Redtravel

All of the ships are beautiful. They are well maintained. Things work. They are spotlessly clean. I can’t say that about some of the other cruise lines that I have sailed on. You will have a great time on any of the Oceania ships. The R ships(Insignia, Sirena, Nautical, and Regatta) are old. They were originally built for Renaissance Cruise line. Oceania refurbished these ships. They are smaller than Oceania other ships. They can get into ports that size restrictions. They have a cozy atmosphere. Cabins can be rather small. Suites are my preference on those ships. Riviera, Marina, and Vista are truly spectacular. They were built for Oceania. The furnishings are luxurious. Cabin size is big even in the standard categories. My choice is a veranda cabin. So how do I select which ship to book. It usually depends on itinerary, ease of transportation, time, and cabin availability. Add to that Simply More. Where and what type of excursions are available. If sailing on a cruise that have excursions that interest me, booking Oceania is attractive.

Not a contest. Enjoy whichever one is on the ship that you are sailing on. I have had the pleasure of enjoying both restaurants. The food is carefully prepared and presented. They both provide an experience that is unlike the usual cruise cuisine. Oceania prides itself on having “the best food at sea”. The food is good in all venues. Given the variety of dining venues, you can explore new cuisines or select items that are longtime favorites. We had a great time dining on Vista.

When I read this thread, I contacted my TA. She said that Oceania cannot be booked without Simply More. Thought maybe I had missed a change in things. We are on Vista now. Nice cruise. However, since we seldom drink and don’t do excursions in the Caribbean, we choose not to rebook as we have previously. Add to that the price increases for same 10 night cruise in 2025 (50% more than this year), we are not rebooking. Also, the onboard incentive isn’t as good as last time we booked onboard. We are booked on a European cruise for spring 2024 with SM. On that cruise we wanted excursions. Next winter we will not be on Oceania.

It would be nice if O would sell cruise only again. Often we will rebook while we are onboard. We are now on Vista. It is a 10 day Caribbean cruise. We don’t take excursions. With disability, we often don’t get off in some ports. With Simply More, the only option,we are not even considered rebooking. We seldom drink. We are looking for something else for winter 2025. If it is true that you can buy cruise only,I would rebook.

Pool deck can be a great place to relax. It can also be very nasty. A gentleman asked the pool attendant to move a chaise out of the sun. He moved it to the end of a row of chaises under cover. It didn’t block the open passageway. A bit later, the man who had the chaise that had been the end of the row returned to his chaise. He saw the gentleman sitting on the chaise that had become the end of the row. The man yelled out loud enough that everyone could hear, “I picked the chaise that was at the end of the row so that I wouldn’t have anyone next to me.” They sat there quietly just looking at each other. It was tense. Eventually they started talking and things cooled down. I have never seen such behavior on Oceania before this cruise.

Reception said that the only thing that can be moved is property of Oceania. Library books, brochures, cups, cans, menus, straws, etc. You cannot touch a guest’s property. Today We wanted 2 adjacent lounges. Found single lounges here and there. Then I spotted a 2 lounges with empty lounges on either side. None were occupied by actual people. Only thing on the chaise was an O library book. Moved it. That was at 10 am. At 1:30 a person appeared and asked why we had her chair. After all she put a book on it. Book was still on the empty chair. She put more stuff on that chair and left to go to a lecture. We left at 2 to get some lunch. We took our used towels off the chaises. Years ago, I sailed on the Atlantic. You had an assigned teak chaise. Your name was on the chair. Maybe we should resumed assigned chairs.

When I read the thread title I questioned it. Having sailed many times on O, never had chair hogs. That was until today. On Vista. It’s a port day. Usually on a port day, there’s no problem finding seating by the pool. After lunch, we thought that we would sit there. Nothing. Not that many people out there. Everything was littered with stuff. Asked at reception and was told that they don’t remove personal belongings. Frustrated .

Having different food options is good.

Useless. If you fill with ice water, they sweat. They melt quickly. I don’t use them. I leave them behind. I bring my own insulated container.

On Vista now. Still getting Bvlgari toiletries. Small bottles of shampoo/shower gel, conditioner, body lotion, soaps, vanity kit, and shower cap. Sewing kit is now on request.

No. Didn’t book a tour. We booked cruise only before SM. If I hear anything about canceled excursions, I will post.

Maybe we’ll get an answer. On Vista, we skipped St. Barts today. It was a tender port. Captain said that the high winds made tendering dangerous. In stead we have a sea day.

Got to try Aquamar. I had the chicken pita. Spouse had a salad bowl. It has table service. For those who like being served, it’s an option.

There are 2 types of OBC. OBC from WS promo cannot be used for tips. It often surprises guests. It can be used for drinks, excursions, WiFi, store purchases. OBC from a TA might be used for tips. If it is a gift, it’s refundable. You can use it for anything. You can also get it back in cash or credit card. How do know? look at your onboard account.

Once you are onboard, there are more time slots open.

When I read the thread title I questioned it. Having sailed many times on O, never had chair hogs. That was until today. On Vista. It’s a port day. Usually on a port day, there’s no problem finding seating by the pool. After lunch, we thought that we would sit there. Nothing. Not that many people out there. Everything was littered with stuff. Asked at reception and was told that they don’t remove personal belongings. Frustrated .

We had dongs. They asked for dollars. In many places having dollars is preferable.

Us dollars

That works for me. Marina is a beautiful ship. In some ways, I like it more than Vista. I would gladly book on Marina, Vista, or Riviera. We have sailed on the smaller R ships on Oceania and Azamara. Sirena refit looks nice. However, the cabin size is small. Bathroom is tiny. We choose to not book any R ships. Choosing a cruise has lots of components. For me my choices are time, itinerary, size of ship, and fare. Cruise line choice also makes a difference. We gave up big ships for many reasons. Mass market isn’t our way of traveling.

Like Marina. Like the dark wood furnishings. It looks classy. Like the bathroom with tub and shower. It’s going to renovated like Riviera this spring. Going to remove tubs and fit with larger shower. Add Aquamar cafe. Refurnish the soft goods too. Will be on Marina in May. Looking forward to the refit.

Thanks.

Nam is an amazing place. It’s mainly a young country with hard working, polite people who are thrilled to have the tourist business. There is very little talk about the American War. We call it the Vietnam war.

When we first got to Saigon, our guide gave us a lesson in how to cross a street. Wait at curb until you gather at least 15 people who also want to cross. Form a wall or mass together and walk as a group. Traffic is crazy. They don’t stop or stay in lane. It’s a free for all. Motor scooters carry entire families and their stuff. Good luck in Vietnam. It’s an amazing place.

On Vista now. Cabin B is good. It is set up similar to Riviera/Marina. Closet opens in the entry way instead of next to the bed. It’s smaller, but adequate. Above the safe are 2 deep shelves. The desk has 4 drawers. In the bathroom there is a cabinet with 3 shelves. Elbow that there is a counter with 4 drawers. Under the sink, there is a huge drawer. We had no trouble finding storage for our clothing. We have lots of unused drawers. Like the blue night light and the under vanity lighting. The digital do not disturb/ makeup room replaces the old signage. Bathroom is spacious with a big walk-in shower. Water pressure is good. Still getting Bvlgari toiletries. No sewing kit. Veranda has 2 comfy chairs and a table.

My spouse uses canes and walkers. When driving to a cruise port, bringing the walker made a great difference. Hesitated to bring the walker when flying, we left it home. As time progressed, using a walker has become essential. Now we fly and take the walker. On cruises, it makes getting around easier. Great in the buffet. Put food on seat and roll to a table. Use a DRIVE rollator. Got it at Goodwill Medical Store. Cost $100. It was in perfect condition.