Marina Review

4.5 / 5.0
808 reviews

Another sucessful Marina cruise

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Marina
User Avatar
nananumberone
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2015
Cabin: Penthouse Suite

This was our 10th cruise on Oceania, 5th on one of the two bigger ships. We've sailed the Caribbean four times from Miami and back, to get away from the chill and to relax. While nothing is absolutely perfect, Oceania does such a great job that we can forgive the small missteps. Aboard Riviera and her sister, Marina, the food choices are bountiful and superb. Although we've had some disappointments with the Grand Dining Room, on this trip, the selection, appearance and taste was very good to excellent. The specialty restaurants are all true to their named cuisines, from Jacques (French), to Toscana (Italian), to Red Ginger (Pan-Asian), and Polo (American Steakhouse). Our favorites are Jacques and Toscana, but Red Ginger isn't far behind. Polo is a little of a disappointment, the service can be spotty, but it, too, has high points (desserts, in particular). For dinner the Terrace buffet turns into a white tablecloth buffet. The quality is great with the addition of a grill serving steak and lobster. We dined in La Reserve once, for an extra fee, well worth it for those who are deeply into the gourmet experience with fine wines included, in a small group (maximum of 24 people).

The staterooms are larger than on the smaller Oceania ships, and are very comfortable. We have chosen to take a Penthouse suite, and like the larger stateroom, best for our needs. Sometimes, the line will give you a "guarantee" instead of an actual stateroom. You might not know what specific stateroom you have until right before the cruise. This is a bothersome thing, and we try to make sure we have a specific stateroom when we book.

Drawbacks: high cost of shore excursions, $25 wine corkage fee (we bring our own bottles aboard), getting reservations for specialty restaurants on shorter cruises. Ports were fine. We tend not to take ship excursions, but like to get to a beach or sightsee on our own. The one shore excursion from the ship we took was a complete waste. The Tour office received piles of complaints. Appropriately, they didn't charge us for this debacle.

Cabin Review

Penthouse Suite

Cabin PH2

Lovely stateroom, beautifully appointed, giant walk-in closet, marble bathroom. Fairly close to mid-ship, so relatively smooth sailing. About six staterooms from forward elevators, close, but quiet. Nice veranda, used a couple of times on this sailing.

4 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Marina Cruise from $1,600

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.