dining on oceania

[ivopera]

I usually go either on celebrity or Radisson.
I would like to try oceania. Is it a good choice. What are the main differences with the 2 other cruiselines. What about dining options. I travel with my wife and like to have dinner at a table for 2, is it easily possible on Oceania. How is the food. Is it open seating?

[Andee]

We have found the food on Oceania to be significantly better than that on Celebrity, Princess or Orient, the only other lines we've sailed.

All restaurants are open seating. The two specialty restaurants require reservations, but there is no additional charge for eating there.

[bigreckster]

We've cruised on Celebrity, Radisson and Oceania and the food on Oceania is excellent. It is open seating and you can always get a table for two (although we always have a table for two on Celebrity but are restricted to the time of seating). Another nice thing about Oceania is that the two specialty restaurants are not an additional charge and also are very good in quality and presentation. The only negative we've found is the 18% gratuity on wine and drinks which seems excessive compared to other lines like Celebrity.

[ivopera]

Thank you for your answers.
Are there any difference between the ships of oceania (service, decoration??)

[timbo89]

I have only sailed on 2 of the 3 ships (not all 3), but they were almost identical in decor.

As for the staff, we have had the same staff on different ships - our cabin attendant on Regatta was the same as on Insignia six months before!! Thus the service is almost identical as well.

Hope this helps.

[ivopera]

and does it feel sometimes crowdy (pool area for instance) or never??

[jfb128]

We have been on all 3 Oceania ships and the difference in decor is so subtle that it isn't noticeable. (for example-different light switches in Nautica cabins than Insignia or Regatta) As Timbo89 indicated the service has been excellent on all 3 ships and the staff has moved from one ship to another in some instances.

[Ask4Jay]

ivopera -
Be sure to ask for a 4-seater table. First night on Regatta we asked for a table for two, and that is exactly what we got. That table, however, was between two other tables for two, with only a couple of inches of space separating the three. Neither we nor any of the other two couples had any privacy. For the next meals we were more specific in our request and sat at a lovely table for 4 - alone - with our bottle of wine.:)

We were on a transatlantic repositioning cruise in March. The pool was usually empty (of water and people), so noise was not a problem. If it should get too noisy on your cruise, you can walk through the Terrace Cafe and enjoy the quiet atmosphere while dining al fresco and looking at the ship's wake. Wonderful.