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Oceania vs. Celebrity suites

islandchick

By islandchick,
in Oceania Cruises

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Mura

Mura

Posted
Posted

May I point out that while suite passengers get a jump on non-suite passengers in terms of specialty restaurant reservations, they also make full payment earlier. Especially on longer cruises.

 

 

Perhaps it's fair for them to get the opportunity to make earlier dinner reservations ... and it's not as if they take ALL of the reservations.

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JPR

JPR

Posted
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Neither the well-mannered, kind, and engaging nor the rude and obnoxious are determined solely by class distinctions. Think of the fascinating people we would miss on Celebrity!

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keithm

keithm

Posted
Posted
Again Its that your confined to a special private refuge from everything else... one 1/15 of the ship is your area the other 14/15th's are filled with the other 2,800 throng if you are brave enough to venture out. Seems so silly all this exclusive this and that... Celeb loves to push their class system to the hilt... show everyone how much better you are, ...Gimme a break... Reminds me of the Prince and the Pauper story.

There is a lounge dedicated to suite pax, other than that pretty much anyone can go wherever on Oceania ships.

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keithm

keithm

Posted
Posted
It’s interesting where lines get drawn on the class system. Suites having a separate restaurant on Celebrity doesn’t bother me. Getting the dregs on Specialty dinner reservations when the suites are done on O does bother me

Dregs? I always understood that word for the lowest form of society. Is your meaning the same or am I missing something?

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SusieV

SusieV

Posted
Posted

We just got back from Insignia and will be writing a full review soon.

 

Honestly, it was tough to compare the lines, because the features we enjoy are not available on both lines. So when determining which we liked better, it was necessary to weight some things more or less. I think we will still enjoy cruising on either line but now with a better understanding of what to expect.

 

Oceania wins hands down with food quality. That's not even close to being a question! But Celebrity does some things better too, we think. And yes, food selection is one of them. While the buffet on Insignia was amazing quality, the type of food available was much less than a typical Celebrity buffet, simply because of space issues. Sometimes it's nice to have a lot of choices. There are other things we feel Celebrity does better but I'm still compiling my trip notes for the review.

 

Over our ten day cruise, we heard over and over pax comparing the two lines.

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MisterBill99

MisterBill99

Posted
Posted

Over our ten day cruise, we heard over and over pax comparing the two lines.

I have a feeling that these 10 night New England/Canada/Bermuda cruises are getting a lot of Oceania newbies who have been on other lines and want to try it out. I wonder if the 7 might Bermuda-only cruises they're doing next year will do the same since it will be competing directly with Celebrity's itinerary, but with stops in Hamilton and St. George instead of being in the Dockyard.

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

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Travelcat2

Travelcat2

Posted
Posted

We are finding this thread of particular interest. We have sailed on Oceania twice, Silversea three times and Regent thirty one times. Due to being invited on the christening cruise of the NCL Bliss, this opened our eyes to different experiences. We had a blast on NCL but likely would not sail on her again because there were "only" 2,000 passengers on our cruise but the following week there were over 4,000 with 900 children (cannot even comprehend those numbers).

 

In any case, Oceania and Regent do not have many west coast departures other than Alaska (been there - done that). So, when Celebrity offered the premium alcohol package, internet, included specialty restaurants and $300 OBC, we jumped on it. The itinerary is only 7 nights (perfect for a quick getaway in between Regent cruises), and goes from Vancouver to San Diego. We originally wanted to take a 7 night Oceania cruise but the cost of Business Class Air made it out of the question!

 

We will be staying in a Royal Suite so will have the special restaurant and lounge and likely will not dine in the MDR at all.

 

As with our NCL cruise we will be posting on the "luxury board" since our goal is to learn whether one can have a luxury experience on non-luxury cruise lines. This question comes up on that board and it is interesting to learn this for ourselves. We do not expect the food to be as good as Oceania just as we did not expect the food on Oceania to be as good as Regent (for the most part we prefer Regent's food ....... the exception is Jacques. Interestingly, there is a French restaurant on NCL that is almost as good as Jacques and is better than Regent).

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JPR

JPR

Posted
Posted

Regent has tried to go “cutting edge” with Chartreuse and failed. Deconstructed Onion Soup? Sous vide beef?

We do enjoy the hockey puck of steak tartare with caviar on top...

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keithm

keithm

Posted
Posted
Keith

 

Where did CruiseJunkie's mention pax ?

 

The comment referred to the remaining available times for Specialty restaurants, and the term dregs was used in it's correct context.

Sorry, but I've never heard the word used that way. Always heard it referred to "dregs of society", which by the way, is a frequently used term.

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Cruise Junky

Cruise Junky

Posted
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Sorry, but I've never heard the word used that way. Always heard it referred to "dregs of society", which by the way, is a frequently used term.

 

Dregs of society is also using dregs correctly ; it means the unwanted leftovers, bottom of the barrel, the passed over. Dregs is used for lots of terms not just society. I frequently leave my husband the dregs of a wine bottle :halo:

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StanandJim

StanandJim

Posted
Posted
Sorry, but I've never heard the word used that way. Always heard it referred to "dregs of society", which by the way, is a frequently used term.

 

 

Why does your experience of hearing a word used in one way provide any rational basis for not understanding it when it is used, properly by the way, in another context?

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ABoatNerd

ABoatNerd

Posted
Posted

Rob the Cruiser, nice to know you.

 

Oceania is heads and shoulders different than Celebrity - it is the difference that is attracting many new customers to Oceania.

 

I am going to post on the current Oceania vs Celebrity thread.

 

Happy sailing

ABoatNerd

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ABoatNerd

ABoatNerd

Posted
Posted

There is a related thread ongoing regarding a Celebrity passengers first voyage on Oceania Insigina, they are pleased. This thread also has similar comments as on this thread.

 

Regarding the Celebrity experience, there seems to be a significant increase in posters there becoming less and less than impressed with Luminare - some have reported eating in the specialities full time / buffet. For the price they are paying that is not good. Yes many report being satisfied, but having observed comments from 2015 onwards there is a definate increase in negative comments on the heavily sauced food, their fabled burger being really not enjoyable, the food not matching the description. Celebrity saying you can order off the MDR menu is not necessarily an asset considering the degradation of their once excellent MDR offerings. I was not impressed with the heaviness of both the Aqua Spa and Luminare menus - versus the amazing diversity of offerings on Oceania.

 

What I zero in on is the consistency of the product offering - Celebrity certainly has been accused by many many posters of cheapening the product everywhere - including Luminare.

 

From 1991 when I started on Celebrity to 2015, their product was consistently excellent and each year things were added. From 2015 onwards (start of suite class), the experience became less and less - hence we ended our patronage of Celebrity.

 

Now I see on the Oceania board some concern of Oceania cheapening their product with the new GDR menus - less variety, more repetition etc. This is not good.

 

In the end, each consumer has to decide what service provider provides the best chance of delivering. It is likely to change over time.

 

Celebrity is an very good cruise line, and in the beginning, it WAS the Oceania of that time. Now it is just another mass cruise line.

 

Oceania has established an excellent product and reputation - I hope they keep it consistently excellent and they will benefit from a sustained flow of guests leaving the mass cruise lines.

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st5310

st5310

Posted
Posted
st5310 - we are refugees from Celebrity as well. Took our first Oceania last September 2017 on Marina - were so pleased. There were many first time Oceania guests on that cruise, we determined many were also Celebrity refugees. Next Oceania this October, Panama.

 

Like buying a vehicle, there are many cruise choices, it is up to the purchaser to know their needs, do the research and then (hopefully) purchase the right cruise. Celebrity used to be suitable, but with their many changes, they are no longer acceptable to us. So moved on and it worked.

 

Oceania is very different from Celebrity - as noted by the current thread on this board. In many ways they really are not comparable.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Thank you, my friend. Celebrity offers a decent product, but I have never anticipated a cruise more than the one on O coming up in a week (and I have been cruising since 1990). I have a feeling this experience will raise the bar!

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Paulchili

Paulchili

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Posted
Thank you, my friend. Celebrity offers a decent product, but I have never anticipated a cruise more than the one on O coming up in a week (and I have been cruising since 1990). I have a feeling this experience will raise the bar!

 

Please be realistic in your expectations. Expecting the sky might lead to disappointment even when the cruise is very good or even excellent. Nothing or no cruise line is perfect :)

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