We've travelled on various lines over the years, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, Crystal, Seabourn, etc., and we've settled on Oceania as our favourite. Just the right balance of pretty much everything. Can't really refute their claim of "The finest cuisine at sea" either. It is genuinely and uniformly excellent.
I don't recall having heard & seen such positive enthusiasm from you before Gary. I'm now jumping onto their site to check out their cruise itineraries. My partner will enthuse about the larger class whilst I know I'll prefer the smaller ships! Thank you, again, for another excellent vlog!
As a solo traveler, Oceania really took care of me. They have a supreme social hostess who invited groups of us for cocktails, lunch and/or dinner. I had chosen the excursions for my O Life choice, and she bought the wine/drinks each time!
Any tips for a solo traveler? I know I'll have to leave my service dog at home, with international travel, so I have trepidation without Pilot. I named my service dog after my former job. I'm now just the co-Pilot.
I have been on a large and a small Oceania ship, both concierge level. The smaller ships barely make a difference, perhaps washing your clothes, but the larger ship had a designated large room with coffees, snacks which were changed depending on time of day, a person full time which could handle anything you asked or needed, large screen tv and newspapers. All this 24-7. Made the trip for us!😂
This video aligns with our Travel agents views and our own. Our TA agrees the two types of ship provide different experiences. Our sweet spot is on the Riviera or Marina (looking forward to Vista too). We've been on Regent and Seabourn but the Riviera or Marina with the full drinks package gives one the equivalent (or better) experience (others may disagree). We also consider that their food is the best we have experienced at sea. Thanks for your insightful videos Gary.
You made several positive comments about the staff aboard Oceania and that made me wonder about staff training. Do different lines have schools to train staff? I’d love to see a video about how staff is trained and how long it takes to become a staff member. Thank you.
This is a late reply, but perhaps will help some people. Much of the staff on the Marina last April was new and many were from Bali. They have a hospitality school there and these people are very, very polite. We could sent most of the US hospitality workers there to learn how to treat people. I think Oceania is works hard to keep good & polite staff on board. They don't have tolerance for bad attitudes or bad actors & will put staff off at the next port for infractions. We saw that on a bulletin board. Recruiting the right people from the right places is part of that. We met a wine steward who had been with Oceania for over 10 years. We did have some issues with the very polite waiters not understanding us & bringing out the wrong dishes at dinner, but given that the staff was so new, that is to be expected. Our interactions with workers on the ship were all very, pleasant. I also noted the Oceania cruisers' being equally polite to the servers & stewards. It works both ways. The only thing I could fault was Oceania not having enough mature people at the excursions desk, people who understand the cruiser's interests, activity levels & issues. The staff was abit too young. Again, at the end of the pandemic, I think that is normal.
Oceania is the best, love Cruising on Riviera, Every aspect meets my criteria, Lovely food, attentive and well trained staff who serve with a smile, the atmosphere is welcoming,classy yet not snobby and as long as you are neat and tidy there is no need for tuxedos and glam gowns. Having no noisy children is a plus and no garish fairground amusements allow for a peaceful,enjoyable holiday.
I took my first cruise on Oceania Riviera. What a fantastic experience! I felt absolutely pampered, the spa was wonderful! Food and service amazing! The shows were very professional and excellent. Everything was extremely well organized. This was truly a very relaxing luxury that I look forward to experiencing again. 🥂
This video makes it look like all retirees on the cruise. My wife and I are mid-50s but spend most of our social time with much younger friends. The cruise line looks amazing but I'm worried about the other passengers being much older than us. What do you think? Is there any opportunity to get dressed up for events?
As you know, Viking is our favorite line having sailed with them 4 times, but, we cruised on the Oceania Riviera at Christmas and New Years in 2021/22 and it was excellent. We had a concierge level cabin, but, were able to book 9 of the 12 nights in the Specialty Dining restaurants and they were fantastic. One other night was the Wine Spectator dinner with paired wines and courses with just 18 guests, again a wonderful experience. We did two night in the Grand Dining Room and it was fine. We had 1143 on board with the capacity of 1250 and there was never a line for anything and very spacious areas for whatever we wanted to do. I was very impressed with the very high quality of food in all venues and the buffet was marvelous, the crew served from behind saran wrap barriers that were so clean and clear that I bumped a finger against them a couple of times. We booked a future cruise on board as we were very happy with Oceania.
@@ystebadvonschlegel3295 No, we haven't switched from Viking, we have another booked with them for 2025 in Iceland, Greenland and Canada. We just enjoyed Oceania and booked their new Vista ship for 2024.
I am so impressed with your level of detail in your reviews. You really know how to tell a good review and a good story. I appreciate your insight and hard work. Raj
I must say that after 100+ cruises, Gary still educates me on enhancements and differences on ships and line. He is fair and balanced in his reviews which is so refreshing. You can ALWAYS depend oh him to provide an altruistic view. Thank you sir!
We are looking forward to our next cruise on the Insignia this December. I need to comment on your mentioning Celebrity. We just finished a 12 day from Ft Lauderdale. Worst experience we have ever had. The food wasn't fit to feed a dog. Ship very unsanitary, and to cap it off we both came down with Covid. We were escorted off the ship and deposited street side like so much trash. IMHO very unprofessional of them. Keep up the great videos, they are most entertaining.
I have been following you with great interest since I’ve decided that cruising will likely be my preferred option for future travel. (I’m getting too old and lazy for airport scrambles and all the dramas involved in getting from A to B.) Every one of your videos has given me something to really think about, but this Oceania video has me captive. Insignia…180 days…I have jumped over to their website to see the details, and I am hooked. As a solo traveller, of course it is a financial challenge, but if I am going to have one big trip left in me, that may very well be it.
We took our first oh cruise in February for my wife’s birthday. We were supposed to be on Sirena but they switched to the marina which I’m glad they did. My favorite food item aside from the amazing croissants was the miso Seabass in red Ginger. I thought the food was really great and I’m a foodie our previous cruises had been on Celebrity and Norwegian not impressed with the food on Norwegian and the food on Celebrity has been going downhill of course this was all before the pandemic. Our next cruise is using future cruise credit on Celebrity in September or first time in a suite.
I just got off the Sirena after a two-week transatlantic cruise. I had a wonderful time. But I think the next time I have so many sea days, which I love, I will try one of their bigger ships. This was my second time on the Sirena and my second Oceania cruise. I can't wait to try other ships in the fleet.
We just got back from an Oceania cruise to Alaska 6/17/22. No one ever called us by name the entire trip, except when we were disembarking, and then they invariably called my husband by my last name instead of his own. There were some kids on our cruise, a handful under 10 but most were teens. The food was very good. There were a couple of misses: some fishy tasting lobster in the risotto, a bland sauce with the salmon, but generally the food was tasty. Really liked the Poke bowl from room service and the Beef Wellington in the Grand Dining Room. We were very happy with the wines. We didn’t do a drink package, just ordered a la carte and had a bottle of wine with dinner several times, and we still came out ahead price wise.
We have been cruising for almost 30 years and tried a lot of cruise lines but not the ultimate luxury with the exception of Regent. We absolutely Love Love Oceania and since we found them nine years ago have not cruised with anyone else! We think the food and service is exceptional. We have three more cruises booked in 2022 and 2023 and hope to try Vista soon. Many thanks for all your videos and information it is much appreciated.
It’s worth noting that Marina & Riviera have much larger cabins than the equivalent tier on the 4 R class ships. We love Oceania and would also recommend the concierge class rooms - they include access to the private spa areas for the hot tub and sun deck. It’s never crowded on the ship, but the spa area is really private and secluded.
@@Canyonradio not sure of your point of reference, but there are lots of RU-vid videos on the rooms (either Riviera or Marina - they are identical). The spa area is on the bow on level 14 and includes a hot tub as well as nice, well spaced, loungers.
This is a fantastic summary/analysis of what should be one of our choices as we transition from Disney to a cruises-without-our-now-older-son 😔. You have expressed positives about HAL and Celebrity. And now, with this review, Oceania seems to also hit the right notes of personalized service, great food, non-party atmosphere, and (on the Marina and Riviera classes) a range of activities/restaurants within a not-too-big ship feel. As far as entertainment, I am less traditional -- give me lectures, board games, Punk/"1st Wave" music, and edgy comedy over boring singer/dancer covers of 1950's/1960's standards.
We've traveled on Azamara in the past and really enjoyed the small ship experiences. Now some friends are encouraging us to join them on a 3 week Oceania cruise. This overview gives us a very good idea of what to expect.
We love your videos. We were supposed to be on Cunard Queen Elizabeth to Alaska but got cancelled...based on your reviews and others we decided to got Oceania Regatta for 11 days. Did you check out the onboard shops and were their luxury name brands? Watches?? Deals?? Keep up the Great work!! Not sure it is Work.... :o)
I would agree with all you say about Oceania. We've just returned after 31 days on the R class Sirena. The crew are indeed super. They got to know us well and were always attentive, even learning our names quite soon after we started the cruise. My only criticism is of the entertainment. The musicians and artists are all of a high standard. The string quartet were brilliant. The group were great guys, but they were asked to play a never-ending selection of what I can only describe as "lounge music". Management at Oceania need to be a bit more inventive, liven things up a little some evenings.
An interesting video would compare loyalty plans of the cruise lines. We’ve been loyal Oceania cruisers and now get very substantial cruise benefits from OBC to free gratuities to discounts on wine, excursions and internet packages.
We have done many cruises on Oceania and all you mentioned are true in the fabulous experience but we also love the dress code, but we love the staff from start to finish!! We have staff that remember us from past cruises! We now only cruise with them
Oceania is an elder cruise. Most customers are older, retirees, grandparents and very affluent. The dance club closed by 10:00 pm and shore excursions are a 1/2 day. Wifi barely worked, food was awesome with restaurants included. No formal nights. It’s very expensive, but you can occasionally find a “discounted” cruise fair on cruises with a lot of open cabins.
I prefer the less ornate decor of Viking, Ikea like as it may seem to some, plus the nearly all-inclusive aspect. As a fine wine fan, their Silver Spirits beverage package is a real bargain.. A couple of long tome friends love Oceania so it's worth future consideration.
We cruised one of the R ships before Oceana acquired them from Renaissance and were very happy with all that it included. It did feel like a bigger ship experience without the crowds. You also get to know the crew.
Thank you, Gary. Amazing video as always. I appreciate your clearheaded opinions, and your ability to grasp the obvious and the slight nuances of a ship. We just booked a Trans Atlantic cruise for 2024 on Oceania Sirena (just under 700 capacity. (Side note: doing westbound Trans Atlantic on HAL this year). We found an excellent itinerary and a pretty good fare. My biggest concern is fitting in. I’m certainly not in society’s upper echelon, and my social anxiety will play a role also. I guess I’ll just do my best to. I likely only have a decade or two of life left, so I’m excited to saunter out of my comfort zone. Any advice about being the mule in a stable of purebred race horses?
Many of the folks on our Alaska cruise seemed more middle class/upper middle class than really wealthy, although sometimes it’s hard to tell. The dress code helps even things out because of it being more casual. Some people dressed up for dinner, but no long dresses and few men wore suits.
This is great info as we’ve been trying to decide if Oceania might be an even better fit than the Viking ocean options. I would love to see a head to head comparison in regard to pricing/value and how curated Oceania is vs Viking. 👍
We love both lines. I do think Oceania tends to have food that is a little better, but we like that wine and an excursion at every port with also excellent food is great with Viking.
We have cruised on Oceania many times and love it. The crew has recognized us and we have recognized them from previous cruises. We try not to miss afternoon tea and will often text a photo to our boys of the sweet trolley. (They have been on Regatta with us in the Baltic and Alaska.) While my preference would be something from The Moorings (Bareboat charter), my wife likes it that someone else cooks and we do not have to worry about a boat dragging anchor into us in the middle of the night.
I received an Oceania catalog today. I have two large questions: 1. Can I cruise solo? 2. I use a power wheelchair after a Military accident. Is this not the line for me? I want smaller ships, all inclusive and few (or no) airplanes. I have used up my once-in-a-lifetime jet crash limit.
My friend is Celiac and has trouble with her diet while travelling. Which cruise lines are best for people with a gluten free and celiac diet? Does Oceania cater to that at all?
Hi Gary, thank for educating us on a different cruise line. We love Celebrity, the smaller M-class ships. If we had to choose another line, this probably would be the one. Hi from Bob and Jill in Connecticut, go Chelsea Blues 💙
I just returned from cruising on the Nautica and previously have cruised on the Riviera. I agree with everything you said. While I found the Nautica lacking in on board activities, our itinerary didn’t have any sea days so it didn’t matter. I enjoyed the intimacy, friendliness among cruisers, and of course the outstanding service. My best cruise experience was on the Riviera. That seems the perfect balance for me. What also impresses me about Oceania is how seamlessly they run things and you never have to wait in lines. Even embarking/disembarking are so seamless and easy and efficient. Their focus on service and the genuinely friendly, warm staff put them at the top. On this recent cruise (July 2023) I was surprised at how many families with teens and even pre-teens were on board. In one of the daily newsletters Oceania asked parents to remind their children to be polite to staff and other cruisers! But I didn’t find the teens to be an issue.
Getting ready to go on our 5th cruise and we love Oceania- food and service are top notch. Love not wearing a jacket and tie. Also have 6th for next year. Highly recommend.
My late husband and I cruised on Oceania back in the early 2000s. At that time the Polo and the Tuscans were a separate charge. This is an interesting change.
We're booked on the Marina in Jan/Feb to So America and Antarctica. Picked the larger ship because of the Drake Passage, the 30ish day itinerary, and their reputation for good food. We were on the R2 when it was the Renaissance Cruise Line.
Have done both Silversea (Whisper) and Oceania (Nautica) small ships in recent years. Silversea was the more 'luxury' of the two but we can't be bothered with formal dining nights. Oceania was much more our style. Would definitely go with them again.
That was my concern, we do not like formal nights, so I guess what you are saying Oceania do not have formal nights? Can't be bothered with all the glitter and getting fully formal, too much to pack.
Totally agree about Oceania - the food is truly outstanding. Have just completed a cruise on Regent Seven Seas - The Mariner. I have never had such wonderful service, food, overall experience. You should try a Regent Cruise. How they manage to have such a friendly crew, such personal service which is never 'familiar', always professional, and always with a genuine smile, takes some doing. It was the best cruise I have ever been on.
I agree - we love Regent Seven Seas. All inclusive, which means alcohol, excursions and gratuities. You know what your cost is up front, with few extras. We've walked off the ship with zero due. Any extra vacation costs were for purchases off the ship. You can save on the fares if you book your own flights (we use points). No formal nights, and no extra cost for specialty dining (although that might have changed).
My Experience on a cruise ship was not that great. Getting this info about Oceania certainly has me very interested. I would love to know if one of their ships had to stop over last year March due to maintenance in the Maldives Port, and had to wait for parts due to the war .What happens to the passengers and are there a certain amount of the crew that stays on board? how long does it take to then get this ship sailing.
We have booked a Mediterranean Tour on Oceania's Nautica this September. It is our very first cruise and I am looking forward to the experience. It sounds as if we will be so spoiled we won't even want to try another cruise line!
A.though they are a very classy cruise line I would not use them for the Mediterranean for example, this is because Oceania are always very port intensive, and so in the Med it is a port every day, which is far too tiring for me. I need some sea days.
Oceania our favourite! Relaxed atmosphere, Buffett we eat at most nights on the patio. Afternoon tea and drinks two for one in the afternoon, spend alot of time in this area. My only disappointment was being asked to take off my little designer jean jacket over a very nice black dress in the Italian restaurant.
We are sailing on Oceania for first time in January 2023 Riviera and again in October 2023 Nautica. We are NCL Haven fans but Oceania has been highly recommended by friends. Your review has us looking forward to our cruises even more and a chance to compare the R Class to the Riviera. The comments below all agree with your review!
Thank you for your great videos Gary. Loved the Sirena on our recent Mediterranean cruise. Look forward to a future booking on the Riviera, Marina or Vista (really holding out for that!).
Do waste you money unless you really like bad seasick. Production show only consists of 4 people, music only play 45 minutes per day. All their money is spent on mailing advertising, 2 or 3 books per day in my mail box. Lobster is dry, tough with frozen taste. Specialty restaurants are not that good at all. Service is OK. Free wines is bad, $2.580 per bottle. I been to 250 cruises, this is the worst experience. Lots of adverting, most are paid RU-vidR with free cruises, money, etc. and highly bias.. Do not believe them. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS WORTHLESS CRUISE. Small ship, Regent is the best, Vikings is second.
Thank you very much for this video. My partner and I are looking to step away from the larger crowds of NCL. This video really helped showcase Oceania and it seems like a fantastic choice as we're not always fans of the huge crowds, but still wanted some of that same larger ship experience on a cruise to Japan. Did you see a lot of 30-40 year olds in the group? We're not normally in the younger party spectrum, but I generally enjoy the casino and shows.
Just got back from a Viking Med cruise. We liked no Casino, one price , Silver spirits package was a bargain and all of the excursions were great. Alaskan king crab and lobster were so well prepared. 890 on board with exceptional service. 1st class all the way. We may try Oceania but we were so happy with Viking, I am not sure.
We sailed on the Marina last year & loved it. The casino wasn't that big & I rarely saw anyone actually gambling in there. It was definitely not a gambling cruise. The nice crew in the casino smiled hopefully at those who passed by. There are so many beautiful spaces on the ship. If you are a visual person, you will love it. The food and the variety of food with all the specialty restaurants makes for a very memorable experience. I like the drink package options with Oceania, a level for every type of drinker.
Would you say that HAL also competes in this small ship sector? I'm only talking about their 2 smallest ships (Volendam and Zaandam). Those ships usually do "weirder" itineraries, like Volendam is doing a round trip Ft. Lauderdale cruise cruising down the Amazon. These ships are a lot older, but it seems to me like they would sort of fit in this category, minus the inclusions that some lines are known for
I booked a round trip on the Nautica Ft Lauderdale to Ft Lauderdale for the 24 night Amazon River itinerary. One of the larger ships also does the Amazon but it is not round trip and not as long.
We have cruised on Oceania twice. First cruise we were pleased with the itinerary, ship, our cabin, the crew, embarkation and disembarkation assistance, entertainment, dining service, food choices and quality. Shore excursions were not great: spent a lot of time on the bus, short times at the stops. Our second cruise on Oceania was disappointing. While the itinerary, ship, our cabin, the crew, embarkation and disembarkation assistance, entertainment and dining service were equal to our first cruise. However, food choices and quality were disappointing. Shore excursions were frightfully bad. While the tour guides were great, the busses were not, badly needed repairs. We couldn’t see out the windows in Sitka, the Juneau driver had to use a hammer to get the engine started, and the Skagway bus sounded like the front wheels were going to fall off, for more than an 80 miles, round trip. We decided to avoid Oceania in the future.
The food is overrated compared to Regent and Azamara, all in all a disappointing cruise line. What was particularly disappointing was the lack of visibility of, and interaction with, the marine crew.
I know Oceania, and some other lines, offer free WiFi but with only one connection per cabin. This is a bit of a problem especially if you need to often swap the connection between the 2 cabin members. However... It is easily possible to connect one phone to the ship's WiFi and connect the other phone to the first phone using Bluetooth and then both can have an internet connection. OK, yes, it means that the connection for both may be a bit slower depending upon what you are doing. The second phone needs to be within the Bluetooth range of the first phone. It may also breach the small print of the ship's WiFi contract, though I could find nothing about that onboard. Whatever, I accept no responsibility if you get told off and thrown overboard. How you make this connection varies depending on Android or Apple, but Google is your friend and it really is just a 2-minute job.
apple calls it a hotspot when someone can use your connection. i think this is what you are asking. i don’t know the answer to your question. i imagine the basic free service is designed to barely support one device as to encourage you to buy the upgraded $10 a day. if you can choose days, then maybe buy ship wifi for the second cabin person for ar min days at sea and figure out how to share for the port days as you won’t be on the ship anyway.
Very interesting and we must give Oceania a try. We’ve just come back from a two week cruise on P&O Iona and the food was mediocre at best, very disappointing as the quality of the food is very important for us.
Oceania is our "cruise line of choice." We have sailed on 14 cruises on them. The food is so good in the buffet and main dining room that we have sometimes given up our specialty restaurant reservations to dine outside on the back deck in the buffet. We go to Martinis every night for our pre dinner drinks, and after the first few nights the bartender usually makes our drinks when he sees us coming. Everyone always calls us by name. We just booked another Oceania cruise two days ago.
Hi Gary. Thank you for putting a really great video together regarding Oceania and the difference between the smaller & larger ships in there fleet. We are looking at a Transatlantic (Westbound) both offered on the smaller & larger ships. Now have to make a decision. Thanks again
Do waste you money unless you really like bad seasick. Production show only consists of 4 people, music only play 45 minutes per day. All their money is spent on mailing advertising, 2 or 3 books per day in my mail box. Lobster is dry, tough with frozen taste. Specialty restaurants are not that good at all. Service is OK. I been to 250 cruises, this is the worst experience. Lots of adverting, most are paid RU-vidR and highly bias.. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS WORTHLESS CRUISE.
Oceania is a much better line in terms of food, service and also on their newer ships. Azamara run many deals as they seem less popular these days since they have new owners after Royal Caribbean sold them and they want to attract people back and new travellers
Just got off the Riviera yesterday. I was owner of a wine distributing company I Chicago for over 35 years. This was my 14th cruise. The claim of the best cruising on the sea in my opinion is FALSE. We purchased the oceania suite. (3rd most expensive accommodations on the boat, WE were treated like steerage. The food was always cold especially in the buffet, overcooked shrimp cocktail with spoiled shrimp. Overcooked All the elements were there but the execution was abominable totally unprofessional Embarkation and Debakation was poor. We missed all of Portugal (2 stops) because of a non existent strike.. Another because the captain said he coudn,t dock at Guernsey and yet another ship had just pulled out of his assigned spot. WE heard the Captain was leaving after the voyage Maybe incompetence. I Don't know. In my professional opinion the director of food and beverage should be fired..Many many on this cruise we equally unhappy. Gary You got this one totally wrong. I have taken enough cruises good and bad and enough experience in the food and beverage industry. Gary this one you got wrong. if anyone wants me to elaborate further please reply and I can got into detail. My previous cruise with my two grandsons 4 yrs ago was in a suite Separate eating facilities if we wanted separate concierge Royal Caribbean was the line. BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU SPEND YOU"RE CRUISE MONEY OR YOU WILL BE SORRY
Hello!! Try to catch all your vlogs and really enjoy them. QUESTION...I'm considering an Oceania cruise to Norway/Scandinavia area. I took a Viking cruise to this area this year and, for the most part really enjoyed it. Loved the homely Scandi design throughout the ship and our PS1 (Penthouse Junior Suite), especially the 2 TV's and 2 sinks in the bathroom. Food in my opinion was good, not great, even in speciality restaurants. Not happy with many of the excursions, too many people (about 50 on each excursion) on the coaches. Are Oceania's excursions any better? Looks like they can arrange for excursions of less than 16 people. Not sure if that is additional cost. I'm a little concerned that Oceania is a little too "glitzy"/flash compared to Viking. Glitzy is not me. Your thoughts please? Many thanks.
Thanks so much for that Gary, I have been eagerly awaiting this review as I'm sailing with Oceania Marina fir the first time in Jan 2023. What you like in cruising is pretty much exactly what I look for so the info in this video is fab and makes me feel very glad I did chose Oceania. Am also sailing on Vista next year, so will definitely be looking forward to that as well. Have also read that they have now allocated solo cabins on all there ships, so will be looking at their world cruise in the next couple of years as hopefully the pricing will be more affordable as I really do dislike paying double. Sounds like all us solo travellers who have written numerous letters to cruise lines regarding this are listening, which is great news. Thanks again for the info.
@@cherifurr3935 Hi Cheri, thanks for responding, I would love to do a world cruise and yes it is very expensive if traveling solo. I live in Australia but that wouldn't stop me from sharing with someone from the USA. I am booked up with holidays now til 2025 but would look at doing one then. I am about to book the Epic Northern Hemisphere with Oceania but in one of there solo cabins. Cost is AU $ 38000 for 51 nights which is about $26,800 in US dollars. With regards to a world tour, as long as it doesn't do a lot of Asia then I'm happy, been there, done that and don't wish to go back. I'm 64.
As always enjoyed your video but a little confused by you suggestion that Oceania is less expensive that the "ultra luxury" lines. We've recently returned from our latestb Caribbean cruise, this time with Silversea on Silver Dawn. Of the lines we've tried (Celebrity, Seabourn and Silversea) this, in our minds, was the best. Nonetheless I was interested to hear your views on Oceania. Yet, looking at pricing for next year, Oceania Vista is almost identically priced to Silver Moon for the Caribbean. So I guess its down to whether one wants the extra choice or restaurants and entertainment .......
Another great review. That you for pointing out many of the deciding factors. I' m trying to help my client between Oceania vs Silversea for a world cruise.
total waste of money.... unless you want to get bad seasick. Production show only has 4 people. Music only play 45 minutes per day. Food is not acceptable at all. Lobsters are super frozen and very tough with icy smell. Even specialty restaurants are not that good with so so food. Free wind are the cheap ones ($2.50 per bottle). Over rated and over price. Do NOT go. I got 2 advertisement everyday. That is where your money went.
Hello, enjoyed this review but one of your comments is glaringly incorrect. We have cruised on Oceania six times and it is ALWAYS better to take the complimentary excursions than the shipboard credit unless you plan on not taking any of the OCeania excursions at all... as you will get as much as double the value of the shipboard credit. Let's say your cruise entitles your cabin to 6 complimentary excursions which is pretty typical. you are entitled to any of their excursions up to a price of $199. So, if you book six... that is worth $1200. Not all the excursions are that much - some are only 149 or 159 for example... but even in that instance.... you are still ahead of the game!! Also, once you have booked 5 excursions each (and the O life ones count towards this!!) you get a 25% discount on the remaining ones you have booked....so even MORE BANG for your buck.
Oceania sucks. The food was mediocre to awful. Room service was horrendous. We were in a biggest suite our butler was awful. And the boat was like a floating old folks home - NEVER AGAIN
I wish Gary and others would pronounce Oceania correctly - yes the end is "nia" not "na" but if the CEO, commercials, Cruise Directors, cruise line Godmother Mary Hart pronounce it "Oceana" not "Oceania" - then it's pronounced "Oceana"
Maybe the reason he mispronounces that word is cuz he smokes too much marijuana. If you smoke more marijuana then things like that will not bother you.
Gary i just booked a 10 day Caribbean on Oceania Vista end of December. I booked a Penthouse suite on Deck 11 midship but being my wife and i have never sailed Oceania or a suite class before and you obviously have a great knowledge of Oceania do you think my wife and i made a solid choice? I have watched your video's obviously for insight and i have also seen a ship walk though via the blogs on youtube and Vista is a beautiful ship. My wife and i are 55 soon to be 56 lol and wanted a more luxury and somewhat smaller crowd. Our last cruise was in 2017 on Norwegian Escape and it's passenger count of 4K and we want a ship with a bit smaller crowd no kids etc. We booked Oceania hoping for a relaxed luxury but not stuffy kind of a ship with less people but still fun. Your video's seem to indicate that and i hope for the money we are spending that we end up with a solid choice as this will be the most we have spent on a cruise. Lol. Thank you for your insights and recommendations!
You make Oceania Cruise Line seem good. Food, I'm somewhat picky on. Some things I don't like. Watch my intake of things to cause problems for circulatory systems. Love to eat though. In the casino does Oceania Cruise Line have a craps table? Does Oceania Cruise Line have comedians on board? They don't go round trip out of NYC except for Bermuda. Do they park the ship on Front St. in downtown Hamilton or The Royal Naval Dockyard? Or do they go to St. George?
Who would you recommend for non luxury small cruise ship for greenland, iceland, norway fjords etc. Thanks for all your tips. I've been watching you for years.
I've been looking to treat myself to a nice solo Med cruise later this year. I've only been on 2 cruises before, one with Royal Caribbean and one with Regent Seven Seas. I think Oceania might just be perfect for me for my first solo cruise. I'm excited. Thank you for this video.
