A quick review of my Marina cruise

[pinotlover]

Buenos Aires to Lima 2/27-3/19

 

Embarkment- arrived at cruise terminal at assigned time, 2:00. Argentina security/immigration was running about an hour behind, so we sat. Not Oceania’s fault. 
 

Since Chile had just changed entry requirements requiring either proof of vaccination or a Covid testing, Oceania required it for boarding. This added to the problems. People paying the port for a Covid test and awaiting results. No pre warning of this from Oceania.

 

Ship’s condition- overall I found the ship to be in very good repair. No real visible shortcomings. The heating/AC was most always messed up however. The Lounge could be freezing cold as well as the GDR. One day at lunch the staff in the GDR were wearing their lined winter’s coat while serving guests. More on this later. 
 

Service - I found the staff to be friendly, enthusiastic, and energetic. Peter, the CD, was the exception. He and his sidekick ass’t CD can’t spell communications, no less practice it.

 

Food - I found the food on this cruise to be overall significantly better than on the Sirena in October. Significant inconsistency still exists with several delightful meals and a few very poor ones.

 

Both La Reserve dinners, the Dom P and Bourgeoisie, were excellent.

 

PG and RG seems to get overall good reviews from passengers. Toscana struggled and Jacques disappointed many. Remember that A/C temperature problem on Deck 5 above. Jacques was an icebox. Result was cold soups and cold dishes being served to the tables along with often overcooked dishes. Expectations were definitely not met.

 

GDR did fine most evenings. The Terrace was good if one stuck to the cold bar. Whatever the meal, the warmers in the supposed hot line was serving cold dishes. This lead to long lines at the grill.

 

Enrichment- two different speakers did an excellent job.

 

Entertainment - Very good contract entertainment. Oceania crew still doing Peggy Lee and unfortunately brought back the Brill Bldg show that should have died in 2019 when I first saw it. The team did a “Fav Night” with each performer singing their favorite songs. I thought it would be good. They didn’t add the songs would be from the 40s and 50s. Some I didn’t recognize they were so old.

 

I’ll omit comments about our 3 missed ports. One, Pisco, of which we were told about upon boarding.

 

Iguazu Falls, on the Oceania pre cruise, was excellently done. Oceania cancelled Manchu Picchu. Some were able to book it privately. We waited and couldn’t find an operator with passes for the site.

 

I’ll take comments or questions.

[basenji56]

How was the wifi?

 

[NYAS]

Thank you for your review, @pinotlover. Very sorry about your missed ports, but your comments on Marina are welcome as I try to adjust my expectations for our return to her in May after 10 years. Always appreciate your comments on this board.

[pinotlover]

2 hours ago, basenji56 said:

How was the wifi?

 

The usual. Very poor in the morning , afternoon, and on sea days. A couple days we had none. On port days it seemed to shutdown entirely.

 

People that bought outside packages seemed to fare much better than those of us attempting to use the ship’s wifi.

 

fwiw, I believe they were blocking this site. Some days we get get other sites to come up but not CC for days.

[pinotlover]

As an additional bit of information, besides some alcohol, there were multiple items of food the ship ran out of also. As an example, we listened to one lady complaining near cruise end that three items they attempted to order in Jacques was no longer available. There was a lengthy list of stuff they just didn’t have. I don’t believe they were supply chain issues but just that Oceania didn’t get reordered and opted to wait until Miami, 20 days after our disembarking, to refill.

 

It will be interesting to hear from those aboard if significant restocking was done in Lima.

[shepherd really]

Was everyone dressed acceptably? 😁

[MEFIowa]

What deck was your cabin on and your cabin level?

[pinotlover]

7 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

What deck was your cabin on and your cabin level?

Deck 10, PH.

 

We also had friends with us on Deck 7, Veranda .

[pinotlover]

I had posted this earlier in a different thread but will consolidate here. Covid was rampant aboard ship. Multiples going into quarantine. About day 10 nearly half the staff was under masks, and by Day 13 (20 day cruise) mandatory masks for all crew. A significant number of the passengers were then masked in all public areas.

 

Coughing, hacking, runny noses everywhere. Definitely affected attendance at some events. We had a stringed trio for the majority of the cruise. The cello reappeared on the next to last night. 
 

I thought by Day 10 Oceania should have done mandatory Covid testing on all passengers to get the situation under control. Someone commented when we tendered into Puerto Montt that this is what it must have been like when Captain Cook sent his men ashore in the Pacific Islands. 

[MEFIowa]

16 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

... Covid was rampant aboard ship. Multiples going into quarantine. About day 10 nearly half the staff was under masks, and by Day 13 (20-day cruise) mandatory masks for all crew. A significant number of the passengers were then masked in all public areas. Coughing, hacking, runny noses everywhere. ... Someone commented when we tendered into Puerto Montt that this is what it must have been like when Captain Cook sent his men ashore in the Pacific Islands. 

Makes me appreciate how magical our cruise on Riviera in the W Carib was 12/13-23/2021. The locals so desperate for cruisers. We had only 719 passengers. O paid for and did the COVID testing at the tent outside Terminal J. Pax didn't wear masks. Crew did. But you couldn't tell there was COVID as an issue. We had fun. I remember commenting in full crowded elevators how we seemed to be so lucky. And then we returned to Miami the COVID news and outbreaks all hit the fan for the cruises later in Dec and into Jan-Feb 2022. Thinking that was the Delta wave that somehow missed us completely on that cruise.

 

Though I doubt the lovely senoritas of S. America after your voyage encountered what the Pacific Island women did when Cook's men went ashore?

[pinotlover]

28 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Makes me appreciate how magical our cruise on Riviera in the W Carib was 12/13-23/2021. The locals so desperate for cruisers. We had only 719 passengers. O paid for and did the COVID testing at the tent outside Terminal J. Pax didn't wear masks. Crew did. But you couldn't tell there was COVID as an issue. We had fun. I remember commenting in full crowded elevators how we seemed to be so lucky. And then we returned to Miami the COVID news and outbreaks all hit the fan for the cruises later in Dec and into Jan-Feb 2022. Thinking that was the Delta wave that somehow missed us completely on that cruise.

 

Though I doubt the lovely senoritas of S. America after your voyage encountered what the Pacific Island women did when Cook's men went ashore?

We essentially had a full ship. 1125, I believe, so with the singles the ship was near capacity. I believe the stated number of repeaters was 63%, a bit lower than most O cruises we’ve been on. A lot of newbies did make for an interesting crowd.
 

Again, as earlier stated in a different thread, Oceania ran an apparently successful “silent sale”, in the month or so pre cruise to fill the ship. 

[Tranquility Base]

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I thought by Day 10 Oceania should have done mandatory Covid testing on all passengers to get the situation under control.

Was there any cost to the passenger for any Covid testing done onboard ?

[pinotlover]

4 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Was there any cost to the passenger for any Covid testing done onboard ?

In some instances PCR tests were required. Cost - $250.

 

In other instances only the antigen test was required. Cost - $100.

 

I person I knew aboard, without his vaccination card , had to be tested before boarding, before Puerto Areas, before Puerto Montt, and finally before San Antonio all to meet ship and Chilean requirements. $400 .

 

Those that showed up at Medical with possible Covid symptoms were required to take the PCR tests.

[Tranquility Base]

Thanks for the info.

In my opinion, and in my experience on another line, there should not be a charge for Covid testing onboard.

This may help reduce the spread onboard.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Tranquility Base

[pinotlover]

11 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Thanks for the info.

In my opinion, and in my experience on another line, there should not be a charge for Covid testing onboard.

This may help reduce the spread onboard.

I believe the fear of “ Covid Jail” or quarantine keeps people from being tested, not the costs for the test.

 

To be honest, if everyone on that ship with Covid was quarantined, I don’t think room service, or the system, could have handled it.

[LHT28]

24 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Thanks for the info.

In my opinion, and in my experience on another line, there should not be a charge for Covid testing onboard.

This may help reduce the spread onboard.

agree if you have Symptoms  it is better to  test  pax  at N/C

 

But then pax may not want to be stuck in their cabin

 Just like when NORO  is onboard people will do anything to avoid  the quarantine

[Tranquility Base]

24 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

But then pax may not want to be stuck in their cabin

 Just like when NORO  is onboard people will do anything to avoid  the quarantine

Sure......but cruiselines need to do their bit as well.

 

Mandatory no charge testing when the number of cases reach certain criteria;

Awarding a future cruise credit for days spent onboard in isolation;

Meals delivered from the main dining room menu, not just room service menu.

 

These measures will assist in passenger compliance.

 

 

 

[marne-c]

17 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Re WiFi:  

(snip)

People that bought outside packages seemed to fare much better than those of us attempting to use the ship’s wifi.

(snip)

Hello again, @pinotlover.  Your friendly (ex-)Pinot Noir grower here.

 

Not to distract from your review thread, but what exactly did you mean by 'outside packages' for WiFi?  Are you referring to cell phone data plans / eSIMs for the localities you visited?  Or folks packing their own StarLink Roam dishes?  Or ???

 

Cheers!

 

--Marne

[pinotlover]

6 minutes ago, marne-c said:

Hello again, @pinotlover.  Your friendly (ex-)Pinot Noir grower here.

 

Not to distract from your review thread, but what exactly did you mean by 'outside packages' for WiFi?  Are you referring to cell phone data plans / eSIMs for the localities you visited?  Or folks packing their own StarLink Roam dishes?  Or ???

 

Cheers!

 

--Marne

Excellent question. They seemed to have purchased cell phone data plans that gave them connectivity in many areas. Not everywhere, of course, but even at sea and on land, they had very good wifi while we had little to none.

 

We went to Villard in the Casablanca Valley. Outstanding winery, bringing a Chardonnay and Syrah home. The wine paired lunch at the winery was amazing. As I always say, “ the best meal on the cruise is rarely ever on the ship”. This cruise my best ship meal would have come in #4. Everyone on the tour raved about Villard. I think everyone took wine away! Plan on visiting them your next trip down. Also TWE set us up with three excellent wineries over two days in Uruguay along with great wine paired lunches.

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I believe the fear of “ Covid Jail” or quarantine keeps people from being tested, not the costs for the test.

 

To be honest, if everyone on that ship with Covid was quarantined, I don’t think room service, or the system, could have handled it.

I agree 100%.

I believe virtually every passenger has health insurance, whether it's their primary coverage or insurance purchased for travel, so they will eventually be reimbursed for any testing charges. Money shouldn't be an issue. 

We were on Marina during a noro outbreak and were quarantined for 3 days. Room service was horrible.  Food didn't arrive on time, hot food was cold, orders were always missing items. I've had better food when I was hospitalized...and hospital food rightly has a horrible reputation .

[YoPhilly]

2 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

 

Awarding a future cruise credit for days spent onboard in isolation;

From a passenger perspective, this sounds great.  From a business perspective, why would the cruise line take a financial hit for a passenger's illness?

[Tranquility Base]

34 minutes ago, YoPhilly said:

From a passenger perspective, this sounds great.  From a business perspective, why would the cruise line take a financial hit for a passenger's illness?

To entice the passenger back for a future cruise despite their previous disruption.

This is not my idea, it was happening just 3  months ago on a mainstream line.

So I guess they did their sums.

Although, I don't know whether that is still their policy.

 

Plus, if it helped motivate some passengers to accept isolation then that would enhance the onboard experience of both the other passengers and the crew.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Tranquility Base

[coleen c]

Thanks PinotLover for such a thorough review. We boarded at BA and will disembark in Miami. Your review reflects my thoughts exactly on the level of illness on the ship. They introduced staff masks and wrap around plastic covers over the serveries in the Terrace near the end of the cruise. Way too late. Absolutely no admission by Oceania that there was Covid on board. We were told by an officer it was to keep the food warm in the colder ports yet the covers were on until Lima? The coughing and hacking started in the first few days. One morning in Horizons it was so bad I overheard the comment  "it's like sitting in a Petri dish".

 

On another topic ...the cancellation of ports in Peru was very disappointing. I was particularly annoyed by cancellation of shore excursions in Lima. We ended up with an extra day (3days in total)  in Lima with Oceania saying the excursions were cancelled for safety concerns. On the first morning many tried to use the shuttle bus that transported passengers 20min away from port to a drop off point that was 40 minutes from central lima. Because there were no taxis, these guys just returned on the next shuttle. The police at the drop off told them not to walk around in this area. We were luckier, in the afternoon taxis were plentiful at the drop off. The following day I visited the Larco museum and there were excursions from 2 other cruise lines there. It took me 90 mins to get back to the ship due to long waits for shuttle bus. I heard that many passengers were too worried about safety to leave the ship at all. Such a pity.  Many passengers were very angry over this cruise ,  I have never heard so many complaints about a cruise. 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by coleen c
Typos

[pinotlover]

Thank you Coleen for your very accurate post. We likewise experienced the cluster xx in Lima. I had opted to not mention the incident because the cheerleaders here would accuse me of negatively even though I gave Oceania high marks in some areas.

 

If I had dare mentioned the very disgruntled cruisers that booed the Captain at the Repeater Party, the cheerleaders would have gone bonkers. The fiasco and arrogance surrounding missing Puerto Chacabucco has yet to be discussed.

[MEFIowa]

12 hours ago, pinotlover said:

... I had opted to not mention the incident because the cheerleaders here would accuse me of negatively even though I gave Oceania high marks in some areas. If I had dare mentioned the very disgruntled cruisers that booed the Captain at the Repeater Party, the cheerleaders would have gone bonkers...

Anyone who has legitimate objective complaints should care less about "cheerleaders". Facts speak for themselves. Just curious, how did the captain handle the boos? Did he respond with any attempt at a reasoned factual discussion?

 

And while my focus in S. America is Paraguay, the recent weather & natural disaster news out of Peru has been horrible. As has the political instability, rioting, demonstrations, etc. over an ousted President and a resurgent Congress. Can't say I know much about what is going on in Chile. Weatherwise or politically.

 

Cyclone in Peru causes major flooding, at least six dead (yahoo.com)

 

How Peru’s Crisis Could Send Shockwaves Through the Region | Council on Foreign Relations (cfr.org)