Mostly negative video about Oceania and Sirena...

[iowananny]

The one thing I agree with the video is that there are not enough people to serve wine.  They aren't sommeliers, they're servers who bring you what is on the wine list.  Why can't the waiters refill our wine glasses?  Sometimes it's very hard to get served and if you want a second glass plan on waiting for quite a while.  And this is after waiting a long time to get the first glass.  If you want a glass of port in the dining room after dinner plan on a long night.

 

We've never had a problem at the pool ordering an alcoholic drink and a soda from the same waiter.  That seemed a little off.  

[vlthom]

24 minutes ago, iowananny said:

The one thing I agree with the video is that there are not enough people to serve wine.  They aren't sommeliers, they're servers who bring you what is on the wine list.  Why can't the waiters refill our wine glasses?  Sometimes it's very hard to get served and if you want a second glass plan on waiting for quite a while.  And this is after waiting a long time to get the first glass.  If you want a glass of port in the dining room after dinner plan on a long night.

 

We've never had a problem at the pool ordering an alcoholic drink and a soda from the same waiter.  That seemed a little off.  

I think that with the start of SM, the sommeliers have indeed become servers rather than true sommeliers.  Before SM, one was automatically presented with a wine list when seated.  Now one has to ask to see it.  More often, they are just pushing a red and a white that they have on hand.  You can still choose from the list of by the glass wines but they don't expect it.  I am wondering if over time, they will do away with the real wine list (by the bottle) as not many are ordering that way anymore.  That would be a shame as I find the by-the-glass wine list to be mediocre at best.  I can find something to drink but it's not what I would typically want to drink.  I do think that over time, they will (hopefully) figure out how to staff appropriately with the change in how beverages are being handled in the dining venues.  On our recent cruise, we tended to dine earlier than the peak and did not really have issues getting refills.  I suspect that during peak times that wouldn't be the case, though.

[ORV]

2 hours ago, iowananny said:

The one thing I agree with the video is that there are not enough people to serve wine.  They aren't sommeliers, they're servers who bring you what is on the wine list.  Why can't the waiters refill our wine glasses?  Sometimes it's very hard to get served and if you want a second glass plan on waiting for quite a while.  And this is after waiting a long time to get the first glass.  If you want a glass of port in the dining room after dinner plan on a long night.

 

We've never had a problem at the pool ordering an alcoholic drink and a soda from the same waiter.  That seemed a little off.  

At the present time we have a mixture of cruisers that booked under Olife, Simply More, or no perks at all. I would think the person that is serving you would need to be able(authorized) to operate the computer system that would either charge you for a drink, know that you have the drink package with Olife, or you have SM. The person filling your water glass doesn't have this authority. 

 

When all this settles out in the next couple of years and everyone onboard has booked under Simply More, then it would make sense to allow basic waiters/waitresses to just Simply pour you some More. 

 

Having said that, much of the problem is space management. I've seen Wine servers, recently, operating multiple corners of the GDR. They were running all over the place, wasting time and effort. If each of them had a section, then they could operate more efficiently. It would seem a real basic concept, so maybe I'm missing something. 

[Stockjock]

22 minutes ago, ORV said:

At the present time we have a mixture of cruisers that booked under Olife, Simply More, or no perks at all. I would think the person that is serving you would need to be able(authorized) to operate the computer system that would either charge you for a drink, know that you have the drink package with Olife, or you have SM. The person filling your water glass doesn't have this authority. 

 

When all this settles out in the next couple of years and everyone onboard has booked under Simply More, then it would make sense to allow basic waiters/waitresses to just Simply pour you some More. 

 

Having said that, much of the problem is space management. I've seen Wine servers, recently, operating multiple corners of the GDR. They were running all over the place, wasting time and effort. If each of them had a section, then they could operate more efficiently. It would seem a real basic concept, so maybe I'm missing something. 

On MSC (non-Yacht Club), I rarely have to ask the waiter for a refill.  They are usually on it.  And of course, some have drink packages while others do not.  Each wait team does have a specific area that they focus on.  They run them ragged, but they usually do a good job.

Edited July 16 by Stockjock

[Harters]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

At the present time we have a mixture of cruisers that booked under Olife, Simply More, or no perks at all

Very valid point that, as you say, requires someone to check your card into the system. Funnily enough, the first time we were asked for a card, I asked why (as I'd forgotten the different levels of service applying). The odd thing was the guy said it was about stock-checking. When we thought about it immediately afterwards we realised that this was utter nonsense and it must have been to check if we were SM customers or not. But why trot out the nonsense? 

[mauibabes]

When it comes to a glass of wine prices, in our little town (under 50,000) in No. California close to various wine regions and hundreds of wineries, it isn’t until you might hit $18.00 for that 9 oz. pour that I consider it expensive. Gosh, our favorite little local Pizza and Grill charges $14.00 for a glass of Kim Crawford Sau Blanc and I hardly consider KC to be a “Fine” wine. Remember, our esteemed Governor has pushed fast food or Wait Staff rates to $20 hr. so everything has gone up by 25% or more. On board, I would gladly pay $14+ for a nice glass of wine, especially if I can get a 2 for 1 at Happy Hour in Martini’s or Horizons. 
If you are getting glasses of wine for $10 or less on board, IMHO you are getting less than Two Buck Chuck wine. This conversation is moving back to MD 20-20 level wines that are still passed around with the brown bag still around them so no one knows what you are drinking. 
As S Gary shares often, we all need to manage expectations, attempt to compares apples to apples and look forward to enjoying your cruise vacation. I have watched several recent videos posted by newby or inexperienced Oceania cruisers and I certainly do not find them to be the most credible Vloggers. It is always amazing when you read posts that are 180 degrees apart from people on the same cruise. Everyone gets their own opinions and I certainly have learned what we like when we sail on Oceania.  
 

Just ENJOY,

Mauibabes
 

[mauibabes]

Perhaps it was not really nonsense because there may still be people on board who are not under Simply More. They could have booked long before and are still under O Life so they have no included wine or Beer with meals. 
Our first cruise under sM will not come until November and only then can we make a decision about its value for us. I think it is really an issue of responding to Viking’s competition pushing them into it rather than being considered a half step behind a major competitor. We have always brought our own wine aboard so we could drink what we like  and add what we find in the shops on land along the way. I know we can drink in our room and often pop the bubbly there or make Mimosa’s with en suite breakfasts. O Life or sM, we will always enjoy our O experiences. 
Ciao,

Mauibabes

[Techno123]

On 7/15/2024 at 6:33 AM, osandomir said:

 

Also, while watching the video I got a feeling it was something else about the cruise that triggered their disappointment what they chose not to disclose.

Having watched their full video review, their embarkation appeared slightly problematic in that her father's  travelling companion could not climb the steep gangway so they put her through the door with the luggage.
 

Cost of wine - well I paid £29 ($37) for a pleasant, perfectly quaffable bottle of Pinot noir in my local French restaurant last week (the owner imports the wines directly from France) so $60 for a bottle of average Rose (longer recording) was, comparatively, quite expensive, but then again, they do whack that service charge on. 
 

He was very much focussed on O having the finest cuisine at sea - not in comparison to a land restaurant, but definitely better than any other cruise line. Yes it may be marketing hype if you live in the US but in the UK we are much stricter with regards to how things can be advertised hence why we don't receive 'free' things from the cruise lines, they are 'included' - from Gov.UK website 'You must describe your product accurately. This means if you make a claim about your product, you must be able to prove what you say'. I've got to say, the photo of his Wagyu burger (longer recording again) looked like it had come from Maccy Ds 😜

[LSuzQ]

On 7/15/2024 at 2:18 PM, Stockjock said:

I'm straying slightly here, but late last year, we spent a few nights pre-cruise in Barcelona and visited a Tapas restaurant near our hotel.  I ordered a glass of a Spanish white wine that was in the 12-13 Euro range.  Turns out, I hadn't ordered a glass, but a bottle at that price and it was pretty good, actually (one of the many reasons I enjoy visiting Europe).

The restaurant is Ciutat Comtal, and I do recommend it for those visiting Barcelona.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187497-d25241875-Reviews-Ciutat_Comtal-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Been there! That’s a great area of Barcelona for good food and drink, and people watching!

[Liao]

On 7/15/2024 at 12:54 AM, Stockjock said:

I'll be on Sirena later this year (1st Oceania cruise), and these folks seemed pretty disappointed.

Your thoughts?
 

 

If you are familiar with the cruise vloggers, they get slammed with advice on how to increase their viewership, AKA follow the algorithms!  Hence the concerned, puzzled, perplexing looks on their faces and the BIG UPPER CASE "DISAPPOINTING!!  It's called click bait for a reason and they are looking for folks to watch until the end which = $$$

[Tranquility Base]

.....

Edited July 17 by Tranquility Base

[ORV]

45 minutes ago, Liao said:

If you are familiar with the cruise vloggers, they get slammed with advice on how to increase their viewership, AKA follow the algorithms!  Hence the concerned, puzzled, perplexing looks on their faces and the BIG UPPER CASE "DISAPPOINTING!!  It's called click bait for a reason and they are looking for folks to watch until the end which = $$$

Ding ding ding, we have a winner. 
 

This is why I didn’t click and watch it. I didn’t want to subsidize their views. 

[tine-tine]

I agree with them 100% and in fact I could add more disappointment to their video, It is not about whether you had a good time managing your expectations it is about getting what you paid for and not having to manage your expectations, why should you?  

For some the percentage of their income/savings committed on the trip is a greater investment than others and has been a heavy commitment on their purse in anticipation of the  marketing promises hence their disappointment in the product, like buying a Jaguar and being supplied with a Nissan and being told you should be happy as you have received a car!

[Harters]

8 hours ago, Techno123 said:

my local French restaurant

Is that Paysanne, Techno?

[osandomir]

1 hour ago, tine-tine said:

I agree with them 100% and in fact I could add more disappointment to their video, It is not about whether you had a good time managing your expectations it is about getting what you paid for and not having to manage your expectations, why should you?  

For some the percentage of their income/savings committed on the trip is a greater investment than others and has been a heavy commitment on their purse in anticipation of the  marketing promises hence their disappointment in the product, like buying a Jaguar and being supplied with a Nissan and being told you should be happy as you have received a car!

I’m interested in why would you think that they didn’t receive what they paid for. Some people are hard to please. Oceania is the cruise line of our choice and we know pretty well what they have to offer. After many cruises we feel that we’re really getting what we’re paying for and if sometimes we want to receive more we pay more. I can see that you might think otherwise. That’s my opinion and we’re lucky not to be disappointed with our vacations.

Edited July 17 by osandomir

[Techno123]

3 hours ago, Harters said:

Is that Paysanne, Techno?

It is indeed - it's a short roll down the hill (and a tad longer, climb back following  all the food and wine😂😜) We are lucky that we have 2 very nice restaurants in the village - Paysanne and Niki Ips which serves Chinese food. A cocktail and pudding bar has also just opened - need to visit to get in practice 😜

[Harters]

2 hours ago, Techno123 said:

need to visit to get in practice

Yeah, training for cruise eating/drinking is always a good idea. We often stay at the Quay, so know Paysanne reasonably well (although we've not been since before Covid). 

[Stockjock]

13 hours ago, Liao said:

If you are familiar with the cruise vloggers, they get slammed with advice on how to increase their viewership, AKA follow the algorithms!  Hence the concerned, puzzled, perplexing looks on their faces and the BIG UPPER CASE "DISAPPOINTING!!  It's called click bait for a reason and they are looking for folks to watch until the end which = $$$

I do agree with what you’re saying, because there is no question that YouTube recommends terms like “shocked”, “disappointed” and “angry” for the algorithms. But having said that, I get the impression that they truly were somewhat disappointed. I’m not familiar with their other videos, but they do claim that they are generally pretty positive.

 

Obviously, I didn’t taste what they tasted, but my impression was that the food in the specialty restaurants looked very good and the food outside of the specialty restaurants looked pretty average.  And I could see how some of the delays in service speed would be disappointing.

Edited July 17 by Stockjock

[elmsliebev]

On 7/15/2024 at 10:12 AM, Vallesan said:

They say P&O food is better but I can’t comment because I’ve never sailed with them.

we were on P&O last October - the food in the main dining room was the worst I've had on any cruise, P&O used to be very good, not this time! The speciality restaurants, which you pay for, were very good. 

We're on Regatta in October, I'd be astonished if it is worse than P&O.

Edited July 17 by elmsliebev

[Vallesan]

9 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

we were on P&O last October - the food in the main dining room was the worst I've had on any cruise, P&O used to be very good, not this time! The speciality restaurants, which you pay for, were very good. 

We're on Regatta in October, I'd be astonished if it is worse than P&O.

I doubt very much if it could be! 

[elmsliebev]

On 7/15/2024 at 7:18 PM, Stockjock said:

The restaurant is Ciutat Comtal, and I do recommend it for those visiting Barcelona.

one of very favourite restaurants! We especially love to eat at the bar and enjoy the atmosphere. 

[Tned123]

Perhaps it is they who are slightly adrift...... Cheery-o !!

We were on Sirena in Jan and had a lovely time and were very pleased with the Terrace grill and thought the specialty restaurants were top notch. 

[Kay S]

12 hours ago, tine-tine said:

I agree with them 100% and in fact I could add more disappointment to their video, It is not about whether you had a good time managing your expectations it is about getting what you paid for and not having to manage your expectations, why should you?  

For some the percentage of their income/savings committed on the trip is a greater investment than others and has been a heavy commitment on their purse in anticipation of the  marketing promises hence their disappointment in the product, like buying a Jaguar and being supplied with a Nissan and being told you should be happy as you have received a car!

BT Barnum had a name for people who believe every word of hyperbolic marketing hype.

[Harters]

15 minutes ago, Kay S said:

BT Barnum

I had to Google to find out who that was. 

[Kay S]

12 minutes ago, Harters said:

I had to Google to find out who that was. 

Sorry.  Being too American here.  Glad to give you the opportunity to expand your knowledge! 😁