Another quick Celebrity vs. Oceania price comparison (suite)

[D. B.]

We are on onboard Marina now on our first Oceania cruise after 23 years and many Celebrity cruises.

there are some things that O does better and some things not as well.

We are not big foodies and we do not stay in staterooms above a standard veranda so my observations are only from our level.

First thing is the entertainment because that is one of my biggest pleasures on a Cruise.

O has only one main show on Marina every night at 9:15pm. That’s too late for us if we have an early excursion the next day.

we had our first port day of this cruise today and it was well handled but much the same as other cruise lines we have sailed with. What surprised me was on returning to the ship there was nothing welcoming us back. No Easy up or couches or crew greeted us with wet towels and cool drinks just a gang plank?

  I also miss the nightly activities game at 8 o’clock with Yes or No or Majority rules or other fun games?

Now I see other things that O does better than X and I can see why people like it.

We booked this cruise 15 months ago when it was a super bargain that included a 4 category cabin upgrade and included premium economy air and a lot of OBC but at today’s prices I can’t afford to pay double what we pay for A Celebrity cruise.

For those who have deeper pockets and like O I totally understand the appeal.

I like the Celebrity option for Cruise Only as we do not drink alcohol and having that included means nothing to us.

we have 6 future Cruises booked with Celebrity.

D. B.

 

[Silkroad]

5 hours ago, D. B. said:

We are not big foodies and we do not stay in staterooms above a standard veranda so my observations are only from our level.

Thank you for taking time to post here during your cruise. I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates it. I know you said you’re not foodies, but how do you like the food? Do you find it enjoyable? How do you like your veranda cabin? Is the layout of the room and bathroom appealing to you? How is the service? 
 

 

[NMTraveller]

On 7/11/2023 at 10:40 AM, lexmiller said:

We have found the production shows on the Edge Class ships to be EXCEPTIONAL!  As in, wow!  When I say entertainment, yes, the various guest acts can be catch as catch can, very subjective as to one's likes or dislikes - one person may love the comedy acts, one may love the xylo-synth guy (OMG, NOT ME!!!!!), one may love the Elton John homage guy etc etc.  But the production casts throughout the fleet, those kids have talent - and the best casts have been channelled to the Edge Class ships, and with the new 3 story electronic wrap around stages oh man, really terrific.  From our trip on the Beyond last fall, I even said, "I would get right back on this ship for the next cruise if only for the reason to see the production shows again."

When you compare them to O in Las Vegas or any of the Cirque Du Soleil shows they do not come close.  For starters their stages are way too small.  Ho hum.  Boring...

They probably don't have anyone that comes close to Shin Lim either...

[NMTraveller]

On 7/11/2023 at 1:22 PM, mac_tlc said:

Couldn’t agree more about E-class entertainment, hardly a “B at best”

 

 

 

 

LOL  These are what our B shows look like ...

 

The headliners are much much more extravagant.

Edited July 14, 2023 by NMTraveller

[PhD-iva]

On 7/7/2023 at 11:11 AM, Texed said:

 

Unless I am remembering incorrectly, Oceania does not even have a casino.  

I’ve been on 3 Oceania ships. All 3 had (small) casinos, and I think they are smoke-free. Pretty sure they are, but not positive.

[Texed]

9 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

I’ve been on 3 Oceania ships. All 3 had (small) casinos, and I think they are smoke-free. Pretty sure they are, but not positive.

 

I guess it was so small I missed it.

[lexmiller]

11 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

LOL  These are what our B shows look like ...

 

The headliners are much much more extravagant.

WOW, ok, not even sure why you cruise this category!?  Clearly it is not for the entertainment in which case you absolutely belong on Regent, Silversea, Windstar etc.  Good for you to be able to be so critical, very happy for you.  And LOL about your comment about the Cirque shows in Las Vegas - last I heard, Las Vegas is ON LAND so they can of course have incredibly mind blowing stages like that at the Bellagio for "O" and at the MGM for "KA".  But I stand by my statement about the Edge Class stages and the production shows on those ships and I am so pleased that you are able to discard them with such utter disdain - love your attitude!

[NMTraveller]

20 minutes ago, lexmiller said:

WOW, ok, not even sure why you cruise this category!?  Clearly it is not for the entertainment in which case you absolutely belong on Regent, Silversea, Windstar etc.  Good for you to be able to be so critical, very happy for you.  And LOL about your comment about the Cirque shows in Las Vegas - last I heard, Las Vegas is ON LAND so they can of course have incredibly mind blowing stages like that at the Bellagio for "O" and at the MGM for "KA".  But I stand by my statement about the Edge Class stages and the production shows on those ships and I am so pleased that you are able to discard them with such utter disdain - love your attitude!

Not disdain they are boring to me and one among hundreds.  The same for ship casinos.  I may skip out of the show if I start dozing off.

 

Why do I cruise this category?  You are 100% correct.  It is not for the shows or casinos.  If it was for the shows the bigger ships have a bit better shows,  but I like the smaller ships.

 

I am just totally bored with them.  I probably have seen 20 or so similiar B shows this last year and 10 or so Vegas headliners.

Edited July 14, 2023 by NMTraveller

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, Texed said:

 

I guess it was so small I missed it.

Kind of the way that I feel about the Celebrity casinos.  They are rather small when compared to land casinos.

[D. B.]

13 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Thank you for taking time to post here during your cruise. I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates it. I know you said you’re not foodies, but how do you like the food? Do you find it enjoyable? How do you like your veranda cabin? Is the layout of the room and bathroom appealing to you? How is the service? 
 

 

Some of the food is better than X but a lot of it I would rate as equal. But Remember food is such a personal thing and that is only My opinion.

Now O has more food Choices than X does.

the Ice cream is Excellent but not many flavor choices.

they make Milkshakes out of Ice cream!

Our Veranda stateroom is advertised as 280 Sq. Ft. And that is bigger than an X veranda BUT seems the same size? I believe the extra space is in the bathroom taken up by the full size Bathtub. The veranda looks like the same size as a standard X veranda and a lot better than the stupid IV on the Edge class ships!

the layout of the stateroom is like a standard X veranda stateroom. No better. No worse.

the bathroom is small and lacks counter space.

but is covered in marble.

The towels are thick and heavy but not Soft but stiff and rough as a piece of carpet?

the Service is great but so is the service on X. 
The ship’s Officers are never seen and I like the friendly and approachable Officers on X.

Shore excursion are the same as X so no advantage there.

I hope I have answered some of your questions?

will I sail with O again?

Only if I get as good a bargain as I did 15 months ago. Meanwhile we have 6 future cruises booked with Celebrity.

O is a great cruise line and like most things you get what you pay for but for Me its not worth Double what I pay for an X cruise.

 

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by D. B.
Content

[D. B.]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

Kind of the way that I feel about the Celebrity casinos.  They are rather small when compared to land casinos.

Yes but they are 4 time bigger than the ones on Oceania.

[CruisinShips]

Clearly we all cruise for different reasons.  For some of us neither the shows nor the casino are that big of a deal.  I certainly don't care about rock climbing walls, waterslides, flowriders, etc.  Food is fairly important, but I have come to not expect real fine dining on these ships, so if I have a nice meal with good service in a pleasant environment, I'm good.

 

I cruise for a week or more fora stress-free vacation...just being able to relax and see different places without packing and unpacking and without driving.  Doing things at our own pace, and often doing very little at all. It gives me a chance to disconnect as much as I wish, drink more than I normally would, and experience new things while enjoying the company of my wife without the daily stresses of normal life.

 

If I happen to see a show or two that I enjoy...awesome.  For me, that's just not a big part of the cruise experience.

[PTC DAWG]

Choices…since I’m not asleep at 10pm ever, l’ll stay away from Oceania. 

[C-Dragons]

44 minutes ago, CruisinShips said:

Clearly we all cruise for different reasons.  For some of us neither the shows nor the casino are that big of a deal.  I certainly don't care about rock climbing walls, waterslides, flowriders, etc.  Food is fairly important, but I have come to not expect real fine dining on these ships, so if I have a nice meal with good service in a pleasant environment, I'm good.

 

I cruise for a week or more fora stress-free vacation...just being able to relax and see different places without packing and unpacking and without driving.  Doing things at our own pace, and often doing very little at all. It gives me a chance to disconnect as much as I wish, drink more than I normally would, and experience new things while enjoying the company of my wife without the daily stresses of normal life.

 

If I happen to see a show or two that I enjoy...awesome.  For me, that's just not a big part of the cruise experience.

Totally agree. 😉

[Silkroad]

@D. B. Thank you for your response! We seem to be on the same page.
 

We book both Verandas and Sky Suites on Celebrity. If we sail O, we’ll book a veranda cabin. Whenever we’ve done a cost/benefit analysis of Celebrity vs Oceania (ranking the aspects of a cruise that are most important to us) we’ve been unconvinced that O would give us a superior experience. As you said, you get what you pay for, but that’s only true if you’re paying for something that provides you more pleasure or utility than the less costly option. Now that O has rolled out the new “Simply More” program, we’re waiting to see how O loyalists react to the changes. We’re also waiting for Celebrity’s decision on vaping in the casinos. Meanwhile, we have six cruises booked on Celebrity. 

[Lastdance]

It is so nice to have options and choices!  One person’s palace is another person’s yurt...I could go on and on, but prejudices play into decisions, as those should.  Time is short and my TO DO list is long.  Always, always do your homework, but know when to just let go...glass half full.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Lastdance

[OysterD]

4 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Kind of the way that I feel about the Celebrity casinos.  They are rather small when compared to land casinos.

Still not entirely sure why you continue posting on here. You literally complain about every single thing. Even though you've not experienced the food this year you complain non stop about that. You're recent comments on here are the icing on the cake though... apparently the shows on Celebrity aren't good enough because ones in Vegas are better and the casino is too small compared to a Vegas casino. I mean, really?

 

We get it, you hate Celebrity and they can't do anything right in your eyes. If you want to compare X to Vegas why don't we compare prices.... a mid week 1 night stay in cheapest room in TI; a caesar salad, chicken, and dessert (no drinks) in the average steakhouse there and then 1 ticket to see Mystere would come in at $430 total. Let's make it $500 total to include a lunch and room service breakfast. $500 for 1 day in a very average hotel, very average food and admittedly a good show. For 2 people it would be $840 for 1 day. So $420pppn based on 2 sharing. That would jump massively for weekend pricing. You can get rates cheaper than that in the Retreat and certainly much cheaper staying in AQ, and both include drinks. 

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, OysterD said:

Still not entirely sure why you continue posting on here. You literally complain about every single thing. Even though you've not experienced the food this year you complain non stop about that. You're recent comments on here are the icing on the cake though... apparently the shows on Celebrity aren't good enough because ones in Vegas are better and the casino is too small compared to a Vegas casino. I mean, really?

 

The poster that I was responding to thought that the shows were Grade A.  Even when you compare the shows to Royal the shows on Royal are better.  I will take someone diving into a small pool at 300 feet or better vs someone doing aerials at 20 feet.  If you want the shows on the main stream lines you go to the bigger ships.  I did not realize that this was a point of contention.

 

Regarding the food well the tumbleweeds blowing through the OVC in January were a bit much with all of the empty stations.  I can read the menu for my upcoming cruise and I can tell you that it is not up to par with the menu on my last Celebrity cruise.  This is without tasting the food.  I can read a menu.

 

What is the latest Celebrity fiasco?  Vaping in the casino...  

The Celebrity changes trying to attract a younger clientele are a bit much.

My plan is to try an Oceania cruise after my next Celebrity cruise.

 

Regarding the shows.  Does anyone that has been on 30 or more cruises not get tired of some of these shows?  They all seem very similiar to me.

Edited July 14, 2023 by NMTraveller

[QuestionEverything]

17 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

The poster that I was responding to thought that the shows were Grade A.  Even when you compare the shows to Royal the shows on Royal are better.  I will take someone diving into a small pool at 300 feet or better vs someone doing aerials at 20 feet.  If you want the shows on the main stream lines you go to the bigger ships.  I did not realize that this was a point of contention.

 

Regarding the food well the tumbleweeds blowing through the OVC in January were a bit much with all of the empty stations.  I can read the menu for my upcoming cruise and I can tell you that it is not up to par with the menu on my last Celebrity cruise.  This is without tasting the food.  I can read a menu.

 

What is the latest Celebrity fiasco?  Vaping in the casino...  

The Celebrity changes trying to attract a younger clientele are a bit much.

My plan is to try an Oceania cruise after my next Celebrity cruise.

 

Regarding the shows.  Does anyone that has been on 30 or more cruises not get tired of some of these shows?  They all seem very similiar to me.

Great comment and analysis of the post you refer to and your own comments. You are quite correct.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

34 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I will take someone diving into a small pool at 300 feet or better vs someone doing aerials at 20 feet.

 

That's where different strokes come into play. I much prefer aerialists. 🙂

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

That's where different strokes come into play. I much prefer aerialists. 🙂

There is no wow with an aeralist doing their act at 20 feet.  Now perhaps if they were one of the better aeralists.  But they are not.  They are cruise ship aeralists.

 

Perhaps 10 or more aeralists with 10 acrobats with ...

Edited July 14, 2023 by NMTraveller

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

There is no wow with an aeralist doing their act at 20 feet.  Now perhaps if they were one of the better aeralists.  But they are not.  They are cruise ship aeralists.

 

Perhaps 10 or more aeralists with 10 acrobats with ...

 

Well, for ME I like it.

 

I've seen too many diving accidents ON LAND to even have any desire to see a show featuring them,

 

You can like your diving shows. I can like the beauty and artistry of the aerialists. The world would be boring if everyone liked the same things.

[NMTraveller]

5 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Well, for ME I like it.

 

I've seen too many diving accidents ON LAND to even have any desire to see a show featuring them,

 

You can like your diving shows. I can like the beauty and artistry of the aerialists. The world would be boring if everyone liked the same things.

So what is your opinion of aerialists doing their act hundreds of feet up in the air?

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

So what is your opinion of aerialists doing their act hundreds of feet up in the air?

 

I've never seen it. Vegas and its shows hold zero interest for me.

 

Why can people not just like what they like without having to justify it?

[NMTraveller]

24 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

I've never seen it. Vegas and its shows hold zero interest for me.

 

Why can people not just like what they like without having to justify it?

I asked the question because it seemed like your preference was based upon risk aversion?