My wife and I sail

[csoud68]

Carnival in America and are very much looking forward to our 2024 cruise on the brand new Celebration..that ship is extremely large and we want to try that once..its 180k tons..

 

But i know by 2025 I'll want a more upscale, smaller feel..I will be 55 then..

 

Are there any oceania cruises from an American port  you recommend for first timers? And what stateroom category would a basic verandah be considered. Thanks

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by csoud68

[Hawaiidan]

2 minutes ago, csoud68 said:

Carnival in America and are very much looking forward to our 2024 cruise on the brand new Celebration..that ship is extremely large and we want to try that once..its 180k tons..

 

But i know by 2025 I'll want a more upscale, smaller feel..I will be 55 then..

 

Are there any oceania cruises from an American port  you recommend for first timers? And what stateroom category would a basic verandah be considered. Thanks

 

I suggest you do a search of  that question.....    You like Carnival....  there is nothing even remotely  like anything on O.      What is it you seek....exactly.    Just a smaller ship?.       What are you prepared  to do on  an O ship       What do you expect to do on O ?             

[MEFIowa]

4 minutes ago, csoud68 said:

... But i know by 2025 I'll want a more upscale, smaller feel..I will be 55 then... Are there any Oceania cruises from an American port  you recommend for first timers? And what stateroom category would a basic verandah be considered. Thanks

 

I think it's only Miami for the East Coast but LA and Seattle for the West Coast and Hawaii. O currently has 2 classes of ships. The four older smaller more intimate R Class (e.g., Sirena) and the two larger ships (Marina & Riviera). Tonnage and passengers are about twice as for the larger ships (1250 max passengers & 67K tons) than the smaller ones.Wife and I did Riviera for W. Caribbean cruise this past December from Miami. Loved it. But we're doing Sirena for an E. Caribbean cruise this coming November, out of Miami. And loved Riviera so much we're doing back to back E. & then W. Med. cruises in Oct-Nov '23. (The ever-so-slightly larger new Vista is entering service this year.)

 

The basic veranda is the B1/B2 for the smaller ships and B1/B2/B3/B4 for the larger. (The Cs are Ocean View without veranda. Fs and Gs inside staterooms.)

[csoud68]

1 minute ago, Hawaiidan said:

I suggest you do a search of  that question.....    You like Carnival....  there is nothing even remotely  like anything on O.      What is it you seek....exactly.    Just a smaller ship?.       What are you prepared  to do on  an O ship       What do you expect to do on O ?             

Yes I am keenly aware that the cruise lines are 180° apart..

 

I am looking for a quiet, more upscale feel..a tad older crowd.

[csoud68]

Thanks so much. I'm looking at the riviera video and that looks appealing.

[njhorseman]

9 minutes ago, csoud68 said:

Carnival in America and are very much looking forward to our 2024 cruise on the brand new Celebration..that ship is extremely large and we want to try that once..its 180k tons..

 

But i know by 2025 I'll want a more upscale, smaller feel..I will be 55 then..

 

Are there any oceania cruises from an American port  you recommend for first timers? And what stateroom category would a basic verandah be considered. Thanks

 

I can't say what cruises will be offered in 2025, but in recent years Oceania has done roundtrip cruises from NY to Bermuda in the summer and roundtrip cruises to the Caribbean from Miami in the winter and either of those types of itineraries would be a good introduction because the cruises are relatively short, typically 7 to 10 days. Oceania also has done Alaska cruises in the summer. 

 

You can research the various cabin categories, dining options and other amenities on oceaniacruises.com .

[csoud68]

15 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

I can't say what cruises will be offered in 2025, but in recent years Oceania has done roundtrip cruises from NY to Bermuda in the summer and roundtrip cruises to the Caribbean from Miami in the winter and either of those types of itineraries would be a good introduction because the cruises are relatively short, typically 7 to 10 days. Oceania also has done Alaska cruises in the summer. 

 

You can research the various cabin categories, dining options and other amenities on oceaniacruises.com .

 

[csoud68]

Thanks. We will definitely go out of miami..I've done Bermuda 2x..

 

I'll research it, for sure...the cruiseline looks very good..

[Host Jazzbeau]

Stepping down from the huge size of Carnival, I would recommend booking on the newer Oceania ships:  Riviera and Marina (O-class), or the brand new Vista (first of the A-class).  The range of restaurants on those ships will blow you away:  the buffet has gourmet food, the MDR has equally good food paired with beautifully plated presentations and service, and the four specialty restaurants (included in the fare!) are even better.  There are also better shows and more entertainment on these 'larger' Oceania ships.  If you discover that you love Oceania, then you can consider the beloved smaller R-ships [which give us some dining and entertainment options in exchange for the ability to visit smaller off-the-beaten-track ports].

[PhD-iva]

One of the most attractive features of O are the pax who sail with her. You can get a good feel for the type of person sailing on O by reading/following posts on this forum. I would just warn you that a few, prolific posters are a little gruff, but don’t take offense. Water off a duck’s back. And they usually have well-informed, good advice. 
If you post some specific questions, I think you will get several who will post their responses. Most everyone tries to be helpful.

Enjoy your cruise!

[TakingFlight]

A word of caution when looking at the smaller cruise lines…since they only have a few ships compared to Carnival your Caribbean options will be limited to a narrower date range and itinerary options. If you are flexible you will find something that suits you, just don’t expect an eastern or western Caribbean route running almost weekly as you’ll find with Carnival. Good for you for realizing that your tastes will change in the different seasons of your life and planning ahead accordingly. Smooth sailing…

[DENIE]

We are also a "first time" Oceania cruiser this June, after primarily sailing with Celebrity.  Based on feedback from others on this site, I have no doubt it will be fabulous, and exactly what we are looking for. FWIW, we average "late 50's" in age.

[HiFi43]

I agree with PhD-Iva, we have sailed Carnival, Holland America and many, many other cruise lines over the years and the difference is really 3 things…passengers on Oceania tend to be more relaxed, open, and varied (we just got off one a few days ago and there were passengers from 17 countries), all meals in all their venues are free are significantly better and more varied than on the larger cruise lines and , finally, the variety of destinations world wide is extraordinary. Any veranda level is great. I’d suggest the Marina, Riviera or the new Vista sailing in April 2023 for first timers. 
 

You seem to be fixed on sailing out of a US port but I really would not limit yourself to returning to that same port because the Caribbean only limits you. We have switched to only sailing Oceania because it is so much better and, yet, fairly priced. But even more important we have been able to see the whole world on Oceania and have made friendships around the world.

 

But, be warned, book early because the word has gotten out over the years about Oceania and the best cruises fill up way in advance of other cruise lines.

 

 

 

[mauibabes]

I have to say that stepping away from Carnival is your BLESSING, JMHO. Sailing from Miami , while it may be convenient, it is very limiting unless you are really going somewhere special via a TA or PC West or to South America. While we have sailed in all areas of the Caribbean, if I never had to endure the humidity again … 🤬🤪👍
We have had the privilege of sailing with HiFi43 and PHDiva on Riviera last year and chatted many times with Deni so hello again from Bonnie and Gerry. 
When we travel with Oceania, we feel we are back with family and can not imagine spending any amount of time on one of the mass market mega ships. We watched from the Manhattan terminal where we docked on Riviera in 2019 after a fabulous trip from Reykjavik Iceland and after three hours the HAL lines across the street to get a cab still wound around blocks. We just don’t have 5,000 “friends”, maybe 1200 O family friends 😍😇

 

Give Oceania a try and IMHO, you won’t ever look back. Again, MHO. 
Ciao,
Mauibabes

[MEFIowa]

12 hours ago, DENIE said:

We are also a "first time" Oceania cruiser this June, after primarily sailing with Celebrity.  Based on feedback from others on this site, I have no doubt it will be fabulous, and exactly what we are looking for. FWIW, we average "late 50's" in age.

Having done our first ever cruise on Riviera 12/13-23/21 you will love it. Wife and I did. So much so we now have a cruise on Sirena booked for Nov '21 and again on Riviera twice in Oct-Nov '23. And we're in your age bracket, too. We felt young. Out of our 719 passengers I counted (and talked to) about 12 people under 30, all in their 20s. Seemed to be a few in their 30s and 40s. Vast majority 60s and up.

[Hanoverian]

I would suggest that you should search You Tube for videos about Oceania ships, suites, dining, etc.  Far more information that what is in a brochure and it will help you develop a feel for the line and its ships.  A good way to spend a few hours on a bad weather day.  BTW, we live outside of Lexington in the Valley.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Hanoverian

[ChadnKate]

Youtube videos of Oceania and its staterooms: Look at the Hard Travel videos. We use our own TA but Danny there does the best job. Particularly about the "Reimagined" R-Class ships.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Although I haven't cruised with Oceania yet, one thing I've learned is that you should book as soon as the itineraries open up.  This is one cruise line that sells out way in advance for the more unique itineraries.

[mauibabes]

Hopefully my comments were not considered offensive. We just can not fathom sailing on a “city” or with so many people in tighter surroundings. Definitely small ship patrons. 
 

bt the way, pay attention to the Oceania releases on May 4 for 2024 and 25.  The best pricing is always offered when itineraries are released not that there isn’t an occasional sale. Don’t ever expect to see the “Pennie’s on the dollar” sales to put tails in seats, not their business plan. 
Mauibabes
 

[KatieBelle]

8 hours ago, HiFi43 said:

all meals in all their venues are free

There is one exception.  The 2 O class ships have a venue called La Reserve.  There is an upcharge for this 6-7 course wine pairings dinner.  It is a beautiful venue and a fabulous experience.  Only 24 people seated for the evening and it is not always open/available.  

 

All other specialties are open and available to everyone with an advance reservation.  

 

Another thing you might notice is that there is no upcharge on any of the menus for steak, lobster, etc.  My DH makes it his goal to have lobster in some form every day of our cruise.  Easily done!

[janecambridge]

We just keep coming back to Oceania....

[ronrick1943]

“O” is a great line, however we’ve moved on to Regent and Silversea.  I’d go of any of the newer large “O” ships-just more dining restaurants.  As for which suite to choose - I’d look at your budget and go for the largest suite you can get with your budget.

 

[pinotlover]

I owned a sail boat for numerous  years and loved sailing. We chartered a bare foot in the Virgins for ten days and had a blast. Not sure I could handle the sails anymore, especially in bad weather.

 

Now we cruise on Oceania and have given up sailing. Where is the OP sailing to?