Considering alternatives to Oceania. Who should I be looking at?

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

I think you may be confused with another line. SB does not have kids programs anymore than O does. Viking does not allow under 18. 

We’ve already reminded folks that O has  had kids’ programs on Alaska cruises during summer school vacation times.

[Vineyard View]

6 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

We’ve already reminded folks that O has  had kids’ programs on Alaska cruises during summer school vacation times.

Thank you for that clarification

[jonthomas]

Yes we avoid those. 

 

Yes a good thing on Viking, but don't like much else.

[Vineyard View]

We enjoyed several sailings on Viking. Didn’t like their MDR layout much, but service and ship was really quite nice. Our  problem was repeated same itineraries in the Mediterranean for many years…..and it was time to visit new. 
We liked SB more, for sure, but their prices this year have really jumped, so finding a sale or promotion was necessary for us to book next year. Which we did. 
With the upcoming O changes, I would imagine the same will happen with O. Increased pricing, particularly for those who enjoy wine (we do), and those who enjoy excursions (we don’t). 
DH and I were discussing 2026. Who, what, where. We will likely add Azamara to the search in addition to SB, O, and maybe Viking (unlikely) 
Along with land trips. 
 

[cruisingxpert]

Has anyone looked at Explora Journeys?  I have been on 22 O cruises and went on my first Explora cruise in May and have a second booked in Dec.

Food is comparable to O and the Culinary Director Franck Garanger used to be Culinary Director at O.  You would even recognize several of the menu items if you have been traveling O for a number of years

OT cabins are a bit larger than O balcony cabins

Ship size is similar with approx 300 less passengers

Everything is included, Specialty restaurants(4) gratuities and drinks at anytime in the day- not just lunch and dinner

More pools and hot tubs than O

Beautiful loungers- even nicer than O ones which are very nice

Like O they have a great Terrace buffet which is even larger with lots of made to order items.

I took a look at 2 10 day itineraries in Feb 2025 and O with just grats priced at $675pp per day and Explora (all inclusive)  priced at $652pp per day  Canadian dollars because I get rerouted to Canadian pricing.

[Vallesan]

16 minutes ago, cruisingxpert said:

Has anyone looked at Explora Journeys?  I have been on 22 O cruises and went on my first Explora cruise in May and have a second booked in Dec.

Food is comparable to O and the Culinary Director Franck Garanger used to be Culinary Director at O.  You would even recognize several of the menu items if you have been traveling O for a number of years

OT cabins are a bit larger than O balcony cabins

Ship size is similar with approx 300 less passengers

Everything is included, Specialty restaurants(4) gratuities and drinks at anytime in the day- not just lunch and dinner

More pools and hot tubs than O

Beautiful loungers- even nicer than O ones which are very nice

Like O they have a great Terrace buffet which is even larger with lots of made to order items.

I took a look at 2 10 day itineraries in Feb 2025 and O with just grats priced at $675pp per day and Explora (all inclusive)  priced at $652pp per day  Canadian dollars because I get rerouted to Canadian pricing.

Thank you. Interesting post.

 

I have just started to look at Explora as an alternative to Oceania. We have sailed 10 times with Oceania with another in a few weeks and then again in April. I’m less than happy with the reduced ‘perks’ but no price reduction so am looking for another line for the future.

 

Have you sailed Seabourn, Regent or Silversea? If so how would Explora compare? Price wise they are all similar now. Have sailed on the ones I’ve mentioned but not Explora. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[EJL2023]

I keep on checking Explora but never find an itinerary that is not something already done for the most part. They have some in 2026 that look interesting in that they include Israel and Suez Canal.  While that sounds interesting but also not seeming very reasonable.  Have no desire to expand energy on a cruise like that with a high likelihood of a major change.  I’ll keep checking them out, especially if decide to start doing some repeat areas and if O continues down this slippery slope. 

[cruisingxpert]

2 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Have you sailed Seabourn, Regent or Silversea? If so how would Explora compare? Price wise they are all similar now. Have sailed on the ones I’ve mentioned but not Explora. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I have looked at all 3 and had a Regent booked just before Covid but haven't sailed with them. I was a Celebrity and Holland America regular til I got bored and found Oceania.  When they went to Simply More and rising prices I decided to look at other options.  I did go back to Celebrity Solstice in April but was disappointed.

I really enjoyed my first Explora and hope my 14 day Dec one will be as good.. their excursion prices are somewhat similar to O but the group size was quite a bit smaller.

 

Something interesting about their wine by the glass- they have a list but often you get something else.  I was drinking Rose and got 3 different brands on 3 requests for a glass.  none were bad and one was realy good..  Besides a bottle of champagne in the cabin, you also get a note to choose 2 bottles of alcohol for the room( not the litre size but still a nice touch).  The balconies have 2 chairs, a table and a daybed.

[cruisingxpert]

5 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

I keep on checking Explora but never find an itinerary that is not something already done for the most part.

I agree that the itineraries aren't that stellar but in the cold Canadian winter, I just want to float around in a warm climate.  Our Dec cruise does have a stop in Anguilla, Virgin Gorda and Bequia which I'm looking forward to.  I did go to Bequia a few years  ago on O.  It was a sardine packed catamaran from St Vincent to Princess Margaret beach with an included BBQ where they ran out of everything😬

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, cruisingxpert said:

Has anyone looked at Explora Journeys?  I have been on 22 O cruises and went on my first Explora cruise in May and have a second booked in Dec.

Food is comparable to O and the Culinary Director Franck Garanger used to be Culinary Director at O.  You would even recognize several of the menu items if you have been traveling O for a number of years

OT cabins are a bit larger than O balcony cabins

Ship size is similar with approx 300 less passengers

Everything is included, Specialty restaurants(4) gratuities and drinks at anytime in the day- not just lunch and dinner

More pools and hot tubs than O

Beautiful loungers- even nicer than O ones which are very nice

Like O they have a great Terrace buffet which is even larger with lots of made to order items.

I took a look at 2 10 day itineraries in Feb 2025 and O with just grats priced at $675pp per day and Explora (all inclusive)  priced at $652pp per day  Canadian dollars because I get rerouted to Canadian pricing.

 

Those are very interesting numbers.

 

For O, I assume you refer to Feb.9 sailing on Vista, B4 category?

 

I don't know if this is typical. Mar9 sailing on Vista is priced at $545, which is still pretty expensive, but cheaper than EJ.

 

However, when you check European sailings, you see a different picture. FV on Vista is around $600/night while EJ is close to $800 or more. Yes, EJ is more inclusive and has slightly larger cabins, but it's hard to justify $200 difference per person, especially for people who don't drink.

 

(all prices are in CAD)

 

I will continue watching EJ, really want to try them. I think they have sales from time to time. If they come to $650 range for European cruise, we will definitely give them a try.

[Mrs f.]

Anybody familiar with Atlas Cruises? I think they are a pretty new company 

[mlmdaisy]

We did a Mediterranean itinerary with Atlas in May.  We chose it for the smaller ports and fewer passengers.  The ship was lovely and our cabin was well-appointed.  Perks were having the pool heated and passengers were nice.

 

I don't need much onboard entertainment, but theirs was pretty lacking.  There was a singer and pianist onboard and the guest entertainers were a (same style) singer and a pianist.  I thought that was odd.

 

The food was OK.  It was beautifully presented but somehow wasn't as delicious as it looked.  Service was spotty, especially at breakfast.  I am not a foodie but I definitely enjoyed our meals more with Oceania last year.

[clo]

On 9/5/2024 at 2:13 PM, ak1004 said:

Also, food has higher priority than cabins.

Absolutely! 

[Blowfish64]

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Crystal. I found their food superior to O’s. It also is the most important thing for me. They are more expensive though.

[ak1004]

4 minutes ago, Blowfish64 said:

I’m surprised no one has mentioned Crystal. I found their food superior to O’s. It also is the most important thing for me. They are more expensive though.

We sailed with Crystal in 2019. We found their food very good, comparable to O, maybe O slightly better but definitely comparable. Is the food on the new Crystal better than on the Old Crystal?

 

But yes, they are much more expensive. More expensive than SB in fact. Which doesn’t make sense to me.

Edited September 8 by ak1004

[Vineyard View]

This thread made me curious. I had not looked at Azamara for a couple of years. We are already booked for next Spring, but I decided to look at Az for pricing comparisons to similar itineraries/geographies/nights/region to Oceania in 2025. The price points seemed fair, and even attractive. 
I then looked at 2026 itineraries (Mar-May), similar parameters to 2025, and the prices are most certainly taking a jump. Some substantial. These were both based on included grats & beverage in a verandah cabin. 
With  very few itineraries for the same timeframe on O showing up, it’s hard to compare the two. 
When I  do look at O and Az for 2025, similar timeframes, Az on first glance appears to be lower priced. I haven’t done all the math, but I do know Az includes grats and wine/beer at lunch, but they do not include specialty restaurants. All know here O inclusions.  
Prices, apparently, are really going up in 2026 on Az…..as they did for 2025 on all lines…..so without the itineraries listed, it’s difficult to judge what the pppd is going to shake out with all of these lines. Az, as mentioned, much higher. SB not published yet, as well as most of O. One thing for certain, is that they apparently will continue to do so until people stop or slow booking. 
Conclusion this evening = not pretty $$. Choices for travel to be made, for sure an unknown for us at this point. 

[ak1004]

26 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

This thread made me curious. I had not looked at Azamara for a couple of years. We are already booked for next Spring, but I decided to look at Az for pricing comparisons to similar itineraries/geographies/nights/region to Oceania in 2025. The price points seemed fair, and even attractive. 
I then looked at 2026 itineraries (Mar-May), similar parameters to 2025, and the prices are most certainly taking a jump. Some substantial. These were both based on included grats & beverage in a verandah cabin. 
With  very few itineraries for the same timeframe on O showing up, it’s hard to compare the two. 
When I  do look at O and Az for 2025, similar timeframes, Az on first glance appears to be lower priced. I haven’t done all the math, but I do know Az includes grats and wine/beer at lunch, but they do not include specialty restaurants. All know here O inclusions.  
Prices, apparently, are really going up in 2026 on Az…..as they did for 2025 on all lines…..so without the itineraries listed, it’s difficult to judge what the pppd is going to shake out with all of these lines. Az, as mentioned, much higher. SB not published yet, as well as most of O. One thing for certain, is that they apparently will continue to do so until people stop or slow booking. 
Conclusion this evening = not pretty $$. Choices for travel to be made, for sure an unknown for us at this point. 

 

I looked at Az too and came to similar conclusions. Prices are comparable to O. Sometimes slightly higher, sometimes slightly less, but comparable overall.

 

However, I don't consider Az in the same category as O newer ships. Not compared to Marina/Riviera, and definitely not Vista/Allura. Older ships, much smaller cabins, less dining options etc. I know the same can be said about O older R class ships, but I don't consider them in the same category too. O having similar pricing for R ships and Vista never made sense to me. 

 

To me to sail on any of the R ships, both itinerary and price has to be much more attractive. But O at least has a better food than Az. What Az can offer that I cannot get on Vista for a similar price, but much more attractive ship? 

[cruisingxpert]

3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

I will continue watching EJ, really want to try them. I think they have sales from time to time. If they come to $650 range for European cruise, we will definitely give them a try

For 1 week last Nov, Explora had a true 30-50% off sale

Edited September 8 by cruisingxpert

[durberville]

Can anyone give me their opinion of Windstar vs Oceania? 

[1985rz1]

2 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

but I do know Az includes grats and wine/beer at lunch, but they do not include specialty restaurants

Az does inlcude specialty restaurants for Club Continent staterooms (the equivalent of O’s PHs) and above.

[paf225]

4 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

 I haven’t done all the math, but I do know Az includes grats and wine/beer at lunch, but they do not include specialty restaurants. 
 

 

In the interests of accuracy, one of Azamara's inclusions is standard wine, beer and cocktails all day long.  They offer upgrades to both premium and ultimate beverage packages.  I believe suite guests have complimentary unlimited specialty restaurant access and for the rest of us it's about $40 USD per person per booking if you book a 3 or 4 night "table tour".  Regards, Paul

[cruiseaholic78]

4 hours ago, ak1004 said:

To me to sail on any of the R ships, both itinerary and price has to be much more attractive. But O at least has a better food than Az. What Az can offer that I cannot get on Vista for a similar price, but much more attractive ship? 

I agree its difficult to compare the R ships to Vista but in my opinion I would not say that O has better food. We were on a Christmas New Years cruise on Regatta and they had a Red Ginger evening, I went to get the famous Duck salad, there were some bowls with tiny bits of meat in them. I asked about the salad and he pointed to them, to this day I regret not taking a photo.

 

There were some who complained about the food who got phone call from management and to be honest it did improve. To see if Azamara was as good as we remembered we went on a short cruise a few months later. I was blown away by their welcome buffet and brunch later on and the usual offerings were also as good as O.

On another note we had more entertainment on this short cruise than on the Australia navigation, BBQ on deck etc. Christmas and New Year on O were disappointing to say the least!

I was nearly forgetting the Azamazing evening an onboard or offshore event organized for the whole ship. We have had some fantastic ones.

 

Here are some examples.

Edited September 8 by cruiseaholic78

[Mrs f.]

8 hours ago, mlmdaisy said:

We did a Mediterranean itinerary with Atlas in May.  We chose it for the smaller ports and fewer passengers.  The ship was lovely and our cabin was well-appointed.  Perks were having the pool heated and passengers were nice.

 

I don't need much onboard entertainment, but theirs was pretty lacking.  There was a singer and pianist onboard and the guest entertainers were a (same style) singer and a pianist.  I thought that was odd.

 

The food was OK.  It was beautifully presented but somehow wasn't as delicious as it looked.  Service was spotty, especially at breakfast.  I am not a foodie but I definitely enjoyed our meals more with Oceania last year.

I've been watching their boards and the posts are definitely mixed.

[mlmdaisy]

My perspective seems to be so different from most of the others posting here.  My cruise experience is based mostly on itineraries and the people we meet, rather than luxury amenities onboard. I don't need the same size bathroom as I have at home, or marble finishes.

 

I target off-peak dates when fewer tourists are at ports, and we avoid the most populated ones whenever possible.  If we have sea days, I like scheduled activities, and hope for something to gather with others in the evening, without being totally bored.

 

I've been on all the "regular" cruise lines, and have eaten well, at least some of the time, on all of them.  I spend little time in our cabins, so believe it or not, we're usually inside, in steerage.  On Atlas, we were located adjacent to the locker room, where parkas and boots are kept for Antarctic expeditions.  Inside we had the same bed, linens, toiletries, giant TV, etc.. that most others, spending thousands more, enjoyed up above.  Being prudent with cabin class allows us to take more vacations per year.  It's occurred to me that unless you have a butler, everything spent above the inside fare is profit for the cruise line.  We sometimes wonder if they break even on us, especially with generous perks.

 

This will probably alienate me from others, but I would just as soon be on a small Celebrity or NCL ship (if they still had those with <1000 passengers) sailing to the Grenadines or Roses, Spain, than be on a luxury vessel visiting St. Martin in January or Barcelona in July.  

[Mrs f.]

10 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I looked at Az too and came to similar conclusions. Prices are comparable to O. Sometimes slightly higher, sometimes slightly less, but comparable overall.

 

However, I don't consider Az in the same category as O newer ships. Not compared to Marina/Riviera, and definitely not Vista/Allura. Older ships, much smaller cabins, less dining options etc. I know the same can be said about O older R class ships, but I don't consider them in the same category too. O having similar pricing for R ships and Vista never made sense to me. 

 

To me to sail on any of the R ships, both itinerary and price has to be much more attractive. But O at least has a better food than Az. What Az can offer that I cannot get on Vista for a similar price, but much more attractive ship? 

Does Azamara include any specialty restaurants in regular cabins? I love having them included in Oceania