Advice needed for Oceania British Isles September 2018

[Dbears]

We are looking at Oceania Nautica next year but have several questions and look forward to advice and opinions. We want to combine British Isles and extend afterwards and saw that we can stay on and sail to Barcelona or disembark and travel to Amsterdam and sail to Lisbon the next day on Marina. We have travelled on Oceania Marina and Regent Voyager but have never travelled on this small ship as Nautica. We like doing laundry on board and heard its difficult on Nautica. We typically stayed in penthouse and assume that would be much more comfortable than veranda. I understand cabins are much smaller on Nautica. We have never been to Amsterdam or Normandy but are not enthusiastic about traveling to Amsterdam to catch another ship. Of course we could see Amsterdam and Normandy by land prior to the British Isles voyage. Are there inherent advantages to back to back?

 

Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

 

 

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[PaulMCO]

If you stay on you get a 5% savings.

Nautica is our favorite ship. Yes PH are smaller than on Marina but more than adequate. We actually prefer the R ships as they feel less crowded.

 

Laundry's -- yes there are fewer W/D on Nautica. Since you are doing a B to B you can use the disembarkation day to do such with little interference.

[LHT28]

You could fly from Southampton to Amsterdam if you want to change ships

 

There is only 1 laundry room on the R ships but we have not really had any issues ..timing is everything ;)

[Mura]

Echoing :"timing is everything"! We tend to do our laundry during cocktail hour (it's rarely busy then) or perhaps when we are in port but not touring. It's quite difficult on a sea day since many people try to do it then.

 

The PH on Nautica is very comfortable!

 

Mura

[Pet Nit Noy]

We are looking at Oceania Nautica next year but have several questions and look forward to advice and opinions... Of course we could see Amsterdam and Normandy by land prior to the British Isles voyage. Are there inherent advantages to back to back?

 

I think Normandy is very difficult to do in a complete and meaningful way on a one-day port call. (Note: hundreds of people disagree with me since people do this all the time.) We visited the landing beaches during a two-day land trip to Normandy. We saw Utah, Juno, and Omaha, the US cemetery, St Mere Eglise, a still-remaining hedgerow area, and perhaps three of the many museums in the area. We had a private guide for the two of us and thought every dollar we spent was very worthwhile.

 

I think Oceania's port is Honfleur. That's a 1 1/2 hour ride to Utah Beach, the most distant of the three US landing beaches. How many hours will you have in port on the cruise you're considering with Normandy? You ought to do a bit of research about the places you'd like to visit and then, figure out how much time you'll have in each place if you visit on a port call. If you'll be satisfied with a quick overview of this area, obviously a cruise is easier.

[Dbears]

Thanks for the thoughts. Has anybody done these trips and have thoughts about the seas? I'm a bit concerned about the waves on a smaller ship. I am leaning toward staying onboard and doing Paris, Normandy and London for 7 to 10 days prior. Any better or worse cabin selection on Nautica?

 

 

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[Mura]

We've done several cruises in the "R" ships through this area with no problem, and I have a sensitive tummy when it comes to rough seas.

 

I agree with Pet Nit about needing more time for Normandy. On our first visit to Le Havre (on Renaissance, aboard the then R7) I spoke with the tourist bureau in Bayeux and they strongly advised against trying to see Normandy from there. (You would see SOMETHING, of course, just not enough.) We spent 3-4 days in the area a few months later on a car trip and it was well worth it.

 

Consider spending the day in Honfleur which is lovely, charming and has plenty to do.

 

Mura

[LHT28]

If you are worried about the motion stick to mid ship cabins or deck 4 Ocean view C1 Cat are fairly stable

 

People see the beaches from Le Havre all the time ..will it be a leisurely trip probably not but you can get a private guide or rent a car & see a bit in the time you have

I would not try to go to Paris from a port stop though

 

If you want to explore any area more indepth a cruise is not the way to do it

 

JMO

[BillPizzaiolo]

We've spent thirty days on Nautica in an Ocean View cabin around South America a couple of years ago. It was very comfortable. Needing clothing for all types of climates and weather. The laundry was not a problem and we were able to get it done even with the limited machines.

As far as doing Normandy there are some very efficient private tours that get you to see and learn about the details of all the events. I would check some of the previous boards to see the names of the private tour guides and the size of the groups they take around.

[roothy123]

I'm a big lover of the smaller O ships, although in the end, we book primarily based on itinerary, not size of ship. We've never noticed any difference in motion between small and large ships, but of course it DOES depend upon weather, seas, and where in the world you are. I agree with others that laundry isn't a problem, except on sea days. If you're willing to do laundry when the laundry rooms first open, that's usually a good option too. We put in laundry, go eat breakfast, and come back to check on it. Embarkation day is a little busy as people like to use the irons after traveling. However, if you wait a day or two, there's usually no wait. You won't need every piece of clothing right away anyway!