Sirena Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our fifth Oceania cruise and our first transatlantic. We are in our late 70's and have some mobility challenges; so the port intensive itineraries can be exhausting. This was our experiment to see how we would like more sea days, and it did not disappoint. Sirena, one of the smaller O ships, is also a good size for us. We selected a penthouse suite right by the aft elevators; so we were super close to all restaurants and Martini's. Overall, it was a smooth crossing, with only one day near the end that was choppy.
There were bridge instructors on this cruise, with lessons in the mornings (beginner and intermediate) and duplicate games in the afternoons. The duplicate players were generally intermediate to advanced players, from the US, UK and the Netherlands. All were pleasant and friendly. The instructors were excellent.
We dined in all venues and found the Grand Dining Room to be more to our liking than it had been on previous cruises. It is always my favorite for a relaxed full service breakfast. We dined three times each in Red Ginger and Tuscan Grill. It was great to have RG on the ship; but the combining of Polo and Toscana is disappointing. Some of our favorites were on the combined menu; but it just didn't seem to work. We had a few meals in Terrace Cafe; but I don't particularly like wandering back and forth to the buffet stations. I enjoyed one late lunch at Waves, the grilled tuna sandwich.
Cabin Review
Penthouse Suite
Surprisingly roomy. Plenty of storage.
Shower in bathroom was plenty big.
Decent sized balcony with table and chairs.
Port Reviews
Aruba
Lovely, clean island with lots of high end hotels/resorts. Good selection of restaurants.
Grenada
Took a taxi drive around the island. Wanted to see the medical school that caused the US invasion. Medical school is beautiful, contrasting with a lot of apparent poverty elsewhere.
Barbados
Booked a tour with Tours by Locals. Learned a lot of history and visited many sights. Had lunch at a seaside local hangout.
Tenerife
Wonderful shore excursion with Tours by Locals guide. Saw Northwest side of island. Had delicious lunch at a small, local restaurant that had no tourists but us. So many breathtaking vistas. Beautiful island!
Lisbon
Stayed post-cruise at The Emerald House, Hilton Curio Collection. Small, boutique hotel. Loved everything about the hotel. Friendly staff. Fabulous breakfast buffet. Nice little lobby bar.
Lisbon is beautiful; but a challenge for those who can't walk on steep, cobblestone roads/walks. Private tours and tuk tuk are great ways to see the city.