Cunard vs Oceania

[miss listowel]

My husband is disabled and used a scooter to get around. We are thinking of taking the Riviera on the Nov.26th cruise, should we book a PH room? Also, how does it compare to the Queen Mary 2.

Thank you.

[wripro]

For anyone who uses a scooter I would book the Riviera simply because it is much much smaller and easier to get around. The PH suites are beautiful, comfortable and spacious.

[LuAnn]

My husband is disabled and used a scooter to get around. We are thinking of taking the Riviera on the Nov.26th cruise, should we book a PH room? Also, how does it compare to the Queen Mary 2.

Thank you.

 

is like an apple and an orange! QM2 is a beautiful ship. but as Wripro mentioned a much larger ship than the Riviera. And it is a much more formal ship...both in decor and dress. We enjoy the "country club casual" aspect of Oceania...as we are really not into "formal" anymore....but I'm so glad I went on the QM2...very stately....Welcome to Cruise Critic! LuAnn

[bphman]

I don't mind an occasional formal or dressy night but the QM2 went a little overboard for my tastes. The least formal attire on any night was jacket without tie. On our 11 day cruise we had three formal, four semi and four elegant casual. It was a little too much for me. I felt that the Oceania crew was friendlier and the fellow passengers warmer. We were on the Marina and enjoyed the food much more than Cunard despite being in the Grills category. As for mobility issues, you certainly don't have to go PH as any accessible cabin should suit your needs. QM2 is huge and can be a problem getting around.

[JimandStan]

My husband is disabled and used a scooter to get around. We are thinking of taking the Riviera on the Nov.26th cruise, should we book a PH room? Also, how does it compare to the Queen Mary 2.

Thank you.

 

There was some discussion on our last Riviera cruise, that mobility scooters now have to be stored (and recharged) inside ones cabin, so either a larger handicapped cabin or a Penthouse, would be a must. :)

[Mura]

I don't mind an occasional formal or dressy night but the QM2 went a little overboard for my tastes. The least formal attire on any night was jacket without tie. On our 11 day cruise we had three formal, four semi and four elegant casual. It was a little too much for me. I felt that the Oceania crew was friendlier and the fellow passengers warmer. [sNIP]

 

 

My time on Cunard is back in 2003 and 2004 but even then the dressy evenings were more than we liked. It wasn't so bad for the women ... even on formal nights we could get away with a cocktail dress or fancy pants suit.

 

But for the men, jackets and ties were almost always required. Our first cruise with the QE2 was a 14 day Caribbean which had FAR too many formal evenings, but as I said, for the men they just about had to have a jacket and tie (hopefully with pants as well) every night. There was maybe ONE night when they could be more casual.

 

On a TA from Southampton to NY it was a shorter cruise, but there were still those formal nights.

 

We enjoyed our time on the QE2, yes. But we vastly prefer O's dress code.

 

Mura

[Paul&Kathy]

It depends on your scooter, we have a Luggie which folds up but we managed very well with a standard balcony cabin on Riviera without ever bothering to fold the scooter, there was plenty of room. On Marina last year we had an inside accessible cabin and it was huge.

 

Just one thing to be aware of is the gangway. If you look on the reviews section you will see my review of Marina and all the troubles we had with the gangway. I wrote a review of Riviera too and access was much better but there is still not a flat gangway as most ships have. You will be able to use the crew gangway but there is usually a step or two or a very steep ramp at each end. It was quite easy with our little scooter that I can lift easily but if your husband's scooter is a big heavy one, or if he can't walk a few steps, then you might find it difficult.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

... You will be able to use the crew gangway but there is usually a step or two or a very steep ramp at each end. It was quite easy with our little scooter that I can lift easily but if your husband's scooter is a big heavy one, or if he can't walk a few steps, then you might find it difficult.

 

But the staff would help out to get a person in a scooter or wheelchair on and off the ship, right?

[dorisis]

is like an apple and an orange! QM2 is a beautiful ship. but as Wripro mentioned a much larger ship than the Riviera. And it is a much more formal ship...both in decor and dress. We enjoy the "country club casual" aspect of Oceania...as we are really not into "formal" anymore....but I'm so glad I went on the QM2...very stately....Welcome to Cruise Critic! LuAnn

'

The Cunard is a bit 'stogy' compared to Oceania and much much larger.

~Doris~

[Paul&Kathy]

But the staff would help out to get a person in a scooter or wheelchair on and off the ship, right?

 

Yes the gangway staff are very helpful BUT have very little knowledge/training in assisting a disabled person and even less idea about moving the scooter - eg they persistently tried to push it along even though I told and showed them each time that pushing it puts the auto brakes on (by day 11 of the 12 day cruise they just about got it !). The gangway was too narrow for a very big scooter. And as I said there was often a step or two at each end so if the scooter user cannot walk enough to get off and go up/down a step or two it would be tricky - realistically I think they would need to be able to walk along the gangway as it would not really be wide enough to get on and off the scooter safely at each end. Sadly gangway accessibility is our one gripe with Oceania.