Oceania Vista and Explora Journeys Compared

[Waltershipman]

On 2/4/2024 at 3:13 PM, Waltershipman said:

Curently sailing on Oceanis Vista with some conclusions from my experiences as compared to Explora Journeys having sailed on EJ in October 2023. Both ships are new builds. One thing to remember is that much of what I am sharing is highly subjective and depends on ones tastes.


Vista operates top to bottom like a regular very nice cruise ship.  EJ is a cruise ship yet offering something very different more akin to a high end luxury hotel. Both ships lovely.

Food on EJ is best I've ever had at sea overall.

The ⁹Vista bed is better.

  Entertainment on Vista is better. EJ staff more personally focused and generally more attentive while Vista staff is cruise ship professional.

GDR is big beautiful loud and enjoyable on Vista while EJ intimate restaurants are tops. When we were on EJ it was less than half full so that may be hard to compare since Vista is full at 1200 pax. Embarkation on both ships excellent. On EJ no crew assistance at all when getting off and on ship and no assistance with info on how to get to a town or sites at ports.

Smoked salmon on Vista is better at least more to my tastes.
The poolside music on Vista is great and is wonderfully typical of big fun Carribean cruise

Bathrooms on entry level cabins are comparable although the cabin on E J is a bit larger and the extra 9 square feet is a big plus, plus the separate makeup  dressing area on EJ also big plus. Heated floor on EJ bathroom a real winner. Vista shower is excellent. The light on large mirror in bathroom on Vista has a secret button that even our cabin steward was not aware of that dims the light on mirror which is great to use instead of the blue night light in entry. Vista night light are less intrusive  than EJ floor lights that light at night

EJ feels more intimate and plush.
Announcements on Vista help organize the day better and they are not intrusive. No announcements on EJ along with far less info on ship activities and ports. .
More daily activities on Vista with beautiful string quartet playing at some bars and Tea time as well as pop music vocal group singing pop music.

A fellow CC passenger organized a meet and greet on Vista well-attended by over 40 CC passengers and it was great. Oceania provided snacks hors d'oeuvre extended happy hour and it was most enjoyable.

Vista has a large number of passegers requiring some type of mobility assistance while on our EJ cruise we saw no one that utilized mobility assistance.  Whether or not that is true for each sailing may differ for each ship. Overall older guests on Vista.

EJ is very well staffed. Vista is understaffed.

Emporium Marketplace on EJ is superb in every detail with attentive service and amazing food. Dinner at Emporium is truly outstanding. Terrace Cafe on Vista while adequate is understaffed at dinner. Terrace offers the more traditional cruise ship buffet which can also mean lines at stations making fresh cooked food items at all meal times. Both ships have similar bagels. I am told typical New York bagel is different. Aquamar is a nice healthy food restaurant open for breakfast and lunch on Vista that is very good and offers a quiet setting thats lovely.

Humphry Slocombe ice cream on board Vista remains an excellent addition.
Both ships have automatic sensors on public restrooms which is a plus. Vista has more in additional locations.

Vista cruise director and staff are warm welcoming and helpful as well as visible.
Shows on Vista done nicely with a comedian, some singers and well intentioned ensemble group of 12 capable young singers and dancers. EJ had the popular Billy Joel show and when we were on board we were fortunate to have Steinway piano shows and outstanding piano artists on board. Singers on EJ just OK.
Overall there is significantly more entertainment on Vista.

Polo Grill on Vista excellent and while many love Marble and Co on EJ we did not so much. Toscano on Vista was overall nice but no need to return. Mediterranean yatch club was enjoyed on EJ. Still have more restaurants to explore on Vista.

That's it for  now thanks. Still more days to cruise.
 

Sakura on EJ and Red Ginger on Vista are both similar in concept. Sakura is a bit broader in approach and menu. Wagu beef on EJ is extraordinary as was the sushi and a bit more smoky lamb. Red Ginger offers superb service in a 1st class setting with excellent food as well and a follow up visit is planned.

Have had some issues with EJ back of the house at EJ with paperwork et al and miscommunication. Have not had that issue with Oceania.  Tried to book EJ 2 for next year which was on sale 2 days ago at 35 % off  which was just reduced to 15 % discount. I missed it by 1 day and they will not extend the 35% discount.. Oh well that will be one cruise missed.

Everything is going well here on Vista with enjoyable food, nuce service and excellent entertainment

I have fully expressed overall thoughts and experiences on both ships. Have truly loved both experiences and both are radically different.  Both are incredibly beautiful ships with lovely capable talented crews with excellent service. In the end it comes down to doing the research making choices and both cruise experiences will provide exceptional cruise experiences. Tastes differ so check it out. Have fun

Be well all. Cruise well. Stay safe

All the best
Waltershipman

[Wheelhouse]

1 hour ago, Waltershipman said:

Sakura on EJ and Red Ginger on Vista are both similar in concept. Sakura is a bit broader in approach and menu. Wagu beef on EJ is extraordinary as was the sushi and a bit more smoky lamb. Red Ginger offers superb service in a 1st class setting with excellent food as well and a follow up visit is planned.

Have had some issues with EJ back of the house at EJ with paperwork et al and miscommunication. Have not had that issue with Oceania.  Tried to book EJ 2 for next year which was on sale 2 days ago at 35 % off  which was just reduced to 15 % discount. I missed it by 1 day and they will not extend the 35% discount.. Oh well that will be one cruise missed.

Everything is going well here on Vista with enjoyable food, nuce service and excellent entertainment

I have fully expressed overall thoughts and experiences on both ships. Have truly loved both experiences and both are radically different.  Both are incredibly beautiful ships with lovely capable talented crews with excellent service. In the end it comes down to doing the research making choices and both cruise experiences will provide exceptional cruise experiences. Tastes differ so check it out. Have fun

Be well all. Cruise well. Stay safe

All the best
Waltershipman

You must have been looking at the same January cruise that I was.   Now the Explora website no longer lists a percentage off just a price.  

[Waltershipman]

1 hour ago, Wheelhouse said:

You must have been looking at the same January cruise that I was.   Now the Explora website no longer lists a percentage off just a price.  

Yup oh well i missed it January 5. One day late but that's fine just gives me more opportunity to explore.

 

Thanks and happy cruising 

[Nashna]

 

Hi David, AKA Walter!

 

We enjoyed sailing on Vista and meeting you and many friendly CC folks.  However, I thought the service slipped in certain areas.  In particular, The Terrace Cafe and pool bar service.  I was also unhappy about O. allowing the pool chair hogs to take over the lounges.  Plus, I think they missed the mark in the design of the theatre. 

 

I'm on the EJ site because we have booked a January sailing on EJ II.  We enjoyed sailing in YC Class on MSC.  However, their itineraries have not worked for us.  We are hoping that EJ is our new home.

 

 

 

 

[Great16]

Hi Nancy

We enjoyed meeting you and Bob on our recent Oceania cruise. You did a great job organizing the meet and greet. We are booked on Explora II on January 24. Perhaps that is the cruise you booked. It would be fun to see you again. 
nancy

[Nashna]

Thank you for those kind words.  Yes, we are on the 24th as well.  It will be another great adventure.  We must be sure to set up to meet on day one or two...hopefully, someone else will set up the group Meet & Greet!  We are finalizing the cruise with our TA on Monday. 

[English Tim]

We cruise on Explora 1 in May and hope we’ll love it and want to return.

 

we cruise on Vista in January, and we’re very excited in advance, but we felt but we wouldn’t return. The service in some areas was lacking and some areas weren’t big enough for the number of people.

 

We love Silversea, and particularly Seabourn and Explora has a lot to live up to.

[Wheelhouse]

1 hour ago, Nashna said:

Thank you for those kind words.  Yes, we are on the 24th as well.  It will be another great adventure.  We must be sure to set up to meet on day one or two...hopefully, someone else will set up the group Meet & Greet!  We are finalizing the cruise with our TA on Monday. 

At this point I don't think that Explora does Meet & Greets.  For some journeys you will be lucky to get a roll call. 

[English Tim]

12 hours ago, English Tim said:

We cruise on Explora 1 in May and hope we’ll love it and want to return.

 

we cruise on Vista in January, and we’re very excited in advance, but we felt but we wouldn’t return. The service in some areas was lacking and some areas weren’t big enough for the number of people.

 

We love Silversea, and particularly Seabourn and Explora has a lot to live up to.

Well, AutoCorrect made a mess of that post.
 

It should’ve said we cruised on Vista in January and were excited in advance!

[Nashna]

20 hours ago, Wheelhouse said:

At this point I don't think that Explora does Meet & Greets.  For some journeys you will be lucky to get a roll call. 

Oceania doesn't do official Meet & Greets.  I was told nothing could be arranged until we boarded.  When checking in, the concierge was waiting for me and set up an appointment that afternoon to arrange the event.  She informed me that they had been following our roll call and noticed the large number of attendees (56).  They arranged snacks, sent out invitations, and arranged for a portion of Horizons to be blocked off for our group.  The General Manager and Food & Beverage Manager attended.  There were no official announcements...just a group of new friends getting together.  Amazingly, most folks had been following the roll call, but not participating.  I originally expected about ten people to meet casually...we had 56.  I was impressed to learn that Oceania follows CC roll calls.  

[Great16]

Hi Nancy

So glad you will also be sailing on the Explora II next January. I will reach out to you during the first sea day.

nancy

[ak1004]

On 2/7/2024 at 6:38 AM, frankhi said:

It seems the entry level rooms on Vista are a lot smaller than on EJ (240 v 301 sqft). Vista says the balcony rooms are 291 sqft, but that includes the balcony, and they make no effort to point that out. Where EJ clearly says 301 sqft plus a 70 sqft balcony for 371 sqft. So 291 v 371 with balcony, or 240 v 301 room only, makes EJ cabins and balconies more that 25% bigger than Vista. I've been on EJ, but my sizes for Vista are just what I see on their website, so can't confirm.

 

Those sizes for the Vista are accurate.

 

We sailed in larger cabins on Silversea which are comparable to Explora. While it was definitely very nice to have a walking closet and curtain separating the bed and the seating area, we find the 240 sqft cabins more than sufficient. Which brings me to the price. Entry level cabins on Vista prices around $350-400 per person for European cruises, while Explora is around $500-550. If entry level on Vista is sufficient, how can someone justify paying 40-50% more for Explora? I know that O excludes alcohol outside the meals, but they include now some excursion credit, which can offset the cost of the drinks package. So in terms of inclusions, there is not much difference. Based on the review, I don't see that Explora is in a different league to justify just big price difference.   

[frankhi]

I have 2 Explora cruises booked as a solo (so a higher pp than double occupancy) at $420 and $463 per day and both in OT2 cabins. They would have been $363 and $370 pp/pd double occupancy and less in an OT 1.

[ak1004]

5 minutes ago, frankhi said:

I have 2 Explora cruises booked as a solo (so a higher pp than double occupancy) at $420 and $463 per day and both in OT2 cabins. They would have been $363 and $370 pp/pd double occupancy and less in an OT 1.

 

When did you book and which region? I looked at current prices for next year in Europe, nothing less than $500.

[frankhi]

So you waited until all the sales were over, or are you using CDN.

[ak1004]

3 hours ago, frankhi said:

So you waited until all the sales were over, or are you using CDN.

 

Even with sales, no European cruise was under $500 USD.

[frankhi]

The 2 ships are basically the same size, but Vista has 150 more cabins by making them smaller.  I agree, generally,  the smaller the cabins the lower the price. 

[Wheelhouse]

Explora's Med cruises are priced at least 100 per person/day (for an OT) higher than the Caribbean ones.  I found Explora 1 to be a great ship for the Caribbean, but if I were price conscious I might look elsewhere for the Med. 

[frankhi]

I can understand Canadians being price conscious as $500USD is ~$680CDN

[ak1004]

3 hours ago, frankhi said:

I can understand Canadians being price conscious as $500USD is ~$680CDN

 

This is not the point because most cruise lines use the same or similar exchange rate. But the point is that average European cruise is around $500 CAD or $370 USD on O, but around $750 CAD or $550 USD on Explora. If I had to pay ~50% more, I would like to understand what I'm paying for. Larger cabin? Not worth to me, 240 sqft is more than sufficient. What else? Based on the review and what I read in general, I just don't see what can possibly justify the price gap.

[frankhi]

One thing is the size of the cabin. Bigger cabins means few cabins on Explora then Vista. Many things are priced by area. Houses, office space, etc. I guess I don't get how you don't understand that some people want larger cabins. 

[ak1004]

14 minutes ago, frankhi said:

One thing is the size of the cabin. Bigger cabins means few cabins on Explora then Vista. Many things are priced by area. Houses, office space, etc. I guess I don't get how you don't understand that some people want larger cabins. 

 

Of course I understand. It's a matter of personal preference. To me, an extra 25% in space is not worth an extra 50% in the fare. To someone else it is.

 

btw, Crystal entry level cabins are 215 sqft with no balcony, and start at $650-700 USD, so more expensive than Explora. And some people are still willing to pay those prices. 

 

Cabin size is just one parameter. It is more important to some people, less important to others. Also depends on the details - I would be more willing to pay to go from 200 sqft to 250 sqft than from 250 sqft to 300 sqft.

Edited March 1 by ak1004

[Waltershipman]

On 2/23/2024 at 2:03 PM, Nashna said:

 

Hi David, AKA Walter!

 

We enjoyed sailing on Vista and meeting you and many friendly CC folks.  However, I thought the service slipped in certain areas.  In particular, The Terrace Cafe and pool bar service.  I was also unhappy about O. allowing the pool chair hogs to take over the lounges.  Plus, I think they missed the mark in the design of the theatre. 

 

I'm on the EJ site because we have booked a January sailing on EJ II.  We enjoyed sailing in YC Class on MSC.  However, their itineraries have not worked for us.  We are hoping that EJ is our new home.

 

 

 

 

We loved EJ and there were some real misses on Vista plus the day we got off Vista we tested positive for Covid and it was not fun.  I found the Vista too crowded

 

It was great meeting you too. I wanted to be on EJ January 5 but not yet since they dropped the discount 

Be well Nancy 

[Waltershipman]

On 2/29/2024 at 2:39 PM, ak1004 said:

 

Those sizes for the Vista are accurate.

 

We sailed in larger cabins on Silversea which are comparable to Explora. While it was definitely very nice to have a walking closet and curtain separating the bed and the seating area, we find the 240 sqft cabins more than sufficient. Which brings me to the price. Entry level cabins on Vista prices around $350-400 per person for European cruises, while Explora is around $500-550. If entry level on Vista is sufficient, how can someone justify paying 40-50% more for Explora? I know that O excludes alcohol outside the meals, but they include now some excursion credit, which can offset the cost of the drinks package. So in terms of inclusions, there is not much difference. Based on the review, I don't see that Explora is in a different league to justify just big price difference.   

Having sailed on both  i can truly say that yes EJ is more expensive it is also more memorable in a good way

[ak1004]

48 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

Having sailed on both  i can truly say that yes EJ is more expensive it is also more memorable in a good way

 

Well, this is to be expected due to the price difference.

 

But all other factors equal (say same itinerary) - would you say that EJ is worth the price difference? From your description, you enjoyed Vista very much.