Television on Marina

[Gracie115]

We are booked on our 1st Marina cruise and are very excited about it.  It's a long cruise, 42 days, with quite a few sea days included.  I know that there will be times when we just want to relax in our stateroom and I've been wondering what kind of television programming Oceania has on their ships, especially the Marina.  I know some cruiselines have a few news channels and a couple other stations that usually play old shows.  Princess has a large amount of free movies, Celebrity has almost none. Appreciate anyone who can provide info on what Oceania does.

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

We are booked on our 1st Marina cruise and are very excited about it.  It's a long cruise, 42 days, with quite a few sea days included.  I know that there will be times when we just want to relax in our stateroom and I've been wondering what kind of television programming Oceania has on their ships, especially the Marina.  I know some cruiselines have a few news channels and a couple other stations that usually play old shows.  Princess has a large amount of free movies, Celebrity has almost none. Appreciate anyone who can provide info on what Oceania does.

 

 

On Demand movies - decent selections and no charge.

[mauibabes]

Gracie,

Lots of TV selections and On Demand movies so you will be accommodated. I get sick of the American news stations, left or right leaning so BBC can often be selected just for a different perspective.  Also on Sea Days, they will probably offer a movie in the Marina Lounge and Popcorn will be served, drinks too. 
We did 46 days on Riviera’s return to sailing last October and it was wonderful. You will have a great time and take advantage of every activity. My DW loves to take classes in the Artists Loft. 
We did find the collecting of Big O Points was great fun and we met a lot of guests that really enhanced our overall cruise experience. Definitely sit in on the Stitch and ***** sessions, aka Needlepoint. It is great fun. 
Ciao, Mauibabes 

[Gracie115]

8 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Gracie,

Lots of TV selections and On Demand movies so you will be accommodated. I get sick of the American news stations, left or right leaning so BBC can often be selected just for a different perspective.  Also on Sea Days, they will probably offer a movie in the Marina Lounge and Popcorn will be served, drinks too. 
We did 46 days on Riviera’s return to sailing last October and it was wonderful. You will have a great time and take advantage of every activity. My DW loves to take classes in the Artists Loft. 
We did find the collecting of Big O Points was great fun and we met a lot of guests that really enhanced our overall cruise experience. Definitely sit in on the Stitch and ***** sessions, aka Needlepoint. It is great fun. 
Ciao, Mauibabes 

 

Always grateful for BBC news on board.  The Artist's Loft sounds interesting.  Are there classes for the Stitch/needlepoint?  Haven't done any of that in decades, but open to it for sure.

 

What do you mean "by collecting Big O points"

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

Always grateful for BBC news on board.  The Artist's Loft sounds interesting.  Are there classes for the Stitch/needlepoint?  Haven't done any of that in decades, but open to it for sure.

 

What do you mean "by collecting Big O points"

The needlepoint is like a group  show up in Horizons  at the time noted in the Currents (daily newsletter)

They supply you with a kit  to work on  ..no charge

When you participate in certain activities on Oceania they give out point cards  for the winners  & losers

You save them up & on the last day  you can redeem them for merchandise  hats, bags , key rings etc..

 

[mauibabes]

Oceania staff hosts a lot of activities and games like golf, shuffleboard, putting, bag o bean toss, trivia, etc. throughout the days of your cruise.  You earn points and at the end of the cruise you can redeem them for Oceania merchandise like shirts, socks, bags, jackets, etc.  This is not the same logo merchandise that is sold in the Boutiques however.  It definitely adds to the comraderie of the guest experience.  Just fun to do and meet people but not something done by all. 
The prizes are actually quite nice and decent quality. Some couples really get into it and earn hundreds of points, especially on cruises over 14 days. On redemption evening, it can be quite a queue lined up to enter the Lounge and select your desired gifts. 
 

Just fun, enjoy,

Mauibabes

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

......Are there classes for the Stitch/needlepoint?  

Lovingly referred to as “stitch and bit*h.”

[Gracie115]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

The needlepoint is like a group  show up in Horizons  at the time noted in the Currents (daily newsletter)

They supply you with a kit  to work on  ..no charge

When you participate in certain activities on Oceania they give out point cards  for the winners  & losers

You save them up & on the last day  you can redeem them for merchandise  hats, bags , key rings etc..

 

 

2 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Oceania staff hosts a lot of activities and games like golf, shuffleboard, putting, bag o bean toss, trivia, etc. throughout the days of your cruise.  You earn points and at the end of the cruise you can redeem them for Oceania merchandise like shirts, socks, bags, jackets, etc.  This is not the same logo merchandise that is sold in the Boutiques however.  It definitely adds to the comraderie of the guest experience.  Just fun to do and meet people but not something done by all. 
The prizes are actually quite nice and decent quality. Some couples really get into it and earn hundreds of points, especially on cruises over 14 days. On redemption evening, it can be quite a queue lined up to enter the Lounge and select your desired gifts. 
 

Just fun, enjoy,

Mauibabes

 

Thanks!! Sounds like fun and nice to have incentives for prizes!!!  

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I never thought I'd do needlepoint, but one day I decided to try it.  There were cute little things to make like a case for my glasses.  The activities person shows you what to do.  

[Riverroad]

On 7/13/2022 at 10:10 AM, mauibabes said:

Oceania staff hosts a lot of activities and games like golf, shuffleboard, putting, bag o bean toss, trivia, etc. throughout the days of your cruise.  You earn points and at the end of the cruise you can redeem them for Oceania merchandise like shirts, socks, bags, jackets, etc.  This is not the same logo merchandise that is sold in the Boutiques however.  It definitely adds to the comraderie of the guest experience.  Just fun to do and meet people but not something done by all. 
The prizes are actually quite nice and decent quality. Some couples really get into it and earn hundreds of points, especially on cruises over 14 days. On redemption evening, it can be quite a queue lined up to enter the Lounge and select your desired gifts. 
 

Just fun, enjoy,

Mauibabes

Recently returned from a 7-day NYC-Bermuda cruise. The line to turn in Big O points for merch was huge! Couldn’t understand how folks earned enough points in only 7 days to get anything worthwhile. I suppose they did nothing else but participate in the points-yielding activities. We were busy doing other stuff.

[Mura]

Back to the TV question!!  Oceania has plenty of channels in various categories for viewing in your room.

 

There are a number of news channels as has been said:  they used to have CNN but these days I think the US channels are MSNBC and Fox (although we haven't been on board since before Covid erupted so don't hold me to this).  BBC, european sports channels, a number of others.

 

Movies every night on at least two channels, maybe more.

 

Other viewings like Jacques Pepin cooking demos, national geographic programs ... there are LOTS.

 

Unless, as I said earlier, they have changed.  But I would not expect that they have since these options have been available for a number of years.

 

When we started cruising we disliked sea days ... and then something switched and now we love them ...

 

If you are in an Oceania Suite or above, there are more options. At least, as I said before, there were in the past.  Again, I doubt that has changed.

 

Mura

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, Riverroad said:

Recently returned from a 7-day NYC-Bermuda cruise. The line to turn in Big O points for merch was huge! Couldn’t understand how folks earned enough points in only 7 days to get anything worthwhile. I suppose they did nothing else but participate in the points-yielding activities. We were busy doing other stuff.

LOL

I’m sitting here reminded of the stack of O points sitting in my “travel drawer.” I’ve got some from every ship in the O fleet - almost all earned from Trivia.

I usually bring my stash on a next cruise. But, like you, I look at that long line on redemption day and often think “maybe next time.” Nonetheless, I will brave the wait when I need a new long sleeve cotton Oceania Cruises tee shirt (or two) - usually only 70 points each.

[RetiredLifer]

7 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I usually bring my stash on a next cruise. But, like you, I look at that long line on redemption day and often think “maybe next time.” Nonetheless, I will brave the wait when I need a new long sleeve cotton Oceania Cruises tee shirt (or two) - usually only 70 points each.

We board the Insignia this morning in New York🗽 for a 46 day cruise and brought a couple hundred Insignia  Big O points from our stash.  Hoping for sweatshirts🙏🏻🙏🏻🤞🤞

[ChadnKate]

22 hours ago, Riverroad said:

Recently returned from a 7-day NYC-Bermuda cruise. The line to turn in Big O points for merch was huge! Couldn’t understand how folks earned enough points in only 7 days to get anything worthwhile. I suppose they did nothing else but participate in the points-yielding activities. We were busy doing other stuff.

We love our Big O points even though we don’t need anymore T-shirts or hats. But it’s fun collecting. A hint: if married play golf or bago bean toss with your spouse. One of you will win and get 3 points. The other will get 2. So you get 4 points. Do 2 or 3 an at sea day and you will accumulate many points!

[Flatbush Flyer]

33 minutes ago, ChadnKate said:

We love our Big O points even though we don’t need anymore T-shirts or hats. But it’s fun collecting. A hint: if married play golf or bago bean toss with your spouse. One of you will win and get 3 points. The other will get 2. So you get 4 points. Do 2 or 3 an at sea day and you will accumulate many points!

Which you can cash in for a math lesson?     🤔😉

[ChadnKate]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Which you can cash in for a math lesson?     🤔😉

Sorry. Math is still fine. Fingers may need a real keyboard. Anyway 5 is better than 4. 
we have 8 at sea days next cruise. We do hope they get some new swag. 😱

[honmani2]

Speaking of television. . . do the bars have televisions that show sporting events?  I'm thinking of the NBA playoffs next month when I'm on the Marinia

[edgee]

Other than the Superbowl and Olympics where Oceania makes special arrangements, you will rarely see any sporting events on Oceania. Unlike "big ship" cruise lines there are no U.S. based sports channels available.

[LHT28]

8 hours ago, honmani2 said:

Speaking of television. . . do the bars have televisions that show sporting events?  I'm thinking of the NBA playoffs next month when I'm on the Marinia

Never seen a TV in the bars on O

They will sometimes  show  World Cup final or Superbowl in  Horizons or the Lounge

[AMHuntFerry]

This thread from January gives me hope:

 

[DrHemlock]

7 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Never seen a TV in the bars on O

Saints be praised.

[rialannah]

There is good news and bad news.  A few years ago an excellent sports tv channel (Sports24) was established specifically for planes and cruise ships.  Many of the major cruise lines signed up, including Oceania, and some of the major airlines such as Emirates and Singapore.  The coverage included live major sport as well as replays from USA, Europe and Australia among others.

We watched it throughout our cruise on Nautica last July/August. 

We boarded Vista on  May 13 and watched great coverage of NBA playoff games, Rome 1000 tennis, PGA Golf, English premier league soccer, Australian football etc.

Then a few days ago the channel just disappeared.  I finally enquired as to what had happenned.  I was told that O had failed to complete negotiations for renewal of the contract before the subscription expired and that 'they were working on it'.

For us sports lovers this is a real loss.  Who knows when it will be restored.

[ToxM]

2 hours ago, rialannah said:

There is good news and bad news.  A few years ago an excellent sports tv channel (Sports24) was established specifically for planes and cruise ships.  Many of the major cruise lines signed up, including Oceania, and some of the major airlines such as Emirates and Singapore.  The coverage included live major sport as well as replays from USA, Europe and Australia among others.

We watched it throughout our cruise on Nautica last July/August. 

We boarded Vista on  May 13 and watched great coverage of NBA playoff games, Rome 1000 tennis, PGA Golf, English premier league soccer, Australian football etc.

Then a few days ago the channel just disappeared.  I finally enquired as to what had happenned.  I was told that O had failed to complete negotiations for renewal of the contract before the subscription expired and that 'they were working on it'.

For us sports lovers this is a real loss.  Who knows when it will be restored.

Oh no! That’s a freak shame! Hubby and I are not huge night time entertainment people, and after I have donated to the casino we enjoy relaxing in the cabin watching telly or reading on the verandah. We got a real taste for Aussie Rules Football while on our TA last year. That sport channel was actually excellent for UK football as well which is important to Marital Unit. 

 

How silly of O!

[Flatbush Flyer]

11 hours ago, ToxM said:

Oh no! That’s a freak shame! Hubby and I are not huge night time entertainment people, and after I have donated to the casino we enjoy relaxing in the cabin watching telly or reading on the verandah. We got a real taste for Aussie Rules Football while on our TA last year. That sport channel was actually excellent for UK football as well which is important to Marital Unit. 

 

How silly of O!

Oceania has casinos?😉

[ToxM]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Oceania has casinos?😉

Small but perfectly formed ones which have consistently made me money 🙂