OCEANA 13th November Questions?

[buster parry]

:D My Partner and I are on Oceana 13th November to the Caribean and Panama Canal. We have been on Ocean Village twice and also cruised twice with Royal Caribean.There are a few questions I have and I would be really grateful if anyone could answer.

 

1. What toiletries are on board and are they replenished?

2. What are the Paying restraunts like on board and are they worth it?

3.What's the entertainment like? (OV not very good!!)

4.Are there enough sunbed's on sea day's?

5. What's the gym equipment like?

6. Are the drinks on board expensive, wine, shorts, mixers etc?

7. Would you be able to take drink on board for a tipple in the cabin?

 

Sorry to be a pain and these questions are probably insignificant but, hope you don't mind. Thanx in advance.

Margaret

[beanozak]

:)My DH and I with 2 friends are joining you on this cruise we fly out of Gatwick. I can't answer your questions as I have never cruise with P.O. before. I have asked here about the toileties but I never got a good reply, only they are in little jars!!! We are looking foreword to this cruis, we should have gone last year but had to defer for a year. See you there.

[KarenR_UK]

My Partner and I are on Oceana 13th November to the Caribean and Panama Canal. We have been on Ocean Village twice and also cruised twice with Royal Caribean.There are a few questions I have and I would be really grateful if anyone could answer.

 

1. What toiletries are on board and are they replenished?

2. What are the Paying restraunts like on board and are they worth it?

3.What's the entertainment like? (OV not very good!!)

4.Are there enough sunbed's on sea day's?

5. What's the gym equipment like?

6. Are the drinks on board expensive, wine, shorts, mixers etc?

7. Would you be able to take drink on board for a tipple in the cabin?

 

Sorry to be a pain and these questions are probably insignificant but, hope you don't mind. Thanx in advance.

Margaret

 

I haven't been on Oceana since she changed style, so can't answer most of your questions.

 

However, to give you a start :)

 

The drinks seemed to be at 'pub' prices - a pint of Stella was just under £3 (I'm doing this from memory, so apologies if I'm wildly out:o) - LibraLass has a list from 2007/8 (I think) she can cut and paste - hopefully she will be along soon (in fact she is on Oceana soon I think, so may be able to answer some of your other questions:) ) - there are in fact 2 price lists I believe, one for 'high' season cruises (& weekenders!) & one for 'low' season, so yours should be better priced than ours was (Venice in school holidays is perhaps as high seasn as you can get :D)

 

And yes, you can take 'reasonable amounts' of alcohol on board for in cabin consumption - we took a bottle of Jamesons & 1 of Amarula - & when these were finished:rolleyes: we were able to buy similar from the in cabin menu (no Amarula, but there was Baileys); that combined with the fact our cabin was 6 doors from one of the pool bars meaning we could get beer too, meant it was a 'happy';) cruise

 

enjoy Oceana, she is a lovely ship

 

Karen

[buster parry]

Hi, We are flying from Manchester and like you, should of gone on this cruise last year but on the Artemis.

Really looking forward to it as well.

I'm trying to get as much info as I can before we go, and have already done some research into the ports for sighteeing. Very excited about going through the canal, I've heared its amazing.

Keep a look out on this post then for the answers to my questions.

Margaret

[buster parry]

I haven't been on Oceana since she changed style, so can't answer most of your questions.

 

However, to give you a start :)

 

The drinks seemed to be at 'pub' prices - a pint of Stella was just under £3 (I'm doing this from memory, so apologies if I'm wildly out:o) - LibraLass has a list from 2007/8 (I think) she can cut and paste - hopefully she will be along soon (in fact she is on Oceana soon I think, so may be able to answer some of your other questions:) ) - there are in fact 2 price lists I believe, one for 'high' season cruises (& weekenders!) & one for 'low' season, so yours should be better priced than ours was (Venice in school holidays is perhaps as high seasn as you can get :D)

 

And yes, you can take 'reasonable amounts' of alcohol on board for in cabin consumption - we took a bottle of Jamesons & 1 of Amarula - & when these were finished:rolleyes: we were able to buy similar from the in cabin menu (no Amarula, but there was Baileys); that combined with the fact our cabin was 6 doors from one of the pool bars meaning we could get beer too, meant it was a 'happy';) cruise

 

enjoy Oceana, she is a lovely ship

 

Karen

Thanx Karen for your speedy reply, hope very useful info about the drink, is it priced reasonably to buy on board?

Regards

Margaret

[buster parry]

:)My DH and I with 2 friends are joining you on this cruise we fly out of Gatwick. I can't answer your questions as I have never cruise with P.O. before. I have asked here about the toileties but I never got a good reply, only they are in little jars!!! We are looking foreword to this cruis, we should have gone last year but had to defer for a year. See you there.

Hi sorry I have replied to your message not quoted!

Margaret

[KarenR_UK]

Thanx Karen for your speedy reply, hope very useful info about the drink, is it priced reasonably to buy on board?

Regards

Margaret

 

OK - given in & walked all the way across the room to get the bag of mementos & receipts :D

 

The bottles were Jamesons £19.65, Baileys £16.05 - but these were 1 litre bottles.

 

Strongbow - can 2.40

Stella pint draft 2.90

Guiness draft 2.60

Budweiser - bottle 2.75

Double Courvoisier 4.90

Baileys 4.30

 

& crisps 80p

 

The in cabin water seemed a bit steep though - 1.75 for 1.5 ltrs.

[beanozak]

:)Hi me again,

 

We were going to take some gin with us, to a have a G & T in our cabins or on the balcony. Have been told gin is cheap ask the steward to get you one, it is better to take tonic which is more expensive. Let me know what trips you are looking at, we dont want take take ship one. You can email me ant good one.

 

Jean.:)

 

email:- jean.uttley@googlemail.com

[annieuk]

Things like cans of tonic, lemonade, coke are expensive - 75p for tiny can, though if you buy 12 cans you only pay for 9. Gin relative cheap - £10 for a litre bottle. We took some tonic and lemonade plus a bottle of Pimms -very refreshing. On our last cruise on Oceana they did not sell bottles of Pimms only by the glass.

 

We like Oceana very much and are back on her next January. Have a great trip.

 

Carole:)

[beanozak]

This has just been email to me

We were on the Oceana a fortnight ago and will be on the Panama cruise too.

• What toiletries are on board and are they replenished?
  

A small selection of toiletries such as balms, lip slave, misting spray etc are provided. There was sufficient to last the 14 days. In the shower is a large bottle of shower gel and this is replenished as required.

2. What are the Paying restraunts like on board and are they worth it?

There are two. The Horizon Grill will be out in the open and charges about £6/head. It is good value and different from the formal dining room. The P&O Grill saw both of us leaving parts of it. The sea food platter is also a belt loosener.

The Café jardin is exclusive in the evening and a little less expensive. Again the fare is different and is ‘Marco Pierre White’

You can also eat in the Plaza where they have a speciality menu each night and repeated each week. It is free and makes a pleasant change from the main restaurant and was practically deserted. We particularly liked the sea food buffet as you can select tiny portions but try as many things as you like. The Tex/Mex was also good.

3.What's the entertainment like? (OV not very good!!)

Entertainment was good and varied. The Headliners Theatre company was well up to standard although one of the female singers missed a night and one had a slightly weaker voice. Similarly one of the male singers was weak. There were two comedians – one was good – one wasn’t but this gives you the opportunity to try something else.

The Yacht and Compass bar was usually overfull of an evening and highlight the lack of a Crowsnest lounge as on the other ships. The Plaza restaurant is where the Crowsnest would be on the others.

4.Are there enough sunbed's on sea day's?

It depends. On our cruise there were two families that claimed the same set sunbeds every day reserving them from 7.30am but not going out until gone 10. One of them even rearranged the sunbeds ‘losing’ two in the process. I am sure they were not the only ones doing this. Later in the day people leave the sunbeds and leave their towels behind – it was often difficult to know whether they had stacked for the day or simply gone for a plunge.

5. What's the gym equipment like?

There are two gyms. There is a weight room with a range of machines and there is an aerobic room. Both have been refurbished since last year.

6. Are the drinks on board expensive, wine, shorts, mixers etc?

What do you rate as expensive? You can order a wine plan – 6 bottle are about £80 a saving of £16. These will then be served during the meals. You could take a part finished bottle back to your cabin. Mixers may be bought in bulk. Buy 9 get 3 free. Last year on Artemis we were told it had to be 12 of a kind. This year our cabin steward said she could mix them. A bottle of Bombay Sapphire was £12.70. Two days before we were to disembark we could order spirits etc to take home. The same bottle was £10.50.

Every day there is a cocktail or mocktail of the day. This is usually around £3 whereas a different cocktail may be £4.50. Stella was £2.60. A glass of champagne at the sailaway was about £2.

7. Would you be able to take drink on board for a tipple in the cabin?

Yes. Unlike other ships there is no limit but on this cruise you will be weight limited if you buy before you travel. If you buy duty free then it will easy to carry on.

You didn’t ask about children.

There were about 330 children on our cruise. As this is in term time there should be far fewer. We rarely saw them however they did monopolise the two main pools. The pools is another of Oceana’s weaker points. There is an adults (16+) plunge pool near the gym and spa.

Laundry faciltities

As a ship planned for the US market, laundry facilties are poor. There is a laundrette on each deck but only 2 washing machines and tumble driers and irons in each. They open from 8am to 10pm and you need to be sharp. There is a ship laundry service but it takes 30 hours and is not, in my opinion, cheap.

Then there are the shops

There is a good range of shops and you could buy a suit or tux at reasonable prices. Since Oceana only required jackets on the formal nights their casual jackets have been around the world :) I would not expect to be able to buy a stunning formal dress but there is a large enough emergency selection. That said, last time in the Carib we found a bargain ashore at one of the ports on this itinerary.

In the convenience store they had a large selection of paperbacks – I would have bought one had I needed but the library was more than adequate. They sell washing powder tablets so no need to pack these. The big failure on our cruise was a near total lack of shaving bits. They had only Mach3 blades – no shavers, no disposables, nothing. I complained.

[Pontius Navigator]

Thank you Jean for posting that. I can now log in.

 

What I forgot to mention is that Oceana now does 3 shows not 2. There are 2 shows on the first night for early and late sittings and one the following night to catch those that may have missed the night before because they were Freedom Dining. This applied to all entertainers.

 

Another reason is that the theatre can only accommodate about 500-600 IIRC.

 

I didn't mention Freedom Dining.

 

In July last year this was not popular and there were long queues. Last month we heard no bad stories nor did we see queues even though the ship was full.

[buster parry]

This has just been email to me

 

We were on the Oceana a fortnight ago and will be on the Panama cruise too.

 

• What toiletries are on board and are they replenished?
  

A small selection of toiletries such as balms, lip slave, misting spray etc are provided. There was sufficient to last the 14 days. In the shower is a large bottle of shower gel and this is replenished as required.

2. What are the Paying restraunts like on board and are they worth it?

There are two. The Horizon Grill will be out in the open and charges about £6/head. It is good value and different from the formal dining room. The P&O Grill saw both of us leaving parts of it. The sea food platter is also a belt loosener.

The Café jardin is exclusive in the evening and a little less expensive. Again the fare is different and is ‘Marco Pierre White’

You can also eat in the Plaza where they have a speciality menu each night and repeated each week. It is free and makes a pleasant change from the main restaurant and was practically deserted. We particularly liked the sea food buffet as you can select tiny portions but try as many things as you like. The Tex/Mex was also good.

 

3.What's the entertainment like? (OV not very good!!)

Entertainment was good and varied. The Headliners Theatre company was well up to standard although one of the female singers missed a night and one had a slightly weaker voice. Similarly one of the male singers was weak. There were two comedians – one was good – one wasn’t but this gives you the opportunity to try something else.

The Yacht and Compass bar was usually overfull of an evening and highlight the lack of a Crowsnest lounge as on the other ships. The Plaza restaurant is where the Crowsnestwould be on the others.

4.Are there enough sunbed's on sea day's?

It depends. On our cruise there were two families that claimed the same set sunbeds every day reserving them from 7.30am but not going out until gone 10. One of them even rearranged the sunbeds ‘losing’ two in the process. I am sure they were not the only ones doing this. Later in the day people leave the sunbeds and leave their towels behind – it was often difficult to know whether they had stacked for the day or simply gone for a plunge.

 

5. What's the gym equipment like?

There are two gyms. There is a weight room with a range of machines and there is an aerobic room. Both have been refurbished since last year.

6. Are the drinks on board expensive, wine, shorts, mixers etc?

What do you rate as expensive? You can order a wine plan – 6 bottle are about £80 a saving of £16. These will then be served during the meals. You could take a part finished bottle back to your cabin. Mixers may be bought in bulk. Buy 9 get 3 free. Last year on Artemis we were told it had to be 12 of a kind. This year our cabin steward said she could mix them. A bottle of Bombay Sapphire was £12.70. Two days before we were to disembark we could order spirits etc to take home. The same bottle was £10.50.

Every day there is a cocktail or mocktail of the day. This is usually around £3 whereas a different cocktail may be £4.50. Stella was £2.60. A glass of champagne at the sailaway was about £2.

7. Would you be able to take drink on board for a tipple in the cabin?

Yes. Unlike other ships there is no limit but on this cruise you will be weight limited if you buy before you travel. If you buy duty free then it will easy to carry on.

 

You didn’t ask about children.

There were about 330 children on our cruise. As this is in term time there should be far fewer. We rarely saw them however they did monopolise the two main pools. The pools is another of Oceana’s weaker points. There is an adults (16+) plunge pool near the gym and spa.

 

Laundry faciltities

As a ship planned for the US market, laundry facilties are poor. There is a laundrette on each deck but only 2 washing machines and tumble driers and irons in each. They open from 8am to 10pm and you need to be sharp. There is a ship laundry service but it takes 30 hours and is not, in my opinion, cheap.

 

Then there are the shops

There is a good range of shops and you could buy a suit or tux at reasonable prices. Since Oceana only required jackets on the formal nights their casual jackets have been around the world :) I would not expect to be able to buy a stunning formal dress but there is a large enough emergency selection. That said, last time in the Carib we found a bargain ashore at one of the ports on this itinerary.

 

In the convenience store they had a large selection of paperbacks – I would have bought one had I needed but the library was more than adequate. They sell washing powder tablets so no need to pack these. The big failure on our cruise was a near total lack of shaving bits. They had only Mach3 blades – no shavers, no disposables, nothing. I complained.

 

Hi Jean, That email was great, lots of very useful information. People are so nice and helpful.

Both of us are Bicardi drinkers, so we'll probably do as suggested and possibly buy in the airport and carry on as hand luggage.

Trips- Like you, as regards the ships trips, but we are trying to get organised and getting a list from Cruise Critic Ports info, and have emailed some people, had replies from some. They do all say if you can get more then the price comes down. I do have an email from a highly recommended person in Accapulco who seems very reasonable. If you want I'll email you when all the info is in see what you and your friends think? My email address is margieparry@msn.com, so you know who t's from. We were going to be dare devils and do the ship's River Tubing in Grenada as it's cheaper with the ship than someone we contacted there.

12 weeks on Friday and Counting !!

 

Regards

Margaret

[buster parry]

:)Hi me again,

 

We were going to take some gin with us, to a have a G & T in our cabins or on the balcony. Have been told gin is cheap ask the steward to get you one, it is better to take tonic which is more expensive. Let me know what trips you are looking at, we dont want take take ship one. You can email me ant good one.

 

Jean.:)

 

email:- jean.uttley@googlemail.com

Hi Jean,

I've had another email from the Accapulco Tour I enquired with, If you want I will forward to you via email. I have mentioned him in a previous post, he did come highly recommended, discuss it with your friends and you'd be very welcome to jolin us, the more the merrier!

Margaret

[beanozak]

Hi Margaret

 

It would be very kind if you could e-mail me the details of Accapulco Tours.

Sorry about the delay we have been away.

Many thanks

Jean;)