Does Oceania do anything special on Christmas Day?

[the mice]

We are sailing on Vista over Christmas.   This will be the first time we will be on a cruise for Christmas, but since we no longer have family or friends around to celebrate with, we didn't want to be home by ourselves again.  Does Oceania do any special things, like brunch, special lunch and/or dinner?

Asking because there are 2 culinary classes offered on Christmas Day, called Mexican Fiesta, and scheduled at 10am and 4pm. which just seemed a bit odd to me.

 

 

[FeliciaLee]

8 hours ago, the mice said:

We are sailing on Vista over Christmas.   This will be the first time we will be on a cruise for Christmas, but since we no longer have family or friends around to celebrate with, we didn't want to be home by ourselves again.  Does Oceania do any special things, like brunch, special lunch and/or dinner?

Asking because there are 2 culinary classes offered on Christmas Day, called Mexican Fiesta, and scheduled at 10am and 4pm. which just seemed a bit odd to me.

Yes. It was great. Goose for dinner, lots of neat things. Special church service, hymn's by some of the singers. Totally awesome cruise. You will have a blast.

[cswhistler]

We have been on board a few times at Christmas. Atmosphere is always very festive with decorated trees, gingerbread village and houses, along with cookies and other baking in the hallway.

Once while entering the Grand Dining Room we and another couple were offered a specialty restaurant on Christmas day, we happily accepted till my husband found out there was no turkey meal! This was quite funny as it did not matter to me. (Ps Turkey is not a European tradition, I am originally from Sweden and we always had ham.)

We enjoy both Christmas and New Years Eve on board, people dress up a touch more on those days. 

Have a great trip. 

 

[Harters]

56 minutes ago, cswhistler said:

Turkey is not a European tradition,

It is in my part of Europe. It started to become increasingly popular from the mid 19th century onwards, gradually replacing beef (which was still heavily advertised in my towns local newspaper editions in the run-up to Xmas during World War 1)

[clo]

7 hours ago, cswhistler said:

We have been on board a few times at Christmas. Atmosphere is always very festive with decorated trees, gingerbread village and houses, along with cookies and other baking in the hallway.

Once while entering the Grand Dining Room we and another couple were offered a specialty restaurant on Christmas day, we happily accepted till my husband found out there was no turkey meal! This was quite funny as it did not matter to me. (Ps Turkey is not a European tradition, I am originally from Sweden and we always had ham.)

We enjoy both Christmas and New Years Eve on board, people dress up a touch more on those days. 

Have a great trip. 

 

We have turkey for Thanksgivine and prime rib for Christmas.

[clo]

17 hours ago, the mice said:

Asking because there are 2 culinary classes offered on Christmas Day, called Mexican Fiesta, and scheduled at 10am and 4pm. which just seemed a bit odd to me.

 

Are you by any chance sailing to Mexico? That would completely explain it. But honestly, I can't think of what a cooking class would to that was Christmas-y. 

[Huib]

We wool be on Marina next Easter, do they do something with Easter?

[clo]

1 minute ago, Huib said:

We wool be on Marina next Easter, do they do something with Easter?

I would think/hope not. Christmas seems to have long stopped being a Christian holiday but Easter sure is. Probably not appropriate.

[basor]

46 minutes ago, Huib said:

We wool be on Marina next Easter, do they do something with Easter?

We were onboard for Easter (and Passover too) and O did have a special seder meal for Passover that our Jewish friends signed up for and O had colored eggs, etc. around the ship...they also had a non-denominational service in the lounge Sunday morning.  Both tastefully done....

[ORV]

We were on over Easter once and they put a basket in our room complete with a chocolate bunny. And yes, I did eat the ears first. 

[ronrick1943]

22 hours ago, Huib said:

We wool be on Marina next Easter, do they do something with Easter?

We woke up to a big chocolate Easter Bunny sitting on the dinning table in our suite.  Plus they had a lot of Easter stuff around the ship as I recall.

[EJL2023]

So…..any fun trick or treating for Halloween? Well, at least the treating part! Beyond the just being on Oceania treat part that is. 🍫

Edited June 8 by EJL2023

[basor]

2 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

So…..any fun trick or treating for Halloween? Well, at least the treating part! Beyond the just being on Oceania treat part that is. 🍫

Amazing pumpkin carvings and a special treat on your bed at turn down....some people had bags of candy that they went around and gave out to staff ....

[clo]

2 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

We woke up to a big chocolate Easter Bunny sitting on the dinning table in our suite.  Plus they had a lot of Easter stuff around the ship as I recall.

Ah, THAT kind of Easter. Gotcha.

[the mice]

On 6/7/2024 at 4:55 PM, clo said:

Are you by any chance sailing to Mexico? That would completely explain it. But honestly, I can't think of what a cooking class would to that was Christmas-y. 

No, no Mexican ports.   Eastern Caribbean.

[the mice]

7 hours ago, EJL2023 said:

So…..any fun trick or treating for Halloween? Well, at least the treating part! Beyond the just being on Oceania treat part that is. 🍫

 

7 hours ago, basor said:

Amazing pumpkin carvings and a special treat on your bed at turn down....some people had bags of candy that they went around and gave out to staff ....

OP chiming back in here.  I wasn't asking about any holiday besides Christmas.

We've been on board on Halloween on a couple of cruise lines, but not Easter.  Glad you got baskets and bunnies.

But Christmas is different and I'm specifically interested in feedback about the meals in light of the fact that they are holding 2 Mexican cooking classes on Christmas Day and we aren't sailing anywhere near Mexico.  (we are sailing Vista).

I know about the decorations, singing, etc. - but does Oceania do a special brunch?  or anything at lunchtime?  Or is it just the evening dinner meal that is more special?  Since the specialties have fixed standard menus do they add anything special on Christmas?   I can sort of understand why they would offer people a specialty reservation if the only special Christmas meal is in the GDR. 

The friends we were to sail with just had to cancel - if they were going to be with us, it might not have mattered as much what was on offer because we'd be celebrating with our friends.  But without them along, it might be nice to enjoy some special dining experiences.  Just wondering what those might be.

Thanks.

 

 

[clo]

1 hour ago, the mice said:

 

OP chiming back in here.  I wasn't asking about any holiday besides Christmas.

We've been on board on Halloween on a couple of cruise lines, but not Easter.  Glad you got baskets and bunnies.

But Christmas is different and I'm specifically interested in feedback about the meals in light of the fact that they are holding 2 Mexican cooking classes on Christmas Day and we aren't sailing anywhere near Mexico.  (we are sailing Vista).

I know about the decorations, singing, etc. - but does Oceania do a special brunch?  or anything at lunchtime?  Or is it just the evening dinner meal that is more special?  Since the specialties have fixed standard menus do they add anything special on Christmas?   I can sort of understand why they would offer people a specialty reservation if the only special Christmas meal is in the GDR. 

The friends we were to sail with just had to cancel - if they were going to be with us, it might not have mattered as much what was on offer because we'd be celebrating with our friends.  But without them along, it might be nice to enjoy some special dining experiences.  Just wondering what those might be.

Thanks.

 

 

I'm really, really curious what you consider a "Christmas meal"? Not being negative but would like to know.

[Harters]

6 hours ago, clo said:

I'm really, really curious what you consider a "Christmas meal"?

Very interesting question.

 

I play on a food/restaurant forum where most contributors are North American (about as overwhelming in number as this CC forum). The question of "what are you eating on Xmas Day" is asked pretty much annually. I'm always fascinated by the thread. Here in the UK, most people will eat turkey for lunch. It's traditional (at least for the last 150 years or so). But it's also boring and repetitive. Much more fascinating is the variety of meals that Americans eat - reflecting their widely different family backgrounds and what may have been a traditional meal in their culture (and as a change from the traditional  turkey in the just past Thanksgiving). 

[basor]

13 hours ago, the mice said:

 

OP chiming back in here.  I wasn't asking about any holiday besides Christmas.

We've been on board on Halloween on a couple of cruise lines, but not Easter.  Glad you got baskets and bunnies.

But Christmas is different and I'm specifically interested in feedback about the meals in light of the fact that they are holding 2 Mexican cooking classes on Christmas Day and we aren't sailing anywhere near Mexico.  (we are sailing Vista).

I know about the decorations, singing, etc. - but does Oceania do a special brunch?  or anything at lunchtime?  Or is it just the evening dinner meal that is more special?  Since the specialties have fixed standard menus do they add anything special on Christmas?   I can sort of understand why they would offer people a specialty reservation if the only special Christmas meal is in the GDR. 

The friends we were to sail with just had to cancel - if they were going to be with us, it might not have mattered as much what was on offer because we'd be celebrating with our friends.  But without them along, it might be nice to enjoy some special dining experiences.  Just wondering what those might be.

Thanks.

 

 

I am not sure what type of Christmas cooking class they could offer.....they will have Christmas decorations, carol singing and, along with the regular menu, a Christmas meal offering in all restaurants.  If you are sailing in 2024, it appears you will be in Antigua on Christmas Day so there would be no special meal/brunch during the day but only in the evenings in the restaurants.  Not everyone celebrates Christmas so O makes sure all have an enjoyable day.

[the mice]

53 minutes ago, basor said:

I am not sure what type of Christmas cooking class they could offer.....they will have Christmas decorations, carol singing and, along with the regular menu, a Christmas meal offering in all restaurants.  If you are sailing in 2024, it appears you will be in Antigua on Christmas Day so there would be no special meal/brunch during the day but only in the evenings in the restaurants.  Not everyone celebrates Christmas so O makes sure all have an enjoyable day.

Antigua is Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day is a sea day. 

I was thinking that the cooking classes meant no special brunch, so thanks for the info.  I realize lots of people don't celebrate Christmas so offering them would make sense.  But O does offer culinary classes more attuned to the Caribbean. 

So will anticipate the decorations, caroling and possibly some added dishes at dinner. Will still be more enjoyable than being home alone just us two. 

[Tr1v1alCru1ser]

We were on Vista over Christmas.  The ship is decorated beautifully, they had a sing along in Horizons, they had roast turkey for dinner in the GDR.  If you’re going to the GDR, get there early, it gets very busy.  We ended up eating in Red Ginger because the wait in the GDR for a party of 6 was well over an hour. 

[the mice]

4 minutes ago, Tr1v1alCru1ser said:

We were on Vista over Christmas.  The ship is decorated beautifully, they had a sing along in Horizons, they had roast turkey for dinner in the GDR.  If you’re going to the GDR, get there early, it gets very busy.  We ended up eating in Red Ginger because the wait in the GDR for a party of 6 was well over an hour. 

Thanks for this info. DH will be happy since he loves turkey but it isn't my favorite unless I can get the dark meat😉).  At least I won't have to cook it! And yes, I have done that even for just us two - lots in the freezer for his other winter fave-pot pie. 

[Robjame]

56 minutes ago, the mice said:

Antigua is Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day is a sea day. 

I was thinking that the cooking classes meant no special brunch, so thanks for the info.  I realize lots of people don't celebrate Christmas so offering them would make sense.  But O does offer culinary classes more attuned to the Caribbean. 

The Christmas cruise is one of those that is marked as a single or combined cruise, December 17 to December 27 or (combined) December 17 to January 3. The combined cruise does go to Mexico on December 29 and on January 1. 
 

More to the point - where are you finding the culinary classes? We are on the Vista combined cruise December 17 to January 3 and the culinary classes have not been posted yet to our Oceania account. I think usually these are posted 6 months out, when final payment is due. Perhaps things are different for you but our final payment is not due until July 20.

 

Maybe you are booked on an earlier cruise, before the 17th - 3 one, that gives you access to culinary classes earlier.

Edited June 9 by Robjame

[basor]

8 minutes ago, the mice said:

Thanks for this info. DH will be happy since he loves turkey but it isn't my favorite unless I can get the dark meat😉).  At least I won't have to cook it! And yes, I have done that even for just us two - lots in the freezer for his other winter fave-pot pie. 

You can get the dark meat - just ask......since they cook whole turkeys for this, dark meat a plenty!  Same as in Terrace - whole turkey sitting there!

[clo]

2 hours ago, Tr1v1alCru1ser said:

We were on Vista over Christmas.  The ship is decorated beautifully, they had a sing along in Horizons, they had roast turkey for dinner in the GDR.  If you’re going to the GDR, get there early, it gets very busy.  We ended up eating in Red Ginger because the wait in the GDR for a party of 6 was well over an hour. 

Turkey, especially cooked in quantities, hold zero appeal for us any time. So maybe a pizza!