Opinions After Our First Oceania Cruise

[kitty9]

After sailing on nearly every line out there, including the luxury lines, and after becoming disenchanted with Celebrity, a line we cruised very often since 2001, we decided to embark on a new adventure and try Oceania, at the suggestion of a very wise friend, Carole, who loves this line. All I have to say is, we found a new cruising home.

 

The ship is extraordinary as is the service and food. How a line can offer such fantastic food in nearly all their venues would seem to be an impossible task, but it's not on Riviera. The selection, quality of ingredients and presentation of the food items are the best we've experienced. As I said in a previous thread, we always thought that the Murano-type restaurants on Celebrity were the best anywhere, but we were proven wrong. On X, there's not nearly the selection of items, nor has their previous standards of excellence been upheld for the past couple of years. I'm wondering, since we're new to Oceania, has anyone here experienced the cost cutting and general downgrading of the product as we've seen on Celebrity?

 

I've never seen a ship so immaculately clean. No matter where you went, there was always someone cleaning this or polishing that. The public restrooms were NEVER soiled or dirty in any way. You constantly saw two young ladies going in and out of those restrooms, day and night, making sure they were spotless. Our cabin stewardess, Natalia and her assistant were utterly amazing in keeping our suite spotless and you could tell they were proud of their work, which they should be. They were both very hard workers and we made sure the powers that be knew that.

 

We didn't dine in the Grand Dining Room because it was extremely difficult to find a table where my scooter could be accommodated without causing others problems. Once people are seated, there's really no space to maneuver the scooter, so we had breakfast there once and that was it. But, I have to add that this problem with accessibility is on EVERY line I've cruised, so it's not something unique to Oceania and it's not something that causes me to not want to cruise on them again.

 

We are enamored with Chez Jacques and Red Ginger as the food in both venues is unbelievable. I still can't understand how they can have such large menus and still provide top quality food. This is a testament to how great their chefs must be. We also loved the buffet for both lunch and dinner and Waves became our favorite casual dining venue (yum for the surf and turf sandwich and the far too delicious french fries).

 

Entertainment was good, but I think the basic evening shows on X are better. But the harpist and the magician were outstanding---honestly, I'm not one for either of that kind of entertainment, but they were both really, really good. Dottie is a good cruise director, but I wish there were more things like mental acuity games like Tribond and the like. Trivia was fun, but I would like to see different types of group games.

 

Not every cruise is perfect, and there were a couple of glitches that I wrote about previously. Because of the basic design of the ship, anyone who has severe mobility problems or anyone with a scooter or power wheelchair will find it impossible to leave the ship at most ports of call. The "easier" disembarking area on deck 4 is not at all accessible for scooters or power wheelchairs as the ramp is either too steep or there are stairs at the end of the ramp. Not only that, but because the doorway is cut out quite high on the hull, the ramp up to get to the main ramp is wayyyy too steep and chairs and scooters get caught up on the lip of the ramp. So, unless you can take a few steps and reboard the scooter or chair, getting off the ship will mean having to allow the gentlemen to physically carry you off the ship while they hoist your apparatus off to the dock.

 

The other bothersome part of the cruise was with the Reception Staff. I've not encountered a more rude, snobbish and unfriendly group of people on any line. I sat on deck five for a lot of time, waiting for my sister to return to the ship after going off at a port, so I saw first hand how unprofessional this group was. I felt so bad for some of the passengers and how poorly they were treated. One sweet lady went up to a gentleman behind the desk and asked him if he could help her sign up for a slot tournament or could tell her when she could sign up, since the casino was closed. It's an innocuous question, but the man just looked at her and said, "Does this look like the casino to you? How would I know how to sign up in there?". Another day, a woman came up and said that she needed help in the casino and that it wasn't going to be staffed until 1pm and it was only 10:45. The same man said he'd try and get someone. Well, 40 minutes later---I kept tract---the woman came back and said no one showed up and that she'd been waiting for more than 30 minutes. The man said "You weren't here 40 minutes ago. It's been less than 10" all while looking at his watch in order to prove his point. As she walked away, he rolled his eyes at her and made some comment to another person behind the desk and they laughed. I went to ask a question about disembarkation in Miami and a woman said that I just needed to read the disembarkation letter, which I did, and it didn't answer my particular question about accessible taxis in the port area. I explained that to her, but she said that's not part of her job. I went to the Concierge desk and told him about this experience and he apologized for their attitude. Oceania needs to better train and supervise their Reception staff and teach them about proper customer service.

 

So, to sum it up, we loved the overall Oceania experience, so much so that we're going back on March 3, 2016. That has to say something for Oceania and their product.

 

Oh, just a little side question----when did yoga pants and a t-shirt become appropriate attire for dinner in Jacques or Polo Grill? I'm sorry, but I don't think those wild print yoga pants are appropriate for any evening dinner plans in those venues, but they sure seem popular among the 75+ year olds on our cruise.

Edited February 3, 2016 by kitty9

[LHT28]

Thanks for your review

 

I am surprised they did not open up the section behind the podium for the GDR so you could get your scooter in there

The glass wall is a doorway & I have seen others get seated in there via the doors

 

too bad you could not enjoy the GDR ...maybe speak to the Maitre'D on the next cruise about finding you an accessible table

 

Enjoy your next cruise

 

Lyn

[RJB]

Good review. Enjoyed reading it very much. :):):)

[no fuss travel]

They were not wearing those yoga pants on the Riviera when I sailed on her in September. Maybe it was where you were sailing. I have seen several complaints about the way people dress while the ships are sailing in the Caribbean. Glad to see you enjoyed the cruise.

[RJB]

They were not wearing those yoga pants on the Riviera when I sailed on her in September. Maybe it was where you were sailing. I have seen several complaints about the way people dress while the ships are sailing in the Caribbean. Glad to see you enjoyed the cruise.

Let you when we get back in a few weeks. Hope we don't see that. People should have a little class no matter where they are cruising.

[no fuss travel]

Sadly, some people just don't have any class.:(

[Paulchili]

Thank you for taking the time for the review.

I am glad that you enjoyed your first O cruise.

To answer your question - fortunately I have not seen any changes in the food quality so far (nothing significant or constant, anyway). There might be slight changes in the number and training of new staff (sometimes).

I agree with your observation regarding the Reception staff. I too have often encountered bad attitude from some of them. Fortunately, it is the only area of service that this happens - although it should not happen anywhere.

[no fuss travel]

I agree about the reception staff as well. On one ship, there was only one person I would deal with as the others were :eek:. All the other staff were fantastic.

[cotto22]

I am glad you enjoyed your cruise, but I was disturbed by your comments regarding the attitude of the reception staff and a little grossed out by the thought of yoga pants in the MDR. There is no excuse for either.

[DaKa2002]

We also recently tried Oceania, the Marina. While the reception was a little cool, the rest of the crew, the ship, food, the activities - all were terrific. We also very much enjoyed the folks with whom we sailed: from many countries, diverse in age, background, and vast cruising experiences.

[CintiPam]

Thanks for your review

 

I am surprised they did not open up the section behind the podium for the GDR so you could get your scooter in there

The glass wall is a doorway & I have seen others get seated in there via the doors

 

too bad you could not enjoy the GDR ...maybe speak to the Maitre'D on the next cruise about finding you an accessible table

 

Enjoy your next cruise

 

Lyn

 

I too am very surprised that the MDR staff did not open these doors for you in the MDR. On previous Riviera cruises, I have seen this done several times for those with various types of mobility issues.

 

Happy to know you still enjoyed your cruise; we board in a week for our fourth Riviera cruise in three years; it is my spouse's favorite ship.:)

Edited February 4, 2016 by CintiPam

[hiccups]

I'm very surprised that any cruise line would tolerate that kind of behavior from any staff, but especially from reception--that's a passenger's first interaction on board! I'll definitely be aware of that now when we sail in March.

[zoncom]

Thanks for wonderful review. I was on Insignia WC for 71 days in Spring as solo. Often dined with a couple who had a scooter. She was beautifully treated; they may have removed a table so always plenty of room for her. Food so varied, never got bored with the dining.I am another old X cruiser. On last X cruise or two food quality declined. Itineries the same old, same old.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Recently returned from Valpo to Tahiti on Marina. Met a lot of O first timers who have jumped ship from Celebrity.

[harryw]

We are also expatriates of X. We started sailing with X in 1998, and stayed with them exclusively for about 13 years, during which there was an unrelenting decline - in food, service, and entertainment. Daily Teas originally had entire cakes and pies presented, then just slices, and a smaller variety to choose from...MDR selections were less enjoyable...even the salads were less inspired. Cabin stewards had occasional lapses...embarkation no longer included staff greeting each passenger with drinks and personally escorting guests to cabins.

 

At its peak, food on X was equal to O....but that is history.

We discovered O five years ago, and it is now our favorite line.

Red Ginger and Jacques are heaven on earth

(But the shows...X was better, even as they declined!)

 

 

Harry and Carol

[Mura]

Darcie,

 

I'm sorry you had difficulties with the scooter. I'm taking note of Lyn's comment about an area being available for a scooter in the GDR, but I'm also asking if you could switch to a wheelchair without a problem. I only ask because in 2005 I blew out my knee just before boarding and exacerbated the problem the second night on board. The waiters whisked in a wheelchair before I knew.

 

On that cruise I used the wheelchair to get to the dining rooms but once there I was able to switch to a regular chair. I'm just wondering if you would be able to switch to a smaller wheelchair for the meal or not. If not, then my comment is to be ignored! (I only mention this because a wheelchair is smaller than a scooter.)

 

However, my experience (when I twisted my already injured knee trying to squeeze into a tight dining space) was that the waiters were immediately presenting me with a wheelchair. Whenever I showed up in the wheelchair they asked me if I needed to stay in it. I didn't, but my guess is that they were prepared to make accommodations if I had to stay in the chair.

 

This was on Regatta in 2005.

 

Again, if you really cannot easily switch from one to the other, then you cannot.

 

Regarding the problems you observed with the Reception staff, I am surprised because (we've never been on Riviera but we've been on every other ship) I have never seen such behavior. DH *has* observed not primo treatment from Reception staff, and he's dealt with them more than I have. But he has not seen such awful things as YOU observed! Considering that you were observing many of these interactions, I don't doubt that you are reporting accurately.

 

These things SHOULD be reported to management.

 

Mura

[eroller]

Great review and thanks so much for sharing. Like you I've tried just about all the cruise lines from Carnival up to Silversea and most in between. I'll be taking my first Oceania cruise on the RIVIERA in March and can't wait. It will be so much fun to be a newbie again even though it's something like cruise #110! LOL

 

I am very sorry to hear about the reception/Purser's staff. That is unacceptable especially on a line such as Oceania. They are the face of the ship after all, and they need to be professional and courteous at all times. If they are not, then it's a problem that senior management on the ship is not addressing.

[fb0075]

We,too,are just off the Riveria and LOVED it!!! After a not very good cruise on REGATTA, we swore off O but wanted to try the larger vessel before our AZ end of this month--GLAD WE DID!

 

I am a lot more brazen than most folks and if I had seen that, I woud have called for the supervisor and told them how rude they were--

 

FRANK

[kitty9]

I am glad you enjoyed your cruise, but I was disturbed by your comments regarding the attitude of the reception staff and a little grossed out by the thought of yoga pants in the MDR. There is no excuse for either.

 

Seriously, yoga pants seemed to be the thing of the cruise with quite a few of the ladies. They're just fine for being at the pool or in Waves or the buffet, but certainly not Jacques or Red Ginger or the MDR especially when paired with just a plain t-shirt. Keep yoga pants for the gym or pool.

[JimandStan]

Seriously, yoga pants seemed to be the thing of the cruise with quite a few of the ladies. They're just fine for being at the pool or in Waves or the buffet, but certainly not Jacques or Red Ginger or the MDR especially when paired with just a plain t-shirt. Keep yoga pants for the gym or pool.

 

Apparently Yoga pants have not yet achieved the iconic fashion status which denim holds among the Oceania elite.

:cool:

[cotto22]

Apparently Yoga pants have not yet achieved the iconic fashion status which denim holds among the Oceania elite.

:cool:

Denim has a lot more going for it than yoga pants, in this woman's opinion. The sturdiness of the fabric is much more friendly to look at rather than yoga pants, which neither hides nor disguises what is underneath. Therefore yoga pants on less than a stellar figure might not be a pleasant sight in any dining area.

[LHT28]

Seriously, yoga pants seemed to be the thing of the cruise with quite a few of the ladies. They're just fine for being at the pool or in Waves or the buffet, but certainly not Jacques or Red Ginger or the MDR especially when paired with just a plain t-shirt. Keep yoga pants for the gym or pool.

I am shocked I have seen some shorts try to enter the GDR for dinner & get turned away

I am surprised they let women in the dining venues in this attire :eek:

[tgg]

When we sailed on the Riviera a few months ago, I was surprised to see what I thought was a glass wall swing open in the main dining room. It is a door, immediately to the left as you enter.

 

People using scooters and wheelchairs had no trouble accessing very comfortable tables right inside that glass door. (The tables in that area also tended to be less noisy:).)

Edited February 4, 2016 by tgg

[Iamthesea]

Let you when we get back in a few weeks. Hope we don't see that. People should have a little class no matter where they are cruising.

 

Thank you so much for the nice review. I am taking notes. :)

 

Entertainment - Stay away from the theater and hang out at reception.:rolleyes:

 

Dress - Leaving my dressy party slacks, sparkly tops and high heels at home.

 

Now bringing my newly acquired wardrobe of stretchy Jersey leggings and tunic tops that my adult daughters talked me into buying! :D Yes, they are very comfortable, but I wouldn't be caught dead wearing them in a nice dining venue at anytime, anywhere!

 

I was really surprised when you said the offenders were 75+. I had visions of 20-40 year olds wearing these outfits. They wear the leggings/yoga pants to the grocery store, the doctor's office, lunch with the girls, etc., so why not a night out on the town? My daughters (30's) wear the leggings and yoga pants all over town, but even they know what appropriate attire is when dining out in the evenings.

[ctjon]

When you say you've traveled on all the luxury lines - have you done Crystal or Seabourn or Silversea and if so how would you compare to those lines?

Thanks