Oceana bumping into Luxury Status?

With Oceana's recently announced early booking amenities, the consistently great food reviews, the arrival of the 684 passenger Sirena, I wonder if Oceana is not approaching the luxury category. We have sailed Crystal and have a trip booked on Seabourn, paying an even higher premium than we did for Crystal. We loved Crystal but wanted to try a smaller, more intimate ship, but with the highest possible standards for food/service. I would venture that Oceana is probably 2/3 of what Seabourn is costing, and still less than Crystal. Perhaps they are worth a more serious look.

Not sure they will be luxury like Crystal or Seabourn but it may be worth trying

OCEANIA is still a nice line ;)

Personally I do not think being on a bus with 30-40 people for a free excursion a luxury ;)

YMMV

It takes more than small size and good food to be considered a luxury line, IMO......to me, it's also about the service (quality and quantity), the atmosphere, and the furnishings/amenities.

There are certainly aspects of Hyatt Hotels (my analogy of Oceania if Oceania was a hotel) that are luxurious but no in total they are not luxury hotels but again quite excellent.

Keith

Luxury cruise lines are

1. All inclusive

2. Open seating dining

3. High staff to passenger ratio with an intuitive service level (they know what you want before you do)

4. The guest can have what they want, when they want, within reason of course. For example, caviar and champagne delivered to you pool side and complimentary of course

This is the standard that the top luxury agents in the US (Virtuoso) have always used in the past. Crystal use to be considered the top Premium category line and not luxury due to the fact they were not all inclusive and did not offer anytime dining. They now are in the luxury category with Seabourn, Regent, Silversea and SeaDream.

Any sales and marketing department can say they are luxury but certain standards have to be present.

Luxury cruise lines are

1. All inclusive

2. Open seating dining

3. High staff to passenger ratio with an intuitive service level (they know what you want before you do)

4. The guest can have what they want, when they want, within reason of course. For example, caviar and champagne delivered to you pool side and complimentary of course

 

This is the standard that the top luxury agents in the US (Virtuoso) have always used in the past. Crystal use to be considered the top Premium category line and not luxury due to the fact they were not all inclusive and did not offer anytime dining. They now are in the luxury category with Seabourn, Regent, Silversea and SeaDream.

 

 

Any sales and marketing department can say they are luxury but certain standards have to be present.

So how did Crystal get in that group if the "standards" haven't been changed?

So how did Crystal get in that group if the "standards" haven't been changed?

Sorry if I wasnt clear. The standards didn't change but Crystal did change. Crystal is now considered part of the list of luxury cruise brands as they now offer an all inclusive product and also offer anytime dining which they call dining by Reservation. They were considered the top premium line before they changed to all inclusive and added the dining by reservation.

Sorry if I wasnt clear. The standards didn't change but Crystal did change. Crystal is now considered part of the list of luxury cruise brands as they now offer an all inclusive product and also offer anytime dining which they call dining by Reservation. They were considered the top premium line before they changed to all inclusive and added the dining by reservation.

No, they don't offer anytime or open seating dining.......They offer exactly what it says - dining by reservation - which is still a fixed and pre-chosen dining time.

Sounds to me like someone adjusted their interpretation of the standards in order to fit what was obviously a luxury product into the luxury category.

 

This is the standard that the top luxury agents in the US

Any sales and marketing department can say they are luxury but certain standards have to be present.

it is just an interpretation made up by TA group to market the cruises & call them Luxury

Crystal was always in the luxury category

Exactly. Crystal has always been a luxury line. And Oceania will never be one.

Exactly. Crystal has always been a luxury line. And Oceania will never be one.

You are right.

Keith

it is just an interpretation made up by TA group to market the cruises & call them Luxury

 

Crystal was always in the luxury category

Respectfully no. I was an invited guest on the maiden voyage of the Symphony in

May 1995 from NYC . Left in pouring rain but I had a balcony for the first time and stood on it I thought the ship was one if the prettiest I ever saw. At the Q and A the question about product positioning came up and IIRC it was Adrienne who was a regional director said "that while we are not all inclusive and have two seating dining WE consider ourselves luxury". I am of course not quoting it verbatim but you get the gist.

My point is that Crystal knew they didn't meet the standards but none the less they consider themselves luxury Posters can consider a non all inclusive ship and a two seating dining ship luxury. Doesn't make it so. I can consider myself to look like Christie Brinkley. Doesn't make it so

So by what standard is a product luxury. If we throw out all inclusive and open seating then heck yeah let's call Oceania luxury

If we throw out all inclusive and open seating then heck yeah let's call Oceania luxury

I think the only people that are calling Oceania a luxury line are the TA's that are trying to sell their product

Even the CEO calls Oceania a premium line

I like Douglas Ward's definition of Luxury that you can read in his annual Ocean Cruising Book which to me is the best book on cruising around.

"Luxury Cruising should be a flawless combination of ship, facilities, food and service.

As Douglas Ward also notes typically the luxury ships have a better crew to passenger ratio, and an excellent amount of open deck and lounging space and a higher passenger space ratio than other types of ships.

He also noted that Marketing folks have diluted the word luxury and I couldn't agree more and I feel the same way about the use of premium.

Keith

My point is that Crystal knew they didn't meet the standards but none the less they consider themselves luxury Posters can consider a non all inclusive ship and a two seating dining ship luxury. Doesn't make it so. I can consider myself to look like Christie Brinkley. Doesn't make it so

 

So by what standard is a product luxury. If we throw out all inclusive and open seating then heck yeah let's call Oceania luxury

Well, it hasn't stopped my TA (also a Virtuoso agent) from calling it a luxury line. Nor other TAs I spoke to about cruising.

Personally, I don't care, since what I want in a luxurious vacation doesn't depend on what pigeon holes travel agents have created. But it strikes me as odd that you keep changing your mind that Crystal either is or isn't a "luxury line" by your standards.

having cruised in a luxury ship, I would not classify Oceania as luxury. It is upscale from other lines but not luxury.

TAs are not the ones who designate what line is a luxury line. They may use the term to help sell a product but that's not the same, any more than a Hyundai salesman telling you that his product is a luxury car.

TAs are not the ones who designate what line is a luxury line. They may use the term to help sell a product but that's not the same, any more than a Hyundai salesman telling you that his product is a luxury car.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'd rather have the opinion of a luxury specialist then some random passenger. I unfortunatly had to go on a Princess Cruise. I thought it was equivalent of the Staten Island Ferry. Random peoole I talked to thought it was luxury.

So who sets the luxury standard? some random passenger with no frame of reference? A cruise ine marketing department? Let them all say they are luxury.

TAs are not the ones who designate what line is a luxury line. They may use the term to help sell a product but that's not the same, any more than a Hyundai salesman telling you that his product is a luxury car.

You obviously haven't owned or driven the Genesis. I will no longer drive Lexus or Mercedes. The Genesis is just as luxurious and drives better.

JD Power says it IS a luxury car so the salesman is correct

People should choose a cruise line or car based on their wants & needs not on some marketing people that tell them it is the best :rolleyes:

Maybe people on Princess feel it is a luxury for them not everyone want to be Crystalized

Enjoy life it has an expiry date

So who sets the luxury standard? some random passenger with no frame of reference? A cruise ine marketing department? Let them all say they are luxury.

Usually it is an industry association that represents all participants in the industry (not just a select group) that designate standards for various levels of a group. If not, the standards are relatively meaningless.

I think Douglas Ward does a great job of categorizing the cruise lines and their ships.

Keith

It's interesting how different organizations and people want to define ships. Some are hung up on this AI however the Europa2 has the highest rating of any cruise ship and is not AI, as a example. The only reason I can see for putting a ship or line in a named box is so everyone is do impressed when you name drop. In real life its the itinerary, style of trip, cost and food that people use to pick a vacation.

You obviously haven't owned or driven the Genesis. I will no longer drive Lexus or Mercedes. The Genesis is just as luxurious and drives better.

 

JD Power says it IS a luxury car so the salesman is correct

The Genesis also costs nearly as much as a Mercedes. I was referring to the regular Hyundai models which many find luxurious enough. That doesn't makes them a luxury product.

The CEO of Oceania (and Regent and NCL) states that Oceania is not a luxury line - it is premium-plus. Having sailed on two luxury lines - Regent and Silversea, I do see many differences between them and Oceania (and we did enjoy Oceania).