In praise of Sirena

We have recently returned from a Civitavecchia to Venice cruise on board Sirena. We have previously taken cruises on Riviera, Marina and Nautica. Having seen a few negative comments about standards on Oceania in the lead up to our cruise, I thought it only right that I put in a few thoughts on our return:

• The ship was in great condition, as clean and well cared for as I would expect of Oceania
  
• The crew were friendly, cheerful and positive from the guy who cleaned the aft stairs to the Captain.
  
• We had a PH cabin which was in good order, and we were beautifully looked after throughout the trip.
  
• The food was as good as ever - and yes I am fussy. We ate in the GDR, Red Ginger and Tuscan and enjoyed excellent food and service on each occasion. Several of the favourites are available from the Toscana and Polo Grill menus on the bigger ships. Lunch for us was either in Waves or the new Jacques Bistro and again we enjoyed both. The Jacques menu is perhaps a little heavy for lunch but I am sure many people appreciate the chance to try some of the regular Jacques dishes on the smaller ship. We did not use the Terrace as we prefer the other venues.
  
• The sommelliers were attentive in each venue and did not have a problem with us having the beverage package. We were served as much wine as we wanted.
  
• The entertainment was as expected - we occasionally go to a show but it is not our reason for travelling with Oceania
  
• The gym was well cared for and not over busy. All the classes were free of charge which I appreciated.
  
• I did not take any spa treatments but used the spa deck which is quite small on Sirena. It was, however, often empty so space was never a problem.
  

I guess you have gathered by now that we had a great trip. We saw no signs of cost cutting at all. As we all know different people have different experiences and expectations but for us Oceania continues to fit the bill and we have two more trips booked!

I guess you have gathered by now that we had a great trip. We saw no signs of cost cutting at all. As we all know different people have different experiences and expectations but for us Oceania continues to fit the bill and we have two more trips booked!

Just off the Insignia and I agree.

Thank you. for that. So glad you enjoyed your cruise. J

Just off the Insignia and I agree.

I'm also just off Insignia and food, service, ambience were as good or better than previous Oceania trips.

We spent 14 days on Sirena last fall and loved the ship. The decor and lighting were updated a little and it was most attractive.

We enjoyed the Jacques bistro menu lunches. Standard offerings from the Terrace grill menu were also available.

Thanks for your review. I am glad to hear the positive comments on the Sirena since we will be cruising soon on that ship.

Thanks for your review. I am glad to hear the positive comments on the Sirena since we will be cruising soon on that ship.

We are also glad to hear it. Are you on Sirena in December?

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We are also glad to hear it. Are you on Sirena in December?

 

 

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Yes we are😎

Yes we are😎

Look forward to meeting you on board!

Elise

Thank you for this info, and glad to hear you had such a wonderful cruise! Just wondering - where did Sirena dock in Venice? Was it at Marittimo, or was it at the smaller dock of San Basillio?

Thanks for the review. Nice to hear positive comments. We felt that our recent trip on the Nautica was on a par with what we've experienced for the last 8 years on Oceania.

Thank you for your review. We were on Sirena for 21 days in 2016 and have a 25 day cruise on Sirena booked for 2018. Our favorite small ship!!

Thank you for this info, and glad to hear you had such a wonderful cruise! Just wondering - where did Sirena dock in Venice? Was it at Marittimo, or was it at the smaller dock of San Basillio?

We docked at San Basilio which was great.

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Thanks for sharing your experiences

Love those R ships

We must have been on the following cruise - got off Sirena (reluctantly) in Barcelona on Friday. It was our second cruise on Sirena, after Panama Canal last Nov/Dec., and I agree with the OP. If anything, this cruise topped that one. We enjoyed every minute aboard what was always the most beautiful ship in each port. Food and service, we felt, was a bit improved over the previous cruise - so instead of an 8/10 I'd give the Venice-to-Barcelona cruise a full 10/10.

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We docked at San Basilio which was great.

 

 

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Thank you for this info! This will help greatly with my trying to figure out location for our hotel for before our cruise next summer. :)

Thank you for your comments. My husband and I have cruised on Holland America, Princess and primarily on Celebrity. Last summer we upgraded to Oceania Marina for a Baltic cruise. I was very pleased with everything about the cruise, especially the food and the service. Unfortunately, my DH is a little more hyper critical and his experience was not as fabulous as mine. I still hope someday to return to my beloved Oceania. Please take good care of her until I return. [emoji56]

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Thank you for this info! This will help greatly with my trying to figure out location for our hotel for before our cruise next summer. :)

Keep in mind you may not dock in the same location for your cruise :halo:

Thanks for the report, we're going to be on that ship---so it's good to hear what you had to say.

We have recently returned from a Civitavecchia to Venice cruise on board Sirena. We have previously taken cruises on Riviera, Marina and Nautica. Having seen a few negative comments about standards on Oceania in the lead up to our cruise, I thought it only right that I put in a few thoughts on our return:

• The ship was in great condition, as clean and well cared for as I would expect of Oceania
  
• The crew were friendly, cheerful and positive from the guy who cleaned the aft stairs to the Captain.
  
• We had a PH cabin which was in good order, and we were beautifully looked after throughout the trip.
  
• The food was as good as ever - and yes I am fussy. We ate in the GDR, Red Ginger and Tuscan and enjoyed excellent food and service on each occasion. Several of the favourites are available from the Toscana and Polo Grill menus on the bigger ships. Lunch for us was either in Waves or the new Jacques Bistro and again we enjoyed both. The Jacques menu is perhaps a little heavy for lunch but I am sure many people appreciate the chance to try some of the regular Jacques dishes on the smaller ship. We did not use the Terrace as we prefer the other venues.
  
• The sommelliers were attentive in each venue and did not have a problem with us having the beverage package. We were served as much wine as we wanted.
  
• The entertainment was as expected - we occasionally go to a show but it is not our reason for travelling with Oceania
  
• The gym was well cared for and not over busy. All the classes were free of charge which I appreciated.
  
• I did not take any spa treatments but used the spa deck which is quite small on Sirena. It was, however, often empty so space was never a problem.
  

I guess you have gathered by now that we had a great trip. We saw no signs of cost cutting at all. As we all know different people have different experiences and expectations but for us Oceania continues to fit the bill and we have two more trips booked!

Sounds like you had a nice cruise. Thanks for your report.

Did you book any Oceania sponsored shore excursions?

OP - Thank you for taking the time to post your review and I am glad that you enjoyed your cruise.

Look forward to meeting you on board!

Elise

That is going to be an amazing itinerary! See you on board...

Sounds like you had a nice cruise. Thanks for your report.

Did you book any Oceania sponsored shore excursions?

No we didn't. We tend to book our own excursions in advance using the internet to research local guides.