Oceania Cruises

06 Apr 2020

Our cruise started in Papeete Tahiti after we had enjoyed a two day stay in Los Angeles on the way out to break our journey and a three night stay in the Intercontinental Resort Tahiti prior to embarkation. Whilst travelling out for the cruise we started to be aware of the Coronavirus spreading around the world rather quickly, however, we were committed to the holiday and there was no travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that would have allowed us to cancel even if we had wanted to. Embarkation in Papeete was effortless and we were settled into our balcony cabin in record time. Having sailed with Oceania three times previously, we were quite used to the layout of the ship but were most impressed with the fantastic changes to the cabins and communal areas from the recent refit and upgrade. The cabin was beautifully presented and well thought out with an abundance of stowage space for all our clothes. Dining throughout the cruise in the Main Dining Room was a delight as were our visits to the two speciality restaurants of Polo Grill and Toscana. We ate most lunchtimes at the Terrace Grill and loved the outside seating, superb choice of food and impeccable service. As for the cruise itself, we departed Papeete and enjoyed calls at Moorea, Fakarava, Nuka Hiva and Rangiroa before the trip was cut short due to the first Coronavirus case being discovered in French Polynesia. Planned visits to Bora Bora and Raiatea were called off and we sailed back to Papeete instead for the final three days of the cruise. Let’s be honest, there are worse places to be berthed and we did receive a 50% future credit from Oceania for our troubles. Throughout the cruise I cannot praise highly enough the efforts the ship went through to maintain the highest of hygiene standards onboard, the measures were extremely reassuring and thorough throughout. Disembarkation was quick and well organised and we managed, despite a cancelled Virgin flight from LA to Heathrow, to get home as planned one day before the USA ban on the UK kicked in. We have been self isolating since. For those thinking of doing a similar trip, we can thoroughly recommend French Polynesia and Moorea in particular. However, be very careful when planning your journey home as you disembark early in the morning in Papeete and flights out are not until nearly midnight. Our advice is to book a hotel for that day which many had failed to do on our cruise and they were stuck with luggage for a very long day. Finally, ships tours remain extremely expensive but we managed to arrange locally at a fraction of the cost with little trouble.

08 Sep 2019

Great Cruise 

22 Jan 2019

It was a really good cruise despite some strong winds. The food has to be amongst the best that I have had on a cruise ship. The staff were as usual very attentive and looked after us very well. The decor was excellent and the ship had only completed a refurbishment 2 weeks before. Fantastic. The entertainment was not up to standard; one of the speakers was poor and the other's subject matter was not of much interest. There needed to be more speakers particularly as we had 6 sea days. The guest entertainers lacked variety. The 2 who joined the ship half way through, one was a ventriloquist and the other a magician and OK for one performance but not 2.

10 Sep 2019

Excellent cruise, ship was immaculate and staff very helpful. Let down slightly when the usually excellent Grand Dining Room had an off day, and when the Buffet was overcrowded on the last night, but otherwise no complaints.

14 Aug 2019

We started our holiday in Copenhagen, where we spent 2 days prior to boarding our cruise. The hotel here was perfectly located in the city center, close to the main attractions and is highly recommended - it us the Absalon hotel. We are very impressed with the quality of the service and facilities of Oceania. We particularly enjoyed the concept of small ship (about 680 passengers) - this meant that it is never over crowded; be it in the bars, restaurants, the pool area or the theatre. You also feel the attentive service from the staff - friendly and competent. The food was one of the reasons we booked with Oceania and I feared that this might have been a bit of a marketing hype - but it is not. All restaurants, from the simple Terrace self service to the two Speciality restaurants and the Dining Room, all serve excellent food. Only one area that I would mark down; that is the size of the bathroom - it is a little tight and we had a Concierge Balcony room. On the whole, top marks for this first cruise for us with Oceania. Also and as usual, the arrangements made by Iglu; flight, transfers, hotel and cruise were perfect. Thank you Iglu.

03 Sep 2019

THIS WAS MY FIRST EVER CRUISE AND IT WAS AMAZING FROM START TO FINISH. WE BOOKED A PENTHOUSE AND I WAS AMAZED BY THE SIZE OF THE ROOM. THE STAFF, THE FOOD EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT FOR US.