First Time cruiser.. Oceania or Princess Cruises?

[CharityGrace]

Hello,

I am getting married next year and would love to cruise Italy / Greece for my honeymoon. I have been checking this website for some time trying to get tips / advice.

I am thinking of either booking with Oceania Cruises for 10 days, Mediterranean Classics on the Riviera or Princess Cruises 14 days, ADRIATIC & AEGEAN MEDLEY.

Could anyone give some advice on which cruise liner to choose?

I am also slightly worried about doing a cruise because I hear lots of horror stories of it being very expensive once on board. Both of this cruises take up all of budget. So spending money would be tight.

Is it true you have to tip even when buying a drink?

What should we expect to pay extra for once on board?

Are excursions pretty expensive?

Are taxis from the port into each different town expensive?

On each website they offer different special offers. From the below which would you choose? Which would be more cost effective?

Special Offer

 

Featuring FREE Unlimited Internet plus choose one of the below FREE:

- 6 Shore Excursions

- House Beverage Package

- $600 Shipboard Credit

Amenities are per stateroom

Thank you in advance!

Virgin of cruises x

[LHT28]

You will get a lot of opinions on people's favourite cruise lines

do the research & see what works best for you & fits your budget

See what is & what is not included in the fare

Oceania includes all NON alcoholic drinks & specialty restaurants with the exception of the wine pairing venue La Reserve it is extra

they also allow you to take spirits on for use in your cabin

 

 

Yes all lines will add a daily gratuity pp to you account

if you shop around you might find a TA to include the daily gratuity

 

Yes all ad 15-18% to each drink purchase unless you buy a drink package & it is either included in the price or added to the daily total price

some lines each person in the cabin needs to buy the package on some lines only one person can buy it ...but NO SHARING

Most line you can take Wine on to have in your cabin or if you take to the dining venues & pay a corkage fee

Ship's excursions can be pricey but if you do your research you can often time DIY cheaper or share a private tour with others just depends on your interests

 

Do your research

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

[ShipsandDipper]

Oceania has become our favorite cruise line. It includes all non-alcoholic drinks and specialty restaurants for no extra charge. It doesn't try to sell add-ons continuously (for example, it doesn't have ship's photographers that take pictures of you when getting off the ship at port stops). The ships are smaller (max just under 1300 for Riviera).

 

That said, it tends to be an older crowd. We, in our early 40s, are usually among the youngest people on the ship. Oceania focuses its money more on food than entertainment. The shows are not the best part of the cruise. It suits me fine that there isn't a ton going on late night, since I'm an early-to-bed person, but a lot of younger people may feel the ship is too quiet. And Oceania's excursions are hideously expensive. We usually book independent excursions anyway though.

 

Princess won't include the specialty restaurants and non-alcoholic drinks (except ice tea, lemonade, coffee, and tea that is generally available), and will try to sell you stuff. But it's within your control what you say yes to. We did a Med cruise on Princess and loved it.

 

Drinks that you're paying for (most on Princess, alcoholic on Oceania) will carry an automatic gratuity, usually 18%.

 

On both, you would pay extra for spa and salon services, special exercise classes, shops, shore excursions, casinos. On Princess, also most drinks, specialty restaurants, photos, art auctions (if you choose to attend and buy), private adult areas like the Sanctuary or Thermal Suite.

 

One cost people sometimes don't know about is gratuities. This compensates the dining team, your room steward(s), and everyone who helps them. It is automatically charged to your room account on a per day basis. By looking around, you may be able to book a deal that includes pre-paid gratuities (we very rarely pay gratuities anymore because we can find a travel agent willing to include that in their offer). But if not, be sure to include the gratuities in your budget. The crew works very, very hard to make sure you have a great cruise and deserves that pay.

 

We hate ship's excursions and do everything we can not to use them. In Italy and Greece, you should be able to DIY quite a bit (saving a lot) using the resources on this board.

 

Re: the Oceania promotion, it depends on how you want to cruise. We always take shipboard credit because we like the spa. The other two options don't do much for us because we hate ship's excursions and we don't really drink much. But if you want to drink a lot, that might be worth more than $600 to you. Or if you're really uncomfortable DIY on excursions, the excursions option will almost certainly be worth more than $600 to you.

 

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage and enjoy the planning!

[CharityGrace]

Thank you for your advice.

 

So if one of the special offers were 'all tips included'. Should I choose this? Would I not have to worry about tipping at all then?

 

I don't know why but the tipping situation is giving me such anxiety, i think it would be easier just to choose the tipping included option.

 

We just really want to choose cruise that is great value for money. We LOVE food. So food is a biggy for us. I feel like I'm leaning towards the Oceania cruise but with the Princess you get 14 days. Its such a hard decision.

 

Thanks again. x

[Shorex]

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials - and welcome to the world of cruising. We have cruised on both Princess and Oceania. While Princess was...nice, I would rather be on Oceania for 10 days than Princess for 14. While budget is important, don't forget to factor in the ambiance. Study the websites for each line, and each ship. Get a feel for the Rivieria by clicking here. If cuisine is important, check out Rivieria restaurant menus here.

 

Ignore "horror" stories about on board spending. If you educate yourself about charges and keep track along the way, you will have no surprises. (Do be careful about using your cell phone and do the research, this is one area where people have been very shocked about charges for overseas use.) Tips are just part of the overall budget - each line makes clear the recommended amount - nothing to stress about.

 

Some Med ports you can walk into town, Rhodes for instance. Others, like Santorini, are easy to do on your own. Take the cable car (there is a charge) up to Fira, and enjoy - then take a bus to Oia for the iconic views.

 

The benefit choice depends entirely on preference - if you have never visited the Med before, you might be more comfortable taking the excursions. Do you drink enough to justify the beverage package? And the on board credit gives you flexibility - an excursion or two, and nice cocktails.

[Floridiana]

If the special includes the daily gratuity charges, take it! You don't have to worry about tipping extra on the ship.

 

I prefer Oceania to Princess, smaller ships, much better food, all non-alcoholic drinks including bottled water for excursions are included. Princess is a mainstream line and doing well in this segment, Oceania is a premium line. If the gratuities are not included in the price you have been quoted, you need to add them to the daily cost and compare the two cruises that way.

[LHT28]

Thank you for your advice.

 

So if one of the special offers were 'all tips included'. Should I choose this? Would I not have to worry about tipping at all then?

 

I don't know why but the tipping situation is giving me such anxiety, i think it would be easier just to choose the tipping included option.

 

We just really want to choose cruise that is great value for money. We LOVE food. So food is a biggy for us. I feel like I'm leaning towards the Oceania cruise but with the Princess you get 14 days. Its such a hard decision.

 

Thanks again. x

If you are in North America the prices on Oceania include airfare so factor that into the equation when working out your budget

You can opt out of the included are & do your own just compare prices before you decide

If you can get gratuities included it is usually for the Housekeeping & wait staff they will still add the 18% to drink prices

 

For the O Life promo the beverage package they off is for beer & wine by the glass for Lunch & Dinner only if you want spirits you can upgrade for $20 PP PD for the Prestige Package once onboard

 

 

Go to the Oceania & Princess forums & read some posts there ...ask questions

 

Maybe take to a cruise specialist in your area

[Shorex]

Just one more thing - Tom's Port Guides is a wonderful planning tool for Med (and other) ports. He provides a downloadable pdf for the various ports. His Santorini guide is here. You won't need any other guidebook.

[ShipsandDipper]

Thank you for your advice.

 

So if one of the special offers were 'all tips included'. Should I choose this? Would I not have to worry about tipping at all then?

 

I don't know why but the tipping situation is giving me such anxiety, i think it would be easier just to choose the tipping included option.

 

We just really want to choose cruise that is great value for money. We LOVE food. So food is a biggy for us. I feel like I'm leaning towards the Oceania cruise but with the Princess you get 14 days. Its such a hard decision.

 

Thanks again. x

 

Really, don't worry about tipping on the ship. It's all done pretty much automatically. Since you mentioned a tight budget, I just wanted to make sure you knew that gratuities would be added if they are not part of an offer. Sometimes people have had a nasty surprise when they don't know about the gratuities.

 

It looks like Oceania is $16 per day for regular rooms, so $160/per person for a 10-day cruise, and Princess is $13.50 for regular rooms, so $189/per person for a 14-day cruise. Knowing that, you'd have to compare offers to see if a gratuities-included offer would be a better deal, depending on what else is included.

 

Like Shorex, I would probably take 10 days on an Oceania ship over 14 days on a Princess ship. But we also like to try to arrive a few days early and have a chance to see the departure port, so a 10-day cruise would suit us better anyway.

 

We were happy with Rick Steves' Baltic cruise ports book -- good instructions on how to get from ports into town and what to do there. I imagine the Med ports book would be equally good.

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP: "no brainer" decision here. Choose Oceania

 

 

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[CruiseGal999]

Thank you for your advice.

 

So if one of the special offers were 'all tips included'. Should I choose this? Would I not have to worry about tipping at all then?

 

I don't know why but the tipping situation is giving me such anxiety, i think it would be easier just to choose the tipping included option.

 

We just really want to choose cruise that is great value for money. We LOVE food. So food is a biggy for us. I feel like I'm leaning towards the Oceania cruise but with the Princess you get 14 days. Its such a hard decision.

 

Thanks again. x

 

IMHO, you should choose what gives you the best monetary option. You mentioned money is tight. You can look on the website or call the cruise lines, all that your are considering and ASK what the daily gratuity is that will be charged or pre-paid. Sometimes pre-paying gratuities is cheaper than having it added daily on the ship. It is usually a VERY reasonable amount of money. Once you pay these gratuities, you do NOT have to tip anyone else on the cruise. You MAY, if you WANT to. But these gratuities are pooled among all the staff. As mentioned in other posts, the bar adds the tip to the drinks, so you don't tip the bartender.

 

Look at the excursions you want to take. Add up the $ that 6 excursions would cost you. THAT one seems like it will get you tours in countries with guides and TRUSTED SAFE drivers.

 

People on CC that don't like ship excursions very much (and I am one of them) have cruised before, sometimes MANY times before and have learned how to do the DIY tours. A lot of locations on this Med. cruise are not safe. I did the 12 day Med. cruise in 2013 and DH and I paid for ALL of the NCL ship excursions. I wasn't thrilled with the quality of all of them, some were excellent, others, not so much. BUT we'd never been there before and also a number of people on our cruise went out on their own and were robbed. THAT is why we paid the crazy $$ for the NCL tours.

 

I don't say this to scare you. I say this because it's true and it happened. Hope this helps.

[Flatbush Flyer]

IMHO, you should choose what gives you the best monetary option. You mentioned money is tight. You can look on the website or call the cruise lines, all that your are considering and ASK what the daily gratuity is that will be charged or pre-paid. Sometimes pre-paying gratuities is cheaper than having it added daily on the ship. It is usually a VERY reasonable amount of money. Once you pay these gratuities, you do NOT have to tip anyone else on the cruise. You MAY, if you WANT to. But these gratuities are pooled among all the staff. As mentioned in other posts, the bar adds the tip to the drinks, so you don't tip the bartender.

 

 

 

Look at the excursions you want to take. Add up the $ that 6 excursions would cost you. THAT one seems like it will get you tours in countries with guides and TRUSTED SAFE drivers.

 

 

 

People on CC that don't like ship excursions very much (and I am one of them) have cruised before, sometimes MANY times before and have learned how to do the DIY tours. A lot of locations on this Med. cruise are not safe. I did the 12 day Med. cruise in 2013 and DH and I paid for ALL of the NCL ship excursions. I wasn't thrilled with the quality of all of them, some were excellent, others, not so much. BUT we'd never been there before and also a number of people on our cruise went out on their own and were robbed. THAT is why we paid the crazy $$ for the NCL tours.

 

 

 

I don't say this to scare you. I say this because it's true and it happened. Hope this helps.

 

 

 

So much bad advice in a single post.

When you realize that there is a vast difference in quality from NCL to Oceania (and even Celebrity or Princess when compared to O), you'll understand that OP said food is important to them. Instead of comparing cabin prices, compare net daily rate for all expenditures (remember to that OP is talking about the Med and O includes airfare or air credit- a great equalizer).

Also, are you aware that many cruise tour operators are the same ones as the best private tour providers?

 

 

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[CruiseGal999]

So much bad advice in a single post.

When you realize that there is a vast difference in quality from NCL to Oceania (and even Celebrity or Princess when compared to O), you'll understand that OP said food is important to them. Instead of comparing cabin prices, compare net daily rate for all expenditures (remember to that OP is talking about the Med and O includes airfare or air credit- a great equalizer).

Also, are you aware that many cruise tour operators are the same ones as the best private tour providers?

 

 

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The OP said money was more important than food! I SAID the cruise ship excursions were SAFE. So I made your point. There is NOTHING in my post to be considered bad advice. That IS what happened to 2 groups of people who ventured out on their own in Italy. People on the beach in Mykonos had their things stolen when they went into the water. It was pretty rampant. When you come on CC you ask for advice/input. That's what you get.

[LHT28]

That IS what happened to 2 groups of people who ventured out on their own in Italy. People on the beach in Mykonos had their things stolen when they went into the water. It was pretty rampant.

My goodness you still have to take precautions when travelling :eek:

 

NEVER leave your belongings unattended ANYWHERE

 

 

There have been incidents in the past with cruise ship tours where the passengers were robbed during the tour by armed people ...

 

Pack your manners & common sense when you travel

[CruiseGal999]

My goodness you still have to take precautions when travelling :eek:

 

NEVER leave your belongings unattended ANYWHERE

 

 

There have been incidents in the past with cruise ship tours where the passengers were robbed during the tour by armed people ...

 

Pack your manners & common sense when you travel

 

OK ... correction ... cruise ship excursions are SAFER, for the most part.

[CharityGrace]

Thank you for all your advice, I really appreciate it.

 

My partner is worried that the Oceania Cruise may be (I hate to say it) for the older generation? We are turning 30 this year and although we do not 'party' anymore. Evening entertainment would still be nice.

 

Would you say the Oceania cruises would be suitable for us?

[Cruzaholic41]

Thank you for all your advice, I really appreciate it.

 

My partner is worried that the Oceania Cruise may be (I hate to say it) for the older generation? We are turning 30 this year and although we do not 'party' anymore. Evening entertainment would still be nice.

 

Would you say the Oceania cruises would be suitable for us?

 

No. One word about Oceania entertainment - zzzzzzzzzz.

 

For a first cruise in your 30s, I highly recommend Princess over Oceania. In fact, there are several lines I'd recommend before Oceania.

[CharityGrace]

No. One word about Oceania entertainment - zzzzzzzzzz.

 

For a first cruise in your 30s, I highly recommend Princess over Oceania. In fact, there are several lines I'd recommend before Oceania.

 

What other cruises would you recommend please?

[Flatbush Flyer]

Thank you for all your advice, I really appreciate it.

 

My partner is worried that the Oceania Cruise may be (I hate to say it) for the older generation? We are turning 30 this year and although we do not 'party' anymore. Evening entertainment would still be nice.

 

Would you say the Oceania cruises would be suitable for us?

 

 

Oceania has some interesting demographic characteristics, which are greatly influenced by itinerary and calendar.

 

In general, it is a cruise line that caters primarily to an older crowd, heavily populated by "baby boomers." However, it is a line widely used by collegiate alumni groups, particularly for shorter cruises of <18 days to popular destinations like the Med. In addition, during school holidays, you will see multigenerational families with (fortunately) well behaved children. The bottom line is that you can easily find a ten to fifteen year difference in average age from one cruise segment to the next.

 

That said, recognize that there are far more important factors than age when you're trying to get a "right fit." Oceania's passengers tend to be well traveled and fairly accomplished, cosmopolitan folks who have worked hard for their money. Value is important to them. But, so is quality and a depth of experience, including the cuisine, cabin amenities and service.

 

As for entertainment: remember that O's ships are small: <1100 or <700. So, if you're looking for big Broadway productions, do what we do: go to Broadway. Of course, O does have some great comedians and an ever-changing troupe of young song and dance performers plus occasional unique events like a Broadway veteran song/storyteller. But, it is definitely not the "wannabe" Vegas/amusement park atmosphere you'll find on many mass market lines.

 

 

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[Cruzaholic41]

What other cruises would you recommend please?

 

First and foremost - Celebrity. They have beautiful modern ships, decent entertainment and really nice accommodations - especially on Solstice Class ships. That would be my #1 recommendation for you.

 

No one tops Royal Caribbean with entertainment. In the Med and especially on longer cruises, RCI doesn't get the party crowd they do in the Caribbean.

[cruisemom42]

Just one more thing - Tom's Port Guides is a wonderful planning tool for Med (and other) ports. He provides a downloadable pdf for the various ports. His Santorini guide is here. You won't need any other guidebook.

 

Please do not take the above advice. While the "Port Guides" mentioned above are a good starting place, you should ALWAYS double check everything and consult more than one source.

 

As a very experienced traveler, I have read several of his guides and they are incomplete and do have some errors. Also, things change in various ports constantly -- bus routes, entrances/exits to ports, etc. It's always best to check for the most recent information on the internet.

[cruisemom42]

The OP said money was more important than food! I SAID the cruise ship excursions were SAFE. So I made your point. There is NOTHING in my post to be considered bad advice. That IS what happened to 2 groups of people who ventured out on their own in Italy. People on the beach in Mykonos had their things stolen when they went into the water. It was pretty rampant. When you come on CC you ask for advice/input. That's what you get.

 

You say above that people were "robbed" -- you DO realize that has a different meaning than being pickpocketed, right? Were they robbed at gunpoint (or knifepoint) or did they just have their wallets stolen because they were careless about where they kept them?

 

Theft happens EVERYWHERE and may be just as common on guided tours -- maybe even more so, as what more obvious sign saying "I am a tourist, take advantage of me" is there than a gaggle of people wearing numbered tour tags and following a guide with a sign on a stick? :confused:

 

Anyone who leaves their belongings unattended on a beach, frankly deserves to have them taken. Very bad idea.

[LHT28]

Thank you for all your advice, I really appreciate it.

 

My partner is worried that the Oceania Cruise may be (I hate to say it) for the older generation? We are turning 30 this year and although we do not 'party' anymore. Evening entertainment would still be nice.

 

Would you say the Oceania cruises would be suitable for us?

There will be older demographics for the most part but also it depends on where you are sailing to

 

If you enjoy some quiet time & do not need to be entertained 24/7 it can work for you

 

Food is good, there is 1 show in the evening plus other things going on after the show like name that tune, karaoke, dancing

 

It will depend on the cruise, each cruise has a different vibe

 

Pax seem to go for the food & ambiance

 

it will be more port intensive so maybe after a long day ashore you would welcome a nice meal with new friends or a quiet meal for 2

 

You can do either you will not be out of place on Oceania

 

We have met other 30 somethings onboard & they seem to enjoy the cruise but they were not looking to party .

Only you can decide what will work for you

[geoherb]

I would choose Oceania over Princess when the price is the same or close. And I'm a Princess loyalist. But I've never seen Oceania prices on available cabins close to being as inexpensive as Princess ones. For instance, I looked at a 10-day cruise in December that's waitlisted except for veranda cabins and above on Oceania. The least expensive cabin is $2,849 (without airfare--since I know we can fly for less than the $600 extra the airfare-included price would be). On a 10-day Princess cruise, the least expensive cabin (inside) is $899. Balcony cabins start and $1,099, and mini suites at $1,499. In other words, a cruise on Princess in a mini suite would be about half the cost of the Oceania cruise.

[CruiseGal999]

You say above that people were "robbed" -- you DO realize that has a different meaning than being pickpocketed, right? Were they robbed at gunpoint (or knifepoint) or did they just have their wallets stolen because they were careless about where they kept them?

 

Theft happens EVERYWHERE and may be just as common on guided tours -- maybe even more so, as what more obvious sign saying "I am a tourist, take advantage of me" is there than a gaggle of people wearing numbered tour tags and following a guide with a sign on a stick? :confused:

 

Anyone who leaves their belongings unattended on a beach, frankly deserves to have them taken. Very bad idea.

 

In Italy the 2 groups were ROBBED. Purses, jewelry, wallets ... all of it gone. Mykonos was stealing their wallets while people were in the water. You are much safer being in a group of 40 (if you stay together) .... they teach little children safety in numbers.

 

No one DESERVES to have anything stolen from them. This was a NCL cruise excursion in Mykonos. I grew up on beaches all over New England. Nothing was EVER stolen while we were in the water. Times and seemingly people have changed.