ak1004

Looks very nice. You mentioned that double rooms are the same? Also redone?

Well, they almost doubled the cruise prices, why not the excursions prices? If people are willing to pay, why not? (although looks like the Inaugural Sailing was only 60% full, despite significant capacity reduction)

SS allows to book excursions once you book the cruise, even if it's 2 years in advance. Oceania - one year in advance. btw, I'm surprised that nobody asked any questions about the excursions quality on the Inaugural Sailing topic (my questions remained unanswered). 266 posts so far, discussing all kinds of so called "enhancements" like new lounge chairs (wow!), but nobody mentioned anything about excursions. To me, the quality of the excursions is one of the most important parameters of the ship. This is why we cruise.

Well, the prices and the offerings of the beverage packages are well known in advance. All cruise lines have wines that are extra (including Crystal that markets itself as all inclusive). The quality of those wines is a different issue and has nothing to do with Nickel and Dimed. Oceania is not all inclusive and doesn't pretend to be, this is why it costs less (which is beneficial to people who don't drink). Some people like the all inclusive model, some prefer a la carte. I do agree that entertainment and activities are not the strongest aspect of Oceania, but what does it have to do with Nickel and Dimed? Oceania has some shortcomings, Nickel and Dime is definitely not one of them. But of course you need to realize that this is not an all inclusive line and there will be some extra charges.

Thanks for the review. We also prefer the O ships. More dining choices and much better cabins. Yes, more guests, but the ships are more than double larger, so space/passenger ratio is actually better on the O ships.

Same for us.

@Keith1010 any feedback on this?

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you regarding the ports. We had 3 ports cancelled on our last O cruise, one weather related and two Portugal ports due to potential strike, but the decision was very questionable. Food on Az while slightly worse than O, is still very good. My biggest issue with Az is the cabins (for the same reason I prefer O newer ships). While not a deal breaker, the difference is still very significant, and PH is out of the question (I can usually book SS or SB for the same price or cheaper). So theoretically O still wins (itineraries good enough, excellent cabins and excellent food), but if ports keep being cancelled, it's a big issue. This is why we also look at SS and SB, sometimes there are very good deals.

I'm always amazed by such comments. It implies that it's either a tux or a t-shirt? Oceania doesn't have any formal nights, I haven't seen anyone in t-shirts or flip flops in the restaurants in the evening. There is always a middle ground, like a nice dressy shirt and nice slacks. btw, SB allows dressy jeans, doesn't make it any less luxury.

Thank you! Seems strange to put the itineraries and not to have the details. A bit unprofessional..

Okay, I just checked, the issue is only with the new 2025 itineraries, the rest works fine.

What is happening with SB website? They finally listed 2025 itineraries, but when clicking on any itinerary, it shows this: Is it just me?

We sailed on Azamara once and one O 4 times. In my opinion, Azamara food was very good, but not as good as O. Still much better than Celebrity, but I would give O a small edge. Again, my personal opinion based on personal preferences. Azamara CEO once said "Oceania is all about food. Azamara is all about itineraries"

I really hope SS will never be like Celebrity. But you have to admit that the cabins are fabulous. The certain between the bed and the sitting area was a game changer for us. Unlimited black caviar was also very nice. Variety and quality of food. In many areas SS is at least as good as Crystal. Mercedes is no better than BMW, and BMW is no better than Audi. Comparable products, this is why they have comparable prices. No reason it should be different in cruise lines. The clients don't really care that Crystal has to recoup their investment..

Why would I have a bad taste from a 2019 Symphony cruise? As I mentioned several times, we had a wonderful cruise. And I never said I will never use it again.

People on this board are very loyal to their brand. They believe that Crystal is so unique and so much better than other luxury lines, and Oceania is not even considered luxury. People mentioned being "nickel and dimed to death" on Oceania without even providing any details (only alcohol and gratuities are not included on Oceania, so I'm not sure where they can nickel and dime you). People compare Oceania to Walmart. Enough said. So honestly, I'm not sure if any real discussion is even possible on this board when it comes to other lines. But you are welcome to try.

How about infrastructure? Plumbing? A/C? Everything has been replaced on Crystal? How about double ceiling lounges on the Silver Nova? The list is very long.

Yea.. but Walmart doesn’t charge Oceania prices..

Maybe take a look at the new Silver Nova and compare it to Serenity.. I'm sure you will see the difference. And yes, staying in the "old" hotel you also feel the difference, but much less. There are hotels that are 100-150 years old.. ever seen a cruise ship that is even 40 years old?

I'm not an Oceania cheerleader. I'm not loyal to any cruise line. Unlike some people on this board who sailed with Crystal only, we sailed on 11 different lines. We are travelers, not cruisers. We go by destination and price. Not sure why it's so hard for some people to understand. But if the ship is the destination, and you like destination Crystal, and money is not an issue.. by all means.. btw, I never claimed that Oceania is better than Crystal. To me they are comparable, with a very slight edge to Crystal, but not worth the huge price difference. Pretty simple.

You can register as many as you want and then switch. It's pretty easy actually.

I guess everything is relative? O older ships cabins are teensy compared to Crystal, but Crystal cabins are teensy compared to O newer ships and other luxury lines.. But people who like those ships say that they can dock in smaller places that larger ships cannot. So everything has a tradeoff.

You are absolutely right, this is why we don't sail on those ships (they are going to retire within the next 3-5 years anyway) and prefer Riviera, Marina, Vista and Allura (still 2x choices compared to Crystal. As for comparisons, people discuss and compare different lines on all boards. This is why CC exists, not sure why it should be different on the Crystal board. Nobody has a monopoly on CC boards to decide what to discuss (or maybe it's different for this board?)

Probably because someone mentioned food on Oceania, and then you mentioned your friends who complained about nickel and diming on Oceania (mentioning the coins for laundry that were cancelled years ago). Vista: age - 0, entry level cabins (french veranda) 240 sqft, dining 0ptions - 8 Serenity: age - 21, entry level cabins (ocean view) - 210 sqft, dining options - 5? End of conversation.

Of course. And yet the ships always sail full, and the only line I have seen was in the Oceania Club Ambassador office (and there are always two of them and there is always a line). Some people are never happy. You can read many negative review on every cruise line, including the top lines like SS, SB and Regent. For the record: I have nothing against Crystal. We enjoyed our cruise on Crystal very much and did consider it a step above Oceania (but not a huge one). I would love to try Crystal again, I just don't think their current prices are competitive. If things change price wise, we will be on one of their ships for sure.