juli2020

Sounds to me like you're annoyed because Oceania is still small and alert enough to stop you from playing the "I'll sell my booking to the highest bidder game".

 

I applaud Oceania for attempting to give their Agent Partners some relief from that kind of nonsense.

 

I don't understand how you're applauding Oceania for "not selling to the highest bidder" when they are selling their product at different prices to different travel agencies. That's not to be applauded, rather it should be condemned.

BTW my mother-in-law is our travel agent. It is no fault of ours or to our travel agency that Oceania is the one playing games giving some agencies lower fares.

Enough said.....

I have a more detailed answer: the lower price was only supposed to be available to one of O's (unnamed) travel partners; the IT glitch was making it available for everyone to see.

Last month Oceania had a "secret sale" (10-15% off) on many of their spring, summer and fall sailings for a certain large travel partner in Los Angeles.

I tried to transfer my Sept. booking since final payment has not been made over to this other large travel partner and was not able to. My agent would have released the space but Oceania would not release our booking to the other agency. Oceania said that I could not cancel and rebook the same cruise which did not seem fair. I understand that Oceania wants to protect the travel agent but and there is a big but......both of my cruises (June 7-Regatta and Marina-Sept.2) were 10% less than the publish price on Oceania's website with all the same perks.

The bottom line is: it is either money in my pocket or Oceania's.

I wasn't thrilled that the Alaska cruise had been discounted but I could not cancel out the cruise because final payment had been made.

So what Andee is saying makes perfect sense....

At least with the airlines when they make an error with fares they have to honor the reduced fare....New Department of Transportation regulations, aimed at truth in advertising, require airlines to honor any mistake fares offered. Not so with Oceania.

BTW we are dealing with a large travel agency and they are not amused at all with these sales for certain agencies and not others. This secret sale that was offered last month (what Oceania called it) was not an IT glitch.

My understanding (strictly from reading Posts here on Cruise Critic) is that those so called price drops were more or less restatements of the existing fares because significant benefits which had been included in the original prices (Gratuities, Internet, even Airfare), had been excised from those "new Fares".

 

Again, this is all second hand information, but I am led to believe that the one or two people who were quick enough to book during that brief window when the Prices had changed, have since opted to revert to the original deal, because the lower price would actually have cost them more money in the end.

 

As my grandmother used to say, "Knowing the price is not always knowing the value".

Not true in my case with either of my two cruises. So please explain how the fares on Saturday were higher than today's fares.....Bottom line they were not. I for one would not have reverted back to today's fare.

I actually booked two dummy reservations on Saturday for each of my cruises and took the air credit and the prices were much less than the original fares. So saying that the lower price would have actually cost more at the end makes no sense.

If I could still get the fares that were on the Oceania website on Saturday...it would have been a savings to us.

On our Alaska cruise (June 7, 2014)...the prices went down $930 per person for a PH1 suite with the same perks.

On our next cruise (Sept.2, 2014)...the fares had gone down also. We would save $570 per person. Final payment had not been made and the same perks such as FREE Pre-Paid Gratuities, FREE Unlimited Internet Package and $300 Shipboard Credit were still being offered.

We have two upcoming cruises that still show cabins available in our category - one has gone down by $490/pp and the other $350/pp. The perks (airfare and pre-paid gratuities) are identical. Final payments are not yet due on either so will be requesting a reduction.

We have two cruises booked and the prices have gone down a lot. Oceania changed the fares today.

On our Alaska cruise (June 7, 2014)...the prices went down $930 per person for a PH1 suite and there are still available PH1 suites with the same perks....but final payment has been made. We have two suites booked on this cruise. Bottom line...we are not happy campers to say the least.

On our next cruise (Sept.2, 2014)...the fares have gone down also. We would save $570 per person. Final payment has not been made and the same perks are still being offered.

Oceania should give a price adjustment if final payment has not been made or if final payment has been made....shipboard credit in the amount of the price difference to keep their loyal passengers happy.

KathyPet: we have sailed a number of times on Oceania and once with Regent. All great experiences. However when we were in French Polynesia we chose the Paul Gauguin, a shallow draft ship that can get where some others can't. And it only cruises that area - with the odd call to Australia - so good local knowledge. Worth a look. We found it an equivalent experience to Oceania.

+1

I would pick the Paul Gauguin over Regent and Oceania for French Polynesia. BTW I have sailed on Regent and Oceania.

The Paul Gauguin: Tips and alcohol are included and the ship carries only 332 passengers. Most of the ports are tender ports.

The ship has a shallow hull and can get much closer to the islands.

Plus they have a water sports marina where as Regent and Oceania do not.

Motu Mahana (Taha'a) is a real fun day. You spend a day on this private island where everything is included such as lunch, a floating bar and water sports. Similar to Seabourn's version on Prickly Pear(BVI) in the Caribbean.

Also the Paul Gauguin has a private beach on Bora Bora that is included.

The excursions were very reasonable on the Paul Gauguin.

The staff greets you by name.

There isn't limited dining or facilities on the Paul Gauguin as Hawaiidan said in a previous post.

The ship was totally redone at the at the end of 2011. It is a gorgeous ship.

Butlers on Oceania do seem to want to be utilized more than on the luxury ships. It could be because passengers typically give them tips (even when tipping is included).

How so?

I found the butlers on Oceania no different than the butlers on Regent.

The butlers are just glorified room stewards on Silversea....as they clean and make up the room with the steward unlike on Oceania and Regent.

I would venture to say that many passengers do tip the butlers on luxe lines that are all-inclusive. Maybe you don't but I know many that do.

Whatever your knowledge of French cuisine, your opinion seems to vary with that of Chef Pépin, who, as I indicated earlier has stated publicly many times that Jacques would be a Bistro.

 

This was the original Press Release, I would particularly draw your attention to paragraph 8:

Jim,

My definition of an upscale restaurant is fine dining and good service. It is a matter of semantics. In my original post I said: I'd categorize Jacques as an upscale French restaurant with many classic items, such foie gras, lobster bisque, roasted lamb, crepes, etc. You were the one that bought up that Jacques was a bistro not an upscale restaurant.

There are plenty of bistros which I would not consider fine dining unless you are referring to Benoit in Paris as an example.

Quoting Oceania: From paragraph 8-The service, while professional and

polished, is friendly and endearing and in the tradition of fine

French dining, a leisurely pace is de rigueur, thus ensuring a

relaxing dining experience.

Enough said.....

Jacques is a perfectly lovely French restaurant, but it is not an upscale French Restaurant, it is a BISTRO which is just the way that chef Pépin designed it and wants it.

 

To some people, all French food, because it is rich, comes across "upscale", but for those who know French cuisine, the selections at Jacques are decidedly simple and homey in nature.[/B] [/size]

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/documents/menus/jacques/Jacques-Main-Menu.pdf

"A bistro is a small type of restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet, a bean stew, are typical".

I would not consider Jacques a modest setting or serving simple dishes. I am not comparing Jacques to a starred Michelin restaurant.

BTW I do know French Cuisine very well.

I wasn't referring to "good food" vs. less than good food. For me it is about authentic food. Where we live there are plenty of Asian, Indian and Mexican restaurants but, IMO, they are not authentic. And, we do not have much of an ethnic population in the town we live in. People raised here think the Mexican food is delicious......however, having been raised in an area with a high population of people from Mexico, we do find the food very bland and Americanized. Even though the owners of the restaurants are from Asia, India or Mexico, they are forced to prepare the food for the tastes of those who live here. BTW, the area where we live has extremely fresh salmon, sole, crab and halibut. So, IMO, this is where this city shines.

 

While you may get good beef where you live (as do we), IMO, there are certain areas of the country that prepare it better than anywhere else. I know that this is subjective.

 

So, while Red Ginger is Asian fusion, it really isn't true Chinese, Thai, Japanese or Korean but is delicious. Jacques is French but not quite the same as what you get in France. Polo has great steaks but, IMO, does not compare with Texas. Lastly, Toscana...... such a beautiful restaurant but, again, it does not hold a candle to little Italy in New York City (nor do I think it was meant to).

 

Definitely do not think the "coasts" have a lock or much except seafood and, at least in my opinion, Los Angeles has a pretty good on lock on Mexican food and New York Italian food is hard to beat. Just my opinion:)

 

Now I'm hungry and need to go out to eat.

Jackie,

My husband and I have travelled extensively throughout France. We have eaten at cafes, brasseries, bistros, and Michelin starred (1,2 and 3 stars) restaurants.

To say that the food at Jaques is not the same as you get in France is absurd. The restaurant is named after Jaques Pepin, one of the most famous chefs of France, who helped design the menu and continues to consult with Oceania. There is no "one" type of French food on this ship or in France. There are many types of French cuisine including multitudes of recipes and preparations. I'd categorize Jacques as an upscale French restaurant with many classic items, such foie gras, lobster bisque, roasted lamb, crepes, etc. It is impossible for one restaurant to include all types of French cuisine, just like it would be impossible in France. In my opinion Jacques is a good representation of classic French fare.

Juli2020, well, I am a Regent loyalist, and admire the Seabourn line as well. However, the Legend I believe was built in 1992, a full 8 years before Navigator came to the Raddisson line as a new ship. It was a shell, an ice breaker as I remember, and yes, Russian when purchased. But it had never sailed for any line is my impression, was never a cruise ship before the shell was bought and the hull turned into a cruise ship. So it was not ever sailing for another line. I believe Legend was part of the Sun Viking line. Please give us your own version of the history of both.

 

I would not tell anyone to not sail on a ship I had never been on either. As per my comments above. I'm sure she is a lovely ship. I just like my balcony!

jhp,

Here is the information for the Navigator:

Name: Seven Seas Navigator

Owner: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (1999-2006)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (2006–on)

Operator: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (1999-2006)

Port of registry: 1999—2012: Hamilton

Builder: Admiralty Shipyard, Leningrad, Soviet Union (hull)

T. Mariotti, Genoa, Italy (superstructure and outfitting)

Laid down: 12 April 1988

Launched: 23 August 1991

Completed: 25 August 1999

Here is the information for the Seabourn Legend:

The ship was originally named Royal Viking Queen, and operated on various crossings for Royal Viking Line, a Kloster subsidiary.

In 1995, the vessel's name was changed to Queen Odyssey after it was assigned to Royal Cruise Line, another Kloster subsidiary. It remained in operation for Royal Cruise Line until January 1996, when it was sold to Seabourn and joined its sister ships with its current name.

1996-2015: Seabourn Legend

1995-1996: Queen Odyssey

1992-1995: Royal Viking Queen

Owner: Carnival Corporation & plc

Seabourn Cruise Line 1996-2015

Port of registry: Nassau Bahamas

Builder: Schichau-Seebeckwerft

Laid down: 1990

Launched: May 1991

Ok, just off riviera, so I think I can speak with some authority. We booked a concierge suite. Suite was comfortable enough, but the closet situation was terrible. I will have to pay more attention to that arrangement, rather than just square footage in future.

 

Our room stewardess was pretty clueless. I told her I wanted everything except bottled water and diet coke out of the fridge. She said she could not do that. To her credit, she did keep the bottled water supplied.

 

She also had to be asked every time we needed a new bottle of shampoo or shower gel. These would have been automatically restocked on regent. We had no washcloths the last night, so I showered with a hand towel.

 

Wifi is so slow as to be almost unusable for anything other than getting email. I am not the only one who has complained about this. I tried multiple locations around the ship with no luck. Wifi on regent and silversea is much faster, even when above the arctic circle, which is saying a lot.

 

No on demand movies on Oceania unless you book the most expensive suites.

 

Shower is much smaller in a concierge on Oceania than in any on regent.

Even though we bought the all inclusive dirinks package, we were told we couldn't order a bottle of wine for our table or suite. We mentioned is on the is cruise comments, and were told "so sorry, that is the policy.,"

 

Specialty restaurants were good to great but no better than anything on regent, just more options. MDR service was bad. I had heard everyone rave about the food on Oceania, but we much prefer regent, mainly for the much larger salad bar at lunch and better service in CR.

 

You do not get to know the staff nearly as well on Oceania with it being a larger ship. We really miss that.

 

Laundry requires tokens. A big pain in the butt, as you have to have dollar bills to get the tokens. So if you don't have any ones, you have to go downto the front desk to get the dollars, the back up to get the tokens and do laundry. As a result, I am returning home with a suitcase full of dirty clothes, something I would never do on regent.

 

Entertainment on Oceania is probably better of the larger ships, but the theater is not nearly as pretty as that on any of the regent ships, which is weird to me given the real beauty of the rest of Marina.

 

These are just a few things off the top of my head. We do always take the credit for hotel and air, so that is a non issue. The excursions area bso lately the same, just prepaid on regent. Personally, I don't care one way or the other regarding that.

 

My husband refuses to set foot on Oceania again. I would go again if it were the right itinerary (something unique), and if I were traveling alone so the cosetwasn't an issue.

Rachel,

I am surprised that you did not book a Penthouse Suite (420 square feet) on the Riviera since you are used to sailing on Regent and Silversea. You would have had a large walk-in closet, a larger shower, a lovely sitting area. Found the Penthouse Suites much nicer on the Riviera/Marina than the Penthouse Suites on the Navigator and the Veranda Suites on Silversea (Silver Shadow/Silver Cloud).

You booked a concierge Veranda stateroom....It is not considered a suite.

Seems like Oceania wasn't a good fit for you and your husband.

Good write-up for the Legend. We have not had most of the experiences described above on the Navigator. It seems that all of the ships gets crowded in La Veranda in the morning and sometimes at lunch. If you take the time to "dine" in Compass Rose, there is plenty of room on all of the ships.

 

The main reason we would not sail on the Legend is the small size. If we wanted to sail on a yacht, we would do so. Smallish cabins -- no "real" balconies and reports indicate that the ship is showing signs of age (particularly in the bathrooms). This is not surprising since the Navigator is 10 years or so newer than the Legend. Also, the Legend was last refurbished in 2008 (according to the Seabourn website) and the Navigator was refurbished in either 2012 or 2013.

 

I do understand why Seabourn loyalists are interested in sailing on the three ships before they leave (hasn't one gone to Windstar already?). If the Navigator is ever sold, we would want to do the same thing. But, for someone new to luxury cruising, I would pick the Navigator over the Legend (and Silversea's Whisper or Shadow over the Navigator)...... just trying to be 100% honest.

Jackie,

BTW I am not a loyalist to any cruise line.

Both the Legend and the Navigator are about the same age. Both came from different owners before sailing under Regent and Seabourn.

The OP asked to compare the Seabourn Legend with the Navigator.

You state that the suites on the Seabourn Legend are on the smallish side....the suites on the Legend are 277 square feet and the suites without a veranda on the Navigator are 301 square feet. Not much of a difference.

Seabourn has only suites....not called cabins as you refer to them.

You really do not miss a veranda when sailing on the Legend. You just walk right outside to the deck.

The small Seabourn triplets are getting great reviews from passengers that have sailed just recently.

I am surprised that you would recommend Silversea(Silver Shadow) with all their cutbacks. I would never pick the Silver Shadow over the Legend...Been on both and it is like comparing apples to oranges as you would say in regards to food, service etc.

I would never tell someone to sail or not to sail on a ship that I had never been on.

We recently spent 12 days on the Navigator over the Holidays. I would not say the ship was at its best, due to the time of the year but we did enjoy ourselves and met some lovely people. My advice to you would be to take a pass on the Navigator, simply because this is a special occasion for you and you will likely be disappointed given your higher expectations for this special type of trip Yes, the Navigator has a lot of motion and I would describe it sailing like a older ferry. But this can vary given the seas and the itinerary. The mid centre decks however are not affected much by motion. I thought the food and service to be "good to very good" but not extraordinary. But for the price at over $1500/night for a suite with a butler is not great value. We could stay at Sandy Lane in Barbados for that amount per night and eat fabulous food in their restaurant L'Acajou over looking the mahonogy grove the beach. I have not sailed on Seabourn, but would suggest you post on the Seabourn page as I know there are some very loyal Seabourn people who love the ships being sold to Windstar and they highly recommend sailing on them before they leave the Seabourn fleet.

Since I have sailed on the Seabourn Legend and the Navigator....here is my take.

Navigator:

There is a lot of vibration on the Navigator and the ship does not seem to ride well in rough seas compared to other small ships that we have sailed.

If the weather is not conducive to sitting outside on a sea day...the public lounges do get very crowded. There is no forward lounge on the Navigator.

The ship carries 490 passengers.

There were times at tea time where you could not find a seat.

BTW we did not sail during a holiday time or summer vacation.

We did experience brown water more often than not coming out of the sink and bath tub.

Food was good but at lunch the buffet got crowded and there were not enough tables. The staff would open Prime 7 to seat the people who could not find places to sit and eat. Not everyone wanted to eat outside.

Seabourn Legend:

On the Seabourn Legend you almost feel like you are sailing on a private yacht. It never felt crowded. The staff/crew address you by name.

If you are doing a Caribbean cruise and one of the ports is Prickly Pear....it is an event not to be missed. The only other line that does anything quite like their beach party was on the Paul Gauguin. There is no charge for the beach event. You will spend the day at Prickly Pear(BVI).

The Seabourn Legend carries 208 passengers.

The ship rode well...no vibration at all.

One other thing that all of the Seabourn ships offer is the marina (off the back of the ship) which has different water sports. Great for the Caribbean.

I would think that Seabourn would keep up the Legend until it goes to Windstar...they do not want their reputation tarnished.

I could write a short book detailing why Regent is better for luxury cruisers than Oceania. I read the Oceania board a lot but do not post much since only one cruise makes me pretty much a newbie. The majority of newbies on Oceania seem to be from mainstream cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. The questions asked on the Oceania board deal with things you would never see on this board. There is a current discussion about whether you can get a hot breakfast from room service in concierge "staterooms" (and posters cannot come to a consensus). Another thread discusses what special coffees cost.

 

There is certainly nothing wrong with main stream cruisers moving up to a premium cruise line but this has little to do with Regent or its own customers.

Oceania has incredible food in their speciality restaurants..... However their other restaurants are not "special". I do not see where Oceania is any more or less consistent than Regent or even Silversea. Is any cruise line 100% consistent?

Before we sailed on Oceania I called comparisons between Oceania's and Regent like comparing apples and oranges. After sailing on Oceania with another cruise booked, I feel more strongly that this is the case. The only things they have in common is a great crew that provide wonderful service and the same parent company.

 

Regent caters to luxury cruisers... Oceania does not. this is clearly delineated in the paperwork filed for the IPO.

Jackie,

Not everyone comes from mainstream cruise lines to cruise on Oceania. My husband and I and friends came over from Seabourn, Silversea etc. to try Oceania.

Only a very small percentage of people post on Cruise Critic...and by you going around the ship and asking people what cruise line they came from is not a scientific way of knowing what line that most Oceania passengers come from.

I have to disagree with you saying that Regent caters to luxury cruisers and Oceania doesn't. Staying in an Oceania Suite or any suite on Oceania was much more of a luxury experience than sailing on Regent.

One line is a la carte and the other is all-inclusive. I have stated that all-inclusive doesn't alway equate with luxury. I would rather arrange my own private transfers, pick out luxury hotels and not be herded with a bus load of people. That is anything but luxury in my opinion.

We stay at luxury hotels that are not all-inclusive. Most luxury hotels are not all-inclusive. You have to sign for drinks, tips etc.

There are plenty of all-inclusive hotels such as Sandals, Club Med etc. that are not considered luxury at all.

Until recently....Crystal was not all-inclusive and was still considered luxury. Crystal still gets top ratings as being one of the best of the luxury lines.

You find Silversea luxury. It might have been years ago but after our last sailing with them in 2012....Oceania put them to shame in terms of food, service, decor, suites, butlers etc. Too many cutbacks on Silversea compared to what Silversea used to be.

Seems Regent will have some major competition with Seabourn's new ship that is coming out in 2016. Hopefully by then their smoking policy on Seabourn will become more restrictive. Sailing on one of the small triplets years ago was a truly luxury experience. You could not put Regent anywhere close to that experience.

Plus you know that specialty coffees are included but not with alcohol.

If you feel that you are stepping down to cruise on Oceania...why did you book another cruise on the Riviera again? I certainly would not cruise on a line if I felt I was stepping down from what I am used to even staying in a suite.

I have to agree with what MightyQuinn said in his post: "In fact, when we returned from our first - and only - cruise on Regent Mariner, I titled my CC review as "All Inclusive But Not Luxury." That cruise didn't meet our expectations for luxury and fell short of other cruise experiences we had on premium lines. We haven't returned. I also agree with the OP that Regent is a step down from Oceania."

Cutting through the side trips on this thread.. it would be much more in true Cruise Critic style to help those looking to book future cruises on the Navigator...

 

..by posting the cabin numbers that are known to have these water/sewage issues.

 

Can this be done by those who have experienced it?

We have a 2015 cruise booked on the Navigator and, I for one, would like to know if we need to change cabins, since it sounds unlikely that this will be fixed.

Computerworks,

We were in a Penthouse A Suite on deck 10 and experienced brown water in the bathroom (sink, bathtub) more often than not on our 12 night cruise on the Navigator in May 2011. We were traveling with two other couples on the same deck and they experienced the gross brown water also. Not pleasant to say the least.

Kinda what I thought, the comment on the Crystal board was that Crystal's "new" smoking policy was more restrictive than Regent's??? I was hoping that someone might enlighten me as to the difference. As smoking is one of my deal breakers!

New 2014 Smoking Policy For Crystal:

Crystal Cruises kindly asks all guests to observe the non-smoking areas on board, which have been created for the comfort and enjoyment of everyone. Effective with the first cruises in 2014, indoor smoking is permitted only in the Connoisseur Club smoking lounge. Smoking is prohibited in all other indoor areas of the ship including all other public rooms, lounges, corridors and restaurants, as well as all staterooms, suites and verandahs. Please note, if smoke is detected in a stateroom or suite, a cleaning fee of $250 per incident will be billed to your account. Outdoor smoking is allowed in a limited number of designated spaces as follows:

Cigarette smoking

Decks 10, 9 and 8 Aft on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity

Deck 11 Aft Crystal Serenity

Seahorse pool area, port side only

Promenade Deck

Cigar & Pipe smoking

Decks 10, 9 and 8 Aft on Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity

Deck 11 Aft Crystal Serenity

Smoking Policy for Regent:

In light of continuing legislative changes in smoking policies around the world as well as the comfort, health and safety of our guests and crew, both in terms of the proven dangers of second hand smoke and the fire hazard that smoking presents, smoking is prohibited in all suites, staterooms and balconies fleet-wide.

In addition, cigarette, electronic cigarette or cigar smoking is not permitted in any enclosed dining areas, whether it be the ships' main dining rooms, the alternate dining venues or the outdoor dining areas. Electronic cigarette smoking is permitted throughout the ship with the exception of the dining areas mentioned above. Cigarette smoking is only permitted in designated areas of the outdoor pool area and the following public rooms:

Seven Seas Voyager: Connoisseur Club, Horizon Lounge (Outdoor one side designated area), Pool area (Designated area opposite side of the Pool Bar)

Seven Seas Mariner: Connoisseur Club, Horizon Lounge (Outdoor one side designated area), Pool area (Designated area opposite side of the Pool Bar)

Seven Seas Navigator: Connoisseur Club, Galileo's (Outdoor one side designated area), Pool area (Designated area opposite side of the Pool Bar)

Cigar Smoking is only permitted in the Connoisseur Club and the designated area on the opposite side of the Pool Bar.

Pipe smoking is only permitted in the Connoisseur Club. Pipe smoking in open deck areas is considered an extreme fire hazard and is not permitted.

Failure to comply with this ban will result in guests being asked to leave the ship at their expense, without refund or credit for the unused portion of their cruise.

You have made a number of valid observations.

 

My take away is that it is a reminder to do your best when you cruise to keep as clean as you possibly can and to try to avoid potential events that can increase your odds of getting sick. No matter what you do when you travel with several hundred people in close proximity and also have people getting on and off the voyage all of this increases your odds of getting sick.

 

Just a few examples. If you shake someones hand you need to wash your own and that can happen anytime not just at a formal reception. When you exit the rest room you need to either use a tissue to open the door or use a sanitizer right afterwards. If you use utensils at a buffet that have been used by others you need to sanitize your hands. You also need to wash your hands more often and for longer periods of time when you are cruising. Now I can go on and on and on but in the end there are some items that the cruise line can do to get better and there are other items that we can do to protect ourselves. And there are other items that I wish people would do but we know some do. Specifically, use a public rest room on or off the ship. Look at how many people wash their hands and of those some put the fingers under water to two seconds and call that washing.

 

Having taken several cruises of 100 days or more I have also learned that increases your odds of getting sick and sometimes multiple times. However, taking more precautions on ones own can help a great deal.

 

Keith

The Terrace Cafe which is Oceania's version of a buffet is made up of several stations. One is not allowed to serve themselves. There are servers that serve you so the passengers are not allowed to touch any utensils. I am not sure why other lines do not follow Oceania in this practice.

Regarding the public bathrooms: Oceania only uses cloth towels to dry your hands. At every door where you exit there is a small paper towel dispenser so one can use a paper towel to open the door. There is also a place to dispose of the paper towel. I am not sure why other lines do not follow Oceania in this practice either.

On other cruise lines one can always take a tissue to open the door of a public bathroom when you exit but what does one do with the tissue?! Throw it on the floor or hold it until you find a place to dispose of the tissue. Not good options in my opinion.

Again I beg to differ, Oceania is not a 6 Star cruiseline nor rated that way by any trade agaency and/or consumer reports....until then they are what they are upscale Mass Market cruiseline and Regent is a Luxury cruiseline.

Have you cruised on the "O" ships on Oceania? After sailing on 27 cruises...I would not label Oceania a "mass market line" and I have been on all the luxe lines minus Crystal and SeaDream.

Berlitz is an excellent source when comparing cruise lines. This is the 28th year that Berlitz has published the guide - the “cruise industry bible” as it’s known by travel specialists.

Ward's ratings, compiled independently & unsubsidized by sponsorship, base its Berlitz stars on points for an unbiased appraisal of what's best & worst in the world of cruising.

The 2013 rankings:

Mid-size ships (751 to 1,750 passengers)

1. Crystal Serenity - 1,717 points

2. Oceania Riviera - 1,702 points

3. Crystal Symphony - 1,701 points

The Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships-2012

Top 3 Ships in each category – Points out of 2,000

Mid-Size Ships (600 – 1,600 passengers) 1 Crystal (Serenity) 1,717 points Tie (2) Crystal (Symphony) & Oceania (Marina)

1,701 points

Terry,

Amazing pictures!!