OK - Who is the best?

[2kiwis]

Having on only cruised twice, with another cruise booked – all with Oceania - we are interested to know if there are any cruiselines better than Oceania for overall value.

We loved, the food, the service, the open seating, and the ships on both our cruises and feel apprehensive about booking any other line in case we are disappointed.

[meow!]

I have mentioned this before, perhaps you would like to read my other postings:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=680435

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=112477&highlight=mexican+riviera

 

They should give you all the information needed. Basically there are four luxury lines, Crystal (large ships, regimented meals/shows), Seabourne (very small ships and "free"), Silversea (small ships and "free") and RSSC (mid-sized ships and "free"). Then Oceania is the only niche line between the above and the mass market (large ships). Of course, there are river boats, "non-English" lines and what not, but this basically sums up the existing market!

[dwelsh]

If it ain't broke don't bother to fix it.

I believe that "O" is a good a value that the cruise industry has to offer considering all the facts you enumerated.:)

[CruiseLiz]

Haven't been on Oceania yet, so I can't offer a comparison.

 

But, having cruised lots of different lines, I would say that really no cruise line is necessarily "better" than another, it just comes down to what kind of experience you're looking for.

 

Just an example - when we want a lot of night time activities and a younger crowd onboard, we look at doing a Carnival or Princess ship. When we want more of an upscale ambiance in general and we don't mind if there isn't a long list of activities to choose from, we would go with a Holland America cruise.

And of course, different lines offer different itineraries as well, so that has to be considered. I feel like we've gotten a good value for every cruise we've taken.

 

If you're looking for an experience exactly like what you've had on Oceania, then you should stick with this line. If you're open to trying something new, then go for it. :)

[LHT28]

I don't think any are "the best" some are better than others & they all have their pro's and cons.

It is all about personal choices

 

We found O has good value for the money.

Suits our needs & lifestyle but may not suit other people.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I also have not yet cruised on Oceania, only Regent.

 

And I agree with other posters that value is about what's important to you. And if Oceania provides that value, then why mess with it?

 

Itinerary also plays a big part as well though. Oceania does no 7-day itineraries, for example. For some people, that's perfect, for others, not so great.

 

Cabin size also plays a big part in many people's decision. Being "all inclusive" also is a factor. You need to factor-in your drinks bill and other chargeable costs (soda, bottled water, fitness classes) when comparing to one of those lines. And if you like a spacious cabin, you pretty well have to do a PH on Oceania, while Regent at least, the lowliest cabin is the same size, with a balcony.

 

"Total care" is also a factor, if you tend to book air through the cruiselines. Do they take care of you? Do they charge extra for transfers to the ship from the airport, for example. What are the hidden costs of the package?

 

I'm not plugging Regent, just mentioning some other criteria. I'm very much looking forward to booking an Oceania cruise in future.

[Leonid]

Having sailed on the mass cruise lines, dating back to 1981, with Sitmar exempt,I can not imagine sailing on another line than O. We've done 3 sailings and and plan to do many more. One can't drink enough to justify either Seabourn or Silversea (we did 6 sailings combined), but we did them and that is history. And we did our share of imbibing to boot. When one tires of assigned seating and formal nights, one will gravitate to O.

[lovecruisingtoo]

Have to admit that we have not yet cruised Oceania. However, we have cruised Windstar and Celebrity. We love the small ship feel and the "informality" of Windstar. We did not like the large ship Celebrity experience. There is no way to compare a 2,000 passenger ship with a 150 passenger ship.

 

We are planning on booking our first Oceania cruise soon and hope that the food and service is on the order of Windstar and not Celebrity.

[lovecruisingtoo]

Have to admit that we have not yet cruised Oceania. However, we have cruised Windstar and Celebrity. We love the small ship feel and the "informality" of Windstar. We did not like the large ship Celebrity experience. There is no way to compare a 2,000 passenger ship with a 150 passenger ship.

 

We are planning on booking our first Oceania cruise soon and hope that the food and service is on the order of Windstar and not Celebrity.

[esther e]

Our favorites are Regent and O. Not necessarily in that order.:)

[dwelsh]

For those of us fortunate enough to have sailed both lines I agree that "R" and "O" are OUR best choices. I am sure that the other luxury lines have their backers as "the best" but I can only evaluate those ships, which are still in business, we have sailed on. In the "olden days" Royal Viking was our favorite but unfortunately it was not able to continue with the ships it had which were taken over by Cunard, I believe.

 

We should start another thread about "Which are the worst ships afloat!":)

[wripro]

NOBODY can say which line is best. They can only say which is their favorite. Everybody has different needs, expectations and desires on a cruise line, just as with everything else in life.

[eandj]

NOBODY can say which line is best. They can only say which is their favorite. Everybody has different needs, expectations and desires on a cruise line, just as with everything else in life.

 

 

PERFECT!

 

I can list highs and maybe a few lows on all the the lines we've cruised. But we still have favorites. And they may not be the same for a family of 4, an "older" married couple or a group of twenty some-things.

O is one of our favorites ever.

[Leonid]

Older married couple here (36 years)! After 32 sailings on 8 different lines dating back to 1981, I can honestly say that we never had a "bad" cruise. Yes, some have been better than others regarding food, service, accommodations and itinerary, but each has been unique and enjoyable. For us, O is the right cruise line given what we want - single, open seating; country club casual attire; excellent service, food and accommodations. We don't much care about shows or casinos.

Who knows? maybe another line will appear that will replace O for us. Kind of doubt it! And after reading the reviews of Azamara, it certainly won't be them!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I love hearing all this good stuff about Oceania, since Regent is getting just too pricey for us. I expect our 14-day on the Paul Gauguin will be our last to Tahiti for sure, since prices are going way up in 2009. So for us, R is getting out of reach unless there is some great sale.

 

I agree that everybody's needs and expectations are different. For us, the Paul Gauguin is perfect, but many people complain that it's not luxurious enough. So that says something about me I guess.

 

Bring on those 2009 itineraries so we can study them!

[Leonid]

Wendy: DW & I are sailing on the PG end of Sept. this year. First time on Regent and probably the last since the only other itinerary they have that we like is Alaska. Aside from the fact that we don't do 7 day sailings, the 10 and 11 day sailings are too soon or too late for us, their prices are ridiculous.

If you are planning an O sailing, you will not be disappointed.

[ClaudiaF]

Right that you can really only "voice" your opinion as to what is the "best"..but having cruised on the "R" (now "O") ships 20 something times I gotta say they are at the top of my list..now that Azamara also has one ( of the R ships) and super service they are a favorite too ;

Taking Silverseas;) in few weeks but since all inclusive gotta already love them..

not keen on regent and did not particularly care for Tahitian Princess even thought that too is an "R"ship

Thinking of trying Seadream Yacht Club in few months as that was a Seabourne ship..100ish passsengers..yippee

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wendy: DW & I are sailing on the PG end of Sept. this year. First time on Regent and probably the last since the only other itinerary they have that we like is Alaska. Aside from the fact that we don't do 7 day sailings, the 10 and 11 day sailings are too soon or too late for us, their prices are ridiculous.

If you are planning an O sailing, you will not be disappointed.

 

Well I hope you enjoy French Polynesia, Leonid. It's my favourite part of the planet so far, so we keep going back.

 

Regent's prices may be ridiculous, but they have been definitely worth it for us--very large suites even for lowest-level cabins, all-balcony, mostly all-inclusive (and now more so), great service, lovely ships, great food. Oh, and nice big bathrooms! Nicely-run excursions, good air to sea program... And since we're not yet retired, the 7-day Caribbean itins are good for us in winter, and they are often 2-for-1.

[wripro]

I rest my case. Reading these posts everyone has different desires and needs so NO ONE can say which is best, only which they prefer.

[Hedonistuds]

Hi Leonid,

 

I don't agree with your comment at all. People can't judge a cruise line JUST because of other people's review on a website. Some (more than a few) negative Azamara's reviews have been posted by people who has never sailed in any of their ships and other trying to sabotage the effort of the company (employees from other cruise line companies). On the other hand, if you would judge a cruise line based on the reviews, you should read the latest ones. Most of the people who have sailed on Oceania can't even tell the difference among them (service, food, facilities, entertainment, and ports of call) but the price which is much better on the new cruise line. It seems Azamara is improving quickly; I will have my first experience on May 16th on the Western and Northern Europe Itinerary (Barcelona to Copenhagen) which stays 2 overnights literally in London (Tower Bridge) as Silverseas and Seabourne not in Dover as Oceania does.

 

Hi wripro,

 

Your statement was excellent: "NOBODY can say which line is best. They can only say which their favorite is. Everybody has different needs, expectations and desires on a cruise line, just as with everything else in life."

 

Regards from Seoul,

Joel

[jerblu]

I guess it does come down to what interests you and which lines do this or that better. I am interested in dancing, food, and lectures. I've been cruising on Crystal the last couple of years and have been extremely well satisfied and fairly well satisfied with all three. Can anyone compare O with Crystal regarding

 

1. Food

2. Lectures on board (are there any?)

3. Dancing (rhumba, swing, waltz, not disco)

 

I'd be interested in comparisons that addressed these parameters individually and not vaguely.

 

Jerry

[Shorex]

I guess it does come down to what interests you and which lines do this or that better.

 

I concur wholeheartedly. If I could only cruise on one line for the rest of my life it would be Crystal. However, I thoroughly enjoy not only Oceania, but also Silversea, Windstar, Regent, SeaDream and several others. There is only one cruiseline that I sailed on once and would never book again (I won't mention the name for fear of incurring the wrath of its devoted following - I'm happy that the devoted following is happy -- it just wasn't for me.)

 

I can be enticed by a dynamite itinerary -- in recent years Holland had a Grand Pacific itinerary that stopped at remote islands that played a major role in WWII. Only other obligations prevented me from booking it on the spot.

 

We enjoy the variety of experiencing different lines -- with full knowledge that the food may be better here, the entertainment better there, the lecturers better there, etc.