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Posts
2,346 -
Joined
About Me
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Location
Paris, France
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Interests
Cruising (obviously) and enjoying my retirement!
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Favorite Cruise Line(s)
Currently, Oceania.
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Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
Wherever the ship is going.
Recent Profile Visitors
2,241 profile views
samiam0403's Achievements
Cool Cruiser (2/15)
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The Pre-voyage Documentation in the UK … is Back!
samiam0403 replied to Vallesan's topic in Oceania Cruises
We just received ours today in France for our cruise next month! What a lovely surprise! The document holder is much better than the old paper version, and the luggage tags are a nice touch. -
They'll let you apply it to cruises you already have booked. That's how I usually do it!
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Yes. My husband and I get a discount after every O cruise. They range from $1500 to $2000 (total) off of whatever booking we have them apply it to.
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Semi-live from the Bliss - Mexican Riviera - Feb 11-18
samiam0403 replied to OrcaGirl's topic in Norwegian Cruise Line
Schitt's Creek fan, I'm guessing? And if so, thanks for putting that song in my head! 🤣🤣🤣 And thanks for the trip report - glad to hear your mom's (mostly) ok! -
I took my first O cruise in 2019 as a solo cruiser at 45. When I dropped off my luggage, the porter chuckled and said, "you're going to be the life of the party!" Apparently I was the youngest person he'd seen all day. I was a little apprehensive, but had a great time! Even went to a few solo cruiser meetups. But I'm a happy camper with good food, a comfy room with a balcony, a book, and a glass of wine. I met a lot of lovely people and promptly booked another O cruise. They're now my cruise line of choice. The cruises you're looking at are pretty port intensive - I would imagine the party won't be going late on any of them. Lots of folks will be getting up early, going all day on shore, and going to bed early. (We did a Carnival sailing around Iceland last summer, and the ship was dead after 10:30 or 11:00!) O won't have huge production shows, late night parties, or a lot of younger folks - but it's relaxing. We quite enjoy the slower pace, smaller crowds, no photographers, and little to no wait to get on/off the ship. Long story short, I don't know that O has exactly what you're looking for - but I also think it might surprise you on a port heavy itinerary. Good luck with your choice, OP! I think you'll have a great time no matter what you choose.
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And Oceania Nautica in June 2024!
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OCEANIA HELL: A reason to use another cruise line.
samiam0403 replied to Bongomauka's topic in Oceania Cruises
I feel bad for not saying this earlier, but I'm glad the MEDEVAC had a good outcome - health-wise! I was on the Marina when it happened and definitely sent up some prayers for y'all! I've been reading as much as I can to try to figure out the legality of them sending a bill - everything I'm seeing says that a signatory to the IMO Conventions (and Portugal is one) won't charge for a rescue. Sadly, since I'm no longer at the job, I don't have access to some of the UN documents that would spell that out. I've put in a request with some contacts at my old unit for the exact document and phrasing - will pass it along if/when I hear anything back. -
OCEANIA HELL: A reason to use another cruise line.
samiam0403 replied to Bongomauka's topic in Oceania Cruises
I'm still reading through this thread, and I too am SHOCKED that OP received a bill for a military MEDEVAC. Up until 2022, I spent 8 years, as active duty and then civilian, coordinating exactly this type of rescue (quite a few on cruise ships, fishing vessels, tankers etc), and the objectives are never billed for these rescues. I'm half tempted to start digging into the UN documentation that I've trained on, because I am stunned. -
Why are So Many Military Retirees Drawn to O?
samiam0403 replied to harryw's topic in Oceania Cruises
Not all of us! I'm Gen X, and retired from the Air Force after 26 years. I go to the onboard veteran gatherings mainly to remind people that all vets on O (and everywhere else!) aren't all a) men, or b) over 70. -
Casino Elite cruise transportation and benefits
samiam0403 replied to tx121's topic in Carnival Cruise Lines
I think anything reasonable from a major airport is fine. We took an Elite out of Southampton earlier this year, and they provided pickup from our hotel in London. It was an 80+ mile drive, and took almost 2 hours. -
We're apparently in the minority - we tip anywhere from $5-$10 per delivery depending on what cash we have on hand. That's in a non-suite. When in a suite, we tip if someone other than our butler delivers, and obviously tip our butler extra at the end. Barring any bad service, of course (which has yet to happen on O).
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Just saw this on another site - people are making jokes about how it's no big deal since it's shallow warm water in the middle of the day, and ignoring the fact that a woman died. People are awful.
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Drinks with drinks on us casino offer
samiam0403 replied to mnlovesdisney's topic in Carnival Cruise Lines
Yes, those would be included. I drank A LOT of Woodford on the rocks on my cruise on Carnival Pride this summer. And wine on other days. Never had a problem with any of it being included. -
Currently live in Paris - our last cruise that departed from Barcelona, we took a train the day before. 6 hour train ride. Thanks to our pre-scheduled taxi and then an Uber cancelling on us at the last minute, we missed our train by mere minutes. €400 and a 5+ hour wait later, we were on a new train that got us in to Barcelona after 9:00pm (as opposed to arriving at 3:30pm). We're sailing out of Lisbon in 2 weeks, and will be flying in the day prior. There are just too many things that can go wrong - even when you're only a few hours from port. Late/canceled taxis, strikes, weather etc.