Oceania/WSJ brochure - very effective advertising! daydreaming...

[psychtobe]

Last cruise six years ago and we would love to go on another before kids age out. This brochure from Oceania is something else. Very inspiring, we did lots of dreaming and sighing together this weekend.

 

I can’t get weeks off work no matter how incredible 50 days from Tokyo to Dubai sounds, but something like “Imperial Interlude” Hong Kong to Tokyo spring 2022 14 days is doable.

 

Have read through these forums a bit and a few questions.

 

1. Will kids generally hate Oceania? My kids would be 12 and 15. They are experienced travelers but on Celebrity and other cruise lines they definitely enjoyed the kids’ product (of course they were younger). We could leave them with a friend but they would love to see China, Taiwan, and Japan.

 

2. We are mid 40s. Very active (interested in hiking, kayaking, etc). Will we feel out of place on this cruise? I understand the clientele is older. We’re not looking to make a lot of friends but it would be nice to have some similarly active folks our age on the ship.

 

3. Where can I read to understand more about the O Life included airfare options? We’ve never booked airfare with a cruise before, always on our own, but given COVID and international flying we would prefer the cruise line option.

 

4. We don’t drink alcohol, so we would choose either the shore excursions or the shipboard credit (generally the ratio seems to be $100 per excursion per person). Is there a consensus as to which is the better value? Obviously credit is more flexible.

 

In early married life we tried Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity. We seem to be moving up the chain. Getting older and tastes change. We really enjoyed Celebrity but the idea of a less crowded ship, fewer people, smaller ports is very appealing (though this itinerary really isn’t visiting smaller ports).

 

Any other tips/thoughts for a possible first timer on Oceania?

[pinotlover]

You will be in the youngest 1-3% of cruisers aboard. 75% of O cruisers are typically 70+. No activities for the kids.

 

Oceania is a great cruise line, but probably not currently a good fit for you. Good

luck!

[LHT28]

1) Oceania does not have  a children's club so only you will know if they will be bored 

you will have to entertain them when not ashore

 

2) not everyone on Oceania old & decrepit  contrary to what some posters here  say

 

3) several threads here  with information on the O Life  perks & airfare

Compare  booking your own air  with taking Oceania air  ..look at the cruise only prices

Keep in mind you will fly in the same day as the cruise  or you can pay a deviation fee & fly in earlier or stay longer  after the cruise

 

Note  I believe  only pax #1 & 2  get the O Life perks if in the same cabin

read the fine print 

 Looks like  a pretty active  cruise  lots of port days  

If ship's tours are not mandatory I would book private tours  or join the roll call & see if others  have a tour share  that would  suit you

 

The cabins are small so if taking your children you may want to book 2 cabins  or try for  a PH

Only quad cabins  are insides  ..OK if you  do not mind being in a small space

 

[Tranquility Base]

 On a port intensive trip such as this with your 2 kids, I would think doing your own private tours, and / or DIY wandering would be the way to go.

If only ship tours are permitted then this will really limit your options with kids and I would think carefully.

 

So, if DIY is permitted, and given your kids are interested in that part of the world I wouldn't dismiss this trip.

With only 2 sea days and lots of wandering in those cities, they shouldn't have too much spare time to become bored.

The crew will likely fuss over them as well, as there are so few onboard.

 

Whilst it is true most other passengers will be older / much older, a number will still be fit & active.

Chatting with younger people is refreshing for many.

 

 

 

[LB_NJ]

The age distribution will vary significantly by itinerary, no idea about the specific cruise you are looking at.  However, Oceania trends older.  My understanding of cruising in general is that longer cruises tend to attract an older crowd, retired people don't have to worry about time off from work.

 

Personally, while I have surprisingly seen children on an Oceania cruise (people do funny things, I have even seen young boys in suits on the Cunard QM2), I would not bring anyone below 25 on an Oceania cruise (or for that matter the QM2 if you ever think about that line).

[pinotlover]

There is always the 800 lb gorilla. Internet on Oceania can be slow to non existent. With the absence of other activities, telling most teenagers they may not have Internet service for 2-3 days in a row, generates different degrees of reactions than might be expressed by my age group.

[clo]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

There is always the 800 lb gorilla. Internet on Oceania can be slow to non existent. With the absence of other activities, telling most teenagers they may not have Internet service for 2-3 days in a row, generates different degrees of reactions than might be expressed by my age group.

Ooh, good point. We always had internet but it was painfully slow and we didn't need the kind of things the teens want.

[psychtobe]

What do you mean by ship only excursions? Is that an Oceania policy, a COVID reality, something else? As a rule we are very DIY, have only once done a ship excursion and almost always make our own arrangements, rent a car, wander the city on our own, rent bicycles, whatever the situation calls for. 

 

One of the reasons my kids might enjoy this trip is they both speak Chinese, and one of them loves Japanese food. And we are all foodies one way or another, so with Oceania's reputation and this itinerary sounded quite appealing.

 

I do appreciate the honest info, including that this might not be a great fit for us. I will keep researching (and dreaming)! Not ruling anything out at this moment.

[1985rz1]

8 minutes ago, psychtobe said:

What do you mean by ship only excursions? Is that an Oceania policy, a COVID reality,

At present, this is not an Oceania policy.  But it's one of the options being discussed cruise company wide because of the pandemic. It may end up as  a requirement by ports, or it may be a way for cruises to minimize potential infections brought back to the ship.  Some cruise lines already enforce this requirement and some pax have been booted from cruises for straying off from ship tours on their own. Not Oceania...yet.

Edited February 2, 2021 by 1985rz1

[LHT28]

47 minutes ago, psychtobe said:

What do you mean by ship only excursions? Is that an Oceania policy, a COVID reality, something else?

 

No one knows  what the policies will be   in the future for any cruise line

 

[clo]

1 hour ago, psychtobe said:

One of the reasons my kids might enjoy this trip is they both speak Chinese, and one of them loves Japanese food. And we are all foodies one way or another, so with Oceania's reputation and this itinerary sounded quite appealing.

 

Mandarin or Cantonese?

 

I don't like the term "foodie" but, yeah, I get it. Their food is really, really good. Nothing wild and crazy but really good. And they'll work with you. For instance there was a foie gras dish that was wrapped in pastry and other stuff that I don't remember. I asked if they could just sear it and, you bet, they did.

[Paulchili]

42 minutes ago, clo said:

 

Pavlov kicked in 😀

[clo]

23 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Pavlov kicked in 😀

I had the same reaction when I saw this 🙂

[Flatbush Flyer]

11 hours ago, pinotlover said:

You will be in the youngest 1-3% of cruisers aboard. 75% of O cruisers are typically 70+. No activities for the kids.

 

Oceania is a great cruise line, but probably not currently a good fit for you. Good

luck!

If they select the right Alaska itinerary, there is a kid’s program. And the average O age drops considerably on the “shorter” 1-2 week cruises, particularly if it’s the Med or Alaska or an itinerary marketed to college alumni groups.

That said, O’s longer cruises are mostly peopled by retirees. But, you will see the occasional family with kids who can keep themselves busy (was on Insignia for several ATW segments and there was one preteen doing the whole trip and appeared delighted with the experience. 

[LHT28]

I suppose if they wanted an Alaskan cruise  one of the main stream lines would work better for them  but they are looking  at Asia

[psychtobe]

Do you think the itinerary i listed would have many Asian/Chinese/Japanese guests including some families?

[LB_NJ]

47 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I suppose if they wanted an Alaskan cruise  one of the main stream lines would work better for them  but they are looking  at Asia

 

I think it all depends on your point of view.  I would take an smaller Oceania ship over a mainstream mega ship for an Alaska cruise any time.

 

Ship size is also a major thing to consider.  Many of the mainstream lines are going towards the bigger is better route.  Some people like huge ships other people hate them.

 

[LHT28]

18 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

I think it all depends on your point of view.  I would take an smaller Oceania ship over a mainstream mega ship for an Alaska cruise any time.

 

 

Would you take  younger children  ?

 

I would take O any day over any main stream line 😉

 

[qballer]

We did our first cruise on Oceania when we were in our mid 50's, a 21 day cruise. We were one of the younger couples on board..... It was nice.  If you can keep the kids busy/occupied it might work.  I love my kids/grandchildren, but I enjoy less kids on Oceania.  

 

We were on Marina's last cruise in South America, that was extended 10 days due to covid. The included airfare was a Godsend. People without it tried to book flights out of Chile,  Lima, then waiting in Panama for 3 days. Then onto Miami. People from around the world with the own airfare had to book and cancel 3-4 flights. Oceania took care of our flights back to Calif. No one on ship was sick, was a great cruise. We are booked on Marina for a 26 day cruise in the fall. 

[Tranquility Base]

20 hours ago, psychtobe said:

 

 We could leave them with a friend but they would love to see China, Taiwan, and Japan.

 

13 hours ago, psychtobe said:

 As a rule we are very DIY, .....

 

One of the reasons my kids might enjoy this trip is they both speak Chinese, and one of them loves Japanese food. 

 

Because of what you say here, I think this would be a good itinerary for you......IF, as I mentioned, DIY is Covid permitted.

Add in a couple of days in Hong Kong & Tokyo before & after...2 great cities to explore.

If your kids were part of port research & planning they will be well engaged.

Tell them no internet onboard, if it works OK that's a bonus.

If the library onboard is open (Covid) there are usually a good selection of country reference books.

 

Insignia will be in that same region a couple of weeks before hand on their around the world cruise.....IF it sails.

They are scheduled to depart in December this year, so they will have a fair idea about any port restrictions well before your cruise.....IF they sail.

[clairol]

My husband and I are in our 40's and 50's. We have our 5th Oceania cruise booked for October 2021 (ever hopeful...). Our first cruise was in 2012 when I was still in my 30's - gasp! All were 10 to 12 days - as we are, after all, still working to pay for our cruising!

 

I would not dissuade you from looking at Oceania because of your age. We have always loved every cruise we took and made wonderful, interesting friends of all ages. We enjoy the itinerary, the food, the sea day activities (especially on the O boats cooking and wine tasting sessions), the spa/gym, the overall relaxed feel and the food. If you are looking for a party boat - this is not for you. And it would wholly depend on how "self-entertaining" your kids are if they would enjoy it. Internet would be a concern. As another poster mentioned, the sea days would be the biggest worry as everything else is so port driven. We have seen a handful of children's on our cruises and the staff did dote on them.

 

We are active and tend to book our own excursions except for long haul trips (Delphi from Piraeus and Orvieto from Civitavecchia, come to mind) so as not to miss the boat and so that we can explore at the pace we dictate.

 

Hope that helps a little.

 

Best,

Clare

 

PS - It is also fun and refreshingly welcomed to be called "young" all the time while on the ship. 😉

Edited February 2, 2021 by clairol

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, psychtobe said:

Do you think the itinerary i listed would have many Asian/Chinese/Japanese guests including some families?

Not very likely.

Diamond Princess has been “refurbished” to serve that market. Announcement are made in Japanese before English and the toilets in cabins and spas are Japanese style.

Other cruise lines serve the Chinese market out of Singapore.

That doesn’t mean that you cannot have  few Japanese or Chinese guest on Oceania.

[TrulyBlonde]

Honestly, I just looked at the itinerary. I did this cruise with Celebrity last Oct/Nov 2020. I think Kyoto demands 2 days, no Mt. Fuji, etc. Shanghai is wonderful, but no Beijing and Great Wall on this itinerary. If this itinerary really appeals to you, I would go for it. 

 

Please keep in mind that in many ports in Asia, you are a long way from the city and consider travel time.

Two sea days for your children should be fine and a nice break for all. It is tiring when doing all of the shore excursions for every port and the kids and parents will welcome the down time.

 

Yes, Oceania does have a much older clientele, but you know your children and what appeals to them and what they will tolerate.

 

Again, for me it is all about the itinerary and you really need to spend time comparing.

 

[pinotlover]

We did China with Uniworld River Cruises. It was a 10-12 day trip with only 3-4 days actually on the River. I believe for the OP, a far greater number of passengers would be in their age group, and most importantly those trips are far more immersive into the local society, foods, and language. The food on Uniworld’s cruises is as good as if not superior to Oceania’s. 

[LB_NJ]

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Would you take  younger children  ?

 

I would take O any day over any main stream line 😉

 

 

Not sure about younger children on an Alaska cruise.  Alaska cruises tend to be very port intensive.  Therefore, if you really are not on the ship most of the time then the ship is more like a hotel for sleeping and eating and onboard activities are less important. Again, very itinerary specific, in general the answer is no younger children on Oceania however there may be very specific exceptions.

 

My answer about taking Oceania for Alaska was an aside and was about what I would choose for me and the wife, not a specific answer to the original poster.