Considering Oceania, how does it compare with Celebrity?

[wishuponasea]

We are READY to be pampered and go on vacation ---- but Waiting like everyone else in the world.  Oceania sent a brochure and a number of the cruises sure looked intriguing. 

We have only cruised on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. Could you all tell me what is better/worse/different between Celebrity and Oceania? I know, everyone has their own opinions....but we just want to figure out if we want to branch out and try a different cruise line. We would probably want to do the O'Life (especially if we cruise in the Med ---- for the flights -----since we are from the USA). Is there a Main dining room as well as the specialties? Do you need to make reservations each night? I see from briefly looking at this board that you can upgrade to premium beverage package for $20..00/day per person. That is on par with Celebrity. What are the average ages of the cruisers? How is the music and shows? We are finally retired (and of course.......all our trips/plans for this  year have been cancelled).......so we are very anxious to start up our new retired lives when it is safe to do so.  Stay Healthy everyone!

 I will appreciate all of your opinions and suggestions. Thank You!

[Paulchili]

I am sure that you will get lots of answers but in the mean time just type in Celebrity in the search box for this forum - lots of info to go through while waiting for specifics.

But the short version is that most people have trouble going back to Celebrity after trying Oceania Unless you are a party animal. 🙂

[wishuponasea]

11 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

I am sure that you will get lots of answers but in the mean time just type in Celebrity in the search box for this forum - lots of info to go through while waiting for specifics.

But the short version is that most people have trouble going back to Celebrity after trying Oceania Unless you are a party animal. 🙂

I will do just that, Thank You! I have not been on cruise critic in a while now...where is the search box in this forum?  Thanks!  Haha......I would not call Celebrity a "party" cruise line. We are interested in how the two compare though.

 

Edited September 6, 2020 by wishuponasea
added content

[Paulchili]

Here is one thread:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2746051-oceania-vs-holland-or-celebrity/?tab=comments#comment-59829701

Another:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2567155-oceania-vs-celebrity-suites/?tab=comments#comment-55342624

Another:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2678417-thinking-of-going-to-oceania-from-celebrity/?tab=comments#comment-57873548

And

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2622092-once-you-try-oceania-do-you-ever-go-back-to-celebrity/?tab=comments#comment-56519595

That’s a good start.

If afterwards you have have more specific questions we’ll be happy to help.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Paulchili

[LHT28]

I do not think you can compare Oceania with either of those lines 

The ships are smaller  & entertainment is low key

Cabins might be smaller than main stream line  so do check the sq ft of the cabin cat  you are considering

 

In the past pre covid

no reservation required for GDR it is open seating

show up during opening hours   share a table  or not

 

The included  air is NOT part of the O Life perk

You can get  a discount if you do not take the air

If you want to fly in earlier than day of embarkation (advisable) then do your own air

 

I will guess the average age is 50 -70  there will be people older & younger  but the majority will be that range

 

[Mura]

And the one big drawback for many (not us) is the entertainment.  Smaller ships have a harder time getting the talent!  We don't often go to the shows but some have been excellent (we are both musicians ourselves), most are okay to good, and occasionally -- very occasionally -- we walked out.

 

I didn't notice if anyone mentioned the Terrace Cafe in answering your question about the Grand Dining Room.  The food there is excellent -- you will find many of the same dishes as are on the GDR's menu for that evening -- and it is more casual.  It is far more spacious on Marina/Riviera than it is on the smaller "R" ships but you can get meat and fish grilled to your preference.  If you've had a long day touring, it can be a great option. 

 

Mura

[alcpa1]

We have accumulated status on Celebrity after leaving RCI (with status too) so we are probably aware of the differences.

Oceania has two classes of ships. The smaller vessels are R class with about 690 passengers. The two larger ships carry 1250. Both sizes are easy to maneuver. The R class ships, up to the penthouse category have smaller cabins with even smaller bathrooms than any Celebrity ship. Storage is good however and the cabins are comfy. On a Med cruise you won't have much cabin time anyway if you are on a R class ship.

The cuisine is, for the most part, better than Celebrity and far better than RCI. There are a few hits and misses but you can have that on any cruise. On the larger ships you have 4 specialty restaurants with bookings staggered depending on your cabin class. Restaurant bookings begin about 90 days before sailing for suites and then concierge levels and so on. Once onboard you can request additional bookings if available. The R class ships have a couple of specialty restaurants. The Terrace Cafe is an open seating venue that once upon a time was buffet style. On our February cruise food was served by staff at each station. I presume this will continue. There is also a outdoor grill with more than burgers and dogs. 

Because we are itinerary driven cruisers, and older ones at that, we appreciate the ambiance of Oceania. We will continue to book Celebrity and Azamara (all three ships are the same R class) and Oceania, of course.

[ORV]

10 hours ago, alcpa1 said:

The Terrace Cafe is an open seating venue that once upon a time was buffet style. On our February cruise food was served by staff at each station.

FWIW, I've been cruising on Oceania for 10 years and other than a few items such as bread and condiments the Terrace food has always been served by the staff. 

 

To the OP, it all depends on what you're looking for, I've seen some cruisers come from Celebrity and love Oceania in that it is a lot of the things they claim Celebrity used to be. On the other hand it is way too low key for many cruisers that are used to a higher energy environment like Royal and Celebrity. And yes, Celebrity is quite the party atmosphere compared to Oceania .

[TripsOnShipsTraveler]

Hello there wishuponasea...

Both Celebrity and Oceania are our favorite cruise lines. They are quite different, one from the other.

Celebrity ships are much larger and can, therefore, offer more things, including great stage productions, more specialty restaurants, the lawn on the top deck, art lessons, etc. and the food is very good. However, for smaller ports of call, it's a lot of tourists at one time. In the case of tender ports, it can take a while to get ashore (and back). Oceania ships, being smaller, do a fine job with entertainment, but not even close to Celebrity. They tend to call on smaller ports and can dock closer to the center of town in many cases. The service is superior, generally, and some staff will remember your name. The food, though, is outstanding. No extra charge for the specialty restaurants, which are great, by the way, but it's a matter of booking the reservations. But the dining room food is outstanding as well. They can arrange your air, but compare rates and make sure you aren't paying too much vs. what you can book yourself. 

 

Olife can include Roundtrip Airfare and Free Internet, plus choose one:
Enjoy an even more carefree experience with OLife Choice. Offering you the flexibility to personalize your vacation experience, this package includes Roundtrip Airfare* (always read the footnotes) and Free Internet, plus choose one:

- Up to 8 FREE Shore Excursions OR
- FREE Beverage Package OR
- Up to $800 FREE Shipboard Credit per stateroom ($800 is if you're booking a suite. Check what it is for your cabin category)

These promotions vary, so be sure you understand what you're getting!

Also, they place a high value on the drinks package... Great if you drink a lot, but absurd if you don't drink.

It's not the best value for everybody. 

One negative on Oceania... our bathroom was VERY small and cramped.

Also, it's more expensive than Celebrity... 

I suggest basing your decision on the destinations. Neither cruise line will disappoint.

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, TripsOnShipsTraveler said:

One negative on Oceania... our bathroom was VERY small and cramped.

Are you talking R Class or O class ships?

 

 If the O class ship's bathroom are too cramped  I wonder  what you have at home? 😨

[LHT28]

10 minutes ago, ORV said:

FWIW, I've been cruising on Oceania for 10 years and other than a few items such as bread and condiments the Terrace food has always been served by the staff. 

 

ORV

Back in the early years you could get your own salad & meats/cheeses  but the hot food was always served

 

 I am glad they took away the self serve options

JMO

[ORV]

3 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

ORV

Back in the early years you could get your own salad & meats/cheeses  but the hot food was always served

 

 I am glad they took away the self serve options

JMO

Okay, those are generally items I don't eat so I wasn't aware it was self serve. 

 

To add to a post a couple above, the internet is included for everyone. There is no need to get the Olife option for internet. Oceania creates a lot of confusion with their marketing with the Olife. 

[Ken the cruiser]

We've sailed quite a few times with Oceania, but have recently switched back to Celebrity because we found for roughly the same price we can book a sky suite on X with all of the perks rather than a veranda on O with the OLife option. There is also a lot more things to do in the evening and on sea days on a X cruise whereas with O their onboard activities are somewhat limited, trivia and one evening show at 9:30 pm, as some folks have already mentioned.

 

But, O is definitely a nice alternative if you're looking for a more "relaxing" cruise. As far as food goes since we can eat most meals in the Luminae on X if we book a SS, I would say it's about even when you include the free specialty restaurants on O.  

[1985rz1]

Neither free internet nor air is officially part of the O-Life package, per se, although the marketing makes it seems that way.

 

Internet is included in the basic cruise only fare.

 

You  can take the O-Life package with or without air. You can take air with or without O-Life.  If you don't take air, you get a credit, regardless of whether you take O-Life or not.

 

You can determine the air credit by deducting the per person O-Life amount of OBC (half the ad amount which is per cabin) from the O-Life pricing, and the difference between that amount and cruise only price is the air credit.  Or you can do a dummy booking on line and decline air to see the price reduction for the air.

 

Confusing enough?

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Okay, those are generally items I don't eat so I wasn't aware it was self serve. 

 

I think it was pre the O class ships

We started sailing with O in 2004  but cannot remember when it went to limited self serve  like bread only

CRS 😉

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, TripsOnShipsTraveler said:

Celebrity ships are much larger and can, therefore, offer more things, including great stage productions, more specialty restaurants, the lawn on the top deck,

More is simply more but not necessarily better.

X may have more specialty restaurants but they are not better.

Larger stage production are just that - larger. They may be better but not necessarily. I'll take 8 excellent singers and dancers over an average group of 20 dressed in boas.

Just sayin' 🙂

[Mura]

This is an Oceania board and so it's not surprising that most of us prefer Oceania.  (I don't lump myself in that category since we ourselves haven't sailed on  Celebrity, but our TA has always been a fan of  Celebrity as well as Oceania.)

 

Even though I say that most of us here prefer O, Ken the Cruiser is certainly not alone in preferring Celebrity.  No one line is going to please everybody.

 

Mura

[Queen of DaNile]

 I haven't been on Celebity in 15 years since I was trying to decide between the 2 lines to use for South America. Upon competion of the Celebrity cruise I cancelled the one I had booked, went with Oceania and never went back. The Oceania experience is more intimate, quiet and comes with fabulous food and great itineraries.

[clo]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Are you talking R Class or O class ships?

 

 If the O class ship's bathroom are too cramped  I wonder  what you have at home? 😨

You took the words right out of my mouth. On O we had a generous shower and separate tub and plenty of sink/vanity space.

[st5310]

Wishuponasea, we did our first Oceania cruise on Insignia--the smaller "R" ship"--in 2018 after many years of Royal and Celebrity.  I agree that Celebrity's 4 Perks program is a good deal and that Oceania "is more intimate, quiet and comes with fabulous food."   In the end, Oceania was the most compatible for us.  We are past 70 and really enjoyed the low-key atmosphere, especially the fact that there were few children on board. 

A daily combo played at 4:00 tea with dancing, scones and assorted pastries.  The dining rooms, including the main one, felt like upscale restaurants.  And there was even Bingo!  In other words, it was just our speed.  We've been back on Celebrity and Royal since, but really looking forward to back-to-back O sailings next July.

[ORV]

I do both, I like both but take each experience for what it is. I don't expect Oceania to be Celebrity and vice versa.

[TrulyBlonde]

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We've sailed quite a few times with Oceania, but have recently switched back to Celebrity because we found for roughly the same price we can book a sky suite on X with all of the perks rather than a veranda on O with the OLife option. There is also a lot more things to do in the evening and on sea days on a X cruise whereas with O their onboard activities are somewhat limited, trivia and one evening show at 9:30 pm, as some folks have already mentioned.

 

But, O is definitely a nice alternative if you're looking for a more "relaxing" cruise. As far as food goes since we can eat most meals in the Luminae on X if we book a SS, I would say it's about even when you include the free specialty restaurants on O.  

Same for us. We love both lines, but X in a Suite is great. Also, we are not party animals so enjoy the extra room and privacy the Suites offer. 

[Roger88]

33 minutes ago, ORV said:

I do both, I like both but take each experience for what it is. I don't expect Oceania to be Celebrity and vice versa.

Both ships are superb in my opinion. Its only the matter of bonuses they offer. The better the offer, the higher the chances I will go on one or another cruise. I mean, just think about, what really a difference can there be if both company make billion of dollars 

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, Roger88 said:

I mean, just think about, what really a difference can there be if both company make billion of dollars 

Different things for different people.

McD and Ruth’s Chris turn a nice profit each year yet they are not the same.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Paulchili

[Ken the cruiser]

One advantage O has over X is their longer itineraries. So if you like to go on 3-5 week cruises, O definitely has some cool itineraries to explore. They also give you a nice 5% discount off the cruise fare, at least they used to, when you hook cruises together. X gives you $100 if you hook 2 cruises together. 

 

I also have to admit there is nothing better than eating outside on an O ship up at the Terrace Cafe, especially when it's a little chilly and everyone is inside. 

Edited September 6, 2020 by Ken the cruiser