Suggested improvements for Nautica - based on HKK-ATH trip in 2008

[marylander2]

We recently returned from HKK-ATH cruise on Nautica. This was our first trip with Oceania. While working on cruise review, I wanted to suggest several improvements which might make guest’s life onboard of Nautica even more pleasant. I know that FDR and his team do frequently check messages on this site – hopefully, they will find these notes useful.

 

 

1. Two computers located in the library need to have “softer” keyboards, those which do not make as much noise as the cheap ones currently used there. The sound of typing – well, some of us punch the keys real good... - is quite distracting for quiet library ambiance.

 

2. Around midday the smell of cooking (burning canola oil...) becomes barely tolerable in the library, probably because of the close proximity to the galley (Polo Grill/Toscana restaurants are located almost door-to-door with the library). Library doors do always stay open; they are heavy and not practical. Swinging doors would presumably eliminate the problem.

 

3. I personally found it strange that the smoking area on deck 9 is located right outside the gym. When at sea, the wind brings much of cigarette/cigar smell to the gym through the slow-jamming door. Relocating the smoking area to the portside would help.

 

4. A small corkboard near Destinations Department would help guests to exchange private tour information/look for partners to share vans, cabs etc. Since Destinations Department can’t get involved in the process of private vans/cars sharing, this simple solution will definitely be useful during port-packed cruises.

 

5. Several other cruise lines already have night-lights in the staterooms (“glowing” lights); this simple plug-in device comes handy when navigating in the dark of your stateroom at night.

 

(Two more things about staterooms)

6. Nightstand lamps are way out of generic and simple décor line used in the staterooms; they are cheaply pompous (bronze!) and have to go. Using wall-mounted lights will also increase the top space on (relatively small) nightstands.

 

7. Stroboscopic-like blue-beige stripes on the stateroom carpet may be practical –stains are less visible – but after 35 days onboard I have nightmarish recollections about them.

 

8. I've heard that there are plans to install small fridges in the lower category staterooms (?). Although I can't imagine where exactly (space is very limited), I think this is a must to have, especially for such long itineraries as O. usually offers. Almost all ports we had during this journey were with the air temp around 86-92 F, and boy did we miss a convenience of refrigerator...

[JBVols]

Give me a break!!!

[LHT28]

1. Two computers located in the library need to have “softer” keyboards, those which do not make as much noise as the cheap ones currently used there. The sound of typing – well, some of us punch the keys real good... - is quite distracting for quiet library ambiance.

3. I personally found it strange that the smoking area on deck 9 is located right outside the gym. When at sea, the wind brings much of cigarette/cigar smell to the gym through the slow-jamming door. Relocating the smoking area to the portside would help.

 

4. A small corkboard near Destinations Department would help guests to exchange private tour information/look for partners to share vans, cabs etc. Since Destinations Department can’t get involved in the process of private vans/cars sharing, this simple solution will definitely be useful during port-packed cruises.

 

5. Several other cruise lines already have night-lights in the staterooms (“glowing” lights); this simple plug-in device comes handy when navigating in the dark of your stateroom at night.

8. I've heard that there are plans to install small fridges in the lower category staterooms (?). Although I can't imagine where exactly (space is very limited), I think this is a must to have, especially for such long itineraries as O. usually offers. Almost all ports we had during this journey were with the air temp around 86-92 F, and boy did we miss a convenience of refrigerator...

 

IMHO

Just some comments to add to yours.

1. sit is another area away from the computers.:D

 

3. I agree with you on that point you come off the elevator to go workout & get a whiff of smoke:(

 

4. Interesting idea ... maybe they could place a message board in the library so as not to conflict with D.S. tours.

 

5. We take a small flashlight.......I need total dark to sleep

 

8. I would not want to give up the space for a fridge and the noise of it cycling on/off would keep me awake :eek:

 

Gosh with a nightlight & fridge I would be one cranky old lady!!!:D

[george/patricia]

I have two main complaints:

 

Oceania must do something about people reserving lounge chairs. If you go to the pool area at 7:30 AM they are all taken (especially the ones in the shade). The same is true re the deck chairs on deck 5. We saw many passengers complaining about this at the reception desk and to be quite frank staff didn't seem to care. I confronted one lady and her answer was " I was only at the gym and anyway everyone does it".

 

We also thought the lighting was very poor in the state room especially if you like to read in bed.

 

This cruise was simply sensational and other then the above was as close to perfect as you can get.

[Jancruz]

I have two main complaints:

 

Oceania must do something about people reserving lounge chairs. If you go to the pool area at 7:30 AM they are all taken (especially the ones in the shade). The same is true re the deck chairs on deck 5. We saw many passengers complaining about this at the reception desk and to be quite frank staff didn't seem to care. I confronted one lady and her answer was " I was only at the gym and anyway everyone does it".

 

We also thought the lighting was very poor in the state room especially if you like to read in bed.

 

This cruise was simply sensational and other then the above was as close to perfect as you can get.

 

When I am on board..I go out to the pool and use an empty chair..if that person comes back within 30 minutes it is theirs and I move graciously..if not after 30 minutes I give their things to the pool man and the lounge is mine!!

Jancruz1

[shoshona2]

Hi Jan,

 

Bravo!! I totally agree with you! I would do the same!!!!

 

Sheila

[Aussie Gal]

We too have just returned from the best cruise we have ever taken with a great itinerary, wonderful shipmates, fantastic weather and a great crew. I am also talking about the Hong Kong - Athens cruise. What a cruise!!

 

Our main complaint was the lack of entertaiment at night. I know that a lot of people have mentioned this before but we didn't realize the extent of what was not being offered.

 

We usually have dinner around 7.30pm and we do like to go to a show in the Nautica lounge each night before bed. We went to everything that was offered, but at times it was very poor. We were not expecting great big production numbers but good artists who were entertaining. Being on such a long cruise, we felt we would have the pick of entertainers.

 

Unfortunately, this is where Oceania lets itself down but not spending the necessary dollars to lure the better artists on board. We only had about 5 different artists for the entire 35 days who each performed twice. The rest of the time our Cruise Director and his staff were the entertainers. They do a reasonable job but when we are on a ship that prides itself on being a cut above the big 3 (Celebrity, HAL and Princess) then Oceania needs to spend a little more money in that department.

 

Jennie

[Bruin Steve]

My comments:

 

1. I never noticed...and I used the Library about as much as anyone...Folks typing on the computers were no more a distraction than people walking through...If I wanted a truly quiet reading enviroment, I'd read in my cabin...

 

2. I never noticed the smells either...maybe I just enjoyed them...

 

3. IMHO, all cruise lines should ban smoking altogether...or give them a "smoking lounge"--an inside cabin on a low deck not connected to the ship's HVAC system and with door seals...Let all the smokers go in there and enjoy each others' smoke and allow me to breathe everywhere else...

 

4. People need to realize that NO cruise line (especially Oceania) really wants you to book your own tours...and they certainly don't want you enticing others to join you...This is a profit center for them...They are not going to make it easy for you to compete with them...Frankly, I don't blame them...business is business...They likely won't let you set up your own bar and sell drinks on the pool deck either...

 

5. Easy...You want a night-light, bring your own...They sell nowadays for pennies and they're easy to pack...

 

6. I have no problem with the lamps. Style is a matter of taste...

 

7. Funny, I don't even remember the pattern...had many other things to look at and don't spend much time in my cabin I guess...

 

8. I, seriously, never understood why so many people are hung up on refrigeraters in the cabin...I don't keep food or drink in my cabin...When I want something, I go to the bar or the restaurant...or I order room service...what I don't finish, I want them to take away...I expect my cabin steward to bring me fresh ice now and then--mostly just to make ice water...I also don't want any other kitchen appliance in my cabin...I want THEM to make, store and serve all my food to me...

 

JMHO...

 

Oh...as to the entertainment, I agree that could be improved...I don't expectmajor production shows on O=--because the small ships simply don't have the stage facilities...but they could bring on board some better quality performers (at least based on my last Oceania cruise)...and there is a certain lack of nighttime activity--but blame the passengers, not the cruise line...You've only got 684 guests and if most of them want to be in bed by 9:00, there's nothing the cruise line can do...

 

Every cruise line should do something about the deck chair hogs...but, part of the solution isn't to rope off deck space and rent it out as "cabanas"...If the passengers were just all a bit more considerate, there probably would not be a problem...But, considering they're not, I would not be opposed to having a crew member monitoring the chairs and removing the stuff from any chair unoccupied for more than 30 minutes...

[esther e]

I have absolutely no idea if this is how it works or not, but ASSUMING there is an $-X amount per person to be allocated, a certain percentage would go to food, another to entertainment, etc. I personally would rather a large percentage go for the excellent food Oceania has and not cut back on the $-amount to bring better entertainment. Don't know how the pie is cut, but that's how I'd do it if I ran a ship -- which is why I don't run a ship!!!!

[lord of the seas]

I have absolutely no idea if this is how it works or not, but ASSUMING there is an $-X amount per person to be allocated, a certain percentage would go to food, another to entertainment, etc. I personally would rather a large percentage go for the excellent food Oceania has and not cut back on the $-amount to bring better entertainment. Don't know how the pie is cut, but that's how I'd do it if I ran a ship -- which is why I don't run a ship!!!!

 

esther,

 

Just stick to eating the pies.:)

[kathy16]

I was just on Insignia in a A1 balcony, and I loved my refrigerator. We would keep wine we purchased at our port intensive Med itineraries, as well as beer purchased at the 2 for 1 happy hour. I would be all for a refrigerator in every stateroom, especialy since our next Oceania cruise is not concierge level. I also concur with a bulletin board message area- perhaps in the library where people could post info/requests tour share. I had booked a private tour for Amalfi, and I would have loved to find someone else to share that expense with, and the roll-call feature on these boards were useless, with minimal participation. It wasn't until I was on board that I realized that almost none of the other passengers I spoke to had even heard of cruise critic boards. Hopefully, now that I explained and enthusiastically espoused the benefit of these boards, more passengers will participate.

We went on only one ship sponsored excursion for $109 pp - Budva and Kotor, and I hated it- too many people, not enough to do. In retrospect, I should have spent a little more time investigating activities for these "smaller" ports, instead of just the big ones like Athens, Venice, and Istanbul. Other passengers just hired taxi drivers at these ports and had a good experience.

[merryecho]

1. Two computers located in the library need to have “softer” keyboards, those which do not make as much noise as the cheap ones currently used there. The sound of typing – well, some of us punch the keys real good... - is quite distracting for quiet library ambiance.

...

 

This reminds me of a friend who lived in Switzerland and had the neighbors in her apt. building complain because her light switches made too much noise.

[Jancruz]

I I also concur with a bulletin board message area- perhaps in the library where people could post info/requests tour share. I had booked a private tour for Amalfi, and I would have loved to find someone else to share that expense with, and the roll-call feature on these boards were useless, with minimal participation. It wasn't until I was on board that I realized that almost none of the other passengers I spoke to had even heard of cruise critic boards. Hopefully, now that I explained and enthusiastically espoused the benefit of these boards, more passengers will participate.

.

 

This will never happen as Bruin Steve said earlier in this thread excursions are a large profit center for cruise lines and none will help you cut into their profits!!

Jancruz1

[kathy16]

Well- maybe passengers could be pro-active in setting it up amongst themselves, when on board, without overt help from Oceania. As I mentioned, my experience with the Oceania roll call wasn't productive, but I definitely would have been interested in sharing excursions, or even hearing about other pax ideas on things to do. And perhaps Oceania would offer a better quality of excursion for the very high price demanded. On my cruise, many of the other pax who routinely took Oceania excursions lamented the quality, and the quantity of other pax on them. Given that my cruise average age was 70 yo, many probably felt that the Oceania choices were safer (if less satisfying)than the risk of their own. From my experiences on Regent cruises, they (Regent) have improved the quality of most of their excursions for the high prices they charge.

[Bruin Steve]

Well- maybe passengers could be pro-active in setting it up amongst themselves, when on board, without overt help from Oceania. As I mentioned, my experience with the Oceania roll call wasn't productive, but I definitely would have been interested in sharing excursions, or even hearing about other pax ideas on things to do. And perhaps Oceania would offer a better quality of excursion for the very high price demanded. On my cruise, many of the other pax who routinely took Oceania excursions lamented the quality, and the quantity of other pax on them. Given that my cruise average age was 70 yo, many probably felt that the Oceania choices were safer (if less satisfying)than the risk of their own. From my experiences on Regent cruises, they (Regent) have improved the quality of most of their excursions for the high prices they charge.

 

From my experience, most (or likely, all) cruise lines, contract with local providers in each port for shore excursions...and, for the most part, they are the SAME local providers...The tours are pretty standard...

 

The only real differences are:

1) The price...Oceania's prices tend to be a little higher than some other lines...All the lines pass through what the local contractor charges them plus a premium to cover the cruise line's costs and some profit for its investment...Oceania has fewer passengers to average the overhead out on and maybe also needs a little extra profit, again due to the econiomies of scale and its shallower "pockets"...

2) The selection...This is strictly a factor of the size of the ships...You can offer more choices with 2,000 passengers than you can with 700...You have to figure around half your passengers sign up for an excursion in any port...With 350 people, you simply cannot offer 30 different tours...You'd end up with so few people signing up for some of them that you'd have to cancel so many tours that folks who pre-bought them would be upset...

 

So, you schedule a limited number of the most popular tours and you charge what you have to charge to make sense...And that IS one of the trade-offs between sailing with Oceania and, say, Celebrity or HAL...

 

If you can't find a shorex you like, feel free to hire a private tour...I did that in Athens, Kusadasi and Amalfi while on the Nautica because none of Oceania's excursions served my needs...We found another couple on Cruise Critic to share our Amalfi tour, but did Kusadasi and Athens as tours for two...Just part of the deal...

 

If I had posted something ON the Nautica saying "Looking for others to share Athens tour--Full Day 250 Euros, split by number in group"...Yeah, that might have gotten someone paying $149 per person for a shorter shore ex through Oceania to cancel and sign on with us...And what do you think Oceania would have thought about that? We'd be in direct competition and actually stealing their customer!" Now picture they've pre-sold 300 shorexes for a particular port and 30 people post "better deals" and 20% of their pre-sales cancel out?

 

They are NOT going to say "Gee, we have to upgrade our shorexes to compete"...It's not like something that is even that possible...The real answer: N EVER allow anyone to advertise adverse to your business using YOUR assets...Do you see Best Buy putting up a community bulletin board in their stores where people can post ads selling electronic equipment? Do you see Mc Donald's letting people come into their table area with ice chests and set up and sell soda at lower prices?

 

They can't force you to buy their shore excursions, but they don't have to allow you to convince others not to...

[NorthernLite]

This will never happen as Bruin Steve said earlier in this thread excursions are a large profit center for cruise lines and none will help you cut into their profits!!

Jancruz1

 

Then they need to have options available for those who can't go up 3 steps under their own power. Seems everyone remembers veterans right up until those injured want to take a cruise in their new wheelchair..

[marylander2]

To Jancruz1 and Bruin Steve:

 

Your point is well taken; however, here is the difference between Oceania and other cruise lines: their Destinations Dept. actually DOES help you even if you are not taking their business (while you are onboard). In fact, they told me they will be fine to have such thing as info-board next to their desk, as long as Hotel Manager will allow to put it up. O.'s Destinations always has somebody from local tour operators onboard, right after ship is cleared - these guys provide information about points of interest, taxi/transportation, etc., for independent travelers. This practice is not in their (Destinations) favor - one could easily get around, say, in Singapore or Hong Kong or Mumbai or Saigon, as long as local guy/gal tells you how...

They helped me in two occasions to split the cost of private van with other couples - however, I had to find other party first. They also provided me with a valuable info about transportation/hotels in two other ports, and ship's concierge contacted several hotels in Safaga on our behalf to get us a dayroom...

Finally, Bruin Steve, I don't think they would object your shopping around for independent tour operator - even after you booked with them - using any means of media. From my observation, on our cruise they always had plenty of people booking their tours anyway, simply because in many cases Oceania tours where the only ones available in particular ports (Mangalore, Port Klang/Kuala Lumpur, Da Nang, etc.).

[Aussie Gal]

I agree with Marylander. The Destination Desk and the Concierge were only too happy to help with tours other than the ones that Oceania was providing. We were sitting downstairs using my laptop one day and we heard both the Concierge and Maria from Destination Services helping people wanting individual tours.

 

We did a lot of our own tours and I could have filled more mini vans with people who wanted to join us. We already had our 12 from our Roll Call but just through chatting to people at Trivia and Bridge, I realized that there were so many wanting private tours.

 

Jennie

[cathi]

Interesting - I, too, was on this cruise and a first timer to Oceania.

 

For the smell of oil in the library around lunchtime - could be that Waves Grill is right below.

For the complaint re the nightstand lamps - they were useless! they may fit with the decor but they were no good at providing light to read in bed! Oceania would do well to remove these and place reading lights on the wall. Besides the nightstands are so small it would be nice to be able to put a book there.

As to fridges - even a small one would have been nice. This particular cruise is a HOT one and to come back to a cold drink would have been nice. Adding ice to a glass of Coke does not constitue cold!

Have to agree with Jennie on the entertainment issue. In 35 days we only went to 5 shows and they were all in the first 2 weeks. After that the entertainment was much more what I term "highbrow" for our liking. The only really good "entertainment" was the lecture series. As most of you CC addicts know we got to have Jack onboard for a couple of weeks (sure introduced a lot of people to CC). In addition, Ronnie Sampson did a series that was entertaining for the whole trip.

As for the Destination people - we had a very active bunch on our roll call so it was easy to set up our own tours. We did do the Taj trip and the overnight to Luxor with the ship. At the last minute a bunch of us booked on of the ship's private vans for Cairo. But what I have a problem with was the lack of knowledge about the various ports we were docked in. They did not have maps of the several of the ports. We had to wait for the local people to come aboard before we could get information. Oceania has known for months where we were going, couldn't have someone obtained local information before they arrived??

 

All in all this was an absolutely fantastic trip!! The perfect combination of ship, shipmates, and destinations!!!! Just a few tweaks and we would be going back to do it again!!

Cathi

[LHT28]

Besides the nightstands are so small it would be nice to be able to put a book there.

As to fridges - even a small one would have been nice. This particular cruise is a HOT one and to come back to a cold drink would have been nice. Adding ice to a glass of Coke does not constitue cold!

 

Cathi

I had room on the nightstand for my book, travel clock & hand creme with room to spare.

 

We put a can or two of soda or water in the ice bucket so we will have a cold drink when we wanted. The room stewardess kept the ice filled and always put the water bottle back in the ice.

[Ask4Jay]

Azamara Quest last April had an Irish lady harpist with a beautiful soft voice singing/playing by the grand staircase on deck 5. We could sit there with our friends and have a quiet conversation over a drink (or two...). That's my kind of entertainment.

[marylander2]

Azamara Quest last April had an Irish lady harpist with a beautiful soft voice singing/playing by the grand staircase on deck 5. We could sit there with our friends and have a quiet conversation over a drink (or two...). That's my kind of entertainment.

 

I am sure many of our fellow shipmates did enjoy the string quartet on Nautica - young kids from Eastern Europe, they performed flawlessly, at least twice a day, both during afternoon tea and around dinner time. I haven't heard that level of improvisation for years!