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Nautica- Enchanted Escapades August 2008 |
| Reviewed By: Smith, Bolton on 25th Nov 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Oceania Cruises |
Times cruised before: 3-5 |
| Cruise Ship: Nautica |
Sailed:
August,
2008 |
| Destination: Mediterranean |
Age: 56-65 |
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We felt that the service and food on Nautica were excellent. We had booked an A1 Concierge level cabin, which was well equipped, although the bathroom was tiny. The bed was the most comfortable we have experienced at sea. The cabin was kept very clean and tidy by the two cabin staff. This is a small ship and the cabins are not large but they are comfortable.
There are no formal nights on Oceania, dress code is country club casual, my husband did take a jacket and did wear it as did many other men.
The main dining room was excellent and we were always able to get a table for two, the quality of food was first class. As we were in a concierge cabin we had the opportunity to eat in each of the speciality restaurants twice and in one were offered an additional reservation which we took. The Italian restaurant - Toscana was excellent and we really enjoyed our 3 meals there. The Polo Grill was also very good but we struggled for a starter course apart from onion soup as we are both allergic to sea food, the steaks were excellent. The buffet restaurant was excellent for breakfast, with plenty of fresh fruit, we also ate there at lunch on a couple of occasions and again felt it was far better than the buffet experience on other ships. A big plus was the fact that staff served the food to you so there was no cross contamination of food. Afternoon tea however was a disappointment, nothing compared to the QM2 experience. We sampled a burger one lunchtime in the poolside grill and this again was very good. We particularly liked the fact that milkshakes and icecream were free of charge all day at this venue. All serving staff were helpful and pleasant. Some even remembered your name if they passed you by on the ship during the day.
The poolside area was very good with plenty of awnings or shade for those who can't take the sun but do want fresh air, there were also day beds in this area but you had to come early to find a vacant one. You could also hire a cabana for the day.
Entertainment was pretty poor but that is not an issue for us as our enjoyment of the cruise did not depend on this. The library was a very pleasant room and well stocked, books were loaned on an honour basis, we could also borrow dvds from reception if we wished.
Shore excursions did not offer value for money, we took 3 and the shore excursions staff were not particularly efficient or friendly. 5 tender ports were missed.
Other reviews have documented the issues around missed ports on this cruise. Whilst these were an issue for us I wanted to detail how much we enjoyed the ship, the food and the service from the staff.
We did like the ambience of Nautica and would sail on Oceania again as we think its a very good product.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Food was excellent in all venues, we enjoyed all meals. It was nice to be able to dine in speciality restaurants where no premium was charged. | | Entertainment |  |
| This is a small ship so no big shows and, the quartet in the lounge area adjacent to the shops were very good. | | Shore Excursions | |
| Siena and San Gimigiano was our least favourite as we had been several times before and felt the guide did not do the area justice in terms if information. The trip on Santorini was good with plenty of free time. | | Staff |  |
| All staff with the exception of shore excursion staff were excellent, very friendly and helpful. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| This is a small ship so onboard is naturally limited. | | Cabins | |
| Exactly as described in the brochure and kept very clea. The most comfortable bed. | | Overall Rating | |
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