Oceania dining vs Crystal?

[aardogfsu]

Very happy with the food on board Oceania and will be doing my first Crystal cruise in December.

 

So Oceania (Marina) vs. Crystal (Symphony)...which do you prefer?

[aaaaa]

Covered here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2600839&highlight=crystal+food

[aaaaa]

And here: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2715

[aardogfsu]

awesome, thanks :)

[ellbon]

There is a start of a new thread on Crystal CC. Some things are much better on them. From food to included drinks. Others you will say Oceania is better. I know I had a great butler on C. UCB better than O,

[wripro]

The food in the specialty restaurants on Oceania is excellent but in the main dining room it pales in co,prison to Crystal. Also the GDR on Oceania's R class ships looks like a big catering hall to me.

[Travelcat2]

The food in the specialty restaurants on Oceania is excellent but in the main dining room it pales in co,prison to Crystal. Also the GDR on Oceania's R class ships looks like a big catering hall to me.

 

Agree about Oceania's main dining room and the the specialty restaurants. Just wanted to add that we strongly disliked the food in The Terrace Cafe (Oceania's buffet restaurant). Have not been on Crystal but almost anything would be better than the MDR and Terrace Cafe on Oceania.

[ORV]

Agree about Oceania's main dining room and the the specialty restaurants. Just wanted to add that we strongly disliked the food in The Terrace Cafe (Oceania's buffet restaurant). Have not been on Crystal but almost anything would be better than the MDR and Terrace Cafe on Oceania.

 

In full disclosure many people rave about the Terrace, so maybe it's personal preference.

 

I've always enjoyed the MDR on the O & R ships. Maybe I don't have enough taste or class to know the difference.

[LHT28]

In full disclosure many people rave about the Terrace, so maybe it's personal preference.

 

I've always enjoyed the MDR on the O & R ships. Maybe I don't have enough taste or class to know the difference.

+ 1

 

it is a personal choice

 

 

maybe a snob factor at work here :rolleyes:

 

Oceania works fine for us

I have looked at Regent & Crystal they just do not appeal to us

[LHT28]

Very happy with the food on board Oceania and will be doing my first Crystal cruise in December.

 

So Oceania (Marina) vs. Crystal (Symphony)...which do you prefer?

It does not really matter what others prefer it is what works for you that matters

 

JMO

[JimandStan]

Very happy with the food on board Oceania and will be doing my first Crystal cruise in December.

 

So Oceania (Marina) vs. Crystal (Symphony)...which do you prefer?

 

We are Manhattan adjacent and generally prefer traditional old school restaurants such as La Grenouille, so when Holland America began to falter faster than we were able to lower our expectations, we gave Crystal a try.

Their restaurants serve excellent food and the quality is superb, but (for us) the presentation and ambience were incredibly stodgy. They make a great show of bringing out the fish knives, for example, in fact, we found the service in general to be just this side of suffocating , every server from the waiter to the busboy has an assistant.

 

For us, the less formal dining style on Oceania (sometimes described as "California style ") is far less wearing over the course of a cruise. YMMV :D

[Bootman4U]

IMO it really helps when people respond with very specific examples of that they thought was "good" and "bad" (or not so good) as JimandStan have done above.

 

On another thread comparing these same two cruise lines someone said they were less than pleased "with the breakfast" on one or the other because only one kind of berry was offered. I have no problem with that but it does indicate something about the poster and what they feel is "important."

 

And please with the greatest of respect, saying you "had a great butler" is pretty meaningless unless you give us some clue as to what made that person "great" even if it is just their appearance.

[edgee]

+ 1

 

it is a personal choice

 

 

maybe a snob factor at work here :rolleyes:

 

Oceania works fine for us

I have looked at Regent & Crystal they just do not appeal to us

 

We have tried Oceania, Crystal and Regent. We feel food on Oceania, in both main dining room and specialty restaurants is terrific with Crystal being a very very close second. We have cruised on Regent just once and found significant problems with service quality and efficiency in all food venues...perhaps it was just our cruise...Oceania has been our "go to" cruise line, but annoying, overly frequent announcements and poor entertainment and lecturers have pushed us over to Crystal as our preferred cruise line. The entertainers and lecturers on Crystal are truly outstanding.

 

In addition we have found fellow passengers on Crystal to be very outgoing and friendly...more so than Oceania...of course YMMV.

Edited May 13, 2018 by edgee
Additional info.

[I_r_a]

>we strongly disliked the food in The Terrace Cafe

 

It would be a great help if posters would explain what it was they disliked.

 

Ira

[Paulchili]

Very happy with the food on board Oceania and will be doing my first Crystal cruise in December.

 

So Oceania (Marina) vs. Crystal (Symphony)...which do you prefer?

 

I understand your intentions but I am afraid the replies here will be of little actual value or help. You are likely to receive as many “yeas” as “nays”

You are asking for food preferences of total strangers whose likes and dislikes are probably nothing like yours.

I could tell you that I strongly prefer the food on Oceania but what does that really mean to you (disclaimer - my food preferences are quite unusual and unique :D).

You should just “take the plunge” and try Crystal. One of two things will most likely happen - you will happily return to Oceania (like me) or you may have found your new favorite cruise line in Crystal (like some other Oceania cruisers have) :).

Either one would be a favorable outcome.

[edgee]

I understand your intentions but I am afraid the replies here will be of little actual value or help. You are likely to receive as many “yeas” as “nays”

You are asking for food preferences of total strangers whose likes and dislikes are probably nothing like yours.

I could tell you that I strongly prefer the food on Oceania but what does that really mean to you (disclaimer - my food preferences are quite unusual and unique :D).

You should just “take the plunge” and try Crystal. One of two things will most likely happen - you will happily return to Oceania (like me) or you may have found your new favorite cruise line in Crystal (like some other Oceania cruisers have) :).

Either one would be a favorable outcome.

 

Very very well stated!

[wripro]

I understand your intentions but I am afraid the replies here will be of little actual value or help. You are likely to receive as many “yeas” as “nays”

You are asking for food preferences of total strangers whose likes and dislikes are probably nothing like yours.

I could tell you that I strongly prefer the food on Oceania but what does that really mean to you (disclaimer - my food preferences are quite unusual and unique :D).

You should just “take the plunge” and try Crystal. One of two things will most likely happen - you will happily return to Oceania (like me) or you may have found your new favorite cruise line in Crystal (like some other Oceania cruisers have) :).

Either one would be a favorable outcome.

 

Agree completely, Paul.