Could Oceania Be for Me??

[smoosh21]

I am currently looking to book a Fall 2013 Westbound TA. I have sailed Royal, Celebrity, Princess and HAL and enjoyed them all. Each has their own pluses and minuses. We sailed our first TA in 2011 on the Voyager of the Seas and I loved it. I usually enjoy days in port and I was afraid that I would be bored, but the Cruise Director staff had many special activities set up for the crossing that kept us busy (e.g. Extra Trivia contests, Don't Forget the Lyric type games, Photographic Scavenger hunts, karaoke, etc. )

 

My partner and I are in our early 40s. We don't care about hairy leg contests, Basketball games, poolside games, etc, but we do enjoy the stuff that I listed above. We can also live without the major Production shows in the main theater.

 

My partner would be OK if he could just sit in a corner and read most of the day, but I would probably get too bored. He loves days at sea and just tolerates port days, so the TA was great for him. I like Sea days when I have the option of participating in activities in between some pool time.

 

Now, I understand that Oceania is not going to have as many activities as Royal or Celebrity, but do they offer enough to keep somebody busy who doesn't want to sit around and chat all day or lounge at the pool?

 

I think I would love the food and restaurants on Oceania, and the included Coffee also sounds great.

 

So, right now I am torn. The rates that I am seeing for the Oceania Concierge room (A-4) are cheaper than a Celebrity Suite right now. I think it could be fun to try something new, but I dont want to end up on a ship where I feel there is nothing to do.

 

I am looking at the Riviera, in case that choice of Ship Class could make a difference as to what is offered.

 

Thanks in advance for the advice

[LHT28]

On the Oceania class ships there is plenty to do just depends on your likes

I am sure you have noticed the Culinary Centre where you get to actually get to cook the dishes not just watch & the Artists Loft when you can join the craft making or whatever they are doing that cruise

I have never seen scavenger hunts on Oceania but that does not mean they do not have them

They do a mean trivia ;)

Bridge games if you like to play cards, golf, ping pong, shuffleboard etc...

You can relax with a good book from the extensive library, enjoy a cappuccino at Barristas overlooking the pool or the sea

You can be as busy or laid back as you wish

 

Enjoy

 

Lyn

[dorisis]

Like you we have cruised on many many lines. Those you named are very nice but Oceania is a different kind of cruise. Much more elegant and with a laid back ambience. The food and service is superior as is the service. Free speciality coffes and free speciality restaurants. And the perks for frequent cruisers are also excellent.

 

They can be more port intansive than other lines but not on the TA where there are lots of sea days. We did one TA on the Regatta and have another planned for fall of 2013 on the Riviera.

 

But you'll never really know how the ships suit you until you try one on for size.

 

~Doris~

[San Jose King]

Welcome on board. My wife and I just booked the Riviera TA for November 2013.

Seems like a long way out but the price is right and I think you will really enjoy the new ship. There are so many options while cruising that it is hard to imagine being bored. We leave on another Oceania cruise in about 6 weeks,

San Francisco to Miami. This should be a good indicator of things to come. By the way, this will be somewhere around our 40th cruise so we have seen a lot over the years.

[sitraveler]

You sound like a good fit. But if you could squeeze a 7 day out of Miami before you lock yourself into the TA you'ld be able to check it out for yourselves.

[capecodder2]

I don't necessarily agree with sitatraveler about comparing an intensive-port 7 day Caribbean cruise with a TA - they are 2 very different cruises with different offerings and needs. I think it would be nice to give Oceania a try. I doubt scavenger hunts, basketball, and pool games would be offered - they wouldn't appeal to the majority of O cruisers. You didn't mention the month or route, but the weather might preclude many pool activities. I think you already know the food and service are lovely on any of O's cruises.

[new salt]

We have just returned from our first but, hopefully, not our last Oceania Marina TA. Frankly, the food is up there with the best on land or sea, in particular the no charge speciality restaurants are brilliant. All the staff are friendly, capable and confident. There is plenty to do during the day and the evening. There were a substantial number of very elderly people aboard and a handful of very young families. The library is excellent, the quality of lecturers very good, and the culinary centre immensely popular (book ahead!)

 

We enjoy TAs and would sail again tomorrow with Oceania.