Celebrity Cruiser With Oceania Interest - Questions

[RollWave]

Thank you in advance for any & all input!

 

We are long time cruisers with loyalty to Celebrity (currently Elite+) for the past 15 years or so. We are in our mid-50's. One of the many things we like about Celebrity is the style of the ships (understated, no confetti cannons or water slides or grand promenades). We also like the live music that they will have throughout the smaller venues on the ship. We are self-employed (ie constantly busy & working) - a cruise is an opportunity to relax. We are not picky about cabin type - no "suite only" attitude from us - but we are picky about cabin location. We have had some lovely trips in an inside cabin and terrible trips in an upgraded cabin under the pool deck.

 

Reading through the various topics on this forum as well as hearing from other passengers while on past cruises (a frequent comment - if you like Celebrity you will LOVE Oceania!!!) we have decided to give Oceania a try. We are looking at a NYC to Bermuda sailing September 2023 on Insignia. We like the itinerary with overnight stays in two Bermuda ports. Also, the price point is attractive for us to give the line a try.

 

- Insignia: I have read some negative comments about the R class ships. Having not been on any Oceania ships will we enjoy the Insignia?

- Entertainment: We enjoy having a drink and listening to live music. Does Oceania offer this type of entertainment? Any examples from recent sailings?

- O Life: A tad confused about OLife. Are any shore excursions included with the cruise fare if you do not select Olife? If Olife is selected, must you do the flights or can you get a credit for this and book your own flights?

- Specialty Restaurants: It appears specialty restaurants are included. Is it easy to get reservations?

 

Please feel free to share experiences or any other nuggets of Oceania wisdom!

 

 

[YoPhilly]

Hello.  We too are converts.  After many cruises on Princess, we jumped ship to Celebrity, and then tried Oceania.  Although we don't rule out Celebrity completely, we love O's smaller ships - fewer passengers, better service, delicious food.  Our first O cruise was an oceanview on the Regatta - one of the R ships.  Although the cabins are smaller than their larger sisters, we didn't mind it at all.  No matter which category, you're never far from an outside deck.  If entertainment is very important to you, I'd say it's not for you.  Yes, there is usually some musical group in the bar area and generally daytime lectures or something like that.  Regarding specialty restaurants, you're initially allotted a certain number of reservations in each restaurant based on your cabin category - which you can and should book prior to sailing.  Once onboard, you can request additional reservations on an ad hoc basis.

Only you know if it's right for you.  I'd recommend giving it a try.  You might just love it like the rest of us! 😁

Edited August 3, 2022 by YoPhilly

[PhD-iva]

Agree OLife is confusing to (almost) all. We have some posters with advanced degrees in OLife, so the fire hose of good advice is coming shortly.

Also, give the search function here on cc a try. Search olife and you’ll get LOTS of hits.

Agree with the comment that if entertainment is important to you, O might not be your new home. We often hear, and I agree, that the pax are the entertainment. You’ll meet interesting people who have lived interesting lives, and you’ll make new friends.

Since I’m surfing cruisecritic more weeks in a year than I am cruising onboard a ship, I also appreciate the “tone” I find here on the O forum. The Celebrity forum had too many trolls and angry, sharp-sounding posts. You’ll find a little bit of that here as well, but not as much as on the X forum. So, I cruise on O for the virtual community as well.

[YoPhilly]

1 minute ago, PhD-iva said:

Agree OLife is confusing to (almost) all. We have some posters with advanced degrees in OLife, so the fire hose of good advice is coming shortly.

Also, give the search function here on cc a try. Search olife and you’ll get LOTS of hits.

Agree with the comment that if entertainment is important to you, O might not be your new home. We often hear, and I agree, that the pax are the entertainment. You’ll meet interesting people who have lived interesting lives, and you’ll make new friends.

Since I’m surfing cruisecritic more weeks in a year than I am cruising onboard a ship, I also appreciate the “tone” I find here on the O forum. The Celebrity forum had too many trolls and angry, sharp-sounding posts. You’ll find a little bit of that here as well, but not as much as on the X forum. So, I cruise on O for the virtual community as well.

Perfectly stated!

[RollWave]

14 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Agree OLife is confusing to (almost) all. We have some posters with advanced degrees in OLife, so the fire hose of good advice is coming shortly.

Also, give the search function here on cc a try. Search olife and you’ll get LOTS of hits.

Agree with the comment that if entertainment is important to you, O might not be your new home. We often hear, and I agree, that the pax are the entertainment. You’ll meet interesting people who have lived interesting lives, and you’ll make new friends.

Since I’m surfing cruisecritic more weeks in a year than I am cruising onboard a ship, I also appreciate the “tone” I find here on the O forum. The Celebrity forum had too many trolls and angry, sharp-sounding posts. You’ll find a little bit of that here as well, but not as much as on the X forum. So, I cruise on O for the virtual community as well.

Thank you! I came across a review blog that someone shared in the forum. It looks like the entertainment may suffice. 

Agree- the Celebrity forum can get a bit angry.

[RollWave]

45 minutes ago, YoPhilly said:

Hello.  We too are converts.  After many cruises on Princess, we jumped ship to Celebrity, and then tried Oceania.  Although we don't rule out Celebrity completely, we love O's smaller ships - fewer passengers, better service, delicious food.  Our first O cruise was an oceanview on the Regatta - one of the R ships.  Although the cabins are smaller than their larger sisters, we didn't mind it at all.  No matter which category, you're never far from an outside deck.  If entertainment is very important to you, I'd say it's not for you.  Yes, there is usually some musical group in the bar area and generally daytime lectures or something like that.  Regarding specialty restaurants, you're initially allotted a certain number of reservations in each restaurant based on your cabin category - which you can and should book prior to sailing.  Once onboard, you can request additional reservations on an ad hoc basis.

Only you know if it's right for you.  I'd recommend giving it a try.  You might just love it like the rest of us! 😁

Thank you! Great information! I think we are going to give Oceania a try! The smaller ships, fewer passengers, great food & service - are important to us.

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP: Ditto on “use the search feature here on CC.” I and others have posted very complete descriptions of how O Life can work to your advantage. But, for starters: O Life can be with air or air credit. Choose the allowed excursions (<$200 sa) and add enough others to get 25% discount on those.

Specialty restaurants: No charge for as many times as you can add (space available) to your base allotment schedule pre-cruise. And all dining venues serve excellent food. The “specialties” are focused menus and ambiance.

Entertainment: Martini’s has pianist nightly. String quartet plays daily in different location. Multi-talented band plays in Main Bar (Horizons). 
O uses same talent agency as NCL for onboard company and changing guest performers but ship size limits big productions (want a Broadway show? Go to Broadway). 
FWIW: Most O itineraries have 75%+\- repeat customers. And many of them were former Celebrity regulars. 

Finally: where O really shines is longer/exotic itineraries. IMO a 7 day Bermuda cruise is a “boat ride” that will not be time enough to really experience what O has to offer.

[LHT28]

Since you live in Florida  why not  take one of the O ships  from Miami

A bit bigger cabins  but still a small ship  compared to some these days

 If you have DONE  the Caribbean then it will give you time to relax & enjoy the ship

 Entertainment is low key on Oceania 

 

Try it  then decide

 

[ORV]

I'm not going to tell you do a search, others have already said that. BUT, if you will spend some time just going through this forum, the past 3 or 4 weeks, and reading threads that catch your interest you will find the answers to all your questions and more. These are all common topics here. Fortunately, you don't have to wade through a lot of topics such as "What's your favorite drink?" or "Help me pick a cruise" like you might see on some of the other forums here. 

 

I agree with Lyn that coming from Celebrity you might like the O ships better, but you never know. Although I prefer the O ships, my first 2 cruises with Oceania were on the R ships and loved them. I actually cruised Oceania before Celebrity, and for the most part like Celebrity just fine. I just take them for what they are and don't expect one to be the other. 

[jonthomas]

One of the best things about O is their Loyalty program. We wasted a lot of years becoming Elite plus on Celeb. Now love O but have no perks from Loyalty. Have only done 3. With 15, you have deviation covered and gratuities which can be a large chunk. Have done about 50 with Celeb, was not satisfied at 40 once they became a class divided cruise line and needed to make the switch at that time. 

 

Now have 6 booked with O trying to get to those benefits once you hit 15 credits. 

 

Love Os activites ...not sure about best food at sea anymore....the last cruise in April on the Riviera,  with staff shortages and changes, O could not make that claim for us. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

One of the best things about O is their Loyalty program. We wasted a lot of years becoming Elite plus on Celeb. Now love O but have no perks from Loyalty.  

No one else’s passenger rewards program comes close to the added value of O Club. 
(As for the food item: all cruise lines are facing the same supply chain/staffing challenges. In comparison, O remains the “finest cuisine at sea.”) 

[Cruzin Terri]

15 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

With 15, you have deviation covered and gratuities which can be a large chunk

Just checked to see if I missed a change.  Gratuities are covered at cruise #10.  The other perks kick in at #15.  Just want to set the record straight.

Terri

[DrivesLikeMario]

-As an Oceania newbie, I too was confused about the OLife amenities.  From what I learned on this forum, it is generally more advantageous to you to go with the shore excursions amenity.  You can choose the tours that aren't marked as "OS" Select.  In our case, we chose 3 tours that came to $579 per person x 2 = $1158.  That's a heck of a lot better than the $600 total OBC.  There were a good amount of tours to choose from for us, but that will depend on your itinerary.  So if you're going to a destination where you know you'll be happy with cruise line tours, this is the best option.  
-You will get a credit for the airfare, which is what we did too since their bus. class air was $2,400 more per person that what I could get on my own.

[tropicalkerry2002]

Hi RollWave!

 

I am booked solo (for my first time ever!), to Bermuda on Sept 20,2023, after 12 or so Oceania Cruises. I have never sailed any other line! Love Oceania!

If you book the same date, hope to see you on board.I haven't started a roll call yet, will do next month.

[Tea Snob]

Hello RollWave,

We love the smaller Oceania ship, the Insignia.  Since it's a smaller ship, it can go to ports closer to city centers. The crew and officers were wonderful.  The food was truly the best cuisine at sea.  We were on her for 28 days to Southeast Asia in an inside cabin in 2017.  We were on deck 8.  All we had to do was go up one deck and we had access to the Terrace, Waves Grill and pool area and sea air!  The cabin size was a non issue for us.  A bigger shower area would have been nice, but not a deal breaker.  We actually loved the lectures on board, the Afternoon Teas, and the low key entertainment.

We have also been on the inside cabin on deck 8 of the Nautica for 18 days.  We have also been in a penthouse on the Marina and Nautica and concierge veranda on the Marina and will be in a concierge veranda on the Riviera next year.  IMHO, one can't go wrong on whatever cabin you choose.

Enjoy your cruise!

[hamrag]

9 hours ago, RollWave said:

- Insignia: I have read some negative comments about the R class ships. Having not been on any Oceania ships will we enjoy the Insignia?

- Entertainment: We enjoy having a drink and listening to live music. Does Oceania offer this type of entertainment? Any examples from recent sailings?

- Specialty Restaurants: It appears specialty restaurants are included. Is it easy to get reservations?

 

Please feel free to share experiences or any other nuggets of Oceania wisdom!

 

 

Context....we have 54 cruises across 16 cruiselines. We did that precise cruise 7 nights NYC to Bermuda last month on the Insignia, our only Oceania cruise so far. The ship was refurbed 2018, and given Covid-19 two years out service it still looks brand new and is stunning! The biggest problem is that for 75% of cabins the shower is tiny....if you are anything beyond a little middle age flab, it is not comfortable. Being on that margin, and in our mid-60s, we were fine with it.

 

Entertainment is poor, and any live music is very limited. The show room (not theatre, much smaller) entertainment is poor, the shows are high school final year for end of term parents night standard. It wouldn't put us off going again, but you need to know.

 

SR's, we booked pre-cruise and were able to adjust timings on-board. MDR and buffet food is truly superb, Oceania claim they are 'best at sea' in that regard and we thoroughly agree.

 

Bermuda is amazing, and the way Oceania do it with the two port visits really made it for us.

[rbtan]

Entertainment is rather limited. The singers/dancers are pretty good, though not great. Individual acts do seem to stand out pretty well. I'm used to the Riviera, which is considerably larger than the small ships, but still small compared to the mass lines. On Oceania, the food is really the entertainment. Not every meal is perfect. It's not on any ship. When they do excel (which is often)the food can eadsliy rival the best rest. on land.

[DENIE]

Another Celebrity convert here.  After a couple Covid cruise cancellations, we decided to try Oceania based on the recommendation of several friends.  Our experience was on the O-class Riviera, though, and we absolutely loved it.  So much so that we booked the new Vista in 2024.  Agree with most other posters.  For entertainment, we mostly hung out evenings in Martini's.  Food was amazing (only one real "miss" on the trip, and some very pleasant surprises).

[NewSalty]

A somewhat minor point about OLife complexities that I haven't seen mentioned on the forum too often:  Oceania does not list what the "Air Credit" is on the website.  However, once you understand the system, it's very easy to figure out what the No-Air OLife fare is.  Just take the cruise-only fare, and add 1/2 of the OBC perk.

[LHT28]

9 minutes ago, NewSalty said:

A somewhat minor point about OLife complexities that I haven't seen mentioned on the forum too often:  Oceania does not list what the "Air Credit" is on the website.  However, once you understand the system, it's very easy to figure out what the No-Air OLife fare is.  Just take the cruise-only fare, and add 1/2 of the OBC perk.

The air credit varies  by  cruise 

it does not always work out  the way you suggest

 If you have a TA  just ask them what the air  credit is for  the cruise  you want 😉

 

 

[Gracie115]

A lot of mention here on what entertainment is available on the smaller ships, what about the Marina & Riveria and now Vista?

 

We don't need to be constantly entertained but like to have some music to listen to in the evenings.  Do those ships provide that?

[LHT28]

54 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

A lot of mention here on what entertainment is available on the smaller ships, what about the Marina & Riveria and now Vista?

 

We don't need to be constantly entertained but like to have some music to listen to in the evenings.  Do those ships provide that?

They are pretty much the same

The production show  have a couple more singers/dancers than the R ships

I suspect the Vista  will be the same  ...time will tell

[mauibabes]

Gracie,

I believe you will find some form of music played from 6:00 p.m. on every dayon any of the Oceania ships. It may be a pianist in Martini’s during Happy Hour, a 4 person band and singer in Horizons during Happy Hour, the string quartet by the Grand Bar, or the full band in the Lounge prior to the 9:30 shows, and post show time band in Horizons for dancing into the night. In the afternoon there can also a band playing out on the pool deck. 
Of course some bands are better than others but it is still entertaining music. Just go and ENJOY. 

Mauibabes

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 hours ago, NewSalty said:

A somewhat minor point about OLife complexities that I haven't seen mentioned on the forum too often:  Oceania does not list what the "Air Credit" is on the website.  However, once you understand the system, it's very easy to figure out what the No-Air OLife fare is.  Just take the cruise-only fare, and add 1/2 of the OBC perk.

As long as you’re using your cruise’s info, that works.

 

Easiest way: Mock booking.

 

Find your cruise on the O website

Select the O Life fare for you preferred cabin.
Next page: Check “NO” for “need airfare?”

Next page: Subtract the new fare from the original O Life fare (which is “with” air).

Difference in price per person from the first page is the air credit per person for O Life w/o air.

 

[NewSalty]

Not sure what you mean by "As long as you’re using your cruise’s info"... Which other cruise's

Info would I be using?