Oceana v Aurora

[janny444]

Hi....all this talk of maybe Oceana & Aurora being sold on has made me wonder what are the differences between the two ships seeing as they are of a similar age.

We have had two cruise on Oceana but none on Aurora....our first ever cruise was on Oceana and the things that I really liked about the ship was the lovely wide promenade deck....Cafe Jardin....the forward facing buffet restaurant and a more intimate atmosphere all around the ship.

The  things I didn't like were  the cabins ....felt slightly claustrophobic ....much prefer the cabin layouts of  Azura/Ventura and the " rocking and rolling" of the ship  especially if the sea was being a bit " bumpy"

[AndyMichelle]

Now you have got me started Janny..😊 

The only thing I would take from Oceana and put on Aurora is Cafe Jardin..

Although the atrium is beautiful, it causes the biggest issue on Oceana for me, which is poor flow of the public areas with everything on top of each other. 

Aurora does not have much of an Atrium, as the space is used for more intimate venues like Andersons and Masquerade. 

Crows nest, tiered stern and possibly the best show bar/dance floor in the fleet in Carmens give Aurora the edge for me. 

The 'feel' between the 2 is a total contrast, Aurora is calm, relaxed and classy where my overriding memory of Oceana is chaos... 

Aurora also feels better kept and gives a feel of a proper liner. 

The cabins are much better, you don't have to climb over the bed to get in it... 

Others love Oceana, including Michelle, but to me, there is no comparison, even before Aurora became adults only. 

Andy 

[Adawn47]

We've been on both and each has it's own style. I like Oceana,  we've sailed on her 3 times before her fly/cruise days.

However wonderful Aurora is our absolute favourite.  She has larger bathrooms and a wide full wrap-around promenade deck. She  also has the added bonus of a lovely tiered stern. We've also found her to be more stable than Oceana. Just to add following on from Andy,  Andersons is perfect. for a pre-dinner drink.

Avril 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Adawn47
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[janny444]

Hi Andy....isn't it funny how we all see and experience things differently....I thought Oceana was a lovely sedate atmosphere....apart from when she listed badly going through the BOB but that was exceptional experience....I think !

Hi Avril....for the above reason I like the sound of Aurora being more stable......maybe would have coped better with the situation.

When all of this " madness" has calmed down and cruising once again  becomes more normal....and prices are within reason.... I will try Aurora before she is sold on

[AndyMichelle]

14 minutes ago, janny444 said:

Hi Andy....isn't it funny how we all see and experience things differently....I thought Oceana was a lovely sedate atmosphere....apart from when she listed badly going through the BOB but that was exceptional experience....I think !

Hi Avril....for the above reason I like the sound of Aurora being more stable......maybe would have coped better with the situation.

When all of this " madness" has calmed down and cruising once again  becomes more normal....and prices are within reason.... I will try Aurora before she is sold on

We all have different perceptions, but compared to Aurora, I found Oceana far too noisy with no respite. 

For instance, sitting in Magnums, which should be a quiet venue with the DJ blaring out from Le Club opposite and live music in the bar above is off putting. 

The same at the other end where the noise from the theatre blends into the noise from the pub that blends into the noise of the atrium. 

Aurora has genuinely calm places like Anderson, the Crows Nest and even Masquerade. 

All in all, Aurora seems to have more space than Oceana, it never feels crowded even when sailing full. 

Andy 

 

[Son of Anarchy]

Have spent more time on Oceana than Aurora, but given the same itinery, and similar pricing would go for Aurora.  Haven't been on Aurora for a while, I think Café Bordeaux is no more? A pity if that's the case.   All the plus points for me have been covered.

[majortom10]

Aurora for me  every time over Oceana and there is nothing on Oceana I would put on Aurora. Having said all that havent been on Oceana or Aurora for a number of years and comparing Aurora when she had Cafe Bordeaux and the library which I believe has been changed to accommodate SIndhu.

[Ardennais]

I prefer Aurora - Andersons is relaxing, the Crow’s Nest is lovely and the Playhouse is a definite bonus for films and recitals. I also like the tiered section at the back. But I also like the Cafe Jardin on Oceana and I did spend one pre-Christmas cruise on Oceana which had been beautifully decorated. Shame that Aurora is now adults only which means an older demographic. 

[AndyMichelle]

8 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Shame that Aurora is now adults only which means an older demographic. 

We have been on Aurora 3 times since she went adults only and have not found the demographic to be particularly old. 

Length of cruise will make a difference, but on our 7-9 night cruises, there has been a good mix with a fair few youngsters and a lot around our age, 50s.

Andy 

[AchileLauro]

15 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Now you have got me started Janny..😊 

The only thing I would take from Oceana and put on Aurora is Cafe Jardin..

Although the atrium is beautiful, it causes the biggest issue on Oceana for me, which is poor flow of the public areas with everything on top of each other. 

Aurora does not have much of an Atrium, as the space is used for more intimate venues like Andersons and Masquerade. 

Crows nest, tiered stern and possibly the best show bar/dance floor in the fleet in Carmens give Aurora the edge for me. 

The 'feel' between the 2 is a total contrast, Aurora is calm, relaxed and classy where my overriding memory of Oceana is chaos... 

Aurora also feels better kept and gives a feel of a proper liner. 

The cabins are much better, you don't have to climb over the bed to get in it... 

Others love Oceana, including Michelle, but to me, there is no comparison, even before Aurora became adults only. 

Andy 

Pretty much our thoughts on the two ships also. Café Jardin is probably the only thing that we would take from Oceana too but let's not forget that Café Bordeaux on Aurora had a similar role and we actually preferred it.  They haven't done a bad job in replacing it with the glasshouse but we would have preferred if it had been left as it was.

As to the atrium on Oceana, I really don't understand how some folk rave about it, it's simply gaudy and tasteless. As you say its a hinderance to free flow of traffic and to use it to host captain's cocktail parties because there isn't another suitable venue is just plain crazy.

Overall Aurora pervades a much more relaxed and refined atmosphere throughout. Oceana was and remains a ship designed for a slightly different purpose that was pressed into service some years ago and never replaced with something more suited to British based cruises.

 

Still think that it was a very poor decision to make Aurora adult only, It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't done with virtually no notice whatsoever and cancelling family bookings already made.

Edited June 22, 2020 by AchileLauro

[Brayman]

Agreeing with all the above plus points for Aurora, the one big thing for me is space, Oceana gets really crowded in the evenings because everyone is inside, during the day more are outside and there is ample space for everyone. Aurora is much more comfortable with plenty of seating at any time. The Crows Nest is so much better use of space than the buffet on Oceana. The stern on Oceana is nothing but the aft tiered decks on Aurora are just perfect. Both have a nice wide Prom deck. Personally I prefer the Glasshouse to both Cafe Jardin and Cafe Bordeaux. Oceana's bathrooms and showers are tiny too.

[pete14]

16 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Now you have got me started Janny..😊 

The only thing I would take from Oceana and put on Aurora is Cafe Jardin..

Although the atrium is beautiful, it causes the biggest issue on Oceana for me, which is poor flow of the public areas with everything on top of each other. 

Aurora does not have much of an Atrium, as the space is used for more intimate venues like Andersons and Masquerade. 

Crows nest, tiered stern and possibly the best show bar/dance floor in the fleet in Carmens give Aurora the edge for me. 

The 'feel' between the 2 is a total contrast, Aurora is calm, relaxed and classy where my overriding memory of Oceana is chaos... 

Aurora also feels better kept and gives a feel of a proper liner. 

The cabins are much better, you don't have to climb over the bed to get in it... 

Others love Oceana, including Michelle, but to me, there is no comparison, even before Aurora became adults only. 

Andy 

I completely agree with you Andy. The atrium on Oceana cuts the ship in half which means that Cafe Jardin, an excellent dining space, becomes a public thoroughfare with people wanting to go from back to front or vice versa without walking down cabin decks corridors even though it means walking past signs asking them not to. 

[janny444]

Many thanks to everyone for your helpful comments....looks like I have been missing out by not cruising on Aurora....definitely on my cruising list especially when the 2022 brochure is released later this year....fingers crossed that the prices are not " silly" prices as they seem to be for next year.

Andy....I still haven't " recovered " from missing out on our April Britannia cruise and to consider the same cruise next April where the price is over 60% increase  makes it a price that I don't want to pay. 😒

[indiana123]

Firstly, we had a great time on Oceana.     I think we are a bit like Andymichelle here, as things would have to be terrible for us not to enjoy ourselves.  Most things can be laughed or smiled at.... but.... we were surprised at ourselves because Cafe Jardin wasn't our favourite place.  Perhaps we had read about it just too much.

[AchileLauro]

In my humble opinion the weather will make a great deal of difference as to how much you enjoy your cruise. The design of Aurora takes into account more the vagaries of the weather for a ship operating out of the U.K. As so many others have said so often before Oceana was designed for short cruises in the Caribbean or in warmer climes and simply doesn't have adequate provision for northern hemisphere weather conditions.

[Britboys]

The only aspect of Oceana that scores above Aurora for me is the open deck space up top. Very much designed for warm weather, they are very open and I especially like the aft of decks 12 & 14 with 3 hot tubs and a splash pool, open but covered. For me, Aurora's bars, lounges, theatre and dedicated cinema put her way above Oceana. More often than not, I am in an inside cabin and Aurora's feel more spacious, brighter and have a nice little sofa, which is very handy.

[Denarius]

Oceana is my favourite P&O ship. Aurora is the one I like least.

I like Oceana's free flowing interior, the atrium, the small bars and intimate spaces, a proper nightclub (Le Club), the library, breakfast in Cafe Jardin, the little deck bar at the stern.

To me Aurora comes over as dissjointed. A pub where the only place to stand or sit at the bar is in the walkway outside, and filled with the noise of people using the latter. A nightclub with a walkway right through the middle, ditto. Restaurants which you enter from the deck above. A sliding pool roof whose mechanism covers a large part of the adjoining deck.

But as they say, one man's meat is another man's poison!

[AchileLauro]

Denarius as you've pointed out "one man's meat is another man's poison" so we will have to differ regarding our personal likes and dislikes regarding Aurora and Oceana. I will however concede one point regarding the design of Aurora and that is Champions Bar.

How could they get it so wrong. It's much improved since the refit but still far from great. Why couldn't they have taken a lesson from Oriana and the Lords Tavern. Wouldn't it have been nice to have had a proper theme along with a suitable mural, Ascot for instance or Twickenham. Plus of course a suitable by-pass so that it was self contained and not astride  the M1 through the ship.

[Britboys]

Absolutely agree. The Lord's Tavern on Oriana was wonderful and Champions is a bit like they didn't know what to do with that space...

[9is]

Only been on aurora once, Christmas 18. Oceana 4 times. For me oceana appears more generally run down in most areas.  Our mini suite on oceana this Christmas was in a real bad way. Still seem to love the ship for some reason, find it very friendly.  Never found it noisy.  Aurora was a very bad experience, P&O agreed with us and gave us nearly 50% of our money back within days of returning.  
 

Our cabin was an inside cabin for 4, 2 adults and 2 children. We have been in many inside cabins so knew space was going to be tight.  It was the condition of the cabin that was a shock. It may have been this particular cruise but we found that their was a lack of atmosphere onboard.  The food was dreadful apart from the very first lunch, Christmas dinner was awful, although oceana wasn't much better.  Only cruise I’ve been happy to leave, normally I’m dragged off kicking and screaming. 
 

We met a higher percentage of children haters on this cruise, those who directly tell us children shouldn’t be on cruise ships.  My personal favourite was the clicky finger man we shared a table with who was in the child hater group.  Laughed quite a lot when a few days later he came out of a children’s carol performance and turned to his wife with a beaming smile, “that’s just made my Christmas”.
 

Thankfully our cruise on aurora the following Easter was cancelled when it went adult only.

[AndyMichelle]

9 hours ago, janny444 said:

 

 

3 hours ago, Denarius said:

Oceana is my favourite P&O ship. Aurora is the one I like least.

I like Oceana's free flowing interior, the atrium, the small bars and intimate spaces, a proper nightclub (Le Club), the library, breakfast in Cafe Jardin, the little deck bar at the stern.

To me Aurora comes over as dissjointed. A pub where the only place to stand or sit at the bar is in the walkway outside, and filled with the noise of people using the latter. A nightclub with a walkway right through the middle, ditto. Restaurants which you enter from the deck above. A sliding pool roof whose mechanism covers a large part of the adjoining deck.

But as they say, one man's meat is another man's poison!

It is funny how we all find things different.. 

The valid points you make are the opposite of what we love.. 

Each to their own. 

Andy 

 

[AchileLauro]

19 minutes ago, 9is said:

Only been on aurora once, Christmas 18. Oceana 4 times. For me oceana appears more generally run down in most areas.  Our mini suite on oceana this Christmas was in a real bad way. Still seem to love the ship for some reason, find it very friendly.  Never found it noisy.  Aurora was a very bad experience, P&O agreed with us and gave us nearly 50% of our money back within days of returning.  
 

Our cabin was an inside cabin for 4, 2 adults and 2 children. We have been in many inside cabins so knew space was going to be tight.  It was the condition of the cabin that was a shock. It may have been this particular cruise but we found that their was a lack of atmosphere onboard.  The food was dreadful apart from the very first lunch, Christmas dinner was awful, although oceana wasn't much better.  Only cruise I’ve been happy to leave, normally I’m dragged off kicking and screaming. 
 

We met a higher percentage of children haters on this cruise, those who directly tell us children shouldn’t be on cruise ships.  My personal favourite was the clicky finger man we shared a table with who was in the child hater group.  Laughed quite a lot when a few days later he came out of a children’s carol performance and turned to his wife with a beaming smile, “that’s just made my Christmas”.
 

Thankfully our cruise on aurora the following Easter was cancelled when it went adult only.

 

We were on Aurora a week or so before you that year (Christmas markets) and have to say that for us it was one of the better cruises. The food we found to be very good and our cabin which was an inside cabin just below the crows nest was simply perfect (dark and quiet).

We wouldn't do a Christmas markets cruise again as while nice to experience we thought that once was enough, though we spoke to many people who seem to book a similar cruise every year as it was their thing. None the less for us it was a very pleasant holiday even if the weather was typical of northern Europe at that time of the year.

[AndyMichelle]

31 minutes ago, AchileLauro said:

 

We were on Aurora a week or so before you that year (Christmas markets) and have to say that for us it was one of the better cruises. The food we found to be very good and our cabin which was an inside cabin just below the crows nest was simply perfect (dark and quiet).

We wouldn't do a Christmas markets cruise again as while nice to experience we thought that once was enough, though we spoke to many people who seem to book a similar cruise every year as it was their thing. None the less for us it was a very pleasant holiday even if the weather was typical of northern Europe at that time of the year.

I think we were on this cruise.

Heavy snow in Oslo?

The atmosphere on board was excellent and is still one of our favourite ever cruises. 

We have booked a 2021 Christmas Market cruise on Iona. 

Andy 

 

[9is]

22 minutes ago, AchileLauro said:

 

We were on Aurora a week or so before you that year (Christmas markets) and have to say that for us it was one of the better cruises. The food we found to be very good and our cabin which was an inside cabin just below the crows nest was simply perfect (dark and quiet).

We wouldn't do a Christmas markets cruise again as while nice to experience we thought that once was enough, though we spoke to many people who seem to book a similar cruise every year as it was their thing. None the less for us it was a very pleasant holiday even if the weather was typical of northern Europe at that time of the year.

I’m pleased you enjoyed your cruise.  I wish we had your cabin.  Ours was also quiet and dark.  However (going to be as polite as possible) the stains from previous occupants was disgusting. We didn’t have a functioning tap in the bathroom, we had a piece of metal attached by gaffer tape.  As mentioned before P&O refunded us nearly 50% of our cost, this was obviously processed whilst we was still onboard as it was in the post received 2 days after returning home.  I’m sure many people love aurora but not us. 

[AchileLauro]

15 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

I think we were on this cruise.

Heavy snow in Oslo?

The atmosphere on board was excellent and is still one of our favourite ever cruises. 

We have booked a 2021 Christmas Market cruise on Iona. 

Andy 

 

Yes snow in Oslo but if anything it added something to the atmosphere.

Edited June 22, 2020 by AchileLauro