give me some reasons to go OCEANIA ?

[pa.cruisers]

Recently we found Oceania quite by accident. We have been cruising since the early 90's so we are not newbies.We liked what we saw on the web site.We have recently been doing HAL&CELEBRITY,what can you tell us about Oceania in the Carribean?Would we enjoy the the regatta,we usually book a suite or mini-suite how does Oceania compare to HAL & CELEBRITY?

 

thanks for your help!!!

 

costa (92-98) HAL (99-02) celebrity (03) rotterdam VI 04-15-04

[lakelodge]

We've been cruising since the early 90's, too. We are in our 50's. The things we liked about Oceania (better than our other experiences)-- food was excellent, the beds were so far superior than any other, the open seating at dinner (with the four restaurants to choose from) enabled you to meet a lot of different people, and then make plans to dine with them. The size of the ship enabled you to make friends, too, as you ran into the same people over and over. We liked the ports, as they weren't the "typical" ones, like Cozumel, Grand Cayman, or St Thomas, St Martin.

We didn't care much for the entertainment offerings on the ship, at times we found "nothing to do" (at least that appealed to us). We felt like Oceania catered to an older crowd. The service was about the same as we've encountered on other lines.

If you want a relaxing, low-key, and elegant experience,try Oceania. If you want to be entertained around the clock, I'd stick with Celebrity, HAL or Princess.

Bottom line: for US, we probably wouldn't spend the extra money to go on Oceania again in the Caribbean, but would definitely consider it in Europe. For us, the ship experience is most of what a Caribbean cruise is, but in Europe, it's the ports. We feel like in Europe, we'd be so exhausted at the end of the day, all we'd want it a good meal and a good night's sleep.

Email me if you have any o;ther questions.

Martha

 

Mike & Martha 1992 RCI Nordic Empress 1997 Dawn Princess 1998 RCI Vision of the Seas 1999 Carnival Celebration 2000 Grand Princess 2001 HAL Veendam 2001 RCI Radiance of the Seas 2002 RCI Grandeur of the Seas 2003 Celebrity Mercury 2004 Oceania Regatta

[spindrift]

Just had the honor of being part of the christening of a river boat in Europe, the MS Artistry of Avalon Waterways, and I might say it was a magnificent boat if you all are looking to do that, but I write this to mention the Oceania.

 

I was talking to many travel agents and writers, and they traveled on Oceania, and they have said that it is fantastic and very up and coming. I told them I was booked on the SA/Antartica cruise, and each and everyone who had had exposure to Oceania assured me that I had selected an excellent product.

 

So folks, enjoy an upcoming line with professional folks running it. I think it will be another jewel on the seas.

[rustymerle]

We took the Regatta to the Caribbean last Christmas. Good news: Nice small-ish ship and comfortable. Great food & friendly crew. Bad news: Service was sporadic, either very good or average on a given day. The clientele for this trip was the "whiney" set...never seemed to be satisfied with anything, loud and boisterous and not much fun. We did meet a few nice folks, but in general the 12 days was a drag. Entertainment was nil...

ON Oceania, their website pushes a lot more than you actually get and they have several travel agents who roam these chats plugging how great they are. When you are compensated for free trips by Oceania, you'll say anything positive and put down the negative. It's easy to spot them...

So, good food and boring...Oceania.

By the way, we're going upscale to Silversea this Christmas, plus they have some nice sales in November, too. We're tired of being nickled & dimed...

ENJOY!!

[goeurope]

>>So, good food and boring...Oceania.<<

 

Boring? That's a matter of taste, I guess. If you want big production shows, water slides, etc., a megaship will be more to your liking. But the Oceania ships certainly offer entertainment, although not of the big Las Vegas show variety. And the casino looked pretty lively in the evenings on my REGATTA cruise last fall.

 

I think it's important to remember that Oceania emphasizes "port-intensive" cruises, and most passengers aren't interested in big shows or a club scene after a day ashore followed by a four- or five-course dinner. OTOH, I can see how some passengers might crave more entertainment on a transoceanic cruise that includes a lot of sea days, while others--I'm one of them--would just as soon curl up with a good book or a companion. :-) There's nothing inherently better about a Vegas-style ship or one that's more like a medium-sized resort hotel; your personal taste should determine which you choose.

 

>>By the way, we're going upscale to Silversea this Christmas, plus they have some nice sales in November, too. We're tired of being nickled & dimed...<<

 

You'll enjoy Silversea, especially if you have a taste for wine and caviar, but just remember that you'll be paying a premium to avoid being "nickeled and dimed" as you would be on most cruise ships or in all but a handful of hotels.

 

In any case, it doesn't make a lot of sense to compare Oceania and Silversea, because (except under rare circumstances) they reach different segments of the market.

 

--

Durant Imboden

Europeforvisitors.com

[spindrift]

I think it is implied that some of US are "travel agents" because of our comments. Let me assure you I am not a travel agent and I pay the fare just as you.

 

You must realize that you have some very professional folks involved with this line. I have sailed Silver Seas 4 times, and you will find it quite nice. I enjoyed it BEFORE they dropped the price by eliminating flights, pre and post hotels, etc. etc. Anyway, enjoy.

 

I have just visited with some folks who were off the Oceania, and I am even more convinced what a good line it is. Sorry you won't be aboard to see.

[DonL]

For us, some reasons to cruise Oceania are: Mature cruisers, no smoking in public areas, few kids, dress-up not required, great dining (when you want between 6:30-9 PM, with whom you wish), friendly crew, only a max of 680 passengers aboard, interesting ports of call, the best beds we've found on a cruise ship. There are probably many more reasons that are important to us...but as someone mentioned, the Regatta and Insignia are not for people who have to be entertained with glitzy shows, rock-climbing walls, ice skating, etc.

[rubyclk]

I have a question about the PH suites on Oceania. They say the have a refrigerator "mini-bar". What exactly does this mean? Is this a refrigerator for personal use? Has it been stocked with drinks that one must purchase similar to an Hotel room "mini-bar"? IF it is similar to a hotel room then can these "for purchase" drinks be removed for personal use of the refrigerator?

 

Thanks for the information!

 

Cathy

[Jancruz]

Yes the minibar is stocked for purchase..You may ask for all to be removed so you can use the refrigerator for other things such as medication..

 

Jan

*****

[douganswerphone]

Durant:

 

I couldn't agree more. We've been on Oceania 3 times in the Med. Most nights it wouldn't have mattered if the nightly entertainment was Frank, Dean, Liza and Sammy; there still would've only been 25 people in the Horizon Lounge at 11 pm.

 

On our Insignia cruises, there was a fantastic ensemble, from Hungary I think, that played in Horizons every night at 11. Most nights there were about 10 or 15 people there because everyone else was in bed. We had one "party night" where about 100 people showed up; us "regulars" were amazed. But even then nearly everyone was gone by midnight. I felt sorry for those guys. They played their hearts out every night but there was practically no one there to listen.

 

So I'd say you're right that most Oceania paasengers don't care much about entertainment.

 

Doug & Sherry

 

"I think it's important to remember that Oceania emphasizes "port-intensive" cruises, and most passengers aren't interested in big shows or a club scene after a day ashore followed by a four- or five-course dinner. OTOH, I can see how some passengers might crave more entertainment on a transoceanic cruise that includes a lot of sea days, while others--I'm one of them--would just as soon curl up with a good book or a companion. :-) There's nothing inherently better about a Vegas-style ship or one that's more like a medium-sized resort hotel; your personal taste should determine which you choose."

 

Doug n Sherry

[cruzemaven]

I have heard time and time again that the entertainment on the Oceania is boring. I was hoping at this point that Oceania would try to appeal to those passengers who like some lively entertainment to look forward to in the evening. Some passengers on this board say they are satisfied with the lack of nightlife because they are so tired from the port intensive schedule. Some passengers on this board have also felt that big production shows are not welcome. I would like to address both issues. First of all, having traveled mainly on Silver Seas and Radisson I can attest to the fact that you can have small scale production shows (four singer-dancers) that are very successful in entertaining the audiences. All the cruises I have taken have been very port intensive and all the shows at night were still very well attended. It sounds as though Oceania is gearing their cruises for the elderly. Anyway, we are a group of twenty four people in our fifties going on the Oceania for the first time in August...hope we don't find the nightlife too boring. Sounds like we should bring our own Monopoly and Scrabble board games for an evening activity!

 

8/17Insignia Barcelona to Venice

 

[Gardyloo]

No need, there are plenty of Scrabble sets on board already.

 

In my opinion, not just geared for an older audience, but an all-American one at that. Our cabin was right over the show lounge, so we could enjoy (?) not only the shows, but the rehersals, too. The choice of music left us way cold, so we didn't bother going, aside from the performance of a fabulous English singer (my brain aches trying to remember her name) that we had seen on a previous (Celebrity) cruise. Who needs sing-alongs of "God Bless the USA" with Italy outside the windows? How about some reference to the geographic context? I know, dream on - Reggae in Hawaii, standard cruise ship stuff.

[lakelodge]

cruisemaven, Please write a review when you get back! We're interested in your take on the entertainment.

For those who've mentioned "rock climbing walls and waterslides"-- I think there MUST be some middle ground between that type of activity and the type found on Oceania. Suggestions (at least from the perspective of the 50-something set on our sailing) would be a place to dance between the hours of say, 8 and 11, with music from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Some shows featuring more "pop" music and less solo artists. More activites during the day would be nice for those who don't lay out by the pool during sea days. There was a "lull" in entertainment from 9:45 pm when the show took place, if the featured artist was not your "cup of tea", then your only alternative was to have drinks and chat with people, or go to the casino. An alternative would have been nice. just my humble opinion. Martha

 

Mike & Martha 1992 RCI Nordic Empress 1997 Dawn Princess 1998 RCI Vision of the Seas 1999 Carnival Celebration 2000 Grand Princess 2001 HAL Veendam 2001 RCI Radiance of the Seas 2002 RCI Grandeur of the Seas 2003 Celebrity Mercury 2004 Oceania Regatta

[Jancruz]

There is a small ship with different entertainment..it is Radisson..they have the small production shows..

 

Jan

*****

[goeurope]

>> First of all, having traveled mainly on Silver Seas and Radisson I can attest to the fact that you can have small scale production shows (four singer-dancers) that are very successful in entertaining the audiences.<<

 

Silversea's production shows aren't universally popular with passengers; some enjoy them, some wish for bigger shows, and others find them boring. I imagine the same is true on RSSC.

 

One problem with production shows is that they tend to get recycled for cost reasons, which means that someone cruising twice on the same line over the course of a year may have to sit through the same production shows (or slightly modified versions) more than once.

 

>>All the cruises I have taken have been very port intensive and all the shows at night were still very well attended. It sounds as though Oceania is gearing their cruises for the elderly.<<

 

Really? I've always thought that production shows were for the generation that grew up with the Lido and the Folies Bergere (meaning my parents' generation, and I'm in my 50s).

 

One problem with production shows on Oceania is that the ships' lounges weren't designed for them. Renaissance had modest Silversea-style shows on the ships that are now the REGATTA and INSIGNIA, but I didn't think they worked any better than solo performances by good comedians, magicians, and singers. To me, small production shows are a bit like summer stock or shown at a Catskills resort: okay for those who grew up with them, but not very practical in an environment where the audience doesn't change every night or every week.

 

Cost is something else that needs to be mentioned. More entertainment would mean less money for things like food and service unless fares were raised. In the final analysis, more Oceania passengers care about five-star cuisine and competitive fares than about production shows.

 

--

Durant Imboden

Europeforvisitors.com

[cruzemaven]

Most of the small production shows on RSSC or Silver Wind featured either the best of Broadway or the golden oldies of the fifties, sixties, and seventies. I don't know about your parents generation...but mine grew up with Crosby and Sinatra not rock and roll.

 

8/17Insignia Barcelona to Venice

 

[gillianrose]

"no smoking in public areas"

 

That's a definite positive, but it is my understanding that there is no smoking at all in any cabin or on any balcony. If true, and IF ENFORCED, I'll be thrilled to cruise with Oceania.

[ClaudiaF]

The best reason to take Oceania..

Because they are the best!!!!!!!!!!

I would never have said that .. but they proved to us this month that they are.. you are taking internet friends word.. so trust me!

 

Barcelona to Venice on Oceania - "Insignia"

Buenos Aires to Rio Oceania - "Insignia"

 

 

 

[twine]

Claudia

How about a review of your cruise? Are you rested up enough yet?

Tom

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ClaudiaF:

The best reason to take Oceania..

Because they are the best!!!!!!!!!!

I would never have said that .. but they proved to us this month that they are.. you are taking internet friends word.. so trust me!

 

Barcelona to Venice on Oceania - "Insignia"

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;5;3;18;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100

Buenos Aires to Rio Oceania - "Insignia"

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;2;2;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0300

 

http://www.gifs.net/animate/mermaidswim.gif

http://jammerbabe.com/images/gifs/icon_treasurebox.gif

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Sports Fan]

Each to their own opinion. I am very tired of all the bad mouthing going. My 4th cruise was on the Insignia. The other 3 were other ships that need not be named. Two are very well known.

 

Flat out, without reservation, the food, service, condition of ship, etc, etc, etc, were far superior on my Oceania cruise 3 weeks ago. Just an amazing cruise.

 

Having said that, here is my response to the naysayers out there, if you want a waterslide, and and ice rink, and production shows, don't sail Oceania. They don't have them. But they also don't have 3,000 passengers, long lines, crew members that don't smile and don't remember your name, etc, etc, etc.

 

If you want Sliversea or Cyrstal or others at that level, don't go. I would put them squarely between the Princess's and HAL's and the luxury ships.

 

Bottom line, I would go on Oceania again without hesitation. Absolutely no hesitation.

 

Enjoy!

[Merriem]

Sportsfan,

 

I do not think it is bad mouthing, but people that have not had a good experience have the right to say so. This was our 18th cruise, and a bad experience.

 

We have booked Crystal for next January in SA. Am not taking any chances.

 

Also, do not have a complaint with Oceania, as they WILL NOT answer you.

 

So I am happy that your cruise was good, but ours was not. There seems to be a lot of hit and miss on Oceania. One persons is good, and one isn't. That is not bad mouthing, but just the facts.

 

When I spend my money I expect to get what I paid for. I do not think that is an unreasonable request.

[lakelodge]

for SportsFan: Once again, I will say there has to be some entertaining choices somewhere in between "waterslide, ice rink, and production shows", and what was offered on our Regatta sailing in March!

 

Mike & Martha 1992 RCI Nordic Empress 1997 Dawn Princess 1998 RCI Vision of the Seas 1999 Carnival Celebration 2000 Grand Princess 2001 HAL Veendam 2001 RCI Radiance of the Seas 2002 RCI Grandeur of the Seas 2003 Celebrity Mercury 2004 Oceania Regatta

[goeurope]

>>Once again, I will say there has to be some entertaining choices somewhere in between "waterslide, ice rink, and production shows", and what was offered on our Regatta sailing in March!<<

 

And there probably is--just not on Oceania. :-)

 

Different people have different priorities. So do different cruise lines. Oceania is a great cruise line if you want "luxury line" food; it isn't your best choice if you want theater-style shows or partying into the wee hours. As Cruise Critic's reviewer wrote its first (and so far only) Oceania review:

 

"Regatta is more about destinations than cruising, evidenced by the lack of glitzy productions. There is an excellent orchestra and string quartet, some cool jazz sessions and song and dance in Horizons nightly."

 

--

Durant Imboden

Europeforvisitors.com

[ClaudiaF]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by cruzemaven:

I have heard time and time again that the entertainment on the Oceania is boring. I was hoping at this point that Oceania would try to appeal to those passengers who like some lively entertainment to look forward to in the evening. Some passengers on this board say they are satisfied with the lack of nightlife because they are so tired from the port intensive schedule. Some passengers on this board have also felt that big production shows are not welcome. I would like to address both issues. First of all, having traveled mainly on Silver Seas and Radisson I can attest to the fact that you can have small scale production shows (four singer-dancers) that are very successful in entertaining the audiences. All the cruises I have taken have been very port intensive and all the shows at night were still very well attended. It sounds as though Oceania is gearing their cruises for the elderly. Anyway, we are a group of twenty four people in our fifties going on the Oceania for the first time in August...hope we don't find the nightlife too boring. Sounds like we should bring our own Monopoly and Scrabble board games for an evening activity!

 

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff0000&cdt=2004;8;17;18;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100

8/17Insignia Barcelona to Venice

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not elderly here by any means..

I haven't hit my 50's yet ;-) and I have to agree there can be a lull in entertainment some days. Although, there were some wonderful performances.. even a production show or 2 with the ships dancers & singers, that were as good as & even better than any we've seen on ships like Crystal or Rad.

The performances by solo performers, classical guitarist ,singers were all great, oh except for the juggler... the worst..

About your board games-leave 'em home.. Monopoly (? now that is boring);-)

 

Barcelona to Venice on Oceania - "Insignia"

Buenos Aires to Rio Oceania - "Insignia"

 

[ClaudiaF]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by twine:

Claudia

How about a review of your cruise? Are you rested up enough yet?

Tom

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ClaudiaF:

The best reason to take Oceania..

Because they are the best!!!!!!!!!!

I would never have said that .. but they proved to us this month that they are.. you are taking internet friends word.. so trust me!

 

Barcelona to Venice on Oceania - "Insignia"

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;5;3;18;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100

Buenos Aires to Rio Oceania - "Insignia"

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;2;2;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0300

 

http://www.gifs.net/animate/mermaidswim.gif

http://jammerbabe.com/images/gifs/icon_treasurebox.gif

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

We had a great time. The ship is beautiful.

Had a penthouse cabin that came with a wonderful butler "Carlos" who I wish I could have packed up in my suitcase and taken home. He was really excellent and very helpful. We had a cocktail party in the cabin ( not as easy as the Ownersuite but it worked) and he set up the most beautiful table laden with appetizers , smoked salmon, some incredible chinese chicken ? I don't know what they were, fruit, cheeses & crackers, olives and flowers all around ( he must have been a caterer in another life- it was a beautiful display ( and we only asked for nuts)!! ;-)

The cabin is spacious, has nice new teak terrace with 2 loungetype chairs- not plastic as someone had mentioned in a previous post. Although maybe that is what they have in different category cabins?

Great closet space- ( ofcourse for the gal who hasn't mastered the art of packing light, never enough).

;-)

In these and the owner& vista suites they do have a refrigerator -stocked ( hotel style ) with a pricelist next to it- not cheap to drink those beers- cokes or eat the M&Ms.

We all know about the "Heavenlybeds" and Frette linens by now, so suffice it to say that it was very comfy. Bathrooms( this category) have shower over tubs.. that could be a hard thing for some people. Nice bath products -that citrus scented soap.

New couches in the cabins.

Wonderful housekeepers, I think I read twice a day room cleaning, but I do believe it was more than that. Always spotless.

Great gym and spa.. don't forget you can use the ( Hydro - can't remember the whole name for it)salt water jacuzzi/spa at the back of the spas for free now- it's wonderful & a very private deck with Balinese <sp> beds to relax on. Also lots of Balinese beds and teak furniture out by the pool. Beautiful!

We traveled with 2 other couples, one who had traveled with us on the old "R" and the other who had never taken an "R" cruise but Rad, Crystal, Silver Seas etc.

They were the ones who were constantly remarking how great the service on the ship was, how happy & friendly & accomodating all the crew were. And we are allin agreement with them.

We had taken the Inaugural in July last year ( Regatta) and this was indeed a different cruise altogether- like I said a few days ago- what a difference a year makes- everything went off without a hitch. We were able to board when we arrived in Barcelona, it was a bit after 11am.. took maybe 2 minutes to go through the embarcation process ( give them passport- get your key card get on ship)..easy!

There was a buffet lunch being served and cocktails available- cabins weren't ready until about 2:30 but it was great to be able to relax on the ship and was also a good time to make some restaurant reservations..

Which brings us to food..

Italian restaurant was really good.. although I think that their steaks were not ever. And it continued through out the cruise in that restaurant whenever anyone had one.

In the Polo restaurant a filet was incredible.. so go figure. We all really liked the main dining room, since their menu changes daily, and in the others it is always the same. And then there are those desserts! Didn't miss any of those.

Also, high tea..ice cream by the pool..

Great swordfish from the pool grill.. try that sandwich on a sea day!

Had bad weather the first night, but luckily the seas were with us for the rest of the cruise.

had great ports of call..I did post our private drivers in another post, but if anybody needs them just ask.

They were all super.

We could not go to Amalfi - this is a tender port and seas were rough so our Captain from the bridge told us we were going to Naples, and the same thing happened in Portofino- we went instead to Ponte Vecchio.

Just some minor emails straightened out the drivers and ship had a free shuttle service arranged for everyone to use to go to the shopping area of Ponte Vecchio ( that was nice).

There is so much more to tell..so if anyone has any q's just ask.

Now can plan South America!! ;-)

 

Barcelona to Venice on Oceania - "Insignia"

Buenos Aires to Rio Oceania - "Insignia"