Celebrity vs Oceania

[shofer]

Has anyone been on Oceania? We have received the video and the brochure and it sure looks like Celebrity BEFORE RCCL. We are seriously thinking about booking them for a Mediterranean cruise as they have several great itineraries.

 

Since we have done 7 Celebrity cruises, my DH is thinking, what have they done for me lately? No upgrades, no good CC benefits. He is thinking we might benefit from a change.

 

So what does everyone think?

[dmarch@islc.net]

I would try them if I didnt smoke. Rumor is they only have like two designated smoking areas in the whole ship.

[cavkc]

We have not personally been on Oceania, however my father-in-law has recently done a med cruise with them. He is in his 80's and has cruised on most of the major lines, Celebrity, RCCL, Crystal, P&O.

 

He absolutely raved about Oceania when he came back, although they are much smaller ships, particularly compared to the Mille class. He really enjoyed the 'country club' atmosphere they are trying to cultivate. As such there are no formal night, just with all the evenings been 'smart' dress, ie. jacket and tie/cocktail dresses. They also operate an open dining policy, whereby you are not allocated a table for the whole cruise.

 

We would seriously consider one of their cruises, however from what we have been told, they don't really cater for familes, so we will have to leave it for now.

[Druke I]

Have only experienced Celebrity once - Mercury to Mexico, 3-04, RT from San Francisco, and thought experience very comparable to Princess, although I would give slight edge to food service and presentation in dining room to Celebrity. We did think Princess's entertainment superior to Celebrity's.

 

We were on Oceania's Regatta this past August into the Baltic, and we thought the ship and its food excellent, better than Celebrity, HAL, or Crystal. The itinerary included the Kiel Canal, which we considered a highlight of the trip. We liked the small ship experience very much - had been on its sister, the Pacific Princess (new) Papeete to Sydney 11-03.

 

We have booked Oceania's Nautica, Istanbul to Singapore, through the Suez, 11-06, a 25 night trip with many sea days, which we love. Only downside to Oceania we thought was lack of entertainment of Princess/Celebrity/HAL style production shows, and rather pricey shore excursions.

[Petert]

While I haven't sailed with Oceana, I have sailed on one of their ships when it was with Rennaisance Cruise Line. These smaller ships are really beautiful, and have a very special ambiance. If you enjoy the smaller ships, I think they serve about 700 passengers, you will love these ships. We enjoyed the quiet luxury, and the relaxed atmosphere you find on these ships. We are looking forward to sailing with Oceana when we find an itinerary that we like.

 

Petert

[Mike2131]

Has anyone been on Oceania? We have received the video and the brochure and it sure looks like Celebrity BEFORE RCCL. We are seriously thinking about booking them for a Mediterranean cruise as they have several great itineraries.

 

Since we have done 7 Celebrity cruises, my DH is thinking, what have they done for me lately? No upgrades, no good CC benefits. He is thinking we might benefit from a change.

 

So what does everyone think?

 

Everything I have heard indictes that it should be fantastic. I'll post a review on our return. If our just completed 5 night Bermuda cruise on Voyager is representative of RCCL, we sure won't be sailing with them again.

[shofer]

Sounds like a lot of positive feedback. Guess we should do our research for booking. I also checked the Oceania site on this board and read lots of comparisons to Celebrity. My DH especially likes the idea of "country-club casual". He says he is getting annoyed with Celebrity's dress code. (Too many clothes to bring.) So we shall see what shakes out after our Hawaii cruise in January.

[SeaPeaInn]

Leaving Sunday for 25 days on Oceania Regatta to the Amazon. Will let you know when we return although it is sometimes dangerous to say something good about a cruiseline on another board.

[Bruin Steve]

We are Celebrity Elite Captains Club members...and we are trying Oceania for the first time this coming July on the Nautica, Istanbul to Venice...

 

Our prime reason for choosing Oceania for this one was the itinerary...It takes us to several ports we haven't been to...

 

Of course, we haven't sailed on her yet, but I have done quite a bit of research...

 

First major difference is the size of the ship...

Whereas we are accustomed to the M-Class ships, those are 91,000 ton ships with 2032 passengers at double occupancy...The Oceania ships are 30,000 gross ton ships with 684 passengers...The space-to-passenger ratios are pretty close...But, of course, with a ship one-third the size, amenities on Oceania are scaled down...hence, you don't have the large theater that allows for the production shows...Oceania does try to give you the same amenities, they're just smaller or fewer...only one pool, very small casino, only two small shops, etc. Of course, there are only one-third the number of people...

 

The food is supposed to be excellent (They puiblish many sample menus on their website) and they have TWO specialty restaurants at NO ADDITIONAL charge...The Main dining room is OPEN seating always--no assigned tables...So, you get different waiters, tablemates, etc. at every meal...Tips are pooled

 

The typical cabins are slightly smaller than on Celebrity (160 sq. ft.) and beware the lowest category of outside cabin--they're only 140 sq. feet and have an "obstructed view" and no sofa...You're better off with an inside cabin than one of those...

 

They have no Children's or Teens' program...They tend to get a slightly older crowd...

 

The shore excursions are a bit pricier (ie. they charge $149 for the same Athens excursion Celebrity charged us $99 for)...And, probably due to the smaller number of passengers, they offer fewer excursion options...We've devided to go with more private tours for that reason...

 

The pre-cruise and post-cruise hotel packages are downright outrageous...for example, one night in Venice post cruise, depending on hotel, is either $699 or $499 per person...We're taking the deviation and doing our own hotels...

 

The advertised "Free Air" promotion really isn't--they'll quote you a price with or without "free" air...And they charge for transfers EVEN IF you've booked both Air and Cruise through them...

 

There are no formal nights...EVERY night is what they call "Country Club Casual"...

 

People who have cruised with them seem to love them...

[ECCruise]

6 of our last 8 cruises have been on Celebrity but 2 of the next 3 are booked on Oceania. Comparing prices, there really is not a huge jump from the new (and inflexible) Celebrity prices and Oceania prices if you shop carefully. For this we hope to get better quality food with better presentation, speciality restaurants with no extra charge and service that, from most accounts, is even better than Celebrity's excellent service. In addition, we really like the ease of packing for 10 nights of the same type of dress for dining (BTW, "country club casual" does not mean jacket and tie, although some dress that way, the reports we have read say that most do NOT dress in jacket and tie). This is a big plus for us, since we hate having to pack 3 seperate wardrobes for Celebrity (don't mind formal and casual but think the informal night(s) are just stupid, especially since they no longer ask men to wear a tie).

 

Only time will tell, though, if we made the right move. We are doing a 10 day Southern Caribbean in February and a Med in November.

[patlanta]

For the time being I'd suggest you stay with Celebrity. We're booked on Oceania and the experience to date has discolored the cruise before it has even begun. Among the things that have been been unlike our 15 other cruises is having to personally monitor cabin availability (even though the cruiseline "hotel" manager personally assured my TA they made a note of my change request--smallest thing, but irksome), worry about a possible surcharge on payments (the Irish bank that Oceania uses sometimes comes across as a foreign charge on certain credit cards and then you have a whole rigamarole you have to go through in changing to another credit card or getting a credit), booking and paying for excursions in advance (or missing them; at least one was sold out before final payment time), the apparent changed alcohol policy since booking, and excessive charges for pre- and post-cruise hotels (even a further premium tacked on at final payment time for nights following a cruiseline offered excursion).

[patlanta]

Sorry for the double post, upload error.

[nparmelee]

We loved our X cruise and are going to try Oceania next June for Rome to Istanbul. The smaller ship, itinerary, smoking policy (sorry smokers) and overall projected ambiance appeal to us. For a port intensive cruise like the Med, we prefer to be able to eat when we feel like instead of at set times. Oceania seems to be having some customer support issues if you read that board, but from what I've seen, this is a weakness for almost all the lines so it's probably a wash. I'll report back in late June, we expect to have a great time, of course we'll be on a cruise and vacation so how can it be too bad??

[Petoonya]

Cruised Oceania Barcelona to Venice in May of this year and we were SOLD! It was fantastic. Love the Oceania small ship experience, the feel, the the look, the service- and the dining is outstanding. Dining was on par with Windstar which was our previous favorite.

 

We are Celebrity elite and while it's not that we'd never cruise X again, given similar itineraries and prices being fairly close (and if you get early booking free air and two-for-ones on Oceania, prices are often better or very close) we'd choose Oceania far and above Celebrity. (And we've done Barcelona to Venice two years ago on X and thought it was terrific! Oceania was just that much better- our kind of ship with food to kill for.)

 

Overall personal Celebrity experience... 7.9

Oceania an easy 9.9

 

PS.And we love the fact there are only two spots on board for smoking. All apologies to my smoking friends.

[Bruin Steve]

On the comparative price issue for another thread (on the Oceania board), I ran a comparison check Celebrity Millennium versus Oceania Nautica, Mid July Mediterranean sailings, adjusted on a per day basis, similar class cabins, cruise only (Yes, Oceania advertises "free air" but it really isn't--they credit you back the cost of air if you don't want it--it's just an advertising ruse)...

 

Basically, rounding the numbers, Oceania is apprioximately TEN PERCENT higher on that particular route, that time of year...It's not a MAJOR difference in cost--on a cruise that runs around $8000 for two, that's about $800 in added cost...

Of course, I have also found Oceania's shore excursions to be costlier and its pre- and post-cruise hotel packages to be outrageously overpriced...plus, Oceania charges for transfers even if you booked air through them...and I've heard bar prices are higher as well...as are suggested tips...

[Liat]

We sailed on Insignia down the Amazon from Manaus, Brazil out to Devil's Island, Venezuela, Tobago and Barbados last March. We have sailed Galaxy in the Caribbean and to Europe, Infinity through the Canal and to Hawaii, Mercury around Cape Horn and Millennium in the Mediterranean. [We have also sailed on Princess, Carnival, HAL, NCL and RCCL] My Insignia review is on this site and all the others are on http://www.cruisereviews.com. X and Oceania are different experiences in some ways but similar in others. Both offer excellent cuisine. Service on both is top notch. The staterooms on X can be a little larger, but then again we had 3 sky suites, so that is not a fair comparison. We do our own excursions on the net mostly, but the consensus seems to be that Oceania is high on prices. Celebrity is better organized in the home office. Oceania's smaller ships are more elegant and user friendly in terms of getting around with ease. Celebrity's evening shows are glitzier; but get routine after a while. Both have excellent "small" entertainment in terms of small music groups or performers. Both do fairly well on sea days for "enrichment" type talks. The libraries on Oceania are really special. The specialty restaurants on both are very good, with X getting a slight edge, which you pay for. On Oceania you don't pay extra. Oceania's breakfasts and lunches are slightly better.

I can't compare costs because there are so many variables, from Captain's Club upgrades to "specials" here and there. The time of year also makes a price difference.

We are returning to Oceania in May to sail from Istanbul to Athens on Nautica, their newest ship. It is not easy to find a cruise line going to Turkey. Crystal dropped out as we were about to book with them in 2003.

We are returning to Celebrity on Constellation for a New England/Canada cruise in September.

In sum - both are the best lines we have sailed on and we would return to either any time given the right destination (and a little loose change in the pocket).

That being said, we leave this Friday on Crystal Serenity for 10 days in the Caribbean. I expect that this will offer both Celebrity and Oceania some competition in terms of class.

[Petoonya]

Bruin Steve,

Wait til you TRY Oceania and then make the cost comparison. My money is betting that you'll find the extra 10% was money well worth spent.

 

I am booked for the same Med itinerary AGAIN this summer. Having done the itinerary on each cruise line once respectively, the extra cost was nothing but an excellent value. At the time I booked, the cost difference for comparable cabins only came to 5%- and Oceania was giving me 14 days to Celebrity's 12. Two thirds fewer passengers and the quality of the dining alone made the slightly increased cost a no brainer.

 

But you'll have to try it on for size yourself. Who knows, maybe you won't be one of the Oceania converted. Take care. :)

[Moeve]

You I think this outfit can do X alot of damage when word gets around. We are wanting to go to Asia 2007 and after X decided against go there 2007 we started looking for an alternative and found Oceania... Now from what I am hearing all over the place I think we may not come back to X after that....It wasn't the dress code that swayed us as we like dressing up nicely but it was the rest of what we are seeing

[kitty9]

Here's my main problem with Oceania, from what I've been reading on their board. It appears that you cannot deivate from their printed menu at all. There's one story about how a man wanted shrimp cocktail, and was adamantly refused. How can this be on a cruise line that wants to place itself in the five star category? Discount that this person really made a big deal of the issue, but the real problem is, why can't you order something as simple as shrimp cocktail in the main dining room---it can only be had in one of the alternate restaurants? This type of attitude is unacceptable for me. I cruise Crystal, where NO isn't in their dictionary, and I cruise Celebrity, and I've never been told I can't have something in the dining room. Actually, they jump through hoops to give their customers what they ask for. On our last X cruise, my sister mentioned in passing that she would love a souffle for dessert, and the next night, there it was at dinner. If Oceania cannot, and absolutely refuses, to accommodate a simple passenger request, then it most certainly doesn't deserve to be among the elite of cruise lines. I mean, how tough is it to put together a shrimp cocktail? I've also heard, from my TA, that Oceania's customer service (he calls it customer disservice) is really bad, worse than Carnival. Now, that's saying a lot and my TA is a big booker of Carnival, Oceania and Celebrity. Another point not in Oceania's favor, their cabins are tiny, tiny. I took a tour of the Regatta, and was amazed by how closet-like their cabins are.

[stebul]

Responding to several points:

 

1. I would NOT recommend Oceania for families with children. There are NO facilities onboard for children.

 

2. Smokers will probably not like Oceania. There is one table outside and a corner of the Horizons lounge for smokers. All other areas of the ship are strictly enforced non-smoking.

 

3. We felt the food on Oceania was excellent (much, much better than HAL, perhaps like pre-RCCL Celebrity but I can't say). As far as buffets go, the Terrace Cafe was very good. We felt service was excellent, but do not tend to make many special requests. Specialty restaurants were good. Many of the dishes from the Dining Room are also available from Tapas on the Terrace, so you can dine more casually if you choose. Many passengers were passing on dessert in the dining room in favor of walking upstairs to Tapas for the flambe of the day.

 

4. There are always discussions about people who had a bad time on a cruise. Generally, happy people outnumber unhappy people. Then there are some cruises from hell that all lines suffer occasionally. Discounting personal opinions and bad luck, there does seem to be some quirkiness in the Oceania front office. We did not have any problems, but the Oceania board discusses documented and repeated issues such as the foreign transaction charge and poor phone support. Costs of shore excursions are higher than on other lines for similar quality products, and pre/post cruise hotel packages are astronomical. However, I am cruising on HAL to Australia/NZ in a few months and their shore excursion and hotel prices are both extremely expensive (3-4 times the cost of self booking).

 

5. The Oceania ships are beautiful, well maintained, and just the right size. Balcony staterooms are a little small but are very efficient and elegant. The beds are very comfortable.

 

6. The country club casual dress code and open seating dining in the dining room are perfect for us, and one of the main reasons we would return. On our cruise almost every passenger figured what country club casual meant. There were no jeans and sandals or tuxedos and gowns. There were very few jackets and ties, polo shirts, and Aloha shirts. There were many nice sweaters, long sleeved shirts, dress slacks, dresses, nice pants suits, etc. Passengers and crew were all lots of fun to get to know.

 

7. Oceania's drinks are more expensive, but my experience with martinis was that they were fairly potent so I got by with one instead of my usual two for a net savings of a couple dollars each night.

 

We would go on Oceania again in a heartbeat, but our next cruise is on HAL followed by one on Celebrity because Oceania's schedule and itineraries do not line up with what we want to do.

[newmexicoNita]

Has anyone been on Oceania? We have received the video and the brochure and it sure looks like Celebrity BEFORE RCCL. We are seriously thinking about booking them for a Mediterranean cruise as they have several great itineraries.

 

Since we have done 7 Celebrity cruises, my DH is thinking, what have they done for me lately? No upgrades, no good CC benefits. He is thinking we might benefit from a change.

 

So what does everyone think?

Oceana boarders on luxury and Celebrity though the best of the mass marketed lines isn't quite in the same catagory. This is about the best way to discribe the difference. NMNita

[Liat]

I know where San Diego is; but where the h*** is Belen, New Mexico! In any event stebul and NewMexico Nita are right on with their comparisons.

[newmexicoNita]

I know where San Diego is; but where the h*** is Belen, New Mexico! In any event stebul and NewMexico Nita are right on with their comparisons.

Belen is where Travel Agents that can't afford to live in San Diego retire to. LOL I know not proper English, but it' easier than the alternative. NMnita

 

ps actually Belen is about 35 miles south of Albuquerque, 2800 ft and has a population of about 8000. We live just 5 miles east; our area has a similar population but no shopping etc and our post office is Belen. NMNita

[stebul]

Liat, I hope Turkey works out for you! Turkey is a better bet than port calls in Libya (crazy dictator) or cruising off the coast of Somalia (anarchy). Any cruise line operating in that part of the world is taking some risk of disappointing passengers when circumstances beyond its control cause changed itineraries, as happened this year with Libya. All you can do is go with the flow when reality catches up with exotic plans!

[Liat]

And we don't mean high seas, or lack thereof. I understand that the Turkish government itself is quite steady, and that the problems arise from Kurdish Nationalists. Turkey is making a strong push to become a full fledged EU member; and determined to demonstrate stability - BUT - in that part of the world you never know. Crystal cancelled Turkey out on us two or three years ago as our TA was attempting to book us.

Speaking of Crystal, we are sailing tomorrow on Serenity in the Caribbean. But in January it embarks on a 108 day world tour. One leg of this is up the Western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea from South Africa, Mombasa and stopping in the Seychelles before sailing past Somalia to Oman and Dubai. Now Serenity is three times the size of the Seabourne Yacht, so it should be in no danger; but I sure the passengers will be a little up tight.

And Nautica itself is sailing on its maiden voyage, starting Monday for Asia in which it will sail to Phuket, Singapore and then to Cambodia. It will return the same way to the Mediterranean in the spring; so it will twice be in waters known for pirates.

I certainly hope it makes it back to Istanbul!