Kate-AHF

Same here on Sirena in October. But I asked for body wash, and they found me some, and kept us supplied. This is the first time we've not had body wash already in the cabin.

Yes. We were offered (by O, as we did not use a TA for this trip) two different 10 day cruises (one on Riviera, one on Vista) for the same price as the 7. We are not unhappy in the least.

That and their chili-cheese dog. I have whiplash from the 50 year trip backward in the wayback machine. But it was good trip. Thank you.

I have to say that I just don't understand the angst about Venice. Like everyone on this board, I've been finding my own way to the dock from Nice to Monte Carlo, from Rome to Civitavecchia, from London to Southampton/Portsmouth for years. Decades. Not to mention the routes on the US side to the best international airport. It is what it is. The cruise lines will find a way to get as close to Venice as they can, based on the size of the ship. Sometimes that's Trieste, Sometimes it's Ravenna. Sometimes it's closer, within the lagoon. The local authorities decide what they want, and the cruise lines are beholden to it. And the Italian government being what it is, what they SAY will be possible (and when) and what is ultimately/actually possible can be two different things.

The same way they state "Rome" when you dock at Civitavecchia which is 90 minutes from Rome, and they way they state "Florence" when you dock at Livorno, 90 minutes (or more) from Florence.

Ya think? I'm not as positive as you are. I was on board and in touch with management every single day. There were no cabins available, unless I was being lied to every single day. I personally think they screwed up in a big way, and only avoided a major ruckus (on y part) by the grace of God.

Or, you could get royally screwed. We decided to add a final leg to our already booked B2B2B on Sirena this Oct/Nov. All that was available (11 months out) in PH was a PH3 gty so that was what we booked. We didn't get a cabin until 2 days before that sailing, and only because someone cancelled. If that person had not, the only space available on the entire ship was an inside twin. So we are done with gty on small ships.

When we boarded Sirena on 9/17, we were given the usual plether card holders. On the last leg we were on, pax got really ugly cheap clear blue plastic ones. Supply issues they were told.

You'll have a new exec chef by then, not sure what's going on now will be applicable. Food in waves inedible for the most part, last Oct on marina the best, juiciest burger at sea. Best veal medallions ever in mdr. Roast pepin chicken that melted in the mouth with an incredible au jus. Spinach cannelloni that last Oct. was great, this trip like a cement slab. As usual the soups are outstanding, anything custard or mousse-based dessert worth the calories, but one cake was so bad I asked the restaurant manager if it was really supposed to taste like that. The exec chef said yes. Ribeye in Tuscan steak inedible, all grisle and fat, could not find the steak part. Really. Yet there was a shrimp dish we had last night there that was delightful. Red ginger still performing at a high level.

We've been on Sirena for three weeks and have found the food to be wildly uneven.

Oh, we have so much to discuss, PL.

You do you. I'll do me, thank you. I prefer printed luggage tags instead of relying on an overworked shore agents illegible scrawl.

We are seriously interested in the SA/NZ/OZ with overland. Have only seen the online promo, not the price.

This is such a great post. Thank you.

A few other thoughts: (the learning curve on O is steep, much steeper than on the all-inclusive lines. As mentioned, the "options/flexibility of things included" allow the ships to cater to many different pax needs. Non-drinkers in particular are thrilled not to feel like they are subsidizing those who drink) On Marina and Riviera, on some nights La Reserve will offer "wine and tapas". Most, if not all the wines poured are included in the Premium Beverage Package. The tapas is free. We very much enjoyed these evenings, though they were sparsely attended. Baristas on Oceania is trying to come off like Seabourn Square or the Arts Cafe on Silversea. It's not. The coffee is good, but the food offerings morning, noon and night are most definitely not. The early evening canapes offered in the butler suits can be quite good. We are former Seabourn sailors ourselves. We've been able to make Oceania work for us. The itineraries are outstanding, and the ability to piece together extended voyages by adding on segments. For the most part, Oceania does not just sail a never-ending roundrobin circuit, they move those ships around. By sticking to a PH on all the O ships, we've been able to get cabins very similar(and in some cases better than) Silversea and Seabourn. One more thought: We've been surprised and pleased with the service received. But if something out of the ordinary is requested, "Yes" is not necessarily the default answer. The facial recognition software O installed means they will know who you are by name as quickly as Seabourn used to. No, you are not going to get the anticipatory service, but we haven't had that since the triplets were sold anyway. Oceania does, for the most part, treat their guests like adults. Which is nice. We keep trying to get back on Silversea (which we love) but O just trumps the itins offered every time, we can't seem to break away. We were set to do Silversea or Explora Journeys in 2024, then O came out of a grand voyage (2 different ships + overland trip) that has us star-struck.