First Timer -Questions on Oceania

[grilljockey]

My wife and I have only been on one cruise and it wasn't a great experience. It was a very inexpensive caribbean cruise, with us in an inside cabin with three small kids. It was a gift from a family member, so I really shouldn't complain. But after that cruise we decided we probably wouldn't do another one.

Well, now we are planning a 10-12 day trip to Italy for our 40th birthdays. We were originally planning to do it via a traditional land based vacation, but then I stumbled across an advertisement for Oceania, and it really piqued my interest. Doing this trip via a cruise would ease a lot of the concerns about hotels and transportation throughout the country.

At any rate, we are what I would consider a 'casual upper middle class' couple. The notion of having to wear a tux, or being wedded to certain dining times and forced companionship is a turnoff. But we do enjoy great food and I love 'better than typical grocery store' wine. I'm not cracking $50+ bottles on any regular basis, but I like unique small lot value wines.

So for many reasons Oceania seems to be a pretty good option from what I've read so far.

The 'special prices' we are seeing are probably at the higher end of what we would want to pay for a trip like this...but it is something that we would strongly consider. I think we would pop for one of the lower end balcony rooms. I'd hate to take a big cruise like this and not have a balcony to really enjoy the views.

But since I'm really new to the notion of a cruise like this, and don't know anything about any of the other lines, what other lines would people recommend I research (with Oceania seeming to be the benchmark for right now)?

So we will be 40, and are pretty low key -- We won't be singing kareoke in the bar into the wee hours. My wife doesn't drink (not because she has an issue with drinking...just doesn't like the taste of alcohol much). We don't want to be on a cattle-call type of cruise with huge volumes of buffet food. We want good food that is worthy of an upper end restaurant here in the states. We don't need a lot of on deck amenities other than a workout facility, lounge chairs and a decent pool. We wouldn't want to be on a cruise with all retirees just because we'd hope to meet a few couples of our own age group...otherwise, a wide variety of ages is fine. We prefer the notion of not having a lot of kids on the ship (we love ours to death, but this is a trip away from the wonderful madness of kids). We like the notion of a port intensive cruise...and I really like the idea of seeing several locations in Italy and Greece.

Any other thoughts on other cruise lines that I should be checking out...price point being just under what Oceania is, but the other factors I mention above holding up?

Many thanks in advance! (oh, sorry for the 'book' on my first post!)

[Jana]

GrillJockey,

What you have just described is a cruise on Oceania. Throw in exceptional service with a smile, staff that learns your name and preferences, and you have everything on your wishlist.

Nothing else compares.

Jana

[takemewithyou]

You could also check out Azamara.

[SanFranCruizer]

Oceania is an excellent choice, especially if you want port-intensive and your wife doesn't drink much. That said, what time of year are you looking to go? Spring 2010? Other time? Only ask because it will be easier to help you look at other cruise options.

[StanandJim]

Grilljockey-

If you go into a cruise with realistic expectations, you'll enjoy it immensely.
I'll mention a few areas where a cruise and a land trip differ, just to give you some perspective:

1) A typical day in port on an Oceania European cruise is somewhere around 12 hours (in some ports you'll get more time, in a very few less). This time is generally enough for an overview of the sights on offer, but not much else. One of the big advantages of a land vacation, for example, is that one can tour after the day-tripping cruisers have all left for the day.

2) The so called "standard cabins" on Oceania are smallish (but so are most European hotel rooms). Shipboard bathrooms, although they are also small, are finished to an American standard, and are probably equal or superior to what you will find onshore (unless you book very deluxe accommodations).

3) The length of the cruise that you choose will strongly influence the average age of your fellow cruisers. Cruises of three weeks and less are naturally more accessible to those of us who are still working. Having sailed on Cunard, Princess, Crystal and Holland America, we would say that the older passengers who sail on O seem to be in better shape and much more physically able. Cunard, in particular, has the reputation of being Gods waiting room.

4) Oceania has discovered, through experience, that most passengers on their port intensive European cruises have little energy or interest in shipboard nightlife after a long day of touring. Don't expect a hopping Disco or ballroom dancing until dawn.

5) One on the intangible benefits of sailing with Oceania is the ease of getting on and off of a 680 passenger ship. Holland America ships are spacious, it is true, but sailing with three or four thousand is a very different experience. The onboard ambience is also very different, not so much in the furnishings and decor, but in the feeling of not being one of a crowd. It is very seldom, on Oceania, that a line will form for anything!

6) Others in this thread have suggested that you consider Azamara as an alternative to cruising on Oceania. We must admit that if you are shopping for a cruise that is similar to Oceania, Azamara is probably the closest thing out there. As you may be aware, Azamara operates ships which are a carbon copy of the Oceania ships (all having been acquired from the now defunct Renaissance Cruises). If you do a search of this forum, however, you will discover that while Azamara is cheaper, they cannot compete with Oceania in terms of quality. The Azamara experience, though similar to Oceania in broad terms, lacks the little things that makes Oceania special.

[MightyQuinn]

Originally Posted by StanandJim

5) Holland America ships are spacious, it is true, but sailing with three or four thousand is a very different experience.

Just a quick clarification. HAL has 14 ships with capacities that range from 793 pax on the Prinsendam to 2104 pax on the Eurodam. The majority of HAL vessels (the S & R class vessels) carry less than 1400 pax. Not a single HAL ship carries 3000-4000 pax.

[grilljockey]

Thanks for the great responses.

They pretty much confirm my suspicions. I caught from another thread or two that Azamara might be one to compare against. On the surface, it doesn't sound as well geared toward our interests...but I'll keep reviewing.

Not quite sure when we are going to book...but probably sometime from summer through fall of next year is likely. We have to work the calendar given the timing of the specials.

[DOJO466]

Originally Posted by grilljockey

Thanks for the great responses.

They pretty much confirm my suspicions. I caught from another thread or two that Azamara might be one to compare against. On the surface, it doesn't sound as well geared toward our interests...but I'll keep reviewing.

Not quite sure when we are going to book...but probably sometime from summer through fall of next year is likely. We have to work the calendar given the timing of the specials.

I think this is just the cruise you are looking for. This was the first cruise we ever took and fell in love with the whole experience. Since that first cruise Mar08 to Carrib, we returned again to Carrib Jan09, the Baltics Jul09(which was wonderful) and we are doing the Transatlantic Mar10. We had no idea we would take 4 cruises in a little over 2 years, that's how much we enjoyed the ship and it's crew and above all the great food.

[LHT28]

I think most people have covered everything you are looking for in a cruise.

One thing to consider ...Oceania has some good discounts on if you book prior to Dec 31 09...if you find a cruise you want for 2010 I would put a deposit NOW
The ships are filling & seem to be recovering from the past winter's econimic downturn.

Oceania regulars usually book well over a year in advance
You can read past reviews
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...ania%20Cruises

A lot of the regular O cruisers are retirees but as J & S pointed out they are very active ones
DH retired 7 years ago at 55 & even with my bum knee we are still pretty mobile. No walker yet!!

As for a balcony I have my opinion but I will share it
We found on the port intensive cruise we did not use it very much so not worth the extra $$ ...we can use the extra for shore Excursions
We love the Deck 4 cabin for the location.
Everyone has their personal preferences.

Lyn

[SanFranCruizer]

Yes, Oceania could be a good fit. My partner is in his 30's and I just turned 40 this year. We enjoyed our Oceania cruise a lot. LOVED it. For the time period you are looking, check Azamara as well. Also check the luxury cruises (Seabourn, Silversea, and Regent Seven Seas). The first two have new ships entering or already entered into service. As a consequence, they will have more rooms to fill overall, and with so many cruiselines sailing Europe now, there might be some deals to be had. Try to compare room size for similar room size. Some provide air in their cruisefare, some do not. One even provides shore excursions in their cruisefare. I would get a good travel agent to do this for you.

[dwelsh]

I just made a comparison of Oceania vs Silversea for Med. cruises in 2010.
I calculated that comparing the two, Oceania is becoming more expensive than the smaller, all inclusive SS. At $585 per diem on similar suite grades,(PH on O vs Verandah on SS) I found that SS is a much better value.
I am a O fan but not at the price i see in their 2010 brochure.

[SanFranCruizer]

Originally Posted by dwelsh

I just made a comparison of Oceania vs Silversea for Med. cruises in 2010.
I calculated that comparing the two, Oceania is becoming more expensive than the smaller, all inclusive SS. At $585 per diem on similar suite grades,(PH on O vs Verandah on SS) I found that SS is a much better value.
I am a O fan but not at the price i see in their 2010 brochure.

Yeah, this is why I am sailing Silversea to Asia in 2010. The itinerary I liked on O came out to be more expensive for me than SS. I was surprised.

[meow!]

Originally Posted by grilljockey

... with three small kids ...

Are you bringing your three small kids with you?

[jrkfrk]

Meow

If you'll read the OP's post, you'll note that they say the kids won't be with them . . . .

"We prefer the notion of not having a lot of kids on the ship (we love ours to death, but this is a trip away from the wonderful madness of kids)."

It helps to read carefully before going off on a tangent.

Fran

[caribbeansun]

Originally Posted by grilljockey

At any rate, we are what I would consider a 'casual upper middle class' couple. The notion of having to wear a tux, or being wedded to certain dining times and forced companionship is a turnoff.

O is good on these points.

But we do enjoy great food and I love 'better than typical grocery store' wine. I'm not cracking $50+ bottles on any regular basis, but I like unique small lot value wines.

Be aware that the food quality is NOT going to be comparable to better land based establishments. This was one of the biggest disappointments for me on our first O cruise due to the raving fans here talking so favourably about the food. It's average - think 3* and no better. If you have that expectation then you'll be okay. Expecting better will lead to disappointment.

I think we would pop for one of the lower end balcony rooms. I'd hate to take a big cruise like this and not have a balcony to really enjoy the views.

Seems reasonable although with very port intensive itineraries like O's we spent less time on the balcony - we did however rent a cabana for sea days which I'd recommend.

But since I'm really new to the notion of a cruise like this, and don't know anything about any of the other lines, what other lines would people recommend I research (with Oceania seeming to be the benchmark for right now)?

Given your listed preferences you're likely looking at the right place now and possibly Azamara as already noted by another poster.

So we will be 40, and are pretty low key -- We won't be singing kareoke in the bar into the wee hours.

And neither will anyone else. At 40 you'll be among the youngest on board.

[quoteWe don't want to be on a cattle-call type of cruise with huge volumes of buffet food. We want good food that is worthy of an upper end restaurant here in the states.[/quote]

Okay, no cattle calls and no fixed seating dining BUT you'll need to reign in those expectations on food quality as noted above. You are NOT going to get upper end restaurant food on O (or likely any other cruise line for that matter).

We don't need a lot of on deck amenities other than a workout facility, lounge chairs and a decent pool. We wouldn't want to be on a cruise with all retirees just because we'd hope to meet a few couples of our own age group...otherwise, a wide variety of ages is fine.

There will be a few your age or close but you will be very much in the minority.

We like the notion of a port intensive cruise...and I really like the idea of seeing several locations in Italy and Greece.

Like you my DW and I had our first experience on a caribbean cruise and really didn't enjoy it. Our next cruise was a Greek island cruise on O and we absolutely loved it. Despite our disappointment with the food we found our own way to deal with that issue so as to minimize it which included not returning to the dining room.

[Dreps]

Just another voice saying that it is probably worthwhile to check out both Regent and Silversea. Even if you don't drink that much, there are still some very attractive promotions out there because of the economic downturn. Regent has the same parent company as Oceania. With Regent's new "free" unlimited excursions, the costs can be a lot closer than you might think at first glance--especially if you want to take a lot of excursions. Also, there is no comparison between the standard cabins of the two lines.

[hondorner]

However, don't forget that most of the luxury lines mentioned still have formal nights (and some are very formal), and many still have traditional fixed seating for dinner, and many do not have Oceania's restrictive smoking policy.

[Dreps]

While it is true that both Regent and Silversea still have formal nights scheduled for 2010, it is unclear what the future dress will actually be, given that there have been recent polls undertaken by the parent company, indicating that the vast majority of Regent passengers would prefer to go elegant casual throughout. At this point, for 2010, elegant casual will be the standard and longer cruises in some regions will have a couple of formal nights.

Also, neither Regent nor Silversea has had fixed seating for years, if ever. (I think Crystal is the only luxury cruise line that still has fixed seating.)

[meow!]

Originally Posted by Dreps

Also, neither Regent nor Silversea has had fixed seating for years, if ever. (I think Crystal is the only luxury cruise line that still has fixed seating.)

The reason likely is because Crystal does not have enough seats for all passengers at once, so they must make passengers eat in shift (and watch shows in shift for that matter). Crystal tends to charge as much as Seabourn/Silversea/RSSC, their ships are much larger than the others, and their cabins are substantially smaller than the others. They do have more elaborate shows so we heard. What people crow about them is their (intangible) service, "which has to be experienced to be understood". We haven't experienced it so far, and therefore cannot understand it so well just from the numbers we can gather from the internet.

P.S. From what we can envisage, as a parable, Crystal is like Lexus, with a Toyota (mass market base and character), but upgraded and glorified, to be sold at a much higher price, presumably with lots of good service. Many people prefer them too!

[Oslo Dutch]

Service and foodwise you are probably at the right cruise line. I experience the best food and service ever encountered on a ship. The food was so good that in hindsight I really didn't have to go to a specialiy restaurants at all. But they are also excellent. Cabins are normal size like any other mass market cruise line but nevertheless comfortable. I really liked the casual dress code. Actually this cruise I've send the best dressed people on all my cruises.

You might find yourself one of the youngest on your cruise as the general age on my cruise was pretty old. Entertainment is very low profile and also targeted towards that age group.
Despite the big wow factor of food, service and a very nice classy ship I did find the general atmosphere a little sedate and dull for my liking. People kept a lot to themselves. Most of the time the ship is dead by 11pm at night. On the other side I did catch up on a lot of sleep. Oceania is definitely a very comfortable classy way of exploring the Med.