We're Onboard Sirena, What Do You Want to Know?

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

As much as I love Jacques, I wasn't expecting a completely Jacques menu for lunch in the GDR and I agree that a compromise would have been in order. Have several Jacques-type dishes available but not ONLY those.

 

Oh well, no one asked me.

 

Mura

 

I'm thrilled.....this just suits me fine 😂

 

I'm not a big fan of Red Ginger; I find it pleasant enough but it's still a little bland even when spiced up.

 

I am concerned about Tuscan Steak though; the menu looks like it's somewhere between an arranged marriage and a car crash, and I can see this concept being tweaked.

[Issyalex]

Just posted a few more (standard veranda cabin, balcony, and shots from our dinner at Red Ginger).

 

I am troubled to hear that some cannot access Cruise Critic's Facebook photos. Not sure how else to suggest you look at them except by going to our facebook page (CruiseCritic) and scrolling down a bit if other stuff's on top. Anyone more tech savvy than me have a better suggestion?

 

Carolyn

 

I found it! :D FB kept redirecting me to FBCCUK but eventually I managed to get there.

 

From your photos and the link I posted Sirena looks very similar to Azamara ships.

[Issyalex]

Hi,

Ive a question, well two.......................Is there a Hand held hair drier in the cabin or is it the rubbish wall mounted one in the bathroom?

 

Also how good is the shampoo and conditioner? I usually take my own as I have fine hair that tangles easily, but was wondering if I need to this time.

 

Thanks in advance. X

Edited May 1, 2016 by Issyalex

[LHT28]

We saw one new show, Tuxedo, which was an amalgamation of torch songs from various eras. There's still the seven piece band and troupe of dancers and singers. There's another new show tonight called Acoustics. Last night, the entertainment was simple -- and extremely beautiful (okay call me a geek) but it was a Spanish flautist playing classical music. I loved it :)

 

The night before was a classical guitarist, and yes, you're gonna guess this: I loved it!

 

The shows are getting good attendance and it's a nice theater with no pesky support poles blocking your view.

 

Carolyn

 

Thanks

We did see Tuxedo on our Apr 2nd cruise on Regatta cannot recall the other shows

Yes we prefer the classical music performers as well

They used to have some good ones on previous cruise but then wentin another direction for entertainment

Glad to see they are bringing some of the classical music back

[LHT28]

From your photos and the link I posted Sirena looks very similar to Azamara ships.

I wonder why :D

[LHT28]

Hi,

Ive a question, well two.......................Is there a Hand held hair drier in the cabin or is it the rubbish wall mounted one in the bathroom?

 

Also how good is the shampoo and conditioner? I usually take my own as I have fine hair that tangles easily, but was wondering if I need to this time.

 

Thanks in advance. X

all Oceania ships have the hand held dryers

They use Bulgari products in the showers

it was fine for my hair

I have fine hair

 

YMMV

Edited May 1, 2016 by LHT28

[Mura]

I found it! :D FB kept redirecting me to FBCCUK but eventually I managed to get there.

 

From your photos and the link I posted Sirena looks very similar to Azamara ships.

 

Well since the Azamara ships were originally with Renaissance, as were Sirena, Regatta, Insignia and Nautica (hence the term "R" ships), there's a good reason for that.

 

Mura

[newbie60]

A friend is on board Sirena right now and says that the laundries take quarters, not tokens. And reception ran out of quarters very quickly. Think this will continue?? At 8 quarters per load ($2), that's a lot of quarters to bring!

[Paulchili]

A friend is on board Sirena right now and says that the laundries take quarters, not tokens. And reception ran out of quarters very quickly. Think this will continue?? At 8 quarters per load ($2), that's a lot of quarters to bring!

 

:confused:

I would think it would be pretty easy for the reception to just empty the coin boxes to get the quarters back and return them into circulation (until they can get more quarters from somewhere in US)? :D

[Floridiana]

all Oceania ships have the hand held dryers

 

YMMV

 

I've just noticed that a new photo of the Sirena shows a hair dryer attached to the wall. I hope it's not one of those weak things.

[LHT28]

I've just noticed that a new photo of the Sirena shows a hair dryer attached to the wall. I hope it's not one of those weak things.

 

Those wall mounted ones are good to just blow the hair around they are not weak but no control on them :D

Good for drying your shirt when you need to clean up a stain ;)

 

I use that one to dry my hair a bit then use the hand held to finish the job

My hair takes forever to dry ;)

[Hawaiidan]

We are thinking of the 31 day cruise from Los Angeles to Rome aboard the Sirena. From my signature you can see that I have sailed mostly on Princess ships, the smallest being the Pacific Princess 20 years ago.

 

w

Since the Staterooms are the same do past Oceania cruisers think it is worth it to upgrade to the Concierge Stateroom. On a smaller ship is it more stable being on a lower deck nearer the water. Also will a transatlantic be 'rougher' an a this smaller ship than say the Celebrity Constellation that I crossed on.

 

Also anyone know what the limitations (# times) are for eating in the Specialty Restaurants on a 31 day cruise.

 

Thanks for any help. The perks are so good I really hate to pass up this opportunity but it would be our most expensive cruise so I want to be sure it is right for us.

 

 

Your Princess experience will allow you to really get blown away by your Sirena experience and most probably, like me, get totally hooked on anything Oceania

 

No, An R class ship will be just fine... when these ships were designed they were designed as world cruisers. Their stability is excellent..they are not small little ships they are smaller in passengers but not in beam much and have comparable centers of gravity. Crossing the gulf and Atlantic current as you leave Miami and the Continental shelf is a bit rocky, however you will be going with the flow of the gulf stream...which is ideal.

 

Now for sheer convenience, comfort and access to everything I suggest...strange enough to get an inside on 7 or 8 deck... 7043 is just about perfect as your in a perfect position to zip anywhere and just as comfy as a penthouse... which is 2 x as large but also 2x the price. For ocean crossing and many sea days there is no view....so why pay for one.

 

I either go with a penthouse or an inside... the veranda cabins are the same size as the insides. Concierge cabins serve only to please the ego in my opinion.

 

 

Now here is the good thing....there are NO limits to the specialty dining...While you only get ...2 ADVANCED reservations ... for each, venue, you can ,on board ,book for as many as you want with no limits if a table is available.

I have been on several cruises of 28-34 days and never had any problem getting more. LOTS MORE.. as long as your flexible and are willing to share you can book daily if their is space at 0930. Too, the main dining room and Terrace cafe are unlike anything Princess offers... and you may just fall in love with their up scale, open seating .... I mean having Grilled Lobster with a prime Rib, smoked forest mushrooms and Escargot en croute is not your typical buffet...

 

A useful fact is that Terrace cafe frequently has many of the menu items from Polo, Red Ginger .and Jacques... You can thus dine with the best from each specialty that you pick.

 

Finally, when you add up all the costs door to door, I think you will find the actually cost is cheaper than Princess or Celebrity, Princess for sure. You will be surprised. You pay up front which may seem expensive but you wont bleed nickel and dimes daily, which I found, in reality to come to much less than the mass market lines........you will be very very surprised.

 

Welcome to the best cruise experience of your life....

Edited May 1, 2016 by Hawaiidan

[TERRIER1]

A friend is on board Sirena right now and says that the laundries take quarters, not tokens. And reception ran out of quarters very quickly. Think this will continue?? At 8 quarters per load ($2), that's a lot of quarters to bring!

 

Reception has replenished the quarters. However, the detergent is not yet hooked up to automatically dispense. You need to add powdered detergent and have to ask for it.

[TERRIER1]

I've just noticed that a new photo of the Sirena shows a hair dryer attached to the wall. I hope it's not one of those weak things.

 

The old hair dryers are still attached to the wall. The night light is plugged into it. There is a hand held dryer in the drawer. I noticed that after using the dryer the prongs are very hot so do not touch them. Also, there is no separate shower gel and shampoo. It is combined. We are in b class so maybe it is different than in other classes. There is also no selection of ice cream at Waves. You only have a choice of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The ice case is empty. Since the Terrace Cafe closes at two there is slim pickings.

[bitob]

It's the maiden voyage. I'm sure there are tweaks to come. No doubt there will be more ice cream choices, tokens rather than quarters and the detergent will be hooked up. There are bound to be small issues on the first sailing

[aquidneck1]

Oh no, combined shampoo and body wash. It's amazing what bothers some and not others. I need a bar of soap and a real shampoo and conditioner. Its a long way to have to travel with all of that.

[ccbee]

Thank you Hawaiidan and others who responded to my post. Oceania sounds fabulous. I will be booking my cruise today and we are very excited.

[ORV]

Oh no, combined shampoo and body wash. It's amazing what bothers some and not others. I need a bar of soap and a real shampoo and conditioner. Its a long way to have to travel with all of that.

 

I'll bet you have soap. The combined gel/shampoo is dependent on category. I'm not sure where it changes, maybe CC, maybe PH, but in the upper rooms you get separate bottles.

[ORV]

Reception has replenished the quarters. However, the detergent is not yet hooked up to automatically dispense. You need to add powdered detergent and have to ask for it.

 

Maybe the Purser read Paul's post above and thought, "that makes sense, why didn't I think of that before. "

[LHT28]

Oh no, combined shampoo and body wash. It's amazing what bothers some and not others. I need a bar of soap and a real shampoo and conditioner. Its a long way to have to travel with all of that.

You also get bar soap for the shower... at least we did on Regatta last month

we also had shampoo/body wash combo then creme conditioner & body lotion this was for Concierge

Edited May 1, 2016 by LHT28

[Pet Nit Noy]

Oh no, combined shampoo and body wash. It's amazing what bothers some and not others. I need a bar of soap and a real shampoo and conditioner. Its a long way to have to travel with all of that.

 

There's often a difference between what is routinely used to stock hotel rooms and staterooms on a cruise ship and what is available to people who ask. If you're willing to be a somewhat adventuresome or, at least, cope with a less-than-perfect situation for a few days, consider traveling without "all that."

 

Will you be arriving at your embarkation port at least the day before your cruise begins? That gives you a chance to buy a bottle of "all that" before getting on the ship.

 

Will you be starting from a foreign port? Consider sharing that information with us so we can recommend a place to buy American brands or some appealing European products. (My foreign language vocabulary grows every time I shop in a foreign store!)

 

Finally, how long will you be on your trip? There's certainly no need to pack a full-sized bottle/tube of your preferred products unless you're going on a super-long cruise. Do an experiment at home to find out how much you'll need to do you hair/wash yourself in your preferred style. Fill a 2 ounce travel bottle (or 3 ounce if you can find them) with you favorit brands and study how long that amount lasts with regular use. With my shorter hair, I can make 2 ounces of shampoo last almost three weeks, even shampooing daily. Just figure out what you'll need and take small bottles to total that amount. Those small bottles will tuck in better than one large bottle.

[aquidneck1]

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions. We will be cruising from Tahiti in an ocean view room. I will take a small soap and shampoo and if I am desperate will buy some nice french products on one of the islands. It will not spoil my trip by any means.

[su-arizona]

Sadly, I have spent enough time in Oceania laundries to have a couple tips. I will bring a baggie with several Tide pods and a bunch of fabric softener sheets when I sail on Sirena this summer. Much nicer than the detergent provided in the laundry.

[ORV]

Sadly, I have spent enough time in Oceania laundries to have a couple tips. I will bring a baggie with several Tide pods and a bunch of fabric softener sheets when I sail on Sirena this summer. Much nicer than the detergent provided in the laundry.

 

Using your own detergent may not be the best idea, even though you may not like the provided stuff. I believe I've read here that the detergent is formulated for the machines and disposal. You might ask engineering if it's okay with them.

[Hawaiidan]

Using your own detergent may not be the best idea, even though you may not like the provided stuff. I believe I've read here that the detergent is formulated for the machines and disposal. You might ask engineering if it's okay with them.

 

The detergent supplied on board is a biodegradable special use and is REQUIRED to be provided and used. THe stuff at home is not and can be nasty to the ocean.

 

Its part of maritime pollution control laws and using your own, is harmful to the ships waste water and worse harmful to the ocean.... It causes a lot of bad things from fish death to alge blooms..... If found to be discharging detergents the ship can be fined...and as they say heat rises and water runs down hill......to you There is an environmental control officer on each cruise...you dont want to have him visit you.

 

Please leave the "Tide" at home to protect the tides..... be a good steward of the sea...