Encouraged to Hope - May 2021

[PoolSlider]

Let’s talk about normal stuff a little. Found a lovely itinerary in May 2021 on Sirena that gets us around about some lovely places and back in time to London for the Chelsea Flower Show. We have enjoyed HAL due to smallerish ships and not doing too much silliness. Hoping Oceania is a good fit? What are the shore excursions like? Are they special or am I better off doing things private in France? Love spending time on balcony enjoying the ocean; are people quiet? I really hope there is a world on the mend by May! 

[ToxM]

May well be booked on the same Sirena cruise as you are thinking about. 

 

I haven’t been on Sirena yet, only Marina but I am a firm fan of Oceania, and I think you will not be disappointed. 

 

Excursions can be expensive, but the 12th May itinerary is full of places where it will be easy to organise private tours. if you enjoy small ships and a nice causal atmosphere then you will definitely enjoy Oceania. 

 

I will defer to those who have sailed on Sirena to give more detailed info on the ship. 

[LHT28]

quiet  compared to Carnival/NCL  etc

Can you elaborate on what you mean by quiet?

 

We rarely do ships tours  if you join the roll call for your sailing  you might find others to share tours

You can look on their webpage for  some of the ship's tours & decide if they work for you or not

some tour may not be listed yet  or subject to change

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/baltic-cruises/#portsAnchor

 

Have not been on Sirena  but have done a couple of the the R ships

Keep in mind the lower cabin Cat are small along with the w/c 

 

Even the smallist of the HAL ships  are twice the size of the R Ships

 

[Queen of DaNile]

Plan on doing your own excursions and yes, I think the ships are very quiet, especially in the evenings. Coming from HAL, you'll LOVE Oceania.

[PoolSlider]

What I mean by quiet is probably what you might think. I really enjoy the balcony and just hope to be able to hear the waves and splash as the ship moves through the water. I think our Veranda cabin on deck 7 looks incredibly tight so the balcony will definitely be a respite. 
 

Yes we are on the May 12th voyage if all goes well. Can’t have too many stops in France!
 

Glad to hear we will love Oceania. What I enjoy about HAL Is the lack of forced “fun-ness” and the longer itineraries. I wish this cruise was about 4 days longer with some sea days mixed in to catch some rest and relaxation. 
 

is there a roll call?

 

 

[ToxM]

11 minutes ago, PoolSlider said:

What I mean by quiet is probably what you might think. I really enjoy the balcony and just hope to be able to hear the waves and splash as the ship moves through the water. I think our Veranda cabin on deck 7 looks incredibly tight so the balcony will definitely be a respite. 
 

Yes we are on the May 12th voyage if all goes well. Can’t have too many stops in France!
 

Glad to hear we will love Oceania. What I enjoy about HAL Is the lack of forced “fun-ness” and the longer itineraries. I wish this cruise was about 4 days longer with some sea days mixed in to catch some rest and relaxation. 
 

is there a roll call?

 

 

There is a roll call yes 🙂

[ORV]

29 minutes ago, PoolSlider said:

I think our Veranda cabin on deck 7 looks incredibly tight so the balcony will definitely be a respite. 

Anything below the PH level on the R class ships are considered small by today's standards. Having said that we've been in Concierge, regular Veranda and Oceanview on this class and always managed. Actually they have been some of our favorite cruises. Just be prepared for a tight bathroom. 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, PoolSlider said:

What I mean by quiet is probably what you might think. I really enjoy the balcony and just hope to be able to hear the waves and splash as the ship moves through the water. I think our Veranda cabin on deck 7 looks incredibly tight so the balcony will definitely be a respite. 
 

 

 

is there a roll call?

 

 

The  ships  are more quiet than  some   & you can do as much or as little as you like

 We will make our own sea day  on  busy itineraries

I agree with ORV  we often do oceanview on deck 4 or one of the A or B cabins

it is fine for us  but if you think it will be cramped  maybe  a PH is for you

 

Roll Call

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2747486-sirena-may-12-2021/

[4Lakes Lady]

We spent 19 days aboard Serena in February and March this year. Enjoying time on the veranda was one of my favorite pastimes! Nothing like the beauty of the ocean and the sound of the waves. You won’t be disappointed!


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[Norseh2o]

Our first Oceania cruise was November, 2019 on the Sirena. We traveled from Barcelona to Miami.  We have cruised a dozen or more times made with NCL, enjoyed Holland, but think that Oceania is our cruise line perfect match.  Two days after leaving the Sirena in Miami, we boarded the Insignia for 26 days to the Amazon. Our concierge rooms on deck 7 were quite fine, of course we booked additional cruises while on board!  Hopeful that we can hop on the Insignia again in 2021. 

[WESTEAST]

We've sailed on the Sirena, the other R ships and the larger Marina and Riviera and enjoyed all of them. Our most recent was Sydney to Auckland onboard the Regatta in February and the recent R refurbishments were lovely (Nautica the only R one not renovated to date). On the Sirena (which has our fav, Red Ginger restaurant) we were in a PH and the extra space was great as it was a long cruise however, we didn't see much benefit from having a butler other than he secured additional speciality reservations for us. On the R ships, we miss Jacques restaurant.

 

For shore excursions we do a mix of O and independent tours plus DIY days; we always book an O tour in tender ports as O will usually get you on 'their' tour if they cannot tender due to rough seas e.g., missed Portofino and docked in Genoa - O tours were bused to Portofino and our independent tour would not pick us up in Genoa! Depending upon your interests we usually start with reviewing O excursions, join the roll call/scan other similar itineraries roll calls where you can ask questions, etc. Ports of call boards are also very helpful - here is the link to one for France: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/462-france-ports/. 

[srdancer]

We have been on 3 Oceania cruises - 2 on the Marina (Baltic and Med) and 1 on the Sirena (Cuba, luckily, in Dec 2018). We enjoyed all 3 cruises immensely.

 

On Marina we had B1 veranda cabins. On Sirena we had a concierge A1 cabin. We booked that because A1 cabins are mid-ship and had cabins above and below. 

 

Our Sirena cruise was pre-renovation. The cabins are small and we were apprehensive about the size since they were smaller than we had been in previously.  The bathrooms are minute but we could deal with that. The main part of the cabin was extremely comfortable and felt roomy, and had lots of storage.

 

The entertainment is not in a theater but in a lounge. The shows were not the big production shows but we loved them - Broadway and standards, familiar classic rock, terrific musical acts and even a comedy/ ventriloquist act. The latter sounds lame but was terrific. 

 

Sirena is the only R ship with Red Ginger, which is our favorite specialty restaurant. The food in the specialty restaurants was very good but in the GDR and Terrace Cafe the food was not up to the standard on the Marina where the food in those venues was excellent. 

 

Generally we do a mix of O excursions, 3rd party tours,  and on our own. In Cuba we did all ship excursions. If you have tender ports I recommend doing O tours unless you are just wandering around on your own and time is not an issue. We also do O tours if we are going very far from the port. O has several discounts options if you book enough of their tours.

 

We would definitely book Sirena again. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to do so safely in the future.

[clairol]

On 7/18/2020 at 12:47 PM, PoolSlider said:

What I mean by quiet is probably what you might think. I really enjoy the balcony and just hope to be able to hear the waves and splash as the ship moves through the water. I think our Veranda cabin on deck 7 looks incredibly tight so the balcony will definitely be a respite. 

We have sailed four times with Oceania - on Riviera, Nautica (2x) and Marina - we are (hopefully) returning to Riviera in May. Fingers crossed for us all!

 

We have always booked a cabin with a veranda. It is literally my favorite place to sit and watch the world go by. It sounds like this is what you are looking for as well - I think you will be very happy! If you are in a concierge cabin take advantage of the spa deck as well - another peaceful spot to lounge with a good book. (As other posters have mentioned, the bathrooms are tight on the smaller ships...)

 

We typically aim for private tours on our own or with a smaller group. We only opt for excursions through the ship when the destination is far away and we don't want to run the risk of not making it back in time. Maybe once a cruise - for example, from Sorernto we went to Pompeii, from Piraeus (Athens) we went to Delphi and from Civitavecchia (Rome) we went to Orvieto. The tours are fine - just a little cattle call-like, not as personal as we like and they run the risk of being cancelled.

 

There's my two cents! Hope you are able to enjoy your cruise and you find exactly what you are looking for!

[Issyalex]

On 7/18/2020 at 4:49 AM, PoolSlider said:

Let’s talk about normal stuff a little. Found a lovely itinerary in May 2021 on Sirena that gets us around about some lovely places and back in time to London for the Chelsea Flower Show. We have enjoyed HAL due to smallerish ships and not doing too much silliness. Hoping Oceania is a good fit? What are the shore excursions like? Are they special or am I better off doing things private in France? Love spending time on balcony enjoying the ocean; are people quiet? I really hope there is a world on the mend by May! 

Oceania tours are very expensive. You should look up locally run tours or free walking tours which every city has. Check what you want to see/visit and you might just be able to walk. South of France is lovely and has a good train service. 
 

oceania doesn’t have the ‘try to get all your money while onboard’. No photographers in your face, no hard sell. It’s very laid back. No formal nights. Specially restaurants are free and your allotted amount can be booked prior to sailing but you can rebook more nights while onboard. Red Ginger is my favourite, the sea bass is to die for. The food everywhere is excellent. I love the surf n’turf sandwich in the pool bar.
 

The entertainment is very low-key. They have 2 BOGOF cocktail hours everyday and for me that’s the busiest and noisiest bit of Oceania as they are very quiet ships. Staff are fabulous. All non alcoholic drinks, including lattes, smoothies, ice cream drinks, non alcoholic cocktails, fizzy juice etc are free. 

we have been on Sirena twice, then one cancelled cruise last April but we’ve booked her again for April 21. 🤞🏻

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Issyalex

[StanandJim]

9 hours ago, Issyalex said:

Oceania tours are very expensive. You should look up locally run tours or free walking tours which every city has. Check what you want to see/visit and you might just be able to walk. South of France is lovely and has a good train service. 

Not necessarily good advice in a perhaps not so post covid World.

 

Tours booked through the Cruise Line remain the Lines' headache regardless of any change(s) in schedule or itinerary.

 

 

[Issyalex]

6 hours ago, StanandJim said:

Not necessarily good advice in a perhaps not so post covid World.

 

Tours booked through the Cruise Line remain the Lines' headache regardless of any change(s) in schedule or itinerary.

 

 

Why is this not good advice? It’s different advice to open up different options for the OP. 
we need to keep small businesses going. Booking your own tours with a local company can be hiring a private car, booking a minibus for friends and family only. You just need to make sure you book a company who does not want their money upfront.

 

a free walking tour is in the open air so much safer. 

[tvmovielover]

We often do the free walking tours now offered in many cities around the world.  They offer a local view and some recommendations for other things to see as well as being in the open air.  There is usually a hint that a tip would be appreciated at the end and most of these tours are well worth a generous tip.  You are also usually close enough to the ship that you can leave the tour and return quickly if worried about missing departure.  If there is a fee to join the tour, it is seldom much.

 

[StanandJim]

On 7/27/2020 at 5:38 AM, Issyalex said:

Why is this not good advice?

Not good advice because if one books 6 or 8 private tours over the course of a planned cruise, one must deal  with all of those vendors individually if the trip is cancelled.

 

Tours booked through the Cruise Line will be handled BY the Cruise Line, with no further effort required.

 

Of course, if your "no money upfront" comment is meant to infer that if the Tour Guide doesn't have your money then you wouldn't worry about cancelling, then that is another kettle of fish.

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by StanandJim

[Issyalex]

5 hours ago, StanandJim said:

Not good advice because if one books 6 or 8 private tours over the course of a planned cruise, one must deal  with all of those vendors individually if the trip is cancelled.

 

Tours booked through the Cruise Line will be handled BY the Cruise Line, with no further effort required.

 

Of course, if your "no money upfront" comment is meant to infer that if the Tour Guide doesn't have your money then you wouldn't worry about cancelling, then that is another kettle of fish.

 

There are plenty of local tours who do not ask for money upfront and there’s others who will refund your money if your port of call is cancelled.

Most of the Med ports can be easily done under your own steam, no expensive ships tours required. However if people have got money to burn or are too frightened to do European ports on their own then the ships tours are the way to go. The only ships tour I would do in Europe is Civitavecchia to Rome as it’s nearly a 2 hour bus journey each way. Each to their own.

 

[StanandJim]

17 hours ago, Issyalex said:

There are plenty of local tours who do not ask for money upfront and there’s others who will refund your money if your port of call is cancelled.

Most of the Med ports can be easily done under your own steam, no expensive ships tours required. However if people have got money to burn or are too frightened to do European ports on their own then the ships tours are the way to go. The only ships tour I would do in Europe is Civitavecchia to Rome as it’s nearly a 2 hour bus journey each way. Each to their own.

 

You are just not getting my point, which is that the onus of cancelling private Tours falls to the passenger alone.

Those booked through the Cruise Line are cancelled with the cruise reservation and need never be thought of again.

 

It is also true of an Oceania Cruise, that many of the more basic shore excursions will already have been included under the Olife Banner, so saving money via private Tours may be even more a moot point.

 

 

 

[Issyalex]

24 minutes ago, StanandJim said:

You are just not getting my point, which is that the onus of cancelling private Tours falls to the passenger alone.

Those booked through the Cruise Line are cancelled with the cruise reservation and need never be thought of again.

 

It is also true of an Oceania Cruise, that many of the more basic shore excursions will already have been included under the Olife Banner, so saving money via private Tours may be even more a moot point.

 

 

 

Your not getting my point either. People can book or not book ships or private tours it’s up to them. I was just adding some more tour options.
 

As for cancelling a private tour that’s easy you just email them with Oceania’s free WiFi. Or maybe that’s too difficult for some people, if it is then I’m guessing they are the people who have to take ships tours.
 

I think we will agree to disagree. 

Edited July 29, 2020 by Issyalex

[Issyalex]

On 7/27/2020 at 1:51 PM, tvmovielover said:

We often do the free walking tours now offered in many cities around the world.  They offer a local view and some recommendations for other things to see as well as being in the open air.  There is usually a hint that a tip would be appreciated at the end and most of these tours are well worth a generous tip.  You are also usually close enough to the ship that you can leave the tour and return quickly if worried about missing departure.  If there is a fee to join the tour, it is seldom much.

 

We have done several free walking tours and find them very informative.

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, StanandJim said:

It is also true of an Oceania Cruise, that many of the more basic shore excursions will already have been included under the Olife Banner, so saving money via private Tours may be even more a moot point.

 

 But some people may not want to be on a bus tour  even with half the number of PAX allowed

😎

 

At this point in time it is  a moot point  as their are no cruises  & doubt any will be sailing from the USA ports anytime soon

JMO

[Maya_C]

On 7/18/2020 at 2:21 PM, LHT28 said:

The  ships  are more quiet than  some   & you can do as much or as little as you like

 We will make our own sea day  on  busy itineraries

I agree with ORV  we often do oceanview on deck 4 or one of the A or B cabins

it is fine for us  but if you think it will be cramped  maybe  a PH is for you

 

Roll Call

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2747486-sirena-may-12-2021/

 

We've always been happy with oceanview on HAL, Celebrity, and Azamara. The OV on Sirena was the size we expected, but our cabin, 4041, had engine noise that was really hard to take. It was an intermittent hum (on two seconds, off two seconds) for 10 or 15 minutes at a stretch. Then it would stop, and two minutes later it would start again. I don't mind a steady hum from the engine. That's like white noise. It was impossible to get used to the on-and-then-off noise. I don't think it was a general problem in that part of the deck. We couldn't hear it in the hall, only the cabin. To Oceania's credit, they did move us to a different cabin after I took the issue up the chain. Avoid cabin 4041.

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, Maya_C said:

 

The OV on Sirena was the size we expected, but our cabin, 4041, had engine noise that was really hard to take. It was an intermittent hum (on two seconds, off two seconds) for 10 or 15 minutes at a stretch. Then it would stop, and two minutes later it would start again.

That would be annoying 

we have been in 4047 & 4051 in Insignia & Regatta  no problem

One cabin on Marina was noisy  when they docked & started the power washer  for that side of the ship  the cabin seemed to vibrate