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Excellent

Sirena

St. Martin

This was our fifth Oceania cruise and our first transatlantic.  We are in our late 70's and have some mobility challenges; so the port intensive itineraries can be exhausting. This was our experiment to see how we would like more sea days, and it did not disappoint.  Sirena, one of the smaller O ships, is also a good size for us.  We selected a penthouse suite right by the aft elevators; so we were super close to all restaurants and Martini's.  Overall, it was a smooth crossing, with only one day near the end that was choppy.

There were bridge instructors on this cruise, with lessons in the mornings (beginner and intermediate) and duplicate games in the afternoons.  The duplicate players were generally intermediate to advanced players, from the US, UK and the Netherlands.  All were pleasant and friendly.  The instructors were excellent.

We dined in all venues and found the Grand Dining Room to be more to our liking than it had been on previous cruises.  It is always my favorite for a relaxed full service breakfast.  We dined three times each in Red Ginger and Tuscan Grill.  It was great to have RG on the ship; but the combining of Polo and Toscana is disappointing.  Some of our favorites were on the combined menu; but it just didn't seem to work.  We had a few meals in Terrace Cafe; but I don't particularly like wandering back and forth to the buffet stations.  I enjoyed one late lunch at Waves, the grilled tuna sandwich.

Team Trivia was very popular and the cruise director did a great job as host.  There were two speakers, one a photographer and the other a writer who seems to specialize in historic scandals of British royalty (his voice put me to sleep).  The singer/pianist in Martini's was wonderful and engaging.

Our butler, Ferdie, was terrific.  He made us feel well taken care of.

We both had occasion to visit the Medical Center, for minor problems that needed attention.  We found the medical staff to be professional and the doctor to be both competent and engaging.  

Officers were apparent, in uniform, throughout the ship, as was the captain.  He appears to be a strong and engaged leader.  Staff spirit was strong, and they appeared to be working as a team.  Morale seemed good.

Best O Cruise Ever

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