Overall, I give the ship high ratings. A friend of mine once said you could categorize international travel destination into two ways. A love affair or one night stand. I would categorize France and Italy as love affairs. The UK, Scotland and Ireland a one night stand. There are too many other places to visit vs. hitting this again. At my age (60), time is my greatest asset to protect. I will only go to places that I have a love affair with!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Easy. Oceania had plenty of people to manage the crowds and were very well organized. My only "beef" was that the port did not have anyone to help with your bags. Once you were dropped off at the curb, you were on your own.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We have sailed on Oceania multiple times and one of the advantages is the food. They did not fail to please once again. The specialty restaurants were the best but you are limited to only 4 (if you have concierge), which gives you an experience at each of the four. I think for a 12 night cruise they should provide 5 or 6 opportunities. Once we got on the ship, it was very difficult getting extra reservations. The Grand Dining room is beautiful but I don't think the food or service is up to par. The menu is basically the same each night. We did enjoy breakfast in this area. We are not big fans of buffet dining so we avoided the Terrace Cafe. Good selection but self serve is not my idea of a luxury vacation.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We did not go to any of the larger shows but the smaller venues (lounges and bars) were hit or miss. Some were really bad....really bad. Others, decent. This line is not know for great entertainment so don't expect to be blown away. They did have a comedian one night who was really good and their speakers are outstanding.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Always excel in this category. We were on Celebrity in January and the difference in quality and friendliness is significant. If you don't have a great experience with their staff, its because you are one of those people who just likes to complain. Don't be that person.
So why not 5 stars? Two reason, the Concierge (Ray) and the Cruise Director. We went to Ray several times for help and advice. He would begrudging help us but I never felt like its what he wanted to do. The guy told us he was with Oceania for over 20 years and it showed. He was going through the motion. My advice to Oceania, get someone who cares.
Second, the Cruise Director whose name escapes me. He too had been with the company for several decades, as if that is the primary qualification for being on a new ship. I, and many others, found him to be uninviting, not that friendly and definitely arrogant. One quick story. We were at a private cocktail part in Horizon for an Oceania Club event. I watched as he, his assistant Cruise Director and two other employees sat together just chatting along. Correct me if I am wrong but how about circulating with your guest? I've been on over 20 cruises, and this guy was the worst.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Vista is a new ship and one of the main reasons we choose this itinerary. It is spectacular. Every element of the ship is well thought out, classy and inviting. You won't be unhappy with this ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
For the category it was decent. We booked late so we would have jumped up to the Penthouse had we been able to. Its just very small, typical of a standard cruise cabin. The beds allow you to store some luggage underneath but still not adequate. The cleaning staff were amazing. Always there and always clean. If you are going on a cruise more than 10 days, you need to get the Penthouse or above. Not sure what Concierge buys you but the room is not one of them.
Ship tip
Book a room that meets your space needs. Even if it means paying more.
This was mixed bag. On a 12 night cruise we had to tender 4 or 5 times. That's not cool. On one occasion, we had to move past a port due to weather. That would not have been an issue had we been able to dock. This info was not readily communicated when we booked. Additionally, on several occasions they changes arrival times which significantly impacted plan tours what we had booked. Sure, changes occur, but we found out when we got back into our cabin after dinner, not allowing us to contact our tour operators. This is very disorganized and unnecessary. I expect more out of oceania.
We were really looking forward to this but because Notre Dame was playing Navy, it was swamped with American football fans...ugggg... It was just too much for the downtown area to handle. We did go on the Gusiness tour which is highly recommended but it was really crowded. Very disappointed because this was the one place I really wanted to go.
Should rename this Holyhell. Place is a dump. I don't understand why this is even chosen. If you go here, either take a tour outside the town but stay on the ship for a discounted spa day!
Not bad. Average. We walked around city center. Went to the Waterford showroom. Be advised that this is really just window dressing. Most of Waterford Crystal is made elsewhere since it went bankrupt in 2009. In fact, in their showroom I was going to buy a snow globe. I picked it up and it said "made in china". Not worth the time.
The other place we visited was Waterford Distillery. This is definitely worth the time and is an original where it is actually made in the place that it is named after.
Let me give all Americans who may be able to relate to this comparison. I would call Portland / Weymouth the US equivalent to Myrtle Beach. A little seedy and filled with tourist restaurants and shops. nothing wrong with that but I don't need to travel 3000 miles to get to Myrtle Beach.
Glad you mostly enjoyed your cruise if not the ports. We have a little festival every August here in Edinburgh that you may have heard of called the Fringe, and crowds are unreal. Great if you want to visit and be part of the festival experience, not so great if you just want to see the city.
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