Another quick Celebrity vs. Oceania price comparison (suite)

[C-Dragons]

29 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

I've never seen it. Vegas and its shows hold zero interest for me.

 

Why can people not just like what they like without having to justify it?

We can.

You just need to remember that you do not have to answer every post. 😉

[lexmiller]

1 hour ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

I've never seen it. Vegas and its shows hold zero interest for me.

 

Why can people not just like what they like without having to justify it?

WHY are you wasting your time engaging with this guy @NMTraveller?  I wrote what I feel was an excellent reply and @OysterD wrote by far the best.  He shouldn't be cruising at all and is on these boards just to mess with us.  

Edited July 14, 2023 by lexmiller

[NMTraveller]

13 minutes ago, lexmiller said:

WHY are you wasting your time engaging with this guy @NMTraveller?  I wrote what I feel was an excellent reply and @OysterD wrote by far the best.  He shouldn't be cruising at all and is on these boards just to mess with us.  

I should not be on a cruise if I do not go to the show?

[NMTraveller]

One more question for those of you that have cruised on Oceania.  Are there chair hogs at the pool.  In other words do people put their towels out by the pool at 0700 to reserve a chair vs just getting a chair while they are actually at the pool?

Edited July 14, 2023 by NMTraveller

[KKB]

On 7/9/2023 at 1:01 PM, NMTraveller said:

The entertainment is at best B grade shows on Celebrity.  I would not miss them.

 

This weekend we saw Shin Lim.  Typical entertainment that I would actually go see.

 

On 7/9/2023 at 1:26 PM, SSFrance69 said:

We didn't miss Celebrity's entertainment at all. I know it's subjective but we actually enjoyed the entertainment on Oceania more. I don't know what it was about it. The performers just seemed to really enjoy what they were doing, and it seemed more warm and genuine than the large productions on Celebrity. Oceania also had good trivia, not to mention they have the cooking classes and art classes (for a fee).

I find trivia on Celebrity to be very good--one DJ did a brillian 80s music trivia. He took a part of the song (not the chorus) & put it on loop. THAT made it more challenging! (admittedly I've only had that one once)

 

I admit to finding S & M class shows "meh".

But Eclass production shows are to the level of RCCL & NCL production shows. VERY good.

No, they aren't A list Vegas shows--and they don't claim to be. But they are the best level of production shows at sea.

 

And OF COURSE casinos at sea are smaller than land casinos🫥

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by KKB

[dreamer321]

1 hour ago, KKB said:

I admit to finding S & M class shows "meh".

Ok, I'll admit I found this line unintentionally funny. I guess I just have a sick mind.

[JBSteelerfan]

2 hours ago, KKB said:

 

I admit to finding S & M class shows "meh"

 

I will wait to pass judgement till I see THIS show!!

[SSFrance69]

1 hour ago, dreamer321 said:

Ok, I'll admit I found this line unintentionally funny. I guess I just have a sick mind.

Those are the shows they have on Virgin cruise line from what I understand. Sick minds alike. lol

[VersaliusPrimus]

On 7/14/2023 at 9:12 AM, D. B. said:

Some of the food is better than X but a lot of it I would rate as equal. But Remember food is such a personal thing and that is only My opinion.

Now O has more food Choices than X does.

the Ice cream is Excellent but not many flavor choices.

they make Milkshakes out of Ice cream!

 

 

As others have expressed, thanks for reporting during your cruise!  We have our first Oceania cruise booked for 2025 while also looking at options for our first Celebrity cruise.  A quick question if you get the chance:  How extensive are the sugar-free or no sugar added options onboard Oceania?  If you happen to have tried any, how did you like it/them?  

 

[D. B.]

5 hours ago, VersaliusPrimus said:

 

As others have expressed, thanks for reporting during your cruise!  We have our first Oceania cruise booked for 2025 while also looking at options for our first Celebrity cruise.  A quick question if you get the chance:  How extensive are the sugar-free or no sugar added options onboard Oceania?  If you happen to have tried any, how did you like it/them?  

 

I will have to look for no sugar added items.

I will ask once back onboard.

I did see gluten free items.

I try to avoid no sugar added or diet things but maybe ask on the Oceania forums?

my wife is a cell phone addict so I seldom get access to the WiFi. We can only use one device at a time or Pay and additional $400 so I’m on at a Starbucks In Stockholm right now. I think their Free WiFi is better than the ships even though we paid more for the premium WiFi.

they need StarLink.

after5 days on Marina I can say it is a great cruise line and worth the cost.

But it’s about double what I pay for Celebrity so it is probably going to be a once experience for us.

[Oceangoer2]

2 hours ago, D. B. said:

I will have to look for no sugar added items.

I will ask once back onboard.

I did see gluten free items.

I try to avoid no sugar added or diet things but maybe ask on the Oceania forums?

my wife is a cell phone addict so I seldom get access to the WiFi. We can only use one device at a time or Pay and additional $400 so I’m on at a Starbucks In Stockholm right now. I think their Free WiFi is better than the ships even though we paid more for the premium WiFi.

they need StarLink.

after5 days on Marina I can say it is a great cruise line and worth the cost.

But it’s about double what I pay for Celebrity so it is probably going to be a once experience for us.

What makes the cost double?  Are you in a different class of cabin than on X?  I've priced O's Marina/Riviera Concierge A1 verandah with X and cost didn't seem to be very different...once air is included.  Probably adding in gratuities and beverage package adds considerably? 

[Oceangoer2]

On 7/7/2023 at 11:43 AM, CruisinShips said:

We are booked on our first Oceania cruise (on their newest ship, Vista) in a Penthouse 2 suite for February of 2024.  It's a garden variety one week Caribbean itinerary out of Miami.   Out of curiosity I decided to price a similar itinerary on Celebrity...found one on the Apex, and priced a Celebrity suite.

 

Result:  The CS was $4,000+ more for the two of us!  In fairness, the difference in what's included may be add a few hundred dollars in value to the Celebrity cruise...and the CS is probably a little larger than the Oceania PH suite, but, man, that's a huge difference!

 

Is that an anomaly or are others finding the same thing?

This is an older start to the thread so you may have had your fill of comments...but...I'm told by confirmed O cruisers that the Penthouse suites on O Riviera/Marina are comparable in size to Sky Suites on X except the cabins and balconies are somewhat smaller, but O has a walk in closet  Don't know about Vista cabins size etc.

[D. B.]

23 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

What makes the cost double?  Are you in a different class of cabin than on X?  I've priced O's Marina/Riviera Concierge A1 verandah with X and cost didn't seem to be very different...once air is included.  Probably adding in gratuities and beverage package adds considerably? 

I’m only in the O concierge veranda cabin because it was part of a 4 category upgrade offer.

on Celebrity we book an Oceanview or basic Veranda cabin. We tried the X Concierge and Auqua cabins but didn’t care for Blu .

[D. B.]

14 hours ago, VersaliusPrimus said:

 

As others have expressed, thanks for reporting during your cruise!  We have our first Oceania cruise booked for 2025 while also looking at options for our first Celebrity cruise.  A quick question if you get the chance:  How extensive are the sugar-free or no sugar added options onboard Oceania?  If you happen to have tried any, how did you like it/them?  

 

OK. We had dinner tonight in the buffet and I ask about sugar free or no sugar added desserts.

not many choices but at least one desert (you have to ask which one) and always one flavor of ice cream. The cookies are so blah they probably don’t have much sugar?

I ask if any of the cookies were sugar free but the crew members limited command of English made communication impossible.

l know they have a big selection of diet sodas.

I think the Grand dining room menu also has some sugar free offerings.

I hope that helps?

D. B.

[VersaliusPrimus]

2 hours ago, D. B. said:

OK. We had dinner tonight in the buffet and I ask about sugar free or no sugar added desserts.

not many choices but at least one desert (you have to ask which one) and always one flavor of ice cream. The cookies are so blah they probably don’t have much sugar?

I ask if any of the cookies were sugar free but the crew members limited command of English made communication impossible.

l know they have a big selection of diet sodas.

I think the Grand dining room menu also has some sugar free offerings.

I hope that helps?

D. B.

 

Thank you very much!  Firsthand data definitely helps from someone currently onboard!

 

One sugar free dessert and one sugar free flavor ice cream is exactly what was available during our last Princess cruise last month, so I was hoping for more from O since their marketing pushes their culinary offerings so much.  Perhaps they could taste better than on Princess?  Then again, the Princess sugar free dessert was consistently tasteless, so that would be quite a low bar to clear...

 

Princess only had Diet Pepsi and Sprite Zero so O having a wider selection than that would be refreshing.  🙂

 

Curious, would you attribute the communication difficulties you experienced to the staff being relatively new to the job/setting?  We also had some issues clearly communicating with our waiters on the Princess cruise, although generally that was only with the crew who were still early in their first contract and did not have as much experience with English-speaking passengers as the more seasoned crew.

 

Regarding the wifi, in a video posted yesterday a travel agent I follow on Youtube posted a full ship tour of the Riviera where he states the ship will soon be equipped with Starlink.  The Marina should also be on their list to upgrade, although probably not in time for you to benefit from it.  😞

 

Thank you again for taking time out of your vacation to give your reports!

Edited July 16, 2023 by VersaliusPrimus

[D. B.]

10 hours ago, VersaliusPrimus said:

 

Thank you very much!  Firsthand data definitely helps from someone currently onboard!

 

One sugar free dessert and one sugar free flavor ice cream is exactly what was available during our last Princess cruise last month, so I was hoping for more from O since their marketing pushes their culinary offerings so much.  Perhaps they could taste better than on Princess?  Then again, the Princess sugar free dessert was consistently tasteless, so that would be quite a low bar to clear...

 

Princess only had Diet Pepsi and Sprite Zero so O having a wider selection than that would be refreshing.  🙂

 

Curious, would you attribute the communication difficulties you experienced to the staff being relatively new to the job/setting?  We also had some issues clearly communicating with our waiters on the Princess cruise, although generally that was only with the crew who were still early in their first contract and did not have as much experience with English-speaking passengers as the more seasoned crew.

 

Regarding the wifi, in a video posted yesterday a travel agent I follow on Youtube posted a full ship tour of the Riviera where he states the ship will soon be equipped with Starlink.  The Marina should also be on their list to upgrade, although probably not in time for you to benefit from it.  😞

 

Thank you again for taking time out of your vacation to give your reports!

I find the communication problem to be something we encounter on every cruise line . But I know these people have to listen to god knows how many versions of the English Language from one guest to the next so we cannot expect them to be fluent in all of what they hear?

I find that often when I ask for A Number of something in the buffet like One Cookie I get 2 or 3? I’m guessing that they are told to Error on the high side of what the Think the guest is asking for than serving to little?

   

[Lastdance]

10 hours ago, D. B. said:

I find the communication problem to be something we encounter on every cruise line . But I know these people have to listen to god knows how many versions of the English Language from one guest to the next so we cannot expect them to be fluent in all of what they hear?

I find that often when I ask for A Number of something in the buffet like One Cookie I get 2 or 3? I’m guessing that they are told to Error on the high side of what the Think the guest is asking for than serving to little?

   

There is an entire thread on Oceania dedicated to their “cookies.”  Yes, there really is...and it is quite amusing too.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Lastdance

[D. B.]

15 hours ago, Lastdance said:

There is an entire thread on Oceania dedicated to their “cookies.”  Yes, there really is...and it is quite amusing too.

I read it before our cruise and it’s True but O’s Key Lime Pie and Ice Cream make up for the cookies😗

[VersaliusPrimus]

On 7/17/2023 at 2:44 AM, D. B. said:

I find the communication problem to be something we encounter on every cruise line . But I know these people have to listen to god knows how many versions of the English Language from one guest to the next so we cannot expect them to be fluent in all of what they hear?

I find that often when I ask for A Number of something in the buffet like One Cookie I get 2 or 3? I’m guessing that they are told to Error on the high side of what the Think the guest is asking for than serving to little?

   

Ask for a cookie and get multiple?  This sounds like a possible explanation to how my pants got tighter after my last cruise... 😄

[padgman1]

On 7/14/2023 at 3:05 PM, NMTraveller said:

The poster that I was responding to thought that the shows were Grade A.  Even when you compare the shows to Royal the shows on Royal are better.  I will take someone diving into a small pool at 300 feet or better vs someone doing aerials at 20 feet.  If you want the shows on the main stream lines you go to the bigger ships.  I did not realize that this was a point of contention.

 

 

Googling "Aquatheater," it lists the platforms at 30 feet.

 

Trust me, even competitive divers don't go off at 300 feet ( Red Bull Cliff Diving series competitors dive from 85-92 feet).

[JBSteelerfan]

On 7/18/2023 at 3:58 PM, VersaliusPrimus said:

Ask for a cookie and get multiple?  This sounds like a possible explanation to how my pants got tighter after my last cruise... 😄

 

I think if you start the second cookie while still eating the first cookie, it is just a continuation, and therefore, only 1 cookie!!