No longer an Oceania Cheerleader

[hypercafe]

After seeing this go on and on it seems like the service on the Staten Island Ferry is better. As in all things there are two sides to every story and then the middle. Some say Oceania never again, well it is not a bad thing to try new things, I always find the first cruise on a new line the best for me, then it starts to ware off. We are taking the Riviera again in March, then giving Crystal a try and then I think the Europa 2.How blessed we all are to be able to take vacations that cost around 1K day for two, and how sad they were ruined by a cold cup of tea of a over cooked steak!

[tvmovielover]

I agree that the 1st cruise on a new line is the best if it goes well. I loved recent 1st Oceania Cruise and look forward to the summer cruise but I do want to give it a rest after that because to me it is not special if you do it over and over again at close intervals. I am also grateful to have the money and the time to enjoy such cruises. This was our best cruise in recent years in terms of food (even though I criticized some of the specialty offerings) and service everywhere on the ship and I was not unhappy with the other cruise lines we used for river and ocean cruises. I would try another more upscale cruise if the price was right after this.

 

However, there is a pretty negative review of the FP cruise we took on the Marina member review site and I know some others had less than perfect experiences even as we were enjoying ours so I have my fingers crossed for the next cruise. Things can to wrong on the 1st, 2nd or 9th cruise that ruin the experience and the cruise line for a person.

[pacheco18]

What you say is true but it depends on your definition of "ruin"

 

A few bad meals ?

A surly staff member ?

A delay in being served?

 

None of the above could remotely ruin a cruise for me. Everyone apparently has different tolerance levels

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[potterhill]

We have been on 3 Oceania sailings with amazing food and excellent service in all venues.

 

There was a slip in the Terrace Cafe on our last cruise. We noticed all of the waiters around us working very hard and taking great care of diners. No waiter approached our table. I saw the dining manager in the ivory coat and approached him. I told him it had been a few minutes and it didn't appear any server was assigned to our table.

 

This happened to us in Terrace on two occasions. It was very busy and we were behind the coffee station, apparently invisible to the waitstaff. I got our drinks myself and piled the dishes. They still never saw us. We just won't sit there in future. Terrace is my least favourite place except for breakfast. DH loves the sushi and sometimes will go have a bite while I am changing for dinner. If in a warm climate we usually have dinner outside once for the ambience, not the food.

 

Mo

 

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[LHT28]

One last comment then beat the dead horse all you want

 

We were seated & were catching up with each other.

We did not really check our watches every few minutes.

Only when we noticed the people at the next table getting their apps

DH checked his watch ..we had been there for about 20 min ...he went to the Maitre'd

So the Maitre'd & the head waiter took the order & served us personally

 

The point being .. NO ONE on Oceania should have to get up from the table in the GDR & look for service

 

It did not ruin the cruise for us but compounded with other issues it certainly made more wary of spending our money with Oceania

 

For us spending 15K is not pocket change like some O cruisers

 

Have a great cruise

 

Lyn

[Travelcat2]

IMO, this was a very interesting thread and hearing about one bad experience - especially coming from an Oceania loyalist makes it even more interesting. I am now wondering why "one" negative experience is getting so much press? It seems that the majority of posters are very happy with Oceania - receive excellent service and appreciate the food.

 

We have taken 16 Regent cruises (one on Oceania and three on Silversea) with one Oceania and one Regent cruise booked for this year. I probably could start a thread on the Regent board about our last Regent cruise -- everything that went wrong that should not have happened. I have made mention of a couple of things on the Regent board but would have been horrified if things that happened on our cruise were blown out of proportion as this one has.

 

I agree that no one "should" have to get up from their table at any fine dining restaurant to ask the manager why they have not been served. However, if the alternative is sitting and waiting, I would get up myself and "gently" (as hondorner so nicely stated) speak to the Head Waiter or Maitre'd). As the last post indicates, once the Maitre'd was advised of the problem, the order was taken promptly (apparently by both the Head Waiter and Maitre'd).

 

I agree with pacheco18 -- we all have difference tolerance levels. While I consider myself quite tolerant, my tolerance for an overly long negative thread has been reached so I'll quietly (or fairly quietly) leave:)

[RuthC]

One last comment then beat the dead horse all you want

 

 

 

It did not ruin the cruise for us but compounded with other issues it certainly made more wary of spending our money with Oceania

I appreciate the points you made, and thank you for making them. You shouldn't be made to feel you have to explain every little detail of what led to your conclusion that this cruise was less than satisfactory for you. Clearly, it wasn't, and you of all people are in a position to come to a fair conclusion.

 

I do hope that your future Oceania cruises live up to your expectations, and this can all be charged off to a terrible exception to the rule.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone of us is any better than anyone else at reaching a fair conclusion of our experience. It's our experience, our perception. I don't think anyone here asked or expected Lyn to explain herself; others simply stated that their experience was different from hers.

 

What that tells me is that stuff can go wrong and it doesn't matter whether you've never cruised Oceania or have cruised on this line a gazillion times. Stuff happens and it's unfortunate and disappointing when it does.

 

For me, it's all about balance. We've only cruised Oceania twice, both times on Riviera. If our next cruise on Regatta were to be less than stellar (which I doubt;)), I won't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I'll chalk it up to one bad experience.

 

We come on Cruise Critic to express our positives and negatives about cruise lines … the good, the bad, the ugly or the perfect. But when we do that we know that we will get at least 10 people who disagree with us and will go to bat for their cruise line of choice (at the moment).

[Noxequifans]

When dining out and we are ready to order, we place closed menus in front of us on the table. The waitstaff then recognizes that it is time to take our orders. This works well for us.

[RJB]

I agree that the 1st cruise on a new line is the best if it goes well. I loved recent 1st Oceania Cruise and look forward to the summer cruise but I do want to give it a rest after that because to me it is not special if you do it over and over again at close intervals. I am also grateful to have the money and the time to enjoy such cruises. This was our best cruise in recent years in terms of food (even though I criticized some of the specialty offerings) and service everywhere on the ship and I was not unhappy with the other cruise lines we used for river and ocean cruises. I would try another more upscale cruise if the price was right after this.

 

However, there is a pretty negative review of the FP cruise we took on the Marina member review site and I know some others had less than perfect experiences even as we were enjoying ours so I have my fingers crossed for the next cruise. Things can to wrong on the 1st, 2nd or 9th cruise that ruin the experience and the cruise line for a person.

On Marina now. Everything could not be better. Three nights, three diferent specialitys and all wonderful. Our 8th O cruise and it gets better all the time. Will post again on our next sea day which will be tomorrow.

[Mura]

Baychilla,

 

Are you maybe being a little sensitive on the issue? From JPR's post I didn't have the feeling that your criticisms were being treated as non-existent. The suggestion of registering a complaint was well taken -- we don't know if you did or didn't.

 

I for one agree that your unhappiness is justified. Just because it's never happened to ME doesn't mean that it didn't happen to YOU.

 

Mura

 

P.S. I have said before -- maybe not here -- that we had an oblivious waiter on two occasions, one of them with Renaissance. It did take a comment to make him realize that we were all sitting there. These were even large tables. And we were right by his station. So I know it can happen.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Mura

[CintiPam]

When dining out and we are ready to order, we place closed menus in front of us on the table. The waitstaff then recognizes that it is time to take our orders. This works well for us.

 

After Lyn's last post, I thought maybe that was the problem as well.

 

At Toscana two weeks ago, two of the eight of us kept their menus open, and I felt that clearly prevented the wait staff from approaching us to take our orders.

[LHT28]

After Lyn's last post, I thought maybe that was the problem as well.

 

.

 

menus were closed

mine on my plate

 

 

Keep beating the dead horse

Edited February 8, 2014 by LHT28

[dundeene]

The Original poster said this horse is dead;)

You don't have to be from Nebraska to know what to do with a dead horse.

Let's all get out our shovels and put this poor thread to rest.

 

It will drift slowly down the 1st page until it is buried in the archives of Oceania Board topics of the past.

[hypercafe]

I think it is ok to say what you want about you trip on a line but once is quite enough, to repeat it over and over has no point.

[orchestrapal]

I think it is ok to say what you want about you trip on a line but once is quite enough, to repeat it over and over has no point.

 

You can say that again!;)

[hondorner]

You can say that again!;)

Guffaw!

[fud2468]

After getting to platinum status on another line in 2012, our health and ages made it increasingly difficult to travel. We decided it would be worthwhile to focus on quality from now on, and cruise less often to be able to afford it. So today for the first time we decided to find out about Oceania.

This thread has been a real eye-opener for us. It looks like we could have a good experience on an Oceania cruise, or a poor one, and it's not worth the risk at this point. Our next cruise could be our last one!

It does seem clear in this thread that Oceania quality has declined along with the trend to larger ships.

Ray Mac.

[LHT28]

This thread has been a real eye-opener for us. It looks like we could have a good experience on an Oceania cruise, or a poor one, and it's not worth the risk at this point. Our next cruise could be our last one!

It does seem clear in this thread that Oceania quality has declined along with the trend to larger ships.

Ray Mac.

 

For the most part the quality is still there some of the service was not up to the past standards we have had.

You should try them & judge for yourself

 

I think we just had a bad luck cruise

 

Your experience could be totally different ;)

 

Lyn

[MVPinBoynton]

After getting to platinum status on another line in 2012, our health and ages made it increasingly difficult to travel. We decided it would be worthwhile to focus on quality from now on, and cruise less often to be able to afford it. So today for the first time we decided to find out about Oceania.

This thread has been a real eye-opener for us. It looks like we could have a good experience on an Oceania cruise, or a poor one, and it's not worth the risk at this point. Our next cruise could be our last one!

It does seem clear in this thread that Oceania quality has declined along with the trend to larger ships.

Ray Mac.

 

Our first O cruise will be in April, so I can't express an opinion on how much better the cruise will be from what we are used to. We usually cruise on Celebrity and are expecting the food and general service to be better. But since this thread started, it has helped to lower our expectations; which is a good thing. Having expectations that are too high can lead to great disappointment.

 

Since it appears that you are a frequent Princess cruiser, I do think that both of us will find O to our liking. Especially if we are expectations are realistic.

[hypercafe]

After getting to platinum status on another line in 2012, our health and ages made it increasingly difficult to travel. We decided it would be worthwhile to focus on quality from now on, and cruise less often to be able to afford it. So today for the first time we decided to find out about Oceania.

This thread has been a real eye-opener for us. It looks like we could have a good experience on an Oceania cruise, or a poor one, and it's not worth the risk at this point. Our next cruise could be our last one!

It does seem clear in this thread that Oceania quality has declined along with the trend to larger ships.

Ray Mac.

 

I really would not worry about this, a lot of what you read here is comparing Oceania to a luxury line (Regent) rather than a mass market line (Princess). On Oceania there is a lot more space, very few lines and the food is very good with lots of included choices. Also all drinks without alcohol are included. Since the ship is smaller there are less things to do and the shows are not as grand. We took our first O trip last March to the Caribbean , we are returning this March on the same ship (Rivera) so we shall see. Shop around, there are many lines that are a step above mass market with more space per pas and better service etc. Oceania is not the end all cruise line but I would not be afraid to try them!!

[LHT28]

I really would not worry about this, a lot of what you read here is comparing Oceania to a luxury line (Regent) rather than a mass market line (Princess).

 

Really ???

 

I am the OP & I have NEVER been on Regent so how would I be comparing my experience on Oceania with them

 

Makes me wonder if people actually read what is posted

 

But as I said before everyone should do what works for them & not based on my experiences

We have a great experiences on Oceania but this time it was not so good

try Oceania & be your own judge

 

Lyn

Edited February 11, 2014 by LHT28

[Travelcat2]

Really ???

 

I am the OP & I have NEVER been on Regent so how would I be comparing my experience on Oceania with them

 

Makes me wonder if people actually read what is posted

 

But as I said before everyone should do what works for them & not based on my experiences

We have a great experiences on Oceania but this time it was not so good

try Oceania & be your own judge

 

Lyn

 

I do not believe that hypercafe is saying that "you" sailed on Regent. The way I read it, it sounds like many posters on this thread are comparing Oceania with Regent. On the other hand, you're probably right....... at this point, there are probably not many people reading every word that is written on this thread. Several of us hoped the thread would end a few days ago. For me, seeing the negative subject day after day is depressing. It certainly sounds like you had an out of the ordinary experience on the Riviera (our favorite ship). However, at this point this thread may last longer than your cruise.

[NC&KY]

an out of the ordinary experience on the Riviera (our favorite ship). However, at this point this thread may last longer than your cruise.

 

It already has.:eek:

[Marebear]

It's way too long. Maybe the constant posters could stop!!!