Oceania NEXT

[RJB]

Just hit my spam box --

 

Sorry -- NO NEW SHIP!!!!

 

Refit of the R ships -- they announced this in May but did not provide details...

 

Called it Re-Inspire Enhancement project. $100M investment -- which is the title of the You Tube

$25M per ship or $15M over a normal drydock.

 

Slide 144/145

 

http://www.nclhltdinvestor.com/static-files/753ec2ad-4cd0-4f81-9515-c560d58d63c8

Too bad. To me Full Speed Ahead should mean new builds and not just refurbing tired old ships. Might need to do both but new ships are needed to keep up with the competition. Hope it happens. :):):)

[DrHemlock]

Too bad. To me Full Speed Ahead should mean new builds and not just refurbing tired old ships. Might need to do both but new ships are needed to keep up with the competition. Hope it happens. :):):)

Maybe.

 

But for some of us, those "tired" old ships do not need to keep up with the competition at all because they're the alternative to the competition. We're not hip and not in love with glitzy floating horizontal high-rises in which every bit of decor is either beige or grey, and where there's precious little padding to be found on the oh-so-modern furniture. No thanks.

 

Give the R-ships a fluff-and-buff occasionally and -- poof! -- not tired anymore; just cozy and comfortable the way we love 'em. JMO.

[KS&JW]

maybe.

 

But for some of us, those "tired" old ships do not need to keep up with the competition at all because they're the alternative to the competition. We're not hip and not in love with glitzy floating horizontal high-rises in which every bit of decor is either beige or grey, and where there's precious little padding to be found on the oh-so-modern furniture. No thanks.

 

Give the r-ships a fluff-and-buff occasionally and -- poof! -- not tired anymore; just cozy and comfortable the way we love 'em. Jmo.

 

+1

 

.

[Classiccruiser777]

Give the R-ships a fluff-and-buff occasionally and -- poof! -- not tired anymore; just cozy and comfortable the way we love 'em. JMO.

+1

 

.

Ditto and well said.

[StanandJim]

+3

Market Surveys indicate that those who prefer new ships specifically because they are new will jump over to "try" whatever ship is newest, regardless of the line.

However, consistency and quality lures them back when those nouveau bells and whistles lose their novelty.

Building incessantly, so that there is perpetually a new ship in the pipeline would be corporate suicide.

[RJB]

Maybe.

 

But for some of us, those "tired" old ships do not need to keep up with the competition at all because they're the alternative to the competition. We're not hip and not in love with glitzy floating horizontal high-rises in which every bit of decor is either beige or grey, and where there's precious little padding to be found on the oh-so-modern furniture. No thanks.

 

Give the R-ships a fluff-and-buff occasionally and -- poof! -- not tired anymore; just cozy and comfortable the way we love 'em. JMO.

Just my opinion...:):):)

[roothy123]

I love modern furnishing and decorations, so I would love Oceania to go that way. However, mostly what I love about Oceania doesn't have to do with what the ship looks like, so in the end, a makeover isn't all that important to me. As for people taking the newest ship that comes out, I believe a big part of that is due to wanting to check out and use the new amenities (climbing wall? bumper cars?) and that a new look isn't quite as important. Food? Well, I do think that variety is important, and that some updating is good. You can't please everyone on food all the time, but at least if you offer enough variety, there will be choices for all. In the end, though, as long as Oceania continues to offer great itineraries (including going to some new, lesser-visited ports), provides great service and food, and charges the right price (especially for inside cabins) I'll continue to support them -- as long as I don't walk around the ship saying,"Ugh, look at that stain" or "Ugh, look at all that rust."

[ORV]

There have been quite a few changes going on with the Oceania product in the last couple of years. Those of you that cruise frequently have seen them. Just a couple that have been added in the last 6 months or so is the Wine bar service in La Reserve and new drink menus from Waves bar(which I haven't seen anyone talk about). They actually have some lower priced drinks than they did before.

 

Some changes are positive, some maybe not so depending on your point of view, but at least they're doing something.

[Classiccruiser777]

The NEXT video:

[LB_NJ]

I keep getting emails about August 13. Is this what the thread is about?

 

I hope it is not about adding glitz. I do not go on a cruise for glitz. I'll go to Las Vegas or an amusement park for that.

 

I booked an Oceania cruise because the ships were smaller, supposedly calmer, and the food better than most of the mass market ships.

[Hawaiidan]

Maybe.

 

But for some of us, those "tired" old ships do not need to keep up with the competition at all because they're the alternative to the competition. We're not hip and not in love with glitzy floating horizontal high-rises in which every bit of decor is either beige or grey, and where there's precious little padding to be found on the oh-so-modern furniture. No thanks.

 

Give the R-ships a fluff-and-buff occasionally and -- poof! -- not tired anymore; just cozy and comfortable the way we love 'em. JMO.

 

As things get bigger smaller becomes sought after Total agree Alvin Toffler wrote 50 years ago in "Future Shock" that people will seek out the things of the past as a refuge as the present advances at a fast clip.......

[Aloha 1]

I think we have discussed this before.

How many times a year do you cruise on Oceania? If it is only once or twice it would equal to eating once or twice a year in the same restaurant in your home town - not that unusual.Perhaps you don’t even cruise every year?

On your 20 day cruise you’ll probably have 2 reservations in each specialty. Can you not choose/like a different item on the menu from each restaurant on the second visit? Or is it that you just like a single item on each menu and thus it would be repetitive? We cruise regularly on Oceania and I still look forward to having my favorites in each specialty.

At home I have a few favorite restaurants that we rotate and I have some favorites from each restaurant that we rotate as well. These restaurants don’t change their menus all the time and sometimes when they do they might remove my favorite dish.

First world problems.

PS Speaking of no changes in the menus, Jacques removed my favorite appetizer - seared foie gras. The change wasn’t so great for me - I wish they hadn’t changed :)

Changes can go both ways - some for the better and some for the worse (like Tuscan Steak, IMO)

 

Spot on, Paul. I also miss the Moules at Jacques, my favorite starter.

[wripro]

Wonder why Jacques removed the seared foie gras and not the mixed green salad!!!!!!

[Paulchili]

Spot on, Paul. I also miss the Moules at Jacques, my favorite starter.

 

Ditto - that was my second favorite starter.

Another example of a negative menu change (for me).

[Hawaiidan]

Paul;

 

On a twenty day cruise on an R ship, one gets three reservations in each of the two Specialties. Same as the 21 day cruise I did last Summer. The number of guaranteed reservations decline on the O ships with their four restaurants.

 

All my favorite local restaurants regularly change menus to maximize locally produced fresh produce.

 

There are items on the menu that I love, the prime rib for example in PG. However, there is only so much prime rib, or beef in general, that’ll I’ll eat over a short period (20 days) in time. I’m not like Hawaiidan that’ll eat lobster everyday on a 20 day cruise, so I understand how opinions might differ on the issue. To me, the change means truly more distinct options .

 

Well..........................................

 

Actually I dont eat lobster every day, and the filet/lobster sanwitch is a one time thing... I much perfer the Waves burger, no cheese, done rare/ med rare onion and aioli. or a brown sauce like A1. With the exception of Jacques , I skip Toscana's ( chef boyardee at sea) Red ginger after several times. Polo I go for the Dover Sole if at all. You can have my reservations as I favor playing eclectic combinations in the Terrace and Grand dining room. Last cruise on a R ship did not use any specialties.

 

Shore side restaurants have an advantage they have small staffs maybe 15 people not 100, easy access to all sorts of local suppliers. L' Astrance in Paris changes their menu daily and dosen't even have a menu but serves only 25 people a night with 8 kitchen staff.

The large galley on O, which is moving all over the globe doesn't let the ship connect with local sources except in rare times. Stores need to be figures out weeks in advance and organized in order of use. Limited space and if you found something local in a port, getting it on board, training the kitchen/ waiters. Plus, on a ship, when you add something new you have to get rid of something you already had due to limited storage space. Food stuff is loaded in a specific order of when it will be used on the cruise.

[Pet Nit Noy]

Wonder why Jacques removed the seared foie gras and not the mixed green salad!!!!!!

 

If that was a serious question, here are some serious answers.

 

Lack of popularity...

... for health reasons. FG is an item that contains 12.4 grams of fat (4.1 of which are saturated fat) in a 1 ounce serving.

... Oceania demographics suggests that average cruiser may more interested in a good night's sleep and less interested in dealing with the consequences of eating such a high fat food .

... because people know FG is organ meat, in spite of the high brow use of French rather than the words English "fat liver".

 

Extra skill demands on the kitchen to execute a properly seared slice. Since there's so much fat, a slice left on the heat too long literally melts into nothingness. And the line between long enough and too long is pretty thin.

 

Humane treatment of animal issues in the creation of foie gras.

 

I suspect all these factors -- and others I may not have listed -- combined to produce lots of unordered, wasted product at the end of each cruise.

Edited August 8, 2018 by Pet Nit Noy

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

If that was a serious question, here are some serious answers.

 

Lack of popularity...

... for health reasons. FG is an item that contains 12.4 grams of fat (4.1 of which are saturated fat) in a 1 ounce serving.

... Oceania demographics suggests that average cruiser may more interested in a good night's sleep and less interested in dealing with the consequences of eating such a high fat food .

... because people know FG is organ meat, in spite of the high brow use of French rather than the words English "fat liver".

 

Extra skill demands on the kitchen to execute a properly seared slice. Since there's so much fat, a slice left on the heat too long literally melts into nothingness. And the line between long enough and too long is pretty thin.

 

Humane treatment of animal issues in the creation of foie gras.

 

I suspect all these factors -- and others I may not have listed -- combined to produce lots of unordered, wasted product at the end of each cruise.

 

Then why do both Jacques and the GDR both still serve Foie Gras of the unseared variety?? :confused::confused::confused:

[Pet Nit Noy]

Then why do both Jacques and the GDR both still serve Foie Gras of the unseared variety?? :confused::confused::confused:

 

At least the unseared version eliminates the cooking issues!

[hillsprint]

What do folk think of the idea of replacing the casino with another lounge/bar area as Azamara have done on the Pursuit?

[Travelcat2]

If you simply look at the older Oceania ships compared to the Riviera or Marina, you can see the major differences. Some of us will only sail on (and recommend) the newer ships. This isn't because they are newer but because they are laid out better - have larger suites (especially the bathrooms), etc. Unless they tear out the interior of the ship which is highly unlikely, the stateroom sizes will be the same and that in and of itself makes it not interesting to us.

 

Also, new ships do not mean turning Oceania into a mainstream cruise line like NCL. Regent's newest ship and the one under construction has improvements that make it even better than the Riviera (and we thought that the Riviera was the most beautiful ship that we have sailed and still like Riviera top suites more). If NCL is redoing their older ships for 25M each - it will probably not be that dramatic -- just new colors - furniture, etc.

[PaulMCO]

What do folk think of the idea of replacing the casino with another lounge/bar area as Azamara have done on the Pursuit?

Great idea -- but won't happen. The Casino makes money.

 

Read the investor day slides regarding Oceania.

1) Cost control - cost control cost control

 

2) No new builds for O -- just re imagine the old. The are committed thru 2026 for new builds with NCL plus 1 for Regent.

 

Does not bother me. I prefer the R ships. I am sure the lobby, lounges and public areas will be stripped down to the bare bones and new furnishings will be lighter. The video just hints and the stateroom changes with a lighter new look. As Travelcat pointed out that $25 will not buy new staterooms but just refurnishing the old. Needs it YES.

 

 

Lipstick on a pig?? You be the judge on 13 August..

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

What do folk think of the idea of replacing the casino with another lounge/bar area as Azamara have done on the Pursuit?

 

(y)(y)(y)(y)

[Classiccruiser777]

(y)(y)(y)(y)

I wouldn’t miss the casino but it doesn’t bother me. What would bother me is that without the casino revenue would need to be made up elsewhere.

[Paulchili]

I wouldn’t miss the casino but it doesn’t bother me. What would bother me is that without the casino revenue would need to be made up elsewhere.

 

I think if they put in a bar in place of the casino they wouldn’t have to worry about losing any money :D

I believe the bars are more popular than the casino. Also, the bar never loses money - the casino potentially can.

[Classiccruiser777]

I think if they put in a bar in place of the casino they wouldn’t have to worry about losing any money :D

I believe the bars are more popular than the casino. Also, the bar never loses money - the casino potentially can.

On the R ships a bar abuts the casino.