Marina Review

4.5 / 5.0
811 reviews

A Very Mixed Experience

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Marina
User Avatar
lovethe24car
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

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

Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2012
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean View

This was our 23rd cruise; the first on Oceania. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Princess, NCL, Holland America, and Celebrity. Oceania is not a line we can typically afford because we prefer to use that money to cruise two or three times per year, but this was a great deal and a great itinerary so we booked it. We learned a few things on this cruise: if you prefer balconies, stick with them. We would have been miserable in an inside cabin for 12 nights, especially with the movement on this ship. Also, size does matter. The Marina is about 66,000 tons, and after sailing on Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Allure, we really felt the movement on this ship. We had sailed on a small Princess ship in 2006 and loved it, but subsequently got spoiled on the larger vessels, so keep that in mind when selecting your cruise.

Passengers: The average age appeared to be about 75. We met mostly Americans, along with some Canadians and Brits. We saw a total of 2 children. Passengers were very friendly. We also expected that the "country club casual" dress code would mean that we had to dress very nicely, but found that everyone dressed just as they would on any other cruise line. It was GREAT not to have formal nights!

Embarkation and Disembarkation: Quite smooth. We boarded at 1:00 p.m. Cabins were not ready until 3:30 -- on other lines we are usually in our cabin by 1:00 p.m., but we went to the Terrace Cafe and had a great lunch. Disembarkation was smooth as well -- off the ship and into the car within 20 minutes.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean View

Cabin C

Cabin 7004: Small, but elegant. The bed was very comfortable with luxurious bedding, and the towels are thick. Storage is adequate, but the closet is in a very awkward place and is difficult to access. The safe is a nice size; an iPad will fit, but not a laptop. The shower is horrible. It is the smallest shower I've ever seen on a ship. The bathtub is huge, but the separate shower has a rainshower head with nowhere to move out of the way, so you have to keep turning it on and off. Good luck if you want to bend over to shave your legs. The shelf is tiny; there is not enough room to put shampoo, etc. on it, so most things are on the floor, where you can barely get to them IF you are small and can bend over in the tiny, cramped shower. The shower did not drain well. The shower is the worst feature of the ship. The cabin was also cold at times, and turning the thermostat to the warmest setting didn't do anything. The noise in the cabin was nearly as bad as the shower. The first night, it sounded like a loose tin flap was banging above the ceiling. The next day, they fixed it, but it was very windy throughout the trip and the wind whistled through the balcony dividers and rattled them so loudly it kept me awake. There was also a lot of creaking, and on the last few nights, an irritating pinging kept me awake. We were told that the cabins on the Regatta are even smaller, so again, keep that in mind when booking. Unless you upgrade to a suite, expect very, very small cabins on this cruise line.

previous reviewnext review

Find a Marina Cruise from $2,089

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.