O's tiny shower mystery

[marylander2]

(Sorry for redundance - I think this topic comes as a runner-up after liquor and dress code questions on this message board, but...)

I red a lot of somewhat scary remarks about tiny O shower stalls. Since we are going on long Oriental cruise on Nautica with action-packed ports, we feel that going to a large (6 shower heads, they say!) sauna shower with the rest of folks - as someone smartly suggested a week or two back... - is not an everyday option. So in order to get an idea of what to expect, I tried to find photos of O's mysterious tiny shower on the I-net... and failed. Nothing.

Do you have a picture of this "torture chamber"? Mind you, I am not the one who is going to shave the legs in it :o, but knowing what to expect may help. I am 6 ft/195 lb, closer to athletic buildup - would that be a prob?

Thanks in advance!

[pondnana]

(Sorry for redundance - I think this topic comes as a runner-up after liquor and dress code questions on this message board, but...)

I red a lot of somewhat scary remarks about tiny O shower stalls. Since we are going on long Oriental cruise on Nautica with action-packed ports, we feel that going to a large (6 shower heads, they say!) sauna shower with the rest of folks - as someone smartly suggested a week or two back... - is not an everyday option. So in order to get an idea of what to expect, I tried to find photos of O's mysterious tiny shower on the I-net... and failed. Nothing.

Do you have a picture of this "torture chamber"? Mind you, I am not the one who is going to shave the legs in it :o, but knowing what to expect may help. I am 6 ft/195 lb, closer to athletic buildup - would that be a prob?

Thanks in advance!

 

Don't worry about the showers. Yes they are small, but they work very well. We are signed up for our 4th, 5th and 6th Oceania cruises and for the longer cruises we hope to get a ph level stateroom but only because I like the bath. Neither my DH or I are small people but we manage just fine. They have the thickest, thirstiest towels and they are changed twice a day. We are booked on Hong Kong to Athens in April 2009. Is that the one you are on?

Diana

[tak2]

Do you mind if the shower curtain sometimes comes into contact with your body? I haven't figured a way to avoid this, short of leaving the curtain open. I'm 45 lb lighter. It is hard to capture an image of the shower with ordinary cameras, as there is not enough distance to take a proper shot.

Having said that, it has not deterred me from looking for more O cruises to book.

[bogie113]

If you plan to shave your legs, it could be a problem :) !!! My husband is over 6' and weighs about 200 lbs. and he has never had a problem. This is our 3rd time on Oceania and have cruised Regent a few times as well. They have great bathrooms, but IMHO Oceania has the best itineraries of anyone.

 

Are you on the Feb. 29th Bangkok to Beijing.

 

Marsha

[Druke I]

I'm long and lean, and find the shower adequate!

 

Reference the shower curtain sticking to you - try putting a couple of clothespins on the bottom of the curtain - seems to work most of the time.

 

The newbuilds will allegedly have larger bathrooms attached to larger cabins.

[ladysail2]

Do you mind if the shower curtain sometimes comes into contact with your body? I haven't figured a way to avoid this, short of leaving the curtain open. I'm 45 lb lighter. It is hard to capture an image of the shower with ordinary cameras, as there is not enough distance to take a proper shot.

Having said that, it has not deterred me from looking for more O cruises to book.

 

tak2....are you still on the Mar 10 Insignia cruise? Haven't heard from you in a long time.......

Joyce :D

[hondorner]

I have posted photos of the shower previously in other threads, but I will do so again. I am 6', 230lbs and Betsy is 5'9", 140lbs, and we both fit, at the same time, but then, we are pretty good friends.

 

We do have a friend who is about 5'5" and tips the scale around 350lbs. or so, and I think she might have a problem. She has never been on a cruise, however, because I think she would have a problem getting through the cabin door, let alone the bathroom door or the shower.

 

 

Click on the photos to see a larger view.

 

On Regatta, Dec 2006

 

On Insignia, Dec 2007. Shows the floor area.

 

Showing the outside floor drain, in addition to the inside-the-shower floor drain.

 

Same general shot as first photo from Regatta, but on Insignia. They are all identical.

[ladysail2]

Great shots, Don. The shower looks about the same size as on some Princess ships.....not unduly tiny....just small compared to home.

The flapping shower curtain is annoying....will try the clothespins next time.

Joyce :D

[marylander2]

Pondnana, bogie113:

We are on Bangkok-Beijing Feb 29-2008. Can’t wait to get to Bangkok. It’s a looooong flight, but we flew to Thailand before and know how excruciating the jetlag could be. The worst part is time change – EST+12 h, or -12 h... whatever... your mind/body is totally confused:eek: .

Druke I, thanks for the advice; on other ships I actually used clothespins to clip a curtain to side moldings; it’s apparent from hondorner’s pics that one can use this trick efficiently in O’s showers.

Special thanks to hondorner for photos! I already feel refreshed! (Remember Guinness Book of Records? How many students can fit into telephone booth? I bet it would be a blast to find out how many cruisers can fit into O standard shower at the same time...)

[eandj]

You don't need to worry about the shower size...especially if you're not shaving legs! My DH is 6'2 and around 195. He thought it was just fine. So did I when I wasn't shaving. The shower head is removable which really is nice. Even with the shaving "twister game", I wouldn't go to the spa to shower. The pictures show the size well. Small, yes. Unuseable, no.

[Imagineer]

...they look just like the showers we've used on NCL. I'm an information junkie who's always cruising the net, and a while ago I found a site about a ship building firm in Finland, one of the projects underway was a cruise ship - I don't recall which one - and they showed pictures of the company that made the cabins for the ships. Each cabin comes pre-assembled, pre-wired and pre-plumbed complete with all the closets, mirrors, doors and a bathroom. They simply lift each cabin assembly with a crane and 'plug' it into the ship, complete with the mini showers, it reminded me of putting together a huge LEGO model...

...might explain why many cabins all look so similar - they're probably all made by the same company...

...by the way, I'm 5'9" at 210 lbs and have no problem in the mini shower...

 

cheers,

 

the Imagineer

[Jana]

Here's another photo; although Don's is similar, this one shows the gorgeous amenities. (I think Don's shower looks bigger than the one I had...)

 

 

[Liv4cruzin]

There was a small stool under the desk/dresser. I moved it into the bathroom; covered it w/ a towel. I took the French shower head in hand; & sat there w/ my legs in the shower & the stool just outside.

[marylander2]

Here's another photo; although Don's is similar, this one shows the gorgeous amenities. (I think Don's shower looks bigger than the one I had...)

 

Thanks Jana!

Ohhh, goodies! I am shivering just to think about all those 4 bottles of wholesome bathing pleasure awaiting me...

But seriously, I think Liv4Cruzin beats everyone with her leg-shaving wisdom. I wonder can I stretch my legs and reach the stall just by sitting on the... you know, the sit cover.

After all, 6 feet have to come handy sometime :).

[Golfette]

You don't need to worry about the shower size...especially if you're not shaving legs! My DH is 6'2 and around 195. He thought it was just fine. So did I when I wasn't shaving. The shower head is removable which really is nice. Even with the shaving "twister game", I wouldn't go to the spa to shower. The pictures show the size well. Small, yes. Unuseable, no.

 

But what do you do if you are shaving your legs? Does the water rain down on your head? Let's face it, approximately half the passengers are women and most of us shave our legs.

[tak2]

...

Reference the shower curtain sticking to you - try putting a couple of clothespins on the bottom of the curtain - seems to work most of the time.

 

Thanks for suggestion. Just needs to clarify... do I fasten clothespins to SOMETHING or are they basically acting as weights?:confused:

 

Don's pictures are informative, as always.

 

 

 

Ladysail2 ( Joyce ), I'm on Nov Lisbon-Rio, was just a lurker on your Roll Call to learn from your group. Must say your Roll Call is so active that I have not been keeping up.

[ladysail2]

 

Ladysail2 ( Joyce ), I'm on Nov Lisbon-Rio, was just a lurker on your Roll Call to learn from your group. Must say your Roll Call is so active that I have not been keeping up.

 

Okay.....you had wondered about the Visa problem....I hope you have it resolved. FYI...Ottawa issues Visas for 1 year validity, Montreal for 4 year validity, and Toronto for 5 year validity.....I'm presuming all for the same price!

Enjoy your cruise....sure am looking forward to mine....and come back and lurk anytime you want!!

We're in Rio for 2.5 days before the cruise...hopefully someone will write a review of what we did and how it went.

Joyce :D

[hondorner]

Thanks for suggestion. Just needs to clarify... do I fasten clothespins to SOMETHING or are they basically acting as weights?:confused:

Just to add some fuel to the fire, one of the problems is that the shower curtain is a bit too short. It is quite capable of billowing out beyond the small ledge that defines the shower. Thus, the gutter and floor drain just outside the shower are necessary.

 

On our recent transAtlantic cruise, one of our friends found the cruise so perfect, he decided he needed something to complain about and so, with tongue partially planted in cheek, he complained that the shower curtain needed to be 2" longer. Early the next day, he returned to his room to find Dora (the delightful stewardess or cabins shared) hanging a new shower curtain that was marginally longer.

 

In fairness, I found that taking a long, hot shower tended to stretch the curtain a little, and by the end of the shower, it had nearly reached the floor.

 

I suppose attaching a weight to the bottom of the curtain will hold it more steady and perhaps hasten the stretching effect, preventing it from billowing in or out. I sincerely doubt I would go to the trouble, especially since I have difficulty bending that low.

 

Marylander2, I doubt you could sit on the closed cover and reach the shower with your legs. The entire width of the sink and counter separates them. However, I bet you could take the shower towel from the floor, pull the shower head out the door and just about reach your legs while parked on the throne (with the lid down, of course). At the very least you might have to take a step to wet down and rinse off. You don't have to worry about getting water on the floor; the entire bathroom is a fiberglass container exactly like the shower, with a separate drain outside the shower.

 

Jana, my photos show some of the amenities, although Betsy tends to squirrel them away early in the cruise. They also show my infamous Wella Balsam shampoo, which generated a related thread last year. I actually received a new bottle of Wella Balsam from a sympathetic future fellow cruiser...:cool:

 

The shower head and hose assembly is a top-of-the-line Grohe, very expensive. I liked it so much I researched it when I got home, but they have apparently replaced it with updated models which are sleeker but do not appear to work as well. If I ever found similar fixtures, I would install them at home in a heartbeat.

[Druke I]

The clothespins do not need to be attached to anything - it is the weight that does the trick.

[XTEACH281]

Is there a retractable line that stretches out across the shower (for minor washables , etc....) ? thanks

sw

[LHT28]

Is there a retractable line that stretches out across the shower (for minor washables , etc....) ? thanks

sw

 

Yes...I take a few plastic clothes pins

[eandj]

But what do you do if you are shaving your legs? Does the water rain down on your head? Let's face it, approximately half the passengers are women and most of us shave our legs.

 

I showered, then turned off the water, lathered my legs and shaved while the water was off. I rinsed my razor in the sink, which is right next to the shower, between strokes. Then I used the shower again to rinse my legs. Geez this is getting personal!:p

I read the Cel. Solstice has added a foot rest in the showers for the ladies. COOL!

[Golfette]

I showered, then turned off the water, lathered my legs and shaved while the water was off. I rinsed my razor in the sink, which is right next to the shower, between strokes. Then I used the shower again to rinse my legs. Geez this is getting personal!:p

I read the Cel. Solstice has added a foot rest in the showers for the ladies. COOL!

 

 

 

 

eandj - thanks for your reply. That is what I was afraid of. My husband keeps the cabin very cool & I am usually freezing. No way am I going to turn off the hot water while showering. I guess I'll just have to get a triple strength shower cap or wash my hair every day.

Wish they'd make those showers a little more "user friendly."

[ChatKat in Ca.]

The shower heads adjust and can easily go low enough to keep hair dry. No shower cap required

[eandj]

eandj - thanks for your reply. That is what I was afraid of. My husband keeps the cabin very cool & I am usually freezing. No way am I going to turn off the hot water while showering. I guess I'll just have to get a triple strength shower cap or wash my hair every day.

Wish they'd make those showers a little more "user friendly."

 

 

Yes, you can keep the water on low pressure and remove the shower head and let it just dangle from its cord or turn it away from you. Guess I just don't like to waste water. Don't worry. After your first shower, you'll have all the routines figured out! Just enjoy the soaps and lotions they provide. Yummy!