sunlover12

Interesting comments about the beef.   I don't eat a lot of red meat and I rarely buy it at home. When I'm on a cruise, I splurge at one dinner and order a steak. On my most recent cruise I ordered a 7 oz filet mignon at Polo Grill and thought it was very good. It was tender and flavorful. 4 out of 5 at our table ordered it and we all liked it. Polo Grill has been my least favorite specialty restaurant in the past but on this cruise, I thought they really stepped it up.  We did however notice that their 7 layer Belgian Chocolate Cake was only 5 layers. Still good though.  My husband ordered the beef bourguignon one night at dinner in the GDR and liked it. 

I'm not a cheerleader. I just call it like I see it. I agree with LHT28 when she says that negative comments are also "influencers". 

1 hour ago, paulfoel said:

Nice ship.... Food was great. Really just don't get the idea of paying a lot of $s extra to use the premium restaurants though.....

 

It's a personal choice.  For me, the specialty restaurants are worth the extra money.  The food and service are so much better. I was on Wonder for the first time earlier this year and was very displeased with the main dining room. 

Thanks for your review. 

Something similar happened with our recent Mediterranean cruise.  We booked an Oceania excursion that was originally scheduled for 10:00 - 3:00 but then was changed to 1-6pm without explanation. The ship was scheduled to depart at 6pm.  When I called Oceania about it, they couldn't offer any information or explanation.  It wasn't until after we boarded that we found out the new departure time was 6:30.   My guess is that your new departure time is going to be around 8:45.

This was the first time this had happened to us as well. 

On 9/12/2023 at 1:52 PM, We're The Groupnors said:

The Oceania website specifically requests "casual jeans" not be worn in the dining room and specialty venues in the evenings.  To me, this would indicate that nicer, designer jeans are welcome in the evenings.  While I typically wear a dress to dinner my husband will often wear designer jeans with a collared shirt, a blazer, and dress shoes.  He always looks great, and in fact looks more put together than some others who are in chinos or slacks. 

Dress code has been discussed here ad nauseam but I have to say that it's not being enforced.  On my  Nautica cruise last month I saw a man in the GDR wearing casual everyday jeans at dinner. Definitely not nice designer jeans.   Another night I saw a woman in the GDR wearing extremely short shorts and some sort of tight-fitting tank top that I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I could not believe they let her in. I guess it was because of her fashionable shoes. It seems like just about anything goes as to what is accepted for dinner.

I'm not sure what's going on with the wines by the glass offerings but the white wines on my August cruise were awful.  I'm not a wine expert by any means but I tried a couple of them and couldn't drink it. I prefer white over red. After 3 strikes on the white wine list, I switched to a red and found it to be drinkable. The wine list may have changed somewhat from 2022, I can't recall. If this list is what is going to be offered when they switch to SM, I won't be drinking much.  As FF said, the offerings are "mediocre".

I’m not a big gambler but the casino experience is going to be dependent on the cruise. I’ve been on some Oceania cruises where the casino is not busy at all. The dealers were waiting for someone to sit down. On my recent Nautica cruise it was the opposite. Very busy. People were waiting for someone to leave the blackjack tables so they could have a seat. 
I don’t play the table games but will occasionally play the slot machines. IME, you’ll have better odds in Las Vegas than you will on a cruise ship. 

10 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Did you have the already prepared scrambled eggs or at the grille where made fresh? Few months ago on Vista had the already prepared ones and they were not too good. From the grille, excellent in my case. 

It was the already prepared scrambled eggs. 

Like I said, that the was only food I had on the whole cruise that didn't live up to quality.

I thought the food on Nautica a week ago was very good.  No complaints. Thinking back, the only thing I didn't like at any of the restaurants was the scrambled eggs at Terrace which I tried once.  I usually just have a croissant and fruit for breakfast so can't comment on the temperature of the food.  There was a Chef's Market Grill for 2 nights in Terrace while we were sailing off of Italy.  It was fabulous. Hot foods were hot. The executive chef was Mario Santoro, one of the best in my opinion.  I saw him several times roaming the ship, including at Terrace.  You know you're in good hands when he is onboard. 

No masks were provided on Nautica in August. I didn’t see anyone on the ship wearing one.  Didn’t hear or see a lot of coughing either. We’ve been home several days now and have not been sick. 

Reading the above comments -  In defense of the online survey, I've completed it on every cruise and haven't had any problems.  The login ID is your Oceania Club number which is on your card. Then you enter your birthdate and you're in. I do it on my iPhone. Never had a problem connecting to the survey on my iPhone. My technical skills are average at best and I have found it to be easy. I completed the survey in 15 minutes. Never had the need to go to the internet guy onboard for help. 

I agree that we should be allowed to complete it after we disembark however the online survey eliminates the need for huge piles of paper that will take a great deal of time to process. 

3 hours ago, deck chair said:

Hi Cruisemom42.  I understand the tradeoffs. I am only wondering about the playing times for the pianist in Martinis.  On SiRENA in January it was a dead zone from 7;15-10.  Do you have any idea since you just returned from the Insignia?  Thank you.

Deck Chair

Generally speaking, there is no live music from 7:00 - 9:30. I can't speak about Insignia but I was just on Nautica.  The majority of passengers are eating dinner at this time so it wouldn't be worthwhile for the pianist to be playing in Martinis or for any other live music being played. 

On 9/3/2023 at 3:23 PM, basor said:

I do not believe they have a Welcome Aboard party on the first day ......they do have a Captains party, usually the second night or so, and it is held in Horizons with free drinks and nibbles.  Also during the Captain's party, drinks are free all over the ship,

Just to clarify, on the R ships the Captain's reception will be held in the lounge. I believe on the O ships the reception is in Horizons.

4 hours ago, CCBB said:

Do they serve some Red Ginger dishes in the GDR of the R class ships? We particularly like the sea bass dish.

 

Not that I am aware of. I was on Nautica last week and didn’t see any Red Ginger dishes on the menu.  I wish they would. 

I was just on Nautica. This was my 7th O cruise so I guess that makes me a “regular”. Food is highly subjective. I found the food quality and preparation to be very good as always.  No complaints. 
 

It was a 7-day cruise. Barcelona to Valletta. The most apparent difference of this cruise compared to our other O cruises, which were longer, was passenger demographics. There were many first time Oceania cruisers and they were much younger on average than any of the other O cruises I’ve been on.  I am in my late 60’s and I can get around without difficulty.  I felt like one of the old ones onboard.  At the Oceania Club reception, they said that 290 of the 643 onboard were repeat customers. A vast difference from our other O cruises. 
 

If Oceania is trying to attract a younger clientele, looking at the makeup of this particular cruise, they are succeeding. It was a good cruise and we met some wonderful people. I’m glad we were on it. 

12 hours ago, jonthomas said:

Yes if the beverage package was most important to me, I would do the same.

To us food, atmosphere, very few to no kids, is what is most important. After 50 cruises with celeb, we will not return, nor will we return to azamara after 2 cruises, nor would we return to Viking after 3.

However if the 3 most important issues were to change, we would then have to rethink our choice.

We are sailing on the royal Carib Odyssey of the seas, but that's for the little grandkids to enjoy. We will put up with the nightmare so they can enjoy what a ship like that has to offer.

By the way, a reg cabin on royal Carib, way more expensive than what we pay on O, and a non refundable deposit. Not just 150pp, but the full amount.

Way too soon to write off Oceania.

I haven’t found RCCL more expensive. We’re paying quite a bit less for a Skyloft Suite on Harmony of the Seas than for a PH on Oceania although it’s dependent on the particular cruise. RC’s suite is larger. Not all deposits on RCCL are non-refundable. I believe you can choose between that and refundable. 
I like cruising on both lines for different reasons. 

@QuestionEverything  I wanted to comment on what you said about Simply More.  I understand your position about not drinking much and that you DIY shore excursions.  I haven't been on other premium cruise lines that are Oceania's direct competitors but I did look at their websites. The lines I looked at include wine and beer with meals and some offer included excursions.  Oceania is doing this to stay competitive. They know they will lose some loyal customers but they will gain more. (just my opinion).  The mass market cruise lines still offer cruise only, no drinks or excursions.  

I will be on Nautica soon for the first time. Looking forward to the awesome bread that you mentioned. Thanks for your post.

I'm on Nautica next week where O changed several of the shore excursions times, without notification to passengers. I just happened to notice it when I logged into my account. The excursion we booked was supposed to be 10-3.  It's been changed to 1-6, along with several others. The ship is scheduled to depart the port at 6:00.  So much for all aboard 30 minutes before departure.

When I called Oceania they are clueless as to any of it.  Will be interesting to see what happens.

I'm not surprised to hear this.  We just booked a 2024 river cruise in Europe with a well known company.  They require a 10% non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit.  It's the new order in the cruise travel business.   

16 hours ago, the more ports the better said:

 

Obviously, we missed Jacques and Red Ginger, but also Baristas, Trivia in Piano Bar, Terrace was much more crowded, pool much much more crowded.  Crew was a bit surly compared to O ships although stateroom attendant was fantastic as usual.

 

I'm curious about the pool being much more crowded.  I'll be on Nautica soon for the first time.  I've been on other R ships (Regatta and Sirena) and always found plenty of seating around the pool. This will be a port intensive cruise with no sea days so I'm not expecting crowds at the pool.  But I understand it does depend on the itinerary. The one thing I will miss as you do is Red Ginger.  It is my favorite specialty restaurant but I am sure I will enjoy all of the wonderful meals onboard.

Thank you for your review. 

19 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

LSUZQ:

Oh my; I had no idea that it would be this difficult, especially at 12:01 AM.  Is that Eastern Time?  I am also a newbie with a DH that has stomach issues if he has to eat late.  I booked a PH1, hoping that the earliest times would be available.  If not, I would definitely have to think about canceling ahead of the 6 months before the cruise.  I hate all these tiny little details, especially having to stay up late just to book dinner reservations on a cruise, but nothing is ever simple. 

Being in a PH, you should have no difficulty getting the times and dates you want. We book PH and this has always been true for us. We don't get on the computer at midnight.  We'll log in sometime during the next day or 2.  All times from 6:30 onward, non-sharing and sharing, have been available in each restaurant. 

Don't stress and enjoy your cruise. 

We book cruises based on itinerary. The ship and whether the cruise is included in a sale or not is secondary. Most of the O cruises we have sailed on have not been included in any of the cabin upgrade sales, ESS, etc etc.  I'm not going to choose a cruise because it's "on sale". 

Oceania offers interesting itineraries at reasonable prices and that is why we will keep cruising with them.

15 hours ago, jwindham said:

If they do an App and do NOT make me use it that would be fine. Did my last RCCL cruise last October to celebrate my birthday with a friend who had never cruised. They kept telling me that what I need to know was in the App and the only reason I knew what to do or to ask about was because I was diamond with them. I turn my phone off and throw it in a drawer when cruising and that will never change. I was raised by a mother that took the phone off the hook to take a nap. I am just not going to be that connected. I have a great camera for pictures that is water proof so I can use it snorkeling or can take pictures in the rain as I had to in Iceland on my one and only trip there. And it fits in my pocket and I plan to use it next February in Antarctica as it can go to zero in temp. But I understand this day and age people wanting that technology. Just do not make me have to use it if I want a simpler life style. Julia

If O had an App, I would opt in. I've also cruised on RCCL and found their app not only very useful but it  cuts down on paper substantially.  The end of cruise invoice on RCCL is sent via email. Eliminates many reams of paper.  Contrast that to Oceania where you get numerous pieces of paper every day in your cabin. At the end of the cruise that pile is big. Multiply that by the number of cabins and that is a lot of paper.

I am not obsessive with my phone but I don't turn it off and put it away for the length of the cruise. When I'm off the ship for a shore excursion or just walking around town, there is absolutely no way I would go without carrying my phone.

As has been mentioned, boarding times are no longer assigned based on cabin category.  However there is a separate (usually shorter) line for PH suites and above after you check in with the port authority.

This is what they did in Lisbon last year. I'll see what they do in Barcelona in a few weeks.

4 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Never  see these contests   where do you sign up?

 

Usually the spa is open for tours in the afternoon

Waves is open as usual to 4pm   IME  

It'll be around 5:00 on embarkation day in the spa.  No need to sign up.  Just show up and put your name in the hat for a chance to win a massage, etc. This is what they did on my Sirena cruise last fall. 

I agree with pinotlover that the Canary Islands itinerary is popular.  I was also on that Sirena cruise last fall. We were waitlisted and got a confirmed booking a couple months later. It was sold out.

A couple of days ago I got a similar email as susiesan for my August Nautica cruise in the Mediterranean. The offer was $3799 cash back per stateroom for switching to Riviera in the Mediterranean in October, or cancel and get a full refund.  The itinerary was very different from Nautica's so we are not interested. However it's a great deal if you're not choosy about the itinerary and your plans are flexible.