Pre-Cruise comparison of Oceania Regatta - Vista Suite to Celebrity Millennium Royal Suite

[Jim_Iain]

 

 

 

Edited August 13 by Jim_Iain

[flviking]

Jim, Thanks for doing this.  We might do a similar review but for entry level suites.  We are on Vista in December in a Penthouse Suite.  Not to be confused with a Celebrity Penthouse suite.  We have done Sky Suites on all the M class ships as well as most S and E class.

We were in a RS on Millennium in February Singapore to Mumbai.  Definitely a different feel with 50 suites vs 200 suites.  The concierges were great as was the Luminae maitre de.  Our butler not so much.  The suite was showing its age in the furnishings and especially the hot tub on the balcony.  All in all a good cruise.

 

PS What was your take on Ponant? Would you go with them again?

[Jim_Iain]

Just a couple quick observations -

 

Both Celebrity RS and Oceania Vista come with Unlimited Specialty Dining.   Oceania offers unlimited Specialty to all room classes not just the upper suites.

 

Celebrity RS comes with Unlimited Laundry and Dry Cleaning.   Oceania come with Complimentary Pressing on Embarkation at 2 Bags of Laundry. 

Will discuss more when we get further into the Comparison -

 

Celebrity - RS

 

4 High Speed Internet Accounts (2 each)

Premium Drink Package (1 each)

Gratuities -  $46 per day (for 2)

2 Jacuzzi tubs 1 in Bathroom 1 on Veranda

Oceania - Vista

2 regular Internet (1 each)

Wine and Beer with Meals included

Premium Drink Package ($30 pp per day)

Gratuities - $37 per day (for 2)

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, flviking said:

Jim, Thanks for doing this.  We might do a similar review but for entry level suites.  We are on Vista in December in a Penthouse Suite.  Not to be confused with a Celebrity Penthouse suite.  We have done Sky Suites on all the M class ships as well as most S and E class.

We were in a RS on Millennium in February Singapore to Mumbai.  Definitely a different feel with 50 suites vs 200 suites.  The concierges were great as was the Luminae maitre de.  Our butler not so much.  The suite was showing its age in the furnishings and especially the hot tub on the balcony.  All in all a good cruise.

 

PS What was your take on Ponant? Would you go with them again?

 

It would be a really good comparison.   In comparing Millennium and Regatta they are both approximately the same age and both updated about the same time.

[Jim_Iain]

 

 

 

 

Edited August 13 by Jim_Iain

[Jim_Iain]

Let's take a look at the Oceania Regatta Vista Suite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 13 by Jim_Iain

[MEFIowa]

50 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Just a couple quick observations - ... Both Celebrity RS and Oceania Vista come with Unlimited Specialty Dining.   Oceania offers unlimited Specialty to all room classes not just the upper suites. ....

O Regatta has 2 specialty restaurants, Toscana & Polo Grill. For the vast majority of passengers in the G-A cabins, they are allowed to make X number of guaranteed specialty reservations based on the length of the cruise. Of course, each day you can stop by the dinner reservation desk to see if you can add a specialty reservation for that evening. No guarantee.

 

Dining in the GDR, Terrace Cafe and Waves are not considered "specialty" and they require no reservation.

[JDPCruisers]

14 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

The photos may have to wait until I board.... LOL. But I may "borrow some" for the comparison.

LOL! As we'll be Vista newbies for Panama Canel crossing in Jan/Feb your review will help lead the way!

[MEFIowa]

3 hours ago, flviking said:

... We might do a similar review but for entry level suites.  We are on Vista in December in a Penthouse Suite....

Yes, hope you do. Given the tiny percentage of people who sail in a Vista Suite versus the extremely high percentage who sail G-B, the discussion about Vista Suites is literally for the 1%. (Sailed in B2 on Sirena 11/2022.)

[ORV]

42 minutes ago, JDPCruisers said:

LOL! As we'll be Vista newbies for Panama Canel crossing in Jan/Feb your review will help lead the way!

If I read your other post correctly you are going to be on the Vista Ship. Jim is going to be in the Vista Suite on Regatta. The only comparison is that they are both Oceania ships. It does get confusing that they have a ship named the same as a Suite Class. But they're not the only cruise line that has done that. 

[sunlover12]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Just a couple quick observations -

 

Both Celebrity RS and Oceania Vista come with Unlimited Specialty Dining.   Oceania offers unlimited Specialty to all room classes not just the upper suites.

 

Celebrity RS comes with Unlimited Laundry and Dry Cleaning.   Oceania come with Complimentary Pressing on Embarkation at 2 Bags of Laundry. 

Will discuss more when we get further into the Comparison 

The number of specialty restaurant reservations are not unlimited. It varies by category of cabin and length of cruise. When you board the ship, go to the dining reservation desk to request additional reservations. According to Oceania's website:

 

Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena 
Concierge Level Veranda and above 
Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant 
Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant 
Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant 
 

Also to clarify the complimentary bags of laundry will be 3.  20 items in each bag. 

[basor]

6 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

The number of specialty restaurant reservations are not unlimited. It varies by category of cabin and length of cruise. When you board the ship, go to the dining reservation desk to request additional reservations. According to Oceania's website:

 

Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena 
Concierge Level Veranda and above 
Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant 
Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant 
Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant 
 

Also to clarify the complimentary bags of laundry will be 3.  20 items in each bag. 

Don't forget that a pair of socks only counts as 1 item so you can up your numbers by sending those socks 🙂

[kpark895]

I've been looking forward to another Jim and Iain review!  I used to hope that one day I might meet both of you on a Celebrity cruise, but that possibility is becoming slimmer and slimmer (and there is no way I can afford to cruise on the new lines you are venturing on to). But I still love your reviews!

[mhdesno2]

Regarding laundry, an advantage that Oceania has over Celebrity is the availability of complimentary washers/dryers/Ocean safe detergent as well as ironing boards/irons in the launderettes that every passenger can use for free.

[LuAnn]

So excited for you to try O and can't wait to hear what you think!! 🙂

[MEFIowa]

14 minutes ago, mhdesno2 said:

Regarding laundry, an advantage that Oceania has over Celebrity is the availability of complimentary washers/dryers/Ocean safe detergent as well as ironing boards/irons in the launderettes that every passenger can use for free.

Though on Regatta (as on all the 4 smaller R-class ships), there is only one, on Deck 7.

[JDPCruisers]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

If I read your other post correctly you are going to be on the Vista Ship. Jim is going to be in the Vista Suite on Regatta. The only comparison is that they are both Oceania ships. It does get confusing that they have a ship named the same as a Suite Class. But they're not the only cruise line that has done that. 

Yes, understand, thanks. I'm interested in his opinion of Oceania as we are long time RC and X cruisers moving over to try it, as well. 

[ORV]

8 minutes ago, JDPCruisers said:

Yes, understand, thanks. I'm interested in his opinion of Oceania as we are long time RC and X cruisers moving over to try it, as well. 

Yes, You’ll find a lot of regular Oceania cruisers that used to be and still are from that background. As well as HAL & Princess. 
 

I’m almost Elite plus on X and still find we are ok with both. I just know what I’m getting into and adjust accordingly. 

[Traveling Fools]

Differences between the 2 suites we noticed were:

 

1.  On Celebrity, you have a hot tub on your veranda....On Oceania you have to go to the spa where you have unlimited access to the hot tub.

 

2. On X there is a door to the bedroom....On O there is a Curtin or drape 

 

3.  I found the table in the Vista suite to be smaller than X's RS.

 

4.  In Vista you get 6 bottles of adult beverages...IN RS only 2 bottles

 

5.  Depending on which deck you are on with O, the forward facing suites will get very noisey  when docking.

 

6. When underway, the veranda on forward facing Vista suites get a lot of wind,  RS on X are mid ship and more usable when underway.

 

A couple of favorable factors Regatta has over Millennium Are:

 

1. There are there are 1,992 fewer passengers on board

 

2.  Regatta, being a smaller ship than Millie, is able to visit ports that are too small for Millie.  This is something to take into consideration when booking a South Pacific cruise.

[JDPCruisers]

23 minutes ago, ORV said:

Yes, You’ll find a lot of regular Oceania cruisers that used to be and still are from that background. As well as HAL & Princess. 
 

I’m almost Elite plus on X and still find we are ok with both. I just know what I’m getting into and adjust accordingly. 

We're the same, Elite plus. Certainly not bailing on X but curious about other lines such as Oceania. Have checked Regent Seven Seas and Silver seas but not finding the price comparisons to meet our needs, yet. 

[durberville]

1 hour ago, sunlover12 said:

The number of specialty restaurant reservations are not unlimited. It varies by category of cabin and length of cruise. When you board the ship, go to the dining reservation desk to request additional reservations. According to Oceania's website:

 

Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena 
Concierge Level Veranda and above 
Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant 
Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant 
Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant 
 

Also to clarify the complimentary bags of laundry will be 3.  20 items in each bag. 

Our cruise is 25 nights. We only get 2 reservations in each specialty. I guess because we are in a lowly ocean view cabin? Haha! I do love reading about the suites, though….do carry on! 👍🏻

[Cruzin Terri]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Oceania - Vista

2 regular Internet (1 each)

Wine and Beer with Meals included

Premium Drink Package ($30 pp per day)

Gratuities - $37 per day (for 2)

Gratuities in the suites are $23 perper person per day on Oceania.

[lorimay]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Just a couple quick observations -

 

Both Celebrity RS and Oceania Vista come with Unlimited Specialty Dining.   Oceania offers unlimited Specialty to all room classes not just the upper suites.

 

Celebrity RS comes with Unlimited Laundry and Dry Cleaning.   Oceania come with Complimentary Pressing on Embarkation at 2 Bags of Laundry. 

Will discuss more when we get further into the Comparison -

 

Celebrity - RS

 

4 High Speed Internet Accounts (2 each)

Premium Drink Package (1 each)

Gratuities -  $46 per day (for 2)

2 Jacuzzi tubs 1 in Bathroom 1 on Veranda

Oceania - Vista

2 regular Internet (1 each)

Wine and Beer with Meals included

Premium Drink Package ($30 pp per day)

Gratuities - $37 per day (for 2)

 

 

We got off the Vista recently (so not a ship to ship comparison for your cruise and we were not in a suite) and the reality of the wi-fi was that we each got two regular internet accounts. However, when I turned on my VPN, I had no problem streaming content from a bunch of different platforms. There was no need to pay for premium internet.

[Jim_Iain]

20 minutes ago, lorimay said:

We got off the Vista recently (so not a ship to ship comparison for your cruise and we were not in a suite) and the reality of the wi-fi was that we each got two regular internet accounts. However, when I turned on my VPN, I had no problem streaming content from a bunch of different platforms. There was no need to pay for premium internet.

 

Thanks for information.    Will definitely try it out.    I don't believe that Starlink has been installed on Regatta as of yet.   Would love to hear if anyone knows otherwise.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

58 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Gratuities in the suites are $23 perper person per day on Oceania.

 

Thanks for the information.    I will correct in my notes.    The number came from the Oceania Site but obviously wrong.   That is one of the tough thing on comparisons - both cruise lines website have old information that has never been purged.