Oceana - few Q's

Hi

first time posting, but long time lurker :-)

We're booked onto Oceana for our first ever cruise, and have a few questions;

1 - Our balcony cabin is on Lido deck - are there any downsides to this deck? Do these balconies have glass fronts? If we're forward facing, can we watch the sailaway from our cabin?

2 - We've booked our parking through P&O, and the travel docs say to go to the short term car park to park the car. I have mobility difficulties - is the short term car park right near the terminal where we embark? I've filled out the med questionnaire, and will have a travel wheelchair, but hubby won't be able to carry luggage and push me so I will have to walk from car to terminal

3 - I've seen lots of posts about packing less luggage and more cash - what is cash needed for? Does everything you buy (drinks, spa treatments etc) not just go on your onboard account?

4 - we're on a saver fare so dining allocation won't be given to us until we embark. If we're allocated late sitting, can we override that by paying for one of the a la carte restaurants, or will you always have to eat at the same time regardless of where you eat. I'm seriously dreading being given late dining - I have to eat around 6pm-7pm to take medication and 8pm is waay too late for me.

Thanks for your help

Hi

 

first time posting, but long time lurker :-)

 

We're booked onto Oceana for our first ever cruise, and have a few questions;

 

1 - Our balcony cabin is on Lido deck - are there any downsides to this deck? Do these balconies have glass fronts? If we're forward facing, can we watch the sailaway from our cabin?

 

2 - We've booked our parking through P&O, and the travel docs say to go to the short term car park to park the car. I have mobility difficulties - is the short term car park right near the terminal where we embark? I've filled out the med questionnaire, and will have a travel wheelchair, but hubby won't be able to carry luggage and push me so I will have to walk from car to terminal

 

3 - I've seen lots of posts about packing less luggage and more cash - what is cash needed for? Does everything you buy (drinks, spa treatments etc) not just go on your onboard account?

 

4 - we're on a saver fare so dining allocation won't be given to us until we embark. If we're allocated late sitting, can we override that by paying for one of the a la carte restaurants, or will you always have to eat at the same time regardless of where you eat. I'm seriously dreading being given late dining - I have to eat around 6pm-7pm to take medication and 8pm is waay too late for me.

 

Thanks for your help

3 - all onboard purchases are charged to your onboard account but you will also need some cash for going ashore and if you are a casino lover they take cash (or account)

4 - If the dining time does not suit you try getting it changed once you are aboard, lots of people do. Explain your medical issue, you might get lucky.

fixed dining times only apply to club dining in the main dining room. If you are allocated freedom dining or choose to eat in The Cafe Jardin, Horizon Grill or the Plaza buffet you can eat whenever you want. Of course the Plaza buffet is free and can be a good alternative to the main dining room.

Hi

 

 

4 - we're on a saver fare so dining allocation won't be given to us until we embark. If we're allocated late sitting, can we override that by paying for one of the a la carte restaurants, or will you always have to eat at the same time regardless of where you eat. I'm seriously dreading being given late dining - I have to eat around 6pm-7pm to take medication and 8pm is waay too late for me.

 

Thanks for your help

If you're happy to pay for Café Jardin and the Horizon Grill (the speciality restaurants on Oceana) you can eat any time you want. I posted the menus for CJ recently. However, it begs the question why you booked a saver fare when the time you eat is so important?

We returned from Oceana 3 weeks ago

You don't need cash on board unless you want to give extra tips at the end of the voyage. You sign for everything even small purchases in the ship's shop.

Re Dining - if you get put into 2nd sitting - go and see the maître d'hôtel in the dining room

Tip him a £10 note and explain your wishes. I m sure you will get what you want. We found everybody in the mdr exceptionally helpful.

Cafe Jardin is very nice but the portions are very substantial.

The Plaza is a nice room but remains a self service buffet.

Horizon only really works when the weather warms up.

Have a great cruise!

If there are valid medical reasons which in this case there are, if you don't get first sitting or freedom dining you should see maître D in main dining room once you are settled onboard. You shouldn't need a £10 note as previously suggested. Alternative dining areas are available. The Plaza is a buffet that usually has themed nights where you just turn up and help yourself. Great views of the sea as it is at front of the ship. Cafe Jardin is excellent and good value at £5:25 I think. Also good for light breakfast and lunch for free. Horizon grill is also great and again good value at £8:50. In good weather, you eat outside, in poor weather, they use a separate area of the Plaza. You will need to book the 2 speciality restaurants so best to book early.

If your car parking has been booked with P&O it will be with CPS. You turn up at the terminal and they will unload your car, take your luggage to be loaded onto the ship and drive your car away. It is a short walk to check in but if you have a wheelchair there should be no problem.

Have a great cruise.

Yes the balcony is glass fronted

I can't understand why your parking instructions direct you to the short term car park unless it's a 2 night cruise you are on, when it's self parking. Otherwise it valet parking.

Brian

If you're happy to pay for Café Jardin and the Horizon Grill (the speciality restaurants on Oceana) you can eat any time you want. I posted the menus for CJ recently. However, it begs the question why you booked a saver fare when the time you eat is so important?

Which is the question I had running through my head.

Up until now if you were not happy with your allocated dining time you could change it. Which people have been doing. However from April sailings the new T and C come into effect.

I do not think it would be possible to change your dining at all, whether or not you try and bribe the md or not.

Did you mention your eating requirements at all when you booked or not. They could have had a fighting chance then...now you will be in the pot with all the other saver fares.

If you get the sitting you do not want you will have to eat in the buffet or pay for places every night.

Might seem a little harsh, but if they did it for one saver fare payer they would have to do it for ever saver fare payer.

Woo. Thank you for all your help

In answer to tartan exile, the Saver was £500 each cheaper than select. And it's only the meal time that's really important - the cabin was less so

So made an executive decision that we could eat in the speciality restaurants all 7 nights for less than £500 each

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Yes parking was booked with the holiday, so that sounds good too

SO exciting!

We live in IOW so really looking forward to a relaxed journey to our holiday. Ferry over to Soton, drive round the corner, embark :-)

Going over tomorrow to do some shopping so will do a dry run

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So glad you are happy to pay for the dining. You will have a lovely holiday. Thing is once you have done one, it is very very habit forming.

It must be really really lovely living on the IOW. That is my dream one day.

It was my dream for 20 years too and we moved over last year. Love it here

We're already looking ahead to what other cruises we would like to go on. I suspect we will have found our new addiction - cruising out of Soton :-)

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Oops forgot to say; the dining request was stated on my medical questionnaire too

My gut feeling says we'll get the early dining, and whenever I think/dream about the trip, we're always eating early. I think that's the 'message from the angels' telling me not to worry about it :-)

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If you booked the Early Saver, as we have, then you get second priority for dining options. There's a section on the trip personaliser where you enter what you would like. If you're not using the on line personaliser give P&O a ring. I found them very helpful. There is no guarantee though. Hope you have a fab time. We're not going until the end of June, and it's our first time too! ;)

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Oops forgot to say; the dining request was stated on my medical questionnaire too

 

My gut feeling says we'll get the early dining, and whenever I think/dream about the trip, we're always eating early. I think that's the 'message from the angels' telling me not to worry about it :-)

 

 

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Please make sure you come back on here and let us know what happened :) Have a good cruise.

Oops forgot to say; the dining request was stated on my medical questionnaire too

 

My gut feeling says we'll get the early dining, and whenever I think/dream about the trip, we're always eating early. I think that's the 'message from the angels' telling me not to worry about it :-)

 

 

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So you did mention it at the time of booking. Even though it is a saver booking they will do their best to accommodate you .

I think you need to worry more about the addiction to cruising once you have done this one.

Last year we did a 4 day cruise, then drove along the road to the ferry terminal, then across to the IOW. Part of the stay was in Shanklin, so we got to watch the cruise ships of an evening, as they sailed past.

Then we did a train down to S'hampton, free bus to the ferry terminal, and red jet to Cowes...then we stayed in Seaview. Very nice but more than a tad expensive-especially with our cruising addiction!!!!!

The balconies on Oceana are cutouts within the hull structure and not added on like Ventura/Azura, so the opening is a rather large square cut out with rounded corners, and not glass fronted.The lower half is the steel hull of the ship.

Yes you can stay on your balcony for the sailaway.

The balconies on Oceana are cutouts within the hull structure and not added on like Ventura/Azura, so the opening is a rather large square cut out with rounded corners, and not glass fronted.The lower half is the steel hull of the ship.

Yes you can stay on your balcony for the sailaway.

I was worried about the cut out balconies having experienced a glass fronted balcony on a Celebrity ship ..... then I remembered that it was a great place to place your wine glasses when celebrating at each sailaway. ;)

Hiya

We're on board Oceana now and waiting to sail out this evening

Thought I'd give you a quick update on the dining allocation after my question here and your lovely helpful responses

We've been allocated freedom dining! :-)

It's a big win as we can eat even earlier than in the main dining room as freedom starts at 6pm hehe

The English Lady - I feel very dim now as we live in Shanklin and holidayed there for 20 years prior to moving to the island - yet I had no idea that the cruise ships sail past there! Lol!

Will wave to home as we sail past tonight tho

I'll come back and post my full review when we get back, but thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread and answered my questions

Last hour of Internet before I begin a 7 day digital detox (I've chosen to not purchase wifi access because I'm glued to social media 15 hours a day usually (I run a social media business) so have handed over the reins to the business to my assistant for a week and I'm switching off!)

Laters

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Hiya

 

We're on board Oceana now and waiting to sail out this evening

 

Thought I'd give you a quick update on the dining allocation after my question here and your lovely helpful responses

 

We've been allocated freedom dining! :-)

 

It's a big win as we can eat even earlier than in the main dining room as freedom starts at 6pm hehe

 

The English Lady - I feel very dim now as we live in Shanklin and holidayed there for 20 years prior to moving to the island - yet I had no idea that the cruise ships sail past there! Lol!

 

Will wave to home as we sail past tonight tho

 

I'll come back and post my full review when we get back, but thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread and answered my questions

 

Last hour of Internet before I begin a 7 day digital detox (I've chosen to not purchase wifi access because I'm glued to social media 15 hours a day usually (I run a social media business) so have handed over the reins to the business to my assistant for a week and I'm switching off!)

 

Laters

 

 

 

 

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Great. I'm so pleased for you. Hope you have a wonderful time!;)

Looking forward to hearing how the cruise goes! I am sure you will enjoy it! Have fun!

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