I hope this Oceania CC site is indicative of the passenger makeup.

[Nashna]

As a newbie, I appreciate the ability to ask frequent O passengers questions.  The advice and recommendations I receive on CC are invaluable.  When we board a new ship, my husband is no longer shocked at my insider knowledge.  My first O sailing will also be my 61st cruise.  There has been only one line on all those cruises I wished I had never sailed on...Costa.  After reading many of the posts, my expectations for our Vista cruise are that we will enjoy the lower passenger count, the food, service, accommodations, specialty restaurants, and our fellow passengers.  

[mauibabes]

@Nashna

A major DITTO here, I guess you have summed it up. 👍🙏 Two years ago we started booking and dreaming and planning for our Inaugural Vista sailing in October. When the Founder’s Cruise fell into our lap, we booked it just to experience Vista even sooner. We were fortunate to be able to be on Marina’s Inaugural so we know Oceania will do it up right. 
Your expectations are right on and we know you will love her as will we.  Will there be glitches, absolutely, it would not be a cruise if there were none.  We all have to be flexible and cut some slack when it comes to travel or we will never be happy, no such thing as perfection. 
Enjoy Vista all and know you are blessed and very lucky to be sailing on her, especially during her Inaugural season. Looking forward to Allura too.

Mauibabes

[dock]

Agree with the OP, the forum regulars are extremely helpful.

I certainly appreciate their expertise. 
 

@Jancruz, I’m new to O (but not to cruising),

“the help goes out of their way”!

Assume you are referencing the staff on board. 

Thank You. 

 

 

 

[Jancruz]

5 hours ago, dock said:

Agree with the OP, the forum regulars are extremely helpful.

I certainly appreciate their expertise. 
 

@Jancruz, I’m new to O (but not to cruising),

“the help goes out of their way”!

Assume you are referencing the staff on board. 

Thank You. 

 

Absolutely!!

Jancruz1

 

 

[Mura]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:52 AM, ak1004 said:

First, let me say that I'm not a cheerleaders or Advocate. We sailed on 11 different lines and not loyal to any specific line. We book mostly based on itinerary and pricing. Currently booked on 2 O, 2 SS and 1 SB for the next 2 years.

 

We sailed on O 3 times: one per Covid and twice post Covid. Maybe it's a limited sample, but personally I didn't see much difference. The food was consistently excellent, the staff very friendly and the service very good.

 

Our last cruise was on the Regatta last year and it was a great experience. A few weeks later someone posted a 1 star review about the same cruise. The reason? It wasn't food or service. It was because we missed 2 ports. Which is true - we missed Mexico because of a Hurricane. Did he really expect the captain to take the ship into the Hurricane? And no, it's not always possible to find an alternative port last minute.. Missing ports is one the risks of cruising - don't cruise if you are not willing to take that risk.

 

Such reviews probably tell you more about the reviewer than the ship (I would use some strong words, but don't want the post to be deleted).

 

A similar thing happened after our SS cruise last December.

 

There is a current tendency to be very negative - you will see those silly negative reviews across most cruise lines, including SS, SB and Regent.

 

And this is what I meant by "take the reviews with a grain of salt". I think even the most loyal O customers will never claim it's perfect. No line is, including much more expensive lines. But to me, O offers an excellent value for money by allowing me to pay only for things that I need and not to pay for things I don't (like alcohol).

 

I don't expect great entertainment and/or activities from O. I don't expect big cabins if I sail on R ships. I do expect great food and service, no crowds, no lines etc. Everyone should be doing their homework and know what to expect from each line.

Agreed.  We love Oceania and pretty much have sailed it exclusively in recent years but we know it isn't perfect.  No line is.  When I read reviews that are over the top or under the bottom (as I've said  before), I discount much of what has been said. Not everything, because they can be good comments to be discerned even then.

 

Criticizing a line because a port was missed because of a hurricane is beyond ridiculous!  We've missed a few ports on O for similar reasons, and we just went with the flow.

 

Mura

[shepherd really]

9 hours ago, Mura said:

Agreed.  We love Oceania and pretty much have sailed it exclusively in recent years but we know it isn't perfect.  No line is.  When I read reviews that are over the top or under the bottom (as I've said  before), I discount much of what has been said. Not everything, because they can be good comments to be discerned even then.

 

Criticizing a line because a port was missed because of a hurricane is beyond ridiculous!  We've missed a few ports on O for similar reasons, and we just went with the flow.

 

Mura

Basically, ship happens.  Just flow with it.

[muggo11]

What a lovely thread started by a gracious Virginian (my home state).  We leave in a week on our first Oceania cruise (Sirena from Aruba to Barcelona).  We have cruised 42 times (Carnival, Princess, Cunard, NCL, Disney, MSC).  The itinerary drew us in and we have heard so many good things, we have two more trans-oceanic Oceania cruises booked.  I appreciate well-phrased candor but NOT snark, etc.  The Oceania threads have been GREAT sources of info. 

 

We travel full-time and are committed to cruising across oceans to visit other continents rather than fly.  We splurged on a concierge verandah but will be more frugal in the future if the Oceania experience is “for us”.  I am laughing as I write this because we studied the brochure pix and have a nice preppy wardrobe.  I bought a new white cotton shirt yesterday and though I haven’t owned a dress for years, bought a simple summer one to wear rather than live in my sweats.    And DH is shopping for some nicer looking shorts today.  He went to Duke so he has an internal preppie mindset and the requisite khaki long pants, polo and button-down shirts.  We will try to look casually richer than we are, haha.  And we are so happy not pack his tux, just one navy blue blazer.  

 

We can talk to anyone about anything and try to avoid braggarts and people who are rude.  From what I hear, we can expect good conversations about history, culture and travel.  And excellent food.  We can’t wait to experience Oceania for the first time.  

[PhD-iva]

1 hour ago, muggo11 said:

What a lovely thread started by a gracious Virginian (my home state).  We leave in a week on our first Oceania cruise (Sirena from Aruba to Barcelona).  We have cruised 42 times (Carnival, Princess, Cunard, NCL, Disney, MSC).  The itinerary drew us in and we have heard so many good things, we have two more trans-oceanic Oceania cruises booked.  I appreciate well-phrased candor but NOT snark, etc.  The Oceania threads have been GREAT sources of info. 

 

We travel full-time and are committed to cruising across oceans to visit other continents rather than fly.  We splurged on a concierge verandah but will be more frugal in the future if the Oceania experience is “for us”.  I am laughing as I write this because we studied the brochure pix and have a nice preppy wardrobe.  I bought a new white cotton shirt yesterday and though I haven’t owned a dress for years, bought a simple summer one to wear rather than live in my sweats.    And DH is shopping for some nicer looking shorts today.  He went to Duke so he has an internal preppie mindset and the requisite khaki long pants, polo and button-down shirts.  We will try to look casually richer than we are, haha.  And we are so happy not pack his tux, just one navy blue blazer.  

 

We can talk to anyone about anything and try to avoid braggarts and people who are rude.  From what I hear, we can expect good conversations about history, culture and travel.  And excellent food.  We can’t wait to experience Oceania for the first time.  

See you onboard and at the M&G!

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, muggo11 said:

I bought a new white cotton shirt yesterday and though I haven’t owned a dress for years, bought a simple summer one to wear rather than live in my sweats.   

I haven't  not seen many people  wearing sweats  on Oceania   most  wear  shorts  or nice slacks 

some wear leggings  with a long top 

but  to each their own

 

Hope you enjoy  your O experience

 

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, muggo11 said:

What a lovely thread started by a gracious Virginian (my home state).  We leave in a week on our first Oceania cruise (Sirena from Aruba to Barcelona).  We have cruised 42 times (Carnival, Princess, Cunard, NCL, Disney, MSC).  The itinerary drew us in and we have heard so many good things, we have two more trans-oceanic Oceania cruises booked.  I appreciate well-phrased candor but NOT snark, etc.  The Oceania threads have been GREAT sources of info. 

 

We travel full-time and are committed to cruising across oceans to visit other continents rather than fly.  We splurged on a concierge verandah but will be more frugal in the future if the Oceania experience is “for us”.  I am laughing as I write this because we studied the brochure pix and have a nice preppy wardrobe.  I bought a new white cotton shirt yesterday and though I haven’t owned a dress for years, bought a simple summer one to wear rather than live in my sweats.    And DH is shopping for some nicer looking shorts today.  He went to Duke so he has an internal preppie mindset and the requisite khaki long pants, polo and button-down shirts.  We will try to look casually richer than we are, haha.  And we are so happy not pack his tux, just one navy blue blazer.  

 

We can talk to anyone about anything and try to avoid braggarts and people who are rude.  From what I hear, we can expect good conversations about history, culture and travel.  And excellent food.  We can’t wait to experience Oceania for the first time.  

 

To set the expectations right, I assume you are aware that concierge verandah on the O small ships are same size as veranda, OV or inside. Pretty small, and the showers are ridiculously small. Don't drop your soup while taking a shower.. 

 

This is one of the reasons we personally prefer O large ships (Riviera/Marina), but many O fans actually prefer the more intimate feel of the smaller ships. Just something to be aware of to avoid disappointments and surprises.

[MEFIowa]

37 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

To set the expectations right, I assume you are aware that concierge verandah on the O small ships are same size as veranda, OV or inside. Pretty small, and the showers are ridiculously small. Don't drop your soup while taking a shower....

For room size in the smaller R-class ships, keep in mind the DIFFERENCE between total square footage and interior square footage when comparing the VERANDA cabins to the non-veranda cabins. Data from the massive 2023 Collection of Voyages book:

 

- G/F Inside Stateroom: 160 sq ft (no veranda)

- C1/2 Deluxe Ocean View: 165 sq ft (no veranda)

- D Ocean View: 165 sq ft (no veranda)

- B1/2 Veranda: 216 sq ft (includes veranda)

- A1/2 Concierge Veranda: 216 sq ft (includes veranda)

 

So, the actual purely interior space for these is quite similar.

 

Did Sirena B2 11/2022 and Riviera A4 12/2021. The bathroom is bigger in the O-class, we had a bathtub and a shower. The shower on the smaller R-class is livable. I'm 6'2" and I quickly learned to use it efficiently and effectively by swinging the two glass doors.

[CoolChile]

5 hours ago, ak1004 said:

. . . . Don't drop your soup while taking a shower. 

 

 

Better yet, eat it before your shower. 

[DCGuy64]

On 3/11/2023 at 10:11 AM, ak1004 said:

 

To set the expectations right, I assume you are aware that concierge verandah on the O small ships are same size as veranda, OV or inside. Pretty small, and the showers are ridiculously small. Don't drop your soup while taking a shower.. 

 

This is one of the reasons we personally prefer O large ships (Riviera/Marina), but many O fans actually prefer the more intimate feel of the smaller ships. Just something to be aware of to avoid disappointments and surprises.

Who eats soup in the shower? LOL

[ak1004]

40 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Who eats soup in the shower? LOL

This was obviously a typo (autocorrection by the ipad) and CC does not allow to edit posts.

 

If you are still wondering, the intention was to soap.. Under no circumstances, do NOT drop your soap in the Sirena shower. It will be lost forever. 😀

[DCGuy64]

8 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

This was obviously a typo (autocorrection by the ipad) and CC does not allow to edit posts.

 

If you are still wondering, the intention was to soap.. Under no circumstances, do NOT drop your soap in the Sirena shower. It will be lost forever. 😀

I know, and my comment was obviously not serious. FYI CC does allow editing of posts, but I think it has to be done within something like 10 minutes after posting.

[ak1004]

13 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I know, and my comment was obviously not serious. FYI CC does allow editing of posts, but I think it has to be done within something like 10 minutes after posting.

Yes I am aware of both lol.. but I realized the typo much later. 

[DCGuy64]

3 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Yes I am aware of both lol.. but I realized the typo much later. 

Cool, I just read where you said they don't allow you to edit and thought maybe you didn't know about the option. FWIW I wish we could edit posts after 10-15 minutes, sometimes I realize I left a word out or something and it annoys me that it has to stay like that forever. 😒

[Sujormik]

New to O too, have enjoyed my reading on this site.  Been hearing the O ships average age is 80s, hoping ours might skew a little younger in June. Is that mean? Not my intention, just don’t have grandkids to talk about yet!

[rbtan]

On 2/28/2023 at 5:55 PM, Nashna said:

I have been a member of Cruise Critic for many years.  I have used this site to obtain valuable information on our sailings and have been happy to offer my observations.  I have participated in Princess, HAL, Regent, Seabourne, MSC, and Celebrity Boards before and after sailing on those cruise lines.  My 61st cruise and first on Oceania will be on the Vista on January 31st, 2024.  Since we made our reservation, I have followed the Oceania Cruise Critic Board.  I have been very impressed by the Oceania posters on this site.  The quality of information, lack of snarkiness, and genuine interest in helping newbies like myself have been very welcoming.

I'm looking forward to cruising Oceania.  

As Oceania is a sister line to Regent, think of it as "Regent Lite"! A little less exclusive, but I think you'll feel right at home.

[rbtan]

1 minute ago, Sujormik said:

New to O too, have enjoyed my reading on this site.  Been hearing the O ships average age is 80s, hoping ours might skew a little younger in June. Is that mean? Not my intention, just don’t have grandkids to talk about yet!

Our recent Riviera cruise was skewed more towards older px, but you should be fine. I would realy say average age on O is more like 60's-70s

[LHT28]

36 minutes ago, Sujormik said:

New to O too, have enjoyed my reading on this site.  Been hearing the O ships average age is 80s, hoping ours might skew a little younger in June. Is that mean? Not my intention, just don’t have grandkids to talk about yet!

I think you will be fine

not everyone  talks about grandkids

Most O pax have other things they can discuss 😉

 

We do not have any  grand kids either

[muggo11]

On 3/13/2023 at 6:25 PM, Sujormik said:

New to O too, have enjoyed my reading on this site.  Been hearing the O ships average age is 80s, hoping ours might skew a little younger in June. Is that mean? Not my intention, just don’t have grandkids to talk about yet!

When people ask how we can travel full-time, we say it’s simple. Our parents have passed, and we have no real estate, pets or grandkids!  

[Mura]

On 3/13/2023 at 6:25 PM, Sujormik said:

New to O too, have enjoyed my reading on this site.  Been hearing the O ships average age is 80s, hoping ours might skew a little younger in June. Is that mean? Not my intention, just don’t have grandkids to talk about yet!

I guess this means that I have finally graduated to the average age on O ... I used to be one of the younger ones.  Oh well ... time flies when you're having fun!

[CptBoatface]

Let me tell you about our grand kitties. 😺

[hmorrow]

I have really enjoyed this thread. Our first time on O will be in May, on the Regatta, up the coast of California, and Ensenada.

We’re not new to cruising, or CC, and are currently on HAL, as I write.

We’re really looking forward to the food and the size of the ship, as well as the clientele.

We were in port today with the carnival Mardi Gras- almost 6000 people😱, or should I say spring breakers……Got off and then got right back on. Made 2500 seem small. Lol

But seriously, we’re so looking forward to the demographics of the O ships.

 

Thanks for all of your input.