Just returned home - Impressions of ship

[Mary Fran]

My husband and I and friends were on the June 24th saling of the Insignia (our first time). We were offerd an upgrade to a Ocean View cabin which we took.

We were surprised to see that our cabin did not come with a stocked icebox as did the other cabins. I was told that had we taken a higher level cabin then we would have one (felt a little like being in stearage). I will give them credit for having one delivered to our cabin the next day (empty) and placed at the end of our bed which we had to climb over. Alos the trashcans in the room are more like spittals - you can't put any amount of trash including a watter battle in them. Loved the food!

[LHT28]

Only the Concierge cabins and suites come with fridges.

 

B,C,D,E, F, CAT do not have fridges unless requested for medical reasons

 

What did you book to upgraded?

It would have been STEERAGE also

 

We prefer steerage, nice location

 

Lyn

[LAexNY]

My husband and I and friends were on the June 24th saling of the Insignia (our first time). We were offerd an upgrade to a Ocean View cabin which we took.

We were surprised to see that our cabin did not come with a stocked icebox as did the other cabins. I was told that had we taken a higher level cabin then we would have one (felt a little like being in stearage). I will give them credit for having one delivered to our cabin the next day (empty) and placed at the end of our bed which we had to climb over. Alos the trashcans in the room are more like spittals - you can't put any amount of trash including a watter battle in them. Loved the food!

 

That's all you have to say about your impressions of the ship?

[AdvenLee]

We did the Rome to Stockholm cruise in May, 2009, on the Regatta and had a great time. We liked the ship and overall would indeed cruise again with Oceania. While aboard, we met another couple who were Oceania cruisers and they said that they did an Azamara cruise (within the year) and were quite pleased and would sail on Azamara again, too. I am looking at a 10 or 12 day cruise in the Caribbean and the Azamara prices really are quite attractive compared to Oceania and Regent. We were in an A2 cabin on the Regatta. I think the cabins are the same on Azamara. However, do they "nickle and dime" you more than Oceania. (It is okay, if I know beforehand......just add up approximate expense per day, and then I can compare Oceania, Regent and Azamara. (We have now sailed on Oceania and Regent...liked Regent better...however, paid a lot more.....so just need to make some choices, I guess.) Any input out there as to comparisons between Azamara and Oceania???

[LHT28]

Any input out there as to comparisons between Azamara and Oceania???

 

If you put Azamara VS Oceania in the "search this forum" (top right)

you will find several comparisons

 

Lyn

[CintiPam]

Alos the trashcans in the room are more like spittals - you can't put any amount of trash including a watter battle in them. Loved the food!

 

Did you perhaps miss the trash can by the desk? It's regular sized, like those in our bedrooms and bathrooms at home, but with a lid on it with a smaller hole so the trash does not spill all over the cabin. I certainly put many empty water bottles in ours from our wonderful June Athens to Rome cruise.

 

I truly am sorry that two of your three posted "impressions of the ship" are negative ones.

[paulista1950]

"We were surprised to see that our cabin did not come with a stocked icebox as did the other cabins"

 

Surprised? It's like they keep a secret on the subject. Were you surprised by the itinerary too?:eek:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well it would be a surprise to a first-time Oceania cruiser who had not examined the minutiae of their cabin prior to departure! I was surprised the first time I learned this, and I know that, when and if I book Oceania in the future, I will book an A or above just for this reason. It's fairly outrageous that they don't have them in all cabins, although I understand it may be a matter of space, with the small size of the cabins.

[Acrusa]

We booked a B cat last year and new we did not have a refrig. We requested one and it was waiting for us when we got on.It was put by the desk took up too much room and had it removed.I really dont understand the need for one. The roomsteward always had ice filled in our bucket for cold bottle water. Always delivered the small water when ever we requested it.

We have booked an A cat for this cruise and I noticed the fridge is under the T.V. It takes up alot of space we used in the B cat cabin for cloths. The only reason we booked the A was for the extra 2 nights of retsaurant reservations. This time I dont have to smear for an extra reservation at the hour we wanted.

[hondorner]

It will be very unusual for it to be under the TV. They are usually in one pedestal of the desk/dresser. The fridge does replace several drawers in that pedestal.

 

Wendy, room size is not the issue -- the Category A staterooms which have a fridge are identical to the Category B which do not, and very similar to the Oceania View cabins. The most likely reason why Cat B and below do not have fridges is to create one of the perks for the price difference between Cat A and Cat B.

 

It helps if one does not think that Cat A is more expensive because of the fridge; just think that Cat B and below get to save money because they don't have a fridge.

 

All that said, the fridge is one of the reasons why we are more likely to book a Cat A, because of my"addiction" to Diet Colas. I like a very cold one first thing in the morning, and the ice doesn't last long enough overnight. We've also found a couple of drinkable wines in a box, which fits the fridge very nicely and packs well.

[Acrusa]

Are you refering to the 4 pack splits of wine you get in the liquer store? I only thought you can bye those in the U. S.?

[hondorner]

I'm referring to boxed wine -- wine that is in a plastic, airtight bag within a cardboard box. Usually contains 3 liters, the equivalent of 4 standard 750 milliliter bottles. The advantage of boxed wine is that it is not "uncorked", each box has an easy-pour spout that prevents air from getting into the opened wine and spoiling it.

 

 

It's widely used in Europe, but the disadvantage of it in the USA is that so far, most of the wines available in a box have been extremely young, extremely inexpensive "factory" wines, generally available in supermarkets at prices below so-called "jug" wine.

 

We've found some reasonably good wines in a box. The above-pictured Black Box has several varietals that are OK, as is a Shiraz by Bota. These are equivalent to wines priced at $10 to $12, but sell for $20 to $30 per 3-liter box, or the equivalent of about $5 to $8 per standard bottle.

 

The boxes are very strong and the plastic bags are almost indestructible, so they pack nicely in a suitcase.

[satchiesmom]

I too was surprised that there are not fridges in every cabin, but upon thinking about it I realized that the only time we have ever used the fridge in our cabins was on our cruises with Holland America - they don't limit the amount of wine brought aboard and we brought a lot, the last time a case! Since we'll be in steerage (glad to hear you like it Lyn!) we will do without it and I'm sure we will be just fine. If we need to chill a bottle of wine I suppose we could ask for an extra wine bucket. Or since wine chills more quickly in ice water we'll probably just put the wine in the sink, add ice, run some water - voila! Done!

[Acrusa]

Am I reading this right? You pack wine in your luggage and travel to europe with it? We have a bottle of wine every night for dinner on the ship. I find there wines quite good.

[hondorner]

Am I reading this right? You pack wine in your luggage and travel to europe with it? We have a bottle of wine every night for dinner on the ship. I find there wines quite good.

(Sigh) As do we. I buy wine in ports, I arrange tours to wineries, I occasionally buy wine at the table, and, yes, on occasion I pack a box of wine. For example, our next cruise will depart from Miami and have 8 straight sea days -- it's kind of difficult to pop out and find some local wine.

 

When we buy wine at table, it lasts us two nights. We prefer one glass each with a meal. But, we enjoy a glass on our balcony from time to time.

[satchiesmom]

We aren't doing Europe on this cruise, we'll be sailing out of Miami to the Caribbean, so brining wine aboard is pretty easy. If we drive to port it's not a problem at all, if we fly, we fly Southwest and we have a liberal luggage allowance that allows plenty of room for wine.

[Jancruz]

We booked a B cat last year and new we did not have a refrig. We requested one and it was waiting for us when we got on.It was put by the desk took up too much room and had it removed.I really dont understand the need for one. The roomsteward always had ice filled in our bucket for cold bottle water. Always delivered the small water when ever we requested it.

We have booked an A cat for this cruise and I noticed the fridge is under the T.V. It takes up alot of space we used in the B cat cabin for cloths. The only reason we booked the A was for the extra 2 nights of retsaurant reservations. This time I dont have to smear for an extra reservation at the hour we wanted.

 

I have never heard of anyone paying to get an extra reservation in the specialty restaurant..have I missed something???

Jancruz1

[suec12]

I don't think she was implying paying (but maybe so) - I assumed it was that she asked and was rebuffed for extra reservations at Toscano or Polo. We were in a cabin that got one night each - I had read on the boards that if you were flexible usually you could get more but I did not find this to be true. I was a bit annoyed because I WAS flexible and what really got me was the ship was not full (a recent sailing) and the restaurants were not full when we went up there! I would ask at breakfast time, the guy would check the list and then refuse with the statement they were trying their best "to accomodate everyone" HUH? I now assume they left some tables open for if the passengers in the higher pay cabins wanted a last minute table they would accomodate them! We even made friends with another couple that wanted us to eat up there and be added to their table but because we had been one time, it was a no go. Sorry to be a bit ranty here but for the money we paid for this cruise in the bad economy I was surprised they were not willing to give us an extra night or two.

[LHT28]

I don't think she was implying paying (but maybe so) - I assumed it was that she asked and was rebuffed for extra reservations at Toscano or Polo. We were in a cabin that got one night each - I had read on the boards that if you were flexible usually you could get more but I did not find this to be true.

 

We have never had trouble getting extra reservations ...perhaps they had a waiting list .

They never seem to be full at anytime we have dined in either Polo or Toscana.

Too bad they were not more flexible.

 

Lyn

[hondorner]

I have never had a problem getting extra nights -- once they even approached us at lunch in the buffet and offered us a table that evening. I have also seen them standing in the entrance to the Grand dining room begging people to change to a specialty restaurant because they have too much room. I have been in both Cat A and Cat C and there was no difference in the way I was treated.

 

Maybe in this bad economy they are reduced to waiting for bribes -- I mean tips -- to get a table. If so, I don't need an extra night that much.

[Acrusa]

It's not that we weren't flexable, but we find it nice to eat between 8 and 8 15 in the evening.Everytime we wanted to go to Polo or Toscana it was ok for 9 or later so we handled it.We wanted what we wanted .So if it ment an extra $2.00 so be it lol.

[CintiPam]

Our experience has been that if you indeed are flexible on your reservation time, and also willing to share a table with two others, you can get extra reservations. (And that was on a totally full cruise last month.)

 

It appeared to us that it was easier to get a late time reservation than an earlier one; perhaps because on this past cruise there was such a diversity in age that those of us still in our 50's were in the average age bracket versus last September when we definitely were the "youngins" by far.

 

I simply love the level of service on Oceania, although I readily admit I have no other cruise experience with which to compare it. However, I now am too spoiled after my two cruises in the past year to look elsewhere!

[suec12]

So Acrusa - did you "tip" them and then they did give you an extra reservation?

 

I don't know why they kept refusing ME - I was flexible, I offered to share a table, it was no go. We were in a verandah stateroom (don't remember the category designation). The more I read here that others found it easy to get an extra night, the more it annoys me that we could not. Maybe Oceania is not the line for me.

[Acrusa]

So Acrusa - did you "tip" them and then they did give you an extra reservation?

 

I don't know why they kept refusing ME - I was flexible, I offered to share a table, it was no go. We were in a verandah stateroom (don't remember the category designation). The more I read here that others found it easy to get an extra night, the more it annoys me that we could not. Maybe Oceania is not the line for me.

 

If I where you I would have complained to the hotel manager at the time. That the people at the desk where not accomidating.

[LHT28]

.So if it ment an extra $2.00 so be it lol.

 

So you bribed the Maitre'd with $2. for a table ??

He must have been desperate for $$

 

The GDR will be fine with me if that is how you have to get a table now. :eek: