Oceania ..NEVER AGAIN...floating nursing home

... and a different set of complaints.

Circumnavigation of Australia.. Not same cruise but same cruise line.

Sorry to hear. Our circumnavigation of Australia on sirena last March was one of our best cruises ever. We missed only one port where there were tendering difficulties. Really out of your control

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I have no horse in this race but do have a close friend that did the Amazon on Oceania in the Owners Suite and hated it. They did a very similar one on HAL and loved it. They have also sworn to avoid Oceania after that cruise.

As to the comment about you won't take the time to defend Oceania, I don't think the OP was asking you to.

Sorry to hear. Our circumnavigation of Australia on sirena last March was one of our best cruises ever. We missed only one port where there were tendering difficulties. Really out of your control

 

 

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I know one of the reasons we booked :)

Last circumnavigate was later in the year. Some of the tour company people stated (they do tours in missed ports) that that O should have never scheduled these ports at that time of the year as tenders are always impossible due to the seas being churned by Typhoons in the area.

/yawn.

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So sorry to hear about so many missed ports on this cruise and the disappointments. We were also on the March 2017 Australia circumnavigation on Sirena. Probably our best cruise ever. Upon arrival in Fremantle/Perth the captain announced that we would spend an additional day here (much to our delight). Our next port was to be Esperance (a tender port) and it was highly unlikely that we would be able to do so as the forecast was calling for high seas (which we were already experiencing) and wind. Nice preemptive decision which gave us the opportunity to enjoy an overnight and two full days in Fremantle/Perth. But that was the only alteration to our 34 day sailing. Every aspect of this cruise was just about a 10 for us with very few exceptions. Things happen. You just never know.

The title of this thread is "floating nursing home." Insulting ones fellow passengers doesn't seem like a very "huggy" or "doctory" way of behaving, as he likes to identify himself. It does seem like an even cursory bit of research would have led this person to choose a different cruise/ship/TA.

Mary

I agree the title is very poor and is disparaging fellow pax in an effort to make denigrating remarks on the CL.

To the OPs credit he/her are very clear on the purpose of their post. Not to complain, not for understanding or suggestions or help but simply to dissuade others from cruising on O. Not sure if their words will accomplish that but it has prompted discussion which is better in any case.

I am sorry the OP spent the money and lost the time and pleasure of their vacation. It is unfortunate their TA let them down by not discussing the details of the cruise itinerary and the cruise line itself with the OP. Sounds like the OP did not know what to expect of the ports with is very bad unless the ship was to be their destination in which case those expectations have not been met.

If they did not have a TA and booked this on their own then perhaps next time they will consult with a TA on the appropriateness of the ship, the line and the itinerary, or spend more time on their own research rather than gamble and lose like this.

The OP's post has help to remind others of the importance of research; not necessarily of their intention to convince others of a cruise line to not take though I would be unhappy too if I had their expectations on that cruise

My 2 cents. We have 15 o cruises. We have almost no itineraries left on o to do. Amazon is one cruise we have not taken. We have done research and spoken to many friends who have done the amazon on o. We have heard mostly negative opinions. We would never do it.

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Here's my 2 cents worth - Did the Amazon a few years ago and it was worth it. BUT we did our research and knew what we were likely to see & do in each port. For example most ships doing this itin stop at Devil's Island. Been there 3 times now and if you are expecting something to do forget it. Still worth a walk and drink on the hill or a swim in shark infested waters (OK I have never actually seen a shark in this "port").

Not all ports are squeaky clean or in the best neighbourhood but you can always find something to see or do.

As for O being an "assisted living" unit - better than any I have seen on land!!! And you get to see different places instead of being stuck in one town!!!! Sure hope my kids will put me on an O ship when I lose my mind!!!!

Here's my 2 cents worth - Did the Amazon a few years ago and it was worth it. BUT we did our research and knew what we were likely to see & do in each port. For example most ships doing this itin stop at Devil's Island. Been there 3 times now and if you are expecting something to do forget it. Still worth a walk and drink on the hill or a swim in shark infested waters (OK I have never actually seen a shark in this "port").

Not all ports are squeaky clean or in the best neighbourhood but you can always find something to see or do.

 

As for O being an "assisted living" unit - better than any I have seen on land!!! And you get to see different places instead of being stuck in one town!!!! Sure hope my kids will put me on an O ship when I lose my mind!!!!

The point is we both did our research and made the choice best for us. The op did not

Agree about assisted living on an o ship. Lol

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When people complain about the entertainment it does make me wonder if they can't amuse themselves for a few weeks. Read a book, go for a swim, play cards, walk round deck, enjoy dinner. Maybe even research your next port, so you can plan something you would actually enjoy. Alarm bells ring for me if you need to speak to the general manager 4 times, i'm sure twice would be more than enough. As for the age of the others passengers, live and let live, who does it even matter.

I have to agree, I don’t get the need for all this constant entertainment. I’ve been following the Viking thread as well. I hear people speaking of being bored and quite frankly I don’t get the concept.

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My 2 cents. We have 15 o cruises. We have almost no itineraries left on o to do. Amazon is one cruise we have not taken. We have done research and spoken to many friends who have done the amazon on o. We have heard mostly negative opinions. We would never do it.

 

 

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Interesting you feel that way about the Amazon. We also have no desire and CC has helped us realize this by reading many posts regarding cruising in this area.

Although, we thoroughly enjoyed our SA cruise on Insignia last year from Lima to BA.

The OP has not posted since the original post and until he returns I consider him a troll.

I would suggest leaving this thread alone until OP returns.

Interesting you feel that way about the Amazon. We also have no desire and CC has helped us realize this by reading many posts regarding cruising in this area. Although, we thoroughly enjoyed our SA cruise on Insignia last year from Lima to BA.

Yes, there is a wide range of good viewpoints expressed here for the pro/con factors related to the Amazon River. After our experience, I made clear that we enjoyed this trip, but noted that it is not for everyone!! Personally, we found the mix of nature, unique settings, special history, etc., to be very stimulating and enlightening. However, others seek different types of sailing and/or port experiences. Doing your research in advance is very, very important. It is important to consider and match your personal style and travel desire to the cruises you are considering.

Personally, we are not just "float on the boat" types of people. It is all about the itineraries and ports. That is why we are departing Sunday for our first visit to Southeast Asia. This will feature Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam and Cambodia, including a seven-day Mekong River cruise, then Angkor Wat, Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hue/Danang. We will be gone a little over one month for this latest “adventure”. We could have done a simpler Hong Kong to Singapore ocean cruise with just more brief stops in Vietnam, etc. BUT, we sought a "deeper" or more "immersion" chance to see and experience much more in key cities and areas. Evaluating and considering your various priorities and options works to be super important. But, you ned to do that process in advance!!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 54,885 views for these postings.

We were booked on O's first Amazon cruise but cancelled for reasons I don't remember, but it wasn't the itinerary. However, some years later friends from a Norway cruise in 2010 did the cruise and were very unhappy with it and the ports. I don't remember the specifics, but their comments made us reluctant to try this one as well.

That can be very unfair, I know. OTOH Bitob has heard these criticisms from a number of people so he has a much better basis for making the decision not to do this one that we do. Too many times something I love has been denigrated by another. That doesn't make either one of us wrong, but it can be very difficult to make such a decision based on others' comments.

Even so ... I've done so!

Mura

We were signed up for the April Amazon cruise on Sirena, I believe and canceled it and replaced it with the 2/4 sailing out of Hong Kong. We’re doing the Angar Wat extension out of Bangkok.

We talked with several people, on our summer cruise that had done the Amazon trip, and none thought it worth the money. However, several raved about the National Geographic Upper Amazon Cruise which appears to be a completely better cruise all around. So we’re now planning one of NG combo cruise/tours of doing the Upper Amazon then flying off to do the Galápagos Islands in early 2020. We believe this combination will be far more enlightening and greater learning experience of those areas than anything Oceania offers.

If you want a more in depth look at the Amazon jungle, you certainly have to go beyond the wide river to Manaus.

For me, the cruise to Manaus was worth its money.

We booked the Napo River Wildlife lodge in Ecuador 2 years later for an in depth look at the jungle. We had 2 local guides for 7 passengers in a canoe rowed by a third local guide. Getting there is not as easy as boarding a cruise ship in Miami. From Miami, we had two flights: Miami- Quito- Coca, then a motorboat, followed by rowed canoe in a narrow creek, then the lodge on the small lake.

Similar trip as with National Geographic, but they don't use a rowed canoe to get to the luxury river cruise, 'only' the motor boat. I am sure it is a fabulous 4 day trip.

I do not know the poster, but I note the following from his post.

Per his cruise listing, he has mainly cruised on large Princess ships. He has only sailed Oceania once before and that was many years ago on the Insignia. He has apparently never sailed on the Riviera or the Marina. I am also assuming he knew that the Sirena and Insignia were originally built as sister ships 15 to 20 years ago and he knew the maximum passenger count. The Rivera and Marina are, I believe both less than 5 years old and have about double the passenger count.

He does not mention how his Insignia cruise was or what ports he visited on that cruise. Most smaller ship cruise lines advertise their ability to visit smaller ports and often appeal to travelers tired of stops crowded with cruise ship passengers. I doubt that most of the Princess ships he sailed on could provide the same itinerary as the one he did not like.

The entertainment - Did he remember the size of the Insignia main showroom? The stage and I assume the one on the Sirena, is too small for a large Las Vegas style production show. I also firmly believe the passenger count does not permit a large entertainment budget from Oceania. I prefer the Riviera and Marina entertainment, perhaps because it is possible see, meet and talk to production staff members outside the showroom area.

As far as the "nursing home" portion of the title, my experience has only been that after 10:30 pm Oceania passengers are often resting for the next day. I prefer Oceania and the quality of its passengers is one of the reasons. I, at 74, play deck games, trivia, bridge and often create my own shore excursions to other nearby towns other than the port stops. On such DIY ( do it yourself ) excursions, we usually use local trains, buses and trams which allow us to briefly meet locals.

Since the length of this post would probably put his fellow Sirena cruisers to sleep, I will end with this comment. Use (a lot) the cruise line message boards, roll calls and reviews of Cruise Critic to research future cruises and cruise lines. Googe the port stop names for things to do and use Trip Advisor before booking the trip. Then remember, THINGS HAPPEN.

We talked with several people, on our summer cruise that had done the Amazon trip, and none thought it worth the money. However, several raved about the National Geographic Upper Amazon Cruise which appears to be a completely better cruise all around. So we’re now planning one of NG combo cruise/tours of doing the Upper Amazon then flying off to do the Galápagos Islands in early 2020. We believe this combination will be far more enlightening and greater learning experience of those areas than anything Oceania offers.

Good choice. We’ve done the NG/Lindblad Upper Amazon and their Galapagos. Both were fabulous. The Amazon cruise on O was among the least interesting of our 26 O cruises.

Entertainment on R ships is a tough sell. I have seen world class top notch entertainment on O that I’m sure was expensive to bring in the performer for two shows. When they spend big for those entertainers, they have to make it up elsewhere. Just wish when they have bad acts, they’d stop bringing the bad ones back!

Here’s the catch. Even when the R ship has awesome entertainers , they rarely get more than 100 cruisers to show up. Several of we attendees were giving rave reviews about one of the entertainers and encouraging a group to come see his second show the following night. Reply given “ I haven’t seen the backside of 9:00 in 20 years, and I certainly wouldn’t now for any show on ship.” He received a lot of positive replies. There is a huge portion of O cruisers that will not stay up until 9:30 to watch any show. Oceania is fully cognitive of that so it reduces any pressure on them to overall improve their entertainment section of the cruise. That entertainer came back with an all new show that second evening that was better than the first one. It was a port day, and the crowd was smaller than the first night even after all the hype. Maybe 75 people there!😂 I felt embarrassed on O’s part!

You can’t have your cake and eat it too - or you can’t please everyone.:D

People demand better shows and when there is one - especially a second show that is highly recommended by everyone, nobody shows up.:)

We are on this cruise and have had a wonderful time. I’m heading up the CC on board activities. We’ve had 4 events and Dr. Hugs had been invited but didn’t come to any of them. I did lots of research on the ports we were to visit and have enjoyed them. Pretty much knew what to expect.

As for the “nursing home” comment there are some very old people but in our group of 60 people no one would be considered ready for a nursing home. We have some older people and some younger people. Some of us have discussed this review and are Appaled by it. We’ve all had each other to tour with, have dinner with, form trivia teams with and have fun together. Perhaps if Dr. Hugs had come to some of our events and met some of her fellow CC members, we could have helped her have a better time.

Dr. hugs I’m truly sorry you didn’t enjoy your cruise. Perhaps a different cruise line would better suit you.

I’ll write more when I get home.

I'm 66 and when I'm 80 or 85 and hopefully well enough to cruise O, hope I'm not looked down upon like Dr. Hugs looks down on others.

I'm an RN and this is no doctor. Huggy or medical.

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