Hellenic Explorer from Istanbul to Athens, 31 July 2026 (10 nights)

Our first cruise with Oceania but ship very similar to Azamara Quest that we have sailed on twice before. Similar experience between both but the entertainment offerings on Regatta were poor by comparison with Azamara. Had issues with Destination Services stating that a trip that should have included a 15 minute stop at a beach for pictures was a typo error in the description.

Ship Staff crew cabin dining and special dining all fabulous. we had as many fresh towels in the cabin and for beach and poolside as we could possibly want. the cabin was cleaned every day and the bed turned down nightly. we had a balcony so it was nice to have some time watching sun sets especially during sail days. The Bars and restaurants were very nice and never overcrowded. Having afternoon tea was a nice touch as was the barista bar where you could grab a snack or cake with a coffee. The only slight criticism i would make is the service charge on each drink purchased. this was especially so when actually docked in port when there was also a port tax. We actually went independent on shore excursions which we found to be satisfactory as the ship excursions was so very expensive. We managed to attend the nightly entertainment every night and found them to be very good. After the main event there was singalong at the piano bar or the Horizons bar and karaoke if that's what you like. All in all the Polynesian Hawaii cruise was all what we hoped it would be a special cruise for a special anniversary.

The Regatta is an old ship in serious need of an upgrade. Tiles on swimming pool falling off and decking needed some TLC. The entertainment was disappointing and the information on ports visited was non existant. We were given 800$ shore credit, but the the excursions were very expensive ( compared to other cruises we have been on) and most of them were fully booked. No sale away parties and only one party on the deck. Plenty of Karaoke but not for us. On our last day we had to leave the ship at 9am and were taken straight to the airport for our 10pm flight !! When we have been on other cruises there has always been an option for an excursion with an airport drop off. On the plus side the food was excellent and most of the staff were lovely. We were led to believe that Oceania was a superior cruise line, not the case.

Food was good but not outstanding. Some staff very friendly but others not. Lack of atmosphere on our cruise. Entertainment poor.