The Clientele Make This Cruise Line

We chose this cruise and cruise line because of the itinerary. The reviews closed the deal. The standard room and bathroom are "big," the stateroom attendants were great. The air conditioning worked great. The ship is comfortable, not too large, not crowded for the most part. Feels like a country club. The dress code is country club casual at all times, so no need for men's jackets or ties.

Embarkation and disembarkation could not have been easier. There were crew members to help you find your luggage upon leaving.

The restaurants offer plenty of variety. The food is good but not better than you can find at good restaurants in the big cities. The service is great except for the end of the meal. The coffee service is sporatic, sometimes non-existant. The main dining room coffee is awful, so get a cappucino or have the waiter get the americano from the machine.

The room service breakfast quality was not so great. We gave up and ate at the buffet. We tried the dining room for breakfast, but it was just too slow and nothing special. Besides, a blueberry in the pancake I ordered in the dining room exploded on me and my shirt, the ship cleaned the shirt for free.

The cruise directors were great. The few shows we saw were forgettable but the band was always good. There is only one show seating, so if you eat late, you will miss most of the entertainment. The crew, under questioning, say people go on Oceania for the food, not the shows. We went to one trivia contest, it was fun. Since this cruise was port-intensive, there was no time for the mundane shipboard activities. The guest lecturer was great.

The onboard internet was slow, if it worked. When in port, better to use your phone data plan.

There were some decent and some really bad port excursions. If you go to Ibiza, stay on the ship. "Overview" tours can be slept through. Better to concentrate on one particular aspect.

What really makes this ship and cruise line are the passengers. They are predominately well-off, educated, and sociable, and older. It is easy to meet people and make friends.

While this ship is a cut above the big lines like Holland and Celebrity, it is not quite perfect.

Enough drawer and closet space for clothes for two weeks. Large bathroom with separate tub/shower and stall shower. Bathroom has good storage for all your items. Today's large suitcases will not easily slide under the bed, so either give them to the cabin steward to store, put them by the patio door, or lift the bed frame up and store them under your bed. There were plenty of electrical outlets to charge your devices and most were US 110-volt.