Jim_Iain - Live - comparison of Oceania Regatta - Vista Suite to Celebrity Millennium Royal Suite

[chemmo]

4 minutes ago, Oville said:

 

 

Penthouse Suite Privileges

In addition to Stateroom Amenities

• Complimentary laundry service – up to 3 bags per stateroom⁺
• Exclusive card-only access to private Executive Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge featuring complimentary soft drinks, coffees and snacks throughout the day
• 24-hour Butler service
• Complimentary welcome bottle of Champagne
• Priority online specialty restaurant reservations
• Unlimited access to Aquamar Spa Terrace
• Cashmere lap blankets
• Complimentary shoeshine service

 

 

Owner's Suite Privileges

In addition to Stateroom Amenities

• Complimentary laundry service – up to 3 bags per stateroom⁺
• Priority 11 am ship embarkation with priority luggage delivery
• Exclusive card-only access to private Executive Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge featuring complimentary soft drinks, coffees and snacks throughout the day
• 24-hour Butler service
• Complimentary in-suite bar setup with 6 full-size bottles of premium spirits and wines from our suite beverage menu
• Complimentary welcome bottle of Champagne
• Fresh fruit basket replenished daily
• Priority online specialty restaurant reservations
• Unlimited access to Aquamar Spa Terrace

 

Thank you so much for posting, much clearer now!

[DaKahuna]

On 9/22/2024 at 11:41 AM, Jim_Iain said:

 

They have the same on Vista .. not sure of the larger ships.    Ponant also as the lights.... I love them. 

 

Us too.   Sorry that I have not been more communicative on here but we’re having a wonderful time on our cruise despite the itinerary changes necessitated by the tropical storm in the Western Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico.  

 

 

[DaKahuna]

On 9/22/2024 at 11:52 AM, Jim_Iain said:

I find a big advantage Celebrity has is the Ship in a Ship concept.   I'm sure many that don't sail in suites disagree.  

 

When it comes to the Ship in a ship concept MSC has Celebrity beat hands down.  The Yacht Club enclave on MSC is separated from the rest of the ship by keycard access and the suite cabins are all witching the enclave unlike Celebrity where the suites are scattered all over the ship.  

The hardest adjustment has been with the elevators.  You push a button for the floor you want to go to (no up or down buttons) and the indicator tells you which elevator and approximately how many seconds/minutes before it will arrive.  You step inside the elevator and there are no buttons to push, just a bar with the floor numbers illuminated.  I find myself still looking to the side of the elevator for a button to push 🙂 

 

[George C]

12 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

When it comes to the Ship in a ship concept MSC has Celebrity beat hands down.  The Yacht Club enclave on MSC is separated from the rest of the ship by keycard access and the suite cabins are all witching the enclave unlike Celebrity where the suites are scattered all over the ship.  

The hardest adjustment has been with the elevators.  You push a button for the floor you want to go to (no up or down buttons) and the indicator tells you which elevator and approximately how many seconds/minutes before it will arrive.  You step inside the elevator and there are no buttons to push, just a bar with the floor numbers illuminated.  I find myself still looking to the side of the elevator for a button to push 🙂 

 

Totally agree , we are sailing in MSc YC in a couple of months, also preferred YC restaurant to Luminae, outdoor pool area for YC was never crowded, never needed to look for a lounge chair , also there YC lounge had live music most of the night . 

[Jim_Iain]

20 hours ago, hcat said:

Any good entertainment? Bands/ groups, nightlife,?

I would say that is one of the weaker points on Oceania.    They have a very limited entertainment offering.    They have had a Comedian / Magician (Fred and Bobbie Becker) ,  a Pianist (Heather Sullivan), The Production Company ( I think there are 3-4 in the Group)  and tonight the Cruise Director will be singing on stage.

 

Due to the limited staffing most of the entertainment also does other activities like Brain Teasers etc..

 

They also have a Pianist that plays in various venues and a String Quartet who will also be doing this evenings show. 

 

Nightlife is pretty dead.    The bartender in Horizon's said they let him close at 11 PM a couple nights because no guests were out and about.    They do have a Happy hour in the Martini Bar and Horizons at 10:30 2- for - 1 drinks.    at 11:15 they have something called Jukester Jukebox where the guests pick the tunes for late night dancing --- never seen anyone show up.

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/20/2024 at 5:49 PM, catspaw1 said:

No that is incorrect. At KP, you don't have to switch to KP Medicare advantage program if you don't want too. What does the medicate advantage program give you? You get reimbursed for your Medicare premiums,  Dr  copay & prescription drug prices are lower & we get a free gym membership. So for us it works!

 

May be for you but with the Federal Reserve Medical coverage it is mandatory.     

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/20/2024 at 5:51 PM, canderson said:

What do they have available for pre-dinner music? 

 

Celebrity used to be able to put together a string trio or quartet from crew members, but anything like that seems to be a thing of the past now.  Now it's just the odd soloist, usually guitar.  There are some rare exceptions, but ...

 

I just noticed that at 5:30 they have a Pre-Dinner show.   They also have the Bellissimo String Quartet who play nightly and a Pianist

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/21/2024 at 11:37 AM, George C said:

Have not seen that in decades, hopefully I won’t in the future. Lots of people say it isn’t the ships size , I don’t believe that. 

 

I do say that you definitely feel movement more on Regatta size ships than any of the Celebrity fleet.    Our cabin is full forward on 7 just under the bridge.   I notice you feel it more in our cabin than in some areas of the ship.    It really doesn't bother us and it rocks us to sleep. 

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/21/2024 at 11:40 AM, NJ Gal said:

When I booked, our first cabin was right across the hall from the laundry area.  I quickly changed cabins to one which might be quieter and with less traffic.  

 

 

I wondered about that.     I didn't even know there was one on our floor until I went looking for it.   I was surprised that the room was full of people waiting for their laundry or an open machine.

[hcat]

9 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I would say that is one of the weaker points on Oceania.    They have a very limited entertainment offering.    They have had a Comedian / Magician (Fred and Bobbie Becker) ,  a Pianist (Heather Sullivan), The Production Company ( I think there are 3-4 in the Group)  and tonight the Cruise Director will be singing on stage.

 

Due to the limited staffing most of the entertainment also does other activities like Brain Teasers etc..

 

They also have a Pianist that plays in various venues and a String Quartet who will also be doing this evenings show. 

 

Nightlife is pretty dead.    The bartender in Horizon's said they let him close at 11 PM a couple nights because no guests were out and about.    They do have a Happy hour in the Martini Bar and Horizons at 10:30 2- for - 1 drinks.    at 11:15 they have something called Jukester Jukebox where the guests pick the tunes for late night dancing --- never seen anyone show up.

We are not late night partiers but enjoy so many types of music on Celeb.. shows,  bands all diff venues, daytime  and at night.  Guess we'd be a bit bored.  Any good movies?

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/21/2024 at 11:50 AM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Our Equinox TA still has a number of suites available 

I never seen so many cabin appear after Final Payment Date of August 21

 

Do you do a manual count?    I've never seen a site that provides a count like this.

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/21/2024 at 11:45 AM, chemmo said:

Doesn’t inspire me to book…I love to just put my laundry in a bag. I must confess to enjoying the unlimited laundry and dry cleaning on Celebrity in higher suites…
 

Jim, what laundry services are offered to higher suite guests? I can’t imagine (or perhaps I can) you and Iain stood in that laundry ironing your trousers…

 

You get up to 3 Bags (20 items per bag) of Wash an Fold

3 Garments Pressed for free

 

We definitely wouldn't go to the Laundry to do any laundry let alone pressing.   We would send them out but the minimum turn around is 3 days.

 

Nothing in comparison to Celebrity upper suites

 

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/21/2024 at 12:00 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I fondly remember the days the butlers came to your suite with the afternoon tea selection.  It was a good chance to visit briefly with your butler.  I was on a cruise when they made the switch and commented negatively on the survey.

 

Yea... and unfortunately they keep removing so many of the things that use to make Celebrity stand above the other mainstream cruise lines. 

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/21/2024 at 12:09 PM, McCruisester said:

How does the movement of Regatta compare to Millennium? I wonder about being more likely to get seasick on ships smaller than Celebrity’s smaller ships. 
 

Really enjoying both posts, Jim. Thanks for sharing your experience. 

 

I would say you definitely feel Regatta more than any of the Celebrity  fleet.   Very noticeable movement even with 1.5-2 Meter seas.   

[SSFrance69]

26 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I would say that is one of the weaker points on Oceania.    They have a very limited entertainment offering.    They have had a Comedian / Magician (Fred and Bobbie Becker) ,  a Pianist (Heather Sullivan), The Production Company ( I think there are 3-4 in the Group)  and tonight the Cruise Director will be singing on stage.

 

Due to the limited staffing most of the entertainment also does other activities like Brain Teasers etc..

 

They also have a Pianist that plays in various venues and a String Quartet who will also be doing this evenings show. 

 

Nightlife is pretty dead.    The bartender in Horizon's said they let him close at 11 PM a couple nights because no guests were out and about.    They do have a Happy hour in the Martini Bar and Horizons at 10:30 2- for - 1 drinks.    at 11:15 they have something called Jukester Jukebox where the guests pick the tunes for late night dancing --- never seen anyone show up.

On our Riviera sailing last year I felt the same. The demographic was up in years. We don't mind that at all and enjoy conversing with people of all ages. On our Vista sailing this year the age demographic was more varied. The Horizons lounge was hopping well into the evening with a filled dance floor of all ages (mostly 60+ but some people in their 40s and 50s and some even younger. Still very few children though, which I like. Both were 10 night Caribbean sailings.

One other note about laundry. I believe there is one laundry room on each floor... definitely on Vista, but I believe that may have been the case on Riviera as well. Have you tried the Caesar salad in the GDR yet? Not sure if you like it, but they do it really well. 

[Jim_Iain]

2 hours ago, Oville said:

 

 

Penthouse Suite Privileges

In addition to Stateroom Amenities

• Complimentary laundry service – up to 3 bags per stateroom⁺
• Exclusive card-only access to private Executive Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge featuring complimentary soft drinks, coffees and snacks throughout the day
• 24-hour Butler service
• Complimentary welcome bottle of Champagne
• Priority online specialty restaurant reservations
• Unlimited access to Aquamar Spa Terrace
• Cashmere lap blankets
• Complimentary shoeshine service

 

 

Owner's Suite Privileges

In addition to Stateroom Amenities

• Complimentary laundry service – up to 3 bags per stateroom⁺
• Priority 11 am ship embarkation with priority luggage delivery
• Exclusive card-only access to private Executive Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge featuring complimentary soft drinks, coffees and snacks throughout the day
• 24-hour Butler service
• Complimentary in-suite bar setup with 6 full-size bottles of premium spirits and wines from our suite beverage menu
• Complimentary welcome bottle of Champagne
• Fresh fruit basket replenished daily
• Priority online specialty restaurant reservations
• Unlimited access to Aquamar Spa Terrace

 

 

I believer we get 3-4 garments pressed Gratis

 

[Jim_Iain]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

What additional perks then come with higher suites or are all perks universal? I guess I am used to the Celebrity system where a bigger (more expensive room) has ‘extras’. This isn’t a criticism of the way Oceania operate, just trying to work out if a bigger room simply just gives you a bigger room…

From Oceania Site -

 

Owner's and Vista Suite

 

Penthouse -

 

[canderson]

31 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I just noticed that at 5:30 they have a Pre-Dinner show.   They also have the Bellissimo String Quartet who play nightly and a Pianist

Very nice.  They need to put you on the payroll.  You're selling cruises here!

[Jim_Iain]

26 minutes ago, hcat said:

We are not late night partiers but enjoy so many types of music on Celeb.. shows,  bands all diff venues, daytime  and at night.  Guess we'd be a bit bored.  Any good movies?

 

Ton's of good movies and Recorded TV Series.... about 100X that of Celebrity.

 

Iain has gotten into The Gilded Age and has been watching it.  

[Jim_Iain]

12 minutes ago, SSFrance69 said:

On our Riviera sailing last year I felt the same. The demographic was up in years. We don't mind that at all and enjoy conversing with people of all ages. On our Vista sailing this year the age demographic was more varied. The Horizons lounge was hopping well into the evening with a filled dance floor of all ages (mostly 60+ but some people in their 40s and 50s and some even younger. Still very few children though, which I like. Both were 10 night Caribbean sailings.

One other note about laundry. I believe there is one laundry room on each floor... definitely on Vista, but I believe that may have been the case on Riviera as well. Have you tried the Caesar salad in the GDR yet? Not sure if you like it, but they do it really well. 

 

May be on the larger ships but I understand there is just one on Regatta --- Deck 7

 

The demographics may be older on this ship but haven't seen it hopping at all.    We have cocktails at 7:30 nightly in Horizon we are usually the only ones there until 8:00 when brain teasers begin then maybe 10-12 show up for 1/2 hour and when over leave. 

 

The String Quartet usually have a good crowd listening  5:45- -630.

Edited Monday at 11:19 PM by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

15 minutes ago, SSFrance69 said:

Have you tried the Caesar salad in the GDR yet?

 

I haven't had it yer.   Usually we limit ourself to just a starter or soup, main entree and a desert.

[catspaw1]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

May be for you but with the Federal Reserve Medical coverage it is mandatory.     

Please check your coverage. There is KP Medicare advantage program & regular Fed KP program. You do not have to sign up with KP Medicare advantage. No Fed program to my knowledge requires that. Both pay the same premiums but the Medicare advantage has some advantages although I do have some friends that don't want Medicare advantage. Of course it varies by state & I live in the DMV. Open enrollment is coming up shortly so please inquire. My BIL & SIL are DR in CA but do not participate in KP. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

57 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Do you do a manual count?    I've never seen a site that provides a count like this.

Yes , usually early in morning 

At least , we on the Equinox TA in Nov 2025 so I can use the same speed sheet 🤣

I can send you link to the website I use 

[catspaw1]

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I do say that you definitely feel movement more on Regatta size ships than any of the Celebrity fleet.    Our cabin is full forward on 7 just under the bridge.   I notice you feel it more in our cabin than in some areas of the ship.    It really doesn't bother us and it rocks us to sleep. 

IMHO as a blue water sailor, I would pick midship, aft & then forward for motion. Frankly, we never chose forward cabins because we think the motion is worse. But then again, we did all our blue water miles on a 44' sailboat!

[goofysmom99]

33 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Yea... and unfortunately they keep removing so many of the things that use to make Celebrity stand above the other mainstream cruise lines. 

To me, the thing that's hurt the most is food quality.  Celebrity began its life with a "foodie" reputation and it certainly was memorable on my first cruise (1993, Zenith) and the decade that followed.  Sadly, the food on my most recent X cruises, 2022-4, has also been memorable....for being so poor in all venues.  The wonderful food pix and menus you've been posting have reminded me of a few of the offerings from X's former glory days.  Thanks for taking the time to make this enlightening thread.  Oceania looks very promising.