flyers

Thank you all for your comments both positive and negative.Now to answer some of your questions.

Firstly my review was to describe what we found not to complain!....We were well aware of the vibration issue as well as the Non all inclusive feature of Oceania but the itinerary suited us to go from St.Lucia to our home in Florida so we accepted the differences from the lines we normally cruise on.

1. We were in OS 6088 and yes the vibration at times was very bad but generally was always present to some degree.....We expected that there would be some vibration from other reviews on CC.

2. We have been embarking and disembarking in St.Lucia on Silverseas,Seabourn,Regent and even Princess for years and yes they have all been prorated.....The previous Sirena cruise was apparently fairly empty when we applied (after it had sailed) and surely it would benefit the cruise line to take on additional passengers and make the added revenue when possible.We were talking of embarking for the last three days and this was approved but what was not was prorating for those three days not insisting on payment for a 10 day cruise that was already almost finished.

3. Regarding the drinks and all inclusive feature. I think that my comments may have been misunderstood by some... For those who have cruised on both all and non will appreciate that there is a different vibe on board for example we found that most of  the  tables in the GD were for two with just a few tables for four .....We are not big drinkers but have found that people are more inclined to socialize and share tables when drinks are on the house and not individually purchased. In fact we did not even drink all the 6 bottles assigned to our OS suite. 

4. It is not a condemnation of Oceania as quite obviously there are many passengers who prefer to not have drinks included and not subsidize those who do .....these were simply our observations and yes we were perfectly aware of all that before we boarded as we do substantial research before we board any ship or proceed on any vacation.

For that reason we set out to enjoy any cruise or trip that we make despite the pros and cons which are always present in life today.

I hope that this answers some of your questions and possibly provides some insight for those considering Oceania for a future cruise.

Just Off Sirena 12 day Barbados to Miami Dec 30th to Jan 11^th.

We were in an OS suite on deck 6 which we loved except for the constant sound of the propeller and the harsh suite vibration particularly when the ships speed was over 17 knots. The early morning Port arrivals was another matter when one is quite literally shaken out of bed. The higher deck OS suites appear to be less affected by the vibration but it was the only O.S. choice that we had when booking in mid-2022.

A brief synopsis of the Cruise so far……Boarding in Barbados we felt was very badly handled by the local ships agents Foster & Ince. After a long wait at the building entrance everyone was bused to the ship then lumped together in a long line on the dock including disabled passengers in wheel chairs. It was a surreal experience with passenger buses weaving dangerously close by going to other ships and the ever fear of heavy rain….strangely there were no ship’s crew present to help? and everyone had to struggle up the gangway with their hand luggage to the ship. Once on board again no one to help with carry-on bags as we were directed to the Sirena Lounge where we were checked in by again Foster& Ince local staff!

Dinner the first evening was for us in The Grand Dining Room and a very poor first meal at that with barely recognizable dishes so much so that after mentioning to our Butler we had calls from the MaîtreD who promised that he would personally see that our orders were properly handled in the future.

Unfortunately this was only one of many meals which frankly did not live up to the Billings of ‘Best Cuisine at Sea` In general we found in all but one Restaurant namely Tuscan that the food had very little flavor, generally poorly seasoned and even the soups appeared watered down. As for Room service the dishes were somewhat tasteless! and one was left to wonder if all the food service was a deliberate attempt by the Chef or Corporate to make the food go further….very disappointing as we had been looking forward to the choices and quality that Oceania bragged about we would find on board. It was not only our experience as everyone we spoke to including long time Oceania passengers were also complaining the food was just not up to Oceania standards.

Our Butler turned out to be the Head Butler on board Mishra is his name and he was excellent and always managed to anticipate our very needs.

The Ship while Old is in excellent condition with nary a squeak or groan ( other than previously mentioned ) and obviously The R. class ships were well built to be still in service after so many years and with many other Cruise Lines.

We have some 500+ hours on various Luxury Cruise Lines including Silversea, Seabourn and Regent and are used to things being mostly all inclusive so finding that nearly everything on Sirena comes with a price frankly come with the feeling that everywhere you turn someone from the Cruise Director Dottie down is trying to get into your pocket….it was all a bit unsettling to find that we were being ‘Nickel and Dimed` at every turn. This was especially true with the Spa which quoted one price to entice then tacked on additional charges such as a hot pillow $19.00 and hot oil another $19.00 plus a 20% gratuity with the end result that a 50 minute message ended up costing $340.00. Needless to say we never went back to the Spa although we made use of the gym which we found very good with virtually new TechnoGym equipment and empty for the most part.

We were not expecting much in the Entertainment area so were not surprised that this section   could only be described as weak. Dottie’s husband Tom Drake as the comedian and a magician called Jeff More plus the ships young entertainment staff who were trying their best but were frankly not very good.

Nearly all the passengers on board were of an advanced age and looking out over the crowd in the Sirena Lounge on specialty nights was a seas of white and grey hair. These are apparently the Clientele that Oceania attracts and younger persons would definitely not be happy on these ships especially the R class anyway.

Initially we tried to board the ship on the 27^th December when it was in Port Castries. There was plenty of availability showing on the Oceania website and this would have been for the last three days of the previous cruise but Miami was insisting that we pay for the whole 10 day cruise rather than prorating for the last three days. In the end Oceania missed out on about $6+ Grand and we missed out on another three days on board.

Are there things that Oceania can do to improve the experience and perhaps one of my suggestions would be to include and price all drinks and alcohol as inclusive  perhaps using their sister company  Regent Cruise Line as an example but still leave the excursion/destination charges as an extra. How much really would this actually cost Oceania if you compute the cost of the bureaucracy and overheads?... Most passengers end up paying for it anyway at the end including all the hassle and paperwork that is involved!

In summation was there anything that we found really bad on this cruise and the answer is NO. Were they things that could have been better undoubtedly Yes but we enjoyed the Cruise nonetheless and the weather cooperated.

Review.docx

We are presently in the Port OS suite deck 6 on Sirena on route from Port Antonio Jamaica to Bahamas. The location has been alternately delightful and uncomfortable depending on the ships speed and the Sea conditions. We are doing 17.8 Knots through the water  but with a headwind of 24kts which is probably akin to 19 knots ships speed  and are shaking and vibrating quite a bit. Its going to be an uncomfortable night.

From Aruba to Jamaica with calm seas and 15.8 Knots we were very comfortable with virtually no vibration. No doubt deck 6 OS suites which are closer to the Props is the worst for vibration and noise especially when we are docking in the early hours of the mornings. Were we to rebook especially for an Alaska Cruise where the outside deck of the Terrace Restaurant will probably hardly be used we would chose deck 8 OS suites.

On an aside the food on this 12 day cruise has not lived up to the billings as 'the best at sea` I will have more to say about that and our cruise in general when we have a better connection but it has been our first time on Oceania coming from Silversea/Seabourn and Regent and could be  our last. 

On a Beautiful sunny day the Ovation and Royal Clipper can be seen anchored in Rodney Bay,St.Lucia. The weather in the Islands has been very unusual with a cool wind out of the North and large rollers coming ashore on the beaches but instead of being on the Eastern or Atlantic side of the Island which is normal the surf is beating on the Caribbean coast. This is most unusual weather for the Caribbean in December but does provide unusually clear and sunny conditions.

The photos were taken from the verandah of 'The Landings Resort and Spa`. Hope you enjoy and maybe someone on the Ovation can chip in and tell us how their cruise is going.

Many Thanks to everyone who answered our noise question regarding deck 8 under the Pool deck. We now know which suites to avoid.

The reason Orv that we had issues with Silver Suite 729 on the Whisper was the staff moving chairs and cleaning the decks at 5 am or earlier in the mornings and sometimes late at nights.

Anyone with knowledge of the PH suites on deck 8 please advise if there are any suites  to avoid or should we avoid deck 8 altogether?...We normally avoid been in a suite under the Pool deck after a Transoceanic on Silver Whisper back a good few years ago, when we were in 729 right under the Pool deck and suffered through the whole crossing from Barbados to Barcelona.

Any advise would be much appreciated as this is our first cruise on Oceania the route Barbados to Miami in December 2022

Thank you to all who responded and yes we obtained the last Owners Suite before they became wait listed. Once we are on board we will be happy to answer this question and any others that CC cruisers might have. 

We are first time Cruisers on Oceania and we are booked on the Sirena Bridgetown to Miami in December 2022 and have read on CC that back in 2018 a passenger made a complaint  regarding severe vibration and noise in the Sirena Owners Suits on deck 7. Is there anyone who has been on Sirena in an Owners suite or stern cabin that can advise if this problem still exists?.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=624737&stay=1&posfrom=3

We are coming from Silverseas, Seabourn and Regent and are wondering if our experience on Oceania will be very different other than not having the All Inclusive run of the ship?

How Sad and thank you Silver Spectre we had no idea that David Lawton was unwell and passed away... We spent many fun moments with him over the years both on and off the ships. He had a sense of humor and a treasure trove of antidotes that could never be duplicated...he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Attached are some photos of him taken on the Whisper and  in St.Lucia also pictured is  Captain Tutulli who is no longer with Silversea. 

Hello Cybercsp,

               Reference your question as to how The Whisper handles Rough Seas we have been on the Whisper through two Hurricanes including Hurricane Wilma in 2005 with 30 foot Seas when we had to return to Halifax Harbour in 100+ MPH winds to ride out the Storm.....Uncomfortable ...Yes but never did we feel in any danger. We have also made five Transatlantics on both the Whisper and the Shadow and have no hesitation in making many more......Hope this helps.

Hi Chris,

Can you help with this question.:

We are about to make a booking, Transatlantic on the Dawn, but have some questions regarding suite choice. Some years ago on a Transatlantic on the Shadow we were in Silver Suite 729 below the Pool deck and were bothered by the noise from the Pool Deck the whole trip and subsequently in the Owners Suite on the Whisper we had the same problem. We are looking at the Owners Suite on the Dawn but do not want to repeat the problem especially in the early hours when the deck hands are cleaning and moving lounge chairs?

Since it is possible that the Newer Ships have more or better sound proofing could you   advise us if it is still a problem in the suites below the Pool Deck ?

We are also looking at S.S.930 near the elevators. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

SILVER DAWN suite advice. Can someone now on the Dawn help with this:

We are about to make a booking, Transatlantic on the Dawn, but have some questions regarding suite choice. Some years ago on a Transatlantic on the Shadow we were in Silver Suite 729 below the Pool deck and were bothered by the noise from the Pool Deck the whole trip and subsequently in the Owners Suite on the Whisper we had the same problem. We are looking at the Owners Suite on the Dawn but do not want to repeat the problem especially in the early hours when the deck hands are cleaning and moving lounge chairs?

Since it is possible that the Newer Ships have more sound proofing could Wes or someone on board or who has been on board advise us if it is still a problem in the suites below the Pool Deck ?

We are also looking at S.S.930 near the elevators. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Just realized that I inserted Solver rather than SILVER DAWN ...Sorry about that!

We are about to make a booking, Transatlantic on the Dawn, but have some questions regarding suite choice. Some years ago on a Transatlantic on the Shadow we were in Silver Suite 729 below the Pool deck and were bothered by the noise from the Pool Deck the whole trip and subsequently in the Owners Suite on the Whisper we had the same problem. We are looking at the Owners Suite on the Dawn but do not want to repeat the problem especially in the early hours when the deck hands are cleaning and moving lounge chairs?

Since it is possible that the Newer Ships have more sound proofing could Wes or someone on board or who has been on board advise us if it is still a problem in the suites below the Pool Deck ?

We are also looking at S.S.930 near the elevators. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Is it best, price wise, to deal through an agent or would Ponant be better though their 'quote request' on the internet. I was wondering if they  entertain  last minute requests .....subject of course to their COVID protocols.Anyone have any experience dealing with them on this?

The Dumont D`Urville has been in Port Castries since the 31st of January and last night the 4th.Feb.relocated to anchor just off the Point of Land near Castries Harbour. Apparently the last Cruise was cancelled and why it has resorted to anchoring and particularly so very close to the Point is anybody's guess. Hopefully Ponant is not in financial distress as just happened to Crystal Cruises?...anyone have any feedback on this?

The Dumont D`urville has been sitting in Port Castries since the end of January anyone know why

We are still hoping that someone has stayed or been in the Silver suite 930 or 931 on the Muse as we are booked in a similar  suite on the Moon and concerned about being so close to the Elevators. The Mrs.'s suffers from Sea sickness so we need to be as low as available in a Silver suite. We are aware that the Silver Suites under the Pool deck are a bad idea ( learned that the hard way ) .Anyone with experience on deck nine that can offer some guidance would be very appreciated.

Is there anyone on this board who has stayed in Silver suite 930 on the Muse who can comment on this suite ?..Particularly as to noise from the Elevators or from the Laundrymat  across the Hall. Anyone with photos would also be very helpful. We are booking Cruises on the Moon and since by all accounts the ships are identical, hopefully experiences with the Muse, will cross over to the Moon. 

Re Silver Suites under the Pool deck has anyone experienced noise problems on the Muse. I know that the silver suites under the Pool on Shadow or Whisper are unbearable? Appreciate any feedback as we have to make reservations this coming week to avoid losing our onboard deposit.

Can anyone please advise if the Owners suites on either the Muse or Spirit suffer from noise with the Pool Deck above?. We are always afraid of booking a suite under the pool deck after suffering a transatlantic on the Whisper which was horrible, especially in the early mornings when all the Pool chairs are moved around.  

Hi Karen,

          Nice to see you back on the boards. We were on the Explorer earlier this year and posted a number of reviews and photos which might help with some of your questions:-https://boards.cruisecritic.com/profile/13172-flyers/

Cheers,

D & D.

Dear kjbacon,

Its interesting that you had many of the same experiences that we did and especially the Captains apparent lack of empathy for the passengers on board.  . He had to have known that the Lisbon to Madeira leg was going to be very rough and he should have warned us. In the middle of the night our Steward appeared to place everything that could fall, on to the ground, an indication that some one knew that we were in for a rough night and its the rolling that got us which is what stabilizers are designed to handle! It shows how a change of Captain from Capt.Vasta to Captain Serena can positively influence a Cruise. After we disembarked  we watched the ship leave Barcelona and with the winds and seas, expected that the ship was in for a rough few days. I have attached some photos including one showing  how rough the seas looked like from our Barcelona Hotel vantage point.

Very little has been written with regards the various Tours put on by the ship but Madeira, was by far our favorite Port (visited twice on our back to back) as well as Lanzarote where we thoroughly enjoyed the Aloe Vera tour and lecture. The rest of the tours were either negatively influenced by the bad weather or for our tastes too non descript to even discuss. However we found the Destination desk personnel to be helpful and charming, a far cry from the complaints that have been registered by others on this board on the Explorer and other Regent Ships.

Morneau you are quite correct these photos are of 901 forward on deck nine. Not sure how I mixed these up with the Explorer suite which was  in fact 921