Transatlantic in a Penthouse?

[Oceanurse]

My girlfriend and I are thinking of booking a transatlantic cruise next year-Barcelona to Rio. We thought we would splurge and get a penthouse due to amount of time we will spend on the ship. My question is- Is it worth the extra money for the penthouse? What services does the butler provide? What are the major differences of a balcony versus penthouse? I would appreciate your advice. I have never been on Oceania- have cruised NCL, Carnival and Azamara- all balcony or mini-suites. Thanks.:D

[StanandJim]

My girlfriend and I are thinking of booking a transatlantic cruise next year-Barcelona to Rio. We thought we would splurge and get a penthouse due to amount of time we will spend on the ship. My question is- Is it worth the extra money for the penthouse? What services does the butler provide? What are the major differences of a balcony versus penthouse? I would appreciate your advice. I have never been on Oceania- have cruised NCL, Carnival and Azamara- all balcony or mini-suites. Thanks.:D

 

Oceanurse,

 

The primary thing that you get when you book a penthouse is more elbow room. The Penthouses are huge. They're practically the size of two adjoining ocean view rooms (penthouses = 322 sq. ft. while ocean view = 165).

 

In Suite Dining is the other big advantage. You may order course by course from any of the restaurants. Dinner in the Suites is very well done. This is an area where Oceania kills the competition. Holland America, Princess and Celebrity don't do it half as nicely. You know what I mean...flowers on the table, acres of snowy white linens, all the right stemware. It's a pleasure.

 

The non suite cabins have access to room service, but from a seperate, limited menu (no hot breakfast!)

 

The Butler also handles clothes-pressing and shoe shines, if you desire, and will bring canapes at cocktail time.

 

In many ways, you will use the butler as a better dressed, more experienced, cabin steward. **Note** The butler is your liason with the cabin steward, so, with a butler, you will have very little contact with your room steward.

 

As we've mentioned in other posts, a good butler can really expedite just about anything for you......from lost luggage to extra reservations in the specialty restaurants.

 

Your butler already knows how things work on the ship, so make your requests and let him run with it (I say him, but there are a fair number of female butlers).

 

Hope this helped-

 

S&J

[Sharicruz]

The total square footage for the Penthouse is 322 square feet, which includes the 62 square foot veranda.

 

Shari

*****

CCC Member

[wripro]

Have you checked to see if a penthouse is available because those are usually among the first to go, especially on a TA where they are less expensive.

[Rickey 88]

My girlfriend and I are thinking of booking a transatlantic cruise next year-Barcelona to Rio. We thought we would splurge and get a penthouse due to amount of time we will spend on the ship. My question is- Is it worth the extra money for the penthouse? What services does the butler provide? What are the major differences of a balcony versus penthouse? I would appreciate your advice. I have never been on Oceania- have cruised NCL, Carnival and Azamara- all balcony or mini-suites. Thanks.:D

 

We are leaving in November for our fourth TA and second on Oceania. StanandJim answered many of your questions with great accuracy, but just let me add that we ALWAYS have done crossings in PHs and will continue to do so.

 

You'll find that being at sea for so many days will keep you in your room more than usual, for reading, or just sitting looking at the sea. Larger accommodations and balconies are so conducive to this - and as a bonus, your butler is available to bring you anything you wish, snacks, drinks or whatever. If the weather is really beautiful, dine in, if you wish, and order anything from that day's menus!!

 

Happy sailing! :D

[meow!]

The primary thing that you get when you book a penthouse is more elbow room. The Penthouses are huge. They're practically the size of two adjoining ocean view rooms (penthouses = 322 sq. ft. while ocean view = 165).

The PH minisuites are exactly 1.5x the size of the standard balconied cabin (category A or B), and this is obvious from the deck plan. In any case, they are not huge, and I am not sure whether they have been "marbled" yet. They are comfortable but by no means luxurious, just larger plain functional.

[Rickey 88]

The PH minisuites are exactly 1.5x the size of the standard balconied cabin (category A or B), and this is obvious from the deck plan. In any case, they are not huge, and I am not sure whether they have been "marbled" yet. They are comfortable but by no means luxurious, just larger plain functional.

 

Meow - I'm not sure what you mean by "marbled", but I can say from our experience on the Nautica this past January, that the bathrooms in the PHs were completely redone during their dry dock.

 

The walls were redone, the sinks were replaced and "marble" looking enhancements were added. The negatives - the cosmetic and medicine cabinets were removed and large mirrors were installed in the tub area.

 

Given the pluses and negatives, the net improvement was "zero" in our judgement......

[Oceanurse]

Thank you all for your comments. Stan and Jim- yours was very helpful. It sounds like the benefits outweigh the costs- calling the TA to get it booked. Thanks so much.:D

 

Cathy

[StanandJim]

The PH minisuites are exactly 1.5x the size of the standard balconied cabin (category A or B), and this is obvious from the deck plan. In any case, they are not huge, and I am not sure whether they have been "marbled" yet. They are comfortable but by no means luxurious, just larger plain functional.

 

Meow-

 

If you don't think the Penthouses are huge, it's obvious you've never sailed in anything less than an A.

 

To us, the penthouses came across as huge. It has something to do with the whole space being in one room and the fact that there is not nearly as much furniture as a Vista or Owners suite.

 

As far as luxury is concerned.......not having to wait to walk past the bed can be quite a luxury after 12 or 14 days!

 

Oceanurse, glad you liked the post!

 

Have a wonderful trip!

 

 

S&J

[meow!]

I understand your point. However, for Caribbean itineraries, on the Silver Shadow, for example, when on sale, you can get a verandah suite (345 sqft versus the PH's 322 sqft) at about the same price. They don't include airfare (perhaps worth $250 excluding the taxes), but include all tips and drinks. There you get double sinks, separate tub and shower, walk-in closet, make-up module, pattern-veneered functionally curved furnishings, long-slit bi-directional heat/air conditioning, wood bordered ceiling, solid wood balcony flooring (and not removable wooden carpet), heavy separating curtain between sleeping and sitting areas (so one can read while the other sleeps), not to mention all marble clad bathroom! Those things may not be important, but they should be taken into account in price comparisons.

 

P.S. Oceania PH is the same as Azamara "sky suite", which is in turn similar to other Celebrity "sky suites", which are quite nice but not exceptional.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'll back meow on this one. The standard Regent cabin on Voyager are 302' plus a 50' balcony. They are roomy compared to industry standards, obviously. I think if you looked at a comparable cruise, you'd find the pricing pretty close, considering that Regent is all-inclusive, comparing a PH on Oceania to an H on Voyager.

 

Unfortunately Regent doesn't do a Europe - Brazil crossing. This sounds like a fun itinerary. Hope you get your PH booked okay!

[wripro]

Having sailed on Silversea(Meow, your sq. footage is only for the two larger ships, the smaller ones measuring 295 with balcony) many many times, on Seabourn even more and on Oceania only once in a penthouse, the one thing I will say for the feeling of the penthouse on Oceania is that because it is one large square rather than a rectangular arrangement with the beds first and the seating area near the window, it feels more spacious and is easier to use. In addition there is a stand alone table for room service and not a coffee table which needs to be converted. And the balcony is far larger because it spans the entire width of the cabin which is much wider than the other two lines.

[StanandJim]

Meow, Wendy & Wripro-

 

Please note that the original question here was about Oceania Concierge -vs- Oceania Penthouse.

It is true that some other lines have more deluxe "penthouse equivalant" accomodations (Seabourn comes to mind), but we were asked to compare Oceania to Oceania.

[tak2]

That's right. A balcony ( B1 ) is $2899, whereas PH1 is $3799, only $900 more for a 15 day cruise. This is tremendous bank-for-buck , especially when the mainstream lines have a greater differential between two similar kinds of cabins.

[StanandJim]

That's right. A balcony ( B1 ) is $2899, whereas PH1 is $3799, only $900 more for a 15 day cruise. This is tremendous bank-for-buck , especially when the mainstream lines have a greater differential between two similar kinds of cabins.

 

Tak 2-

 

You are SO Right!

 

S&J

[hondorner]

That's right. A balcony ( B1 ) is $2899, whereas PH1 is $3799, only $900 more for a 15 day cruise.

Those numbers didn't sound quite right to me, or I think I might have booked a PH before this. I checked some 15 day cruises on the current Oceania site, and the prices are more like this:

 

Beijing-HK, Nov 09:

PH1 9199

B1 6399

difference 2800 per person, or 5600 for the cruise.

 

In Mar '10, the fares for the same itinerary are:

PH1 10,399

B1 7,199

difference 3200 pp.

 

Even on a transAtlantic, which generally have much lower fares. the 15 day cruise from Rio to Barcelona in Mar '09 is:

PH1 4,699

B1 2,999

difference 1,700 pp.

 

I'm afraid your $900 figure may mislead some folks who don't check further.

[tak2]

Those numbers didn't sound quite right to me,

.....................I'm afraid your $900 figure may mislead some folks who don't check further.

 

I checked before my post.

 

I don't know why the Nov sailing is so much cheaper than the spring one, but these are figures from O website. In fact, if the OP wishes to join me this Nov, a PH2 even at this late stage( no longer 2 for 1, it's only 40% off ) when fare is generally higher can be had for $3699(B2 is $2699

 

I feel your last sentence saying that I may have misled some folks is rather unjustified.

[wripro]

Because this is a TA the penthouse rates are much lower and therefore, as I mentioned in my previous post, go very quickly. They are a bargain.

[StanandJim]

I don't know why the Nov sailing is so much cheaper than the spring one

 

The November crossing is cheaper because of the time of Year. November can be very rough on the Atlantic.

 

My Grandparents swore that only the uninformed would sail after Veterans Day (of course, they called it Armistice Day), or before Groundhogs Day (nobody ever remembers the date, it's 2/2).

 

"There will always be weather, whether or not", as the saying goes, and I am sure that there are those of you who did a Christmas Transatlantic in your speedos and never even saw a wave......but that is the exception, rather than the rule.

 

Oceania recognises that November is not the ideal time for a Thirty something thousand ton ship to cross, and they have priced the voyage accordingly.

 

Have a great day~

 

S&J

[JohnR-NJ]

If you can afford it - yes it's the way to go!!!

[Oceanurse]

Dear Tak2-Stan and Jim. You are correct that the TA is a much cheaper fare and a real bargain for the Penthouse. I just hope the weather holds up- I will have to load up on Scop patches:D. Thanks for all your info- my girlfriend and I booked the November 2009 TA Barcelona to Rio. Now just pray for smooth seas!

 

Cathy

[hondorner]

...I booked the November 2009 TA Barcelona to Rio. Now just pray for smooth seas!

 

Cathy

 

We took the November Barcelona to Rio last year. While the Regatta, sailing to Miami, had some rough seas, we were about as smooth as you could expect crossing the ocean. If you look at a map of the itinerary, the crossing to Rio is more Southerly than Westerly, and once you are past the Cape Verde Islands, is out of the path of most tropical storms. Plus, hurricane season is over, and the storms that form near the Cape Verde Islands from July to October are over. The chances are good that it will be a smooth crossing.

 

Nevertheless, when we booked for that cruise, we chose a C1 cabin on Deck 4, as low and as close to the middle of the ship as possi ble, just in case. Whatever motion the ship was feeling elsewhere never reached our cabin.

[StanandJim]

we chose a C1 cabin on Deck 4, as low and as close to the middle of the ship as possible, just in case

 

Darn! Just when I thought that the low prices were going to entice you into a suite! :D

 

 

Speaking of the suite life, did you guys "live it up" on the grandchildrens cruise? Did they love it?

 

 

 

Oceanurse, candied ginger is great for warding off motion sickness induced nausea, if you're on edge about that.

[Druke I]

That southwesterly route can be smooth.

 

Way back in Mar 98, we went the opposite way, on the late great Royal Princess, Buenos Aires to Barcelona, via Rio, Dakar, Funchal, and the South Atlantic was like a millpond.

 

Mar 08, we took Regatta, Miami to Barcelona, via Funchal, and the water was fairly smooth.

 

Like hondorner, we like to be low, midships, for open water cruising.

 

We have been out in the Atlantic when it has gotten pretty rough and wild, also.

[tak2]

................ the November 2009 TA Barcelona to Rio. Now just pray for smooth seas!

 

Cathy

 

Follow my cruise on http://oceanweather.com/data/, and see whether we have smooth seas( Nov 24 to Dec8)

I did with last year's and it was most encouraging.