P&O Cruises
This ship is for family-friendly cruising in a comfortable environment
The Ship. Oceana is all about British-ness and will be comfortingly familiar for families with children who want to travel and take their British traditions and food with them. It is suited to adults of all ages and families with children of all ages, and offers good value for money.
The all-white Oceana has a pleasing profile and is well balanced by its large funnel, which contains a deck tennis/basketball/volleyball court in its sheltered aft base. There is 93,000 sq ft (8,640 sq m) of open deck space and a wide, teakwood walk-around promenade deck. The pool deck is cluttered with white plastic chairs, which lack cushioned pads.
There is a good range of public rooms, lounges, and bars. The interior focal and social meeting point is a four-deck-high atrium lobby with winding, double stairways and two panoramic glass-walled lifts (the Captain’s cocktail party is held here).
The Monte Carlo Club Casino, while large, is out of the main passenger flow. The most traditional room is the Yacht and Compass Bar, decorated in the style of a turn-of-the-century wood-paneled gentleman’s club.
In the quest for increased onboard revenue, even birthday cakes are an extra-cost item, as are espressos and cappuccinos (unauthentic ones, made from instant coffee, are available in the dining rooms), ice cream and bottled water – items that can add up to a considerable amount. Expect to be subjected to flyers advertising daily art auctions, ‘designer’ watches, and other promotions. Gratuities are automatically charged to your onboard account. Oceana is based in Dubai during the the winter.
Accommodation. There are many different cabin grades, designated as: suites with private balcony; mini-suites with private balcony; outside-view twin-bedded cabin with balcony; outside-view twin bedded cabin; and interior twin-bedded cabins. Although the standard outside-view and interior cabins are a little small, they are well designed and functional in layout, and are decorated in earth tones accentuated by colorful bedspreads.
Many outside-view cabins have private (narrow) balconies, although the balcony partition is not of the floor-to-ceiling type, so you can hear your neighbors clearly. Balconies have no lights. Many cabins have third- and fourth-person upper bunk beds – good for families with children – and all cabins have useful tea- and coffee-making facilities.
There is a reasonable amount of closet and abundant drawer and other storage space in all cabins; although adequate for a seven-night cruise, it could prove to be quite tight for longer. A refrigerator is also provided, and each night a chocolate will appear on your pillow. Bathrooms are small but practical. Fortunately, the shower enclosure is a decent size, and there’s a small amount of shelving for your toiletries, genuine glasses, and a hairdryer.
Also standard in all cabins: Slumberland 8ins (20cm) sprung mattresses, 10.5-tog duvets (blankets and pillows, if you prefer), Egyptian cotton towels, and tea/coffee-making facilities with specialty teas (long-life milk is provided).
The largest accommodation is in six suites, two on each of three decks at the aft of the ship, with a private balcony giving great views over the stern. Each of these suites – Orcades, Orion, Orissa, Orontes, Oronsay, and Orsova (all P&O ships of yesteryear) has a large balcony, marble-clad bathrooms a Jacuzzi tub, and separate shower enclosure. The bedroom has wood accenting and detailing, indented ceilings, and TV sets in both bedroom and lounge areas, which also have a dining room table and four chairs.
Dining. There are two principal asymmetrically designed dining rooms, Adriatic and Ligurian, each seating about 500, located just off the two lower levels of the four-deck-high atrium lobby. One has open seating, and the other has two seatings. Each has its own galley, and is split into multi-tier sections, creating a feeling of intimacy, although there is much noise from waiter stations. Open-seating breakfast and lunch are provided; dinner is in two seatings.
The cuisine is decidedly British – sometimes adventurous, but always with plenty of curry dishes and other standard British comfort-food dishes. Don’t expect exquisite dining – this is unpretentious British hotel catering that is attractive and tasty, with some excellent gravies and sauces to accompany meals, and desserts that are always decent. The wine list is quite reasonable. A statement in the onboard cruise folder states that P&O Cruises does not knowingly purchase genetically modified foods, though it makes no mention of all those commercial American cereals provided.
The Plaza, a self-serve buffet, is located above the navigation bridge, with great views. At night, it morphs into an informal dinner setting with sit-down waiter service.
Outdoors on deck, Horizon Grill has fast-food items for those who want to stay in their sunbathing attire.
For other informal eats, there is Café Jardin, with a Frankie’s Bar & Grill-style menu serving Italian-inspired dishes; it is on the uppermost level of the atrium lobby.
Explorer’s is for extra-cost ‘premium’ coffees, teas, and pastries, and Magnums is a Champagne/caviar bar.
Entertainment. There are two showlounges – Footlights Theatre and Starlights – one forward, and one aft. Footlights is a 550-seat showlounge, for drama productions and movies. Starlights is a 480-seat cabaret-style lounge with bar.
A resident group of actors, singers, and dancers, who provide theater-style presentations including cut-down versions of well-known musicals. In addition, the ship features an array of cabaret acts who regularly travel the cruise ship circuit.
Spa/Fitness. The Ocean Spa facilities are contained in a glass-walled complex on one of the highest decks aft and include a gymnasium, with high-tech muscle-pumping equipment, a combination aerobics/exercise-class room, sauna, steam room, and several treatment rooms.
The spa is operated by UK concession Harding Brothers.
One swimming pool is ‘suspended’ aft between two decks – it forms part of the spa complex. Two other (small) pools are located in the ship’s center. Sports facilities include basketball, volleyball, badminton, and paddle tennis. Joggers can exercise on a walk-around open promenade deck. There’s an electronic golf simulator – no need to bring your own clubs.