New to Oceania

[Jim and Monika]

My wife and I are very excited to be sailing to Bermuda this summer on Oceania. We have sold mostly Princess and some Carnival and NCL, we are certain this will be a different experience. We are very excited to go to Bermuda for the first time as our cruise last year was diverted due to the hurricane. We were told it had been sold out, and today I got a call saying a cabin had opened up. Please share what we can expect and any tips we may be unaware of that will help enhance our experience even more.

Jim

[nw gardener]

Following -  as myself and DH will do our first Oceania cruise next February (Cuba), have enjoyed HAL, Celebrity, NCL, and MSC in the past and  looking for tips!.

[Ken the cruiser]

It would help to let folks know what ship you're sailing on, how long the cruise is and what type of cabin you've booked.

Edited March 14, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[LHT28]

Also what type of information you are looking for ?

You could scroll down the page  & see if any of your questions may have been answered already

 

also check the FAQ  page on the O website

https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/

 

Enjoy

[Mura]

That's exactly why I didn't answer earlier -- it's hard to give information without knowing what you are looking for.

 

The suggestion about telling us what cruise you're on, what ship you're on, duration of the cruise, your accommodations ... all those would be helpful for us to help you.

 

Also using the search function might get you SOME answers.  We don't even know your itinerary ... other than Bermuda!

 

Good luck, we're here to help but parameters are helpful.

 

Mura

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP:

Welcome aboard. 

Search the CC general OCEANIA forum and Roll Call for your trip for topics in which you are interested.

Expect a world of difference from your previous cruise lines - particularly in terms of the quality of food, cabin amenities and overall service.

One caveat: PLEASE do not attempt to self serve in the Terrace Café!!!

[mdpa]

We'll be on our first Oceania Cruise to Bermuda on the August 18th sailing. Family of three (14 year old daughter) and we we be taking my parents along to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

 

We've been on Silversea (Baltic, Med) twice and Celebrity once (Southern Carib) and hoping to find the perfect value with Oceania on our first trip to Bermuda. My mom really wanted to see Bermuda and this ship is about the only one that stays in Bermuda for 5 days. Looking forward to it! Right now, we are booked in C1 Ocean View. 

[jwindham]

Looks like the mdpa is on the Insignia roundtrip for a week from NY. You will enjoy the food a lot. I have not done Silversea but was a convert from Celebrity after moving up from NCL and RCCL. I also like the smaller ships and the people that I meet on Oceania. Enjoy your cruise. Julia

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, mdpa said:

. My mom really wanted to see Bermuda and this ship is about the only one that stays in Bermuda for 5 days. Looking forward to it! Right now, we are booked in C1 Ocean View. 

well not really 5 days 

one day you move from St Georges  to Hamilton  

you will have  3  days to enjoy Bermuda

I like  the location of the C 1  on deck 4

Enjoy  the cruise

[mdpa]

9 hours ago, LHT28 said:

well not really 5 days 

one day you move from St Georges  to Hamilton  

you will have  3  days to enjoy Bermuda

I like  the location of the C 1  on deck 4

Enjoy  the cruise

 

OK, good point. The Celebrity Cruise out of NJ only goes to King's Wharf for 3 days where Oceania stops at St George and Hamilton. I've got to admit the Oceania timeline makes it look like 5 days when it is only 4 days with a delineation for the 2-hour boat ride between the ports. 

[LHT28]

Just now, mdpa said:

 

OK, good point. The Celebrity Cruise out of NJ only goes to King's Wharf for 3 days where Oceania stops at St George and Hamilton. I've got to admit the Oceania timeline makes it look like 5 days when it is only 4 days with a delineation for the 2-hour boat ride between the ports. 

but  so much nicer  to dock in Hamilton or St Georges 😉

You can take the ferry from Hamilton to King's Wharf  ..some interesting shops there

enjoy

[Jim and Monika]

We are sailing on 8-11  on Insignia and settled for an inside which is all that was available. We mostly sail with a balcony, but never really spend much time in our room. Our fear is that with all the port time here, we could have a balcony facing "nothing". We have done the FAQ's, but we are looking for seasoned experiences. We will be in Bermuda for 5 days at 2 different ports, so looking for experiences there as well.

for the "experienced" Oceania cruisers, we will not self serve, and we will be getting the premium beverage package so we won't be taking glasses of wine to dinner. 😉

[LHT28]

Can you be  a bit more specific on what you want  seasoned cruisers to tell you??

if you suffer from the motion of the ocean  takes some  meds with you

 

in Bermuda  we  did an Island  tour  with  a local guide

we took the ferry  to Kings Wharf  for some shopping

In St Georges   try Wahoo's  for  lunch/dinner  try the Wahoo bites YUM

 

PS I would check the  days/times you are in port   probably not 5 days  as  noted above

 

[mdpa]

Thanks for the advice. I've been reading a book on Bermuda and will most likely buy the 4-day ferry/boat pass. Plan to do plenty of walking and swimming to offset all the food. 😉 I'll keep an eye out for Wahoo's.

[StanandJim]

10 hours ago, Jim and Monika said:

Our fear is that with all the port time here, we could have a balcony facing "nothing".

Which would you consider the "nothing" view, facing Bermuda or facing the Ocean?

[chuckcarole]

13 hours ago, LHT28 said:

but  so much nicer  to dock in Hamilton or St Georges 😉

You can take the ferry from Hamilton to King's Wharf  ..some interesting shops there

enjoy

We did a private tour ( taxi like) in St.George, We did enjoy it but found it Fast! 2 hrs and we'd seen everything. No place to go enless you want to go into the several very high end resorts.  We did'nt get to see Hamilton.

[LHT28]

Just now, chuckcarole said:

We did a private tour ( taxi like) in St.George, We did enjoy it but found it Fast! 2 hrs and we'd seen everything. No place to go enless you want to go into the several very high end resorts.  We did'nt get to see Hamilton.

I think our tour was 4-5 hrs  went to the Lighthouse , beach, St Georges  with free time  

plus s ome stops  for "kodak moments "  guess  it depends on the guide

we only docked in Hamilton

The driver  took us  to the guest  house  where we  went on honeymoon 

I was surprised he found it   after the brief description we gave him LOL

 

[ORV]

I've been there 3 or 4 times. Definitely getting a ferry pass is the way to go. It doesn't take long to see what there is to see in the town of Hamilton or St George, so you should consider doing some things out of those areas. 

 

Once we took the bus from Hamilton to a nice beach, I can't remember the name of it. Off the road toward the Kings Wharf. 

 

I would also book some excursions with local companies pre cruise or while you're there. Big savings and many times you're on the same tour as the Oceania customers. 

[Classiccruiser777]

Oceania tips:

 

• Additional specialty restaurant reservations may be made by requesting them with the Maitre d at the the Terrace Cafe. If space is available you’ll get more than your allotment. You won’t have a bad meal anywhere on board.
• All non-alcoholic beverages are included in your fare. Let your cabin steward know what beverages you’d like stocked in your fridge. Pelligrino and other waters are available during meals upon request. This includes “virgin” cocktails, milkshakes and smoothies.
• In the Grand Dining Room a variety of vegetables are always available. My favorites are sautéed spinach, grilled asparagus and green beans.
• Horizons, the lounge on deck 10 forward (R class ships of which Insignia is one), has coffee, tea, hot chocolate and pastries available 24/7.
• There are some benefits for booking on board so if you like the cruise you may want to talk with the future cruise ambassador. Pay attention to the fine print.
• Be open to eating in the Terrace Cafe (the buffet). Passengers are served, most foods are made fresh, breakfast has massive amounts of fresh berries, dinner unlimited lobster tails grilled to order. Sushi is also frequently available at dinner in the buffet.
• Waves Grill, the snack bar near the pool, has lobster and filet mignon sandwiches and other delectable available everyday.
• Let your waiters and the maitre d know of any dietary restrictions. O will bend over backwards to accommodate your needs.
• if there are any issues not to your satisfaction let them know (your waiters, cabin stewards or front desk staff). They will take action.

 

Bermuda:

 

• There is plenty of shopping available in both St. George and Hamilton.
• Bus/ferry pass is available for purchase at any post office. There are post offices within a short walk from where the ship docks in both St. George and Hamilton.
• If you like the beach I suggest visiting Horseshoe Bay.
• In Hamilton there are several interesting pubs, the Hog Penny being one.
• No need to exchange money, US dollar accepted everywhere at par. Bermuda currency is very pretty and is a cheap souvenir.
• Have a rum swizzle for me (or a dark and stormy).

 

Bermuda and Oceania are both wonderful!

Edited March 15, 2019 by Classiccruiser777

[mdpa]

Great detailed suggestions....really appreciate the guidance! Looking forward to both the cruise and the time in Bermuda.

[Classiccruiser777]

Oh, tea at 4 in Horizons is wicked good. It’s a must at least once a cruise.

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

• Horizons, the lounge on deck 10 forward (R class ships of which Insignia is one), has coffee, tea, hot chocolate and pastries available 24/7.

 

that must be new

have not seen pastries  there after 11 am  except for tea time

[mdpa]

Keep the ideas coming...looking forward to tea time! We enjoyed tea time on Silversea and missed it on Celebrity and pretty sure it will be a new experience for my parents. They've only been on one cruise with Carnival.

[Paulchili]

12 minutes ago, mdpa said:

looking forward to tea time!

I think it’s the best tea at sea - and that includes all “luxury” lines as well IME & IMO.

[CintiPam]

19 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

I think it’s the best tea at sea - and that includes all “luxury” lines as well IME & IMO.

Paul, does that mean no one serves “fresh brewed from tea leaves” tea?  (I only have sailed on  Oceania and Azamara.). I certainly love the scones with clotted cream but would love infusers rather than bags.