The ship itself is well appointed and very well run. The food is VERY good....no question. There are 4 specialty restaurants on board. Red Ginger and Jacques are excellent, the Italian was ok and Polo was just ok. Our cabin was quite comfortable...good closet and storage. Bathroom was great. Terrific storage!! Good tub. Shower stall was too short for my very tall husband, 6'5", but he could shower in tub with the hand shower. The service was so good. Our "valet" David was personable, efficient and professional. Amazing how fast and well the AM cleanup takes place. The internet service is TERRIBLE: only one of us at a time could use it, very slow, spotty reception and difficult to get on. So mush so, that a visit to the business center where the internet help is located, had 40 people on the sign up sheet, on the second day worse on the first! But, the excursions were not good, and expensive. Even worse, one excursion, the one to the St Emillion region, and one of the reasons I booked this cruise, was cancelled....a few days before the cruise....and we only found out after several phone calls when we were unable to sign up online . When I say the excursions were not good, an example: an excursion to Bordeaux. We were taken to a vineyard by bus with a local guide to give back round. The vineyard and tasting was quite good. Then we were dropped in Bordeaux for 3 hours and told to "explore" on our own. Disappointing. Amsterdam and Barcelona (our last stop) were both delightful cities and well worth stopping over in. We spent 3 days in each. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly. Long line for cabs in Barcelona but the wait went quickly, 15-20 minutes. Next time I would book a car through my hotel. Read Less

Our fourth voyage on Marina. We love the ship, small enough to feel comfortable with gourmet food. We felt the food was better than our last cruise 2 years ago. This time we had a penthouse suite which was quite comfortable especially the walk in closet and the ability to obtain almost any dining reservation that we wanted. Afternoon tea was excellent. The ports were all quite interesting and the excursions were varied. One of us did the ocean sailing excursion which was an exceptional experience. The only negative was that the entertainment was mediocre but apparently that will be changing in near future, according to the cruise director. The crew for the most part were friendly and catered to our requests. They went out of the way to ensure that if the food was not up to expectations they would replace it. We will be back again in the future. Read Less

The ports in Western-Europe were very interesting and the renowed small ship OCEANIA SIRENA had the opportunity to reach also smaller unknown ports in the best time for travelling into this Region - in August! Because we are cruisers who prefer higher temperatures on a cruiseship for using the pooldeck and the balcony! In summary the different Dining-Options were excellent with an excellent Italian chief officer for food Mario - we preferred the Terrace Cafe because of the Lobster and the Fresh Fish on the Grill - the Jacques for Lunch was also great - only in the Aisan Red Ginger the food was better on Riviera but on Sirena the restaurant is better placed! Overall the staff was friendly and well trained - the Captain Ressa with his officers was very often seen in the public places and we are sure we will come back on OCEANIA because we love this cruiseline with all their amenities! The shore excursions we cannot comment because we did it for ourselves! Read Less

Our first Oceania cruise and sadly our last. For the following reasons: The Nautica did have good food, some of the best we've had on a cruise ship. The service was OK but it was very slow at several of our meals in the main dining room. I think they have trouble dealing with the surge that can occur when there are no set dining times. The ship is very old and it didn't do well in slightly rough seas. On a couple of days the crew placed seasickness bags near all the elevators. Also due to the age of the ship the decor is very dated. The woods are very dark with dark colors throughout. It's a bit drab but well maintained. It's a small ship with not a lot to do: - the shows put on by the 4 member ship's cast were pretty good - the shows by the entertainers they brought on board (e.g. comedian & flute player) were cheesy and 2nd rate. - the pool area was acceptable - beyond that not a lot of worthwhile things to do People we met on board were nice, but this is definitely an older crowd. The ship eliminated one of our ports of call without advising us. We had scheduled a tour on our own at this port but because ship did not give notice of the change we lost our fee for the tour. When we complained, Oceania said "too bad we can change itinerary whenever we want, you should get trip insurance to protect yourself" (trip insurance would have cost more than the money we lost on the tour). Not the great experience we were expecting from a high end cruise line, we'll try others in the future. Read Less

We chose this cruise for its itinerary to sail around the coast of Spain. We wanted to try a smaller ship, as we had sailed on all big ships in the past (1900+, and mostly 3000+). I guess you would consider Oceania a hybrid luxury line, with many amenities of a luxury line, but not all inclusive. The small ship experience is a mixed bag. Obviously it is easier to get around, has a more intimate feel, and one rarely waits in line (with a few exceptions). There are fewer things going on, and the atmosphere is calm and relaxing if you like that. (The first day at sea we strolled around getting familiar with the ship and saw more people in the library than we have ever seen in a cruise ship library.) There was a lot of sitting around going on. On the up side, not once were we approached by a photographer, which was lovely. They do have a studio onboard if I remember correctly in case you would like a photo. Oceania is known for its cuisine, which I can assure you, is excellent. Salads especially were very fresh and crisp. And fresh fruit and berries. Choices are interesting and beautifully presented. Escargots offered 3 different ways that I can remember. We prefer to eat in the dining room whenever possible, but don't miss the carving station in the Terrace Café for an occasional lunch. You will see roast suckling pig, prime rib, roast turkey, even salmon Wellington. You may have to wait at the egg station at breakfast, but getting a great lunch at the Terrace Café was usually quick and easy. Waves has great sandwiches, like Q-ban, Surf & Turf, and Reubens. Transfers were perfectly well organized, on time, and used comfortable coaches. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly. Service for our room, the dining rooms, and the front desk were all fine. Where I think there is room for improvement is the entertainment onboard and the shore excursions. The orchestra was certainly good, and the Nautica singers and dancers (only 4) were quite talented. You really can't have a big production show on a small ship, so they did a pretty good job for a small venue. The other shows were OK but nothing great, except the unique Duo Yorba show, 2 musicians playing a slew of different homemade instruments. They were very entertaining, playing music from around the world, and worked very hard to put on a good show. The performances of the string quartet and pianist who played in a couple of areas around the ship at various times were enjoyable. The shore excursions were nothing special, most times having 36+ people. We had to wait in line on some occasions, once for 45 minutes to get into the Alcazar. Some of the radio/headphones didn't work on some of the tours. So the tours were large groups (like the big cruise ships have) unless you pay more to go in a smaller group. These smaller-group tours are available in some ports. Overall the shore excursions were pricey and pretty average. We will probably sail with Oceania again only on one of their larger ships. The atmosphere was a little too quiet and sedentary on this cruise, although we did enjoy our cabin and the dining. Read Less

We were on the Marina 3 years ago and was not wowed. This time it had improved tremendously. The food and service was much better. We had one bad meal in the Dining Room and the rest were either good to GREAT! My favorite dining experience was in Toscanno and least favorite specialty was Red Ginger. (It was the opposite last time) The only negatives were the high price of excursions. We did most on our own but had to do the Alhambra in Granada as we couldn't find space on a private tour. We paid $320.00 each for such excursion, while the private tours were running approximate $150.00 per person. The entertainment at night was not terrific, and most of the time we didn't bother going. The best capacino's are in the coffee shop near the library. (love the biscotti's) It is just such a beautiful ship, never had to wait for anything. The ship was kept ship shape! There is no nickel and diming like we have experienced on Celebrity. Read Less

We had food and service issues from day 1. Chipped glassware, and a string or hair in my dessert, in the main dining room. Raw hamburgers at the grill for lunch, not once, but twice. Nothing was ever served hot, just warm, and the ice cream was always like mush. We met with the concierge, who was lovely, but wanted us to speak with the 2 food and beverage managers............2 bafoons, who could have cared less, and spoke in a condescending way to my husband and I. They were just plain rude. The ship is beautiful, but that's where the good part ends. Oceania should stick with the smaller ships, as they don't have a clue about accommodating 1200 people. The othe service was mediocre, at best, and whenever they provided shuttle service in ports, it was a disaster...long lines, and not enough buses. They nickel and dime you to death for everything onboard, from drinks, to internet, to shore excursions. Shame on Oceania...customer relations will only listen to complaints in writing, and we emailed Sept 16th, but have yet to get an answer. DON'T Take Oceania...........poor service.......NOT A LUXURY CRUISE Read Less

First time cruising with Oceania, having cruised with Azamara for last 5 years. The good- food in main restaurant is excellent but felt choice in buffet limited. Crew are very friendly but mismanaged. I felt there was an element of undermanning as often had to chase up on service. (walked out of one of the specialty restaurants as service was so poor). Very disappointed in lack of interaction of senior crew with either passengers or other crew. There was not the same feeling of being valued as we have had on Azamara. Entertainment a bit old-fashioned. Only did 2 of Oceana excursions - not good value for money (even at lowest of the package prices)and the organisation of the tenders for one of them was dreadful. Itinerary was great - Cadiz a particular highlight Read Less

Marina is exceptional for what it does not have. It does not have photographers bothering you, art auctions, charge for espresso or specialty coffee, charge for cans of soft drinks. What it does have is exceptional food, fine specialty dining rooms; complementary; most pleasant staff of our 30 plus cruises and excellent entertainment. Our large balcony cabin had a beautiful marble bathroom with huge tub plus shower. The bed was something you would like to take home with you and concierge deck had a very nice lounge, plus private sunning area in the bow accessible with key card. The minus were the overpriced wine bottles topped with an 18% gratuity and very overpriced shore excursions. Read Less

I have read some of the reviews, and wonder how anyone could give Oceania and their Marina ship anything but 5 stars. True, we have not been on 40 or 50 cruises like others, but have been on enough cruises to know the differences between a Chevy and a Mercedes cruise line. Oceania, specifically the Marina, does all the little things better. Embarkation is quick, easy and efficient. When they told us that our room would be ready at 1:30 PM; it was ready at 1:30 PM. Our bags were transported quickly and we were nested within an hour or so of entering the ship. Plenty of hangers in the closet so the extra hangers we brought because of past experiences with other cruise ships were unnecessary. A bottle of champagne and personally signed note from the captain welcomed the beginning of our 50th anniversary trip. We did not frequent the buffet dining room because we preferred the main dining room and its wonderful food and service. The buffet area was crowded because of the poor weather that kept many people from sitting outside and dining. Open seating in the main dining room was terrific and after just a few days, the Hostess, Rebecca, knew our name, room number and our preferred seating. We dined at each of the specialty restaurants. Three of the four were five star, the fourth was only four star. Again, service, menu, and quality of the food were excellent. (A personal note: I did a rough calculation of the cost in the US of our food each day if we ate the same menus and received the same service and came up with a number between $350 and $450 per day for two. The means during our 16 day cruise we received over $5,000 worth of food-service. Getting back to reality at home was a major transition.) For those who travel on Marina, you have got to try the afternoon tea. It is an extravaganza of deserts, various teas, and is sandwiched nicely just before Happy Hour bar pricing. Our room service was perfect. If our sign went up that we wanted our room made up, by the time we returned from our meal or activity, it was done. The bathroom in our Concierge level room with balcony was terrific. A small separate shower and a full sized bathtub with shower. The towels were plush and the shampoo, conditioner, bath salts, and even after shave lotion were top drawer. When we got a little low on bathroom supplies, they were automatically replaced by our diligent room staff. We never saw a photographer (Thank you God!) and general announcements were made in the common areas not in your rooms allowing us to sleep late. On board activities were so-so and the weather kept the entire ship load of passengers (1,000) out of the pool area and hot tubs except for one or two days of the 16 day trip. We were not hassled by security or ship's personnel when we brought bottles of wine back from our ports of call to consume in our room. That was a very pleasant surprise and is not published anywhere... of course. We agree that if we could have scheduled the trip a little later in June or July, the weather may have been warmer and allowed us to use the outdoor facilities more often. If you are a golfer, they have a neat 18 hole putting course and hitting/net cage. You can keep up with your golf game! We enjoyed the well stocked game room with plenty of board and card games available. The library was so good it was too crowded. That could have been due to the cool temperatures. The ship has a large inventory of DVD's and each room's TV has a built-in DVD player. Disembarkation in South Hampton was unbelievably swift and efficient. All the bags were well organized and in place when we exited the ship at 7:15 AM. The Southampton terminal staff did a fabulous job of organizing bags, free carts and personal service. Our contracted driver met us for a smooth and enjoyable trip to Heathrow for our flight to Iceland. In summary, the biggest compliment we can pay to Oceania is to let you know that we have already booked our second trip for August, 2016. Hope you enjoy this wonderful cruise line and ship. Read Less