COVID greatly impacted the ports visited on this cruise. While the crew and staff did the best they could with a difficult situation, I would have appreciated a more upfront acknowledgement of changes that we knew were coming. Life on board was pleasant, but in two weeks it did become a bit repetitive. Highlights were all the ports we did visit and the wine dinners in La Reserve
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation, which included an on the pier COVID test was very smooth. Even factoring in the 15 minute wait for test results, I was at the pool with drink in hand in under 45 minutes
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Oceania is known for its food and beverage program and the food did not disappoint. The reason for one less star is that the wine by the glass selections were sub par--glass prices were equivalent to retail bottle prices for the wines offered
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Crew did its best to provide for a constant stream of activities especially on sea days. We were dealing with issues of the crew testing positive so they were short staffed on the activity side. The casino was closed for most of the two weeks due to the casino staff being quarantined. Ping pong was popular and I enjoyed the wine tasting classes. The pool did suffer from "seat saving-itis" which made it hard to find chairs in the shade
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Entertainment suffered due to quarantines of many of the entertainers. Headliners Linda at the piano and Levent the magician during the first week were great. The comedian during the second week clearly tailored his show to the Oceania demographic (older).
Children's Programs
No kids on board
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All my interactions with the staff were excellent.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Layout was easy to figure out and people were constantly cleaning things.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was cozy, but pretty well laid out. The stand up shower was tight, making the use of the rain shower almost impossible. Good storage and I made good use of the balcony.
Ship tip
If you are not on a drink package, the 5-6pm 2 for 1 happy hour is a good deal and you just need to order the first drink before the end of the hour so you can show up at 5:55 and still get 2 for 1 drinks
Pleasantly surprised with the port area. They clearly spend some money on the port and it was very nice, with nice shops, a day pool for cruise ship passengers only, with restaurants and bars. I did a buggy excursion which was excellent and a lot of fun.
We visited twice due to COVID related changes to the itinerary. First visit I did a zip line excursion on the Dutch side (very fun) and went on my own to Maho beach to watch the planes land. The second visit I did a tour of the French side which was very nice.
I had previously visited Barbados and loved it. Unfortunately, cruise ships dock at probably the ugliest part of the island. I did not do an excursion but instead found a beach club and enjoyed a lazy day enjoying the view. We spent an extra day in Barbados due to port cancellations.
The tender to shore was really rough. However the island was beautiful. Plenty of high end stores and french inspired restaurants. I did an ATV tour of the island that was excellent.
Sadly cruisers overlook in their contract that cruise lines can and will change ports without notice if needed. Sounds like covid was the issue here and the ship had no control as that falls on the port authority. Glad you made the best of your cruise.
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