I've pretty well covered the cruise, the crew, the room, the food, and the entertainment within each separate category. This cruise line excels in the areas of food, comfort, and staff. It is most attentive to dietary restrictions and mobility issues. However, the excursions for those with mobility problems are quite limited.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Our embarkation was great. Because we had a suite, we were able to get on the ship early. Also, everything was ready for us (visa, room key, etc.)
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We cruised with several other cruise lines before finding Oceania. The food in the main dining room, the specialty restaurants, and the buffets is exceptionally good. It is one of the reasons we have sailed with Oceania six times.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We are not swimmers so did not use the pool. The ship did have a fitness center. We enjoyed activities such as golf, bingo, bridge, and trivia challenges.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
This cruise line does not bring in much special talent. That said, the shows put on by the staff are lovely and entertaining. This time there was a magician brought in as well. We enjoyed the enrichment lectures on Cuban history and the upcoming excursions.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I can sum up the service in one word -- excellent.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship's layout and design functions well for the size ship it is. It was always clean and well kept. The ship is small and, as we were used to larger cruise ships, it did feel a little cramped.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was exceptional. We selected an "Owner's Suite," which had two rooms (living/dining and bedroom). The bed was extremely comfortable, the bathroom was large and well appointed, the butler was attentive, and the staff were wonderful. The excursions were well done, but the weather was very hot, which spoiled things for me. We frequently had dinner from one of the specialty restaurants delivered to the room.
The ship was in Havana for two days. We took a general bus tour the first day; went to the Tropicana night club that night (do not miss this, it is sensational), and did a "farm to table" on the second day. All three excursions were great.
This was a most enjoyable tour of the city's highlights. We saw where Fidel is buried, visited San Juan Hill, checked out Revolution Square and Cespedes Square, and had time to get cigars and souveniers. I have to say I was surprised that we could not use ATM machines and, although we changed some currency into Cuban money, US dollars were accepted everywhere we went. But it is "cash only," no credit cards.
This is very well done. Based on our travel plans, we were given color coded tags for our luggage. After breakfast, we all went to the lounge where groups to disembark were called by these color codes. It was very orderly.
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