We chose this cruise for its itinerary. We could “Safari” without sleeping in tents! We also wanted to escape the winter weather in the US. Ports were interesting except for Maputo, Mozambique. Oceania should skip it...very 3rd world. We didn’t feel safe and was the only port that required us to take malaria medicine. We were surprised Oceania offered a 2 hour walking tour. DON’T TAKE IT! Street vendors aggressively follow you and pressure a sale. Streets are dirty. We were only allowed to take photos when given permission. Definitely not worth stopping. As for ship: Food and service were outstanding. Loved the “dine anytime” arrangement. It was fun to share a table and meet other guests but we always had the opportunity to dine alone. Being in the Owners Suite gave us special privileges and we were able to eat in specialty restaurants whenever we requested to do so. Stewards were exceptional! Entertainment not quite as elaborate as other cruises but I suppose that’s due to size of ship. On shore: the Belmont property, Mount Nelson Inn, is fabulous! If you are staying in land pre or post cruise, make a reservation! And don’t miss Table Mountain and The Cape. Two spectacular sites in Cape Town.
Cabin beautifully decorated although we are told it will be remodeled by 2020. Big problem: the suite is at the back, over the engines. The walls vibrated and rattled which affected our sleeping. The deck was huge with comfy furniture but the exhaust from the ship would get trapped there and made sitting on the deck unpleasant and unhealthy. Very disappointing for the money. Another passenger on deck 6 near our cabin was relocated and upgraded after complaining about the rattling. We were simply told “you’re over the engines” and nothing more was said.