Switching from Celebrity to O

[OzAbroad]

I prefer O and love both the R and larger ships. The ambiance is a little more polished and the food better. Having said that I am a big fan of the Solstice class ships, and if you sail Aqua class or in a suite your experience is not much different to O, and in fact having your own restaurant for breakfast and dinner is great.

 

You really notice the difference when dining in the main dining room, but then some people like the larger cruise ship banqueting hall feel. The Solstice ships have a heap of amenities and I think are wonderfully designed so you rarely feel crowded. On less warm cruises the solarium is great while on O ships their is no indoor pool.

 

The specialty restaurants are comparable and X has the "advantage" of pay for use which means you are less limited in when you go and how often. Murano is better in my view than Jacques, and Tuscan grill similar to Polo, Red Ginger is better than Silk Harvest. The bars on X are more varied but not quite as stylish as O.

 

Neither is all inclusive but O is more so.

 

In the end O is more intimate and the food and service are a nudge ahead but at a higher price. X can get pretty close but for me I would need to sail Aqua class.

 

Incidentally I am just off an X cruise and cleanliness and maintenance on the ship was fine.

Edited February 1, 2016 by OzAbroad

[hypercafe]

We sail, and enjoy, both lines. Sometimes it comes down to value for the money for us. We are taking a 14 day trip to Canada in september on the Summit in a sky suite. Because of our status with them and the promos it will end up being all inclusive. Oceania has a 14 day trip to canada on the Regatta, however the same money would get us a category D ocean view room.

[tapo]

Has anyone done this? If so, why did you and are you glad you did or would you switch back/to a different cruise line?

 

We're loyal X cruisers (Elite Plus well on our way to Zenith), but the changes X has made recently have put us off. We enjoy getting dressed up on formal nights, now they have "Evening Chic". We always book a higher end suite that used to come with some special perks, like a private bar/lounge, but now that's being offered to cabins that paid 1/2 what we paid. It seems it's all about the deals and the discounts. I get it that there is competition out there, but it's watering down the brand.

 

We've looked at several O cruises. We like the cabins (PH Suite) and we understand the food is excellent (very important to us). The price is comparable, maybe a little more but not much. The only thing we're not wild about is the overnights in port. If I book a cruise I want to be sailing not docked. Minor though.

 

Share your thoughts.

 

We moved from Celebrity&Azamara for reasons of growing ship size on Celebrity and also I don't think the food is as good as it was. My OH got fed up with carrying formal wear only to find that lots of people didn't wear it . We prefer the country casual and some people still dress up on O. However, we've found you don't get people dressed badly/scruff on O, the food is better, we prefer the ambiance and generally people are very pleasant and more mindful of the way they speak to staff (in our experience).

 

 

We don't need a lot of entertaining and definitely do not like loud shows, so O suits us. We still do the occasional Celebrity cruise but usually that would be for transatlantic or Canaries. O ships are very elegant and we find the big Celebrity ships are less friendly and a little stark in comparison.

 

 

Horizons (above the bridge) overlooking sea at the front) is used for afternoon tea and is a lovely daily event. People come in casual clothes but tables are clothed, fine china used and guests served seated by staff using cake trolleys and waiters, Aa string quartet plays on the central dance floor. Very pleasant interlude if you are around at that time.

 

 

Besides looking ad critic boards, suggest that you look at the Berlitz cruise guide reviews as they give a good description and fair evaluation of cruise ships.

[harryw]

(I'm rejoining this thread after a year)

I just want to add that while we switched to O with no regrets, our last O cruise, from Lisbon to Rome last Fall,

revealed some noticeable decline in O, i.e., Jacques stopped serving pre-course spinach ravioli, and MDR staff seemed less attentive as there seemed to be less staff.

[Classiccruiser777]

They do have grill station in the Terrace on Insignia. At dinner they had some LARGE shrimp, lobster tails, ny strip, chicken and fish. Was grilled to order on request. This was on the Cape Town to Miami cruise ending January 4

Don't forget the lamb chops:

 

http://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Oceania-Regatta-refurb-tasteful-tasty

Edited July 24, 2017 by Classiccruiser777

[wally_bushy]

(I'm rejoining this thread after a year)

I just want to add that while we switched to O with no regrets, our last O cruise, from Lisbon to Rome last Fall,

revealed some noticeable decline in O, i.e., Jacques stopped serving pre-course spinach ravioli, and MDR staff seemed less attentive as there seemed to be less staff.

Careful

I like O ships as well but the last time I suggested a "lesser" service level I was informed my opinion was wrong and every else loved it:(

[aquidneck1]

Every time I read this post, I wonder why you have to "switch". You have choices. You don't have to cruise the same line every time.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy whatever line you are on. We cruised Oceania and loved it but we have a Celebrity Cruise upcoming as well as a Viking. We also have another Oceania booked. Have fun wherever your are.

[Cruseforme]

Every time I read this post, I wonder why you have to "switch". You have choices. You don't have to cruise the same line every time.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy whatever line you are on. We cruised Oceania and loved it but we have a Celebrity Cruise upcoming as well as a Viking. We also have another Oceania booked. Have fun wherever your are.

+1 We enjoy cruising on several lines, and in each case, we have found positives and negatives. We choose to enjoy all and don't sweat the small stuff. We know we have a finite time to travel, and choose to cruise while we are able to, and not limit ourselves to just one cruise line.

[neepawa]

+2 I have sailed both Oceania and Celebrity and have enjoyed both. As I sit on my deck with a back brace for a fractured vertebrae, I envy all of you who are still able take cruises.

 

Cheers

 

Don

[harryw]

+1 We enjoy cruising on several lines, and in each case, we have found positives and negatives. We choose to enjoy all and don't sweat the small stuff. We know we have a finite time to travel, and choose to cruise while we are able to, and not limit ourselves to just one cruise line.

This is a good philosophy. We have found that no matter

how wonderful a cruise line is, too much repetition and

familiarity has dampened our enthusiasm somewhat. In

fact, after about 9 consecutive O cruises, we will try Viking Ocean in February.

 

Harry

[MarkieMarkNYC]

Amen to that!

We love Oceania for the laid-back but sort-of-elegant experience.

We also love Cunard when we're in the fancy mood.

But shhh, don't tell anyone, we also enjoy an occasional Carnival when we want to laugh a lot, have a cheap getaway, and don't care about "upscale".

Different strokes for different folks, but also different strokes for the same folks at different times!

[Bootman4U]

I love the "laid back-sort of" description. I do not understand what the hang-ups are about taking a cruise on another cruise line. If you enjoyed it and thought it was worth it why not? Perhaps there's a certain amount of shame and guilt in operation as in: "I know I'm not SUPPOSED to like it but I do and if I admit it others are going to look down on me."

[harryw]

I love the "laid back-sort of" description. I do not understand what the hang-ups are about taking a cruise on another cruise line. If you enjoyed it and thought it was worth it why not? Perhaps there's a certain amount of shame and guilt in operation as in: "I know I'm not SUPPOSED to like it but I do and if I admit it others are going to look down on me."

I've discovered "guilty pleasures" on cruise ships. For example, I always joked about playing bingo, thinking

that is something to defer until I'm placed in a nursing

home. Then behold, I played on a cruise, and actually

enjoyed it, even getting emotionally involved!

[MarkieMarkNYC]

I love the "laid back-sort of" description. I do not understand what the hang-ups are about taking a cruise on another cruise line. If you enjoyed it and thought it was worth it why not? Perhaps there's a certain amount of shame and guilt in operation as in: "I know I'm not SUPPOSED to like it but I do and if I admit it others are going to look down on me."

Shame and guilt? Yes, a little!

Carnival is admittedly "low-end" and the crowd can be a bit unruly, but if you expect it and take it for what it's worth, it can be great fun.

I've mentioned this to people on Oceania and Cunard sailings and often get a weird blank stare like I've just admitted to being a serial murderer. :eek:

But it's affordable. And I've met some really fun (and funny), down-to-earth people from all over the world on those trips.

On my last Carnival trip I ended up on the dance floor dancing with an entire group of 8 women from Alabama on a girls get-away.

One word - FUN!!!

[harryw]

Shame and guilt? Yes, a little!

Carnival is admittedly "low-end" and the crowd can be a bit unruly, but if you expect it and take it for what it's worth, it can be great fun.

I've mentioned this to people on Oceania and Cunard sailings and often get a weird blank stare like I've just admitted to being a serial murderer. :eek:

But it's affordable. And I've met some really fun (and funny), down-to-earth people from all over the world on those trips.

On my last Carnival trip I ended up on the dance floor dancing with an entire group of 8 women from Alabama on a girls get-away.

One word - FUN!!!

I'm thankful that I have the resources to sail with O, and

also glad that there are cruise lines that are also available

to those who may require a lower price range. And it's great to have fun that transcends economic class,

On one O cruise we shared a van for a Caribbean island

tour with Carnival folks and enjoyed our time together.

I hope that I'm not sounding patronizing.

[MarkieMarkNYC]

I'm thankful that I have the resources to sail with O, and

also glad that there are cruise lines that are also available

to those who may require a lower price range. And it's great to have fun that transcends economic class,

On one O cruise we shared a van for a Caribbean island

tour with Carnival folks and enjoyed our time together.

I hope that I'm not sounding patronizing.

Sometimes a 4 or 5 day quickie to Canada from NYC is just right. Unfortunately Oceania doesn't offer that. I truly wish they did.

[qplushq]

Amen to that!

We love Oceania for the laid-back but sort-of-elegant experience.

We also love Cunard when we're in the fancy mood.

But shhh, don't tell anyone, we also enjoy an occasional Carnival when we want to laugh a lot, have a cheap getaway, and don't care about "upscale".

Different strokes for different folks, but also different strokes for the same folks at different times!

 

 

 

Yes. Love that you threw in that Carnival bit. So true... sometimes you just need to have a little change of scenery and Carnival just scratches that itch. Cheers!!

 

 

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[Go-Bucks!]

I've gone on 3 Carnival cruises - lots of FUN!

I've gone on 8 Princess cruises - lots of FUN!

I've gone on 3 Celebrity cruises - lots of FUN!

 

The common thread isn't the cruiseline; it's the fact that any cruise is fun to me! I love to travel and see the world - any ship works. I'm not picky about food and surroundings; I just love to get away from work and relax, learn about other cultures and see God's great world.

[RJB]

Yes. Love that you threw in that Carnival bit. So true... sometimes you just need to have a little change of scenery and Carnival just scratches that itch. Cheers!!

 

 

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Carnival is about the only cruise ship I would not sail on. Just too low end. :(:(

[Tatka]

Yes. Love that you threw in that Carnival bit. So true... sometimes you just need to have a little change of scenery and Carnival just scratches that itch. Cheers!!

 

 

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This sounds very interesting.

Maybe we should try Carnival again with no expectations.

We thought we'd never sail with then again because of complete lack of ambiance.

[MarkieMarkNYC]

This sounds very interesting.

Maybe we should try Carnival again with no expectations.

We thought we'd never sail with then again because of complete lack of ambiance.

The decor is generally hideous.

The short Canada cruises have tons of kids and you will encounter many messy drunks.

We did a 7-day Canada cruise with them that was after Labor Day and encountered very few kids and a more self-controlled group of adults.

I live on the Upper West Side so I can pack a small roller bag, take a 7-minute cab ride to the pier, and get away for 4-7 days for a very small amount of money. We book an aft wrap-around and get a huge terrace where I spend most of my time catching up on reading and staring at the water. It's pretty sweet!

[ChucktownSteve]

That explains a lot.

[Tatka]

The decor is generally hideous.

The short Canada cruises have tons of kids and you will encounter many messy drunks.

We did a 7-day Canada cruise with them that was after Labor Day and encountered very few kids and a more self-controlled group of adults.

I live on the Upper West Side so I can pack a small roller bag, take a 7-minute cab ride to the pier, and get away for 4-7 days for a very small amount of money. We book an aft wrap-around and get a huge terrace where I spend most of my time catching up on reading and staring at the water. It's pretty sweet!

Thank you.

We did 6 days out of Fort Lauderdale over Thanksgiving on brand new Liberty. I literally had panick attacks because of number of people, didn't like activities and ambiance.

8 dayer out of NY on Miracle. It was ok, but decor was so horrendous. .. Purple-reddish mdr! A bit boring, but that ship had the best design out of other Carnivals.

5 dayer on Glory out of Boston to Canada. Just ok, but no real pleasure. Food was blah...

[MarkieMarkNYC]

Thank you.

We did 6 days out of Fort Lauderdale over Thanksgiving on brand new Liberty. I literally had panick attacks because of number of people, didn't like activities and ambiance.

8 dayer out of NY on Miracle. It was ok, but decor was so horrendous. .. Purple-reddish mdr! A bit boring, but that ship had the best design out of other Carnivals.

5 dayer on Glory out of Boston to Canada. Just ok, but no real pleasure. Food was blah...

 

I totally get what you're saying. The crowds are tremendous and if that's not for you then Carnival would never work.

The food used to be much better but, like even Oceania, I think has gone downhill.

[palamoh]

Talk about confusing Posts! If I were a Newcomer to Cruises, I would be so confused, I wouldn't know what Cruise Line to book with. One person likes a particular Restaraunt the next person hates it and so on. I think everyone who reads these Posts should understand it is subjective in Nature. What one person likes the next person doesn't. Just go with your Heart and make up your own mind, try some different Cruise Lines (if you can afford multiple Trips). You be the Judge, don't be persuaded by so many different opinions. You don't need to be in a Suite to enjoy your cruise. I have friends that book the O Inside Cabins, because that's the only way they can afford them and are very happy with their Experience. I know the intent of Posting individual experiences is ment to be helpful, but do not let all these posts sway your own judgement