This cruise was influenced by politics from its start. Travel to Cuba was banned, so Oceania substituted other Caribbean islands from the original three-city tour. Then, the coronavirus caused a world-wide panic and pandemic. Measures were instituted aboard the ship to keep everyone safe by limiting access to food and ensuring sanitizers were used regularly before entering restaurants. Everyone was urged to wash their hands often for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. As a result, no one got sick. Because of U.S. travel bans, Europeans from the Schengen countries disembarked in Antigua four days before the end of the cruise. The rest of the ports were eliminated for all the passengers on March 13. Despite the extraordinary circumstances, the crew and staff pulled together to provide enjoyable activities, games, and entertainment. Food is the best on any of the ships we have traveled, and the entertainers really get to know the passengers. Read Less

We had a great cruise for two weeks in the Caribbean visiting nine beautiful islands. This was our 27th cruise overall on five different lines and our third cruise on Oceania. They are still the best. The weather was very good 13 out of 14 days. Our next to last day was rough seas and a little difficult for everyone but the Captain & crew did everything they could to make us comfortable. It passed & our last day on board was great. We ate meals at seven restaurants & they were all delicious. Constantly changing menus provided a wide array of choices each day. Menus are available on your cabin TV so you always know what is available. Grilled Lobster, Lamb Chops, and Steaks were available every night in the Terrace restaurant Grill in addition to the ever changing evening selections. Service was very good throughout the ship and some of the staff are truly exceptional. Everyone was very friendly & always willing to help. Our cabin, a Deluxe Ocean View, was larger than many similar cabins on other cruise lines, very comfortable and well maintained. The bathroom was always clean. Our cabin Steward and his associate were exceptional! Entertainment on board was varied & available all day every day. Everyone can find something to do all day long. Evening shows were very good. The production shows showcased some very talented young singers and dancers. The comedian had the entire audience laughing from beginning to end, and all without a four letter word! We were very surprised by the magician who was talented at magic and a real entertainer. Great entertainment overall, not what you would see on a 4,000 passenger ship, but we did not want to be on a 4,000 passenger ship. It was a lot of fun for a ship this size. We have chosen Oceania for our last two cruises because of the individual service you receive and the quality of the staff. We highly recommend this cruise line. Read Less

Wow! The Coronavirus caused us to have quite the unexpected journey. Fortunately no one on the ship was infected with the virus. We were sailing to Pisco, Peru on day 18 of our planned 20 day cruise when the captain announced Peru had closed all its ports to cruise ships. Responding to this, our ship reversed direction and started sailing south with plans to return to the port of San Antonio, Chile. San Antonio was about a three day sail from our current position. After sailing toward Chile for a day or more, the captain made another announcement telling us that Chile had just closed its ports due to two cruise ships in San Antonio with infected passengers. Once again Marina changed direction to sail north to the Panama Canal. We arrived at the Canal on Wednesday morning then anchored outside the Pacific entrance to the Canal while Oceania worked feverishly to secure our ship a slot to transit the Canal. Eventually the captain was able to announce that we would transit the canal starting at 6 a.m. Friday. After spending all day Friday transiting the Canal, we were able to head directly to Miami arriving there early Monday morning. Oceania did a fabulous job rebooking our flight and arranging free bus transportation to the Miami airport for all passengers. The crew on Marina was consistently pleasant and positive in the face of this unexpected itinerary. It helped that the passengers too were pleasant and positive. Oceania was most generous in providing two nights of an open bar during the unexpected days at sea and a 50% credit toward our next Oceania cruise. We’ve already booked a Baltic Sea cruise in 2021. Read Less

Electronic Bookings and web site are relatively user friendly for both planning and managing the reservation. We were given dates at which time we could book shore excursions, specialty dining restaurants, and offered other information. On board, the Internet service is slow as on all cruise ships but the fact that passengers can use hand held devices means that for easy access it is best to log in very early in the morning or very late at night. Registration and Documentation was straight forward. The line publishes a splendid Cruise Vacation Guide that included stick-on baggage tags (3 per person). The booklet is very complete and was received 5 weeks before sailing. An update is sent to the travel agent about 7 days before sailing. Out of our 17 cruises this booklet is the most complete guide we have ever received. Embarkation was complicated by the procedures implemented by Oceania due to the panic associated with the emergence of the Coronavirus in China. The body temperature of each passenger was to be verified and anyone with a temperature at or above 100.4 F or 38 C was to be denied embarkation. Anyone having been to China or holding a Chinese or Hong Kong passport was denied boarding. However, the process was smooth and we were on board in 45 minutes with our room ready by 1:30 pm. Cabin/Stewart & Amenities. Concierge level offers some neat amenities all listed on their web site and in the cruises guide. This level of cabin is recommended. We emptied our suitcases with ease into the space available. In order to place luggage under the bed it is necessary to lift the base as it sits too low for some suitcases to pass under. The furniture and appearance are near perfect. We were very impressed with the result of the latest re-fit. The bathroom is tiny as is the shower but that is not a major problem. The toiletries were of high quality. The toilet being 30 degrees off the wall meant that you had to sit at an angle. Never had to do that before not even in the military … On the positive side, there is a soap bar for the shower as for the sink. Better than gels although these are also available. The Stewart did a good job. The fridge is stocked with free soft drink and there is ample water supply. The welcome bottle of Champagne was actually real Monopole Champagne not just sparkling wine. Impressive welcome. For the Restaurant/Food/Service we compared the meals hours between Princess (similar ship) and Sirena and even if they were less on Sirena we did not have any issues with the food. On the contrary we still managed to overeat and the quality was the best we have seen so far in our cruise experience. In the buffet, you cannot reach for food, the staff will serve you and the plates are kept bottom up so as not to contaminate them. We had dinner at both specialty restaurants and Red Ginger provided us with a birthday cake. Public Facilities are all very good but we particularly liked the beautiful library that houses a huge selection of books including a soft cover exchange section. It is comfortable and quiet, just the place to read and relax. In addition, this ship is immaculately clean with hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere. The Spa private deck is superb for Concierge and suite passengers. The ship Panache String Quartet was excellent providing popular classic music at different venues during the day/evenings. Smoking is our nemesis as my spouse is asthmatic and cigarette smoke can trigger a negative reaction. There is a smoking room on deck 10 but also an outside smoking area in the pool area deck 9. The latter is a problem for non-smokers. Itinerary was fine but not the major focus of our holiday; we just wanted the ship experience. The ship omitted the Costa Maya stop due to high winds and waves. Shore Excursions was used only in Belize and Roatan with satisfaction. The room has a large umbrella that came handy in Roatan. Disembarkation was well done by managing the flow of passengers closely thus no waiting in line in a hot terminal. Taxis were readily available. Communications were good as the Cruise Director limited his interventions and the Bride communicated twice a day. Just lovely. When the decision was made to skip the first stop in Mexico due to high winds and rough seas the Captain explained the situation in great detail and we hear not a single complaint throughout the cruise. Read Less

As veteran cruisers, we had high expectations for our first cruises (2/4 and 2/14, back to back) on Oceania. Our expectations were exceeded. Outstanding staff, cuisine, and a beautiful ship. We found the food in all venues to be wonderful, from the pool grill to the four upscale speciality restaurants. Totally professional wait staff in all venues. The only negative issues we encountered during this cruise were a toilet that backed up several times (common problem on our deck, according to the engineer who serviced our unit), plus two issues on the pool deck. The pool deck smoking area is not enclosed, and the cigar smoke is noticeable on the entire starboard side of the deck. We also encountered on the first cruise many entitled chair hogs who “reserved” up to 8 chairs many hours in advance of actually getting to the pool deck. Many guests complained and the pool deck staff stepped up their efforts, per their stated policy. Not much of a problem on the second cruise. We didn’t book any ship’s tours. Instead we did a few taxi tours on our own. Some of the ports (St. Bart, St. Maarten) were wonderful, others (St. Vincent, St. Lucia) were sad and poor. We will strongly consider Oceania for our future cruising. We are veterans of Cunard, Azamara, and others. Oceania is definitely top tier. Read Less

Oceania Riviera Cruise – Caribbean Feb. 4 – Feb. 14, 2020 Why this cruise? Out of our 41 ocean cruises, we had done 8 on Oceania vessels, and greatly enjoyed their small size, excellent food and general high quality of service; as well as good itineraries. Riviera is the same size as Oceana Marina, with 1250 passengers, and about twice the size of the four other ships in their fleet. But we felt like spoiling ourselves with a Penthouse Suite on this ship for a relaxing 10 days in the Caribbean, sailing to some ports we had not visited, and others we had not seen in some time. It was a worthwhile and very pleasant trip. The Ship With a gross tonnage of over 66,000 and a passenger complement of 1250, the space ratio per passenger was a very generous 52.86 cubic feet; far more than the normal cruise ship range of 30 to 45. The crew numbered 800, giving the ship a ratio of 1.56 passengers per crew member, again one of the best afloat, far ahead of the normal cruise ship, and bested by only a few of the super luxury lines. Riviera was built in 2013 and redone in 2019. It’s décor is very pleasant, leaning to striking modern art and low key walls, floors and public areas. The furniture is varied and comfortable. Our cabin was 405 square feet. This is plenty of room. There are two small chairs and a table at the foot of the bed, opposite some drawers, the refrigerator, dressing table and TV. The “suite” area has a full sized couch, table and arm chair and a large desk with ample drawer space. The verandah has two wicker arm chairs and a table. The closet is a walk-in, with plenty of space, plenty of clothes hangers, several drawers and shelves and the usual safe. The bathroom has a large sink, a shower bath and a separate shower. There is more than enough space for all one’s toiletries. The lighting system is excellent, with both the bed and the couch having separate gooseneck reading lamps in addition to normal lamps. The thermostat worked and we were able to maintain a good temperature level. We had this same cabin on Marina for its first Transatlantic crossing In November 2011, and knew these quarters to be a fine place to spend a cruise. As noted above, the ship is of a decent size, and laid out pretty well. Deck 15 has the delightful Horizon Room forward. Deck 14 features Toscana and the Polo Grill, the library, computer station, Barista coffee bar aft and the spa and fitness center forward. Deck 12 has the Terrace Buffet and Waves grill aft, the pool midships and some luxury cabins forward. Decks 11 through 7 are all cabins. Deck 6 has the Grand Dining Room aft, the Great Bar, Casino and Martinis Lounge midships. Deck 5 contains Red Ginger and Jacques midships, and the shops, Reception and the theater forward. Deck 4 has the Medical Center and tender debarkation. There are two elevator locations, one with two and the other with four units. There was seldom any delay on them except outside the theater after the shows, which can’t be helped. Dining Oceania is surpassed only by Crystal in the quality of its food. Riviera has its Grand Dining Room and Terraces buffet, and four specialty restaurants that have no extra charge; Red Ginger for Oriental food, Jacques for French Dining, Toscana for Italian and the Polo Grill for steak and beef lovers. The food in all of these venues (we did not try the Polo Grill) is excellent and the service beyond reproach. We had two dinners in the buffet, which was well set up with table cloths and fine table ware, as well as having an excellent selection. While all the restaurants were busy, none were noisy, and all moved smoothly. The selections were quite varied, and the desserts marvelous. Entertainment There were five production shows, including one on the pool deck which we did not attend. This is far more than on any ten day cruise we have taken. The production team consisted of six males and six females, and they were quite talented in comparison with most cruise line offerings. Once again, Crystal sets the mark. The theater is on the small size, although it was never completely full. It does not allow for any spectacular routines, but we did appreciate the fact that the sound was kept to a reasonable level. We did not see any of the other entertainment offerings, with one exception. This was the Ocean String Quartet – four young ladies from Poland who played every day in the large Horizon Room for 4:00 P.M. tea, and three other daily sessions in the Great Bar area outside the main dining room. We greatly enjoyed their music. There were other shows in the Theater, but we do not enjoy comedians, and were not moved to attend any other acts. All the evening shows started at 9:30 P.M.; which seems a little late given that most people dined starting at 6:30. There was an Enrichment Lecturer, Dr. Greg Wheeler, an archeologist who spoke on all sea days and was reasonably entertaining. On board announcements were not made into the cabins, with the exception of the Muster Drill and the word from the Captain that we could not tender into Punta Cana, DR due to rough seas. Ports Nassau was our first stop, but with five other cruise ships in the harbor, we were docked at the farthest pier, and did not feel up to walking to the cruise terminal. The next day was a sea day (which we love) followed by Punta Cana, where, as noted, the sea was too rough to tender ashore. Our next port was Marigot on St. Maarten where we did a ship’s tour which was quite nice. Sunday saw St. John’s, Antigua, but it was raining, and while my wife strolled around town, not much was open. The next port was St. Lucia, where we had a private tour that was also very nice, and we enjoyed this island. The last stop was St. Barts. This is a French island, with mostly French inhabitants, unlike the other stops. It also caters to the wealthy, with several multi million dollar yachts in the harbor, extremely expensive hotels, homes selling for several million euros, and very expensive restaurants. We limited ourselves to strolling around the port area. After that, it was two sea days and then Miami. The Crew With 800 crew members we were well taken care of. Oceania manages to keep an experienced group. Our cabin stewardess had been with them 13 years, almost as long as the company has been in business. Our butler was very pleasant, and although we did not use him much, he was always readily available, and checked on us every day. The Executive Lounge concierge was very helpful when I ran into an airline reservation snag. The medical staff was very efficient, and the reception staff always pleasant and able to come up with an answer. As noted above, the dining staff was first rate. We noted that the Executive Chef often visited and observed the buffet and main dining room service during times when food was being served; often accompanied by the General Manager and/or the Executive Concierge. That is a sign of an excellent management attitude. Miscellaneous The cabin TV had some excellent features such as a number of movies, and a clear passenger account record, but the news was somewhat limited, with only European sports and a very poor navigation reporting system. This seems odd in view of the fact that all intercontinental airlines have excellent navigation systems at every seat. Other cruise lines also do a much better job In this area. The daily on board activities were typical, and the enrichment speaker was able to fill in with a lecture when we did not stop at Punta Cana. Conclusion This was a very nice, if not spectacular cruise. We had booked it for a fairly quiet trip, and that was what we got. We looked forward to a delightful cabin, excellent service and great food, and we received what we expected. What more can one ask for. Bon Voyage Read Less

All staff and crew were brilliant - it was a nightmare situation for them to deal with. Everyone was behind them - they did all they could to keep us all safe and happy. A wonderful crew and we love Oceania anyway!!! Everyone is very friendly, the crew relate so well to the guests, nothing is too much trouble and there is a general feeling of bonhomie. Even before the refurb of Nautica, we were quite happy with the ship! Will happily only ever cruise with Oceania and love all their ships but (haven't been on Serena) Keep up the good work Oceania !!! Loved all the entertainment and thought that Carson was the best cruise director we have come across on Oceania. Meanwhile, Abram did a terrific job having been dropped in the deep end when Julie was removed from the ship. Coronavirus created many problems but Oceania dealt with them admirably and sympathetically at all times. We felt safe. Read Less

Family recommended this cruise line and went with family and friends. This is our 7th or 8th cruise in last two years. Pros: Staff was friendly, accommodating, room very clean. John at the omelette station was an artist and made breakfast very enjoyable. Sauna, steam room and showers very good--Great water therapy tub with jet movement Cons:: Dining and food experience horrible. Meat and fish bland, flavorless, and poor quality. Choices on dinner buffet same as main dining room. Only had one or two meals that were ok. Breakfast same every day. Specialty dining (2 restaurants) were ok--nothing special and service very slow. Same pizza every day--cannot customize like just get a tomato pie like other ships. Entertainment: Singer and piano player at show was very good. Show last night of cruise was good. The rest of the shows were terrible. One night was Super Bowl and tonight is the Oscars on our TV or in lounge. NO LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AT THE POOL EXCEPT FOR ONE HOUR IN 10 DAYS, AND THIS WAS JUST THE HOUSE BAND. Activities: Very limited and nothing that interest me or wife. There are two hot tubs in the pool area--However they are not hot--they are warm. I complained along with many others and was told that temperature was 80 degrees F and met regulations. This is my 7th or 8th cruise in the past two years--Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America. Just cruised Royal Anthem of the Sea last month for 11 nights almost same itinerary and paid $3,000. Sirena cost $6,000 for same room (Balcony) COMPLETE RIPOFF--- Cabin: Shower designed for children, not grownups. Toilet placement made it impossible to place one leg. I had to use public bathrooms on other decks to have a bowl movement. Room very poorly laid out with bed in center and no space to walk around. Bottom line question:: Would you go again? No--Not on this ship Would I recommend Oceania to a friend? Definitely not this ship. I've heard good things about Rivera, but won't take a chance again. One more thing about age, I'm 71 and wife is 70. Probably 95% of passengers were in their 80's or 90's. I hope I made it to my 80's and 90's but much older crowd. No babies on ship or little kids. I still had a great time being with friends and family, but just too many misses and issues with this ship. Everyone was disappointed that we couldn't embark at the private beach the last day cause of high winds--but that was not fault of cruise line--- Read Less

Oceania cruises are great for couples (nothing interesting for children or singles) This cruise was from San Franciso to Santiago Chile, i.e. a 22-day section of a world cruise. In addition to embarkation and debarkation, we visited these ports: Santa Barbara and San Diego in USA; Cabo, Ixtapa, Acapulco and Puerto Chapas in Mexico; Puerto Quetzel in Gautemala, Acajutla in El Salvador; Manta in Ecuador; Salavery, Lima and Pisco in Peru; and Coquimbo in Chile. The excursions were well managed, although frequently the standard of English was poor and in El Salvador, incomprehensible (We nevertheless appreciated the tour for what we saw and visited). The excursions must be bought in advance, from a group of 5 or more outings ranging from $100 up. However, recently, the ships also take good care of passengers setting out on their own (free shuttle bus into town, briefings, information sheets etc). The food is a main selling point of Oceania, with excellent , free, French/continental cuisine in the main dining room and two or more (depends on ship) specialty restaurants (on Insignia, Steak house and Italian). The informal buffet (Terrace Café) is also excellent at noon, but in the evening it serves exotic foreign dishes which you may wish to avoid depending on your tastes. There is also a good "fast food" outlet (Waves Grill) close to the pool, open till 4PM, and useful when arriving back from an excursion without having had lunch. On days at sea, There are excellent lectures (geopolitics, history, geography of the region), and bridge, ladies activities (petit-point etc). In the evening there is dancing to a good jazz band (on Insignia) and Chamber music quartet to accompany drinks before evening dinner. There are evening shows as well, to entertain those who don't want to watch a film or the news on the ships's TV, in their cabin. The Internet, with onboard WIFI has greatly improved over the years. And, reading on the balcony, or beside the pool, at sea, is wonderful!. There are no crowds or line-ups, particularly on the small ships (600pax). On the negative side, the main issue is the incongruant "ambiance" on board what is supposed to be an almost-luxury cruise. Oceania ships and staff are most elegant (even the room stewards change into black uniforms to fix up your bed in the evening) and the cuisine is at the top of a 'Luxury" category. But this refined ambiance is destroyed by the lack of a serious dress code for passengers, which Oceania advertises as "country club casual" but means "anything goes". Oceania habitués will wear a jacket for evening dinner or a cocktail with the Captain, but up to half the diners, mostly newbys, will be in shirt sleeves, no jacket, and a signifiicant number of men will be wearing a baseball cap. It makes one question why you are paying a substantial price for an elegant decor, upscale service, gastronomic restaurants and sophisticated enrichment activities when you are rubbing shoulders with a crowd that is dressed for beer call at a sports bar. For this, I rate "poor" value for money! The movies in cabins on Oceania ships, formerly multi-lingual DVDs, are now replaced by TV screens that don't accept DVDs. One is left with a limited, unchanging selection of English-only children's cartoons, horor films,etc. Nevertheless you can get NBC, Fox, BBC, and Sky for your news. Many of the passengers had mobility handicaps, requiring walkers, motorized wheel chairs etc. The staff, and many passengers, went out of their way to accomodate their problems. But they frequently caused delay during activites on board, and particulalry on excursions. This is not fair to others and oceania should be more vigilant in accepting them for activities they are unable to adequately pursue. Read Less

Caribbean Flair - Oceana Sirena 13th - 25th January 2020 Having enjoyed previous Oceana Cruises to the Pacific islands we unfortunately booked the Sirena on the ill fated Caribbean Flair cruise on 13th January. On our second day at breakfast we heard a loud bang and the ship stopped. After 30 minutes dead in the water the ship was restarted and we very slowly sailed on. At midday the Captain announced the we had suffered an electrical fault and propulsion problems. As we continued to limp along the captain later announced that we would be unable to visit Aruba and suggested this was due to “currents and winds” so, we had the first three days at sea and we missed Aruba altogether. We arrived in Grenada four hours late, most of the excursions were cancelled, however, our Sunnyside Gardens tour went ahead but was concluded in the dark! On board, the enrichment lectures were anything but …. poor content read from a laptop and badly presented. The quality of food and service was not to the level previously experienced. Menu's became paper photocopies due to members of staff being quarantined with an outbreak of a virus - not confidence enhancing! The on board WIFI was weak and inconsistent preventing completion of the on board survey - sparing your blushes. On our return to Miami the ship continued to limp along and despite the calm ‘mill pond’ water and minimal breeze the captain announced that we would be three hours late into Miami (this turned out to be five hours late). The excuse offered was ‘currents and winds’ ….. had they made a 180 degree turn around? and were we not sailing with the Gulf Stream? It was very clear to everyone on board that the ship was still encountering difficulties, this was confirmed when we arrive in Miami to find that five other much larger ships had all docked on time despite the mythical Sirena currents and winds. Our Miami excursion was cancelled but fortunately we had an evening flight to London, I felt so sorry for passengers who had to franticly try and rearrange their flights home. We’re disappointed that we missed out on visiting Aruba, had cancelled and restricted excursions, the quality of food, service and experiences were poor by comparison to previous cruises, however, contradictory information and the lack of honest communication does not engender sympathy. No apology on board and no apology since our return is inexcusable, demonstrating a need for improved crisis management and corporate governance. Could you please respond with a belated apology and an appropriate level of compensation to redeem your somewhat damaged reputation. Read Less

This was my first cruise on Oceania. It was a repeat of the ABC trip we took earlier n the month with Holland America. This gives me a chance to compare the two cruise lines. Our first stop was supposed to be Aruba. The first two days were like being on a bouncy castle. We were forward and we hit every wave. We had no balcony on Deck 6. The waves did hit the porthole as we bounced along to Aruba. The captain came onto the speaker and announced that we would miss Aruba because the ship could not travel fast enough to get to Aruba before 7pm. We then had to scramble with Viator to cancel our shore excursion with less than 24 hours notice. I was surprised that the captain could not determine that we were going to miss the port after travelling for two sea days. The Holland America trip a few days prior to this trip had some bounciness but we never lost time. We subsequently learned that other ships in the ABC area also cancelled port visits so there was a storm. We had a brownout on the first day. Power came back but I doubt that this caused us to miss Aruba as the ship would have 3-4 generators. I went to the Cruise Director and asked that on the trip from Bonaire to Grenada that we be given notice about more delays. He said he would but again, we heard that we would be late to Grenada - arriving at 430pm - and we only got a few hours notice. I find it hard to believe that the captain could only figure this out when we had travelled 80% of the distance - very irresponsible. I tried to cancel the Grenada shore excursion as we would have only 1.5 hours of daylight but the tour operator refused to do so. Viator's cancellation rules require 24 hours notice. We were then delayed a third time as we were about 5 hours late getting back to Miami. We got a few hours notice on this delay. I came to the conclusion that travelling on small ships like the Sirena needs to be restricted to short visits that don't involve crossing big bodies of water. The other issue is that I would only take Oceania cruises where we took the ship's shore excursions. In the case of this cruise the ship's shore excursions were very expensive and not very good compared to the private tours I booked. The food was fabulous. Oceania has two high end restaurants. But you cannot pay to dine at them. They are really a reward for being a frequent flyer on Oceania. The Red Ginger Beef Panang was superb. They served it once in the regular dining room and it was nowhere near as good. The breakfast and lunch food was very good. The dinners in the dining room were better than Holland America except for the salmon. The sushi was mediocre compared to Holland America. There was sorbet every day. Blood orange was the best flavor. The big problem with Norwegian, who owns Oceania, is that this company does not believe in making reservations for dinner. You have to line up like going to MacDonald's. If you don't share a table, waiting 30 minutes is not unusual. I tried sharing and it was ok for the most part, as Oceania is a high end crowd. One evening the man sitting with us tried to pick a fight with another diner as the other diner was talking too long to the wine steward. In the other case, there were two Brits who had no manners, who just got up and left their food because of the noise in the dining room. The ship is smaller and felt more crowded than the Holland America ship that had 4 times the number of guests. The hot tub was cold. The string quartet was very good. The internet was poor but was slightly better than Holland America. The problem with both ships is that when you pay for better service, you get the same speed so there is no advantage to paying. Oceania restricts streaming if you don't pay so I had no access to my VectorVest stock service. Email was slow but it eventually came in. As an IT guy I wanted to meet with the ship IT person but he refused to meet with me....not impressed by this. There was a guest lecturer who spoke about pirates in the Caribbean. It was not very good. There were no other port talks. There were 8 crew members who go the flu. I learned that there were no mandatory vaccinations for crew. Given the current concerns about Coronavirus, I found this to be very strange. The ship went into an ultra cleaning mode but it was a little late for this measure. I would not take a long trip on these small ships. I have passed on a Baltic cruise and a Panama Canal cruise for now as the stress of missing ports and losing shore excursion money is just too great. So I am going on the Dubai cruise in 2021. There short distances between ports and in this part of the world, it makes sense to take the ship's shore excursions. It is on the Sirena so it the captain misses ports, I don't have to worry about losing money on privately booked tours. Read Less

I am a veteran of cruising, and have been on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Viking and Carnival numerous times. For the extra money paid for an Oceania cruise, I really expected more. I wanted the Panama Canal, full transit itinerary, and when we booked, Oceania was the only one going all the way through. I must say, the crew and service was fantastic. Because the gratuity was included, I did not expect that, but they were wonderful! However, the food was very disappointing for that class of cruise line. And the price of buying just one occasional bottle of wine was much higher than we see at other cruise lines. They seemed to really push their drink packages. Food and drink on the other cruise lines is certainly better. I might rate Oceania above Carnival, but Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are just as good, and for a much lower cost. Sorry, but for the cost of an Oceania cruise, we will never use them again. Read Less

Just as introduction: I like Oceania's smaller ships a little bit better than their bigger ones, but mostly we choose by itinerary. We're Oceania regulars, but occasionally cruise on Viking Ocean, which we also love. We've also cruised about 4 times on other ships. We were happy to find that Oceania's quality had not gone down in the year plus it had been since we had last cruised. The itinerary was what we like, and what Oceania generally offers -- a mixture between lesser-known ports and better-known ports, with a decent ratio of port to sea days, as I really like being in a port almost every day. However, when you're cruising a large country/continent like Australia, you have more sea days than expected. I managed. Service and food were still wonderful (with a few exceptions, of course - nobody's perfect, and each person's taste is different). The crowd was a little older than usual, and there were a good number of Aussies and Kiwis on board, which is a first for me. Most of the people had been on the cruise for the previous cruise or had embarked Dec. 6 to do a circumnavigation of Australia, embarking/disembarking in Sydney. There were only about 80 of us embarking in Bali of the completely full ship (788 max, I believe). Regatta was re-furbished maybe 4 months ago, and it is now nicer than when I cruised on her last. I loved the new, more modern and light decor and furniture in our stateroom (we were in an inside cabin) and the enhancements to the TV system, although I mostly used the TV to watch/listen to port talks/enrichments lectures/destination talks rather than movies or music. It seemed like there was more space in the bathroom for things - plenty of room, and not on shelves, but hidden behind the mirrored cabinet. I also liked the two part mirrored cabinet, as I could put things I used a lot in that part of the cabinet and just open that part. The new hooks were nice, but I would have preferred if my spouse had NOT hung things up there. I should have made HIM sleep on that side of the bed to solve the (tiny) issue of having to walk carefully to avoid hitting clothing and a backpack when going to bed! Our cabin steward, Rosario from Goa, India, was absolutely the best we've ever had, in all our Oceania cruises, plus on other cruise lines. When I heard he alone would be cleaning our cabin, I was thinking his attention to detail might be stretched, since on our last couple cruises, the steward had a helper. But Rosario kept our room immaculate, and he was extremely personable/friendly, while still being professional. He read my quirky husband like a book, which made for some fun times. Service throughout the ship was excellent; so was the food. We really liked some of the lesser-popular food at Waves (salmon, for example - real salmon, not salmon cake!). We ate dinner on the Terrace a lot, and sat outside a lot if it was warm enough. We didn't eat in the Grand Dining Room a lot, but when we did, we asked for a fast waiter and a 2-person table. Julio was great. We seldom take very many ship offered excursions, but the ones we took were quite good. We enjoyed the free internet, although at times it could get a little bogged down, and ran slow. But using it at dinner time through bed time or first thing in the morning solved that problem for me. And while only one person (device) per stateroom can receive it for free (at least in an inside cabin; not sure about suites), that was no problem for us. Cruise director Corey Powell did a great job. There were the usual activities and entertainment, although I didn't go to many of the shows or even the activities. I'm just not much of a "doer" on any cruise ship. My spouse had a great time doing activities, though, especially the trivia. Entertainment, as is the case with Oceania, was not the splashy affairs that the larger ships have. However, it seemed certainly adequate for my spouse and I. There were some local Australian performers brought on for a show, which was nice. Lecturers were good. My husband liked seeing the Southern Cross with a group of people and the enrichment lecturer, who covered astronomy, history and nature topics. There were some nice touches for Christmas and the New Year's Eve party was great. There were a couple disappointments due to missed ports (weather, etc.) but I've learned that those are just a part of cruising, and so I roll with the punches if they occur. Of course, it didn't help that we cruised when Australia was experiencing far-reaching bush fires and high winds in the SE part of the country. The ports we visited were great, and Australia really seems to roll out the carpet for cruisers in many ports. Overall, I thought it was a fabulous cruise, and my opinion of Oceania remains high. I will no doubt cruise with them again. Read Less

Have cruised several times with Oceania before and they were all fine in the past.Not this time. We have a PH Suite which was fine with the exception of the postage size bathroom. The Spa was not serviced and kept clean and the Steam room and Jacuzzi were both warm but to HOT. No Sauna. My wife purchased the Premium Drink Package and more often than not could not get American Chardonnay (kept telling her that they ran out including our second day out. Service in restaurant was the worst, often waited to be served wine half way through the meal. Food was awful unlike and past Oceania Cruises. Excursions were a joke and we cancelled many after the first few. Entertainment was fair at best. Staff other than the cabin staff for the most part were not friendly and treated guests as second class citizens. I could add many more negative comments but surely you get our message by now. Read Less

Chose cruise for convenient location. Stateroom had not been cleaned properly. Attendant was poor. Worst service ever( taken 92 cruises). No respect for passengers, staff don't care. Even Hotel Manager couldn't get cooperation!!! He had invited us to dinner as an apology but we never received the invitation!! Only one show in the evening so it was Special Dining or Show but not both. Shop merchandise was poor in choice but still expensive. Food was very good, but service was slow. Oceania standards have dropped significantly. It would appear that the NCL takeover had proved to have a negative affect on the line. Will definitely not be cruising with the group in future. Past cruisers beware Oceania is not what it was. If the Hotel Manager can't get service what chance for us simple passengers. The Riviera is certainly not an upmarket vessel. You have been warned. Ignore these comments at your peril Read Less

After all previous cruises we sailed, we select this one since it had an appropriate itinerary for us. Our cabin was well kept throughout the cruise. Excursion Destination Staff did a good job. Reception desk staff were friendly and helpful. Medical clinic staff was professional and excellent. Food and beverage staff service was ok but management for this service must learn what to improved from Regent Seven Sea Cruise Management. On board Nautica, we had one and only one free Captain cocktail during the 31 day cruise. Cheap. For Christmas Day at sea and New Year, nothing from cheap Nautica Oceania. Even their cheap wines were expensive. Oceania Nautica has to improve on their "fine cuisine". Food was ok for the money we paid for. Toscana has a large menu but food is only good Italian food. I had to return my plate and the Chief Cook visited me. Polo Grill was fine. The Grand Dining Room was as just great and we appreciated the food there. The Staff was very friendly and provided an excellent service. (Vijay and Mady) What a chaotic experience during disembarking Nautica on the wharf in Cape Town. No Nautica staff to help.They had our money already...who cares! We and other passengers had to carry our luggages about 1500 feet from the terminal building to outside the terminal. No real taxi available at the terminal building for disembarking passengers, and they were many of us. Outside taxis were scum people. 50usd for a 15usd trip to a local Cape Town hotel.(total rip-off) Oceania staff let me suggest to you: "First impression is important but the last one is just as important". So we speak now to our friends about this rip-off rather the overall cruise. We would NOt recommend Oceania Cruises to any of our friends and have all ready informed our travel agent accordingly. Selecting an itinerary first with Oceania was a mistake for us and value for money was not there. Read Less

Chose for the itinerary. Pluses: Easy embarkation and debarkation at all ports. Cruise Ship Personnel Service Excellent Cruise Director & Entertainment Staff Excellent Specialty restaurants very good at no extra charge. Polo Grill better than Toscanini. Can obtain extra reservation day of if not totally booked No issue bringing on your own alcohol Food at Waves Restaurant Sandwiches good for lunch Back of ship dining buffet good for bfast, lunch and dinner. Very casual. Grilled shrimp and lobster as requested-mmmmmm good Only had to tender at 1 port Bora- Bora Skipped Samoa Apia due to measles outbreak ( was a Sunday and nothing was open so did not miss much) Highlights: Bora-Bora, Vanuatu, Noumea, New Caledonia & Brisbane. Went to Moore on our own prior to boarding ship in Papeete. Tons of activities to earn on board ship points “OPoints” for redemption of Oceania logo items Staff very conscious of remembering guests names Happy Hours at 5-6 & 10:30-11:30 for BOGO of the same drink Easy access to elevators or stairs. Never crowded. Nice size ship with only 650 max people Games like trivia, majority rules, bingo all great fun ————— Ship excursions too pricey, book on your own Spa prices way too expensive Main Dining Room food is marginal Smoking areas should be delegated to the top deck and not so close to the pools. Promotions to book another cruise on board are not as attractive as one can get on their own Read Less

We chose this cruise because my parents wanted to see Greece and this cruise went there. They also dreamed of going on an Oceania cruise because the food is supposed to be great as well as service and staterooms. The cruise began on a sour note as the cruise could not leave from Monte Carlo as it was slated. The reason was given as weather, however, we spent 3 days in Nice before departure and did not have bad weather. There was some rain beginning the night before departure and day of, but nothing difficult. We were emailed this change update on 11/8, 3 days before departure. We were told that we had to go to Monte Carlo to get a bus to Marseille where the ship would be waiting. Anyone flying in on departure day could go from the Nice airport, but we had to go to Monte Carlo, The complete opposite direction to turn around and go past Nice to get to Marseilles. So after several emails back-and-forth to my travel agent we were able to get the transfer from the Nice Airport. We should not have had to spend our time doing this. It was very disorganized. And to make matters worse we had to go back to Monte Carlo from Marseille the next day which changed our itinerary for the next several days. It was amazing to me that we could get into Monte Carlo just the next day that we couldn’t get in. It seems odd. We also missed a stop in Crete because of this. It made no sense and the issue was never addressed by Oceania. All of us with tours outside of the cruise had to scramble to get our tours changed There was some loss of tickets purchased in advance. Now it gets better. On the 4th day of the cruise, there was a breakout of nora virus. The ship had to go on the CDC protocol of cleaning. Dining rooms were emptied of all glasses, Plates, silverware, salt and pepper shakers, etc. This took its toll on service as every single thing had to be brought to the table one by one. You could not sit at a table in the buffet until it was sterilized. This made for a lot of waiting during busy times, especially when arriving in port to disembark for the day. Many people who Became ill were quarantined for 48 hours. Therefore they had to eat all of their meals in their room and were not offered anything from the main dining rooms. You could only order off of the room service menu. You had to give your room key up and were told if you left your room you would be put off the ship in the next port. It was very serious. Now two weeks later we have heard nothing from the cruise line in regards to loss time as well as lost ports. I find that odd. Otherwise the food was good, but I would not say great. The service was lacking as the staff seemed stretched thin. The only restaurant that was really great for us was The Red Ginger. The service was amazing, as well as the food. We would have eaten there every night, but it stayed booked, as did most specialty restaurants. The entertainment was definitely for an older crowd. No comedians. Just small productions with a nice band, but nothing extraordinary. For the money, I do not recommend this cruise Unless you are 70 plus and don't really want to be entertained. Excursions are outrageously priced as well as wine and cocktails. Our room steward was the highlight. He was amazing and always kept Us laughing. Read Less

Room is fine 11061 is a bit noisy but great size butler &maid Dining & tour arrangement a 3rd rate low price Cruise line disaster. Tour changed with no notification (some attendees, not all received notification 2 days in advance. WE DID NOT) from am to pm thereby not allowing time to dress for cocktail party & attend dinner reservation at speciality restaurant. The restaurant refused to change reservation 2 @ any time ! Reservations made online weeks ago for a very special birthday. Birthday when attempting to confirmed with Butler upon boarding I was informed my reservation was for the ninth not the tenth but he assured m we no problem as long as we were flexible with time. Tried to confirm planned birthday celebration at Jacques 2 day in advance informed I was on waitingist THANK YOU VERY MUCH Not even Carnival abuses multu repeat crusiersj. Oh wonderful !!just learned Port of Monte Carlo will be cancelled Read Less

Weather in northeast was far too cold to enjoy the beautiful cities of Canada and New England. Embarkation looked like a greased pig rodeo with two individuals (later three) controlling the crowds. The "herder-in-charge" was too busy chatting with guests (at the head of the line) to keep the processing running smoothly, with agents waving at him frantically to get his attention to send over another person to check in. The subordinate, on the other hand, was constantly distracted by questions, problems, and other issues so that people were jumping the line to check in. When the chatty man in charge noticed the line jumpers, he verbally attacked the other who was facing the crowds. They finally added a third person to make their system work properly. Ship was beautiful. Cabin was clean and well kept. Water was NOT softened leaving the skin and scalp very dry. Dining was good, but not great as there were not too many "simple food" options for people with dietary restrictions. Food too rich. Service was exceptional. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. All of the cities were places of interest to us and we had not visited them before. We took advantage of the pre cruise add on. Our hotel, Le Germaine, in Montreal had just re-opened after an update. The update is quite modern, think chairs hanging on chain from the ceiling. The hotel is in an ideal location for walking to downtown. The bed was comfortable, shower large and wonderful, and the staff could not have been any better. The pre cruise itinerary enabled us to tour not only Montreal but also Ottawa. Oceania had quick embarkation and fast delivery of our luggage. The Riviera cabin with a veranda was perfect for us. The furnishings were standard but the linens and towels were pristine and new. Our cabin attendants, Suresh and Wilmer, kept our room cleaned and the refrigerator stocked at times when we were out, so we never knew they were even around. Our short conversations with Wilmer were pleasant and his smile and friendliness made him a standout in our mind. This was a very casual cruise with no formal night. Most of the female cruisers dressed in slacks and nice tops for dinners. A very few wore a dress. Men don't need to pack even a sports jacket. Laundry use of washers and dryers was free and detergent was supplied. Had I known, I would have packed less. Dining at the specialty restaurants was excellent, as was the service. We especially loved the Red Ginger and were lucky to get 2 nights there. The watermelon and crispy duck salad and the Sea Bass entree were outstanding. Check with restaurant reservations to see if there is room to add extra to your 4. Thanks to Oceania for including the specialty restaurants without an uncharge. Loved lunching at the Waves Grill. A main Dining Room tip: orders at shared tables will not be taken until the table is full. Entertainment was mostly very good. There was one magician that we didn't like due to the shrill yelling kind of delivery he had. He might have been a great magician but his delivery made the magic go away. One comedian was great the first night but a following night had too many "fart" jokes to be funny. Yes, our crowd was old-er but come on. Boutique options were limited. I was interested in the perfumes etc. at one shop. I observed that the clerk was quite friendly with the 2 customers in front of me. However, when I stepped up and asked questions, I felt that I was treated almost rudely by said clerk and not a valued customer. Perhaps I didn't have the look of $$ ? We loved all the ports that we visited but think the ship excursions were over priced. EX: 2 hour walking tour at 119.00 per person! Book from a local or go on your own at most places and you will do so much better than the Oceania excursions. The only exception was the 2 day hop on in NYC. I thought that one was reasonable. On tender days the wait to get off was terribly long. One day we didn't get off until noon. There must be a more efficient way for this. Disembarking was swift, our luggage was gone from in front of our cabin the night before to claim before boarding our bus to the airport. We did so enjoy our trip but would caution that this was a ship of elderly persons. This is not a cruise for children. I would not recommend it for those who are looking for lots of shipboard fun. There were daily Mensa quizzes, trivia, bean bag toss, golf, an art scavenger hunt, and a few other activities. Perhaps this was in part to the ports and time of year. I don't know about Caribbean experiences on Oceania. Enjoy your trip! PS. Points were given for joining in on the quizzes, trivia, etc. At the end of the trip there was a point redemption for awesome items. I scored a fleece lined windbreaker, t shirt, and purse holder! Read Less

Oceania is my favorite cruise line, always has excellent food and service. From the stewards to the servers in the dining areas, always outstanding service. Dijon and Suprano took good care of us, always available to our needs. Sedeep in the grill in the Terrace Cafe always greeted you with a big smile and asked you what your needs were and often brought our hot dishes to our table if time permitted since my husband is disabled. Jason also assisted him with breakfast ordered an omelette and bacon and brought it to his table. Buddha in the Toscano was outstanding. He provided extra assistance by cutting his food in bite size pieces since he had noticed he had a walker. Mark in the Polo Grill was great too. He also assisted my husband with his steak. All were very caring and helpful, always with a smile. glad I was able to cancel some excursions in New York city because of weather and schedule a panoramic one. My only problem is not enough accessible rooms/cabins. If you look around what is the average age of most your guests and they’re in walkers, wheelchairs, and have walking canes. They put a chair in the shower, it was so big that there was no room for him to step in the shower and it did not fit in the tub either. If you could at least position some hand rails in the shower and tub to hold on to while taking a shower it would make a BIG difference for your physically challenged guests. It would also help every one during rough seas. I already made a reservation for an Alaskan cruise for next year so we could get a handicapped cabin. The Regatta has ONLY 3 Handicapped rooms available in the whole ship an they are inside cabins Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary (wanted to visit Florence, Rome, Pompeii, and Venice) and time of year (not summer busy season). Oceania turned out to be a great choice. The ship is smaller than most. We never waited long for an elevator and could easily find seating at the pool or in the dining rooms, even though we were told it was fully booked. We enjoyed the 24-hour coffee service in Horizons Lounge. What a great place to watch entry into ports or just relax with a book! This is a VERY port-intensive cruise. Plan on being tired after busy days on shore. We had one scheduled full day of sailing, plus one more because weather prohibited docking at one port. The staff huddled to create activities for the extra sailing day. Embarkation was not as smooth as we hoped it would be. We had significant delays at the airport waiting for another couple and then waiting for the van. Not the best first impression. Re Ports: Monaco - Tender was difficult. Scheduled HOHO tour on my own; can also purchase from bus driver. We rode all the way around before deciding where to stop during second round. Check out side streets near the palace - enjoy gelato. Easy to find the bus, not too busy (but remember we were not there during peak season). Florence - Used an “included” tour for transfer only. You do not need a tour guide. Just download audio file from Rick Steve’s web site (pack headphones) and pre-order tickets to The Accadamia if you want to see The David. Lines to buy tickets are WAY too long. The statue is amazing, esp when compared to unfinished sculptures located in the same room (can even see chisel marks on those). Rome - After MUCH research, I scheduled a private tour with RomeInLimo. This was the ONLY company that said we could see BOTH the interior of the Coliseum and the Vatican. We did both of those and more by having a highly experienced driver and having pre-purchased tickets. Standing in line for ticket purchase would have taken hours. Find out when tickets go on sale for the date you need and mark your calendar. They sell out, even during the non-peak months. Using RomeInLimo was worth every penny! They even have a web site where you can advertise for others to join you (decreases your expense). And use your CruiseCritic Roll Call to share info. Naples/Pompeii - Used an Oceania tour that included tickets, transportation, and a guided tour. Tiring but so interesting. Not recommended if you have problems walking. Probably miserable during hot weather. Kotor - Could not dock due to high winds. Zadar - Oceania provided transportation into town. Sea Organ is unique. Koper - Not our favorite. Could have stayed on the ship. Venice - Oceania excursion that included Murano and gondola ride; quite memorable. Wanted more time in Venice, so took public ferry back to the terminal instead of returning with tour group. Convenient and inexpensive, but be sure you catch the last ferry to avoid $$$$ transportation expense. Oceania staff was very helpful with disembarkation. We bought transfers. As is undoubtedly true with other cruise lines, be sure to READ THE FINE PRINT, especially concerning cancellation of pre-cruise packages. We were unable make the flight due to a medical emergency. In spite of the reason, Oceania would not refund the hotel charge, because the date was too close to our embarkation date. My advice is to schedule such packages on your own. I think the hotel would have credited at least part of the fee if I had booked directly with them. I hope that our travel insurance will cover this, the cost of rebooking flights ($1600), and a tour we missed. Entertainment - Not their strong suit, but usually too tired to attend. Service was OUTSTANDING! Everyone was courteous and helpful. Our flights home were cancelled due to an airline strike, and Oceania made all rebooking arrangements for us. Dining - We went to the buffet most nights. We were surprised to see lobster and grilled shrimp offered every night. Offerings not as extensive as those on larger ships, but we always found menu items we liked. Favorite meal was the Osso Bucco and Tiramisu at Toscanna. Enrichment - I attended the cooking demo. Informative and entertaining! Educational programs re upcoming ports were recorded and could be viewed on tv. Read Less

We have cruise many times with Oceania and have never been disappointed. In fact, whenever we cruise with another line, we can't wait to get back to Oceania. The crew and staff on the Insignia make the trip a most relaxing, care free and enjoyable experience. Service is second to none and you rarely see a crew member without a smile on their face or a pleasant greeting. The cabins are very comfortable with great beds and more than ample storage. Love the new decor after the recent renovation...very bright and pleasant. Even though the bathrooms are small, there is again good storage space. The new glass shower door is an improvement, however the shower is still tight. After a few showers, you figure out the best way to position yourself. The cuisine is awesome. The Grand dining room, Polo and Tuscana are wonderful, but our favorite is the Terrace Cafe. The Terrace is a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner, hardly ever crowded, can eat either inside or outside, the selections are many and varied, can get made to order lobster, shrimp, steak or fish, can try small portions of several items and the service is impeccable. Waves grill is an outdoor venue specializing in made to order burgers, dogs, cubans, reubens, salads, smoothies, shakes, malts and ice cream. Went to the shows every night. The ship's and guest entertainers are very good and the shows enjoyable. More singing of popular songs and not as much dancing from the ship's group which we like. Afternoon Tea is very nice and relaxing...would highly recommend. Twice nightly happy hours at Martini's and Horizon is a nice touch. Self service laundry on board. Bottom line is that a cruise on the Insignia or for that matter, any Oceania vessel, might just be the perfect cruise experience. Thanks Oceania for thinking of all the right moves. Read Less

This was our first cruise with Oceania. We knew it was going to be an exceptional cruise when we breezed through check in. There were no lines at the terminal. Our room was ready as soon as we stepped on board and our luggage was delivered in minutes. What a surprise it was to find my husband's favorite Coke Zero already chilling in the mini refrigerator! The room was beautifully furnished in shades of blue and there was plenty of storage space. The bed was very comfortable. Soft-closing drawers and cabinet doors, no-fog mirrors, plush robes and slippers were nice extras. Our room steward was friendly and polite, and we were always amazed to come back from meals and excursions to find our room made up and our beverages re-stocked. The food in all the venues was outstanding. Polo Grill and Toscana were so memorable that we tried (but failed) to get another reservation to either one. The selections were extensive in both the Main Dining Room and at Terrace Cafe (buffet). We appreciated that there were always vegan, gluten-free, and "healthier" items at every meal. Food in the buffet was plated for you, which I thought was more sanitary than self-service. Everything I had was so delicious. My husband indulged in prawns, lobster and caviar, which made him feel like a king. The staff in all dining areas were always so attentive. Our water glasses and coffee cups were refilled constantly. We loved going to Baristas for juice, lattes, and sweet or savory snacks, and experiencing our first English tea time in Horizons. Lectures by Sandy Cares were very informational and the topics were surprisingly eclectic. Who else could make pirates and bananas so interesting?!! The evening performers were quite entertaining. We marveled at the magician and laughed till we cried with the comedian. His lecture on the history of comedy was insightful and funny. The singers and musicians were very talented. This cruise lines skews towards a more mature crowd. We saw only two passengers below 13, and they were traveling with their parents and grandparents. They seemed to be enjoying the trip, even without water slides and climbing rocks. We had such a wonderful time on insignia that we booked our next cruise while onboard, and we can't wait till we get another opportunity to be treated so well. Read Less