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Lovely ports, mixed feelings on ship

Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo

This is our third Oceania cruise. We were disappointed in the lack of communication and food. We were not notified in advance of port requirements which most of the time ended up being an Oceania imposed requirement. Excursions were canceled with no reason given. Oceania excursions are awful. Over crowded, too much time spent standing around and most times you cannot even hear the guide. The food in specialty restaurants and Terrace Cafe was bland and pretty much bad every day. Mashed potatoes were boxed, fake eggs, bacon so tough and greasy you couldn’t chew it, tough meat… overall very disappointing. Result of company cut backs?? The fresh fruit was amazing as was the gelato. When we got to our room and started to unpack we encountered several areas in the room that had not been cleaned. Dirty cups left in the bathroom. Our AC didn’t work the first day. The maintenance staff initially didn’t believe us and argued. They ended up replacing the unit. 

Our butler, Mani was great.

Disappointed

Ketchikan

Although we were used to sailing on the Riviera and the Marina, we went on the Nautica last August because we liked the itinerary.

 Nautica is quite a bit smaller than the other two ships which initially took some getting used to. With that said, everything else was the same but on a smaller scale. The crew was great, the food great in the specialty restaurants & very good in the Terrace Cafe, & the ship was VERY clean. Not a day went by where we didn't see a number of people cleaning areas of the ship.

Unfortunately two of the ports, Amalfi and Kotor, were not accessible because they were tender ports and the waters would have been too rough for the tenders to transport passengers into the docks. However, as passengers on the ship we really didn't feel much, if any, rocking & rolling.

To their credit, Oceania arranged to have excursions from the alternate ports we docked in.

Enjoyed Oceania, as we always do

Saint-Tropez

We did 2 cruises, back to back on Oceania Nautica, starting on 2 August for 23 days in the Med. I can honestly say "We Loved It"

Several reviews I had read were not glowing about this ship and I was a bit apprehensive but it was great. We were in Concierge level 1, which in hindsight was not necessary to have a great trip.

The extras included for that cabin were, a bottle of champagne on arrival, which we didn't end up drinking. 3 bags of laundry done, which we didn't use as the laundry was close to our cabin & access to the spa area, which again we didn't use. So we could have saved some money and taken a lower grade cabin.

Oceania quote "the finest cuisine at sea". It was nice, but no different form other cruise ships.

The specialty restaurants, again are nice, but other than the service, nothing special and they were oppressively hot which made dinning quite unpleasant. We ate most of our meals on the terrace deck buffet at the rear of the ship which had many choices and great desserts.

The cabins are compact but had lots of storage, so we could unpack everything and put our cases under the bed. The was very comfortable. 

The bathrooms are small, but again had lots of storage. A nice feature, at night there was a soft blue light in the bathroom for those night visits. The shower had good pressure & we never ran out of hot water.

The nightly entertainment was a bit average, but you expect that on a small ship.

The staff are great and we had a lot of laughs with some of them.

All in all we loved our Oceania cruise and can't wait to do another one.

Better than expected after reading previous reviews

San Diego

We chose the cruise for the itinerary and supposed quality of the cruise.  The itinerary was great, but the cruise was nothing special compared to any others we have taken.  The stateroom bathroom was exceptionally small.  We had an Oceanview room on the 6th floor toward the front of the boat.  The room was larger than most as the balcony area was inside the room.  Because we were over the auditorium, the noise was loud when the band practiced or there was a musical show.  Additionally, the thrusters could be heard when coming into port waking us up several mornings. Washing clothes was free, but the laundry was always busy.  

The hospitality staff was good and there were never long lines for anything.  Catching a tender boat was convenient and never a line.  The regular Oceania tours we chose were typical of those offered for the various stops.  We did not do the specialty tours by Oceania with smaller groups as they were more expensive for the same value.     We spent more time at the pool than we ever had on our other cruises.  Just because Oceania stays in port longer does not translate to spending more time walking or shopping in port.  There were so many other cruise boats docking at the same time that once our tour was over, we went back to the boat.  The pool is small but worked just fine.  There were plenty of chairs around the pool. The restrooms around the boat typically had one or two stalls.  This was not good near the auditorium as the line was long.  The auditorium was always extremely cold.  During our cruise, the air conditioning could not keep up especially in the common areas.  The smoke from the smokers area by the pool could always be smelled in the stairway by the front of the boat.  

Food was nothing special.  The breakfast was typical of any cruise.  Coffee tended to be lukewarm.  The Italian specialty restaurant was ordinary, but the steakhouse was very good.  We did find the lunch buffet was closed often when returning from an excursion but the hamburger / sandwich bar was open till 4 pm.   If we didn't order a beer or wine from this bar in the afternoon before 4, we were charged even though we were in the same area by the pool.  Oceania reversed these charges.  Lobster rolls at the hamburger bar were not the same as you would expect in Maine or New Brunswick.  The ruben sandwich was outstanding.  Lobster was best when ordered in the evening at the Buffet.  

The entertainment was the weak point.  Although the dancers and singers worked hard, the sets were from the 1960s.  Nothing exciting compared to Holland America's BB King Bluesclub or Rolling Stones nightclub.  There were no dueling pianos but there was a string quartet that played well.

Nothing special

Just got home after cruising on Nautica from Barcelona to Istanbul.  It was a great trip and most of our experiences with Nautica were positive.   We had a great Oceania excursions (with one exception) but the staff in charge of disembarking at ports (especially when we tendered) were disorganized and sometimes seemed clueless regarding the process.  Excursions:  Menorca (Ciudadella City Highlights), Rome (OE Vatican City tour - but very crowded in Sistine Chapel), Amalfi (Emerald Grotto was a terrific experience), Sicily (Mt. Etna with lunch - guide spent a bit too much time in Catania, but it was still a good tour),  Kavala and Phillippi (the ruins in Phillippi are amazing and the tour guide was an archaeologist so we got some great information), Istanbul (OE Best of Istanbul, two mosques and scrumptious lunch - tour guide spoke perfect English. It was the highlight of the cruise), Antibes, the Glassblowing tour in Biot (Antibes, France port of call) was a bust (the glassblowers seemed like they didn't want us there, the guide was more interested in us buying than experiencing the process). 

Food on board was very good in the main dining room, Terrace Cafe, and excellent in Toscana.  Not so good in Polo Grill, at least in our opinion.  The higher level staff (especially Emil, General Manager, and Mario, Executive Chef), our butler (the first one [Abhi] we had two because one left after a week for his vacation), and our two housekeepers, Cho-Cho and Ivy, were wonderful.  The restaurant staff in Toscana and main dining room were also excellent, but for some reason the staff at Terrace Cafe and Polo Grill didn't seem "happy to be there." We did have a few hiccups regarding flights. On the way to Barcelona, our flight was delayed so we would not be able to make our connection in Chicago for the flight to Barcelona.  American Airlines came through with an early flight so we made the connection, but we didn't get any help from Oceania when we called to ask for assistance (we opted for their OLife which included flights, transfers and hotels); on the way back, we encountered the same problem with a delayed flight out of Istanbul which made it impossible to make our connection in London for the flight home.  Again, the airline arranged the rebooking - we had to stay overnight in London. Oceania's Airline staff did nothing, and as a matter of fact, they did not return our call after saying that they would when we contacted them (it took 20 minutes to get them on the phone using the emergency number). Another family we met on the bus to the airport in Istanbul were experiencing the same issue.  

Notes on the ship:  Nautica is smaller than the last ship we cruised on, the Riviera.  While you get to know more people since you see them often, it offers less amenities that the larger ships. Only two specialty restaurants, smaller (it seemed) swimming pool, smaller bathrooms. We decided to select the Marina for our next cruise, we like the option of more specialty restaurants and larger cabins.  All in all it was a wonderful cruise and itinerary.  There is always something that doesn't go well, but these are first world problems. We feel very fortunate to be able to take these vacations.

Great cruise but with some hiccups

This cruise had been a long time coming. We had a HAL Alaska cruise cancelled on us at the beginning of the pandemic. That would have been a 70th birthday present to myself. And, last summer, we got Covid a couple of days before an Oceania cruise we’d booked as a present to ourselves for our golden wedding. Then more general health issues intervened, meaning we couldn’t get travel insurance – so that meant we couldn’t book a replacement cruise in the early autumn. And we had to cancel  the transatlantic cruise we’d put a deposit on with Oceania. We also had to cancel our annual three week winter break in Spain. Knowing  the health issues were about to be resolved, we started to keep an eye on one cruise that was similar to the original golden wedding one but it became waitlisted the day before we were in a position to get insurance. So, we booked this one as something of a second best. Second best in that the ports were not particularly good – several we either knew well or knew we had zero interest in them. But, hey, we were going cruising and with three sea days, out of ten, this suited us. So, some brief comments

We’d booked a penthouse suite, during the “extraordinary savings” sale for the price we might have expected for a Concierge. We may now be spoilt for any future cruises with O. Loads of space. Lots of storage. Really well fitted out, with lots of plug sockets where you need them. Shower cubicle of “proper” size (I know this is an issue with cheaper cabins). The three bags of “free” laundry was helpful. As for the butler, we hardly troubled him. Got a couple of items pressed when we boarded. Got canapes a couple of nights (they weren’t very good so we didn’t bother after that). And he brought us an ice bucket one evening. But that was it. 

“The Finest Cuisine at Sea”. We’ve nothing to validate that marketing claim against. So, we said to ourselves, yes we know this is mass catering but let’s see how it compares with the neighbourhood restaurants we regularly go to at home. Well, it proved to be a mixed comparison. Terrace Café and Waves were excellent for what they are. And the Polo Grill and Toscana stood up to our local steakhouse and Italian. In my experience American steak is never as full flavoured as European steak – it’s why I no longer order steak on trips to the States. But, I know it’s an American ship, catering for American tastes, so no actual criticism there. My only other comment is that, on the second visit to Polo, dessert took so long that we gave up on it – never walked out of  one of my local places. But otherwise, service in the specialities was fine. 

Which brings me to the Grand Dining Room which we found very hit and miss. This was particularly the slow service which, at breakfast, can only be politely described as dilatory.  And , at breakfast, the kitchen has a most peculiar way of plating. So, for example, one morning, a bowl with two poached eggs was put in front of me, followed minutes later, by a plate with the rest of the breakfast. Same meal, my partner is served most of her cooked breakfast, except for the grilled tomato which appeared later. Another morning, an order for pancakes and bacon  saw the pancake arrive and be almost completely eaten before the bacon was served. It’s bizzare. Even a greasy spoon café can plate a full breakfast.  As for dinner, we realised early on that the dish as described on the menu would be quite spartan and,  from then on, always ordered a couple of sides. The bread basket served with all meals in all locations, was exemplary – on occasions the best thing we ate during the meal. 

Moving on to drinks, the free soft drinks and water is great. Not least as I don’t drink alcohol and my partner only sparingly. But on the occasions, when she did order an alcoholic drink, we both had sharp intakes of breath about how eye-wateringly expensive it all was. And we were making that comparison as Britons used to high levels of tax being levied on alcohol. . The drink prices are already very high and then there’s the extra 20% gratuity added. A bottle of Peroni coming in at $9.25 for example. .

As for the entertainment, we know from our previous cruise on Marina that the shows are fairly minimal. That’s absolutely fine with us. We went to the show every night and enjoyed them.

We’d taken the option to have the free excursions as always seem to be recommended on Cruise Critic’s Oceania forum. We found them a bit basic and not that interesting. Now, I accept that we knew several of the ports well so, even if we looked to do an excursion there, it was going to be a bit limited

One of our three was particularly disappointing. Billed as a “Gastronomy Tour of Salobrena”, it was no such thing. We only drove past the outskirts of the town, stopping for a couple of minutes for a photo opportunity of its castle. Gone was the promised stop for tapas at a local bar. Gone was the promised lunch at a beach chiringuito. In their place, a drive along the coast and then taken to “wedding venue” sort of place for lunch. Pleasant it was. Gastronomy tour it wasn’t. If ever we do a future O cruise, I think we’d question whether excursions are the best value for us or whether OBC would be a much better bet.

Small ship or larger ship? We’ve had one previous cruise on Marina and I was little concerned I might feel constrained by the much small Nautica. I wasn’t, although I think that, all other things being equal, I’d prefer the larger space. But it wouldn’t stop me sailing on Nautica again. 

To summarise, this was a lovely holiday and we don’t regret it at all. But it is, by far, the most money we’ve spent on a holiday and, as at today, we’re not convinced that it was value for money. It certainly isn’t affordable as a regular holiday (without our retirement savings disappearing at a rate of knots). And I think we’d have to make a price comparison between an Oceania cruise and a stay in, say, a 5* Spanish hotel and assess what we were getting with a cruise for  the extra cost.

Good cruise but was it good value for the money?

Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)

We had sailed on 2 previous Oceania cruises and believed we found a new favorite cruise line. Having been on 7 different lines over the years and multiple cruises, we decided to book our 3rd Oceania on the Nautica which we were on last year traveling Turkey and Greece.

We traveled the Holy Land itinerary from Dubai to Barcelona on the same ship and same room. We had booked this tour on board the previous trip and had a low price guarantee if better rates became available from the flyer handed out while a guest.

As we departed we spoke with the onboard travel consultant about our credit and she contacted corporate who politely denied it. They stated that we or our travel agent needed to request it prior to sailing. Well this was not a couple of hundred dollars but almost $4,000 as they dropped their rates to fill the ship. After 2 months of back and forth, we were basically told, SORRY!

Concerning the cruise itself, what a difference a year makes. The staff was cut at least 25% and these poor folks were busting their asses. They were very polite and wonderful considering their conditions. To ad insult to injury, the crew came down with something and about 1/3 were quarantined, making service very minimal.

The food and drink quality was terrible compared to the year before. We were very surprised and disappointed.

The entertainment quality was also marginal. They had much better guests last year.

The Shore Excursions quality also dropped. Meals served at lunch stops were marginal. Some guides were not very good. You can tell they had to cut costs probably in an effort to make up for the cuts by Oceania in what they were getting paid.

Unfortunately for Oceania, many folks on board were disappointed overall and said they were not coming back. We just booked Asia with Holland and will never look back. Bean counters kill businesses!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

Mykonos

We are a retired couple who have cruised with Oceania for many years.  In the past, they have been outstanding; however, recent cutbacks have resulted in our May 2023 Singapore to Dubai cruise falling well short of our expectations.  Specifically:

*  Although the meals were well-cooked and attractively presented, the food quality was lower.  We received shrimp whose meat was mush; hard to cut veal; tough chicken; tasteless pork; brown bananas; and unripe pears.  Moreover, every morning we had to ask a server to go to the back storage room to get granola, bananas, and almond milk.  It's hard to understand why Oceania was rationing common breakfast items like that.

*  The destinations (excursions) staff were only interested in giving information about ship's tours.  They did no research to help passengers who planned to go ashore on their own.  They gave wrong advice in the daily bulletin about getting to a port gate, and when asked questions about transportation to a city centre from the ship replied, "I've never been there".  

*  The entertainment was the worst we have experienced on any cruise.  There were few production shows and far too many boring solo performers.  Most of the singers were mediocre at best and the microphone volumes were far too loud.

*  The gym trainer was a nice fellow but was not as well trained as other fitness instructors we've encountered.  Every stretching class featured exactly the same exercises, in the same order.  

*  The stateroom service was noticeably worse.  Our attendant told us on the first day that she had been assigned to two floors instead of one, and we might not see her as often as we were used to.  She was right.

*  The excellent show band performed less than usual.  When we went to one advertised performance in Horizons, we found only the saxophone player, accompanied by a pre-recorded backing. 

*  Guest speakers appeared only on at-sea days.  One was outstanding, the other was boring.  He spoke on the United Nations and by the last week of the cruise, drew only 60 out of 450 guests.  

*  We were treated unfairly with currency conversions.  A refund of $71 Canadian became $26 US in our onboard account.  Surely Oceania isn't so hard up for money that they have to rip off foreigners like that.

As a result of all this, we will not be booking another Oceania cruise.  The value for money spent isn't there any more and we think we can do much better with other cruise lines.

Cutbacks have made Oceania quite mediocre.

This is our third trip on Nautica. We stopped for two years because of Covid

On this trip 

- the food is excellent

- the staff is ver friendly and courteous

- the room stewards ( ours is May ) are superb

But

- The internet service is one person per cabin, even though  we paid for two people. Website misleading, only states free internet no mention of restrictions per cabin

- The internet service technicians is only available at specific times and refuses to provide a contact number or email

- the shore excursions booked with Oceania are sub standard. For example: Highlights of Dubai does not allow for a photostop for the tallest building of the world, the bus even refused to slow down. InAbu Dhabi  everything was a drive by only at break neck speed, it was not possible to take a picture of the fascinating portrait of sheikh made of mobiles. 

- the spa is outrageously expensive. $250 for a deep tissue massage

In short we are very disappointed and won’t book here again

Very disappointed - Nautica excursions and internet

Cruise's plan was changed but stops were chosen in uninteresting places.  It could be improved with better quality shore excursions .  The tours were superficial and looked as if no thought had been put into them.   I don't  understand  the answer to my questions...this is what we can get.  So tell  that to your passengers and charge much less than you charge d. The crew on board was excellent, led by the ship's general manager Raffaele and the concierge Carlos. Polo restaurant was good but the same Manu every day.  TOSCANA was much better with chef Luka.  The service in the main dining room was very slow.  The maintenance was very good.  The entertainment was a little amateurish.  You have to think about what is suitable for an older population.  The cooking demonstrations were interesting and educational. Led by chef Mario  and Chef Gabrieli. Coffee corners excellent. Good and friendly  barista.

Very good...but 

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