New to Oceania

[cruzin girl]

Hi everyone! we are new to Oceania and was wondering if someone could tell me if it will be much different than cruising with others. We have cruised in the past with Rcl, Princess, Hal and Celebrity and enjoyed them all. We will be celebrating our 25th and was wondering if they recognize such things?

Lastly, how is Oceania's coffee? I am hoping that they do not use the syrup as some of the others do. Thanks for all of your input.:)

[mike35]

Hi Cruzin' Girl - in a nutshell, you're in for a real treat! Oceania has very little resemblance to the other cruise lines you've sailed with. Its small size and 684 passengers will offer you an intimacy that must be experienced to be appreciated. The international crew - from the captain down to the busboys - treat you like a member of their family, and by the end of your cruise, most will remember you by name.

 

Cuisine is exceptional - not like the mass-feeding experiences on larger cruise ships. The two specialty restaurants - Polo Grill and Toscana - are complimentary, and the quality and service in both are wonderful.

 

I'm certain that the ship will help you celebrate your milestone anniversary - just be certain that your travel agent notifies them in advance.

 

Coffee is excellent - absolutely not the syrupy swill they serve on Princess. And specialty coffees are delicious and complimentary.

 

Entertainment is much lower key than on the large ships, but the entertainers are all personable and fun folks. After their shows, they'll meet you outside the show lounge, where you'll have the opportunity to meet and greet them.

 

You'll notice very few (if any) children on board, since Oceania caters more to an adult crowd, with no children-specific amenities.

 

The library is large, well-stocked, and extremely comfortable.

 

Only possible downsides to expect - cabins are small (except for penthouses and above), but very efficient with plenty of storage space. Internet charges and speed are high/low respectively.

 

Hope this helps answer your questions.

[LHT28]

In the Terrace they have a self serve station & the coffee machine there grinds the beans fresh for each cup.

Sometimes it is stronger.... I guess it depends on who sets up the grind:D

as Mike said ....be prepared to be spoiled.

[Ask4Jay]

. . . the coffee machine LHT mentioned.

[meow!]

I agree with the above, plus one more thing which nearly nobody mentions, and that is for buffet breakfasts/lunches on Oceania, you walk with your own plate, point at what items you want, and the station attendant puts it on your plate for you. This means the utensils are used by the individual attendant, not by all the fellow passengers. This is a definite sanitary benefit, in that there will be much less cross-contamination among passengers (especially when it is the flu season or other epidemics such as Norwalk). Oceania should be commended for this practice!

[cruzin girl]

Thanks so much! Mike, loved your detailed description. Sounds like my kind of cruise! I really like the idea of being served at the buffet. Hal and Celebrity does this as well. That is something that I didn't get with the ones where you serve yourself- You sanitize your hands and then you handle the same utensils as everyone else so what happens if someone skips the sanitizer?

We canceled our Princess on an aft cabin for an inside on Oceania as this is a splurge for us. I will miss my balcony but it sounds like it will be much more superb in all other areas. I can't wait!

[cruzin girl]

I forgot to mention that I love the idea of fresh brewed coffee and fresh beans- Just doesn't get any better than that. On the other lines my french press usually tags along.

[Twiga]

We just got back from the September 14th Athens to Istanbul cruise on the Nautica. It was terrific! This was our first cruise on Oceania. We usually sail with Princess and have a mini-suite. On the Nautica we had concierge level cabin with a balcony. It was small, but had lots of storage. For our 12 day cruise the cabin was fine. I think the trade-off in cabin size for an Oceania cruise is worth it.

 

I thought that the food in the Grand Dining Room was very good, but I preferred the food in the main dining room on Princess. Maybe it is because on Princess the kitchen is Italian-based and on Oceania it is French. There was more variety on Princess. The Polo Grill and Toscana were fabulous! I had the best filet mignon of my life in the Polo Grill. The surf-and-turf is wonderful! We had it twice and would have gone back again if we had more time on the ship.

 

The coffee was great! It was nice and strong, whether in the dining rooms, the Terrace Cafe, or room service. We never saw the self-serve coffee machine in the Terrace Cafe. I guess that is because our fabulous waiters kept our cups full! I like half-and-half in my coffee and they serve milk. I asked for cream and got wonderful rich heavy cream! After a few days our favorite waiter automatically brought it to me.

 

I loved the small size of the ship. We were near the aft and close to the stairs. It was two flights down to the dining room and two flights up to the Terrace Cafe. Very convenient! On cruises we never take the elevators. Using the stairs is our way of assuring that we don't gain weight on the cruise! Although on the Nautica there isn't as much walking up and down stairs as on the bigger ships.

 

The staff members were wonderful! Everyone was very friendly and genuinely seemed happy to help us. When they asked us how our day was, I felt they they really wanted to know and make sure we had a great time.

 

There were no children on the ship, which made us very happy. The pool area is small, so not having any noisy children was a big plus for us.

 

We will definitely cruise with Oceania again!

[PrincessRobbo]

The coffee sounds absolutely gorgeous - what is the tea like.

[Rickey 88]

The coffee sounds absolutely gorgeous - what is the tea like.

 

As you're in the U.K., you might feel Oceania's tea somewhat "pedestrian", but there is an excellent selection of Twinings brands in tea bag form. You're served with a pot of hot water to steep your own - and it is refilled promptly.

 

At 4 pm, an afternoon tea is served with small sandwiches, cakes, scones and jam, and varied cookies. Most enjoyable....

[NAS-KARR]

Thanks everyone for your "O" reviews, we too will be first timers shortly and we can't wait.

 

Twiga, thanks for your remarks, as we are strictly mini-suite sailors of Princess also and it's good to hear the comparison.

 

CIAO All,

[cruzin girl]

Yes, I second that, great comparisons.:) We loved our cruises w/ Princess and it sounds like this one will be even better!

[AWED23]

Hi Cruzin' Girl - in a nutshell, you're in for a real treat! Oceania has very little resemblance to the other cruise lines you've sailed with. Its small size and 684 passengers will offer you an intimacy that must be experienced to be appreciated. The international crew - from the captain down to the busboys - treat you like a member of their family, and by the end of your cruise, most will remember you by name.

 

Cuisine is exceptional - not like the mass-feeding experiences on larger cruise ships. The two specialty restaurants - Polo Grill and Toscana - are complimentary, and the quality and service in both are wonderful.

 

I'm certain that the ship will help you celebrate your milestone anniversary - just be certain that your travel agent notifies them in advance.

 

Coffee is excellent - absolutely not the syrupy swill they serve on Princess. And specialty coffees are delicious and complimentary.

 

Entertainment is much lower key than on the large ships, but the entertainers are all personable and fun folks. After their shows, they'll meet you outside the show lounge, where you'll have the opportunity to meet and greet them.

 

You'll notice very few (if any) children on board, since Oceania caters more to an adult crowd, with no children-specific amenities.

 

The library is large, well-stocked, and extremely comfortable.

 

Only possible downsides to expect - cabins are small (except for penthouses and above), but very efficient with plenty of storage space. Internet charges and speed are high/low respectively.

 

Hope this helps answer your questions.

:D Mike, can you advise as to dress in dining rooms etc. ???....I know my Tux and dinner jackets stay home but how about jackets and ties ???......Thanks!:cool:

[LHT28]

:D Mike, can you advise as to dress in dining rooms etc. ???....I know my Tux and dinner jackets stay home but how about jackets and ties ???......Thanks!:cool:

 

Leave the tie at home.....if you want to wear a jacket it is a personal choice.

If you do a search here you will find many posts on the dress attire on Oceania. :)

[mike35]

As said in the previous post, jackets for men are strictly personal preference. I always take a blue blazer along; wear it during the Captain's reception and in upscale restaurants on shore. But many Oceania regulars leave jackets at home.

[Jancruz]

Im surprised that no one has mentioned the fabulous afternoon tea..you feel as if you are at the Ritz in London..

Jan

*****

[potterhill]

I do enjoy the afternoon tea, especially after being out and about all day. But it doesn't hold a candle to the Four Seasons in Toronto. Haven't been to the Ritz.....

 

Mo

[LHT28]

. But it doesn't hold a candle to the Four Seasons in Toronto.

Mo

They have afternoon tea???

I have been to the King Eddy but did not know the 4 seasons did Afternoon tea.

 

Mind you that was a few years back.

Lyn

[potterhill]

I haven't been in a couple of years, but I checked, it's on their website. Really elegant and delicious. Wonderful experience, at least when I went.

 

Mo

[Wineart]

Just an additional comment on the afternoon tea. It was wonderful on port days. However, on sea days, it seemed like everyone on board decided to go to tea, and there just weren't enough tables or staff to accommodate everyone.

[LovesAffens]

I think that I suffered from too much buildup about how fabulous O is and I was left disappointed with many things. Aside from an outstanding, rack of lamb from Polo Grill, I thought the food was average. I did enjoy the afternoon tea.

 

The staff and crew were WONDERFUL! Absolutely no complaints. The small size is also very nice.

 

The people on our ship dressed really casual. We brought nice clothes that were appropriate for a nice restarant in America and we were WAY over dressed.

 

The entertainment is really bad, but I didn't have any expectations so it was not disappointing. The string quartet that played at tea was very good.

 

The rooms, even our PH, were really small. The verandah was really nice, but doesn't offer much privacy.

 

Keep your hopes at bay and then maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.

[raffeer]

>The people on our ship dressed really casual. We brought nice clothes that

>were appropriate for a nice restarant in America and we were WAY over

>dressed.

 

Thank you, thank you. You've relieved my concerns. After reading some recent posts I was afraid Oceania had changed in the two years since we were last onboard. I am a great believer in casual, REALLY casual. It was one of Oceania's selling points for us.

[Rob & Beckys mom]

I think that I suffered from too much buildup about how fabulous O is and I was left disappointed with many things. Aside from an outstanding, rack of lamb from Polo Grill, I thought the food was average. I did enjoy the afternoon tea.

 

The staff and crew were WONDERFUL! Absolutely no complaints. The small size is also very nice.

 

The people on our ship dressed really casual. We brought nice clothes that were appropriate for a nice restarant in America and we were WAY over dressed.

 

The entertainment is really bad, but I didn't have any expectations so it was not disappointing. The string quartet that played at tea was very good.

 

The rooms, even our PH, were really small. The verandah was really nice, but doesn't offer much privacy.

 

Keep your hopes at bay and then maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

What do you mean by "really casual" slacks and a sweater? Dresses are too much? thanks!

 

Jan

[pctraveller]

:D Mike, can you advise as to dress in dining rooms etc. ???....I know my Tux and dinner jackets stay home but how about jackets and ties ???......Thanks!:cool:

 

I left my ties at home, and although I always travel in a blazer/sport coat, I never wore it to dinner, in neither the GDR nor Polo/Toscana. No problems at all.

[eandj]

oh oh. The comment about "way casual" got my attention too! I was planning on bringing a few sundresses and a nice dinner dress for one night on our Carib cruise. Should I stick with pants and capris and leave the dresses at home? My DH prefers me to wear dresses or skirts, but I don't want to stand out too much.