Elite on Princess

[oskidunker]

38 minutes ago, KetoCruiser said:

We were on Queen Victoria in November 2022 , then our Oceania cruise in December 2022 and can say that the service was much better on Cunard than Oceania, the ship was well maintained. Cannot say the same for Oceania, Regatta loss power for about 3 hours in the Great Australian bight.  No engines, No air conditioning or lifts. We were in the Toscana and ended up having a choice of bread, soup and salad  for dinner.  Main dining room was operating to limited menu.  
 The quality of the food Oceania provided was excellent however it was poorly prepared and very repetitive.  I found it difficult to find a good selection of vegetables anywhere, they offered 5 ways to have your potatoes and only one vegetable as a side order. Veg was generally steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrot.  The best meal we had was the pop up Indian night in the Terrace cafe, which was much better than the pop up Red Ginger, which was usually cold and tasteless.

Good to know bi may yet try Cunard. The Grills are bit out of my price range.

[rbtan]

3 hours ago, KetoCruiser said:

We were on Queen Victoria in November 2022 , then our Oceania cruise in December 2022 and can say that the service was much better on Cunard than Oceania, the ship was well maintained. Cannot say the same for Oceania, Regatta loss power for about 3 hours in the Great Australian bight.  No engines, No air conditioning or lifts. We were in the Toscana and ended up having a choice of bread, soup and salad  for dinner.  Main dining room was operating to limited menu.  
 The quality of the food Oceania provided was excellent however it was poorly prepared and very repetitive.  I found it difficult to find a good selection of vegetables anywhere, they offered 5 ways to have your potatoes and only one vegetable as a side order. Veg was generally steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrot.  The best meal we had was the pop up Indian night in the Terrace cafe, which was much better than the pop up Red Ginger, which was usually cold and tasteless.

You really need to try Rivera or Marina to see what Oceania can do.

[shepherd really]

3 hours ago, KetoCruiser said:

We were on Queen Victoria in November 2022 , then our Oceania cruise in December 2022 and can say that the service was much better on Cunard than Oceania, the ship was well maintained. 

Were you in the Queens Grill?  

[rbtan]

On 2/7/2023 at 1:57 PM, juniper berries said:

Hi have only cruised Princess. And found our last cruise before covid hit in Newzeland and  the food just wasn't that good.  Ate only in the dining room and the odd breakfast and lunch in the buffet.

We have stayed mainly in balcony  cabins and once I a suite which  was fantastic. But not in our budget to do all of the time. 

We like to visit different ports and like to do all day excurssions. 

How is Oceania  different than Princess. What drinks are included if you donot get the beverage package.

Have read over the web site and am having trouble getting a feel for what it is like on ship. 

Also are there formal nights and what is the dress code for every day.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

It is hard to jump to anther unfamiliar cruise line.

 

Ok, here goes.Using Rivera as our reference. O(Oceania) P(Princess) for reference.

1) Drink prices are similar. All soft drinks in your fridge are free. Vero water provides 2 refillable metal canisters. Two glass bottles are proved nightly to reuse.

2) Food is far better than anything on P..Standard cabins close to mini-suite in size.Oceania Penthouse close to standard suite size on P. All suites come with Butler service on O.Suites generally more to much more pricy on O.

3) excursions more varied then on O. O excursions generally more pricey. Smaller sized O ships mean more docking in port than Anchoring at sea.

4) O has a more relaxed feel. Pax are generally older. Very few children. Only 4 were on our 10 day  a week ago. Pool is salt water. Loungers have thick comfy pads Only in Sanctuary will you find that on P. No formal nights.If you wear shorts to the GDR(Grand Dining room) or any specialties, you be escorted out.(seen this happen) Don't fall into the "I'll dress as sloppy as I feel" routine. You will be booted out. Dress code is "Country Club Casual". This means nice slacks(avoid jeans) nice shirt. Like you are going to a nice restaurant, and not "Applebees". There were a lot of sport coats worn this time. More than I've seen before.About 2% were dressed in full suits. No Tuxes.Just a nice shirt & good dressy slacks are needed.I do recommend a sport coat for the specialty rest.Ties are not necessary. All specialties are free except Le Reserve, which do wine & food tasting.Prices have gone up a lot since last year. Now are $150-300+

We hope this helps a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 2/7/2023 at 1:57 PM, juniper berries said:

Hi have only cruised Princess. And found our last cruise before covid hit in Newzeland and  the food just wasn't that good.  Ate only in the dining room and the odd breakfast and lunch in the buffet.

We have stayed mainly in balcony  cabins and once I a suite which  was fantastic. But not in our budget to do all of the time. 

We like to visit different ports and like to do all day excurssions. 

How is Oceania  different than Princess. What drinks are included if you donot get the beverage package.

Have read over the web site and am having trouble getting a feel for what it is like on ship. 

Also are there formal nights and what is the dress code for every day.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

It is hard to jump to anther unfamiliar cruise line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by rbtan
additions

[rbtan]

10 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Were you in the Queens Grill?  

We've done Queens Grill on QM2(still our favorite ship) Outside of being able to venture "off menu" in Queens Grill, We find the food much better than Britannia/Britannia club for example. The Specialties we found were generally better than Queens Grill. GDR(Grand Dining Room) more akin to Princess Grill. Afterall Oceania spends more for food per pax than any line in the industry.

[oskidunker]

We would cruise Cunard for the dress up experience. Are people still dressing up or is it like everywhere else now?

[terrydtx]

We are Elite with Celebrity and 3 Star with HAL. After 3 years of Celebrity suites and the same menus in the Suites only Luminae restaurant we booked our first O cruise on the Marina for 2025 of South America. The food has gone progressively downhill on Celebrity since the restart after Covid and we are getting bored. Our biggest problem is that Celebrity is pricing future suites so high that Oceania is now competitive with them. For example the 2025 Equinox Sky Suite for 14 days going from Santiago to Buenos Aires is $200pp more than a Concierge Class cabin on the Marina for 18 days and 3 more ports. Our current cruises this year and next on Celebrity in Sky Suites were 20-30% less when we booked over current pricing and we would not have booked at current pricing. 

[DrivesLikeMario]

On 2/17/2023 at 2:47 PM, oskidunker said:

We would cruise Cunard for the dress up experience. Are people still dressing up or is it like everywhere else now?

I did a TA on the QM2 in 2010 and unless it's changed drastically, very few passengers dressed appropriately on formal nights.  We had 4 of them and many women were dressed in daytime floral print dresses for example, instead of formal wear.  There were very few tuxes or dark suits and plenty of tweed jackets.  I was disappointed as I had brought very formal dresses and felt almost a bit out of place.  Most cruise lines have gotten more casual over the past decade so I'd be surprised if it has improved much since then but I sure hope so.  That was supposed to be one of the defining traits of Cunard.

[terrydtx]

5 hours ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

I did a TA on the QM2 in 2010 and unless it's changed drastically, very few passengers dressed appropriately on formal nights.  We had 4 of them and many women were dressed in daytime floral print dresses for example, instead of formal wear.  There were very few tuxes or dark suits and plenty of tweed jackets.  I was disappointed as I had brought very formal dresses and felt almost a bit out of place.  Most cruise lines have gotten more casual over the past decade so I'd be surprised if it has improved much since then but I sure hope so.  That was supposed to be one of the defining traits of Cunard.

Just cured me from ever doing a Cunard cruise. It's a vacation and the last thing I want to do is play dress up? I did it for work for 40 years and after retiring all my dress up suits went to Goodwill.

[shepherd really]

8 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Just cured me from ever doing a Cunard cruise. It's a vacation and the last thing I want to do is play dress up? I did it for work for 40 years and after retiring all my dress up suits went to Goodwill.

I did a TA on the QMII in 2019, one night was the "costume ball". I ventured out to see what it was all about.  It looked like a mashup of The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut.   It's just bizarre to me how anyone could enjoy participating in such a freaky experience.  Still, it was a pleasant mode of transportation to return from Southampton to New York after doing an Oceania TA in the other direction.  I'd do it again, it beats business class air for both comfort and price.

[DrivesLikeMario]

10 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Just cured me from ever doing a Cunard cruise. It's a vacation and the last thing I want to do is play dress up? I did it for work for 40 years and after retiring all my dress up suits went to Goodwill.

Exactly my husband’s feelings and so I did the cruise on my own.  

Edited February 19, 2023 by DrivesLikeMario

[techteach]

We did our first TA with Cunard on QM2 this past December in Queen’s Grill and loved it. We will do a second Cunard on QM2 in June/July. The food was really good and the room and service were great. In Queen’s Grill there was not a single man without a suit and 99% were in tux for the two gala nights. I, and most other women, wore long formals for gala and were dressed beautifully the other nights. The Masquerade night is not a costume night at all. My husband has worn suit and tie every day of his 40 year work life and it only seemed appropriate to dress as such when being served by white jacketed and gloved servers. I cannot speak to the quality of the food in the MDR. We have chosen to sail for the first time on Oceania this fall. We have avoided the Regatta for many years due to reviews, but will give it a go and hope for the best. I was glad to read that Riviera will sail to Alaska beginning in 2025 and hope it is out of Seattle.

[ORV]

2 hours ago, techteach said:

We did our first TA with Cunard on QM2 this past December in Queen’s Grill and loved it. We will do a second Cunard on QM2 in June/July. The food was really good and the room and service were great. In Queen’s Grill there was not a single man without a suit and 99% were in tux for the two gala nights. I, and most other women, wore long formals for gala and were dressed beautifully the other nights. The Masquerade night is not a costume night at all. My husband has worn suit and tie every day of his 40 year work life and it only seemed appropriate to dress as such when being served by white jacketed and gloved servers. I cannot speak to the quality of the food in the MDR. We have chosen to sail for the first time on Oceania this fall. We have avoided the Regatta for many years due to reviews, but will give it a go and hope for the best. I was glad to read that Riviera will sail to Alaska beginning in 2025 and hope it is out of Seattle.

I hope you enjoy Oceania, but what you've described about Cunard is exactly what Oceania is not all about. 

[KetoCruiser]

I really enjoy Gala night on Cunard, although I miss the Captains cocktail party, I am really disappointed that they have not reinstated them since covid.  What is the point of dressing up, if you have no where to go.

 

Oceania is nothing like it, I  must admit I did enjoy the cocktail parties, the drinks were not limited and the hors d’oeuvre  were delicious.  
However the food overall was disappointing. I only have experience of the Regatta  ( and have been told the larger ships are better) and must say my expectations regarding the food were not met.  My biggest gripe was that entrees in the Terrace Cafe, they were on the whole cold and they never seem to have any vegetables other than steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. I had to order off the grill just to get something hot.  There is nothing more unappealing than cold stir fry.   The specialty restaurant, Toscana was much better, but in my opinion, not as good as the Veranda on Cunard.  

The Waves grill at lunch time was good and suited my low carb diet.  My Husband however was not impressed with afternoon tea, it was very poor, the scones were so dry that they crumbled when you tried to cut them. I think they need to review the recipe on those.  Overall it just did not have the finesse that Cunard afternoon tea has.   

 

 

[shepherd really]

14 minutes ago, KetoCruiser said:

I really enjoy Gala night on Cunard, although I miss the Captains cocktail party, I am really disappointed that they have not reinstated them since covid.  What is the point of dressing up, if you have no where to go.

 

Oceania is nothing like it, I  must admit I did enjoy the cocktail parties, the drinks were not limited and the hors d’oeuvre  were delicious.  
However the food overall was disappointing. I only have experience of the Regatta  ( and have been told the larger ships are better) and must say my expectations regarding the food were not met.  My biggest gripe was that entrees in the Terrace Cafe, they were on the whole cold and they never seem to have any vegetables other than steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. I had to order off the grill just to get something hot.  There is nothing more unappealing than cold stir fry.   The specialty restaurant, Toscana was much better, but in my opinion, not as good as the Veranda on Cunard.  

The Waves grill at lunch time was good and suited my low carb diet.  My Husband however was not impressed with afternoon tea, it was very poor, the scones were so dry that they crumbled when you tried to cut them. I think they need to review the recipe on those.  Overall it just did not have the finesse that Cunard afternoon tea has.   

 

 

I assure you if the Cunard Queens grill experience and dress code is what you like, you're going to really be disappointed in Oceania.  You may want to reconsider your plans.

Edited February 19, 2023 by shepherd really

[zalusky]

55 minutes ago, KetoCruiser said:

I really enjoy Gala night on Cunard, although I miss the Captains cocktail party, I am really disappointed that they have not reinstated them since covid.  What is the point of dressing up, if you have no where to go.

 

Oceania is nothing like it, I  must admit I did enjoy the cocktail parties, the drinks were not limited and the hors d’oeuvre  were delicious.  
However the food overall was disappointing. I only have experience of the Regatta  ( and have been told the larger ships are better) and must say my expectations regarding the food were not met.  My biggest gripe was that entrees in the Terrace Cafe, they were on the whole cold and they never seem to have any vegetables other than steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. I had to order off the grill just to get something hot.  There is nothing more unappealing than cold stir fry.   The specialty restaurant, Toscana was much better, but in my opinion, not as good as the Veranda on Cunard.  

The Waves grill at lunch time was good and suited my low carb diet.  My Husband however was not impressed with afternoon tea, it was very poor, the scones were so dry that they crumbled when you tried to cut them. I think they need to review the recipe on those.  Overall it just did not have the finesse that Cunard afternoon tea has.   

 

 

We were on that cruise with you and were initially very excited based upon all the marketing and fans.  We felt it did not live up to the hype as well.  We agree with your comments on Toscana and also felt the Terrace was extremely limited in selection especially when they effectively duped many of the foods on both sides of the hot grill side in a number of cases.  It also seemed to be almost all destination focused.  For a 3+ week cruise I expected more variety and not just Indonesian food.

[oskidunker]

Food on The Sirena  last October was great in the dining room but poor in the specialty restaurants.