Impressions on our 1st O trip in post Pandemic world

[molemaui]

On 1/16/2022 at 1:35 PM, AlexCherie said:

Things you think you know, but you really don’t. This is for people that have never sailed on a luxury/near luxe line. We sailed on the much discussed January 4 sailing of Riviera in to the Caribbean from Miami. I don’t mean to be definitive and everyone has their own truth. These were my observations. 

 

What an excellent review and characterization of the cruise we all enjoyed. 

 

My only regret was never meeting you. We chatted a bit pre cruise and could not find the note when we traded cabin numbers. The CC meet and greet had a venue change and only 2 showed up (me included!)

 

Enjoy your next cruise wherever and whenever it may be. 

[AlexCherie]

On 1/31/2022 at 9:05 PM, molemaui said:

 

What an excellent review and characterization of the cruise we all enjoyed. 

 

My only regret was never meeting you. We chatted a bit pre cruise and could not find the note when we traded cabin numbers. The CC meet and greet had a venue change and only 2 showed up (me included!)

 

Enjoy your next cruise wherever and whenever it may be. 

Indeed - sorry we never got together. It was a fabulous cruise, even the rainy morning in the DR provided a wonderful time. 

We're hoping to sail next April - we found an inside cabin available for a 20 day cruise in the Western Med. With the TA's offer on gratuities, we have a reservation for $235 a day. 

With the problems being forced to drive at the last minute back and forth in two different snow storms we're just finishing paying for the last cruise. But that might be a deal I can't refuse. God bless, safe travels.

Cheers.

[molemaui]

On 2/4/2022 at 9:04 AM, AlexCherie said:

We're hoping to sail next April - we found an inside cabin available for a 20 day cruise in the Western Med. With the TA's offer on gratuities, we have a reservation for $235 a day. 
 

Sounds like a great cruise! Will think of you when we're in Buffalo next. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 1/16/2022 at 1:35 PM, AlexCherie said:

Things you think you know, but you really don’t. This is for people that have never sailed on a luxury/near luxe line. We sailed on the much discussed January 4 sailing of Riviera in to the Caribbean from Miami. I don’t mean to be definitive and everyone has their own truth. These were my observations. 
 

• Size Matters: OK, so ships all over are sailing with less people. But we stepped on to the ship, and knew where we were in relation to every single POI immediately. More important than you think. Until you’ve experienced it, I don’t think you can know it.
  
  It helps ease your mind
• Numbers Matter: We sailed with 690 out of 1250 possible souls. That had to be part of it (and increasingly every ship), but there was no point at which we needed anything or waited in any way. In port, getting on or off. A cooked to order burger at Waves (which, btw, exceeds every dining experience you don’t pay for on Celebrity. And some that you do.) Getting a seat in the theater. Speaking to any staff member, at all. This was confirmed by other veteran guests about more full sailings.
  
  It puts your mind to ease, not having to fight anyone to get your experience.
• EZ to overlook: Check the size of the menus at any restaurant and compare the sheer number of choices. I think this adequately reflects the line’s desire to simply overwhelm you at every turn. Honestly, on HAL or X there is a single night where lobster is offered in the MDR. You can enjoy as much lobster and shrimp as you can eat, every single night, under the stars. It is more than just the quality it is the quantity they successfully deliver.
  
  And it’s all included. Again, your mind rests and enables you to simply consume the good salt air.
• When numbers fail to relate: It is not that the average age is older on this line. If you are familiar with a distribution curve, the tail is long and thickly distributed to the right. I suppose each cruise could be different, but I honestly think this is a fair representation of the truth. Some people consume this well. My best friends do not, and the close proximity of people that are older and not physically beautiful wears them. You need to own this if it is you, and actually look forward to what it means.
  
  Nobody on these ships is parading around their glorious bodies. There is freedom there.
• What you read here accurately reflects: the fierce loyalty of your fellow guests. Our cruise would have given any group of cruisers a reason to gripe. Out of six ports, we made one original stop and were harassed at every turn about masks. Everyone was pleased as punch, and couldn’t say enough about their experience. And they’ve been on an awful lot of O trips.
  
   
• Nobody cares how much you make or your life circumstance: The democratization of lowered dress standards aides in reducing pretension. We met the most lovely guests, really, from all over the world. I guess that happens on other ships. But I think the entry price (combined with the number of repeat guests) means you all have been successful in some manner. The defining currency that stood out to me was how many O trips you’ve made. 
  
  Wearing khaki’s and a polo everywhere at night just feels so great. Again, something I think you underestimate if you’ve never been on a ship completely without a formal night - put this way: “Is tonight the one where I need to dress? No. That’s tomorrow”. Wipe that out from your memory banks.
• Sedate: You might be bored in the evening if food isn’t at least proximate to the center of your experience. I think this is something you think you know, but if you’ve sailed the Pinnacle experience on HAL, this will feel an awful lot like a high end nursing facility.
  
  Stop the boos, you O life freaks. This is the truth, and it’s something most of you don’t remember or just can’t admit. A single quartet and a piano player do not nightlife make.
  
   

You are going to love it, a lot more than you are going to be able to admit. No matter which line you sail when you exit you miss that morning croissant delivered to your cabin, or great bed/rocking motion/sound of waves. But I’m telling you that Oceania will create sensations that will take you someplace you can’t replicate.

I’ll give you just one restaurant example. I don’t drink tea. Hate it really. But in Red Ginger, the combination of Orchid Vanilla hot tea with the Bounty Cake is going to send your palate reeling. This happens time and again (Crispy Duck with Watermelon salad; Pancetta Wrapped Veal with Lobster, Oscar Style; there was a special on Ravioli where, when you sliced into it a stream of perfect yellow egg yolk streamed out). 

And it today’s world getting a reservation isn’t that hard. 

If you are worried about health there is nothing I can say to take away your fear, but the staff are on you like white on rice. Nobody stirs from their chair lest they have a mask. Frequent reminders from the PA. Besides our own administered test at home, we were tested twice and up to 3 times at the expense of the firm. They just can’t do more. No way of knowing for sure (nobody is saying how many staff got COVID), but I would say the number getting infected onboard wasn’t anything like onboard.

Your ports will change. The likelihood of you hitting smaller locations, where the infrastructure to handle COVID doesn’t exist is going to go down. Too bad. Be flexible or don’t do this vacation. It is entirely possible your entire vacation could get wiped out and you will be put into quarantine. If that threat is too much, don’t go. 

 

You can certainly cruise on a dime and have a good, different experience. Our walls and my wife’s fingers/chest are loaded with great memories of other trips. On the other hand,  the amount we spent on our Concierge level cabin was more than the combined costs of all cabins we’ve sailed, on over 80 nights at sea together. Yet the total cost of every single trip was more than what we spent with Oceania. Good for you; I know you are thinking well, we aren’t that kind of guest. And you can continue to enjoy those lines. They are good, and often it’s as much about itineraries and timing.

I think we’ve sailed our last main-line experience, and the $200 for HAL and the $100 deposit at NCL will go fallow. At least for now. In my mind it will be good after bad, a sunk cost I need to absorb. We will start the saving for the next trip, someplace in the Western Mediterranean or similar, on Oceania. I could have saved some onboard, but I needed the time and the perspective to know what I know now.

Things I’d do differently next time - maybe, be more involved in self-improvement, wellness and the whole life experience. My wife is seriously pissed at us for not making an effort to get O-life points (whatever those are. I’m not a joiner, really.)

Things you might choose do to differently: take a more leisurely approach to boarding initially. Don’t get there at the starting gun, arrive a touch later when you aren’t fighting for attention. We were allowed to board at 11:30 and got to the docks at 12:30 due to circumstances beyond our control and it seemed very empty at that time. It just reduced implied pressure and the whole cattle call feel. We go on quickly, were almost immediately granted access to our room and everything was open (including the buffet). Clothing appeared right after we got a quick bite. 


Cheers, and remember - be a potter, not a steelworker.
 

Agree with all this. Well maybe not quite with the nursing home comparison. It's more like senior residence. But my spouse and I never listen to the string quartet either but like to joke about it. I suppose they're good, but it's just not our thing. But yes, Oceania is so much better than Celebrity, which I hated. And if you book an inside room (we prefer category F) and DIY some excursions the cost is manageable. And the smaller ships and itineraries are awesome too. 

[AlexCherie]

13 hours ago, molemaui said:

Sounds like a great cruise! Will think of you when we're in Buffalo next. 

When you're in Buffalo, I'd be happy to take you to a great spot. Best local food, never misses, not in any way presumptuous - beef on weck like you won't get elsewhere, hand crafted cocktails, one of our oldest places. Schwabl's, and I've watched the guy slicing the beef behind the bar since 1981.

Cheers.

[Queen of DaNile]

Excellent review. Your really captured life on O.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

Thank you for this. It was very timely for us. We just returned from a 10-day Panama Canal cruise with Princess. We have never been so disappointed in the food on any cruise we have sailed on. We knew it was time to try new cruise lines. We already had an Avalon river cruise and a Viking Ocean cruise booked for later this year. We just booked an Oceania Caribbean cruise for next January prior to reading this post. It appears we made a wise choice. 

[AlexCherie]

3 hours ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

Thank you for this. It was very timely for us. We just returned from a 10-day Panama Canal cruise with Princess. We have never been so disappointed in the food on any cruise we have sailed on. We knew it was time to try new cruise lines. We already had an Avalon river cruise and a Viking Ocean cruise booked for later this year. We just booked an Oceania Caribbean cruise for next January prior to reading this post. It appears we made a wise choice. 

Thank you so very much. 

From what I understand Viking does a very fine job, which was almost our first move up to luxury. Those heated bathroom floors sounded nice as did the included tours. 

It's different, and fine, and reserved. There is an essence of moving at a much slower pace on Oceania than I observed on HAL, X or Carnival and it made life seem luxurious. Honestly can't get it off my mind. 

[AlexCherie]

5 hours ago, Queen of DaNile said:

Excellent review. Your really captured life on O.

 Very nice of you to say.

[molemaui]

8 hours ago, AlexCherie said:

When you're in Buffalo, I'd be happy to take you to a great spot. Best local food, never misses, not in any way presumptuous - beef on weck like you won't get elsewhere, hand crafted cocktails, one of our oldest places. Schwabl's, and I've watched the guy slicing the beef behind the bar since 1981.

Cheers.

Will take you up on that! How do we get in touch?

[AlexCherie]

41 minutes ago, molemaui said:

Will take you up on that! How do we get in touch?

My first full name is alexander

my last name is skabry

add them and put a gmail at the end.