Thinking of trying the new Oceania ship, Vista. Talk me out of it?

[OysterD]

On 12/31/2022 at 4:13 PM, LGW59 said:

 Two 7 night Med cruises both depart on May 13, 2023, Edge in Sky Suite, so all of the Retreat benes (other than specialty dining) included priced out at $11,300 for the two of us.  Oceania Vista, Founders Cruise, also May 13, Penthouse1 suite, specialty dining included for every suite apparently, we do not drink so not paying for something we will not use.  This priced out at (we have already booked) $7,598.  So for $4,000 less, in what appears to be very similiar suite levels and we will use the $200/pp OBC to pay the tips, we don't spend any other $ on board, it was a very easy decision, esp. after all the feedback we got from others on CC.  Good luck with whatever you decide and keep doing those cost comparisons, we are looking at several other cruises for late 2023 and early 2024, all comparing Celebrity to Oceania, and in EVERY single instance, O has priced out lower, ranging from $1,500 to $5,000+.  

I just had a quick look at those two cruises. The Oceania one in the PH1 suite currently comes to £6898 for two, the sky suite on the Edge currently comes out at £6869 so pretty much the same.

 

A couple weeks later there's an Oceania 10 day cruise on Vista, £11,200 for two in a penthouse suite or a 9 day cruise on Beyond in a sky suite for £10,600. 

 

However in both cases the Celebrity cruises include premium drinks and $800 onboard credit while the Oceania ones include either drinks or $300/400 credit, so in reality the Celebrity ones are coming out cheaper. 

 

Maybe prices changed since you booked, or it's to do with booking in £ vs $ or maybe X saw your post and quickly just changed their prices hahah. Anyway, I've looked at a few others and seen X prices very similar if not cheaper than equivalent on Oceania so I guess its not necessarily the case that Oceania is always coming in cheaper at moment. 

[LGW59]

17 minutes ago, OysterD said:

I just had a quick look at those two cruises. The Oceania one in the PH1 suite currently comes to £6898 for two, the sky suite on the Edge currently comes out at £6869 so pretty much the same.

 

A couple weeks later there's an Oceania 10 day cruise on Vista, £11,200 for two in a penthouse suite or a 9 day cruise on Beyond in a sky suite for £10,600. 

 

However in both cases the Celebrity cruises include premium drinks and $800 onboard credit while the Oceania ones include either drinks or $300/400 credit, so in reality the Celebrity ones are coming out cheaper. 

 

Maybe prices changed since you booked, or it's to do with booking in £ vs $ or maybe X saw your post and quickly just changed their prices hahah. Anyway, I've looked at a few others and seen X prices very similar if not cheaper than equivalent on Oceania so I guess its not necessarily the case that Oceania is always coming in cheaper at moment. 

Aqua Sky Suite

 

 

 

 

 

First Guest Total$9,016.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Guest Total$9,016.00

Discounts

Semi-Annual Sale Savings-$200.00

Non-Refundable 75% 2nd Guest Discount-$6,688.00

BONUS OBC NRD ($50.00 to spend Onboard)

SAVOBCOFFER NRD ($200.00 to spend Onboard)

The Retreat

Premium Wi-Fi

$300 per person in onboard credit to use however you choose, including shore excursions

Premium drinks

Tips

Dining

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included at select venues

Exclusive Access to Luminae

Taxes & Fees

Taxes, Fees, and Port Expenses$164.36

---

Trip Total$11,308.36 USD

Minimum Deposit$500.00 USD

Remaining balance due February 12, 2023$10,808.36 USD

Cancellation Fees

[OysterD]

8 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Aqua Sky Suite

 

 

 

 

 

First Guest Total$9,016.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Guest Total$9,016.00

Discounts

Semi-Annual Sale Savings-$200.00

Non-Refundable 75% 2nd Guest Discount-$6,688.00

BONUS OBC NRD ($50.00 to spend Onboard)

SAVOBCOFFER NRD ($200.00 to spend Onboard)

The Retreat

Premium Wi-Fi

$300 per person in onboard credit to use however you choose, including shore excursions

Premium drinks

Tips

Dining

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included at select venues

Exclusive Access to Luminae

Taxes & Fees

Taxes, Fees, and Port Expenses$164.36

---

Trip Total$11,308.36 USD

Minimum Deposit$500.00 USD

Remaining balance due February 12, 2023$10,808.36 USD

Cancellation Fees

That's an Aqua sky suite so is a little more expensive than standard sky suite, but on the UK site the standard sky suite on the Edge on that 13th May cruise comes in as follows, which as I said is the same price (cheaper when you take into account the OBC and free drinks) as the Oceania one:

 

Sky Suite

 

 

 

First Guest Total£5,618.00

 

 

 

Second Guest Total£5,618.00

Discounts

Special Offer-£4,505.00

RETREATBOGO75 ($800.00 to spend Onboard)

The Retreat

Premium Wi-Fi

Premium drinks

Tips

Dining

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included at select venues

Exclusive Access to Luminae

Taxes & Fees

Taxes, Fees, and Port Expenses£138.00

---

Trip Total£6,869.00 GBP

[Flatbush Flyer]

No matter how you slice it or dice it, the $$$ do not take into account the vast difference in quality - particularly when it comes to the well known superior food and service on O.
There’s a reason why so many regular Celebrity cruisers try Oceania and then never return to Celebrity.

[terrydtx]

28 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

No matter how you slice it or dice it, the $$$ do not take into account the vast difference in quality - particularly when it comes to the well known superior food and service on O.
There’s a reason why so many regular Celebrity cruisers try Oceania and then never return to Celebrity.

After reading and participating in this thread I am beginning to see your point and we are rethinking our loyalty to Celebrity. No one has mentioned in this thread comparing X Suites and/or Oceania to Viking Ocean.  One article I read recently stated the new Oceania Vista was designed and built to directly compete with Viking Ocean. We have wanted to try Viking Ocean, however having to pay in full 12 months or more out has been a deal killer for us.

[LGW59]

37 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

No matter how you slice it or dice it, the $$$ do not take into account the vast difference in quality - particularly when it comes to the well known superior food and service on O.
There’s a reason why so many regular Celebrity cruisers try Oceania and then never return to Celebrity.

And I do expect that will the case for us once we do our O cruise in May.  

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We have wanted to try Viking Ocean, however having to pay in full 12 months or more out has been a deal killer for us.

 

Had an email this morning that Viking is having a special 25th anniversary sale with only a $25 deposit required. I didn't look further at the details but it seemed to include both river and ocean cruises -- may be worth looking it up.

[cruisemom42]

I am not loyal to any line. As someone who has cruised for about 50 years (I started young lol), one thing I've found is that lines tend to ebb and flow in terms of which offers the best fit and the best experience at any given time.

 

I've been very happy on the 4 Celebrity cruises I've taken since the restart -- yet I have none booked for 2023. Why?  I'm your "middle of the road" cruiser and also I cruise solo. Two things that drive my bookings are 1) best itineraries and 2) most advantageous deals for a solo.  A close third is good food; I am less picky about other onboard experiences although I would definitely love more destination focused activities and lectures.

 

At the moment I have booked a 28-day all-around Japan cruise on HAL, an Oceania cruise that includes Iceland, Greenland and a few Canada ports (O finally got the memo and introduced a few solo cabins), and Azamara for a Med cruise with several new ports for me -- in itself no small feat as it will be my 13th Med cruise.

 

All that said, I am keeping a weather eye on Celebrity as there are several developments making me wonder whether it would still provide the same happy experience the next time I'm on board....

[terrydtx]

22 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Had an email this morning that Viking is having a special 25th anniversary sale with only a $25 deposit required. I didn't look further at the details but it seemed to include both river and ocean cruises -- may be worth looking it up.

I did see that promo, but VO has not yet released any of their 2025 South American itineraries. We will look at them once they are released. My sister and BIL, very loyal Celebrity cruisers, did a VO cruise to Iceland in August 2021 and said overall it was better than any other past cruise with Celebrity.

Edited January 1, 2023 by terrydtx

[Host Jazzbeau]

54 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I did see that promo, but VO has not yet released any of their 2025 South American itineraries. We will look at them once they are released. My sister and BIL, very loyal Celebrity cruisers, did a VO cruise to Iceland in August 2021 and said overall it was better than any other past cruise with Celebrity.

Will their 2025 itineraries be any different than their 2024 itineraries (or their 2023 itineraries, or their 2022 itineraries)?  That's the biggest thing stopping us from taking a second Viking Ocean cruise – we loved the first one, but can't find another itinerary that appeals.

[RichYak]

I know this thread is about transitioning from Celebrity to Oceania, but is anyone considering Seabourn as well? I don’t mean to hijack this thread but I also don’t want to pile on with another “moving on from X” thread. 
 

I need to keep better notes. I’ve read so much about Oceania lately that I forgot why I was also looking at Seabourn. 😂

[mac_tlc]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

No matter how you slice it or dice it, the $$$ do not take into account the vast difference in quality - particularly when it comes to the well known superior food and service on O.
There’s a reason why so many regular Celebrity cruisers try Oceania and then never return to Celebrity.

And that’s why personal value is more important than just price. 
 

As a I have recently posted, we are interested in O. Frankly, though, I have not found a price advantage for the times I have looked at, even before leveling the playing field for tips, beverages and any OBC. By reading everything I have, it seems the food is much better on O—— but how much am I willing to pay for that? It’s not “better food at any cost”. 
 

I think we will dip our toe in the O water, but on a shorter itinerary so the $$ in play are less. And probably on one the the larger ships. I don’t think we would enjoy the 600+ passenger ships. 
 

My wife has mobility issues, so Port after Port after Port is not appealing to us. O seems to often have more ports for the same total itinerary length. For some, that’s exactly what they want, for us not so much. 
 

I have enjoyed this thread and the comparisons people have found. It’s given me something to do over the holiday weekend!

 

mac_tlc

Edited January 1, 2023 by mac_tlc

[Ken the cruiser]

2 minutes ago, RichYak said:

I know this thread is about transitioning from Celebrity to Oceania, but is anyone considering Seabourn as well? I don’t mean to hijack this thread but I also don’t want to pile on with another “moving on from X” thread. 
 

I need to keep better notes. I’ve read so much about Oceania lately that I forgot why I was also looking at Seabourn. 😂

We did. We actually booked a Dec 2021 24-day Antarctica cruise on the Seabourn Quest, but it got cancelled. Then we booked a 20 day B2B Med cruise for July 2023 on the Sojourn until they canceled it when they charted out the first leg to a private group.
 

But to be honest, we’re glad they did. We have finally come to the conclusion we’re cruiseaholics and are the most comfortable on cruise ships with a capacity between 2000-3000 pax. Any less and they’re just “too cozy” for our taste.
 

Now, this current “limitation” may change when the “new” Crystal reappears in the near future. We’ve cruised with the “old” Crystal 5 times and they had become our goto luxury cruise line a few years back when we needed that extra “ultra cruising rush” that only Crystal could provide. But once we became Crystalized, all of the other “luxury” cruises lines just seem so “not Crystal”. 😂

[aggiejd2000]

We have our frustrations with X and are O-curious for the better food, enrichment, and smaller ports.  However, we like having a broader age demographic, a bustling casino, and livelier evenings.  We feel like Goldilocks because we can't seem to find a line that checks off all the boxes for us.     

[no1talks]

12 minutes ago, aggiejd2000 said:

"We feel like Goldilocks because we can't seem to find a line that checks off all the boxes for us."     

If I may ask, what other lines have you cruised and which boxes were lacking?

🤔

[aggiejd2000]

7 minutes ago, no1talks said:

If I may ask, what other lines have you cruised and which boxes were lacking?

🤔

We've been on RCL and NCL.  Too many people and too many children.  We don't have kids so those lines weren't for us.  And we also thought the food was sub par.  We started cruising with X (which was about 10 years ago).  In the beginning, we thought X was excellent.  After a several year hiatus, we sailed with X post-pandemic and found the food in the MDR to be unacceptable. 

 

However, we tried X twice more but in Aqua and enjoyed the food in Blu more.  It's still not quite to the level we'd like but it's better.  I've looked into other lines for more refined food and enrichment experiences, like Oceania and Viking Ocean, but as I mentioned, we want more than just that.      

[no1talks]

19 minutes ago, aggiejd2000 said:

"Too many people and too many children."

I completely agree on these points. If school's out, we're on land. Currently, MSC's Yacht Club works well for us. We don't plan on looking for another line in the near term.

Also, I think the cruise corps with piles of debt will make many changes within a few years and we are disinclined to become enamored with other lines until the dust settles.

Cheers!

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, aggiejd2000 said:

We have our frustrations with X and are O-curious for the better food, enrichment, and smaller ports.  However, we like having a broader age demographic, a bustling casino, and livelier evenings.  We feel like Goldilocks because we can't seem to find a line that checks off all the boxes for us.     

“Broader age demographic?”

Pick the right O itinerary and you’ll have everything from elementary school students to  college alumni of all ages.

[danceswithphones]

We are jeans and t-shirt cruisers. I own one set of dress clothing for funerals and weddings. I don't think I would be comfortable on Oceania or Regent. Last three times on X were PH on the Constellation (twice) and an Edge Villa on the Beyond. I cruise to relax, don't care about leaving the ship at ANY port, and love my pre-cruise stay in Ft Lauderdale (Lago Mar). Retreat boarding at T25 in Port Everglades rocks! We like 7 days or less and don't like sailing from Miami. Next sailing will be on the Ascent. What I'm doing works for us so I'm not going to fix it. 

[CruiseRQA]

On 12/31/2022 at 10:02 AM, RichYak said:

 However, recent behavior by X that I guess can't be talked about on CC is the nail in the coffin. 

For those of us not in the know - can you give us just a hint as to what this is about? 

[RichYak]

20 minutes ago, CruiseRQA said:

For those of us not in the know - can you give us just a hint as to what this is about? 

Celebrity didn't honor deposited bookings on certain sailings that they claimed were "mistake" fares. Please allow me to leave it at that as discussion threads on the topic were all removed by the CC mods. There's a lot of good information in this thread and I'd like it to remain.

[terrydtx]

19 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Will their 2025 itineraries be any different than their 2024 itineraries (or their 2023 itineraries, or their 2022 itineraries)?  That's the biggest thing stopping us from taking a second Viking Ocean cruise – we loved the first one, but can't find another itinerary that appeals.

In 2024 VO has almost the exact same 18-day itinerary as Oceania has in 2025. Pricing for similar cabins (A2 Oceania and DV2, VO) are within a few hundred dollars of each other 2024 for VO vs 2025 for Oceania. I know you have experience with both lines, if the itineraries are the same and pricing similar which one would you prefer over the other? Any information will be appreciated.

[MarkWiltonM]

On 12/31/2022 at 12:59 PM, MamaFej said:

I appreciate the advice regarding O-Life. It is, indeed, confusing. 

 

Although Oceania pushes O-Life, you can also get cruise-only fares, without choosing an O-Life perk. That's what we do. 

[terrydtx]

5 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

Although Oceania pushes O-Life, you can also get cruise-only fares, without choosing an O-Life perk. That's what we do. 

Until Jan 9th Oceania has a promo, you get the Cruise only fare price and can add one of the O-Life choices, $400OBC, 4 shore excursions or beverage package included in the price. Thats what I just did with our TA today see why below.

 

Today we booked our first cruise with Oceania, the 18-day Santiago to Buenos Aires cruise in March 2025. This decision was made after reading this excellent thread. We have loved Celebrity Suites but in 2025 their prices for a 14-night itinerary on the Equinox of South America has gotten way too high for us. We like the suites on Celebrity mainly because of their private restaurant Luminae as it offers a much-improved menu in a smaller venue. We are booked in a A2 Veranda cabin on the Marina for $370 cost per night pp. A Sky suite on the Equinox cruise comes out to $570 pp per night. Compare that to our booked New Zealand cruise on the Celebrity Edge in 2024 in a Sky Suite for $400pp per night. The way we see it the only thing we miss on the Oceania cruise over the Equinox is a Butler and the drinks package plus $800 OBC for booking a suite.  However $1887 ($2687-$800OBC) less in real cost plus having 4 more days of cruising more than makes up the difference on Oceania. 

[MamaFej]

43 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

Although Oceania pushes O-Life, you can also get cruise-only fares, without choosing an O-Life perk. That's what we do. 

Thanks. I have read quite a bit on the Oceania forum, and seen the same advice as here: take the excursions, or forgo O-Life altogether. I think we will likely look at the available excursions before making a booking decision if we do book with O.