Reviews of Oriana Cruise Ship, Oriana, P&O Cruises

Oriana- A name given to Mythical...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Oriana Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr C Stephenson

Comments:

Oriana- A name given to Mythical huntress and later Queen Elizabeth I

And the ship that bears the name is every bit fit for a King or Queen.

She really is!

This was my third cruise on Oriana and as before was perfect.

Just to start with unlike Ms J McDougall said in her review is about as accurate as soap operas are real.

I used the public services many times and found them to be 1st class

There is no way that Like the reviewer already stated above , said that the ship smelt like Urine (unless she had accident and did not want to admit it)

To cut a long story short Oriana is the perfect choice for the British passanger who she is designed to appel to.



In years gone by many great liners have bore the title Queen Of The seas and now Oriana can proudly lay claim to be one of the only modern liners fit for the title.

Fantastic that is all I can say...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Inspiring Iberia

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr S Martin

Comments:

Fantastic that is all I can say about Oriana from the cabin to the food.

The service is first class the staff so attentive.

The ports of call great and a very good selection of tours.

The entertainment was top rate so much to do I can't list it here

I don't understand how anyone could be so negitive towards the ship.

If you go on one ship make it Oriana

We took an Oriana cruise...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Itinerary:

Oriana Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

1st for cruising

Submitted By:

Ms J McDougall

Comments:

We took an Oriana cruise expecting it to be superior to the excellent "Legend of the seas" cruise we had taken the year before - that was our first big mistake.



After boarding I needed to use the public lavatory and the very strong overpowering smell of urine almost took my breath away but trust me you become very acquainted with that smell because mostly all of the corridors reeked of it.



The food was ok but same old dreary puddings each evening. Entertainment was really good.



This year instead of going on the fantastic "Oriana" just book yourself into an old people’s home because truly it’s about the same.

Only an 8 day cruise but what a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Oriana Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr B Jones

Comments:

Only an 8 day cruise but what a cracker, all the staff were brilliant and the rest of the passengers were great.



I found the food good and the entertainment first class, the only regret was that I forgot to take phone numbers of other passengers (friends) so I could keep in touch, cant wait for the next cruise, would give a big thumbs up for the Oriana

I thought that the ship was...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

Oriana Cruise Ship

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Cunard

Submitted By:

dumble

Comments:

I thought that the ship was wonderful and the best ship that I have been on.



There was lots to do like quizzes karaoke line dancing sports and talks about the ports of call.



Food was awesome and amazing.



The staff were really helpful and interesting.



The entertainment was out of this world especially the Oriana theatre company who show were really great.

16 night Cruise on P & O's...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Itinerary:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

P & O cruises

Submitted By:

Mrs B Derham

Comments:

16 night Cruise on P & O's Oriana to the Eastern Mediterranean and Adriatic.



Ports visited - Palma, Kefalonia, Venice, Dubrovnik, Split, Corfu, and Gibraltar.



Good places to see.



Ship had been refurbished in December 2006 so standard of linen etc was good. Food was excellent and only had to buy drinks.



Entertainment poor - a bit like Butlins/pub acts.



Weather was fantastic.

This was a whole family event in...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Itinerary:

The Weekender

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs M Freestone

Comments:

This was a whole family event in honour of a significant birthday for my mother. The ship was lovely; food was great, staff attentive.



However, we had two children with us who were aged 6 and 2 at the time of the cruise and I could not recommend cruising for anyone who enjoys the company of their children.



It is just not value for money as so much of the cruise is out of bounds for children e.g. the fabulous suppers each evening in the dining rooms. We ate in the small Italian bistro each night with the children whilst the rest of our party ate in splendour downstairs.



I think the idea of cruising is to check yourself into luxury and the kids into the crèche and babysitting service. I and my husband enjoy holidays with our children and cruising is just not for us.



The other thing I would point out about The Weekender package we went on is that the entire cruise was a trial run for new staff.



We opted to stay on board the ship with the children and my mother instead of visit Bruges as it had been billed to us as having so much to do. No! The whole staff team took part in safety training so the only areas open to us were one huge buffet restaurant and the crèche.



This was not exciting and we were annoyed that P&O do not put on any family events on these small cruises. It would have been good to have family films on during the day in the cinema for example.



We won't be cruising again.

My Family and I travelled round...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Itinerary:

Mediterannean Highlights

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Air Miles Travel Co

Submitted By:

Mrs J Doyle

Comments:

My Family and I travelled round the Med on the Oriana in May of this year.



We were fortunate enough to have mini-staterooms and the extra room really made a difference (especially when you have 2 adults and a 15 year old sharing a confined space!). There’s plenty of wardrobe space and beds are very comfortable.



Tea and coffee facilities in the room and an endless supply of biscuits! Melwel, our steward, was very polite and discreet.



All in all the holiday was great. You can't fault the crew, who are all very helpful and polite, the food is amazing, and you could quite easily eat all day if you wanted to.



Drinks were reasonably priced and about the same as pub prices back home. Our waiters Wellington & Joseph were very attentive and they always made sure my daughter had something to eat she was happy with, even if it wasn't on the menu. Must also mention Ossie our Wine Waiter. Very knowledgeable, cheery chap.



The ship is very clean and well kept together.



The entertainment was a bit hit and miss. We were travelling as a party of 6, 4 Adults, a 15 year old, and a 6 year old so it would have been a tall order to cater for all our needs.



However, the kids had a great time. We hardly saw my nephew who spent all his waking hours in the kids club for his age (15) and my daughter said that her kids club was the best she had ever been to.



For the Adults, this ship tended to cater for 'the older set' shall we say. OK if you're in to Ballroom Dancing, Classical Recitals and the like. Also, although the Oriana is a family ship, we felt that there was very little to do as a family and you were segregated into groups according to what entertainment was on.



No mini Disco (the Disco didn't start until midnight and children weren't allowed in the bar at midnight) or family quizzes.



The Oriana also invites you to join in the theme evenings. Beware! We took full advantage and went along in full fancy dress for the 60' & 70's night, only to find we were the only ones, other than the staff, who dressed up!



The trips - These too were a tad expensive for what you got in return. We did the Nice & Little Train trip. You are taken by coach to Nice, have an hour’s free time, and then join the group for a trip on the train around the town.



Then you are back on the coach to return to the port. Not really VFM. Nice and Cannes were beautiful and we were fortunate to be in Cannes at the same time as the Film Festival. A few of us decided to wander round Cannes rather than get the tender back to the ship and this was worth doing.



Barcelona - take the open top bus round the town and hop on and off when you feel like it. Worth doing if there are specific things you want to see.



Rome. We took the coach to Rome and then made our own way round the city. It was very hot and crowded so to avoid any extra walking, plan what you want to see before you go to save time. Also, be prepared to queue for the major attractions such as St Peters Basilica. I'm sure it’s worth the wait.



Pisa. We took the shuttle bus from the ship to the town centre of Livorno. From there, catch the bus (number 1 I think) to the train station and catch the train to Pisa (about 20 mins max). It’s very easy and direct. You then have to walk about 3/4 mile to see the tower. It only cost us about 10 Euros for ALL of us by train and bus, yet would have cost loads more had we gone on the trip organised by the Ship. It was an experience and we weren't restricted by coach times etc.



Elba. Beautiful! - And by far the best place we visited. We decided to spend the day on the beach, so armed with a map went to the nearest taxi rank and asked the driver to take us to the beach. He actually took us to another beach which was superb. It was a little inlet with soft yellow sand, shallow, clear water and a couple of tavernas.



My husband asked the taxi driver if he would come back at a specific time and he was more than happy to do so. When we went to pay him he indicated that we should pay him later! We spent about 4 hours there swimming and sunbathing, had lunch in one of the tavernas which was excellent and cost us 13 Euros including wine and then the taxi driver came back to pick us up to take us back to the port. Wonderful.



Gibraltar. What a waste of time. Wish we'd stopped off at Malaga or Lisbon on the way home instead. It’s ok if you want to pick up Duty Free Ciggys as they only cost £6.00 for 200.



The only downside to the trip had to travel through the Bay of Biscay. The weather can be hit and miss and unfortunately it hit us both ways! My daughter was very ill going out and had to have an injection from the Doctor on board to stop her being sick.



Make sure you have travel insurance. This cost us £57, although it was worth every penny. She slept for 6 hours and woke up hungry so it obviously worked. The injection was supposed to last the whole 14 days but she was sick (as virtually everyone was) on the way home.



Tipping - This was never an issue. P&O have a policy that tipping only happens, if you want it to, at the end of the holiday. We tipped our Steward £55 (equates to £1.40 per person per day), our waiters about the same and our wine steward £20 which you don't have to do but his service was exemplary.



Would we cruise again - yes but we would fly to our destination to join the ship and might try another cruise company that’s a little livelier!

Our cruise got off to a perfect...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Itinerary:

Venetian Affair

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs J D Eggo

Comments:

Our cruise got off to a perfect start as we only had a half hour wait at the terminal. A chance to sample the excellent food with a lunch overlooking Southampton as waited to sail away.



The food was the highlight throughout the whole cruise with plenty of variety and imagination in the menu. The staff were all very friendly and attentive, especially in the dinning room.



Although we only decided to go on one excursion (after all they are quite expensive) the organisation and variety of trips was excellent. Excursions further a field are better option giving you a chance to see more than just what is close to hand in the ports, also we were provided with useful port information and maps.



The ship caters well for a variety of age groups we enjoyed the cabaret shows and the daily quizzes and our daughter enjoyed hang out with her new friends and the disco.



Restaurant staff and your cabin steward would expect to be tipped at the end of the cruise but all bar staff's tip are included in the price of the drinks which are comparable if not cheaper than city hotels in Britain.

Our itinerary was Southampton to...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Itinerary:

grand voyage

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2006

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr S Hooton

Comments:

Our itinerary was Southampton to Mumbai via the ports of Palma, Valletta, Pireaus (Athens), Port Said, Safagah, Salalah and finally into Mumbai. Nineteen nights was a long time for us to be on a cruise ship but we were prepared.



We are 46 and 45 years old and we knew we would be one of the youngest couples aboard. The weather was cold on our departure but that did not bother us. We were on the ship to relax eat good food and meet nice people. All of these we did in abundance. The food was brilliant, the dinners offered a wide selection of food which was always well presented.



We thoroughly enjoyed the ports visited as most of them we would not visit for a weeks holiday. Plenty on offer for the older people throughout the days and evenings. Staff were excellent and always helpful.



My wife was taken ill on the ship as were many other passengers with a stomach bug, P&O done their best to contain the outbreak and were very sensitive to the needs of the affected people.



Would I go again??? Definitely in a few years time when we would take the world cruise because it was a great experience visiting the ports and not being expected to be putting your hand in your pockets as in the Caribbean Cruises ports of calls.



Met a couple of passengers who moaned a lot but to be honest they were a bit out of their depth when it came to meeting people from all walks of life. Without these passengers sitting on our table at dinner it would have been 11 out of 10.