Happy Hour on Regatta and other feedback

[travelwide]

I am reaching out to the Oceania community as we do not sail on this line but are considering an April cruise.

 

Somewhere I read that each day during certain hours the ship has drink happy hour with reduced drink prices. Does anyone know how this works, i.e. hours, prices, any drink or special drinks?? Has anyone tried purchasing a bottle of liquor on board the ship??

 

Also, my neighbors cousin took a holiday cruise and they travel on O fairly often. They did not think the cruise line was up to its previous standards. Would like any feedback you may have regarding recent cruises on O. Changes are very fluid on cruise lines so I would like some recent feedback.

 

Thank you in advance for all of your help and education.

[potterhill]

We spent 25 days on Marina in Nov and everything was great, except for the internet. It was given as a freebie to entice bookings and was not able to handle the amount of traffic.

 

Happy hours in the past was 5-6. On our cruise it was also late evening, I think starting at 10:30. Likely someone will be along who remembers.

 

The drink of the day is excluded as are malt scotches and perhaps a few other high end drinks. Otherwise anything goes. It is in Martinis and Horizons, never at the pool bar. It is 2 for one and both drinks are the same. So no one red wine, one white wine etc.

 

We have only ever sailed "O" and like it very much. I would not say all cruises are equal however. On a couple of ours the food was not as good as we had come to expect, but was still more than adequate. Depends on the chef and where they source the provisions. In the Far East I believe it is difficult to get good beef. We were talking with the officer who buys the food on our West Africa cruise and they bought a lot in the street markets in Senegal and other stops. Some fantastic oversize passion fruit, the likes we had never seen before (and DD lives in Africa) He said the bill that day was HUGE.

 

Try it, you just might fall in love....I know we did and our daughter can't wait to go on another cruise with her husband.

 

Mo

[hypercafe]

They have a two for one drink price around 5 to 6 in a couple of bars. Check the daily program for the exact details when first boarding. There is no store onboard selling liquor by the bottle. Get it onshore, you can bring it on.

[LHT28]

It may depend on the ship they were on seems Riviera had some issues in the fall

 

Marina in May was just like the old days great food & service

 

Happy Hour as reported is 5-6 pm most drinks included some exceptions apply I read they have added another HH from 10:30 -11:30 pm to entice people to stay up later :D

 

All you can do is give O a try & see if it ticks your boxes

 

JMO

 

You can take bottles of spirits onboard for use in your cabin only

Wine you can take to the dining venues but will pay a corkage fee or just enjoy in your cabin

Edited January 7, 2016 by LHT28

[Hawaiidan]

Ok happy hour is 5-6 and some times 9-10 as well

 

While you can buy a bottle it would be about $250/ ! because its bar pour

 

But my friend why buy a bottle when you can bring on board any amount of spirits you choose....beer wine, too !!! This is not a nickel dime pocket mine like many are used to.. No limit , bring a friggen case if you so desire. but drink it in the cabin is all that is asked.

 

You can also for $59 a day choose un limited drinks package for everything but single malt and topbrandys, However wine by the glass from a fixed list. Unlike some drink packages where you can only get a single on Oceania ask for a double...heck even a tripple they wont care.

As I say its not an el cheapo floating shopping mall .

 

Got off Regatta a few months ago.... and theirs nothing wrong with it.. Staff super, food flat out excellent ( this comes from a a guy that likes the French Laundry) Service, variety, ambiance all just great.

 

Entertainment is not stressed... you wont find any glitz shows, or lavish productions.... everything is low key. Dining and conversation are the principal entertainment with other low key well mannered and well traveled folks about 650 not 5000 ! Its like a private club or country hotel... smooth and serene, classy and quiet....few if any rug rats

 

Your friends may be wound a bit too tight or trying to sound like they are used to the ultimate quality and Oceania might be slipping in their supreme opinion. Lets put it this way I have been sailing for 30 years and no other line so well meets the standards of Oceania .... Been on most all the others....Nothing close to O...

[sammiedawg]

We were just on Regatta mid December for ten days, I absolutely loved that ship even more than I did the first time a few years ago. The ship is absolutely beautiful and in pristine condition, as are all the O ships. We throrougly enjoyed the food offerings in all the venues. The quality of food and the astonishing variety exceeds anything offered by other lines we have sailed.

Have our Oceania cruises been perfect? Of course not.

From years of reading this board I've noticed cruisers who drill down the quality of every food item or service interaction don't enjoy themselves as much. We don't expect perfection and neither should you. I can say we've tried many ocean and river cruise lines and Oceania is the best one for us.

 

Happy hour on this line is the very best. Buy two of anything and one is free. You have to purchase the exact same drink or wine.

Edited January 7, 2016 by sammiedawg

[wally_bushy]

As stated you can bring alcohol aboard.

If you would like to arrange to have a bottle (or two) check out the bon voyage gift list at the bottom of the Oceania website.

It shows the prices so there are no surprises.

[fred 15]

We were just on Regatta mid December for ten days, I absolutely loved that ship even more than I did the first time a few years ago. The ship is absolutely beautiful and in pristine condition, as are all the O ships. We throrougly enjoyed the food offerings in all the venues. The quality of food and the astonishing variety exceeds anything offered by other lines we have sailed.

Have our Oceania cruises been perfect? Of course not.

From years of reading this board I've noticed cruisers who drill down the quality of every food item or service interaction don't enjoy themselves as much. We don't expect perfection and neither should you. I can say we've tried many ocean and river cruise lines and Oceania is the best one for us.

 

Happy hour on this line is the very best. Buy two of anything and one is free. You have to purchase the exact same drink or wine.

 

I was on that trip too. Loved the food, the staff and the Captain. Even went to a few lectures... not bad. Julie and trivia also great.

[travelwide]

According to a rep at O, only three bottles of wine are allowed to be brought on board. Do they not enforce that at the pier??

[PaulMCO]

According to a rep at O, only three bottles of wine are allowed to be brought on board. Do they not enforce that at the pier??

 

They do not.

[travelwide]

Good to know that!! Thank you for your reply.