Oceania vs Azamara

[Salf777]

Hi All

We recently returned from an Italy Intensive Voyage on the Azamara Pursuit. It was our first Azamara cruise and we loved it. In our opinion the whole experience was fantastic. We loved the white party, Amazing evening, and we were at the Best of the Best dinner which was just fantastic.

We want to do an Africa sailing in 2021 and we were pretty set on booking Azamara. Our travel agent loves Oceania and Oceania has basically the same itinerary as the Azamara sailing. We have never sailed Oceania.

So my question to the more experienced cruisers which do you like better? Why? Pros and cons of each?

 

We are doing a sailing on Oceania in December in the Caribbean just to try it out as we live right in Ft Lauderdale. Some have said you can't judge Oceania by a Caribbean sailing as it the full experience but we figured we could get a feel for a bigger ship (we are sailing on the Rivera) and Oceania

 

Any input appreciated

[Mura]

You might do better by doing a search here for your topic -- there are several threads (at least) with the same title.  I haven't gone on Azamara myself so I won't say anything since if I did it would not be valid.

 

From my readings of comments, though, it appears that Azamara fans really like the friendly relations with the officers.  You don't see that so much on Oceania, although it's not something I would seek out so for ME is not important.

 

Food seems to be better on O on average.  There are those who prefer the "free" drinks on Azamara whereas you pay on Oceania, whether you have a drink package or just buy by the glass.

 

And there are those who seem to like both lines equally.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy your cruise.  The Caribbean cruise on Riviera certainly should give you a taste of what Oceania is like.  As far as we are concerned, we have always found the crew -- from officers down to the lowliest crew -- are as friendly as WE want!

 

I'm sure others with experience on both lines will chime in.

 

Mura

 

[sabrefan]

I have been on Oceania 4 times, on Riviera twice. I was on Azamara Quest on a Panama Canal transit two years ago. Riviera is a newer and bigger ship that the Pursuit. As a result the ship has more to offer. I think the food overall is slightly better on Oceania. I feel Azamara’s crew was more customer focused. Drinks are complimentary on Azamara where they are not on Oceania. The verandah cabin bathrooms on Azamara are very small and not well laid out. Azamara crew is more visible and they do some unique things like White night and barbecues on deck. If you really wanted to compare the Pursuit to Oceania you should go on Regatta, Nautica or Insignia. However, you will really enjoy Riviera, kind of comparing apples with oranges.

[LHT28]

I agree

If comparing cabins & things to do onboard   then book one of Oceania's R Ships

 

That said   Oceania  does not have the  White Night parties or  the events ashore 

If you get the prestige Drink package on O  then it will be like included drinks on Azamara

 

if you get a good price  for Oceania  go ahead  & give them a try  & decide for yourself  ...they are NOT Azamara  though

[Redtravel]

Wrote response on Azamara. 

[LHT28]

5 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Wrote response on Azamara. 

I will comment here

O LIFE  is separate from the included air

You can the air without O LIFE if you choose

You can O LIFE  without the air if you choose

you can  CRUISE only prices with NO air  & No O life

You can take the included air & the O life

choices choices 😎

[cruiseaholic78]

We are quite happy with either cruise line however the itinerary is always very important.

That said you really can’t compare tha Riviera to the R ships but as both lines use the smaller ships for South Africa this does not really matter.

As you are comparing the two I would like to mention the following: Azamara starts in Cape Town and ends there for three days which means of the 13 cruise days 4 are in Cape Town. It would make more sense in this case to book a few days pre cruise there, the Oceania cruise is longer giving 15 days total which is always good in my books. Pricewise they look similar but you have to take the possible “O”life into consideration and Azamara includes drinks and tips.

Finally and most important, if you have the days and the cash why not choose the amazing trip on Oceania Nautica from Cape Town to Singapore 31 days visiting not only South Africa but also Maldives Mauritius and many many more.

 Needless to say this is the one we chose!

Happy planning

Rosalyn

[Redtravel]

8 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I will comment here

O LIFE  is separate from the included air

You can the air without O LIFE if you choose

You can O LIFE  without the air if you choose

you can  CRUISE only prices with NO air  & No O life

You can take the included air & the O life

choices choices 😎

I get O prices with O life including air if the total price is less than the 3 components...cruise, excursions( beverages, OBC) , and air.  I often book my own air.  My next O cruise is on Sirena. Booked cruise only and got my own air.  Each time that I book, I do the math.  I prefer cruise only and take private excursions. Sometimes it makes more sense to just book everything from O.  O excursions are convenient. They are extremely high priced. You can often find less expensive tours.  I use the roll call to hook up with other guests who would prefer to book privately. Sharing the cost of an excursion can save you money. In some ports, I book private excursions for the two of us.  That way, we control where we go and how much time we stay at each venue. Everyone is different. Access your own needs and book whatever makes the best sense for you.

[jo-b]

For us Azamara was a similar experience in most ways to O other than

 

Speciality restaurants, price included in the fare on O, quality and service much higher on O ( our view only) 

 

Drinks price higher on O but I hated the “poor relation” status of having to ask for drinks made with included spirits on Azamara as we didn’t take up the premium drink package 

 

If you take into account what’s included or not on both lines for the cruises we were looking at Az was way dearer per night. 

 

Having said which we got we got a great deal on Christmas cruise on Az this year so happy to go on either, just won’t bother with specialities. 

[Salf777]

WOW!
Thank you all for the input!

A lot to consider here.

I would love to do the 31 day cruise but unfortunately I cant get away that long.

The 4 days in Cape Town on the Azamara cruise is bothering me a bit as we have been there before. 

What I like about Azamara is that you can take a land tour and stay in a safari camp while the ship is at sea for a day or then fly to meet the ship at the next stop so all you miss is a sea day. I dont know if Oceania does that.

Someone hit the nail on the head about the Azamara staff. Thats what we really liked. We enjoy talking with the staff and learning about their life at sea. Plus they have great insight as to places to go and things to do in ports

[LHT28]

Oceania offers land tours  or you can ask permission to leave the ship in one port & rejoin it in another

As long as it is not  in the USA 😉

 

You can check their offerings for this year  as an example

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Africa-cruises/cape-town-to-cape-town-NAU200120/hotels/pre/1/?sr=%2fcruise-finder%2f%23destinations%3dafrica

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I have done Azamara Journey and Oceania Riviera.  Much preferred the former.  I liked the friendly ambience on Az; the staff were great.  I liked the included alcohol and had no problem with the included brands.  I hated having to flash my card for drinks on Riviera (we had the prestige package.)  Did not like the overall ambience of Riviera; I think I might prefer the R ships, we'll never know because we won't be sailing O any time soon.

[Nymich]

14 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I will comment here

O LIFE  is separate from the included air

You can the air without O LIFE if you choose

You can O LIFE  without the air if you choose

you can  CRUISE only prices with NO air  & No O life

You can take the included air & the O life

choices choices 😎

O  k    🙂   BTW you are one of the friendliest and most informative on this board! 

[the mice]

I posted my comparision  of our Azamara Journey and Oceania Nautica cruises over on the Azamara board, since you posted on both.    

We like both cruise lines.   I will say that our more recent Azamara Journey was not as good as our first, and was lacking in some of the areas that people rave about.   But service was excellent.   Our Nautica cruise was terrific all the way around.   

We would sail both again.

 

 

[Salf777]

3 minutes ago, the mice said:

I posted my comparision  of our Azamara Journey and Oceania Nautica cruises over on the Azamara board, since you posted on both.    

We like both cruise lines.   I will say that our more recent Azamara Journey was not as good as our first, and was lacking in some of the areas that people rave about.   But service was excellent.   Our Nautica cruise was terrific all the way around.   

We would sail both again.

 

 

Thank you I read all your informative posts.

Always amazed at how helpful everyone is here

[Cruise Junky]

I was reading this thread on the Azamara Board. There seems to be a lot of comments that Oceania constantly misses ports?  I remember the Circumnavigation of Australia missing a few ,has that become a lot more common?

[LHT28]

1 minute ago, Cruise Junky said:

I was reading this thread on the Azamara Board. There seems to be a lot of comments that Oceania constantly misses ports?  I remember the Circumnavigation of Australia missing a few ,has that become a lot more common?

I believe there was a weather issue  

but some people do not understand safety over visiting  the scheduled ports

JMO

[Redtravel]

I  have missed ports on many cruises, not just O.There is usually a good reason. Disappointed? Yes.  The worst happened on Windstar in May.  We sat out a bomb cyclone in Oporto for 3 days. When we sailed, it was very rough.  Many people got sick including crew. It was hard to stand up.  We skipped 2 ports and got into Amsterdam late where we disembarked.  Cruise lines want to keep the schedule. However, things happen. Accept that and try not to bet too upset if you miss a port.

[LHT28]

9 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

I  have missed ports on many cruises, not just O.There is usually a good reason. Disappointed? Yes.  The worst happened on Windstar in May.  We sat out a bomb cyclone in Oporto for 3 days. When we sailed, it was very rough.  Many people got sick including crew. It was hard to stand up.  We skipped 2 ports and got into Amsterdam late where we disembarked.  Cruise lines want to keep the schedule. However, things happen. Accept that and try not to bet too upset if you miss a port.

There  was some nasty weather this spring

the TA from NYC to the UK was pretty rough & stuck in Cobh for 2 days  instead of 1  but we were safe at the dock

 

[Glenndale]

I've sailed on both lines and prefer Oceania, just my particular preference.

Prices are better on Oceania  and so is the food, IMHO.

Staff are friendly on both lines but really not an important factor in my choosing a cruise line.

My favourites are Riviera and Marina, not too big or too small.

The only way you can decide is try them for yourself.

[Gibzy]

We have been on every ship of Oceania   and generally prefer it    Quality of food is probably the major reason   Having said that, I’m beginning to think that the extra price you pay for the penthouse suites on O are not worth it. You really get nothing more than the  regular rooms except 100 ft.² more. Not worth daily $100-$200pp extra  Save your money and buy some of the amenities like two Internet accounts in the room   You don’t get it thrown in for the  PHs anyways  The dealbreaker for us is the itinerary and we would go on either 

Edited August 28, 2019 by Gibzy

[wripro]

22 minutes ago, Gibzy said:

We have been on every ship of Oceania   and generally prefer it    Quality of food is probably the major reason   Having said that, I’m beginning to think that the extra price you pay for the penthouse suites on O are not worth it. You really get nothing more than the  regular rooms except 100 ft.² more. Not worth daily $100-$200pp extra  Save your money and buy some of the amenities like two Internet accounts in the room   You don’t get it thrown in for the  PHs anyways  The dealbreaker for us is the itinerary and we would go on either 

It's worth it if you're feeling like the walls are closing in on you in a regular cabin. They are far too small for me.

[ORV]

24 minutes ago, Gibzy said:

We have been on every ship of Oceania   and generally prefer it    Quality of food is probably the major reason   Having said that, I’m beginning to think that the extra price you pay for the penthouse suites on O are not worth it. You really get nothing more than the  regular rooms except 100 ft.² more. Not worth daily $100-$200pp extra  Save your money and buy some of the amenities like two Internet accounts in the room   You don’t get it thrown in for the  PHs anyways  The dealbreaker for us is the itinerary and we would go on either 

Well just for starters you get a butler and the ability to order from any of the Specialties each evening. There's also the hot breakfast thing. 

 

If you had said Concierge room I would probably agree with you. 

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Well just for starters you get a butler and the ability to order from any of the Specialties each evening. There's also the hot breakfast thing. 

..and a walk-in closet on O ships and a manageable bathroom and shower on R ships, a room where you can actually enjoy ensuite dining and so on.

That said - it’s an entirely personal choice. Many are perfectly happy in an inside rooms and others would not sail if they can’t get an OS or VS

[LuAnn]

I have been lucky enough to sail on AZ and O...a number of times... and I like them both...they are "similar but different"...and they "ARE different" in my eyes". TBH...I"m just thrilled that I can go on either one...aren't we blessed?  I think that everyone should maybe try EACH one...and then decide for themselves...no one can decide for you...IMO...what you will like...but any day at sea is a day I will never forget!