Celebrity and Oceania Riviera.

[dinosaurdem]

We just returned from our first trip on Oceania after 15 or so on Celebrity. While it might seem like apples and oranges, it's not so much. First let's start with the ships, acknowledging that all that follows is personal opinion. Small is good., Oceania. Decor is an odd comparison. Oceania is a mix of spectacular (glass), cheap looking (dark panelling), and a strange collection of abstract art. Celebrity decorating is more harmonious. Depends on taste.Oceania wins with us for having type and volume of music appropriate to the venue. The comparison for persons with special needs is not even close. On Oceania, public areas have heavy, non-automated doors, and cabins have baths with a higher step and narrow door. Didn't see any braille. Veranda cabins are similar in size with decor strictly a matter of taste, except that the marble in Oceania baths is wonderful, and, by the way, it is wonderful throughout the ship. Oceania's bedding is superior, but our bed peaked in the middle and slanted down.

 

Red Ginger on Oceania was better to our taste than Silk Harvest. Celebrity's range of options in the buffet makes it better for us, although the grill on Oceania offered more than on Celebrity. We preferred Celebrity's MDR, more options. Murano, Polo Grill, and Jacques are all excellent. Tuscana did not stand up to either the Tuscan Grill, or Princesses Sabatini's, with Sabatini's having the edge. Blu, on Celebrity, was the clear winner for breakfast. The most amazing thing about Oceania dining was the bread, particularly the plain and almond croissants, pain au chocolat, and baguettes.

 

Bars are not an important issue for us, but we like coffee shops, and our rating s Princess, Celebrity, and Oceania, with a poor location, no comfortable chairs, and mediocre coffee.

 

Oceania rolls, even in calm waters. There are other comparisons which could be made, but they were either irrelevant to us or were pretty much equal.

[easyboy]

Thank you for your clear comparative insight of the lines. Very useful guide on what to expect.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Iamthesea]

Took our first Oceania cruise last February and taking another this coming February. A re-do because of the Norovirus being on our last cruise and the cruise being cut short. Service was not as expected (or touted!)

 

Oceania's bedding is superior, but our bed peaked in the middle and slanted down.

We had the same bed. After reading how wonderfully comfortable the Oceania beds are, we were terribly disappointed in our bed. Had to ask for a mattress change because my side of the bed dipped and waved so bad that I could not sleep for the first 3 nights of our 11 night cruise. The 2nd mattress was better, but not wonderful. We were in a standard balcony stateroom, so perhaps those beds in a Suite are the wonderful beds. :rolleyes: Didn't think much of the bedding and prefer Celebrity's sheets.

 

We also thought the staterooms were dark and drab. Although the bathroom was nice, it was small, with a tiny shower. I would rather there be only a tub/shower or shower and free up some foot space. Although no bathtub, Celebrity wins that one for the standard bathroom.

 

Closets were bad, but so are the closets in a standard Solstice class stateroom. Storage was good on Oceania.

 

Tuscana did not stand up to either the Tuscan Grill

 

Correct, Tuscana was not as good as the others, but the food on Oceania exceeds the food on Celebrity except for the Terrace Cafe. Celebrity's Ocean View Cafe wins head over heels! The Terrace Grill on Oceania more than makes up for it, however.

 

Bars are not an important issue for us, but we like coffee shops, and our rating s Princess, Celebrity, and Oceania, with a poor location, no comfortable chairs, and mediocre coffee.

 

The bars on Oceania were OK, though we had a nasty encounter with a bar tender. He was nasty. :rolleyes: Again, the crew were not friendly because of being overworked because of the Noro.

 

The coffee bar was the worst on any cruiseline we have ever tried. Pitiful, IMO. Nothing beats Celebrity!

 

To us, the main difference is the pricing. We may change our minds with this make-up cruise, but feel we get more for our $$$$ sailing with Celebrity. :) Nothing about Oceania was worth us paying twice as much for the cruise we previously sailed on with Oceania. The only reason we are trying it again is because we received a partial credit for the cruise and found a good rate on a 7 night Caribbean cruise.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Iamthesea

[WpgCruise]

Thanks for your review.

 

We have been loyal to Celebrity for the past 10 years, but are taking our first Oceania cruise this January on the Marina. Our last 2 Celebrity cruises were lacking in service and food. We found a serious decline in both and chose to move along. For us life's too short to not be pleased with a vacation choice.

 

We think the price point is comparable with a 1A last year on Celebrity at $211 p/p per night, and Oceania in a B2 at $225 p/p per night for January 2017. Celebrity included the Classic Beverage Package, and Gratuities, Oceania included Internet and $800 O.B.C. For us the Perks are of equal value, the Oceania O.B.C. will more than cover our Gratuities and drinks.

 

 

If the service and food with Oceania meet our expectations, we'll be satisfied with the value, and hopefully will have found a new cruise line to replace Celebrity.

Edited December 7, 2016 by WpgCruise

[Softball20]

I have to agree that Oceania didn't do it for us, either. We were on the Regatta last year for a South American sailing. We had wanted to try O as we love good food and had always heard that the food on O was so great. We had a great time, the ship was lovely, and we went to some interesting ports. We found that the food, however, was no better than what we had experienced on Celebrity (or in some cases, Holland). Our last few Celebrity cruises have been in Aqua Class, so we've been spoiled by Blu, but even their specialty restaurants, which were good, weren't any better than what we've had on Celebrity. As for the Italian, I also agree with the poster about Sabatini on Princess - love it! Service on O was good, but not great. I'm glad we tried O, but it just wasn't worth the additional price for us.

[ShawninFL]

Thanks for the comparisons. We love Celebrity, but I've been flirting with booking Oceania for 2018. There are currently some really good deals for early booking right now. I'm just not sure Oceania's atmosphere will be compatible with us.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Very appropriate timing as we are starting to lean toward the smaller ships. I was particularly interested to read that the Riviera rolls even in calm seas. That's important information that most people just gloss over, so thanks for that insight. It's one thing that Princess ships do too - make lots of creaking noises and move much more than Celebrity or RCI ships. People need to know those things in addition to all the wonderful things. ;)

[Cruise Junky]

Thanks for the comparisons. We love Celebrity, but I've been flirting with booking Oceania for 2018. There are currently some really good deals for early booking right now. I'm just not sure Oceania's atmosphere will be compatible with us.

 

We booked Oceania for 2018 too. It's so port intensive I don't think the atmosphere will factor into it too much. Looking forward to the food

[wally_bushy]

Very appropriate timing as we are starting to lean toward the smaller ships. I was particularly interested to read that the Riviera rolls even in calm seas. That's important information that most people just gloss over, so thanks for that insight. It's one thing that Princess ships do too - make lots of creaking noises and move much more than Celebrity or RCI ships. People need to know those things in addition to all the wonderful things. ;)

 

Just to confuse you further, we do not find the O ships roll more or less than comparable size ships.:confused:

[iandjm]

Just to confuse you further, we do not find the O ships roll more or less than comparable size ships.:confused:

 

Agreed. I was on Riviera in October and did not notice it rolling any more than other ships. The vibration from the fixed propellers when manauvering was however pretty bad compared to Celebritys pods. We were shaken out of bed each morning as the ship was berthing.

 

Loved the food on O and though Toscana was amazing. Red Ginger wasnt really to my taste but Jaques was wow! Loved the Terrace grill with table service but found the terrace cafe did not have as much choice as we are used to on the 'S' class and closed very early after lunch (2 or 2.30pm)

 

Entertainment was pretty lacking with a single fairly simple show each evening and that was it. Ship seemed to go to sleep early in the evening.

I would recommend Oceania for port intensive cruises, as getting on and off fast with only 1200 onboard is easy. I would not want to have multiple sea days in succession though as feel I would start to get bored.

 

Ian

[Iamthesea]

I think that food is based according to a passenger's taste. We loved Red Ginger! We ordered the wrong thing in Toscana thinking it would be as good as Red Ginger...the Sea Bass. It was not. Service was not good, either. :rolleyes: Agree on Jacques! The other beef restaurant was just OK, but again the service lacked because of the Noro.

 

Thanks for your review.

 

We have been loyal to Celebrity for the past 10 years, but are taking our first Oceania cruise this January on the Marina. Our last 2 Celebrity cruises were lacking in service and food. We found a serious decline in both and chose to move along. For us life's too short to not be pleased with a vacation choice.

 

We think the price point is comparable with a 1A last year on Celebrity at $211 p/p per night, and Oceania in a B2 at $225 p/p per night for January 2017. Celebrity included the Classic Beverage Package, and Gratuities, Oceania included Internet and $800 O.B.C. For us the Perks are of equal value, the Oceania O.B.C. will more than cover our Gratuities and drinks.

 

 

If the service and food with Oceania meet our expectations, we'll be satisfied with the value, and hopefully will have found a new cruise line to replace Celebrity.

 

I believe that the pricing is becoming more comparable if you can book early. It really depends on the itinerary. Typically, the Winter Caribbean cruises do not sell well...especially the shorter cruises.

 

Last years cruise, for us, was more expensive, plus a longer cruise. We also booked late. No perks.

 

Perks are something fairly new that Oceania has started offering. Probably to keep up with the other cruise lines are offering. Agree that if you do not drink much, the OBC offer of $800 will be enough to cover gratuities and a few drinks a day for a week long cruise. We are on the fence whether to buy a drink package on Oceania. Their prices for drink packages are more than Celebrity.

 

Let's just hope that the Norovirus that had been haunting the Marina last month does not rear it's ugly head for our cruises. I believe the ship also had some trouble last winter with the Noro like the Riviera did. :(

 

Just to confuse you further, we do not find the O ships roll more or less than comparable size ships.:confused:

 

We did not feel an abnormal amount of rocking and we had pretty rough seas for one or two of our days on the Riviera.

 

I'll report back after our cruise. ;)

Edited December 7, 2016 by Iamthesea

[El Crucero]

I keep shopping Oceania and Azamara. I received a brochure in the mail from Oceania two days ago. I was curious. The problem for us is that the cost per day for an Oceania veranda stateroom (listed as "on sale") is just as expensive as a Celebrity suite (same with Azamara). If I am going to spend that amount of money for an itinerary, I am choosing Celebrity for the butler, Michael's Club, Luminae, and often, all four perks. Not even close for us.

Edited December 7, 2016 by El Crucero

[maggie.1008]

This year we have done 2 Oceania and 2 Celebrity cruises. To me O food is far better than anything on X. I love all dining on the Riviera. On X we are in Blu or Luminae. I have not been a fan of the menu in Luminae. My 2 cruises on O were about the same price as X. We are Elite Plus on X and were ready for a change. I guess I am tired of 2800 pax. onboard and really enjoy a more quiet ship. Must be getting old. We will continue to cruise on X if they have something on the West Coast.

[El Crucero]

We will continue to cruise on X if they have something on the West Coast.

 

Maggie, you and I are on the same page! I am just down the road from you. I would like to see Infinity based in either San Diego or San Pedro.

[Oville]

This year we have done 2 Oceania and 2 Celebrity cruises. To me O food is far better than anything on X. I love all dining on the Riviera. On X we are in Blu or Luminae. I have not been a fan of the menu in Luminae. My 2 cruises on O were about the same price as X. We are Elite Plus on X and were ready for a change. I guess I am tired of 2800 pax. onboard and really enjoy a more quiet ship. Must be getting old. We will continue to cruise on X if they have something on the West Coast.

 

What type of cabin were you in. Our upcoming O cruise is significantly more expensive than a similar cruise and cabin on Celebrity (+$4,000).

 

Thanks.

[maggie.1008]

On the Riviera B3 Extended balcony cabin. With RT air to Rome included. $99. upgrade each way to Prem Econ on BA. Internet and $600. OBC included.

[ceba]

On the Riviera B3 Extended balcony cabin. With RT air to Rome included. $99. upgrade each way to Prem Econ on BA. Internet and $600. OBC included.

I've found that some people don't realize their air is included in the price. Taking that into consideration O may be a bit higher but I think it's a very nice cruising experience.

[Softball20]

When we sailed on O last year we used FF miles for our flights to Buenos Aires. O gave us a nice credit off the cruise price since we did not need their air. While air is "included" in the O cruises, you do not have to use it. Even without the air factored in, it was still significantly higher than X.

[Iamthesea]

I've found that some people don't realize their air is included in the price. Taking that into consideration O may be a bit higher but I think it's a very nice cruising experience.

 

When we sailed on O last year we used FF miles for our flights to Buenos Aires. O gave us a nice credit off the cruise price since we did not need their air. While air is "included" in the O cruises, you do not have to use it. Even without the air factored in, it was still significantly higher than X.

 

We have taken the credit each time for the air. We like to be in control of our flight times and stops. Cruise still much more than Celebrity.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Iamthesea

[kitty9]

We abandoned Celebrity and went over to Oceania, and we won't look back. With X removing the Murano-type restaurants from the M class, plus all the other changes that we see as negative, X is no longer our go to cruise line. We feel the food is far superior on Oceania and we like their port intensive itineraries.

 

We took two Riviera cruises within one month of each other, and didn't notice a lot of movement, and we were in Vista suites, at the very front of the ship.

[El Crucero]

On the Riviera B3 Extended balcony cabin. With RT air to Rome included. $99. upgrade each way to Prem Econ on BA. Internet and $600. OBC included.

 

Yes, I saw that, but it does not include a beverage package or gratuities. The Oceania balcony is approximately the same price as a Celebrity suite if you don't include the airfare, and I would get classic beverage package, Internet, gratuities, and OBC. I can get airfare for much less than the added cost from Oceania.

 

I have no problem with abandoning Celebrity for Oceania, but realize that you will be paying significantly more for the same cabin class. Maybe it is worth it, but we are still happy with Celebrity, we have no complaints.

Edited December 8, 2016 by El Crucero

[Oville]

We abandoned Celebrity and went over to Oceania, and we won't look back. With X removing the Murano-type restaurants from the M class, plus all the other changes that we see as negative, X is no longer our go to cruise line. We feel the food is far superior on Oceania and we like their port intensive itineraries.

 

We took two Riviera cruises within one month of each other, and didn't notice a lot of movement, and we were in Vista suites, at the very front of the ship.

 

? Muranos. Interesting enough you are still posting on Celebrity.

[Cruise Junky]

Yes, I saw that, but it does not include a beverage package or gratuities. The Oceania balcony is approximately the same price as a Celebrity suite if you don't include the airfare, and I would get classic beverage package, Internet, gratuities, and OBC. I can get airfare for much less than the added cost from Oceania.

 

I have no problem with abandoning Celebrity for Oceania, but realize that you will be paying significantly more for the same cabin class. Maybe it is worth it, but we are still happy with Celebrity, we have no complaints.

 

I think you can find comparable deals but on the surface Celebrity does appear cheaper. Itineraries though are worth a lot. We have a 19 day cruise booked on O and it is $1,000 pp more than a 10 and a 9 day on Celebrity but we have $1,000 OBC that certainly brings it closer and then the specialty restaurants, non alcoholic drinks, internet, but first and foremost, it's itinerary. They just don't/can't compare.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Cruise Junky

[Tedferg]

We have five previous cruises with Princess and our first Celebrity next March. A friend estimates O to be ~ 20% more than Princess. However the few times I have done a quick comparison O was much more than 20% - I did try with and without included air. Not saying O is not worth it just that my comparison was much higher.

[El Crucero]

We have five previous cruises with Princess and our first Celebrity next March. A friend estimates O to be ~ 20% more than Princess. However the few times I have done a quick comparison O was much more than 20% - I did try with and without included air. Not saying O is not worth it just that my comparison was much higher.

 

That is my experience too. When comparing like for like, for example a Celebrity veranda to the same on Oceania, I find pricing of at least 50% more expensive (sometimes double) on Oceania, not including air fare or perks.

 

I just checked for 14 day TAs during the first half of 2017. Celebrity's least expensive balcony is $78 per day. Oceania's least expensive balcony is $228 per day. I have booked a 15 day TP on Celebrity for September, 2017, in a Sky Suite for $190 per day which includes butler, Ensemble dining, Michael's Club beverages, and OBC.

 

I would like to try Oceania, but I am not dissatisfied with Celebrity for double the price.