oceania a few years ago and loved it. It just sounded to me that their standards were no longer the same. But apparently they are up to par. You cannot compare cruise lines. I have enjoyed Celebrity. RCCL. Home Lines and even Costa. I just usually know what to expect. Just one other question. What is the difference between the TA passengers and other itineraries? A few people have mentioned it and I don't quite get it. Thanks again everyone.

[LHT28]

In your past cruises what do you do on a sea day??

[Mura]

Thanks for all the input. We did sail with Oceania a few years ago and loved it. It just sounded to me that their standards were no longer the same. But apparently they are up to par. You cannot compare cruise lines. I have enjoyed Celebrity. RCCL. Home Lines and even Costa. I just usually know what to expect. Just one other question. What is the difference between the TA passengers and other itineraries? A few people have mentioned it and I don't quite get it. Thanks again everyone.

 

 

I'm on board Marina right now. I've met several sets of people, all of whom are totally entranced with Oceania's product. Not everyone likes everything, but we all feel the standard has been maintained. (Some of these were first timers, others are repeat passengers.)

 

I'm not sure TA passengers are different from others, except that perhaps we have learned to enjoy sea days and don't demand a port every day. (Nothing wrong with either preference, of course.) Our TA is 18 days and so we might expect to have a generally older crowd but that is far from the case. We have an unusually broad mix of ages and interests.

 

Mura

[agnesd]

On sea days we generally go to art,computer classes, Spanish lessons.lectures, needlepoint, trivia,Afternoon tea, drink some, read, etc. Not all are the greatest but most are enjoyable. We never go to the movies for some reason. I think we don't usually do anything we can do at home.

[agnesd]

Someone mentioned taxes and fees from London. If you take Oceania, do you have to pay these fees extra?