Oceania or MSC inside cabin vs cheap RCCL balcony: what would you choose?

[bobetpine]

Hi,

 

Plans are the following:

 

Repositionning cruise from Florida to Mediterranean, Spring 2007.

 

Possibilities in our price range so far are:

 

Oceania, MSC, RCCL and Celebrity.

 

We were looking at Oceania because of the size of the ship,quality of food but also for the absence of formal night (I don't own a cocktail dress and will not).

 

But Oceania's balconies are 2000$ vs 1000$ for the cheapest inside. On RCCL you get a cheap balcony from 1300 to 1600$. Insides begin at 800$ on Celebrity and 900$ on RCCL.

 

MSC has a great itinirery via the Caribbean at 1350$ inside cabin (much longer, though: 17 days). Balconies out of reach...

 

Since it would be my first cruise I need your help. It's confusing. I don't know how much I would NEED a balcony to get some quiet time since i've never cruised before. We'll spend days at sea. Would we regret not shelling out the $ for a balcony?

 

I'm all mixed up between CL, cabins, food, dress code etc... I know i can't get ALL that I want in one ship but I don't know what should be more important: price, type of cabin, quality of food etc...

 

Thanks for your help.

Pascale

[brian_uk]

We took our first Oceania in June 05.

 

Having decided that we wanted a Med itinerary and there being virtually every Cruise Line available we based our choice firstly on the recomendation of good friends who felt that Oceania suited our particular lifestyle and secondly that there was no formal dress nights.

 

We feel we made the right choice and have booked again for July 06.

 

Brian

[LHT28]

On a transatlantic I don't think you would need a balcony but you could always get an outside instead of inside cabin.

Once you have a balcony cabin you will never want anything else. ;)

 

My vote is for Oceania, good food, service and casual atmosphere,

If you can amuse yourself or don't need to be entertained Oceania is for you.

 

If you smoke or want Vegas type shows take one of your other choices

[drwong]

If the seas are rough, the winds strong, and the skies grey on your trans-Atlantic cruise, you might feel you've wasted $1000 on a balcony too inhospitable to use! Some passengers might prefer the shelter of the pool deck to an exposed balcony. And with the reduced passenger loads of a trans-Atlantic cruise, you shouldn't have a problem finding a deckchair or a quiet spot in one of the numerous lounges.

 

By the way, do the prices for the other cruise lines include round-trip airfare?

[Druke I]

Some good points above, but I'll throw in my two bits.

 

I don't necessarily agree that once you have a balcony, you'll never go back. We've had balconies, but often book regular outsides, depending on itinerary, port days, season, etc.

 

On the other hand, a balcony during a rough trans-Atlantic can be a plus. We had a balcony on a very rough Golden Princess crossing, 8-02, in which we hit two large storms West of the Azores. We had bow-slap spray raining down on our balcony on Caribe Deck (deck 10), and windows were shattering along Prom Deck while the ship was flexing and fighting for headway. It was exciting (and wet) to be out on the balcony while the ship was pitching and rolling.

 

Those storms did put us into New York City some 6 hours late, which certainly created some problems, but that is another story.

[garykool81]

On a transatlantic I don't think you would need a balcony

 

We just got off of a transatlantic aboard Regatta in November 2005. We had a wonderful upgrade to a balcony, but I would have to agree with you that the balcony is rather undesireable for transoceanic crossings. They did manage to have waters stable enough to clean the balconies once or twice during the cruise, but jeez....talk about caked-up-salt-city.

 

It got so nasty with the dried salt on the outside balcony of our room that I stopped touching *anything* when I went out there.

 

I'd stick with an oceanview for cruises that spend all or a lot of time at sea.

[desirod]

To me a balcony is a gimmick. It is a nice thing to have but will not deter my enjoyment of a cruise. Balcony is good if you are a recluse or a socialphobe, in which case why are you on a cruise to begin with?

 

I was on the same cruise Gary was and specified an outside bottom deck cabin with porthole. Indeed the weather would have made a balcony useless. It was a rough crossing and was on the smoothest part of the ship.

 

I have yet to sail Royal Caribbean but I have noticed the mass market lines give a low price, but get you with extras, nickel and diming a premium line like Oceania does not. So you come away spending the same.

 

The Oceania ships are probably the last of the 30'k tonners which to me is the ideal size between a megaship and a large yacht.

 

David

[nparmelee]

"To me a balcony is a gimmick. It is a nice thing to have but will not deter my enjoyment of a cruise. Balcony is good if you are a recluse or a socialphobe, in which case why are you on a cruise to begin with?"

 

I'd have to disagree with that. I think that a balcony is a great place to start off the morning (wake up coffee on the balcony....ahhh) and a great place to wind down at the end of the day before going to bed. We also like having a glass of wine out there while we get ready to go to dinner, even though we will usually also go to the bars for a drink before dinner. On a transatlantic I don't know that I'd get one, but we do love them in general. It's also very handy if we take scuba gear with us as a great place to dry the gear out after a dive.

 

Of course, that's one of the things that makes cruising so enjoyable, there are plenty of options for everyone.

[digby]

I would rather stay home than to not have a balcony. I love being able to step right out of my cabin and be outside. Even in Antarctica I sat on the balcony to enjoy the experience. It has nothing to do with being antisocial. There is plenty of time on a cruise to be with lots of people and to be in your own space.

[stebul]

Balconies and suites are very nice, but the folks in the inside cabins eat the same food, share the same public spaces, and see the same ports as the people in pricier digs.

 

The food and overall experience on Oceania is completely different than on RCCL, MSC, or Celebrity. If the quality of food, a casual yet refined and intimate feeling onboard, and good service are important, the inside and oceanview outside cabins on Oceania are among the best values in the cruising industry (in my humble opinion). Once you cruise on Oceania you will become spoiled, and will have a hard time ever taking a cruise on a mass market line.

[lcand1923]

A balcony is great when entering and leaving port because you can watch the action. Personally, I would get claustrophic if I didn't have a window. So, for a transatlantic, I would want an outside cabin.

 

For quiet time, Oceania has a great Library.

 

We've never been on MSC or RCCL or Celebrity, so I cannot do a comparison. We have been on HAL, Orient and a Viking River Cruise. The biggest plus with Oceania is the "no formal nights". It makes it so much easier to pack.

[desirod]

I dont mean to belabour, but not having a balcony will not spoil my good time.

What I do with an inside cabin is the TV is on all night on the bridge cam channel with the sound off. In the morning I know what the sun is doing.

 

I would definitly take Oceania with an inside over RCL balcony any day of the week. I prefer Oceania's classical or jazz concert over RCL's Kareoke or hairy chest contest. MSC has an interesting flavor and in my cross hairs for next cruise.

 

A balcony is great when entering and leaving port because you can watch the action. Personally, I would get claustrophic if I didn't have a window. So, for a transatlantic, I would want an outside cabin.

 

[nparmelee]

Since the OP is asking for advice specifically about a transatlantic cruise, maybe we should all be concentrating on the many cruise factors other than just the cabin (agree to disagree??). For example, do you need big shows at night to keep you entertained? If so, you may want to go more with Celebrity, RCL or MSC. If food is your primary focus, Oceania might be the best bet. If you want to have minute to minute acitivities, maybe RCL would be the choice. In short, what is most important to you on a cruise?? The fact is that if you want to avoid the formal night thing on the mass market lines there are ways to do it, the buffet or optional casual dinig or even room service. It really comes down to what kind of cruise experience you want to have. The lines you listed are fairly different from each other and if you asked each board, that board would say their line is the best because of xxxx.... I know virtually nothing about MSC, but would say that of the 4 you listed, RCL is the most "fun". Celebrity a little more sedate and a little more formal and Oceania would be more like stopping in with friends at your local club. So, what are you expecting from this trip?

[bobetpine]

Hi guys, Hi Nadine,

 

What do I expect?

 

Well, first let me explain that weather is a concern: I've read that in May a balcony would be useless for a transat since it would be really cold.

 

I was expecting to tan on my balcony in my bathing suit :-)

 

It's sad because a balcony really seems like the way to go for me.

So if the balcony is useless I wonder if I wouldn't get the feeling that I'm wasting my time on a transat...6 days at sea, shivering in a blanket...

 

Besides that shows are not important. Food is. I'm not especially picky but I appreciate good food as opposed to cafeteria food you sometimes get in cheapo all-inclusive packages to the Caribbean (for instance).

 

What I expect to do on a transat would be: swin, sun, play dices on my balcony, playing basketball, going to the movies, enjoying an evening drink on my balcony etc...Nothing fancy but enjoying the outside is a must. I get cold easily so low 70s is not even cool to me especially if it's windy.

 

Would you then recommand that I change my plans and forget that transat thing?

 

Thanks again

[susiesan]

What I expect to do on a transat would be: swin, sun, play dices on my balcony, playing basketball, going to the movies, enjoying an evening drink on my balcony etc...Nothing fancy but enjoying the outside is a must. I get cold easily so low 70s is not even cool to me especially if it's windy.

 

Would you then recommand that I change my plans and forget that transat thing?

 

Thanks again

 

Sounds like you should be on the QM 2-it has an indoor pool. Don't think you'll find basketball on O.

[stebul]

It sounds like a private outdoor space, sunshine, affordability, and food are what's important to you. Did I get that right?

 

Tanning on your balcony can be a hit or miss proposition. Most balconies except those that face the bow or stern are covered, and you will generally spend half of a round trip cruise (coming or going) on the shady side of the ship (on the transatlantic you would have to figure out what side of the ship would be sunny for the entire cruise).

 

For sunshine during Spring, consider: Caribbean and Mexican Riviera (although the first and last day on a Mexican Riviera cruise can get a little chilly as you head back up to California). You will see more children around Easter/Spring Break.

 

For a good balance of affordability/food/balconies, consider: Norwegian (many specialty restaurants, not quite gourmet but better than a cheap all inclusive buffet), Princess (less formal open seating dining), Holland America (Vista ships), Celebrity. Definitely add Oceania back on if you think you can get by without the balcony. You will find plenty of public deck space on Oceania's ships.

 

For affordability: Check airfares to Florida and California from your home as they might not be too expensive. The Mexico and Caribbean cruise markets are very competitive and you can often get a good fare for a balcony cabin. Also, don't pay for more luxury than you want or need. I know food is important, there is quite a range between cafeteria style and gourmet. If something like what you would get at a nice hotel banquet or large catered wedding is OK, you will be happy on HAL or Celebrity. If you want the very best food, Oceania is a very good choice and many people think it is a step above HAL and Celebrity.

 

There are lots of choices (and I've given you more), so you might want to think about what is most important to you and keep researching web sites to look for a sale (such as the HAL Views and Verandahs promotion).

[nparmelee]

Weather is such a tough factor, you really never know what you'll get. Are ports an important factor at all? With the transtlantics there are usually only a couple of ports and a lot of sea days (we're looking at doing one ourselves for massive wind down time in the future). To add to the complication of your decision, Oceania is adding those cabanas right now... they might be a good substitution for getting a more inexpensive oceanview or inside and still having a private place for sunning yourself without a balcony. Sorry, I forget when Regatta and Insignia are supposed to get them, but if it is before you leave, it would be a wind protected private area you could have.

 

It might be worthwhile to talk to a TA and let them make some good recommendations for you.

[bobetpine]

Susiesan : « Sounds like you should be on the QM 2-it has an indoor pool. »

è yes but I don’t like the places where it stops : I’d like to end the crossing in the Mediterannean.

This anwers Nadine’s questions : yes ports are VERY important. Spain, France or Italy is where I want to disembark because I’ll be taking another 10 days off there.

Stebul : « It sounds like a private outdoor space, sunshine, affordability, and food are what's important to you. Did I get that right? » è absolutely. You named it. J

In fact the reason why I was considering a transat instead of a Caribbean or Med cruise is

1) it’ll be my 40th birthday and my partner and I 10th anniversary so I was looking for something that has a touch of originality and romance. I feel like a transat has a feeling of ( I don’t know how to say that in English…) « à la Humprey Bogart ». It seems very romantic and uncommon, these days.

2) We’d like to spend 10 days in Europe on top of the transat.

3) The transat repo are a lot less expensive than ordinary cruises on a daily basis.

Of course we could spend 3 weeks in Spain an dit would be a lot less expensive that it wouldn’t be as memorable.

 

But, as I said before, freezing on a deck or balcony is not my idea of romance.

I’ll check those Oceania cabanas. But again the problem with Oceania is the date they sail : march vs May for RCI. It could make a difference weather-wise, uh ?

[thatbloominplace]

i hear what you are saying about your desire for a romantic cruise. if you decide to stay with the transatlantic, i would recommend going on a larger mass market ship such as rci. let me say first that oceania is my favorite line. however, i wouldn't choose it for many sea days. less to do at night as well as day activities considering the weather on your dates. choose rci and eat more often in the specialty restaurants if you can. they are superb, close to oceanias dining room. also buy the wine package if wine is what you like. this is just one person's opinion.

[lcand1923]

Bobetpine -

Congratulations on the 40th Birthday and 10th Anniversary. Based upon what you would like to do on your transatlantic (sun bathe on balcony, go to the movies, shoot baskets), Oceania is not a good choice. I do not remember seeing a basketball hoop onboard, there isn't a movie theater, and your balcony would be pretty unusable at the time of year they do the crossing.

 

Have you looked at HAL? I mention them because we have gotten several mailings recently about upgrades to verandahs. I do not know their sailing schedule, but since they have more vessels they may have a later crossing.

 

HAL also has casual dining at their buffet evry night (no extra charge) with a menu similar to what is offered in the Dining Room. (Our last sailing with them was in 2003, so things may have changed.) We don't like "formal nights", so would opt for the Lido. We had such a good time eating with the entertainers, that we headed for the Lido on "informal" nights, also.

 

In our opinion, the breads, beef and pastries were better

on HAL than on Oceania. The seafood and deserts on Oceania were better than HAL. You CAN purchase wine packages on HAL, which you cannot do on Oceania. You CAN bring your own wine and liquor on board Oceania, which you cannot do on HAL. (I cannot remember all the things that are important to you regarding food and drink, so forgive me if I am bringing up things that aren't important.)

 

We did three different sailings with HAL on two different classes of ships. Each had a basketball and tennis court, movie theatre, library and a lot of activites on "at sea" days. The ships also had a lot of nooks and crannies for sitting quietly.

 

Read what "thatbloominplace" wrote, also. As I wrote earlier, I have not sailed MSC or RCI so I cannot comment on the quality of their food.

 

Enjoy your crossing!

lcand

[drwong]

I was looking for something that has a touch of originality and romance. I feel like a transat has a feeling of ( I don’t know how to say that in English…) « à la Humprey Bogart ». It seems very romantic and uncommon, these days.

 

I hope you weren't referring to Humphrey Bogart's experience in "Action in the North Atlantic!!!" :D

 

Perhaps you were thinking of Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne in "A Love Affair," or the better-known Cary Grant-Deborah Kerr remake "An Affair to Remember" (not to be confused with "A Night to Remember" featuring a different ocean liner). And speaking of that ill-fated ocean liner, don't forget Jack and Rose in "Titanic" (or it's little-known 1937 predecessor, "History Is Made at Night," also featuring Charles Boyer).

 

Or in a lighter vein, how about Doris Day and Jack Carson falling in love in "Romance on the High Seas" (which made song "It's Magic" so popular that it became the name of the film when it was released in the UK). And don't forget Doris Day and Ray Bolger's dance scene in the ships galley in "April in Paris" where the two also fall in love. - what's up with Doris Day and romance aboard ocean liners?!? :)

[bobetpine]

Hi ,

 

Acand, yes I checked HAL but their rates for a balcony is over 2000$ which is too much.

 

Thanks for the tip anyway. I think that I really must stcik to RCI because of the fares and then try to avoid all the extras that they seem to charge.

:-)

[lcand1923]

Whichever line you choose, have a Great Time!

 

Happy 40th Birthday!

 

Happy 10th Anniversary!

[desirod]

Bobetpine,

 

Oceania is very friendly to gay and lesbian travelers.

 

Susiesan

FONT=Verdana]1) [/color]it’ll be my 40th birthday and my partner and I 10th anniversary so I was looking for something that has a touch of originality and romance. I feel like a transat has a feeling of ( I don’t know how to say that in English…) « à la Humprey Bogart ». It seems very romantic and uncommon, these days.

 

[/font][/color]

But, as I said before, freezing on a deck or balcony is not my idea of romance.

I’ll check those Oceania cabanas. But again the problem with Oceania is the date they sail : march vs May for RCI. It could make a difference weather-wise, uh ?