Oceana next to go?

[Clodia]

I am not keen on the trend for larger ships, though I do have one cruise booked on Azura next year, but that was to do with the itinerary. The others I've booked for both 2020 and 2021 are all on Arcadia or Aurora.

After that, who knows? I am trying Silversea in December. I certainly couldn't afford the 3-4 cruises a year I do with P and O if I changed to the 6 star lines. Viking and Saga's new ship attract me also. After summer 2021 it might be a case of cruise less often with a higher priced (and higher quality) line. I liked Britannia despite not expecting to, but Iona is just a step too far.

[Eglesbrech]

On 10/27/2019 at 10:08 PM, jeanlyon said:

When Adonia went, we were booked on a cruise on her which was cancelled.  They just cancel them if the ship is sold.

If Oceana is going which we don’t obviously know for sure, I don’t think that P&O will get rid of her during the fly cruise season next year. The cost of cancelling charters would be bad enough but they also put customers on other airlines scheduled flights so would have cancellation costs for that as well which would presumably be higher (unless of course the costs for them have risen due to no TC charters in which case they might just cut their losses).

 

I think it would be more likely that they would sell when she is based in Southampton which would cost them so much less money and administration. You’ll notice I dont figure customers dissatisfaction into any of this because obviously P&O don’t based on their past actions.

 

Jean, when they cancelled the Adonia cruises were they UK based at the time or fly cruises, how much notice did you get and if you are happy to share - did they give you anything for the inconvenience?

[jh1809]

14 hours ago, Denarius said:

For a single gentleman of a certain age such as myself the new Saga ships, with only 1000 passengers and 80 single cabins, look an attractive proposition!

I fall into that category too, and felt the same until I saw what Saga were charging. Though there are lots of single cabins, they still seem to attract a very large single supplement compared to the per person price for "regular" cabins.

[Britboys]

And of course the other 'problem' with Saga's new ships is that all cabins are balcony cabins, so there are no 'bargain basement' inside cabins for those of us who don't have expansive cruise budgets...

[Barnum42]

On 10/26/2019 at 2:26 PM, Presto2 said:

 

I would have thought that they will make a massive loss if they do as she is the only one doing the Fly / Med  cruises 2020 and they are doing Venice so am not sure what could replace her. Then again, they may have a contingency plan. Very sad if she leaves. She was our first P&O cruise ship (after a week on OV2) and we fell in love with cruising after that.

2021 listings are out, I think Ventura or Azure will be taking over the Med fly-cruise, but Oceana is still listed as operating, I think out of Southampton (I don't have the lists to hand)

 

After I sent an email with feedback on our last cruise (Ventura) I received a call from P&O. In which I enquired about the rumours of her being the next ship to go. Nobody at P&O has been told that's the case.

 

We'd hate to see her go as she's proven to be our favourite.

[annieuk]

When Adonia went we had the cruise that returned the ship to Southampton from the Caribbean booked - by memory I think it was about 21 nights.  We specifically chose this because we really like the cruise at the end of the Caribbean season which returns to the UK so we don't have to do that horrible overnight flight home landing at Gatwick at 5am on a freezing cold morning.  Then Adonia was to go and I'd read about this on the internet, contacted the Cruise Club we had booked with and they said they'd only just had notification from P&O that morning and would be contacting all passengers.  When we had an email from P&O we were given £100 compensation and that was it.  Of course by this time the availability on the remaining Adonia cruises before she was to go was limited.  We ended up booking a two week fly cruise to the Caribbean which was, I think, the third to final cruise before she left.  We had booked Premium seats on our journey out to the Caribbean but of course by this time all the Premium Seats on all the Caribbean flights had gone.

So we ended up doing just what I didn't want - a two week fly cruise to the Caribbean returning home on an overnight flight.  Yes we could have chosen to do something different, sailing from and back to Southampton but we had already had two cruises on Adonia, really loved her and wanted this final cruise.  What I am saying is do not discount P&O getting rid of a ship mid season, even if it's a fly cruise season.  The one thing that doesn't bother them, or doesn't seem to, is inconveniencing and disappointing their passengers.

 

I would have thought, though of course I may be wrong, that they may wait to see how successful the first Iona season is before they take any decision about other ships going.  Surely they have got to be fairly confident that Britannia, Iona and the next new one will all have a good take up before they get rid of any other smaller ship.  Or maybe that's not how the business mind works.

 

If Oceana, Aurora and Arcadia go so do we.  We've sailed on Azura and Ventura, wouldn't again by choice unless they were going somewhere we wanted to be.  We will be looking at Saga, Oceania and possibly Cunard.  

[jeanlyon]

On 10/29/2019 at 9:24 AM, Eglesbrech said:

 

Jean, when they cancelled the Adonia cruises were they UK based at the time or fly cruises, how much notice did you get and if you are happy to share - did they give you anything for the inconvenience?

Yes out of the UK.  I don't fly these days.  I think we got extra OBC

Edited November 13, 2019 by jeanlyon

[jeanlyon]

41 minutes ago, annieuk said:

If Oceana, Aurora and Arcadia go so do we.  We've sailed on Azura and Ventura, wouldn't again by choice unless they were going somewhere we wanted to be.  We will be looking at Saga, Oceania and possibly Cunard.  

 Yes same here.  Only problem is Saga and Oceania are very expensive and actually so is Cunard once you price in 15% on all drinks and the fact that it's in dollars. 

 

Tried Azura once, wouldn't want to do that again.  That leaves Fred Olsen which is OK, but not the same.

Edited November 13, 2019 by jeanlyon

[terrierjohn]

58 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

 Yes same here.  Only problem is Saga and Oceania are very expensive and actually so is Cunard once you price in 15% on all drinks and the fact that it's in dollars. 

 

Tried Azura once, wouldn't want to do that again.  That leaves Fred Olsen which is OK, but not the same.

Not sure what you seek from a cruise holiday Jean, although your comments about just going ashore for a wander and the occasional drink do mirror ours. Then when on the ship we just need somewhere to sit and relax and read or people watch, and for us the big ships provide all those facilities, and we rarely feel they are too crowded. Which means that we are looking forward to Iona and all the new dining venues especially the al fresco feel of the prom deck.

Maybe you should give the big girls another chance.

[crompton21]

4 hours ago, annieuk said:

I would have thought, though of course I may be wrong, that they may wait to see how successful the first Iona season is before they take any decision about other ships going.  Surely they have got to be fairly confident that Britannia, Iona and the next new one will all have a good take up before they get rid of any other smaller ship.  Or maybe that's not how the business mind works. 

 

To commit to building two 180,000 tonne ships (aimed at the U.K. market in design) the analysis would have been done already.  There won't be a choice on which ships to keep, that will have been in the plan a long time ago.

As per another thread on here regarding access to the fjords and engine emissions it should also be remembered that the older ships may well find restrictions placed on them because of their poor emissions.  That issue is not going to go away, it may lead to some ships becoming obsolete in quicker timescales than has historically been the case.

I personally feel Iona to be too large a ship for it to hold any interest for me.  That may well end up as my problem rather than P & O's...…..

[Manx buoy]

At a loyalty lunch last week a senior officer was adamant that they have no plans to sell any of the ships when the new ones arrive much to our surprise and then in the next breath said of course they’re all for sale if an offer comes along🤷‍♂️

[AndyMichelle]

On 11/13/2019 at 12:04 PM, terrierjohn said:

Not sure what you seek from a cruise holiday Jean, although your comments about just going ashore for a wander and the occasional drink do mirror ours. Then when on the ship we just need somewhere to sit and relax and read or people watch, and for us the big ships provide all those facilities, and we rarely feel they are too crowded. Which means that we are looking forward to Iona and all the new dining venues especially the al fresco feel of the prom deck.

Maybe you should give the big girls another chance.

Totally agree John. 

Just off Oceana and it has absolutely no quiet space at any time of the day.. 

The bigger ships layouts are far better planned. 

It is nice that there is plenty to do, but every venue seemed to have things going on at the same time leaving no quieter spots. 

I believe Iona has an Andersons and Crows nest, so hopefully the concept will be the same. 

Andy 

 

 

[happy v]

9 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Totally agree John. 

Just off Oceana and it has absolutely no quiet space at any time of the day.. 

The bigger ships layouts are far better planned. 

It is nice that there is plenty to do, but every venue seemed to have things going on at the same time leaving no quieter spots. 

I believe Iona has an Andersons and Crows nest, so hopefully the concept will be the same. 

Andy 

 

 

When we were on Oceana a few weeks ago we had one day when the weather was atrocious. We went in the bubble pool and for a swim. The top deck was deserted but we still had to go to the pool at the front as the music was still blasting out of the speakers. It was never turned off!

[AndyMichelle]

3 minutes ago, happy v said:

When we were on Oceana a few weeks ago we had one day when the weather was atrocious. We went in the bubble pool and for a swim. The top deck was deserted but we still had to go to the pool at the front as the music was still blasting out of the speakers. It was never turned off!

There were no sunbed wars on our cruise... 

A few brave souls tried the hot tubs, but not many. 

Andy 

[happy v]

13 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

There were no sunbed wars on our cruise... 

A few brave souls tried the hot tubs, but not many. 

Andy 

I have to admit we spent longer in the hot tub than the pool!🙂

[jeanlyon]

On 11/13/2019 at 12:04 PM, terrierjohn said:

Not sure what you seek from a cruise holiday Jean, although your comments about just going ashore for a wander and the occasional drink do mirror ours. Then when on the ship we just need somewhere to sit and relax and read or people watch, and for us the big ships provide all those facilities, and we rarely feel they are too crowded. Which means that we are looking forward to Iona and all the new dining venues especially the al fresco feel of the prom deck.

Maybe you should give the big girls another chance.

Hi, well most places we DIY, not just wander.  for instance, we got the train to Taormina last month and had a great day.  So we do like to see the places.  I did feel Azura was very crowded.  We just did not like her at all.  I never found Oriana crowded.  Neither did we find Aurora crowded.  Can always find somewhere to sunbathe.  Sure there are some other folkl around, but not too close.  On Azura, the sunbeds were about one inch apart.  Oh and the music and the Seascreen blaring out all day.   I am afraid I like a ship to be like a ship and not a flock of flats at sea.

Edited November 17, 2019 by jeanlyon

[AndyMichelle]

11 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Hi, well most places we DIY, not just wander.  for instance, we got the train to Taormina last month and had a great day.  So we do like to see the places.  I did feel Azura was very crowded.  We just did not like her at all.  I never found Oriana crowded.  Neither did we find Aurora crowded.  Can always find somewhere to sunbathe.  Sure there are some other folkl around, but not too close.  On Azura, the sunbeds were about one inch apart.  Oh and the music and the Seascreen blaring out all day.   I am afraid I like a ship to be like a ship and not a flock of flats at sea.

I agree about Aurora Jean, but it doesn't mean small ships are good and big ships are bad. 

Aurora is our favourite ship, but I would choose Britannia over Oceana any day, there are many more quiet spots and a much better flow. 

I am looking forward to Iona, but Michelle is dreading it... But we will give it a go and if we don't like it, we will see you on Aurora. 

Andy 

[kruzseeka]

25 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

I agree about Aurora Jean, but it doesn't mean small ships are good and big ships are bad. 

Aurora is our favourite ship, but I would choose Britannia over Oceana any day, there are many more quiet spots and a much better flow. 

I am looking forward to Iona, but Michelle is dreading it... But we will give it a go and if we don't like it, we will see you on Aurora. 

Andy 

 

I think Oceana suffers from having no Crow's Nest.  Like you we found limited quiet space.  We often resorted to reading in Starlights during the daytime between other activities - provlded of course that nothing else was scheduled there!  Bit of an issue if the decks are closed as happened on some days.  We still enjoyed our cruise though! 😁

 

Like you Jean we find Azura very crowded with difficulty in finding somewhere to settle especially in the evenings after the show.  The Malabar was always packed.  I think the mass exodus 5 minutes before the end of the show (which i really dislike) is a measure of the scrum to find space in alternative venues. It has put us off the bigger ships.  Friends tell us Britannia has more plentiful public spaces - but we've not taken the plunge yet!

Edited November 17, 2019 by kruzseeka

[AndyMichelle]

5 minutes ago, kruzseeka said:

 

I think Oceana suffers from having no Crow's Nest.  Like you we found limited quiet space.  We often resorted to reading in Starlights during the daytime between ither activities - provlded of course that nothing else was scheduled there!  Bit of an issue if the decks are closed as happened on some days.  We still enjoyed our cruise though! 😁

 

Like you Jean we find Azura very crowded with difficulty in finding somewhere to settle especially in the evenings after the show.  The Malabar was always packed.  I think the mass exodus 5 minutes before the end of the show (which i really dislike) is a measure of the scrum to find space in alternative venues. It has put us off the bigger ships.  Friends tell us Britannia has more plentiful public spaces - but we've not taken the plunge yet!

Definitely missed a crows nest or equivalent on Oceana.

The adults only champagne bar is outside Le club and below Winners, so anything happening in either or both of them makes it an uncomfortable place to sit. 

We never had this problem on Britannia. 

Andy 

[Britboys]

16 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Hi, well most places we DIY, not just wander.  for instance, we got the train to Taormina last month and had a great day.  So we do like to see the places.  I did feel Azura was very crowded.  We just did not like her at all.  I never found Oriana crowded.  Neither did we find Aurora crowded.  Can always find somewhere to sunbathe.  Sure there are some other folkl around, but not too close.  On Azura, the sunbeds were about one inch apart.  Oh and the music and the Seascreen blaring out all day.   I am afraid I like a ship to be like a ship and not a flock of flats at sea.

Completely agree about Azura Jean.  I have sailed on her twice and on both occasions found her to be really overcrowded.  The open decks are crowded during the day in warm weather and I found the internal public spaces really crowded every night.  I found it really hard to find anywhere to sit in almost any venue in the evening.  I won't be sailing on her or Ventura in the future.  I am open to trying Britannia for a 4 or 7 night cruise sometime.  Her size still doesn't appeal but I do like the look of her interiors.

I am afraid every aspect of Iona so far released by P&O leaves me utterly cold.  Each to their own however - I'm sure lots of folk will love her when she arrives.

[davecttr]

21 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Definitely missed a crows nest or equivalent on Oceana.

The adults only champagne bar is outside Le club and below Winners, so anything happening in either or both of them makes it an uncomfortable place to sit. 

We never had this problem on Britannia. 

Andy 

The buffet could  have been a Crows Nest, it has a largish bar and there is a dance floor under the carpet. Or there was, then they invented evening buffets.

[happy v]

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

The buffet could  have been a Crows Nest, it has a largish bar and there is a dance floor under the carpet. Or there was, then they invented evening buffets.

They use the area as a bar on an evening. I found this out on our last night when there had been a quiz taking place.