Caribbean cruise on Oceania Riviera/Regatta or Celebrity Eclipse

[travellerin1984]

Hi guys!

 

I posted this question in Oceania board forum as well and thought some of you might have tried both Oceania and Celebrity.

 

I really need your help. I have this wonderful problem of planing next winter cruise. A bit background information about us: Scandinavian couple, in our early and late thirties, enjoy food and wine and travelling. We have done three cruises on Celebrity, two of them in Aqua class. One of the cruises in normal balcony stateroom out of San Juan. We enjoy cruising and loved our Caribbean cruise this winter. We want to do one more Caribbean cruise in January 2015 and have started discussing which ship to book.

 

Our alternatives are 14 nights exotic Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Eclipse. Very nice ports but we have started to get bored of Celebrity entertainment (same shows) and even the food gets a bit repetitive after couple of long cruises. We are discussing Oceania Riviera/Regatta mainly because of the food offerings. Here are our alternatives:

 

Ship: Oceania Regatta, Oceania Cruises

January 6th, 2015 for 10 nights

10 Nights - Mayan Mystique - Miami Florida to Miami Florida

Starting in Miami with stops in Cruising the Straits of Florida, George Town, Cozumel, Belize City, Santo Tomas, Roatan, Costa Maya, Key West

 

Ship: Oceania Riviera, Oceania Cruises

January 4th, 2015 for 10 nights

Carefree Caribbean - Miami Florida to Miami Florida

Starting in Miami with stops in Cruising the Atlantic Ocean, Grand Turk, San Juan, Tortola, Philipsburg, Gustavia, Cayo Levantado, Great Stirrup Cay

 

 

Ship: Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Cruises

January 4th, 2015 for 14 nights

14 Nights Exotic Southern Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Eclipse

Starting in Miami with stops in Oranjestad, Willemstad, Kralendijk, Castries, Bridgetown, St. Johns, Basseterre, Philipsburg

 

 

Oceania is a bit pricier so we would book oceanview stateroom and in Celebrity Aqua Class stateroom. It is really a difficult choice. You get 14 nights in balcony stateroom with Blu AND with drink package or 10 nights in a oceanview stateroom on Oceania.

 

We enjoy good wine. During the last cruises we have noticed that sommeliers in Celebrity dont really have the time to discuss choices and flavors. How do you consider Oceania wine service compared to Celebrity? Do they know the wines and have right education?

 

I appreciate your comments, feedback!

[susietb]

We have been on both. Found the wine service to really be about equal.

The problem that we found on Oceania is that the ships are completely dead by 10:00 at night.

 

Way too quiet for us. Will stick with Celebrity.

[travellerin1984]

We have been on both. Found the wine service to really be about equal.

The problem that we found on Oceania is that the ships are completely dead by 10:00 at night.

 

Way too quiet for us. Will stick with Celebrity.

 

Thank you for your comments. How did you like the food on Oceania?

[Dmgmd50]

Thank you for your comments. How did you like the food on Oceania?

 

Oceania food was superior and the specialty restaurants on the Marina were fabulous. I would opt for the Riviera given your choices. Entertainment is better however on X.

[purrlinda]

My picks, in this order, would be:

 

Riviera

 

X Eclipse

 

Regatta

 

If you are really foodies, Oceania is going to be the best choice for foodies. I personally struggle with the cost of Oceania because so much of it comes from the cost of food. For me, I'm a very simple eater, so things like Caviar, Lobster Risotto, and really fancy things are completely lost on me. I don't get the most value for my dollar with Oceania. However, the Riviera looks like an amazing ship. I've seen the Regatta, I wouldn't hesitate to choose the Eclipse over that ship.

 

Bang for buck, the Eclipse is going to give you that in spades. (14 nights, AQ, bev package) I'd compare that to a very high end dining experience and see what is most important.

[carol230]

We have travelled many times on Celebrity and one time on the Marina, the sister ship of the Riviera. The Oceania ships are beautiful. They are not too small that you have no place to walk. The food is outstanding. We ate in the specialty restaurants, mdr and the buffet. The buffet is like nothing seen on Celebrity, we ate there many nights and I normally don't do buffets for dinner. The rooms are beautiful. The beds and the bedding are so comforable, the best on a cruise ship. We booked an inside cabin on the Marina, and two weeks before our travel agent called and asked if we wanted to upgrade for two hundred dollars each, for a veranda cabin. We took it. We would have been happy in the inside room, but loved the upgrade. We enjoyed the evening entertainment. Three lounges had entertainment after 10 o'clock. Hope this helps a little. Also, remember, the price on Oceania includes air.

Carol

[swigso]

I find Celebrity to be a very good fit for me,

however have you looked at Azamara,

Their ships are the same size as Oceania,(exR ships)

You will get the sane perks as on X and the food is fantastic.

I think they do a 12 night Caribbean cruise that goes into

More intimate ports

[rebeccalouiseagain]

If you like activities- go Eclipse.

 

Highpoints on Oceania-

Afternoon tea at the bow of the ship was heaven. Loved it.

Library is nice

Padded chairs by the pool great

Food, especially in the buffet- excellent and varied.

There is a free steam room and little hot tub in the spa that you can use regardless of having a treatment. The hot tub was super windy though if were at sea. Nice little gym.

Disembarking at ports was a breeze.

 

Other comments

The staterooms are not noticibly larger than on Celebrity, so an Aquaclass room on Celebrity will trump the outside on Oceania most definitely

 

Dress- is business casual- meaning men do wear shirts and jackets in the restaurants at dinner time. Saw a lot of nicely dressed people on board. No one wears jeans and the average age on my Caribbean January 2009 cruise was 70. And by that I mean I my 40 and 48 year old sisters and my 44 year old self considerably brought down the average. I guess one could say nearly everyone was retired and older.

 

No night life. The Casino is tiny.

 

Spa was ok- nothing special.

Edited February 9, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain

[rjrpar]

Go with Celebrity, 14>10. Food won't be much different and the speciality restaurants on X are very good. Also, I think the ports are better on the X cruise. You won't find many wine experts working on any cruise ships.

[jksinc]

We have sailed the Eclispe 14 day (and will do so again in less than two weeks) and have sailed Marina 10 day Caribbean cruise. What really matters is what is important to you. We found the Oceania food and restaurant choices to be far superior to Celebrity. We never have dinner in the buffet on Celebrity but loved it on the Marina - it had outside dining on the aft deck of the ship and served grilled to order filet mignon and lobster tail! Even at the pool grill you could order a filet mignon and lobster sandwich. You will see that we have sailed Celebrity many times and continue to do so because of the entire package. We sail in Aqua Class and find Blu to be very good, and enjoy the specialty restaurants. We find the tie breaker to be activities on the ship. Celebrity has many more activities that interest us - entertainment, Celebrity Life activities, and Podium discussions. On sea days on Oceania, there was not much to do. They do have a Bon Appetite cooking center which was lots of fun - but that was about it. Also, on sail away there was no entertainment or party - the ship just sailed off. Most people were rushing to dinner. We seek out the full experience - and Celebeity does it for us. Best of luck making your decision!

[jackdiamond]

Assuming, arguendo, that the AQ on Celebrity is your only balcony choice, then for us it would be a no brainer-AQ on Celebrity.

[smj]

Celebrity has better entertainment but Oceania food is far superior. If the price was anywhere close I would pick Oceania.

[Redtravel]

Just did the 14 night on the Eclipse. Loved it. Booked again for next year. Service, food, and people on board were great. Best Celebrity cruise ever. Eclipse is an excellent option. For a winter cruise, I like 14 nights. Getting away from the cold weather and snow is my main objective. Last year, I did a 7 day on the Windsurf. It was fabulous. However, it was only 7 days. It cost about the same as the 14 nights on the Eclipse. I like Oceania and Azamara. They are very similar. Food and service are outstanding. I prefer them on European cruises. They can get into small ports. In the Caribbean, take Celebrity. 2 weeks of warm sunshine was terrific.

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

All the points above about Oceania are correct, but if you choose Riviera you should start researching the ports now and plan your own private tours -- Oceania charges way too much for their shore excursions.

[Andy]

Hi Travellerin1984,

 

Interesting question. I've sailed on the Eclipse 14 night itinerary several times, including last November, and the cruise was near perfect in every way. We couldn't be happier with our cruise experience.

 

We have not sailed on Oceania yet, but I was invited to a luncheon on Riviera in Miami a couple of weeks ago, and was very impressed with the ship, staterooms, public areas, and the cuisine served at the luncheon. If what was served at the luncheon is any example of the rest of Oceania's cuisine, I'd say they probably have Celebrity beat, with cuisine. From what I have read about Oceania's entertainment, Celebrity gets the nod.

 

With that said, the 10 night sailings on Riviera are more expensive than 14 nights on Celebrity, so I'd absolutely go with Eclipse, as 14 nights is better than 10 nights, and Eclipse's itinerary is the best Celebrity Caribbean itinerary by far. As a matter of fact, we just booked Eclipse for April, though we considered Riviera as well. Perhaps we will give Riviera a try later this year - especially if the price makes sense.

 

I hope this is helpful !

Edited February 10, 2014 by Host Andy

[Emperor Norton]

I'm going to post this here rather than the Oceania forums (don't want to deal with their cheerleaders).

 

I did a back to back on the Rivieria. Before the end of the first/near the start of the second segment I was far more than ready to leave. Why? Service and food that didn't live up to expectations. The prices they charged were equal to or higher than Seabourn (all inclusive with food and service that blow away anything Frank Del Rios companies can do IMO). For those prices I got - every specialty restaurant served cold food. Send it back it comes back warmer or colder with no rhyme or reason. In Jacques we never had a warm entree. Further any dish that could have a bit of grease came swimming in it. In their steakhouse I had the most disrespected piece of prime rib on the planet. It had been through several freeze/thaw cycles and suffered from freezer burn. The waves grill couldn't cook anything to order to save their lives. Ask for anything at whatever temperature and they couldn't do it. They'd either be over or under. Also when you ordered from Waves they'd leave half or more of the condiments off claiming "you can add them yourself". Really at this price point you can't actually serve me whats listed on the menu?

 

Service in the GDR was slow, further they also suffered from severe doneness problems.

 

Alcohol service outside of the Waves bar was almost a waste of time. I needed to show my card 4 times in one night in Martinis. Other nights I could wait 30+ minutes after dinner to have my card swiped.

 

The one saving grace was the wine spectator restaurant. That was some of the best food I've had at sea (service still lagged Seabourn/Crystal/Silversea). It was also a case of you get what you pay for. The more expensive version of the menu was far better than the lower priced ones. All of them however were what I expected for food/service on a line supposedly dedicated to food as they are.

 

IMO I wouldn't spend the money on Oceania (or its sister Regent).

Edited February 10, 2014 by baychilla

[Host Jazzbeau]

The waves grill couldn't cook anything to order to save their lives. Ask for anything at whatever temperature and they couldn't do it. They'd either be over or under...

Service in the GDR was slow, further they also suffered from severe doneness problems.

 

Wow. We had the same experience in 2011 on Insignia. I was hoping that was a one-off problem because she was going on charter to a German company soon after. It's a real problem if Oceania can't grill meat as requested.

[Emperor Norton]

Wow. We had the same experience in 2011 on Insignia. I was hoping that was a one-off problem because she was going on charter to a German company soon after. It's a real problem if Oceania can't grill meat as requested.

 

I agree. For a cruise line that boasts its "foodiness" for them to not be able to cook food to order is inexcusable. Further their inability to construct a burger or sandwich or hot dog as described on the menu because "that other stuff is on the tables" is also inexcusable. They were worse than bottom of the barrel fast food chains in that regard. The specialty restaurants (except the Steakhouse) also had issues with meat temps.

[purrlinda]

All the points above about Oceania are correct, but if you choose Riviera you should start researching the ports now and plan your own private tours -- Oceania charges way too much for their shore excursions.

 

I completely agree with the part about excursions. I have never seen higher prices for excursions anywhere else I've looked.

 

Also, their pre and post cruise hotel prices seem to be double what you can get by booking with the hotel directly.

 

The excursions, I have always found to be shockingly expensive though.

[Rodmanb294]

if food is top priority.. Oceania would be my choice… Entertainment is lacking… but overall if not Seabourn, than Oceania… If on a budget and Entertainment is top priority than Celebrity..

 

 

My video of the Riviera on our July 2013 Venice to Istanbul

cruise….

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzt3oVKJ8S4

[MVPinBoynton]

if food is top priority.. Oceania would be my choice… Entertainment is lacking… but overall if not Seabourn, than Oceania… If on a budget and Entertainment is top priority than Celebrity..

 

 

My video of the Riviera on our July 2013 Venice to Istanbul

cruise….

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzt3oVKJ8S4

 

Very nice video. The Riviera looks quite lovely. We are finally going to try O in April; but it is on the Regatta before it is renovated. I wish you had a video on one of their R ships for me to get a preview.

[parallax]

I have been on both cruise lines and hands down Oceania wins. I rather spend 10 days going to more unique ports (Tortola, St. Barths etc) than going to places that all the other cruise lines go to. I find the food and service to better and I prefer small vessels to the mega ships.

 

I agree that Celebrity has more entertainment options but I find the entertainment to be lacking. I have no interest in seeing the same canned salute to the music of the 1950s and 1960s. On Oceania, we always found ways to keep us entertained. We met some fun people and would gather at a bar for some wine or cocktails. The wine selection on Oceania is much better than Celebrity.

 

That being said, we are big fans of Celebrity and so you wouldn't go wrong on going a cruise with them. This is a good problem to have.

[skandls]

Oceania vs Celebrity

 

O food is better - especially on the newer ships (Riviera). Also on the new ships the staterooms are very nice. The over 250 sq feet are much more spacious than the AQ rooms and definitely bigger than the OV rooms on the Regatta.

 

X - much better entertainment and more things to do.

 

I like sailing with O when it is a port intensive trip. For the money I would take the Celebrity 14 day because the ports in the Caribbean don't need long days of touring. More short tours and days at the beach. With the money you save you could eat at the specialty restaurants a few times.

[Arusha]

We are finally going to try O in April; but it is on the Regatta before it is renovated. I wish you had a video on one of their R ships for me to get a preview.

 

Here's a video in 2 parts of a tour of the Regatta in 2011. Each part is about 35 minutes long.

 

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks Arusha. I had looked on YouTube after I posted and found some too. The one you posted was interesting since it was a tour of the ship.