Should I Choose Celebrity or Oceania?

[miketheExbaker]

Hi Everyone!

 

I have been reading reviews on CC for a couple weeks, and I just registered today. This is my first post.

 

Its been about 15 years since my last cruise which was an 11 night Caribbean on the Celebrity Zenith. We had a great time, though I had nothing to compare it to. I was 22 at the time. It certainly wasn't a party cruise by any means. Every night by 9:30 we basically had the ship to ourselves. We were by far the youngest passengers on board. This did not bother us at all. In fact we just like to lay low, relax, eat and drink.

 

A couple months after the cruise I bought a bakery and havent had a vacation since. I just sold the bakery a few months ago and we are ready to cruise again.

 

My question is.... Celebrity Eclipse in a Sky Suite for the 14 night Southern Caribbean OR the Oceania Riviera in a PH for the 10 night Caribbean.

 

We are foodies, big time. And even though Oceania prides itself on having the best cuisine at sea....I have read a lot of reviews that say otherwise. The Zenith food was pretty good but I have seen some pictures of the food on YouTube videos recently that left a lot to be desired.

 

Another big question I have is.... will the Eclipse seem crowded? I believe it holds twice as many guests as the Riviera (yes i know it's bigger). But, we dont like crowds, we like quiet nooks and an unrushed environment.

 

We don't need rock climbing, bumper cars or waterslides and we don't care about the age of the other passengers.

 

OR...maybe someone can suggest another cruise line to look into?

 

Thanks so much!

[Mary Ellen]

We've sailed on the Riviera. We'd read the hype about how 'wonderful' the food is on Oceania. On our cruise, we'd rate it the worst we've experienced in over 30 years of cruising. :eek:

 

I made Thanksgiving dinner at my sister-in-law's this past year. As she was recovering from surgery (the reason we there), everything fell to me. She's not a cook and didn't have the kind of equipment to which I'm accustomed. We went for convenience and bought everything but the turkey as 'heat and serve'. As we were eating, DH and I actually laughed about how much better everything tasted than the previous year - on Oceania. Sad to say, but 'heat and serve' was vastly better than Oceania's chef prepared dishes.

 

I can't comment on Celebrity's cuisine, as we're now contemplating our first cruise with them. I will say that we're not planning a second cruise on Oceania. ;)

[buggins0402]

Hi Everyone!

 

I have been reading reviews on CC for a couple weeks, and I just registered today. This is my first post.

 

Its been about 15 years since my last cruise which was an 11 night Caribbean on the Celebrity Zenith. We had a great time, though I had nothing to compare it to. I was 22 at the time. It certainly wasn't a party cruise by any means. Every night by 9:30 we basically had the ship to ourselves. We were by far the youngest passengers on board. This did not bother us at all. In fact we just like to lay low, relax, eat and drink.

 

A couple months after the cruise I bought a bakery and havent had a vacation since. I just sold the bakery a few months ago and we are ready to cruise again.

 

My question is.... Celebrity Eclipse in a Sky Suite for the 14 night Southern Caribbean OR the Oceania Riviera in a PH for the 10 night Caribbean.

 

We are foodies, big time. And even though Oceania prides itself on having the best cuisine at sea....I have read a lot of reviews that say otherwise. The Zenith food was pretty good but I have seen some pictures of the food on YouTube videos recently that left a lot to be desired.

 

Another big question I have is.... will the Eclipse seem crowded? I believe it holds twice as many guests as the Riviera (yes i know it's bigger). But, we dont like crowds, we like quiet nooks and an unrushed environment.

 

We don't need rock climbing, bumper cars or waterslides and we don't care about the age of the other passengers.

 

OR...maybe someone can suggest another cruise line to look into?

 

Thanks so much!

 

While Celebrity has a nice product, Oceania seems too fit your desires more. Main Dining Room on O is equal to the Specialtes on Celebrity. Specialties on O are a step above. No crowds. Buffet on O is very civilized....wait staff serve beverages, table cloths at dinner, and staff serves all selections...no germy passenger hands touching utensils. It's the little things, like fresh berries at breakfast, lobster at the pool grill that set it apart. PH cabins on O are very nice. Butlers will serve dinner from any specialty restaurant in your cabin. However, I've never stayed in a Celebrity sky suite, so can't comment there.

 

As a baker, you would appreciate the croissants on O...they are excellent, as good as some we've had in France.

 

With regard to night entertainment...Celebrity is stronger. But, we are usually content with the piano and string quartets in the lounges on O. A leisurely eaten dinner is the main evening event on O, in an uncrowded refined atmosphere.

[Flatbush Flyer]

O is the equivalent of a 2.0-2.5 star restaurant here in the SF Bay Area, which is actually a very good rating. Food is so subjective with some folks actually "preferring" a place like Appleby's to a Michelin starred eatery.

At the bottom line, however, you'll find that O has far better food quality than mass market lines (including Celebrity at true higher end).

The other thing to consider about O is what you don't get: incessant announcements, hordes of people, etc.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Mary Ellen]

Specialties on O are a step above.

A step above what? The steakhouse restaurant on the Riviera is the only place (land or sea) I've ever been told that they would need to butterfly my filet to cook it to medium. :rolleyes: That was after 2 to 3 attempts. I'm pretty flexible and am happy with the med-rare to medium range. They couldn't even get it to there. One of our friends wanted her prime rib either med or med-rare (can't remember which at this point). We were dining no later than halfway through dinner service. Whichever temp she wanted wasn't available.

[LHT28]

Try them both then decide which one works better for your wants/needs

 

Most of the time Oceania's food is very good

I have had some less than stellar meals onboard

 

The bread is made daily I agree with Buggins on the croissants :)

[Shorex]

Well, I'm sure even the French Laundry has its detractors. My experience on numerous Oceania cruises has been that the food was quite wonderful. Certainly the food was not exquisite to the level of our recent lunch at Le Bernardin, but still we were overall very pleased.

 

On our one cruise with Celebrity the MDR food was, in my opinion, two steps down from Oceania. However, the specialty restaurant Metropolitan was excellent. Qsine was very good.

 

My recommendation would be that, should you chose Celebrity, do take advantage of the package deal for the specialty restaurants. The MDR is nothing special at all.

 

I will add that among other high end cruise lines, I prefer the overall dining experience on Crystal. That said with having cruised multiple times also on Regent, Silversea and Seabourne. Just my personal opinion.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Shorex

[Lerin]

Either of those are nice though personally prefer Oceania. But since you asked for other options, I'd suggest Regent.

[wally_bushy]

Hi Everyone!

 

I have been reading reviews on CC for a couple weeks, and I just registered today. This is my first post.

 

Its been about 15 years since my last cruise which was an 11 night Caribbean on the Celebrity Zenith. We had a great time, though I had nothing to compare it to. I was 22 at the time. It certainly wasn't a party cruise by any means. Every night by 9:30 we basically had the ship to ourselves. We were by far the youngest passengers on board. This did not bother us at all. In fact we just like to lay low, relax, eat and drink.

 

A couple months after the cruise I bought a bakery and havent had a vacation since. I just sold the bakery a few months ago and we are ready to cruise again.

 

My question is.... Celebrity Eclipse in a Sky Suite for the 14 night Southern Caribbean OR the Oceania Riviera in a PH for the 10 night Caribbean.

 

We are foodies, big time. And even though Oceania prides itself on having the best cuisine at sea....I have read a lot of reviews that say otherwise. The Zenith food was pretty good but I have seen some pictures of the food on YouTube videos recently that left a lot to be desired.

 

Another big question I have is.... will the Eclipse seem crowded? I believe it holds twice as many guests as the Riviera (yes i know it's bigger). But, we dont like crowds, we like quiet nooks and an unrushed environment.

 

We don't need rock climbing, bumper cars or waterslides and we don't care about the age of the other passengers.

 

OR...maybe someone can suggest another cruise line to look into?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Both are quality Cruises and given you have little to compare them with I believe both are worth trying.

You will always get comments about it being the best food or the worst food on the same ship and even the same cruise.

Ignore the extremes and if more than average say it is good/bad it is probably more accurate.

Given your other criteria I would say go for O.

[lisiamc]

O is the equivalent of a 2.0-2.5 star restaurant here in the SF Bay Area, which is actually a very good rating. Food is so subjective with some folks actually "preferring" a place like Appleby's to a Michelin starred eatery.

At the bottom line, however, you'll find that O has far better food quality than mass market lines (including Celebrity at true higher end).

The other thing to consider about O is what you don't get: incessant announcements, hordes of people, etc.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I'm not sure if you've been on Celebrity, but they have one announcement at noon, with the Captain giving the position and the weather, and then a few words from the Cruise Director. So announcements are not going to be a problem on either line.

[Azulann]

My first cruise was on the Celebrity Century which was the same class as the Zenith! I fell in love with cruising and love the Celebrity product. I have also sailed on the S class ship which includes the Eclipse.

Even though this is a bigger ship, the common space is much larger so it never feels crowded, except maybe the Martini Bar for 20 minutes before second seating.:). Being in a Suite ,will give you a bigger stateroom, butler, and afternoon treats delivered to room and other perks.

 

I have always liked the variety of offerings in the MDR especially the chilled soups, appetizers, and the salmon, and desserts of any kind.

The specialty dining options have increased since you last cruised. I always try at least two of these venues for dinner on a cruise. Murano's is still around on all the S class ships.

And the waffles for breakfast are outstanding as always!

As for a second cruise after 20 years, I would go with the 14 days at sea, that is only a two weeek vacation in my book;)

 

Welcome back to cruising.

[SuiteTraveler]

I think you should choose the 14 day cruise - get more vacation for your money. Eclipse never feels crowded except maybe around the pool and there are places where you can get away from everyone. Buy the drinks package - it makes everything so convenient.

[geoherb]

I'd go with Oceania, even though I've never actually been on one of their ships. The food on my last Celebrity cruise was a big disappointment. The food we've had on HAL and Princess ships has been much better.

[dessert first]

I'll add my two cents here, beginning with the admission that I have not been on an Oceania cruise. ( Therefore, I cannot and would not say a thing about this line. ) In addition to other higher end cruise lines (e.g., Regent), we have sailed with Celebrity many times. I would agree: 1) Celebrity ships almost never feel crowded (perhaps also in the morning at peak breakfast time hours in the casual dining venue); 2) Announcements are indeed kept to a bare minimum -- only the captain's informative noon time short message and occasionally, the cruise director chimes in with updates; 3) The food in the specialty restaurants is routinely delightful. Because you would be in a Sky Suite, you also would have nightly access to Blu, a lovely "exclusive" restaurant designated for those who book "aqua class" and above. There is no additional charge for this venue. Depending upon when you arrive, the seating may be close but we found that it leads to interesting, if not fascinating, conversation with your fellow diners -- most of whom are well-heeled and well-traveled. Many are foodies as well.

 

However, on our last Celebrity cruise, we dined in the MDR one evening and for the first time in twenty years, we were quite disappointed. We made our comments known and received many embarrassed apologies from a wide range of staff. I think it was an anomaly; everyone has a bad day at work on occasion, right?

 

Regardless of which ship you choose, I bet you will have a blast. You deserve it!

[TMLAalum]

Not sure when the suite-only restaurant- Luminae- is being inaugurated on the Eclipse (I do think it will be before her transatlantic this spring) and when you are thinking about cruising, but since you are booking a Sky Suite you will be able to dine in this exclusive venue if it's open.

 

Our first Celebrity cruise was on the Eclipse and we've continued to sail that line since. I say give her a try!

Edited January 26, 2015 by TMLAalum

[wassup4565]

Heven't sailed on Celebrity, but I sailed once on O Riviera. One of O's big claims to fame is their cuisine, but it didn't work well for me. Maybe I'm not a foodie so I couldn't appreciate, but this is what I did observe on the Riviera.

 

The steak place, Polo, is very traditional. Big pieces of meat, salads smothered in rich dressings, potatoes or other sides very classic (like French cuisine with a lot of sauce and cream). Nothing adventurous, like a new way of looking at a steak or chop, just what your Daddy would have taken you out for dinner to at his fave steakhouse 40 years ago. Well-made, rich, all the classics.

 

The eastern fusion resto was good, with interesting adventures in taste and combinations.

 

The Italian resto was, again, classic. Heavy on the sauces, cream. Nothing new to see here. Just the same old done, well. I staggered out under the weight of the Osso Bucco I had eaten and had to take refuge in antacids later.

 

The fourth specialty resto I have forgotten - says it all. I'm sure it was very good and not anything new.

 

The buffet was not what I want. If I am going to eat like a hog at dinner, I want a great big salad at lunch, with lots of variety of veg. I found the salad bar at the buffet mingy in the extreme, hardly any variety of leaves, and with only three or four things to scatter over the leaves (tomatoes, cukes, and grated carrot, for example). These toppings were doled out by the staff and they were not generous. So I ended up with a boring salad for lunch. I suppose I could have had the meat as well, but I can't eat like that all day long.

 

So my O food experience was generally: very traditional, well-prepared, not adventurous, not enough fresh fruits and veg, very heavy, too many sauces.

 

But I'm not a foodie. I just like to eat well.

Edited January 27, 2015 by wassup4565

[miketheExbaker]

I really am enjoying reading everyones opinions. I was afraid of this, I am no closer to picking one. So I guess since I had a good experience on the Zenith, which I heard at the time was "held together by paint," I will start back with Celebrity and do an O after that. Or maybe I'll start with the O! Haha, I guess I'm just thinking too much.

[wally_bushy]

These toppings were doled out by the staff and they were not generous.

 

I am amazed when it is said that portions served out are not enough.:confused:

Ask for more. It is that simple.

I have never been refused:)

[dorisis]

I really am enjoying reading everyones opinions. I was afraid of this, I am no closer to picking one. So I guess since I had a good experience on the Zenith, which I heard at the time was "held together by paint," I will start back with Celebrity and do an O after that. Or maybe I'll start with the O! Haha, I guess I'm just thinking too much.

 

I have cruised both lines many times. The suites on Celebrity are the best way to go.

 

I prefer Oceanias smaller ships to the O class.

[LHT28]

I am amazed when it is said that portions served out are not enough.:confused:

Ask for more. It is that simple.

I have never been refused:)

 

+1

I agree ask for as little or as much as you like

 

You will never go hungry & if you do it is your own fault ;)

[LHT28]

A step above what? The steakhouse restaurant on the Riviera is the only place (land or sea) I've ever been told that they would need to butterfly my filet to cook it to medium. :rolleyes: That was after 2 to 3 attempts. I'm pretty flexible and am happy with the med-rare to medium range. They couldn't even get it to there. One of our friends wanted her prime rib either med or med-rare (can't remember which at this point). We were dining no later than halfway through dinner service. Whichever temp she wanted wasn't available.

 

Gosh I should go with her I can never get my meat med-well or well done always still moving on the plate:D

[wassup4565]

I am amazed when it is said that portions served out are not enough.:confused:

Ask for more. It is that simple.

I have never been refused:)

So here's how that went for me at the O buffet. "Please give me a little more." Two more radish slices. "Yeah, I think a little more." Another couple radish slices. People in line behind me getting impatient. "Could you give me some carrots, please?" Small scattering of carrot gratings. "Could you please give me some more carrots?" Very impatient people behind me now. And so on...

 

Maybe I'm too polite. Maybe I shouldn't care how impatient the people behind me in line are getting. Maybe I should have said loudly, "That's not enough carrots. Give me a LOT more!"

 

Is that what you're suggesting?

[Flatbush Flyer]

So here's how that went for me at the O buffet. "Please give me a little more." Two more radish slices. "Yeah, I think a little more." Another couple radish slices. People in line behind me getting impatient. "Could you give me some carrots, please?" Small scattering of carrot gratings. "Could you please give me some more carrots?" Very impatient people behind me now. And so on...

 

 

 

Maybe I'm too polite. Maybe I shouldn't care how impatient the people behind me in line are getting. Maybe I should have said loudly, "That's not enough carrots. Give me a LOT more!"

 

 

 

Is that what you're suggesting?

 

 

Too polite? Maybe. But definitely not "al dente" (literally "to the tooth" with the meaning being @firm but tender").

If I was the person behind you and agreed that there were too few "whatever's," I'd say "give me three (or eight) of what you gave him" and throw in a big xxxx-eating grin and a gigantic "thank you." I guarantee that server will not forget you for the rest of the cruise.

 

 

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[wally_bushy]

So here's how that went for me at the O buffet. "Please give me a little more." Two more radish slices. "Yeah, I think a little more." Another couple radish slices. People in line behind me getting impatient. "Could you give me some carrots, please?" Small scattering of carrot gratings. "Could you please give me some more carrots?" Very impatient people behind me now. And so on...

 

Maybe I'm too polite. Maybe I shouldn't care how impatient the people behind me in line are getting. Maybe I should have said loudly, "That's not enough carrots. Give me a LOT more!"

 

Is that what you're suggesting?

You are right about not worrying about the impatient people behind you.

Were they starving, in a hurry to go to a meeting etc. They are on holidays and were probably not as as agitated as you were.

The solution to your perception (real or otherwise) of impatient people behind you is not to condemn the staff or quality/quantity of food.

I am not one of the O cheerleaders (but do enjoy their product) but I think people should chill a bit and think about what a great life they have.:)

Edited January 28, 2015 by wally_bushy

[miketheExbaker]

Well, I made my decision. Even though I have been on Celebrity, and loved it, I have been wanting to try Oceania pretty badly. It's going to be a long wait though! Thanks again everyone for your input!