Responsiveness Thread Response

[LegalSailor]

I booked my first Oceania cruise in part due to the thread below about the President of the Line taking a very hands on approach to the needs of one customer...needless to say I am very excited for the cruise!

I'm especially interested in finding out how HAL and Oceania compare, and I'll let you all know with an in-depth review!

[jhannah]

That will be great information. I'll look forward to it.

[peaches from georgia]

We have not cruised on Oceania though we want to and have several friends who have cruised in Europe and SAmerica on Oceania. They absolutely love Oceania and these are folks who are very well traveled. The 2 lines are not really comparable because they are designed for different markets. Oceania is not a mass market line and has less than 700 pax on their ships. Much more is included in the cost of an Oceania cruise, the dining is all Anytime Dining with room for all guests to dine in the main dining room or alternative restaurants at one time if that should happen. Dress code is entirely country club casual in the evenings. It is much more a luxury cruiseline experience than mass market, so comparisons are apples to oranges.

[sail7seas]

We'll look forward to your comments, Legal Sailor.

[Harry1954]

we currently only do HAL and Crystal - am looking forward to your comments.

harry

[LegalSailor]

I know that the two lines are different, and didn't mean a comparison to decide which is better. Rather, I wanted to compare my favorite things about HAL and Oceania, as well as my least favorite things. HAL remains my favorite line and the service is the main reason why - its always top notch and always impeccible.

I think cruising is about making some compromises - I want a smaller environment (and that's why I enjoy the Statendam Class the best), yet I don't know how I feel about Any Time Dining yet. I like the HAL formal nights, and hope I'm not the only one who wears a tuxedo on Oceania. At the same time, I like the ports that Oceania will visit for the cruise, and it'll be interesting to see how a port call differs between the lines.

Cheers!

[peaches from georgia]

we currently only do HAL and Crystal - am looking forward to your comments.

harry

Harry, how do you Crystal and HAL compare- food, service, amenities, etc?

[sail7seas]

...... I like the HAL formal nights, and hope I'm not the only one who wears a tuxedo on Oceania. At the same time, I like the ports that Oceania will visit for the cruise, and it'll be interesting to see how a port call differs between the lines.

Cheers!

 

Perhaps I am mistaken but it is my understanding there is only country club casual on Oceania, no formal nights. It is certainly your business if you wish to wear a tuxedo but you may be the only one doing so.

[innlady1]

I booked my first Oceania cruise in part due to the thread below about the President of the Line taking a very hands on approach to the needs of one customer...needless to say I am very excited for the cruise!

I'm especially interested in finding out how HAL and Oceania compare, and I'll let you all know with an in-depth review!

 

I'll be interested in hearing how the two lines compare...I was looking at Oceania for this winter...and booked HAL again.

[mamaofami]

Sheila, how did you make out in the storm?

[LegalSailor]

The "Country Club Casual" surprises/worries me a bit. Most people don't wear a tuxedo with any frequency or regularity - I wear one maybe 8-10 times a year and that's considered a lot. I say this because we like to cruise because it is a derivation from normalcy - It's nice to put on a tuxedo and see the DW in a cocktail dress. I would have guessed that a line with a penchant for luxury cruising would offer formal dining.

I certainly won't let it ruin the cruise if there is no formal dining at all, but it will certainly be at the top of the list in a cruise line comparison!

[Nana4x]

Perhaps I am mistaken but it is my understanding there is only country club casual on Oceania, no formal nights. It is certainly your business if you wish to wear a tuxedo but you may be the only one doing so.

 

For return guests, the Captain hosted a cocktail party on our cruise in May (Istanbul to Athens) Most of the guests were "very" dressed up - I did not notice any tuxes when they started to arrive for dinner. But if you are comfortable in a tux then go for it!

 

We loved our 1 st Oceania cruise and are counting the days till we sail with them again in June 2008 to the Baltics. We'll take our first HAL cruise in Aug 2008 an are looking forward to cruising on a different line.

[joedebnh]

Last January we cruised on the Oceania Regatta and have also cruised on HAL 7 or 8 times.

 

We totally enjoy both lines but they are very different.

 

You will be out of place on Oceania in a Tux and/or long dress. Never saw one at any time. This does not mean people do not dress well. For the most part at dinner the women were well dressed in cocktail dress or dressier pants suits. The men wore nicely collared shirts and tailored slacks and about 25% with sport jackets and a smattering of suits and ties (very few). Never saw jeans or shorts at dinner. The Oceania brochures are very accurate in how people dress aboard ship.

 

Oceania food is a couple of steps above HAL but remember they are only serving 600+ passengers and have a much higher food budget per person. Don't expect great entertainment. Even wiith anytime dining we never waited and always had our choice of a table for 2 or joining other passengers we had met during the cruise. We also had the ability to ask for the same wait staff on successive nights.

 

Oceania is usually more port intensive and the nightlife peters out very quickly after successive long days ashore.

 

HAL is also one of our favorites and a great value for the price. Oceania stretches our budget a bit but if we want only one cruise a year they can fit. Usually we can fit in 2 weeks a year if we stick to HAL & Celebrity. We rank HAL and Celebrity the same.

[Golfette]

LegalSailor I hope you enjoy your Oceania cruise. We, also, are booked on Oceania 1st time next Fall. Let us know what you think.

 

I'd also like to mention a thread I read on Oceania Board about 2-3 months ago. Someone asked if men wore tuxes to dinner & the general response was "Why? Do you want to be mistaken for the Maitre'd?" You can probably search for this thread on the Oceania board. In any event, I obviously don't know. One of the reasons our small group booked on Oceania was because of "no formal dress."

[Fatfish]

We cruised Oceania in April of 05 and if my memory serves me I never saw a suit......We really did enjoy Oceania but don't feel it was worth the premium price over HAL....jmo

[NapTown Jim]

Call me strange, but everytime I hear the word "Oceania" I instantly think of George Orwell's "1984"

'Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia'

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise!

[hammybee]

I would have guessed that a line with a penchant for luxury cruising would offer formal dining.

 

I certainly won't let it ruin the cruise if there is no formal dining at all, but it will certainly be at the top of the list in a cruise line comparison!

 

Many people make the assumption that the true luxury cruise lines are more formal. The reality is almost the opposite.

 

Crystal remains the most traditional, in terms of formal attire and fixed seating, of the luxury cruise lines. This might be a better fit for some.

 

Their message boards are, as are all cruise line boards, peppered with posts that the experience is not what it used to be. I don't know of anything that is the way it used to be. Does anyone?

[peaches from georgia]

Many people make the assumption that the true luxury cruise lines are more formal. The reality is almost the opposite.

 

So right. Most of the pax on the luxury cruiselines have had yrs of formal dress for business and social events. They don't want to do it again on vacation, at least all the friends we have who cruise Oceania find lack of a formal dress code on of the reasons they love these cruises. But their country club casual dress will be very appropriate for a fine dining room and I don't think shorts and tanks for dinner are a big problem on these ships.;)

[hammybee]

So right. Most of the pax on the luxury cruiselines have had yrs of formal dress for business and social events. They don't want to do it again on vacation, at least all the friends we have who cruise Oceania find lack of a formal dress code on of the reasons they love these cruises. But their country club casual dress will be very appropriate for a fine dining room and I don't think shorts and tanks for dinner are a big problem on these ships.;)

 

I don't think shorts and tanks in the dining room, are a big problem on HAL, either.

 

Based on what I read, what we have here is an emerging phobia, FOST ( fear of shorts/tanks):D

[LegalSailor]

Call me strange, but everytime I hear the word "Oceania" I instantly think of George Orwell's "1984"

 

'Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia'

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise!

 

Jim, that was the first thing I thought too!

I talked to a few business associates who have traveled with Oceania, and all say the same thing, its a great line for the cruise folks with a "been there, cruised that" attitude (mostly in reference to the formal attire) but also that the line offered a little more in terms of understated elegance.

I'm looking forward to it the more I read about it, so I think we can chalk it up to a good idea.

I read a comment about the "wearing a tux and being mistaken for the maitre'd" on the Oceania forum, and it wasn't funny then, but after doing more and more research, I can see some tiny flecks of humor there!

Cheers,

[peaches from georgia]

I don't think shorts and tanks in the dining room, are a big problem on HAL, either.

 

Based on what I read, what we have here is an emerging phobia, FOST ( fear of shorts/tanks):D

I will reword- compliance with the stated evening dress code is not the problem on Oceania that it often is on HAL. There are people on HAL that have mentioned wanting to wear shorts to the dining room and one of my worst memories on a HAL ship was walking out of the dining room and bumping into a very large guy in a tank shirt. I just about came up to his hairy armpits. :eek:

[hammybee]

I snagged this post off an active thread on the Oceania board:

 

The dress code is completely relaxed in the Tapas on the Terrace buffet. You will see shorts, tee shirts, etc. in that venue. Folks often use the terrace restaurant when they have returned late from touring and have not changed. Other folks just don't want to dress.

 

Having said that, I must add that if one takes advantage of that relaxed dress code for dinner, their choices for the rest of the evening are limited to walking on deck or going back to their cabin. The dinner dress code is actually an evening dress code, and folks who go to the lounges, showroom or casino are expected to be dressed as they would in the restaurants other than the terrace. We had some folks show up at the entertainment in shorts and while no one prevented them from entering, they really stuck out as misplaced. Or, maybe it was that the gentleman wore socks with his sandals and shorts...:eek:

 

[peaches from georgia]

Sounds like Tapas is meant for the same purpose as the Lido.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I snagged this post off an active thread on the Oceania board:

 

...... We had some folks show up at the entertainment in shorts and while no one prevented them from entering, they really stuck out as misplaced. Or, maybe it was that the gentleman wore socks with his sandals and shorts...:eek:

 

 

I am terribly mortified, now.:o I have been known to wear socks with my sandals............:eek:

 

My apologies. I seem to be causing thread drift........

 

Karin

[Golfette]

I read a comment about the "wearing a tux and being mistaken for the maitre'd" on the Oceania forum, and it wasn't funny then, but after doing more and more research, I can see some tiny flecks of humor there!

Cheers,

 

Cheers to you LegalSailor & I hope you have a great cruise whatever you choose to wear.