But so much worse, since Whitney Houston was a living artist who is now dead💀 Miku is rad and but she's animated and not a real person, which makes her show a lot different than this one
A running theme I've noticed with these videos is that you should start ordering whatever Emmy does. It seems like you're always getting the short end of the stick with food selection lol.
Welcome to being in a relationship. She orders first, gets the most interesting thing on the menu, and then the waiter turns to you and you have 5 seconds to scramble for something else because both of you ordering the lobster mac is you not doing your job ;)
@@ohok45624 if that's the dumbest thing you've ever heard you should get out more, touch some grass so to say. It's pretty funny to anyone who's ever been in a relationship with someone who's not a blood relative. Someone who writes travel reviews for a living would find the humor pretty easily as well.
I see Jake is experiencing the “ship within a ship” era of cruising where they just cordon off sections for people to pay more. Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity along with others are doing this
They can get away with the "ship within a ship" concept on these ever larger cruise ships, where they are seeking to cater to different markets to fill these large ships. I can not see much of a reason to do it on these small luxury ships.
@BrightSunTravels I went on both the Celebrity Equinox and Apex last year. The Apex is slightly larger, but felt significantly smaller because so much of the ship was taken up by Retreat areas.
Don't pull your punches, BST. A steak isn't cooked perfectly if it's also chewy and bland. Also, that's an OUTRAGEOUS price for what you received. I was cruise hunting over the weekend and found a 23-day transatlantic cruise from London to Boston for the same amount.
The ship needs to sail that transatlantic leg either way as it repositions for the season, so that's why tickets are cheaper. Plus only one or two port stops
I'm actually baffled to hear there's NO food served at certain times. I just got back from my 5th Royal Caribbean cruise a few weeks ago and there is ALWAYS food somewhere. Especially pizza overnight, lol.
@@vanessawhite4616 They used to have it free same for a few hours. That changed in the last few years though - now I think only breakfast is free? Personally the last place I want to eat is my room so I never take advantage of it, lol
@@vanessawhite4616sure, but I dont necessarily want to go back to my room if I want something to eat after 9pm. Have you never had drinks with friends and everyone decided to go together to get a late night snack? The 11pm taco bell run was a staple of my college days haha. Most cruise lines will at least have a small Cafe with some pastries and small sandwiches open late, so it's shocking there's nothing on this super pricey line after 9pm.
As someone who works in the hospitality industry, VERO water machines are insanely expensive. Those glass bottles alone cost extra and usually aren't included with the machine. If each room had two of those glass bottles, that's hundreds of dollars just in bottles. Most companies end up leasing the water filtration machines, so they never own it. I have a feeling they got a discount with those promotional water bottles. The water is amazing, don't get me wrong. It's very interesting to see on a crewship.
That Whitney Houston event is so embarrassing, I cannot see why they would EVER greenlight something like that. Puppeteering around a dead singer's likeness is just ghoulish. Clearly they have people hired as entertainers, so...why?? Couldn't they just have had their actual singers do covers of her songs if they really wanted a Whitney Houston concert? There's just no ethically sound justification for grafting on a real person's face to a dancer's body imo. This is exactly why hologram based performers like Hatsune Miku are characters. Hatsune Miku is literally just the name for the synthetic voice program -- she's basically like if the concept of guitars had an anime character figurehead. Keeping it character only means that they can't, y'know, die, and so it never crosses into that exploitive/uncanny threshold.
Lol we are taking our kid to a Hatsune Miku concert tomorrow in Toronto! And yes, I agree with you. Ghoulish. Pandering? Self-aggrandizing? Like when there's a concert for a dead musician and they perform purely to stroke their own egos.
I thought you were being a bit harsh with this review, then you revealed the price! 😮 I can see why you weren’t that impressed when they are charging 11k for 2 people!
Yeah, my family didn’t even pay that for 4 people on Norwegian last year which is the same parent company. Crazy that we paid less for twice as many people and similar amount of days
I really don't get the idea of Mediterranean cruises. Every European country has so much to offer that you are missing out a lot by visiting just a few port cities. Often they are not even that interesting. Spend a week in Italy, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Naples and a few other sites can be visited in such time.
I think it's very disrespectful to use today's technology to try and replicate superstar performers who have died. Let them rest in peace. It's extremely distasteful by the cruise line and I hope they got enough feedback to cancel the entire idea.
I've never even been near a ship before, yet I still can't stop watching your reviews of them. So nice of you to gift a trip to your mom! edit: having a casino on board at that price is absolutely wild lmao, really gotta get money from those older people I guess
I would disagree with you on this one. Some folks, excluding me, love, love casinos anywhere; we are all the same yet totally different groups of people.
I was more surprised that he criticized it. A lot of people who go on cruises specifically do so to gamble, and if the ship didn't have a casino I can guarantee there would be people who would refuse to book with it, or would at the very least have been disappointed. I worked on Norwegian's Pride of America, which sails exclusively around the Hawaiian islands, and had no casino because its illegal in that state. I was constantly asked where the casino was, and remember just how confounded the guests were when I explained that there wasn't one.
You probably won’t see this comment but I’ve Been listening / watching your channel for a while now and it really helps with my anxiety at night… the amount of times you’ve helped me drift to sleep when nothing else helps is lifesaving. I actually have 0 interest in Disney or cruise ships haha, but your videos are really well made, and surprisingly always get me engaged! Thanks again for your work :)!!
If the crew staircase was open, I would wander around the crew quarters and do some exploration until somebody questioned me where I would say, "I'm sorry, I'm lost."
I had cancer and his videos always made my day!!! Would love to see more of the casinos, they’re the best part of the cruise!!! Why do you hate the casinos!? Would love to know if there are poker tables active in the casino on each of the ships that you go on. Thanks again for letting us view your trips? You da man
It's a bit odd but I got a mental image of their intended clientele, Silentgenners and Boomers, trying to chase a whippersnapper GenXer off their ship for being too young.
Many time cruiser who just returned from a ten day Mediterranean cruise on the Oceania Vista. The ship is simply stunning in beauty - just outstanding. The food was the best we've ever had on any cruise, and the service exceptional. An awesome cruise experience, and we cannot wait for the next opportunity - it will be Oceania.
Likewise. Give me a nice dark wood paneling any day of the week over bland off-white. And that's from someone with grey as a strong contender for favorite color!
I understand that if the cruise itinerary has many port days, and with the older folks, they are going to be light on entertainments and shows as the older folks sleep early and are exhausted from the port activities. A library and art space and even a casino is more of their taste. Some old folks love their slot’s machine.
i live near a cruise terminal (literally like two blocks away), but i've never been inside or on one! i love these videos as kind of a peek behind the curtain as to what it can be like to go on a cruise
Watched this last night on Nebula with my gf, neither of us are interested in going on cruises but you do a great job presenting then and we hope you keep doing these videos!
LOL, all the 50+ target demographic struggling to even pronounce "vocaloid" - then staring at their cruise buddies desperately trying to not look it up on wikipedia.
I’ve never seen your videos. I’ve never been on a cruise nor likely ever will. But I’ve spent the past 2 and a half hours of my Saturday night watching cruise ship reviews for some reason. I find your reviews to be very relaxing. You do a great job of explaining your experience and I especially like how you go into detail on the ship designs. Keep it up! 👍🏼
There are 3 brands under the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings umbrella. Norwegian Cruise Line - the mainstream cruise line Oceania Cruises - the luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas - the ultra luxury cruise line
@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006 They are positioned differently for different markets. NCL bought out the parent company of Oceania and Regent about 10 years ago. With NCL, if you book a suite, they will sometimes send you promotional material about Oceania, though
This was fascinating and a very good insight into NCL's luxury line. Thank you so much for spending the money that I never could on this cruise! I've been on a few NCL cruises and to see that Oceania is almost identical in so many ways is crazy to me. For the amount of money you pay I was expecting it to be very different but the cabins, ship design (including the segmenting of guest areas by room type) and even the food doesn't seem that much different. Really the only differences seem to be the price, activities (aimed at older people) and some minor luxury perks.
My mom and I heard great things about Oceania so decided to give it a try. Was on a small ship, which we usually love on other lines. Great itinerary but the worst cabin we have ever been in. It was “valet” veranda. Ha never saw or heard from a valet. All we got was two free laundries. Cabin was tiny with the smallest bathroom we have ever seen. You could sit on the toilet, brush your teeth, and wash your feet in the shower all at the same time. Food was good but not fantastic. We won’t be sailing with them again.
Fair & qualified review - Ty ! I just had this discussion w/ Princess. We would not go with ultra luxury anything , due to my perception. The extra cost not worth the experience in order lay out so much more cash. Premium does the trick just fine for us . 😀
Few months ago I had never been on a cruise in my nearly 30 years on earth, nor had I any interests in going on a cruise. Since finding this channel its been abdicating watching cruise reviews. I got so excited to see this video pop up
Smaller ships can also get into ports that are closer to the destination cities. Those megaships have to dock (or drop anchor) hours away from the city listed on their itineraries.
To me the large ship vs small ship thing is like apple pie vs. cheesecake. They're very different things and I like both for different reasons. In some cases I prefer cheesecake, in others I prefer apple pie. With ships, if it's a romantic trip with just my wife then I prefer a small ship; the smaller, quieter ships are inherently more romantic and we don't need much to entertain us. If it's a large family trip then I prefer a large ship, as there's something for everyone and I find you can never have too much space on large family outings haha.
"Why is there a casino" because it's basically pure profit for them with no state to be licensing them. And I work in gaming, trust me there are going to be people at any casino if it's open.
yeah that was a really weird comment and speaks to a lack of maturity or knowledge of how the world works. Just because YOU choose not to gamble (ditto for me) doesn't mean you shouldn't know why a cruise ship would have a casino for both the benefit of the passengers who like gambling or the ship who likes to make money.
Excellent video! On a random separate positive note - just finished sailing on Celebrity Reflection - the sister ship to Celebrity Solstice you reviewed. The line really stepped up its main dining room food as well as the entertainment since two years ago. I was throughly impressed.
Well Done! We just got off the Marina after a 14 day Med cruise (May 2024) where the entertainment including a violinist/Spanish dancer, a singer like Frank Sinatra; a singer who specialized in opera, and a highly professional sing and dance troupe repeatedly got - standing ovations! After completing 10 cruises so far - 3 with Oceania (2 Marina and Riviera) I would generally agree with your overall assessments. Yet given our 7 other cruises including: RCL Wonder of the Seas, Celebrity Solstice, Princess, and Silversea - we keep coming back to compare Oceania - to everything else. As for age, I won’t hold your age against you only to say - your generation will get older too - eventually - so that these various cruise lines will never run out of aging customers - including You!! 😂🙃 Although I would agree that Oceania has a lot of competition. I think at one time in the past Oceania raised the bar particularly with its food that other cruise lines have been chasing to catch-up ever since. On our Feb. 2024 trip on RCL Wonder of the Seas, I got to experience a totally unique food experience involving Indian continent and Jamaican cuisine. The food was very unique and quite surprising, and for the most part, I really enjoyed it! Overall, with so many cruise lines building so many new ships, the competition is fierce! Also, cruise lines are dealing with the huge borrowing costs incurred as a result of the pandemic just to stay in business. I can’t help but think this is skewing their operating standards somewhat? (Just a guess on my part.) Anyway, enjoyed your presentation style and wish you continued success. Keep up the good work!
We were on that same cruise and I love Oceania for their bathrooms. The rooms also have plenty of storage places. I enjoy the high tea that most ships do not have anymore. When comparing cruises, you need to see how many ports of call they have vs sea days. I believe the itineraries for Oceania cruises are the best.
@@nancymikoda This cruise was heavy on port days, but stopped in so many interesting spots including two bucket list stops for us, we were willing to give up lounging time. Fortunately, timing for each tour day was staggered that helped. As we tended to dine at 5-6 p.m, the afternoon tea did not work out for us although on two previous Oceania cruises we really enjoyed that feature.
No midnight buffet would upset me. On various ships we sailed on, it could be a mix of leftovers redone, or as one night on RCCL, it was the biggest dessert buffet I had ever seen. I would have taken anything that would save back to my cabin for later in the night.
NCL get rid of the midnight buffet and than the dessert buffet years ago. They said it was very wasteful. People would take photos of the food sculptures, leave and not eat anything. On NCL mainline ships, they do have a pub style restaurant open all night.
That Whitney Houston deep fake was just bad. A Whitney impersonator or just really any human musicians covering Whitney's songs in a respectful way would have been a much better choice
4 หลายเดือนก่อน +4
I will never go on a cruise as it is not how i perfer to travel but i love watching your reviews and live vicariously through your cruises.
I had the same opinion but I realized that for some destinations it’s ideal way to travel plus I don’t need to pack, unpack my luggage multiple times and haul it in between.
Just got off the Vista sailing the mediterranean. my wife and I are in our early40s and we were certainly the youngest on board but we didn’t mind that. I think where you went wrong was getting one of those little rooms. we had an enormous suite which was not that much more money. We also had a 24 hour Butler on-call that would bring us food anytime of day.
That room was beautiful. My in-laws are hard core Royal cruisers and they spend every evening in the casino. I hate cruising but the ship you were on looks way more enjoyable than a royal ship imo.
I was confused by the limited dining hours on the ship, given my own (limited) cruise experience. I was on board a Norwegian cruise and food was available nearly 24x7. But then you mentioned that their seeming demographic skews older, and the dining times make sense. They line up with dining habits of an older crowd.
You should review non premium lines too. I’d love to see your take on the big 3: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian (the non premium brand). My family took an NCL 9 night cruise to Europe last year and paid less for 4 people than you paid for 2.
I’ve only ever been on one cruise: Oceania Riviera. I am NOT a cruise person but LOVED it. The food was excellent! You definitely skipped the best of the specialty restaurants (Ginger). True, if you’re 40-50 years old you’ll be the youngest on board. If you do not value the actual ports and excursions, I guess maybe other “ships” are nicer but does anyone actually cruise so they can stay on the ship?
I have to ask, how were the excursion itineraries? I would hope that at the price point, that is where they offer their competitive value. On the cruises I've done, sometimes the ships don't give you a ton of time in port or many excursions from the concierge. It sounds like that may be something.
Back in January we went on the Marilla Explorer 2 for $2,000 CDN per person including airfare from Toronto to Jamaica. It is an all-inclusive ship, although you can buy the premium drink package if wanted. We actually really enjoyed pretty much the whole trip, so you might want to check them out and they can be booked through Sunwing but won't update that until about September.
Not to be nitpicking but, isn’t Celebrity considered to be a “luxury” cruise line? So, I’m not sure (at least personally) if I’d consider this your first luxury cruise on the channel.
Celebrity likes to call themselves a luxury cruise line but they’re really not that much more expensive/exclusive than the budget lines of Carnival and Royal Caribbean. They’re certainly WAY cheaper to book then Oceania if you look at it money wise
I have never been interested in cruise ships but the way you discuss them in these videos makes the topic interesting for me. I don't understand it but I like it
The celebrity ascent was the first cruise I ever took, and it was absolutely fantastic. The entire party was over the moon with the food quality, "Eden" being the favorite
On Riviera last month. Amazing food in the main dining room. The best thing you missed was Red Ginger, I feel sorry for you! We enjoyed it so much we've booked an 18 day cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago de Chile on the Marina next February.
Boarding the Vista on Tuesday. Concierge class. I'm excited to use the spa. Sailing the Mediterranean. Was originally cruise to Israel, but, well, war. 😢
17:15 honestly, if you have to have that many legal disclaimers on your show then maybe it shouldn’t be a thing past a brief trial run? 😅 Just discovered your travel channel and as a seasoned cruiser (it’s one of the main vacations we go on every year around early January, mostly Disney, but sometimes we go on Royal Caribbean too) it’s really helpful and refreshing to see honest takes that aren’t black and white. I was wondering if you were going to cover the utopia of the seas? We’ve been there a couple times and it ain’t perfect but it’s definitely one of my favorites in certain areas like the adult area.
Would love to see your take on a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship like Icon class or Oasis class. With cruise prices on the rise and value seeming to dwindle I’d love to watch your take on your score board
Yes, those 8 Ships are Awesome don't feel old or small, with I could afford too, I'd drop RCCL all together. Most folks are not liking the Vista, but the R Class Ships stay Sold Out.
Yikes Jake. That was harsh. A ship, and it's review differ, I know, between the many different "Cruise Ship Reviewers" out there. Of the many different reviews I have seen of Vista, yours was the most harsh. For sure, you are the youngest reviewer of this ship, that I have seen yet so far. Other folks I follow, Cruise reviewers, like you said, early in this video, raved about the ship and the food, but what was lacking, I think was your no nonsense approach, and your ability to cross reference other ships against Vista, in a rapid fire style. Using blanket statements like "The Finest Cuisine, or the Best Ship afloat or the Best Cruise for your pocket book," just open everyone up to some pretty harsh reviews, from cruisers who expect those statements to be proven correct. You know what you like and dislike. You see, on Vista, what is wasteful and odd. Most cruise lines today are using the "Ship within a Ship" concept. I agree that Explora Journeys is a cut above everyone else in this market. Viking for me was pricey, because I wanted a Northern Lights cruise. I should have gone with HX or Hurtigruten, or Havila. Your voice is important because these lines are trying to attract younger clientele and if they aren't hitting the mark, so to speak, those younger demographics need to know, right ?? Well Done.
I'd wish that someday I might speak as civilly as you to the internet jackass who pissed in my cheerios. 🤩I think the art of civil disagreement was lost in the '80s and it needs to be rediscovered ASAP.
I found similar on Viking, lovely ships and great facilities but food overall was overhyped, the times for when food was open and available just didn’t match the way we eat again with 10am-12pm having basically no food meaning no late breakfasts.
Thank you for this review. We have taken ~40 cruises and enjoy trying new cruise lines, although we were formerly mostly Celebrity customers, and now almost exclusively sail on Princess. We were sold on a 7-night Alaska cruise on Oceania Regatta several years ago. Like you, we were well younger than the demographic, and we were attracted by the claims of the greatest food at sea. Also appealing to me was the relaxed dress code for an upscale line. I wear a tie to work every day, and I don’t want to do that on vacation. The Regatta is one of the old Renaissance R-class ships and we liked the ability to get into smaller ports due to its comparatively tiny size. Unfortunately, we soon discovered on a bad weather, cold weather cruise where the decks were restricted, it became a very claustrophobic experience as there’s nowhere to go after about ten minutes of walking; I had the same opinion of another R-class ship, Azamara Journey, and simply won’t cruise on an R-class again. I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion of Oceania’s food service. The hours and venues were restricted, and while we had some average to above average meals onboard, the buffet always disappointed. We actually felt profoundly ripped off as experienced Celebrity cruisers, as there was no meal I ate onboard that was as good as Celebrity. Even the Princess buffet had a bigger variety of good selections compared to the Regatta buffet. We were both extremely underwhelmed by the experience. Our cabin was lovely if a bit fussily decorated and much of the ship was way too ornate for our tastes, but that wouldn’t have been an issue had everything else been as good as advertised. We’ve taken many cruises since then and have never even considered returning to Oceania as it’s not a good value proposition in our view. Excellent review!
I’ve sailed Norwegian twice and in many ways I liked the Carnival food better. Carnival had more many options and had food available for more hours, including a late night pizza place. I also had difficulty getting into or walking in to the Norwegian restaurants. Sounds like Oceania is very similar.
Norwegian is weird with their food options. When I went on Norwegian Encore last August there were three free options (Buffet, The Local, and The Main Dining Room), and everything else was an upcharge. We ate at a few of the upcharge places since we had a dining upgrade and the food was solid (Especially the BBQ restaurant of all places) but it wasn't easy to get into them. Norwegian also prices their restaurants by-the-item instead of one fixed price, although the dining package upgrade let you get several items to get around that (I.E. Appetizer, entree, side, and a dessert).
We only cruise on Oceania Vista. You get what you pay for from a room perspective. The best way to get the best room for your price point is to call Oceania directly. They will tell you which room is better regarding your placement concerns as well as which rooms face the port side as the ship enters the port. They will also take into consideration where your room would be in relation to elevators, and other high traffic areas as well as which rooms have an extended veranda. Sounds like 85% of the food was to your likings, so that's a win for Oceania. We eat at all restaurants on the ship and the food is excellent. Yes, some dishes are not to my liking, but that's just my opinion. You missed Red Ginger? The most sought after restaurant on the ship. Sounds like you are looking for perfection according to your specific taste. It is the best at sea, just not designed for you. You also say you picked the low entry room, but then say its the highest you have paid for a cruise? Oceania Vista is not in line with the WalMart of the seas cruise lines. A big selling point for the target audience is that no person under 18 is allowed with a parent.
I watch every single review of a Cruise ship of your channel, so I can be more conscious on the desicions for my future Cruise trip, but anyways been looking forward for this video from the previews on Instagram. And it was worth the wait.
BTW, sorry for the terrible spelling, I watch Bright Sun Travels as much as Bright Sun Films from México. And the stupid autocorrector changes words from English to Spanish, so I hope you can understand.
A little hurt by the HAL comment haha (they’ve been my family’s go-to line for years), but I’d love to see your review on them (even if it’s harsh!) I’ve seen Oceania ads everywhereee recently (guess they’re targeting me, although I haven’t gone on a cruise for years at this point), so I was definitely interested in your opinion, thanks Jake!
Did you notice that if you looked at the numbers on the screen the HAL cruise was $2,400 (USD) per couple cheaper than the Oceania cruise (and the HAL cruise included a full beverage package). True, HAL is not as upscale as Oceania tries to be, but at a 44% discount, I expect I would be choosing HAL as well.
Newer is not always better. I have several customers that are longtime Oceania cruisers and despite having smaller cabins and less dining choice they much prefer the quality of service, choice of itineraries and easy comradery only a small ship can afford.
Recently traveled to South America cruise on Oceania’s Marina and while the cruise experience was good (so much gourmet food!) and the ship itself ok, their customer service left a lot to be desired. Oceania provides complimentary air travel to a from the port, unfortunately they booked us to fly with a very small window between connecting flights (JFK to MIA to LIM). Air travel being what it is, we missed the connecting flight to the port city, (Delta mechanical issue) WE had to buy our own tickets to Lima where the ship was docked otherwise we were never making it there on time. Of course, Oceania washed their hands and would not reimburse us for the air fare which we felt they absolutely should have.
Ive always been curious about Oceania when they advertise a full page in the WSJ. Then I read the CruiseCritic reviews about their ships and they're comically bad.
We have enjoyed three Oceania cruises (on Marina and Riviera). We were amongst the youngest on board and we are in our mid 50s. Would like to do more Oceania cruises but they have burnt us off with the price increases and the more inclusive pricing model. We don't want to be forced to pay for achingly slow coach excursions, and one of us doesn't drink so included alcohol is a waste as well. We are trying Celebrity Aqua class next at about 60% of the price of an Oceania balcony cabin. Loved your review.
I actually see some similarities with the Prima class from Norwegian. Individualized stunning spaces like their observation lounge, but awkward placements or design choices like their main pool area having liitle deck space. Heck there was barely any place you could see rhe ocean comfortablly on the upper decks since half of the ship was taken by the go kart track and The Haven (which also left a ton of outter deck space inacessible to most).
I had a thought about the food. Obviously, and as you also pointed out, this cruise line's main clientele tend to be older, like 55+, and also rich. Older rich folks aren't exactly known to be fans of food with a lot of flavors, aka "too spicy". So I think the overall flavor palette tends to reflect their usual clients. It probably IS the best food at sea....according to those that think ketchup is too spicy.
The ship looks gorgeous but the cons are so strange. I would expect more for the price point! Would love to see you review one of the new princess ships - I was really impressed!
![⭐️( ลอยกระทง 2024 ) Ver. แดนซ์ Remix BY [ ดีเจกิต รีมิกซ์ ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rMWOLhgXUHc/mqdefault.jpg)
cant belive they made a Hatsune Miku- style Whitney Houston show
When I saw that, I immediately thought Hatsune Miku
@@subtilizer5657same here…
@@subtilizer5657same…
But so much worse, since Whitney Houston was a living artist who is now dead💀 Miku is rad and but she's animated and not a real person, which makes her show a lot different than this one
I haven't even watched the video yet, what the fuck are you talking about? Edit: I watched it, holy shit
The spa being no-access for cabins below a certain level is INSANE. Genuinely, what an awful idea.
Swapped class-system for cabin-system, but we all know what it really is.
Trust me. As someone who had access. It was amazing. You can pay for a day pass, as pretty much every other cruise line does.
Yes, but not upper-premium/luxury lines
Imagine paying the minimum and thinking you're entitled to everything that's given to people who paid more 😅@@aquilleswinkler5051
@@glent7853 As someone who has done this one and done a viking cruise, the free included viking one is better
A running theme I've noticed with these videos is that you should start ordering whatever Emmy does. It seems like you're always getting the short end of the stick with food selection lol.
Welcome to being in a relationship. She orders first, gets the most interesting thing on the menu, and then the waiter turns to you and you have 5 seconds to scramble for something else because both of you ordering the lobster mac is you not doing your job ;)
@@TheLubeKing She did get a terrible burger that one time.
That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard who cares if two people get the same order
which it piss me off and she so annoying too
@@ohok45624 if that's the dumbest thing you've ever heard you should get out more, touch some grass so to say. It's pretty funny to anyone who's ever been in a relationship with someone who's not a blood relative. Someone who writes travel reviews for a living would find the humor pretty easily as well.
When I was on Ocania I was the youngest passenger at 42
Oh Emm Geee! That is so damn depressing. Thanks for telling us!
Sounds like my kinda crowd lol
really?
Floating bougie Florida retirement home
Hence why the food is BLAND. Know your audience.
I see Jake is experiencing the “ship within a ship” era of cruising where they just cordon off sections for people to pay more. Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity along with others are doing this
It’s almost a return to the age of ocean liners
Yeah I want to make a video about that. I really hate this new trend
@@BrightSunTravels This is becoming very common in the industry and I'd love to see you do a video about it.
They can get away with the "ship within a ship" concept on these ever larger cruise ships, where they are seeking to cater to different markets to fill these large ships. I can not see much of a reason to do it on these small luxury ships.
@BrightSunTravels I went on both the Celebrity Equinox and Apex last year. The Apex is slightly larger, but felt significantly smaller because so much of the ship was taken up by Retreat areas.
that bathroom was absolutely stunning for a cruise ship!
@@IamNiggler ?
I know, it looked like something in a high end suite
Indeed pretty and stylish
Don't pull your punches, BST. A steak isn't cooked perfectly if it's also chewy and bland.
Also, that's an OUTRAGEOUS price for what you received. I was cruise hunting over the weekend and found a 23-day transatlantic cruise from London to Boston for the same amount.
Exactly. I saw that steak and was like, that's not a perfectly cooked steak unless you're at Chili's.
I think he meant that the meat and seasoning quality was bad, but it was technically cooked to the right temperature.
Repositioning cruises (aka Trans-Atlantic) are always less expensive, because of the far fewer (or zero) ports visited.
The ship needs to sail that transatlantic leg either way as it repositions for the season, so that's why tickets are cheaper. Plus only one or two port stops
Not a fair comparition
I'm actually baffled to hear there's NO food served at certain times. I just got back from my 5th Royal Caribbean cruise a few weeks ago and there is ALWAYS food somewhere. Especially pizza overnight, lol.
i think that's an upmarket + europe thing
They have 24 hour room service. For free. Does RCL have that?
@@vanessawhite4616 They used to have it free same for a few hours. That changed in the last few years though - now I think only breakfast is free? Personally the last place I want to eat is my room so I never take advantage of it, lol
And it's a bafflingly early cut off. I could see cutting off at midnight or so, but it's not unreasonable to eat something at 9pm.
@@vanessawhite4616sure, but I dont necessarily want to go back to my room if I want something to eat after 9pm. Have you never had drinks with friends and everyone decided to go together to get a late night snack? The 11pm taco bell run was a staple of my college days haha. Most cruise lines will at least have a small Cafe with some pastries and small sandwiches open late, so it's shocking there's nothing on this super pricey line after 9pm.
As someone who works in the hospitality industry, VERO water machines are insanely expensive. Those glass bottles alone cost extra and usually aren't included with the machine. If each room had two of those glass bottles, that's hundreds of dollars just in bottles. Most companies end up leasing the water filtration machines, so they never own it. I have a feeling they got a discount with those promotional water bottles. The water is amazing, don't get me wrong. It's very interesting to see on a crewship.
That Whitney Houston event is so embarrassing, I cannot see why they would EVER greenlight something like that. Puppeteering around a dead singer's likeness is just ghoulish. Clearly they have people hired as entertainers, so...why?? Couldn't they just have had their actual singers do covers of her songs if they really wanted a Whitney Houston concert?
There's just no ethically sound justification for grafting on a real person's face to a dancer's body imo. This is exactly why hologram based performers like Hatsune Miku are characters. Hatsune Miku is literally just the name for the synthetic voice program -- she's basically like if the concept of guitars had an anime character figurehead. Keeping it character only means that they can't, y'know, die, and so it never crosses into that exploitive/uncanny threshold.
Lol we are taking our kid to a Hatsune Miku concert tomorrow in Toronto! And yes, I agree with you. Ghoulish. Pandering? Self-aggrandizing? Like when there's a concert for a dead musician and they perform purely to stroke their own egos.
Why did they greenlight something as hideous as that? Money.
@@mundanestuff good luck, just watched Sarah Spaceman’s vid on her experience 😳
@@mundanestuff Wait a sec hatsune miku concerts are a thing? Wellllll now I have another thing to spend money on... h a h a...
@@Dimondminer11apparently, guess so. Our kid is pretty psyched about it. Even as far as to get a passport!
Now that I'm almost 40, the lectures are the most appealing part of the cruise
I'm torn between those and how much the macabre Whitney Houston show would've cracked me up
I thought you were being a bit harsh with this review, then you revealed the price! 😮 I can see why you weren’t that impressed when they are charging 11k for 2 people!
Yeah, my family didn’t even pay that for 4 people on Norwegian last year which is the same parent company. Crazy that we paid less for twice as many people and similar amount of days
I really don't get the idea of Mediterranean cruises. Every European country has so much to offer that you are missing out a lot by visiting just a few port cities. Often they are not even that interesting. Spend a week in Italy, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Naples and a few other sites can be visited in such time.
@@justicedunham4088norwegian is a budget cruise, catering to drunks and floating walmart shoppers. Oceania is for refined tastes and educated people.
@@ligametis it's true. I'd rather cruise up and down a single stretch of coastline and stop off at multiple smaller places
I think it's very disrespectful to use today's technology to try and replicate superstar performers who have died. Let them rest in peace. It's extremely distasteful by the cruise line and I hope they got enough feedback to cancel the entire idea.
Well done Jake... Putting the cruise experience aside, you can't put a price on helping your mom achieve one of her dreams 👏
I've never even been near a ship before, yet I still can't stop watching your reviews of them. So nice of you to gift a trip to your mom!
edit: having a casino on board at that price is absolutely wild lmao, really gotta get money from those older people I guess
@@IamNiggler ....not out of place or creepy at all.
I don't know, I'm not a gambler, but I enjoy a good game of poker, so there's that I guess, slot machines kind of weird though
I guss they know what people go on that ship.
Free drinks and all.
I would disagree with you on this one. Some folks, excluding me, love, love casinos anywhere; we are all the same yet totally different groups of people.
I was more surprised that he criticized it. A lot of people who go on cruises specifically do so to gamble, and if the ship didn't have a casino I can guarantee there would be people who would refuse to book with it, or would at the very least have been disappointed. I worked on Norwegian's Pride of America, which sails exclusively around the Hawaiian islands, and had no casino because its illegal in that state. I was constantly asked where the casino was, and remember just how confounded the guests were when I explained that there wasn't one.
I was fully expecting your segment about the internet transitioning to a VPN ad 😂
Same. I looked at the timestamp and was ready to click the next one
You probably won’t see this comment but I’ve Been listening / watching your channel for a while now and it really helps with my anxiety at night… the amount of times you’ve helped me drift to sleep when nothing else helps is lifesaving. I actually have 0 interest in Disney or cruise ships haha, but your videos are really well made, and surprisingly always get me engaged! Thanks again for your work :)!!
I'm the same!! Really helps, though I'm the only one 😅
Fantastic video! I too have just got off an Oceania cruise and drew a lot of the same conclusions. Which cruise line next?
Validating to hear that haha! I saw you were in the Owners Suite so I’m excited to see your take! Celebrity Edge in Alaska right now in fact.
If the crew staircase was open, I would wander around the crew quarters and do some exploration until somebody questioned me where I would say, "I'm sorry, I'm lost."
Always a good day when a Bright Sun Travels video drops.
🤔
real
not if your his mum who literally got a worse tier cabin than her selfish son
I had cancer and his videos always made my day!!! Would love to see more of the casinos, they’re the best part of the cruise!!! Why do you hate the casinos!? Would love to know if there are poker tables active in the casino on each of the ships that you go on. Thanks again for letting us view your trips? You da man
I mean, as someone in their 50s, the fact that there were few young people on board would be a major selling point for me.
It's a bit odd but I got a mental image of their intended clientele, Silentgenners and Boomers, trying to chase a whippersnapper GenXer off their ship for being too young.
@@Hyperionl10haha. The average age of Gen X is 50.
Many time cruiser who just returned from a ten day Mediterranean cruise on the Oceania Vista. The ship is simply stunning in beauty - just outstanding. The food was the best we've ever had on any cruise, and the service exceptional. An awesome cruise experience, and we cannot wait for the next opportunity - it will be Oceania.
Can’t believe they named a bar after one of your abandoned Videos: Horizons
lol I was thinking the same thing
The interiors of the Oceania ships are refined and beautiful! They have class, instead of being full of bling!
2:07 is it just me or am I the only person who thinks that staircase looks quite nice and at least not ugly
I agree with you. i don't get the modern desire for almost everything to be shades of white or beige. But modern style seems popular with many people!
Agreed! I hate modern decor. It's SO boring!
Likewise. Give me a nice dark wood paneling any day of the week over bland off-white. And that's from someone with grey as a strong contender for favorite color!
Seconded. It's heaps better than the soulless, gaudy nouveau riche beach resort/airport duty-free aesthetic of most cruise ships.
that Blurred Lines shot was SOOO real- i audibly laughed 🤣
I understand that if the cruise itinerary has many port days, and with the older folks, they are going to be light on entertainments and shows as the older folks sleep early and are exhausted from the port activities. A library and art space and even a casino is more of their taste. Some old folks love their slot’s machine.
i live near a cruise terminal (literally like two blocks away), but i've never been inside or on one! i love these videos as kind of a peek behind the curtain as to what it can be like to go on a cruise
Watched this last night on Nebula with my gf, neither of us are interested in going on cruises but you do a great job presenting then and we hope you keep doing these videos!
I did a double take on that Disney price….”presented without comment” is the correct way to frame that 22:47
I was thinking I could buy a house for that price. Not a very big house, not in the best neighborhood, but still.
@@Croz89Depends on where you wanted the house. Couldn’t get a shed in California with that, but could get some land with it in West Virginia
@@justicedunham4088 and it's priced at the same as a nuclear silo + mansion in Kansas
It’s basically like buying either a luxury car or a 12 night Disney cruise, truly no commenr
instead of deepfaked whitney houston they should just have straight up vocaloid concerts on board lmao
LOL, all the 50+ target demographic struggling to even pronounce "vocaloid" - then staring at their cruise buddies desperately trying to not look it up on wikipedia.
@@wyw876 Integrate it with the digital device lessons.
I’ve never seen your videos. I’ve never been on a cruise nor likely ever will. But I’ve spent the past 2 and a half hours of my Saturday night watching cruise ship reviews for some reason. I find your reviews to be very relaxing. You do a great job of explaining your experience and I especially like how you go into detail on the ship designs. Keep it up! 👍🏼
Just an FYI- you and your wife/gfs full names are on your itiinerary- not sure if you wanted those online!
Time stamp?
@@louisjohnson628 Why would you want a timestamp of that you weirdo?
21:46 Their names are already public on IMDB for Closed For The Storm btw
There are 3 brands under the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings umbrella.
Norwegian Cruise Line - the mainstream cruise line
Oceania Cruises - the luxury cruise line
Regent Seven Seas - the ultra luxury cruise line
Oh so it's like GM wirh Chevy, Buick/GMC, and Cadillac?
@@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006yes it’s similar
@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006 They are positioned differently for different markets. NCL bought out the parent company of Oceania and Regent about 10 years ago. With NCL, if you book a suite, they will sometimes send you promotional material about Oceania, though
@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006 yes, Royal Caribbean Group has the same with, Royal Caribbean Line, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea
I love Oceania, but it is an upper-premium line, not a true luxury line. That is also how they market themselves.
This was fascinating and a very good insight into NCL's luxury line. Thank you so much for spending the money that I never could on this cruise!
I've been on a few NCL cruises and to see that Oceania is almost identical in so many ways is crazy to me. For the amount of money you pay I was expecting it to be very different but the cabins, ship design (including the segmenting of guest areas by room type) and even the food doesn't seem that much different. Really the only differences seem to be the price, activities (aimed at older people) and some minor luxury perks.
I would've just closed the crew door myself. Worst thing is they just open it again.
Could be a fire door or something of that nature though.
My mom and I heard great things about Oceania so decided to give it a try. Was on a small ship, which we usually love on other lines. Great itinerary but the worst cabin we have ever been in. It was “valet” veranda. Ha never saw or heard from a valet. All we got was two free laundries. Cabin was tiny with the smallest bathroom we have ever seen. You could sit on the toilet, brush your teeth, and wash your feet in the shower all at the same time. Food was good but not fantastic. We won’t be sailing with them again.
Loved the "unseasoned chicken" comparison! Ps that Po Boy shrimp roll looked real Po-or!😅
Fair & qualified review - Ty ! I just had this discussion w/ Princess. We would not go with ultra luxury anything , due to my perception. The extra cost not worth the experience in order lay out so much more cash. Premium does the trick just fine for us . 😀
“The Owner’s Suite” isn’t a little on the nose, it’s a mallet calling me poor 😂
At that point I don't know why you wouldn't just charter a yacht!
Few months ago I had never been on a cruise in my nearly 30 years on earth, nor had I any interests in going on a cruise. Since finding this channel its been abdicating watching cruise reviews. I got so excited to see this video pop up
I love your travel reviews. They are so relaxing to watch
Have to say as a long time cruiser we prefer the smaller ships,it just gets exhausting getting lost all the time
Smaller ships can also get into ports that are closer to the destination cities. Those megaships have to dock (or drop anchor) hours away from the city listed on their itineraries.
I totally agree
To me the large ship vs small ship thing is like apple pie vs. cheesecake. They're very different things and I like both for different reasons. In some cases I prefer cheesecake, in others I prefer apple pie. With ships, if it's a romantic trip with just my wife then I prefer a small ship; the smaller, quieter ships are inherently more romantic and we don't need much to entertain us. If it's a large family trip then I prefer a large ship, as there's something for everyone and I find you can never have too much space on large family outings haha.
"Why is there a casino" because it's basically pure profit for them with no state to be licensing them. And I work in gaming, trust me there are going to be people at any casino if it's open.
yeah that was a really weird comment and speaks to a lack of maturity or knowledge of how the world works. Just because YOU choose not to gamble (ditto for me) doesn't mean you shouldn't know why a cruise ship would have a casino for both the benefit of the passengers who like gambling or the ship who likes to make money.
Excellent video! On a random separate positive note - just finished sailing on Celebrity Reflection - the sister ship to Celebrity Solstice you reviewed. The line really stepped up its main dining room food as well as the entertainment since two years ago. I was throughly impressed.
Gifting mom a vacation to use as a tax write off :P
Everybody wins
Well Done! We just got off the Marina after a 14 day Med cruise (May 2024) where the entertainment including a violinist/Spanish dancer, a singer like Frank Sinatra; a singer who specialized in opera, and a highly professional sing and dance troupe repeatedly got - standing ovations! After completing 10 cruises so far - 3 with Oceania (2 Marina and Riviera) I would generally agree with your overall assessments. Yet given our 7 other cruises including: RCL Wonder of the Seas, Celebrity Solstice, Princess, and Silversea - we keep coming back to compare Oceania - to everything else. As for age, I won’t hold your age against you only to say - your generation will get older too - eventually - so that these various cruise lines will never run out of aging customers - including You!! 😂🙃 Although I would agree that Oceania has a lot of competition. I think at one time in the past Oceania raised the bar particularly with its food that other cruise lines have been chasing to catch-up ever since. On our Feb. 2024 trip on RCL Wonder of the Seas, I got to experience a totally unique food experience involving Indian continent and Jamaican cuisine. The food was very unique and quite surprising, and for the most part, I really enjoyed it! Overall, with so many cruise lines building so many new ships, the competition is fierce! Also, cruise lines are dealing with the huge borrowing costs incurred as a result of the pandemic just to stay in business. I can’t help but think this is skewing their operating standards somewhat? (Just a guess on my part.) Anyway, enjoyed your presentation style and wish you continued success. Keep up the good work!
We were on that same cruise and I love Oceania for their bathrooms. The rooms also have plenty of storage places. I enjoy the high tea that most ships do not have anymore. When comparing cruises, you need to see how many ports of call they have vs sea days. I believe the itineraries for Oceania cruises are the best.
@@nancymikoda This cruise was heavy on port days, but stopped in so many interesting spots including two bucket list stops for us, we were willing to give up lounging time. Fortunately, timing for each tour day was staggered that helped. As we tended to dine at 5-6 p.m, the afternoon tea did not work out for us although on two previous Oceania cruises we really enjoyed that feature.
We travelled on Vista in the eastern Med this Spring. Whilst we enjoyed the cruise, your assessment is very fair. Keep up the good work.
I have no interest in cruises whatsoever for a number of reasons but I love listening to your reviews of them.
Sounds like a living hell. The fish have bones, lol. I’d care less about the bones than the people that complain about them.
Your review was spot on. We were disappointed too. They didn’t meet to their expectations.
No midnight buffet would upset me. On various ships we sailed on, it could be a mix of leftovers redone, or as one night on RCCL, it was the biggest dessert buffet I had ever seen. I would have taken anything that would save back to my cabin for later in the night.
NCL get rid of the midnight buffet and than the dessert buffet years ago. They said it was very wasteful. People would take photos of the food sculptures, leave and not eat anything. On NCL mainline ships, they do have a pub style restaurant open all night.
They have found the midnight buffets to be very wasteful of food.
Video ideas:
- Bankrupt: Renaissance Cruises
- Bankrupt: 99¢ Stores
Yeah, I have experienced the annoyance of the studio app only working on a cruise ships upper level internet package a couple times.
That Whitney Houston deep fake was just bad. A Whitney impersonator or just really any human musicians covering Whitney's songs in a respectful way would have been a much better choice
I will never go on a cruise as it is not how i perfer to travel but i love watching your reviews and live vicariously through your cruises.
I had the same opinion but I realized that for some destinations it’s ideal way to travel plus I don’t need to pack, unpack my luggage multiple times and haul it in between.
Just got off the Vista sailing the mediterranean. my wife and I are in our early40s and we were certainly the youngest on board but we didn’t mind that. I think where you went wrong was getting one of those little rooms. we had an enormous suite which was not that much more money. We also had a 24 hour Butler on-call that would bring us food anytime of day.
That room was beautiful. My in-laws are hard core Royal cruisers and they spend every evening in the casino. I hate cruising but the ship you were on looks way more enjoyable than a royal ship imo.
I never used Vista. I went from the XP to the 7.
I was confused by the limited dining hours on the ship, given my own (limited) cruise experience. I was on board a Norwegian cruise and food was available nearly 24x7. But then you mentioned that their seeming demographic skews older, and the dining times make sense. They line up with dining habits of an older crowd.
You should review non premium lines too. I’d love to see your take on the big 3: Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian (the non premium brand).
My family took an NCL 9 night cruise to Europe last year and paid less for 4 people than you paid for 2.
Yeah I’ll give it a try!
I’ve only ever been on one cruise: Oceania Riviera. I am NOT a cruise person but LOVED it. The food was excellent! You definitely skipped the best of the specialty restaurants (Ginger). True, if you’re 40-50 years old you’ll be the youngest on board. If you do not value the actual ports and excursions, I guess maybe other “ships” are nicer but does anyone actually cruise so they can stay on the ship?
I cruise on the Oceania Nautica. I enjoy the pampering by the crew.. It's also small, 600 travelers. I was on a 2 month cruise..
I have to ask, how were the excursion itineraries? I would hope that at the price point, that is where they offer their competitive value. On the cruises I've done, sometimes the ships don't give you a ton of time in port or many excursions from the concierge. It sounds like that may be something.
Back in January we went on the Marilla Explorer 2 for $2,000 CDN per person including airfare from Toronto to Jamaica. It is an all-inclusive ship, although you can buy the premium drink package if wanted. We actually really enjoyed pretty much the whole trip, so you might want to check them out and they can be booked through Sunwing but won't update that until about September.
I just rewatched a bunch of videos on this channel. What a pleasant surprise.
Going in 2 weeks, 50+, first cruise ever. Thanks for the info and your POV, will let you know our experience as first-timers.
Not to be nitpicking but, isn’t Celebrity considered to be a “luxury” cruise line? So, I’m not sure (at least personally) if I’d consider this your first luxury cruise on the channel.
Celebrity is more "premium" than actual "luxury". Silversea would be Royal Caribbean's true "luxury" line offering.
Celebrity likes to call themselves a luxury cruise line but they’re really not that much more expensive/exclusive than the budget lines of Carnival and Royal Caribbean. They’re certainly WAY cheaper to book then Oceania if you look at it money wise
Celebrity’s marketing department says it’s luxury … it’s not 😜
Thanks to everyone who replied to my comment! I think now the distinction makes more sense to me.
I have never been interested in cruise ships but the way you discuss them in these videos makes the topic interesting for me. I don't understand it but I like it
I need this guy to go on more cruises i love these videos
The celebrity ascent was the first cruise I ever took, and it was absolutely fantastic. The entire party was over the moon with the food quality, "Eden" being the favorite
Under-seasoned food at really restrictive early hours? Definitely catering to that older clientele with that.
On Riviera last month. Amazing food in the main dining room. The best thing you missed was Red Ginger, I feel sorry for you! We enjoyed it so much we've booked an 18 day cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago de Chile on the Marina next February.
Every ship I've ever been on had a casino.
OMG, when you kept saying "for the price" i thought you might be exaggerating, but 9-10k for 10 days. It's insane
Boarding the Vista on Tuesday. Concierge class. I'm excited to use the spa. Sailing the Mediterranean. Was originally cruise to Israel, but, well, war. 😢
Have fun!
17:15 honestly, if you have to have that many legal disclaimers on your show then maybe it shouldn’t be a thing past a brief trial run? 😅
Just discovered your travel channel and as a seasoned cruiser (it’s one of the main vacations we go on every year around early January, mostly Disney, but sometimes we go on Royal Caribbean too) it’s really helpful and refreshing to see honest takes that aren’t black and white. I was wondering if you were going to cover the utopia of the seas? We’ve been there a couple times and it ain’t perfect but it’s definitely one of my favorites in certain areas like the adult area.
Would love to see your take on a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship like Icon class or Oasis class. With cruise prices on the rise and value seeming to dwindle I’d love to watch your take on your score board
I would love to try one of those ships, I feel like I have so much to say about them!
Thank you for the honest commentary, not just a sales pitch.
Azamara has 4 of the Renaissance Cruises ships and they have been remodeled quite nicely.
So does Oceania. All 4 have been extensively redone. Can’t change the smaller size cabin and bathrooms but we love those ships and their crew!
Yes, those 8 Ships are Awesome don't feel old or small, with I could afford too, I'd drop RCCL all together. Most folks are not liking the Vista, but the R Class Ships stay Sold Out.
Yikes Jake. That was harsh.
A ship, and it's review differ, I know, between the many different "Cruise Ship Reviewers" out there. Of the many different reviews I have seen of Vista, yours was the most harsh. For sure, you are the youngest reviewer of this ship, that I have seen yet so far. Other folks I follow, Cruise reviewers, like you said, early in this video, raved about the ship and the food, but what was lacking, I think was your no nonsense approach, and your ability to cross reference other ships against Vista, in a rapid fire style.
Using blanket statements like "The Finest Cuisine, or the Best Ship afloat or the Best Cruise for your pocket book," just open everyone up to some pretty harsh reviews, from cruisers who expect those statements to be proven correct.
You know what you like and dislike. You see, on Vista, what is wasteful and odd. Most cruise lines today are using the "Ship within a Ship" concept. I agree that Explora Journeys is a cut above everyone else in this market. Viking for me was pricey, because I wanted a Northern Lights cruise. I should have gone with HX or Hurtigruten, or Havila.
Your voice is important because these lines are trying to attract younger clientele and if they aren't hitting the mark, so to speak, those younger demographics need to know, right ?? Well Done.
I'd wish that someday I might speak as civilly as you to the internet jackass who pissed in my cheerios. 🤩I think the art of civil disagreement was lost in the '80s and it needs to be rediscovered ASAP.
I found similar on Viking, lovely ships and great facilities but food overall was overhyped, the times for when food was open and available just didn’t match the way we eat again with 10am-12pm having basically no food meaning no late breakfasts.
You should do a video on Sparkling Hill resort in BC, the hotel made of Swarovski crystals
woof! I will NEVER go on this one! I definitely believe you were being "nice" with your scores. Thanks for another honest, informative review.
Thank you for this review. We have taken ~40 cruises and enjoy trying new cruise lines, although we were formerly mostly Celebrity customers, and now almost exclusively sail on Princess.
We were sold on a 7-night Alaska cruise on Oceania Regatta several years ago. Like you, we were well younger than the demographic, and we were attracted by the claims of the greatest food at sea. Also appealing to me was the relaxed dress code for an upscale line. I wear a tie to work every day, and I don’t want to do that on vacation. The Regatta is one of the old Renaissance R-class ships and we liked the ability to get into smaller ports due to its comparatively tiny size. Unfortunately, we soon discovered on a bad weather, cold weather cruise where the decks were restricted, it became a very claustrophobic experience as there’s nowhere to go after about ten minutes of walking; I had the same opinion of another R-class ship, Azamara Journey, and simply won’t cruise on an R-class again.
I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion of Oceania’s food service. The hours and venues were restricted, and while we had some average to above average meals onboard, the buffet always disappointed. We actually felt profoundly ripped off as experienced Celebrity cruisers, as there was no meal I ate onboard that was as good as Celebrity. Even the Princess buffet had a bigger variety of good selections compared to the Regatta buffet. We were both extremely underwhelmed by the experience.
Our cabin was lovely if a bit fussily decorated and much of the ship was way too ornate for our tastes, but that wouldn’t have been an issue had everything else been as good as advertised.
We’ve taken many cruises since then and have never even considered returning to Oceania as it’s not a good value proposition in our view.
Excellent review!
I’ve sailed Norwegian twice and in many ways I liked the Carnival food better. Carnival had more many options and had food available for more hours, including a late night pizza place. I also had difficulty getting into or walking in to the Norwegian restaurants. Sounds like Oceania is very similar.
Norwegian is weird with their food options. When I went on Norwegian Encore last August there were three free options (Buffet, The Local, and The Main Dining Room), and everything else was an upcharge. We ate at a few of the upcharge places since we had a dining upgrade and the food was solid (Especially the BBQ restaurant of all places) but it wasn't easy to get into them.
Norwegian also prices their restaurants by-the-item instead of one fixed price, although the dining package upgrade let you get several items to get around that (I.E. Appetizer, entree, side, and a dessert).
We only cruise on Oceania Vista. You get what you pay for from a room perspective. The best way to get the best room for your price point is to call Oceania directly. They will tell you which room is better regarding your placement concerns as well as which rooms face the port side as the ship enters the port. They will also take into consideration where your room would be in relation to elevators, and other high traffic areas as well as which rooms have an extended veranda. Sounds like 85% of the food was to your likings, so that's a win for Oceania. We eat at all restaurants on the ship and the food is excellent. Yes, some dishes are not to my liking, but that's just my opinion.
You missed Red Ginger? The most sought after restaurant on the ship. Sounds like you are looking for perfection according to your specific taste. It is the best at sea, just not designed for you.
You also say you picked the low entry room, but then say its the highest you have paid for a cruise? Oceania Vista is not in line with the WalMart of the seas cruise lines.
A big selling point for the target audience is that no person under 18 is allowed with a parent.
I watch every single review of a Cruise ship of your channel, so I can be more conscious on the desicions for my future Cruise trip, but anyways been looking forward for this video from the previews on Instagram. And it was worth the wait.
BTW, sorry for the terrible spelling, I watch Bright Sun Travels as much as Bright Sun Films from México. And the stupid autocorrector changes words from English to Spanish, so I hope you can understand.
Imo, pay-walling TH-cam, streaming services and who knows what else is blocked is low-key absurd.
A little hurt by the HAL comment haha (they’ve been my family’s go-to line for years), but I’d love to see your review on them (even if it’s harsh!) I’ve seen Oceania ads everywhereee recently (guess they’re targeting me, although I haven’t gone on a cruise for years at this point), so I was definitely interested in your opinion, thanks Jake!
Did you notice that if you looked at the numbers on the screen the HAL cruise was $2,400 (USD) per couple cheaper than the Oceania cruise (and the HAL cruise included a full beverage package). True, HAL is not as upscale as Oceania tries to be, but at a 44% discount, I expect I would be choosing HAL as well.
Newer is not always better. I have several customers that are longtime Oceania cruisers and despite having smaller cabins and less dining choice they much prefer the quality of service, choice of itineraries and easy comradery only a small ship can afford.
I wish i had TH-cam money to invite my mom and myself on a cruise for 12.000 dollars total. But i guess this video itself pays for the trip. Smart.
The Explora ships are currently a strong value proposition in this market segment.
I’m not sure I see the value over premium lines like Holland Celebrity and Princess.
Recently traveled to South America cruise on Oceania’s Marina and while the cruise experience was good (so much gourmet food!) and the ship itself ok, their customer service left a lot to be desired. Oceania provides complimentary air travel to a from the port, unfortunately they booked us to fly with a very small window between connecting flights (JFK to MIA to LIM). Air travel being what it is, we missed the connecting flight to the port city, (Delta mechanical issue) WE had to buy our own tickets to Lima where the ship was docked otherwise we were never making it there on time. Of course, Oceania washed their hands and would not reimburse us for the air fare which we felt they absolutely should have.
Ive always been curious about Oceania when they advertise a full page in the WSJ. Then I read the CruiseCritic reviews about their ships and they're comically bad.
We have enjoyed three Oceania cruises (on Marina and Riviera). We were amongst the youngest on board and we are in our mid 50s. Would like to do more Oceania cruises but they have burnt us off with the price increases and the more inclusive pricing model. We don't want to be forced to pay for achingly slow coach excursions, and one of us doesn't drink so included alcohol is a waste as well. We are trying Celebrity Aqua class next at about 60% of the price of an Oceania balcony cabin. Loved your review.
Outdated? Those "old" ships are beautiful.
I actually see some similarities with the Prima class from Norwegian. Individualized stunning spaces like their observation lounge, but awkward placements or design choices like their main pool area having liitle deck space. Heck there was barely any place you could see rhe ocean comfortablly on the upper decks since half of the ship was taken by the go kart track and The Haven (which also left a ton of outter deck space inacessible to most).
I had a thought about the food. Obviously, and as you also pointed out, this cruise line's main clientele tend to be older, like 55+, and also rich. Older rich folks aren't exactly known to be fans of food with a lot of flavors, aka "too spicy". So I think the overall flavor palette tends to reflect their usual clients. It probably IS the best food at sea....according to those that think ketchup is too spicy.
The ship looks gorgeous but the cons are so strange. I would expect more for the price point! Would love to see you review one of the new princess ships - I was really impressed!