Earth to Baychilla...

[Les Picantins]

Thank you Baychilla for taking the time to share your thoughts and photos. This is all priceless information we could never recieve from a travel agent.

[seniorladycruiser]

Thanks for such a quick response! The difference in price between Seabourn and Oceania is amazing! For sure I can toss out the incredible amount of brochures we receive from Oceania without a glance.

 

Thanks again for your great pictures and report. We certainly plan on staying loyal to Seabourn, the fabulous service and all inclusive amenities make it a no-brainer.

[Chairsin]

The number of passengers on Oceania alone would be a deal killer for us but I have to admit that from the unsolicited brochures for Oceania that we have received in the mail the ambiance on their ships looked quite appealing. However, Baychilla's photos make it look like a Las Vegas casino instead. Ug! Frankly (and I am not suggesting that I would have doubted the veracity of Baychilla's account of the cruise otherwise) without the photos I would have not gotten as bad of an impression. Good job for including them and letting us make up our own minds as to whether it would suit us or not.

[Randyk47]

Obviously one review does not make or break a line but this review, with the excellent pictures, is very eye opening and telling. We'll be on Seabourn for the first time next year as we try different lines in search of a new cruise home but this information certainly pushes Oceania down the prospects list. Thoroughly enjoying. Thanks so much! :)

[Emperor Norton]

Re: the lighting

 

That nasty purple is only visible on the pool deck and in the bar nearest the Casino/Grand Dining room as well as some of the lights for the piano in Martinis bar. It thankfully isn't ship wide.

[Paulchili]

I have cruised with Oceania 13 times and have more cruises booked with them.

My experiences are obviously very different from those of baychilla or else I would not be returning to Oceania time and again.

OTOH, my single cruise on Seabourn was enough for me to decide that I did not wish to exchange Oceania for Seabourn. Seabourn Square was the SINGLE notable exception and the only positive experience for us on Seabourn.

So it is baychilla vs paulchili; who is right and who is wrong?

Obviously neither of us is right (or wrong). It is that we had different experiences and different criteria/expectations.

We are all experienced enough cruisers to decide for ourselves what we prefer - and there will be as many answers to this question as there are people being asked. As I stated on the O thread, if this opinion of the Riviera represented the majority of reviews it would carry much more weight. However, it seems more of an exception than anything else. However valid baychila's opinions are, the opinions of many others are equally valid.

Vive la difference!

Cheers and happy sailings to us all on the ships we love best :)

[ab21au]

Great photos baychilla, OT what camera do you have?

[oregon50]

Please, do we need an O crusade on here? They're just photos. O satisfies a whole lot more people than SB. RCCL has more happy customers than O.

[Paulchili]

Deleted by poster

[markham]

Oregon50,

 

"O satisfies a whole lot more people than SB."

 

Please tell me what you mean by that assertion with data to substantiate it. And I hope you are not going to say the O ships are bigger and are full.

 

In the meantime, a quick glance at Baychilla's photo of the welcome hors d'oeuvres from his cabin will be quite sufficient for me. How mediocre! Could anyone make the case that O delivers 5 star quality with no welcome drinks, no escort to those small cabins and those "treats" followed by what he has described as middling service standards especially around beverage service.

 

Happy sailing!

[MrsWaldo]

The whole purple pink and green lighting does my head in.

 

Looks like the local RSL (for no Aussie poster think a bar that is frequented by the masses most attractive because of member offers, big buffets and variable quality booze)

 

This is very attractive to many (often filled) the local fine dining place has 1/100 of the tables yet it to always has sufficient clientele and remains viable

 

 

horses for courses, my course is the LFD

[CraftyEC]

Please, do we need an O crusade on here? They're just photos. O satisfies a whole lot more people than SB. RCCL has more happy customers than O.

I think (and please correct me, Oregon50, if I'm wrong) that what is meant by this is that, by definition, more people are sailing on big ships than small, so there are more people cruising happily on, for example, the megaships of RCCL than on the smaller ships of Oceania, and even fewer sail (however blissfully contented they may be) on Seabourn.

 

Each line fills a niche for its target cruisers. I'm very happy that lots of people are on megaships, as that means they're not trying to get onto my preferred smaller ones. That said, we do sometimes sail on bigger ships, but not with the expectation of Seabourn service. If I was sailing on a supposedly 'luxury' or '5-star' line I would be expecting a comparable experience.

 

The review was entertaining and informative. The photos were particularly entertaining (pun intended with respect to the purple bar lighting!) I did find it interesting that so many people claimed it was entirely negative when it wasn't, almost as if they were so outraged to have someone criticise their chosen line. Mind you, I have seen similar responses, on occasion, to criticism of Seabourn!

[oregon50]

Crafty....thank you for explaining the obvious and three well written paragraphs.

[Emperor Norton]

Great photos baychilla, OT what camera do you have?

 

If its a good picture it was a Nikon D800E, if its bad it was my Samsung Galaxy S4 Phone ;)

[Randyk47]

If its a good picture it was a Nikon D800E, if its bad it was my Samsung Galaxy S4 Phone ;)

 

Wow! Nice....like in NICE.....camera. :)

[markham]

Oregon50,

 

I am glad that is cleared up. Yes, lots of folks like O and a smaller number like SB. The samples (those folks) are different in their number and presumably their make-up. And after Baychilla's review I doubt that they will overlap much. Seabourn is a different product with smaller ships- as everyone here seems to agree.

 

Happy sailing!

[Chairsin]

Markham ,

And as if the hor's d' oeuvres were not pathetic enough the champagne glasses behind them were empty!!!

[Emperor Norton]

Markham ,

And as if the hor's d' oeuvres were not pathetic enough the champagne glasses behind them were empty!!!

 

Funny you should mention that. On the first segment we had the welcome aboard hor's d'oeuvres and champagne. On the second segment - neither - until a few days later the butler thought that perhaps we should've been given a bottle of champagne for the second segment.

 

Non sequitur:

The dress codes that weren't enforced only seemed to apply to restaurants. Bars at night, neon sponge bob shorts, tshirt and flip flops were OK.

[markham]

WHAT?! Neon Spongebob attire at night and yet no excruciating limbo contest under pink neons? Seems that O is missing an opportunity to corral the mass market folks.

 

Happy sailing!

[wripro]

I am certainly a dedicated Seabourn sailor and have been since 2004. I think it is the best product out there for me and thus keep coming back. However, I have also sailed on Oceania several times and have to say that the experience is very nice. I do not think the Marina or Riviera look like Vegas at all. They are stunning ships imo. And Seabourn would (or should) be proud to have any of their specialty restaurants on board, especially Jacques, Red Ginger and La Reserve. Their afternoon tea is hands above Seabourn's and their itineraries are much more varied. However, I would never sail on Oceania in anything less than a penthouse as the regular cabins are far too small, so once you add in gratuities and the beverage package you are paying about he same as Seabourn. I would still do that for the right itinerary because personally, I like a bit of diversity. Given the choice in general though Seabourn is my go to line.

[ab21au]

If its a good picture it was a Nikon D800E ;)

 

Says it all (of course, as well as the photographer skills) :)

[Emperor Norton]

I've finished posting the images for the two Oceania cruises I was on. I realize that the food photos are mostly junk (not my intention at all - I just need to work on my product/food photography. A lot), and that I seem to have stirred up some rather negative comments. I'll be posting my final thoughts on the Oceania cruise in a few days or so.

 

Cruise Critic actually gave me a good comparison today. When I did my Live from and then follow up for my Seabourn cruise, my nit picking seemed to annoy a lot of Seabourn cruisers. However, I never had a need to hit that report post button. With some of the Oceania crowd it seems personal attacks are just the starting point.

[2SailingNomads]

Thank you so much for your posts, the pix - as others mentioned - were great and truly a picture is worth a thousand words in this case, and documenting your experience for others. Certainly everyone has their own likes / dislikes, tastes, sense of value, loyalties, etc. I've seen people who are fans of O ripping your opinions, but since we very much like Seabourn and have no compelling reason to go elsewhere, well maybe try the Paul G, but have received many unsolicited brochures from Oceania I appreciate your insights and if we were tempted from those brochures you saved us from that experience. And I love your comments, made me laugh more than once - exactly the type I would write. ;)

[Floridiana]

I am amazed that so many of you take baychilla's comments on his Oceania cruises at face value. Do you all know him personally?

[Chairsin]

I think as many of us have noted it is not just his comments but rather his photos as well that have given weight to his review.