Oceania Cruises, Marina, Northern Europe Review

Marina, Northern Europe

I sailed on Oceania's Marina on the North Sea Empires cruise in June 2022 (Southampton - Copenhagen.) It was my first time on the line and first time cruising since Covid. The ship was at a very low capacity, which I'm sure contributed to my getting a free upgrade to a Veranda stateroom, but it was a nice surprise on embarkation! The food was as good or better than advertised. While the most popular restaurant venue, Red Ginger, was good, the standout for me was Polo, which had easily some of the best steak I've ever had. The ship's amenities were nice, if smaller than I'm used to after Cunard, and the fact you don't need to buy a spa pass to use the sauna and steam rooms was great. When we had an unexpected port cancellation the entertainment staff put together a great program to give us plenty to do on our sea day. The wifi was reliable and included for the duration of the cruise, which was a happy change from my previous cruise experiences. And Oceania's club membership seemed very generous--a pin and leather luggage tags for a first-time cruise, and discounts on future bookings even when done off the ship. The shore excursions were fun, though some were better than others (Taste of Gotland was notable clunker among otherwise interesting and fun tours) and there is a nice mix of activity levels besides low-walking coach tours. And when I filled out the cruise survey at the end, the one problem I had (poor service in a dining venue I suspect related to my being solo) was addressed literally in under an hour, by the dining manager, and he did make it right. The service is top notch and I booked another trip after coming home from this one.