The Happy Wanderer wandered to Oceania---a report

[RuthC]

I don't think there is a lack of outdoor areas on Oceania ships. I think RuthC was referring to a lack of a full length Promenade Deck. If you look at the Oceania deck plans there certainly are "outdoor areas" with lounge chairs and all!

Although I was including something comparable to a HAL promenade in my observation, I did also mean to say there really are no outside decks on the Riviera. There are what could better be termed "open" decks, with loungers, but they face inward, and there is a barrier between the deck and the sea. They are open to the sky, not the sea.

There are no decks comparable to the aft Lido, Navigation, or Veranda decks where one can also sit outside and watch the sea. There are no forward-facing public decks over the bow, to my knowledge.

 

The only potential area that I found was the outdoor section of the Terrace Grill. But I found that both inside and outside of the Grill were for eating. People did not sit there reading, chatting, playing games, or watching the sea, as is done on HAL ships. If it was not actively discouraged it was not encouraged, either. Tables were cleared, then set up for the next feeding.

[sapper1]

Don't know if you already choose Neptune suites, but I think this is what paying for a HAL Neptune Suite does on HAL ships We have always felt more of a "special glow" that comes with the package of extras included with the higher Neptune rates. The whole ship just feels more intimate. Good place to try anyway, if you want to pay a bit more gets and see what the Neptune experience does for you that may not be the same feeling you get for regular fares these days.

 

We tried a Neptune Suite once and felt no special glow. We only used the Neptune for the odd snack, ate breakfast in the Pinnacle only once and really didn't think it was worth the price difference between it and our usual SS. As a matter of fact, after reading all the hype here it was a letdown. We enjoy free laundry anyway as four star mariners and the extra space in the SS suits us perfectly. We would not bother with a Neptune again.

[startwin]

Although I was including something comparable to a HAL promenade in my observation, I did also mean to say there really are no outside decks on the Riviera. There are what could better be termed "open" decks, with loungers, but they face inward, and there is a barrier between the deck and the sea. They are open to the sky, not the sea.

There are no decks comparable to the aft Lido, Navigation, or Veranda decks where one can also sit outside and watch the sea. There are no forward-facing public decks over the bow, to my knowledge.

 

The only potential area that I found was the outdoor section of the Terrace Grill. But I found that both inside and outside of the Grill were for eating. People did not sit there reading, chatting, playing games, or watching the sea, as is done on HAL ships. If it was not actively discouraged it was not encouraged, either. Tables were cleared, then set up for the next feeding.

 

HAL's promenade deck is one of the things that keeps me coming back. Have loved your very descriptive posts about Oceania - and some of your comments have made me think twice about booking with them, as I had planned.

 

Hopefully this thread can now get back on topic...... some of us have managed to get swept up into a totally different conversation. Normal service is now resumed.:D

[Yaya&Papu]

We took our one and only Oceania cruise in early fall 2009 on the Insignia. It was a very port intensive cruise from Istanbul to Athens. We had the lowest level of an outside cabin that one could book. We were very impressed with the large picture window and layout of the cabin. However, we were NOT impressed with the tiny bathroom - esp. the shower. I often joked that one could soap down the walls of the shower and spin around in it and would not need to use a washcloth at all.

We normally book an outside or verandah on HAL and are 4 stars, so we have several comparisons of the 2 lines, although it was more than 4 years ago. We agree with much of what Ruth has stated. But we thought the service in the MDR was better than in the Terrace Grill and we like the breakfast in HAL's Lido much much better. At that time, we thought that Oceania's food was just a little bit better. We found other staff to be competent, but not as friendly or outgoing as HAL. But O did a really great job, when it came to celebrating my birthday.

On such a busy itinerary, we did not miss the promenade deck very much. We heartily agree with Ruth about the lack of entertainment at night, but we were so tired, that after nightly trivia, we were happy to go back to the cabin and put on our "Jammies" and relax with a rerun of the excellent enrichment lectures.

Another positive for O - one one of the few sea days, we had "craft" time with one of the asst.cruise directors/singers. She had several small needlepoint projects (eyeglass case for me) from which to choose and she taught us all how to get started - very relaxing and low key. This was something similar to what HAL used to do, but there was more variety in the kits that were available. Don't know if O still does that.

We used FF miles and our own transfers to and from the ship.

Would we cruise O again? If the itinerary, price, and newer ship were in the mix, then yes. But we continue to sail HAL, even though we also notice a big decline in food service and quality. Sure do miss the flaming desserts!

[kazu]

We took our one and only Oceania cruise in early fall 2009 on the Insignia. It was a very port intensive cruise from Istanbul to Athens. We had the lowest level of an outside cabin that one could book. We were very impressed with the large picture window and layout of the cabin. However, we were NOT impressed with the tiny bathroom - esp. the shower. I often joked that one could soap down the walls of the shower and spin around in it and would not need to use a washcloth at all.

We normally book an outside or verandah on HAL and are 4 stars, so we have several comparisons of the 2 lines, although it was more than 4 years ago. We agree with much of what Ruth has stated. But we thought the service in the MDR was better than in the Terrace Grill and we like the breakfast in HAL's Lido much much better. At that time, we thought that Oceania's food was just a little bit better. We found other staff to be competent, but not as friendly or outgoing as HAL. But O did a really great job, when it came to celebrating my birthday.

On such a busy itinerary, we did not miss the promenade deck very much. We heartily agree with Ruth about the lack of entertainment at night, but we were so tired, that after nightly trivia, we were happy to go back to the cabin and put on our "Jammies" and relax with a rerun of the excellent enrichment lectures.

Another positive for O - one one of the few sea days, we had "craft" time with one of the asst.cruise directors/singers. She had several small needlepoint projects (eyeglass case for me) from which to choose and she taught us all how to get started - very relaxing and low key. This was something similar to what HAL used to do, but there was more variety in the kits that were available. Don't know if O still does that.

We used FF miles and our own transfers to and from the ship.

Would we cruise O again? If the itinerary, price, and newer ship were in the mix, then yes. But we continue to sail HAL, even though we also notice a big decline in food service and quality. Sure do miss the flaming desserts!

 

Interesting - between you and RuthC my eyes are being opened. Thanks so much for adding your thoughts to this very interesting thread :)

[sapper1]

I was glad to read this thread because I have been wondering about Oceania and what it would be like to cruise with this line. It seems that, while it would be nice, there is no compelling Wow factor. I think we will stick with what we know and what we feel comfortable with, which is HAL.

[Jade13]

Nice review. Would love to see someone do a comparison of HAL, Azamara, and Oceania. I have heard that the new Oceania ships are gorgeous. However, the "R" class (old Renaissance line) ships (Azamara has 2, and Oceania has 2) carry a max of about 650 passengers.

 

Those that have been on Azamara and Oceania say the crew onboard Azamara is what sets them apart. We just got off Azamara and the Captain walks around and talks to passengers, as does the Hotel Director, and Cruise Director. The shows were good. The waiters in the main dining room knew us by name even though we sat in different areas with different people each night. Azamara has always brought food to the table at their grille. The front desk is great. Never any issue changing money. Plus we got off the ship overnight and they brought the paperwork that we needed to reboard in Goa India right to us while we were having dinner, and we did not have to wait at the front desk. The Hotel Director came to us directly as did the head security, plus we had left them the contact names and they called to make sure we were being picked up at 3:00am without us asking them to do so.

 

We always have had great cabin stewards on HAL but the dining room is another story. The dining stewards knew our names on our last HAL cruise, but were complaining about the cutbacks. No one wants to go on vacation and hear those serving you complaining, including the wine steward.

 

HAL still has the best itineraries at sea overall. Their itineraries sell out so maybe they don't see the need to fix anything else. We got off Azamara and were again, "wow". The service is great. With that being said they only have 2 ships which are mostly in Europe where we are not interested in going for a while, plus have a number of charters coming up, so we are back to HAL and Celebrity for most of our cruises unless we just do more land vacations.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Jade13

[cruisemom42]

On such a busy itinerary, we did not miss the promenade deck very much. We heartily agree with Ruth about the lack of entertainment at night, but we were so tired, that after nightly trivia, we were happy to go back to the cabin and put on our "Jammies" and relax with a rerun of the excellent enrichment lectures.

 

Ruth....a gentle nudge if you have the info on the shipboard lectures. ;) Would love to hear more.

[lcand1923]

We cruised HAL, then Oceania (Regatta and Nautica) and then back to HAL. The thoughts expressed by Ruth and others pretty much matches ours. I'm glad to hear that the newer Oceania ships have a larger bathroom as that was our biggest complaint. I DID enjoy the Needlecraft session each morning on Oceania. It was a pleasant way to start the day and to meet other passengers. HAL did this when we first cruised her, but it has stopped.

 

The staff on Oceania was iffy -- great on one cruise in all venues, not so good on the next. Food on the first Oceania cruise was good, just so so on the next. Except for the burgers -- they were fantastic on each cruise! The towels and bed linens on Oceania are wonderful, much nicer than HAL.

 

I personally love the Lower Promenade Deck on HAL. The track on Oceania just doesn't cut it for me.

 

I just wish HAL would return the "special touches" that I missed on my last HAL cruise. (I was away from cruising for close to 10 years, so I don't know when things changed so much on HAL.) I missed the craft session each day. The service in the MDR was rushed and/or so slow that I forgot what I had orderd. I also missed having a chance to chat with my room steward who was busy rushing form room to room.

 

I enjoy every cruise. Oceania was quite enjoyable. HAL just feels like family.

[RuthC]

Ruth....a gentle nudge if you have the info on the shipboard lectures. ;) Would love to hear more.

Glad you reminded me in the morning, when I'm fresh. I unpacked yesterday, and put the daily programs on the table. I thought about your post last night, but that's just not my time of day to do brain work.

 

This afternoon looks good to get to it.

[RuthC]

We took our one and only Oceania cruise in early fall 2009 on the Insignia. It was a very port intensive cruise from Istanbul to Athens. We had the lowest level of an outside cabin that one could book. We were very impressed with the large picture window and layout of the cabin. However, we were NOT impressed with the tiny bathroom - esp. the shower. I often joked that one could soap down the walls of the shower and spin around in it and would not need to use a washcloth at all.

The Insignia is one of the old Ren ships, with very small cabins & baths. The Oceania "O" class ships have bigger bathrooms. The separate shower in my bath was large enough that I could bend over and pick up my soap when I dropped it (twice :o); there's a glass door.

 

I was told, but didn't see one to verify, that the shower in inside and outside cabins is a bit bigger than those in the higher category cabins.

[rogerthornhill]

We did watch most, if not all, of the enrichment lectures. The first one we attended in person but after that only on our TV as they weren't worth the effort to attend. I would not say our knowlege was enriched by any of the lectures. One of the speakers was OK, merely OK. The other I'm not sure why we watched his talks. Maybe to see what stupid thing he would say next.

 

As an example during a talk about Pirates in the Caribbean he made a comment about one returning to England as he hadn't received the email not to do so. He talked about a variety of subjects and we had no idea as to what in his background would made him authoritative in the majority of the topics. Plate Tectonics and the history of South America? Those are pretty diverse topics. We didn't see the correlation to his being a graduate of the USCGA and having retired from the Coast Guard to the topics on which he spoke. As uninformative as he was I must say that he was a better speaker than we had on our HAL trans Pacific cruise earlier this year. That guy was not only was a very poor speaker in the quality of his presentation, but he provided incorrect information.

 

Back to food - on the O forum they rave about the superior food compared to the mainstream lines such as HAL. We can't agree from this experience. In the Grand Dining Room my wife finally gave up on trying to get eggs that were between runny and hard cooked. She tried an omelet but that was dry and tasteless. Ruth's roomie had an omelet a few days later and shared the same experience. Giving up on eggs my wife tried the waffles. She gave up on those too when she was served one that was hard and dried. Waffles can be crispy on the outside, but they should be tender inside. Ruth's roomie liked her waffles so there must have been inconsistency problems. The waffles on the Prinsendam were far better. Even the waffle at the Hyatt Place we stayed before going home was much better - and that had been under the heat lamp a bit too long.

 

We did appreciate that the Riviera tried to serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. While I did end up finishing my wife's meal, I had ordered the halibut that night. It was the superior choice to the turkey dinner which the other 3 ordered. In the traditional dinner the Brussels sprouts were very nicely cooked and the cranberry sauce was tasty. The three ladies all passed on the sweet potatoes and succotash so no comments on those items. We didn't understand why the (dry and flavorless) white meat was served with beef gravy. The "onion and herb dressing" was served looking much like a hockey puck (except in color). It was same consistency throughout and Ruth thought it should have been described as cornmeal dressing. None of us could taste any onion or herbs.

 

The meals served in the specialty restaurants were very good - aside from getting meats to temperature in Polo, the steakhouse. If one is in a PH or higher suite they can order room service (served by their butler) any night from any of the specialty restaurants. In our experience that would be a big advantage should we sail on Oceania again, but we'd rather not eat in our cabin most nights.

Edited December 10, 2013 by rogerthornhill

[LindaM]

We did watch most, if not all, of the enrichment lectures. The first one we attended in person but after that only on our TV as they weren't worth the effort to attend. I would not say our knowlege was enriched by any of the lectures. One of the speakers was OK, merely OK. The other I'm not sure why we watched his talks. Maybe to see what stupid thing he would say next.

 

As an example during a talk about Pirates in the Caribbean he made a comment about one returning to England as he hadn't received the email not to do so. He talked about a variety of subjects and we had no idea as to what in his background would made him authoritative in the majority of the topics. Plate Tectonics and the history of South America? Those are pretty diverse topics. We didn't see the correlation to his being a graduate of the USCGA and having retired from the Coast Guard to the topics on which he spoke. As uninformative as he was I must say that he was a better speaker than we had on our HAL trans Pacific cruise earlier this year. That guy was not only was a very poor speaker in the quality of his presentation, but he provided incorrect information.

 

Back to food - on the O forum they rave about the superior food compared to the mainstream lines such as HAL. We can't agree from this experience. In the Grand Dining Room my wife finally gave up on trying to get eggs that were between runny and hard cooked. She tried an omelet but that was dry and tasteless. Ruth's roomie had an omelet a few days later and shared the same experience. Giving up on eggs my wife tried the waffles. She gave up on those too when she was served one that was hard and dried. Waffles can be crispy on the outside, but they should be tender inside. Ruth's roomie liked her waffles so there must have been inconsistency problems. The waffles on the Prinsendam were far better. Even the waffle at the Hyatt Place we stayed before going home was much better - and that had been under the heat lamp a bit too long.

 

We did appreciate that the Riviera tried to serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. While I did end up finishing my wife's meal, I had ordered the halibut that night. It was the superior choice to the turkey dinner which the other 3 ordered. In the traditional dinner the Brussels sprouts were very nicely cooked and the cranberry sauce was tasty. The three ladies all passed on the sweet potatoes and succotash so no comments on those items. We didn't understand why the (dry and flavorless) white meat was served with beef gravy. The "onion and herb dressing" was served looking much like a hockey puck (except in color). It was same consistency throughout and Ruth thought it should have been described as cornmeal dressing. None of us could taste any onion or herbs.

 

The meals served in the specialty restaurants were very good - aside from getting meats to temperature in Polo, the steakhouse. If one is in a PH or higher suite they can order room service (served by their butler) any night from any of the specialty restaurants. In our experience that would be a big advantage should we sail on Oceania again, but we'd rather not eat in our cabin most nights.

 

I find the discussion about food on the Luxury boards to be very interesting. I get involved with Regent, because we've sailed them twice. They insist the food is better, because supposedly more of the cruiseline budget is spent on it. Regent says their's is the best...then Oceania folks insist their's is superior. Then, I come on and criticize---and compare to Prinsendam. Those people on the luxury boards cannot fathom that a ship from an average cruiseline can be comparable. It is our little secret. The only problem is, Prinsendam's a bargain for those who book insides or OV's. The other cabins jack up the price to not too far from Luxury prices.

[RuthC]

I find the discussion about food on the Luxury boards to be very interesting. ...Regent says their's is the best...then Oceania folks insist their's is superior. Then, I come on and criticize---and compare to Prinsendam.

I've never cruised on Regent, but have been on Prinsendam twice, for long-ish cruises, and heartily agree. The Prinsendam seems to purchase a higher quality of beef, prepares it in a fashion I like, and serves it with little touches that make it special. For example, on Prinsendam, prime rib was served with Yorkshire pudding. That was the first time I had seen that on a HAL ship.

[cruisemom42]

After the most recent comments, I think I must consider a cruise on the Prinsendam to be higher on my list than trying Oceania.

 

Good food and good lectures might've won me over....but sounds like the first is somewhat debatable and the second doesn't seem to compare with my niche line cruises.

[kazu]

After the most recent comments, I think I must consider a cruise on the Prinsendam to be higher on my list than trying Oceania.

 

Good food and good lectures might've won me over....but sounds like the first is somewhat debatable and the second doesn't seem to compare with my niche line cruises.

 

We have always had good lecturers on our cruises on the EE - in case it helps.

 

I have been intrigued by the O and now think if we move it might as well be straight to Seabourn or others of the same. In fact , we would have been booked but the 30 day cruise we liked was sold out (chartered).

 

We enjoy our HAL cruises but the Prinsendam the best and yes, we do find added touches - these reports have really helped to enlighten - many thanks :)

Edited December 11, 2013 by kazu

[hypercafe]

It's hard to duplicate a cruise line with another line as they all are different. I think the closest thing to HAL before Carnival is Crystal. Our first trip on them is coming up but from what I see the ships are like HAL before they started to add cabins and the service is as HAL before all the downsizing. That said you can take three HAL trips for the price of one Crystal. Oceania is nothing like HAL. You pay your money and take your choice! The problem I see with HAL is the cabin might or might not work.

[boooomer]

Ruth your review was extremely valuable to us and helped us decide to try HAL.

Thank You!!

 

This will be our first cruise on HAL after two cruises on O's Marina - essentially identical to Riviera.

I'm a foodie & I thought the food on board the Marina, was generally very good. Occasionally excellent. Service in the restaurants was for the most part excellent.

Having 5 different restaurant venues (not counting La Riserve & Privee) added to the variety and the experience.

 

Just to add to the body of knowledge: this is a copy of a post that I wrote for the Roll Call for our second Marina cruise. This was written in the context that many of those members were cruising on O for the first time coming from Azamera and wondering about the food.

 

<<<Background, since we took an upsell to the Oceania Suite, we had the opportunity to make 2 reservations in each of the Specialty restaurants which gave us the opportunity to sample the menu twice during the cruise. OTOH we had limited time to sample the Grand Dining Room. The one time we ate there the food was excellent. This is the venue where if there are guest chefs, they will cook their specialty. And they adjust this menu having at least one entree based on what was available at the local port.

 

Some of MY favorites:

Red Ginger (service was by far the best of all the restaurants if only because the servers greeted us by name):

• Chilean Sea Bass with Miso Glaze
  
  
• Spicy duck & Watermelon Salad or Lobster Avocado Salad
  
  

Jacque (we were a bit disappointed - only because our expectations were so high) BUT that said - they did have some really good appetizers:

• ALL the Appetizers with foie gras (sp?) - some in terrines;some in puff pastry.
  
  
• Lobster Salad was superb
  
  

Toscana - a great high end Italian restaurant (the maitre d greets you as if you were his long lost family from Italy - a lot of fun really):

When you sit down, he breaks off chunks of Parmesan Cheese with a variety of Olive Oils. My favorite oil - unfiltered really green olive oil.

• All their Pastas are excellent. Freshly made! My favorite was their Angel Hair.
  
  
• The Carpaccio appetizer was sublime - as good as any I've had in Manhattan.
  
  
• My favorite entre was their Osso Bucco. Very Good
  
  

Polo is the classic steak house. I thought their steaks were over seasoned - too salty. So the second night I had their Veal Oscar well worth the show they put on when served - also very good. I heard that their whole steamed lobster was very good.

 

Best for Last...The Terrace Grille buffet is incredible! A real show. Selection was mind boggling. As a real "foodie" I went into Sensory Overload. There were moments when I absolutely couldn't decide. I just stood there in absolute awe. So much beautifully presented food - so little time. Of course all the grilled lobster and steak you want. One night they were hand rolling pasta to order - Linguine, Angel hair. Desserts were laid out beautifully. And while very busy, there was always a table available - inside or al fresco on the rear deck. You pick out what you want & the servers arrange your plate..very classy for a buffet. This preserved the presentation. The servers behind the counters were disappointed if you didn't just at least try one of their presentations! It's clear they loved what they were doing and it was infectious. They also had incredible breakfasts & lunches as well.

 

.....Waves grill - a quick order al fresco grille next to the pool - surf & turf - chunks of Lobster and Filet Mignon cooked to order on a chiabatta roll. I got double orders and skipped the chiabatta!

 

...The beauty of this style of dining is the variety on a medium size ship. We did not eat in the same venue two nights in a row. But i should note that the maitre d in Toscana recognized us the second time we ate there & was genuinely delighted to see us again. >>>

Some other comments:

We don't cruise a lot so we splurge on the larger cabins - on this upcoming HAL cruise we will be in the Neptune Suite. This is slightly larger than the Penthouse Suite on Marina which we had on our second cruise. On our first cruise we got an upsell to the Oceania Suite which is about equivalent (in size) to the Pinnacle Suite on the Rotterdam. Both Marina suites were very elegant but the O Suite was over the top. Fresh cut flowers every day, live orchids fully stocked bar (1L bottles of JW Black, Bourbon, Jack, Absolute, Bombay Saph. no extra charge)... The master bathroom, all in marble, was 10' x 14'. Both of those suites included a personal butler - which we really under utilized - but it was fun to see how the other half live.

 

Unlike Ruth, I never felt the lack of outdoor space on the Marina - but it was at the very top of the ship, and very windy. you could walk the entire circumference of the ship but stairs were involved. So it wasn't a promenade per se.

 

Because both of our cruises were so port intensive, we never had a chance to attend the lectures. But I did enjoy the cooking demonstrations by the guest chefs.

 

And those cruisers coming from Azamera??? At the end of the day (cruise), They also loved the food, liked the service, but felt that it lacked the personal touches that Azamera offered - especially with respect to any special needs they had during the cruise.

 

On a cost per day, per sq ft of stateroom area, O is almost twice the cost as HAL. So it will be interesting for us to see how the values of the two respective lines stack up.

 

Bernie

[RJ2002]

RuthC, just now reading your report on Oceania. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. Sounds like a line we might like to try in the future.

[Barrheadlass]

I really enjoyed all your comments too as I will be sailing with Oceania in April...Only a little over 3 months away. I will definitely miss the lower promenade. Having sailed the Prinsendam in November, and absolutely loving it, (except for the overflowing toilet issues with occurred several times) I'm wondering how the Riviera could be better (and for a LOT more money, too).

Will report back!

[shrimp56]

I've never cruised on Regent, but have been on Prinsendam twice, for long-ish cruises, and heartily agree. The Prinsendam seems to purchase a higher quality of beef, prepares it in a fashion I like, and serves it with little touches that make it special. For example, on Prinsendam, prime rib was served with Yorkshire pudding. That was the first time I had seen that on a HAL ship.

The Christmas Eve prime rib on our recent Zuiderdam Christmas cruise came with Yorkshire pudding. And it was good.

[RuthC]

I'm wondering how the Riviera could be better (and for a LOT more money, too).

Will report back!

I'll look forward to your report.

You did hit the nail on the head: the fact that Oceania costs a lot more than HAL. It was a very nice cruise, but I am not sure the value is there.

[RuthC]

The Christmas Eve prime rib on our recent Zuiderdam Christmas cruise came with Yorkshire pudding. And it was good.

Oh, I'm sure it was good.

But you do have to acknowledge that Christmas Eve is different than, say, any old Tuesday.

[CruiseWhere]

Thank you Ruth so very much for taking the time to write, review and answer questions on your Oceania Cruise. :)

[lizzies_mom]

Ruth,

 

Thank you for an interesting and balanced review.