This cruise was a Christmas present from my Dad. It was my 21st cruise but the first time I had been away from my kids for 10 days. But I bit the bullet and had a great time. Thankfully, they were in good hands at home and I didn't have to worry much. I was with a group of eight family members. My younger sister was my roommate and that worked out really well. Except she got up at the crack of dawn. So much for sleeping in without my kids to wake me up. Our concierge balcony stateroom was well appointed but not 215 as described. That includes the 45 foot balcony. So it is only 170 square ft. So, it wasn't any larger than what I have had on other ships. Not a deal breaker but since Oceania is twice as much as other cruises- I expected a bit bigger stateroom for the price we paid. My father and Aunt had suites, which were twice this size- making our cabins seem really small. But the linens were very nice. The bathrooms were small. Beds were very comfortable. The balcony was nice. I like Oceania very much. I like the small intimate ship. I loved the food and staff. The specialty restaurants were good. I liked the Italian one best. I had the best gnocchi with pesto that I have ever had there. The buffet food was fantastic and we ate six out of 10 dinners there. The afternoon tea at 4PM each day is fantastic. They have a three piece orchestra, white gloved servers and yummy desserts and tea sandwiches. We went everyday. The entertainment was very good for such a small ship. It was fun to see some the performers walking around by day. I was the magicians helper. We played family feud (and lost miserably). The music on board was wonderful. The Casino was small but you could joke around with the dealers. I played blackjack one night and only lost $ 25. So it could have been worse. Getting on and off the ship was easy. No real crowds to contend with since there were so few passengers on board. The library was really a nice quiet place to read and hang out. All the public spaces were elegantly appointed. There is no drama because it is a small ship but very pretty none-the-less. I liked the size of Regatta- only 30 Tons. The loungers by the pool were really nice, padded chairs. Hardly anyone used the pool or hot tubs. Made it nice for me and my younger sister. We used them day and night. The spa services were very expensive. My Aunt loved her hair cut. My stepmother wasn't as happy with hers but she had unruly hair. I had a couple of massages and used the steam room. The massages weren't the best I have ever had but they were relaxing. The steamroom is free to all guests on board. You don't have to pay to use it. The fitness room was great, clean and had state of the art equipment. There is a therapy pool at the bow of the ship outside the spa. But when the ship is moving, it is too rough at the bow. I didn't like getting tossed around and the wind was too strong- NOT RELAXING! Smoking is only permitted in two areas on board. One spot by the pool and another little area in the Disco. Since my roommate is a smoker, I met all the other smokers on board in these little areas. It was nice because I met alot of people this way! Because it is a smaller ship you do feel more motion than on larger ships. I also feel that the narrow hallways and heavy door to the pool would make it a wheelchair unfriendly ship. No one in my family is in a wheelchair but my grandmother was so I notice things like this. My Aunt and Uncle has never cruised before and they absolutely loved every minute of the trip. Especially my 75 year old Uncle who has turned down many offers to cruise in the past. He and my Aunt already booked another cruise to South America next January on Oceania. My 45 year old sister and her husband, age 61 have cruised before and just loved the ship. They too have booked another. My father and step-mother had a wonderful time too and have booked the South American one too.

I liked Oceania very much but I prefer a bigger ship. I like the Celebrity Millenium Class ships better and they are so much cheaper. But I can see why my parents liked it. There were no kids, you can eat when you want, the staff is excellent, the ship is easy to navigate (not too much walking involved) and there are no lines for anything. They cater to a upper- class, reserved crowd and it is a very nice, relaxing experience. A+