What do you DISLIKE about Oceana?

[tjcletsgo]

Hi, all. I cruised HAL last November, and was majorly disappointed, even after booking a suite.

 

We found the food edible, at best, service very mediocre, and we're bored on the three days at sea. Now, we sailed the Sea of Cortez, which for the most part, was too cold and windy to lay out at the pool. If the weather had been warmer, I think that would have made a difference.

 

I'm looking for a Caribbean cruise and want to know: what do you DISLIKE about Oceana?

 

Thanks everyone, for any input you can give!

 

Janie

[geta911]

I dislike the fact that I can't enjoy Oceania hospitality more often but alas, my accountant wife keeps reminding me that it takes $$$ to do that. I suspect that there's really nothing to dislike unless you're prone to be a fuss budget. The good stuff far outweighs any potential downside.

[aaannnthony]

Why a dislike thread, be positive, at least a what's to like thread!!

[tjcletsgo]

Okay, Aaaaanthony! Tell me what you LIKE? :p

[Druke I]

Oceana is a ship of the Sun Princess class, currently operated by P&O, and was launched as Ocean Princess.

 

Oceania is a cruise line, operating ships of the R# class.

 

Huge difference here, and perhaps the reason Oceania Cruise Lines choose the harder name for its new venture so as to avoid confusion with an existing ship of another line.

[ClaudiaF]

Oceana is a ship of the Sun Princess class, currently operated by P&O, and was launched as Ocean Princess.

 

Oceania is a cruise line, operating ships of the R# class.

 

Huge difference here, and perhaps the reason Oceania Cruise Lines choose the harder name for its new venture so as to avoid confusion with an existing ship of another line.

 

 

The other name was taken so the spelling got changed..originally about 2002 when it was a concept...it was to be called Oceana...

[ClaudiaF]

Hi, all. I cruised HAL last November, and was majorly disappointed, even after booking a suite.

 

We found the food edible, at best, service very mediocre, and we're bored on the three days at sea. Now, we sailed the Sea of Cortez, which for the most part, was too cold and windy to lay out at the pool. If the weather had been warmer, I think that would have made a difference.

 

I'm looking for a Caribbean cruise and want to know: what do you DISLIKE about Oceana?

 

Thanks everyone, for any input you can give!

 

Janie

Well.. you are the one who went on HAl..

so no comparison there..

Have you taken any other cruises?

It's hard to compare if you are only comparing to one line like one that is not so adult oriented.. and has alot more .. um.. class..

[Jane110]

Hi, all. I cruised HAL last November, and was majorly disappointed, even after booking a suite.

 

We found the food edible, at best, service very mediocre, and we're bored on the three days at sea. Now, we sailed the Sea of Cortez, which for the most part, was too cold and windy to lay out at the pool. If the weather had been warmer, I think that would have made a difference.

 

I'm looking for a Caribbean cruise and want to know: what do you DISLIKE about Oceana?

 

Thanks everyone, for any input you can give!

 

Janie

 

I dislike the word dislike and I like Oceania. I've been on two of their cruises and hope to go on more.

That said, there are things about Oceania that aren't stellar.

 

One is the port information or rather lack of it. The Destination Services desk lacks a lot of the info that other lines give you. Yes, I realize that they like to sell their tours, but pax still depend on getting enough solid practical tips before getting off the ship....maps, transportation info, and Oceania should be providing that.

 

No refrigerators in the cabins unless you're on the 7th deck balcony cabin, an 8th deck balcony cabin or a suite. We take a 6th deck balcony cabin and a fridge would come in handy as I like to keep juice on hand.

 

Lastly, I think that Oceania's bar drink's are too high priced. I don't think ships should charge the same as land based bars because they're not paying the huge liquor taxes that US bars pay.

 

We were on one HAL cruise and it was the worst cruise we ever took. Service was mediocre, food was only passable, mini-suite cabin was dreary looking. We'll never sail with HAL again. Have also been on Princess and Celebrity and liked them very much.

[aaannnthony]

tjc, I just bumped "The Luxury Group of Four" thread for your perusal!

[tjcletsgo]

Jane,

 

Thank you for your post, it was exactly what I was looking for. I can live with your dislikes, and not having a fridge wouldn't kill my trip. My main concern was what does everyone do on sea days?

 

I've been on three cruises; HAL, RCCI, and Princess years ago. I'm interested in a Caribbean cruise, on a ship that's not "cookie-cutter", with zillions of people. Needless to say, I can do without an ice-rink and climbing wall.

 

I'm an active 54 years old, and love my grandkids, but wouldn't mind a ship not overrun with the darlings! My main ship concern is service and FOOD!

 

I got a good quote today, so now all I have to do is wait for my brochure.

 

Thanks for all your info!

 

Aaannnthony, where is the tread you referred me to? :confused:

[tjcletsgo]

Aaaannthony,

 

Sorry, I see it..........thank you!

[mike35]

We absolutely love Oceania and can't wait until our next sailing (1/3/06). We agree with the destination desk criticism. The only other area of concern is the inordinately-high cost of internet usage: 95 cents/minute. This is significantly higher than other cruise lines' charges, and it forced us to seek out and use internet cafes in the ports.

 

With that being said, with all of the other extreme positives, Oceania still presents an incredible cruising experience!

 

Mike

[LHT28]

No dislikes only some improvement on the Destinations desk.

The food and service were great, cabins were good and staff very good. No complaints.

I think the price for drinks is about par with some other ships but we do not drink much so it is not a biggie.

 

Sea days there are not many and you may just want to catch up on rest or letter writing ...they do have things to do but we just sat by the pool and rested on the lovely 2 person loungers :)

 

I am finding it harder to get a nice cruise without kids and good food and service but Oceania fits the bill!

 

Enjoy the cruise

Life is short

[cruzemaven]

Leaving for the Black Sea Cruise today! Looking forward to everything except THE ENTERTAINMENT. It was awful last year when we were on the Insignia. My friend just called this morning from the ship...she's on the Insignia right now. She said she loved everything...but said she found that the entertainment is still terrible. My husband could care less as he spends the evenings in the Casino...but there are a few of us going that would have liked to have the "shows" as an optional evening activity. Oh well, there's always a good book to read. That aside, we are all looking forward to going back on the Insignia...we had a great time last summer.

[drwong]

TJC -

 

You're posting on the wrong board! :-) Most of the folks here are repeat Oceania customers - if they had any dislikes, they probably wouldn't be serious enough to make them switch to another line!

 

That being said, I'd be bored stiff on any cruise that spent three days at sea - if you think HAL didn't offer enough on-board diversions during those three days, don't expect anything more from Oceania. No Broadway shows, no rock climbing walls, no indoor skating rink, no pool tables, no nickel slot machines, no sports bar, no wet T-shirt contests. (not that that's my cup of tea, but that's what some passengers expect on a typical cruise).

 

On the other hand, one can savor the dining experiences, the spa treatments, the poolside lounge chairs (or the ones on your verandah, if you're lucky enough to book one in advance), and the onboard shopping. The catalogue/brochure, as well as their website, should give you a fairly accurate representation of what to expect, in terms of cabin size, shipboard decor, and menu options, not to mention your fellow passengers.

 

Also, another advantage of Oceania's Caribbean runs (compared to HAL and Princess) is that they don't force you to waste a day at a company-owned island, renting company-owned recreational devices and eating company-prepared meals. I'd rather spend the day exploring some exotic port of call - but as one commenter already noted, unless you book one of their shore excursions, you'd need to be a fairly independent traveller, because the Destination Services desk spends the bulk of their time promoting and booking excursions.

[wsailher]

entertainment: the music by the pool is terrific, includiang the live combos....everyone appreciates it, and I am sure all are pleased that there are no whistles and announcements- however:

The "tired" and often "comatose" pianist ( no matter how nice a guy he might be) in the martini lounge becomes less than a thrill when you are there every evening pre dinner for 2 weeks. It would be great to have a lively trio or jazzy ensemble to make the lounge a bit more FUN and contemporary. Music is a great UPPER that often sets a tone for the evening.........a bored musician does not enliven a group, but rather brings it down. And yes, one does not have to go to that lounge every night, however, it is the only one where there is music. This is a constructive criticism and hope that Mr.Del Rio will consider it- we know he reads the boards.

[ClaudiaF]

Artsygirl wrote in part......................

..the "tired" and often "comatose" pianist ( no matter how nice a guy he might be) in the martini lounge becomes less than a thrill when you are there every evening pre dinner for 2 weeks.

 

No kidding Artsygirl.. and worse was one night he handed out weird Irish songs ( nothing against our Irish friends) but like pub style.. for a "sing a long"

oh dear.............

[Druke I]

I suppose some people are bored by sea days. Personally, I don't care for port-intensive cruises, even if my next one is (Baltic 8-31-05, Regatta).

 

Give me more sea days, I love them - have never been bored, and don't have to have the staff entertain me all the time.

 

Give me a good book, and I'll read, people watch, and watch the ocean go by.

[aaannnthony]

Just curious, but, how does a guest "post", as ARTSGRL, and, in such awful, hardly readable, pink?

[Druke I]

Aanthony (sp)

 

Don't know how a guest posts - but I agree - that pink is shockiing and hard to read.

[Jane110]

 

No kidding Artsygirl.. and worse was one night he handed out weird Irish songs ( nothing against our Irish friends) but like pub style.. for a "sing a long"

oh dear.............

 

Claudia dahlink,

 

Who could forget THAT night???? Sheesh!

 

Jane

[Jane110]

Jane,

 

Thank you for your post, it was exactly what I was looking for. I can live with your dislikes, and not having a fridge wouldn't kill my trip. My main concern was what does everyone do on sea days?

 

I've been on three cruises; HAL, RCCI, and Princess years ago. I'm interested in a Caribbean cruise, on a ship that's not "cookie-cutter", with zillions of people. Needless to say, I can do without an ice-rink and climbing wall.

 

I'm an active 54 years old, and love my grandkids, but wouldn't mind a ship not overrun with the darlings! My main ship concern is service and FOOD!

 

I got a good quote today, so now all I have to do is wait for my brochure.

 

Thanks for all your info!

 

 

I understand, and obviously I can live with my dislikes too, but you wanted a big picture and I tried to give it to you.

 

As far as service and food goes, Oceania is heads above the rest. And my advice is not to get your knickers in a twist trying to book the alternative restaurants. I know that on other ships they're better, but in Oceania's case, they're not. It's just a different ambiance. The food in the main dining room is wondeful. By the middle of your cruise, bookings will be cancelled, the frenzy will be over and you'll be able to get in. DH and I are not steak eaters so the Polo Grill is no biggie for us.....and the one night I wanted a steak I had a wonderful in the main dining room. It's available every night. The italian restaurant, Toscano, is good, but since they took the chocolate lasgne off the menu, it's not as big a draw for me personally.

 

However, Oceania does lack in alot of onboard activities. Since our two cruises with them were destination oriented, our 2 days at sea per cruise were welcome rest/hang out days. More than that would make me want to jump ship and swim to the nearest port. Also, we cruised with a group from the yahoo Oceania board, so that was a huge plus because we ran in friends all day long.

 

So as to your question about what does everyone do on sea days, the answer is: gym, pool, cooking demo's, wine tastings, trivial pursuit games, art auction, guest lectures. It's definitely low-key.

 

Jane

[FinelyCruising]

Janie-- If sea days are an issue for you then chose an itinerary without so many and look for what you want. I can take up to two in a row and that's my limit, but overall there has to be a good balance of ports and sea days since I do like to relax. Doesn't matter what line I sail for that to be a dealbreaker so check your itineraries carefully.

[wsailher]

It appears that on these boards, one is not only crucified for negative comments (even if constructive) but also for the color of the ink one uses- give me a break. Instead, perhaps you could try to focus on CONTENT and an expressed message, rather than the fostering of petty criticism. Your glasses are definately not rose colored.

[ClaudiaF]

Frankly I like the pink and if you tell me how to get it will use it too.

Thanx!

and,

It is not hard to read.. maybe the glasses need cleaning...