Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

I am Jumping Ship to Oceania

mamaofami

By mamaofami,
in Holland America Line

Recommended Posts

kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
No.

 

Just got off 24 days on Riviera and never wore a jacket at night. I would say 10-20 percent of men wore jackets usually in specialty restaurants. But no fashion police.

 

Dress shoes, pants and long sleeve shirts were the norm.

 

Thank you very much. The brochures looked like the men were wearing jackets. Much appreciated:D

 

We are more than happy to follow any dress code - but I am always stymied by Country club casual. My clothes are basically smart casual (nice smart casual) and dressy (aka formal). I don't have much in between

Link to comment
Share on other sites
peaches from georgia

peaches from georgia

Posted
Posted

...........

We are more than happy to follow any dress code - but I am always stymied by Country club casual. My clothes are basically smart casual (nice smart casual) and dressy (aka formal). I don't have much in between

Any place we have been, at home or on vacation, smart casual and country club casual mean the same thing. What you'd wear to a nice restaurant at home, not sweat clothes you'd wear to McDonalds nor what you'd wear to a New Years Eve gala or as dressy as most weddings. If you call your clothes "nice smart casual" you are "country club casual". Different cruiselines are using different terminology for the same dress code. (Oh, I hate that term dress code.) ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
Kazu - I have seen you in your smart casual clothes - I know they would be perfect on Oceania!

 

 

 

Any place we have been, at home or on vacation, smart casual and country club casual mean the same thing. What you'd wear to a nice restaurant at home, not sweat clothes you'd wear to McDonalds nor what you'd wear to a New Years Eve gala or as dressy as most weddings. If you call your clothes "nice smart casual" you are "country club casual". Different cruiselines are using different terminology for the same dress code. (Oh, I hate that term dress code.) ;)

 

 

Thank you both very much - the country club casual thing had me very worried. We do dress nicely (I think) so I really appreciate the feedback. Much appreciated:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Aruba

Aruba

Posted
Posted
You can go to Post #174 to see what is lacking on Oceania with the comment that the ship looked like a "upscale prison". If these ships are upscale prisons I will spend the rest of my life in this prison :D !

Me too -- convict me, lock me up, and throw away the key.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
It might be the only prison people try to break into.

 

Legal Disclaimer:

I have not read every post on this thread. If above comment has previously been noted, please disregard.

 

I love your legal disclaimer - too good and too funny:D smooth seas:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
iancal

iancal

Posted
Posted

I don`t know about that. There is a low security prison just outside Vancouver that is located on a golf course (just imagine the luckless taxpayers who drive by not knowing who uses it). The inmates live in townhouses. Cable,,,yes of course.

 

In fact, one of the inmates, a former well known politican who was found guilty of killing his wife , was about to have his horse shipped to the prison.

 

Unfortunately for him the media, and then the public, got wind of this and the prison officials rescinded their decison to allow this. Bit of change on conjugal visits.

 

Who knows, maybe they do even let them take the occasional cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cruisetrail

cruisetrail

Posted
Posted
Look at the book not the cover!

I think we should all take a step back and look at what the upscale prison has. The observation deck is a lounge on deck 15, that has comfortable seating , a bar, dance floor, and where the afternoon tea is served every day. It has floor to ceiling windows to protect one from the elements while having a 180 degree view. If one needs the wind in there face they can step out side on the deck overlooking the pool. This area has windows that can be opened so that you and the dog can put their head out into the wind. Yes most of the cabins have verandas, with only 18 inside cabins and 20 cabins with no veranda, only floor to ceiling windows.

As to that 'nasty fence', the glass helps keep the wind from blowing across the deck and pool area. The pool deck 12, and mini promenade deck 14, I joke, are open to the sky. If one needs to "promenade about", the deck 14 area around the open to the pool below can be a nice place out of the wind, but still able to see through the glass to view the ocean. If one has a need for wind blowing as they walk the aft area of deck 15 around the smoke stack has only a railing . As to the no access at the stern that area overlooks the stern. Or one can go to deck 12 and sit at the outside tables under the umbrellas at the Terrace Cafe.

Cruisetrail forgot to look for the 2 smoking areas on the ship!

Gee and it wasn't painted a dark blue - must not be a ship at all!

I will be able to see the difference on Aug. 8

 

I love this!!

"The observation deck is a lounge on deck 15":)

Etc., etc. of the same kind..

My friend, the observation deck is observation deck. A lounge is a lounge.

They both must be on a cruise ship.

 

Observation decks on the Eurodam:

 

2lswg2h.jpg

 

 

 

Observation lounge (one of the two) on the Eurodam:

 

2ly268z.jpg

 

 

 

If one needs to "promenade about", the deck 14 area around the open to the pool below can be a nice place out of the wind, but still able to see through the glass to view the ocean.

 

Seeing the Caribbean though the glass is not what I pay for.

 

An area around the pool is not a promenade deck.

On the Nieuw Amsterdam you'll se both of them.

 

256u5uw.jpg

 

 

 

1zlvjmx.jpg

 

 

This area has windows that can be opened so that you and the dog can put their head out into the wind.

I will consider this option for my dog. :)

 

Happy cruising on the Nieuw Amsterdam!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hypercafe

hypercafe

Posted
Posted

I have sailed both lines, my last HAL trip on the Zuerdam to the Panama Canal. On that trip the AC and toilets did not work on the ship all of the time. It was also the start of the staff cutbacks so the service was poor. Just took a trip on Oceania, the AC and toilets worked just fine and there were lots of staff so the service was great. CCL does not maintain there ships well as can be seen by their recent mishaps. Even tho the Oceania trips cost more I would rather have one good vacation a year in stead of two or three that are poor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
G&G

G&G

Posted
Posted
That's the one thing I'm having a little trouble figuring out. I understand the concept, of course, but I don't see yet how it will work out in practice.

I'm traveling with several others, and we aren't all in the same cabin categories. If others can make reservations before I can, then there's no guarantee that we can all dine together. :confused: The time could be closed out before I can reserve.

 

I'm sure things will all work out, and it will be a lovely change, but there is that niggling concern right now.

 

You will have no problem booking your reservations at the specialty restaurants. Whoever can book the reservations first, can book yours on line. All they will need is your booking number. The on line reservation system for Oceania allows you to make reservations for others if you wish to dine at the same time and at the same table. Just be sure to book when time first becomes available to book. Each reservations has four reservation times; 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 9:00 PM. Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted
You will have no problem booking your reservations at the specialty restaurants. Whoever can book the reservations first, can book yours on line. All they will need is your booking number. The on line reservation system for Oceania allows you to make reservations for others if you wish to dine at the same time and at the same table. Just be sure to book when time first becomes available to book. Each reservations has four reservation times; 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 9:00 PM. Good luck.

Thank you for filling in a part of the puzzle. It's a different system from what I'm used to, so I have to learn it from scratch. It's like learning a new language!

 

I know you can be seated with others in the specialty restaurants on Oceania, so I was thinking my friends could be seated with others, yet I wouldn't be at the same table.

I know, I know, I'm overthinking this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
agabbymama

agabbymama

Posted
Posted
I've wanted to try another line for a while, or at least DH has wanted to. We saw a TA on Riviera that looked appealing and we're booking it for the November TA. We're very excited to try this:):) and there are several Hal people doing the same cruise.

 

I'm worried that once we cruise with them, we might never be able to do Hal again, but we'll see.

 

mamaofami,

 

I'm so happy for you, that you can afford to do Oceania. From their board, cruisers seem to express that exact problem, that once you cruise them, you won't be able to go mainstream again.

 

I've looked at them but they are beyond my pocketbook. Hope you have a fantastic cruise with them! Be sure to come back to the HAL board and let us know how it went.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GrammieK

GrammieK

Posted
Posted

Just a little clarification... Yes, your friends can book restaurant reservations for you with your booking number, but not until your time opens up as per your cabin classification. I am pretty sure that is how it works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...