ak1004

As a regular cruiser on Oceania, I don't find this to be true. There are always exceptions (I have seen a guy in Venetian lounge in shorts on a formal night), but overall people dress very respectfully even if the dress code is casual.

Pretty sure that this is the case. As it's not enough to have 3 different dress code levels (formal, informal and casual), having different dress codes on different ships would make SS the most confusing cruise line (not to mention 3-5 levels of pricing).

Well, specific excursions are a different matter, but still would like to know the average group size. This is an important factor to me. With all other factors equal, if I look at two similar itineraries on two lines, and I know that line A puts on average 40 people on a bus and line B 25 people, this will be a big factor, even if line B is more expensive.

The problem is that dress code is not symmetric. If the formal night is mandatory, all men have to wear jackets, like it or not. If it's optional, men who like to wear a jacket (or a tux) can still do it. Men who don't, can just put a nice dressy shirt. See the difference? Oceania is always casual, but you still see some men wearing a suit and a tie (and occasionally even a tux). Choice is good. Why force people to dress up on vacation if they don't want to?

To me, those prices look a bit on a higher end, but they might be justified if the groups will be as small as @bayonejoe mentioned. I don't expect them to be 12 people, but even 20-25 is significantly less than most other lines, even the luxury ones. This is pretty close to semi private tours that usually have 16-20 people. If this is indeed the case, I might change my mind about Crystal pricing in general. The devil is in details.

Outstanding! If this is typical, this definitely gives Crystal a big edge. Oceania now puts 35-40 people in buses.

This is pretty cheap actually. How many people were on tours on average?

Nice. To me those cabins look perfectly fine. We spend very little time in the room, so having a larger room is more like "nice to have".

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.