comcox Posted April 7, 2010 #1 Share Posted April 7, 2010 We are thinking of switching to Oceania from Holland America because we are tired of the smoke in the cabin areas. We've heard good things about Oceania but had some questions. Are they wired for internet in the cabins and/or public areas? There doesn't seem to me an internet center listed on the deck plan (Regatta). Do they have lecturers in history and nature on board (we are looking at Amazon cruise)? Are there casual dress dining venues on board at dinner time or only fancy resort wear? Do cabins have refrigerators? Is there a self-service laundry on board? Any information greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted April 7, 2010 #2 Share Posted April 7, 2010 We are thinking of switching to Oceania from Holland America because we are tired of the smoke in the cabin areas. We've heard good things about Oceania but had some questions. Are they wired for internet in the cabins and/or public areas?YES There doesn't seem to me an internet center listed on the deck plan (Regatta). There is a very nice one with about 18 or so computers. Do they have lecturers in history and nature on board (we are looking at Amazon cruise)? Lectures are the only weak point we can point out on Oceania. Are there casual dress dining venues on board at dinner time or only fancy resort wear?Dining is ALWAYS country club casual. Do cabins have refrigerators? I believe they start at the Concierge level but not below. Is there a self-service laundry on board? Yes, on deck 7 Any information greatly appreciated. Try Oceania and I'm sure you'll love the classy NON-smoking atmosphere along with the great food .:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted April 7, 2010 #3 Share Posted April 7, 2010 We too tired of HAL's smoking policy and are preparing for our 5 & 6 cruise with Oceania this Sept. You will love it. Orchestrapal answered all of your questions perfectly but I would point out that most of Oceania's cruises are so port intensive that you will be off ship most of the time: there is little need for lecturers on board! Oceania cruisers are a sophisticated group and do their homework ahead of time so if you have a question about a port and haven't been able to answer it through your own research...ask someone on board and you will receive answers and suggestions. Another positive about Oceania we appreciate is that because of its smaller size the ship can often dock where the larger ships have to tender which makes leaving from & returning to ship easy and with fewer passengers than the larger ships even tendering takes little time. I encourage you to give O a try...you will love it. We haven't even discussed the food, the crew, ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted April 7, 2010 #4 Share Posted April 7, 2010 The lecturers are dependent on who they have... some are good, some not so. The other weak point is Destination Services...do your homework & join the roll call for your cruise Do private tours where you can Entertainment is not flashy very low key so if you require nightlife O is not the place. Give them a try Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted April 7, 2010 #5 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Q: Are they wired for INTERNET in the cabins and/or public areas? A: Yes, there is wireless INTERNET in the cabins and select public areas, such as the pool deck. Q:There doesn't seem to me an INTERNET center listed on the deck plan (Regatta). A: There is a well equipped computer room on deck 9 called Oceania@SEA which offers classes and support. Q: Do they have lecturers in history and nature on board (we are looking at Amazon cruise)? A: Yes, there are lectures and presentations on every cruise, geared to the local where the ship is sailing. Q: Are there casual dress dining venues on board at dinner time or only fancy resort wear? A: You may always dress casually, throughout the ship, if that is your choice. What Holland America calls casual, Oceania calls Country Club Casual. Q: Do cabins have refrigerators? A: Not all of the cabins do. On the Regatta if you want a refrigerator, you'll need to book concierge level or above. Q:Is there a self-service laundry on board? A: Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredFL Posted April 7, 2010 #6 Share Posted April 7, 2010 I would add that there is always Tapas on the Terrace for dinner that is more casual than the country club casual in the dining room. If you are rushing back from a shore excursion and don't have the time or don't want to "dress up" it is a good option. Many of the dishes are the same as served in the Main Dining Room that night. It is self serve but they decorate it more upscale for the evening meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted April 7, 2010 #7 Share Posted April 7, 2010 And, I would add that not all cruises are so port intensive. TransAtlantic cruises, South American and Caribbean cruises and others all have sea days. We avoid the port-intensive cruises because it's so tiring. We have only had one poor lecturer, and that was balanced because there were actually two lecturers on board at that time, and the other one was super good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbwex Posted April 8, 2010 #8 Share Posted April 8, 2010 I have not been on HAL yet (this summer to Alaska), but in reading the boards, it would seem that HAL is not really on the same level as Oceania. We made some friends on Oceania last year, and they told us we would like HAL, but it is not nearly Oceania -- nice but not O! In addition to the computers in the Oceania@Sea room, there are also one or two in the library. Other than during classes, you can usually get one, but the same slow access as on other cruise ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonid Posted April 8, 2010 #9 Share Posted April 8, 2010 And, I would add that not all cruises are so port intensive. TransAtlantic cruises, South American and Caribbean cruises and others all have sea days. We avoid the port-intensive cruises because it's so tiring. We have only had one poor lecturer, and that was balanced because there were actually two lecturers on board at that time, and the other one was super good. Don't forget the Panama Canal cruise on which you are going. I believe that it's the best balance of ports/cruising. Marathons yet?:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted April 8, 2010 #10 Share Posted April 8, 2010 ...Marathons yet?:D:D Ooof. I'm getting better at the steps to our deck. Got the book! Thanks! Going to Myrtle Beach for about 10 days for R & R -- good beach reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seafare Posted April 8, 2010 #11 Share Posted April 8, 2010 Ooof. I'm getting better at the steps to our deck. Got the book! Thanks! Going to Myrtle Beach for about 10 days for R & R -- good beach reading. Don & Betsy, Pack your sweaters going to be getting back to more normal temp. here, but sunny. Enjoy your vacation in my neck of the woods (Surfside Beach) let me know if you need any recomendations. Jill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted April 9, 2010 #12 Share Posted April 9, 2010 ...Enjoy your vacation in my neck of the woods (Surfside Beach) let me know if you need any recommendations... Thanks, we'll be staying at Betsy's sister's place on N Ocean Blvd, about 12 miles north of you. We try to get up there a couple of times per year, but we never do hit great beach weather. That's OK, I've lived within a few miles of the beach in Florida for almost 39 years, and haven't been in the ocean in the last 38 years. Did you know there are things alive in there? And, some of them are bigger than you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribbeansun Posted April 9, 2010 #13 Share Posted April 9, 2010 All of your other questions have been answered so on the topic of internet please do know that you may find the internet speed to be entirely unacceptable and the cost to be very dear. We were on Regatta in the Caribbean a month+ ago and wireless was rarely available in our cabin which was located at the back of the ship (6090) and when it was the signal strength was very poor. When you are used to broadband speeds the experience on board is like using a dial up modem without the funky modem dialing sounds. Your best bet is to use an internet cafe in port IMO. Are they wired for internet in the cabins and/or public areas? There doesn't seem to me an internet center listed on the deck plan (Regatta). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PaulMCO Posted April 9, 2010 #14 Share Posted April 9, 2010 All of your other questions have been answered so on the topic of internet please do know that you may find the internet speed to be entirely unacceptable and the cost to be very dear. We were on Regatta in the Caribbean a month+ ago and wireless was rarely available in our cabin which was located at the back of the ship (6090) and when it was the signal strength was very poor. When you are used to broadband speeds the experience on board is like using a dial up modem without the funky modem dialing sounds. Your best bet is to use an internet cafe in port IMO. Agree 100%. I had better luck at the port and going into an Internet cafe. Cost is dear about $1 per minute and speed is less than dial-up. Was also on Regatta. Since the bandwidth is shared by everything going up through the pipe -- including ships data, cell phone, blackberry data etc.. There is jsut not enough for everyone. I had some issues with cell calls thru their up link lots of distorted audio. Since I have an unlimited data plan with my carrier -- I may just try to tether through the Blackberry -- might be faster and certainly cheaper. However -- having done this on HAL and RCL -- there is not much difference on the INTERNET. As you can see below our next two cruises are on HAL and Oceania. While we like HAL -- we love Oceania.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2serendip Posted April 9, 2010 #15 Share Posted April 9, 2010 We loved our Oceania cruises, one in Southeast Asia and one in the north Atlantic. But I do agree with a previous poster that O's weak areas are lecturers and the destination desk. Our lecturer on one trip was the wife of one of the entertainers. She had done some homework but was hardly qualified to be an expert. And the destination desk was unhelpful at best. Thanks to the high quality of our fellow pax, we were able to get some good advice, and it pays to have a guidebook or two with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Fianna Posted April 9, 2010 #16 Share Posted April 9, 2010 Since I have an unlimited data plan with my carrier -- I may just try to tether through the Blackberry -- might be faster and certainly cheaper. Just for fair warning - depending on your carrier and your contract, you'll still pay roaming and roaming data can be VERY expensive. I use my BB for work, and unfortunately I often need to be in touch, even on vacation, and the few times I've had to do that, I've put in fairly large reimbursements for roaming data charges. SMS on roaming also often carries a charge, as well. Last year in Portugal, I paid .50 US cents per SMS. Not a lot, but it adds up. ~Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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