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susans14

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    Oceania regatta cruise from hell experience. READ THIS BEFORE BOOKING OCEANIA

    in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

    Posted

    We were on the Oceania Regatta for the Sydney to Sydney cruise December 20th -Feb 23rd 2018 it was a complete nightmare I will document the situation as best I can.

    I am an experienced cruiser having been on over 40 cruises and this was by far the worst experience I ever had on cruise.

    I traveled across the world to see Australia, unfortunately we missed 4 ports 1 was due to a broken PA system on the ship that took 13 days to fix. For 13 days there was no music in any of the common rooms, the restaurants ,the fitness center, the spa etc. . The entertainment in the main lounge was also limited. This was all very disappointing as it was Christmas - New Years Time. This greatly hampered the enjoyment of the cruise.

    Apparently the cruise before us had issues because the generator broke.

    Of most importance is all of the missed ports or ports visited when the cities were literally shut down. Of the ports we did make the towns were closed. Whoever planned the port dates should be fired. We were in Cairns for Christmas Day - everything and I mean everything was closed- The same for the Darwin port, it was New Year’s Day. How were we to know this would be the case , where we live things are open on those days. In Port Moresby papua New Guinea the public government buildings that were mentioned as must see were also closed. I am not even sure why Papua New Guinea was chosen as a port as there is no infrastructure to support a cruise ship. It is also extremely dangerous and dirty. The highlight of the trip was to be Kangaroo island. Again we could not get in because they said the tenders were not able to negotiate through the waves. They sent tenders out empty with doors open - of course they would be bouncy and take on water. There was a small boat sailing around with no apparent issues. The captain also claimed the anchor could not hold the boat. That we would be pulled-to shore. The winds were about 15 miles per hour or less. That tells me the anchor may be broken . This is inconceivable unless there is a hurricane-and speaks to the unsafe condition the anchor and tenders might be in( or a lie)We are boaters and never heard of such a thing.So that meant we were at sea for 4 days in a row. I had
    heard through a slip from an officer on the ship they knew this was going to be the situation the day before when I heard that it made sense because they cancelled Esperance 2 days in advance because they said the weather would not allow for tender operation there).- yet they proceeded to pretend we might get in to Kangaroo island .It was just a dog and pony show to pretend. I had have been on many cruises that sent tenders out in those sorts of waves ( not even 4 feet). I wonder if we really had to use the lifeboats if they are viable if the captain was afraid they would break or not be possible to use in these conditions- then are they safe at all. I completely understand that weather can make it impossible to get into a port. In these cases the weather conditions weren’t that bad. They either have the wrong tenders or should not plan on these ports( apparently they often miss them). Why put these ports on the itinerary to begin with? I have been on cruises in the past where they hire the local ferry service to move people to shore. When we were at Kangaroo island there was a ferry service right there.These are serious questions .

    The other issues involve the safety and health conditions. There was a mold smell in our cabin and others reported the same thing. We had issues with the toilet backing up .We were
    in a cabin facing the ships back - I could not use the balcony as it is covered with black soot everyday. It was impossible to sit outside with the smell of exhaust from the smoke stack. The smoke smell was also in the cabin despite keeping the door to the terrace locked. This was acknowledged by the Workmen that were sent to check the situation but nothing was done to rectify it as we are at sea. They said it has to be looked out when in port for an extended period.
    Something is very wrong there —the house keeper had to clean off the deck many times . I have had the same type of position in previous cruises and always enjoyed fresh air with not charcoal soot .

    While the public areas were in good shape the cabin was old and moldy. The sink in the bathroom was so old and worn the fabric in the laminate sink was worn through. It was dirty when we arrived with sticky goo in several drawers. We had to cover the couch which was worn out and stained with a sheet. It was so gross we didn’t want to sit on it .

    The service was good. The food which Oceania is know for has taken a turn for the worse. Previously on other Oceania cruise that I took years ago the food was great . This time everything was frozen- frozen fish and meats and vegetables. Usually fresh seafood is brought on as are local vegetables- not on this cruise.
    This was my 4 th Oceania cruise the others several years ago before NCL bought them and obviously destroyed quality.

    Between the missed ports and the ports we saw that were closed we really didn’t experience Australia -we didn’t sign up for this many sea days ( add those ports to cities that were closed for holidays ). We essentially lost 6 out of 18 ports which is over 30 percent of ports lost( 4 because they didn’t get in and 2 because of holidays and the towns were closed down). For the final outrage and disappointment customer service is unresponsive- they just don’t care. This cruise line is at a point in time where a large public cruise company owns it. It is run completely to wring out profit at the expense of quality and good experience. This corporate attitude never works in the long run. We will NEVER GO ON ANOTHER OCEANIA CRUISE EVER.

    Oceania ..NEVER AGAIN...floating nursing home

    in Oceania Cruises

    Posted

    Susans 14......by chance was the doctor from South Africa?

     

    He's one that immediately suggests IV's and a $5000 plus bill.

     

    I am not sure where he was from—but I am not exaggerating at all when I say medical was the profit center. He had everyone that went there with the virus going around on IVs- several times a day! I hope those people took out cruise insurance that covers it. The only time I saw him was I went to medical to ask if they had any masks to cover your mouth and nose and they did not. It is probably a good idea to bring those disposable masks on a cruise like this one where so many people were sick.

    Travel to Cuba via Oceania

    in Oceania Cruises

    Posted

    You are wrong and are just fear mongering. Have you even been to Cuba on Oceania (or any other cruiseline)???

     

    I was there last month on Oceania and all ship tours are OFAC approved. But you can also take private tours or walk around on your own. We were certified for the 3 different "people-to-people" categories, which is what the cruiseline had us do.

     

    Unless you know the truth, you should not try to scare others. And Cuba is a wonderful place to visit!!

     

     

     

    I don’t think this is fear mongering. I looked it up and that information is completely correct. Does that mean you’ll have a bad time and get arrested- absolutely not. But it’s important to have the information- the facts. Then you can just decide if you want to go and if you do how to handle customs. It was generous of her to share this information in my opinion- which obviously isn’t your opinion

     

     

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    Oceania ..NEVER AGAIN...floating nursing home

    in Oceania Cruises

    Posted

    I am so sorry you have had problems.It must be bad if you are now flying home.

     

    Look forward to hear more and to understand your decision.We are embarking Marina today and will make up our mind.

     

     

     

    I would be interested in your experience on the Marina. I was on it for 2 cruises during its inaugural year when it was fresh and Oceania was great. I just got back from a 34 day oceania cruise on the Regatta. It was horrible and I mean horrible the first cruise of the almost 40 I have been on that felt that way Much of that had to do with the condition of the ship. The cabins were worn out and there were other mechanical and electrical issues that really made it almost unbearable. The service was still good but the food was in a definite decline from the earlier cruises. The meats and fish were frozen as were the vegetables etc etc. The ship was disorganized and there were huge issues on 7 of the 18 ports.

     

     

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    Oceania ..NEVER AGAIN...floating nursing home

    in Oceania Cruises

    Posted

    :loudcry::loudcry: I am posting this in hopes of dissuading those contemplating an Oceania Sirena Cruise.

     

     

     

    Currently on the 35 day Oceania Sirena San Diego to Rio..sounds great, doesn't it??? Cruising the Amazon..great, huh???

     

     

     

    Not so fast, dear readers....never again..

     

     

     

    the most boring, worst entertainment..if any..

     

    food above average, staff incredible and wonderful..

     

     

     

    We are in a PH1...most expensive penthouse suite..have met with general manager..4x..i have profuse notes about the myriad of disappointments..if you are seeking anything close to the deceptive brochures, you may be in for a shock..more coming on this board when I can finally depart in Rio...dumped us in ghetto ports and more..so sorry I ever booked Oceania..they are riding on a reputation no longer deserved..5 star..in their dreams.:loudcry::loudcry: we booked back to back and jumping ship..cannot bear 21 more daysfrom Rio to Miami..flying home.

     

    Let's see how 5 star Oceania handles my concerns when I call them next week. Many unhappy passengers here who will never return...:eek:will keep you posted with the details...

     

     

     

    Just had a horrible experience on the Regatta- 34 day Sydney to Sydney. So many issues we wanted to jump ship twice but thought it would get better. It did not. I am waiting for my lengthy and detailed review to get posted. I have been on 3 Oceania Cruises before this that I loved but that was before NCL bought them. It seems like quality has declined dramatically- while I am no spring chicken the average age on this ship was probably upper 70 s and there were 3 medical emergencies ( which had nothing to do with how I felt or our experience on board) There was some virus going around and it seemed like 25 percent or more of the ship got sick. The medical doctor on board was big on IVs and so many of the passengers were receiving them- an unusual amount. The only profit center on this cruise was medical. The bills people were getting were crazy. We were so lucky to not catch anything - except I did get food poisoning one night which was horrible- I chose not to go to the doctor because I didn’t want that to be followed by 10 days on IVs and a 15,000$ bill which was typical-It was crazy. I will never go on an Oceania ship again

     

     

    Sent from my iPad using Forums

    and so it begins....Dec/Jan Circumnavigation of Australia on Regatta

    in Oceania Cruises

    Posted · Edited by CC Help Jenn
    removed employee info

    We too found the food not to be to the standard that we enjoyed on the Marina in April of 2016 when we spent the same amount of time on her as we did on the Regatta this cruise. The food on that cruise was outstanding and we were expecting a similar experience. Instead we found the food in the Main Dining Room to be very ordinary, not even as good as when we were on Princess last April, 2017.

    We did enjoy the food in Polo though and we ended up eating there at least 6 times and in Toscano 3 times.

    We being Australians, we couldn't understand why they weren't loading on to the ship our wonderful produce of fresh fish, scallops, prawns, meat and fruit and vegetables. We live in a country where bananas are plentiful and yet we ran out of them within a few days of leaving Sydney. We also ran out of yoghurt and other odds and ends. Also the fish served up was that awful frozen dover sole or sea bass, both unappetising and as for the frozen lobsters, why serve up those tiny ones from the East coast of the U.S. when they could have bought wonderful crayfish when we were in our southern waters.

    I agree, I do think that NCL have had a big impact on Oceania and what was once a wonderful cruise line is now becoming just like all of those average lines where quantity outweighs quality.

     

    Jennie

    You may want to write to customer service I did and my travel agent said they will offer me money on a future cruise or a reund of some sort. I had an issue with my cabin too. The cruise was an overall disaster for us because we were in the back of the ship and the pollution from the smokestack made it impossible to use the terrace. Oceania was bought by Norwegian (NCL )a budget line. They are obviously cutting costs and quality to pay for the enormous amount of debt they took on to make that purchase . I believe there is also a mold issue on the ship. I was also unhappy that 2 ports planned Cairns and Darwin were both closed for Christmas and New Years ( poor planning) - Personally we will never go on an oceania cruise again a future credit would not matter to me but a refund would—

    and so it begins....Dec/Jan Circumnavigation of Australia on Regatta

    in Oceania Cruises

    Posted

    Speaking for the both of us, I think we must honestly report we haven't placed this cruise high on our list of favorites.

     

    Please remember that many of the things that happened on this cruise were NOT the fault of humans--just the way things were;

     

    -missed sailing out of Sydney @ 6pm because lightning storm took out PA system so we didn't sail out until around 3:30 am when the repairs were made and the officials had cleared the ship to sail.

     

    - missed 4 ports: Kingfisher Bay, Exmouth, Esperance, and Kangaroo Island, --all tender ports- due to high winds and currents making tendering unsafe.

     

    - all of the ports we missed were new to us and the main reason we had signed up for the circumnavigation of Au. We have been been to AU before but the western coast presented new adventures for us so we were very disappointed to have missed them.

     

    - after Bali we had 9 days at sea except for a stop in Geraldton and a last minute acquired overnight in Fremantle/Perth.

     

    - we felt the food was not as divinely inspired as it has been historically. We sailed ATW16 and we were always pleased with our choices. Simple things such as cold baked potatoes in Terrace, MDR the food was luke-warm sometimes--Thank heavens for Waves at lunch and Terrace's Grill.

     

    -Dave reports that the in-house entertainment was a little better than in the past, but due to the length of the cruise (34 days) required lots of outside entertainers, some of whom were not to his tastes--but we understand that is personal opinion.

     

    - I heard from passengers that there were some plumbing issues in some of their cabins; we know personally of electrical problems in our cabin. Our phone died and the wiring,we were told, was due to corrosion from water inside the walls.

     

    - I think the ship needs a deep cleaning around the laundry room. We like 7th deck mid-ship for Dave who gets sea sick. As soon as I walked down the corridor to our cabin I smelled mold & mildew in that laundry room area. We've lived in S Fla off and on for more than 40 years and I know mold & mildew. To me it represents the presence of a water leak somewhere that needs to be taken care of immediately.

     

    - We did see men repairing something in the wall across from the laundry room that required big wrenches so without any evidence I suspect a water leak, but the smell did not go away. The cabin attendants were always washing walls and vacuuming, as they do, so it wasn't their fault.

     

    -don't know much about shore excursions. OLife gave us 4 each and we used 1.5. Our shorex time in Alotau was cut in half because they didn't have enough buses for all of us....for whatever reasons. Our shorex time went from 4 hrs to 2. We used our OLife for the Papua New Guinea ports for personal safety reasons although everyone we met was very warm & welcoming.

     

    -Some of the entertainment staff did not interact much with passengers either on board or as shorex companions....unlike ATW when the entertainment staff seemed to be part of the "family."

     

    - We both got colds and in my case deep hacking coughs. When we were off ship the coughing began to diminish but upon return to the ship/cabin the coughing resumed. Many on board seemed to have the same cold/cough. I don't know how often they change/clean the a/c filters. Our cabin attendant was the same one we had ATW and took wonderful care of us --above and beyond.

     

    - my illness morphed into my ear and I awakened with blood on my pillow & face and hair after a 4am bout of severe pain in my ear--yep....perforated ear drum so I spent the next 6 days getting cared for by the medical team who were wonderful. That probably has affected my feelings about the cruise, but the illness doesn't change those things listed above. (BTW....i rarely get sick and went for 180 days on Insignia with no health problems)

     

    - it just didn't seem as if it was the same experience cruising this time as last time we were on board which was the extraordinary ATW16. We truly don't think we are comparing this cruise with that one but are trying to address issues that we noticed.

     

    -we are scheduled for 2 more cruises in 2018. We have signed up for 2 B2B Grand Voyages in 2019. We, of course, will sail in 2018-- time will tell if we sail in 2019.

    I was also on the cruise with my husband and shared much of the disappointments you mentioned. This was my fourth voyage with Oceania. The first 3 were many years ago and my feeling was they are cutting costs big time since being bought by Norwegian Cruise lines( which has a lot of debt on its balance sheet). The quality did not feel even close to the other cruises I took those years back on Oceania. My cabin had air quality problems among others. I believe that the ship was not safe. I think people were getting that virus and it was made worse by mold. The cruise before ours had the generator break down and they missed several ports because of that. The ship was not hit by lightening- that was started by someone on the ship - that was a continuing issue from the generator breakdown.. I know they blamed not getting into ports because of weather but I and other passengers heard a different story. All in all this was the worst cruise I have ever been on . I know things happen on cruises but it was one thing after another. This is not the quality Oceania promises or has delivered- personally I love cruising but will probably never go on another Oceania cruise ever again . When on board I had booked with the ambassador woman and then promptly cancelled -I wrote to the company about what seemed like issues like mold, unsafe ventilation etc. I am still waiting for a response. The problem seems to be that since NCL took on 3.3 billion in debt to buy Oceania the quality is suffering. Those original cruises served mostly fresh fish and vegetables etc. this trip was ( with the exception of some shellfish they brought on in a few ports) ALL FROZEN. This is sad to me was a great product now a health hazard being run to squeeze every last dime out of it- I think the only profit center on this cruise was medical. That’s not good for the future. That helps their earnings in the short term but you can only operate like that 7ntil people take their business elsewhere.

    Oceania ..NEVER AGAIN...floating nursing home

    in Oceania Cruises

    Posted

    :loudcry::loudcry: I am posting this in hopes of dissuading those contemplating an Oceania Sirena Cruise.

     

    Currently on the 35 day Oceania Sirena San Diego to Rio..sounds great, doesn't it??? Cruising the Amazon..great, huh???

     

    Not so fast, dear readers....never again..

     

    the most boring, worst entertainment..if any..

    food above average, staff incredible and wonderful..

     

    We are in a PH1...most expensive penthouse suite..have met with general manager..4x..i have profuse notes about the myriad of disappointments..if you are seeking anything close to the deceptive brochures, you may be in for a shock..more coming on this board when I can finally depart in Rio...dumped us in ghetto ports and more..so sorry I ever booked Oceania..they are riding on a reputation no longer deserved..5 star..in their dreams.:loudcry::loudcry: we booked back to back and jumping ship..cannot bear 21 more daysfrom Rio to Miami..flying home.

    Let's see how 5 star Oceania handles my concerns when I call them next week. Many unhappy passengers here who will never return...:eek:will keep you posted with the details...

     

     

    We just returned home from a 34 day Oceania cruise on the Regatta. We had the worst cruise ever and wanted to jump ship several times. I can say your comments are completely accurate. There was one disappointment after another. I actually don’t believe the ship is safe and will look into reporting that to the proper authorities. Oceania has gone down hill in a short period of time. The food which I thought was excellent on previous cruises was average at best. It was a cruise from hell. I am still waiting to hear from the company. I sent a long email documenting the issues and still have not heard back- the email was sent 2 weeks ago.

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