Major Diappointment

[roaming_kiwi58]

We did an Oceania cruise on Nautica in September. I have been meaning to do a full review, but not made it yet, and we are due to go overseas again in a few days, so probably unlikely this side of Christmas.

 

We were disappointed in our Oceania cruise, and definitely did not believe it was value for money. We have travelled before on Louis, Azamara and NCL, plus river cruises with APT and Uniworld, and extensive land travel over the last 30 years. We are easy to please and have enjoyed all our cruises, but Oceania definitely did not come up to expectations when it came to service and food.

 

We chose the cruise for the itinerary – 2 week port intensive Baltic Stockholm to Southampton, including Kiel Canal transit. As it was quite a lot dearer than we wanted to pay we tried an inside stateroom for the first time. We were very happy with the stateroom, which was very comfortable. We do not spend much time there as it is the ports which are important to us.

 

We thought service was lacking, and food not as good as we were expecting. Specific examples follow.

- Dirty glasses and crockery left lying around public areas of the ship most of the day without being cleared.

- Rubbish bin in our bathroom not emptied every day.

- Difficulty getting coffee (for my husband) at the end of meals, and often if it did get delivered then it was not very hot. On one occasion, having waited 20 minutes after ordering, we gave up and left the restaurant. As we left, we did notice a cup sitting on the counter waiting to be delivered – it was probably my husband’s coffee, and would have been stone cold by then. Usually (but not always) a different person prepared the coffee to who delivered it, and there seemed to be no co-ordination between the two.

-Food in the buffet was usually near cold. My husband commented on this on the mid cruise survey, and was told if they keep it too hot it overcooks. Usually it wasn’t even vaguely warm.

-We usually prefer eating in the buffet, as we have more control over timing and it is quicker overall, but we did try all restaurants in the hope of finding a better meal. Food in the MDR, Polo Grill and Toscana was usually better, though I had an extremely salty meal in Toscana and some meals were just so-so.

-One day when we got back about 2.30pm from shore, the buffet had already closed for lunch, so we went for a snack in Waves Grill. The meal itself arrived quickly, but there was no cutlery to eat it with. I went to try and pick it up myself, but was told to sit down. By the time the cutlery finally arrived our meal was cold. When this example was mentioned to the Head Waiter (who followed up on some comments my husband made on the mid cruise survey) he kept saying they were so busy because the buffet had closed. Yes, ok, but that is not our problem. They should have kept the buffet open later, or had more staff in the Waves Grill.

-Each day there was a different large bag of laundry left just outside our stateroom door, from late morning until after we had retired for the night. This started to really annoy my husband, so on about the third to last day he moved it into a different corridor in the afternoon. It disappeared quickly and we didn’t see another bag of laundry lying around the corridor through to the end of the cruise!

-Oceania’s shore excursion prices are out of this world! We like to do our own thing where possible, and did so on this cruise. But over the years we have also used quite a few cruiseline shore excursions. In St Petersburg we had a truly excellent 3 day tour with TJ Tours, which cost us US$400 each. We added up what it would have cost us to do something similar with Oceania (we would not have been able to fit as much in) and it would have been about three times the price. We only used Oceania shore once, and this was because we had OBC to use up, so we decided it was easier in Zeebrugge to use the Oceania bus into Brugge.

 

My husband made a number of comments on the food and service on the mid cruise survey, and Peter, the head waiter contacted him for more feedback. After that whenever we saw him he was checking with us, but none of our core issues seemed to actually improve.

 

We have had better pricing on Azamara, and get wine included with meals. Though we are not big drinkers, so it is not important to us, just adds to the value compared to what we had with Oceania.

 

We would travel Oceania again, if the itinerary is right, and the price is not too ridiculous, but it would certainly not be our first choice. At the end of the day it is itinerary and timing which are most important to us, and Oceania do have some nice itineraries. We are returning to Azamara next August, then trying HAL in December 2015, and back to Azamara in December 2016. About to do a river cruise in Vietnam/Cambodia with APT.

 

Just our experience. Everyone has different likes and dislikes – and just as well!

Edited December 10, 2014 by roaming_kiwi58

[TrulyBlonde]

roaming kiwi 58...nice to see the effort and time put into your review. My 1st review ever on CC was related to my Azamara cruise. After that debacle, I seriously thought about giving up on cruise ships. Enjoy your AZ and I will stick to O....my experience and likes and dislikes..thank goodness for choices.

[Floridiana]

I am sorry you had this experience. We never experienced any of this on our three Oceania cruises. One of them was on Regatta to the Amazon. We liked this cruise, the ship, the food, the service, the itinerary, the on-shore experiences.

 

About the Amazon: Oceangoing ships cannot cruise on the narrow upstream stretches of the river and its tributaries. Expectations of a close-up jungle experience must therefore be modified. Much smaller luxury boats are now available for close-up tours. We saw one of them pass us on the Napo River in Ecuador while we were riding in a motorized canoe. Passengers have to be taken into narrow channels and the guides point out what's hidden in the dense green.

[mskaufman]

No need to follow this thread, unless the OP retracts "rude" and comes back with details.

 

Is O worth the 'extra' money... not a doubt in the world.

 

From my perspective, I have sliced and diced the numbers against comparable cruises on mass market...and O always wins with value.

 

Personally, the upper suites are not a value to me and warrant a separate discussion... but for cruising in a standard cabin... you cannot beat O for what they deliver in value and service.

 

I am a believer. :cool:

 

Thanks, what we really like (without cruising on O) is that they get you to places that the other lines just don't go to. We have been lucky. In a dozen cruises on multiple lines we have never gone home with the desire to write a really negative review. Oceania is June is one of our top three choices for this summer.

[smilin jack]

I guess I am getting old, and I have a glass of Jameson in my hand, but I am glad O has their prices high. It generally keeps the muscle shirts, tank tops, and flip flops out of the dining venues.

 

No belly flop contests, photo people taking your picture etc........

 

It is just an enjoyable experience.......No matter where you go!

[CanadaTraveller]

Roaming_kiwi, we could have been on the same cruise. We are not difficult to please, and have been quite happy on NCL, with nothing really warranting a complaint. But on Nautica, things fell apart in the restaurants and in room cleanliness. Waiting in the MDR over 20 minutes for breakfast coffee, with only 5 tables occupied, 2 waiters, one assistant and one travelling with pastries. That was after asking all for coffee, and we only received it after going to the host at the entrance. The table next to us gave up on syrup after waiting, after repeated requests, longer than we did for coffee. Waiters spent about 20 minutes after each order writing at the service station. Then the order went to the kitchen. I have no idea what that was about; maybe to look busy? Food was less than stellar. The salmon dish was a salute to beige, I had gnocchi which when I touched the stack with my spoon, just melted; I have never seen that happen. Soups were cooked down to stew with little moisture. I can honestly say, other than Toscana, I cannot remember one dish that stood out.

 

I saw one guest slapped by a server for touching a cookie at the buffet, another yelled at for asking for butter, staff making fun of guests and general rudeness. The food and service in Toscana was over the top, and when these staff were working the buffet, they looked like a group thrown into a battlefield. They tried to remain professional, the rest did their own thing. Because we were in concierge, we did get extra time in Toscana, but it wasn't enough over three weeks. And I am not a buffet fan, so after 3 times there, I didn't go back. Room service was horrible, with most things dry as a bone and those soups coming roasted to the wall of the bowl.

 

The room steward did the bare minimum in cleaning, but was good at making sure there were extra towels. Management onboard did not seem to distant themselves from passengers. I saw a supervisor partying on a regular basis with younger passengers on the ship. In fact, several crew took out some of these passengers on our last night onboard in Bangkok. They attended a strip show which I am told involved many ping pong balls. This does not give the impression of professionalism.

 

We booked all our excursions through Oceania, and were happy with the organization and product. Though more expensive we couldn't complain ( easy to please ). Spa staff were great; I had the best facial I have ever had in my life. Bartenders were attentive, shows were better than we expected, but with the itinerary early nights were the norm. The quartet was wonderful in the evening, and a great area to relax.

 

The fellow passengers were wonderful, but on this cruise, we did get many passengers complaining to us about the food (we never brought up our experiences first because we knew many passengers really do enjoy it.)

 

Did we complain? We did, but did it with some recommendations for improvement. I wanted it not to sound like blame, but an opportunity to learn. I was heard, but the onboard leadership was only concerned about being able to say back to head office that we were taken care of. How were we taken care of? Dinner with some members of the leadership team. I guess some people would have been happy with that. I found it an obligation I would have preferred to skip, but they were very persistent. We did learn from chatting with the leadership that those positions are filled by people with experience, but not necessarily in a more upscale or luxury line. At the end of the day, the people in charge may have had their last contract with MCS or Carnival.

 

So, did I feel we received value for money? No. We had two more cruises booked with Oceania before we got on the ship. We cancelled as soon as we returned home. I have been researching Regent and Seabourne, but neither of us have more than a glass of wine at dinner. Seems kind of expensive if you aren't going to indulge in champaign during the day.

 

I really wanted Oceania to be great, and if not great, then ok. I like casual dress, love the itineraries, and prefer the smaller ship. The fellow passengers were the friendliest group of people, and we were pleasantly surprised by their openness and regular invitations to join them for dinner. All were so interesting to meet, and I have left with many email addresses that I write regularly.

 

That's our story, for what it's worth. I think we will try Oceania again, sometime in the future, and hope our experience is better.

 

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[smilin jack]

I saw one guest slapped by a server for touching a cookie at the buffet

 

One of the things I love about O is at the buffets they serve you the food....the pax. don't touch it....as it should be!

[mpfund]

Roaming Kiwi -- wow! oh wow! We were on the same Baltic cruise as you and thought it was just terrific. It was our 2nd Oceania cruise and we thought everything was wonderful. We have another O cruise booked for March and expect to have the same terrific time.

 

I am posting this so that other posters/readers are aware there are usually two points of view.

 

I am sorry O did not live up to your expectations.

[DOJO466]

Roaming_kiwi, we could have been on the same cruise. We are not difficult to please, and have been quite happy on NCL, with nothing really warranting a complaint. But on Nautica, things fell apart in the restaurants and in room cleanliness. Waiting in the MDR over 20 minutes for breakfast coffee, with only 5 tables occupied, 2 waiters, one assistant and one travelling with pastries. That was after asking all for coffee, and we only received it after going to the host at the entrance. The table next to us gave up on syrup after waiting, after repeated requests, longer than we did for coffee. Waiters spent about 20 minutes after each order writing at the service station. Then the order went to the kitchen. I have no idea what that was about; maybe to look busy? Food was less than stellar. The salmon dish was a salute to beige, I had gnocchi which when I touched the stack with my spoon, just melted; I have never seen that happen. Soups were cooked down to stew with little moisture. I can honestly say, other than Toscana, I cannot remember one dish that stood out.

 

I saw one guest slapped by a server for touching a cookie at the buffet, another yelled at for asking for butter, staff making fun of guests and general rudeness. The food and service in Toscana was over the top, and when these staff were working the buffet, they looked like a group thrown into a battlefield. They tried to remain professional, the rest did their own thing. Because we were in concierge, we did get extra time in Toscana, but it wasn't enough over three weeks. And I am not a buffet fan, so after 3 times there, I didn't go back. Room service was horrible, with most things dry as a bone and those soups coming roasted to the wall of the bowl.

 

The room steward did the bare minimum in cleaning, but was good at making sure there were extra towels. Management onboard did not seem to distant themselves from passengers. I saw a supervisor partying on a regular basis with younger passengers on the ship. In fact, several crew took out some of these passengers on our last night onboard in Bangkok. They attended a strip show which I am told involved many ping pong balls. This does not give the impression of professionalism.

 

We booked all our excursions through Oceania, and were happy with the organization and product. Though more expensive we couldn't complain ( easy to please ). Spa staff were great; I had the best facial I have ever had in my life. Bartenders were attentive, shows were better than we expected, but with the itinerary early nights were the norm. The quartet was wonderful in the evening, and a great area to relax.

 

The fellow passengers were wonderful, but on this cruise, we did get many passengers complaining to us about the food (we never brought up our experiences first because we knew many passengers really do enjoy it.)

 

Did we complain? We did, but did it with some recommendations for improvement. I wanted it not to sound like blame, but an opportunity to learn. I was heard, but the onboard leadership was only concerned about being able to say back to head office that we were taken care of. How were we taken care of? Dinner with some members of the leadership team. I guess some people would have been happy with that. I found it an obligation I would have preferred to skip, but they were very persistent. We did learn from chatting with the leadership that those positions are filled by people with experience, but not necessarily in a more upscale or luxury line. At the end of the day, the people in charge may have had their last contract with MCS or Carnival.

 

So, did I feel we received value for money? No. We had two more cruises booked with Oceania before we got on the ship. We cancelled as soon as we returned home. I have been researching Regent and Seabourne, but neither of us have more than a glass of wine at dinner. Seems kind of expensive if you aren't going to indulge in champaign during the day.

 

I really wanted Oceania to be great, and if not great, then ok. I like casual dress, love the itineraries, and prefer the smaller ship. The fellow passengers were the friendliest group of people, and we were pleasantly surprised by their openness and regular invitations to join them for dinner. All were so interesting to meet, and I have left with many email addresses that I write regularly.

 

That's our story, for what it's worth. I think we will try Oceania again, sometime in the future, and hope our experience is better.

 

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Thank you for your very honest review. O. Is our line of choice but sometimes it just doesn't deliver the product we have expected. We have had poor service in the GDR which we could not fathom as there were only 5 tables being served and as you stated, we could not get coffee and syrup was not delivered until 20 minutes later and if you can believe it, the container was empty. We waited a very long time to have our card taken for our drinks, ultimately we just walked out of the venue. Every cruise is different. We have 2 more booked for 2015. We will just see what happens. If it is not good we will have to reconsider future sailings. I hope this will not be the case.

[corpkid]

We sailed the Azamara Quest (as our first upscale cruise) from Rio to BsAs and it was really awesome - but mostly because the ports were awesome. We did almost 100% non-ship tours. Overall, we liked it, but the boat was a little too small for us. And we VERY MUCH don't like the huge ships. Food was good, company was good, and the staff were good. So nothing to complain about - but we realized right away if we weren't in port every day we'd get a little bored. Thankfully we were in port every day on that cruise! So R-class ships for us are probably not a good fit (but we are going to try again (see signature) :)

 

Anyways - We are pretty high active, though we love our naps and we found the mid-sized Marina to be perfect (haven't tried Rivera yet). We sailed them for the first time in summer '13 in the Baltics (review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=227897

 

We fell in love. Totally the right size and perfect for us. We have since sailed them around the British Isles which blew my mind (again but one O excursion - roll calls are your best friend). We leave in some 60 days to head off to Australia and New Zealand for a month on Marina and can't wait.

 

The big question for us is the Montreal - NYC cruise on the R-class Regatta - we figured we'd give that size ship another shot with Oceania this time. We'll know for sure about the R class after we take that cruise, as so far Oceania has been a perfect fit. Whatever you do - it's not an inexpensive choice and you should do your research.

[Iceberg 3]

Thank you for your very honest review. .

 

Not so sure about that

[TrulyBlonde]

One of the things I love about O is at the buffets they serve you the food....the pax. don't touch it....as it should be!

 

Exactly...keep those germs away

[Floridiana]

Very strange reports about food and service. On our cruises the executive chefs were very visible, checking each dining venue each night. They were French trained by tough chefs back in the home country.

 

On the Regatta, sometimes, the Terrace Café had slow service right after opening when the two 'early' waiters ignored patrons. Five minutes later, the maitre d' appeared from back in the kitchen and they snapped into service right away... like magic. He had a sharp eye. We suspected that waiters who are not up to snuff in other dining venues get relegated to early service in the Terrace Café to prove that they are worthy of a premium line. Just an assumption, we have no proof.;)

[Cirus]

We sailed on the Thanksgiving Insignia cruise and this was our 7th cruise with Oceania and our 49th total. We were very disappointed with this sailing. We had the beer/wine package for dinning room only and it was almost impossible to get a glass refilled.They would rather serve the tables where they were buying expensive bottles. The dress code was more like Pizza Party than Country Club Casual. Be prepared if you have to visit the ships doctor. My husband's bill was $940.00 for an office visit and one antibiotic. We are sailing again over New Year's and have picked another line.

[TrulyBlonde]

I was thinking the same thing....an abundance of posters criticizing O..but only in the last day or so..what's up?

[PENGUIN67]

I have cruised about 25 times on various lines over the years, from small to large ships. The Regatta cruise to the Amazon last month was our first time with Oceania, and I had high expectations, given their claims of being a cut above the herd. So, we paid the comparatively higher price, anticipating better service than other lines. That was NOT the case, and many service aspects were below par. I know that one cannot grade any company based on a single sailing, but I will strike Oceania from my future cruise suppliers.

 

Here are some specifics for my initial comments in posting #1:

 

1. Overzealous (and expensive by comparison) tour descriptions, eg – the 4 hr tour in Tobago was only 2.5 hr; the “Manaus rubber museum and Indian community” tour was supposed to include the world-famous opera house, which it did not -- a major disappointment; the “Highlights of Santarem” tour was supposed to include the town hall museum, which it did not.

2. Excursion desk personnel were rude and belligerent when concerns about a tour were expressed.

3. Very poor availability of working staff service in buffet, dining room, and pool deck areas, yet an overabundance of supervisors. This produced repetitive absence of cutlery and beverage service in the buffet, as well as protracted delays in the dining rooms for order-taking and food delivery.

4. Most buffet items in Terrace Café not labeled. Brought to the attention of the Executive Chef, leading to correction for one day only.

5. Narrow breakfast selection in buffet and restaurant was boring.

6. Compared with other cruise lines, there are too many hours when the only way to get food is Room Service.

7. Cabin not serviced for many hours after leaving sign to do so.

8. Service concerns and complaints were not promptly resolved. There is a clear disconnect between the emphasis on customer service expressed by the Hotel Manager and his underlings. The service level was well beneath that expected of a company that markets itself at the “high end”.

9. Many first-time O cruisers on the ship with backgrounds on other lines also thought this sailing was well below expectations. Even some O loyalists agreed, saying that service is better on the larger O ships.

10. At the end of the day, it is all about the specific crew members on a specific sailing, and I would never condemn any specific company. For example, we’ve had both disastrous and outstanding experiences with Celebrity, all attributable to crew behavior.

 

All of these comments (and others) were mailed today to Oceania in their post-cruise questionnaire. Now I get to see if they blow me off or are responsive.

[ceba]

What would you like them to do to recognize and satisfy your concerns?

No sarcasm here. Just wondering what you expect.

[LHT28]

Here are some specifics for my initial comments in posting #1:

5. Narrow breakfast selection in buffet and restaurant was boring.

.

 

Ok I will take the bait

What do you have for breakfast that was not on the menu or on the buffet??

 

Lyn

[Floridiana]

Sounds like the total opposite of our cruise on this itinerary three years ago.

 

As to the cutting short of excursions, could you have been there on Sundays when the museums and the opera house are closed? We were there on weekdays. The excursion desk could have informed everybody on this tour that the opera house is closed on Sunday but open on Saturday. It's in walking distance from the pier.

[no fuss travel]

Also, please note there has been several discussions on the O board about the cost of the excursions, how rude the on board excursion staff can be at times, and the fact that the excursions are not as described sometimes. There is a reason why most of the repeat passengers organize their own tours, we get what we expect, even though on one of my last tours (private) I took, the tour guide did not do what we expected and we were not pleased. Oceania has no control over the tour guides used on the tours, and it could be that unfortunately you got stuck with a poor tour guide.

[Christine Frances]

Glad to see after 49 cruises and 7 with O that you have finally found the Cruise Critic Board in time to slam the line and jump ship. Somehow I am detected a distubing pattern in these postings lately. Just saying...

 

The Oceania cheer leaders are so strident that I think some people sail with O and move on if it does not meet their expectations rather than face the wrath from this board to post their experience. Just takes one to voice their opinion and then others will join in = safety in numbers lol

Edited December 11, 2014 by Christine Frances

[wiks]

It just seems it would be so much easier to "vote with your feet" and let the "O" lovers (of which I am one) continue sailing with them instead of all this sniping & bickering.

 

 

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[CanadaTraveller]

The Oceania cheer leaders are so strident that I think some people sail with O and move on if it does not meet their expectations rather than face the wrath from this board to post their experience. Just takes one to voice their opinion and then others will join in = safety in numbers lol

 

Thank you Christine. Why share a truthful experience when you are questioned as to the honesty of your statements. But you see it happening to others, and you can't remain silent. Not all was perfect on my cruise. But it is interesting how people dismiss opinion and make generalizations about those "mainstream" cruisers trying Oceania. We like big ships (I loved the size of the Nautica), we like photographers (never had a photo taken on a ship and just wave them away), we like baseball caps and T-shirts (don't own a baseball cap, and only wear a T-shirt at the gym) and our palate only understands food from a chain restaurant. What I don't understand by the statements I read is they do not reflect the experience I had talking to people onboard. They were so kind, polite, and clearly had manners.

 

Let's be realistic. Oceania is not luxury. So why pretend it is, and attack people who have a bad experience. It is going to happen. And the odds are, it has to happen. The people managing the experience and the people providing the service are not leaving Four Seasons to sign on to be at sea for 6 - 9 months and share pooled tips on ships that are registered in countries of convenience to keep wages down. You cannot expect a perfect experience without paying the price. I was not expecting perfection at the price I paid. I was expecting decent food and a clean room. It didn't happen on this cruise. It could on another.

 

I have had good experiences on Norwegian, but I don't kid myself into believing others have not had bad ones. And if they did, I certainly wouldn't make the argument that they aren't the right kind of people to understand what good service/food is. Getting a cup of coffee in a reasonable time really doesn't require a great deal of analysis. Knowing that French onion soup should not consist of onions in a dry bowl with burnt cheese on top does not require a years sabbatical in France. These are some of my experiences and judging by the posts here I am not alone.

 

 

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[mskaufman]

It just seems it would be so much easier to "vote with your feet" and let the "O" lovers (of which I am one) continue sailing with them instead of all this sniping & bickering.

 

 

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I am enjoying this discussion and learning much from both the "O" lovers and folks who have had concerns. I have never sailed "O" (but have sailed most of the major lines) and am considering "O" for next June.

[MVPinBoynton]

I guess I am getting old, and I have a glass of Jameson in my hand, but I am glad O has their prices high. It generally keeps the muscle shirts, tank tops, and flip flops out of the dining venues.

 

No belly flop contests, photo people taking your picture etc........

 

It is just an enjoyable experience.......No matter where you go!

 

I found that the passengers on our only O cruise were a major plus for us. It was always a treat to talk with other cruisers who well traveled who we could share experiences with.