Oceana Nautica cruise from Cape Town to Singapore

[Drjeffbrookline]

Have read a lot of bad stuff on line and contemplating going on this cruise. I would like to connect with reviewers who have taken this cruse. I am concerned about the sale of Oceana to NCL and deterioration in service

Edited October 10, 2015 by Drjeffbrookline
Spelling

[Drjeffbrookline]

Please message me

[Essiesmom]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. There is no message function on CC, and your questions can best be answered on the forum here for Oceania. (Oceana without the i is a ship belonging to P&O-UK). There is also a roll call forum where you can 'meet' and chat with other CC members who will be sailing with you. EM

[Keith1010]

This link will take you to the Oceania Board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=51

 

When you say bad stuff can you be more specific; ship, itinerary, what exactly was bad?

 

Keith

[Drjeffbrookline]

Bad stuff uniformly was that the shore excursions were all overpriced and poor quality. This was in every review. The visa fees were excessive. The ports in Africa were not worth the time. I have been to South Africavalready. I am thinking about taking s different cruise on Seabourne that spends more time in the Seychelles and Maldives

[Keith1010]

People complain about shore excursion prices all the time.

 

What are the stops on the Oceania Itinerary. I've been to a lot of places and can comment on the ports.

 

Same goes for Seabourn. If you list ports I can comment on them. Seychelles is beautiful and easily done on your own. Has a look of an island in Hawaii and gets a lot of rain based on the foliage that we saw there.

 

Keith

[Drjeffbrookline]

The Oceania trip starts in Capetown and stops in all the port cities ending in Durban then goes to Madagascar for 2 ports then to Maputo Dar Es Salam Zanzibar then to Mombassa Seychelles Maldives Colombo Penang Kuala and Singapore. I am more interested in the ports than the cruise. The seabourne cruise spends a lot of time in the Maldives and Seychelles starting in Colombo and ending in Dar Es Salam. I would like to see these remote islands. Reviews indicated these were a high point and not enough time. I could go to Penang ang Singspore on my own as I have not been there. Please give me your opinion

[Keith1010]

I think both are good but if you like the idea of remote islands I would go with Seabourn. Certainly there ships are beautiful and many on board amenities will be included such as gratuities and drinks.

 

It comes down to what you like. Personally I think one day in Seychelles and Maldives is plenty of time.

 

Madagascar is very unique. We just visited two ports earlier this year and you can see animals that you won't see anywhere else. The tour operators only have a choice of a couple of tours. And you have to do a tour. Not many people ever get there. Locals are wonderful. Prices should be reasonable.

 

You said you've been to South Africa but I don't know what you've done there before. We've been there several times. Have you visited a national park or private reserve and spent a few days there. That is something you could do pre cruise from Cape Town or post cruise from Durban. That is a great experience and ranks in our top ten to fifteen experiences.

 

From a ship perspective if you are going on one of the two older Oceania Ships then the Seabourn Ships would offer a much nicer on board experience.

 

Singapore is great and easily done on your own. There is good public transpiration from the subway system to taxis and so much to do and see that I would spend a few days there post cruise.

 

Keith

[Drjeffbrookline]

The Oceana ship is the Nautilus. There is a day and Hal in Maldives which makes it difficult to see the nicer islands. There is 1 day in the Seychelles. Do you feel that the islands are the same as going to Polynesia? We have been there. We spent 2 weeks in Soith Africa and have been to most of the ports and have been to Sabi Sands. Which of the 2 cruises do you think would be more interesting? Have you taken this cruise with Oveania. Temples Jewels etc? Have you been to Maputo?

 

Jeff

[Keith1010]

Jeff, to me those islands are beautiful but are more like the Hawaiian or Polynesian Islands. But if you like to snorkel or scuba dive than that would be very special.

 

I have been to Maputo a couple of times including this Spring. I like to see places from around the world and learn a lot from each place but this certainly was one that would not be on my top 100 list.

 

I have not taken that that cruise with Oceania.

 

Tough to tell you which would be better.

 

I think the Seabourn experience on board would be better and the Nautilus is one of their two older ships with smaller rooms.

 

If you like the Polynesia and like to snorkel from a port perspective you might do better with Seabourn.

 

Have you also looked at the ease or complexity of flights for each of the two cruises. Just something to consider.

 

Keith

[Drjeffbrookline]

Keith,

First thanks for all your input. I was initially very excited about the Oceania cruise. For me the port experience is more important than the cruise itself. I then looked at the ports in Africa. I spent 2 weeks in South Africa and did the safari. No one likes Maputo. I am skittish about going to Mombassa. I really wanted to go to Madagascar for the reasons you mentioned. I feel that is one thing I would miss. The Seabourne cruise starts in Colombo and ends in Zanzibar and Dar Es Salem.

Easy flights to both places and I am thinking I would go to Singapore and Penang first. Have you been to Penang and is it worth the trip? I think I am interested in the islands because they look beautiful and they are both so hard to get to that it is so much easier to do on a cruise. Have you stayed in the Maldives or Seychelles or just passed through? We did Polynesia on a cruise and I felt that was the way to see it. I am interested in your opinion

 

Jeff

[Keith1010]

Jeff, you are very welcome.

 

I haven't gone over to Penang. Have been to a couple of other places in Malaysia.

 

I love Singapore. Very clean and safe city and as I mentioned easy to get around. Lots to do and see. The orchid gardens are great and the Gardens by the bay are truly amazing. There is the area with the government buildings to walk around, the Singapore Zoo (I prefer it over the night time safari), Chinatown, Little India and much more. If you can, try to spend a few days there.

 

Based on what you've said I think you would like the islands and so very easy to do by ship as they are in the Polynesia.

 

Keith

[LHT28]

If seeing the port cities is important to you a cruise is not the way to go

You are better off doing a land trip that gives you a few days in the areas of interest

A cruise is just a sampler you do not get that much time in the area

 

 

JMO

[Keith1010]

But you are not going to see all these places on one land cruise unless you spend a lot of your time flying.

 

JMO.

 

A cruise gives such a good flavor of a lot of ports and then you can always return on a land vacation.

 

There are places we have visited on cruises that either turned out to be well below my exceptions of way above my expectations. If not for the cruise some of them I would not have visited and some that I did I would have been disappointed being there on a land vacation.

 

Keith

[Floridiana]

The Oceana ship is the Nautilus.

 

Jeff,

Now you have me completely confused. The cruise line Oceania does not have a ship called Nautilus.

 

I have cruised with Nautica's (Oceania Line) sister ship Regatta; it was an excellent experience with great food. Since alcohol is not included on Oceania ships, they are less expensive than all inclusive lines such as Seabourn.

 

Regatta's excursions were exactly the same that the other ships were doing in the same area. One guide referred to a HAL ship whose group he had guided a few days before. I also checked more upscale and more expensive lines, one cruise review written by an enthusiastic Silverseas passenger. I noticed that he had done the same excursions believing that they were specific to his line.

 

Actually all the ships doing that particular route offer the exact same excursions. It's a bit off the beaten path with a limited number of English speaking guides. That might also be the case with the ports on the route you are interested in. If a review criticizes the ports anywhere I the world, I always think that the person never did any research.