Refrigerators in Veranda cabins

[kennicott]

Maybe somebody can clear this up for me. We are long time HAL and Regent cruisers but recently have thought about giving Oceania a go. We always book a cabin with a refrigerator.

 

Does the Veranda cabins in the Marina and Riviera have refrigerators or not? Looking through various pertinent posts on the subject in CC I find quite a variety of opinion, most of them conflict. Oceania's website for the two ships pretty much indicates that refrigerators are only available in the Suite cabins. But there are so many posts on the subject from folk who have actually experienced cruises in Veranda cabin categories, cabins which had refrigerators they said, I thought I would ask.

 

If so, wonder why Oceania does not make this clearer, other lines usually do.

 

Also, I'm confused as their cabin meal service. Are some Veranda category cabins restricted in that regard? If so, for what type of meal? On their website one pretty much gets the impression all cabins get full meal service but I glean that is not the case from some posts.

[canuck.qc]

Yes there are refrigerators:)

[no fuss travel]

Yes there are refrigerators in each stateroom. They are stocked with soft drinks that you do not have to pay for. You can request the type of soft drink that you prefer. The room service is not as good for the verandah cabins in that you cannot get a hot breakfast and the dinner choice is not quite as good. We found we preferred to eat in the Terrace Cafe for breakfast and noted several people would come and get food and then take it down to their cabins.

[dorisis]

We have had a refrigerator in all the cabins we have been in. From Inside to Concierge. There is a continental breakfast available up in the Horizon Lounge. Nice to wath the sea early in the morning and very comfortable.

[journeyfan]

Hi Kennicott,

 

We are long time Regent cruisers who are about to take our first Oceania cruise..... Riviera Mayan Mystique leaving Feb 2. I also believe you were on our last Regent cruise though we never met up.... Voyager Aug 21 Baltic Sea? We have been so spoiled by Regent and its large suites that we were afraid a veranda suite would feel very cramped on Riviera so we have booked a PH3 suite with butler service. That turns out to be comparable in cost to Regent (once you buy the liquor and Internet packages) except..... no included excursions. You may want to consider a PH suite if you decide to book Oceania.... and you probably should avoid the R ships as their staterooms are incredibly tiny! From everything I've heard, the food on Oceania is far superior to Regent.

[Meldrum]

In suite meal services in a PH suite and higher are:

- Hot breakfast, including everything that's being offered in the GDR (omelettes, baby lamb chops, eggs benedict....). Just ask your butler for the GDR breakfast specialities for the next morning to know what's available.

- For lunch or any other time of the day, you can order something from the 24h room service menu (salads, sandwiches, slice of pizza, cheesecake...)

- During tea-time (4-5 pm), you may ask your butler to serve you finger sandwiches, scones, cake, etc. We've never done this, but it's possible.

- At 5pm, afternoon canapés are served. You make your choice in the morning.

- Last, but not least, for dinner you can ask your butler to serve you any dish from one of the four speciality restaurants. We only did this once, mainly because of the rather small table in our PH suite. Also, the food is not very hot, when delivered to your cabin.

 

You won't have a chance to get hungry on board of an Oceania suite!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Edited November 29, 2013 by Meldrum

[pacheco18]

My two cents

 

There are refrigerators in EVERY stateroom -- Inside to Owners Suite

If there is a particular beverage you crave that O does not stock on board (my husband is a Dr. Pepper addict) you can have your TA request it at least 45 days in advance. If O's supplier in the originating port has it on hand, it will be in your cabin. One one cruise, our butler stacked it in a pyramid on top of the fridge. Hilarious. You can make the request even if you are in an INside cabin BTW.

 

The R ships are fabulous, -- better than the O ships IMO LOL

And they will be even better after the major refurb in 2014.

I won't go into the reasons but do a search and you will learn why many of us are still R ship devotees and prefer them.

 

Who cares about eating breakfast in your stateroom when you can enjoy the amazing buffet in the Terrace! Or, if you must, go have those delectable baby lamb chops in the GDR. IMO the cold vs hot breakfast for room service is utter nonsense (MY Opinion)

[orchestrapal]

my two cents

 

 

who cares about eating breakfast in your stateroom when you can enjoy the amazing buffet in the terrace! Or, if you must, go have those delectable baby lamb chops in the gdr. Imo the cold vs hot breakfast for room service is utter nonsense (my opinion)

 

ditto !

[Hawaiidan]

My two cents

 

 

 

 

 

Who cares about eating breakfast in your stateroom when you can enjoy the amazing buffet in the Terrace! Or, if you must, go have those delectable baby lamb chops in the GDR. IMO the cold vs hot breakfast for room service is utter nonsense (MY Opinion)

 

Get out and about and enjoy the ambiance of the ship and your fellow passengers. I am always amused to see the pictures of a couple sitting on the veranda..with a great meal, flowers ...the works.. Some how with a 20 to 25 kt wind blowing over your table it dosent seem all that realistic... Looks good however!

[Mura]

As suite passengers, we like a hot breakfast in the room but we only partake on mornings when we have an early tour. Otherwise we go to the GDR (now our preference) or Terrace. If we couldn't have a hot breakfast it wouldn't break our hearts but it IS convenient on those days where we have early departures.

 

I hadn't noticed a difference in room service menus, however. If this is so, it's news to me. It could be news to me because we've always had at least a veranda cabin, even back with Renaissance. (We prefer a larger cabin, especially a larger bathroom, it is not the "extra perks" that draw us to the higher level cabins.)

 

Mura

[kennicott]

Thanks everyone for the advice, really helpful.

 

Greetings Journeyfan

 

That was an excellent cruise, one of the best we have ever taken, we began with four nights in Stockholm at Regent's pre-cruise hotel then did the 22 day Baltic and circumnavigation of the British Isles. We wouldn't even be looking at another line except that Regent only has three ships which limits their itineraries. Our two other lines both appear to be slipping badly in most categories, Princess and HAL, in the past though we have received, in their suites, superb service as well.

 

Reason for my OP here was that we want a refrigerator, would be a real regression to do without, back us up two decades. We have also experienced butler service before. Enjoyed it, but to be frank, it's not worth it. Room Stewards do an excellent job (knock on wood) and the dude in the penguin suit almost overloads us with service and attentiveness. Oceania's Penthouse categories look great, I salivate at the size of the suites, to bad the butler comes too.

 

If we should select an appealing cruise on Oceania where all the suites are sold out, and only have Veranda cabins to choose from, we want to be certain that there is a refrig and we can get room service commensurate with that we have received in the past on Regent, Princess and HAL.

 

As far as meals in the cabins, we rarely use that service, but when we have, it has made for a real positive on the voyage. I note the comment about eating out on your veranda in a "gale". Haw, who is going to do that? Actually, we have had dinner in port, on the veranda, overlooking Sydney at night and once overlooking Montevideo at night, both were dinners to remember forever. The boss expects me to research what we can or can not get, so if we are in one of Oceania's Veranda cabins and a fine evening comes up where she wants to eat out on the veranda, then they tell us "no can do" guess who is going to be in the crap house?

 

I'm still not enamored with Oceania's website. It seems like they could spell their room features and service features out in better detail, like everybody else does.

[pacheco18]

Thanks everyone for the advice, really helpful.

 

Greetings Journeyfan

 

That was an excellent cruise, one of the best we have ever taken, we began with four nights in Stockholm at Regent's pre-cruise hotel then did the 22 day Baltic and circumnavigation of the British Isles. We wouldn't even be looking at another line except that Regent only has three ships which limits their itineraries. Our two other lines both appear to be slipping badly in most categories, Princess and HAL, in the past though we have received, in their suites, superb service as well.

 

Reason for my OP here was that we want a refrigerator, would be a real regression to do without, back us up two decades. We have also experienced butler service before. Enjoyed it, but to be frank, it's not worth it. Room Stewards do an excellent job (knock on wood) and the dude in the penguin suit almost overloads us with service and attentiveness. Oceania's Penthouse categories look great, I salivate at the size of the suites, to bad the butler comes too.

 

If we should select an appealing cruise on Oceania where all the suites are sold out, and only have Veranda cabins to choose from, we want to be certain that there is a refrig and we can get room service commensurate with that we have received in the past on Regent, Princess and HAL.

 

As far as meals in the cabins, we rarely use that service, but when we have, it has made for a real positive on the voyage. I note the comment about eating out on your veranda in a "gale". Haw, who is going to do that? Actually, we have had dinner in port, on the veranda, overlooking Sydney at night and once overlooking Montevideo at night, both were dinners to remember forever. The boss expects me to research what we can or can not get, so if we are in one of Oceania's Veranda cabins and a fine evening comes up where she wants to eat out on the veranda, then they tell us "no can do" guess who is going to be in the crap house?

 

I'm still not enamored with Oceania's website. It seems like they could spell their room features and service features out in better detail, like everybody else does.

 

Just want to make sure you are clear on your options.

 

You can have dinner from the room service menu in any cabin. That menu is identical no matter your category of cabin. (It is the room service breakfast menu that is different -- cc and higher get hot breakfast choices). As for dinner, the "advantage" of being in a suite (PH and higher) is that you can have course by course service from the specialty restaurants (even mixing and matching courses from the different restaurants). Some people think that is a fabulous perk. To me, it is no big deal.

 

Personally, I only like to eat in the room when I'm not feeling well.

We did the course by course from the specialties once in a PH and had to use the bed as a sideboard. Never again.

Eating on the verandah? Nah. Too cramped.

A glass of wine on the verandah -- lovely IMO.

 

We are social animals and love meeting people on the ship and dining with them.

 

Maybe it's because we live in Tucson, can be outdoors and eat outdoors 10 months of the year -- but the verandah doesn't do much for us either.

 

I think you are in for a treat no matter what stateroom you are in. I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed after an Oceania cruise.

[journeyfan]

Kennicott,

 

I agree with your assessment of butlers. They are a nuisance and we usually end up offending them by refusing their "services", which in our opinions are only "intrusions." But we book Penthouse suites on Regent Mariner because their regular suites are on the small size and we'll be in a PH3 on our upcoming Oceania cruise because the veranda suites are pretty tiny.

 

I also agree with your impressions of the Oceania website. I've found so many contradictions that I'm not sure what to believe.

[pacheco18]

Kennicott,

 

I agree with your assessment of butlers. They are a nuisance and we usually end up offending them by refusing their "services", which in our opinions are only "intrusions."

 

I thought the same until I "learned" how to utilize the services of my butler (unobtrusively) when I needed him. Now I am hooked. The passenger controls how "intrusive" the butler is. Note: we are very independent once on board (I can make my own extra dinner reservations LOL).

 

For us, it was little things we learned we wanted that we could not have done for ourselves. Eg. My husband wanted potato chips to have with his Dr. Pepper when we came back from shore excursions (I know it's silly, but the butler made sure there was a big bowl in the cabin). I realize that some people monopolize the butlers and want them to be at their beck and call. We do not, but we certainly take advantage of the perk when we want it.

 

We do not book the PH for the butler. We book it for the space on longer cruises (14 days plus). You might try to figure out the few things the butler can do for you that you cannot really do for yourself and see if you have a change of heart.

[treasure4two]

Yes there are refrigerators in each stateroom. They are stocked with soft drinks that you do not have to pay for. You can request the type of soft drink that you prefer. The room service is not as good for the verandah cabins in that you cannot get a hot breakfast and the dinner choice is not quite as good. We found we preferred to eat in the Terrace Cafe for breakfast and noted several people would come and get food and then take it down to their cabins.

 

Thank you for info on letting O know what drinks we want in the refrigerator, as my husband is diabetic, so need diet drinks. I agree about breakfast in Terrace Café. I like sour cream on my omelettes and after the first morning when I requested it, they had it every morning for me. O has the best service and we are so excited about cruise on Feb. 22, 2014. Even though we are inside cabin(we like and get same cabin each time), we are always treated special and worth every penny!

[Arusha]

Here's Oceania's description of the Veranda cabins on the Riviera and Marina (http://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/riviera/staterooms/veranda.aspx) (http://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/marina/staterooms/veranda.aspx):

 

 

As its name implies, Veranda Staterooms feature a private veranda, our most popular luxury. Besides offering an abundance of space, this wonderful outdoor area is comfortably furnished to enhance the experience of watching the ever-changing panoramas. Each of these remarkably plush 282-square-foot staterooms contains a wealth of conveniences including a marble and granite-clad bathroom with shower and separate tub, refrigerated mini-bar, vanity desk, breakfast table and choice of a queen-size or two twin beds.

 

Veranda Stateroom Amenities

 

• Prestige Tranquility Bed, an Oceania Cruises Exclusive, with 700-Thread-Count Linens
  
• Private Teak Veranda
  
• Refrigerated Mini-Bar with Free and Unlimited Soft Drinks and Bottled Water Replenished Daily
  
• Full-Size Bathtub
  
• Complimentary and Extensive 24-Hour Room Service
  
• Signature Chocolates with Nightly Turndown Service
  
• Thick Cotton Robes and Slippers
  
• French-Milled Toiletries
  
• LCD Flat-Screen Television
  
• Grohe Handheld Shower Head
  
• Security Safe
  
• Handheld Hair Dryer
  
• Direct Dial Satellite Phone and Cellular Service
  
• 110/220 Volt Outlets
  

[JimandStan]

Yes, they mention the in cabin refrigerators in the description of EVERY Cabin on Every Ship on the Oceania Web Site, yet people still claim that they have no way of knowing if they are there :confused:

I wonder how many people become entranced by the "pretty pictures", and never read any of the text at all?

[pacheco18]

Reading is passé lol

[LHT28]

I wonder how many people become entranced by the "pretty pictures", and never read any of the text at all?

 

reading is for those of us 50+ the younger generation need pictures :D

[kennicott]

I wonder how many people become entranced by the "pretty pictures"' date=' and never read any of the text at all?[/size]

 

Well, I'll be. Three times I painstakingly went through their descriptions of Veranda staterooms. Apparently I just concentrated on the four (A) or Concierge Veranda level staterooms and didn't catch the reference to the four lower category (B) Veranda staterooms which is described thus (In Addition to Receiving All Stateroom Amenities). Then I did the same with their suites, refrigerators clearly mentioned there. And I did not just look at pictures. Whew, sorry I posted.

 

"French in origin, the term “concierge” evolved from a phrase for the person entrusted with caring for visiting nobility. How appropriate, as guests staying in our Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms receive the royal treatment. These beautifully decorated 282-square-foot staterooms reflect many of the luxurious amenities found in our Penthouse Suites, including a private furnished veranda, LCD flat-screen television, a wireless laptop computer, plush seating area and an oversized marble and granite bathroom with tub and separate shower. In addition, Concierge Level guests will enjoy access to their own exclusive Concierge Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge along with priority restaurant reservations at Polo Grill, Toscana, Jacques and Red Ginger."

 

Concierge Level Privileges

 

(In Addition to Receiving All Stateroom Amenities)

 

Priority noon check-in and early embarkation with priority luggage delivery

Exclusive access to private Concierge Lounge staffed by a dedicated Concierge

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+

Bulgari toiletries

Complimentary Oceania Cruises logo tote bag

Cashmere lap blankets, perfect for relaxing on your veranda

Complimentary shoe shine service

Complimentary pressing of garments upon embarkation++

 

"Our collection of elegant Penthouse Suites rivals any world-class hotel for comfort. The design of each suite is ingenious, which maximizes its generous 420 square feet of space and puts every creature comfort at your fingertips. At its heart is a spectacularly luxurious queen-size Prestige Tranquility Bed that can be converted into two twin beds, if you wish. Commodious enough for private en-suite dining, the living area features a table and comfortable seating, refrigerated mini-bar and lighted vanity desk. The large marble and granite-clad bathroom features an indulgent, full-size bathtub and separate shower and is conveniently located next to the full-size walk-in closet. For the ultimate view, simply open the sliding glass door and relax on the exquisitely furnished private veranda."

[Tauni]

I have sailed on the smaller Oceania and the larger, Marina, and yes, they all have refrigerators in the staterooms,,stocked with you favorite water, soda. Just sailed on Regent and found the food way, way better on Oceania. No more regent for me!!

[orchestrapal]

I have sailed on the smaller Oceania and the larger, Marina, and yes, they all have refrigerators in the staterooms,,stocked with you favorite water, soda. Just sailed on Regent and found the food way, way better on Oceania. No more regent for me!!

 

Welcome to the O regulars.

[azevedan]

Has O still not changed the room service (breakfast) explanation for all the stateroom categories? I don't see hot breakfast as a perk for the concierge level in the writeup posted here. Thanks to Laraine for listing it. The O writeups do not make it clear.

Edited December 1, 2013 by azevedan

[pacheco18]

Has O still not changed the room service (breakfast) explanation for all the stateroom categories? I don't see hot breakfast as a perk for the concierge level in the writeup posted here. Thanks to Laraine for listing it. The O writeups do not make it clear.

 

I do not think I have ever seen it "written" anywhere.

Personally, we don't ever have breakfast in the room so it doesn't matter to me.

CC and higher gets the "hot" breakfast menu. If it's room service it's never "hot" enough for me anyway.