How does Oceania compare to Crystal?

[YoungDubFan]

I took my first Crystal cruise this year - Baltic Capitals and had a wonderful time. I'm in my late 40s & travel with my mom, who is in her early 70s. We are starting to look at options for 2016 and are looking at Oceania - either London to London (travels to Scotland and Ireland) or Lisbon to London. I know the details aren't out yet for the London R/T but I figure it has to be similar to the 2015 published cruise. I would love to get some ideas from anyone who has traveled on both Oceania and Crystal to compare the two. There was nothing we didn't like about Crystal and would probably consider them for 2016 but their British Isles itinerary tends to be 12-14 days - too long since I am still working.

 

I know it is a bit of a vague question. We were in an ocean view stateroom on Crystal (206 sq ft) and that was plenty for us. I see that on the Marina we could get an ocean view at 242 sq ft - so bigger may be better. It was nice on Crystal to have 2 sinks in the bathroom, which it doesn't appear that Marina has. I welcome any comparisons as to how service and food stack up. We would probably not do too many ship excursions, as I can normally find better deals DIY. I know that alcohol is not included on Oceania but airfare is. Seems like Oceania may be a better deal / price point.

 

We are also looking at a possible river cruise from Paris to Normandy beaches and back. I've done both river cruises and ocean cruises and know they are two different animals completely. We really have to decide if we want England or France.

 

Thanks in advance for any comments / suggestions.

Kelly

[Caroldoll]

and once was on Crystal. I did like the longer cruise, even though I was working at the time, as I got to see more ports.

 

The Marina is lovely and in addition to a much larger stateroom, you have many more selections for dining and there is no up charge...no extra charge at all. The food on Oceania is tops...better than Crystal. I was on Crystal last when there was no charge for alternative diningroom and they did have caviar which I love. No more...things have changed. I did feel at that time that their service was exemplary (Crystal) but one tips...or we do...quite a bit and so it should be. On Oceania, one does not have to tip aside from the regular gratuities...and I feel that service has been just great.

 

So..bottom line, stateroom bigger; no charge for alternate dining; no extra tips; adding on alcohol package, I still think O is less expensive.

 

Ships on Crystal--MUCH older, but well cared for.

 

This is my opinion only. I am sure you will get other opinions as well.

 

Good luck

[StanandJim]

Dining on Crystal is extremely formal and structured compared to Oceania, and as a result their restaurants have a much higher servant ratio.

 

That said, except for Sushi, which is absolutely phenomenal on Crystal, I'd call the food a tie, provided that you are not one to be impressed by some of the more precious Crystal "touches"

 

Crystal also has far more nighttime entertainment, and a greater number of entertainment venues, than does Oceania.

 

Although some are entranced, we find the plethora of Beige on the Crystal ships, particularly the "Zen" Redesign of the Serenity, to be a snooze fest.

Marina and Riviera are quite vivid in contrast:

[JVNYC]

After sailing with Oceania on my last 4 cruises (on Riviera and Marina), I thought maybe it's time to try something different. Really don't have an interest in Regent, Silversea or Seabourn. Crystal is very attractive b/c they have consistenly won travel awards year after year and have always invested in refurbishing their ships year after year. The ship looks wonderful for the ages that they are (specifically Symphony). I love the idea of a promenade deck that wraps around the ship as well. From looking at their deck plan, I agree with StanandJim, there seems to be many more nighttime venues which Oceania definitely lacks.

 

Back in late Aug, I decided to book a cruise on Serenity for next year but after a month I began to second guess my booking.

 

For me, food is very important and Crystal has raving reviews when it comes to cuisine...as does Oceania. What really weighed on my mind was that there is no buffet in the evening and no opportunity to dine with new friends that you meet...and the formality of it all. Tastes on Serenity just is not Terrace Cafe and Tastes is not open every night from what I've read. And there is no buffet option at all on Symphony. Crystal has recently changed their dress code, which is a great thing but I think people definitely dress up more from what I've read on the Crystal message boards. Have you seen the Crystal Serenity featured on the Smithsonian Channel's Mighty Ships? It focused on a segment of the world cruise and showed the insides and outs of the ship. What struck me was the formality of the dining. Women in gowns and estate jewelry. That program changed my tune. I kept thinking of Oceania and how truly relaxing it is and how wonderful the food is and how great it is to eat whenever, wherever and with whomever you wish....that is such a benefit.

 

I ended up cancelling my Serenity cruise and booked Marina for Sept, 2015. I feel like I would always be comparing Crystal to Oceania and while I'm sure Crystal would shine in many aspects, my gut is telling me to stay with what feels right....Oceania.

Edited October 14, 2014 by JVNYC
=)

[hypercafe]

Everything was great about them except the dinner deal. We really like the terrace at night and they have nothing like it. All there dinner spots require a reservation in advance or a fixed first or second sitting. That was a deal breaker for me. Food and service are great, shows and night life very good. Ship is also very nice however we will stick to ships with open sitting dinning and resort casual dress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

[barcrab]

New O ships are beautiful. Crystal ships are older, but are lovely and well maintained.

 

Food is excellent on both ships. We do not mind fixed dining and enjoy meeting people at larger tables. Oceania has 4 specialty and Crystal only 2 specialty restaurants. Unless you are in a premium stateroom, it is difficult to get additional reservations on either ship. We have had excellent service on both lines. Crystal service is definitely superior in their cocktail lounges in our experience.

 

We much preferred the outside stateroom on Crystal due to dual sinks and better storage. ( Just completed cruise on Seaborne Quest and what a terrific stateroom!)

 

Shows, bars, nightlife better on Crystal.

 

All inclusive drinks are a real plus as quality is good on Crystal. Oceania has a very over priced wine list by the bottle and a poor selection "by the glass". They encourage the purchase of their packages, but the wine list "by the glass" does not change on the package. It is our biggest issue with the line since we do consume a lot of wine on vacation.

 

Oceania air is usually a good value if you do the air deviation and secure the flights you want.

 

They both have good fitness centers. We love the promenade deck on Crystal for walking.

 

We would cruise on either line, but prefer the overall Crystal experience.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Everything was great about them except the dinner deal. We really like the terrace at night and they have nothing like it. All there dinner spots require a reservation in advance or a fixed first or second sitting. That was a deal breaker for me. Food and service are great, shows and night life very good. Ship is also very nice however we will stick to ships with open sitting dinning and resort casual dress.

 

Crystal's dinner service is much more flexible in practice than it sounds. We made reservations on the website before we sailed, but when we wanted to change them up there was never a problem.

 

Tastes is open every night (also for lunch) on Serenity. You are thinking of the pre-Tastes arrangement. It supposedly requires a reservation for dinner but on our cruise, as apparently on many, you could get in at the last minute.

 

But the big culinary news on Crystal is the new menus that debuted in early 2014. They kicked the level of food up a notch -- no, make that a quantum leap -- from a very high level to the best at sea. Not only do they have a very good traditional "continental" menu every night (which never repeats), but there is a second menu with "nouvelle cuisine" every night (which also never repeats). You can order any mix and match you like -- the kitchen is producing top quality traditional and nouvelle dishes simultaneously every night, and there was never a dish that disappointed.

 

We also did not see people dressed up like the TV program implies. Crystal no longer even rents tuxes, and the "black tie optional" nights get a mix of tuxes, suits, kilts, and even sport coats with nobody getting their knickers in a twist. On other nights, people dressed pretty much like they did on our Oceania cruise in 2011.

 

If food is your big deal, Crystal is your cruise line.

[StanandJim]

If food is your big deal, Crystal is your cruise line.

 

That is only true if you are a fan of Crystals' particular style of fine dining, which is very grand, indeed.

 

Oceania's Buffets, particularly since the introduction of the Terrace Grills, are far superior to Crystals' offerings, and there are those who truly appreciate real quality in a casual restaurant option.

 

I cannot tell you the number of people I've met onboard who believe that sitting for two hours in a restaurant is sheer idiocy.

[alexandra cruiser]

so will take first C next Oct. and hope I like it.Taking my 3rd O cruise next mo.First on Riviera. I do like the smoking policy on both O and C ,but only choose it when I read about new dress codes for dinner. Agree I prefer more choice and less formal dinners,esp.on longer cruises.

[pinotlover]

StanandJim bring up a very good point. I am often amazed at the number of people that have little desire to socialize while eating. They have been consumed by the "flip that table" mentality of far too many, imo, American restaurants whose sole purpose is to have one seated, feed, and out the door in 39 minutes. For those patrons, good service becomes removing the soup/salad bowl with one hand, while delivering the main course with the other, or wth, just deliver the main course while one's eating their salad.That's better service yet to some. Other people enjoy a relaxed paced meal, with good wine, and good conversation. I believe having a buffet line for the former crowd is very important, because I hate sitting in the GDR or specialities and listening to people bitch endlessly on why the next course isn't delivered within two minutes of them finishing the prior one! Having the buffet option, therefore, is a very important one for both sides of the discussion.

[Jancruz]

That is only true if you are a fan of Crystals' particular style of fine dining, which is very grand, indeed.

 

Oceania's Buffets, particularly since the introduction of the Terrace Grills, are far superior to Crystals' offerings, and there are those who truly appreciate real quality in a casual restaurant option.

 

I cannot tell you the number of people I've met onboard who believe that sitting for two hours in a restaurant is sheer idiocy.

 

One of my favorite things is having a long leisurely dinner with great company (like Jim and Stan)..so a two hour dinner is fine with me..

Jancruz1

[YoungDubFan]

Thanks for the comments. From what I'm hearing and what I've read elsewhere on this board, it sounds like it's worth giving O a try. I like the flexibility for dinner.

 

On Crystal, we did dining by reservation at 7:00 pm because early is too early and late is too late. The only issue with picking a time that worked for us was that it didn't always line up with the timing for shows. Also the meet & mingle and Captain's receptions were held at times that we couldn't go to because of our dining times. On Crystal, this didn't turn out to be as big of a deal because it was all inclusive and we were able to enjoy pre-dinner drinks in one of the many bars, unlimited wine at dinner, and post-dinner drinks in the Avenue saloon. I realize that we may end up purchasing one of the alcohol packages to eliminate the hassle of signing for every drink.

 

The option for different restaurant choices each night seems nice as well. On C we were able to dine in the two specialty restaurants once each, which was fine. There was no additional charge for this.

 

I really like the two itineraries I am looking at, so now I just have to convince my mom to pick one. I'm sure I'll be back on these boards with more questions as the planning goes along.

 

Kelly

[hypercafe]

I think it serves more important things for me. Sitting outside under the stars watching the wake or the port or a place to eat , when I come back from a long port day and have missed my assigned time to eat as in Crystal or have met some new friends I would like to share dinner with. On Oceania I would not call the terrace a buffet line. Tables are set like the dinning room and food is served from the stations to your plate and grilled to order if you wish.

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

[Mura]

It does seem that people who've tried buffet restaurants on other lines and didn't like them don't understand how well O does it, especially on Marina and Riviera. I have NEVER experienced people grabbing food before you can or cutting in line on Oceania.

 

We haven't sailed much on others lines but we did do two cruises on the QE2 and we rather liked their buffet set-up. And we were impressed with the buffet set-up on NCL's GEM a few years ago. There were plenty of cuisines represented and I don't recall rude people crashing the line. Then again, we didn't dine that much in the buffet restaurant.

 

(Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of NCL even though we are booked for a cruise with them next year.)

 

Mura

[kiawahdon]

This question appears about every 6 months on this board. Everyone have their personal opinions of likes and dislikes, etc.. Why not do a search of this forum and take advantage of lots of discussion on the comparisons.