A great first cruise
Oceana Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 52
Croatia and Italy
Sail date: September 19, 2019
Ship: Oceana
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Our first ever cruise. Croatia is stunningly beautiful and would be happy to go back. Venice was rushed, and overcrowded. We appreciate we did not see it at its best, but not in any rush to go back. Malta was a pleasant surprise, and left feeling we don't know enough about its history. The excursions we're a mixed lot, some excellent, some disappointing. The organisation of excursions etc was generally excellent, but there were problems in Hvar, when the blustery weather caused issues, which can always happen, however the lack of information, poor communication etc. Made the experience far more exasperating than it need be. The ship, Oceana, is a lovely ship, and you quickly find your favourite spots. The quality of food was excellent both in the restaurants and in the plaza. However, overall, the one thing I have to say is; while on our cruise Thomas Cook went into liquidation, which left many passengers concerned about their holidays and if they had flights home. Everywhere we were hearing horror stories about what was happening to people and being thrown out of hotels etc. P&O we're exemplary - I cannot praise the way they handled the situation highly enough. They flew extra personnel to the ship to deal with concerns, and to Malta where everyone was due to get off, they sourced flights for everyone to get home on their due days, and told everyone to enjoy their holidays, they would resolve all the issues. They were fantastic.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Talks and activities were maybe a little too much geared towards the older passengers
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
E336 - inside double bed cabin. More space than expected. Comfortable, excellent shower
Ship tip
Great experience, try it all
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Split was our first port of call where we had no excursions booked. We were berthed in town so everyone could come and go as they pleased. We wandered into town, which has an unusual mix of modern shops in-amongst wonderful old buildings - you need to go for a wander into the streets behind the seafront to really experience the city. Don't miss the old palace and it's cellars, which we nearly did. We spent the afternoon on the nearby beach. A lovely relaxing day.
It was a very wet day when we landed in Italy. Unfortunately the excursion was very rushed (Doge's Palace and Gondola Ride) and the city was overcrowded which detracted a lot from the overall experience. The Doge's Palace was beautiful and interesting but they were limiting access to the bridge of sighs which meant we were stood waiting in the room prior for over 30 mins. The advertised one hour Gondola ride, which is usually 45 mins, was actually nearer 30 and very much simply a production line - glad we did it, you have to really, but not bothered about doing it again. There was no free time on the set excursion, and a real rush to get back to the boat. There was the option to pre-purchase independent water taxi tickets to get you back to the ship in your own time (9e) but you had to buy them in advance of your visit. Left feeling very disappointed.
Hvar is an absolutely lovely little town and as the ship was using its own tenders you could come and go as you pleased, which made for a much more relaxed feel to the whole day. We took the archipelago excursion and it was the best of the entire week. A lovely boat ride to the island of st. Klement, a couple of hours at the beach, swimming in the sea, and then a boat ride back. Felt very relaxed and enjoyable, would really recommend.
We had until 4pm before our flight home. We were planning a walk around Valletta, but instead opted for one of the sightseeing buses located just before the lift up to Valletta town (15e each). So pleased we did. We took the blue route around the north of the island and got off at Mdina for a few hours leisurely stroll around the lovely and serene 'silent city'. Very peaceful, with great architecture.
Lovely city, with great architecture. A lot of history. We did the excursion, which meant we approached the city via a one hour small boat trip, rather than by a 20 minute coach, which was nice. The excursion 'stroll' through the city was a bit of a let down, it really was just a circular stroll through the town and could have imparted more history.
Disembarkation
Traveler Photos
