A Comparison Of Oceania And Celebrity Today

[Aloha 1]

We are traveling in Europe from 7/7 to 8/3 on two cruise lines - Celebrity and Oceania, starting from Barcelona. We are Elite+ on X and had some FCC to use up due to covid cancellations. Our first X cruise since 2015. We have 6 cruises on O and this B2B will give us 8. Our X cruise was surprisingly enjoyable, going from Barcelona to Rome. I will try to give you a comparison between the two ships as we go.

 

This our first time on Nautica and our first Vista Suite. Also was our first time on a Celebrity Edge class ship and a Celebrity Suite.

 

EMBARKATION

Celebrity uses a smart phone app for everything. I found it very efficient to upload all our pre cruise info using this app. Basically the same info for both lines, passports, vaccination records, etc. Did the same for O on line. The difference between the two became apparent at embarkation. At embarkation on Celebrity in Barcelona, as Retreat guests, we had a separate check in area where everything was handled by  port staff with ipads. A quick check of our negative test results, answering a few health questions and we were on our way on board. We went up to our Suite and found our butler waiting there for us with our key cards. Nice touch and very efficient. In our Suite in less than 15 minutes.

Embarking on Nautica in Trieste we were docked at the industrial port and not the main cruise terminal. First stop was to fill out vaccination forms by hand basically duplicating what we had already provided on line, again answering by hand the health questions, then a temperature check and getting a wrist tag. Next line up to get our World Cards, security, and then passport control with one agent handling everyone. Big backup. Only the gangplank was available for boarding but there were personnel to carry your hand luggage up if requested. Escorted by the head butler directly to our suite. Again a nice touch. About half an hour from start to finish. The edge goes to Celebrity for efficient embarkation.

 

SUITES

The Celebrity Suite was about 480 square ft plus balcony. Main bathroom had sink and tub/shower combo and a second had the toilet and another sink. The tub/shower was very tight and small. Bedroom separated from the living area with a sofa bed, desk, reefer, etc. decor was warm earth tones and very light.

The Vista Suite (780 sq.ft including balcony) decor is upscale elegant. Some might say old school. A main bath with toilet, sink and a very large shower plus a guest bathroom with sink and toilet. Living area and master bedroom with a true King bed. The bed is on a sleigh type frame which means you cannot store any luggage underneath the bed.

AMENITIES

Celebrity does the ship within a ship concept called The Retreat. You have a private restaurant, Luminae, separate lounge and bar, pool and sun deck. It was very quiet and peaceful. Included are premium wifi, beverage package similar to the O Prestige package plus $800 shipboard credit which we used for the specialty restaurants and shore excursions.

Obviously, on O there is no charge for any of the dining facilities  and the entire ship is in fact “The Retreat”. You do have to pay for the beverage package but basic wifi is included.

 

 

FOOD

This is where it gets interesting. We’ve become big fans of Oceania and Regent and frankly, had not been impressed with Celebrity’s food in the past other than one or two specialty venues. Big shock! Every dinner we had in 4 different venues was outstanding and as good as O and R. We love fish and not once did we have an over or under cooked fish on The Edge. From Snapper, to Grouper, to Sea Bass, each was prepared perfectly. More on food comparisons as we go.

 

More later.Time to go see Korcula.

[Aloha 1]

Today is Day 5 of our 17 day journey on Nautica. Thoughts so far, the ports of Korcula in Croatia and Igoumenitsa were very interesting especially the latter which was a first time stop for Oceania. Totally different from southern Greece.

Due to calm seas and late departures we’ve dined al fresco 4 nights in a row at The Terrace. Fish at the grill continues to be overcooked despite our asking for it to be pulled sooner. Staff at Martini’s very good and crew in general very friendly. A few new crew who definitely need extra training.

One thing we did not think of when booking the Vista Suite is that it came with a built alarm, ie; the anchor dropping or bow thrusters being employed when arriving at 6 AM in a port. DW thought an earthquake was happening the first morning!

Today we are in Argostoli, Greece, a port we have been to before on Riviera. We’ll see how Polo delivers tonite.

[shepherd really]

Meh, the entire concept of the retreat is offensive to me.  It reminds me of dystopian fiction where some live in floating cities while the great unwashed labor in the polluted mess below them.   Just fine if you are ok with disparate treatment, I like O because that isn't the case. 

 

I've never felt like a second-class citizen anywhere on an O ship and like it that way.  I can afford the retreat; I just couldn't enjoy it.   

[Ride-The-Waves]

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Meh, the entire concept of the retreat is offensive to me.  It reminds me of dystopian fiction where some live in floating cities while the great unwashed labor in the polluted mess below them.   Just fine if you are ok with disparate treatment, I like O because that isn't the case. 

 

I've never felt like a second-class citizen anywhere on an O ship and like it that way.  I can afford the retreat; I just couldn't enjoy it.   

You would have really liked ocean liners.  Three classes each with their own restaurants, venues and perks.  The cruising trend today is returning to the days of yesteryear with different venues by cost status. Personally, like the idea of Luminae on Celebrity and the availability of Michael's Club as a haven.  Its nice and the concierge provides a service not otherwise available.  Note here that O does similar by having different "clubs/concierge" for different levels cabins.  

[pinotlover]

Aloha1;

 

A bit confused, maybe didn’t have all the information. A 17 day cruise on the Nautica will yield only one (1) cruise credit, whether a “ b2b” or not. Is there another cruise afterwards not mentioned?

[ORV]

57 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Aloha1;

 

A bit confused, maybe didn’t have all the information. A 17 day cruise on the Nautica will yield only one (1) cruise credit, whether a “ b2b” or not. Is there another cruise afterwards not mentioned?

All depends on how it's booked. Ask FF, he can write you an essay on it. I'm doing 16 days (2 8-day cruises) and getting 2 credits. The key is (I think) that they are basically the same itinerary. I have two separate invoices with two different reservation numbers. 

[JoePDX]

8 hours ago, Aloha 1 said:

 

 

 

FOOD

This is where it gets interesting. We’ve become big fans of Oceania and Regent and frankly, had not been impressed with Celebrity’s food in the past other than one or two specialty venues. Big shock! Every dinner we had in 4 different venues was outstanding and as good as O and R. We love fish and not once did we have an over or under cooked fish on The Edge. From Snapper, to Grouper, to Sea Bass, each was prepared perfectly. More on food comparisons as we go.

 

 

We were on the Edge inaugural transatlantic in May 2019.   I too was blown away by the food in the four main dining rooms.   With fish being great choices all around.   These spaces also felt intimate a la Oceania.

 

Joe

[reposado]

Having been on the solstice 2019 and 12+ meals in Luminae I can say without a doubt the food ingredients + quality isnt near Oceania(execution on how well the fish is cooked etc of course can vary by ship/staff). The french restaurant(for a bit extra $) was excellent and on par with Oceania. Add the crowd size and premium service there is no doubt Oceania is a decent step up... but of course it also cost more. 

 

Both are decent choices. When my kids were younger I preferred Celebrity as its more family friendly and had better entertainment. Now I prefer Oceania. 

 

 

[avalong]

4 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Aloha1;

 

A bit confused, maybe didn’t have all the information. A 17 day cruise on the Nautica will yield only one (1) cruise credit, whether a “ b2b” or not. Is there another cruise afterwards not mentioned?

Aloha1 mentioned she was on 2 btb cruises. Period. No mention of cruise credits .For the love of all that is holy please let this issue die, at least in this thread. This is actually an interesting thread that I would hate to see devolve into the incessant and tedious bean-counting that is sure to ensue regarding cruise credits. Please.

[Aloha 1]

22 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Aloha1;

 

A bit confused, maybe didn’t have all the information. A 17 day cruise on the Nautica will yield only one (1) cruise credit, whether a “ b2b” or not. Is there another cruise afterwards not mentioned?

Booked as two separate cruises with two different reservation numbers and different cabin classes.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

Well, for the first time on any of our O cruises, Polo delivered! My filet was cooked exactly as requested which has never happened before. DW’s lobster was perfect.

Our two objectives in Argostoli yesterday were picking up some olive oil and Kataifi to take home to our kids and lunch. Mission accomplished. Found a little grill joint off the main road for Gyro meat, Greek salad, Tzatsiki and pita. Opa!

Today we went up to Taormina to shop and see the Ancient Greek theatre. Very impressive with a stunning view from it. The ancients sure knew how to build and had an eye for aesthetics.

The weather has been very warm in the low 90’s but typical for this part of the world in summer.

The Terrace for dinner tonite and Amalfi tomorrow. Ciao, for now.

[Aloha 1]

21 hours ago, reposado said:

Having been on the solstice 2019 and 12+ meals in Luminae I can say without a doubt the food ingredients + quality isnt near Oceania(execution on how well the fish is cooked etc of course can vary by ship/staff). The french restaurant(for a bit extra $) was excellent and on par with Oceania. Add the crowd size and premium service there is no doubt Oceania is a decent step up... but of course it also cost more. 

 

Both are decent choices. When my kids were younger I preferred Celebrity as its more family friendly and had better entertainment. Now I prefer Oceania. 

 

 

We too have been on the Solstice class ships. These new Edge Class ones are a different breed. No more single MDR and separate kitchens for each dining venue. We also only had 1700 on board Edge so it never felt crowded. We still prefer O or R but would definitely sail X again n for the right itinerary.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

I misspoke about dinner last night. It was our second visit to Toscana and, once again, it was outstanding. My Fritto Misto was perfect without a hint of grease. DW loved the Branzino again. She had commented on our first visit that she missed the Chocolate Lasagna dessert. Well, the Maitre d delivered for dolce, the chocolate lasagna  to our table. A very nice touch!

Today was Amalfi and what a sea of humanity it was. No masks visible anywhere and It looked like pre-Covid times. It also was very hot. According to my weather app it is currently 89 but feels like 103.

Dinner tonite in the MDR. Our first time using that venue since a late dinner in St. Petersburg several years ago. The menu looked OK and I’ll report back on how it goes.

[Aloha 1]

A word about tenders. This cruise on Nautica has 5 tender ports out of 10 days. These are the standard bench seat tenders. The Celebrity Edge boasted the most luxurious tenders we’ve ever been on. No bench but individual pull down padded seats for all! Larger in size of course due to the larger passenger count. They could have passed for small Coast Guard cutters.

[Aloha 1]

Dinner in the MDR was a hit. The Coconut Sweet Corn Veloute was outstanding in flavor plus it was served hot. Dover Sole and Chicken with Morel Mushroom Sauce also very good. Service from start to finish was one hour. We’ve typically avoided the MDR for it’s reputation of 2 hour plus dinners but on Nautica the service was impeccable and fast. As we continue this voyage we will most likely dine there again if the menu suits us.

Edited July 25, 2022 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

Yesterday was Rome. Although we’ve been here many times, we have not set foot in the city itself for 26 years. We took Trenitalia into Roma Termini from the Civitavecchia station and then the Metro to the Colosseo stop. I arranged a private tour with The Tour Guy to see the Colosseum, Palantine Hill and Forum again. After 26 years we could see how much restoration had been done on the Colosseum and Palantine Hill areas. Much more of the palaces of the Emperors has been uncovered plus they have restore a portion of the floor of the Colosseum which we were able to walk on. Your mind can only imagine how it was 2,000 years ago at the very center of the largest Empire the world has ever seen.

 

The downside was the temp was in the low 90’s with high humidity and a supporting cast of thousands of others spending a Sunday in Roma. We returned to the ship about 4:30 PM grateful once again for the invention of air conditioning. Dinner was in the Terrace last night and from the looks of it, half the ship was eating there due to the lateness of the ship tours returning.

[pinotlover]

5 hours ago, Aloha 1 said:

Dinner in the MDR was a hit. The Coconut Sweet Corn Veloute was outstanding in flavor plus it was served hot. Dover Sole and Chicken with Morel Mushroom Sauce also very good. Service from start to finish was one hour. We’ve typically avoided the MDR for it’s reputation of 2 hour plus dinners but on Nautica the service was impeccable and fast. As we continue this voyage we will most likely dine there again if the menu suits us.

I didn’t find it in your earlier posts. At what capacity or with how many other passengers are you cruising?

 

We enjoy the GDR, but on full ships I’ve never seen 1hour dining there. 

[LHT28]

If we have a 2 top  on the R ships we can be in/out  of the GDR in about 1 hr   sharing  takes longer  IME

[Aloha 1]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

I didn’t find it in your earlier posts. At what capacity or with how many other passengers are you cruising?

 

We enjoy the GDR, but on full ships I’ve never seen 1hour dining there. 

600 out of 680 capacity on this leg from Trieste to Barcelona. Quite a few are from Spain and Italy. Many North Americans with their teenage kids on board, more than I've seen on any other O cruise. We'll most likely dine in the GDR again so we'll see if one hour holds up.

Edited July 25, 2022 by Aloha 1

[Aloha 1]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

If we have a 2 top  on the R ships we can be in/out  of the GDR in about 1 hr   sharing  takes longer  IME

We just had us.

[Aloha 1]

Saint Tropez on the French Riviera today. I’d estimate a least a billion dollars + in yachts anchored around or in the harbor. Several had a dingy that looked like a small enclosed  tender. We walked around the main shopping area and planned to have lunch but no way was I going to pay €24 for a basic Croque Monsieur. Went back to the ship and had the Wagyu Burger with black truffle sauce at Waves.

 

Another miss was the port had Nautica and the Europa2 at anchor and tendering but only allowed one tender at a time to dock. So you wait..and wait…and wait until the other tender leaves before yours come in. Not the best situation as there was plenty of dock space not in use.

[no fuss travel]

15 hours ago, LHT28 said:

If we have a 2 top  on the R ships we can be in/out  of the GDR in about 1 hr   sharing  takes longer  IME

+1

[Aloha 1]

Yesterday we did a ship tour to Aix En Provence. Very nice relaxing tour with a good guide. A glass of wine and a short drive back to the ship. Dinner again in The Terrace as we had to pack up to move from our very roomy Vista Suite to a Penthouse Suite for the last leg of our voyage. Donated a bit to the Casino -again, and off to bed. It was a rock & roll night as we encountered some stormy weather that continued until this morning at Barcelona.

This morning, our butler, Roger, assisted in moving us around 9AM. The PH by comparison is a little smaller than the size of the living room and guest  bath in the Vista. Oh well, it is what it is.

Staff have been most gracious and helpful. No testing was required, and new cards were ready for us at 9 AM so after unpacking we wandered back to La Rambla for a bit. Polo Grill tonight so we’ll see if they make it two hits in a row.

[Aloha 1]

A word about TV reception and internet. For the first segment on Nautica, I purchased the "upgraded" WIFI. Frankly, there is no difference from the standard. Still slow, cannot stream anything, and it drops the internet connection frequently. I'm using the standard internet right now and cannot tell the difference. The TV reception has also been very spotty and that is a bit surprising as we have cruised this area of the Med before and have never encountered so many drop outs of signal..

[Aloha 1]

Shockingly, POLO did it again. A ribeye cooked exactly how I wanted it. DW wishes they’d add a fish other than swordfish such as Dover Sole as the only thing she would eat is the lobster.

Quite a few new passengers boarded yesterday. You can tell because they were still walking around with masks. This morning, not so much.

 

Today we are at Cartagena. What a beautiful city! A lovely pedestrian promenade that stretches for quite a distance with shops and restaurants. The city dates back to Carthage and was founded by them in 216 BCE. The Romans made it a thriving port and the original fortifications are still here. There was a little shop selling Argentinian style Empanadas for €3.50 that were absolutely delicious. And another shop fresh making candied nuts and roasted sunflower seeds. Great place.

 

Still nothing that floats our boat for dinner in the GDR other than the one night last week. In fact, the menus seem very weak compared to pre covid on Riviera and Marina. Don’t know if it’s a function of size or staff but it’s disappointing. Example; today was a Mexican lunch buffet. I had a Chicken Flauta and a Beef Empanada. Both were severely overcooked and dry. I should have bought more from the Argentinian place instead! At breakfast today the Huevos Rancheros were very soggy instead of the crisp tortilla I've always gotten on Riveria and Marina.

 

None the less, it’s back to The Terrace tonite to see if they can cook a fish filet without turning it into rubber.