Elite on Princess

[juniper berries]

Hi have only cruised Princess. And found our last cruise before covid hit in Newzeland and  the food just wasn't that good.  Ate only in the dining room and the odd breakfast and lunch in the buffet.

We have stayed mainly in balcony  cabins and once I a suite which  was fantastic. But not in our budget to do all of the time. 

We like to visit different ports and like to do all day excurssions. 

How is Oceania  different than Princess. What drinks are included if you donot get the beverage package.

Have read over the web site and am having trouble getting a feel for what it is like on ship. 

Also are there formal nights and what is the dress code for every day.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

It is hard to jump to anther unfamiliar cruise line.

 

[LHT28]

Most  non alcoholic beverages are included at no charge

There are some new non alcoholic cocktails that have a fee

 Oceania  would be similar dress code to Princess  (only done one Princess cruise ) 

no formal nights

no photographers

lots of good info  at

https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/

also read through the forum here  

if you have more specific question just ask

 

 

[zalusky]

Oceania also has daily happy hour (at least on our cruise) 2 for 1 drinks albeit with a more limited drink menu.

 

Oceania does not charge extra for specialty restaurants.  

 

There are a lot of differences between the 3 bigger Oceania ships and the 4 smaller Oceania R ships.

The O ships have 4 specialty restaurants, and culinary center,  and 12 people in the production company vs 2 specialty restaurants and 6 people in the production company on the R ships.  No culinary center on the 4 R ships.

 

I felt the food was a little repetitive and boring frankly on our recent R ship cruise that being said I was able to get a surf and turf (filet and lobster) sandwich at the waves pool grill everyday included.  We would often order it double portion with no bun. 

 

 

 

[PhD-iva]

I love the Baristas coffee bar on O. On Princess we had to buy a “coffee card” and then we could get a set number of coffee drinks. I’m a coffee fiend, NEED COFFEE! So, a ration card didn’t work well for me. 
Food on O is much better than Princess, although the entertainment might be better on Princess. O will do more (I think) with guest lecturers who are NOT port shopping experts. 
I think you will like O, I do!

[oskidunker]

Elite on Princess. Also left be cause of bad food and mega ships. Loved Oceania, especially Sirena They have sommeliers that know what  they are doing. Service is better.no comparison. We are done with Princess. Cruise over Thanksgiving was real bad.

[jakes47]

Our first cruise was on NCL and we enjoyed it and decided that cruising was for us. But there were things we liked and disliked on that first cruise.  We relayed this to our Travel Agent and she suggested Oceania.

 

We wanted:

Smaller ships/ less people – accessing areas the larger ships can’t enter

Anytime time dinning – we also like a table for 2

No photographers

No loud pool entertainment and competitions

No people trying to sell or up sell

A more subdued atmosphere in general but still plenty of fun

Good food 

Few (if any) children.

Casual dress – we never take formal wear.  It is very casual though the day (jeans, shorts tee shirts…) and take it up a notch in the evening. Me – dress or evening pants and nice top, dress sandals or shoes and a pashmina if it is cool.  Husband – takes 1 pair of black dress pants and some collared button up shirts.  We have never felt out of place but if you want to dress up – that is ok too.   We find it all very easy.

For us Oceania (and Seabourn) delivered in all these areas.

 

Sorry - I don’t know Princess and only have the 1 NCL cruise to compare.  But maybe you should do a list of what you are looking for and see if Oceania fits. 

[janecambridge]

Getting off a Princess cruise ship onto a tender is such a chore compared to the smaller Oceania ships. 

[Busy Mum]

4 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

I love the Baristas coffee bar on O. On Princess we had to buy a “coffee card” and then we could get a set number of coffee drinks. I’m a coffee fiend, NEED COFFEE! So, a ration card didn’t work well for me. 
Food on O is much better than Princess, although the entertainment might be better on Princess. O will do more (I think) with guest lecturers who are NOT port shopping experts. 
I think you will like O, I do!

Hi @PhD-iva can I ask please, in relation to the coffees on O, are these specialty coffees or like brewed coffee?  My hubby and I really enjoy our specialty coffee and having these included would definitely be a bonus for us.  Thanks for your time. Vicki. 

[PhD-iva]

3 hours ago, Busy Mum said:

Hi @PhD-iva can I ask please, in relation to the coffees on O, are these specialty coffees or like brewed coffee?  My hubby and I really enjoy our specialty coffee and having these included would definitely be a bonus for us.  Thanks for your time. Vicki. 

Hi! I drink primarily cappuccinos, so I notice more of the Italian coffee bar type of drinks on the menu. I’m not sure if they have any froufrou Starbucks style coffee drinks, sorry that I don’t pay attention to that.
So there would be any type of cappuccino, coffee latte, flat white, Americano, espresso. I’m sorry that I can’t remember if they have a wider selection than that. Perhaps someone else can add to my list.
I will also add here that I am not impressed with the brewed coffee that is served in the main dining room. I have to say that universally on every cruise line except Uniworld I have found the brewed coffee to be just awful.
Enjoy your cruise !

[Croooser]

Platinum on Princess. Sailed 10 days on Enchanted in December, now finishing 10 days on Riviera - our 4th time on her. Our opinions:

 

Princess has much more and much better activities and entertainment.

 

O is less crowded and has much better food and service.

 

A search of previous threads will help understand the differences in pricing and inclusions, the policy on bringing your own beverages onboard, drink packages, and the O air and O Life options. We recommend taking the time to do this to determine how it would work for you

 

[Busy Mum]

9 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

Hi! I drink primarily cappuccinos, so I notice more of the Italian coffee bar type of drinks on the menu. I’m not sure if they have any froufrou Starbucks style coffee drinks, sorry that I don’t pay attention to that.
So there would be any type of cappuccino, coffee latte, flat white, Americano, espresso. I’m sorry that I can’t remember if they have a wider selection than that. Perhaps someone else can add to my list.
I will also add here that I am not impressed with the brewed coffee that is served in the main dining room. I have to say that universally on every cruise line except Uniworld I have found the brewed coffee to be just awful.
Enjoy your cruise !

Thank you. We enjoy our Cappuccino’s & don’t drink brewed coffee at all. Now to continue researching what O offers. 👍😀 Vicki. 

[jakes47]

I am a coffee lover also but will pass on coffee if it is brewed. The Barista serves espresso made to order like we have in all the Aussie cafes and it has a good  menu of all the usual ones or you can customise your order.  I think they use ”illy” beans - or they did last time I was on board. You will get served brewed coffee in the restaurants but there are coffee machines in various locations as well which are better but not as good as the Barista.

[mauibabes]

@juniper berries

As has been said, there are lots of Board postings that you can read to help you make your decision but in reality, there is no decision to be made.  JUMP SHIP ASAP.  Overall there is no comparison!  You will read about past Princess Top Tier guests moving on immediately after testing the waters on an Oceania cruise.  Celebrity cruisers are jumping ship and not going back. We bailed on Princess after our first cruise on the Ruby Princess about 2007.
Start your search for the first available Oceania cruise and book it IMMEDIATELY. then you can make your own decision but we all know what your decision will be.  
We just got off Marina yesterday after a 20 day, Buenos Aires to Santiago with several days in the Antarctic bays and Chilean Fjord’s.  Absolutely one of the best cruises we have ever taken.  
 

There is no decision because there is no comparison.  
Enjoy,

Maui-babes 

[LuAnn]

19 hours ago, mauibabes said:

@juniper berries

As has been said, there are lots of Board postings that you can read to help you make your decision but in reality, there is no decision to be made.  JUMP SHIP ASAP.  Overall there is no comparison!  You will read about past Princess Top Tier guests moving on immediately after testing the waters on an Oceania cruise.  Celebrity cruisers are jumping ship and not going back. We bailed on Princess after our first cruise on the Ruby Princess about 2007.
Start your search for the first available Oceania cruise and book it IMMEDIATELY. then you can make your own decision but we all know what your decision will be.  
We just got off Marina yesterday after a 20 day, Buenos Aires to Santiago with several days in the Antarctic bays and Chilean Fjord’s.  Absolutely one of the best cruises we have ever taken.  
 

There is no decision because there is no comparison.  
Enjoy,

Maui-babes 

Good to hear about your cruise!! I've been reading so much here about Marina being in terrible shape and really needing dry dock sooner rather than later! Can you comment on the shape the ship is in right now? Thank you in advance for your comments/thoughts!

[mauibabes]

@LuAnn

If someone wanted to nit pick Marina to death, it could be done.  She is not perfect but she is not ready to be scrapped. We saw work being done every day maintaining the ship in great condition.  I watched a painter with a fine detail brush touching up scratches on woodwork in Horizons and elsewhere.  We saw painters touching up railings because there is a lot of wooden railings on Marina. We saw a spot of rust on a veranda but nothing of any substance.  I think people have tried to figure out when she will go into dry dock for her major face list but that is an Oceania decision, not ours. We are passengers, not O Executives so we will wait for the official decision. 
We have not seen the updated Riviera yet but I am sure she is spectacular and we would love to see Marina in the same condition and that day will come. Our next cruises will be on Vista and we are quite excited about that experience. Marina will not be Vista or Allura but she will continue to be a classy lady. Just enjoy your Oceania experience on Marina. 
Mauibabes

[janecambridge]

I agree. Marina for us was not in a ‘terrible state’. Yes she had blips here and there, but she felt cosy and homely. Some of these new ships we have been looking at are gorgeous but minimalist and cold. 
Despite the ‘running’ of the cruise at Christmas being a bit negative, we never had cause to complain about our cabin/suite or any public space. 

[shepherd really]

Does anyone else think it's odd that next winter they are using Vista for what are essentially milk runs in the Caribbean and Marina for their South America itineraries?   

 

 

[Woofa]

This is only a guess but wondering if they are thinking better to use the newest ship on the routes more likely to be taken by newer (and younger) Oceania cruises.

[halfapair]

I've been on two Princess cruises (Alaska & Caribbean), and two Oceania cruises (Baltic Sea & Panama Canal). Here is my take.

 

Princess and Oceania are oceans apart (forgive my pun!), in terms of quality, service, and ambiance.

The food quality is next-level on Oceania. The Main Dining Room food is better than the restaurants on any Princess ship. The restaurants on Oceania are even better than the dining room. With the exception of the nightly souffle in the dining room (different flavor every night!)... I wish they had it in Polo. But you can always drop into the dining room for dessert after dinner in another venue😉

 

Baristas is awesome. You can order a "frou frou" drink. I ordered vanilla iced lattes in the afternoon. Just delicious. As others have stated, there is no additional charge for cappuccinos, lattes, or espressos.

 

The service is excellent. Twice a day your room will be made up. In the morning, and then turn-down service as night. My only quibble is with the chocolate at night, I wish it tasted better. But I ate them and was happy. The staff in every venue really go above and beyond, whether it's dining reservations, bar service, or assistance with an emergency (which I had). They are all unfailingly polite, kind, and helpful.

 

Oceania ships are smaller than Princess ships, and the passengers are a bit older. But the overall feeling is very casual, and friendly. It's easy to just strike up a conversation with anybody on board. Take part in the games (bridge lessons, team trivia, golf, bean bag toss, shuffleboard, etc) and get to know your fellow passengers. Soon, you'll find yourself meeting them for meals, chatting in Baristas, or playing cards together.

 

We'll never sail on Princess again, but we did book another Oceania cruise during our Panama Canal cruise. Can't wait!!!

[shepherd really]

1 hour ago, Woofa said:

This is only a guess but wondering if they are thinking better to use the newest ship on the routes more likely to be taken by newer (and younger) Oceania cruises.

I'm flummoxed by it.  One would think that they would want the guests that purchase more expensive itineraries to get a shot at the newest ship and let the Marina do the cheaper, shorter Caribbean runs.   

[PhD-iva]

21 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

I'm flummoxed by it.  One would think that they would want the guests that purchase more expensive itineraries to get a shot at the newest ship and let the Marina do the cheaper, shorter Caribbean runs.   

I think the passengers that purchase the South American itineraries are more itinerary-driven than ship/venue- driven. I agree that Vista is likely assigned to the Caribbean to entice those younger passengers to become Oceania regulars.

Sensible strategy.  JMO

[Jmoondance]

29 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I think the passengers that purchase the South American itineraries are more itinerary-driven than ship/venue- driven. I agree that Vista is likely assigned to the Caribbean to entice those younger passengers to become Oceania regulars.

Sensible strategy.  JMO

Maybe Wow factor for first timer!

[Jmoondance]

Our first Oceania Cruise will be on the Vista.

Second will be 31 days long on Riviera from the Asia mainly for itineraries.

 

So far our research shows Oceania has best itineraries for our interest.

We are sure that we will not be disappointed in our decision.

Thanks for all the posters with in and out of cruising with Oceania!

[shepherd really]

56 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I think the passengers that purchase the South American itineraries are more itinerary-driven than ship/venue- driven. I agree that Vista is likely assigned to the Caribbean to entice those younger passengers to become Oceania regulars.

Sensible strategy.  JMO

I think this may be the thought process that lead to this, that's a reasonable suggestion.

25 minutes ago, Jmoondance said:

Maybe Wow factor for first timer!

This too, although I think even seasoned O cruisers are going to be wow'ed by the Allura class ships.  They look even nicer than the O class, which wow'ed me a few years ago.

[jazznruby]

Amusing that not long ago on another thread there was discussion about which O cruises were more likely to attract certain age groups. The consensus among some was that the Carib Miami round trips   were more appealing to an older demographic. Having done several of those (and probably doing another one next February on Vista; we like getting out of our protracted Oregon winters), can't say I ever noticed much difference in the ages of fellow passengers, always seemed like a nice mix as on other O trips, so not sure that would be a factor in scheduling Vista for the Carib. Maybe so, but possibly other reasons.