Does Oceania go to Alaska?

[hondorner]

I wouldn't assume that Oceania is not returning to Alaska in 2013- you should wait until mid-March when itineraries for summer 13' are released before making any decisions.

 

Although Oceania's 2011 Alaska sailings were virtually sold-out, the "problem", if there were any, was that we made the itineraries too long, primarily 12 and 14 day sailings with a handful of 10 day sailings. If there is a next time, they will be primarily 7 day sailings with a handful of 10's.

 

Should we return to Alaska in the summer of 2013?

 

FDR

Absolutelu return to Alaska. Oceania ships have a real advantage in size and viewing areas like Horizons Lounge and the Terrace deck. Oceania has always been willing to do things a little differently than the traditional cruise lines.

 

I personally like the longer voyages, but it's probably easier to sell the 7 day voyages. One thing that might satisy both desires is to vay some of the subsequent cruises so one could do a back-to-back with little repetition.

 

For example, a Vancouver to Anchorage cruise with traditional ports like Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway/Haines, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjords, and Seward, might be folowed by a cruise from Anchorage to Homer, Whittier, Valdez, Kodiak Island and maybe out to Dutch Harbor if the fuel siutation can be handled (I understand the Aleutians require a more environmentally friendly fuel). Then, resume the Anchorage to Vancouver route again. At either end of the season, or even once in the middle, the 7 days could be from Vancouver to San Francisco, then back the next week, with ports like Prince Rupert, Victoria, Seatlle, and Eureka/Ferndale, which we loved on our cross country trip last Summer.

 

The other cruise lines' (even Regent) repetitious "bus" routes back and forth are boring after the first!

 

Definitely get back to Alaska!

[gopackgo]

Don,

 

I agree with your statement about the Regent same old - same old back and forth itinerary in Alaska. That is one of the reasons we would like to try another cruise line. Maybe stop in some different ports while experiencing another ship. We went on Regent's Alaska 7 day one-way trip from Seward back to Vancouver, in 2004. Had a great time. But now that we are retired, we would like maybe an 11 or 12 day cruise, with some different stops mixed in.

 

I hate to bring up another competitor, but I notice that Silversea has a 10 and an 11 day Alaskan roundtrip cruise out of Vancouver in July. Maybe Oceania could do one similar to that? Or your ideas are also interesting to think about. In fact, I think the SS cruises do stop at Prince Rupert and Victoria, like you suggested. :)

 

Just thought I would mention it now that you and few other O cruisers are still talking about whether O should go back to Alaska or not.

 

Ginny

[Baby Hughy]

We did the Frontier & Glacier cruise out of Vancouver on 7 June and that was the best itinery in Alaska. Went round trip from Vancouver via Sitka, Icy straits point (HOONAH),Hubbard Glacier, Kodiak Island, Wrangle(Only Ship that goes to Wrangle), Ketchikan and Vancouver. A fantastic 10Days aboard a wonderful Ship and great ports of call. Couldn't ask for much more. Wish the would go back and if so I will be going with them as I love Alaska and O.

[dlb237]

We took the San Francisco to Vancouver spring cruise to Alaska last year, and it was spectacular - http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=85503 .

 

When booking a cruise, it's a good idea to check the port times in addition to the starting and ending ports because our port experience was completely different from Benita's. In the spring, the immediately preceding SF to SF cruise had much worse port times than our SF to Vancouver cruise. In addition, our cruise's port scheduling worked out very well - the only port that was crowded was Juneau, and Oceania got a prime berth - docked opposite the Mt. Roberts tramway station (one could walk into town). Fortunately, of the southeast Alaska ports, Juneau is best able to deal with being overrun by cruise passengers. In addition, Sitka is a tender port in general, but Oceania arranged for at least the popular sea otter excursion to pick up its passengers at the ship instead of at the dock.

 

It's unfortunate that Oceania does not appear to be going back to Alaska soon - we really enjoyed our cruise, and we were incredibly lucky to have such good weather. I'd have given Oceania a 5+ rating for that cruise except that the smoking allowed in Horizons in SF (apparently with the HVAC disabled) made it impossible for us to wait there for our cabin to become ready, so no "+".

 

--David

[Oceans&Rivers]

We took the San Francisco to Vancouver spring cruise to Alaska last year, and it was spectacular - http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=85503 .

 

When booking a cruise, it's a good idea to check the port times in addition to the starting and ending ports because our port experience was completely different from Benita's. In the spring, the immediately preceding SF to SF cruise had much worse port times than our SF to Vancouver cruise. In addition, our cruise's port scheduling worked out very well - the only port that was crowded was Juneau, and Oceania got a prime berth - docked opposite the Mt. Roberts tramway station (one could walk into town). Fortunately, of the southeast Alaska ports, Juneau is best able to deal with being overrun by cruise passengers. In addition, Sitka is a tender port in general, but Oceania arranged for at least the popular sea otter excursion to pick up its passengers at the ship instead of at the dock.

 

It's unfortunate that Oceania does not appear to be going back to Alaska soon - we really enjoyed our cruise, and we were incredibly lucky to have such good weather. I'd have given Oceania a 5+ rating for that cruise except that the smoking allowed in Horizons in SF (apparently with the HVAC disabled) made it impossible for us to wait there for our cabin to become ready, so no "+".

 

--David

 

I just read your review, and agree about the smokiness of Horizons:

 

"Unfortunately, the HVAC in Horizons was turned off, causing cigarette smoke to infest the entire lounge; we wound up waiting for our cabins in the Library. Smoke in Horizons was a recurring problem during the cruise - Oceania's head office in Miami is going to get a blunt letter from us about this problem, as afflicted Horizons at multiple times throughout the cruise, keeping us out of that area, as DW is physically allergic to tobacco smoke."

 

Where I would disagree is that the HVAC being on or off is the culprit. No HVAC system gets rid of all the smoke. We weren't able to attend the afternoon tea because of it. The one day we tried to do so, the odor was just disgusting throughout the room no matter where we tried to sit, and as we were early, we could have sat anywhere.

 

This is a subject that really deserves its own thread.

 

Horizons on the R ships (Regatta, at least, but most likely on her sister ships) is not a nice place to have afternoon tea, and if Oceania won't curtail the smoking in that room, then I would prefer the tea be held elsewhere.

[orchestrapal]

I just read your review, and agree about the smokiness of Horizons:

 

"Unfortunately, the HVAC in Horizons was turned off, causing cigarette smoke to infest the entire lounge; we wound up waiting for our cabins in the Library. Smoke in Horizons was a recurring problem during the cruise - Oceania's head office in Miami is going to get a blunt letter from us about this problem, as afflicted Horizons at multiple times throughout the cruise, keeping us out of that area, as DW is physically allergic to tobacco smoke."

 

Where I would disagree is that the HVAC being on or off is the culprit. No HVAC system gets rid of all the smoke. We weren't able to attend the afternoon tea because of it. The one day we tried to do so, the odor was just disgusting throughout the room no matter where we tried to sit, and as we were early, we could have sat anywhere.

 

This is a subject that really deserves its own thread.

 

Horizons on the R ships (Regatta, at least, but most likely on her sister ships) is not a nice place to have afternoon tea, and if Oceania won't curtail the smoking in that room, then I would prefer the tea be held elsewhere.

 

The room is a major smoke problem on the R ships and the stairway outside of it is unusable to many because of the lingering smoke.

[LHT28]

Horizons on the R ships (Regatta, at least, but most likely on her sister ships) is not a nice place to have afternoon tea, and if Oceania won't curtail the smoking in that room, then I would prefer the tea be held elsewhere.

 

We enjoy the relaxed area of Horizons for afternoon tea

I am not sure where else they would serve it ...some lines have it in the buffet area... not really comfortable to me

 

OP

I must have been on different R-ships than you ..we only had one bad encounter with the smoke & only because we had to sit right near the smoking section (late getting to tea)

Did not find the room unusable otherwise

 

It can all depend on how many smokers are on your cruise as well, some we have noticed not too many people in the smoking sections & others there is quite a crowd

[orchestrapal]

We enjoy the relaxed area of Horizons for afternoon tea

I am not sure where else they would serve it ...some lines have it in the buffet area... not really comfortable to me

 

OP

I must have been on different R-ships than you ..we only had one bad encounter with the smoke & only because we had to sit right near the smoking section (late getting to tea)

Did not find the room unusable otherwise

 

It can all depend on how many smokers are on your cruise as well, some we have noticed not too many people in the smoking sections & others there is quite a crowd

 

It was the worst on our Alaska cruise where we had mostly non Oceania regulars. Many did not even know about O's strict smoking rules when they boarded. They inhabited the two smoking areas and we learned not to even walk past.:(