Caribbean Pearls

[caribbeansun]

We're just back from this cruise and thought I'd toss out some point form thoughts on the cruise for your consideration. What follows are of course just my opinion and YMMV:

 

1. FOOD - After a bit of a poor start the quality of the food picked up. The first 3 nights were poor

• Night 1 - Terrace - cold food that should have been hot. Bland, tasteless mains that we both found to be uninspiring. This was a disappointment as we'd thoroughly enjoyed the Terrace on our previous cruise
  
  
• Night 2 - Terrace - again disappointing, however, we quickly tossed aside the not so great food in favour of the sushi which was fresh and very good as well as a good old ceasar salad. We considered this night be a 50/50 experience
  
  
• Night 3 - Polo Grill - an outstanding appy of crab cake set our expectations very high. DW had the filet which was prepared pretty much perfectly. I unfortunately ordered the porterhouse which was a downright terrible piece of meat that had clearly been put under a broiler - you can't get that colour any other way. Sent it back and order a filet which appeared very quickly and was coated with salt. DW's meal was a winner, mine pretty much a write-off
  
  
• Then the tide turned and we were fortunate to experience very consistent and very good food in all venues going forward. I was skeptical re. GDR as we had 3 poor showings on our previous cruise with O but this time it was consistently good which was a welcome and positive surprise.
  
  
• Overall the food was good although I would encourage the chef to find other ways to enhance flavour than dumping large quantities of salt on almost every dish - the use of fresh herbs and spices would go further to enhancing the experience.
  
  
• Rationing of open tables in Polo and Toscana was obviously being filtered by stateroom number. I personally think that after everyone has made their reservations that the open tables should be up for grabs and further filtering shouldn't occur. If they want to do this then charge for the specialty restaurants as the more expensive staterooms should have amenities in them without further discriminating via the specialty restuarants.
  
  

2. Entertainment - as expected the entertainment was pretty much a non-event. The comedian was okay (Nolan?) but otherwise it wasn't worth showing up.

 

3. Casino - as expected it was small but I don't recall ever seeing more than one blackjack table operating and one "altered" poker table. Would have loved a Texas Hold 'em game/tournament on sea days even if it was just for O points. Ended up with more $'s at the end than I started with so we'll consider the casino a positive ;)

 

4. Ports - no surprises here of course. Disappointed that we couldn't get into Grand Turk but weather didn't cooperate.

 

5. Room - was clean but we did have a rather odd experience that the floor was wet in the entrance way to our room - they vacuumed it but nobody seemed to be able to correct the problem. Seemed that there was a leak of some sort under the floor in the bathroom - don't know...

 

6. Guests - met a number of great people on board and had good opportunities to do so. The martini tasting and scotch nosings were excellent value!

 

7. Miscellaneous - Gold medal olympic hockey game was on the big screens in the Lounge - well done!:D

 

Oddly, we were the only ones that used a cabana on this trip despite the sea days - thoroughly enjoyable!

I'll probably think of more later but that's a good start.

[Relaxing Rita]

Save me looking it up.... what ship was it?

[caribbeansun]

This was on Regatta.

 

In rereading my posting I think I've understated how much we did enjoy the trip, unfortunately it seems negatives stick out and are easier to remember which I think is human nature.

 

The crew and those that provided service were all outstanding and we were very nicely surprised to find one of the crew that was on our cruise from two years ago remembered us - that was actually quite amazing considering how many people they must see every year.

 

The library was reasonably well stocked and it was a pleasant surprise to find many quality books in the paperback exchange once I'd finished the books I'd brought along myself.

 

Room attendant was very good and the room was always clean, orderly and quickly made up (save the water issue which wasn't that big of a deal), she was always smiling and signing when she was working.

 

Bar tenders were quite engaging and we had a number of pleasant conversations with them and other crew about their experiences with O and in the various ports.

 

Tenders were run well and we never had to wait more than a few minutes.

 

Activities could be better as other than trivia there wasn't a whole lot geared to those a bit younger - there sure was a lot of bridge for those that like that (we don't).

 

Internet service was unfortunately problematic - wireless rarely made it to our room in a useful way (we were at the far end of the ship) and when it did service was terribly slow. The internet issues are well documented on these boards so not really a surprise, we do hope that service will be quicker and cheaper on Marina ;)

 

All in all, I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10 (don't know that I've ever given a 10 out of 10 so...)

[thatbloominplace]

thanks for the honest review. we sailed oceania a few years ago and were wondering if the line was cutting back as so many others have. it sounds like you still had a very positive experience.

 

steve

[susiesan]

I'll be doing this cruise Jan. 25, 2011. My return to O after my first cruise with them in 2006. Been sailing AZ for a while, but it's back to O for me for various reasons.

 

Which was your favorite port? Which least favorite?

[Friscorays]

Which was your favorite port? Which least favorite?

 

I guess it depends what you are looking for. What do you enjoy doing? Shopping? Laying on a beach? More active pursuits?

 

I enjoy scuba and snorkeling and thus liked pretty much every port of call. We did not make it to St Barts on our sailing due to weather so I can not comment on that port of call.

[susiesan]

I guess it depends what you are looking for. What do you enjoy doing? Shopping? Laying on a beach? More active pursuits?

 

I enjoy scuba and snorkeling and thus liked pretty much every port of call. We did not make it to St Barts on our sailing due to weather so I can not comment on that port of call.

 

We like snorkeling and active things to do. We dislike shopping. We always do independent tours, never buy shore ex from cruise lines.

[Friscorays]

Grand Turk is an excellent scuba and snorkel location and that is what we did there. Ditto for Tortola, Dominica and Virgin Gorda.

 

Cayo Levantado was a beach day for us, and a very nice one at that.

 

Antigua is not known as a diving destination so we did the eco tour with Eli of Adventure Antigua. It was a nice low key day.

 

Perhaps our all around best day was at the Ti Kaye resort in St Lucia. I dove while my wife had a massage at the resort. A nice lunch and round-trip transportation was included in the package rate. In my opinion, a true bargain.

[caribbeansun]

No contest given your statement about snorkeling - Tortola or Virgin Gorda.

 

Overall these would be my subjective ratings out of 10:

 

 

Virgin Gorda - 8

St. Barts - 8 (but very expensive!)

Dominica - 5 (whale watching with no whales, seemed like a place we might go back to)

St. Lucia - 3 (bad tour experience with Cosol tours)

Angtigua - 7 (good tour, crowded beach)

Tortorla - 10 (used Patouche for an awesome day sail, snorkeling, etc.)

Samana - NA - rained, didn't get off the ship

Grand Turk - NA - too windy didn't dock

 

If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to answer them.

 

I'll be doing this cruise Jan. 25, 2011. My return to O after my first cruise with them in 2006. Been sailing AZ for a while, but it's back to O for me for various reasons.

 

Which was your favorite port? Which least favorite?

[susiesan]

No contest given your statement about snorkeling - Tortola or Virgin Gorda.

 

Overall these would be my subjective ratings out of 10:

 

 

Virgin Gorda - 8

St. Barts - 8 (but very expensive!)

Dominica - 5 (whale watching with no whales, seemed like a place we might go back to)

St. Lucia - 3 (bad tour experience with Cosol tours)

Angtigua - 7 (good tour, crowded beach)

Tortorla - 10 (used Patouche for an awesome day sail, snorkeling, etc.)

Samana - NA - rained, didn't get off the ship

Grand Turk - NA - too windy didn't dock

 

If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to answer them.

 

Can you give me email or website info on Patouche on Tortola? I'm just now starting to research independent tours for this cruise. There is no roll call yet but once I get a few things lined up I may start one.

Susie

[caribbeansun]

http://www.patouche.com/

 

They provided a taxi to their site and we paid for the return ($12), the cost of the day sail was $160 - left a 9am, returned 2pm and included drinks and there was a total of 8 people on the boat which made it quite nice as there was more than enough room for everyone.

 

Can you give me email or website info on Patouche on Tortola? I'm just now starting to research independent tours for this cruise. There is no roll call yet but once I get a few things lined up I may start one.

Susie

[susiesan]

Thanks, caribbeansun. At this point, O has canceled the Jan. 22 Regatta cruise. I'm trying to work out changing to another date, Feb. 25, when they do this same itinerary but O won't book me at the same price I paid because all the cat G's are already taken on the alternate date. I hope they'll allow us to have a cat F for the same price so I can take a cruise with them. If not, I'll go with Celebrity or Star Clippers.

[caribbeansun]

The prices below are for 2 people BTW - sorry, should have noted that in the OP.

 

http://www.patouche.com/

 

They provided a taxi to their site and we paid for the return ($12), the cost of the day sail was $160 - left a 9am, returned 2pm and included drinks and there was a total of 8 people on the boat which made it quite nice as there was more than enough room for everyone.

[happy cruzer]

Can you describe the rationing of the specialty restaurants? Were you able to get extra spots? Who did you talk to?

 

Thanks for the review.

[caribbeansun]

We were fortunate to have met up with 3 other couples on the cruise and each couple had different stateroom cats and we regularly compared notes on the specialty restaurants.

 

On the second night one couple went to Polo to try to get a reservation for that night and were told there wasn't any room - they went to the main dining room where there was an hour and a half wait - the group of 6 in front of them in line were greeted by name and it was apparent that they were in a higher level room. The maitre d told them that rather than wait here they could go to Polo - at which point our friends injected that they could make that a table for 8 and joined the group.

 

We tested this with another couple - we would ask for a reservation for either restaurant in the morning in the Terrace restaurant, they would ask for our room # before consulting the bookings, we would be told there was nothing available. Another couple would shortly thereafter and amazingly there would be.

 

Not to be put off I would ask in the morning - same process - what is your room # - I was surprised when I received the comment that "you already have your two reservations". Yes, I know.

 

Out of this group of 8, we rec'd 1 extra, another had 7 or 8, another had 3 and the four 5 or 6 - #'s are a bit fuzzy now.

 

We all compared notes at the time and there was no other logical conclusion to draw other than there was rationing happening. As I said in my original post I personally think that after everyone has made their reservations that the open tables should be up for grabs and further filtering shouldn't occur. If they want to do this then charge for the specialty restaurants.

[LHT28]

On the second night one couple went to Polo to try to get a reservation for that night and were told there wasn't any room - they went to the main dining room where there was an hour and a half wait - the group of 6 in front of them in line were greeted by name and it was apparent that they were in a higher level room. .

 

After a couple of nights we are usually greeted by name & we are on Deck 4 so I do not think you need to be in the upper decks for this attention.

 

We ofter leave our name at the Terrace in the morning & may or may not get a table for that evening it is the luck of the draw

We just keep asking for the evenings we would like to dine there

 

Lyn

[happy cruzer]

So does anyone ever get an extra reservation at Terrace in the morning? I never did that's why I asked Caribbeansun the question. For us each morning, the same fellow manned the reservation desk and each day the answer was "no, spots available". We were asking for any time, either restaurant, any size table, any night. No was the answer in Terrace.

 

I went to the front desk to see if they had advice on how to get extra spots, they did and the problem was fixed. This was a year and half ago, just wondering what to expect.

 

Thanks.

 

PS Noticed on the website that O says that they have 4 open seating restuarants. I would not have considered the specialty restuarants open seating with the reservation policies. anyone think it will change to open seating where you show up and wait for an open seat?

[LHT28]

So does anyone ever get an extra reservation at Terrace in the morning? I never did that's why I asked Caribbeansun the question.

 

Noticed on the website that O says that they have 4 open seating restuarants. I would not have considered the specialty restuarants open seating with the reservation policies. anyone think it will change to open seating where you show up and wait for an open seat?

 

On Regatta we would leave our name with them in the morning & sometime would find the reservation card in our door later in the day

 

I can only think of 3 Open seating venues GDR, Terrace, Waves maybe they include Tapas even though it is part of the Terrace

 

Lyn

[StanandJim]

Noticed on the website that O says that they have 4 open seating restaurants. I would not have considered the specialty restaurants open seating with the reservation policies. anyone think it will change to open seating where you show up and wait for an open seat?

 

Another semantics issue:

In North America, the definition of open seating has evolved to mean that reservations are not necessary.

 

In the hospitality business, when discussing European plan restaurants (where meals are included), Open Seating refers to the restaurant being open to ANY client.

 

Press releases for the Marina, therefore, refer to her as having SIX open seating restaurants, because all six are open to any passenger who may wish to dine there.

[hondorner]

...PS Noticed on the website that O says that they have 4 open seating restuarants. I would not have considered the specialty restuarants open seating with the reservation policies. anyone think it will change to open seating where you show up and wait for an open seat?

"Open seating" does not mean "no reservations"; it means that there are no set times and no fixed seating, the way it is in traditional "closed" seating, where one must always dine at the same time with the same people at the same table...ugh.

[happy cruzer]

Gathering where seats/tables are not assigned or reserved but are taken up on first-come basis.

 

Here's the definition that I found. Guess it varies on who is doing the defining.

[hondorner]

... Guess it varies on who is doing the defining.

Yep -- I should have mentioned that the open seating definition I used is the cruise line's definition -- that's the only one that matters in this case. :D

 

The 4 "open seating" restaurants on the Regatta Class ships are the Grand dining room, the Terrace Buffet (and Tapas on the Terrace in the evening, the same place dressed up), Polo and Toscana. The Waves grill is not really considered a restaurant.

[caribbeansun]

I assume that you learned the secret handshake then?

 

I went to the front desk to see if they had advice on how to get extra spots, they did and the problem was fixed.

[happy cruzer]

Yep -- I should have mentioned that the open seating definition I used is the cruise line's definition -- that's the only one that matters in this case. :D

 

The 4 "open seating" restaurants on the Regatta Class ships are the Grand dining room, the Terrace Buffet (and Tapas on the Terrace in the evening, the same place dressed up), Polo and Toscana. The Waves grill is not really considered a restaurant.

 

If one had never cruised O before and only had the information in the new brochures and the website, he would never have heard of "the cruise line's definition". It's not there any more....... He would expect "open seating" as advertised, no caveats.

 

I don't care, I'll make it work for my next O. cruise. And if I don't get the cruise similar to my last then I will vote with my feet. Just commenting on what might be a weak area or an area that may be changing??????

 

Secret handshake: Is be nice, go up the chain, and ask for what you want clearly??

[karonius]

On a side note, any input on nights that you would consider best to/or not to try and pre book in a specialty restaurant. We will be on a 10 day cruise in A-1 so we are able to pre book 2 reservations per restaurant. I was asking in case there are typically any special event/menu nights in the GDR that you would want to attend. I know we will take any nights available when we book, but since time and table size are not an issue for us I was just wondering what nights would be best. .