CHRISTMAS and NEW YEARS on OCEANIA ?

[james j feller]

What is CHRISTMAS and NEW YEARS like on OCEANIA and if you been on a holiday cruise would you go again?

 

Thank you

 

JIM

[JimandStan]

What is CHRISTMAS and NEW YEARS like on OCEANIA and if you been on a holiday cruise would you go again?

 

Thank you

 

JIM

 

The primary reason to book a Holiday Cruise is how beautifully the ships are decorated.

Otherwise, they don't make a big deal of the Holidays, although if you are on the ship for New Years Eve, there is a Count-Down, with noisemakers and streamers (Poseidon Adventure be darned!).

Last Christmas, I understand that there were also roaming Carol Singers, but that might have been a one off.

[azevedan]

Last Christmas, I understand that there were also roaming Carol Singers, but that might have been a one off.

My husband and I are on the Panama Canal cruise over Christmas, so this may be us! :D

 

[Another couple would give us all 4 parts....]

[pacheco18]

Also - expect more kids than usual.

[LBFlorida]

If you like UNRULY, UNATTENDED children, teens and young adults, you will love it!!!!!! Hopefully, parents will be more attentive and management will hire a life guard and youth director.

 

That said, Oceania has fine ships, extraordinary food, and is still our favorite line, despite our disappointment with all the children on the last holiday cruise.

[azevedan]

I'm figuring (hoping) that the fact that it's through the Canal, and is longer than the typical family cruise (16 nights), we won't be overrun.

[redmanflorida]

The ship will be decorated beautifully and christmas goose wll be served

[mickieandlee]

The primary reason to book a Holiday Cruise is how beautifully the ships are decorated.

Otherwise, they don't make a big deal of the Holidays, although if you are on the ship for New Years Eve, there is a Count-Down, with noisemakers and streamers (Poseidon Adventure be darned!).

Last Christmas, I understand that there were also roaming Carol Singers, but that might have been a one off.

 

My husband and I were on Regatta's 2009 Holiday Cruise and found a beautifully gift wrapped package on our bed when we returned to the cabin after dinner on Christmas Eve. It was a lovely wooden felt lined jewelry box with a map of our Caribbean Pearls route on the front with the dates of the cruise inscribed. It was a really nice touch; completely unexpected.

The decorations are spectacular and it was a wonderful cruise with very few children on board.

 

Mickie

[Caroldoll]

years ago. Only one kid on board. The ship was knock down gorgeous with all the decorations. It is a pretty ship anyway to be sure. It was magical. Last year we did Christmas on Seabourn. Hardly any decorations. What there were were old and tired. Only two kids (unruly) on board--not bad. On Oceania the mood was better and the decorations and food were better. This year we are going again, but Crystal. I expect kids, but there is a Children's program, so I hope they are occupied. We love Christmas on ships so much that this is what we will always do.

[ksps cruise fan]

I'm figuring (hoping) that the fact that it's through the Canal, and is longer than the typical family cruise (16 nights), we won't be overrun.

 

The itinerary you've selected (or the South American cruise or any remote itinerary) is the only holiday cruise I'd consider.

 

We were on Marina last holiday season and the ship's personnel did a poor job controlling the unruly behavior of a small handful of kids. The total number of kids on board was much larger, but the badly-behaved minority is the group that had such a strong negative impact. We had a good time in spite of this fact, but I would not cruise again over the holidays on an itinerary that sailed round trip from Miami.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We were on Marina last holiday season and the ship's personnel did a poor job controlling the unruly behavior of a small handful of kids. The total number of kids on board was much larger, but the badly-behaved minority is the group that had such a strong negative impact. We had a good time in spite of this fact, but I would not cruise again over the holidays on an itinerary that sailed round trip from Miami.

 

But shouldn't it be the parents that control unruly children? I've always thought that on cruise ships there's never a problem with kids, but one with negligent parents. I agree with you, I'd never take a short Caribbean itinerary over Christmas, or even close to Christmas.

[nvgal]

Hey Jim - this is Laura (your neighbor) here in LV. Mom and I were on Regatta this past Dec. and Jan. The ship was beautifully decorated and a gingerbread village was set up on Deck 5, with lots of goodies replenished very often. Would say, "go for it". Laura

[Caroldoll]

on Crystal. They have a kids program, and I was hoping it would help. At any rate, I am giving it a try. I was going to go on Oceania but they don't have a kid's program and it gives more kids more time to be unruly! LOL, I have had my share of kids. If I stay home--I have to be with all my grands and great grands...so might as well try it. We are out of exotic places to go!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

on Crystal. They have a kids program, and I was hoping it would help. At any rate, I am giving it a try. I was going to go on Oceania but they don't have a kid's program and it gives more kids more time to be unruly! LOL, I have had my share of kids. If I stay home--I have to be with all my grands and great grands...so might as well try it. We are out of exotic places to go!

 

Sorry Carol, yes I saw that. I was responding to another poster, ksps cruise fan, who mentioned being on a round-trip Miami cruise over the hols.

[Caroldoll]

give it a try. Originally we were booked on Oceania, but I read an awful post about no children's program and lots of kids...and unruly at that. Then I decided to change to Crystal as they do have a kid's program and maybe I will be saved. I love the exotic cruises, but we are out of steam on them! I am just keeping my fingers crossed. One year we went to Hawaii and it was a zoo. Parents do not watch their kids. Sad.

[ksps cruise fan]

But shouldn't it be the parents that control unruly children? I've always thought that on cruise ships there's never a problem with kids, but one with negligent parents. I agree with you, I'd never take a short Caribbean itinerary over Christmas, or even close to Christmas.

 

Of course it should be the parents who control unruly children. You won't get any disagreement from me or likely from most other posters. But what should a cruise ship do when the parents don't do this job? ...keep a hands off policy and let other cruisers suffer? ...step in and politely enforce rules? To me, it's a no brainer that the staff should politely enforce the rules.

 

This becomes particularly obvious when you know the precise nature of the misbehavior. I can't remember a single instance of kids jumping on the elevators and pushing every button. The kids didn't fill the theater and interfere with the show by running in and out of the theater. (Actually, this happened once for a limited time the night of the cruise director's show. The in and out behavior was of such limited duration and from such a small number of kids that if the cruise director hadn't decided to make jokes about it, most members of the audidence probably would even have noticed.)

 

On Marina, the problem centered around the pool. Specifically, kids were running on the deck often screaming, entering the pool by jumping in without regard for people already in the water, and kids who were already in the pool were splashing water on friends who were standing on the deck even though adults were getting splashed in the meantime. All these behaviors are things that these kids know full well are unacceptable if they've ever swum at a swim club or country club. Asking kids to behave the way they've been taught to behave in any public swim/country club seems to be a really safe position for the cruise line to take. Frankly, you'd think the cruise line would want to reduce this behavior because of their own liability. Every time a gang of kids raced down the deck, I saw a law suit in the making as unthinking children zoomed among frail cruisers.

 

These kids weren't so out of control that they wouldn't have shaped up after being told to do so. The only time I saw anyone assert any authority, the kids stopped their bad behavior immediately. In that instance, a group of teen-age girls was sexting one another. At first, the girls were content to simply have the recipient of their message read it. Then, the girls began reading their messages -- messages that included really crude language -- in voices that carried widely. A near-by adult told them their behavior wasn't appropriate and the group left the pool deck.

 

I'm more interested in a positive outcome than in assigning blame.

[Floridiana]

give it a try. Originally we were booked on Oceania, but I read an awful post about no children's program and lots of kids...and unruly at that. Then I decided to change to Crystal

 

You changed your booking because of one post here on cruise critic?

[Silver Sweethearts]

We're set to try the Riviera from December 10th through 20th on the "Mayan Mystique" voyage. Can anyone comment on how many kids are usually on western Caribbean sailings?

[Oceans&Rivers]

The itinerary you've selected (or the South American cruise or any remote itinerary) is the only holiday cruise I'd consider.

 

We were on Marina last holiday season and the ship's personnel did a poor job controlling the unruly behavior of a small handful of kids. The total number of kids on board was much larger, but the badly-behaved minority is the group that had such a strong negative impact. We had a good time in spite of this fact, but I would not cruise again over the holidays on an itinerary that sailed round trip from Miami.

 

Parents in certain "remote" countries may be even more likely to bring along their children during school holidays, especially if the holidays correspond to the holidays of that country, so I wouldn't count on that as being a bonus.

 

I think the key lies more in the length of the cruise, that it be at least 14 days long. The more costly and lengthy the cruise, the less likely a voyage might be inundated with large numbers of children onboard.

[hondorner]

We're set to try the Riviera from December 10th through 20th on the "Mayan Mystique" voyage. Can anyone comment on how many kids are usually on western Caribbean sailings?

Sure. School won't be out until after the 20th. There should be no kids. There rarely is on Oceania, usually just over the holidays. I've sailed several times with children, incuding over Christmas and New Years, and have never seen an unruly chilld.

 

I'll be on that Dec 10 cruise also; have you looked at the Roll Call yet? It's pretty quiet now, just a few of us chatting back and forth; we need some new blood! Click Here.

[wripro]

Marina last year was overrun with unruly kids and parents who ignored them. I think the larger ships will attract more kids than the R ships.

[Oceans&Rivers]

Sure. School won't be out until after the 20th. There should be no kids. There rarely is on Oceania, usually just over the holidays.

 

There may not be many K-12 children out of school, but there will be college-age "kids" taking their winter break just in time to party come December 10th.

 

Some examples:

 

Cal Poly: Winter Break - December 10, 2012 - January 5, 2013

Northwestern: Winter Break '12 Friday, December 10, 2012 - January 2, 2013

Southwestern: Winter Break December 10, 2012–January 4, 2013

 

They'll likely behave very well, but it might be more difficult for sun worshippers to get a lounger near the pool. (I like the shadier spots, personally).

[ksps cruise fan]

Parents in certain "remote" countries may be even more likely to bring along their children during school holidays, especially if the holidays correspond to the holidays of that country, so I wouldn't count on that as being a bonus.

 

I think the key lies more in the length of the cruise, that it be at least 14 days long. The more costly and lengthy the cruise, the less likely a voyage might be inundated with large numbers of children onboard.

 

I was thinking of Asian itineraries. Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam all celebrate December 31/January 1 as the New Year. Only Vietnam celebrates December 25 as a public/national holiday.

 

However, Asian itineraries aren't a holiday option for Oceania. Those aren't offered until the February/March time frame. (We cruised in Asia in March on a fabulous itinerary that put us into Kyoto in the height of the cherry blossom festival. This was one of our best trips ever.)

 

Incidentally, this year's holiday cruise out of Miami is 14 days long. The Riviera is sailing a two-day longer holiday cruise than last year's Marina itinerary. I wonder if the Oceania powers-that-be are hoping the added length will cut down on the number of children on the cruise.