Gnoelj

52 minutes ago, cayman09 said:

Gnoelj, Check the dates of your link. Viking changed the payment policy in writing back in November and the TAs can no longer modify it. There are a number of lively discussions on their board. 

Thanks for updating me on that.

46 minutes ago, cbb said:

Gnoeli 

wow....what a wealth of info your reply has!  Thank you so much!!!  I had seen references to the bus # that might work for us, and getting your feedback was great!

 

good to know about the money.  We aim to hit the ATM at the rail station in Southampton.  I've found 4 diy walking tours that will take us to see the sights of beautiful Edinburgh--both "Old" and "New."

 

We've been there before and think it is one of the most beautiful settings for an ancient town we've ever seen. 

 

thanks again! 

 

Just re-read your original message and realised you are taking the train to Edinburgh, and you wished to know how to get from Edinburgh to your ship in Leith.

The information I have given you will be the same, except that the bus services will be going in the opposite direction (from Edinburgh/Princess Street to Leith, rather than from Leith to Edinburgh/Princess Street).

Oh, if you have a mobile/cell phone, you could even download an App for Edinburgh buses to get the correct times "live". The City of Edinburgh also have free Wifi service.

As you like to see the "Old" and "New" towns of Edinburgh (the "New" Town was built between 1760-1830, so you can imagine how old the Old Town could be!)  , if you remember during your last visit, some of the streets are still cobbled and some can be quite hilly, so walking long distances can be a wee bit of a challenge. If you are tired, you can still take a bus back. You can get a free bus map from the Lothian Bus Travel Shop https://www.lothianbuses.com/travelshops/

Another "spot" which most tourists do not know  (but the locals do) , is to take an idyllic walk along the Waterway of Leith.  It splits the Old Town and the New Town. Certain parts of the walk may be closed at the moment due to landslip, but updated details may be found at http://www.waterofleith.org.uk/walkway/ and https://www.edinburghguide.com/parks/waterofleith . It may be repaired by the time you visit the city this summer, please check it out first. You could actually get onto the Waterway from Old Town Edinburgh, and get back  up at Roseburn. From Roseburn, you can take one of the many buses back to town, just 5mins ride . Once you get down onto this walkway, with running water and luscious trees, you could be forgiven to think that you are in the country,   many miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city. On a nice day, it is absolutely beautiful.

Enjoy your time in Edinburgh. 

4 hours ago, cbb said:

I've search the "shuttle thread" and didn't find any reference.  We are leaving the ship this summer in Southampton, taking the train to Edinburgh, seeing the Festival/Edinburgh Tattoo, and then rejoining the ship when it arrives in Leith/Edinburgh. 

 

Does anyone remember if there is a shuttle that takes one from port to Edinburgh?  I've researched the topic and sometimes there is a mention of a shuttle, especially during Tattoo/Festival Days but then others are suggesting a taxi, bus, or the HOHO bus which picks up cruise passengers to take into town. 

 

It is too far to walk.  We'd only need it for our return to port and will only have a backpack each--no other luggage but others have also wondered about shuttle. (roll call not a help)

 

 

Actually Port of Leith, or just "Leith" to the locals,  is actually within the Edinburgh  metropolitan neighbourhood . It is just between 18-23 mins by bus to Princess Street and the "West End", the downtown Edinburgh tourist area .  The iconic Edinburgh Castle is situated within walking distance, and you can see it from Princess Street (it is very hard to miss!) . So docking in Leith is quite good.

I think the bus numbers to take  is 1, 11, 22, 34, 35, and 36 (yes, there are plenty of buses!) . But for more details and bus times, go to https://www.lothianbuses.com/live-travel-info/journey-planner/

If you take a bus in Edinburgh, the single bus fare is £1.70 . MAKE SURE  YOU HAVE THE CORRECT MONEY AS NO CHANGE IS GIVEN.  A unlimited travel one day ticket is £4.00.  Most buses are Lothian bus, so if you buy a day ticket, it is only valid on other Lothian buses. Other bus companies have day tickets too but they do not accept Lothian bus day tickets.

The other thing about Edinburgh is the weather can be quite unpredictable. Some people have claimed the weather changes several times a day. So make sure you take your umbrella with you even if it looks sunny when you leave the ship.

The other thing to be aware of is the Scottish pound. Although it has the same value as the English pound notes, they look different. You can still use English pound notes (and coins ) in Scotland.

We certainly hope Oceania can survive Viking Ocean. We also hope Viking Ocean can survive Oceania.

We like both cruise lines and have enjoyed cruising with both of them. We also happen to think that neither of the two cruise lines are "perfect" , no cruise company ever is, in our opinion. However, both Oceania and Viking Ocean have a lot more "strengths" than "weaknesses";  there are some things which Oceania does better, and some which Viking does better.

As to some who are concerned with the advanced full payments required by Viking Ocean, see this discussion on this link, https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2556896-is-it-normal-for-viking-ocean-to-require-full-payment-14-months-before-a-cruise/ You will read some Travel Agents can arrange for you to make final payment until up to 7 months before your cruise.

We would not like to go through that discussion about the differences between Oceania vs. Viking Ocean, as this topic has been discussed elsewhere. Suffice to say both cruise lines are "comparable" and both have very high standards.

So not surprisingly, we would be pleased to cruise with both cruise lines. With Oceania, perhaps we would have preferred their "O" ships rather than the older "R" ships. All 6 Viking Ocean ships are built very similarly to each other and they are relatively "young" vessels.

We are certainly not "tribal" and we do not feel we have to "hate" one cruise line and "love" the other. We like both but we do not feel we are obliged to be "stuck" with either. If something better comes along, we will not hesitate to consider trying that too. We were a bit puzzled why some folks seem to think that they have to choose between cruising with one cruise line , or the other, but not both. It was as if you have Chateaubriand one evening for dinner, you cannot have Lobster the following evening. For us, we feel we could have both on different evenings, and we will ! Likewise, we will cruise with Oceania again, and same with Viking Ocean. We look forward to a chance to try Oceania's two new "Allura" class ships in the future, as well as the additional 6 new ships for Viking Ocean  (which will to their current fleet of 6 ships ).

We like both Oceania and Viking Ocean to survive because we feel that competition is good for the customer. When the two cruise lines compete with each  other, they will try to offer more to the customers, or at least we hope they will . If there are too many ships chasing fewer passengers, that would be an advantage to the customers too, as this may lead to better fares and not so high price rises. It would be sad if either Viking Ocean or Ocean not survive the other. That means the "survivor" cruise line could then start taking advantage of its "dominant" position and it would be the customers who would lose.

Having said that, both Oceania and Viking Ocean do not just compete with each other, it competes with Azamara and other cruise lines as well.

27 minutes ago, Aviator of the Seas said:

Hi,

 

Calle Sol is six or seven blocks from the pier.  If it's walkable or not depends on your mobility.  It's all downhill, literally, but over narrow sidewalks and cobblestone streets (500 year old infrastructure), so even rolling luggage could be a challenge.  I've seen some AirBnBs and such that have golf carts to help their guests around the Old City.  Not sure if yours has any.  If you don't want to go through the challenge mentioned above, your best bet is probably to take a taxi or Uber.  The free trolley that goes around the city does not have luggage capabilities.  it's just for sightseeing.

 

Hope this helps.  Anything else, shoot.

Thanks . Your information has been very helpful. Where we are staying is not an AirBnB room, but one which we have booked via Booking.com,  and it has very good reviews on Tripadvisor. Looks like we will take a taxi or Uber as there has not been any mention of golf carts being available at that accommodation. 

Thanks again for your help.

41 minutes ago, Aviator of the Seas said:

Hi, I am a local in San Juan and am very familiar with the scene at the docks.  There's no renewed talk of another work stoppage.  The December union action was not a strike per-se.  More like a one-day walkout, in which management took over operations.  That walkout only affected operations momentarily at the PanAm pier.  Viking's operations never were affected, and we do not expect that they will be affected for the rest of the season.

 

Leave your worries behind and enjoy your cruise.

Thanks for your information. That puts our mind at rest.

As you are a local in San Juan,  may we ask you please, we are staying at the Casa Sol in Calle del Sol before the cruise.  To get from the B&B to the cruise Pier where Viking docks, is it very far away?  Can we take the tram, or a taxi, or is it so close by we can actually walk there?

On 1/18/2019 at 3:38 PM, dani negreanu said:

It was not the best start to a long awaited cruise.

 

We checked in early afternoon (Saturday) for a sail away on Sunday. Went through Singaporean security line, and then X security line. In my "book", I've "departed" Singapore.

 

Saturday evening there was an announcement about "showing your passport to Singaporean authorities at 11AM the following morning".

 

Hmm, ok, couldn't fathom why we have to go through this again, being already on the ship, but, based on previous cruises where the "authorities" boarded the ship, and all the "proceedings" took a few mins, it is what it is...

The announcement also said that pax wanting to leave the ship to visit Singapore, should do it before 11AM and should not be back on ship before 2PM...

 

A few mins before 11AM we took our passports and our sea passes and proceeded as advised. We found ourselves in a loooong line to "enter" Singapore (???), have our passports checked, and then out to the public terminal, which serves other ships or ferries or else, and submit to another security check... There were people with luggage of all sorts in line with us, while we only had our passports and sea passes to show.

 

After this security line, we were directed to the 1st floor, where we had to pass X's own security line.

 

Then, we were allocated numbers and directed to seat and wait...

 

At this point, pax started to "question" this line of "activity" which was prepared for us in the 1st morning of our (paid) cruise. They were told that the Singaporean authorities demand "0 passengers count"....

Stands to reason that before starting the check in for another cruise, there is always a demand for "0 passengers count" and the check in was yesterday....

 

We waited almost an hour for our #5 to be called, only to find ourselves directed to another line, that one for "departing" Singapore, fingerprinting included....

 

All in all, we spent all the morning in lines, and we, among many others, found this very frustating.

 

I think that Celebrity should have a "say" when involving so much wasted time of our precious vacation, and either ask for a procedure where the "authorities" board the ship, or skip entirely the overnight in Singapore.

 

You know, Celebrity Reflection is doing an overnight in Dublin at the end of its cruise.  Hopefully, passengers will not have to go through the rigmarole of going doing all these checks and queues in Ireland.

16 hours ago, deec said:

We we were disappointed in the no snorkeling in St. Lucia.  We did do a catamaran sail that was OK and  sailed close to the Pitons.  We went to some cute plantation and had a good lunch.  Although Viking had told us no snorkeling on this excursion the vendor did a swim stop and had we brought our equipment could have snorkeled but I do not think it would have been great.

 

If you go to Antigua we did the Reef Rider snorkel tour and it was fun!!!

 

The included tours that we did do on Antigua and St. Thomas were interesting but we did them in addition to a water focused paid excursion.

 

The West Indies just does NOT offer the same exciting ports that Viking usually visits in the Med, Baltic or Asia....but if you just want a winter escape you cannot beat the Viking Ships as far as I am concerned.

Thanks for your response.

We have since checked our schedule in My Vking Journey, and in the Calender, there was indeed the arrival and departure times of the ship for all the visting ports.

We also learnt there may be paid excursions to some of the places which we would like to go to , but not to all the places.  Alas, that's life, we suppose, can't have everything, and just be grateful what we have!

As for snorkeling, we are not too concerned about not having any as we are more keen on visiting gardens and the views. Guess different people have different tastes, that's only natural.

Keeping fingers crossed that Viking will visit all the stops on their schedule and not cancel any of the stops! There is no point reserving all those excursions and find that we are not stopping at those stops after all !!!

22 minutes ago, deec said:

Yep most of those things happened  on our last cruise....not Viking's fault.  I was glad we had not pre-paid for a DIY excursion. 

Trouble is, we found that on the West Indies cruise, some of the included and even the paid excursions do not go to places which are supposed popular.  For example, Viking does not even have a paid excursion to the Andromeda and Hunte's gardens in Barbados, and it does not have any excursion to see the famous Pitons peaks in St. Lucia. Some of the included excursions, when we read them, they seemed rather underwhelming, but of course, that is just a personal opinion. In St. Lucia, it appears that the included excursion took us in the opposite direction away from the Pitons. Can you imagine that? It's felt almost like going to Paris and being driven away from the Eiffel Tower and not visiting it.

Why doesn't Viking offer excursions to some of those attractions mentioned? We just could not understand the reason.

We will do.

We could be mistaken but it seems that Viking has not included the arrival/departure times on practically all the ports it is visiting on this cruise.

Could it be they are trying to prevent their customers from booking excursions with independent agents?  Hope that is not the case.

In any case, we will contact them directly and find out what is happening. No point guessing.

We are going on the Viking Sea on one of their West Indies Explorer cruises - this one starting from San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 9th , 2019.

We heard a lot about the beauty of the Andromeda Gardens in Barbados, and as Viking does not provide any excursions there, we had thought of taking an excursion from another tour provider. We have the details and timings of that excursion,  the tour excursion starts at 8.00-8.15am and it lasts for five and a half hours. The agent we spoke to on the phone said a pick-up at the  cruise port could be arranged but she has to be sure that the ship docks in time for  us to catch the excursion.

The problem is finding the time Viking Sea docks at  Bridgetown, Barbados on March 14th. We went onto port information websites like www.cruisemapper.com , and although we found that the Viking Sea is listed as docking there on that particular day, unlike other ships listed,  there is no arrival and departure times mentioned. That seems rather odd. Surely, Viking would have known its schedule, especially when they have been plying this route so regularly for a couple of years.

We dare not book the excursion until we know that the Viking Sea is docked at Bridgetown in time for us to go on it.

It would be appreciated if anyone of you have any information about this (Viking Sea arrival/departure schedule on March 14th). Also, as this is a regular Viking cruise, if you have been on this cruise in the past, perhaps you might recall what time Viking docks and what time it leaves.

We looked for the Viking Rollcall for the West Indies Explorer cruise starting March 9th,  2019, but it does not appear to be there yet. So we could not ask anyone in the roll call.

May we take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

30 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

 

If you were going to base your next  cruise on  these posts  would it not be more helpful  if ALL  cruise ships  were listed 

not just a  few from 1 line ??

You have to realise this particular thread is for Oceania, not for ALL cruise ships. So why list all the cruise ships here?

Readers like us who wish to find out more about how the other lines fare, we will know how to go to the respective threads of all the other cruise lines on CruiseCritic.  You cannot assume that all we read on in the discussion board  is on Oceania alone, can you? We would think it reasonable to assume most people doing cruise research  would go further than just hanging around the Oceania threads and not venture anywhere further.

You might gather that while we have sailed several times with Oceania, we select our cruise lines and cruise ships based on what suits us, and not what suits Oceania - or any cruise line for that matter. We do not owe Oceania a living - they have to work to earn that. We feel no cruise line should take their customers for granted, and we hope Oceania doesn't do that.

17 hours ago, ABoatNerd said:

Posting this topic so CC Oceania guests can comment - agree, disagree or no comment.

 

Since September, there are a number of threads and many cruise reviews about Oceania missing ports. 

 

Take a read.

 

Regatta - My cruise - Oct 8-26 Panama (9 negative reviews) - 3 missed ports, 1 port swap, 1 port arrival 2 hrs before dark. The number of reviews (9) are far more than typical on CC cruise reviews

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=287

 

Riveria (Right Now TA) - 2 missed ports - On Board Guest reporting dissatisfaction due to missed ports on the Regatta 2 missed ports current thread

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=607

 

Insignia - October Fall Splendors Canada and New England - 5 missed ports

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=638871

 

The comments by reviewers are consistent in their messaging:

 

* No explanation for missed ports, other than we are missing ports

* Captain hiding from guests (on my Regatta cruise, 2 groups of guests forced meetings with the captain after multiple guests were forced to meet with GM and other managers and forced to sign paperwork saying they would not speak to other guests. If they did not sign, there would be consequences)

* No return of port fees when other cruise lines reimburse

* Ship management arrogant and dismissive of guest concerns

 

In reading other cruise line reviews, there seems to be less postings on missing ports despite the mass cruise lines having more ships and therefore, technically, more probability of missed ports.

 

I am the starter of the current thread on CC Oceania site called Regatta 2 missed ports. Once home, research indicates that the ship I was on Regatta has mechanical issues known by Oceania for quite some time. Further, there seems to be a trend of Oceania cancelling ports well in advance of supposed/actual weather issues and then making no effort to substitute ports for the benefit of the customer.  Yes, ports can be cancelled. But the service provider is obligated to explain why a port is cancelled and tell guests why another port can not be substituted.  Oceania is no different than any other product/service provider who when they have to cancel - are required to explain why to the consumer. This is called customer service.

 

I cruised with Celebrity for 23 years and had 1 cancelled port where they reimbursed my port fees. I have had 3 cruises on Oceania and every cruise had cancelled ports (total of 5 cancelled ports over 3 cruises). Only 1 cancelled port was a tender which given the wave height was understandable. All other circumstances was not acceptable and there was no explanation given by Oceania and no reimbursement of port fees. Not acceptable Oceania.

 

I paid for my cruise and I expect my service provider to explain to me why my ports were cancelled and why alternative product (ports) could not be provided.

After 40 years of working in marketing, I am not what marketing people call an "obedient and docile consumer". There are many of those.

 

 

 

 

We can see your view and can understand perfectly what you are saying. Some people here seem to think that passengers on cruise ships "should be just seen and not heard", unless of course when they heap praise on the cruise lines which can do "nothing wrong". Fortunately, you are not one of them!

Of course, one has to be fair and reasonable, and realise that no cruise line is perfect, but  there are  some (cruise lines) which are more imperfect than others, at least some of their ships are!!!

Keep up the good work , @ABoatNerd

and thanks for keeping us posted with all these information.  That would help us choose and decide what cruise ship(s) to sail with, and which ones to avoid for future cruises.

On 11/7/2018 at 6:33 PM, ano said:

 

That is a VERY easy one to answer for anyone that cruised on one of the large cruise lines 15 to 20 years ago. That can be Carnival, Royal, Celebrity, Princess, Norwegian. That is what VV should aim for, and that DOES NOT exist on any cruise line today. Not in the least. I've moved on to Oceania, and its fine, but not even close to what these bigger ships had.

 

Here is a refresher, including some nice things I think should included as well: Included gratuities, no charge for any restaurants and all the food is actually VERY good, no "Haven" or other areas that exclude "lower class sailors" from enjoying the whole ship, all non-alcoholic beverages/coffees included, and maybe 2 alcoholic beverages included per person per day.  Remember midnight buffets? No you don't need to bring those back, but some elegant parties on board once or twice would be nice. And why not give each "sailor" a few free photos to remember the trip for free.  Also, including most excursions would be good, as that is why you likely cruise in the first place.

 

None of this is what I would call "luxury" and I don't see VV as a high-end cruise line. Instead stop nickel-and-dimming, and make the vacation that people have saved up a year or more for memorable. When you get off the ship, you should be remembering the great times you had, not trying to figure out why your credit card was just charged $1296 for gratuities and extra charges.

 

 

From what you mentioned, it appears it is not Oceania you should be going with, but with Oceania's rival company Viking. This is because the latter company may tick most of the boxes you indicated. On a Viking cruise, the following are included:
 

1) Wine and drinks for lunch and dinner

2) Excursions

3) Free visits to Speciality restaurants

4) Gratuities included (UK and Australian fares, for some reason tickets sold in US do not include gratuities)

5) Free Wifi

6) Free use of Sauna

When we went on Viking, at the end of the cruise,  they sent us an invoice which came to ZERO. What we paid for our fares was all we spent with them.

There was certainy very little "nickel diming", if any, which went on . (Of course, they still charge extra for better wines, select drinks package, excursions other than the single included one at each port,  massage , etc. But is that nickel diming?)

Viking is not exactly the top range of the deluxe luxury cruises, but the lower end of the luxury cruises (others may disagree) . If you shop around , sometimes, you get very attractive fares.

From reading the posts, it appears Virgin Voyages is not targeting the luxury market, but something between a little below that. 

Whatever market they are targeting, it would be interesting to see how they are going to make themselves stand out in the crowded ocean crossing business.

I read somewhere that VV intends to be for "adults only". Don't think that is a new concept. If I am correct, Viking Cruises caters to adults. Certain P&O ships also have cruises that caters for adults.

Really, VV needs to put on its thinking cap to be more innovative and imaginative, something which others have not thought of and have already introduced.

On 11/14/2018 at 7:21 PM, ipoh said:

Not completely falling apart yet...but there was a time last night, 10-11pm where hot water was shut off for regular maintenance as per Ray the cruise director.

 

Hope that will not happen too frequently. We used to like Regatta but if we cruise with Oceania, these days, we'd try to avoid their older "R" ships , especially the Regatta. Their bigger "O" ships are newer and have not just two specialty restaurants, but four.

Talking about restaurants and food, as your user name is "ipoh", I could be wrong but perhaps it suggests you might have your origins from Ipoh, Malaysia - and people from that town really know how to enjoy good food!  Although Oceania's cooking is generally of a very high standard, their Asian dishes, especially their Southeast Asian/Chinese ones, were not quite so good . Their fantastic sushi at the buffet was an exception. Having said that, if you ever try their "R" ships on a future cruise, do visit the Red Ginger restaurant. The cooking may not be "authentic" Asian cooking, but it's a clever fusion of East and West or "Asian-influenced", ....and most of the dishes there are so innovative yet superb! For example, their Baked Seabass in Miso Sauce is lip-smackingly delicious !!!

7 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

I suggested a Pan Asian place or a Churrascio, however that might be spelled..

Either of that would be fantastic. Hope someone from Viking management reads this.

8 hours ago, orchestrapal said:

 

They could easily make the entire space Manfredi’s and keep many of those who can’t get that second and third reservation there very happy.

We found the Chef’s Table very regimented and stiff while Manfredi’s delightful, delicious and friendly. We were lucky to eat there many times and highly recommend it.

We agree with you 100 per cent.

Really,  either Viking could expand Manfredi's and take over the space from Chef's Table or it could REPLACE Chef's Table with another specialty restaurant which is more appealing to the MAJORITY of the guests, not just a portion of them. We know there will be some who would disagree (there're always some who'd disagree whatever you say!) but it is probably the ONLY specialty restaurant in any cruise line that has so many people who dislike it (just see comments, past and present on the internet).  Some of its dishes were shocking, almost inedible for pleasure! Its dishes could almost be like Marmite, either you might like it, or you could hate it to the extreme!!! 

Isn't it time for Viking to take the BIG HINT and do something about it? Viking has a lot of good things going for it but in our opinion, (and probably many others), Chef's Table is NOT one of them!

Specialty restaurants is one area which rival Oceania Cruises does much better. On its two larger ships, the Rivera and the Marina, they have not just two specialty restaurants (as on all Viking ships), but four! And NONE of them are as controversial as Chef's Table.

6 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Many Asians go by Americanized names when working with English guests. Li  or Rose are a lot easier to say or remember than their real names! I’d be careful broaching that tradition!

No, the name he put on his name tag was an Indonesian name, although that was not his official name. It was certainly not an Americanized name. If they use an Americanized name, it would be good if they put their official names underneath in brackets.

I remembered that because that staff really upset me , especially when all the other staff who serve guests on Oceania in my experience has been so pleasant and hospitable. I was made to feel as if I was an inconvenience to him and he made me feel so small. I do not wish to go into that in detail,  it was in the past (not that long ago though), but it was certainly on Oceania, and that staff was Indonesian. He used his Indonesian "pet" name on his badge. If you have an issue and write to Oceania head office, they would probably not know who that was because that was not the name he gave them when he applied for the job.

7 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Was  this on Oceania ?

 

On some line  they give the crew Anglicied names  ...easier for the pax  to remember/pronounce

Yes, it was definitely on Oceania.

Not only the name badges are not unreadable, I found out the name of the staff on the name badge does not necessarily have to be his/her real name.

On one cruise, I had an issue with a junior catering staff .  Let's just say his name was "A".

After approaching different people on the ship, I found out that  "A" (i.e. the name as stated on his badge) was not even his real or official name! (It could just be his "pet" name , so only his friends on board would know it. Management may not be able to find that name on their list.).  

My suggestion to Oceania management is not just redesign the staff name badge, but to make it compulsory that the name the staff puts on his/her name badge is the name he/she used when applying for the position. Don't you think that is reasonable?

19 hours ago, ricki said:

If there is a thread discussing this, please direct me, if not...opinions please.  I am one of those poor souls struggling with the new Cruise Critic.

 

We've sailed O, but never Azamara.  Does one have an advantage over the other?  (Marina and Riviera aside)

 

Ricki

I think this has been discussed a few times before.

As has been mentioned Azamara standard fare includes drinks and gratuities but no specialty restaurants . Like Oceania "R" ships, there are only 2 specialty restaurant on Azamara, whereas the "O" shps have a selection of 4 specialty restaurants.

Unless it has changed, "tea time" at Oceania is heads and shoulders above  Azamara.

Some would also say the captains on Azamara are always amazingly friendly and approachable, to the point that quality alone set it apart from other cruise lines.  One would need to experience that to appreciate it. On every cruise, Azamara offers a free Azamazing evening, which is an on-shore event which could be in the form of a great party and entertainment for all passengers, another unique feature of Azamara.  All Azamara ships are the "R" class ships whereas Oceania has the 4 "R" ships and the 2 newer (and some would say "better" and bigger) .

If you were to compare Azamara vs Oceania, you might as well add Viking to the list, as Viking (or rather Viking Ocean, as they also have Viking River cruises) attracts almost the same market sector of cruise customers. In other words,  discuss Azamara vs Oceania vs Viking Ocean.

For Viking, the fare includes alcohol/drinks with meals, gratuities (in the UK and some other countries), specialty restaurants (alas only 2) and excursions. If we are correct, generally, all of its ships are newer than most of the ships offered by Oceania. Viking Ocean ships also include an indoor pool and separate men/women saunas, no charge to use.

6 hours ago, dandylion said:

I love macaroons and macarons but what I really love are caneles ( small French cake). Any chance they will be on my first Viking Ocean Cruise ?

 I do not believe I have seen them on Viking Ocean Cruise but I have seen them in the coffee bar on Oceania Cruises ships. There are there for you to help yourself. 

15 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

We live and we learn. Reading here sent me Googling:

 

Macarons vs. Macaroons: What's the Difference? ... Aside from both being delicious and similar in spelling, macarons and macaroons are entirely different cookies. First off, a macaroon is coconut based, whereas a macaron is meringue based.

Just read your explanation of the difference between  Macarons and Macaroons. Thank you , thank you.

I have to admit that I did not know that until you pointed it out. Now, I realise that  I am actually a Macaron Lover, and not a Macaroon Lover!!!

So , goodbye Macaroons, hello Macarons!

36 minutes ago, yoshi said:

I kind of hope they have the coconut macraroons 🙂

No, I have not seen coconut macaroons on Viking. Sorry.

On the other hand, I am not sorry they do not have coconut macaroons because I quite dislike them. Having said that, I adore the other non-coconut ones. Different people have different tastes I guess.

20 hours ago, Ready to Sail! said:

I just thought of another very important question.  Does the World Cafe regularly have macaroons?  I have an obsession with them.  I have read that Gelato is available daily (another obsession) but would sure like to know I can get my macaroon fix also. If so, I'll start dieting right now! 

Talking from one Macaroon fan to another,  I have not seen them in the World Cafe but I am pretty sure  they have them in the Winter Garden at tea time.

However, unfortunately,  the Winter Garden at tea time does NOT have a help-yourself buffet spread (which they have on Oceania cruises at tea time.). The waiter brings to your table a selection of pastries, sandwhiches and cakes. And usually amongst them, there is ONE (yes only ONE) macaroon for each table. 

I discovered that Viking staff are usually very helpful and keen to please. If you request to them that you would prefer more macaroons, (and fewer of those not-so-interesting cakes or sandwiches),  they would bring it to you.  Only thing is, at tea time, unless you go real early, the Winter Garden is frequently full and there has been discussions on this board about finding tables.  Also, you may have to wait quite  a while sometimes to get served.

If I am correct, you could also go to the Explorer lounge nearby which has lots of free tables and they would serve you the teatime treats as if you are in Winter Garden (both Winter Garden and Explorer Lounge is on Deck 7). Do not forget to ask them for more macaroons!

Please note that  on Viking Cruises,  they only have ONE FLAVOUR of Macaroon for each tea time serving, but the flavours change . My favorite is their pistachio macaroon.

As you love Macaroons, you might also like other pastries made with ground almonds , which Viking seemed to do quite well  . Once, we came across La Fenetra, which again was made with ground almonds and egg whites, with the kind of texture which is  a kind of cross between a macaroon and a cake. It's crispy on the top outside and melt-in-your mouth almondy meringue-marzipan-cake inside.  Trouble was, they only had it once in a 14 night cruise.  The desserts at the buffet in the World Cafe were usually nice, but their standards vary between meals. Sometimes, they were quite imaginative, other days, they were a bit "boring".  I do not believe they have many (if any) intricately decorated gateaux which you could cut yourself. In any case, the buffet has servers who prefer that they serve you.

Mamsen's, their pop-up deli-shop on Deck 7, it  also  had some very yummy cakes including one which has ground almonds (I think it was called Princess Cake) which you may enjoy. It reminded me of a kind of frangipane tart.

As for Gelato, their flavours changed every day in the World Cafe. Some were more successful than others. I think they even have a sugar-free gelato.  However, their gelato did not taste very rich or creamer, but they were quite pleasant all the same. 

So, yes, you'll have to start dieting now!  🙂

PS: If you happen to be flying through Paris Charles-de-Gaulle airport , and flying via Air France (or any SkyTeam airlines)  first or business class, in the Air France lounge they tend to put out a selection of Macaroons to help yourself.... all included in your air fare!