Entertainment Comparison

For those who have cruised on multiple lines, how does entertainment on Oceania compare to RCCL or Princess?

They don't have the big production shows. As far as the other entertainers go, I don't think there is much difference. I have had bad and good on other lines. Same goes for Oceania

We do not go for entertainment...I did enjoy the lead singer from the Fantom of the Opera on Crystal, but I would rather enjoy a good meal than bad entertainment.

Amen!

If one is looking for mass market entertainment Oceania is the wrong line.

We do not go for entertainment...I did enjoy the lead singer from the Fantom of the Opera on Crystal, but I would rather enjoy a good meal than bad entertainment.

Rather than telling the original poster that his question is irrelevent to you, suggest a better answer which is, while you may sometimes find quality of talent on Oceania equivalent to the larger cruise lines, you will not find the diversity/choice in types of talent and number of shows they provide.

The production shows by the staff dancers have improved in the Marina compare to last year and the guest performers are overall very good.

The cruise director Ray Michaels is top quality and you can find him all around the ship assisting passengers. He also performs one show.

Paco

Another point is the size of the stage. It simply cannot accommodate the number of performers as on larger cruise ships. Actually, when comparing Oceania to any large cruise ships, it helps to mentally scale everything down (in some cases way down).

On my Princess cruises, the production show was very good, but all other entertainment was of similar quality as on all other ships, including Oceania. A great comedian, a bad comedian etc. Wait a minute, no bad comedian on Oceania. That was on Princess. Even the Australians walked out and they are easy going.

I have not cruised with RCCL. I hope that the entertainment on their mega ships is spectacular.

O still has string quartets, which are disappearing from the mass markets.

Rather than telling the original poster that his question is irrelevent to you, suggest a better answer which is, while you may sometimes find quality of talent on Oceania equivalent to the larger cruise lines, you will not find the diversity/choice in types of talent and number of shows they provide.

Excuse me! I never said that. That was my opinion. I am going on Oceania for the the food, and small ship!

Please do not tell other people how to respond.

If entertainment is the be-all and end-all for a cruiser, than clearly Oceania is the wrong line. Even die-hard supporters don't claim that entertainment is one of O's strong suits.

We tend not to go to many shows -- we usually go to a few. Sometimes we've walked out, mostly we haven't. We do pick and choose the ones we attend based on the description since we are basically classical music people. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy a good Broadway show but then again we don't expect the equivalent of a Broadway show on O's small stages.

Whereas we probably WOULD abandon a line if we didn't like the cuisine but would NOT do so if we had to pay to do our own laundry OR must present a card whenever we order an alcoholic drink ... etc.

Mura

We like the lounge pianist and string quartet on O ships as casual entertainment. If we want Broadway quality entertainment we either see it in NYC or with the touring companies here in SF. I would guess that interest in the quality of the entertainment is not unlike the food question. For folks who live in beautiful and otherwise wonderful locations that, perhaps, are rural or non-cosmopolitan and limited when it comes to amenities, the ship food and music may be the best they see all year. But, some of us who pay the price of never finding parking (and other major urban challenges) may not care about things like the shows or La Reserve (which really doesn't excite most folks who are surrounded by two or three dozen Michelin starred restaurants and, at least for us, unparalleled wines).

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We're on Regent Mariner right now and were on the Riviera in January. The Jean Ann Ryan ensemble is excellent. They are on both lines. Also, on a small ship it is easy to get to know these young entertainers who are really nice. That adds to the cruise experience.

Interesting responses. While we don't book a cruise for the entertainment it's nice to know it is there. On one river cruise there was no entertainment at all. Just want to understand the level of entertainment so our expectations are set. We can take or leave the production shows, depending on what else is going on around ship.

Here is the result of a survey copied from Cruise Critic Reviews:

“When it comes to a new ship, I'm generally most excited about the ____.

Dining:

14.60%

Cabins:

26.29%

Entertainment:

13.21%

Itineraries:

45.90%

Total Votes: 719”

Entertainment is last on this small sample.

Cheers,

Don

entertainment is like food...subjective

not everyone will like everything ....pick what suits you

Lyn

enjoy life...it has an expiry date

Still more interesting responses. I thought it was a simple question looking for the types of entertainment to expect. Anyway, from this small sample the answer seems to be that we like to cruise even though the entertainment isn't so hot.

Still more interesting responses. I thought it was a simple question looking for the types of entertainment to expect. Anyway, from this small sample the answer seems to be that we like to cruise even though the entertainment isn't so hot.

In our experience there are small productions numbers usually 3- 4 per cruise in the show lounge, single performers EG: magician, musician, singers

Bingo, trivia Karaoke, name that tune, newlywed game etc..

string quartet in the early evenings & at tea, piano player in Martinis

Not really entertainment but some cooking demos in the lounge, lecturers during the day

On some cruises we have had a Country Fair on the pool deck with games to earn big O points

There is something to do most days & evenings if you choose to attend

Lyn

Thanks Lyn

We particularly like the strings during the tea and the piano in Martinis. We seldom come to the later piano in Martinis, and like Flatbush Flyer, production shows or other types of shows are in LA or New York. I understand some of them are good. The problem for us with the "shows" is that we eat on the early side and there is way too much time between when we finish and when we would go to a show.

One type of entertainment I would like is better DVDs...more up to date. Thinking of bringing my own on the next cruise.

I've seen mediocre touring theater productions in Atlanta so I wouldn't expect anything more or less on a cruise ship. The strings before dinner, piano in Martinis, and a simple performance/cabaret and I'm good. If I want to see high a quality show, I would go to NYC and see shows like the 2013 version of Evita (sorry, did I say that)!?!

Does anyone have a copy of a recent daily activity sheet Riviera or Marina? That would give newbies a better idea of what to expect.

I don't sail on the mega ships, where I might expect a large production show. All the mid to small size ships I've been on in the last few years have a total of 6-8 performers - both as singers and dancers. It's not about the quantity of performers, but the caliber of the performers. They've also had evening string quartets, a lounge band, a piano bar, and the occasional classical guitar player.

I am trying O for the first time for the food, but I'd like to know there's more to the ship than just the food. I just navigated more of O's site and found some great details on the entertainment. Here's the link... https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/lifestyle.aspx.

It's pretty detailed when you delve into it and it makes it seem quite varied.

Not sure how to add a link- but if you search "Oceania-Currents" you can find a Panama Canal cruise where they have a detailed list of menus, room service, and the Daily Currents for the entire cruise. The post is a few years old, but you will see the entertainment options vary each day. Hope this helps.

Does anyone have a copy of a recent daily activity sheet Riviera or Marina? That would give newbies a better idea of what to expect.

 

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One of the cruisers posted their dailies from Regatta

I would say it is pretty much the same as all the ships ..the O class ships will have cooking classes added but most look the same as here

http://www.thepreismans.com/bermuda_regatta_dailies.htm

That is really helpful. I know Regatta is a smaller ship so they only have 1 evening show. Do the larger ships have 2 evening shows?

How do the "Big O" dollars work? What types of prizes do they have? Is it key chains, ship pins or more like T-shirts or other logo gear?