OzAbroad

There is no itinerary I haven't enjoyed and a med cruise is always fun. But for me the exceptional cruises were Valparaiso to Tahiti (incl Easter Island) and Barcelona to Dubai (incl Malta, Egypt, Israel and Jordan).

I embarked on Nautica on 16 October and she had new carpets and soft furnishings in public areas so I assume a refresh had just happened - she looked great. Restaurants were Polo and Toscana.

I have embarked from Barcelona twice within a little over a year and have walked on board without any queues, but then I never arrive at midday. If you leave it until 2ish you will find life much easier and usually your stateroom will be ready for you.

Hotels I recommend are H10 Mimosa, Hotel 1898 and Hotel Do. All are in good positions. Hotel Do is pricey but the location is hard to beat.

I doubt it - last time we were in Venice on Insignia we didn't because an Azamara ship was in SB. I suspect its usually the small ships that dock there.

Personally I love them both The big issue is the extra specialty restaurants on the O ships, the artists loft and culinary centre. Otherwise they feel very similar. Obviously there are other differences, some have mentioned the library with many preferring the R ships, and personally I think the barista works better on the O ships.

I prefer the theatre on the R ships and the grand dining room on O ships, I like Horizons on the R ships better and the fitness centre on O ships. The bathrooms on the O ships are better but the storage in staterooms I think works better on the R ships.

If I had a choice I would tend to go with the O ships but its really not a big deal and I don't think it will be a significant issue for you.

On longer cruises concierge makes more sense. On a 37 day South American and Pacific cruise we had a concierge stateroom and felt it was worth it. We were near the lounge and used it less for sitting in and more for arranging tours, bookings etc with the concierge staff who were very helpful. Also cruises that might involve a number of long port day tours concierge is also nice for the hot breakfast. On the R ships for some the extra specialty restaurant bookings may also be valuable. But only if the cost isn't too high.

Travel works well when you do both - we often combine land and cruise experiences

We continue to sail Celebrity when the itinerary and the timing is right. Having said that we have only sailed twice with them, once on the old Century which was OK but not something we would repeat, and once on Solstice in Aqua class a year ago.

That last experience was something I would happily repeat. We very much enjoyed the private restaurant and the Solstice class ships and would probably only sail in Aqua or above. It gives the big ship a smaller ship feel. On a cool weather cruise the solarium is delightful and the ships are wonderfully designed.

The food was good in Blu fro dinner and breakfast and also in the specialty restaurants, the main dining room we only visited once for lunch but we felt no need to explore it further.

Most sailings cast off around 5-6 In winter in N america thats after sunset. Nothing beats being on deck or in Horizons

 

One of the best experiences I have seen is the Terrace, departing Vancouver BC, about 1.5 after departing in late August/September on Regatta. As you approach Vancouver Isl. at sunset the Capt will some times turn the ship 360 its that good for the sunset.

 

Best departure I have seen are San Diego, San Francisco, Vancouver BC Juneau, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Honolulu

I would add Venice and Kotor

Have sailed Azamara and Oceania but more often on O. The larger ships on Oceania are in a class of their own and significantly exceed Azamara which has only the R ship offering. At that level the comparison is less distinct. I like both lines offering. I probably prefer Oceania for its slightly smarter and more elegant feel, but enjoyed Azamara's friendliness and more versatility in how they use the ship. Quite elegant dinners on the pool deck, functions ashore and wine of the day provided free.

I think the food on Oceania is a nudge ahead but I liked them both, and the entertainment is not great on either. I think they are more similar than different.

I prefer O and love both the R and larger ships. The ambiance is a little more polished and the food better. Having said that I am a big fan of the Solstice class ships, and if you sail Aqua class or in a suite your experience is not much different to O, and in fact having your own restaurant for breakfast and dinner is great.

You really notice the difference when dining in the main dining room, but then some people like the larger cruise ship banqueting hall feel. The Solstice ships have a heap of amenities and I think are wonderfully designed so you rarely feel crowded. On less warm cruises the solarium is great while on O ships their is no indoor pool.

The specialty restaurants are comparable and X has the "advantage" of pay for use which means you are less limited in when you go and how often. Murano is better in my view than Jacques, and Tuscan grill similar to Polo, Red Ginger is better than Silk Harvest. The bars on X are more varied but not quite as stylish as O.

Neither is all inclusive but O is more so.

In the end O is more intimate and the food and service are a nudge ahead but at a higher price. X can get pretty close but for me I would need to sail Aqua class.

Incidentally I am just off an X cruise and cleanliness and maintenance on the ship was fine.

Cruised between Singapore and Hong Kong in January and experienced some of the calmest seas on any cruise.

We arrive a couple of days pre cruise, & while we will be vigilant, plan to explore this intriguing city. While keeping abreast of current news, I do not plan to live in fear. Life is meant for living.

Good attitude

We cruised from Istanbul as a family last year (for the second time) and absolutely love the city. It felt perfectly safe. The reality is that a terror incident can happen anywhere at any time, and is just as likely in a US city.

Have done this crossing once in January 2012 and it involved some heavy seas. These waters can be rough - be prepared.

Have a wonderful time in Istanbul - its on my top 5 favourite cities list - would go back again tomorrow

I haven't cruised on every line so its a little hard to comment but on those I have I would put Oceania first. Frankly I don't think the main dining rooms on any ships are that great. I have no complaints about the food on Azamara and I think the specialty restaurants on Oceania and Azamara are comparable, and Murano on Celebrity is every bit as good.

I have not sailed on Quest but I have on Journey (January this year) and on the Insignia on the voyage being reviewed. Journey was in good shape but a little faded. Oceania has a clear edge in decor, tableware, bedding and presentation and the pillows on Journey were just awful. Food was similar I thought and I didnt experience the same menu complaints on Insignia (I dont like Pork either - but I love shellfish) but I didnt eat in the MDR very often and in Istanbul I ate lunch ashore (glad I did - I detest Mexican). The service was far warmer on Azamara with the officers more visible and the cruise director on our Azamara voyage was second to none. I agree with all the comments about the shuttle experiences we had with Oceania, and was miffed to note that it was Quest that was docked in San Basilio in Venice while we were in Marittima.

Azamara tends to use the ship more and we enjoyed the nights we could dine on the pool deck. It took alot of effort transforming it but they did a great job. I also like that wines of the day are included, and dont mind the surcharge for the specialty restaurants as it made them more available when you wanted them. Aqualina was a stand out. Waves wins.

Afternoon tea is an Oceania winner. Azamara had it on sea days and in Aqualina. I prefer the way Oceania use Horizons, it just didnt seem the same on Journey. But then I prefer the placement of Mosaics to Baristas.

In the end thought these lines have more in common than differences and I would happily sail on either. Azamara is going to have to give some thought to a refresh for these ships sometime soon.

No, the Wine Bottle Discounts involved higher-end bottles of wine, not the mediocre plonk that is served by the glass as part of the overpriced beverage packages. No comparison. Big loss to those of us who enjoy better quality wines.

Agree completely but then I am developing an obsessive dislike of drinks packages but it seems that the Drinks package strategy has claimed another casualty. On a very recent 12 day cruise I saw no wine bottle auctions or discount offers either. Add the loss of wine bottle discounts to a reduced and less diverse wine list (its still pretty diverse but not what it once was - sommelier confirmed), and what seemed to me to be slower service for those of us that still want bottles of wine.

Exactly

You can pay thousands on o just to cruise in an inside cabin

An o cruise ruined or affected by screaming out of control toddlers is no small matter

 

 

 

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I am afraid this is the risk of travelling with other humans. My worst cruise experience by far was on an Oceania cruise when an adult neighbour in a concierge stateroom arrived late at his stateroom abusing his wife, shouting obscenities and behaving aggressively. We had to call security. I would take an irritated toddler over that any day. Message is people of any age can behave badly but we don't need to discriminate on the basis of age.

Not quite sure about that. The Oceania brand has been built with a lot of success as a place for adults to cruise. I don't think they want to change that. Think about someone who owns a liquor store. He wouldn't want his grand kids or children sampling the product. :):)

Just not sure I get the Liquor store versus Cruise Line analogy - but I agree both are addictive

Just off an Oceania cruise where there were many children of all ages. All well behaved and the ambiance was the better for it. It is true children can misbehave but in the end I have yet to experience a problem with it on Oceania, and when one does it's usually easy to fix. Badly behaved adults I have experienced on Oceania and that usually seems more problematic. Children raised well actually enjoy Oceania as did many on our recent cruise, although I do think Oceania works best for children on port intensive cruises and I am not sure it's all that great for toddlers.

We were on the same sailing. Food is always such a personal experience and food temperature more so, and I did not have your experience. I thought the GDR food was better than usual ( I am not usually a big fan) and I found the service quite good, although some wait staff were less polished than others. My wife recorded a small number of menu misses, but I encountered none. On Oceania I always find the sommelier service slow and frankly think the drinks packages have done much damage to the wine list and service. I agree the specialty restaurants were good, and they were heavily booked, and I enjoyed Terraces for dinner on a few occasions (we usually lunched ashore).

This was the most diverse demographic I have seen with a broader spread of nationalities and a wider age diversity which I much preferred. The itinerary was first rate and Kotor and environs was marvellous, and for me the surprise port. Sailing into Venice is always magic.

In my view where O fell down was on organising shuttles to return to the ship in Dubrovnik. Many ships were in port and the return journey to the ship before an early sail away was chaotic. Ravenna was also a problem as they did not have enough shuttles early in the day and the wait was annoying . We grabbed a cab but even that required considerable patience under a hot sun. Entertainment was varied. At afternoon tea the string quartet was good, but I wasn't much taken with the only evening show I attended. Yeah I know all first world problems and in fairness I am not a big cruise ship show fan.

Serious maintenance was underway on the he last day which some might have found inconvenient but as we were in Venice most would have been ashore.

I loved the cruise. There are always shortfalls and I am constantly amazed how harsh the criticisms of cruise experiences are when compared to hotels. I felt pampered and thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.

Same plugs in same place in suite

I doubt any of that changed

 

Baristas is where the grand bar was outside the GDR. Great space. Lots if comfy seating. Very busy. I think it is much better than the location on the o ships

 

 

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The photographs of the new Baristas look great. I quite liked the positioning of the barista on Azamara's ships at the top of the grand staircase and am interested in experience the Oceania R ship difference. My guess is it is more club and less cafe in feel.

Looking forward to sailing on Insignia in a few weeks so any feedback on how she is looking after her recent refurbishment would be much appreciated.

Thanks - she looks great