Just Off Sirena 12 day Barbados to Miami Dec 30th to Jan 11th.

[flyers]

Review.docx

[flyers]

Just Off Sirena 12 day Barbados to Miami Dec 30th to Jan 11^th.

We were in an OS suite on deck 6 which we loved except for the constant sound of the propeller and the harsh suite vibration particularly when the ships speed was over 17 knots. The early morning Port arrivals was another matter when one is quite literally shaken out of bed. The higher deck OS suites appear to be less affected by the vibration but it was the only O.S. choice that we had when booking in mid-2022.

A brief synopsis of the Cruise so far……Boarding in Barbados we felt was very badly handled by the local ships agents Foster & Ince. After a long wait at the building entrance everyone was bused to the ship then lumped together in a long line on the dock including disabled passengers in wheel chairs. It was a surreal experience with passenger buses weaving dangerously close by going to other ships and the ever fear of heavy rain….strangely there were no ship’s crew present to help? and everyone had to struggle up the gangway with their hand luggage to the ship. Once on board again no one to help with carry-on bags as we were directed to the Sirena Lounge where we were checked in by again Foster& Ince local staff!

Dinner the first evening was for us in The Grand Dining Room and a very poor first meal at that with barely recognizable dishes so much so that after mentioning to our Butler we had calls from the MaîtreD who promised that he would personally see that our orders were properly handled in the future.

Unfortunately this was only one of many meals which frankly did not live up to the Billings of ‘Best Cuisine at Sea` In general we found in all but one Restaurant namely Tuscan that the food had very little flavor, generally poorly seasoned and even the soups appeared watered down. As for Room service the dishes were somewhat tasteless! and one was left to wonder if all the food service was a deliberate attempt by the Chef or Corporate to make the food go further….very disappointing as we had been looking forward to the choices and quality that Oceania bragged about we would find on board. It was not only our experience as everyone we spoke to including long time Oceania passengers were also complaining the food was just not up to Oceania standards.

Our Butler turned out to be the Head Butler on board Mishra is his name and he was excellent and always managed to anticipate our very needs.

The Ship while Old is in excellent condition with nary a squeak or groan ( other than previously mentioned ) and obviously The R. class ships were well built to be still in service after so many years and with many other Cruise Lines.

We have some 500+ hours on various Luxury Cruise Lines including Silversea, Seabourn and Regent and are used to things being mostly all inclusive so finding that nearly everything on Sirena comes with a price frankly come with the feeling that everywhere you turn someone from the Cruise Director Dottie down is trying to get into your pocket….it was all a bit unsettling to find that we were being ‘Nickel and Dimed` at every turn. This was especially true with the Spa which quoted one price to entice then tacked on additional charges such as a hot pillow $19.00 and hot oil another $19.00 plus a 20% gratuity with the end result that a 50 minute message ended up costing $340.00. Needless to say we never went back to the Spa although we made use of the gym which we found very good with virtually new TechnoGym equipment and empty for the most part.

We were not expecting much in the Entertainment area so were not surprised that this section   could only be described as weak. Dottie’s husband Tom Drake as the comedian and a magician called Jeff More plus the ships young entertainment staff who were trying their best but were frankly not very good.

Nearly all the passengers on board were of an advanced age and looking out over the crowd in the Sirena Lounge on specialty nights was a seas of white and grey hair. These are apparently the Clientele that Oceania attracts and younger persons would definitely not be happy on these ships especially the R class anyway.

Initially we tried to board the ship on the 27^th December when it was in Port Castries. There was plenty of availability showing on the Oceania website and this would have been for the last three days of the previous cruise but Miami was insisting that we pay for the whole 10 day cruise rather than prorating for the last three days. In the end Oceania missed out on about $6+ Grand and we missed out on another three days on board.

Are there things that Oceania can do to improve the experience and perhaps one of my suggestions would be to include and price all drinks and alcohol as inclusive  perhaps using their sister company  Regent Cruise Line as an example but still leave the excursion/destination charges as an extra. How much really would this actually cost Oceania if you compute the cost of the bureaucracy and overheads?... Most passengers end up paying for it anyway at the end including all the hassle and paperwork that is involved!

In summation was there anything that we found really bad on this cruise and the answer is NO. Were they things that could have been better undoubtedly Yes but we enjoyed the Cruise nonetheless and the weather cooperated.

[LHT28]

23 minutes ago, flyers said:

Initially we tried to board the ship on the 27^th December when it was in Port Castries. There was plenty of availability showing on the Oceania website and this would have been for the last three days of the previous cruise but Miami was insisting that we pay for the whole 10 day cruise rather than prorating for the last three days. In the end Oceania missed out on about $6+ Grand and we missed out on another three days on board.

Are there things that Oceania can do to improve the experience and perhaps one of my suggestions would be to include and price all drinks and alcohol as inclusive  perhaps using their sister company  Regent Cruise Line as an example but still leave the excursion/destination charges as an extra. How much really would this actually cost Oceania if you compute the cost of the bureaucracy and overheads?... Most passengers end up paying for it anyway at the end including all the hassle and paperwork that is involved!

In summation was there anything that we found really bad on this cruise and the answer is NO. Were they things that could have been better undoubtedly Yes but we enjoyed the Cruise nonetheless and the weather cooperated.

Sorry to hear the food was not up to their standards  seems to be the normal complaint these day

 

I am glad they are not all inclusive  we do not drink much so have to pay for what we drink is fine with us as well as many other pax

You can buy the drink package  yes an extra fee 

Did you think Oceania was all inclusive when you booked ?

 

Improve the food yes

Include  alcohol  NO   there are other lines for those that want the all inclusive  deal 

JMO

 

 

[KS&JW]

Do other cruise lines let you join mid-cruise at a prorated price?  

[JoePDX]

As a non-drinker, I agree with LHT28, would never want to see alcoholic beverages included in the cruise fare.   I personally choose not to subsidize the cost of something that I will not use.

 

I hope the food issues are resolved before we board Sirena in March for the 21 night crossing.   We were on Riviera in September/October and overall found the food to be very good to excellent.

 

Joe

[ORV]

There seems to be no end to people that want Oceania to be what they want it to be instead of seeing if what they are is a match for them. Obviously they've been doing something right for the past 20 years. Are there problems? Yes, there seem to be some with getting back to full service, but I have trouble believing the sky is falling. Our most recent Regatta cruise in September was pretty much what Oceania has always been. I'll see in March if Rivera has really changed that much or people are expecting something Oceania isn't. 

 

Thanks for your review. 

[sunlover12]

One of the things I like most about Oceania is that it is not all inclusive.  I am a moderate drinker  and would not get my money's worth if alcohol was included in the fare. I do not want to subsidize other passengers alcoholic beverages so I believe that pay-as-you go or purchasing a beverage package is the most fair for everyone. Keep in mind that Oceania does not bill themselves as a "luxury cruise line" unlike the others that you mentioned. 

 

Interesting about what you said about being "nickel and dimed at every turn".  I was on Sirena for 10 days in October/November with Dottie as the CD and I didn't have that feeling at all from any staff member. I did go to the Spa, although not for a massage, and did not pay more than the quoted price nor was I asked to pay for add-ons.  We had  mostly good meals in the GDR but agree that it can be hit-or-miss. 

 

Thank you for posting your review. 

[GeezerCouple]

We are also among those who *very* much appreciate that Oceania is not all-inclusive.

We do drink, but we enjoy fine wine.  We either bring some on board with us or buy some if there is something we like on a wine list.  But the wines we enjoy are not likely to be "included" in a beverage package.

We might have a sail-away cocktail, or something at some gatherings, but not much else along those lines.

 

And we prefer private excursions, although there are times that we enjoy sharing something with others sailing with us, such as if we charter a large catamaran for the day.  Then there is plenty of room for a few others, and it's more fun.

If it is a land tour, we usually try to customize it so we spend extra time at A and less time at B, and perhaps add in C.  Also, because I may need time to rest occasionally, it doesn't work well for us to worry about either keeping up with a large group or slowing them down.

 

Finally, we always have used airline awards for premium overseas flights, so again, we gain nothing from "included" airfare.  And we get to select our own flights, which often include a pre- or post-cruise stay somewhere.

 

Oceania hits just the right spot for us, and we love the O ships.

We hope that along with the entire hospitality sector, things get back to some semblance of order at Oceania in the not too distant future.  For now, because we are high risk for complications (for any of the tripledemic 😡 ), we aren't venturing out yet, unfortunately.

 

We do hope that the food gets back to previous quality, and especially some favorites at the Specialities.  Yum...

 

GC

[Croooser]

Not agreeing with the policies and business model demonstrates a failure to gain an understanding of what the O experience is BEFORE boarding. Being an informed consumer is to your advantage.

 

 

[pinotlover]

I discussed the blandness of many dishes on our Oct Sirena cruise. Total absence of many herbs and spices. Things obviously haven’t changed. Problem is many people prefer bland and want bland. This conflict was regularly discussed by the passengers and crew. Many herbs and spices are not hot, but add exotic flavors to the dish. 
 

We had some great meals aboard and some very poor meals. Inconsistency was the issue. 

[ak1004]

2 hours ago, ORV said:

There seems to be no end to people that want Oceania to be what they want it to be instead of seeing if what they are is a match for them. Obviously they've been doing something right for the past 20 years. Are there problems? Yes, there seem to be some with getting back to full service, but I have trouble believing the sky is falling. Our most recent Regatta cruise in September was pretty much what Oceania has always been. I'll see in March if Rivera has really changed that much or people are expecting something Oceania isn't. 

 

Thanks for your review. 

 

I believe we were on the same Regatta cruise in September, and I agree, I didn't noticed any changes for worse.

 

@flyers

Oceania is not all inclusive line - this should not come as a surprise to anyone who checked their website. Alcohol is not included, which for many guests (including us) is a good thing. Many other things are included compared to the mass market lines. That said, we never felt being Nickel and Dimed on any Oceania cruise (unlike Celebrity/Princess etc). Spa on any ship (including Silversea) will try to sell you additional items/services - just decline politely.  Yes, gratuity is extra, as clearly indicated on their price list. No surprises.

 

All inclusive is not better or worse - it really depends on your personal preferences. Oceania was never marketed as an all inclusive line. btw, Oceania has all specialty restaurants free while Silversea has a surcharge for 2 out of 8 restaurants. Silversea and Seabourn charge to upgrade the internet. So to be completely accurate, none of the cruise lines is really all inclusive.

 

As for food - we have been on Riviera and Regatta so far, but I consider O food the best of all cruise lines (including Silversea and former Crystal). I cannot imagine that food on the Sirena is that much worse..

[PhD-iva]

I will chime in that O is my preferred cruiseline BECAUSE it is not inclusive. I prefer the a la carte premise as I can choose where to spend my money.

I have sailed on Regent and have another reservation on Regent, a great cruiseline. While the experience is arguably better on Regent, I still feel O is the best value (at least for me).

I appreciated your review! Thx!

[ToxM]

Thanks for your review, I particularly liked your rounding up of 500 hours on luxury lines, which give everyone a good indication of your experience with cruising.

 

I think that some of your expectations and experiences were coloured by your 500 hours of experience. A spa is a money trap where the cost of something shifts with quantum realities, I thought everyone knew that regardless of line (or hours spent on them).

 

I do not know of a cruiseline (apart from Costa?) that will allow you to embark mid itinerary, so that was a request that O was never going to entertain.

 

Sounds like the embarkation procedure in barbados has not changed that much since my TA last year, that’s down to the port I am afraid. 

 

Food appears to be suffering on all lines, whether this is cost cutting or supply chain issues, I am sorry it wasn’t up to the standard you expected. 

 

I don’t really drink so I am glad the price of my cruise isn’t inflated - I am very happy with having soft drinks only. Did you not get the 6 bottle setup in the OS?

 

I am curious as to how else you felt nickel and dimed as I have never felt like that on O. Am doubly curious as to what the CD did to try and shake the change from you - 😮

 

You certainly give a certain vibe off in your review and I am interested to hear what else you can add 🙂

 

Thanks for taking the time to write that comprehensive review!

 

PS I don’t have white hair, I just turned 50 and I certainly don’t consider that an advanced age and I happen to love the R ships. 

[dock]

Thank you for taking the time. 
Can you elaborate on why you felt nickel and dimed. 

Awaiting our first cruise and this is not what I was expecting. 

[ToxM]

17 minutes ago, dock said:

Thank you for taking the time. 
Can you elaborate on why you felt nickel and dimed. 

Awaiting our first cruise and this is not what I was expecting. 

I don’t think this is a realistic overview of an O cruise, and it certainly wasn’t my experience on O over Christmas. 

[kibutzer]

16 hours ago, flyers said:

Just Off Sirena 12 day Barbados to Miami Dec 30th to Jan 11^th.

We were in an OS suite on deck 6 which we loved except for the constant sound of the propeller and the harsh suite vibration particularly when the ships speed was over 17 knots. The early morning Port arrivals was another matter when one is quite literally shaken out of bed. The higher deck OS suites appear to be less affected by the vibration but it was the only O.S. choice that we had when booking in mid-2022.

A brief synopsis of the Cruise so far……Boarding in Barbados we felt was very badly handled by the local ships agents Foster & Ince. After a long wait at the building entrance everyone was bused to the ship then lumped together in a long line on the dock including disabled passengers in wheel chairs. It was a surreal experience with passenger buses weaving dangerously close by going to other ships and the ever fear of heavy rain….strangely there were no ship’s crew present to help? and everyone had to struggle up the gangway with their hand luggage to the ship. Once on board again no one to help with carry-on bags as we were directed to the Sirena Lounge where we were checked in by again Foster& Ince local staff!

Dinner the first evening was for us in The Grand Dining Room and a very poor first meal at that with barely recognizable dishes so much so that after mentioning to our Butler we had calls from the MaîtreD who promised that he would personally see that our orders were properly handled in the future.

Unfortunately this was only one of many meals which frankly did not live up to the Billings of ‘Best Cuisine at Sea` In general we found in all but one Restaurant namely Tuscan that the food had very little flavor, generally poorly seasoned and even the soups appeared watered down. As for Room service the dishes were somewhat tasteless! and one was left to wonder if all the food service was a deliberate attempt by the Chef or Corporate to make the food go further….very disappointing as we had been looking forward to the choices and quality that Oceania bragged about we would find on board. It was not only our experience as everyone we spoke to including long time Oceania passengers were also complaining the food was just not up to Oceania standards.

Our Butler turned out to be the Head Butler on board Mishra is his name and he was excellent and always managed to anticipate our very needs.

The Ship while Old is in excellent condition with nary a squeak or groan ( other than previously mentioned ) and obviously The R. class ships were well built to be still in service after so many years and with many other Cruise Lines.

We have some 500+ hours on various Luxury Cruise Lines including Silversea, Seabourn and Regent and are used to things being mostly all inclusive so finding that nearly everything on Sirena comes with a price frankly come with the feeling that everywhere you turn someone from the Cruise Director Dottie down is trying to get into your pocket….it was all a bit unsettling to find that we were being ‘Nickel and Dimed` at every turn. This was especially true with the Spa which quoted one price to entice then tacked on additional charges such as a hot pillow $19.00 and hot oil another $19.00 plus a 20% gratuity with the end result that a 50 minute message ended up costing $340.00. Needless to say we never went back to the Spa although we made use of the gym which we found very good with virtually new TechnoGym equipment and empty for the most part.

We were not expecting much in the Entertainment area so were not surprised that this section   could only be described as weak. Dottie’s husband Tom Drake as the comedian and a magician called Jeff More plus the ships young entertainment staff who were trying their best but were frankly not very good.

Nearly all the passengers on board were of an advanced age and looking out over the crowd in the Sirena Lounge on specialty nights was a seas of white and grey hair. These are apparently the Clientele that Oceania attracts and younger persons would definitely not be happy on these ships especially the R class anyway.

Initially we tried to board the ship on the 27^th December when it was in Port Castries. There was plenty of availability showing on the Oceania website and this would have been for the last three days of the previous cruise but Miami was insisting that we pay for the whole 10 day cruise rather than prorating for the last three days. In the end Oceania missed out on about $6+ Grand and we missed out on another three days on board.

Are there things that Oceania can do to improve the experience and perhaps one of my suggestions would be to include and price all drinks and alcohol as inclusive  perhaps using their sister company  Regent Cruise Line as an example but still leave the excursion/destination charges as an extra. How much really would this actually cost Oceania if you compute the cost of the bureaucracy and overheads?... Most passengers end up paying for it anyway at the end including all the hassle and paperwork that is involved!

In summation was there anything that we found really bad on this cruise and the answer is NO. Were they things that could have been better undoubtedly Yes but we enjoyed the Cruise nonetheless and the weather cooperated.

So why not start your review with your three sentences? After reading your "constructive feedback" I was shocked to learn you liked your cruise.

[MEFIowa]

17 hours ago, flyers said:

Just Off Sirena 12 day Barbados to Miami Dec 30th to Jan 11^th.

We were in an OS suite on deck 6 which we loved except for the constant sound of the propeller and the harsh suite vibration particularly when the ships speed was over 17 knots. The early morning Port arrivals was another matter when one is quite literally shaken out of bed. The higher deck OS suites appear to be less affected by the vibration but it was the only O.S. choice that we had when booking in mid-2022....

We were on Sirena for 10 nights in November, B2 cabin 6012, forward, and didn't notice any vibration, though I assume you were aft in one of the two OSs, 6088 or 6091. Don't remember anyone complaining about propeller sounds or vibration issues.

[tgg]

13 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

We were on Sirena for 10 nights in November, B2 cabin 6012, forward, and didn't notice any vibration, though I assume you were aft in one of the two OSs, 6088 or 6091. Don't remember anyone complaining about propeller sounds or vibration issues.

 

The OP stated they were in an OS on deck 6, which are aft.  These suites have had vibration issues since the R ships were built.  We've sailed in 6088. We remember.

[ak1004]

2 hours ago, dock said:

Thank you for taking the time. 
Can you elaborate on why you felt nickel and dimed. 

Awaiting our first cruise and this is not what I was expecting. 

I would be interested to hear it too.. especially how the Cruise Director was trying to get into your pocket. 

[ToxM]

1 minute ago, tgg said:

 

The OP stated they were in an OS on deck 6, which are aft.  These suites have had vibration issues since the R ships were built.  We've sailed in 6088. We remember.

Which is probably why the suite was available - due diligence and all that. If I am right at the front or right at the back I research so I know what the potential issues are - especially if I were shelling out the amount of change that an OS would require. 

[MEFIowa]

2 minutes ago, tgg said:

 

The OP stated they were in an OS on deck 6, which are aft.  These suites have had vibration issues since the R ships were built.  We've sailed in 6088. We remember.

Odd, just looking at B2s full aft on the Rs, there are five port (6078-6986) and five starboard (6081-6089). Not reading complaints about propeller noise or vibration from them. Do people who stay in OSs have a special sensitivity to these sorts of things? The OP seems to have a plethora of special concerns and sensitivities. That didn't apply to us on Sirena in November 2022.

[MEFIowa]

27 minutes ago, tgg said:

 

The OP stated they were in an OS on deck 6, which are aft.  These suites have had vibration issues since the R ships were built.  We've sailed in 6088. We remember.

And what is a bit funny is that AFTER I booked Sirena 6012 forward (while on Riviera 12/21) I waitlisted specifically (and in writing!) for the AFT B2s on Deck 6, because people said the noise from the lounge forward on Deck 5 might impact the B2s above it. I was never able to move aft, though I did periodically even call O. YET I never had any noise issue from the lounge.

[shepherd really]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

Odd, just looking at B2s full aft on the Rs, there are five port (6078-6986) and five starboard (6081-6089). Not reading complaints about propeller noise or vibration from them. Do people who stay in OSs have a special sensitivity to these sorts of things? The OP seems to have a plethora of special concerns and sensitivities. That didn't apply to us on Sirena in November 2022.

I’m on Sirena right now, in a deck 6 aft cabin. The complaint about vibrations sounds much like the story of the princess and the pea. I have no complaints I. Theat area. Food has ranged from good to excellent, again I don’t expect three Michelin star dining on a cruise ship. The specialty restaurants were exceptional. Terrace and waves are good and I haven’t dined in the grand dining room yet, so no feedback there. 
 

this reminds me of advice I received about hiking in the rain “you can be wet and miserable or you can choose to just be wet”. 
 

 

[ORV]

Seems some don't understand the concept of "goes with the territory". An experienced cruiser is going to know that certain things are just going to occur when you stay in certain parts of the ship. Front or back you're going to hear anchor noise. Aft, you're going to feel vibrations from the propellers, and the thrusters when docking or departing. You can bet on it, if you have a problem with that then book midship, but not too low or aft on an R ship because you can bet that you'll hear engine noise, kind of like a constant drone. If you're upfront and the waves are rough you're going to get tossed about. Unless you're one of the lucky ones you'll get queasy. Such is cruising, I love it. 

 

You'd think an experienced cruiser would know these things. Oh, and what happpened to the OP? 

Edited January 13, 2023 by ORV

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Odd, just looking at B2s full aft on the Rs, there are five port (6078-6986) and five starboard (6081-6089). Not reading complaints about propeller noise or vibration from them. Do people who stay in OSs have a special sensitivity to these sorts of things? The OP seems to have a plethora of special concerns and sensitivities. That didn't apply to us on Sirena in November 2022.

some people just accept the  vibration  when entering/leaving the dock  plus when running flat out

We have been in 6084 / 7115   felt the vibration