Jump to content

On a budget... advice please.


Csardas
 Share

Recommended Posts

Our options are: Riviera, 11 nights in July in an F inside cabin or Cunard Queen Victoria (been on it before), again an Inside but for 14 nights. Both itineraries attractive.

Slightly nervous about committing our limited means on an unknown! Is there anyone who has experience of both ships to help me compare/contrast?

Thanks in advance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never been on Cunard

some things to consider

Oceania include all non alcoholic beverages ..does Cunard?

Oceania includes Specialty restaurants (except La Reserve- wine pairing )

 

Oceania is a smaller ship easy to get around

Oceania have self serve laundries which we prefer (personal choice )

no formal nights so less clothes to pack

You can eat in any restaurant on the ship no special dining for your cabin class

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks all. I've added to the Cunard price what we spent this July, costed the upgraded drinks package for Oceania and added tips to both. I like Formal nights so happy to take evening dresses, dinner suit etc.

I know we could have a balcony on other lines but I've read and read and they just don't appeal.

Because the two lines seem very different experiences I was wondering if anyone had been on both.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks all. I've added to the Cunard price what we spent this July, costed the upgraded drinks package for Oceania and added tips to both. I like Formal nights so happy to take evening dresses, dinner suit etc.

I know we could have a balcony on other lines but I've read and read and they just don't appeal.

Because the two lines seem very different experiences I was wondering if anyone had been on both.

Cannot tell what Country you are in (not in profile)

Maybe you can find a TA that includes gratuities as a perk

If you like formal nights you can still dress up on Oceania but you will be in the minority, most men do not even wear suit jackets

You can always take wine or spirits for use in your cabin to help offset the cost of drinks if you do not want to upgrade the package

 

something to consider

Edited by LHT28
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're in Scotland so don't think I've ever seen a TA offering included tips! Read up about the dress code so we wouldn't take the Formal stuff. It's very difficult to compare intangibles like atmosphere, sociability etc. Forgot to mention that we never go to the theatre entertainments-not important to us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're in Scotland so don't think I've ever seen a TA offering included tips! Read up about the dress code so we wouldn't take the Formal stuff. It's very difficult to compare intangibles like atmosphere, sociability etc. Forgot to mention that we never go to the theatre entertainments-not important to us.

I find the people on O very social & the ambiance is quiet

String quartet in the evening & afternoon tea

no loud music around the ship though I am sure it is probably the same on Cunard

Hopefully someone will comment that have been on both lines

 

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

 

Lyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our options are: Riviera, 11 nights in July in an F inside cabin or Cunard Queen Victoria (been on it before), again an Inside but for 14 nights. Both itineraries attractive.

Slightly nervous about committing our limited means on an unknown! Is there anyone who has experience of both ships to help me compare/contrast?

Thanks in advance.

 

I have cruised on both lines and for me it's Oceania every time hands down - for everything (food, ship, staff, service, etc, etc, etc).

Here is the problem - I am not you and you are not me :D

Hence, what I prefer may not be your preference. I would suggest that you try Oceania and decide for yourself. Nobody can decide this for you.

Edited by Paulchili
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have been on both, standard balcony and princess grills on Cunard (Victoria)then an up sell penthouse on Oceania.(Riviera).

Please note that this is one ship in each company's fleet and our observation and we are in our fifties (if that makes any difference).

 

Cunard.....

Preferred the balcony to grills and the food in Britannia to Grills.Pay for speciality restaurants but considering the price was cheaper it can work out the same price as Oceania specialities,depending on how many times you choose to do that.

Poor quantity and quality of food in grills,very good in main restaurant.

Speciality restaurants,although some are extra,are excellent.

Afternoon tea is better on Cunard for us.

It has lots of forward outdoor space for scenery watching with no barrier.

Very good speakers and lectures.

Formal nights,but only if you want them.

Good pool.

Very attentive staff in buffet areas.

Evening nightclub if you want it.

Strict hand cleaning when entering any eatery.

Of course if you have shares,which we do,in Carnival,extra obc.

A lot more going on during the day on board for us,especially sea days.

 

Oceania....

Riviera had nowhere at or near the front to watch the scenery,without behind glass or plastic.We found this frustrating.Probably our only quibble.

Excellent toiletries.

Lots of space and chairs around the pool.Best ship we have been on for shade around the pool area when hot.

Great teas,coffees and soft drinks included in price,no extra costs there.

Apart from one evening,every meal we had was excellent.

No checks on hand sanitiser when entering restaurants.

Smaller ship and 'calm' passengers.

Poor canapés.

 

 

I cannot comment on tours as we do private tours with cruise critic friends,whatever ship we are on.

Having had a problem in one restaurant in each ship,Cunard handled it a lot better.

So what cruise line are we always looking at....Oceania.Occasionally we see a good Cunard price but we really loved Oceania..We have booked a special Polynesian expensive suite in 2018 as we are impressed with them.

Our English local agent does her utmost to get what we want,as in price drops,obc and free gratuities..

Our comfort zone is definitely with Oceania.Important as we still work and our holiday time is limited....

As Paul says we are not you,but do try it out..

Edited by janecambridge
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Jane,

Thank you very much for your comprehensive and very useful post. Especially interesting were your comments on Cunard Britannia/Grills food as I thought my parents were the only people who thought that! 2015 they were on QV in the Queens Grill and weren't impressed with the food and ambience of the dining room and this June they tried Britannia and thought the food better. Plus they enjoyed the atmosphere as they thought the Grills "dead". They made the mistake of having pre-dinner drinks in the Grills lounge and said it was very dull too, despite the Grills being fully booked. They've booked QV again for 2017, again in a Balcony/Britannia.

This was exactly the post I was hoping to read. We're also 50s, not bothered about the shows etc and as we're on QE for New Year I can live without the formal nights.

Paul is right but it seems that our opinions/likes are similar enough to give me confidence.

The cruise we're looking at is offering OBC or a restaurant beer/wine package. Given that, is a TA likely to be able to offer more?

 

Again, thank you for your time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We too have been on both lines and wouldn't hesitate to say Oceania wins hands down.

 

We too don't "do" the shows, but friends who came with us a couple of weeks ago do and said the staging and choreography on O was much better, although a smaller venue.

 

Food is WAAAY better on O I actually took a photo of my bowl of berries at breakfast one morning and sent it to a table companion on Cunard. Berries in the MDR on Cunard were strawberries, when he asked for blueberries he was told they were only available now in grills. As a treat our Maitre'd asked how opposite number in Grills for some and with great ceremony he was presented with a bowl with 7 blueberries!! The 4 alternatives are great and included in the price, as are coffees and soft drinks.

 

As to OBC or drinks package, the drinks package is wine with meals only so it depends how much and when you want to drink. The drinks BTW are cheaper than Cunard also there is a happy hour every day 2 for 1, and on Captain's evening free drinks (and not just the watered down ones like cunard!) in more than one bar.

 

The decor and fittings are better than the 3 Queens too my OH made this video of Riviera may help to sway you!!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're also 50s, not bothered about the shows etc

 

 

 

We are not bothered about shows either.But we do like the nightclubs.....

We like our own company for dinner but love mixing in the bars pre or post dinner and love the stories and banter from our overseas companions.

Cocktails are better on Oceania and wine by the glass too.drinks are cheaper on Oceania.

Love not having photographers about on Oceania...

Never found loud music on either ship...

I,personally,felt Cunard was very good,efficient and warm but Oceania made me feel 'looked after'.Obviously itineraries can have an effect on our decisions too.

Hope you find all these posts helpful....Let us know what you decide.

Edited by janecambridge
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Jane,

ems that our opinions/likes are similar enough to give me confidence.

The cruise we're looking at is offering OBC or a restaurant beer/wine package. Given that, is a TA likely to be able to offer more?

 

Again, thank you for your time!

 

Whatever O is offering, a TA will get you and if you book with a good TA, you will get a lot more. You are leaving money on the table booking direct and also if there are any issues, you have an independent TA on your side and works for you vs. a cruise consultant who works for the cruse line and not for you. In addition to what O provides, our TA gives us a minimum 10% rebate in cash we can use as we please. Other TA's give OBC, paid gratuities, etc. but, we much prefer cash we can allocate as we choose plus any O OBC is non-refundable so if you don't spend it, it is gone. Unfortunately CC rules don't allow us to provide TA recommendations on line so you just have to search.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whatever O is offering, a TA will get you and if you book with a good TA, you will get a lot more. You are leaving money on the table booking direct and also if there are any issues, you have an independent TA on your side and works for you vs. a cruise consultant who works for the cruse line and not for you. In addition to what O provides, our TA gives us a minimum 10% rebate in cash we can use as we please. Other TA's give OBC, paid gratuities, etc. but, we much prefer cash we can allocate as we choose plus any O OBC is non-refundable so if you don't spend it, it is gone. Unfortunately CC rules don't allow us to provide TA recommendations on line so you just have to search.

 

They may have different rules/offers in the UK than in North America

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been on both cruise lines and without a doubt, Oceania wins hands down. We were greatly disappointed in our QG accommodations and the QG itself. I also felt that service was greatly lacking. We're foodies and the specialty restaurants on Oceania are wonderful.

 

BTW, I love your screen name, Csardas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We too have been on both lines and wouldn't hesitate to say Oceania wins hands down.

 

We too don't "do" the shows, but friends who came with us a couple of weeks ago do and said the staging and choreography on O was much better, although a smaller venue.

 

Food is WAAAY better on O I actually took a photo of my bowl of berries at breakfast one morning and sent it to a table companion on Cunard. Berries

 

 

 

As to OBC or drinks package, the drinks package is wine with meals only so it depends how much and when you want to drink. The drinks BTW are cheaper than Cunard also there is a happy hour every day 2 for 1, and on Captain's evening free drinks (and not just the watered down ones like cunard!) in more than one bar.

 

The decor and fittings are better than the 3 Queens too my OH made this video of Riviera may help to sway you!!

 

 

 

As to the drinks...you can up grade on board for a mere $20 pp per day and both dont need to take the plan....

 

As to what Rallydave said, many agents give rebates, rules or no rules they do it because its business.

 

Booking direct is the best way I know to throw away serious money....your money.

O never gets involved as its between you and the agent....no one else involved.

So dont buy " its against the rules"!

 

Remember its a business deal, you dont get what you deserve unless you negotiate and demand it.... Would you go to a car dealer and pay the full list price, Or buying a home pay the full asking price without dealing? Whats the difference with spending $$$$ on a cruise?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... As to what Rallydave said, many agents give rebates, rules or no rules they do it because its business.

 

... Remember its a business deal, you dont get what you deserve unless you negotiate and demand it.... Would you go to a car dealer and pay the full list price, Or buying a home pay the full asking price without dealing? Whats the difference with spending $$$$ on a cruise?

 

Fine advice for US residents. Not so good for residents of the UK where financial incentives are quite limited -- if they exist at all. The OP is a resident of Scotland.

Edited by Pet Nit Noy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're in Scotland so don't think I've ever seen a TA offering included tips! Read up about the dress code so we wouldn't take the Formal stuff. It's very difficult to compare intangibles like atmosphere, sociability etc. Forgot to mention that we never go to the theatre entertainments-not important to us.

 

Hi

 

We are in Scotland too, and while generally, travel agents on the high streets in the UK do not usually offer included gratuities, there are online travel agents that offer them.

 

For some reason, we believe we are not allowed by CruiseCritic to give their names and websites address , but if you search it via CruiseCritic's own website http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk and click their "Find A Cruise" button, you will get to some of them. Once you selected some cruises you are interested in , you can phone these agents.

 

We also found that , if you find some special deals on the websites of these online agents (where they offer gratuities, etc) , you could contact your high street travel agent and it is likely the latter will try and match that deal for you. All your TA do is to call the cruise line company and ask for the same deal given to those online agents.

 

CRUISE VIRGINS

 

We used to be "cruise virgins", and initially, we paid the rack rates advertised in the websites of the cruise lines. Then, when we got on board, we discovered many other fellow and more "savvy" cruisers never paid the full price! We felt like fools having forked out hundreds if not thousands more for the same cabin!!! We discovered that if you shopped-around online, you could get "discounts" by either going during off season, booking closer to the sailing dates (say 2 months) or, looking for special offers like "freebies/bonuses" like gratuities, on-board-credits, drinks package, free upgrades of cabins, etc.etc. We have read on http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk on special advice on getting the best deals for cruise - just check that out. They are quite useful.

 

OCEANIA OR NOT OCEANIA?

 

Although we have not been on Cunard, Oceania is our favorite cruise and we have done a few cruises with them. However, we are not "stuck" to Oceania. There are other cruise lines too which we have tried, and each one have their pros and cons.

 

One big advantage on Oceania is there is no charge to go to specialty restaurants, and the standard of their meals are generally very good. Their desserts are usually excellent. Also, you do not have formal nights on Oceania like they do on Cunard, or some other cruise lines. Oceania's special mattresses means it has one of the most comfortable beds we have ever slept on! However, entertainment on Oceania is not its strong point. Also wine prices are relatively high. Many people have complained online that prices of Oceania's excursions are relatively high as well (we use alternative cruising excursion companies, never used Oceania's excursions, so saved more ££££ there!)

 

If your budget is restricted, you might get better fares cruising with Princess or Celebrity. Their meals are not too bad either, in fact, sometimes, they are often excellent. Arguably, Oceania has been praised more for their food. The standard of service on our Celebrity cruise was not that much below Oceania, either, although on our cruise with Princess, we found the ship was quite crowded and there was not many places for a bit of privacy and quiet, apart from your own cabin!

 

However, if you get a great deal on Oceania,by all means, jump on it.

(Our last cruise on Oceania, if we remember correctly, we think there was a discount of up to around 60% off the rack rate if you included On-Board-Spend, free wifi). In the world of cruising, we found that we have to frequently compared what is available. You are right if you say, that is quite an exhausting and time-consuming excercise! :=)

 

All the best to your cruising adventures!

Edited by Cahpek
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me too, but - beszel maga magyarul?

 

Igen, Kicsi. Grandma, who was born in Miskolc, taught us a few good words, if you get my meaning. My other Grandma, from Debrecen, taught us questionable poems and songs.

 

Koszonom szepen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Igen, Kicsi. Grandma, who was born in Miskolc, taught us a few good words, if you get my meaning. My other Grandma, from Debrecen, taught us questionable poems and songs.

 

Koszonom szepen.

 

Close enough (egy kicsit) :D

Very good! Both my parents were Hungarian.

Great sausages from Debrecen :)

Edited by Paulchili
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Meant to reply to my use of Csardas - afraid I've no Hungarian blood at all, but Monte's Csardas is one of my favourite pieces of music. The most memorable performance was sitting outside Florian's in St Mark's Square in the evening. Bliss.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fine advice for US residents. Not so good for residents of the UK where financial incentives are quite limited -- if they exist at all. The OP is a resident of Scotland.

 

as to financial incentives limited in UK... thats the incentives that the agent can get from O at no cost to him . However, agents who book groups do get free incentives and its important to find one. If that fails....well the agent you booked with gets a commission paid to him.... and your business provides him that commission.

 

Not un reasonable to ask for a portion of that as an incentive for your future relation Hey, no business no commission... He realizes that without you he gets nothing... I doubt he is on salary so yes he can pay for incentives out of his pocket to please/keep you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...