If not Oceania, which cruiseline?

[PhD-iva]

Oceania is not the only cruiseline struggling. However, if you’ve decided to vote w your feet/wallet, would you be willing to share w us? The why and the where and the when..,,,,

The why might include shorter time in port or skipping ports (biofouling?), bathtubs or no bathtubs, sucky internet, supply chain issues, canceled refurbishment, etc. I’m not saying these are my concerns, I would like to hear your reasoning.

Are you ready to book elsewhere? Which other cruiselines? Are you canceling existing reservations or just not booking new ones.

 I canceled a 2023 O reservation to go on a land tour instead……..

I was on a (wonderful) Regent cruise on Mariner in November, but I didn’t book another cruise while on board (prices too high!)

Edited January 23, 2023 by PhD-iva
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[RPen63]

We had a Baltic cruise booked in July and ended up canceling it partially informed by the recent Oceania changes and news on this board.  I doubt that these are Oceania specific so we booked a Central European land tour with Abercrombie and Kent.

[LHT28]

I am not booking any at the moment  

When supply issues & flights get sorted & my life  is settled a bit more

will look to see what is out there  when the time comes 

Will not be  a main stream line

prefer ships under 1500 pax  under 1000 even better

[zalusky]

We just completed our first Oceania cruise around southern Australia.  It was a last minute cruise as our summer cruise to Norway was cancelled due to catching Covid.

 

We are open minded and trying upscale lines out and may try them all.

 

We are booked on a Viking cruise to Italy on May.  Why Viking?  Included excursions, retractable pool covers, cheaper drink packages and the ship is nicer overall.  However I cant say much more till its over.

 

We found things we did not like Oceania R class I mentioned in other threads:  single self service laundry room,  lack of bathrooms by lounges so I doubt we would do R class again.  Seabourn, and Regent are some we might look at next.  After that we will decide what next.

[pinotlover]

Canceled ports and port times are important items for us. 
 

As far as other ships, I have friends that rave about Tauck. Some of their itineraries are probably better than Oceania’s. AZ is again another consideration. Looking for more responses from very recent cruisers and if they long term are going to play the port cutting game. We’ve never done Seaborne and will have to look at them. If  we depart from Oceania, we will not put money in FDR’s other pocket (Regent). 

 

We have two Oceania cruises booked we will do. Marina in Feb-Mar and Vista in June. We have two other booking dependent upon O’s performance on those two cruises. We have already received port time slashes for one of those future cruises along with our upcoming cruise. Not positive.

[CruiseLibra]

4 hours ago, zalusky said:

We just completed our first Oceania cruise around southern Australia.  It was a last minute cruise as our summer cruise to Norway was cancelled due to catching Covid.

 

We are open minded and trying upscale lines out and may try them all.

 

We are booked on a Viking cruise to Italy on May.  Why Viking?  Included excursions, retractable pool covers, cheaper drink packages and the ship is nicer overall.  However I cant say much more till its over.

 

We found things we did not like Oceania R class I mentioned in other threads:  single self service laundry room,  lack of bathrooms by lounges so I doubt we would do R class again.  Seabourn, and Regent are some we might look at next.  After that we will decide what next.

 

You might want to consider adding the Oceania "O" ships to your list for consideration. They do not have any of your noted concerns regarding the "R" ships. We have sailed on both the Sirena and the Regatta and probably would not sail on them again (because of many of the issues you have noted) unless the itinerary was outstanding. We are big fans of the Marina and Riviera which have none of your concerns but still maintain Oceanias price performance upside. 

[zalusky]

3 minutes ago, CruiseLibra said:

 

You might want to consider adding the Oceania "O" ships to your list for consideration. They do not have any of your noted concerns regarding the "R" ships. We have sailed on both the Sirena and the Regatta and probably would not sail on them again (because of many of the issues you have noted) unless the itinerary was outstanding. We are big fans of the Marina and Riviera which have none of your concerns but still maintain Oceanias price performance upside. 

We haven't ruled them out.  My wife was interested in the Culinary Discovery Excursion as well and was disappointed they are not on the R ship experience either.

[Norseh2o]

Our first cruises were with NCL years ago. Aside from a few very nice Holland cruises from the closest port, San Diego, we are crazy about Oceania. From  November, 2021- November,  2022 we traveled on the Marina, the Regatta, the Insignia and the Sirena. Onboard about 85 days, no complaints. Especially fine food at all venues on every trip.  We booked at least one new Oceania cruise on each journey & look forward to Oceania publishing more 2025 trips while we are inboard the Marina,  February-April, 2023. 

[YoPhilly]

I have 4 cruises booked: three on O and one on Celebrity.  The true luxury lines are out for us for two reasons: too expensive and too formal.  I've been looking at small lines like Noble Caledonia...I was ready to book them this summer but there was only one sailing for my preferred itinerary and it was sold out.  Some small lines offer better pricing for solo travel - for those times my husband doesn't want to go.  (This summer I'm paying 200% on Riviera... I still have a couple of months to let that sink in.)

[PhD-iva]

2 hours ago, YoPhilly said:

I have 4 cruises booked: three on O and one on Celebrity.  The true luxury lines are out for us for two reasons: too expensive and too formal.  I've been looking at small lines like Noble Caledonia...I was ready to book them this summer but there was only one sailing for my preferred itinerary and it was sold out.  Some small lines offer better pricing for solo travel - for those times my husband doesn't want to go.  (This summer I'm paying 200% on Riviera... I still have a couple of months to let that sink in.)

I traveled on Regent’s Mariner 2 months ago on a 25% supplement and it was fantastic! Except included wines mostly not great but not hard to find 1 or 2 that are acceptable (and then always request those wines).

Had a blast. Have a Feb 2024 Voyager reservation also w 25% SS, looking forward to that as well. Still pricey!! But really great experience.

[ak1004]

Very timely and relevant topic.

 

We base our cruises on itinerary and price. Probably won't go back to the big ships, but would consider any of the luxury/premium lines. Currently booked on 3 Oceania cruises, one SB and one SS. Checked Regent, but they always came out way too expensive. We liked Azamara, but would probably book a suite only if the itinerary is really good and price is reasonable. Same for Oceania R class ships. So far from what I checked, PH prices on R ships don't make sense, can book SS or SB for a similar price.

 

Oceania reducing time in ports is a concern, the question is if the trend continues. We probably won't book a cruise where all or most ports are 9am-5pm. 6-7pm still fine.

[ak1004]

2 hours ago, YoPhilly said:

I have 4 cruises booked: three on O and one on Celebrity.  The true luxury lines are out for us for two reasons: too expensive and too formal.  I've been looking at small lines like Noble Caledonia...I was ready to book them this summer but there was only one sailing for my preferred itinerary and it was sold out.  Some small lines offer better pricing for solo travel - for those times my husband doesn't want to go.  (This summer I'm paying 200% on Riviera... I still have a couple of months to let that sink in.)

Check out Seabourn. Not formal at all, and some itineraries are pretty close in price to Oceania, especially if you drink.

[PhD-iva]

8 hours ago, ak1004 said:

Check out Seabourn. Not formal at all, and some itineraries are pretty close in price to Oceania, especially if you drink.

I tried to look at some itineraries on Seaborn but I found their website very lacking. When trying to select the months I am interested in cruising, it just would not cooperate. I just gave up. Of course, it was on a Sunday, and I know O’s website is very wacky over the weekends as well.

[ak1004]

18 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I tried to look at some itineraries on Seaborn but I found their website very lacking. When trying to select the months I am interested in cruising, it just would not cooperate. I just gave up. Of course, it was on a Sunday, and I know O’s website is very wacky over the weekends as well.

It's not only weekend lol.. Selecting the dates on their website is challenging.. but this should not be a show stopper. I just select month by month every time.

[susiesan]

Another small ship option is Windstar, on the yachts. All of the cabins are suites, with bathtubs and walk in closets. There are no verandas though. Cabins are quite spacious and comfortable. Now that all 3 ships have been stretched they carry 300 passengers. Their cruises are very port intensive. As someone who cruises in an outside cabin or occasional veranda, I find Windstar's prices very high as compared to Oceania. Those of you who cruise in a PH may find their pricing good.

[SSFrance69]

I am actually looking to escape to Oceana from Celebrity. We have been loyal to Celebrity for a long time but were curious to try Oceana for their food reputation. Now it seems Celebrity is implementing some major cut backs, mainly on food which is a deal breaker for me. Other than Oceana, I'd be curious to try Viking. As far as Oceana cut backs to port times, that is not a big deal for me, but I realize it is for others. If they want to save money, they ought to look at cutting back on marketing. I get more brochures than I know what to do with. Our cruise documents for March are beautiful, but I can tell that the printing and materials must have been costly. I mean that's fine and it's a nice touch but I'd rather have them cut spending on printed materials than port times or food.

[shank63]

We have sailed on both O and R ships with Oceania, as well as Celebrity and HAL in the past.  Riviera and Marina are now the largest ships that we would consider.  That leaves us with Viking, Azarama plus the more costly luxury ships to consider.  We are booked an Azamara later this year for an itinerary not available on O, so we hope the experience will provide an acceptable alternative to Oceania.  We had booked Viking before but it was a covid cancellation and we have not seen an itinerary and pricing since then that attracts us.  So our alternatives to Oceania are limited unless we decide to step up in fares.

[eldaradoe]

Robin, I still think Oceania is about the best bang for the dollar....all and all they are still very good as all the lines are facing the same issues. We don't go on the "r" size anymore as we like the added venues and newer ships. There are so many more newer ships on line on all the lines so we will be dipping in with other cruise lines but very carefully! Maybe Ritz Carlton next

[Sthrngary]

22 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

Oceania is not the only cruiseline struggling.

@PhD-iva Please clarify how Oceania is struggling?  I know they changed some times at port but was wondering where else there is a issue.  Thank you for your post. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[ak1004]

26 minutes ago, eldaradoe said:

Robin, I still think Oceania is about the best bang for the dollar....all and all they are still very good as all the lines are facing the same issues. We don't go on the "r" size anymore as we like the added venues and newer ships. There are so many more newer ships on line on all the lines so we will be dipping in with other cruise lines but very carefully! Maybe Ritz Carlton next

I agree, for us O is still the best value for money, especially considering we don't drink.

 

That said, there are some occasional good deals on "luxury" line. SS prices are very good for Port2Port sailings (the caveat is that 15% deposit is non refundable).

[Redtravel]

  Prices are up on most things including cruising.  Cruise lines that cut prices may also cut food and services.  If a price is too good to be true, look for the reason. There are still some real deals. We got a cheap fare on Windstar cruise in September.  It was a changed itinerary repo cruise.  However, most fares are increasing.  If Oceania cuts fares, expect cruise to be not as good as you expected.  On our December Marina cruise, we noticed some changes. Didn’t get tote bag, no choice of scented toiletrie, and  fewer beef dishes. Not enough to stop us from booking.  

[ak1004]

7 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

  Prices are up on most things including cruising.  Cruise lines that cut prices may also cut food and services.  If a price is too good to be true, look for the reason. There are still some real deals. We got a cheap fare on Windstar cruise in September.  It was a changed itinerary repo cruise.  However, most fares are increasing.  If Oceania cuts fares, expect cruise to be not as good as you expected.  On our December Marina cruise, we noticed some changes. Didn’t get tote bag, no choice of scented toiletrie, and  fewer beef dishes. Not enough to stop us from booking.  

 

Are you saying that if a price for a specific sailing is low, then you should expect less quality on this specific sailing? Then the next cruise price is back to normal, and the quality improves as well? 

 

A lot of reasons can cause a reduced price for a specific sailing. Maybe it's a low season (which might be not really important for you), itinerary less in demand, etc. We usually get great deals in the first half of December (our last SS sailing was around $350 USD pp), I don't think it was any less enjoyable.

[sofietucker]

7 hours ago, Redtravel said:

(snip)

If Oceania cuts fares, expect cruise to be not as good as you expected.  On our December Marina cruise, we noticed some changes. Didn’t get tote bag, no choice of scented toiletrie, and  fewer beef dishes. Not enough to stop us from booking.  

We have had a funny thing happen: booked our second O cruise for this summer. By sheer coincidence, our fab TA's company (triplicate alphabet letter) offered fancy booking bonuses in the form of either additional OBC or extra amenities:

"FREE Internet
FREE Specialty Restaurants
FREE Room Service 24 Hours a Day
FREE Shuttles to City Center
FREE Fitness Classes
FREE Still & Sparkling Vero Water
FREE Soft Drinks & Specialty Coffees
FREE Launderette

and more"

We stay in suites, but the added amenities like fitness classes were still a plus, so we chose that option. Then the company's O liaison said, nope, not available on your itinerary! Could give no reason why.

 

She sent TA the list of all the O cruises during the year and the bonuses offered on each individual cruise, by date and ship. Sure enough, the Marina hopscotched through 2023 with few-to-no bonuses on its cruises. Then we had to switch to cruising sooner and another itin--which just happened to be on Marina too. Again: no bonuses. TA can get no rationale from them. Not a dealbreaker, but CRAZY.

Edited January 25, 2023 by sofietucker

[ak1004]

15 minutes ago, sofietucker said:

We have had a funny thing happen: booked our second O cruise for this summer. By sheer coincidence, our fab TA's company (triplicate alphabet letter) offered fancy booking bonuses in the form of either additional OBC or extra amenities:

"FREE Internet
FREE Specialty Restaurants
FREE Room Service 24 Hours a Day
FREE Shuttles to City Center
FREE Fitness Classes
FREE Still & Sparkling Vero Water
FREE Soft Drinks & Specialty Coffees
FREE Launderette

and more"

We stay in suites, but the added amenities like fitness classes were still a plus, so we chose that option. Then the company's O liaison said, nope, not available on your itinerary! Could give no reason why.

 

She sent TA the list of all the O cruises during the year and the bonuses offered on each individual cruise, by date and ship. Sure enough, the Marina hopscotched through 2023 with few-to-no bonuses on its cruises. Then we had to switch to cruising sooner and another itin--which just happened to be on Marina too. Again: no bonuses. TA can get no rationale from them. Not a dealbreaker, but CRAZY.

 

Sorry, I'm confused. Aren't all those amenities included in all O cruises anyway, even in standard cabins? 

[sofietucker]

13 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

Sorry, I'm confused. Aren't all those amenities included in all O cruises anyway, even in standard cabins? 

Correct; I copy-pasted the wrong list. Thanks for catching that. The  "agency-exclusives" ones were either OBC--which our agent always gives us anyway--or prepaid gratuities and wine tastings.

 

And to clarify, the list includes Vista, our exact itineraries on other dates/other ships--and about half the Marina sailings, offering either one of those bonuses, by date, just neither of ours. As I said, a mystery...

Edited January 25, 2023 by sofietucker