Viking Ocean vs Oceania

[Beachvue]

Considering our first cruise on Oceania.   Love Viking and have another cruise booked with them Oct 2020.  Thinking of a cruise on Oceania in Feb. 2020 to South America.    If anyone has cruised on both would like to hear  your pros and cons.   

[orchestrapal]

48 minutes ago, Beachvue said:

Considering our first cruise on Oceania.   Love Viking and have another cruise booked with them Oct 2020.  Thinking of a cruise on Oceania in Feb. 2020 to South America.    If anyone has cruised on both would like to hear  your pros and cons.   

 

Been on both. You did not state which ship you are considering. I think you will find the two larger O ships equal in almost every way to Viking Ocean. Oceania has really wonderful specialty restaurants on these ships and the dinning room is only slightly better than on VO.

If you are considering one of the smaller R ships you will find the cabins and bathrooms in the regular cabins not nearly as nice as those on VO which we have only seen but never stayed in. If you are considering a PH or above on O I think the experience is a step above with very minor exceptions. 

[Beachvue]

Thank you.   We are considering the Insignia, a penthouse suite.   We have been spoiled by the Explorer suites on Viking.  However the Oceania suites look loverly since their renovation in 2014.  

[Guindalf]

Insignia was refurbed in December. We got off her yesterday.

 

Just a poor veranda here, but apart from a very small bathroom, it was very nice.

[ORV]

34 minutes ago, Beachvue said:

Thank you.   We are considering the Insignia, a penthouse suite.   We have been spoiled by the Explorer suites on Viking.  However the Oceania suites look loverly since their renovation in 2014.  

Bear in mind that the Oceania Suites are only on Marina & Riviera, and yes they are great. 

[orchestrapal]

2 hours ago, Beachvue said:

Thank you.   We are considering the Insignia, a penthouse suite.   We have been spoiled by the Explorer suites on Viking.  However the Oceania suites look loverly since their renovation in 2014.  

 

We also had an Explorer Suite and it compares very well to the Oceania suite on the O ships but is twice as large as a PH on Insignia. 

Edited July 19, 2019 by orchestrapal

[sabrefan]

I have been on Oceania 4 times, twice on Riviera, once on Marina and once on Regatta. I have been on the Viking Sun once and have a upcoming cruise on the Viking Sky next May. I would say overall the food is better on Oceania. Entertainment is not great on either but slightly better on Oceania. The common areas on Viking are very nicely laid out and comfortable. I really didn’t care for the Oceania Regatta much prefer Marina and Riviera. The bottom line is both cruise lines are good and very competitive with each other. Given that I would say that itinerary and cost should be main factors in determining which to travel on. I will say that I am glad I have traveled on both. I also have an upcoming Mediterranean cruise on the Marina in October.

[tvmovielover]

You are better off comparing Viking ships to the Marina and Riviera than to the Oceania R ships like Insignia.  Oceania has better food (though V is not bad), more specialty restaurant choices,  and more established itineraries.  We found the entertainment slightly better on Viking because they have many interesting lectures-O has some but they are not as good most of the time.  Viking is a slightly better shipboard experience because all cabins have balconies and decent sized bathrooms (R ship cabins have very small bathrooms at many levels-they are older ships).  Our next O cruise is on an R ship because of the itinerary and also we liked the more intimate atmosphere on the smaller ship but many of the actual cabins (we never had suite on either line) are not as nice as on Viking's lowest category.

[Beachvue]

Thanks to all for your comments.    Both Viking and Oceania have similar itineraries for the South American cruise we are looking at.  Rooms are a bit smaller on Oceania (PH2 vs PV1) but  leaning towards their cruise just to try something different.  

[LHT28]

45 minutes ago, Beachvue said:

Thanks to all for your comments.    Both Viking and Oceania have similar itineraries for the South American cruise we are looking at.  Rooms are a bit smaller on Oceania (PH2 vs PV1) but  leaning towards their cruise just to try something different.  

it  itineraries are same  & prices are similar  compare  what you get  on each line  that is of value to you   that may help narrow your choice

JMO

 

Enjoy whatever you choose

[Riksu4452]

We’ve sailed Viking Ocean and loved it. 

We are sailing our first Oceania in September. Wondering if there is a dress code for evening dining in the dining rooms and/or cafe?  Cannot find any mention in Oceania literature. 

Thanks,

Rick

[Beachvue]

Saw this on line.  Believe it is a similar dress code to Viking Ocean.  

 

Oceania Dress Code

In all evening dining venues, we request that guests adhere to the appropriate country club casual dress code. Shorts, jeans, T-shirts, athletic footwear and sandals are not permitted in the Grand Dining Room or specialty restaurants.May 10, 2012

 

 

[orchestrapal]

2 minutes ago, Beachvue said:

Saw this on line.  Believe it is a similar dress code to Viking Ocean.  

 

Oceania Dress Code

In all evening dining venues, we request that guests adhere to the appropriate country club casual dress code. Shorts, jeans, T-shirts, athletic footwear and sandals are not permitted in the Grand Dining Room or specialty restaurants.May 10, 2012

 

 

 

In general I found Oceania somewhat better dressed than Viking,

less sequins and more smart casual. 

[TrulyBlonde]

22 minutes ago, orchestrapal said:

 

In general I found Oceania somewhat better dressed than Viking,

less sequins and more smart casual. 

I did not see sequins on VO, but plenty of jeans, sneakers, baseball hats etc. in the dining room. They do not enforce the dress code. I even mentioned it to the maitre'd and nothing was done.

O passengers seem to follow the rules, thankfully.

[LHT28]

most cruise lines  have a FAQ  on their website

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

https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005474533-Is-there-a-dress-code-

[Riksu4452]

Thank you all for the great responses. 

[clo]

On 7/21/2019 at 6:37 AM, TrulyBlonde said:

O passengers seem to follow the rules, thankfully.

Haven't done our first cruise yet but it seems pretty clear that the demographics of the Oceania pax are generally different from some other lines.

[pinotlover]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Haven't done our first cruise yet but it seems pretty clear that the demographics of the Oceania pax are generally different from some other lines.

 

Been quite a few reports on CC cruise reviews, plus from my last cruise experience, that many O cruisers aren’t following the country club casual guide lines and the maitre d aren’t enforcing them either. I will be back on O in 2 weeks so will get the bird’s eye on this issue then.

[clo]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

 

Been quite a few reports on CC cruise reviews, plus from my last cruise experience, that many O cruisers aren’t following the country club casual guide lines and the maitre d aren’t enforcing them either. I will be back on O in 2 weeks so will get the bird’s eye on this issue then.

That's unfortunate.  And it's too bad when the lines won't enforce the policy.  Perhaps a little note in the cabins upon embarking.  I've been known to make cracks about hats indoors.

[barry3040]

My 2 cents worth-

Service - Found the service on Viking inferior to Oceania;

Food and Entertainment - Both on par with each other;

Excursions - both so, so

Friendliness of crew/staff - found Oceania more friendlier;

cabin storage space - better on Oceania

 

…..just saying

[Kingofcool1947]

On 7/19/2019 at 12:52 PM, Beachvue said:

Considering our first cruise on Oceania.   Love Viking and have another cruise booked with them Oct 2020.  Thinking of a cruise on Oceania in Feb. 2020 to South America.    If anyone has cruised on both would like to hear  your pros and cons.   

Lots  of threads about V or O.  Have you conducted a Cruise Critic  search on the topic?

[Kingofcool1947]

32 minutes ago, clo said:

That's unfortunate.  And it's too bad when the lines won't enforce the policy.  Perhaps a little note in the cabins upon embarking.  I've been known to make cracks about hats indoors.

 

Are you certain no hats are allowed indoors?  So you do not approve of women , and consider its inappropriate for them to wear hats in the MDR? Or in the Specialty restaurants?   Why is that inappropriate?

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[clo]

2 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Are you certain no hats are allowed indoors?  So you do not approve of women who wear hats in the MDR? Or in the Specialty restaurants?   Why is that?  Not proper?

Sorry. I was just trying to make a point about how I've acted rarely.  According to proper etiquette, and being a 72 y.o. woman who grew up in the South, I do know etiquette, a lady may wear a hat indoor,s but a gentleman may not.  Since men get to be naked from the waist up - not in a restaurant - don't talk about what's fair and not fair.

[Kingofcool1947]

18 minutes ago, clo said:

Sorry. I was just trying to make a point about how I've acted rarely.  According to proper etiquette, and being a 72 y.o. woman who grew up in the South, I do know etiquette, a lady may wear a hat indoor,s but a gentleman may not.  Since men get to be naked from the waist up - not in a restaurant - don't talk about what's fair and not fair.

So you were commenting on men wearing ball caps/visors/hats indoors?

Last cruise on Oceania, I did notice men wearing ball caps/visors/hats were told by the host/hostess desk to remove their hats before entering the GDR, and specialty restaurants.  Good that the no ball caps/visors/hats on men policy is strictly enforced.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[clo]

7 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

Good that the no ball caps/visors/hats on men policy is strictly enforced.

Glad to see that.  Now maybe @pinotlover will report back later.