My best friend wanted to take his 84-year-old mother on her dream cruise. This was it. She had a fabulous time and loved every single minute.
Definitely the trip of a lifetime for her and likely the trip of a lifetime for me as I will never be able to afford a cruise like this ever again 😅
Embarkation
5 out of 5
So smooth and organized, was called to board at 11:30 and on the ship noon.
Also, the Amsterdam cruise port is spacious and easy to navigate.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Oceania boasts the finest cuisine at sea. Now taste is subjective but I have to agree. I loved every single thing I ate on this ship. On some of the cheaper lines, there is a marked difference between the upcharge restaurants and the complementary restaurants. On Oceania there are no upcharge restaurants and each guest gets at least one reservation to the specialty restaurants. Unfortunately I missed my reservation at the steakhouse because one of my companions had fallen ill. But all of the other restaurants were amazing. The grand dining room also boasted the same quality as the special restaurants.
The food was amazing. The food was plentiful. Everyone I traveled with agreed that some of the meals were the best things we've ever eaten in our lives.
Jacques
5 out of 5
Both the food and the service were exquisite. One of my companions is a vegetarian and there weren't many entree options for him and our waiter made sure that he was well taken care of and well fed! The desserts are also incredible.
Red Ginger
5 out of 5
I can't recommend this restaurant enough. The food was incredible, in particular, the bulgogi ribeye. Still dreaming about it.
Waves Grill
5 out of 5
The best pizza I've ever eaten at sea.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
This is where I feel Oceania pales in comparison to other cruise lines. Oceania is really geared towards off ship excursions and has heavy emphasis on restaurants and food. But there's only one show per night and it's kind of hit or miss. If it's not to your taste, there's really nothing else for you to go to. On other cruise lines, usually there are multiple things going on all the time, so if you don't like one show it's likely you'll be able to go to a different one.
Oceania does have trivia, cooking classes and art classes but not many and in some cases not everyday. Even the casino is relatively small. There just aren't a lot of organized activities besides the excursions.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
There is only one show a night and some of them are good. But many of them really cater to a specific taste. I saw the comedian and he just wasn't funny to me. He got a lot of laughs but it definitely wasn't my style of humor. Which on other cruise lines would be totally fine because I would be able to go and do something else or see something else. But his was the only show that night so it was either finish the show or go back to my state room.
Same can be said for the music acts. Bublé to Broadway was fantastic, but all of the other shows really catered to a specific taste and there was nothing else to go see or do at those times. Say what you will about the cheaper cruise lines but they put on some damn good shows. Oceania was really lacking in this area.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I think this is Oceania's greatest strength. Every cruise line I've sailed has always had remarkable staff. But I was blown away. Just how far above and beyond Oceania crew goes. Delfin, my room Steward was a bright ray of sunshine and had an incredible talent for keeping track of where we all went and when we were in our rooms and when we were out. He was able to anticipate most of my needs without my ever having to ask for anything. Just incredible.
All of the dining room staff were also simply amazing, but in the grand dining room if you can get seated in Kosta's section, he will make your experience second to none. Knowledgeable about the food, quick to make good suggestions without being intrusive, and one of the kindest friendliest people I've ever met. And if you're lucky, he may put in a second order for another dessert that he thinks you'll like.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is gorgeous, easy to navigate and well designed. It's a smaller ship but it never feels crowded ever. We never had to wait to get food at any of the establishments. Sometimes the Terrace Cafe could be a little bit busy but we always got a table and we never had to wait at the buffet lines for anything.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Spacious, clean and lovely. Only one minor gripe. I wish there were more outlets near the bedside.
Ship tip
In The veranda staterooms there aren't a whole lot of electric outlets. The outlet near the bed is EU. There are three outlets near the desk, two are EU and one US. There is one of each in the bathroom.
If you have any bedside devices or things that charge by USB, make sure to bring a USB adapter and a cruise approved approved power cord. If you have plugs that aren't EU, you may also want to consider bringing an adapter.
Not to be missed. Took a tour to the small town of Luss, Right next to Loch Lomond, and then also visited some of the lesser-known lochs. Our tour guide was so warm and hilarious and witty. The scenery was absolutely delightful. We were also greeted with bagpipes the second we got off the ship. Scotland is just incredible.
Fabulous area. Wonderful to just walk around but also we had an excursion with Captain Buzz and he took us on a boat tour around Guernsey and the other Channel Islands.
Bring sunscreen!
Easiest quickest disembarkation I've ever experienced. Incredibly organized. I was off the ship and on the airport shuttle within about 30 minutes of leaving my stateroom.
Awesome itinerary. Appreciate your very detailed review. The trade off of less on board activity vs all the positive things you mentioned isn’t a deal breaker. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.
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