Regatta Cruise Reviews - Reviews

great ship, loved that it was only 600 passengers. very well maintained.

We chose Oceania because it was supposed to be more upscale and luxurious.  They boast about their 2014 renovations but I found the ship to be tired and outdated.  We upgraded to a penthouse suite expecting new and beautiful accommodations but instead we found a tired room with very old closets and dresser which were scratched, worn and dented.  The bathroom did not appear to be renovated either; it looked as if it were straight out of the 1990's. We were on an Alaskan cruise with cold, rainy weather which Oceania does not have control over, but they do have control over the heating system in the room.  Our heater was not properly working and had to have maintenance repair.  Even after the repair the room still wasn't toasty warm.  The shower was lack luster as well.  In seven days the only warm shower I was able to get was in the spa after my massage.  Apparently, something within the faucet wasn't working because the water should be supplied directly from the boiler.  Other parts of the ship looked old, worn and not very well maintained (peeling paint, rust and more scratched wood).  If Oceania is going to use their renovation as a selling point, then implement a full and total renovation.  Otherwise, advertise their efforts as a partial renovation.  We spoke to several people who have sailed on the Regatta prior to Oceania owning the vessel and they stated the only changes they saw was most of the furniture.  There is a lot more than furniture on a ship.

If you are a bit younger (65 or below, we are mid and late 40’s) you will probably be very bored on this ship.  The activities while at sea and in the evenings were few and geared towards an older population.  I cannot make this stuff up... bingo and needlepoint were some of the activities on board.  Now, we are not wild night clubbers but when we are on vacation we would like to have the option to have a cocktail in a lounge past 11:30 or midnight without the cleaning staff vacuuming under our chairs.  The casino is managed by another company and was only open a couple of hours a day.  I am not a gambler but out of sheer boredom I was willing to give it a go... this wasn't possible most of the time.  When the casino was open, only two or three of their five or six tables were open.

The food quality was very good but we had to eat when they allowed us to eat unless we ordered room service.  Most ships have a full time buffet available if you would like to eat during off hours.  Breakfast ended at 10 A and if I wanted to work out in the morning I would have to forego breakfast.  The one morning we arrived towards the end of serving hours (10 min to spare) and wanted some simple items to take back to our room, eggs, yogurt and fruit.  The manager argued with us and we were told breakfast was over.  We pointed out the time and I can assure you, we received our breakfast items as we were already frustrated with the entire situation.

The ports of call are very small and do not have much to offer.  We booked excursions at each port through Oceania but had plenty of time to spare.  One stop, Prince Rupert, didn't even have a town to explore, all residential.  Don't expect to book an outside excursion in Prince Rupert; they do not have this option available.

To add to my frustrations, on our last day in the morning I return to my room to find all of our luggage haphazardly thrown onto our bed.  It projected an image of "we are done with you, go home".  Don't get me wrong, I was counting the hours until I could get off of the Regatta.  I believe I am capable of retrieving my own luggage from under my bed when I am ready to pack, I do not appreciate the "hint" they were giving and the luggage was in our way throughout the day.  I understand if it was later in the evening and our luggage was still not prepared for departure to meet their deadlines, but this was during breakfast.

I could go on for several pages but I will only mention one last item, our last day was the only sunny warm day.  The pool area was quite nice to utilize since we had been stuck inside due to the cold weather and rain.  Around 5 P they gathered and stacked all of the poolside deck chairs essentially closing this area.  I believe I am still paying (top dollar I might add) for my cruise until I disembark in the morning.   I would have enjoyed having an evening cocktail before dinner poolside.

Any travelers we met under the age of 60 - 65 seemed to be bored and disappointed with the Alaskan cruise through Oceania.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have chose a different cruise line.

I was on this same trip (last reviewer) and could not agree more.  Thankfully, I did not have to go without a hot shower in fact, taking a long hot shower at the end of the night was the only thing to do past 10pm.

There was nothing to do in the evenings on this cruise, so much more could have easily been offered: late night drink specials, casino, small dance floor/DJ, evening lectures about Alaska and our headed destinations (which really were not exciting in the least bit with the exception of the glacier), evening dessert buffet (who wants dessert immediately after a 5-course meal, unless you are 70), evening yoga/mediation/relaxation class, wine-tasting (they had this but it was at 6pm).  The lack of activities for anyone under the age of 60 was very disappointing.

I will say on a positive note, the food for the most part (when eating between their designated hours) was very good with the exception of one night we ate in one of the more upscale dining rooms and several very dry desserts/burnt cookies during the daily tea hour.  Service was good however we had a few waiters who we did not know how to take, were they offended by us or being sarcastic?  There was no self-serve anything but coffee and pastry which was annoying.  I would have liked to feel capable of portion control and not wasting.  I understand they do this for sanitary reasons but it was difficult to communicate with the staff about portions.  Of the 400 crew only 6 were from the US and most did not speak much English.

I did see maintenance work being done, wallpaper was replaced in the hallway outside my cabin during the middle of the day.  (Perhaps this could have been done later in the night?)

I did meet some very nice, friendly people and we bonded over the experience of nothing to do and feeling the need to stuff ourselves between the designated "feeding" hours.  When that much is being spent, having dining options all day long is expected, even if it is a salad buffet or snacks.

A few other pros:  comfortable bed, excellent maid service, robes, plenty of towels, food served very timely.

A few other cons:  ship on-board shops were very over-priced, (I would have purchased something if I could have found it for less than $50) bar was very over-priced if you did not buy the "package," the ports of call (if you want to call them that) were very disappointing and the excursions were extremely over-priced.  (We booked one independently for $140 each, cruise price, $325)

If you are interested in experiencing a very nice nursing-care facility for a week, set sail on the Rigatta!

My husband and I returned from this cruise 2days ago. The ship was small enough in size to get to know many of the other guests. The crew made us feel extra special and worked real hard to keep us happy. We can't wait to go on another cruise with Oceania in the future.  Oh yeah, did I mention the food?!

Our first two cruises were on the Regatta. Our last cruise was on another cruise line. That was terrible. We came back to Oceania and Regatta, and will stay with them

From the moment we boarded the ship we felt like we were at home. Every crew member went out of their way to make us feel valued and special.

We booked an oceanview stateroom on an Alaska cruise, round trip from Seattle. Boarding was handled very well. We sat and waited to be checked in which was ideal for my elderly mother not to stand in line. After check in there was just a short walk to the ship and we were invited to lunch at the Terrace Cafe while our room was prepared. We enjoyed the open seating and 'country club casual' attire for dining. We met many interesting dinner mates and the food was amazing. I would highly recommend Regatta. We loved how easy it was to move around the ship. Everything was clean and in good condition. Our stateroom was large enough and had plenty of storage. The public spaces were well maintained. The educational lectures were informative. The string quartet and piano players were very good as was the band that accompanied the evening entertainers (who were adequate). We didn't take any excursions but I enjoyed walking around the different ports of call.

dont go here disney cruise line is better and a better deal

Wonderful and efficient crew and staff.

First class. Have done several Oceana cruises and all have been excellent

It was our first time with Oceania (certainly not the last) and we were not disappointed! It was a wonderful experience---the food was excellent (as we were told)but sharing it with interesting people night after night made the experience even more delightful. No dull moment in this ship--there was always something that delighted the senses and brain---from the quiet elegant decor of the public areas to the stimulating activities, e.g., bridge classes, trivia. The dining experience was superb---every meal was a beautiful experience---the attention to detail was notable!

The ship was great. We enjoyed having a fairly small number of passengers and crew. The flexibility of being able to eat where and when we wanted was a great benefit.

The ship claimed to be relatively new but gave an old impression. Decor was generally dark and not really inviting . Crew was good and friendly.

This was our3rd cruise on the Regatta and the best of all bar none. We had been on an inside passage cruise to Alaska in 08/07 with Holland America and it was a good and enjoyable cruice but Oceania far surpassed that experience. Being on the smaller ship allowed us to go to ports that don#39;t earn their major incomes from the tourist trade but can still provide the Alaskan expierience of scenenery and wildlife. Our ports of call were. Sitka: Went to the American Russian Raptor Rehabilitation Center ,Russian folk Dancers St Michael#39;s Russian Orthodox Church and all venues exceded what we expected. Icey Straites(hoonah) very small comunity , they have turned the old fish packing plant into a museum and a shoppin center. The real advantage of this port is the wildlife tours that depart from here. We went on the Whale watching tour and I finally got to see whales in Alaska. We were parked right in a pod of about twenty whales and they were fantastic and not to far from our boat. Hubbard Glagier: Because of heavey ice conditions we were unable to get close to the Glacier and could only see it from about 3 miles away. Kodiac Island: No tour on the island we just went ashore to explore and visited the Baranof Mueseum and the Alaska wildlife reception center . Both were well worth the time and very informative. Wrangall: Another great port. Basically a fishing community but some very interesting museums and cultural centers. Good display of ancient Petroglyth rock carvings And Chief Shakes Tlingit Tribal House, where a good explanation of the culture and history of the Tlingit people was give by 4 generations of women. Ketchikan: This port is to Alaska what St. Thomas is to the Carribean. It is geared to the tourist trade. This does not mean there is nothing interestig to do, because there is lots to see and do but the shopping is also very good. (not my cup of tea). Vancouver: Disembarked ship and departed for airport and home.

Prior to the cruise I did not completely understand the ship's 'dress code': Country-Club causal. I am accustomed to "Smart casual" and that is what I prepared for. I thoroughly enjoyed the soft, moroon leather, overstuffed chairs, w/automan, in the Library. I spent MANY hours reading the thirteen books I brought with me. Once again, I commend Hilarie Wenzel! Without question, she is the most efficient, effective cruise/travel representative I have ever worked with. She always provides me with the most convenient staterooms, the best pricing, the most convenient flight arrangements possible. 'I would not leave home' without her invaluable assistance.

THE CRUISE WAS GREAT BUT WE WERE TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED WITH BOTH FLIGHTS, GOING AND COMING

Very nice cruise with excellent shore excursions.  Disappointment: cancelled port call at Marseille due to fisherman striking against the government, thus no ships were allowed in or out of the port.....proceeded on to Monte Carlo.

Rather boring, mostly because of a poor cruise director. Poor entertainment. Food was outstanding as was Chanel in the dining room and the three people at the reception desk. The youngest person aboard, on a full ship, was 39 years old. The bathrooms were exceptionally small. The larger "older" women called them "quarter" baths.

Ship was not well maintained. Stateroom had to be re-cleaned when we moved in--very dirty. Windows dirty throughout the ship. "Nickled and dimed" for every item, including bottled water on shore excursions.

My wife and I have been on more than 30 cruises before finding Oceania several years ago. Since then, Oceania is our cruiseline of choice. Christmas/New Years 2006 was our third trip on the Regatta. The holiday decorations were great, but not over done. The small ship atmosphere, the supurb food and great service were strong features, but the itinerary was what we enjoyed. The other two cruises on the Regatta were in March 2005 and March 2006 with greatly different and enjoyable itineraries, including Roatan and Port Antonio, Jamaica. Yes, the first couple of nights were difficult to get reservations in the alternative restaurants, but it was much easier as the trip progressed. Food in the main dining room and Tapas was excellent and well presented. We are looking forward to the exact same cruise Christmas 2007. The entertainment in Martini's was great and we spent most nights there enjoying the music and companionship of other passengers. Oceania offers on-board computer classes and open use of the many computers placed around the ship. Each trip I find a course to take again to brush-up on Photoshop techniques and organize the trip's digital photos before burning them to a CD. Oceania offers a great cruising experience for a fair price. If you like climbing rock walls, giant casinos, and lots of children's activities, then don't cruise on Oceania. If you want a great cruise, a casual atmosphere, supurb food and service, and interesting itineraries, then Oceania is the one.