Oceania Tips and Suggestions Requested

Hi. My wife and I are experienced cruisers on Celebrity. This is our first cruise on Oceania....for our 30th anniversary. What tips or suggestions, or things we wouldn’t know to ask for, would Oceania cruisers suggest? Thanks!

tip

do not compare O with X

enjoy Oceania for what it is

suggestions:

try afternoon tea at least once

try the milkshakes at Waves

you can ask for extra specialty dinner reservation at the reservation desk in the morning

Thanks. I meant to add that we are on Insignia for people to give suggestions.

Hi. My wife and I are experienced cruisers on Celebrity. This is our first cruise on Oceania....for our 30th anniversary. What tips or suggestions, or things we wouldn’t know to ask for, would Oceania cruisers suggest? Thanks!

We will also be celebrating our 30th on the Insignia on September 3rd! This will be our first time on an R ship but our 3rd on Oceania. If your pocketbook will allow for it (or you have extra OBC) and you enjoy wine I recommend you try La Reserve. You can sign up online or when you board if there is still availability. We tried it on our last cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We will also be celebrating our 30th on the Insignia on September 3rd! This will be our first time on an R ship but our 3rd on Oceania. If your pocketbook will allow for it (or you have extra OBC) and you enjoy wine I recommend you try La Reserve. You can sign up online or when you board if there is still availability. We tried it on our last cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Great advice, but it must be pointed out that La Reserve only exists on the larger O class ships, Marina and Riviera.

The OP may be sailing on Insignia, Regatta, Nautica or Sirena.

Thanks. I meant to add that we are on Insignia for people to give suggestions.

I sailed Celebrity and the smaller Oceania ship. I hope you are in one if the cabins on deck8.

I would make sure you book the speciality restaurants and pre book online at midnight the night they open for the time you want. Take the OBC over the drinks package. I found on port days I had far less than I would pay for the drinks package. Make sure you have WiFi included.

Should you want to save money on shore excursions, book through companies like Viator. Go to Trip Advisor for suggestions. You can save on average up to 100 dollars or more on trips.

Thanks. I meant to add that we are on Insignia for people to give suggestions.

Hard to know what suggestions you are looking for ???

about the ship itself ?

about the ports ?

If you will be sailing on Marina or Riviera you will shocked that these ships don't feel smaller than Equinox, Reflection, etc..

Prepare yourself for outstanding food, no lines, no chair hogs (Well, OK, there were a few on our first Oceania cruise but the pool attendants are great at removing items after a reasonable time left unattended.), no art sales, no pushy photographers and no pushy people trying to sell specialty restaurant packages.

Go to Waves on embarkation day and order the surf and turf sandwich. Steak and lobster!

I sailed Celebrity and the smaller Oceania ship. I hope you are in one if the cabins on deck8.

I would make sure you book the speciality restaurants and pre book online at midnight the night they open for the time you want. Take the OBC over the drinks package. I found on port days I had far less than I would pay for the drinks package. Make sure you have WiFi included.

Appreciate these above and other great comments and follow-ups about sailing with Oceania. We are preparing for our Nov. 16-Dec. 5, 2018, Nautica sailing from Athens to Dubai. This 20-day cruise with Oceania will be our first with this line after doing two with Celebrity, one with Princess, five with Silversea, etc. This late fall adventure also includes our first visits to the Holy Lands, Egypt, Middle East, etc. Will keep reading, researching and planning accordingly.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 201,090 views for this posting.

Back to the tips, you can bring alcohol on at embarkation and all ports. It is for consumption in your room. If you want to take the wine to dinner there is a $25 corkage charge. There really are no limits.

If you're a single malt or cognac drinker the Prestige package is a great deal.

Prepare for one of the most comfortable beds you've ever slept in on a cruise ship.

If you prefer any sodas other than coke products request them in advance through your Travel agent and they will stock them for you.

Any beverage without alcohol is complementary on Oceania.

There is a Captain's welcome usually the 2nd night of the cruise where generally 2 to 3 bars are open with very few restrictions. You don't have to go through the M & G line to get a glass of watered down punch, like they do on most lines.

To get a hot breakfast with room service you need to book a Concierge or higher room.

Some people really like the chocolate croissants, then others like my wife love the sticky bun.

The ice cream is homemade and some of it is fabulous.

Back to the tips, you can bring alcohol on at embarkation and all ports. It is for consumption in your room. If you want to take the wine to dinner there is a $25 corkage charge. There really are no limits.

 

 

 

If you're a single malt or cognac drinker the Prestige package is a great deal.

 

 

 

Prepare for one of the most comfortable beds you've ever slept in on a cruise ship.

 

 

 

If you prefer any sodas other than coke products request them in advance through your Travel agent and they will stock them for you.

 

 

 

Any beverage without alcohol is complementary on Oceania.

 

 

 

There is a Captain's welcome usually the 2nd night of the cruise where generally 2 to 3 bars are open with very few restrictions. You don't have to go through the M & G line to get a glass of watered down punch, like they do on most lines.

 

 

 

To get a hot breakfast with room service you need to book a Concierge or higher room.

 

 

 

Some people really like the chocolate croissants, then others like my wife love the sticky bun.

 

 

 

The ice cream is homemade and some of it is fabulous.

Thanks for the tips. So, can we bring a bottle of rum or vodka into the room during embarkation? Or when returning to the ship after a port visit?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thanks for the tips. So, can we bring a bottle of rum or vodka into the room during embarkation? Or when returning to the ship after a port visit?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I think as much as you can carry on.

Agreed, after the first 20 or so, I “ignored”, so I gather it’s still being repeated.

Back to the tips, you can bring alcohol on at embarkation and all ports. It is for consumption in your room. If you want to take the wine to dinner there is a $25 corkage charge. There really are no limits.

 

If you're a single malt or cognac drinker the Prestige package is a great deal.

 

Prepare for one of the most comfortable beds you've ever slept in on a cruise ship.

 

If you prefer any sodas other than coke products request them in advance through your Travel agent and they will stock them for you.

 

Any beverage without alcohol is complementary on Oceania.

 

There is a Captain's welcome usually the 2nd night of the cruise where generally 2 to 3 bars are open with very few restrictions. You don't have to go through the M & G line to get a glass of watered down punch, like they do on most lines.

 

To get a hot breakfast with room service you need to book a Concierge or higher room.

 

Some people really like the chocolate croissants, then others like my wife love the sticky bun.

 

The ice cream is homemade and some of it is fabulous.

Are you sure about bringing wine on AFTER embarkation from other ports - I understood it was only at embarkation could you bring 3 bottles 750ml?

Thanks for the tips. So, can we bring a bottle of rum or vodka into the room during embarkation? Or when returning to the ship after a port visit?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

You can not bring hard liquor on at any time on the ship

Are you sure about bringing wine on AFTER embarkation from other ports - I understood it was only at embarkation could you bring 3 bottles 750ml?

they allow more than 3 bottles & you can pick up along the way

Just drink it in your cabin or take the bottle of wine to the dining venues pay the corkage fee

not a problem

You can not bring hard liquor on at any time on the ship

since when?

Are you sure you are on Oceania ?

You can bring spirits for use in your cabin just do not take it out to public spaces on the ship

Are you sure about bringing wine on AFTER embarkation from other ports - I understood it was only at embarkation could you bring 3 bottles 750ml?

You can not bring hard liquor on at any time on the ship

Not to come off as arrogant, but it might behoove you to listen to people that have been there many times. Don't worry about what the printed material says. They really don't care. Just drink it in your room and not in public venues and no one cares how much or what you bring on.

PS, I'm sure, unless they've changed it in the last few months.

Many people bring wine on..all cruise lines. Half the fun of traveling is tasting and buying new wines. I doubt any cruise line has that rule anymore.

Has far as hard booze I personally have not tried but if I was in the UK or Ireland I might. Much cheaper to drink in cabin than ship.

Great advice, but it must be pointed out that La Reserve only exists on the larger O class ships, Marina and Riviera.

 

The OP may be sailing on Insignia, Regatta, Nautica or Sirena.

Thank you! Sorry I forgot to mention that!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Not to come off as arrogant, but it might behoove you to listen to people that have been there many times. Don't worry about what the printed material says. They really don't care. Just drink it in your room and not in public venues and no one cares how much or what you bring on.

 

PS, I'm sure, unless they've changed it in the last few months.

Thanks - I tend to be a rule follower because I aways get caught if I break them however I'm sure you know Oceania better than me.

Thanks - I tend to be a rule follower because I aways get caught if I break them however I'm sure you know Oceania better than me.

How many Oceania cruises have you been on?

If you read through some of the threads here you will see people take cases of wine onboard without issue

Greetings, gbits, from South Beach. One of the things we like about Oceania and Regent is what's missing. We are not big drinkers, but we enjoy wine. No one has ever shown any particular interest in what liquids we bring on board. We put bags and everything else on that track before the metal detector, pick it up on the other side and leave. Although I never seen a case of anything going through the metal detector, I have seen them on the big carts with piles of luggage.

Mary

We had no issues bringing any sort of alcohol aboard. But they will pick up things like knives and measure the blades. Anything longer than 10cm and they'll hold it for you until disembarkation.

Ice cream is fabulous. We had some salted caramel that was really salty and caramelly, rather than a faint whiff. Likewise other flavours.

On Riviera, bring an adaptor and a powerstrip for devices, especially USB. The American outlets are positioned next to the light switches, so any "overhang" on the plug turns the light on. The Euro outlets are a little wider, and the plug prongs go straight in without hitting any switches.

Leave the formal wear at home, unless you are into dancing or going ashore in Monte Carlo.