Celebrity Cruiser Tries Oceania

[LabGuy64]

the beverage package is only 120.00?...does that include alcohol?.....if not....there is a pretty good difference for 2 if you drink at all

 

 

We are also going on our first Oceania cruise... next week. Really looking forward to the 10 nights.:)

 

I was under the impression that O's PH Suites were the same size as Celebrity's Sky Suites, not the Celebrity Suites. Oceania counts the size of their larger balcony into their sq. footage.

 

 

 

Oceania is quite a bit more when comparing apples to apples.

 

We normally sail in an AQ on Celebrity, so we booked the standard Veranda stateroom, B3 - (same size as AQ) for our Oceania cruise.

 

Fare without air (you do not have to take their air and can take a reduction) is $3699 pp which does include tax.

 

Our cruise on the Equinox last February - 11 nights - was $3936.86 Total for 2 and included the Beverage Package and I believe that gratuities.

 

We are purchasing the O Beverage Package and the cost is an additional $120.

 

That being said, we are curious to see if the extra cost is really worth our trying Oceania again. One of the main reasons we are choosing Oceania over Celebrity is to have a different Caribbean itinerary over past sailings with Celebrity. The smaller ship can get into ports that the larger shops cannot.

 

Another reason is the downgrading that has taken place on Celebrity in the last year or so. The product is not the same as it used to be, and after sailing the same brand 2-3 times a year, we are tiring of the cruiseline. But we will be back as you can see from our signature. Time will tell if we will return to Oceania. The product will have to be really good. ;)

[wr2next]

We are just finishing our very first cruise on Celebrity on the Solstice. We are currently leaving our last port of call and heading for Auckland where we disembark tomorrow. We have cruised Oceania 3 times prior to this cruise. This cruise has been nothing less than spectacular. We have really enjoyed it. We are in a suite and in the past have been in the PH level of Oceania. I agree with most of what the other posts have said. There are a couple of things that we haven’t liked on Celebrity. First, my understanding is that the Solstice in heading to dry dock later this year (someone correct me if I am wrong), but it is definitely in need of an overall. Much of the furniture has seen its better days. In fairness, when we traveled the Rivera and Marina, they were much newer and, I’m guessing over time, may see some of the same wear. Second, of the biggest things we have not liked on Celebrity is the constant selling and pressure to upsell drink packages (we had the classic), wine, pictures, shore excursions etc, etc. It has been brutal. We never had any of that on Oceania.

What we have liked on Celebrity, is that the food has been really good. That has been Oceania’s claim to fame. I would say the food in the specialty restaurants has been on par with Oceania especially in Luminae but the choices were more limited. I can also (for a fee) eat at any restaurant on Celebrity I want. On the Oceania I can eat at any restaurant for free, but have only so many guaranteed specialty restaurant reservations based on my suite class but, after that, it is really difficult to get in. On our last 12 day cruise on Oceania we only could get into the specialty restaurants 3 times, (our minimum). The food in the MDR and the Oceanview cafe on Celebrity has been very disappointing. Lastly, one thing that they do not have figured out on Celebrity is the tendering in a port. OMG. Chaos. Some people waited a couple hours to get off the ship in Akaroa. It was a mess. Some of that has to do with the size of the boat, and I get that, but it should have been easier than that.

From a cost standpoint, when all is said and done, the total cost of Oceania is a bit more that Celebrity when you add everything including airfare, drinks, restaurant costs, etc, etc. It is very hard to really compare apples to apples, because of different itineraries, packages, suite classes etc

 

Overall. It is a different experience on Celebrity. Some of it has to do with the size of the ship. Some of it, the age of the ship. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d rate Celebrity a 7 or 7.5 and I’d rate Oceania a 8.5 to 9. Would we do Celebrity again? Yes, depending on the itinerary we would. But we can’t wait to be back on the Oceania this fall for northern Europe.

[edgee]

Just disembarked Reflection after a 3 year hiatis from Celebrity during which time we enjoyed 4 Oceania cruises. Agree with many of the comments above...both pro Celebrity and pro Oceania. One thing I did appreciate about Celebrity is the compratively fair prices for shore excursions and alchohol as opposed to outrageous pricing on Oceania. Very small but super irritating difference is that Celebrity will allow printing in computer lab for free vs. Oceania which charges for all printing including airline boarding.

[Rob the Cruiser]

We would love to try Oceania but the price differential doesn't make sense to us. We've run the numbers every way imaginable and the cost of comparable Oceania itineraries is at least 2X that of Celebrity. Even Oceania's inside cabins are more expensive than Celebrity A1 cabins.

 

I spent a lot of time talking to two different "top performing Oceania travel agents" and they couldn't convince me either.

 

Just as we've decided to stay with Celebrity for the near future, along comes another one of Oceania's AMAZING brochures! I guess I'll run the numbers again! :D:D:D

 

I look forward to your reviews.

[ORV]

the beverage package is only 120.00?...does that include alcohol?.....if not....there is a pretty good difference for 2 if you drink at all

 

It's $60 per person per day. That's for alcohol, most everything they have with only a few high end exceptions.

 

Everything non alcoholic is included in your normal fare, all coffees, virgin drinks, sodas, juices, bottled water, milk shakes, smoothies. If it doesn't have alcohol in it it's included.

[ORV]

We would love to try Oceania but the price differential doesn't make sense to us. We've run the numbers every way imaginable and the cost of comparable Oceania itineraries is at least 2X that of Celebrity. Even Oceania's inside cabins are more expensive than Celebrity A1 cabins.

 

I spent a lot of time talking to two different "top performing Oceania travel agents" and they couldn't convince me either.

 

Just as we've decided to stay with Celebrity for the near future, along comes another one of Oceania's AMAZING brochures! I guess I'll run the numbers again! :D:D:D

 

I look forward to your reviews.

 

Just like you can't compare the price of a Hyundai heads up with a BMW or Mercedes you can't compare the cost of Celebrity vs Oceania heads up. You have to decide what the intrinsic value of things like the included specialty restaurants are worth, what the smaller ship experience is worth, what available lobster everyday is worth, what truly exceptionally comfortable beds are worth, no photographers bugging you at dinner and every time you get off the ship, and on & on.

 

I cruise both, but you have to put a value on the differences when comparing. We really like both products.

 

Oh, and while I like the food on both it is truly superior on Oceania.

Edited February 13, 2016 by ORV

[Christine Frances]

Just like you can't compare the price of a Hyundai heads up with a BMW or Mercedes you can't compare the cost of Celebrity vs Oceania heads up. You have to decide what the intrinsic value of things like the included specialty restaurants are worth, what the smaller ship experience is worth, what available lobster everyday is worth, what truly exceptionally comfortable beds are worth, no photographers bugging you at dinner and every time you get off the ship, and on & on.

 

I cruise both, but you have to put a value on the differences when comparing. We really like both products.

 

Oh, and while I like the food on both it is truly superior on Oceania.

 

I guess we are not candidates for O LOL We never go to specialty restaurants (the MDR on the Millie for our Japan/China cruise in Oct/Nov was truly excellent), M Class are just the right size for us (but do also love the S class), lobster is meh but would love some of our Dungeness or King crab served, love the X beds and we walk past the photographers without thinking. We have sailed Azamara 3 times with fabulous experiences, fun ship and extraordinary crew, almost all inclusive but too small except for the benefit of getting into Bangkok & Saigon of course without the drive. If we wanted to "upgrade" it would be to Az as our Captain's Club benefits transfer over and better entertainment than O.

[mdmourges]

Have cruised on RC, Celebrity, Oceania, Silversea and Crystal. Have stayed in small rooms and big rooms, small ships and big ships. All I can say is I have never had a bad experience with any of these cruise lines. They all are a bit different but nice nonetheless. When we cruise it is all about the room and the itinerary. Any of these lines makes us happy. Anyway, Oceania is a very nice cruise line (their newer ships are much nicer than their older ones however) and those that choose it over Celebrity will be just as happy as with their Celebrity cruises. Happy sailings. Oh, and we are looking forward to our 3/25/16 cruise on Equinox.

[bar_20]

You're comparing apples with oranges.It's great that you found your niche cruise line. Bon Voyage.

 

Who's the apples and who's the oranges? About the pricing, I think the OP meant when you throw in the free airfare the pricing is close to X's. What has X added that's free in the last three years? It's been cutback after cutback of free stuff.The grill now only offers burgers, hot dogs and fries at no charge. A far cry from what was offered a few years ago. I know my next cruise will be on O and not on X. I just read a recent review on the extra charge restaurants on X and those have seemed to have slipped while they have increased the up charge. Stay with X that's your choice.

[bar_20]

I guess we are not candidates for O LOL We never go to specialty restaurants (the MDR on the Millie for our Japan/China cruise in Oct/Nov was truly excellent), M Class are just the right size for us (but do also love the S class), lobster is meh but would love some of our Dungeness or King crab served, love the X beds and we walk past the photographers without thinking. We have sailed Azamara 3 times with fabulous experiences, fun ship and extraordinary crew, almost all inclusive but too small except for the benefit of getting into Bangkok & Saigon of course without the drive. If we wanted to "upgrade" it would be to Az as our Captain's Club benefits transfer over and better entertainment than O.

 

If the specialty restaurants were no extra charge on X would you then go? Let's face it, the reason is you don't go is you don't want to pay the $40-50 pp upcharge. On O there is no extra charge.

[westcoastcruiser]

I guess we are not candidates for O LOL We never go to specialty restaurants (the MDR on the Millie for our Japan/China cruise in Oct/Nov was truly excellent), M Class are just the right size for us (but do also love the S class), lobster is meh but would love some of our Dungeness or King crab served, love the X beds and we walk past the photographers without thinking. We have sailed Azamara 3 times with fabulous experiences, fun ship and extraordinary crew, almost all inclusive but too small except for the benefit of getting into Bangkok & Saigon of course without the drive. If we wanted to "upgrade" it would be to Az as our Captain's Club benefits transfer over and better entertainment than O.

 

Could not agree with you more. We cruised Azamara and Viking River (obviously a very different cruise experience) and had a fabulous time on both. But, for us, X meets all our needs and wants and exceeds our expectations. Not too loud, not too quiet. Food offered in standard fare is perfect for us. We don't need their photos of us, thank you. And a balcony cabin...aft is our favorite..is plenty for us. Different strokes, different folks. That's why different cruise lines exist, I guess.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I appreciate your review and respect your opinions but seriously, you're comparing a Mercedes to a Honda. They're not even comparable.

 

I know you feel like you've found a new home, so don't read the O boards too much or you'll become jaded like so many others there. You can find threads there (like on any other mainstream cruise line) that address how service, food and ship cleanliness have gone downhill over the recent years.

 

Even so, like you, I'm anxious to try one of their new ships just to see what it's like. I wish they'd bring the newer builds out to the West Coast but it seems the older R-ships are coming out this way instead.

[Jade13]

If the specialty restaurants were no extra charge on X would you then go? Let's face it, the reason is you don't go is you don't want to pay the $40-50 pp upcharge. On O there is no extra charge.

 

 

Probably, my DH does not want to pay extra for a speciality restaurant because he feels the food is the same. If you are getting a steak it is just a larger portion.

 

On O, how often can you go to the speciality restaurants if you are not in the owners suite? We always loved Azamara but the extra charge for the speciality restaurants when the cabins on average start at $5k per person is a turn off.

[tine-tine]

We too are becoming jaded with X and considering O or Regent. Our b2b cruise this year felt at times like a low cost holiday camp with the constant selling round the ship and aggressive photographers. They intruded on your personal space at most inappropriate times, i.e. sitting having a nice conversation at Martini Bar to be tapped on the shoulder by someone enquiring do you want a massage, really I am dressed up in my finery having a drink and a conversation and you want to know if I want a massage? This followed by photographers circling enquiring if you want a photograph, every night. We were also stopped on one occasion leaving the ship as the photographers had set their station up a couple of feet from the gangway, when people stopped for a discussion/picture there was no room to get round them so I presume we were included in the picture!

 

I know the costs are greater but sometimes on X you are paying for a product that does not live up to their claims. For instance we like to dine in Speciality to escape the frenzy of Select Dining but will only do if we receive a discount. Murano is just not worth the uncharge as you are paying $$$$ for frozen fish and a very limited menu, the only good thing is the relative calm. Same goes for Tuscan and Silk Harvest. The food is very average and the effort and presentation has deteriorated over the years.

 

We have one last Celebrity booked and although we still overall enjoy the fact that we are somewhere warm in winter, it would be nice, as we are foodies and dining is a main part of our cruise, to enjoy better quality and choice of venue. One concern I have is that some previous posters have not indicated that the food is a big improvement on O than X and makes me apprehensive about making the commitment to pay extra. Has anyone who has tried other lines that are not hugely more expensive than X they would recommend for food and service?

[excitedofharpenden]

Thanks for the review. I think it's difficult to compare Oceania to Celebrity. Different marketplaces and smaller ships, a number of them quite a bit smaller. I've always enjoyed the service onboard Celebrity, but it's true to say over more recent years that has changed. The crew are asked to work much harder and cover more duties/cabins etc and this affects the time they are able to spend with you. I haven't been lucky enough to stay in a PH on Celebrity so perhaps it's different if you do.

 

Probably a better comparison in general would be Oceania and Azamara. I cruise mostly on Azamara now. I'd thought about Oceania, but understand the crew are more aloof and the interaction with the crew is something I have come to value on Azamara, so for now I'm staying put and on newly and extensively refurbished ships too.

 

All the best to you on O.

 

Phil

[excitedofharpenden]

Has anyone who has tried other lines that are not hugely more expensive than X they would recommend for food and service?

Two of the reasons I prefer Azamara. Food is a step up, the two speciality restaurants are really good, nice theme nights in the buffet each evening. Service for me is quite a bit better too, all over the ship. Officer interaction is fantastic and they really take an interest and are very visible. You mentioned the hawking on Celebrity. It's something I really hate and I've found it to be pretty non-existent on Azamara and if it is done it is always in good humour and easily declined in a friendly manner.

 

Phil

Edited March 11, 2016 by excitedofharpenden

[RedneckBob]

Original OP. Thanks for your review of Oceania. I was prior HAL cruiser but now sail on Oceania and beginning on Celebrity. Agree with almost everything you wrote.

 

Only thing I would add is that you can get incredible deals on Oceania from sites other than Oceania; both last minute cruises and future cruises. Recently I received a last minute deal on the Marina, sister ship to Riviera, 10 day South Pacific, end of this month; 60% discount on a Penthouse; including air roundtrip from Tampa, FL. Wish I could go !

 

By the way this is my first post on Celebrity CC Forum exclude roll call. Look for my upcoming thread appearing in next day or two

[BrendaJ]

I think it's really impossible to compare these two cruise lines; it makes sense that Oceania provides a nicer experience - the price for a basic cabin is at least double or even triple Celebrity's. A suite on Celebrity, which these days includes the premium beverage package, gratuities, internet and OBC, is still 2/3 the cost of a basic balcony on Oceania. Oceania's least expensive cabin is triple the cost of Celebrity's. This is comparing 10 night Med cruises.

 

For the difference in price, I'm happy with Celebrity, especially in a suite.

[kelmac]

We loved our Oceania experience; the food was the best we've experienced in 58 cruises. Having said that, the price is double or triple the cost of a Celebrity cruise. Is it worth it? Maybe. Other than the food, I can't really say the overall time on board is that much better. Yes, the service is great, but it's great on Celebrity as well.

 

Oceania is a more adult atmosphere and there are very few children on board. We like that. The clientele are well travel and sophisticated. Social interaction is a must onboard as there is not much going on. The entertainment is basic.

It's interesting that many of our service staff on Oceania, were ex-Celebrity workers.

 

I'm always looking for a deal on Oceania to try out one of their newer ships. It hasn't happened yet. Once my wife is retired (in 2 1/2 years) I'm sure we will have a better chance of finding that deal.

 

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[G&G]

We loved our Oceania experience; the food was the best we've experienced in 58 cruises. Having said that, the price is double or triple the cost of a Celebrity cruise. Is it worth it? Maybe. Other than the food, I can't really say the overall time on board is that much better. Yes, the service is great, but it's great on Celebrity as well.

 

Oceania is a more adult atmosphere and there are very few children on board. We like that. The clientele are well travel and sophisticated. Social interaction is a must onboard as there is not much going on. The entertainment is basic.

It's interesting that many of our service staff on Oceania, were ex-Celebrity workers.

 

I'm always looking for a deal on Oceania to try out one of their newer ships. It hasn't happened yet. Once my wife is retired (in 2 1/2 years) I'm sure we will have a better chance of finding that deal.

 

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

 

Interesting observations. We have sailed Oceania 6 times and Celebrity 3 times; all in the past three years.

 

As RedneckBob stated in a prior post, there are great deals on Oceania and only sail with them if there is a deal. Otherwise, Oceania is pricey.

 

We just completed a 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Riviera. We paid $154/day for a balcony that included prepaid tips, free unlimited internet and a $500 cabin credit. This is in line with Celebrity pricing for an upscale balcony considering the standard Oceania balcony cabin has 288 sq ft.

[tunaman2011]

Greetings

 

My SO and myself just returned on Sunday from our 8th Celebrity cruise. We had a great time and still think Celebrity offers a good product at a good price.

 

We were invited to a lunch tour on Riviera in Jan of 2015. We left very impressed but like many here we viewed the fares on Oceania and passed.

 

In Feb I was looking for a cruise in Europe for my SO's birthday in late June/early July. Celebrity had some nice choices, but I happened upon a Oceania cruise that was a great deal. The basic fare was more than Celebrity fares, but their airfare was $1000/person cheaper. Maybe the prices were so good because this cruise was a "reroute" that was originally sailing from Istanbul but now sailing from Rome. The "package" also included beer and wine with lunch and dinner (their lowest beverage package), free internet, and free gratuities.

 

So there are deals out there if you have some flexibility. For the Caribbean I am not sure we would like a small ship since there is a lot of on-board time. But for Europe where everyday is a different port, it may be the better choice.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[DrivesLikeMario]

Greetings

 

My SO and myself just returned on Sunday from our 8th Celebrity cruise. We had a great time and still think Celebrity offers a good product at a good price.

 

We were invited to a lunch tour on Riviera in Jan of 2015. We left very impressed but like many here we viewed the fares on Oceania and passed.

 

In Feb I was looking for a cruise in Europe for my SO's birthday in late June/early July. Celebrity had some nice choices, but I happened upon a Oceania cruise that was a great deal. The basic fare was more than Celebrity fares, but their airfare was $1000/person cheaper. Maybe the prices were so good because this cruise was a "reroute" that was originally sailing from Istanbul but now sailing from Rome. The "package" also included beer and wine with lunch and dinner (their lowest beverage package), free internet, and free gratuities.

 

So there are deals out there if you have some flexibility. For the Caribbean I am not sure we would like a small ship since there is a lot of on-board time. But for Europe where everyday is a different port, it may be the better choice.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

 

Oceania's sales on Med. cruises are down this year. You can expect really good last-minute deals this season.