Ship experience did not meet our expectations for a luxury cruise. Oceania service, food, and facilities were disappointing as compared to our previous experiences with premium cruise lines such as Celebrity and Holland America. For the increased cost we expected a step up, but that was not what we found on Oceania. We did enjoy the itinerary and ports of call even though it was tiring to be exploring at a different port every day. We learned that we can do better by touring on our own or with tour providers other than the ship excursions.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Embarkation was smooth for us, however, there were not many attendants to direct those who had not gone through the process before.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
We had bad experiences with staff at the Terrace Cafe more than once. Toscana was our favorite dining venue because of the menu choices and attentive staff, but it is difficult to get reservations. There were limited food choices for vegetarian and non-seafood eaters. Casual dining hours are limited. Many days we were searching for a quick bite after returning from shore and nothing was available except the limited food service menu. "Best Cuisine at Sea" did not hit the mark, in our opinion. Other cruise lines have many more choices of great food, any time of day or night, with staff that care to learn names and preferences. I like the ability to build my own salad, stirfry, panini, soup choices, unlimited lemonade or iced tea, etc.. I wanted tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich but there was nothing like that available in 27 days.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We enjoyed the enrichment talks the most, especially appreciated ability to hear them on the TV in our cabin. We only used the spa once because the hot tubs were crowded on the nice weather days. We enjoyed afternoon tea in Horizons a couple times. We knew Oceania wasn't known for the activities and entertainment onboard and it isn't very important to us. We kept busy with shore activities.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
We only saw one performance by SHE and it wasn't for us. We couldn't understand the words and the musical style was not to our taste.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Our room attendants, Olha, Janelle, and Joy were the best. They always did a great job of cleaning up after us and were always pleasant to chat with when we saw them. Waiters in Toscana and Red Ginger were very good. Omar in Barista's was always pleasant, but had trouble remembering what we ordered on several occasions. He seemed very tired and overworked. Terrace Cafe wait staff and servers at the grill were the worst! Other than our room stewards, none of the staff bothered to learn our names or any of our preferences. Horizons bar staff was non-existant when there wasn't an event. The Horizons bartender copped an attitude when we ordered a better quality scotch (that we were paying for).The concierge on deck 9 was rude and not helpful at all. Not just to us, but we witnessed it happen to others too. The upgrade to concierge level was not worth one cent!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
We enjoyed spending time in Horizons, to spite the staff there. The Spa needs more pool space and less lounge space. Cleanliness was good, particularly the bathrooms. The laundry on deck 9 could use more attention. One of the three washing machines was broken and the room was often dirty.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Cabin size was average. Bed and bedding was comfortable. Veranda was small. Didn't need the bathtub in the bathroom and I understand they will be removed when Marina is renovated next. Concierge services were non-existant. Concierge lounge was sub-par. Use of the spa was nice.
Ship tip
Think twice....only book with Oceania if you are focused on the port-intensive itinerary.
Ship excursion to west coast fishing villages was underwhelming. Lots of bus time and not much to see or learn about the villages. Not worth the time or money. Gothenburg exploring would be more interesting.
Took ship excursion to Lubeck - On Your Own. Three hours on the bus and about two hours to visit the town. Too rushed and couldn't see some of the sights in Lubeck.
Cancelled ship excursion and opted to visit sites on our own. Enjoyed VASA Museum the most. Watched changing of the guard at Stortorget in Gamla Stan. Weather was rainy so we took Hop-on Hop-off bus around town. Visited flea market in Market Square. Enjoyed architecture and Stockholm is worth a return visit.
Ship excursion to Suomenlinna Island. Excursion was educational. Island has an eery vibe. After tour wandered through markets and shops. Bought marino wool sweater on sale. Tried a local cinnamon bun at the indoor market.
Town was quiet in the morning. Enjoyed chai and pastry at Maiasmokk cafe. Purchased marzipan, amber jewelry, and heavy sweater. Walked to KGB prison cells, Town Hall Square, The Three Sisters, St. Catherine's Passage (Katarina Kaik), Viru Gate, St. Olaf Church, and had local beer on Pikk St.. City was crowded with cruise tours later in the day.
Sightseeing on our own; House of the Black Heads, Three Brothers, Cathedral, souvenir shopping. Bought amber earrings and tried coffee with balzam liqueur. Saw many places that have been featured in iphone photography academy. Riga is worth a return visit.
Took audio tour from GetYourGuide, Witch Trials. Many ruins and beautiful viewpoints as you climb to the upper town. Long walk from ship to town if you choose not to take the complimentary shuttle. Tried a local beer and found candy shop across the street where they were making candy canes. One of my favorite ports of call.
Ship excursion to Palanga & Amber Museum. Would have enjoyed the sites better with smaller group. Enjoyed learning about amber. Palanga is a very touristy area and we only had 20 minutes free time to explore. It was crowded with holiday-makers and not much fun. Enjoyed the Klaipeda walking tour part of the excursion even though the town was crowded because of the festival. Tour included stop for local beer. Bought more amber jewelry and linen dress. Tried starchy potatoes filled with sausage and local cheesy bread for lunch.
Explored on our own for awhile. Weather was very rainy. Took Uber to Little Mermaid statue, walked to Amalienborg Palace, Gafion Fountain, Resistance Museum, and Nyhavn. Didn't get to see as much as we wanted because of the weather. Would like to return and do more sightseeing.
We did not disembark in Copenhagen. We continued on the cruise to Tromso. However, we were required to report to port authorities unexpectedly at 9:30 a.m..
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