New to Oceania, Tell All Please

[mafig]

2 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

This is the kind of info you'll find already discussed many many times in previous CC threads. 

 

I HAVE used the Search function and also read reviews of Riviera and also read practically every thread on this board going back to September of last year.

 

Maybe I'm slow and some info. hasn't sunk in yet.

 

 

[LHT28]

15 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

I second that.  I've had better meals in Chops than I've had in Polo Grill.  Polo is Oceania's only specialty restaurant that does not meet expectations, IMO.  

IMO  Red Ginger  does not meet my expectations

 

 so everyone has different tastes & expectations  so people should  try  & decide for themselves  what works for them

JMO

[Flatbush Flyer]

28 minutes ago, mafig said:

What about insurance?

Do most of you get private medical insurance or use Oceania's?  

We went on over 30 cruises without purchasing insurance, but as we've gotten older, we think it's better not to push our luck.  Our last couple of cruises, travel insurance was provided by our travel agent.  I don't know how good (or bad) it was, didn't have to use it.

 

Since independent insurance gets more expensive, the older you get, what do most of you do?

In general, cruise line provided insurance falls far short of what is appropriate coverage.

 

As you may know, Medicare is useless for international travel. Thus, choosing the right supplement (mine converts to regular coverage once you step foot out of the country).

Nonetheless, we still get a comprehensive travel policy (medical/trip cancel et al.) because $20-30k cruise costs are not "chump change." And, if you're over 70 y.o., expect to pay 10%+\- of the trip cost for coverage.

 

Because we generally cruise 3-4 long trips per year, we've started opting for comprehensive policies with minimum MedEvac (which lowers the premium) and get annual MedJet Assist coverage.

 

BTW, be careful about credit card provided travel insurance. With all but the most expensive cards there are no PEC waivers for delay/interrupt/cancel.

 

Insurance is very complex when it comes to exclusions, etc. Contact insuremytrip.com.

FWIW, you should READ THE T&Cs before buying.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[LHT28]

38 minutes ago, mafig said:

 

I have read that upgrading to the Prestige package is the way to go.  Trying to figure out how that's better than using the $400 obc to purchase drinks.  DH doesn't drink wine, just cocktails and considering that soft drinks and coffee and juices are free, I'd have to figure that out, especially if my TA gives us even more OBC.

 

 You could  look at some of the bar menus  at The Preismans  blog  then decide  what works for you

https://www.thepreismans.com/marina19_menus.htm

 

We are not big drinkers  or ship's tours  so we pass on the O life  perk

We get  enough OBC  to drink what we want (not much)  & DH will take a bottle of scotch or cognac to drink in the cabin

there is no one size fits all

 

No one know what the NEW Oceania  will look like  in a few months

[LHT28]

19 minutes ago, mafig said:

What about insurance?

Do most of you get private medical insurance or use Oceania's?  

We went on over 30 cruises without purchasing insurance, but as we've gotten older, we think it's better not to push our luck.  Our last couple of cruises, travel insurance was provided by our travel agent.  I don't know how good (or bad) it was, didn't have to use it.

 

Since independent insurance gets more expensive, the older you get, what do most of you do?

 WE book trip cancellation/interuption insurance  from a broker

We have had to use it a few times  & when you are spending  as much as an O cruise costs   it works for us

We have Medical from DH retirement plan

JMO

[clo]

3 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Kind of dispointing your view about Polo Grill, we really enjoy the food at Chops on RCL.

 

We thought the beef was terrific in Polo. Prime, aged 28 days.

[Flatbush Flyer]

13 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

 No one know what the NEW Oceania  will look like  in a few months

You may be surprised.

[Ken the cruiser]

29 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Instead, because we mix ship and private tours, we most often take the O Life excursions option and select the most expensive of the allowable ones (just under $200, which effectively doubles your O Life value). In addition, because you can count the O Life tours against the minimum (number depends on ship itinerary) number of tours required for the YWYW 25% discount on the paid tours, we find the excursions option to be the best for us.

This is the kind of info you'll find already discussed many many times in previous CC threads. 

We totally agree the OLife "Excursion" option is the best value for money. 

 

OTOH (unless things have recently changed) the OLife "OBC" option offers no added value. You will find the difference in fares between the Cruise Only fare and the OLife Cruise fare with the "OBC" option (with no air) is exactly the same as the amount of OLife OBC you will receive. 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Ken the cruiser

[LHT28]

30 minutes ago, mafig said:

 

I HAVE used the Search function and also read reviews of Riviera and also read practically every thread on this board going back to September of last year.

 

Maybe I'm slow and some info. hasn't sunk in yet.

 

 

 You know there is  an Ignore feature on CC

 It works great 👍

[Rosroz]

Hi, my husband and I have been in 2 Oceania cruises and have enjoyed the both albeit one was cut short due to C19. We have cruised approx 35 times , mainly with Celebrity, but other lines as well. We are foodies and like many cruisers food is important to us. Oceania’s food is in general superb, sometimes a bit old fashioned compared to London restaurants , and we do wish that the beef was not mass produced , grain fed  and more concerned about animal welfare as it does make a difference to the quality and taste of the meat , but that’s our view The “buffet” is excellent , there is something for all tastes and if you can’t find something delicious , then you are hard to please .

Having only been in the Riveria am unable to comment on the smaller ships. The only thing we don’t like is that the ship is pretty dead of an evening , the entertainment is quite dire,  however on the European sailing it was a bit more lively,  due to our fellow guests , but the food makes up for that. The cabins are good , the staff are mostly good , not as friendly as Azamara,  it you can’t have everything . If you like excellent food and nice surroundings .

apologise for such a long post. 
But go for it and see , after all a holiday is what you make it

[CintiPam]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

IMO  Red Ginger  does not meet my expectations

 

 so everyone has different tastes & expectations  so people should  try  & decide for themselves  what works for them

JMO

Food tastes indeed vary so much.  Red Ginger is our favorite, partly because of the beautiful atmosphere created by the decor, the gorgeous dinnerware and its excellent service staff, as well as the varied food choices.
 

In terms of reservations, Jacques always is the challenge if you want a table for two only.  Of course, we never have sailed higher than in a B1 cabin so we are in the last group who can make online reservations.

[clo]

11 minutes ago, CintiPam said:

Food tastes indeed vary so much.

Absolutely. We didn't even take our Red Ginger res. Probably because a fair amount of the menu is Thai which we find rather ho-hum. And maybe because living on the West Coast we have so much 'authentic' Asian cuisine we've probably just become picky over the years. Our one O cruise we did get upgraded to concierge and so got a two-top for one dinner at Jacques. And then when we asked got a four-top for a second res. Best escargots I've ever had.

 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, CintiPam said:

Food tastes indeed vary so much.  Red Ginger is our favorite, partly because of the beautiful atmosphere created by the decor, the gorgeous dinnerware and its excellent service staff, as well as the varied food choices.
 

 I would  agree with the decor & dinnerware  were very unique 

Loved the Teas they have  but  that was about it  for us

But  it is a personal choice

[Mura]

9 hours ago, sunlover12 said:

I second that.  I've had better meals in Chops than I've had in Polo Grill.  Polo is Oceania's only specialty restaurant that does not meet expectations, IMO.  

I always find these comments interesting -- not because I disagree (although I do).  But it's another example of differing opinions, all of which are fine.  I am never going to say that someone is wrong for liking a restaurant that I don't, and vice versa.

 

I can't speak to "Chops" because we haven't sailed on the line, but we've always been happy with what we had in Polo on any of O's ships.  Yes, of course, there's been an occasional glitch.  But I have NEVER been unhappy with my prime rib on Polo!  And there's a pork dish that is beyond fabulous ...

 

All stomachs are all different, I think ...

 

Back to the beginning topic, when we first sailed on Renaissance, and then on Oceania -- when the only specialties were Polo and Toscana -- we always preferred Polo.  But we also tended to dine mostly in the GDR because we were happy with our meals most of the time, and we liked the changing menus.  The specialty restaurant menus have been static for most of their existence.  Yes, there are occasional changes -- like Jacques' eliminating the mussels appetizer.  But for the most part they remain the same.

 

If you're on a very long cruise, I don't think you'd be as passionate for only specialty dinners as some are on 7-14 day cruises.

 

From the beginning we never were.  On Renaissance they used to call us to beg us to use our reservations that we were ignoring ...  On O we have tended to use the number of specialty reservations we had available to us, unless they were going to have us in a specialty just about every night on a cruise.  When that happened, we tended to cancel half of them.

 

And since in recent years we had the option of ordering into our suite from any of the restaurants, we didn't really need all of those available reservations.  I'm sure there are plenty of passengers who were happy that we weren't using ours!

 

Mura

[sunlover12]

I’ve been disappointed with Polo Grill. It was average at best and was not memorable in a good way.  This was on Marina last year.  Maybe the staff was having a bad night. At our table of 8 I know there were a couple of other people who weren’t pleased with their dinner either.  I know it’s hard to believe that Chops on RCI beats Polo on Oceania.  Just my opinion, of course. Chops was so good that we made a 2nd reservation - and specialities on RCI are an additional cost.  I don’t eat a lot of red meat so it is a splurge for me when I do.  I expect the quality of the steak to be good when I splurge and I am sorry that Oceania did not deliver. 
 

On the other hand, our dinner in Red Ginger was outstanding and it was our favorite meal on the cruise, The decor, the service and the food.  The tuna tataki appetizer, the miso glazed sea bass, the sake and the tea all fit Oceania’s claim of Finest Cuisine at Sea.   Food is definitely subjective.  What one person loves, another person doesn’t at all.

[Mura]

Sunlover,

 

There can be bad nights or just plain bad dishes.  I don't deny that.  On our first O cruise (on Regatta, through the Panama Canal back in early 2004) we shared a table in Toscana where three of us ordered the veal chop -- normally one of my favorite dishes.  Mine was overcooked, another was undercooked, and the third was just right ...  It did seem like Goldilocks and the three bears.  Ever since when I have ordered that dish it was perfect.

 

So we can't know.

 

As to Red Ginger, that is NEVER our favorite ... but that's because we prefer Szechuan to Asian Fusian.  Which is not to say we've had only horrible meals there.  Our best dinner in RG was when Jancruz pre-ordered everything for a table of 8.  That dinner was wonderful.  But others that we have had there (not so many, on various ships) were okay to quite good, but never spectacular.  Probably because of our personal tastes.

 

I do agree that the decor in RG is beautiful ... it's just the food that we don't find so spectacular.  Some have complained about the chopstick choice and the tea choice, but we enjoy those procedures.

 

I will have to give them another kudo that just occurred to me.  A few years ago we celebrated a fellow passenger's birthday in RG (table of 8  and while I usually cringe at the "Happy Birthday" renditions by waiters -- I was a professional singer so I'm rather picky -- they had a very charming routine that delighted all of us. I think that was on Nautica but I'd have to check my records to be sure ...

 

Mura

 

[Hoopster95]

13 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Sounds like it would be perfect for us, kind of showed out and the entertainment part of cruising isn't that important anymore.

 

Jimbo, you know me from the RCL forum... I'm known here a little bit as well since I did my big Marina review a couple of years ago....

 

• Instead of having 1000 square feet in a crowded Diamond Lounge on RCL, on Oceania the entire ship is a gorgeous "Diamond lounge" full of like minded cruisers.
• The Terrace Cafe (Oceania's Buffet) is often many times better than RCL's specialty dining
• So you can imagine Red Ginger & Polo on Oceania in comparison.... 32oz Porterhouse Steak free of charge on the menu? yes.... extra $$$ on RCL. 
• You'll be surrounded by other very well traveled and intelligent cruisers, not those that wear tattered clothing and/or pick their nose in the buffet and then use the tongs. Truly hate to say it, there is better etiquette (class) on Oceania. They won't care how many cruise points you have... instead they'd love to know more about you and your experiences of where you traveled in the world  and other more interesting things in life. 
• Be amazed that when you walk by the Customer Service desk, you will never ever see a line-up! There's nothing to complain about!!! How deep is the line on RCL on any given ship, any given day, any given hour?
• Walking onto an O ship is like walking into a Rhode Island mansion... classic, gorgeous furniture and decor everywhere, definitely a higher class than RCL everywhere.... not saying RCL is not beautiful in many ways (you've seen my reviews) however Oceania is definitely 6-star like. 
• Free internet, free specialty dining, free specialty coffee/sodas/water, and if you choose the premium drink package it truly is top-shelf (not like RCL where any drink over $12 you have to top up the bill). I can;t remember if you enjoy drinks... if you do, the O-life package is well worth it (just buy the O-Life and the airfare credited back)
• Oh.... don't go looking for an art auction or staff members disturbing you in order to book photos and dining packages, no upsells on Oceania.

 

Other things you mentioned... I wouldn't use O air for domestic flights, I believe that is also an overwhelming majority sentiment by the regulars on this forum. 

 

Here's the deposit rules for Oceania.... clearly defined

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Documents/Legal/56049/TC-US.pdf

 

I've only sailed on the Marina, one of Oceania's bigger ships. It's the same tonnage as Vision Class. As a "younger" RCL loyalist and extremely active/busy guy, I totally loved it. The R-Class ships that you're looking at I cannot comment on other than what I've read about. Cabins are smaller.

 

Anything else I might be able to help you with converting from RCL to O? 

 

 

 

 

[LHT28]

52 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

  Food is definitely subjective.  What one person loves, another person doesn’t at all.

We also have  who ever is in the kitchen doing the cooking  into the mix

sometimes  they get it right sometimes not 😉

Nothing like  raw chicken on a skewer  to put people off  a certain restaurant 😲🤢

 

[Jimbo]

9 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Jimbo, you know me from the RCL forum... I'm known here a little bit as well since I did my big Marina review a couple of years ago....

 

• Instead of having 1000 square feet in a crowded Diamond Lounge on RCL, on Oceania the entire ship is a gorgeous "Diamond lounge" full of like minded cruisers.
• The Terrace Cafe (Oceania's Buffet) is often many times better than RCL's specialty dining
• So you can imagine Red Ginger & Polo on Oceania in comparison.... 32oz Porterhouse Steak free of charge on the menu? yes.... extra $$$ on RCL. 
• You'll be surrounded by other very well traveled and intelligent cruisers, not those that wear tattered clothing and/or pick their nose in the buffet and then use the tongs. Truly hate to say it, there is better etiquette (class) on Oceania. They won't care how many cruise points you have... instead they'd love to know more about you and your experiences of where you traveled in the world  and other more interesting things in life. 
• Be amazed that when you walk by the Customer Service desk, you will never ever see a line-up! There's nothing to complain about!!! How deep is the line on RCL on any given ship, any given day, any given hour?
• Walking onto an O ship is like walking into a Rhode Island mansion... classic, gorgeous furniture and decor everywhere, definitely a higher class than RCL everywhere.... not saying RCL is not beautiful in many ways (you've seen my reviews) however Oceania is definitely 6-star like. 
• Free internet, free specialty dining, free specialty coffee/sodas/water, and if you choose the premium drink package it truly is top-shelf (not like RCL where any drink over $12 you have to top up the bill). I can;t remember if you enjoy drinks... if you do, the O-life package is well worth it (just buy the O-Life and the airfare credited back)
• Oh.... don't go looking for an art auction or staff members disturbing you in order to book photos and dining packages, no upsells on Oceania.

 

Other things you mentioned... I wouldn't use O air for domestic flights, I believe that is also an overwhelming majority sentiment by the regulars on this forum. 

 

Here's the deposit rules for Oceania.... clearly defined

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Documents/Legal/56049/TC-US.pdf

 

I've only sailed on the Marina, one of Oceania's bigger ships. It's the same tonnage as Vision Class. As a "younger" RCL loyalist and extremely active/busy guy, I totally loved it. The R-Class ships that you're looking at I cannot comment on other than what I've read about. Cabins are smaller.

 

Anything else I might be able to help you with converting from RCL to O? 

 

 

 

 

Hoopster, thanks for telling me more what O is like. It surely does help.

 

Just thought with this Covid-19 the transition tothe new way of cruising and might be alot easier to handle on a smaller vessel.

 

Looking at Our September Cruise to Alaska in 2021.............we currently are booked on Sapphire Princess. Thought it would be good to book the smaller Regatta as a back up plan to see if things shake out before final payments.

 

Booked in an aft S6 suite on Princess for about $7500.00   no airfare(RT Vancouver to Vancouver) 10 nights

 

Booking Oceania would be a A1 Cabin  would be $9700 no airfare (Vancouver to LAX) 12 nights with air from Oceania $10500............so air for 2 would be $800 total, which I didn't think was to bad right? Looks like O-life will have $300 OBC, but not exactly sure if anything else is included with o-Life or not , not really sure how that works?

 

So would you or would you not buy air through Oceania............Departure airport would be Philadelphia.

 

So for the Princess cruise, have to think rt airfare from PHL to Vancouver will be  between $1000-$1200

Princess cruise also has free Premier Beverage Package + Wi-Fi + Prepaid Gratuities

We drink but are not huge drinkers by any means.

 

So roughly $8700 for Princess and $10,500 for Oceania? 10vs.12 nights

Itineraries as follows, would really like to see Glacier Bay , we have been to Alaska before and have seen Hubbard Glacietr and Sawyer Glacier.

 

Still trying to figure out which cruise is a better value, the Oceania though is sure interesting, might be a perfect time for a change.......... Anyone have any opinions?

 

Regatta Oceania

 

• • Day 1: Vancouver
  • Thu Sep 02 2021 | Depart 06:00 PM
• • Day 2: Cruising The Outside Passage
  • Fri Sep 03 2021 |
• • Day 3: Ketchikan
  • Sat Sep 04 2021 | 08:00 AM To 04:00 PM
• • Day 4: Juneau
  • Sun Sep 05 2021 | 11:00 AM To 08:00 PM
• • Day 5: Cruising Hubbard Glacier
  • Mon Sep 06 2021 |
• • Day 6: Sitka
  • Tue Sep 07 2021 | 07:00 AM To 05:00 PM
• • Day 7: Prince Rupert
  • Wed Sep 08 2021 | 12:00 PM To 08:00 PM
• • Day 8: Cruising The Inside Passage
  • Thu Sep 09 2021 |
• • Day 9: Victoria
  • Fri Sep 10 2021 | 08:00 AM To 05:00 PM
• • Day 10: Astoria
  • Sat Sep 11 2021 | 09:00 AM To 06:00 PM
• • Day 11: Cruising The Pacific Ocean
  • Sun Sep 12 2021 |
• • Day 12: Cruising The Pacific Ocean
  • Mon Sep 13 2021 |
• • Day 13: Los Angeles
  • Tue Sep 14 2021 | Arrive 06:00 AM

Sapphire Princes 10 day cruise

 

• • Day 1: Vancouver
  • Wed Sep 15 2021 | Depart 04:30 PM
• • Day 2: At Sea
  • Thu Sep 16 2021 |
• • Day 3: Juneau
  • Fri Sep 17 2021 | 01:30 PM To 09:00 PM
• • Day 4: Skagway
  • Sat Sep 18 2021 | 06:00 AM To 08:30 PM
• • Day 5: Glacier Bay
  • Sun Sep 19 2021 | 07:00 AM To 03:30 PM
• • Day 6: Hubbard Glacier
  • Mon Sep 20 2021 | 07:00 AM To 01:00 PM
• • Day 7: Icy Strait Point
  • Tue Sep 21 2021 | 07:00 AM To 06:00 PM
• • Day 8: Sitka
  • Wed Sep 22 2021 | 07:00 AM To 05:00 PM
• • Day 9: Ketchikan
  • Thu Sep 23 2021 | 08:00 AM To 06:00 PM
• • Day 10: At Sea
  • Fri Sep 24 2021 |
• • Day 11: Vancouver
  • Sat Sep 25 2021 | Arrive 07

 

 

 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

So roughly $8700 for Princess and $10,500 for Oceania? 10vs.12 nights

Itineraries as follows, would really like to see Glacier Bay , we have been to Alaska before and have seen Hubbard Glacietr and Sawyer Glacier.

 

Still trying to figure out which cruise is a better value, the Oceania though is sure interesting, might be a perfect time for a change.......... Anyone have any opinions?

 

 

You can  shop around  & find   a TA  for Oceania  that will include the PPG  

 

If you are going by the  bottom line  then take Princess 

Oceania is rarely cheaper than  the main stream lines

 

[edgee]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

You can  shop around  & find   a TA  for Oceania  that will include the PPG  

 

If you are going by the  bottom line  then take Princess 

Oceania is rarely cheaper than  the main stream lines

 

Pros of Oceania are longer cruise, much more luxurious atmosphere, much much much better food, for you guys an opportunity to trying a new cruise line, more interesting itinerary.

 

Pros of Princess are opportunity to experience wonderful Glacier Bay, less cost, (although on a perdiem basis, Oceania is not that much more expensive, especially if you get Oceania prepaid gratuities), better and more diversified evening entertainment.

Edited May 4, 2020 by edgee
Clarity

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

....So roughly $8700 for Princess and $10,500 for Oceania? 10vs.12 nights

 

....Still trying to figure out which cruise is a better value, the Oceania though is sure interesting, might be a perfect time for a change.......... Anyone have any opinions?

 

So, approx the same bottom line daily price for each line? (And that's before the 5-8%+ rebate you could get from the right TA who is an Oceania Connoisseurs Club member).

 

What a "no-brainer" choice!

Just the food difference alone should make it an easy choice. Of course, everything else on O (from cabin bedding/amenities to service quality) are steps ahead of Princess. Remember that it Oceania put $40 million into the former Ocean Princess to turn it into Sirena.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[Paulchili]

I would take Oceania over Princess anytime except Alaska (and Carib).

HAL and Princess "own" Alaska and have the best itineraries there.

Maybe try Oceania elsewhere and on Riviera or Marina - easier transition from Princess, larger cabins and 4 specialties instead of just 2.

[Jimbo]

All good points above but this isn't exactly apples for apples when it comes to the cabin..........The S6 Vista Suite is 525 sq.ft on Princess, while the A1 or A2 is only 216 sq. ft. on Oceania.

 

Cabin : Princess

Food: Oceania

Less People: Oceania

Drinks included: Princess

Free Internet :  Both

Free PPG: Princess

Itinerary:Slight edge to Princess because of Glacier Bay

Decor of Ship : Sounds like Oceania

Entertainment: No edge for either

Customer Service : Sounds like Oceania from reviews I read

Deposits, $200 Princess, Oceania $1500

 

Still waiting to hear back from one of the TA's I requested a quote on for Oceania, waiting to see if any perks are kicked in with offer.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Jimbo

[ORV]

One thing to keep in mind if you're considering using Oceania's air. If you want to go in earlier than the day of the cruise there is an extra $175 pp($350 couple) deviation fee. I don't know about you but there is no way I would fly from Philadelphia to Vancouver the day of the cruise. Where I'm from with the connections we have to make you can barely get there in one day. So this is a consideration in your comparisons. 

 

Another thing I always try to keep in mind when trying to decide on going on Oceania vs. RCL or Celebrity is the intrinsic value of Oceania vs the others. As has been pointed out, there are many superior features that Oceania has over the others. Until you've been on Oceania it's hard to place your personal value on them. There are many that couldn't care less about the food, as long as they have something. I know people that think Golden Corral is a great restaurant. Most of the food on Oceania is lost on them. 

 

I like the lack of crowds. I like the comfort of the beds. I like the Terrace café (I pretty much won't eat at the buffet on RCL due to my germaphobic nature. )

 

It's not always just a simple straight ahead dollars and days comparison, at least not for me.