Top "insider" tips for Oceania cruising

[snohflake]

Hi all. My Mom and I are booked on the Marina for the European Charms cruise in October. Mom and I have both cruised before (Princess, Holland, Crystal) but I was hoping some folks here might share some tips to help us make the most of our Oceania cruise (Marina), e.g. this isn't written in the brochure but as soon as you enter your cabin do x, in order to have the best dining experience do x, it's not on the menu but it's a little known secret that you can order blowfish fillets, if you speak with x person at x time you will be given a bag of diamonds and free Oceania cruises for life (one can dream). I think you get the gist.

 

So, what are the things you know now but wished you knew then?

 

(don't make up stuff like when seniors would try to sell freshman passes for the non-existant pool on the roof of the gym)

 

Thanks!

[LHT28]

Do not miss afternoon tea, some never go but go at least once early in the cruise

 

Book your specialty restaurants online in advance (when your are allowed)

 

Cannot think of any special tips ...guess I must have missed them as well

 

 

Lyn

[snohflake]

Thanks!

 

Afternoon tea, added to list.

[dundeene]

If you are looking for ways to better enjoy your Oceania cruise. . . . .

here are a few ideas

• if you are concierge level use the spa sundeck;it is beautiful and quiet
  

• if you have a butler (ph or higher) use the" search this thread" and read the advice of others like ourselves who thought their butler made the trip even better
  

• all nonalcoholic beverages are included and the bartenders at Waves Bar make a fantastic virgin pina colada!
  

 

• If you want 2 appetizers go for it, if you would like an entree in a smaller size or you would like a dessert sampler with all your favorites just ask!
  

• If you would like to add more reservations for specialty restaurants, go in the morning and be open on time and table size
  

• Book as much online as possible, La Reserve, culinary classes and specialty restaurants do fill early
  

• Go to the meet and greet to garner advice from seasoned Oceania cruisers!
  

[Andromeda93]

I would add - use the Roll Call for your sailing to find fellow passengers who may be willing to share private shore excursions, transfers and offer other good information to you regarding your specific cruise.

 

For an upcoming TA this summer we've gotten a wealth of good tips and info on our Roll Call, and found some new friends with whom to share private shore excursions. We do still use the ship's excursions in cases where we do not want to risk being left behind (for example, touring the last port before 3 sea days in a row), but for your cruise this would be less of a concern since it's port-intensive.

 

Here is a link to what I think is your roll call, in case you haven't visited there yet: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1704143 In case the link doesn't work, it's under the Marina Roll Calls and titled Marina Barcelona - Rome Oct. 9, 2013

 

You can also book Oceania excursions ahead of time as with the culinary classes. Some do sell out ahead of time (for example, a Tuscan wine excursion from the Livorno port sold out on our prior cruise). Oceania offers a discount on some sailings for buying excursions ahead of time. A la carte excursions (if you do NOT buy an excursion package) can be refunded up to 36 hours before the excursion begins, so it's not a risky purchase. Enjoy your trip!

[Balloon Man]

Ask JimandStan. They are the encyclopeadia Oceania.

[mamaofami]

Is it true that there's no room service for breakfast? Is there room service any other times during the day?

[LHT28]

Is it true that there's no room service for breakfast? Is there room service any other times during the day?

 

Room service 24/7

 

Only certain cabin Cat get HOT breakfast choices if that is what you are referring to

 

Lyn

[San Francisco Fiesta]

Be sure to dine at RedGinger. We thought it would be our least favorite specialty restaurant but was our absolute favorite.

 

The espresso bar is Wonderful and free. At least if you are conessieur class

 

Do visit the SPA serenity deck. They serve drinks (non alcoholic), finger sandwiches and will spritz your legs! I have never felt so pampered.

 

Also agree with using your tool call to arrange private group trips. We meet great fellow passengers who became friends in this way. And much less expensive than if you buy from Oceania.

 

The marina is sheer heaven. Enjoy!

[JimandStan]

Is it true that there's no room service for breakfast? Is there room service any other times during the day?

24/7 Room Service is complimentary, regardless of cabin category.

Cabins below Concierge level are limited to a Continental Breakfast through Room Service, but the luncheon and dinner selections are the same as for any other cabin.

 

All Suites may additionally "order in" from any of the ship's Specialty Restaurants, while the OVO Suites (Oceania, Vista, Owners), enjoy a separate Room Service Menu unto themselves.

 

PS- The baby lamb chops are an Oceania Breakfast Institution (at least for us) and they are heaven combined with a side of warmed figs. You'll find both on the menu every day in both the Grand Dining Rom AND the Terrace Cafe.

[JPR]

Random tips:

 

Sauna, excellent cave shower, and read while reclined on a heated tile chaise in the Spa. My relaxing pre dinner ritual. Obviates the need for a cocktail...

 

A round on the fun 18-hole putting course (my wife thrashed me the first time we played with an impossible 6 holes in one).

 

A cooking class.

 

The baristas will make you an iced cappuccino.

 

The Malbecs and Malbec blends were the best wine list values...

[Andromeda93]

The espresso bar is Wonderful and free. At least if you are conessieur class

 

Do visit the SPA serenity deck. They serve drinks (non alcoholic), finger sandwiches and will spritz your legs! I have never felt so pampered.

 

I think the normal coffee selections at Baristas, the espresso bar, are free for all passengers. If you asked to have an Irish coffee or something else with booze in it, there would probably be a charge to add alcohol (and I am not sure that Baristas offers alcohol at all; just that unless you had the unlimited drinks package you would likely pay for it if they did).

 

Re the spa deck, if you are in a Concierge (A) cabin or higher, access is complimentary. For other cabin categories you can buy a daily access pass, or use it gratis if you are having a spa treatment. However, unlike SanFranciscoFiesta, we never had nibbles or leg-spritzing on the spa deck. I did get a Diet Coke one day from a server who happened by, but otherwise it was just me and a few other pax out there. We were cruising in late October so perhaps the spritzing is reserved for warmer itineraries.

[horatio123]

Not meaning to highjack this post at all...but to all you Oceania specialists...is oceania superior to Celebrity? I know it is a different experience. WE have river cruised twice but never done the big boat thing on the Med. Do you recommend one over the other?

[LHT28]

Not meaning to highjack this post at all...but to all you Oceania specialists...is oceania superior to Celebrity? I know it is a different experience. WE have river cruised twice but never done the big boat thing on the Med. Do you recommend one over the other?

 

There are several thread on comparing Oceania to X

just use the search feature top right & you should come up with a few

 

Do not think I have seen any river cruises in the Med so cannot comment

[JimandStan]

Not meaning to highjack this post at all...but to all you Oceania specialists...is oceania superior to Celebrity? I know it is a different experience. WE have river cruised twice but never done the big boat thing on the Med. Do you recommend one over the other?

 

The consensus seems to be (and I have heard this from several Celebrity die-hards), that Aqua Class on Celebrity is more or less the equivalent of Oceania.

[snohflake]

These are great tips. The Spa sounds wonderful. Cruising is one Mom and daughter thing for us (DH gets to stay at home with the bulldogs) and spa-appreciation is the other!

 

Some of the tips we have already put to use . . .

 

I spent a good amount of time deciding on which cabin to book. I snagged the PH3 7130 cabin with the large veranda. Very excited. We decided having the large space outside was more important than having more space in the cabin. Particular thanks go out to JimandStan for the great pictures of the balcony area.

 

I've been on Roll Call and have started planning independent shore excursions and will open up our reservations for additional folks as well as join others on theirs. I'm glad the thread prompted me to start making reservations early because some of the tours with highly rated guides are already almost fully booked for certain times. We've always done the ship excursions and have typically been disappointed.

 

I found a a TA that offered us some nice extras. I've never even considered the possibility since I didn't realize the value-add when it comes to booking a cruise. Now I do. She has been a terrific help and has saved me a lot of time.

 

I used my Amex Platinum so that we got the $300 OBC. Didn't know about that before either.

 

Reservation at Ginger? Now on my list.

 

Dundeene, thanks for the note about the virgin Pina Coladas! I'm a non-drinker and Mom only drinks a glass of wine here and there. One of the reasons I selected Oceania is that the all-inclusive doesn't work for us. We loved Crystal but now that they are all-inclusive they are sadly off the list.

 

Baby lamb chops for breakfast? That's right up my alley. I have always preferred eating dinner food at breakfast and breakfast foods at dinner!

 

To think that back in the pre-internet days I used to make trip decisions by looking at Liberty Travel brochures. Well that beach looks pretty. Sold!

[orchestrapal]

The consensus seems to be (and I have heard this from several Celebrity die-hards), that Aqua Class on Celebrity is more or less the equivalent of Oceania.

 

Sounds like they have NEVER been on Oceania!:rolleyes:

[oceanbill457]

We sailed in Aqua class last year and it is quite nice, but our cruise on Marina, even in an ocean view cabin, was better. The food alone was the difference.

[corpkid]

We are sailing on the 10 day Baltic Odyssey Aug 24... Again not to hijack a thread, but I"m sure Jim & Stan can provide some feedback to a few questions....

 

When do reservations open for the cooking classes, etc? I am a huge fan of cooking and want to get in EARLY!

 

I can see the speciality dining opens 45 days ahead for our 7009 verandah cabin - sounds like it will be a mad rush for dining times - WHAT TIME does it open 45 days out? I can stay up and get this done! :)

 

We are considering an upgrade to a PH3 - in your opinion is it worth the price? I'm not even sure what the price differential would be yet...

 

Many thank!!!

 

Dom and Don

[JimandStan]

We are sailing on the 10 day Baltic Odyssey Aug 24... Again not to hijack a thread, but I"m sure Jim & Stan can provide some feedback to a few questions....

 

When do reservations open for the cooking classes, etc? I am a huge fan of cooking and want to get in EARLY!

 

I can see the speciality dining opens 45 days ahead for our 7009 verandah cabin - sounds like it will be a mad rush for dining times - WHAT TIME does it open 45 days out? I can stay up and get this done! :)

 

We are considering an upgrade to a PH3 - in your opinion is it worth the price? I'm not even sure what the price differential would be yet...

 

Many thank!!!

 

Dom and Don

 

The cooking class schedules are posted fairly soon after the staff is contracted to teach them, but there is no firm deadline as to how long before the cruise that may happen , so it it best to check regularly as your trip approaches.

 

Dining Reservations may open as early as 12:01AM (Eastern Standard Time), on that 45th day, but sometimes the system lags until after Oceania opens at 8AM. Again, checking is the key.

 

You ask for our opinion, so YES YES YES! If there is any way that you can swing a Suite on the Riviera then PLEASE DO IT. The differences in the spaciousness of the room and the closet space, are huge, and having the Butler really can be worth the price of admission.

 

Oceania Butler's have done everything for us from fetching eyeglasses which were misplaced on the pooldeck to finding wrapping paper for a forgotten birthday present after we'd sailed from Istanbul.

[Mura]

Lots of us consider booking a suite definitely worth it (viz. Jim & Stan as well as Mura & Howard). But lots of others don't. It's a personal decision (as Lyn would say) that depends on what YOU want and what your budget is.

 

I certainly wouldn't recommend going into debt to get a suite, but if money isn't particularly an object -- then yes, I certainly think it is worth it.

 

When we discovered the PH suites on the "R" ships way back when we thought we'd never use a butler. That changed when I blew out my knee just before boarding (and thanks to a lot of luck we were upgraded to an Owner's Suite). I was using a wheelchair or crutches and we had many meals in our suite and really for the first time used our butler a lot. Ordinarily we don't use the butler as much as some others do, but we sure use them a lot more than we used to!

 

We like the suites for the extra room and the butler can be very helpful. But we don't book suites in order to get the butler service.

 

Others may differ!

 

Mura

[corpkid]

The cooking class schedules are posted fairly soon after the staff is contracted to teach them, but there is no firm deadline as to how long before the cruise that may happen , so it it best to check regularly as your trip approaches.

 

Dining Reservations may open as early as 12:01AM (Eastern Standard Time), on that 45th day, but sometimes the system lags until after Oceania opens at 8AM. Again, checking is the key.

 

You ask for our opinion, so YES YES YES! If there is any way that you can swing a Suite on the Riviera then PLEASE DO IT. The differences in the spaciousness of the room and the closet space, are huge, and having the Butler really can be worth the price of admission.

 

Oceania Butler's have done everything for us from fetching eyeglasses which were misplaced on the pooldeck to finding wrapping paper for a forgotten birthday present after we'd sailed from Istanbul.

 

Is there any value in the packing and unpacking? That's my least favorite chore, and of course the DH refuses to do it so it's all on me. When I get on a ship I want to GO GO GO, not unpack and on the last day I DREAD re-packing. Not sure if that is worth a few grand though... Can we also get a hot breakfast in the room if we have a butler? Seems like if you are in less than PH it's just continental. DH loves his oatmeal and me my benedicts. :)

[dorisis]

Don't miss the library. Those on the R ships are fabulous. On Marina there is a coffee shop near the library, but I didn't care for the layout of the nooks.

 

~Doris~

[LHT28]

. Can we also get a hot breakfast in the room if we have a butler? YES

Seems like if you are in less than PH it's just continental. DH loves his oatmeal and me my benedicts. :)

Cabin Cat A & above get the hot breakfast

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Is there any value in the packing and unpacking? That's my least favorite chore, and of course the DH refuses to do it so it's all on me. When I get on a ship I want to GO GO GO, not unpack and on the last day I DREAD re-packing. Not sure if that is worth a few grand though... :)

 

I've had a butler a couple of times and I can't imagine having him pack or unpack for me. I wouldn't know where anything was, and I don't want some strange man handling my personal items.

 

I would also never book a fancy suite just for a butler, but for the large cabin, and perhaps other amenities, such as the PH amenities on Riviera:

 

Priority 11am check-in and early embarkation with priority luggage delivery

Exclusive access to private Executive Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge

24-hour Butler service

Welcome bottle of Champagne

Priority online specialty restaurant and shore excursion reservations

Unlimited access to Canyon Ranch SpaClub® private Spa Terrace

Laptop computer with wireless Internet access+

New for 2013! - Exclusive discounts on internet usage plans

New for 2013! - Complimentary iPad® available for your enjoyment onboard+

Full-size bathtub

Complimentary Oceania Cruises logo tote bag

Cashmere lap blankets, perfect for relaxing on your veranda

Complimentary shoe shine service