Thumbs up, Oceania! PLEASE READ

[malony33]

I just spent some time perusing this board to get a feel for the opinions and reviews of many of the regular posters here, and I am relieved that the VAST majority of you either liked, enjoyed, or downright LOVED your O. cruise(s).
Negative reactions were few, though they were almost violently so. These reactions were so bitter and angry that I wondered about the personalities of those posters in general; such continued anger over a cruise that occurred a while ago makes me wonder...after a while, if they don't let it go, the reader must consider that something is amiss other than O. dissatisfaction.

So, we know we are sailing a premium line; compared to those here who've sailed the luxury likes of Crystal, we won't notice the difference...Celebrity and Windstar have been our loveliest cruises. We are in our 50's and have done the big production shows, games at the pool, up til 2:00 AM dancing...though that tapered off in our last decade. It's time for good service, fine dining, exotic ports, a calm pool deck - BUT NO LIVE MUSIC ON DECK??? - and some pampering, all at a very good price. OOPS, almost forgot the tranquility beds!

I want to thank you all for so much sharing, not only a wealth of information and experiences, but your "fair and balanced" assessment of the line.

On that note, here's an invitation to you all to add here your VERY FAVORITE aspects of any O. cruises you've taken. Be specific for me, since I have not yet set foot aboard the ships! Tell me about:

A moment of exceptional service
Some kindness a crew member extended that surprised you
How sweet the room service - my guilty pleasure
Your favorite entree
The dessert worth throwing weight/health caution to the wind
The most romantic spot on the ship
O.'s best stop in the Caribbean
Your favorite excursion on your favorite island
What the line does for the weary guest after a long port day
...and anything else that stands out as marvelous!

We are sailing the Regatta's Nov. 27, 2004 "12 Petit Ports" in the Caribbean. Anyone out their going with us? We'd love to make some connections.

Thanks,
Barbara(and DH Don) :)

[ClaudiaF]

Where to begin.. but.. going with exceptional room service.. we had Carlos taking care of us..he is 5 stars!!!!!!
asked him to bring up some nuts & a few olives ( for a small cocktail party we were going to have for some friends before we went to dinner).. we went to the gym and when we returned.. the room was set up with a big table-brought in from somewhere on the ship- draped in tableclothes.. filled with all kinds of hor 'dorve < sp?> platters with smoked salmon rolls..little sandwiches, bowls of olives, chips , nuts.. and then scattered around were some rose petals and in the middle was a vase of flowers ( well I had purchased the flowers in port) but he had done this amazing set up.. it was truly Kodak moment..
Just thought he had gone over and above the call of duty.. it was great..

[RetiredRuth]

We are going on the November 27th cruise! We sailed on Renaissance to Tahiti and loved the ship (the food was so-so, but we hear that Oceania has top-notch cuisine). We like the fact that the dress is casual and the dining rooms have open seating.

We sailed on Celebrity in January and enjoyed that immensely, too!

Hope we can get some more people taking this cruise to join this thread. We had a great thread going for the Celebrity cruise, and felt we had made new friends even before setting foot on the ship!

We are from Philadelphia---anyone else from this area sailing with us?

Ruth & Len

[RetiredRuth]

Meant to ask, malony33, have you signed up on Yahoo for the party on this cruise?

Ruth & Len

[malony33]

Retired Ruth!!!

I graduated from St. Joseph's University...well, a while ago!

We live in Toms River at the Jersey Shore, not too far from Philly.

Tell me about the Yahoo party and how to sign up; and yes, it would be fun to get a dialogue going among us passengers booked on the Nov. 27 cruise.

Barbara :)

[malony33]

ClaudiaF,

WOW!!! That certainly is above and beyond; was it at that Kodak moment that you knew you weren't aboard a Carnival ship - LOL?!

Barbara :)

[ClaudiaF]

ClaudiaF,

WOW!!! That certainly is above and beyond; was it at that Kodak moment that you knew you weren't aboard a Carnival ship - LOL?!

Barbara :)

It's the first moment you step on the ship that you know that Barbara! ;-)

[Jane110]

HI Barbara,

In no particular order, some of my favorite things/moments on Oceania:

NO formal nights. Most of us have been there/done that or have enough black tie nights in real life not to have to play "dress up" on vacation.

Fellow passengers. I find most on O. to be interesting, friendly and well traveled.

Cruise Director Jon knew our names early in the cruise and we didn't have all that much interaction. Just a couple of short, friendly conversations.

Chocolate lasagna. I'm not a chocoholic, but this is a "don't miss" dessert.
An excellent bottle of Shiraz wine at a fair price of $33.00
Caviar appetizer on Captains night.

Open seating in the dining room.

The sheets, the duvets, the beds.
The protective rubberized "blanket" placed on the bed on arrival day so we don't dirty the gorgeous duvets with our luggage.
The pretty and airy look of the cabin. No ugly print bedspreads.

Nice room service breakfast. (didn't try RS any other time of the day)

Favorite quiet place - the beautiful library.

[Jane110]

Claudia,

Before you get everyone throwing cocktail parties in their cabins and expecting the kind of goodies/service you got, I think it's only fair to note that you weren't staying in one of the....ahem...... "ordinary" cabins. <g>

But you DID finally get a knife for the pineapple! :-)

[RetiredRuth]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OceanaCruiser/

Barbara----that is the link for the Yahoo Party (notice that Oceania is misspelled as Oceana, but that is the only way to get to the party link). You may have to sign up on Yahoo to access the party registration form. If you have any problem with that link, try YahooGroups.com and go from there!

Ruth

[ClaudiaF]

Claudia,

Before you get everyone throwing cocktail parties in their cabins and expecting the kind of goodies/service you got, I think it's only fair to note that you weren't staying in one of the....ahem...... "ordinary" cabins. <g>

But you DID finally get a knife for the pineapple! :-)
lol..yes for the 7 pineapples........

Actually this wasn't "that" cruise.. this was the cruise we took in May..and we weren't in "that" cabin..but a penthouse..so it was basically an ordinary cabin ( with butler)..

[slgjhg]

Hi All,

I have been over at the cruise critics review site and must admit I am confused. On one particular cruise of Regatta, two people posted and one gave a one ribbon while another on the same cruise gave a 5 ribbon. There are 13 member reviews and it is sort of like what I just reported. One cruise in 04 had 4 posted reviews and each was different. It is a little difficult for someone who is contemplating taking a cruise with Oceania to know what to make of this. Add to the mix the Cruise Critic professional review and ?????????


Cruise Critic specifically contradictaded things one member had criticized. I thought I might look up the members and get a sense of their postings. One member was so outrageous in his review. (Very snobby) If that was consistent with his posts, I thought I would simply discount. However, I would much rather hear from people who have cruised, Oceania, Chrystal, Seaborn, Silversea and Others comparable and hear your comparations.

Thanks to you all for any help you might provide.

Regards,

Shannon

[misspiggy]

e429 carrib gold miss piggy

[Jana]

Hi,

I was on a western Europe cruise in September last year with several other journalists, including the Cruise Critic writer. (Hi, Claudia, long time no see!) It was an extraordinary cruise experience, even though the ship (Regatta) was newly in service and there were still kinks to be worked out.

Here are links to two prefessional reviews from two of us on the same cruise. Mine is written in a more emotional and experiential tone while the other journalist's article is more factual. We both love cruising, but he is more of a "ship" person and I am more of a "cruise" person, so between us, you get a pretty well-rounded view of the experience. And we both posted lots of photos, too.

http://www.nbc17travel.com/cruises/oceania_cruises_regatta.htm <--mine

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/cruising/oceania-regatta.htm <--Durant Imboden's

Enjoy!

Jana

[ClaudiaF]

Hey .. miss ya kiddo.. hope all is going well.. you are right long time.. what ship have you been hiding on?
Jana, have you ever been to South America ( that is our next play date.. finally approaching soon) and still looking for an experts take (if you have been there ofcourse that would be you) on where to go. not to miss etc. We are going from Buenos Aires to Rio.
I hadn't thought to ask Durand ( he seems to do lots of Europe, but hey Durand any ideas? or if you talk to him can you ask him?)..it would help alot of us out.. kind of strangers in a really strange land on this trip.
hugs to you and real pro help needed please ;-)

[goeurope]

I hadn't thought to ask Durand ( he seems to do lots of Europe, but hey Durand any ideas? or if you talk to him can you ask him?)..it would help alot of us out.. kind of strangers in a really strange land on this trip.
hugs to you and real pro help needed please ;-)

Uh...It's "Durant," not "Durand." Are you in Wisconsin? There's a Durand, Wisconsin, so I get a lot of Wisconites misspelling or mispronouncing my name. I do okay with people from Durant, Oklahoma or Imboden, Arkansas. :-)

In answer to your question, I'm afraid that I don't have any advice on South America. I was obsessed with visiting Argentina when I was in high school, but in this era of diminished expectations I settle for wearing Patagonia long johns.

[Jana]

Hi Claudia,

The furthest south I have been is Costa Rica. I drove all over Guatemala several years ago (gorgeous) and went to Roatan and am going again, and to Belize, next week on Norwegian Sun, but I have never set foot on the South American continent.

One of my biggest regrets, and I've told Durand this too, is that I didn't go to Machu Pichu before my arthritis got so bad that I couldn't. I worked for American Airlines and had the opportunity several times, but just never got around to it, and about five years ago realized that I never would. (I can take a train to Cuzco and gaze upwards, but that's about it, my mountain-climbing days are over).

I was ALMOST scheduled for an Amazon cruise in April, but it is a very small vessel that does a lot with the Zodiac and I am afraid to try that too, so I passed on the opportunity. I am DYING to go from Belem to the mouth of the Amazon; have been ever since I read Jimmy Buffett's book A Pirate Turns Fifty. Oh, Durand knows all about that, too. And I would love to go to Buenos Aires, much more than Rio, and now that the dollar is higher down there, I just might get around to it. I have heard it's an incredible city.

I am so jealous!

Jana

[goeurope]

One of my biggest regrets, and I've told Durand this too

Jana

Me Durand, you Jane?

- Durant

[Jana]

Please keep in mind that I am a "prefessional," as indicated by one of the funniest typos I have ever seen. And of course it's too late to correct it, making me feel like a complete fool.

Jane is fine. In Mexico, Spain and other Spanish-speaking locales, I am known as Hahnnah Hoe-ness. Can you beat that?

[ClaudiaF]

Uh...It's "Durant," not "Durand." Are you in Wisconsin? There's a Durand, Wisconsin, so I get a lot of Wisconites misspelling or mispronouncing my name. I do okay with people from Durant, Oklahoma or Imboden, Arkansas. :-)

In answer to your question, I'm afraid that I don't have any advice on South America. I was obsessed with visiting Argentina when I was in high school, but in this era of diminished expectations I settle for wearing Patagonia long johns.

Oops.. sorry Durant... sorry didn't spell your name correctly..oh by the way.. no Wisconsin here live in L.A.
anyways
thanx for coming to discuss.. and to all you guys checkout goeurope.com
;-)
But Durant- BTW.. isn't there a go south america dude ???

[ClaudiaF]

No.. wouldn't touch it!
But love the title for you? I think Jana???

[ClaudiaF]

Hi Claudia,

The furthest south I have been is Costa Rica. I drove all over Guatemala several years ago (gorgeous) and went to Roatan and am going again, and to Belize, next week on Norwegian Sun, but I have never set foot on the South American continent.

One of my biggest regrets, and I've told Durand this too, is that I didn't go to Machu Pichu before my arthritis got so bad that I couldn't. I worked for American Airlines and had the opportunity several times, but just never got around to it, and about five years ago realized that I never would. (I can take a train to Cuzco and gaze upwards, but that's about it, my mountain-climbing days are over).

I was ALMOST scheduled for an Amazon cruise in April, but it is a very small vessel that does a lot with the Zodiac and I am afraid to try that too, so I passed on the opportunity. I am DYING to go from Belem to the mouth of the Amazon; have been ever since I read Jimmy Buffett's book A Pirate Turns Fifty. Oh, Durand knows all about that, too. And I would love to go to Buenos Aires, much more than Rio, and now that the dollar is higher down there, I just might get around to it. I have heard it's an incredible city.

I am so jealous!

Jana


Do the zodiak.. and live to tell.. that is your job gosh darn it..lol!
Now, about that book .. I need a copy this pirate is about to hit that and not happy.. is it a comedy or..
?

[Jana]

Claudia,

It's a great book about Jimmy Buffett, an unlikely "rock star." Read it. Our lives do not in any way resemble his, that's for sure.

What part of L.A. do you live in? I will be there tomorrow night :-)

Jana

[Pam]

::: raising hand ::::

I know where Imboden, Arkansas, is. I go through there when we head up to the White River to trout fish.

As you were (Claudia, I'm stalking you, I guess).

[ClaudiaF]

LOL Pam!

[Bugeye]

I just spent some time perusing this board to get a feel for the opinions and reviews of many of the regular posters here, and I am relieved that the VAST majority of you either liked, enjoyed, or downright LOVED your O. cruise(s).
Negative reactions were few, though they were almost violently so. These reactions were so bitter and angry that I wondered about the personalities of those posters in general; such continued anger over a cruise that occurred a while ago makes me wonder...after a while, if they don't let it go, the reader must consider that something is amiss other than O. dissatisfaction.

So, we know we are sailing a premium line; compared to those here who've sailed the luxury likes of Crystal, we won't notice the difference...Celebrity and Windstar have been our loveliest cruises. We are in our 50's and have done the big production shows, games at the pool, up til 2:00 AM dancing...though that tapered off in our last decade. It's time for good service, fine dining, exotic ports, a calm pool deck - BUT NO LIVE MUSIC ON DECK??? - and some pampering, all at a very good price. OOPS, almost forgot the tranquility beds!

I want to thank you all for so much sharing, not only a wealth of information and experiences, but your "fair and balanced" assessment of the line.

On that note, here's an invitation to you all to add here your VERY FAVORITE aspects of any O. cruises you've taken. Be specific for me, since I have not yet set foot aboard the ships! Tell me about:

A moment of exceptional service
Some kindness a crew member extended that surprised you
How sweet the room service - my guilty pleasure
Your favorite entree
The dessert worth throwing weight/health caution to the wind
The most romantic spot on the ship
O.'s best stop in the Caribbean
Your favorite excursion on your favorite island
What the line does for the weary guest after a long port day
...and anything else that stands out as marvelous!

We are sailing the Regatta's Nov. 27, 2004 "12 Petit Ports" in the Caribbean. Anyone out their going with us? We'd love to make some connections.

Thanks,
Barbara(and DH Don) :)
Barbara and Dan:

Enjoy your cruise. We sailed with her last December. We have several highlights we remember from the Regatta:

-The wonderful bed and silky sheets, best we have found.
-Open sitting and seatings in the restaurants - we always asked for a large table and we met many facinating people at her meals
-The Library! Absolutely beautiful and it was stocked with great and recent books
- Dominica Partner with another couple and take a tour of this beautiful island. One
unforgettable sight was the twin waterfalls - one hot and one cold!

I hope your boarding is not delayed. The travel agents/guests onboard the returning Regatta felt the need to shame us by stealing the Frette Linens from the beds and the Brookstone alarm clocks from the rooms. Obviously the sheets were replaced, but now the only cabins with alarm clocks are the suites and I hope their occupants have the moral fiber to leave the clocks in the cabins! Perhaps all of the room furnishings (not just the robes) should be listed on a price sheet and the occupants informed that they will be charged for all furnishings missing after their departure.