Our Final Word on EJ

[Wheelhouse]

We were on the Oceania Vista in October and are now seated on AA metal headed for Barbados and Explora 1. I will also try to make a comparison. 

[Waltershipman]

23 minutes ago, Wheelhouse said:

We were on the Oceania Vista in October and are now seated on AA metal headed for Barbados and Explora 1. I will also try to make a comparison. 

Yes please do thanks

[as3369]

24 minutes ago, Wheelhouse said:

We were on the Oceania Vista in October and are now seated on AA metal headed for Barbados and Explora 1. I will also try to make a comparison. 

We fly out tomorrow on AA for one night pre-cruise stay.  See you on the ship!

[maggie.1008]

Can we use OBC in the casino?

[PrivateIdaho]

1 hour ago, Waltershipman said:

We were on the Oceania Vista in October and are now seated on AA metal headed for Barbados and Explora 1. I will also try to make a comparison. 

Please do. Don’t think you’ll find lounge hogs on Explora. Have a great time. 

[Waltershipman]

1 minute ago, PrivateIdaho said:

Please do. Don’t think you’ll find lounge hogs on Explora. Have a great time. 

Thats correct be well 

[Stickman1990]

3 hours ago, maggie.1008 said:

Can we use OBC in the casino?

I'm afraid not - it’s cold hard Euros for casino activity 

[Wheelhouse]

Made it to Barbados. We are staying in the Bougainvilla Besch Resort. So far I am pretty impressed by this place and I want to get in a recommendation.  

[Beamafar]

On 1/11/2024 at 4:55 PM, uktog said:

I have not been on Oceana, so my comparisons are purely with Azamara where we have over 40 voyages. They were our go to cruise line, but over the last two years there have been a number of changes and consistency of standards has become for us a major issue.  That said we do have two Azamara Cruises booked in the coming months and are looking forward to them. 
 

First major thing to bear in mind is that an entry level  OT1 on Explora  is the equivalent of the entry level suite on Azamara, so you have to ignore  the Veranda and smaller rooms - almost 75% of the ship.
  

Obviously, with being a newer ship, and having a more efficient layout Explora  wins handsdown in terms of the room and public space experience.  Azamara, particularly on onward out because they have taken out one area of general public space that could be used during the day and made a bar only included for those buying the top drinks package, is very short of public space. It only has one swimming pool and two tubs available to all guests. There is a second large hot tub, but that is on a private deck only available to guests in suites or by paying an additional fee.

We found no difference in the friendliness of guests between Azamara and Explora  we also found the crew to be equally attentive, although explora crew has the edge in terms of professionalism.   The Azamara crew do try very hard. Sometimes they enthusiasm gets in the way of the maintenance of consistent standards.

 

The biggest difference, without a doubt is the food explora food is in a different league is consistently well served and at an appropriate temperature  we found the Emporium on much more pleasant experience than the windows café, which is the equivalent on Azamara

On Explora , apart from the Michelin star restaurant, there is no charge for their more special restaurants marble grill and Sakura and the other two restaurants which are technically “main dining room walk ups” are lovely well laid out venues with the standard of food and service at the level of Aqualina or Prime C on Azamara, but the difference is there is no charge to eat there. 
 

The included drinks on Explora are of a higher calibre to those on Azamara. So, for example, if you wanted to drink a beefeater gin on Azamara, you would have to pay extra for that or buy a package for the whole Cruise that upgraded your drinks, whereas on Explora drinks like that and champagne are included for all.  The included wines were also of a much better quality on Explora although I appreciate some people still find them not to their liking, but they were far better than those offered on Azamara.

Our experience of the included excursions was that for a Caribbean cruise, which is what we will compare offering on. Though slightly more expensive on Explora it was far better, much smaller groups and much more professionally delivered.  Azamara in that part of the world can often feel like the jolly trip they providers deliver to Cruises of 6000 guests and that’s what you’re to have also!

 

To entertainment, where Explora is still trying to fully sort out their offering. They certainly have the venue capacity to offer a much wider range of options in an evening than Azamara does, and where they were providing entertainers brought in for the Cruise, they were of an equal standard to those that Azamara contract with.
However , the two resident singers are opposed to four on Azamara where very poor and lacked the musical skills that we are used to Azamara. That said we know Explora are looking at their entertainment options so hopefully that changes if it hasn’t already. 
 

There were enrichment speakers. I would say again, broadly similar standards between the two lines which did disappoint as I was looking for some more to the standard offered by Viking. We have been fortunate on Viking to have had excellent speakers, although I appreciate that can sometimes be timing and some Cruises just get better speakers than others.  
 

So to sum up, I would say that if you see Azamara as around a 4.5 star experience, Explora would be a much more solid 5 overall with food, being at least one to 1 a half stars above. 

Great to see a comparison between Azamara and Explora.   Having experienced the former and booked the latter, it’s interesting to read this. 

[Beamafar]

On 1/29/2024 at 7:31 PM, Stickman1990 said:

I'm afraid not - it’s cold hard Euros for casino activity 

Wondering if this has to do with MSC’s experience of passengers using OBC in their casinos on their mainstream ships.

[Waltershipman]

On 1/29/2024 at 5:30 PM, Wheelhouse said:

Made it to Barbados. We are staying in the Bougainvilla Besch Resort. So far I am pretty impressed by this place and I want to get in a recommendation.  

Someone tonight reccomended Lobster alive for Lobster