🤔 RSSC advertising Oceania

[flossie009]

A strange piece of email marketing landed in our in-box this week

 

It was an email from RSSC (UK office) introducing their sister brand, Oceania; the email proudly tells us that "Oceania Cruises? is renowned for The Finest Cuisine at Sea?" and that "Oceania Cruises excels with culinary delights"

 

:confused: Don't they want us to sail with Regent anymore?............who have we upset?..............and are they really trying to tell us that we would get better food on Oceania rather than on Regent?

 

Maybe we need to review our future Regent bookings :rolleyes:

[Gilly]

Flossie, it must be something you said. Though we get frequent emails from Regent, this one sailed right past us without landing. Having said that, I became so tired of receiving Oceania emails following one casual enquiry, I replied with a request to stop. Almost by return I had a reply from Charles Deeal of Oceania with profuse apologies and a promise to never email me again. Perhaps he's not only keeping his promise, but extending it to ensuring the word Oceania never darkens my inbox again?! (Because I can honestly say I did not get a single email after that.)

 

Now, regarding the avalanche of A5 sized brochures I get almost daily from Oceania....

[BarbarianPaul]

While I was researching our next cruise after returning from our time on the Explorer in November, and since at this point in our "cruising careers" my wife and I are more itinerary driven than particularly brand loyal, there was an Oceania cruise that caught my eye. (One of theirs ships, forget which one, was docked next to us in Naples and it looked, to be fair, beautiful.) So I called them for more info. I can tell you that they do indeed say, at least on the phone, that this will be the best food we have ever had on a ship. Not sure they knew we were on their sister line Regent, which in my opinion is probably unbeatable.

I think I might have read on one of these boards---could be wrong---that both lines, to take advantage of economies of scale, buy the same ingredients. But of course have different chefs.

We didn't wind up booking the cruise, but now I'm curious if there is anyone out there who has tried them both.

 

 

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[swansong]

I, too, received the Oceania email and wondered why!

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

While

We didn't wind up booking the cruise, but now I'm curious if there is anyone out there who has tried them both.

 

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We have sailed on both Regent (our cruise line of choice) and Oceania's Riviera (twice). Oceania's newer ships are lovely, the food in the specialty restaurants is excellent, and the service is on par with Regent. For people that do not drink, prefer not having included excursions and do not mind smaller suites, Oceania is a great pick.

 

On the other hand, we find the prices for the larger suites higher Regent (in some cases), the cost of excursions higher than on luxury cruise lines (Silversea in particular), the cost of a drink + tip to be exorbitant and the food in the buffet and main restaurants to be inferior to Regent.

 

While I feel that the mailing that went out to the U.K. is strange, it is possible that the brand is not as well known in that part of the world as Regent is. And, it is definitely an alternative. My thoughts also go to the increasing prices of sailing on Regent and the strength of the dollar against both the Euro and GBP. While it is great for people living in the U.S., there could be challenges people in other parts of the world.

 

Just a thought.

[BarbarianPaul]

Jackie, so interesting! Since Lana and I are pretty small drinkers and are fine with a relatively smaller suite, sooner or later I'm sure we'll try Oceania. That whole "O Life" promotion does not sound like a terrible deal...heaven knows we read about it several times a week on the virtual avalanche of their brochures we now receive, courtesy of that one phone call I placed months ago.

But, truly, I don't think any meal will ever top that miso glazed sea bass in the Compass Rose.

 

 

 

 

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[RachelG]

The miso glazed sea bass actually originated on Oceania in Red Ginger, their Asian restaurant. We have sailed both regent and Oceania, and like Jackie, I find Oceania's food to be the same or inferior to regents. Many of the recipes are the same these days, but the Oceania buffet is not nearly as good as regent as far as the salad bar, hwhich is what I eat from for lunch.

[rarin2go]

I, too, received the Oceania email and wondered why!

 

I didn't and now feel somewhat slighted ;) But I don't think we'd have been tempted anyway:)

[ronrick1943]

We're waiting are first cruise on Regent coming up soon. We came from "O" to try Regent.

We like the bigger suites, and I'll till on "O" the larger suites really are larger than Regent for

the price. We don't drink so on Regent we're paying for something we don't use, so were

hoping for really good service and food. I guess what I'm saying if you haven't booked an "O"

cruise before don't worry it should be great---and if you go for the Owners Suite your in for a treat.

[Travelcat2]

Jackie, so interesting! Since Lana and I are pretty small drinkers and are fine with a relatively smaller suite, sooner or later I'm sure we'll try Oceania. That whole "O Life" promotion does not sound like a terrible deal...heaven knows we read about it several times a week on the virtual avalanche of their brochures we now receive, courtesy of that one phone call I placed months ago.

But, truly, I don't think any meal will ever top that miso glazed sea bass in the Compass Rose.

 

 

 

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I failed to mention the amazing "surf and turf" (lobster and steak) sandwich with truffle fries that is offered at the outdoor restaurant on the pool deck. We often ordered double lobster with no bread - it was delicious!

 

I would only sail on the two newer ships (Marina and Riviera). We toured an older ship and the bathrooms are so tiny and ships do feel old. The Marina and Riviera are a couple of steps down from the Explorer but still gorgeous (obviously designed under the direction of the same CEO).

 

One more thing before I sound like an advertisement for Oceania..... because the excursions are so expensive, passengers on Roll Call get together and do their own excursions (a fraction of the price and usually twice the fun).

 

IMO, this is a definitely the best option for a "luxury lite" cruise line.

[BarbarianPaul]

On the Explorer, we only ate in the buffet for breakfast, and though we absolutely loved the CR and all the specialty restaurants, I didn't find it particularly memorable (caviar on Sundays aside, but even there the portions were pretty small.) I was never able to have the made to order items because we didn't want to wait or were heading out for an excursion, and I don't remember anything else as being especially high end or out of the ordinary. Oatmeal is oatmeal! I actually would have preferred some pre cooked pancakes or waffles that I could have just grabbed. The lunch was always too heavy so we ate at the pool grill.

 

 

 

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[BarbarianPaul]

I know this is off topic, so I'll be quick. For our upcoming South America/Antarctica cruise we're taking on a non luxury but hopefully relatively decent line, I researched the cost of independent excursions vs those offered by the cruise line, which I thought were too pricey. Maybe it's just in South America, but the average savings were surprisingly just $10-$20.

 

In this case, I'm sticking with the ship's excursions since if we miss a port due to weather it'll be easier to get a refund, and I don't want to worry about arriving back late for some unforeseen reason and god forbid missing the ship!

 

The other issue is that every port is a tender port, and I'm assuming a ship excursion will give us priority and eliminate having to wait onshore for passengers to arrive for an independent excursion.

 

 

 

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[lprp]

Flossie, we got the email too - agree it must be UK targeted.

 

Gilly, we get home tomorrow from 2 weeks (10 days on Explorer) away and I know the majority of the mail will be those A5 Oceania mailings😖

 

We've been on Oceania Riviera as well as Explorer, Mariner and Voyager. We love the very contemporary decor on Riviera and would say that Red Ginger, Polo Grill and Jacques are a match, all definitely as good as Pacific Rim, P7 and Chartreuse. However, we really disliked the main dining room on Riviera, Compass Rose is MUCH better.

 

Agree with TC2, the pool grill on Riviera is excellent, they used to do a Kobe burger (not sure if it's still an offering).

 

If you don't drink much and are not fussed by the tours, Oceania could be worth a try. Yes, the suites are smaller, but sometimes, in the UK anyway, they offer inclusive specials that could make it tempting, especially if the itinerary is interesting.

[newlondon]

Having sailed both Voyager and Nautica I can give my not so humble opinion. We loved both but the price points are quite different. On Nautica we chose an OS and on Voyager a PHB. We have two cruises scheduled and our choices are the same.

Sorry Jacquie, I don't understand your comment about the larger suite being more expensive on O. I compare a lot and an OS on Nautica is a great deal particularly when you compare the perks such as many extra specialty restaurant res and skipping lines etc..

Now as to a subjective matter-- we definitely found the food on Nautica to be superior to Voyager.

Our next evaluation will be this Fall after trying the new configuration on Voyager. Don't get me wrong both were excellent in the past, O was just a little bit better (subjective, obviously).

[ChatKat in Ca.]

One of the beautiful things about Oceania is the expensive excursions are optional - not included - raising the prices because you pay in advance on Regent. There are many options for excursions and a private excursion with people from the roll call are custom to your interests, level of activity, and end up costing less.

[Swelldame]

Every time we book a new Regent cruise, we start getting the snail mail brochures from O, usually to two different addresses. However, if you use this link: https://www.oceaniacruises.com/changeofaddress/ it all stops immediately.

[liptastic]

Every time we book a new Regent cruise, we start getting the snail mail brochures from O, usually to two different addresses. However, if you use this link: https://www.oceaniacruises.com/changeofaddress/ it all stops immediately.

 

Swelldame, thanks for this info. I have just completed the form and fingers crossed no more mail or email.

Thanks, Jean.

[Gilly]

Me too! Thanks for the link, swelldame x

[flossie009]

While I feel that the mailing that went out to the U.K. is strange, it is possible that the brand is not as well known in that part of the world as Regent is. And, it is definitely an alternative. My thoughts also go to the increasing prices of sailing on Regent and the strength of the dollar against both the Euro and GBP. While it is great for people living in the U.S., there could be challenges people in other parts of the world.

Just a thought.

 

 

You make a good point, TC2

Regent may well have seen a drop in future bookings and NCLH are thinking to entice previous Regent European customers on to the cheaper Oceania brand

 

As for our own situation, I have concluded that it is FDR who has decided that we don't fit into the elite 1% that he wants to see on his Regent ships ;)

[warburg]

While I was researching our next cruise after returning from our time on the Explorer in November, and since at this point in our "cruising careers" my wife and I are more itinerary driven than particularly brand loyal, there was an Oceania cruise that caught my eye. (One of theirs ships, forget which one, was docked next to us in Naples and it looked, to be fair, beautiful.) So I called them for more info. I can tell you that they do indeed say, at least on the phone, that this will be the best food we have ever had on a ship. Not sure they knew we were on their sister line Regent, which in my opinion is probably unbeatable.

I think I might have read on one of these boards---could be wrong---that both lines, to take advantage of economies of scale, buy the same ingredients. But of course have different chefs.

We didn't wind up booking the cruise, but now I'm curious if there is anyone out there who has tried them both.

 

Greetings, BarbarianPaul, from South Beach. My husband and I have taken many cruises, including six on Oceania,

and one on Regent's Navigator. On April 26h, we board Regent's Explorer for a TA. Both of these lines, are owned by the same entity, have fine kitchens and gorgeous ships like Oceania's Riviera and Regent's Explorer. We are motivated by itineraries but beauty doesn't hurt.

 

Our favorite Oceania is Riviera. If you are very fond of all-inclusive, you might be annoyed by using your card for drinks, even if you have a program. Yet, there are many nice features included: no charge specialty restaurants, soft drinks and bottled water, PH and up. Butler and included hor d'oeuvres. Check websites of both lines for up-to-date info.

 

Mary

[Travelcat2]

Oceania's Riviera was also the most beautiful ship that we had sailed on ........ until we sailed on Explorer (which I know that Paul sailed on as well).

 

Oceania has been marketing their ships based on having the best food at sea for a long time. Many of their customers feel that it is. Since food is subjective, I will not refute that but as RachelG and I have stated on this thread, we did not find the food in the MDR or the Terrace Caf? (equivalent to Compass Rose and La Veranda) to our liking. We did not like the service in the Terrace Cafe and had issues with the food. We had a couple of problems that are not subjective - just awful. I ordered a seafood pasta dish and saw a "cook" (he could not have been a cook) trying to pry the clam open to put it on top of my pasta. One evening, the line for pasta was so long that they were "reheating" pasta in cold water and serving it. For these two reasons, I found myself unable to face dining in the Terrace Caf?.

 

If you stay in an upper suite, you can dine in specialty restaurants every evening which is what we did. Also, if stay in a PH or above suite, you can have food from a specialty restaurant served in your suite (we also did that).

 

So, while I do recommend Oceania as an alternative to Regent, I'm not doing so because of the food (although the items that are good are amazingly good).

[CruisetheCs]

A strange piece of email marketing landed in our in-box this week

 

It was an email from RSSC (UK office) introducing their sister brand, Oceania; the email proudly tells us that "Oceania Cruises? is renowned for The Finest Cuisine at Sea?" and that "Oceania Cruises excels with culinary delights"

 

:confused: Don't they want us to sail with Regent anymore?............who have we upset?..............and are they really trying to tell us that we would get better food on Oceania rather than on Regent?

 

Maybe we need to review our future Regent bookings :rolleyes:

 

 

A great example of bad communication and marketing. Why would a corporate communications/marketing department brand a ship as the most luxurious in the world and then have a sister brand with the finest cuisine at sea?

 

It undercuts the "most luxurious" concept by making one question what luxurious means. If luxurious doesn't include "cuisine", then what else does it exclude? A competent marketing/communication department wouldn't lead potential customers down a pathway that invites skepticism of its prominent branding of the Explorer, and by extension of the Regent brand.

 

Not only does the advertising about Oceania taint Regent's brand, it also taints Oceania's trustworthiness by making one wonder what any of these claims really mean.

[BarbarianPaul]

My guess is that NCL is mostly selling Oceania to either new cruisers or current mass market NCL customers who are looking to take a step up to a premium plus line. But, I gotta say, the almost nonstop barrage of Oceania brochures has succeeded in getting Lana and I to consider them, if an itinerary that we like pops up and works with our schedule.

With Regent having spoiled us, we'd sooner try out Oceania than ever go back to Crystal.

No one ever talks about Viking Ocean Cruises, but we're going to try them out this summer in the Baltic. Jackie...no kids under 16 allowed!

 

 

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[Pies4u]

I have not received this e.mail - but I did get one promoting Regent's Scandinavian cruises today. It all sounds a bit odd really. I suspect any such e.mail advertising another line is some sort of admin error tbh.

[Pies4u]

Correction - I did receive it, just seems to have been delayed arriving in my inbox! It is, clearly, an admin faux pas not an ill thought out marketing ploy. I'm not sure if they use an agency, I'd guess they do, but either way someone has dropped a right ricket there.