Hi,

I've been scouting around for cruises to take in '06, and I'm considering branching out to other lines. I haven't seen anything on Silversea or Seabourne that looks good, but there are several Oceania itineraries that look great -- right time frame, right price, right length, etc. I'm trying to read everything I can about this line and their ships, but what I could really use is a true apples-to-apples comparison of this line vs. RSSC. I could post this on the *other* board, but I trust all of you so much more! And those of us on this board just seem to have a better understanding of what we're all looking for.

I've been on several mass-market cruises, and finally upgraded to RSSC this past year, with my fantastic Med cruise on the Voyager. I was SOOO thrilled to get away from the classic mass-market irritants -- I can't imagine going backwards at this point, and I don't want to. But I'm looking for a longer cruise (at least 10 days, or more) in some area where I haven't been before, and Oceania has some great itins.

I have read the earlier discussion started by Don, which I found to be very interesting and enlightening. But what I'm really looking for is a direct comparison.

The areas I'm most concerned with are the following:

Staterooms -- the lowest category is significantly smaller than on Voyager, and we tend to go with the smallest so we can get the most cruise for our budget. Given my spoiled state on Voyager, am I asking for trouble going with such a small stateroom?

Dining -- how does the food compare, really?

Service -- will I feel pampered like I did on Voyager?

Entertainment -- I've read little about the entertainment on Oceania, how is it, and does it compare?

Overall feeling of luxury -- is it there?

Nickel & Diming -- I realize that this is not an all-inclusive line, and wine is not included with dinner, so I have to factor that into my budget. But will I feel nickel & dimed like I did on Celebrity or RCI? Is there any obvious "selling" going on? What IS included, what's not, and how are prices?

Activities -- I'm looking at some pretty long cruises, with multiple sea days. I've read quite a bit about RSSC's sea day activities, and they sound right up my alley -- fun and interesting but low-key and classy, rather than the kind of, um, *stuff* we saw on the mass-market lines. (We didn't have a single sea day on my Voyager cruise, so I haven't experienced RSSC's firsthand.) What does Oceania do on sea days?

Alcohol -- I've been a bit troubled by some stuff I read on CC about their drink prices and alcohol policies. First off, I DO like to drink on my cruises, but I don't want to have to blow my budget on it. I also like to bring things onboard -- I like to have before-dinner martinis, or a late-night single-malt Scotch as I'm relaxing before bed. I also love to drink wine, and can't imagine a nice dinner without it -- I know wine, I collect it, and I like to buy interesting wines ashore and try them on the ship. Do they really enforce this $20 corkage fee? That seems really steep to me. And how are their wine prices?

Any other "luxury cruise" factors you can think of, knowing what we LCT people tend to prefer?

Okay, that's quite a huge task I just dumped onto y'all, but if anyone is willing to take a bite out of it, I'd be eternally grateful! :D

Dear LeeAnne:

You've summed up many of my same concerns. My partner and I have experienced Celebrity in Alaska (my very first cruise), and I thought they did a good job considering the huge number of passengers.

Next, we did RSSC "Song of Flower" in the Baltic, and that was a wonderful experience, like being on a private ship. All inclusive policy.

Summer '03 we did RSSC "Diamond" and again...a wonderful small ship experience. Semi-inclusive.

Summer '04 found us on Voyager and we thought...perfect! Just the right size and semi-inclusive policy. No nickel & diming, have as much as you want wine and cocktails at dinner.

Now, we're going with a "group" on the April 23rd Istanbul - Venice on "Regatta" so I can relate to your concerns. I've done plenty of checking, and reading many reviews both here at LCT :lct: and at the C.C. site. Some are raves, some are pans.

Here's what I'm predicting is probably going to happen on "Regatta"...

Stateroom: I'm expecting it to be crowded, so I'm going to pack way less. No formal nights, so we lose two tuxes, etc.

Dining: On average, I get the feeling that the food is going to be quite good, based on what I've read.

Service: I'm concerned. Reviews have been spotty on service. Doubt that it'll be up to the "Song of Flower" Gold Standard.

Entertainment: Reviews seem to mostly indicate that the evening shows are simpler in scale to Voyager.

Luxury: The ship get glowing reviews for its decor and recent make-over.

Nickel & Diming: Yes, I expect it. Every cocktail, every Coke, every bottle of water...out comes the card. (Yes, there will be a few exceptions like the Captain's Party). We got spoiled on RSSC when it comes to bottled water, water, everywhere! Also, many reviews warn of high internet /e-mail rates.

Activities: I expect some interesting lectures, but we're doing this trip for the ports and excursons. (However, we're booking several private guides in the major ports such as Istanbul and Athens, where we've not been before).

Alcohol: Now that's a rather tasty subject! ;)

I gather from what I read that we can expect good Martinis to be in the $8ish range. And "decent" wine to be in the mid-forty's up. We too collect, and intend to "bite the bullet" and pay the mark-up price because we're on vacation and I want decent wine with every dinner.

But we're also bringing three sensational Parker 95+ rated bottles each, so we'll have 6 to enjoy during our trip. These are wines that wholesaled for $100+ when we bought them and would probably be $250+ per bottle on the wine list IF they were even available.

IMHO, $20 corkage is high-ish, but not completely unreasonable. We usually pay anywhere from $2 to $12 corkage here in LA at good restaurants. And we've paid $25 per bottle at Top Zagat rated restaurants. Some fine dining restaurants in cities such as San Francisco and New York commonly have $20++ corkages as well as # of bottles per table limits, specifically to discourage frugal winos like us! :D And some forbid it entirely. Their loss...

Anyway, with that in perspective...I don't consider a $20 corkage fee too excessive, as long as you're uncorking a special wine. Anyone paying $20 to uncork "Two Buck Chuck"...tisk, tisk!

Well, that enough musings for one night...time for bed.

Guess I'll just have to wait and experience all of the above for myself in April. I promise that I'll write a complete review.

Cheers,

Eric

Eric, thanks so much for your input. It sounds like you've really done your research, which is exactly what I'm trying to do. I'm looking forward to your review, to hear how accurate your predictions are!

I totally agree with you about the alcohol issue. I'm not sure if we're going to want to carry wine with us all the way to Istanbul, but we may do a couple of special bottles. My in-laws have a vineyard of Syrah grapes in Temecula, and a local winery produces some mighty fine wine from their grapes, so I may bring some of that, along with a couple other special bottles. But if we do this cruise, it's for 25 days! That's a lot of $40 bottles of wine to purchase onboard, which really impacts the bottom line cost of this trip. I'll have to figure that out.

I'm also going to really miss the two bottles of liquor in the cabin, so I would most likely purchase some vodka and a good single-malt duty-free at the airport, and bring that with us (that should be easy since they pack it up so nicely for you.)

I'd have to say that the things that concern me the most right now are service, sea day activities, and entertainment. When reading passenger reviews, you are always bound to find some unhappy passengers, as no cruise line is perfect. But what matters to me is the pattern. Negative RSSC reviews are few and far between (and many of the ones I've encountered are ongoing grousing from one particular passenger who seems to have a bizarre grudge against RSSC and its devotees!). Most reviews are raves, while some are simply satisfied, and the negatives appear to be mostly one-offs. Although there are reports that indicate some things have slipped, it appears to be more of a matter of gradients of luxury and pampering -- nothing that really worries me.

Oceania, on the other hand, has many raves, but a few too many pans for my comfort level, and the pans don't all come across as one-offs. There have been some actually disturbing reports I've read of lack of service, rude demeanor/behavior, and an unwillingness to either go the extra step, or step up to the plate and right a wrong. I couldn't imagine RSSC doing any of the things that I've read about on Oceania. So yeah, I'm a bit worried.

As for sea days and entertainment, one must realize that I'll be travelling with my mother, who, while I adore her, can get on my nerves sometimes. And I on hers. Our Voyager cruise was fantastic -- there were always things for each of us to do, either separately or together, and plenty of entertainment to divert us from having to do nothing but converse with each other. Not to mention the wonderful people we met, so we always had others to spend time with. I guess I just don't want to find myself with nothing to do but sit around and yakk with my Mom!

Another concern -- I've read a bunch of reports about Oceania changing itineraries at the last minute, either right before the cruise, or during the cruise. Granted, some of these reports had to do with cruises that were supposed to visit Libya, and evidently some political garbage happened so that Libya denied entry to Americans. But numerous itin. changes had been made even prior to that, that appear to have had nothing to do with Libya. Several people lost quite a bit of money due to lost deposits on private guides and excursions. On such a long and complex cruise as the one I'm considering, that could be disastrous!

Which brings up one more concern, which is the excursions. I have repeatedly read that Oceania's excursions are overpriced and poorly run. This is in STARK contrast to RSSC's excursions, which seem to be quite reasonably priced, and receive uniformly raving reviews. Certainly, all of the RSSC excursions we did were fantastic. This Egypt cruise will be visiting some exotic locales where I would be very reluctant to try to work out my own private guides. So yeah, this is another huge concern.

Well enough of my rambling. I guess I'm just going to have to continue my research, and try to make as informed a decision as possible.

And I'm still really eager to hear from Oceania passengers!

LeeAnne,

Yes, I'm hoping that other experienced Oceania passengers ring in with their opinions.

However, as I expressed in my post, I've lowered the bar on my level of expectations for the Oceania cruise experience, based on all the reviews we have both read along with the concerns cited. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised, but only time will tell.

To be frank, I would not have purchased this cruise, if left to my own devices for the reasons and concerns we have stated. I'm very pleased and loyal to the RSSC product, particularly because of my good experiences on their various ships as well as the semi-inclusive policy.

Some people dont drink much, and when they do the quality of the wine or spirit is not a huge concern. I respect that. My partner and I DO drink several martinis each evening while on vacation as well as good wine.

This will certainly all add up at the end of the cruise to a big invoice.

For instance, when we took the Celebrity cruise to Alaska we spent about $1,000 extra on cocktails, wine, photographs, and luxuries like caviar. I admit that we're generous guys who frequently treat old and new friends during cocktail hour and occasionally with special wines at dinner. Clearly, that all adds up! Add in the gratuities...and poof! A big invoice.

Our cruise will be for two weeks on "Regatta", and I've already braced myself to expect an invoice at the end of the cruise for a couple of thousand dollars. If we were doing the same two weeks on RSSC, the invoice would be far less.

Anyway, since we're cruising with a group of friends who invited us to join them, we'll just have to try it out, be fair-minded and see how Oceania and RSSC compare.

Good Luck!!



Eric

I do think Oceania excursions are more pricey and if possible would recommend arranging private guides or in some ports all you need is a taxi and a good guide book.

I didn't find service as good as Radisson but I certainly thought it was better than the mass lines. The ratio of crew to passengers is not as good as RSSC.

I agree that it is nice to have bottled water readily available. I just bought some in most of the ports and had it available in my cabin.

The cabins are smaller but I thought the storage space was very well planned. It is nice to have a totally casual cruise and not need more formal attire.

The thing I missed the most other than my nightly Cosmos was a reasonably sized bathroom. There are no tubs until Penthouse level and above. Bathrooms in the lower suites are so small barely one person can fit, let alone two.

I think you can make the most of the cruise simply by requesting the things you find missing. If you feel service is lacking speak to their supervisor. Particularly in the dining rooms I found them very receptive.

Okay.. I'll bite..
This is not a "mass market line.. so it would not be going "backwards" at all.
I think if you start by comparing the prices of a cruise for 2 weeks or in your case LeeAnn 25 days, at the price that you will be paying Oceania to one on Radiison you'll find that you can drink your heart out ( water ,cocktails, $9.00 Martinis at "Martinis" bar ( better than any bar on the ship and larger too) soda , wine etc.) and still beat whatever would be the cost of Radisson.
While I loved Radisson for the wine at dinner, they did not serve it or free cocktails at lunch
or around pool ( i.e. a Silverseas cruise- so not "all inclusive " at all) and it is hardly that big a deal or that much of a savings per day ( for us anyways).
Yes, you get a couple bottles of booze for your cabin with Radisson ( hardly free- you have paid for it)but, you can bring onboard Oceania all you want with no problem. If you have a cellar ( as we do, and want to do the wine schlepp around the globe, you just have to bring in your carry on not a big deal either).
Yes, I think the corkage on O is ridiculous, it started out at $10 ( more reasonable).. but still really okay when you can buy something interesting in port and have them cork it.
They do have great wine lists in their restaurants with prices from roughly $30 per.
And from about $5.00 a glass ( but who buys by the glass? lol)
Nickle and diming? Well, if you want it, need it you either gotta buy it from them or buy it on shore ( so you do have a choice there) and it is always cheaper on shore.
No big whoop about water you can buy a few bottles in port for a couple bucks and not pay them the $3.50 per for big Evian bottle.
I am not sure what you, LeeAnn mean by a lowest
category cabin on Oceania.. do you mean an inside cabin, a balcony cabin or what category are you comparing on O to R?
If you mean the standard balcony cabin on Radisson as compared to O than as Susan said the really only difference is in the bathroom..on O it is very small, although has all the places to stash everything and does not have the walkin closet as Radisson, but wall to wall type deal..but certainly enough room for everything.
I think the food on O is far better than any cruiseline I have ever been on and we have been on all of them with exception of just a couple over the years.
I am not sure what you mean by "pampered" ( when I go I have a butlered cabin ( is that correct English)? so that makes me feel pampered..all the extra goodies they bring.. but, in any event if at anytime you feel that you are not receiving the service you expect or you are NOT getting "the correct answer" meaning YES to everything..than a quick visit with the GM or the ship concierge should do the trick.

Do not forget to try the chocolate lasagne in the Italian restaurant.. by popular demand it got put back on the menu.. it is FABULOUS.
Overall luxury.. well it is my opinion, and you know I have said it many times here before that they have the most beautiful ships at sea.. like being at a stunning English country manor.. how many cruise ships have fireplaces in their bars and library and other public areas? None I know of. The Nautica is going to "sink' every ship at sea with her magnificense and I am so anxious to cruise her.
Can't wait to book a "cabana"..( see photos I posted on this board ( under cabana questions).
They do not have Las Vegas fake shows, smoke and costumes, for entertainment.. but rather accomplished musicians ( pianists, violinists, singers etc.) and maybe a comedian thrown in.
If you are lucky and Leslie Jon (the cruise director)is on your cruise you will be in for a special treat if he gets to perform for you.. he is an amazing performer.
Their daily high tea is the best of any ship and you should not miss it! Yum oh! My friend CJ here will attest to their scones and clotted cream.
Their destinations services has been lacking since the start, their prices have been a bit higher than other lines, but I feel that even private arranged tours have become more expensive,
in Europe especially .
I would rather hire a private car /driver/guide in ports around the world, rather than be herded on a bus with 50 people.. and have to wait for 50 people to get back to a bus after a stop, and usually still have to wait for a few stragglers who don't know that be back in one hour means be back in one hour.
Internet is pricey, I believe last cruise at 95 per minute and can be slow although you can buy packages to save money and have it hooked up in your cabin if you want to I am not sure what the price to do that is, but can be a good thing.
Sea days are great.. you can do everything you would do on R on O.. best is to spend some time getting pampered..
Spa services, massages and stuff like that or just use the free sauna or gym, or grab a book and a chaise and enjoy the ship, go to a lecture a wine tasting or some class..yep they do have that darn art auction too...
You don't have to drag the tux but people do dress for dinner just not the formal drag you need to take on those "other ships" ( of course if you want to you can and some folks do).. it's up to you.
Well, I have rambled on enough.. I hope you enjoy the ship I know you will..

Claudia thank you SO much for "biting"! It was a tall order. I appreciate everything you've written, and I trust your judgement.

You may have read on the Radisson board here that after much thought and probably way too much research, I made the decision to go on the Mariner. I can't say I'm completely comfortable with the decision, because I have a fear that I've sold Oceania short, and listened too much to the naysayers, but I had to choose something! If you do go read my post, you'll see all my reasoning.

I'm relieved to read your assessment, though, because this makes Oceania sound much more attractive for future cruises.

You mentioned the cabin -- I have to say that I did look at this from the perspective of the least expensive, which in this case is an inside. My Mom and I just have this thing -- we can't bear to spend money to get a better room, when we can take the same cruise and spend more money on other things (excursions, etc.). And looking at the fares, we just couldn't afford a room the same size as what we'd get on the Mariner -- that puts it out of the price range. Honestly I think we'd do fine with a smaller room, but when I added in the cost of everything else (tips, drinks, sodas, etc.) the costs drew more in line with the RSSC cruise.

Now, I have to say that in all fairness, even if I drank like a fish, the per day costs on the 25-day Oceania cruise would still be lower than the 18-day Mariner cruise. But what's important to us right now is the total amount we're going to spend, as we have a specific budget. The 25-dayers were actually a little longer than we wanted, but darn those itineraries were SO good! Anyway, I admit it's not exactly the fairest comparison, because per diem the Mariner cruise is going to be more, but compared to the Oceania cruises, we'll be spending about the same.

The one thing that still nags at me is the food! Honestly, I don't think I ever read so many raving reviews about cruise dining. I hate to walk away from that! Even the grousers who had nothing good to say about anything else, for the most part couldn't come up with a single negative about the food. I especially hate to give up that chocolate lazagna, which seems to be about the best dessert at sea!

Oh, and I recognized all the references to the various posts on CC. Yep, I read them, and in many cases I agree with you. My Mom and I are not all that difficult to please, to be honest -- we're both kind of go-with-the-flow gals. But we definitely noticed a stark difference between our mass-market cruises and our RSSC cruise, so that's what I mean about not wanting to go backwards. But we are by no means unreasonable people who quibble over the little things.

If I had to rate what the deciding factors were, I guess it would go something like this:

1. Inclusivity -- I just hate having to deal with paying for all the "little things", and I don't want to have to worry about finding a store to buy bottled water in some exotic port in order to avoid the ship charges. Givin the pricing situation, it wouldn't take much in terms of an end-of-cruise bill to put the final total over the top financially.

2. Alcohol -- again this is a price issue, and I know I keep focusing on this, but honestly I can't imagine enjoying a splendid meal without a splendid wine. And with a 25-day cruise, if Mom and I drank a bottle a night (which is probably low -- we'd probably drink 1.5 a night!), that right there is going to be close to $1000 or more (if you factor in the 18% gratuity!) And speaking of gratuities, that's another at least $500.

As for RSSC's partial inclusivity, heck I rarely drink anything prior to dinnertime. In fact, it became a joke to us on our Voyager cruise that we couldn't seem to make it past lunchtime before someone shoved a glass of something in our hands (at no charge) given all the excursions that included wine with lunch, or various cocktail parties, etc. I NEVER do that! So the inclusivity on RSSC suits me perfectly. For the most part, any drinks I had outside of dinner came from my room stash, so my bar bill was minimal. I'm not one to sit around the pool and drink -- I'd pass out!

Anyway, I'm relieved to hear that it's no big deal to bring your own stash onboard, but I'm just not keen on the idea of dragging bottles of anything onboard, especially on such a long cruise.

3. Shore excursions -- this is a huge concern, especially given the exotic ports we would be visiting. We were thrilled with the excursions we took on RSSC, and I would be seriously disappointed if we visited such amazing places, yet had poor excursions.

The rest of my reasons were less important, and probably would not have factored into the decision if not for the top three I listed here. So I hope that explains it!

I do still want to cruise Oceania one day. I'm especially eager to live abord one of those beautiful ships. Truthfully, the decor on these ships appeals to me far more than the decor on the Voyager or Mariner. Just my preference.

Again, thanks for your detailed response!

Mrs. O/Claudia, your O (Oceania) analysis was thoughtful, experienced based and very useful; our problem with Oceania (both working full time) is the length of their cruises...will have to wait till I retire in a few years..thanks for taking the time...r/wes

ps...LeeAnne, hope you and your Mother's cruise is great..

Thanx Wes.
I know what you mean.
I can handle about 2 weeks.. after that I would surely go batty.. even if had the time to cruise that long.

LeeAnne, I have to admit our last bar bill on Mariner was $24.00!
I couldn't believe it ( and yep, drank like a fish)..lol

Yeah, the length is a concern. When Mom and I cruised in May the cruise itself was 12 days, but we did a 2-day pre-cruise and a 5-day post cruise. By the last day I was done and ready to go home. Keep in mind, I'm cruising with my Mom, leaving hubby & the kids home (this is not their cup of tea for travel, and my Mom and I travel very well together). By the end of that trip I couldn't even think of my kids without feeling an actual pain in my heart! But I've always felt that if I'm going to fly somewhere far away, I don't want to go for less than three weeks. That's just about the right duration, for me.

So that's another reason why I probably made the right choice here -- we'll be gone just about the ame length of time, and we actually end the cruise in LA, only an hour from home, and by that time I'll be climbing the walls dying to kiss my hubby and throw my arms around my kids (who will probably shriek "Ewww Mom cut it out!").

Claudia,
I agree with you. It definitely is a smaller ship with only 680 passengers which allows for more service and quality. I think the ship is well designed and has very nice common rooms such as the library. I thought the food was quite good; I have no complaints. I also think the room was exceptionally well laid out and the closet/cabinet space very well designed and useful. I brought my liquor, soft drinks, and bottled water on board at several ports with no problems. However, I recognize some do not want to have to BYOB. I understand from LeeAnne's perspective the length was a concern. Also, I know for Colonel Wes and many of us that have limited vacation time, sometimes the longer cruises won't work out.

I personally think one should take an Oceania cruise with ports they have a high interest in and make their own judgements. As Mikey of Life Cereal fame would say, "Try it you'll like it."

Claudia (and anyone else with knowledge on the subject, please jump in),
I have some Oceania questions:
I booked an OS on 6 on Nautica Rome to Istanbul & have my kids (3 of them are in their 20's)in 2 other staterooms on the same deck. One of the questions I have is about dinner reservations. Will we have a problem booking the restaurants for the 7 of us; how many reservations are you allowed & is it on a per room basis; which do you recommend the most?
Also, how well organized is the boarding? I've heard a couple of scary stories, but hopefully, those were isolated incidences. And we've "journeyed to the hell of embarkation" before & hope to never have to repeat it. If, for instance, we want to board early (whatever the alloted time is), would the kids be able to board with us, even though they're not in a concierge class room? I don't care how old or independent they are, I'm not leaving my kids on the dock!
Thanks so much for any little particulars you can give me! I like surprises, but only good ones!
Peggy

oh, sorry....
Can anyone tell me why it is spelled "Oceania: o-shun-eea" but pronounced "o-see-anna"?
Peggy

Isabella,
You will not have any problems booking reservations, you can call the maitre de at the specified times to do that or go to the restaurants ( they will tell what time someone is there to make reservations for you, or even easier( esp. if in OS) your butler will make them for you and if you want he can even bring the whole reservation list (S) to your cabin to see what nights you want reservations for, then you will just have to give him all the other cabin numbers of those who will be joining you.
I believe now that consierge cabin get 2 reservations each specialty restaurant while the others get one, but I am not positive so don't take that as gospel..they seem to change that alot.
There is also the main ( Grand dining room) and you don't need reservations there, just all go together when you want..although with a big group you may need to wait a few minutes or let them know ( butler in advance a bit may also be a good idea).
What OS cabin did you get? Our favorite is 6091
Now,
Re: her name..

The cruise line was originally going to be named Oceana ( but they had to change her spelling, so as not to be sued for name infringment or something like that, because P & O ( I believe that was/is the line) has a Oceana named ship.. so they came up with the spelling Oceania . It is still pronounced Och -( like ocean)she- ana..except what is cute is that both ship owners pronounce it differently.. one like I wrote it and the other like it is now spelled Och-ee-ann -eea.. so go figure..
Re: boarding
I think they have changed that routine lately too..maybe Susan knows.. but again concierge class
get earlier boarding then the others.
Early boarding doesn't mean that your cabin will be ready, just that you can board. As for the others in your party.. I do believe that it is 3:00 now.. so maybe you need to pay the extra for early boarding privledge ( if they have that? Susan?)or just go to port and do a baggage drop off and then go on a tour or something if you all have to board at same time.
It was just board anytime after 11am which was great as flights get in at all hours of the morning.. but for some reason they came up with the new routine.

Claudia,
Thanks so much for the info. We are in 6088 (which happens to be our home address!). I don't guess it really matters!?
:)
Peggy

Doesn't matter, but for what it's worth the 6th deck OS have the most humongous, I don't call them balconies, they are back yards :banana:
have a great cruise
sign me..
green with envy!

I edited this thread by adjusting one post and deleting another.

Normally I would email behind the boards when I edit posts but I think many may have read this thread so decided to post openly to also state my position about "nice posts only"

I edited a post because it did contain some personal references to people who posted negative reviews about Oceania bascially negating their opinions.

I also edited a response to that post by one of those people whose opinion was negated. I can understand why she wanted to post a repsonse to the original post. However, she also made negative statements about the intial poster. Once I removed the original comments the thread made no sense anyway. I wont have a thread go down this negative path. With one negative creating another and it continuing.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Each person has a different experience and can post any negatives or positives about that experience.

We can say that our experience was different but it is not appropriate for us to negate another persons opinion.

Well that not what my friends found on their Med cruise this year. From an email to me.

It is very much a two class ship, IMHO...


But I will still say ITINERARY ITINERARY ITINERARY


While I will be mainly looking at RSSC/Silverseas/Oceania/Marco Polo. But, I who hates mega ships but have a spot in my heart for HAL would still book the Mexican cruise with the zillion hour :D Copper Canyon shore excursion.

Copper Canyon excursion??? From what port is this?

hal site is offline and I do not know if they will do this itinerary again but Here is a good review.

:) ..

I think the way they are doing it these days is that Consierge class ( meaning if you have a butler w/ your cabin category) you get special perks, including 2 reservations at each specialty restaurant per cabin, while the other categories get one reservation per cabin in all the specialty restaurants. Usually the first few days everyone scurries to make the reservations, then as the cruise goes on and they hook up with new or old friends many times the reservations originally made will get cancelled then those openings are available.
Yes, 7am is a bit on the early side to make a restaurant reservation, but you can call from the comfort of your cabin so it really isn't that big of a deal.. unless you are like us, and late sleeper. :D
I did say to Isabella that she would have no problem making reservations as she is in a OS and her butler can make them for her...a perk of the
"fancy pants" people as you called them. ;)

I was not Concierge level and got my one reservation at each restaurant. However, as the cruise went on we would simply ask at breakfast or at lunch if anything had opened up and actually ate three times in Polo and twice in Toscana. I don't know that you would want anymore than that. As far as early boarding, I know some have not had the best experience. All I can say is I was there a few minutes before 11:00 as were several others and at precisely 11:00 we were able to board the ship. The suites were not ready until 1:00 for Concierge level and above and 3:00 for those below. I assume Oceania feels that if you are paying to board early and have your suite early they try to adhere to this schedule. I imagine there are times when unforeseen events throw a "kink in the cogwheel" and they are not able to make it at 11:00.

I've read various reviews of HAL's Copper Canyon tour. Some people loved it, some hated it because it was such a loooong and exhausting trip. Personally I can't imagine trying to do all that in one day. But the place is amazing, and if that's all the time I had, I would do it in a heartbeat. Hey, you can sleep any old day...how often do you get to visit one of the most spectacular places on earth?

We did a week-long trip to Copper Canyon in Oct. 04 which was one of the best vacation experiences of my life! We stayed at the El Mirador (mentioned in the review linked here) and it was unbelievable. We also took a trip down into the canyon to an extremely remote and almost inaccessible town, and stayed in a lodge with no electricity, with kerosene lanterns in every room (extremely romantic). The whole region, while wild and remote, is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! And the train ride is an E-ticket -- it's one of the engineering marvels of the world.