We chose the sailing because it was one of the few offerings going to Manaus on The Amazon River and because Oceania was offering major inducements as they were not full. We ended up with only about 489 passengers, which resulted in a high staff to passenger ratio and generally an uncrowded feel.
This was our first experience with Oceania and we were impressed with the overwhelming friendliness and efficiency of the crew, the overall feeling of restrained elegance and the meals in the buffet, dining room and speciality restaurants. Every day in the coffee bar, we enjoyed some of the best Italian style cappuccinos outside of Italy. We also appreciated the lack of formal nights, the lack of photographers constantly in our face and the lack of constant sales promotions for the onboard shops.
The onboard activities and nightly entertainment were of high quality,