Having been on the Britannia and really enjoyed the ship we thought we would give P&O another chance as we really wanted to see Venice and Dubrovnik. The ship was fine but not at the same standard as the Brittania, quite crowded, no quiet places and lack of specialist dining being the obvious differences. Dining in the main restaurant was very good with a menu whereby you could always find something to choose, sadly the Italian specialist restaurant was very forgettable, both from a location viewpoint and the standard and variety of food on offer. The self service area was badly organised and the choice on offer did not come close to matching Britannia. The ports we visited were excellent and the guided tour of Venice as a first timer was well worth it, as indeed was walking the walls of Dubrovnik. The staff on the ship were excellent, our fellow passengers were a good crowd, so why did I not give it more than 3 stars, simply because I was laid up for a day due to a dodgy piece of smoked fish I was served for breakfast, and that really should not happen. Did I report it, no way, I have heard about being confined to your cabin and I was not having that. Read Less

The Cruise was everything i expected from P&O the Staff, Cleaners, catering, bar entertainment was Brilliant, The ship was always clean and tidy, the cabin was kept by the staff immaculate at all times, the dining in the restaurant was perfect, the food sometimes did let it down, but the choices we had in the buffet and other places to eat was entirely our choice, the entertainment was good, The service all over the ship was excellent. The excursions were always on top of our list, Rome was beautiful but very full on could have done with a stop over and taken out time. I would travel again with P&O perfect way to see the world. The entertainment was probably not too much to my taste as it was very strong with song and singing orientated and could include perhaps a nice drama, or a bit more theatre. Or the latest film from the cinema could have replaced one of the singing nights. Read Less

We chose this cruise because friends had been to the Adriatic with another company and had visited the same destinations. We both had always wanted to see Venice. This was our second cruise we have previously been on Magellan with Cruise and Maritime to the Norwegian Fjords leaving from Liverpool. Oceana is a much bigger ship with a higher price tag so we were expecting this to be a more luxurious experience. Firstly travel to Malta with Tui was awful the plane was cramped with little space between the rows and my seat had a broken food tray. It was one of their older aircraft It was a better plane on the way back. Malta Airport was a complete tip with huge numbers of people trying to exit through one small pair of double doors. After a short bus journey where we once more stood in a long queue in the sun (not pleasant and seemed unnecessary, Embarkation was slow and tedious with lots of elderly passengers standing in a long queue. The cabin was of a good standard with a balcony but it was smaller than the one we had on Magellan. The dining experience was good but the food at dinner wasn't as good as we were expecting as the Menu's were supposedly designed by a top celebrity chef. The service was good. The Argentinian Malbec was excellent. The food was not as good as we had on Magellan. The lunch menus were dominated by food of an Indian Nature (curry with everything) which is ok if you like spicy food. There was always a selection of good salads but they did seem to run low on fresh fruit and it wasn't replenished fast enough. There was an excellent ice cream bar near the pool. Can't really comment on the entertainment we briefly visited the theatre one evening where a girl was having a reasonable stab at singing Adele impersonations. We don't go on cruises to spend time in gyms,theatres, bars and casinos! Our cabin steward was average and didn't seem at all on the ball. Our cases we found down the corridor outside someone else's cabin and his provision of information was tardy and in some cases inaccurate which was one criticism of the ship in general. We were often left floundering for information about excursions and on a couple of occasions were misinformed. Thankfully the bed was very comfortable. Tea and coffee making facilities were a bonus not provided on our first cruise. Room service was excellent and the mornings we chose to breakfast in our cabin were a highlight. It arrived promptly and was worth not having to push and shove and find a seat. Of the ports we visited and the excursions we booked:- 1. Dubrovnik the cable car trip was excellent with a lovely guide. 2. Split was not somewhere we would chose to visit again however the river boat trip was good apart from the lunch which was poor with wine like vinegar. Not too sure about the hygiene of the restaurant as my partner was decidedly queasy after we had eaten. 3. Venice was everything we were hoping for the boat trip we took had an excellent guide but unfortunately did not go down the Grand Canal but seemed to visit everywhere worth seeing in the lagoon. We would have loved a two day stay in Venice so we could see more of it. 4. Messina was well worth seeing just for the trip to the Cathedral and to watch the display of the clock tower at noon (not to be missed) Finally leaving Malta airport was a lot easier than arriving apart from the huge queues for the ladies toilets which wouldn't flush and stank to high heaven. To sum up we wouldn't book P&O again until it uses Liverpool as a home port as the whole flying and embarkation experience was not pleasant. Glad we chose a time when the ship wasn't full of children. Luckily those few on board were well behaved. We have another cruise booked on Magellan for later this year as we live in Liverpool embarkation without flying is just so much easier a 5 minute taxi ride away. Read Less

This was my first cruise and I wanted it to be in the Mediterranean which is usually fairly smooth. The facilities on this ship were really excellent. The cabins are well kept and the staff could not be more helpful. Both embarkation and disembarkation went very smoothly. Numerous staff were on hand at London Gatwick to assist and the flights and times were part of the cruise package. I was with two friends, and we went on shore to Monte Carlo (by tender) and also Corsica and Florence. All these trips were very easy although quite expensive. The single supplement meant we all paid almost double for the cabin but we had no interest in sharing. Dining was in a most attractive room with excellent staff. The entertainment was reasonable although usually of quite short duration. There were many activities during the day. We travelled as a group of three, and we had a table to ourselves for meals. In addition to the main dining room, there is an extensive buffet on the 14th floor, where one could get snacks, tea and coffee at all times. We will definitely be arranging a trip in the near future. Read Less

We wanted a break in mid April.. . . . . . it turned out to be very disappointing. 1. All jacuzzis were always full of people with no control of time limits so we stayed out. 2. Very young children (some with dummies) were uncontrolled, both on the dance floor and at the evening meal. No problem with children playing at the right time and place.. 3. The evening's theater music reverberated in the theater, your ears and at close cabins. 4. A solely Staff Drill was announced in a blurring volume inside our cabin. What for? 5. Hospitality staff told us to go ashore to find out info regarding the next port of call!. 6. Hospitality staff never answered the telephone whenever we needed them and queuing at their desk took at least 20 minutes to get serviced. 7. Coffee after dinner is taboo. You have to go to a bar and buy it. 8. Shows were about acceptable, and the illusionist performed some acts in darkness! 9 I was taken aback when I found that while meals were included, plain water was not. The above points were raised with the Costa local agents. They were grateful for raising these shortcomings and promised to look into the points raised for future passengers, but no refund of any sort was forthcoming. Our compensation was therefore their gratitude for raising the matter!. I am not rushing to book another cruise with Costa. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary and date that fitted in with work . This was our first time on Oceana , although we had sailed with P&O before. Our flight and embarkation went smoothly but there was a delay getting our luggage and some confusion as to why . The cabin was small and badly designed , with chest of drawers sideways on to the bed which meant it couldn't be opened and dim lighting . The wardrobe was an odd layout too , with shelves half way up in one side and pull out metal drawers the other side , giving little hanging space . It was , however , kept spotless by our steward . ( who also located some of our missing luggage ) The ship seemed to be in a constant state of repair , so a lot of areas were roped off , or out of use ( lifts and public toilets ) Communication was poor or changed at the last minuite , for instance being told a port was tendered , only to discover it wasn't , or shuttles not being offered , much to the confusion of elderly passengers . In Venice there was a long walk to the motor launch without staff to show where this was , problematic for those with mobility issues . On a positive note , food was excellent , as staff were usually friendly and hard working . The ports visited were lovely too . But I don't think I would cruise with Oceana again . Read Less