E422 - Oceana 14 nights

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cornmillgirl
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E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#1

Post by cornmillgirl »

This is a shortish review as I failed to make notes as to what was on each day!! For the first time we took the Intercruise coach service which we were worried about, seeing some of the negative comments, when I posted on the forum to ask about Intercruise. The coach was a big Vanhool, with lovely comfy seats, toilet facilities, plenty of leg room, all the luggage was loaded on the coach and we had two stops one at Warrington then another at Warwick services. We arrived not much later than if we had driven down ourselves but found the journey very relaxing. The coach could not get any nearer to the terminal front door and we were boarded within about 20 mins and drinking champagne in Le Club.

Our cabin was C746 Orion Suite which was lovely with a huge balcony and our butler was Nishant who was fantastic, friendly but very professional. Our cabin steward Angelo was a lovely friendly chap who made us several towel animals throughout the cruise. I being a big kid at heart decided to make some for him (OBF can testify that mine were not as good as Angelo's as I sent him photos, but certainly watching Blue Peter in my childhood certainly paid off dividends). Mine were not strictly just from towels but I made him a tortoise, cobra snake, octopus, huge rabbit, and a massive smiley face. Popeye made a flying bird which was hung with dental floss from a hanger! Angelo said that it had made his cruise and job so enjoyable as he looked forward to going through our cabin door every night, as he never knew what to expect.

Oceana is a lovely ship however we found that trying to get a seat in any of the bars was a problem, I think this was probably caused by the fact that teenagers took over Le Club where we tried to go for a drink one night, but came out and I think other passengers must have found the same issue so this meant other venues were very busy.

We had Club dining, table of 8 on second sitting and had a great table of dining companions. Our waiters Eurico and Terry were excellent, nothing too much trouble and Newby Fernandes as Head Waiter was one of the best I have come across, nothing was too much trouble and he communicated with diet chef Monsie who made some outstanding meals for me, so I asked to meet him at the end of the cruise to give him an envelope, what a nice chap he was, so smiley even though his job is one of the busiest sections. The food for the rest of the table was excellent, always hot, plenty of it even though it was plated and no-one had any complaints. Our wine waiter Pilar who has looked after us before was excellent, always there to top up our glasses and never leaving us empty. We even got to know Joy on the wine line, who only ever asked for our selection as she knew our details off by heart. We went down to meet her in Explorers before we got off to say thanks for getting all our wine selections correct.

The weather throughout the cruise was excellent, except for Barcelona where for the first time, it absolutely threw it down with rain.

We had problems with tenders in Monte Carlo, the sea was choppy and we were parked a long way out, so it was a long journey to shore.

It was a total disaster in Alghero though, first of all one of the tenders got a rope round the propeller so a diver had to go out and sort it out. Then two of the other tenders engines went kapput so they had to get one of the lifeboats into operation which dont hold as many passengers. People were having a right whinge about it and I cannot blame them, but then again we have been to Alghero before so we were not affected as much. The Captain was most apologetic and managed to get us an extended stay in Gibraltar so we had the full day there instead which was good for the crew as the Azura docked in the afternoon so the terminal building was alive with chat as crew members met up with their friends from the other ship.

The cruise was sold out and there were alot of children/teenagers onboard which did cause some problems which we have never experienced on other cruises. We have cruised in the summer holidays before but never seen some of the terrible behaviour. Teenagers gathered under the stairwells, some of the language left a lot to be desired! They were running about the corridors and stairs, nearly knocking people over, in fact the Pursuer had to reprimand some of them. Younger girls gathered on the landings sitting on the floor outside the lifts making it difficult for people. Two families were put off at one of the ports due to a girl and boy from each family being seen on CCTV having sex on the sundeck, but not sure what else went on but I bet the parents were not happy.

We were sat in Magnums after dinner one night, having a drink when a couple sat down nearby with a teenage girl and boy, the lad and chap started arguing. We originally though the girl and lad had hooked up whilst on the cruise but it turned out they were brother and sister. The young lad said something that infuriated the dad and they ended up scrapping on the floor. The women and the girl managed to get them to stop, but I have never seen anything like it.

The entertainment was very good by all accounts according to our table companions, but me and Popeye are not show goers, preferring to have a nightcap after dinner. There were various films shown in Starlights although the picture quality was not particularly brilliant and again problems were caused by teenagers being noisy during the showtimes. One of our table companions was a young teacher of 29, he said he had reprimanded teenagers several times both during the films and also for effing and jeffing and running about.

So it was an interesting cruise to say the least, it would make us think twice about booking in the summer holidays in the future.

The return Intercruise journey was well organised by the company but wow do some passengers cause problems. Whilst waiting for priority dis-embarkation a couple tried to get off before we had been called off, but had all their luggage. They had not read the paperwork (they said there was too much to read to the Passengers Services Manager, who held her cool I have to say). They were unable to carry all the luggage themselves so the PSM had to try and sort it out. We got on the coach, as did everyone else and about to set off, when two passengers realised that they had not collected their luggage from the baggage hall! I kid you not :evil: So off they went to retrieve it, got back on the coach then realised they were still a bag missing!! Off he went with an Intercruise representative and when he got back on said "aren't you all going to clap". I will not repeat what I was thinking :twisted:

The return journey was just as efficient as the trip going down and time seemed to fly by, perhaps because you have time to chill out, read, snooze etc. We will certainly use the coach in future.

We had a great cruise though and now look forward to Adonia in May.


Quizzical Bob
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#2

Post by Quizzical Bob »

Thanks CMG, great report.

Remember the famous quote: 'Hell is other people'. :o

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Jan Rosser
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#3

Post by Jan Rosser »

Great review of your cruise CMG and glad your coach journey was okay. I'm afraid I was one of the negative posters but glad to hear you had a good experience and found the trip relaxing and efficient. Sorry to hear of the antics of some of the passengers - sounds as if some of the parents were as bad as the children - I travel with my son and family during school holidays and it is noticeable how some parents just let their children do as they like - no supervision :thumbdown:
Janis

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Kenmo1
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#4

Post by Kenmo1 »

Well, Cornmillgirl, your Oceana cruise was certainly interesting and made entertaining reading. Now I know why we prefer to sail during term time. Perhaps we will stick to the Arcadia after all - I've yet to see a couple of oldies scrapping on the floor but I'm sure others may have done.

Thanks for the review.

Maureen

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cornmillgirl
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#5

Post by cornmillgirl »

Quizzical Bob wrote:
Thanks CMG, great report.

Remember the famous quote: 'Hell is other people'. :o
You got that right QB!

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cornmillgirl
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#6

Post by cornmillgirl »

Kenmo1 wrote:
Well, Cornmillgirl, your Oceana cruise was certainly interesting and made entertaining reading. Now I know why we prefer to sail during term time. Perhaps we will stick to the Arcadia after all - I've yet to see a couple of oldies scrapping on the floor but I'm sure others may have done.

Thanks for the review.

Maureen
We would definitely think twice about booking at least during the summer holidays Maureen. I am sure there other things went on which
we did not either see or hear about. On on our last night sitting at the dinner table, the noise from the deck above sounded like a herd of elephants thundering about!

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Manoverboard
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#7

Post by Manoverboard »

Thanks CMG ... the impromptu ' entertainment ' sounded like fun ;)

But deffo a reminder for the rest of us to stick with adult only ships during the main holiday periods.

:clap:
Keep smiling, it's good for your well being


Lynda and David
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#8

Post by Lynda and David »

Hello Cornmillgirl, we were on Oceana in June 2012 and got to know the bar staff in Magnums quite well. They told us then they were dreading the school holidays because of the trouble the teenagers cause. There was one incident the previous year when a girl and boy climbed up over the side of the ship and into one of the lifeboats. When the crew asked them to come down they refused and two members of crew had to climb up into the lifeboat and make them get out. It has made us think twice about travelling on any ship that allows children during the school holidays.

Regards


Lynda

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Dancing Queen
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#9

Post by Dancing Queen »

Sounds an interesting cruise Cornmillgill :o

I have been on cruises when there have been 500 children on board and you wouldn't even have known, I've been on other cruises with about 100 on board and they have been an absolute pain in the butt :roll: I've also been on cruises and seen people put off the ship both for their children's behaviour and on occasion their own.

I don't want to be restricted to adult only ships or the months that I choose to cruise so I think it is up to the cruise line to make the rules and abide by them and leave people in no doubt what will happen if they think the rules don't apply to them.

We all have our own ideas of how we want to see cruising progress and I will go along with most of it but there do have to be rules on a ship .. for safety reasons if nothing else, like the story of teenagers climbing over the side into the lifeboats .. totally irresponsible and the consequences don't bear thinking about had it all gone wrong.
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Andrea S
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#10

Post by Andrea S »

CMG, Glad you had some positives to your cruise and overall had a good holiday.

I have heard other reports on teenagers running amok ( not just P&O ) and I think it can give the cruise industry a bad name.

Bad behaviour by any child is unacceptable and I think there are a number of parents who think cruising is the easy way out and off load their monsters to the Kiddies Clubs whilst they have have a good time.

Teenagers are mostly too old for these clubs but not mature enough for more adult entertainment so it is up to the parents to keep them under control.

Once you are home fortunately it is all the good things you remember.

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cornmillgirl
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#11

Post by cornmillgirl »

Jan Rosser wrote:
Great review of your cruise CMG and glad your coach journey was okay. I'm afraid I was one of the negative posters but glad to hear you had a good experience and found the trip relaxing and efficient. Sorry to hear of the antics of some of the passengers - sounds as if some of the parents were as bad as the children - I travel with my son and family during school holidays and it is noticeable how some parents just let their children do as they like - no supervision :thumbdown:
Hi Jan - I thought I had replied to your post, but its not there so I must have forgotten to hit the submit button. Our experience of Intercruise
was obviously very different to yours, maybe we were lucky but it has made us think that the coach is the way forward for future.

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cornmillgirl
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#12

Post by cornmillgirl »

I do agree with Dancing Queen, that really the cruiselines need to enforce rules. It did appear that parents relinquished their responsibilities
once on board allowing their children to do whatever they liked, as a ship is considered a safe environment. However the lifeboat tale could
have ended up being a tragic one and then of course P&O would have been at fault not the parents. We were surprised as well as the
number of very young children who were still up in Winners bar at well after midnight.

We have been on Christmas cruises where there have been hundreds of children and not a problem in sight, but this cruise stood out for us
because we are so unused to bad behaviour.

As for the more mature passenger having a scrap, well that has never happened and hopefully never will :sarcasm:

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Jan Rosser
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#13

Post by Jan Rosser »

cornmillgirl wrote:
Jan Rosser wrote:
Great review of your cruise CMG and glad your coach journey was okay. I'm afraid I was one of the negative posters but glad to hear you had a good experience and found the trip relaxing and efficient. Sorry to hear of the antics of some of the passengers - sounds as if some of the parents were as bad as the children - I travel with my son and family during school holidays and it is noticeable how some parents just let their children do as they like - no supervision :thumbdown:
Hi Jan - I thought I had replied to your post, but its not there so I must have forgotten to hit the submit button. Our experience of Intercruise
was obviously very different to yours, maybe we were lucky but it has made us think that the coach is the way forward for future.
I had only used Eavesway coaches before my one experience with Intercruise and agree with you that travelling down to Southampton by coach is great - so relaxing - I really feel as soon as I get on that coach the holiday has started. My son travels down from the north west and his experience was very different to mine so may be I was just unlucky :roll:
Janis

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wolfie
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#14

Post by wolfie »

A somewhat eventful cruise!!

It was only on Oceana, and also in school holidays, that we encountered problems with youngsters on board.

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Onelife
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Re: E422 - Oceana 14 nights

#15

Post by Onelife »

Hi CMG

Without doubt the best report l have ever read :thumbup: :)

Sorry to hear that you encounterd a few feral teenagers whilst onboard Oceana. I sincerely hope your experience is a one off and won't be something any of us will have encounter on forthcoming cruises.

Perhaps the forwarding of your review to those above may help ensure better pest control as l can't for one minute think this kind of behaviour is something that P&O would allow were they aware of what seems to be the ships relaxed pest control policy.

Regards

Keith :wave:

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