Sarah BretzConsidering setting sail with Oceania Cruises but aren’t quite sure what the cruise fare actually covers? While Oceania isn’t a fully inclusive line like other luxury brands, it does include most things in the base price. Here, we’re breaking down exactly what’s included on Oceania Cruises and what you’ll need to pay extra for. That way, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting for your money on this newly adults-only line before you even book a sailing.
Quick Summary
- Accommodations: Stateroom accommodations are included with twice-daily housekeeping, most of which are exterior cabins with balconies
- Dining: Ships feature a main dining room and buffet, as well as included specialty restaurants, casual poolside dining, a coffee café with pastries and baked goods, and afternoon tea. Room service is also included in the cruise fare.
- Complimentary Beverages: Basic and specialty non-alcoholic beverages are included in the cruise fare, such as iced tea, soda, specialty coffees and teas, fresh juices, smoothies, and still and sparkling Vero water.
- Activities & Entertainment: Swimming pool, hot tubs, jogging track, sports deck, fitness center, trivia, afternoon tea, enrichment lectures, demonstrations and workshops, theater shows, and live music are all included.
- WiFi: Two wifi logins per stateroom are included in the cruise fare. Additional logins and access to streaming services costs extra.
- Gratuities: All gratuities are included in the cruise fare.
- Self-Service Laundry: Self-service laundry is completely free to guests, complete with detergent, irons, and ironing boards.
- Wine/Beer or Excursion Credit: Guests can choose between free wine and beer with lunch and dinner OR a shore excursion credit included with their fare.
- Not Included: Alcoholic beverages, shore excursions, cooking classes, spa treatments, laundry service, and upgraded wifi are not included.
What’s Included on Oceania Cruises
Accommodations
Your cruise fare covers the cost of your stateroom for the duration of the trip, as well as the services of a cabin attendant who will make up your room twice per day. On select ships, you can choose from the more budget-friendly interior or oceanview staterooms. All ships feature a huge number of balcony accommodations and suites to choose from, as well.
The newest ship class — the Allura class — features only balcony and suite accommodations, with balcony options including traditional walk-out terraces as well as French verandas with a sliding glass door but no step-out space.
Staterooms include the Oceania-exclusive Tranquility Bed, an interactive flat-screen TV system with on-demand movies, a writing desk with stationery, a hairdryer, a safe, and robes and slippers for guests’ use during the cruise. Additional perks include free sodas replenished daily in the mini-fridge, free still and sparkling Vero Water, turndown chocolates, and luxury bath amenities from Oceania’s in-house brand, Aquamar.
Food & Dining
Oceania Cruises touts itself as having “the finest cuisine at sea,” and it’s all included in the cruise fare. The Grand Dining Room is the main restaurant, serving a rotating menu of familiar dishes along with global flavors for three meals a day. On each menu, guests can expect at least 10 appetizers, soups, and salads, as well as around 10 dinner entrées. There are also healthier Aquamar Vitality Cuisine options and vegetarian selections.
Of course, there are a number of specialty restaurants you can also find aboard Oceania’s ships, which are also included in the fare. You won’t find every restaurant on every ship, but rather each vessel will have some combination of these venues. They include the authentic Italian venue Toscana, Polo Grill steakhouse, the Parisian bistro-inspired French restaurant Jacques, bold Asian restaurant Red Ginger, and the wellness-focused Aquamar Kitchen.
More casual options include the al fresco Waves Grill, a raw juice and smoothie bar, the Terrace Café buffet, and Baristas coffee café complete with fresh baked goods. Afternoon tea is also served daily, complete with pastry carts and live music from a classical string quartet. Room service is also included in the cruise fare.
Specialty Non-Alcoholic Beverages
While alcoholic beverages cost extra (except for wine/beer with lunch/dinner if you choose that option, more on that below), non-alcoholic standard and specialty drinks are included on Oceania Cruises. These include iced tea, sodas (even from the in-room mini-fridge), specialty coffees and teas, juices, smoothies, and still and sparkling Vero water (with in-room carafes and refill stations around the ship).
Even though alcohol isn’t included, Oceania has a generous policy when it comes to what the line allows to be brought on board. On standard cruises, guests can bring up to six 750 ml bottles of wine and/or champagne per stateroom, as well as one 1-liter bottle of liquor and up to 12 cans or bottles (330-355 ml each) of beer.
Onboard Amenities & Activities
When it comes to ocean ships, Oceania Cruises vessels are on the smaller side, with the largest vessels in the fleet holding fewer than 1,300 guests. Because of this — and because of the fact that Oceania is an adults-only line — you won’t find as many bells and whistles on board as you would on mainstream cruise ships, like sister brand Norwegian Cruise Line. Amenities include a top-deck swimming pool and hot tubs, an outdoor walking/jogging track, a fitness center complete with included fitness classes, and a sports deck with things like mini golf, shuffleboard, and pickleball.
On select ships, guests can attend art classes and workshops hosted by Artists-in-Residence at the Artist Loft. Tucked away on board, passengers will also find cozy English-inspired libraries with lots of books to enjoy. Other activities around the ship include trivia, quizzes, and games like bocce, baggo, table tennis, or bridge.
Those seeking a midday cocktail or after-dinner spirit can find one in one of the several bars spread across the ship. Popular bars and lounges include the gentleman’s club-style Martinis, the observation lounge bar that’s aptly called Horizons, and the casual poolside watering hole called Waves Bar. On newer ships, there’s also the Founder’s Bar, an upscale mixology lounge with craft cocktails. Of course, you have to pay for alcoholic beverages a la carte unless you have the drink package.
Enrichment & Entertainment
Destinations are a focal point for Oceania Cruises, and much of the onboard programming reflects that. On many sailings, guest speakers share unique insights into the cultures and people of the regions the ship is visiting, telling stories and sharing historical facts related to the destinations.
If you’re not attending a destination-focused lecture or learning through a more hands-on workshop, there’s plenty of other entertainment to enjoy on an Oceania ship. Theater shows are available, ranging from intimate and nostalgic to thrilling and upbeat productions, along with occasional guest entertainers like comedians. Around the ship, guests can enjoy live music from entertainers such as classical string quartets, vocalists, pianists, and beyond. There’s also a live band and dancing in the evenings.
WiFi Internet Access
Complimentary high-speed Starlink wifi throughout the ship is one of the things that’s included on Oceania Cruises. Each stateroom receives two free logins, each of which can be used on one device at a time.
The included internet does not, however, include audio and video streaming. Those who want streaming access can upgrade with a set price-per-day wifi package (more info on that towards the bottom of this article).
Gratuities
The base cruise fare on Oceania includes gratuities. This means that there is no per-day gratuity or “service charge” added to your bill at the end of the sailing. However, if you’d like to provide additional gratuities to crew members, you can tip them in cash directly.
Of note, a 20% service charge is added to onboard purchases for things like drinks and spa treatments.
Self-Service Laundry
Included on Oceania Cruises are self-service laundry rooms accessible to all passengers. They include multiple washers and dryers, irons and ironing boards, and laundry detergent — all of which is free to use.
Choice: Wine and Beer at Lunch/Dinner or a Shore Excursion Credit
This is a bit of a unique one. Guests get to choose between two more inclusions when they book their Oceania cruise: wine and beer by the glass at lunch and dinner, OR a shore excursion credit.
Wine and Beer
Those who choose the wine and beer option will be able to select from a curated list of wines by the glass and beers from the general bar menu. These include champagne, sparkling wine, wine (red, white, and rose) and beer in dining venues during lunch and dinner restaurant hours. They’re also available in bars and lounges from noon to 1:30 pm and from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
Shore Excursion Credit
Those who choose the shore excursion credit will receive up to $600 per person in credit, depending on the length of the cruise. This credit can be applied towards any of Oceania’s shore excursions.
What’s Not Included on Oceania Cruises
Shore Excursions
While you can choose to receive what Oceania calls a “generous shore excursion credit” in your cruise fare, excursions are not inherently included on Oceania Cruises. Excursions are priced individually, and you can either use your excursion credit (or regular onboard credit) or pay out-of-pocket to take them.
Of course, you aren’t obligated to take excursions through Oceania — there are lots of reputable third-party tour operators, like Shore Excursions Group, and you can always explore a port on your own, too.
Alcoholic Beverages
Outside of the optional wine and beer at lunch and dinner inclusion, you’ll need to pay extra for alcoholic beverages aboard Oceania cruise ships. This includes cocktails, spirits, wine, champagne, and beer.
Oceania does offer a drink package, called the Prestige Select Beverage Package. It includes unlimited champagne and wine by the glass, beer, spirits, and cocktails, available at any onboard venue and through room service during bar operating hours. It costs $79.95 per person, per day (gratuity included), and excludes premier spirits and sake.
Those who choose the free wine and beer with lunch and dinner option — but want to upgrade to the full beverage package — can do so for 50 percent off, making it $39.98 per person, per day.
Oceania Cruises also runs generous happy hour specials. In the evenings during select hours, guests can enjoy 2-for-1 cocktails from the Bar Menu and Martinis Menu.
Spa Treatments & Thermal Area
If you choose to enjoy a spa treatment or salon service, you’ll pay out of pocket for it. A basic sauna and steam room are included for all passengers; however, access to specialized features like the outdoor Aquamar Spa Terrace (which includes a thalassotherapy pool, hot tubs, and heated loungers) are not.
If you have a treatment booked, you can enjoy these amenities included as part of your spa experience. If you want to enjoy them without a treatment, day passes are usually available for purchase. Free unlimited access is included automatically if you stay in a Concierge Level stateroom or higher.
Culinary Classes
Oceania Cruises prides itself on its culinary programming, with the state-of-the-art Culinary Center as one of the focal points. The space offers a variety of extra-fee cooking classes for those who want to brush up on their culinary skills and knowledge, with some classes based on the destinations where the ship is visiting. Learn how to make Italian specialties on a voyage to Italy, or delicious and healthy Greek dishes on a trip among the Greek Isles.
The culinary experience extends ashore, too, where passengers can book Culinary Discovery Tour excursions in select ports, shopping for fresh ingredients with chef instructors and enjoying regional fare in private homes or chef-selected restaurants.
If a glass of vino sounds more like your cup of tea than cooking, you’ll be happy to know that wine tastings and cocktail tastings are also available on Oceania Cruises, though they do come with an additional fee as well. Prices start at around $45 +20% gratuity.
Laundry Services
Laundry services including dry cleaning and regular wash/dry/fold are available for an additional fee. If you’re staying in a Concierge or Suite level stateroom, you will receive up to three free bags of laundry and free pressing services.
Upgraded WiFi
While standard wifi with two logins per stateroom are included in the fare, it’ll cost you extra if you want to access the internet on more devices or enjoy streaming services. The standard streaming upgrade costs $20 per day for sailings up to 29 days long, or $15 per day for 30+ days.
Miscellaneous Items
It goes without saying — anything you purchase from the onboard boutique or from shops in port are at your own expense. Of course, casino play comes at your own expense as well.
Comments
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