Oceana or Princess??

[dimiegirl]

Hello everyone. I had a question about oceana (nautica). We were planning on taking a 12nt med. cruise on princess, which is over 100,000 tons. I stumbled upon a 14nt oceana nautica med. cruise for only a couple of hundred more due to a sale. My question is, what amenities or features does oceana have over princess. I would think the entertaiment and activites would be better on princess since oceana is only 30,000 tons...which bring me to my next question.... i tend to get motion sickness, ive been on 2 royal carribean cruises without any problems but they were 90,000 and 138,000 tons. I am concerned that such a small boat will be able to feel more movement. I would greatly appreciate any imput from all of you experienced cruisers! Thanks so much!:):)

[xplrcrzn]

You have to ask yourself whether you are a small ship person or prefer large ones. Small ships such as Nautica tend to have better, more personal service, fewer crowds at any point, sometimes better food and a generally more upscale ambience. But, as you point out, they don't have the features of the big ships such as "grande" entertainment, large casinos and (often) better motion stability in rough seas. It's a personal choice thing but I think you may enjoy finding a cruising style different from the one you are used to.

[JimandStan]

 

Which seems more appealing (and steady) to you? :confused:

[LHT28]

OCEANIA is smaller yes but there are a lot of good things that are better than Princess

Food is subjective but I would say overall Oceania has Princess beat on that score

 

Sodas, bottled water, cappuccino, are included on OCEANIA

No extra fees for specialty restaurants, limited smoking areas (only 2 small areas) no children's program =small amounts of children if any

no line-ups for most things, no formal nights

 

It all depends on what you want out of a cruise

If you suffer from the motion of the ocean take some meds with you

 

Cons: Oceania entertainment is low key the casino is small (but no smoke)

Shore excursions are pricey but you can always DIY

 

If the price is right I would go for Oceania ;)

 

Enjoy whatever cruise you choose

 

Lyn

[Mura]

Considering that this is an Oceania board you aren't likely to find someone that will say you definitely should take the Princess cruise.

 

As someone who does get seasick I have done a number of cruises on these ships, starting out with Renaissance and continuing with Oceania, and while I've sometimes been uncomfortable when the seas are really rough, I'm usually quite comfortable.

 

Heck, I got sea sick on the QE2! I honestly haven't noticed that it's a much bigger problem on the "R" ships.

 

But we so much prefer a smaller ship -- a pretty much nosmoking ship -- and a less formal ship -- that the mal de mer issue is lower priority for us. (I should say for ME since my husband NEVER gets seasick. He should have been in the navy. We were in an arctic storm off Norway once upon a time when everyone was prostrate in their cabins and Howard was up there following the wave motion with his eyes ...)

[CintiPam]

I also have a queasy stomach at sea, but making sure that our cabin always is mid-ships has helped a great deal. Of my three cruises so far, I only had a problem one morning when we could not tender into Delos due to rough seas (early September meltemi winds) and chugged onto a glorious afternoon in Milos. I spent that time on deck, where I was much happier than in my cabin.

[new salt]

Mura said

 

''He should have been in the navy. We were in an arctic storm off Norway once upon a time when everyone was prostrate in their cabins and Howard was up there following the wave motion with his eyes ...)''

 

And there lies the key, watching a horizon allows your little grey cells and semicircular canals (inner ear) to talk in a rational manner rather than falling out over who is right about what is happening:confused: and consequently upsetting poor old stomach who hasn't got a clue what is going on.

__________________

[bbwex]

We have not sailed on Princess, so this might be a tad unfair, but we have sailed on HAL, which theoretically is a step up from Princess. That's the theory, but I have not been on both.

 

The food on Oceania is better in the MDR and the specialty dining rooms are way, way, way ahead of the specialty restaurants on HAL (at least) and there is no additional charge. We didn't feel the specialty restaurants on HAL were any better (if as good) than the MDR, whereas on Oceania, Toscana and Polo are simply wonderful! We have not been on Marina yet, so we cannot speak to the new restaurants. I have heard that Oceania has better food that Regent Seven Seas and RSSC is the luxury line owned by the same company as Oceania, so Princess might have better food than HAL, I don't know.

 

There is no doubt that a much smaller ship might move more in rough seas, but any size ship will move, and the movement is a complicated calculation. There are times that a small ship might move less than a much larger ship -- it depends on a lot of factors.

 

Again, I am comparing HAL and Oceania, and as far as service goes, Oceania is simply much better. More care, everything is done without ever asking, and they clean/straighten the cabins much more often during the day. IMHO Oceania is really just a small step down from a luxury line. You are simply treated better on Oceania, and I am comparing a suite on HAL and a B1 cabin on Oceania. The service on O is excellent across the board.

 

Entertainment on a small ship (672 passengers) simply isn't what it is on a large ship, and they don't even have the stage capabilities that a large ship has. Think lounge entertainment on Oceania.

[wripro]

If you do a search I'm sure there must be hundreds of threads comparing Oceania with every other cruise line, including Princess.

[travel grammy]

Many of the issues you asked about have already been addressed, but one of the big reasons I choose Oceania is the wonderful ports. I have seen so much of the world on Oceania while enjoying excellent food and a really comfortable bed! I find I don't really care about "entertainment" as I am in bed early anticipating my next port of call. There are no crowds, no children and hardly ever any waiting. I tend to get a bit unraveled when the seas are rough so I just go to bed. I just returned from Rome-Athens and 2 nights were rough so I just got some extra sleep. I was traveling with my 2 daughters and they loved the pitching--that's not for me. We had a wonderful time and I found Jerusalem, my favorite port this time, to be awesome. I have done 5 Oceania cruises, 1 Regent and 1 RC. Oceania is the way to go for adults that like wonderful ports and great food and service and you don't have to "dress" for dinner. Black pants and a sparkly top fill the bill! :)

[dimiegirl]

Thank you so much everyone for your knowledgable imput. It is greatly appreciated!:) My husband and I are going to talk it over, take another look at both itineraries and make a final decision. THanks again for taking the time to help us decide!:)

[LHT28]

My husband and I are going to talk it over, take another look at both itineraries and make a final decision. THanks again for taking the time to help us decide!:)

 

If the ports of call & time in the port are very similar compare the bottom line.

What is or is not included in the cruise fare then see which is better value.

I do not think you can go wrong with ether line

 

Enjoy

 

Lyn

[qldtraveller]

If the ports of call & time in the port are very similar compare the bottom line.

What is or is not included in the cruise fare then see which is better value.

I do not think you can go wrong with ether line

 

Enjoy

 

Lyn

Hi

No choice. Oceania any time b/4 the large Princess vessels.

Less people, no set meal times, food better, better type of travellers(most have travelled a lot), crew far more pleasant, easier to do your own tours, apart from alcohol everything else included 24/7(yes you pay minmal for ships laundry and use of the laundrette), even drinks in min-bar fridge, less noisy, easy to embark and disembark in ports(no long queues), lack of kids etc. etc.

 

Regarding sea sickness have been on Princess and RSSC and Oceania and they are all the same when it comes to rough seas. In the Medit. they are mainly smoooth seas anyway.

 

Also Oceania vessels can get into ports where the Princess large boats cannot do it or it is not as easy.

 

Unless you after cabarets, lots of people, all night discos, major entertainment and queues etc. Oceania is way ahead of any Princess cruises.

 

Yes we have sailed Princess twice and never again and yes the boat moves in rough seas.

 

However, it is up to yourself and what you want from a cruise. Partying and crowds or quiet and visiting places.

[LHT28]

Hi

No choice. Oceania any time b/4 the large Princess vessels.

Less people, no set meal times, food better, better type of travellers(most have travelled a lot), crew far more pleasant, easier to do your own tours, apart from alcohol everything else included 24/7(yes you pay minmal for ships laundry and use of the laundrette), even drinks in min-bar fridge, less noisy, easy to embark and disembark in ports(no long queues), lack of kids etc. etc.

 

 

For me the choice is simple ;)

but the OP is used to larger ships so they have to choose what works for them

 

Lyn

[Sue_n_Allan]

We just returned from Med cruise on Insignia, Athens to Barcelona. Stopped in Monaco. Lemme tell you about one simple distinction:

Insignia docked in the harbor so we walked ashore. A Princess mega-ship with 3,500 passengers anchored two miles out. All its passengers tendered in on life boats carrying about 100 each way; only three Princess tenders were in service. I wonder how long it took them to get off that ship?

It started raining in mid-morning so we walked back to Insignia and hopped back on board. We passed a line of passengers waiting for their Princess tenders to get back aboard--the line was at least 400 people long. Hmmm.

We met a couple in town from the Princess ship; they commented that the food was mediocre and getting to it was a problem. They said it was a cruise where they were likely to LOSE weight.

Feel free to make your choice; frankly I hope it's Princess or Carnival because that leaves Oceania for people who enjoy comfort and quality.

[Paulchili]

Feel free to make your choice; frankly I hope it's Princess or Carnival because that leaves Oceania for people who enjoy comfort and quality.

 

There is plenty of room (and food) for all of us on Oceania :)

Princess is not ALL bad. For one, they have 3 R ships just like Oceania; for another, their reward program is much more generous, Internet faster and they cover the Globe like nobody else (certainly better than Oceania).

Granted, Princess is not quite up to Oceania's standards in most regards but then again neither are their prices.

There are lots of choices to fit everyone's needs.:)

[Dmgmd50]

We just returned from Med cruise on Insignia, Athens to Barcelona. Stopped in Monaco. Lemme tell you about one simple distinction:

Insignia docked in the harbor so we walked ashore. A Princess mega-ship with 3,500 passengers anchored two miles out. All its passengers tendered in on life boats carrying about 100 each way; only three Princess tenders were in service. I wonder how long it took them to get off that ship?

 

Feel free to make your choice; frankly I hope it's Princess or Carnival because that leaves Oceania for people who enjoy comfort and quality.

 

The Marina is larger than the R ships. Does it dock or tender in Monte Carlo?

[Paulchili]

The Marina is larger than the R ships. Does it dock or tender in Monte Carlo?

 

We docked with Marina. It may depend on how busy the port is.

[billie5]

Considering that this is an Oceania board you aren't likely to find someone that will say you definitely should take the Princess cruise.

Princess is our favorite mainstream cruise line, and I post much more often on their board than on Oceania's. So I think your generalization above is not necessarily true.

 

On the other hand, Oceania is a premium cruise line, while Princess and HAL are mainstream. Generally, Oceania is twice the cost, often 2 1/2 times the cost of Princess for similar itineraries. If I had the opportunity to cruise a premium line for nearly the same cost as a mainstream, I would grab the opportunity.

 

For what it is worth, as much as we love Princess, the cruise line experience has never been equal to Oceania (although the itinerary of the old Tahitian Princess was -- wow).

 

Bill

[jane02]

I have sailed both cruiselines. One of my all time favorite cruises was the Tahitian Princess - because of the people we met and the destination. The small sized ship was also a big plus.

We took our three children on a Princess cruise a few years ago (Grand Princess) and swore never, ever again.

We will now only sail on the smaller ships and Oceania fits the bill at the moment.

Good luck with what you decide on.

Kellie ;)

[Mura]

Princess is our favorite mainstream cruise line, and I post much more often on their board than on Oceania's. So I think your generalization above is not necessarily true.

 

On the other hand, Oceania is a premium cruise line, while Princess and HAL are mainstream. Generally, Oceania is twice the cost, often 2 1/2 times the cost of Princess for similar itineraries. If I had the opportunity to cruise a premium line for nearly the same cost as a mainstream, I would grab the opportunity.

 

For what it is worth, as much as we love Princess, the cruise line experience has never been equal to Oceania (although the itinerary of the old Tahitian Princess was -- wow).

 

Bill

 

 

No doubt I could have phrased that better. I didn't mean that no one here would vote for Princess and I know very well that there are plenty of people who love Oceania who also sail on other lines. I just thought the preponderance of comments would be supporting Oceania over Princess on a message board devoted to Oceania.

 

Our one and only Princess cruise was in 1990 and I wouldn't presume to think that what we noticed then is true today. So I do not try to compare the two lines.