Coco Putty

Cruise on Oceania because 1) you want great food options; 2) you like the itinerary and the long days in port; 3) you want a smaller ship with good service, more space per passenger, and comfortable and luxurious surroundings. There are other very good reasons for cruising on Oceania. But not on the list is its variety of on board activities.

We loved our day at sea because it was so relaxing and a welcomed break from our break-neck paced sightseeing we had been doing in all of the fantastic ports of call. The absence of an overwhelming list of activities like you might find on larger ships or cruise lines aimed more at a family driven market had zero impact on the level to which we enjoyed our experience. But if you want a ship-centric activities cruise experience, maybe other lines are a better option.

I believe specialties have reservations at all half hours. We have two for 8 pm for our next cruise.

Your post is instructive. I am certain of the availability times I posted based upon my cruise experience that ended last week. So apparently the dinner reservations availability (and probably show times) vary depending on the ship/itinerary.

Having been in various cabins I would consider a $1000 upgrade to a PH a good deal and would probably do it for 11 days. Of course that would depend on what I'd paid for the A3,

 

Different people value different things. I think the space and walk in closet easily would make it worth it. Of course none of it is necessary, but it is nice to have.

 

OP, thanks for your review and observations, even though we see some things differently.

To be clear, I don't regret having taken the up-sell to the PH(1). I can see why some folks might be pleased with the choice. For those who tend to pack heavier rather than lighter, the walk in closet would be a significant benefit. For us, however, we adhered closely to the pack-half-as-much-clothing-and-take-twice-as much-cash advice. Hence, the extra closet space was less meaningful to us. But I understand those who might choose to come with more clothing options. In which case, the extra closet space would be nice. (But it would have to be a lot more clothing than what we took for our cruise).

Very helpful thanks. Considered upgrading for our Mediterranean cruise but will now stick with our Concierge Verandah cabin...

Enjoy! One of the very nice amenities that comes with concierge cabins and above is the included access to the spa terrace. (I think access to the terrace by other cabin level guests is available for $25 per day). We really enjoyed using the thalassotherapy pool there. Even with the cool temperatures in the evening, the pool felt so very good, and watching the sights from there as the ship left the beautiful ports was an amazingly sensual experience. Also, because it has limited access, we felt more comfortable in that pool as compared to the more public hot tubs next to the pool that were undoubtedly used (and perhaps abused) more frequently.

Specialty Restaurants have reservations at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30. Show time is 9:45. To make the show comfortably and have an enjoyable dining experience in a specialty restaurant, you should get a 6:30 reservation. If you must choose between a specialty dining reservation at a later hour and the show, definitely choose the dinner. They are special. The shows are not.

To the many who have posted info on CC: THANK YOU for all of the information that made our first-time cruise experience that much more enjoyable.

Here are some things we learned as a result of the cruise we just left:

1. Is an upgrade to PH1 from A3 cabin worth $500 pp for an 11 day cruise? Probably not. The extra space was very nice, but it was much more a luxury than a necessity. If the cruise were considerably longer (30 days or more), a PH upgrade would be of much greater value just because of the extra space. For a relatively short cruise like this, however, the additional space wasn't really needed even if it was enjoyed. Access to all specialty restaurants by room service seemed like a big deal but proved to be not such a big deal after all. Most of the time when we used room service, it was outside the hours during which specialty restaurants were open and therefore their menus were not available. Hot breakfast room service was an amenity we used twice. It was very convenient because we used it on our first morning when we were still recovering from our jet lag and our last morning when we were able to avoid the crush of the crowds trying to get breakfast in the dining rooms before disembarkation. But still, we could have survived with cold breakfast without a big difference in our cruise experience. Canapes in the afternoon were a nice treat, but not anything worth paying much extra for considering how readily available good food is throughout the ship. Butler service was nice, but not an extraordinary value, especially when considering that the butler comes with his (or her) own additional cost of $7 pp per day as an extra gratuity over the gratuity paid for an A3 cabin.

2. Is a cabin with a verandah worth the upgrade price? Probably. We used it every day, and our weather was typically in the upper 50's at night and lower 70's during the day. Sipping a drink, having a little snack, reading a book, or just standing at the rail and gazing at the sea or beautiful shores all were wonderful experiences. Being able to open the door and let in the fresh air was also particularly nice. The verandah added significantly to how much we enjoyed our cabin.

3. Is a (1) cabin, located mid-ship worth the upgrade price over a (4) cabin, located forward or aft? For those who have any sensitivity to the sea motion, yes. Our cruise was on the Mediterranean. By all accounts, the Med is among the more calm seas for cruising. During those times when we experienced the choppiest waters, however, the effect on the ship was considerably more pronounced forward and aft and less-so mid-ship (as many others have advised previously). Cabin 11060 is a mid-ship cabin but among the most aft of the cabins considered mid-ship. Still, on those days when the ship was rocking, life was more stable in our cabin than at the front or back of the ship.

4. Is elevator noise a problem for cabins like 11060 located very near the elevators? Definitely not. Proximity to the elevators is only a positive feature of the cabin. Very convenient. We never heard a sound from the elevators or the traffic to and from the elevators.

5. Is the executive lounge a valuable amenity? Yes (but an A3 cabin gets a similar concierge lounge). Mrs. Coco Putty and I both used the Executive Lounge every day. She loved the daily puzzles provided in the lounge. She tended to rise a little earlier than I, and I tended to have a bedtime a little later than her on a couple of nights. At those times, we each found the lounge a nice place to park and avoid disturbing the sleeping other. The concierge was also helpful. For example, our hotel in the disembarkation city (Athens, Greece) had car a transfer service available to us. I did not learn about it until the night before disembarking. Rather than making a hip to shore call at the outrageous $5 a minute cost, I waited until the early morning, and asked the concierge to contact the hotel to see if the driver could come get us. In less than 10 minutes, the problem was solved, and our driver was scheduled by the concierge. Very nice. Being able to grab the little snacks and treats that were always available along with soft drinks, coffee, and tea was also very pleasant.

6. What I wish I knew when our cruise began: We had a wonderful time without scheduling much more than our four specialty restaurant reservations. That said, the more you are willing to schedule in advance and adhere to the more you can get out of the cruise offerings. Between Oceania's planned activities and the excursions that are available from them or independently each day has more available to do than can possibly be done. So the more you can plan, the more you can do. These plans start with dinner reservations. Make those, and plan the rest of your day around them.

7. The best temptation avoided: Oceania excursions. With the descriptions provided and the convenience they offer, the excursions are all so tempting. But nearly all of them were so over priced. Much better deals were available by independently arranged excursions. Read your Roll Call forum here and work with others to create your own excursion. You will likely enjoy it much more than the higher priced Oceania excursion. Also, consider whether any excursion is even needed. We only did one. It was great. But the other days were all DIY, and we never felt that we had missed opportunities. In one case, we were very happy that we did not sign up for an excursion to Mt. Etna, which was practically ruined by bad weather but not cancelled.

I hope this information is useful. It's my little way to say thank you and pay it forward from the others who helped us so much as we researched and prepared for what turned out to be the best vacation we have ever had.

My recollection i that my TA said that if we booked the O hotel offered for pre or post-cruise stay, then the $175 charge for deviation is waived on that leg of the flight for which you have booked your O hotel stay.