UNDECIDED Ventura or Oceana?

[Coolgran]

Thinking of doing a Cruise to the Canaries next year. These ships have the same Ports but in reverse order. Have been on Oriana and Grand Princess and liked both, any advice welcome

 

Coolgran

[Brayman]

Thinking of doing a Cruise to the Canaries next year. These ships have the same Ports but in reverse order. Have been on Oriana and Grand Princess and liked both, any advice welcome

 

Coolgran

 

If Vigo is included, then do that first, it's a real disappointment as a last port of call.

[kevinyork]

Oceana similar in size to Oriana, Ventura identical in size and layout to Grand Princess. Suppose it depends on the size of ship you prefer.

[LibraLass41]

I prefer Oceana, what time of year are you going,? Have you got children?

 

If you are going in the summer school holidays there will be upto 800 children on Ventura on a family-friendly ship sailing to the sun.

Less out of school holidays.

[jg96]

Just got off this cruise today on Azura, and we did it with vigo at the end. We just used it as another sea day, so it doesn't really matter what order the itenary is! If you liked the bigger princess class you'll be right at home on ventura. Ventura's bigger and slightly more crowded than oceana (I think, based on Azura vs what people have said about the smaller ships!)

[Gerrym]

Oceana is the best ship I have been on, Ventura the worst.

[jamiedog11]

Hi,

 

I love them both.

Just dont go on ventura in school holidays if you dont have children.

 

carol

[Presto2]

Have just got back from the Oceana and apparently have the PCBs BIG TIME ! Loved every second of the cruise - she is a beautiful ship.

 

:)

[Coolgran]

Thank you all for the opinions and advice.Still not sure which to pick though. We are 'recycled teenagers' and 800 children might be too many Though I can't say we have had any trouble on previous cruises we enjoy watching them. Anyway I think we miss the main summer holidays as both cruises are in September. Thing is we have heard great reports about Oceana but we like the layout on Ventura which is I think identical to Grand Princess which we like. Maybe we should just toss a coin

Coolgran

[tom_uk]

...but we like the layout on Ventura which is I think identical to Grand Princess which we like.

 

It's not actually identical. First, the detailed locations and layout of bars and restaurants (esp. the extra cost restaurants) is rather different. Secondly, the layout at the stern is slightly different: Ventura doesn't have the Skywalkers structure (it has a different bar, Metropolis, in a slightly different location).

 

Thirdly, and perhaps most important, Ventura will have about 400 extra passengers. Ventura, in common with all of the later Grand Princess class ships, has an extra deck of cabins, the Riviera deck, between Lido deck and A deck. That's an extra 200 or so cabins, so probably an extra 400 passengers.

 

Don't get me wrong, I've cruised twice on Ventura and have enjoyed both of them, and have booked for a third. But I've also read comments by people who have cruised on those original Grand Princess class ships (Grand, Golden & Star) and subsequently cruised on the later ships (either Princess or P&O) and have found the newer ones noticeably more crowded. The problem is that the public spaces - lounges, bars, the theatre, the open decks - were sized for the original number of passengers, and sometimes they can get crowded on the later ships.

[Coolgran]

It's not actually identical. First, the detailed locations and layout of bars and restaurants (esp. the extra cost restaurants) is rather different. Secondly, the layout at the stern is slightly different: Ventura doesn't have the Skywalkers structure (it has a different bar, Metropolis, in a slightly different location).

 

Thirdly, and perhaps most important, Ventura will have about 400 extra passengers. Ventura, in common with all of the later Grand Princess class ships, has an extra deck of cabins, the Riviera deck, between Lido deck and A deck. That's an extra 200 or so cabins, so probably an extra 400 passengers.

 

Don't get me wrong, I've cruised twice on Ventura and have enjoyed both of them, and have booked for a third. But I've also read comments by people who have cruised on those original Grand Princess class ships (Grand, Golden & Star) and subsequently cruised on the later ships (either Princess or P&O) and have found the newer ones noticeably more crowded. The problem is that the public spaces - lounges, bars, the theatre, the open decks - were sized for the original number of passengers, and sometimes they can get crowded on the later ships.

 

Thanks for that Tom I had not thought about the extra deck which of course makes a lot of difference between being comfortable and being crowded. Oh dear! more food for thought. I think that is one reason why we liked the Grand as you could always find somewhere to to relax.

 

Coolgran