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Oriana questions


bkecky
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After years of loyalty to Cunard’s Queen Victoria, we have decided to try Oriana due to the QV doing fly cruises over the summer period. It has been a long time since we last went on Oriana so I was wondering if anyone here could help answer some questions. I’m using the QV as a comparative reference point as my recent experience has been completely limited to her but other insights would also be helpful.

 

- How formal it is now in comparison to the QV? My grandma and I tend to dress up very formally on the QV but don’t want to look out of place in long evening gowns if they aren’t the norm.

 

- What are the major differences between Oriana and QV in terms of the entertainment programme? My boyfriend and I are in our late 20s and the sample programme looks more appealing to us but I am aware that the sample I saw was not specifically for Oriana.

 

- What are the sailaways like these days on Oriana?

 

- Are there cocktail parties like on Cunard?

 

- I read in one review that cabins are not ready when you embark and you have to go to wait in the Conservatory. Is this standard practice?

 

- Similarly, I read that all disembarkation is before 9am. Is this also correct?

 

- This is a bit of a long shot as it’s not directly related to Oriana but… My boyfriend is Mexican and when we travel via plane we usually have to go to a separate check-in to get a special stamp on his ticket after they have examined his visa. Could anyone share any knowledge of check-in for non-EU passport holders? We are travelling to the Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Will there be any other time where additional immigration checks may be required?

 

- The roll calls for Oriana seem very few. Is it not usual to do a meet and greet on P&O?

 

- Lastly, please tell me the food is not as bad as some reviews suggest!

 

Thanks in advance for any help. Any other views and tips would also be interesting and very welcome!

Edited by bkecky
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I can answer some of the questions.

Cabins are available from 2pm normally.

There is a Captains welcome on board cocktail party usually on the second day.

Disembarkation commences around 9am and will finish around 1030am. You can self disembark earlier from around 0715 but you have to carry ALL your luggage off with you if you opt for this.

A Mexican national will require a Schengen visa to visit any European countries and will require re-entry permision or visa to enter UK on return. Morocco is outside the Schengen area but according to the Morocco Consulate General Mexican nationals do not need a visa.

http://www.moroccanconsulate.org.uk/en/Visa.html

Brian

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We have never been on QV so cannot compare.

 

Formal nights on our last cruise in December/January were very well adhered to and the majority wore full length gowns.

 

We enjoyed the food in the main dining restaurants and Select dining but the buffet left a lot to be desired.

 

Entertainment was mixed but in you 20s you will certainly be one of youngest on the ship. The average on our cruise was 60 ish but it was a 24 nighter over Xmas.

 

We are back on Oriana in a few weeks and have 3 booked for next year on Oriana.

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Thanks for both of your replies. I'm not really bothered about being the youngest, as it has always been the case when I've been on Cunard. The entertainment programme that I saw did seem more varied than I am used to though. It can't be as bad as the reviews say if you are booking so many times!

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Thanks for both of your replies. I'm not really bothered about being the youngest, as it has always been the case when I've been on Cunard. The entertainment programme that I saw did seem more varied than I am used to though. It can't be as bad as the reviews say if you are booking so many times!

 

We were on the Oriana a few weeks ago and the ages ranged quite a bit although it was a 4 day cruise. Hope you have a fab time.

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We are regular Celebrity cruisers, but did our first P and O cruise on Oriana last November.

Yes, you can dress up to the nines on formal night, lots of long gowns, but I didn't feel out of place in a shorter cocktail frock.

We actually found the food pretty good. I liked the buffet, despite the crowding. Lots to choose from especially at lunchtime. We very much enjoyed the made to order sandwiches and rolls, useful to ensure we had some appetite left to enjoy the scones and toasted tea cakes served for afternoon tea in the buffet!

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My Husband & I tried a 3 night cruise on QV last October, as having predominately sailed on with P&O we wanted to see what Cunard had to offer.

 

Yes, there are benefits to Cunard, however, overall we felt the P&O experience was better for us.

 

Another thing to bear in mind with P&O is that everything is in sterling.

 

We both mid 40's & found that come 10pm unless you were into dancing there wasn't much going on around the ship.

 

We're used to the bigger P&O ships & haven't sailed on Oriana (yet) but tend to find that entertainment goes on until late in the evening.

 

I would say that the sail away parties (from what we observed on QV on our cruise) are far superior on P&O. On QV it consisted of a 4 piece band, who didn't particularly sound very good with 4 entertainment staff dancing around like a family party!

 

Also, the Cruise Director, who as it happened was also our CD on our last cruise on Azura, was virtually non-existent during our cruise. He appeared one night in the theatre to introduce an act & that was the only time we saw him.

 

After our 3 night cruise we immediately sailed on RCI's Independence of the Seas, now that is a "party ship" :)

 

Hope this helps.

 

Joan

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Another thing to note is that there is no added service charge to anything you buy on board - on Cunard I believe 15% is added to anything you purchase, including coffees and drinks. The price on the menu is what you pay. You can also take alcohol aboard if you choose - we usually take a bottle of Pimms as you can't buy it by the bottle on the ship. We enjoy a Pimms, especially in warmer climes.

 

We have mainly cruised with P&O but have been on a short 5 night cruise on Queen Elizabeth. She is very elegant but then so is Oriana. We found the food in the main restaurant to be slightly better than P&O, particularly the beef but not majorly so. We found the service on P&O was far superior to Cunard which surprised us greatly. We may have been unlucky but we had very poor service from our waiter in the Britannia restaurant - and Room Service left a lot to be desired - tea delivered without milk and hot chocolate delivered cold! Again we may just have been unlucky. Friends of ours always go with Cunard and are very happy.

 

You will find it different but I don't think vastly so. On P&O by far the majority of men will wear a Dinner Jacket on Formal evenings and the women will be wearing a mixture of long dresses, cocktail dresses, long skirts and floaty tops. Whatever you choose I don't think you'll be out of place. Enjoy your cruise!

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To be honest if QV isn't an option, I'd probably look at Queen Elizabeth !

 

I look forward to hearing how you enjoy Oriana, our first P&O experience was on Ventura, it wasn't particularly successful but we are willing to give one of the smaller ships a chance.

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Having only used Cunard, we plumped for a mini cruise on Oriana at Easter. There is no comparison. QV is classy, elegant, smart, beautiful. Oriana isn't. I'm sorry but it is tatty, old and tired. Food was fine but the buffet was not at all like the lido. Our outside room was faded and poor. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it was our first and last trip on Oriana.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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Having only used Cunard, we plumped for a mini cruise on Oriana at Easter. There is no comparison. QV is classy, elegant, smart, beautiful. Oriana isn't. I'm sorry but it is tatty, old and tired. Food was fine but the buffet was not at all like the lido. Our outside room was faded and poor. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it was our first and last trip on Oriana.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

Thats a shame because our outside cabin was lovely at Easter.

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Thank you for all your perspectives. I have found that the QV service is sometimes lacking but then again it is sometimes outstanding, depending on who you get serving you. I expect it will be the same on Oriana. I will try to maintain an open mind and remember that it is a totally different ship I will be going on! I have to say based upon comments and reviews I think that there will be pros and cons for changing and no doubt I will miss the QV but other aspects seem to be an improvement on what I felt was lacking on her. I will write up an update on my return, for sure.

 

Very happy about that 15% being taken off. I hated that charge, especially when I've had to go to the bar myself when the serving staff have been lacking!

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Thank you for all your perspectives. I have found that the QV service is sometimes lacking but then again it is sometimes outstanding, depending on who you get serving you. I expect it will be the same on Oriana. I will try to maintain an open mind and remember that it is a totally different ship I will be going on! I have to say based upon comments and reviews I think that there will be pros and cons for changing and no doubt I will miss the QV but other aspects seem to be an improvement on what I felt was lacking on her. I will write up an update on my return, for sure.

 

Very happy about that 15% being taken off. I hated that charge, especially when I've had to go to the bar myself when the serving staff have been lacking!

 

The 15% charge is still there on P&O it is just that it is added in the price of the drink and not added as an extra. So in effect if you go to a bar yourself you will still be paying a service charge.

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The 15% charge is still there on P&O it is just that it is added in the price of the drink and not added as an extra. So in effect if you go to a bar yourself you will still be paying a service charge.

 

Oh, I see. So would you say in effect that P&O drinks prices are roughly the same as Cunard?

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Oriana is just coming up to 20 years-old so she is not going to be as shiny and smart as any of the Cunard fleet. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say and personally, I think Oriana is a beautiful ship. Yes, the odd area is looking tired but when I was on her last October, I thought she was generally very well cared for. She is classy and elegant in an understated way with definite nods to Art Deco.

 

We all experience things in different ways but I definitely did not feel she was "tatty, old and tired". Purely imho, that description is very wide of the mark.

 

Go with an open mind and I am sure you will have a very enjoyable cruise.

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Faded bed linen, dirty sheets. Torn chair upholstery and worn carpets. Tatty bathroom. Many public toilets out of order. Empty pool. This was our experience in April and never to be repeated.

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Faded bed linen, dirty sheets. Torn chair upholstery and worn carpets. Tatty bathroom. Many public toilets out of order. Empty pool. This was our experience in April and never to be repeated.

Were you intending to use the pool in early April?

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I would certainly not be put off a ship by listening to what someone says about her. We have friends who usually go on Cunard and they went on Oriana for the first time last November and had a wonderful time. Their overall opinion was that there were some things they preferred about Cunard and some they preferred about P&O, specifically Oriana. The only way you will really know is when you have travelled on her. I hope you have a wonderful time. She is a very classy ship - in my opinion!

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Faded bed linen, dirty sheets. Torn chair upholstery and worn carpets. Tatty bathroom. Many public toilets out of order. Empty pool. This was our experience in April and never to be repeated.

 

Sorry to see that was your experience. It certainly was not mine last October. I am pleased to say that I didn't experience any of those - and believe me, I am not backwards at criticising P&O when I feel the need.

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