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Seabourn vs. Oceania


cuddles115
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I have been on the O Riviera twice in the last year. Once in PH and once in Extended Balcony.

Both cruise exceeded my expectations. Food in all venues was smashing along with service. I like the size of their two larger ships. I have been on all the luxury lines except Seabourn. ( have booking on Sojourn this August ) I feel Oceania can compete with the best of them. Will let you know how the two compare after my Seabourn cruise in August.

 

Thanks Maggie, please do let us know! The O Riviera is my favorite ship. I've never tried Seabourn and I'm very interested in trying but can't seem to break away from Oceania. They impress me and exceed my expectations every time too!

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This is just my opinion -

 

I can't compare the two lines. Not because I haven't been on them (I have) but rather, because of my experiences on Oceania, you'd have to pay me to cruise with them again.

 

The drink system (even with the full beverage package) was a joke (I'll leave the happy hour mess out of it as wripro already covered it). It seemed staff changes were so frequent you had to keep pulling out your card to pay for drinks. That's assuming you were in a bar. If you were in any of the restaurants drink service was about as frequent as a blue moon. The bartenders were for the most part very good. Wine and drink service in the restaurants - you were better off finding the closest bar and getting it yourself (lost a wine steward for 45 minutes one night). It seems that using modern technology that most other bars/restaurants use is beyond them (transferring tabs, allowing managers to finalize/close tabs). On the first cruise the staff had to start taking booze from passengers who were swigging from 1.75s of Bacardi on deck. The behavior of those passengers was wonderful:rolleyes:

 

The restaurants were IMO terrible. When your first experience with the GDR is having your waiter hover over the table to watch you cut into a poached egg "because the kitchen can't get them right" (his words) - that's more than a bit off putting. They also like to cook proteins on one day and then cook them again the next (night 1 special Jacques chicken was a recook from the previous cruise:eek:). The GDR did have what could have been an interesting menu but execution was bad. Service was also not a strong suit. There was the occasional nice dish (nothing ever made me go WOW) but those were interspersed between ho-hum and bad plates capped off with glacial service.

 

In room canapés - served room temperature when they should have been hot or cold. Embarkation day food items tasted like they'd been prepared days in advance. After three days of this we asked the butler to save himself some time and please don't deliver them anymore.

 

Jacques - first time there we shared a table with previous Oceania cruisers. Food came out at the wrong temps (hot > cold and cold > hot) as well as in pools of grease. Yummy. They never complained or sent the food back. After inquiring as to why there was no commentary to the staff we were told that due to their previous experiences it wouldn't have done any good.

 

Steakhouse - Freeze dried prime rib. You could taste the freezer burn. Yum. It was just OK the second time (ordered a different cut) but if it were a local place I wouldn't waste my time visiting.

 

Italian - Oddly nothing like any Italian food I've had in the US or Italy. The flavors were wonky. I was bemused when I sent back Osso Bucco and they offered to make a new one from scratch.

 

Buffet: Very poor crowd/flow control. People trying to help themselves to things with bare hands. Most of the dishes seemed to be repeats.

 

Red Ginger - I think Panda Express is more authentic. I asked if a curry could be made spicier and they added a 1/4 cup of bland chili oil to it. The expanding napkins were interesting to watch. The miso cod was cooked perfectly. Overall the dishes and flavor profiles seemed too Westernized for my tastes.

 

Waves Grill (I think it was - the pool grill). They couldn't ever cook a burger to the correct/requested temperature. They also couldn't make the items as listed on the menu (they were fond of leaving off 1/2 the listed ingredients and then telling you items were available at the salad bar or on the table).

 

Waves Ice Cream - This place was good. The only issue I had was it became too popular.

 

Coffee bar - nice view, kind of odd location, but decent ship coffee.

 

Wine Spectator Restaurant - Wow. What a contrast. Excellent service and food? If they had more than three menus I would've tried to get reservations here every dinner. This to me was the one restaurant that showcased what could have been the best food at sea.

 

Passengers were generally nice, but there were several that bragged about never having to eat in the GDR as they'd bribed staff for reservations in the other restaurants for every night of the cruise. One couple went so far as to brag about trying to get a staff member in trouble because they wouldn't take a bribe. When it came time to leave for tours, there was pushing/shoving and people trying to leave well before their number was called. Staff did nothing about this behavior. The only time staff seemed to intervene with inappropriate passenger behavior was with the consumption of the brought aboard booze and chair hogs. On sea days they had a junior officer who had the job to sit on deck and watch over the pool staff to make sure loungers weren't hogged.

 

The tours were expensive (in comparison to other cruise lines tours) but the smaller group options for some of them were appreciated.

 

It's possible I won the million dollar bad luck lottery with these cruises but considering how much better Ive found things on Seabourn (and even Regent) I don't see the point in shelling out nearly the same or more money for something that's proven itself to be a vastly inferior product.

 

YMMV

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It's possible I won the million dollar bad luck lottery with these cruises but considering how much better Ive found things on Seabourn (and even Regent) I don't see the point in shelling out nearly the same or more money for something that's proven itself to be a vastly inferior product.

 

YMMV

I could not agree more. We were on Oceania once and, unless I win the lottery, never again. Contrary to an earlier posting, Azamara is a much better alternative. We will be on Seabourn for the first time this fall, and I hope it is as good as, or better than, Azamara. I know it can't be any worse than Oceania.

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I've listened to identical comments from at least ten other people.

 

Add another two

We felt the same for the first time after spending 20 days on Oceania

Even comments on the roll call we were sailing on seemed rude and unnecessary

 

We have been on 5 or 6 different cruise lines before being talked into Oceania by the travel agent

Maybe after a 21 day cruise with Seabourn Oceania was a wrong choice for us

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Like most of these articles this one is filled with inconsistencies and wrong impressions. Choosing Oceania to go to Alaska is no longer an issue. Choosing Oceania if you're a foodie inso better than choosing Seabourn if your'e a foodie. The bottom lines if you're willing to squeeze into a tiny cabin, pay high prices for drinks, excursions, wifi and tips but like good food and nice ships Oceania is for you. BUT if you want a cabin comparable in size to Seabourn you must book a penthouse on Oceania and you will be paying more on O than on SB.

 

I disagree. The PH on Oceania is the same price as Seabourn's basic room. My agent always gives gratuities and shipboard credit, in addition to Oceania's shipboard credit. This covers more than enough drinks for me, I'm not a heavy drinker. Seabourn's excursions are just as expensive, you can't say that they are not.

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We had a nice OBC with Oceania. It covered our drinks. We were in the Med and enjoy buying wines at each port. Our OBC covered corkage for wines brought on board. Our bill getting off the ship was $15. I am not saying it is the same experience as Seabourn. We would do either line in a heartbeat. Very lucky to have these choices.

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... Seabourn's excursions are just as expensive, you can't say that they are not.

 

I can. In my experience, The Seabourn excursions were cheaper. Comparing a 16 day Northern European cruise on Seabourn I paid far less for the tours (10 tours total including a high speed train ride from St. Petersburg to/from Moscow and the day in Moscow) than on a 11 day Oceania Black Sea cruise (7 tours total).

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I found excursions more expensive on O than on SB. As is wifi. Far more expensive.

 

And SB's basic room, as JVNYC describes it as almost as large as the PH on Marina/Riviera (365 sq, ft vs. 420) and much larger than the PH on Regatta, Nautica, Sirena and Insignia (365 vs. 322). There may be an itinerary her and there where a PH on O costs less than SB but in general it's as much as if not more.

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Very interesting thread. We will be on Oceania for the first time in December and we will see how it goes. Friends have raved about the food quality. And I have been alerted about the high prices for the booze. So I will think about that. On the other hand, we had bad experience with food quality on Seabourn, while we loved many other aspect of our 68 days on that line...Sadly we still haven't found the right itinerary to try Seabourn again, but still searching.

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The food is the only good thing on Oceania. We had a problem with noise from our next door cabin which was never rectified. Had to sleep with ear plugs as management said their "hands were tied" ( TV blasting into the wee hours). Offered $800 credit on next cruise. Not taking one!! Sailing on Seabourn instead ;)

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I am on the Encore on the 27th of may for a 7-day-cruise! The price was € 2.990,-- für die GTY veranda cabin including flights and $ 150 onboard credit per cabin plus an extra discount of 5% for open booking! Oceania charges for the same dates and approx the same route for the PH-Suite € 4.559,-- including flights - onboard credit $ 400,-- per cabin! No tipps and no alcoholic beverages included! So it is very easy to decide!

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I am on the Encore on the 27th of may for a 7-day-cruise! The price was € 2.990,-- für die GTY veranda cabin including flights and $ 150 onboard credit per cabin plus an extra discount of 5% for open booking! Oceania charges for the same dates and approx the same route for the PH-Suite € 4.559,-- including flights - onboard credit $ 400,-- per cabin! No tipps and no alcoholic beverages included! So it is very easy to decide!

 

What is the Oceania price without the flights then?

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About € 400 cheaper

 

Looks like you got a good deal. Glad you took it. Whenever I price up Seabourn for a summer cruise in the Med a year out it's always the same price if not more than an Oceania PH on Riviera/Marina. Since I get gratuities and loads of shipboard credit for drinks or whatever, it's better for me on Oceania. In all honesty, I like a little bigger ship and the O ships are the perfect size for me. More choices of dining are also a factor. As many say, glad we have choices.

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taking our first cruise coming up later this year w/ Seabourn and one next year on Oceania. I like the all inclusive drinks on S but read that they allow you to bring a bottle or 2 on O for use in your cabin. We have had the last 20 cruises on HAL and had the drink package incl. which was 15 per day up to $8 and could get doubles. Doing Cuba on O and a Caribbean on S. These comments are quite helpful. I like that caviar is available every night on S. Guess we will see which we prefer or might end up back w/HAL. I was told the beverage package w/OLlfe is wine and beer.

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taking our first cruise coming up later this year w/ Seabourn and one next year on Oceania. I like the all inclusive drinks on S but read that they allow you to bring a bottle or 2 on O for use in your cabin. We have had the last 20 cruises on HAL and had the drink package incl. which was 15 per day up to $8 and could get doubles. Doing Cuba on O and a Caribbean on S. These comments are quite helpful. I like that caviar is available every night on S. Guess we will see which we prefer or might end up back w/HAL. I was told the beverage package w/OLlfe is wine and beer.

 

You can upgrade to the premium plan for $20 each a day. It is well worth it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We have for many years cruised with HAL, which incidentally we still think is very good for the deals we have had.

 

Branching out a bit we have been on Oceania three times, Riviera twice, and recently on a portion of the world cruise on Insignia, and once on Seabourn last year.

 

The one we are unlikely to repeat is Seabourn for a few reasons, but sailing on these two lines has convinced us that HAL if going to the right places is also worth keeping with for some cruises. Our problem with HAL is that we have now done so many cruises with them we are running out of itineraries.

 

Our trips on Oceania have all been good. We love Riviera - we think she must be one of the most beautiful ships at sea. Cabins are very nice and the bathrooms are even bigger and better than Seabourn standard balconies. Insignia of course is very much smaller, and the bathrooms are minute - the only thing I did not really like about the cruise. The food is good, though in some areas - notably breakfasts, salads and variety of vegetables, we think HAL can beat them. Food was the thing we liked least on Seabourn. We did not like the dining room - the wooden floor made it noisy and the walls reminded me of a factory which had had its walls covered with muslin to make it look better. This meant we always ate in the terrace where the menu was more restricted. Having said that the two dinners we had in the MDR were not amazing. Our other big grouse about the dining room was that it was closed for breakfast and lunch, normally on cruises we eat in the MDR all the time. We felt that the main area on Seabourn revolved around alcohol which the staff were always trying to press on you at meals. This was on Odyssey, but I guess the other two ships are pretty identical, and although pleasant in areas no where near as attractive as Oceania.

 

We enjoyed our holiday on Seabourn but unlikely to go again, because in view of us being limited drinkers think it is too expensive. Other things I liked on Oceania were the (free) art classes every day, the iced coffee and the smoothies. Good lectures too. We actually think Oceania, though more expensive than HAL works out reasonably well costwise. On OLife we got 5 or 6 included excursions, free 24 hour internet, airfare and hotel at the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore, and from the agent free gratuities and 350 dollars onboard cabin credit. We used this for our limited alcohol and our onboard costs came to one additional excursion.

 

Incidentally someone mentioned lack of fresh fruit at breakfast on Oceania. I had a bowl of berries - strawberries, raspberries and either blueberries on blackberries on 17 of the 18 nights on Insignia, and remember having similar on Riviera, so clearly she was unlucky.

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I have posted this info before but I will repeat again. We have sailed on all the luxury lines and most mass cruise lines. ( 54 cruises ) So far the Oceania Riviera I my favorite ship. Just beautiful and the right size for me. I will go on my first Seabourn cruise this August. 14 nt, Sojourn in Alaska. My expectations are very high. The food and service exceeded my expectations on the Riviera. We had a nice OBC that covered our wine corkage and cocktails. We drank every night and our bill getting off the ship was $15. I am always so surprised when people are unhappy with Oceania and refuse to try again. I really don`t care for their smaller ships. I would go on Azamara ( the old R class ships ) where I have Elite Plus benefits. How lucky we are to have these choices.

Cheers, Heather

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We have for many years cruised with HAL, which incidentally we still think is very good for the deals we have had.

 

Branching out a bit we have been on Oceania three times, Riviera twice, and recently on a portion of the world cruise on Insignia, and once on Seabourn last year.

 

The one we are unlikely to repeat is Seabourn for a few reasons, . . . . (SNIP)

 

. . . . Food was the thing we liked least on Seabourn. We did not like the dining room - the wooden floor made it noisy and the walls reminded me of a factory which had had its walls covered with muslin to make it look better. This meant we always ate in the terrace where the menu was more restricted. Having said that the two dinners we had in the MDR were not amazing. Our other big grouse about the dining room was that it was closed for breakfast and lunch, normally on cruises we eat in the MDR all the time. We felt that the main area on Seabourn revolved around alcohol which the staff were always trying to press on you at meals. This was on Odyssey, but I guess the other two ships are pretty identical, and although pleasant in areas no where near as attractive as Oceania. . . . "

 

 

( SNIP)

unlucky.

 

The MDR on SB is indeed a bit loud, though I thought HAL MDR on the Westerdam in 2015 was louder. I look forward to comparing with SB on our first Oceania Regatta test cruise soon

 

However, MDR on the Quest was open for breakfast and lunch recently, and believe that is the case on the other ships too, I think in response to pushback from pax last year who objected to attempted closure. We ate lunch in the quiet MDR as much as possible, though it was only open for initial seating between 12:30-1:30, a compromise.

 

SB has also added the Thomas Keller grill for dinner and you can also eat both lunch and dinner dinner on the Patio with table service, unless weather is poor.

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Mancunian,

 

Unless you are talking about a penthouse on the Marina or Riviera you are mistaken about the cabins and bathrooms on Oceania being bigger than on Seabourn. Standard cabins on Oceania R class ships are 216 sq ft. Even penthouses are only 322 sq. ft including the balcony. Standard cabins on Marina and Riviera are 284 sq. ft. including balcony. The smallest suites with balconies on Seabourn are 365 sq. ft. The bathrooms are larger and the closets definitely are as they are walk in instead of being positioned very close to the bed as they are on Marina and Rivera. Only the penthouses on Marina and Riviera are larger at 420 sq. ft. including balcony. But booking one of those and then paying for tips and drinks brings the cost up to the same level as Seabourn and in some cases higher.

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Actually I did not say cabins were larger on a standard balcony on Oceania, I said that the bathrooms were larger perhaps because they are better planned. I think the cabins are very nice on Riviera, but agree that Seabourns are larger, but both are a good size just prefer the aesthetics on the Riviera.

 

Glad to see that they have changed the policy for the MDR being closed for breakfast and lunch on Seabourn.

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It sure is interesting how violently opposing opinions about the same product can be found!

 

I'm glad we have the choice. I've done both lines in the past 6 months. O exceeds in some areas, and S in others.

 

Agreed.

I'd like to add my 2 cents' worth as we have cruised on both lines multiple times but it wouldn't make any difference to many here,so I won't. :)

Most people like what they like for their own reasons - and that is how it should be.

Anyone who wants to know which line THEY prefer should cruise on both lines (preferably more than once) and then decide for themselves.

That is the only way to know for sure.

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