Beware of the offer of $100 on-board credit for stockholders. They don't honor it for "sale" prices. I've never seen an offer for a cruise that isn't a "sale". I complained in writing after carefully reviewing their Terms and Conditions which list all the exclusions and sales were not excluded. Never got a response, so while on-board, I complained in-person. They checked with "headquarters" and I got the on-board credit the next day. A lot of work for $100, but it was the principle.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Due to weather, Miami port was closed for a few hours. We received an email to delay our arrival until 2pm. We were held in a large room at the cruise terminal for more than two more hours, on folding chairs, waiting for the passengers from the previous cruise to disembark. There was a table with coffee and water dispensers, but the contents were not replenished. It was after 4pm when we finally boarded.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Service was slow. The buffet was in a cramped area. The menus of the main dining room were essentially the same each day. On day 4 of the cruise they ran out of IPA beer and it seems no effort was made to resupply in any port, including when docked next to Oceania Vista. The process for accounting for passengers with drink packages was awful. In the main dining room, they know your room number, but at the end of the meal, the sommalier would take your room key card and disappear for 5 to 10 minutes to record what you drank for Oceania internal accounting procedures. In the buffet restaurant, to order a beer, you would tell your server and they would notify the bar staff. By the time they showed up, it was likely you had finished your meal. Then when done, you'd have the same issue with the accounting process. By the end of the cruise, my third choice of beer was no longer available.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Enjoyed multiple varieties of trivia (team trivia, brain teasers, men vs women). Team trivia was daily. Others varied with port schedules. Well done. Other games such as golf putting, corn hole, and shuffleboard were run by entertainers and were good fun.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Main dining room service was slow. Acknowledged it is supposed to be a relaxing experience, but this was beyond that. The staff, other than the sommaliers, were attentive, but it took too long for food to come to the table.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Public areas were attractive and comfortable.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
The showers were incredibly small. Bathrooms were small, but functional. The cabins were otherwise small, but livable. The towels were heavy, but rough. More like bathmats than a towel.
Ship tip
To get a decently sized shower, you have to upgrade to a much more expensive cabin.
Samure snorkeling excursion was excellent. Although you had to go from the boat to a Zodiac, the level three strenuous level was overstated perhaps scaring some folks away.
I booked a catamaran and snorkel excursion. Snorkeling was my priority, but they took us to a spot just off a public beach that was walking distance from the pier. No fins. Somewhat murky water. Then moved a hundred yards or so to a sunken tug boat. Again, to murky for seeing the fish well. After that, it was just sailing around for about 75% of the time. Lunch was OK and there was an open bar, but snorkeling was very disappointing.
Photography tour was great. Escort (Steve) was knowledgeable about photography and gave many good tips to improve our photography skills. Tour was very well paced -- not rushed and no boring times.
Took excursion to Virgin Gorda. If you follow the paths through to the scenic spots and the Caves and Baths, the level three strenuous estimate is understated.
You should know that food service in the dining rooms are slower due to ALL items made to order. On most other cruise lines, the food is prepared in advance, and you get served off a pre-made tray. I much more prefer Oceania’s system.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
