Rare Ken the cruiser Posted April 1, 2023 #301 Share Posted April 1, 2023 18 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said: My friends agree with you....I didn't see a pic of that, only a windowed area off the buffet...so that wouldn't be the Terrace Cafe? The Terrace Cafe is the buffet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceangoer2 Posted April 1, 2023 #302 Share Posted April 1, 2023 7 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said: The Terrace Cafe is the buffet. Just watched YouTube Riviera full ship (less the cabins). Looks lovely in every area. Did see the open air dining off the buffet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthomas Posted April 1, 2023 #303 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Reasons why we will be sailing on O.... We left Celebrity after they divided the main dining room in half....those in suites and everyone else...for us in a regular balcony, the food in main dining room and buffet became very low quality and taste. Prices for suites are higher than a balcony on O. O has very few kids, there is nothing for them to do. The food is so much better than Viking, Celebrity or Azamara...all lines we have tried. Lectures on O were wonderful... To be continued... 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ken the cruiser Posted April 1, 2023 #304 Share Posted April 1, 2023 23 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Reasons why we will be sailing on O.... We left Celebrity after they divided the main dining room in half....those in suites and everyone else...for us in a regular balcony, the food in main dining room and buffet became very low quality and taste. Prices for suites are higher than a balcony on O. O has very few kids, there is nothing for them to do. The food is so much better than Viking, Celebrity or Azamara...all lines we have tried. Lectures on O were wonderful... To be continued... We stopped cruising with O back in 2018 due to a variety of mishandled issues by the Oceania HQ staff on 9 out of the cruises we sailed with them. But I will say their food onboard was always quite tasty. 😁 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthomas Posted April 1, 2023 #305 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Participating in activities is highly encouraged on O, you get to meet people, and form connections... Usually there is an excellent Brunch and on some sailings we even experienced a Carnival on deck. We have experienced none of these on V. Os loyalty program is the best at sea. With over 50 cruises on Celeb, we have nothing to show for it. With 5 on O, you get OBC, with 10, prep gratuities and more Obcs, with 15, included deviation and more obcs and your 20th cruise if free. I didn't mention how grand our stateroom was on the refitted Riviera, in January.... And didn't mention so much more. Just hope that things stay the same on O and that the world stays safe enough for those of us that enjoy travel, to be able to continue to do so. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthomas Posted April 1, 2023 #306 Share Posted April 1, 2023 1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said: We stopped cruising with O back in 2018 due to a variety of mishandled issues by the Oceania HQ staff on 9 out of the cruises we sailed with them. But I will say their food onboard was always quite tasty. 😁 Food is the most important issue for us. This sailing on Viking has reaffirmed for us that O is our line of choice. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ken the cruiser Posted April 1, 2023 #307 Share Posted April 1, 2023 9 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Food is the most important issue for us. This sailing on Viking has reaffirmed for us that O is our line of choice. How’s the internet now when trying to stay connected while in your cabin? In 2018 after they gave every stateroom one free internet account without upgrading the veranda cabin area routers, we would get disconnected every 2-3 minutes, which was quite annoying on our 45-day Riviera cruise when my DW was trying to send emails with attachments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chamima Posted April 1, 2023 #308 Share Posted April 1, 2023 15 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Food is the most important issue for us. This sailing on Viking has reaffirmed for us that O is our line of choice. Question for all of those who have switched to O or other more upscale cruise lines. My husband is a vegan and I am a vegetarian who eats fish but not shellfish. So fabulous cuts of beef or large lobster tails don't do anything for us. We cruise in Aqua on Celebrity and find that in Blu our needs are always taken care of. Does anyone know how O accommodates special diets like ours? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted April 1, 2023 #309 Share Posted April 1, 2023 41 minutes ago, jonthomas said: Food is the most important issue for us. This sailing on Viking has reaffirmed for us that O is our line of choice. Question for you and others on this thread. We're seriously interested in Oceania and similar lines. We never sailed them in the past because they weren't necessarily convenient, and we didn't have time for their longer cruises. But I'd like to understand the food comments. And I'm not saying Celebrity is perfect; that's not the question. What is better about the food? I keep reading that, but there's never any context. There are foods on Celebrity that are very important to other people that are "meh" to me. Is the food on O more adventurous, more variety, or is it something else that makes it better? Thanks! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgirl411 Posted April 1, 2023 #310 Share Posted April 1, 2023 5 minutes ago, markeb said: Question for you and others on this thread. We're seriously interested in Oceania and similar lines. We never sailed them in the past because they weren't necessarily convenient, and we didn't have time for their longer cruises. But I'd like to understand the food comments. And I'm not saying Celebrity is perfect; that's not the question. What is better about the food? I keep reading that, but there's never any context. There are foods on Celebrity that are very important to other people that are "meh" to me. Is the food on O more adventurous, more variety, or is it something else that makes it better? Thanks! 6 minutes ago, markeb said: Question for you and others on this thread. We're seriously interested in Oceania and similar lines. We never sailed them in the past because they weren't necessarily convenient, and we didn't have time for their longer cruises. But I'd like to understand the food comments. And I'm not saying Celebrity is perfect; that's not the question. What is better about the food? I keep reading that, but there's never any context. There are foods on Celebrity that are very important to other people that are "meh" to me. Is the food on O more adventurous, more variety, or is it something else that makes it better? Thanks! Better quality ingredients, better preparation, better selection, perhaps more adventurous in some ways (Red Ginger is amazing). MDRs in Princess and Celebrity sometimes feel like wedding or convention dinners. O dining is more like restaurant dining. But of course dining is an individual preference. We don’t view prime rib and lobster tails as our measure of good food but lots of people do. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-Airbalancer Posted April 1, 2023 #311 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Oceanic 15 night TA Rome to Miami Nov 2023 basic rate balcony is $346 CAD per night for one person , no alcohol Constellation 16 night TA Rome to FLL Nov 2023 , Always included balcony , is $136 CAD per night for one person , we are booked on this one Is Oceanic $200 a night better ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catgirl411 Posted April 1, 2023 #312 Share Posted April 1, 2023 3 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said: Oceanic 15 night TA Rome to Miami Nov 2023 basic rate balcony is $346 CAD per night for one person , no alcohol Constellation 16 night TA Rome to FLL Nov 2023 , Always included balcony , is $136 CAD per night for one person , we are booked on this one Is Oceanic $200 a night better ? And there’s the rub…it is more expensive for sure. That’s why we do more Celebrity than Oceania.but the better comparator is probably Aqua Class or even the Retreat.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basenji56 Posted April 1, 2023 #313 Share Posted April 1, 2023 3 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said: Oceanic 15 night TA Rome to Miami Nov 2023 basic rate balcony is $346 CAD per night for one person , no alcohol Constellation 16 night TA Rome to FLL Nov 2023 , Always included balcony , is $136 CAD per night for one person , we are booked on this one Is Oceanic $200 a night better ? Only you can make that choice. You are approaching it analytically. Assuming price is the same, Oceania is the clear choice For twice the price, it’s your choice of what matters most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C4HCG Posted April 1, 2023 #314 Share Posted April 1, 2023 (edited) 7 minutes ago, basenji56 said: Only you can make that choice. You are approaching it analytically. Assuming price is the same, Oceania is the clear choice For twice the price, it’s your choice of what matters most. For those of us who’ve not sailed Oceania impossible to say. What does Oceania offer that would justify twice the price. Seen the comments on food, we are not foodies so find celebrity fine, anything else? Edited April 1, 2023 by C4HCG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basenji56 Posted April 1, 2023 #315 Share Posted April 1, 2023 1 minute ago, C4HCG said: For those of us who’ve not sailed Oceania impossible to say. What does Oceania offer that would justify twice the price. Seen the comments on food, we are not foodies so find celebrity fine, anything else? Smaller ships. More intimate experience. Beautiful ships. Fewer passengers. Less crowds. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NutsAboutGolf Posted April 1, 2023 #316 Share Posted April 1, 2023 34 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said: Oceanic 15 night TA Rome to Miami Nov 2023 basic rate balcony is $346 CAD per night for one person , no alcohol Constellation 16 night TA Rome to FLL Nov 2023 , Always included balcony , is $136 CAD per night for one person , we are booked on this one Is Oceanic $200 a night better ? The other dynamic is you can purchase specialty dining which is at most $64.90/person (includes the 18%) and it gets cheaper if you purchase the package. To expand on that concept you could book a RCL/Carnival sailing and have the MDR steakhouse selection of the petite Filet and Maine lobster tail for around $25/person and not worry about reservations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ken the cruiser Posted April 1, 2023 #317 Share Posted April 1, 2023 IMHO if you’re interested in what Oceania has to offer, book a 10 day cruise on one of their O class ships and see how you like it. We had a great time on our first cruise on the Riviera in the Caribbean in a Concierge veranda cabin! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goofysmom99 Posted April 1, 2023 #318 Share Posted April 1, 2023 When I was researching O, Silversea, Regent, and Seabourn, I went to those sites here on Cruise Critic and searched menus, then gluten. You could do the same for vegetarian, or whatever. I didn't ask many questions there because, just like here on X, there are a lot of cheerleaders without direct knowledge of diet specifics, who "think" the cruiseline handles it perfectly and have never heard of anything negative. I found enough negative feedback by drilling down which made it easier to eliminate a couple. I expect to try out at least two of the premium lines since they have low/no solo supplements. My main objective is to try new, different menus (X's have been the same old, same old for forever, even in Luminae). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NutsAboutGolf Posted April 1, 2023 #319 Share Posted April 1, 2023 3 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said: When I was researching O, Silversea, Regent, and Seabourn, I went to those sites here on Cruise Critic and searched menus, then gluten. You could do the same for vegetarian, or whatever. I didn't ask many questions there because, just like here on X, there are a lot of cheerleaders without direct knowledge of diet specifics, who "think" the cruiseline handles it perfectly and have never heard of anything negative. I found enough negative feedback by drilling down which made it easier to eliminate a couple. I expect to try out at least two of the premium lines since they have low/no solo supplements. My main objective is to try new, different menus (X's have been the same old, same old for forever, even in Luminae). I believe you're wanting to see menus for those with dietary restrictions such as gluten free, you could start a travel blog listing this very info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tserface Posted April 1, 2023 #320 Share Posted April 1, 2023 We haven’t been on an X cruise since last year and we were very surprised at how much the specialty restaurant prices have gone up for our May cruise. When we did Le Petit last time it was $45. In May it will be $70. I know there’s been some inflation, but… I miss some of the little things like bingo, and welcome champagne, and great room service for free, and a lot of selection in the buffet. I know they are trying to recover from the downtime, but Princess is seeming like a better deal these days. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basenji56 Posted April 1, 2023 #321 Share Posted April 1, 2023 2 minutes ago, tserface said: but Princess is seeming like a better deal these days. Read some Princess boards. I see no comparison between Celebrity and Princess. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basenji56 Posted April 1, 2023 #322 Share Posted April 1, 2023 I am interested in hearing from people who have sailed on Virgin Voyages and how the food compares to Celebrity and Oceania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goofysmom99 Posted April 1, 2023 #323 Share Posted April 1, 2023 3 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said: I believe you're wanting to see menus for those with dietary restrictions such as gluten free, you could start a travel blog listing this very info Sounds like a great plan but it'd be a whole lotta work. I don't really need to see menus showing specific dietary restrictions. Whenever I scan any menu, it's easy to tell which items I should avoid (breadcrumbs, pasta) or at least ask about (soy sauce - I bring my own). On the premium lines, it was evident they source higher quality ingredients, rarely using wheat as a filler. Same is true in Murano on X where nearly everything on the menu is gluten free or can be tweaked on-the-spot. If X still had a Murano-type restaurant on all their ships, I'd stay cruising with X and buy specialty every night (plan to do that very thing on Equinox later this year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tserface Posted April 1, 2023 #324 Share Posted April 1, 2023 1 minute ago, basenji56 said: Read some Princess boards. I see no comparison between Celebrity and Princess. We really like Princess, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean depending on itinerary or ships available. So far, we’ve found Princess and Celebrity pretty similar in the last couple of years. Princess hasn’t jacked onboard prices as much. I know it’s all a matter of opinion based on taste and preferences. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Ken the cruiser Posted April 1, 2023 #325 Share Posted April 1, 2023 10 minutes ago, basenji56 said: Read some Princess boards. I see no comparison between Celebrity and Princess. When we compare Celebrity with Princess, it comes down to itineraries with Princess coming out ahead every time when we’re looking for longer more unique 3-5+ week itineraries. Celebrity wins most of the time with transoceanic and shorter B2B Caribbean cruises. But entertainment onboard is pretty much the same with quality productions shows, fun interactive game shows, multiple trivias, good food, and affordable cabins, except for maybe Celebrity’s suite prices, which have recently gotten a little pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now