Seabourn vs. Oceania

[Winner]

Sure did :)

But to be fair he actually thought he was doing the correct thing for us by sending us to those Russian ports

 

If one was to look at the 2 different cruises it is very easy to see which cruise would be better for a first time cruise to Norway

Our cruise was called the Great Northern Lights which one was never going to see the Northern Lights as it was daylight for nearly 24 hours a day but at least we knew that before we left :)

 

Why would any cruise line advertise a cruise as "Great Northern Lights" in the summer? I think you need a new TA.

[Thecat123]

Why would any cruise line advertise a cruise as "Great Northern Lights" in the summer? I think you need a new TA.

 

Maybe it was Oceania who called the cruise "Great Northern Lights" not our TA :)

But that wasn't our main concern as we would have rather seen more fjords

Edited August 31, 2015 by Thecat123

[Emperor Norton]

My husband and I are are trying to decide about a cruise that goes from Copenhagen north to the Arctic Circle visiting the fjords. Is Seabourn worth the luxury price tag if Oceania can give us a similar cruise for half the cost?

 

Having done a few cruises on both lines the short answer is: You'd have to pay me to go on Oceania.

 

The food was imo over hyped, the kitchen staff (outside of La Reserve) bordered on incompetent, the desk staff rude, the dining staff slow to glacial (ditto the wine stewards). Fellow passengers suffered from big fish in small pond syndrome and were nasty to anyone they felt beneath them, and were vindictive towards staff that wouldn't take bribes. Shore excursions were over priced - but they at least offered a few capacity controlled ones. Even having purchased the beverage package, having to keep pulling out the card got annoying (4 different bartenders/servers over the course of a single trivia game??).

[Winner]

Having done a few cruises on both lines the short answer is: You'd have to pay me to go on Oceania.

 

The food was imo over hyped, the kitchen staff (outside of La Reserve) bordered on incompetent, the desk staff rude, the dining staff slow to glacial (ditto the wine stewards). Fellow passengers suffered from big fish in small pond syndrome and were nasty to anyone they felt beneath them, and were vindictive towards staff that wouldn't take bribes. Shore excursions were over priced - but they at least offered a few capacity controlled ones. Even having purchased the beverage package, having to keep pulling out the card got annoying (4 different bartenders/servers over the course of a single trivia game??).

 

did you do more than one cruise if you were so unhappy with Oceania?

[Emperor Norton]

b2bs. Sadly they wont refund subsequent cruises if the first shows serious flaws in the product.

[wripro]

Something very important to think about when considering Oceania now is that they have taken to reducing port times (later arrivals and earlier departures) AFTER final payment when one can no longer cancel without incurring high fees. This is a blatant cost cutting measure and for those to whom time in port is important it's a deal breaker imo.

[notjaded]

I am new to Cruise Critic but I am noticing many members are critical and nasty toward each other's post. Why is this?

 

Great observation and question! :)

 

But, please do not overlook the fact that there are many very helpful people on CC who will go out of their way to give good advice.

Edited September 16, 2015 by notjaded

[SunnyMoonRust]

Oceania is not half the price unless you sail in one of their tiny cabins. If you want anything comparable to the space you get on Seabourn you need to book a penthouse. That will cost you approximately the same as Seabourn and your drinks won't be included. Sometimes they include gratuities but not always. You have to compare the final cost, not just the original fares.

 

Very good point. I had not considered the cabin size when comparing Seabourn to Oceania. It seems like Seabourn is more consistently upscale while Oceania has more variation in its cabin categories in order to attract a more diverse clientele. Oceania still has inside cabins! As a young person, I once stayed in an inside cabin and was so claustrophobic. I can't imagine ever doing that again!

[SunnyMoonRust]

Great observation and question! :)

 

But, please do not overlook the fact that there are many very helpful people on CC who will go out of their way to give good advice.

 

Yes, I agree. That's why I am branching out of the first thread I participated in and considering trying out Seabourn next. The people on the Windstar thread were very judgmental of the OP. Seemed unfair to judge the OP on her mistake. Rather, I took pity on her. Then they started accusing me of weird things. Both my neighbor and I posted on that thread since we were on the same cruise and they started accusing us of being suspicious. My neighbor and I shared the same opinions about the Star Breeze's condition as we were both experienced Windstar cruisers and noticed the decline in quality on Star Breeze. We also both shared our compassion for the OP and expressed that so then we got attacked. It was both of our first experience on Cruise Critic and we were shocked at how rudely people can treat each other. I have heard about the concept of "trolls" but never experienced it until now. Wikipedia defines it as follows: "In Internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion, often for their own amusement." I think there are many trolls on Cruise Critic, unfortunately. But you are right, there are many kind and helpful people on Cruise Critic. I am finding the Seabourn threads much more helpful and respectful so far. Hopefully, that is reflective of the type of guest Seabourn attracts. My neighbor and I were already saying we will not be sailing Windstar anymore and after getting attacked by Windstar guests on Cruise Critic, I feel even more sad about the demise of Windstar.

[wripro]

Since you are new to CC let me point out to you that you will find this kind of attitude by some people on most boards. That is because these people are so connected to their preferred cruise line that they take any criticism as personal, like a knife to the heart or a critique of their grandchildren's piano recital. Don't pay any attention to such fervent attacks. Ignore them and listen to the helpful people who are happy to share their experiences.

[Emperor Norton]

Sometimes people disagree because they have different likes or dislikes. Sometimes people disagree because something got lost in translation. Sometimes people disagree because they want people to stop liking what they don't like. Other times people disagree because they want people to stop disliking what they like. If you peruse the Oceania forums for example you'll find a good chunk of their regulars are of the "stop disliking what I like" group and are more than happy to attack and dogpile anyone who feels different.

 

Normally I've found there's a disconnect between CC and the people you meet on the ship. Sadly for Oceania that wasn't the case.

[SunnyMoonRust]

Thank you Emperor Norton and WriPro. I keep getting sucked in by the people who are personally attacking me on the Windstar threads. I think I will stop trying to defend my comments. I thought the purpose of Cruise Critic is to share the good and the bad about the cruise experience and I still see many positives with Windstar. It's just not quite as good as it has been in years past. The feedback in general for Windstar now is more mixed and my recent cruise experience was mixed so that's why I am researching other brands and why I was motivated to join CC. I want to know more about what I am purchasing before I choose another cruise. I appreciate the helpful support so far on the Seabourn board.

Edited September 16, 2015 by SunnyMoonRust

[6rugrats]

Thank you Emperor Norton and WriPro. I keep getting sucked in by the people who are personally attacking me on the Windstar threads. I think I will stop trying to defend my comments. I thought the purpose of Cruise Critic is to share the good and the bad about the cruise experience and I still see many positives with Windstar. It's just not quite as good as it has been in years past. The feedback in general for Windstar now is more mixed and my recent cruise experience was mixed so that's why I am researching other brands and why I was motivated to join CC. I want to know more about what I am purchasing before I choose another cruise. I appreciate the helpful support so far on the Seabourn board.

 

No one attacked you on the Windstar boards. They simply responded to the OP's main complaint on that thread, which stated she was angry because she drank too much alcohol and spent too much money at a store, and she blamed Windstar staff because they couldn't get her money back.

[Emperor Norton]

No one attacked you on the Windstar boards. They simply responded to the OP's main complaint on that thread, which stated she was angry because she drank too much alcohol and spent too much money at a store, and she blamed Windstar staff because they couldn't get her money back.

:confused: Did you follow someone cross forum for this?

[JVNYC]

Good day all. I just booked my first Seabourn cruise on Odyssey for May, 2017 (long way off I know) and I'm very excited.

 

I am a frequent cruiser on Oceania's Riviera/Marina "O" class ships and I am a big fan of their Terrace Café (buffet) for lunch and dinner. They have a fantastic variety of choices. I know there are a few members on here that also are fans of Terrace Cafe. My question is how does the Colonnade compare with Terrace Cafe? Is it comparable or even better? I haven't seen many photos online of Colonnade and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

Thank you!

[Emperor Norton]

Colonnade photos should be up in Feb or so 2016 ;)

[JVNYC]

Colonnade photos should be up in Feb or so 2016 ;)

 

Thanks for the info! I'm also hoping to hear a comparison of the Colonnade vs Terrace Cafe. The Terrace Cafe's variety is like nothing I've seen before....so many choices. I haven't heard much about Colonnade and haven't seen many Google search photos of their offerings.

[wripro]

JVNYC,

 

The Colonnade at night is not self serve like the Terrace Cafe on Oceania. They have different menus every night and you will be served by waiters. It's much more elegant than the Terrace Cafe. Every once in a while they'll do an Italian night or some other theme where there's a buffet. I do like the Terrace Cafe on Oceania but prefer the Colonnade. You'll have to decide which you prefer.

[JVNYC]

JVNYC,

 

The Colonnade at night is not self serve like the Terrace Cafe on Oceania. They have different menus every night and you will be served by waiters. It's much more elegant than the Terrace Cafe. Every once in a while they'll do an Italian night or some other theme where there's a buffet. I do like the Terrace Cafe on Oceania but prefer the Colonnade. You'll have to decide which you prefer.

 

Thank you wripro!

 

The dinner in Colonnade sounds great. Would you say the Colonnade lunch buffet is comparable with Terrace Café?

 

Joe

[wripro]

Absolutely. You will not be disappointed.

[katiestan1]

On our two Oceania cruises, we were served at the buffet. You could not take a serving spoon and get your own. I really liked that fact and we enjoyed sitting outside as well. We have been on two Seabourn cruises and have another one coming up next month. We've met nice people on both lines. Yes, the regular cabins are quite a bit smaller than Seabourn. I think I am a fairly picky person and thought everything was fine on Oceania. We do love Seabourn but Oceania did a great job as well.

[Silver Sweethearts]

Thanks for the info! I'm also hoping to hear a comparison of the Colonnade vs Terrace Cafe. The Terrace Cafe's variety is like nothing I've seen before....so many choices. I haven't heard much about Colonnade and haven't seen many Google search photos of their offerings.

 

Do remember though that Oceania's Marina and Riviera hold 1.250 passengers each. The Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest hold only 450 passengers each. That dictates a much larger dining area and array of food on the O ships, so it is difficult to accurately compare the venues.

[Emperor Norton]

If only Seabourntraveller was here to chime in.:eek:

[Nigella]

If only Seabourntraveller was here to chime in.:eek:

 

:D

I was thinking about him when I went into Seabourn Square the other morning and wondered if I mentioned him here if the SB board would go into meltdown!

[Fleuve51]

We are on the quest now and I was hoping to say WOW- this is great but I am saying WOW- disappointing!

Having done 8 Oceania cruises and over 100 other cruises- the food on the quest is a let down.

Embarkation in the terminal- nothing! No water/ coffee / cookies

Dinner the first night- no flowers in the table-

Within minutes of getting the menus we are asked to order.

Haven't had a chance to greet our table mates.

Good lukewarm and bland.

Second dinner- rushed again to get out order.

We asked that the food be hot.

The consommé again lukewarm!

It was sent back.

It then took 1.5 hours to get our main course. It was hot at least.

Unacceptable!

Our table mates who had cruised once with seabourn said that this trip was a big let down from the previous.

We are meeting with the hotel director today- hope things improve!

Don't think we will sail on seabourn again.

Oceania is much better in our opinion