Looking at Oceania

[Croooser]

We have been on both lines and have been on both sizes/class of ship on O. In fact, although we are Elite Plus on X, we consider ourselves "Celebrity Refugees".

 

We concur with the comments above:

 

Food is quite a bit better on O.

Entertainment and activities are quite a bit better on X.

Less crowded and more laid back on O and nearly dead after dinner.

Demographic runs older on O, but we seldom saw any kids or teens.

 

As to O life - the comment above, that said to search the O board for detailed explanations on how to handle O life, is spot on. Once you understand the options, it is easy to decide what is best for you. And O is not always more expensive for a standard balcony.

 

Disagree with the opinion that O air is never a good idea. O air is never a good idea for Biz but O features some good deals on PE and coach. Not always, but some times. O does charge deviation fees in some cases.

 

Some TAs offer cash rebate checks when you complete an O sailing. About 10% can be had. Not really any different than refundable OBC that can be had on X. Consortiums sometimes pay gratuities on O.

 

OTOH, we took a 7 day Caribbean on the Apex in January just to get back on a ship after 2+ years of not cruising. And we liked it well enough that we booked the Eastbound TA on Apex next April. If we enjoy that sailing, we will continue to consider X, but only the Edge class for us.

 

HTH/YMMV

 

 

 

 

[Aloha 1]

On 6/24/2022 at 5:46 PM, Cap_D said:

Does Oceania charge for a small scoop of gelato?  Do they have a coffee machine in each room?  Even with a premium suite and always included, the premium drink package, and all the retreat hosts and concierges one can use to find .25 of lays potato chips and pots of mass brewed coffee, Celebrity charges for gelato.  

No, Ice cream is free and they serve a specialty brand. No coffee maker en suite but Baristas has whatever you want, again no charge.

[mk960072]

On 6/25/2022 at 2:28 PM, Gracie115 said:

 

Isn't it true that only the "O" class, Marina and Riviera, on Oceania carry 1250 passengers?  Most of the others are half that size, which I believe would present a MUCH different experience.

that is true, but we didnt find the capacity changed the experience that much.  If you are in a concierge room you will find the smaller ships do not have a lounge to go to which I did miss.

[mk960072]

We have cruised Oceania on Riviera and Sirena. We have cruise Celebrity on Edge in a suite and on Minimum in Aqua.  If sailing Celebrity in a suite it is comparable cost wise to Oceania in Balcony rooms.  Decor on Oceania is more stylish and upscale vs Celebrity.  Not that Celebrity is not stylish but Oceania is more upscale in that regard.  

 

Nightlife and shows on Oceania is not as lively.  People go to dinner, have drinks, may gamble and go to bed for the most part.  You will find a more well traveled cruiser on Oceania but people are nice and will talk.  We found passengers on Oceania to be a little older, no children in the household or empty nesters, and of course like any cruise line, certain itineraries and certain times of the year will attract younger crowds vs older.  

 

We found the food to be better on Oceania, not by a lot but better.  Someone mentioned all amenities are available to everyone.  If you are in a suite you get free access on Riviera to the spa deck which has outdoor loungers and a hot tub with a thermal pool.  Also, based on the category of room you are in determines how many times you get to dine in speciality restaurants and how far in advance you can book reservations in the speciality restaurants.  

 

Ports are more intimate and based on the experience since they can usually get to smaller ports than the bigger ships.  

 

Service has always been remarkable on Oceania.  We always buy the cruise without O life so it has no OBC, no drinks, and no excursions.  We like booking this way to provide flexibility. 

 

If you book Oceania with airfare they book your airfare with little choice in terms of times, departure city, and if you wish to fly in early or stay afterwards to visit areas, they dont allow for that I have heard.  My parents booked with O Life once and then went back and said they wanted to book their own airfare, Oceania credited them the amount and they bought airfare cheaper.   

 

I dont think you will be disappointed with any Oceania ship, but the larger Riviera and the other one are probably best to start on.  

 

We like Celebrity as a cheaper alternative to Oceania and have been with happy with the line thus far.  We are on Equinox in August and Beyond in November.  Good luck!!

[ak1004]

Our friends who have been a loyal X customers for over 10 years just returned from a cruise on the Equinox after not cruising for 3 years, and were so disappointed. The food, the entertainment, the activities, the demographics - they didn't like one single aspect of their cruise.

 

O is in a different league. Yes, the entertainment is low key, but entertainment on X is also not what it used to be. Plus a much better food, no crowds, no lines, everyone is treated the same regardless of their cabin category. And the most surprising thing - with the recent price increases on X, many times O can be actually similar price or even cheaper, especially if you include all the extras.

 

Plus O has one of the best loyalty programs. After 10 cruises you get pre paid gratuities on all cruises, $250 on board credit and more.

[basenji56]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

Our friends who have been a loyal X customers for over 10 years just returned from a cruise on the Equinox after not cruising for 3 years, and were so disappointed. The food, the entertainment, the activities, the demographics - they didn't like one single aspect of their cruise.

 

O is in a different league. Yes, the entertainment is low key, but entertainment on X is also not what it used to be.

 

Don't get me started on how bad I find the Celebrity production shows to be since they decided to produce them in house.  A bunch of mediocre recent pop songs strung together into the slightest wisp of a plot.

 

 

[jagoffee]

On 6/25/2022 at 6:18 PM, basenji56 said:

Currently, I have found Oceania,Viking Ocean, Royal and Celebrity upgraded internet to be roughly comparable 

 

I was able to use WhatsApp to make voice calls. 
 

Did some streaming of short videos. 
 

Got knocked off more than I liked. 
 

 

I am fairly certain that the Oceania does not have an upgraded internet, just additional devices?

[lorimay]

No, they are the same as Celebrity. You can pay to add additional devices (one account per stateroom is included) and you can upgrade to faster internet. I was able to do whatsapp phone calls and even stream a couple of youtube videos, although they would stop and buffer a lot. I could get on most websites with standard but it was slow.  When I upgraded for the last couple of days I was able to do zoom calls and much faster internet, including working on the shared google drive. 

 

I haven't been on Celebrity with an internet package recently but I think because Oceania allows whatsapp calls with standard internet it has a slight advantage.

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, lorimay said:

No, they are the same as Celebrity. You can pay to add additional devices (one account per stateroom is included) and you can upgrade to faster internet. I was able to do whatsapp phone calls and even stream a couple of youtube videos, although they would stop and buffer a lot. I could get on most websites with standard but it was slow.  When I upgraded for the last couple of days I was able to do zoom calls and much faster internet, including working on the shared google drive. 

 

I haven't been on Celebrity with an internet package recently but I think because Oceania allows whatsapp calls with standard internet it has a slight advantage.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the upgrade on Oceania gets you the ability to stream, not necessarily a faster speed. I believe the speed would be the same (not the fastest, but decent, I think around 2-3MB).

[basenji56]

3 hours ago, jagoffee said:

I am fairly certain that the Oceania does not have an upgraded internet, just additional devices?

I don’t believe Viking Ocean has upgraded internet. At least they didn’t have it last December 

 

But Oceania definitely had upgraded internet in March because I paid for it. 

[ORV]

FWIW, Oceania has announced that for cruises Aug 1st forward no Covid testing required for boarding, unless for Canada, Greece or cruises going to Bermuda. 

 

I checked the NCL and Regent forums, but no word on those yet. 

[Gracie115]

2 hours ago, ORV said:

FWIW, Oceania has announced that for cruises Aug 1st forward no Covid testing required for boarding, unless for Canada, Greece or cruises going to Bermuda. 

 

I checked the NCL and Regent forums, but no word on those yet. 

 

Where did you read/see this?  I just looked at the Oceania website and it still states testing is required.

[ridge4]

@Gracie115, here is a direct link.  It’s confusing, not all the links are up to date.

 

Changes to Oceania Sail-Safe program

[Redtravel]

  Been on both lines several times. Last cruise was on Summit.  While the renovations are very good, the service was not good.  There were too many people and too few crew.  Next cruise is on Oceania Marina.  It  costs more and is worth it.