Oceania vs Celebrity

Considering Oceania Riveria vs Celebrity Eclipse for Caribbean cruise next winter. I have cruised on Celebrity Equinox via aqua class and if we decide on Oceania we would sail via concierge class. Looking for opinions from others who have sailed on both Celebrity and Oceania.

We sail both. Very different experiences. These are MY OPINIONS

O is more intimate because of fewer passengers although Marina and Riviera have less of an advantage in that area because of their larger size.

I think food is a draw. Specialty restaurants on C are better than on O (free on O) but buffet on Riviera (like Marina's) will be unparalleled. I like MDR on C. I avoid the GDR on O. The afternoon tea on O is very special (if you have room to eat another meal)

No formal nights on O -- a big plus -- and you do not pay for gelato or specialty coffees, water or soda.

Entertainment is awful on O (others will disagree) and generally wonderful on C. .

O is more upscale and passenger demographic reflects that. That is a big plus for us

We only do private shore excursions so cannot speak to that.

Service is excellent on both lines.

There is more to do on C not that you would necessary want to do it all.

We really enjoy both lines but prefer the smaller R ships on O -- you will get a lot more cabin for your money on Celebrity.

YOu cannot go wrong with either line. I would be guided by budget and itinerary.

We have done both. We like both.

Things we like more on Oceania are 1) the food is better 2) there is more in port time (fewer or no days at sea) 3) the country club casual attire (no suits or formal nights)

Things we like about Celebrity are 1) the entertainment is more elaborate (not necessarily better talent wise though) 2) more to do on board especially when it is a sea day.

Both are great experiences. Look at the itinerary and see which suits you best. If you have been to the Carribean before, I bet the itinerary for Oceania will be more new to you. Celebrity doesn't go to some of Oceania's ports. St Barts for one.

We were in Aqua class too and enjoyed the smaller dining room and the healthy food. You get to eat in the specialty restaurants on Oceania a certain number of nights depending on your stateroom class for no additional charge. The food in the Italian restaurant Toscana was really memorable (Oceania).

If you're a greens eater, the produce was noticeably better on Oceania. Free sodas on Oceania too. I seem to drink my weight in diet coke everyday on a cruise!

I think also the cabins on Riviera will be more luxuriously decorated, but not necessarily that much larger depending of course on what kind you get. The bathrooms will be larger in a balcony room on Oceania than on Celebrity. Celebrity is very well laid out though. Their showers are excellent. You do get a bath tub on Oceania AND a shower at least on Riviera and Marina. I am pretty sure again in a balcony cabin or higher.

Hope this helps.

Mark

Sabrefan, hope you don't mind my crashing your thread with a question, since I'm interested in the same topic.

What do those of you who have been on O think of the spa?

You mention the demographic; I understand that O does not have children's programs. What does the age range of passengers skew toward? What about passenger origin?

Thanks for letting me disturb everyone with my own questions.

Sabrefan, hope you don't mind my crashing your thread with a question, since I'm interested in the same topic.

 

What do those of you who have been on O think of the spa?

 

You mention the demographic; I understand that O does not have children's programs. What does the age range of passengers skew toward? What about passenger origin?

 

Thanks for letting me disturb everyone with my own questions.

Never used the spa; can't help there.

The target demographic for Oceania is 50 to 70, I joke that they're not going to let me sail any more because I'm 71...but seriously, there are some folks under 50 and some well over 70, but the old fogeys on Oceania seem to be in better shape than average and wear their age well. Most Oceania passengers are well-traveled; they've been there, done that, got the tee shirt, and no longer are concerned about fancy dress and silly deck games. They take their food very seriously and value the friendships they make on board. As a group, they are the most convivial with whom I've ever sailed. There are few children, and generally no children's programs. There may be a few children at the Winter holiday season, and I understand they expect a few children on the 2013 Alaska cruises; they have a small program for the youngsters at those times.

The origins are mostly USA and Canada with a delightful sprinkling of UK and Australian folks; and enough occasional guests from other countries to make it interesting, but no other countries make up a significant number, in my experience.

We will not consider O for another Caribbean cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed the Eclipse in the Caribbean a couple of months ago.

The main reason for that conclusion, which is specific to the Caribbean, is that the port days are shorter or at least far less active than a port day in Europe. We find that we want more entertainment options during the evening as a result. O fails on that front in our opinion. The shows are poor and the casino is tiny and other than trivia there's really nothing much happening. We were frankly bored on O.

We found O's main dining room food better than X but we found X's specialty restaurants far superior to O's (R ships).

Considering Oceania Riveria vs Celebrity Eclipse for Caribbean cruise next winter. I have cruised on Celebrity Equinox via aqua class and if we decide on Oceania we would sail via concierge class. Looking for opinions from others who have sailed on both Celebrity and Oceania.

Just cancelled b/b on O Regatta and booked same cruise on Celebrity in order to take our daughter and son-i-law. Booked an OS on O 900+ sq. feet with powder room and a 2500 sq.ft Penthouse on Celeb with extra bath w. shower and hot tub on deck. We will miss the intimacy on O but will still have thousands in our pocket upon return, the difference between O and C. We will probably not be dining in the MDR so the food will be more than ok for us,we hope.;)

I have cruised both multiple times...

We've cruised on Eclipse and we've cruised on Riviera's sister ship, Marina...

Personally, I think BOTH are great products, both great cruise experiences and I would gladly cruise on either again...and, in fact, we most likely are...we're cruising on Eclipse again this July...and, if the timing only works out with my wife's schedule, we're looking seriously at Riviera in the Black Sea for July 2013...

As with all ships and cruise lines, each has it's better points and its not so good points--though with both, the good points far outweigh the bad and the "bad" points are really not that bad at all...

Obviously, there are a few differences between the operations in general--ie, no formal nights on Oceania and all open seating versus Celebrity's fiormal nights and now the option of traditional or open seating.

Oceania lacks Celebrity's kids and teens programs, though they do get some kids onboard depending on factors like time of year...On our Marina cruise, they did have a few "Young Cruisers" activities--in the classroom kitchen and the art studio...

But, in general, they just don't attract as many families with young kids...

The demographics on Oceania, from our experience, are definitely skewed a bit older...50-70 may be a "target", but, from our experience, I'd say the 50s are far fewer than the 70s...We're in our 50s and, most of the people we meet on Oceania are older and retired...

Nationalities on both lines are primarily American and English speaking...Canadians, British, Australians, etc. But Celebrity seems to be marketing quite a bit more to Europeans, but you see this a lot more on their European cruises than you will see in the Caribbean...Obviously, on both lines, the language most in use--the entertainment, the bulk of the shore excursions, etc. is in English.

IMHO, the food is better on Oceania...but the food on Celebrity is also very good...It's like choosing from between your favorite restaurant and one you also like...You really can't go wrong either way...but, of course, food is fairly subjective...

Service is flat out outstanding on BOTH lines...

Entertainment is clearly better on Celebrity...It's really not Oceania's thing...

Shore excursions are really the same wherever you go...all of the cruise lines contract with the same local providers...But, with more than twice the number of passengers, Celebrity can typically offer a greater variety of excursion choices...Of course, if you hire your own guides or do your own thing, this won't matter much...

Cabins are fairly nice on both lines--though we were in an incredible Oceania Suite on Marina and have never cruised in higher than a Sky Suite on Celebrity...but we've also cruised in more standard cabins on the other Oceania ships and I'd rank them as fairly comparable--though I understand the standard cabins on Marina and Riviera might be a little nicer than on the older smaller O ships...

The specialty restaurants on both are very good...one difference being the added charge on Celebrity versus included on Oceania...

When it comes to things like free specialty restaurants or free soft drinks on Oceania, beaqr in mind that nothing on any cruise line is "free"...it is included in the price...and often reflected in a slightly higher price...

Oceania's prices are generally higher than Celebrity--even if you figure in the cost of soft drinks and specialty restaurnts--so, if you are price conscious, Celebrity holds an edge there...

For us, we look more to itinerary--if the ship goes somewhere we want to go, the price considerations are secondary

But, overall, you will likely have a great cruise with either ship...

What do those of you who have been on O think of the spa?

 

The SPA on my recent Marina cruise was offering massages for $200+ apiece. - I saved my money.

On my most recent Eclipse cruise the spa offered a special of 3 massages for $300. Good deal for a cruise. Excellent massage and very nice spa.

O contracts with Canyon Ranch and C with Elemis. Both are good companies. As with all spa services, it depends on the individual operator.

Just cancelled b/b on O Regatta and booked same cruise on Celebrity in order to take our daughter and son-i-law. Booked an OS on O 900+ sq. feet with powder room and a 2500 sq.ft Penthouse on Celeb with extra bath w. shower and hot tub on deck. We will miss the intimacy on O but will still have thousands in our pocket upon return, the difference between O and C. We will probably not be dining in the MDR so the food will be more than ok for us,we hope.;)

There is no question that Celebrity gives you the most for your money at sea.

This is interesting and I appreciate the perspectives. We have more two cruises currently booked on Oceania and we're looking forward to them.

I saw today that Celebrity has their cruises defined into March 2014. They have a unique itinerary that cruises by four areas of Antarctica, round trip from Buenas Aires (it's not really a "round the horn" cruise). What is especially appealing are the prices for Aqua class or suites; the prices are also good on a 14-day standard Valparaiso to Buenas Aires circuit. We have never cruised on Celebrity, but we are looking for that perfect lower cost "mainstream" cruise option. We've tried HAL and Princess - they're ok, but we're getting spoiled by our recent cruise choices (by the way, I know this is anathema to Oceania buffs, but we include Disney in our current small list of favorites).

Has anyone done a "cruise by" of Antarctica (any cruise line) or one of Celebrity's South American cruises (apart from the Xpedition cruise, which is unique, and is also one that I think is intriguing)? What did you think of the experience?

RubySue

Even if you do not receive a specific answer about Celebrity in South America, take some comfort that there are quite number of O cruisers who also enjoy Celebrity. Similar discussions have appeared in other threads.

If you like the itinerary give it a try.

RubySue

 

Even if you do not receive a specific answer about Celebrity in South America, take some comfort that there are quite number of O cruisers who also enjoy Celebrity. Similar discussions have appeared in other threads.

 

If you like the itinerary give it a try.

Thanks, Laraine -

We probably will consider it, that's for sure. We're doing the Midnight Sun cruise on Nautica next July and it would be so interesting to go as far south as possible (without actually landing on Antarctica) in the same 12 months. I really like the itinerary, although it does not include Chile.

So little time, so many places.....

Thanks for your comments, Dr. Cocktail and Esther e

I really understand what you're saying about doing a true expedition to Antarctica. We would have to weigh that as a possibility. I have some medical issues, unfortunately, that make it quite challenging to think about piling into and out of a zodiac, especially in an area covered with ice and snow. This Celebrity cruise is a good option for at least getting a glimpse of Antarctica and it may stir the desire to return. We have done cruising only in other places (Glacier Bay, Misty Fjords, through the Panama Canal) and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Dr. Cocktail, I look forward to your review of Disney Fantasy. We are going on her next March (we used DVC points) and are looking forward to it as a week of utter relaxation (the ports, other than CC - which we love, are irrelevant, as we have been to them several times).

Thanks for your comments, Dr. Cocktail and Esther e

 

I really understand what you're saying about doing a true expedition to Antarctica. We would have to weigh that as a possibility. I have some medical issues, unfortunately, that make it quite challenging to think about piling into and out of a zodiac, especially in an area covered with ice and snow. This Celebrity cruise is a good option for at least getting a glimpse of Antarctica and it may stir the desire to return. We have done cruising only in other places (Glacier Bay, Misty Fjords, through the Panama Canal) and enjoyed it thoroughly.

 

Dr. Cocktail, I look forward to your review of Disney Fantasy. We are going on her next March (we used DVC points) and are looking forward to it as a week of utter relaxation (the ports, other than CC - which we love, are irrelevant, as we have been to them several times).

I didn't realize there were medical issues - unfortunately, mobilitiy problems may preclude landings. Travel Dynamics International required a medical release for the expedition for all passengers.

Looking very forward to Fantasy - Mickey Merlot, Pluto Pinot, Chip & Dale Chardonnay, Goofy Gewurtzraminer - bring 'em on!

For those of you who have cruised with Celebrity can you give me a reference to cabin type that I can compare to O? For instance (On S class ships) the S1-S3 would be Penthouse level or the A1-3? We're not interested in Aqua, not sure about other "suites."

We're flirting with the idea of being unfaithful to O and doing a b2b in May'13--the British Isles and Norwegian Fjords. We've been to both regions but by land and while O does have a British Isles one they only spend a few days in Norway.

I like C's smoking policy and we might sail with one of the world's great 6 year old kids so the kid's club is appealing.

Any other advice you can give me besides buying the beverage cards? Thanks! c

For those of you who have cruised with Celebrity can you give me a reference to cabin type that I can compare to O? For instance (On S class ships) the S1-S3 would be Penthouse level or the A1-3? We're not interested in Aqua, not sure about other "suites."

 

We're flirting with the idea of being unfaithful to O and doing a b2b in May'13--the British Isles and Norwegian Fjords. We've been to both regions but by land and while O does have a British Isles one they only spend a few days in Norway.

 

I like C's smoking policy and we might sail with one of the world's great 6 year old kids so the kid's club is appealing.

 

Any other advice you can give me besides buying the beverage cards? Thanks! c

On the S class ships, we book a concierge level veranda cabin with an oversize balcony (we do concierge class for the cabin location, not because we care about the amenities). These are the hump cabins (if you look at the deck plans, there are humps and those are the prime cabins other than suites). The balconies are quite large with chaises and they book fast. There is a sticky on the Celebrity board which has an amazing compilation of comments on all the S class cabins (prepared by a cruiser named LibraryLady) and balcony sizes. It even includes bed placement, noise -- it is amazingly helpful.

If you decide on an M class ship, you definitely want those aft cabins with the HUGE balconies. Those cabins book first.

You can do a search on the Celebrity board for "oversize balconies" or "hump cabins" and get lots of good info.

I cannot help you with suites.

Enjoy.

Thanks so much. I actually had discovered their "room sticky" which I showed to my daughter before her 1st C cruise (Med with a 3 yr old). She and I thought it was an excellent source.

I appreciate your response. We usually get something in the A level on O so your comments mirror what I'm looking for. Husband not into aft anything (except for dining outside in Terrace which he loves....go figure!) Thanks again....exactly the info I was looking for. c

I've recently returned from a 10 day cruise on the Equinox. We have cruised with Celebrity before on the Summit a couple of years ago. Equinox is a much bigger ship, and I have to say as much as I loved the Alaska cruise, this cruise to the Carribean left me with a big MEH!!!

The food was plain horrible. We went to the main dining room only 3 times before we gave up all together on it. The staff is stretched thin, they were running around the entire 2 hours it took to serve dinner. I felt so bad for them.

So Oceania is next on the list, I'd rather pay a few more dollars than come back with another MEH!!! Hopefully, that won't happen. Will choose Regatta (I am madly in love with the April 8th cruise (Miami, Bermuda, Charleston, Cape Canaveral, Williamsburg), maybe sailing with 2,500 friends is not for me, although the passengers we cruised with were quite lovely.

This is interesting and I appreciate the perspectives. We have more two cruises currently booked on Oceania and we're looking forward to them.

 

I saw today that Celebrity has their cruises defined into March 2014. They have a unique itinerary that cruises by four areas of Antarctica, round trip from Buenas Aires (it's not really a "round the horn" cruise). What is especially appealing are the prices for Aqua class or suites; the prices are also good on a 14-day standard Valparaiso to Buenas Aires circuit. We have never cruised on Celebrity, but we are looking for that perfect lower cost "mainstream" cruise option. We've tried HAL and Princess - they're ok, but we're getting spoiled by our recent cruise choices (by the way, I know this is anathema to Oceania buffs, but we include Disney in our current small list of favorites).

 

Has anyone done a "cruise by" of Antarctica (any cruise line) or one of Celebrity's South American cruises (apart from the Xpedition cruise, which is unique, and is also one that I think is intriguing)? What did you think of the experience?

On Infinity (Celebrity) in 1/11..the "round the horn" cruise from Chile to Argentina and loved it! Ports were interesting, saw tons of penguins and enjoyed Santiago and Buenos Aires! Infinity has since been through a total re-do so should be in tip top shape.

We just booked the cruise you described as the 4 areas of Antarctica for 2/14...it already has an active R/C and many CCers have aleady done a similar cruise and loved it!

We have cruised on O's small ships as well as several times on Marina and love the food, fellow passengers and elegant decor...but do find Celebrity's prices less so that we can cruise on that line more often. LuAnn

For those of you who have cruised with Celebrity can you give me a reference to cabin type that I can compare to O? For instance (On S class ships) the S1-S3 would be Penthouse level or the A1-3? We're not interested in Aqua, not sure about other "suites."

 

We're flirting with the idea of being unfaithful to O and doing a b2b in May'13--the British Isles and Norwegian Fjords. We've been to both regions but by land and while O does have a British Isles one they only spend a few days in Norway.

 

I like C's smoking policy and we might sail with one of the world's great 6 year old kids so the kid's club is appealing.

 

Any other advice you can give me besides buying the beverage cards? Thanks! c

I assume this would be on Eclipse? We've cruised Eclipse before and will be back on in a couple of months. I think it's a great ship....and a Great choice in your situation--they will keep the 6 year old occupied and happy (the kid would likely drive you crazy for a month on "O")...

It is always hard to make exact comparisons in Cabin category one cruise line to another--because amenities vary and cabin sizes will never be exact...

I would agree that a Penthouse on O and a Sky Suite on "X" are roughly equivalent--at least in size...though some of the amenities differ...

As to "X" Categories below the Sky Suites, on Eclipse, they are all identical in size--195 square feet...making them slightly larger than the standard cabin on the "O" R-ships and slightly smaller than the standard on Marina/Riviera...HOWEVER, for all intent and purpose, ALL will feel around the same size--since all are pretty much large enough for a Queen or two twin beds, a sofa, a desk and chair, a small table, a closet and a small bathroom.

As I said, ALL "X" S-Class cabins from Inside to Aqua Class are the same inside...and for most balcony cabins, the balconies have the same 54 square feet (in addition to the 195)...However, as Larraine noted, certan cabins have larger balconies--look for locations on the slant on the deck plans (The cabins are not really slanted--they are still rectangular, but the balconies tend to be trapezoidal--a rectangle plus a triangle--some as much as two and a half times normal size--so, about 135 square feet)...

My upcoming Eclipse cruise, I will be in a Concierge Class (C2) cabin--but, in reality, there is very little difference, to me, between a Concierge class and any other balcony cabin...The amenities are fairly minimal--a bnottle of champagne, a nicer massage shower head, supposedly nicer pillows and robes (not like ALL of the cabins don't get a shower head, pillows and robes) and a few little extras like a basket of fruit on arrival and special appetizers each evening...You also get priority embarkation and debarkation (which doesn't mean much--and means nothing to me since I get it anyway as an Elite Captains Club member)...You also get an extra credit toward your Captains Club standing (again, means nothing top me as I am already as high as one can get!)...

If you do end up cruising a bit on Celebrity, that "Elite" level is worth achieving as the amenities include free drinks each evening from 5-7 in a private lounge, a free load of laundry per person (Celebrity has no self-service laundromats as on "O"--it's all to send out), a free 90 minutes of internet per person and more...

The only categories of baloconies to be wary of on the S-Class only are the 2D and 2C as they have obstructed views--some not so bad--like a lifeboat below you preventing your looking down...But a few of the 2Ds have rather large tenders blocking a decent portion of the view...

Obviously, there are other noticeable differences overall--formal nights...option of traditional or open seating (a recent change--used to be all traditional)...Specialty restaurants incur an additional charge and some may be off-limits with the 6 year old...

Overall, though, it's an excellent cruise experience--not exactly Oceania...all cruise lines have some pluses and some minuses...For me, I have no trouble going back and forth between "O" and "X" and enjoy both of them.

 

Precisely how I feel. I will be on the Solstice in January for an Australia New Zealand cruise and I am looking forward to that cruise just as much as my two upcoming Oceania cruises.

 

Do not hesitate to try Celebrity.

I appreciate all the comments on this thread. We went ahead and booked our first Celebrity cruise, the aforementioned (see a few threads above) Infinity Antartica cruise-by in February 2014. We booked Aqua class - our TA scored a nice cabin on Deck 9 and she is a big Celebrity fan.

I am very excited about this cruise, our first to the southern end of South America and (hopefully) our first glimpse of the seventh continent. We have three cruises ahead of this one, so lots to plan for. Thanks to Laraine and Bruin Steve for their great information.

Gosh...thanks y'all. I have a ton of info here. I will copy all of this and put it in my X dump document (already have Galapagos in there). The 6 year old will only be there for 1 of the 2 legs and might not get to sail since our local schools are very diligent about attendance and a cruise probably won't be an "excused" absence.

My husband is curious if there is a place to get a late night snack. He sometimes wants a little something after the evening entertainment but not interested in room service for that.

Thanks again for the wonderful information and encouragement. BTW, Steve, the ship would be the Infinity sailing in and out of Harwich for both legs of the B2B.

Gosh...thanks y'all. I have a ton of info here. I will copy all of this and put it in my X dump document (already have Galapagos in there). The 6 year old will only be there for 1 of the 2 legs and might not get to sail since our local schools are very diligent about attendance and a cruise probably won't be an "excused" absence.

My husband is curious if there is a place to get a late night snack. He sometimes wants a little something after the evening entertainment but not interested in room service for that.

Thanks again for the wonderful information and encouragement. BTW, Steve, the ship would be the Infinity sailing in and out of Harwich for both legs of the B2B.[/qu

 

We just enquired into the same B2B yesterday + the transatlantic prior. Looks like a wonderful itinerary and something to look forward to.:)