Mostly negative video about Oceania and Sirena...

[Kay S]

3 minutes ago, Kay S said:

Sorry.  Being too American here.  Glad to give you the opportunity to expand your knowledge! 😁

Oops.  I just realized I goofed.  It's P T Barnum!

[Cruisersrule]

We have had nothing but impeccable service on Oceania. However, I do agree that having to wait for the sommelier for a glass of house wine or a GT does not keep service timely. As for cuisine, we have always found it excellent, even without some “foam or something”

[ORV]

3 hours ago, Harters said:

I had to Google to find out who that was. 

Seriously, well, this way to the egress John, come see the fabulous egress. 

[Harters]

No worries, Kay. I'll have that as my "learn something new every  day". 😀

[wookie78]

We just finished a 10 day cruise on Sirena this week.  We did not have any of the service issues this couple say they experienced.  The sommeliers in main dining were efficient, we never waited.  The bar area they are referring to outside the main dining room is actually the coffee bar during the day and then it's a service bar for the dining room after 6 pm. They don't have waiters but you can order a drink at the bar.  The staff was excellant for the entire 10 days.

I do agree it is not the finest cuisine at sea but all cuisine at sea has deteriorated since covid.

The ship is lovely and we would recommend you try it.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

On 7/17/2024 at 1:24 AM, tine-tine said:

I agree with them 100% and in fact I could add more disappointment to their video, It is not about whether you had a good time managing your expectations it is about getting what you paid for and not having to manage your expectations, why should you?  

For some the percentage of their income/savings committed on the trip is a greater investment than others and has been a heavy commitment on their purse in anticipation of the  marketing promises hence their disappointment in the product, like buying a Jaguar and being supplied with a Nissan and being told you should be happy as you have received a car!

You are, of course, correct. I have only one O sailing under my belt and that one cruise did not give me the finest cuisine at sea (spoiler alert…Windstar did). 
That said, I booked 2 more sailings on the ship with the “really good food at sea” while I was on board. And I have booked a third since I’ve been home. 
 

I think O should absolutely tone down the pervasive marketing hype regarding food. New customers should not be expected to see past the hyperbole nor should they be expected to be happy with a Nissan when they’ve purchased a Jaguar as they’ve received a car (lovely analogy).  
 

I think people are justified in being disappointed when they find out they’ve been sold a bill of goods wrt to food. It’s a valid emotion for a first time O sailer. 
 

When I board in a couple of months I will have managed my expectations accordingly as clearly I’ve decided there’s enough other stuff that O offers to bring me back.  But that first sailing? As you said, why should I?  And I can understand how some first time disappointed O sailers would not return if they failed to find enough other stuff to bring them back. 

[osandomir]

25 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

You are, of course, correct. I have only one O sailing under my belt and that one cruise did not give me the finest cuisine at sea (spoiler alert…Windstar did). 
That said, I booked 2 more sailings on the ship with the “really good food at sea” while I was on board. And I have booked a third since I’ve been home. 
 

I think O should absolutely tone down the pervasive marketing hype regarding food. New customers should not be expected to see past the hyperbole nor should they be expected to be happy with a Nissan when they’ve purchased a Jaguar as they’ve received a car (lovely analogy).  
 

 

Nothing is perfect in life even the vacation on the cruise ship. It’s great that your overall satisfaction doesn’t turn you away from Oceania so you decided to book the future cruises with them. Other people aren’t willing to look past some aspects that they didn’t like and decide to look elsewhere. Another problem, using the same analogy, some are ready to pay for a Nissan but looking to receive a Jaguar. I’d love to hear if and where they find their perfect cruise.  

[Kay S]

49 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

You are, of course, correct. I have only one O sailing under my belt and that one cruise did not give me the finest cuisine at sea (spoiler alert…Windstar did). 
That said, I booked 2 more sailings on the ship with the “really good food at sea” while I was on board. And I have booked a third since I’ve been home. 
 

I think O should absolutely tone down the pervasive marketing hype regarding food. New customers should not be expected to see past the hyperbole nor should they be expected to be happy with a Nissan when they’ve purchased a Jaguar as they’ve received a car (lovely analogy).  
 

I think people are justified in being disappointed when they find out they’ve been sold a bill of goods wrt to food. It’s a valid emotion for a first time O sailer. 
 

When I board in a couple of months I will have managed my expectations accordingly as clearly I’ve decided there’s enough other stuff that O offers to bring me back.  But that first sailing? As you said, why should I?  And I can understand how some first time disappointed O sailers would not return if they failed to find enough other stuff to bring them back. 

Was the food better than on Princess?

[babysteps]

Fun fact: not only was P T Barnum a wizard of marketing, he was also elected mayor of Bridgeport, CT. His mansion used to be an art museum under the auspices of the local community college, and apparently is now closed for renovations to re-open with lots of P T Barnum exhibits. P T Barnum also was instrumental in establishing Seaside Park - perhaps not world-renowned, but an interesting local/regional site!

 

And yes, while you've read this forum one or two or more have been born - there's one every minute according to P T!

[HaveDogWillTravel]

2 hours ago, Kay S said:

Was the food better than on Princess?

Yes by far. Princess is not in the same class as O in my opinion anyway. I always find something to eat that I like on Princess and I find they are extremely accommodating as well. If it’s on the ship they are just so kind about making your vacation special. Once (when we were in a regular balcony cabin) my husband mentioned in the MDR that he was missing the special breakfast potatoes that we get for breakfast when we sail in a suite. The restaurant manger overheard him and the next morning surprised him by going to the suite restaurant and bringing him a plateful. So I don’t sail Princess for the food but they have other stuff that keeps me coming back.  Different stuff than O gives me but stuff I also value very much. I sail different lines for very different reasons. 

[Stockjock]

4 hours ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

You are, of course, correct. I have only one O sailing under my belt and that one cruise did not give me the finest cuisine at sea (spoiler alert…Windstar did). 
That said, I booked 2 more sailings on the ship with the “really good food at sea” while I was on board. And I have booked a third since I’ve been home. 
 

I think O should absolutely tone down the pervasive marketing hype regarding food. New customers should not be expected to see past the hyperbole nor should they be expected to be happy with a Nissan when they’ve purchased a Jaguar as they’ve received a car (lovely analogy).  
 

I think people are justified in being disappointed when they find out they’ve been sold a bill of goods wrt to food. It’s a valid emotion for a first time O sailer. 
 

When I board in a couple of months I will have managed my expectations accordingly as clearly I’ve decided there’s enough other stuff that O offers to bring me back.  But that first sailing? As you said, why should I?  And I can understand how some first time disappointed O sailers would not return if they failed to find enough other stuff to bring them back. 

Good comments, and based upon your remarks and the remarks of others, I think O should lose the "Finest Cuisine at Sea" motto, because it certainly seems as if that statement is false.  And as you noted, the self-manufactured hype over their food quality, i.e. the "finest at sea" is apt to lead to disappointment.

Maybe something like "Oceania: Experience the Small Ship Difference" or "Oceania: A Relaxed Adult Luxury Experience."

Anyone have a better motto?

Edited July 20 by Stockjock

[Kay S]

2 hours ago, Stockjock said:

Good comments, and based upon your remarks and the remarks of others, I think O should lose the "Finest Cuisine at Sea" motto, because it certainly seems as if that statement is false.  And as you noted, the self-manufactured hype over their food quality, i.e. the "finest at sea" is apt to lead to disappointment.

Maybe something like "Oceania: Experience the Small Ship Difference" or "Oceania: A Relaxed Adult Luxury Experience."

Anyone have a better motto?

"The Food Won't Kill You"  😝  Marketing slogans are always over the top.  I guess "Finest Cuisine at Sea" has been working for Oceania since they haven't changed it.  Companies pour lots of money into market research.  I don't think a handful of unhappy posters on an internet forum will offset what the marketing research tells them.

 

If I believed every marketing slogan I heard, I would definitely be one of P.T. Barnum's "suckers."

[Vallesan]

At one point I do think Oceania did have the ‘Finest Cuisine at Sea’. Since 2020 as cruising has resumed I think the food on lots of lines has deteriorated.

 

I doubt a new slogan ‘We used to have the Finest Cuisine at Sea’ would attract quite so many new passengers!

 

Personally I have had very few meals on Oceania that I would say afterwards ‘that was maaa!’ Yes there has been the odd one but overall I find the food good, not excellent, but good. Well good is good enough for me anyway!

[Harters]

16 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

I find the food good, not excellent, but good.

Me too (to quote a phrase).

 

I make a comparison with a 5* hotel I've been to in Tenerife. O's GDR & Terrace food is generally as good as that.

 

I'm looking forward to going to a 5* all-inclusive resort in Cyprus in the autumn which seems to have a comparable offer of "hotel services" to a cruise with O. If it does indeed match O's quality, or come near to it, then next year's Vista cruise may well be our last - as the resort is half the price of O. 

[Vallesan]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

Me too (to quote a phrase).

 

I make a comparison with a 5* hotel I've been to in Tenerife. O's GDR & Terrace food is generally as good as that.

 

I'm looking forward to going to a 5* all-inclusive resort in Cyprus in the autumn which seems to have a comparable offer of "hotel services" to a cruise with O. If it does indeed match O's quality, or come near to it, then next year's Vista cruise may well be our last - as the resort is half the price of O. 

I’ll be interested to hear how your trip goes. We have just returned from a 5* land based trip to Portugal but unfortunately the ‘hotel services’, or more particularly the restaurant, were not comparable to a cruise. Just wish they had been!

[MEFIowa]

As we all know, food is mainly a subjective issue. We each have our likes and preferences.

 

The key is to have realistic expectations. For Happiness = Reality - Expectations.

 

BUT having sailed 40 nights on O ships (Riviera for 30 and Sirena for 10), wife and I have LOVED the food. We just have never eaten in the GDR. We don't do their alcohol packages or buy alcohol from them. And we tend to just have a blast in the TC in the evening eating magnificent food under the stars. (Lunch in the TC has always exceeded expectations. Same for breakfast in Waves, enjoying looking out over the water.)

 

The proof is in the weight gain! Yes, we always put on some pounds. And I skip bread, carbs, ad desert. So many amazing main courses to choose from.

[Stockjock]

5 hours ago, Vallesan said:

I doubt a new slogan ‘We used to have the Finest Cuisine at Sea’ would attract quite so many new passengers!

Many years ago, I worked for a subsidiary of Sears Roebuck, and I think their motto was “Sears, where America shops!”  But we used to say, “Sears, where America used to shop!“

 

Same general concept I guess.

[bradpole]

7 hours ago, Vallesan said:

At one point I do think Oceania did have the ‘Finest Cuisine at Sea’. Since 2020 as cruising has resumed I think the food on lots of lines has deteriorated.

 

I doubt a new slogan ‘We used to have the Finest Cuisine at Sea’ would attract quite so many new passengers!

 

Personally I have had very few meals on Oceania that I would say afterwards ‘that was maaa!’ Yes there has been the odd one but overall I find the food good, not excellent, but good. Well good is good enough for me anyway!

I guess I could consider us very fortunate, food wise, we really haven't noticed any decreases in quality since things started backup after Covid.  Has every meal been perfect?  Nope!  Then again even before covid that was true.  We enjoy the experience onboard and look forward to our cruises, especially the food!  

[Harters]

12 minutes ago, bradpole said:

 Has every meal been perfect?

Restaurants are rarely perfect.  For my 60th birthday, we went for dinner to the Fat Duck, then rated third best restaurant in the world. Of the 14 courses on the eye-wateringly expensive tasting menu, there were a couple that we didnt think were "right". But food is always subjective, so my opinion counts no more or less than any other customer or, indeed, the chef. 

[bradpole]

38 minutes ago, Harters said:

Restaurants are rarely perfect.  For my 60th birthday, we went for dinner to the Fat Duck, then rated third best restaurant in the world. Of the 14 courses on the eye-wateringly expensive tasting menu, there were a couple that we didnt think were "right". But food is always subjective, so my opinion counts no more or less than any other customer or, indeed, the chef. 

Exactly!  It is just sometimes when I read people talking about post covid cutbacks in food I often question, "Was I on the same cruise?"

[Thought2go]

On 7/15/2024 at 12:54 AM, Stockjock said:

I'll be on Sirena later this year (1st Oceania cruise), and these folks seemed pretty disappointed.

Your thoughts?
 

 

I went and watched their reviews of Holland which they were giddy over. While not a broad sampling of their cruise reviews, I came away with a headache on the contortions they did -on this is $11+- or the 15 a day- or the $28 over a $65 dollar surcharge for lobster, and on and on.

No thanks- I prefer a less complicated life while I’m cruising. All inclusive suits me just fine.

[topcat76]

On 7/15/2024 at 1:06 PM, Harters said:

The video did resonate with me in at least a couple of aspects. First, the wait for a sommelier in the restaurants (both GDR and specialities). Not all the time but often enough to be something of an issue. And, second, the comment about plating of food which often seems that there's been little attempt to finesse the presentation. 

I experienced the above on my recent Sirena cruise and did report about the sommelier issue on the cruise survey. 

[Jancruz]

On 7/20/2024 at 5:30 AM, MEFIowa said:

As we all know, food is mainly a subjective issue. We each have our likes and preferences.

 

The key is to have realistic expectations. For Happiness = Reality - Expectations.

 

BUT having sailed 40 nights on O ships (Riviera for 30 and Sirena for 10), wife and I have LOVED the food. We just have never eaten in the GDR. We don't do their alcohol packages or buy alcohol from them. And we tend to just have a blast in the TC in the evening eating magnificent food under the stars. (Lunch in the TC has always exceeded expectations. Same for breakfast in Waves, enjoying looking out over the water.)

 

The proof is in the weight gain! Yes, we always put on some pounds. And I skip bread, carbs, ad desert. So many amazing main courses to choose from.

You should try the GDR when they are open for lunch..they have platters called around the world and they give you a small portion of different dishes from the country they are featuring that day..I love Italy and Greece dishes..I dont like the Mexican..

Jancruz1

[MEFIowa]

2 hours ago, Jancruz said:

You should try the GDR when they are open for lunch...

We do port-intensive cruises. On Riviera last year, our 20-night B2B we had a grand total of 1 sea day in the Med. On Sirena for 22 nights later this year in the Baltic, we have 1 sea day.

[Harters]

12 hours ago, Jancruz said:

You should try the GDR when they are open for lunch

I agree. We tried it several times on our recent transatlantic. Loved the French bistro classics and the "taste of the world" set menu each day. It's a pity that on the shorter cruises there will only be one or two sea days so little opportunity for lunch there. 

Edited July 29 by Harters