First Time Oceania Cruise Review - Comparison of Owners Suite to the Top Suite on HAL

[Kate-AHF]

Exactly one year ago, we were in a Neptune suite in the Panama canal. We took the cruise because we wanted warm, and comfortable. It was a great cruise. What surprised us was the bed in the neptune suite. Best bed we have ever had, on or off a ship. Loved the in-suite coffee pod machine. Loved the cappuccinos in the Neptune lounge. Service in the Pinnacle (for breakfast, lunch and dinner) was absolutely outstanding. Very experience wait staff that did not change, experienced jr. wait staff. The food in the Pinnacle was very good. And it was the ONLY place on the ship where the food was good. The MDR was a disaster, and after three tries we gave up for the rest of the cruise.

[ORV]

Exactly one year ago, we were in a Neptune suite in the Panama canal. We took the cruise because we wanted warm, and comfortable. It was a great cruise. What surprised us was the bed in the neptune suite. Best bed we have ever had, on or off a ship. Loved the in-suite coffee pod machine. Loved the cappuccinos in the Neptune lounge. Service in the Pinnacle (for breakfast, lunch and dinner) was absolutely outstanding. Very experience wait staff that did not change, experienced jr. wait staff. The food in the Pinnacle was very good. And it was the ONLY place on the ship where the food was good. The MDR was a disaster, and after three tries we gave up for the rest of the cruise.

 

From looking at your signature you haven’t cruised on Oceania yet. Get back to us on the beds once you have. Other than Silversea they are the best cruise ship beds I’ve slept on.

[Kate-AHF]

From looking at your signature you haven’t cruised on Oceania yet. Get back to us on the beds once you have. Other than Silversea they are the best cruise ship beds I’ve slept on.

 

We shall see. We'll be on Silversea before O. I have to say, the bed on HAL, we were shocked. It was not something we were expecting.

[debsjc]

Thank you for your very interesting review. I was surprised that you didn't mention more drastic contrast in the food quality between the 2 lines, especially in the MDR. On our last 2-3 HAL cruises, we have found the MDR terrible, for food and service. It's the main reason why we are coming back to Oceania for this trip.

[PhD-iva]

Thank you so much for the wonderful review/comparison. Really enjoyed your descriptions. After having been on 1 Oceania cruise (10-day Baltic cruise June 2016), I can’t go back. Unless traveling w a group of “uninitiated”. [emoji31]

Am dreaming of my next cruise on O!

 

 

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[tv24]

Excellent review with clear comparisons. I really enjoyed reading this.

[ronrick1943]

Thanks, nice review---that is the suite we enjoy also on "O".

[Go-Bucks!]

After having been on 1 Oceania cruise (10-day Baltic cruise June 2016), I can’t go back. Unless traveling w a group of “uninitiated”.

What does that mean??

[marycruz]

We finished our first cruise on Oceania (O) after a number of cruises on Holland America (HAL) ships. I thought others might find a review interesting in comparing the Oceania Riviera Owners Suite (OS) with the top suite on HAL, their Pinnacle Suite (PS). This review is mainly about the top suite experience, but we also mention other issues between HAL and O. Sorry for the long post, but didn't want to leave anything out.

 

Background - We are a family of four that have always cruised together. Right now, my wife and I are in our mid-50s, and our two sons are 20-ish. Our first cruise was 7 years ago.

 

For those that don’t know, there are one or two top suites called Pinnacle Suites (PS) on HAL ships. They are on the side of the ship, typically mid-ship. There is a next lower level suite called Neptune Suites that have some of the same privileges and amenities as PS, and of course, many other types of lesser suites and rooms. On our first cruise, we got a good deal on the PS level, and after that, we could never go with anything but the top-level suite.

 

Price and Pre-cruise - It is difficult to compare prices on the top suites on different lines for different cruises, since there are many variables. I would say that Oceania was somewhat more expensive for the suite, but not enough to be a difference maker, compared to HAL.

 

However, there was one issue that affected us which, granted, will not impact many other people. The Pinnacle Suite on HAL sleeps four people; in addition to the master bedroom, there is a queen-size bed that folds out from a cabinet in the wall in the living room (it is actually quite comfortable). On HAL, typically the 3rd and 4th guests in a room are free or nearly free, and you only have to pay port charges for these guests. On O, we had to buy an interior room for our sons which cost over $4,000 (for the two), versus a typical $1,000 (for the two) on HAL. Our sons only slept in their room and spent all the days in our huge Owners Suite. So this is a significant difference, but it only affects a family like us.

 

We did not do O-life or air. We found airfare cheaper booking ourselves, especially with the custom air surcharge to get the flights we wanted. We generally, don’t use ship shore excursions because we like smaller tours that are usually also cheaper. I must say that the O shore excursions seemed even more overpriced than HAL’s.

 

We also were impressed with the personalized printed cruise guide O mailed to us. On HAL, they give you a personalized PDF that you have to print yourself.

 

Embarkation - On HAL, the two top-level suites guests have a separate processing line and then wait in a separate, and nicer waiting room with drinks and snacks until it is time to board. The PS suite guests are then personally escorted aboard the ship by the concierge or another manager, before any other guests board. On one cruise, when we arrived in our suite, there was a lineup including the hotel manager, hospitality manager, and a ship officer, waiting to greet us. This always made us feel very special.

 

On O, of course we could board early with the other three types of top suites, but there was none of the personal treatment we were used to.

 

The Suite - On HAL, the PS suites range from 1150 to 1300 square feet compared to 2000 on the O-class ships. They have a similar number of rooms compared to the OS (except only one walk-in closet instead of two...not sure we really needed two), but each room is a little smaller.

 

The OS used Ralph Lauren as the decorator and it looks beautiful. On the other hand, HAL’s PS suites have old original artwork (1600s-1800s) in them which is quite impressive...like being in your private art museum.

 

One big difference is the large entry foyer room in the OS. We thought we wouldn’t use this much but actually spent a lot of time there on a couple sea days looking out the huge windows when it was either too wet or too hot on the balcony. The piano was very nice; from other reviews, I expected a Yamaha baby grand, but it was actually a Roland electronic piano in a baby grand cabinet. This makes sense due to the need to constantly tune a real piano on a moving ship; our son got MIDI files to play on it so we had hundreds of piano pieces playing constantly. The sound of the piano was actually quite good.

 

The other big difference is the balconies. The two balconies on O are twice as big as the balcony on HAL. It was great to be able to walk from port to starboard and see things on both side of the ship (but I wish you could walk directly instead of having to go inside to go from one balcony to the other). The whirlpool on the balcony is bigger on HAL than O and accommodates an extra person (but some smaller HAL ships don’t even have a whirlpool on the balcony, nor do O’s R-class ships) . OTOH, the TV above the OS balcony whirlpool was great. Both have a table big enough for a meal for 4 persons.

 

The master bathroom on HAL is slightly smaller than on O. Depending on your tastes, the gold-plated fixtures and sinks on HAL are either really cool or just plain gaudy. The shower on HAL is ridiculously small even though there is room for a much larger one; the tile shower in the OS is much nicer. Both have bidets, which we have never used, except to wash our feet after being on the balcony. On O, the glass door between the main bathroom and toilet/bidet really should be replaced with a solid door. The foyer bathrooms are similar, except the one in the OS has a shower (who would use this if the room only sleeps 2?).

 

The one real problem we had in the OS was the vibrations/rattling from the chandelier in the bedroom ceiling (the one you see in Oceania’s photograph of the suite). It was very loud at night when the seas were not calm. My wife could not sleep; she said it sounded like a helicopter overhead. Our butler stuffed towels in a crack between the chandelier and the ceiling which improved it; he says everyone complains about this in all the OS suites. This is a maintenance problem that really should be fixed even if it means ripping the ceiling apart. I was surprised I never read about this in any reviews.

 

The PS on HAL has a butlers pantry (I guess if you provide your own butler). There is a large refrigerator there (much bigger than mini-bar size) along with a microwave. This is very nice and nothing like this on O. Both suites have high quality crystal, silverware, and table linens to use in the suite.

 

The media server for movies was impressive on O; you have to borrow DVDs from their library on HAL. On HAL you can route the bridge/cruise director audio to the balcony speakers, which is very useful when there is on-going commentary for a scenic cruising area; there is no way we found to do that O. Both suites have overly-complex lighting controls; it seems that only as the cruise ends do we figure out which switch works which lights and how the lighting themes work.

 

Both suites are truly impressive and almost everyone will be happy with either, but I have to say that the OS on Oceania is clearly superior. BTW, based on the pictures I have seen, I don’t think we would be happy in the OS suites on the R-class ships (seems too small and lack of whirlpool on the balcony is a big issue for us), but the O-class OS is wonderful.

 

Butler versus HAL Concierge - Our butler on O was fantastic and answered all our questions and made all the arrangements you would expect. He always provided our room service breakfasts and a couple lunches promptly and professionally. On the other hand the concierges in the Executive and Concierge Lounges were pretty worthless; they were seldom there and could not help us the two times we asked for something.

 

On HAL, there are no butlers, but the concierge in the Neptune Lounge (which is only for the top two levels suites) has always been extremely useful. They answer all questions and handle all reservations and other requests professionally; from what we have seen, they also seem to pay extra attention to the PS guests over the Neptune Suite guests. On HAL, we have never had to visit the normal hotel registration desk since the concierge could handle everything for us; on O, we had to wait in line with everyone else 3 times at the registration desk. The Neptune Lounge itself on HAL, is twice as big as the Executive Lounge on O; in addition it feels nicer appointed and has better snacks available than the Executive Lounge.

 

Food - Overall, I thought the food was better on O than HAL, although I’m not sure my wife and sons would agree.

 

We generally liked the specialty restaurants on O and ate at these 6 times. Except for me, my family does not like spicy food. At Red Ginger the soup was very spicy even though it didn’t have the little symbol saying it was; that really turned off my wife and sons. All of us really liked Toscana.

 

HAL only has one real specialty restaurant on most ships (I don’t consider the Caneletto worthy of the title specialty restaurant) and there is a charge, so we eat in the main dining room much of the time. On HAL as PS guests, the matre d’ always asks us to pick the table we want throughout the cruise (on two cruises we had a table for 6 with only us 4 using it because it had the best view). Therefore, we develop a nice rapport with the waiters who we see every night, which didn’t happen on O, although all the O waiters were very friendly. On HAL, they pretty much reserve our table for the entire evening so it doesn’t matter when we show up for dinner.

 

We noticed that on HAL, the larger tables are by the windows, but on O, it is almost exclusively tables for 2 by the window. So we didn’t get the best seats on O; however, someday when my wife and I cruise without our sons we will appreciate the table for 2 set-up on O.

 

HAL typically has two or three formal nights for a 10-day cruise; O is country club casual always. My wife does like the formal nights on HAL, but having to take suits along for us 3 men nearly fills an entire suitcase with just the formal clothes.

 

On HAL, the top two level suites can have breakfast in the specialty restaurant. The food is the same as the main dining room, but the exclusivity and better service is a nice touch. Nothing like this on O.

 

Alcohol - On HAL, we have always booked a cruise when they have an “Explore 4” sale going on. This includes 4 amenities, one of which is a beverage package for each guest. You can get beer, mixed drinks, and house wine at any bar or restaurant on the ship for no charge. However, you can not get free drinks through room service, which is a drawback. This package is available to all guests, not just top suites, when they have the Explore 4 sale going on.

 

As part of the OS on Oceania, we had the 6 bottles of wine and liquor in the suite. It is also not mentioned, but your butler provides any beer carried on the ship in your refrigerator...just ask; this is unlimited and not part of the 6 bottles they advertise. However, you have to pay for alcohol anywhere else on the ship, but all non-alcoholic beverages are free on O, unlike HAL. So although we did spend a lot of time relaxing on our balcony and in our suite, there is no way we could finish 6 bottles of wine/liquor in our suite. I would have preferred just two bottles in the suite, with a couple hundred dollars of credit for alcohol at other venues on the ship.

 

Entertainment - HAL has great entertainment aboard and the productions in their “Mainstage” have been impressive. The showroom is three decks high and includes balcony seating, in addition to the main floor.

 

Frankly, I had low expectations on our first Oceania cruise. However, I was very pleasantly surprised and the entertainment far exceeded my expectations. The singers and dancers were all top-notch, and the band was also very good. Actually, I ended up liking the more intimate venue in the showroom. I also liked how the entertainers on O participated in other shipboard activities.

 

Oceania had a really excellent string quartet, if you like classical music, which we do. Years ago, HAL also had a string quartet, but in recent years, they have gone with a violin/piano duo (which are also quite good).

 

Tendering and Disembarkation - On HAL, they advertise that PS suite guests have priority tendering. You just bypass the line and show them your room key and get on.

 

We never saw this mentioned on Oceania for OS guests. However, we asked our butler and he told us you just go to a certain stairs, show them your owners suite room key, and they let you on immediately. So this also worked fine for us, but O should mention this amenity; we were worried we would have to wait an hour to get a ticket and board the tender.

 

During disembarkation, on HAL the PS guests can stay in the suite until your disembarkation time. Although this wasn’t advertised on O, our butler said we could do it too.

 

Other Things - On HAL, they have a cocktail party for the PS and Neptune Suite guests with the captain, officers and cruise director. It is a setting where you can actually have a conversation with them, rather than just shake their hand and say hello. We missed not having this on O.

 

HAL offers a “behind-the-scenes” ship tour on each cruise where you see the bridge, kitchens, engine room, crew areas, etc. They normally charge a couple hundred dollars for this. On our last cruise on HAL, they had a tour like this for the PS suite guests, complimentary. We loved it and was the highlight of our cruise. Nothing like this on O.

 

On HAL you get fresh flowers in the suite, replaced when necessary. No flowers on O.

 

On HAL, PS suites get unlimited free laundry. Plus you get it returned the next day and sometimes the same day. On O, you only get 3 free bags, and it took 3 days to get each one back. Not sure how it can take so long and why they can’t give priority to OS guests. This is important for a family of 4 on a 10-day or longer cruise since unlimited laundry can save having to take an extra suitcase.

 

In addition to the blue Oceania tote bag, we were surprised to get a white cloth Oceania logo beach towel bag and two large white Oceania logo beach towels to keep (not the blue ones that everyone can use ashore). Very nice for a Caribbean cruise with beaches. On HAL you just get a HAL logo tote bag. On O, we also got two free Oceania logo hats in our suite...never saw that mentioned.

 

We were very impressed with the internet on O. We had unlimited number of concurrent devices, which was much more than advertised, so our whole family could use the 7 devices we had. Note this was part of the suite itself, since we did not get O-life internet. In addition, it was fast...we were able to make VoIP phone calls and upload/download large files with no problems. OTOH, the laptop that comes with the OS suite was useless since it was locked down such that even web browsing wasn’t acceptable. Internet on HAL is barely usable for anything more than e-mail. It is also not included in the normal suite price, but is often available to everyone when HAL runs promotional sales.

 

In general, the location lecturers on both HAL and O have been excellent. However, on HAL in addition to telling you about the location, they really emphasize selling the ship shore excursions. There was none of that selling on O, which we liked.

 

Summary - A lot of things are different on Oceania compared to HAL. Some things are better, some are not as good. In general, the suite itself is much nicer on O, but HAL makes its top suite guests feel more special.

 

Overall, we loved our first Oceania cruise and we would be happy to do another cruise on Oceania in the OS. However, we would also be happy to do another cruise on HAL in the PS suite. It will all depend on the itinerary and cruise dates.

 

 

Thank you. This is very helpful since we will be on Oceania in March. I was going to ask which ship (Oceania) you were on but just saw it was Riveria. That is the ship we will be on.

 

Very interesting about table locations in the dining room.

[Europeantraveler1]

This was very informative and appreciated since we will be boarding the Riviera this upcoming Monday for a 10-day Caribbean cruise as ‘first time’ Oceania cruisers. In the past we’ve been on the Nieuw Amsterdam and were upgraded to a Neptune suite. We departed from Venice with stops in Dubrovnik etc...and then around the bottom of Italy and those ports of call; continuing on to Monte Carlo; St. Tropez and then Barcelona. We met a lovely couple from Atlanta and just seemed to “click” and we’ve been cruising with them yearly since then!! We just love them and have such a wonderful, fun time!!! We will be cruising with them again in late June to France, England, Ireland, and Scotland. I’ve arranged for a pretty intense post-cruise itinerary once we disembark.

 

We’ll be staying in Bayeux and driving/touring Mt. Saint Michel and then the Normandy Beaches followed by a train trip to Paris where we’ll stay in the La Marais area to visit all the high points.

The other three cruises we took with HAL were on the Noordam (Alaskan cruise) and then the Konningsdam (Greece). I agree, somewhat, with a past comment. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Pinnacle Grill and the Tamarind restaurants and would eat there exclusively if I could!

 

 

ON the Riviera we have booked a Concierge cabin and are really looking forward to comparing the two lines. I’m more interested in comparing the O with HAL than visiting the ports!!!!! ;0) We have a few excursions booked...one with Viator on St. Lucia and the other two with O on St. Barts and St. Kitts.

 

I will post our experiences on O when we return! I’m hopeful everything will be just peachy!!!!!!

[Mura]

Europeantraveler, I apologize for being off topic but I won't continue! I'm just glad to see that you are staying in Bayeux. When we did Normany in 2002 we stayed for several nights at a B&B by Gold Beach at Normandy and it was wonderful to be able to see the area in some depth. Trying to see the area from a one day port call from Le Havre or Rouen just doesn't do it! We had a wonderful trip ... that one was by car (we also had time in Mt. St. Michel, Orange, and etc., before returning to Paris.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Mura

[Go-Bucks!]

When we did Normany in 2002 we stayed for several nights at a B&B by Gold Beach at Normandy and it was wonderful to be able to see the area in some depth. Trying to see the area from a one day port call from Le Havre or Rouen just doesn't do it! We had a wonderful trip ... that one was by car (we also had time in Mt. St. Michel, Orange, and etc., before returning to Paris.

I did a similar 3 week long land tour with Rick Steves in 2005. Fantastic tour starting and ending in Paris, with Giverny, Bayeux, Arromanches, Ste-Mère Eglise, Mont St-Michel, Dinan, Fougères, Bourges, the Loire Valley, and Beaune.

[kkmiausa]

(Underlining is mine)

For me, the HAL would have to sail to the moon to give up Oceania for HAL.

BTW, what unique itinerary is it?

I can't imagine any cruise ship with better dining options than Oceania!!! We have sailed some of the best - Seabourn, Regent, and Oceania and I would take Oceania any time. In fact we had booked a Regent again based on itinerary but were able to put two Oceanias back to back to get what we wanted and we are also going next Tuesday to the Caribbean on Riviera. So this will be our 4th and 5th cruises on Oceania Riviera.

 

 

From what I have read and researched about HAL it would be one of my last choices.

[kkmiausa]

(Underlining is mine) For me, the HAL would have to sail to the moon to give up Oceania for HAL. BTW, what unique itinerary is it?

I can't imagine any cruise ship with better dining options than Oceania!!! We have sailed some of the best - Seabourn, Regent, and Oceania and I would take Oceania any time. In fact we had booked a Regent again based on itinerary but were able to put two Oceanias back to back to get what we wanted and we are also going next Tuesday to the Caribbean on Riviera. So this will be our 4th and 5th cruises on Oceania Riviera. From what I have read and researched about HAL it would be one of my last choices.

[PhD-iva]

What does that mean??

 

 

 

Go-Bucks, sorry to be obtuse. By “uninitiated” I meant someone who had not yet cruised with Oceania and therefore doesn’t realize what they are missing. We like to cruise with BIL & SIL. She is very loyal to Celebrity, so I will be “slumming” on Millie later this year.

 

 

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