What do you like about Oceania?

[hmorrow]

We are also previous celebrity cruisers, for years and years.  Did our first Oceania in May, on Regatta, and have 3 weeks booked for next year on Marina. Just a much classier experience.

Will never go back to Celebrity, as we were two points away from elite plus, when they took 24 points away from us.  We PROVED we should have those points, and they wouldn't budge. So much for loyalty.

That aside, The food is amazing on Oceania, and we really love the smaller ships.

I'm sure you'll enjoy!

Only negative, for us, was the size of the bathroom. We'd have to do a penthouse next time,  on the smaller ships....

[BlackLion 213]

On 6/20/2023 at 4:49 PM, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I never, after 25 Celebrity cruises, though I would be posting this.  What do you like about Oceania? What sets it apart? Can you compare it to other lines, especially Celebrity. If you were jumping ship why would it be to Oceania? Anything else you can share for someone very disappointed in her favorite cruise line?

 

 

Hi @CHEZMARYLOU !!! 😉

 

Not the least bit surprised to find you over here. I guess we're all thinking the same thing!

 

[nparmelee]

We have limited longer vacation times so 1 Princess with a larger family group, 2 Celebrity and 2 Oceania with another Oceania in 2 months. We like the R ships, especially the aft cabins. Taking friends with us on this next cruise and we have our aft cabin. For us, the small ship is great, you get to meet people, see them often and create relationships. Still friends with people from our first 2 O cruises. The food is so much better than Princess or X for us. Also prefer the little annoyance like paying for "specialty" coffees from Princess and X. Always open to other itineraries, but O is a preference for us.

[halfapair]

On 6/20/2023 at 4:49 PM, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I never, after 25 Celebrity cruises, though I would be posting this.  What do you like about Oceania? What sets it apart? Can you compare it to other lines, especially Celebrity. If you were jumping ship why would it be to Oceania? Anything else you can share for someone very disappointed in her favorite cruise line?

 

Things we love about O (can't compare to Celebrity, just what we love)

1. The food. Much higher quality in the Main Dining Room and all venues compared to any other cruise line we've been on (Princess, NCL, and RCL)

2. The itineraries. We are itinerary driven, and O's routes are jam-packed with great places to see.

3. The ship ambiance. We've been on Marina & Insignia and loved them both. The decor, the ambiance is elegant and comfortable. My jeans & t-shirt husband feels at home, as does his dressed-up wife.

4. The crew. Just excellent service.

5. Fellow cruisers. Everyone is easy to talk to, well-traveled, and unpretentious.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Thanks for all the replies. We have 3 cruises booked on Celebrity, one in 15 days but 2 that can be cancelled.  Our September cruise will tell us a lot more about the next 2 Celebrity cruises.  It does sound like Oceania will be a good fit.

[ORV]

2 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Thanks for all the replies. We have 3 cruises booked on Celebrity, one in 15 days but 2 that can be cancelled.  Our September cruise will tell us a lot more about the next 2 Celebrity cruises.  It does sound like Oceania will be a good fit.

Maybe tell us what you're looking for in a cruise line, what you've liked about Celebrity and why you are not happy with them now. That might help to determine if Oceania would be a good fit for you. 

[LuAnn]

3 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Thanks for all the replies. We have 3 cruises booked on Celebrity, one in 15 days but 2 that can be cancelled.  Our September cruise will tell us a lot more about the next 2 Celebrity cruises.  It does sound like Oceania will be a good fit.

I've seen you on the X boards over the years. I understand your unhappiness!! The MDR on X is really not very good at all now and even Aqua Class food  is not as good as it was when that Class was first offered. And the prices have gone up so much it really doesn't seem that much less expensive than O if you book AQ or above. If you book The Retreat it's crazy $$. I'm also really not keen on the entire "carve outs" of different dining areas/pool/bars etc.  Will be interested to hear what you think after your September cruise. Please let us know!!

[dw64]

Wow, such good info. We are jumping ship ourselves. Princess; over 750 days. Have cruised most others. Really looking forward to O, 39 days Miami to Buenos Aires. Then walking off &  right on Regent Seven Seas Splendor, back to Miami. 30 days. Feeling giddy we made the right choice trying something new. Thanks for the wonderful encouragement. 

[loge23]

We only cruised once on O, but have another booked for Feb, on the Vista in a PS. 

The first thing I liked upon boarding was the decor - very classic, almost a Titanic vibe (without the horror). Lots of wood paneling and tastefully decorated - a minimum of glitz. We were on the Regatta.

We loved the cuisine - all the meals in the MDR and specialty restaurants were superb. Didn't eat from the buffet but the Terrace Grill was very nice as well. Best part for us: no cooking and no clean-up!

Loved the wine service. Excellent selection of by-the-glass wines for packages, along with a fantastic bottle list (25% off w/ a package). The wine stewards were very knowledgeable about the wines - a nice touch!

Loved the small ship feel. My spouse thought it a little confined, but I liked the flow and the lack of logjams (except at the disembarkation!).

We will still cruise on the larger lines depending on the itinerary, dates, etc., but will continue to try new (for us) cruise lines for a fairer comparison. Let's face it, with the right cabin class and package, on an itinerary and ship that you want to cruise on - it's all good, some better than others!

 

 

[Momnipotent]

On 6/20/2023 at 9:22 PM, tropicalkerry2002 said:

I've never been on anything BUT Oceania and I'll tell you what I love. The peace. Not crowded. Not gaudy. Not noisy. Can find an empty space easily. Great food. Everything included except alcohol, except for a couple of REALLY special dinners. Cabins nicely furnished with real furniture, not built in. Wonderful dress code. Few kids. Great ports. Great perks. Lovely passengers (mostly). No silliness.

Finally sailing O again for the first time since 2019, in LESS THAN 3 MONTHS!

I'd be curious to hear your assessment of O after your next cruise. We are currently on our first cruise back since 2019. Our 15th O cruise. I used to sing their praises as best bang for your buck. I loved the food, the artist Loft, the Culinary Center, alcohol not included, no art auctions or photographer, no formal nights or specific meal times, etc. 

This time, we see a big change in the food. Not much change in the menus, lots of repetition and running out of things we like. The worst is all the coughing passengers, elevators and tenders are covid filled. We ended up sick after about two weeks and the Medical Center fees are exorbitant. No wonder the sick people don't go to the Medical Center, it's SO expensive. We've missed several ports to keep us "safe" but what about keeping us"healthy "?

I would say that the crew is still generally terrific. The Simply More program holds no benefit for us. 

We've decided to cancel a 2024 cruise we had booked. Just not interested anymore. It's a shame. 

[Vineyard View]

What ship are you on Momnipotent?  I am sorry to hear this. I am reading coughing occurring more on other lines right now as well. I am not sure how anyone controls that - obviously covering one’s mouth and wearing a mask of you are one of those would be nice, but apparently that isn’t happening on various ships/lines. Also sorry you were ill. 
your comment about the food - with 15 O cruises, do you feel the actual quality of the food is lower, or it just feels like it is the same cuisine you may have enjoyed in the past and we’re looking for something different? 
You also mentioned skipped ports…..sure seems to be a trend on O regardless of coughing. It’s starting to make me hesitant about O and mor inclined to consider an alternative. Itineraries are really important in our decisions when we book a sailing with anyone. 

[tropicalkerry2002]

Hi Momnipotent,

 

I am trying to steel myself for the changes I will find in 3 weeks. I felt in 2019 there changes with the food, and definitely less choice than in 2017. I am prepared to wear a mask a lot of the time, and carry hand sanitizer with me while on ship.

 

With all the changes O is announcing, I am becoming more and more sure that this will be my last O cruise, particularly as my financial circumstances have changed since I last cruised. It's sad to even think about letting go....

 

This will be my 12th with O, though there were 2 B2Bs, one 38 days long, so I have as much O experience as you.  I will do my best to remember to post here when I return....I have a good memory, but it's short.

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, Momnipotent said:

I'd be curious to hear your assessment of O after your next cruise. We are currently on our first cruise back since 2019. Our 15th O cruise. ... The worst is all the coughing passengers, elevators and tenders are covid filled. We ended up sick after about two weeks and the Medical Center fees are exorbitant....

Sad to hear, but COVID can happen anywhere at any time and the newest variants cause spikes. We loved our time on Riviera (12/2021) and Sirena (11/2022), ten nights each. No masking even then. No one complained and no coughing. We lucked out! The 12/2021 cruise was right before the next wave and all heck broke lose after we returned on 12/23/21. We have 20 more nights on Riviera for Oct-Nov 2023 and 22 more on Sirena 9/2024. Can't wait.

[Momnipotent]

6 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Sad to hear, but COVID can happen anywhere at any time and the newest variants cause spikes. We loved our time on Riviera (12/2021) and Sirena (11/2022), ten nights each. No masking even then. No one complained and no coughing. We lucked out! The 12/2021 cruise was right before the next wave and all heck broke lose after we returned on 12/23/21. We have 20 more nights on Riviera for Oct-Nov 2023 and 22 more on Sirena 9/2024. Can't wait.

It's most likely to "happen" when infected people are coughing in elevators, buses, dining rooms and don't bother to cover, then touch railings, doorknobs, etc. We all know how it's spread.

I fantasize about one cruise line declaring you must be tested before boarding (I realize this won't happen).

I hope your upcoming cruises are great, and all passengers remain healthy. 

Now I'll go pay our $5k Medical Center bill. 

[SATaxman]

1 minute ago, Momnipotent said:

It's most likely to "happen" when infected people are coughing in elevators, buses, dining rooms and don't bother to cover, then touch railings, doorknobs, etc. We all know how it's spread.

I fantasize about one cruise line declaring you must be tested before boarding (I realize this won't happen).

I hope your upcoming cruises are great, and all passengers remain healthy. 

Now I'll go pay our $5k Medical Center bill. 

Last August we cruised Regent to Alaska. Tests and vaccines were mandatory. I wish they still were.

 

[Momnipotent]

8 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

What ship are you on Momnipotent?  I am sorry to hear this. I am reading coughing occurring more on other lines right now as well. I am not sure how anyone controls that - obviously covering one’s mouth and wearing a mask of you are one of those would be nice, but apparently that isn’t happening on various ships/lines. Also sorry you were ill. 
your comment about the food - with 15 O cruises, do you feel the actual quality of the food is lower, or it just feels like it is the same cuisine you may have enjoyed in the past and we’re looking for something different? 
You also mentioned skipped ports…..sure seems to be a trend on O regardless of coughing. It’s starting to make me hesitant about O and mor inclined to consider an alternative. Itineraries are really important in our decisions when we book a sailing with anyone. 

We're on the Riviera, it was our favorite ship. Regarding the food: there have been 4 "Scandinavian" nights and 4 "British Isles" nights. Repetitious and bad. Food prep is uneven, overcooked mostly. I'd love some simple vegetables, but all the ones I tried were cooked to mush. There's only one really good salad in all of the specialty restaurants, the rest are just weird. There are 3 breakfast items that we like, but they are frequently out of them. 

All of the servers and crew are still terrific. The refurbished Penthouse cabins are great, especially the bathrooms. 

Also, after boarding they announced that there were several more tender ports than originally stated. Shouldn't they know that ahead of time?

Two of the four missed ports were repeat stops from the first leg of our cruise, so we weren't as bothered by some of the other guests. We were sad to miss cruising through Prince Christian Sound. 

[Vineyard View]

Well Momnipotent, that sure sounds disappointing.  I wonder if there are still Covid rules in place where a ship cannot dock if there is X percentage of pax on board with it. Not sure without testing they would know this, but the call of ‘keeping all of you safe’ as the reason just doesn’t ring true. 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Momnipotent said:

Also, after boarding they announced that there were several more tender ports than originally stated. Shouldn't they know that ahead of time?

 

What  ports  were added as tender ports ?

[Momnipotent]

6 hours ago, LHT28 said:

What  ports  were added as tender ports ?

Lerwick, Shetland Islands was one, I forget which the other was. They also shortened our times in many of the ports due to their "Sail and Sustain" environmental program. Over our two legs, our time in ports was shortened by 13.5 hours. Just sounds like cost cutting to me. 

[ORV]

20 minutes ago, Momnipotent said:

Lerwick, Shetland Islands was one, I forget which the other was. They also shortened our times in many of the ports due to their "Sail and Sustain" environmental program. Over our two legs, our time in ports was shortened by 13.5 hours. Just sounds like cost cutting to me. 

Are you still in quarantine?

[cjbdesigns]

I like smaller ships.  Oceania has ships that are 800 or 1200 guests.....just the right size for me.  I like both classes of their ships.  I like the boutique ports smaller ships can stop at.  I like their excellent cuisine,  their dining venues, and now the all inclusive pricing.  I am booked on their 2024 ATW cruise.  When I initially booked I was under their OLife pricing, but when given the option of their new Simply More package we did the math and switched for $800 more per person.  That gives us the wine, beer, champagne with lunch and dinner,  as well as over $1500 more to spend on excursions.   That seemed like a no-brainer for us.

[osandomir]

27 minutes ago, cjbdesigns said:

I like smaller ships.  Oceania has ships that are 800 or 1200 guests.....just the right size for me.  I like both classes of their ships.  I like the boutique ports smaller ships can stop at.  I like their excellent cuisine,  their dining venues, and now the all inclusive pricing.  I am booked on their 2024 ATW cruise.  When I initially booked I was under their OLife pricing, but when given the option of their new Simply More package we did the math and switched for $800 more per person.  That gives us the wine, beer, champagne with lunch and dinner,  as well as over $1500 more to spend on excursions.   That seemed like a no-brainer for us.

And I like your attitude. It’s so nice to finally read here that someone actually likes what they’re paying their money for 🙂

[Harters]

To answer the question in the thread title, it's Oceania's general ambiance. I don't really have much to compare it with. Back in the late 1990s and very early 2000s, we did three cruises with P & O but then became very disenchanted with the whole formality thing. Later tried a cruise with the shortlived Island Escape but found that too casual. And are only other experience was a short cruise from Miami with Norwegian, as part of a longer holiday to America.

 

So, we'd pretty much forgotten about cruising but discovered O in 2017 and realised that it was possible to have a relatively upmarket experience without the formality of dressing up. I do not go to land based restaurants that require jackets and am hesitant about those  that just have jackets "preferred". So, to find that I could go on a cruise, with good food, dressed as I would go to a Michelin starred restaurant, chinos and shirt, put cruising back on the agenda. Yes, the food is important - O's marketing that it offers "the finest cuisine at sea" may or may not be accurate but  so long as it offers food as good as my neighbourhood regular restaurants, I'm happy with that. I like the fact that we can dine as a couple at the times we want - we've no wish to dine with strangers. Most other aspects of a cruise, I  don't have hang ups about. So long as I have a comfy bed and someone keeps me well fed, the ship can go round in circles for a couple of weeks without going to a port,  and I'd be OK with that. 

 

So, we cruised on Marina in 2017, have recently returned from a Nautica cruise and have one booked on Vista for next year. After that, I really, really want to try Viking. 

Edited August 22, 2023 by Harters

[LHT28]

17 hours ago, cjbdesigns said:

I like smaller ships.  Oceania has ships that are 800 or 1200 guests.....just the right size for me. 

The R ship  have only 650  pax  so even better than 800 😉

 

[What A Market]

Going back to title of this thread: What do “I” like about Oceania?  This is easy for me. It’s all the unforgettable memories I’ve formed on cruises with my family. 
 

This past September it was a simple Pacific Coastal cruise on the Regatta. Celebrated DD’s birthday. Amazing meal in Toscana that finished with the kitchen baking an entire Special gluten free cake for Shannon.