Oceania vs Holland or Celebrity

[larry_s_taco]

23 hours ago, Guindalf said:

Of the three, we will be sticking to Celebrity if cruising becomes an option in the future. We were on the Insignia in July of last year and had to admit to being disappointed.

 

We didn't expect the entertainment to rival the big lines, but the magician was good and fun. He also held classes in basic magic and, as an amateur magician myself, was good fun.

 

However, considering O has the tagline of 'the best cuisine at sea', between the six of us (DW, DiL & hub and two friends), I don't think we had a single meal that didn't have problems and failed the taste test! this ranged from suckling pig that was a circle of skin with a sausage-like substance inside it to lobster tail that was obviously claw meat to an iceberg wedge that was actually spring mix with the answer from the waiter that 'it was wrong on the menu' without any further explanation! The biggest issue I had was asking for San Pelligrino with my meal. On some occasions it was served, but more often, someone returned with Perrier and asked if it was OK - even in the Italian specialty restaurant! It wasn't as if they had run out as it varied throughout the cruise. I realize that these seem to be petty, but added up, they were significant.

 

We followed up with Celebrity to Alaska and again to Key West and Cozumel in December and had a much better experience, so that's where we'll stay.

 

 

I've enjoyed Celebrity as well. I don't tend to be brand loyal, and like to branch out for new experiences. The frequent cruiser perks offered by the various lines aren't really enough to keep me with one line. That being said I do like to be prepared when I travel on a line/ship that I haven't been on before. 

[Tedferg]

I followed Ken The Cruiser's advice, this is not scientifically precise but as a first pass looking at Canada New England mid Sep 2021 cost per day was Princess $295 / HAL $300 / Celebrity $290 / Oceania $580. Tried my best to match perks. HAL and Celebrity cabins were closer to Princess Mini suite. Princess standard balcony.

[Ken the cruiser]

44 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

I followed Ken The Cruiser's advice, this is not scientifically precise but as a first pass looking at Canada New England mid Sep 2021 cost per day was Princess $295 / HAL $300 / Celebrity $290 / Oceania $580. Tried my best to match perks. HAL and Celebrity cabins were closer to Princess Mini suite. Princess standard balcony.

Well, I have to ask. What were the ships and associated cabin categories that were in your comparison?

[Tedferg]

11 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Well, I have to ask. What were the ships and associated cabin categories that were in your comparison?

It was just a first pass, looking at 'base' prices. Once ball park was established I appreciated that I might choose a different cabin etc. I went back for more detail:

Princess Caribbean BD cabin with Plus package (Grat/Drink) $307

Celebrity Summit Verandah Grats/ Drink $290

HAL  Lanai (Opens on to Promenade) Drinks/Grats/Specialty $300

Oceania Insignia B2 Balcony Cruise only $474 Revised to Cruise Only - don't understand Olife looks like 6 Excursion / Drinks / $600 OBC.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

6 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

It was just a first pass, looking at 'base' prices. Once ball park was established I appreciated that I might choose a different cabin etc. I went back for more detail:

Princess Caribbean BD cabin with Plus package (Grat/Drink) $307

Celebrity Summit Verandah Grats/ Drink $290

HAL  Lanai (Opens on to Promenade) Drinks/Grats/Specialty $300

Oceania Insignia B2 Balcony Cruise only $474 Revised to Cruise Only - don't understand Olife looks like 6 Excursion / Drinks / $600 OBC.

 

Thanks!

 

As far as Princess goes, may I suggest at least a Premium Balcony cabin as there is only one chair in the regular balcony and below cabins. You also get free internet with the Plus package.

 

As far as OLife goes, you get to pick one of those 3 rather than get them all.

[Tedferg]

12 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks!

 

As far as Princess goes, may I suggest at least a Premium Balcony cabin as there is only one chair in the regular balcony and below cabins. You also get free internet with the Plus package.

 

As far as OLife goes, you get to pick one of those 3 rather than get them all.

Thanks Ken, we have sailed Princess 8 times, once upgraded to Mini suite and our one Celebrity cruise had the small sofa, so like a Mini suite. Must say we do not spend a lot of time in the cabin. I will look at price difference between regular and premium balcony. Must say the small amount of extra seating is not significant to us.

 

Please indulge me on Oceania. We get an advertising brochure three times each week but have never considered them. The price I quoted is Ultimate Sale and it seem you get all three perks. Is this a special promotion? Does o Life include air fare ? I did not see which air ports are included.

[Ken the cruiser]

20 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks Ken, we have sailed Princess 8 times, once upgraded to Mini suite and our one Celebrity cruise had the small sofa, so like a Mini suite. Must say we do not spend a lot of time in the cabin. I will look at price difference between regular and premium balcony. Must say the small amount of extra seating is not significant to us.

 

Please indulge me on Oceania. We get an advertising brochure three times each week but have never considered them. The price I quoted is Ultimate Sale and it seem you get all three perks. Is this a special promotion? Does o Life include air fare ? I did not see which air ports are included.

What exact cruise are you looking at so I can see on their site what you are seeing? NY to NY starting Sep 21,2021?

Edited June 4, 2020 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

22 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Please indulge me on Oceania. We get an advertising brochure three times each week but have never considered them. The price I quoted is Ultimate Sale and it seem you get all three perks. Is this a special promotion? Does o Life include air fare ? I did not see which air ports are included.

Here's what I see on this cruise. Notice the wording I highlighted in red:

 

Special Offer

With The Ultimate Sale explore the world at truly unrivaled savings. These historic price reductions are on top of the already phenomenal value represented by our popular OLife Choice package, which includes including Roundtrip Airfare*, a FREE amenity of your choice and much more!

FREE - 6 Shore Excursions
FREE - Beverage Package
FREE - $600 Shipboard Credit
Amenities are per stateroom

[Ken the cruiser]

@Tedferg, just so you know, if you choose the OLife OBC option of $600 per stateroom (or $300 per person), you actually are paying for that, as the additional cost for the OLife option in the cruise fare is $300 per person. The better deal, if you choose the OLife option, is to take the Excursion option, if you want to book O excursions because you can book their non-OS/OE category excursions which run up to $199 per person.

[Tedferg]

28 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

@Tedferg, just so you know, if you choose the OLife OBC option of $600 per stateroom (or $300 per person), you actually are paying for that, as the additional cost for the OLife option in the cruise fare is $300 per person. The better deal, if you choose the OLife option, is to take the Excursion option, if you want to book O excursions because you can book their non-OS/OE category excursions which run up to $199 per person.

What is standard Beverage situation with Cruise Only Fare ? Is there a list of departure airports for O Life - $300 seems like a deal ! I appreciate your advice, I know I could scour other responses but as a newbie it is not easy to find FAQ.

[Ken the cruiser]

26 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

What is standard Beverage situation with Cruise Only Fare ? Is there a list of departure airports for O Life - $300 seems like a deal ! I appreciate your advice, I know I could scour other responses but as a newbie it is not easy to find FAQ.

I know you get all the bottled water and regular coffee and tea you can drink, but not sure about the fancy coffees and sodas. As far as airports, do a fake booking with air and you’ll get the list. 

[Tedferg]

Thanks for responses. I will take a time out and do some research on Oceania site instead of asking piecemeal questions. I started off by suspecting Princess ship on the New England itinerary because of negative comments about Princess Caribbean, and so looked at other cruise lines. 

 

I thought Oceania justified its higher price because some perks were standard, apparently not so. I will return after some study, thanks for your time.

 

I did not mean for this insert to be here but cannot delete it !

Edited June 4, 2020 by Tedferg

[ORV]

If it doesn't have alcohol in it it's included on Oceania. 

 

How much are you valuing the superior food and free specialty restaurants on Oceania compared to the others? How about the space to guest ratio? After one Princess cruise you'd have trouble getting me to go on one for free. 

 

If you would use the Oceania website you would see the included air gateways. See here, https://www.oceaniacruises.com/air

 

Sacramento is not an included gateway, but for 99.50 per person per direction you could add it. 

 

Also, if you like to drink alcohol the basic drink package as your perk and then upgrading to the Prestige Package for $20 a day per person becomes cost effective. Especially if you like scotches or good tequilas. If you don't drink much then the excursions or no Olife is the way to go. 

 

You can get a price without Olife with air, with Olife without air, or cruise only with no air or Olife, or of course Olife and air. . 

Edited June 4, 2020 by ORV

[Ken the cruiser]

8 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Thanks for responses. I will take a time out and do some research on Oceania site instead of asking piecemeal questions. I started off by suspecting Princess ship on the New England itinerary because of negative comments about Princess Caribbean, and so looked at other cruise lines. 

 

I thought Oceania justified its higher price because some perks were standard, apparently not so. I will return after some study, thanks for your time.

 

I did not mean for this insert to be here but cannot delete it !

While you’re doing more research, check out the price of a Celebrity Aqua Class cabin. You get to eat breakfast and dinner in their private Blu restaurant rather than in the MDR. 

[Tedferg]

ORV I take your points. I previously thought Oceania was twice the price of Princess, HAL etc. This thread has stimulated me to investigate cost per day and then will factor in various 'benefits'

 

Ken   Will factor in Aqua, Princess Premium balcony etc. I am not a cheapskate but have been happy with basic balcony on Princess and paying for upgrades as needed. A good friend extols the benefits of Oceania 'Butler' I would feel a little uncomfortable with so much attention. 
 

thanks again for all advice. 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Tedferg said:

I thought Oceania justified its higher price because some perks were standard, apparently not so. I will return after some study, thanks for your time.

 

I did not mean for this insert to be here but cannot delete it !

 

 Well right in the promo it  says CHOOSE ONE  of the FREE  amenities 

 

[LHT28]

14 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

 A good friend extols the benefits of Oceania 'Butler' I would feel a little uncomfortable with so much attention. 

 

It is not like the Butler is hanging around waiting for your requests  they have several cabins to take care of 

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Tedferg said:

What is standard Beverage situation with Cruise Only Fare ? Is there a list of departure airports for O Life - $300 seems like a deal ! I appreciate your advice, I know I could scour other responses but as a newbie it is not easy to find FAQ.

If you check the T & C at the bottom of the page of the promo  it gives you the Gateways

With O air you will fly in/out on the days the cruise begins/ends

Should you want to spend more time in the port cities  you can pay a deviation fee of  $175 PP 

or check the cost of air to book your own  & Oceania will give you  a small reduction

  

All Fares include governmentfees & taxes. “Airfare” does not include ground transfers, and offer applies to coach, roundtrip flights only from the following airports: ATL, BOS, CLT, DCA, DEN, DFW, DTW, EWR, IAH, IAD, JFK, LAX, LGA, MCO, MDW, MIA, ORD, PHL, PHX, SAN, SAV, SEA, SFO, TPA, YOW, YUL, YVR, YYZ.Oceania Cruises reserves the right to assign gateways based on availability for JFK, LGA and MIA. Gateways are subject to change at any time. Airfare is available from all other U.S. and Canadian gateways for an additional charge. “Airfare” includes all airline fees, surchargesand government taxes. Airline-imposed personal charges such as baggage fees may apply

 

[KatieBelle]

Another "perk" that you won't find in the official print is the opportunity to bring your own wine, beer, and spirits onboard for consumption in your suite/stateroom.  I believe the official statement is 3 bottles per person.  (Someone will promptly correct me if I am wrong)  However, many here know that you can easily take a case or 2 of your favorite beverages on board without question. Comparable wines on the O wine list that we might choose are usually at least double in price for what we might bring onboard.  You may take your unopened bottle of wine to any dining venue and pay a one-time corkage fee.  If you do not finish the bottle, it will be stored at the appropriate temp and you may call for it in any other restaurant.

 

Being mostly wine drinkers, we appreciate this benefit especially in Europe.  Restock in almost every port!  And if you find a magnum of your fave, even better!  When we travel with friends, we often order the international cheese plate or smoked salmon plate from room service (also included), pop a cork and enjoy happy hour on the veranda.  There is always a corkscrew in your stateroom.  Room service will provide the appropriate stemware/ice bucket.  Then take a second bottle to dinner!  😉  It's all very civilized.

 

Katie

[Redtravel]

cruising is going to change.  Until ships start sailing again, you cannot compare. Everything that happened before the pandemic is history.  On past cruises, I liked the food on a Oceania better than most other cruise lines.  Their specialty restaurants are excellent.  Celebrity food is good, but ordinary. Their buffet was chaos and often dirty.  Aqua class or suite dining rooms are better than the main dining room.  Celebrity, being larger, offers many options. It’s been more than 10 years since I sailed on HAL. Memory is that food was ok.  Rumor has it that the buffets will be eliminated.  Wait and see.  For now, stay safe, and wait until after ships sail again.

[Tedferg]

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

 Well right in the promo it  says CHOOSE ONE  of the FREE  amenities 

 

OK, understand I have never been to Oceania site before and am unaware of what is included. I now see that O Life allows choice of one perk.

However, look at this through a Newbie's eyes: Since standard O Life includes one perk, it is easy to misunderstand this to say that 'Ultimate Sale' includes ALL perks. Otherwise what is Ultimate sail adding? Why state 'FREE' in front of each perk ? Why not just list the perks and say 'Choose One'.

[KirkNC]

22 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Well, I have to ask. What were the ships and associated cabin categories that were in your comparison?

Also ship size.  You can't expect to sail on a 650 passenger ship and pay the same as a 2,500 passenger ship.

[KirkNC]

On the OP's question, we are HAL refugees and can tell you they will be the cheapest of the three.  We have learned as they watered down the product year after year that cost is not the most important factor for us.  We have found O food to be much better, no specialty dining surcharge, bringing wine onboard at any port, small well maintained ships.  HAL's direction is larger ships, less entertainment (excluding music), no more travel director (combined with cruise director), deferred maintenance big time, more fees.  If I can just get free laundry on O I would be in nirvana.  

[1985rz1]

50 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

OK, understand I have never been to Oceania site before and am unaware of what is included. I now see that O Life allows choice of one perk.

However, look at this through a Newbie's eyes: Since standard O Life includes one perk, it is easy to misunderstand this to say that 'Ultimate Sale' includes ALL perks. Otherwise what is Ultimate sail adding? Why state 'FREE' in front of each perk ? Why not just list the perks and say 'Choose One'.

I guess I don't see your point.  The ad states the sale consists of "historic price reductions are on top of the already phenomenal value represented by our popular Olife Choice package,"  To me that says the sale has to do with new price reductions independent of OLife package.  Of course, to be able to see the savings, you will have to have the original pricing at hand for comparison.

 

If also summarizes  the popular OLife package as a free amenity of your choice, then lists the options.  I don't see where it implies all three anywhere in the ad.

 

Sorry, but I don't think you have a valid beef...but that's JMHO

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

45 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Also ship size.  You can't expect to sail on a 650 passenger ship and pay the same as a 2,500 passenger ship.

But if I can get a suite with all the trimmings on a 2,500 passenger ship for the same price as a balcony on a 650 passenger ship going on roughly the same itinerary, I'll take the suite every time.