Advice Please

We have enjoyed cruises on HAL, Celebrity and even NCL. We're considering an Oceania cruise from Bangkok to Tokyo in 2012.

A few years back we did an independent extensive seven week land tour of China, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos but are ready for more sedate and less 'on the edge' travels.

• Is their regularly offered 2 for 1 a real deal? They're currently also offering 'free' air. It's on the Nautica.
  
• How does this line compare with HAL or Celebrity? While we have more days of sailing on HAL we actually prefer Celebrity.
  
• We tend to book a 'steerage' range of cabin, spending our limited dollars on excursions or cruise extensions.
  

Thank you in advance for any information, comparisons or suggestions.

Ruth

Is their regularly offered 2 for 1 a real deal? They're currently also offering 'free' air. It's on the Nautica. Ruth

The 2 for 1 & free air is normal for the first several months, then as the sailing dates get closer they usually disappear (unless that cruise is not selling well)

It then will go to 25% or 40% off brochure rates

The free air disappears at some point

Most past cruisers on O book early

I cannot comment on HAL & X comparisons

Oceania has no formal nights as the Mass market lines do

The cabins from A-F are the same size and very well appointed

A & B Cat have a balcony and E cabins are smaller with obstructed view (behind the lifeboats)

Hope someone can answer your other questions

Lyn

We have enjoyed cruises on HAL, Celebrity and even NCL. We're considering an Oceania cruise from Bangkok to Tokyo in 2012.

 

A few years back we did an independent extensive seven week land tour of China, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos but are ready for more sedate and less 'on the edge' travels.

• Is their regularly offered 2 for 1 a real deal? They're currently also offering 'free' air. It's on the Nautica.
  
• How does this line compare with HAL or Celebrity? While we have more days of sailing on HAL we actually prefer Celebrity.
  
• We tend to book a 'steerage' range of cabin, spending our limited dollars on excursions or cruise extensions.
  

Thank you in advance for any information, comparisons or suggestions.

 

Ruth

The 2-for-1 pricing plus free air is how Oceania regularly prices cruises. The "brochure" rate is rarely if ever paid by anyone. At a certain point as it gets closer to sailing time, the 2-for-1 is usually changed to 40% of the brochure price unless there are lots of cabins remaining unsold. You can always decline the "free air" and get an air credit instead.

You will find Oceania compares very favorably to HAL and Celebrity. The only thing you may find lacking is the entertainment. This is minimal on Oceania and most repeaters are fine with this.

I suspected the 2 for 1 pricing was more the norm on Oceania judging from the number of offers we've received since requesting brochures.

The lack of entertainment would not be a deterrent for either of us.

Do they have the cabin guarantee levels as does HAL? Is there any advantage to this route on Oceania?

They have interesting destinations, so we're leaning in that direction.

Thanks Lyn and LAexNY,

Ruth

The lack of entertainment would not be a deterrent for either of us.

 

Do they have the cabin guarantee levels as does HAL?

 

Ruth

The have entertainment every night usually at 9:30 or 9:45pm it is just not large Vegas style shows

I am not sure what HAL has but Oceania will have some GTY cabins or you can waitlist for the CAT you prefer

People book up to 18mths in advance & things change so you will usually clear the waitlist (if not too long)

You may enjoy the small ship experience;)

Lyn

We think Oceania top-notch.

Have sailed HAL (3 times), Celebrity (once), NCL (twice, but never again), Princess (17 times), Crystal (twice) plus several defunct lines.

Oceania is our current favorite, three completed cruises, with a booking on their newbuild Marina.

Oceania has excellent food, and their small ships do not overwhelm.

The 2-for-1 pricing plus free air is how Oceania regularly prices cruises. The "brochure" rate is rarely if ever paid by anyone. At a certain point as it gets closer to sailing time, the 2-for-1 is usually changed to 40% of the brochure price unless there are lots of cabins remaining unsold. You can always decline the "free air" and get an air credit instead.

You will find Oceania compares very favorably to HAL and Celebrity. The only thing you may find lacking is the entertainment. This is minimal on Oceania and most repeaters are fine with this.

How does the "free air" work? Is it only for flights within the US of A? If it's applied worldwide, it'd be a real bonus for the rest of us!

I thought I would add some comments that Lyn made about the entertainment, especially since we just cruised together.

In the past my husband and I really avoided the entertainment. There might be one or two shows that we enjoyed but we really didn't care for the "Las Vegas" chorus line attempts.

But on the Midnight Sun cruise on Insignia (7/23-8/10) they seemed to have given that up. They brought in single entertainers -- classical musicians, jazz musicans, singers, etc. These shows were far superior to what we've encountered before. The performers usually did 2-3 shows; a couple were brought back for additional performances.

I think it's a good move to avoid the chorus line kind of shows ... I really hated them on our NCL Transatlantic in April! And as classical musicians ourselves, we really appreciated the "artsy" entertainment.

How does the "free air" work? Is it only for flights within the US of A? If it's applied worldwide, it'd be a real bonus for the rest of us!

I believe it is just for N.A. clients

Lyn

But on the Midnight Sun cruise on Insignia (7/23-8/10) they seemed to have given that up. They brought in single entertainers -- classical musicians, jazz musicans, singers, etc. These shows were far superior to what we've encountered before. The performers usually did 2-3 shows; a couple were brought back for additional performances.

 

We really enjoy the single performers & hope they do keep the same format ...more classical musicians

I think the Marina will have larger shows though

Lyn

Thanks to each of your for your thoughtful responses. I believe that Oceania would be a good fit for us.

Hey,

This is a first time for O for us too.

We booked the Tahitian Breeze,Jan 6,2012.Took advantage of the Airfare from Toronto,yes the offer applies to Canada too.There are 3 options,TO,MON and VAN.It seems to be a better deal from here,Airfare is CRAZY!!!Made my deposit on Mon.:D

Yes you can book a guarantee.I know all inside cabins are sold out,only port holes and balconies left.You can go on a waiting list if you wish.Hope this helps.

New Beginner,good luck with your decision.....Happy Cruising!

Just so you are aware -- the free air is not free air. It is 2 for 1 for the brochure price + free air.

If you wish most TA's will give you a price without the "Free air."

Oceania does get some good prices for economy (bad prices for business) so the resulting savings is small.

But for me with tons of FF mile -- I prefer without air and use my miles for business on the long routes to Asia.

As for the comparison with HAL -- Oceania pluses are:

• smaller ships and more intimate atmosphere
  
• better food
  
• MUCH better deserts
  
• Age of cruisers -- similar
  
• Restricted smoking policy (important to many)
  

For HAL

• marginally better entertainment and lectures (depends on ship size)
  
• bigger staterooms and baths than Oceania
  
• better bang for buck (I will get flamed)
  
• better run excursions (most people on Oceania do their own)
  
• smoking allowed in rooms and balcony (BOO....)
  
• food quality is good but not as good as Oceania, but light years ahead of RCL or NCL. Deserts are HAL's weak points :)
  

Interesting that already the inside cabins are sold out on your choice. Bob and I have talked for hours about this trip since the brochure arrived. We agree that Oceania sounds like a perfect fit for our lifestyle and interests, but are debating whether or not to try one more semi independent trip to Asia. We'll have reached that three score and ten milestone by 2012 and wonder if it's time to 'cruise easy.' For other cruises we've done independent pre or post extensions of severval weeks, combining what for us is the best of two worlds of travel.

And while you do see the sun earlier than the rest of us for sure, from recent news reports it sounds as if you've had a run of rough weather. I hope that you personally weathered the storm.

Ruth

I really appreciated your comparison of the lines.

Canadians generally pay horrendous airfares compared with Americans, unless you live near the border and can fly from an American airport, so 'free' air is attractive. We've found that HAL offers far better air prices than our TA can find for us, especially when departures and returns involve significantly different routes and often airlines. And since we're both retired, any points gathered are minimal, except those from overseas flights every year or two.

We like smaller ships, but unfortunately for my girth, I can enjoy most foods including HAL desserts and cheese platters.

And while a larger cabin is nice, we're used to 3* hotels in the developed world and 4* in emerging economies; we're happy with what we can afford.

I do value all the opinions and information posted to date.

Ruth

I'd suggest you call Oceania and ask for pricing - with and without "free air" at least in the past "free air" did not include hundreds of dollars of fees - I found that was the only way I could find out the answer to "how much". I think their website is more staightforward than it used to be but again, to be sure, call them. They can email you an invoice with a breakdown of the charges, that helped me understand some of their pricing shennanigans.

I've done one cruise with O - really enjoyed it - almost all cabins are the same sized except for some of the very high-priced onces and then a few "obstucted view" ones. The bathrooms are small - their cabis are not their strong suit - probably nicer cabins on HAL or X - but their food is very good, the size of the ship is great, non-smokers love the smoking policy, very good service - all add up to a very elegant and gracious cruise.

I'd suggest you call Oceania and ask for pricing - with and without "free air" at least in the past "free air" did not include hundreds of dollars of fees - I found that was the only way I could find out the answer to "how much". I think their website is more staightforward than it used to be but again, to be sure, call them. They can email you an invoice with a breakdown of the charges, that helped me understand some of their pricing shennanigans.

 

Free air -- means Free Air -- airport charges, taxes are included now.

Oceania was fined $75,000 by the US DOT for not properly disclosing these fees. (people at CC and that read the details in their contract did see that these charges were not included)

I've been away a few days, but now that I'm back, I wanted to add a couple of things. Lynn mentioned that the air package was just for North American guests, but I think you were asking whether the free air was just domestic or international. First, of course, it is not really "free"; it is included in the fare you pay for your cruise, and as mentioned, you can get a credit from that fare by declining the air package from Oceania and booking your own air. However, the amount of credit you receive will most likely not be enough to pay for your own flights -- it pays to have your travel agent quote the fare both ways so you can compare.

If you take the free air, it will be to and from whatever ports are your beginning and end of the cruise, generally on the day the cruise sails and the day it finishes. If you can use one of many of Oceania's gateway airports, there will be no additional charges, but if you are near a smaller airport there is a small additional fee. The actual flights will not be assigned until after final payment, usually several weeks before the cruise. By all reports, Oceania does NOT choose the worst connections or the slowest flights -- most guests are pleased.

It's also possible to design your own flights, making arrangements as soon as 280 days before your cruise, and choosing to arrive days before the cruise or depart days after the cruise, by asking for a "deviation". If you accept the proposal, you will be charged a non-refundable administrative fee of $100 per person, and you may be quoted an additional amount if the flights you designed are particularly more expensive than the ones Oceania might have been able to achieve. It's usually not an extraordinary amount, if at all. We have always chosen the deviation and have always been pleased.

Anther advantage over booking your own flights is that payment for the deviation flights is not due until final payment for the cruise, and if you have to cancel the cruise before final payment for any reason, the flights are also canceled. Perhaps the best reason for booking your own flights is to use FF miles or to book an upgraded category.

Regarding the entertainment, Oceania's three original ships (Regatta, Insignia and Nautica, collectively called the "Regatta Class" ships), are all identical, and each has a lounge-type showroom that is on a single deck, and doubles as the dance floor at other times. Thus, Vegas style production shows are not really possible, and entertainment is limited to cabaret style performers -- vocalists, instrumentalists, comedians, magicians, etc.

Professional entertainers are supplemented by the ships' show bands, a string quartet on every cruise I have experienced, often a crew talent show, sometimes members of the cruise director's staff who have a talent (or less of one ). Marina, launching in January, and Riviera, launching the following year, are a little larger ships and will have traditional 2 deck theaters with more capabilities. My understanding is that they will have entertainment from troops of singers and dancers, more akin to mass market ships. Personally, I love the current entertainment, do not care for Vegas style production shows, and hope that some of the cabaret style entertainment is retained.

Oceania has garnered a reputation for poor entertainment, and I have gradually arrived at the conclusion that this must be due to the port-intensive cruises in Europe, which I have never experienced. People are apparently so tired by the rigorous port regimen that they don't go to the shows, anyway, so why should Oceania expend a lot of effort? We have enjoyed less intensive cruises in the Western Hemisphere, with adequate sea days for relaxation, and the entertainment had been exemplary. We are not classical musicians but we raised one, and we, too, enjoy more classical fare. The string quartets, often playing throughout the ship, have always been more than adequate.

Regarding comparisons with what I call "mass market" ships, Oceania stands in a niche of her own above the rest. Food is outstanding in general, far beyond the standards set by larger ships. The single word used to describe Oceania by the founder of Oceania and now the CEO of both Oceania and Regent, Frank Del Rio, is "Taste". Taste in food, in service, in decor, and in the total experience. No hairy chest contests, here! The target demographic is 50 to 70 (and, having recently passed 70, hopefully beyond), well traveled, thoughtful guests. While children are not forbidden, they are not encouraged and there are no special programs for them. Smoking policies are the most restrictive at sea, as far as I can determine, dress is tourist casual during the day and elegant casual at night -- there are no formal nights -- and dining is where and with whom and at what time you choose. The decor reminds one of an English country manor and is comfortable yet elegant.

We have sailed a few other cruise lines and have been generally satisfied, although we tend to set our expectations on price. We just returned from our first bargain NCL cruise and can vouchsafe that it is NOT Oceania, but it was a low price, we had low expectations, and they met our expectations.

There are no ships' photographers in your face on Oceania, there are no art auctions, there are no raffles (there is Bingo, but it is quiet and fun for those who enjoy it), soft drinks and bottled water are included in the fare, bar waiters are not pushy, and the entire experience comes back to that one word -- Taste.

Regarding a guarantee booking, they are available on Oceania once all the cabins in a specific category have been booked, but they probably are a bit different than on the mass market lines. On Oceania, you are guaranteed to get at least the level you booked, and that is probably the level you will get. If there are available cabins in a higher category, and no available cabins in your guarantee category, they will usually choose an existing booking for an upgrade and give you your guarantee level. In other words, it's difficult to get an upgrade on Oceania with a guarantee booking; although some have achieved this. It's probably not wise to book a lower category than you really want and hope for an upgrade. Guarantees are filled when existing guests cancel for one reason or another, often around the time of final payment. Thinking about bookings, on many mass market lines, it sometimes pays to wait until the last minute to book. That's how we got our recent bargain, booking just 8 days before sailing after learning of a sale. The opposite is true on Oceania -- the lowest prices go to the earliest bookers, and desirable cabins go really early. It's not unusual for experienced Oceania cruisers to book as much as 15 months or more before the cruise, usually on the day the itineraries are announced.

Thank you for a most complete answer.

This is the sort of thread I'd tried unsuccessfully to find earlier. I just hope that all this advice is of use to others too.

I've been away a few days, but now that I'm back, I wanted to add a couple of things.

The same goes for Bruin Steve, who seems to appear less frequently nowadays.

I've snipped a lot from the previous post!

Regarding the entertainment, Oceania's three original ships (Regatta, Insignia and Nautica, collectively called the "Regatta Class" ships), are all identical, and each has a lounge-type showroom that is on a single deck, and doubles as the dance floor at other times. Thus, Vegas style production shows are not really possible, and entertainment is limited to cabaret style performers -- vocalists, instrumentalists, comedians, magicians, etc.

 

Oceania has garnered a reputation for poor entertainment, and I have gradually arrived at the conclusion that this must be due to the port-intensive cruises in Europe, which I have never experienced. People are apparently so tired by the rigorous port regimen that they don't go to the shows, anyway, so why should Oceania expend a lot of effort? We have enjoyed less intensive cruises in the Western Hemisphere, with adequate sea days for relaxation, and the entertainment had been exemplary. We are not classical musicians but we raised one, and we, too, enjoy more classical fare. The string quartets, often playing throughout the ship, have always been more than adequate.

 

 

I agree about the entertainment but I do have to say it was vastly improved on the July 23rd Midnight Sun cruise on INSIGNIA where mostly they brought in solo entertainers (mostly from Poland and mostly of a classical bent) who were all excellent. We are classical performers ourselves but even the non-classical performers were far superior to what we've encountered in the past. And the "chorus line" was gone.

 

Also, the string quartet on INSIGNIA was far better than the one we encountered on REGATTA, although we haven't been on REGATTA for a couple of years so don't shoot me if you've been on REGATTA recently and adored the string quartet!

 

 

We have sailed a few other cruise lines and have been generally satisfied, although we tend to set our expectations on price. We just returned from our first bargain NCL cruise and can vouchsafe that it is NOT Oceania, but it was a low price, we had low expectations, and they met our expectations.

 

Here I really have to agree! We did a transatlantic on NCL in April because it left from NYC (where we live) and the price was very -- well, cheap -- compared to Oceania. We were in a Family PH (larger than the Oceania PH) for only $2900pp. We noted that we paid less for our 450 or so sq cabin (2 bedrooms, 2 baths) than the cheapest cabin on Regatta's T/A the previous March. Food was good, not nearly as good as on Oceania, but if you are in a suite on NCL you ARE treated well. But NCL just not compare to Oceania. You get what you pay for!

 

I wont' say we'll never go on NCL again -- we are booked on an Alaska cruise with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law on NCL next May not because we prefer NCL, far from it. But my BIL is handicapped and the handicapped facilities on NCL are far better than they are on Oceania. My SIL has a great desire to see Alaska so in this one case, we opted for NCL. But I would much prefer doing the same cruise on Regatta ... (whch we also booked just in case Dan & Claire opt out ...)

 

Mura

Oceania is not considered a "mainstream" cruise line. Along with Azamara, Oceania is considered a "premium" cruise line, midway between the mainstreams and the "luxury" cruise lines (such as Crystal, Cunard, Radisson 7 Seas, Seabourn). The price (and the food / service) will reflect the difference.

Bill

My only comments are: 1) as to air: while I have not found Oceania's flight itineraries to be either the most direct or convenient (in fact, quite the contrary), to date I have always taken their air package because it has thus far been significantly cheaper than what I could book on my own (which may largely be a result of where I live, the distance from gateway cities through which all overseas flights must go, and the virtual monopoly the few airlines flying in and out of here have on the market), and I have not had enough FF miles to get me in either business or first class to or from embarkation/debarkation and I didn't want to waste the ones I had on economy, assuming I could even get a seat; 2) regarding guaranteed booking, on the 5 sailings (2 taken and 3 upcoming, beginning in one month) booked to date, I have booked a specific category and cabin each time.

I agree with everything else Hondorner says, as usual.

We accepted the "free air" for our 2011 cruise because we were quite pleased with the true cost compared to what it would normally be to fly out of Toronto. Even with the air deviation fee, it compared to the best sale price we would ever get by booking it ourselves. I picked the specific flights I wanted and they quickly said "we can do that". No extra charge beyond the normal fee.

That being said, we recently booked a transatlantic cruise for 2012 and can't believe what a great deal we got through Oceania. $1000 pp more with air. In the past we would never have considered a cruise from Brazil to Barcelona because the flight cost would be astronomical. You basically have to purchase 2 return tickets and swallow the second portion.

I just hope that they don't charge too much more If I want to spend an extra week on both ends of the cruise.

Why is it that they suggest you fly in the day before a cruise but they charge you extra to do so. Why don't they just make that "day before" standard?

That's an interesting question, Burm. All I can think of is that not everyone wants to come in a day early. I'm thinking of people who have limited time for a vacation. We always want to come in early and stay late so as to see the departure and endingports but it has seemed to us that most of our fellow passengers do not chose to do that.

For us, living in NYC, most of the time we've been able to do better getting our own airfare ... but not always. So on a few occasions we have used Oceania's air with a deviation. These days the credit Oceania gives us seems to be reduced while airfares have increased, so we may be using their air (or some version of it) more in the future.