Oceana Cruise Review
When you have experienced a GREAT cruise it can be hard to know where to start on letting everyone else know just how amazing it was, so I shall dive straight into it.
I recently returned from a 24 night cruise onboard P&O Cruises ship Oceana. As usual check-in was flawless and getting from the check-in area to the ship’s atrium took no longer than 45 minutes. We handed over our passports, received our cruise card and then headed straight down to the security check section.
We left Southampton and were firmly on our way. A few days into our cruise the Captain made the disappointing announcement that our calls to both Alexandria and Port Said in Egypt had been cancelled due to circumstances that were happening within the country at the time. Although this obviously was very disappointing P&O had clearly worked hard to ensure we were able to dock elswhere instead of being at sea for what would have felt like a lifetime. The new ports of call were announced as Malta and Turkey.
By this time our itinerary had been changed to the following:
Southampton – Cadiz, Spain – Malta – Kusadasi, Turkey – Limassol, Cyprus – Haifa, Israel (overnight)–Piraeus, Greece – Katakolon, Greece – Messina, Sicily –Valencia, Spain – Lisbon, Portugal – Southampton
Of all the ports I can’t really fault many. Haifa was not too pretty or safe for that matter. Although tours were offered to places like Bethlehem and Nazareth from this location they were roughly £95 per adult, a lot of money for 2 or 3 people to cover the cost of. The city itself however did offer a free shuttle service to various places in the city which was extremely helpful as they offered stops at some nice locations and a few off the beaten track ones. The only downfall with this is that P&O were given no prior knowledge of this so it was literally spread amongst passengers by word of mouth. The port area of Haifa was very different to others, there really was not a lot in the area, you needed to get transportation of some kind to other areas.
Two of the ports that really stand out in my mind were Sicily and Katakolon in Greece. I am fond of Sicily and had been previously but to Palermo so a stop in Messina was new for me. We decided to book a trip with a difference, the Godfather’s Footsteps. This was a trip to the picturesque village of Savoca where Francis Ford Copolla shot scenes for the infamous Godftaher movies. I really can’t stress how perfect this trip was! I would HIGHLY recommend this to ANYONE doing a cruise to Messina with P&O, assuming it is offered of course. The village itself was high in the mountains, the views were simply stunning! From our perch way up high we could clearly see Mount Etna and a the valley below with all the winding roads and beautiful greenery. In the village itself was the famous Bar Vitelli and the church outside which Al Pacino’s charectar in the Godfather married his long term girlfriend. After a brief stop here for pictures and free refreshments we headed on to the town of Forza d'Agro. Again from our location here the views were breathtaking. We again could see Mount Etna along with the entire coast line below us. One thing which was incredibly nice to end our day here was our sighting of 2 rainbows side by side right out above the ocean and coast line below. It was simply stunning. This trip was not expensive at all and I really think it was under rated. You certainly did not have to be a fan or follower of the movies to appreciate the scenery this tour offered. Quite possibly one of the best excursions I have done with P&O.
Katakolon in Greece was a bit of a curious port. On first arrival it although I have never cruised to the Caribbean almost looked to me like it was in fact a Caribbean port. There was no big ugly cruise terminal just a simple dock and a wonderful little coast line. There were no high rise buildings, everything was more or less on the same level and there were curious little shops around every corner. Although not a very big port it truly was a lovely stop and there were numerous bar’s and café’s where you could sit ocean side, relax and watch the world go by.
So maybe I should get back to telling you all about the ship!
It was my first time onboard Oceana so I really didn’t know what to expect. I had looked at other reviews and images on the internet but as always everything looks different when you see it with your own eyes.
Oceana was I think in fine shape minus a few niggly things here and there. As we stepped onboard I really must say the atrium was breath taking! I have never seen a more splendid space within a ship. After getting over the splendour of this area we ventured off to our cabin (we checked in a little later than normal so by the time we boarded cabins were ready). We were located on Arcadia deck, deck 11 mid-ships. We exited the lift and remebering “all lifts face forward” headed to the right side (starboard) to find our cabin. We turned the corner and nearly went head over heels as right as you turned in the middle of the deck was a large bucket that sadly was collecting water from what must have been a leaking pipe in the ceiling above. Not really a great first impression but these things happen so we laughed it off and continued off down the corridor to our cabin.
Our cabin was quite small but it was clean and there was ample wardrobe space. One thing I would also like to point out that although the overall size of the cabin was smaller than say Ventura or Oriana the shower was in fact bigger, this for me was perfect! If anyone has sailed on ventura you know yourself how small the showers are, well the one in our cabin on Oceana although a curious shape was indeed much bigger.
The food onboard was as you would expect from any P&O cruise. The choice in the main restaurant was very good, althugh as I am a picky eater I did sometimes struggle but as a main overview there was enough variation for everyone. The buffet themed evenings were very good, we particularly enjoyed the indian, tandoori, asian and eastern med themed dinners. The Horzion Grill through the day was an outdoor grill offering burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips and even jacket potatoes. This was a nice option for a quick daily snack grab, however, of an evening it turned into a tempting grill of which there was an additional cost of between £6-£8.50 per person. I would strongly recommend you try this. The menu was small but the choice was good and the steak was quite possibly the best you will ever taste. The only thing I think could be slightly improved on is the choice of options in the Plaza (buffet) during the day. I often struggled to find enough to put a meal together and my friend whom I was travelling with does not eat pork so it could sometimes prove very difficult for her to find something.
Entertainment onboard was varied and there was enough to please everyone of all different tastes. Live music, comedy, stage shows, there really was something for everyone. Daily activities were a plenty too, some a little “older” than the age of my friend and I but they were there all the same. Table Tennis proved to be a very popular sport on this cruise and there were daily competitions held by passengers.
One thing I really did enjoy and watched religiously were the port presentations. You could watch these live in the main theatre or alternatively they were recorded then looped on your in-cabin tv so you could catch up when it was more suitable for you. The presentations were excellent and very informative. A lot of what was mentioned I found very helpful especially with regards to our call in Israel. I really think these are put together well and I truly appreciated the information that was shared.
We explored every nook and cranny of the ship, although possibly in need of a refurbishment I must say all public area’s were very clean, some looked more modern than others but no area’s were “tatty” or “dirty”. Outdoor area’s had the odd cracked floor tile or rust on the stair ends but the ship was in good shape. Her mid-ships area with 2 pools was very nice with ample room for guests to relax without feeling like they were smothering one another. I as previously mentioned had read numerous reviews and had come across a few that were adamant on insisting that Oceana was grubby and in “desperate” need of a refurb. I wouldn’t say this was the case at all. Yes I feel she would benefit from a refit but not because she is grubby but just to bring her more up to date. One area which I personally wouldn’t touch if I was in charge of her re-fit would be Winners Bar. This was a bar located opposite the casino area and upon entry it was like you had stumbled into Alice in Wonderland…..or any wonderful disney film for that matter. There were interesting chairs, four post seats, little glittery stools that looked like they would turn into Cinderella’s carriage at any moment and a beautiful chandeleir taking pride of place. It really was a lovely bar.
The only negative thing I would say about Oceana is that she seemed to be experiencing “a ghost in her water pipes”. As I mentioned earlier the infamous yellow bucket seemed to pop up all over the ship and the one on our deck unfortunately was there for around 3 days, I witnessed numerous elderly people almost fall over it and hurt themselves because they simply forgot it was there. I really think this should have been fixed a lot sooner, had someone fellen over this it could have caused quite a serious injury. The “yellow bucket” made an appearance in the atrium in 2 separate places and in the Yacht and Compass in which one entire area was blocked off. The pipes in someone’s cabin slightly further down our deck burst flooding the entire cabin, the one next door, below and the immediate deck.Having spoken to the passenger whose pipes had burst he informed me P&O had been truly brilliant, they had in all cabins affected quickly removed the carpet and underaly and laid fresh, he said and I quote “they could not have been any better, although we insisted we did not want to move cabins they quickly started the clean up operation and lifted the soaked carpet”. I also left my cabin one night to witness water pouring out of the light fitting above me and oozing out of the wall, I reported this to reception immediately and in all professionalism it was quickly fixed. I also one evening went to use the powder room in the atrium on deck 7 to get to the door and notice the carpet was soaked, I carefully opened the door to find the entire floor at least an inch under water, I again rushed to reception to report it and again within 3 or 4 minutes there was a team there starting the clean up. I suppose with all the above said P&O really did work hard to ensure any problems were quickly resolved with the exception of the yellow bucket on A deck.
I have cruised with P&O Cruises many times but I must say the staff onboard Oceana were amongst the most friendly I have ever met. Nothing was too much trouble, there was always a smile to greet you and they were very attentive. I have to pay most attention to the staff at The Riviera Bar. P&O the guys and girl at The Riveria Bar are amongst the most genuine I have ever came across, they truly deserve a pat on the back and a well done sang high from the mountain tops. They truly made our cruise a lot more fun than what it would have been without them. As we had a few poor sea days obviously we could not sunbathe but we could count on the Riviera staff to brigthen our day with a joke or just a genuine “good morning how are you”. Always professional but with a friendly attitude it was easy to have a conversation and they were always at your side should you have required another drink. Thank You from us Riviera!!!
I guess I have reached the conclusion of this review and with that I would like to say I would highly recommend P&O Cruises to everyone! I have sailed with P&O now numerous times and I shall firmly continue to do so. Oceana was a mid-sized ship with a very friendly atmosphere, certainly worth taking a cruise onboard. Ideal for everyone I honestly would say. Although P&O advertise her as a family friendly ship I really would say to those without children or those maybe a little older looking for some peace you could still happily find that on Oceana children onboard or no children onboard.Her crew were extremely attentive, professional and very friendly. They always took the time to speak with you or offer advice and nothing was ever too much. The ship as mentioned was in good shape and again I would say was only in need of a refit simply to modernise her a little more. I would hope anyone cruising on Oceana would have just as wonderful a time as I did.
Danielle :o)