Is Oceania quality slipping?

[bitob]

I have yet to see as much as a scratch on any woodwork or cabinetry anywhere on Sirena.

 

The fine, rich dark wood is a signature feature of R ships. Why in the world would they change it out?

 

The only thing I noted cabinet wise is in the library. The glass doors are off the book stacks.

 

 

Perhaps Princess did not maintain the cabinetry to Oceania's standards. I am confident any cosmetic deficiencies will be remedied over time

 

 

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[LHT28]

The only thing I noted cabinet wise is in the library. The glass doors are off the book stacks.

Maybe they are out for repair ??

sometimes you may not notice work being done but it is ongoing :D

[Classiccruiser777]

Based on two Regatta cruises, last year and one this year, no, the quality isn't slipping. I find this refreshing since I think it has slipped greatly on HAL and a bit on Cunard.

Edited October 2, 2016 by Classiccruiser777
Typo

[TERRIER1]

I was on the inaugural and expected hiccups. The main areas were refurbished as well as the PH suites. I was in a B4 cabin and the soft goods were all new but the hardware and bathroom was in disrepair. The ice cream freezer was broken and so were some of the machines in the laundry room. These items are still broken and the lower cabins will probably not be updated until drydock if then. We love the R ships but Sirena is not as updated as the others. Unless the itinerary was really great I would not sail on Sirena until after her drydock. For the money paid, I didn't care for broken furniture, marred cabinets and a really dated and scratched up bathroom. I also don't think it is big expense or deal to replace or fix the ice cream freezer. They told us it would be replaced in 2 weeks and it is now 6 months and is still broken. Minor point but speaks to the status of repair or updates of the other lower cabins. By the way, we had great service and good food but then again FDR and the Pepins were on board.

Edited October 2, 2016 by TERRIER1

[LHT28]

The ice cream freezer was broken and so were some of the machines in the laundry room. These items are still broken

Are you on the ship now ?

No ice cream for the cruises OMG :eek:

I would die without my ice cream hit

 

Surely they have more than 1 ice cream freezer like on the other ships

[pinotlover]

While I believe that service quality is still high, I do believe it has slipped. Sometime after the NCL buyout, don't know exact timing, it was reported that the number of room stewards was decreased thereby increasing the number of rooms the existing room stewards were responsible for. I believe this happened with PH suites and the number of butlers also, but am not sure. On early cruises, we saw our steward and head steward most every day. On our last Marina cruise we only saw our room steward occasionally and never, on the entire 16 day cruise, did we meet the head steward for our concierge room.

 

Before, if a problems occurred, you just reported it to your steward. With the changes, you called it in. Typically, it got taken care of, but not always. The room steward was typically in the dark, and never knew the situations existed under the new approach, if the problem did not affect him/her directly.

 

I was asked on the Bob Binder thread what changes I thought FDR had made that Binder can't affect. I believe this obvious cost cutting move by FDR, after the buyout, is one of those.

[TERRIER1]

Are you on the ship now ?

No ice cream for the cruises OMG :eek:

I would die without my ice cream hit

 

Surely they have more than 1 ice cream freezer like on the other ships

 

There was only one in the Terrace Cafe. The one at Waves was broken. A recent review stated that the freezer is still broken as well as the laundry machines. If someone is on the ship now I would love to hear that the freezer and machines have been fixed.

Edited October 2, 2016 by TERRIER1

[LHT28]

On our last Marina cruise we only saw our room steward occasionally and never, on the entire 16 day cruise, did we meet the head steward for our concierge room.

 

On our last Regatta cruise (April) we saw both housekeeping staff daily sometimes 3-4 times

we however were not in a PH

We have been on O cruise where we did not see the housekeeping staff daily but somehow they managed to clean the room while we went to Breakfast & dinner ;)

 

On a HAL cruise in Nov we saw our room steward twice during the whole week & our room was not made up until 2 pm or later most days

Edited October 2, 2016 by LHT28

[LHT28]

There was only one in the Terrace Cafe. The one at Waves was broken. A recent review stated that the freezer is still broken as well as the laundry machines. If someone is on the ship now I would love to hear that the freezer and machines have been fixed.

Well hopefully someone will post an updated report

I did see that review from August sailing

[sammiedawg]

I'm on Sirena now. This is the first I have heard about no ice cream freezer. Ice cream is available in waves and the terrace grill. The freezer units look the same..

There are six washers and six dryers. I used them once and all were in use except one dryer had a sign on it saying "maintenance in progress". So I'm not sure what the reviewer was talking about.

We've had no issues.

[LHT28]

I'm on Sirena now. This is the first I have heard about no ice cream freezer. Ice cream is available in waves and the terrace grill. The freezer units look the same..

There are six washers and six dryers. I used them once and all were in use except one dryer had a sign on it saying "maintenance in progress". So I'm not sure what the reviewer was talking about.

We've had no issues.

 

Thanks for the updated information

[TERRIER1]

I'm on Sirena now. This is the first I have heard about no ice cream freezer. Ice cream is available in waves and the terrace grill. The freezer units look the same..

There are six washers and six dryers. I used them once and all were in use except one dryer had a sign on it saying "maintenance in progress". So I'm not sure what the reviewer was talking about.

We've had no issues.

 

Thanks for the update. We had two machines with signs maintenance in progress. The freezer at Waves only had 3 flavors since it was a makeshift unit. The one at Terrace Cafe was the normal freezer holding 6 flavors aND sorbet.

[Paulchili]

Thanks for the update. We had two machines with signs maintenance in progress. The freezer at Waves only had 3 flavors since it was a makeshift unit. The one at Terrace Cafe was the normal freezer holding 6 flavors aND sorbet.

 

New math -

9 ice cream flavors + 1 sorbet = first world problems :)

[bitob]

We will try to solve when we are on Sirena

 

 

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[TERRIER1]

New math -

9 ice cream flavors + 1 sorbet = first world problems :)

 

LOL. My husband really looks forward to those malteds with the homemade ice cream in a choice of flavors after we get back on ship and Terrace is closed. Vanilla chocolate and strawberry only at Waves after 2pm didn't cut it.

[bitob]

LOL. My husband really looks forward to those malteds with the homemade ice cream in a choice of flavors after we get back on ship and Terrace is closed. Vanilla chocolate and strawberry only at Waves after 2pm didn't cut it.

 

 

I now give you a reason to book a suite. One of the things we ask our butler to do is get us milkshakes when we return from a long day of touring and Waves is closed. Best use of the butler IMO

 

 

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[ronrick1943]

I now give you a reason to book a suite. One of the things we ask our butler to do is get us milkshakes when we return from a long day of touring and Waves is closed. Best use of the butler IMO

 

 

Well that's a first and why not. I think any reason for a suite is a good reason.

Enjoy!

[ORV]

The only thing I've really noticed in the last couple of years is a reduction of the number of items available for redemption for the Big O points. The horror:eek:

[Ted&Molly]

I look forward to your comments after you board Sirena tomorrow. We have gone ahead and finalized a ph for a February sailing. Our impression from comments here is that at the very least, ph and above appear to be in good condition.

 

I particularly appreciate your thoughts regarding "balance" and being as objective as possible, noting both the good and the bad. You also focused on the major problem when asking for feedback--distinguishing good faith attempts at objectivity vs. reflexive boosters on the one hand or, on the other hand, those who complain, either because they amplify the trivial (e. g. the olives contretemps reported in this thread) or because they are determined not to be happy when an experience falls short of perfection.

 

A third category of complainers, as noted by others here, includes those who complain about things that were fully disclosed by Oceania prior to the voyage. For example, cabin size and restrictions on smoking areas are cleared stated. It's not fair to criticize Oceania about cabin size or smoking restrictions after choosing to board.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to post. Thanks also to all of you who responded to this thread with your thoughts. Ted

 

 

We are boarding Sirena on Tuesday and I'll be happy to add my comments ... although we ARE in a Vista this time and I would assume that the top suites got first attention. What has interested me more were comments from people in "regular" staterooms who thought they looked just fine.

 

As was mentioned earlier, there are always people who will complain. What can be difficult is in assessing the validity of their comments. This also goes for those who think everything is always perfect. Balance is a good thing ...

 

As to the basic question posed by the OP, we cruise on Oceania regularly -- almost exclusively. Since Oct 2011 we've been on Marina several times, Regatta once, Nautica just two months ago. We haven't noticed any drop-off in the quality of our cruise experience.

 

Mura

[Wol]

I am on Sirena at present, on a back to back ending in New York.

 

Complaints about such trivia as the number of olives (!) don't merit a response, but there are some issues that give us concern about the direction that Oceania is taking.

 

We are not foodies, but one of the pleasures on Oceania has in the past been walking into Toscana or Polo and enjoying the ambiance and atmosphere. Now that Toscana has been eliminated - or, to be precise merged with Polo - this experience has disappeared.

 

The new Tuscan Steak is to us, and almost everyone I have spoken to, a dramatic downgrading of the Oceania dining experience. The decor, with its faux wood floor, unattractive walling minus any decoration is decidedly unwelcoming. The menu is a mess - almost none of the appetising offers of either of the previous restaurants are there - the olive oil choice and the big cheese are gone and the ambiance is now non-existent.

 

I can sympathise with those who missed Red Ginger on the R ships, but to shoehorn it into a much smaller ship thereby wrecking the two much appreciated dining venues is a disaster. I know that Red Ginger seems to be popular - it's actually our least favourite outlet, and I know we are not alone - but this is not the right road to take.

 

As far as the rest of the ship is concerned the staff are well up to the standard of attention, efficiency and friendliness that we take for granted. The maintenance is excellent - small problems have been attended to almost immediately, and the ship looks immaculate.

 

The is an issue which seems ongoing with vibration: unlike the other R ships there has been a 2 - 3 Hz "tramping" vibration very much in evidence at the front at certain speeds. There is always some vibration on all ships, but this has been sufficient to make sleep or reading not easy. Whether it's due to a prop, stabiliser flutter or something else I don't know - the officers prefer not to discuss it - but I hope it's attended to before our next booked Sirena cruise.

 

As always 90% of the enjoyment of being on a ship is the attitude of the officers and staff and in this respect you will not be disappointed!

[bitob]

I am on Sirena at present, on a back to back ending in New York.

 

 

 

Complaints about such trivia as the number of olives (!) don't merit a response, but there are some issues that give us concern about the direction that Oceania is taking.

 

 

 

We are not foodies, but one of the pleasures on Oceania has in the past been walking into Toscana or Polo and enjoying the ambiance and atmosphere. Now that Toscana has been eliminated - or, to be precise merged with Polo - this experience has disappeared.

 

 

 

The new Tuscan Steak is to us, and almost everyone I have spoken to, a dramatic downgrading of the Oceania dining experience. The decor, with its faux wood floor, unattractive walling minus any decoration is decidedly unwelcoming. The menu is a mess - almost none of the appetising offers of either of the previous restaurants are there - the olive oil choice and the big cheese are gone and the ambiance is now non-existent.

 

 

 

I can sympathise with those who missed Red Ginger on the R ships, but to shoehorn it into a much smaller ship thereby wrecking the two much appreciated dining venues is a disaster. I know that Red Ginger seems to be popular - it's actually our least favourite outlet, and I know we are not alone - but this is not the right road to take.

 

 

 

As far as the rest of the ship is concerned the staff are well up to the standard of attention, efficiency and friendliness that we take for granted. The maintenance is excellent - small problems have been attended to almost immediately, and the ship looks immaculate.

 

 

 

The is an issue which seems ongoing with vibration: unlike the other R ships there has been a 2 - 3 Hz "tramping" vibration very much in evidence at the front at certain speeds. There is always some vibration on all ships, but this has been sufficient to make sleep or reading not easy. Whether it's due to a prop, stabiliser flutter or something else I don't know - the officers prefer not to discuss it - but I hope it's attended to before our next booked Sirena cruise.

 

 

 

As always 90% of the enjoyment of being on a ship is the attitude of the officers and staff and in this respect you will not be disappointed!

 

 

Your insightful comments about the restaurant changes need to get to those in charge at Oceania. Maybe we can avoid disaster on the other three ships

 

 

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[TERRIER1]

I am on Sirena at present, on a back to back ending in New York.

 

Complaints about such trivia as the number of olives (!) don't merit a response, but there are some issues that give us concern about the direction that Oceania is taking.

 

We are not foodies, but one of the pleasures on Oceania has in the past been walking into Toscana or Polo and enjoying the ambiance and atmosphere. Now that Toscana has been eliminated - or, to be precise merged with Polo - this experience has disappeared.

 

The new Tuscan Steak is to us, and almost everyone I have spoken to, a dramatic downgrading of the Oceania dining experience. The decor, with its faux wood floor, unattractive walling minus any decoration is decidedly unwelcoming. The menu is a mess - almost none of the appetising offers of either of the previous restaurants are there - the olive oil choice and the big cheese are gone and the ambiance is now non-existent.

 

I can sympathise with those who missed Red Ginger on the R ships, but to shoehorn it into a much smaller ship thereby wrecking the two much appreciated dining venues is a disaster. I know that Red Ginger seems to be popular - it's actually our least favourite outlet, and I know we are not alone - but this is not the right road to take.

 

As far as the rest of the ship is concerned the staff are well up to the standard of attention, efficiency and friendliness that we take for granted. The maintenance is excellent - small problems have been attended to almost immediately, and the ship looks immaculate.

 

The is an issue which seems ongoing with vibration: unlike the other R ships there has been a 2 - 3 Hz "tramping" vibration very much in evidence at the front at certain speeds. There is always some vibration on all ships, but this has been sufficient to make sleep or reading not easy. Whether it's due to a prop, stabiliser flutter or something else I don't know - the officers prefer not to discuss it - but I hope it's attended to before our next booked Sirena cruise.

 

As always 90% of the enjoyment of being on a ship is the attitude of the officers and staff and in this respect you will not be disappointed!

 

Your comments regarding the restaurants are excellent and spot on. Our favorite is Jacques and turning that venue into a bistro in the MDR didn't work either. Perhaps they should incorporate a few popular dishes from Jacques and Red Ginger into the evening menu for MDR and leave Polo and Toscana as is.

 

We didn't notice that much of a vibrations but we were port intensive and not cruising at high speeds.

[newbie60]

Agree with the comments about the food choices at Tuscan Steak. During a 21 day cruise, it got very hard to get excited about a reservation after the first couple of times - something that never happened with the two separate restaurants.

 

Personally, I did like the decor in Tuscan Steak but we all know that opinions are subjective and can vary widely from person to person.

 

We did enjoy the Red Ginger on Sirena, in fact we liked the food much more than our previous experiences on Marina/Riviera. The ambiance is very lacking however - it just didn't translate very well to the smaller, somewhat disjointed space.

 

The Jacques Bistro was dismal, in fact it took away from the regularly very nice luncheon menu.

 

Regatta will be getting the same treatment this coming Spring (2017) with one of the other "R" ships following immediately afterwards. This information came from one of the Sr Officers on board Sirena in August. If it can be stopped at this point, who knows?

[LHT28]

Perhaps they should incorporate a few popular dishes from Jacques and Red Ginger into the evening menu for MDR and leave Polo and Toscana as is.

 

We didn't notice that much of a vibrations but we were port intensive and not cruising at high speeds.

 

They did this on Regatta probably the other small ships as well ... a couple of dishes from each on the evening menu

 

There has always been a vibration at higher speeds we have sailed n Regatta & Insignia both have had the vibration since our first cruise in 2004 so nothing new

IMO

[LHT28]

I like to read the reviews of the ships just for amusement sake ..what can I say my life is boring

 

One reviewer loved the ship etc..but took off a point because the weather was not what they expected :eek:

Other slight nit picky things & O gets the NEVER AGAIN reviews

 

I think if you have sailed on O before you can pick out the good from the bad but for those looking to try O it may be difficult with some reviews

 

Oceania is NOT perfect so bear that in mind when choosing a cruise line

 

When you find the perfect cruise line let me know

 

Lyn