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Thanks for that information!

16 hours ago, Vallesan said:

The beverage package upgrade for SimplyMore can be purchased onboard. I tried to book it last week but it’s still showing as $69 pppd which is the old price under OLife. I rang my TA who was told by Oceania if it’s booked and paid for pre cruise as silver members we get 10% discount or $30 pppd on board with SimplyMore. If you have OLife then it will be $69 pppd.

Some people have advised that upgraded beverage packages must be purchased at least 7 days in advance and others that the upgrade can be purchased on board. Is there any advantage in upgrading in advance?

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

The water is not still,  it is circulated for filtering and chlorination just like a pool.  It's the aerosolization of the water that is dangerous, as legionella is an inhaled bacteria. 

 

Your gym or other places aren't regulated by the USPH/CDC.

I certainly appreciate the information that you've provided.  Thank you chengkp75 for the explanation!

On 7/14/2023 at 10:16 AM, sophia thomas said:

We did book a specific cabin number.  And paid in full before I learned of the change. That’s why I am so shocked by this treatment. 

 

My travel agent did contact Oceania every day for me and they kept saying they were investigating it. Then they finally came back with this pitiful response. 
 

I have even thought about sending a certified letter to a VP or someone in the organization. 

Oceania's complete disregard for a loyal (or any) customer is indeed appalling.  I'm sorry this happened to you Sophia. My confidence in Oceania is shaken. The lack of communication or consultation is shocking and the compensation offered is totally insufficient.  Keep after them with certified letter.  Perhaps post your experience in a separate thread on this forum and let us know how it turns out.

Just want to make people aware that there was a fatal accident on the steep and narrow road from Amalfi up to Ravello this spring. Taxis and private transfers are currently charging between 60 and 80 Euros each way for the trip. There's been some recent discussion on Tripadvisor-

"We went up to Ravello from Amalfi in late May via private transfer. We paid 70 Euro each way from hotel to the top. We saw the nasty hairpin turn where the bus went over the edge and, even in a van on the way up, it seemed very tight. There is a fairly significant part of the road up/down (maybe about 2 miles?) where it is one way only so there is a stop light that every 10 minutes switches over so the other side of the road can go either up or down."

Thanks for your helpful input everybody.  

Hello all, we're considering booking Marina April 19 to April 29, 2024 from Barcelona to Venice [Trieste].  I've read that Marina will go for refurbishment right after this voyage and am wondering if there's a risk of cancellation if the timeline for scheduled work is changed.  Would regular maintenance on the ship be deferred since it's so close to referb or would there be a lower level of provisions?  Perhaps someone can remember how the Rivera cruises went just before it went to dry dock?  Thanks for you advice!

10 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Thank you, that's very helpful.  I've been to Lisbon before, but it was for disembarkation, so there wasn't a shuttle.  But if the shuttle goes to Restauradores area, that will be very helpful with lots of options for getting elsewhere.  And just about any cruise ship that has visited Lisbon for the past few months has docked in the same place, beneath Alfama or in the case of Sirena recently (3 ships in that day), stretching up north a little more.  So I'm familiar with that area. And yes, I love the sail in views from the ship, especially in early morning light.   Lisbon is a beautiful city. 

 

If you happen to remember any information about where the shuttles in Gijon or Portimao dropped/picked up, I'd love to hear about it. 

Sorry I can't help with info. on Gijon or Portimao, our cruise didn't visit those ports.

On 10/25/2022 at 1:40 PM, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Hi.  Just in case you have been to the following cities on your cruise, I'd love to know if a shuttle to center city was offered by Oceania or the port:  In Portugal, Lisbon (if you had a full day there, not embarking/disembarking).  I know public transportation is nearby, and have taken it before (easy) but would love to know if a shuttle is offered, and is so, where it went.  Also in Portugal: Leixoes (port for Porto), Vilagarcia (port for Santiago de Compostela), and Portimao.  Spain: Gijon, Santander, Bilbao. France - St-Jean-de-Luz (Biarritz area).  And I know there's a separate thread on CC for shuttles, but nobody has reported info for the cities I've listed, except perhaps for Lisbon.....

Thank you!

We were on Riviera when it docked in front of the Santa Apolonia train station for a full day/overnight on Oct. 12th.  A free shuttle to the Restauradores area in the city centre was offered.  Our friends thought the shuttle was great since it gave them a bit of a city tour on the way. We just wandered the nearby area and liked that too. The view of Lisbon from the ship is stunning. There are a number of options for cruise terminals in Lisbon, you can't be sure which will be assigned.

3 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

So just out of curiosity:  Has anyone seen a summary of what various cruise lines are currently requiring when it comes to vaccines and testing?  

I can't vouch for the accuracy of this info. but this link was posted on FaceBook today-https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/current-vaccine-and-testing-requirements-for-all-major-cruise-lines.html?ubhide=true&utm_source=omeda_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eltr_Daily&oly_enc_id=0440E0856212F5E&fbclid=IwAR0Yd87qkU0VHOc48tS8dhyRlA5kfYbNdS70rfGksniXl4fGlSyXmvX0uQY

On 8/8/2022 at 11:42 AM, ShopperfiendTO said:

These are not the terms we signed up for when we booked the cruise and we are past final payment! 

We are in the same situation and feel strongly that we've been misled by the SailSafe requirements that we relied on.  Oceania should offer clients the option of cancellation and refund for misrepresentation of terms. Seriously considering cancelling cruise and accepting lost payment. Oceania is free to change the terms going forward but should not change for cruises after final payment.

Very interesting post! We find standard duvets too warm as well. Can anyone tell me if there's a list of bedding options on the website?

A local guide recently posted info. on Facebook concerning shuttle buses from the port. The Largo della Pace bus stop is temporarily closed. The shuttle goes to a nearby stop called Varco Vespucci. Trip is 10/15 minutes. Mandatory to wear KN95 mask and have proof of vaccination to ride the shuttle. There is now a second bus route that goes to the train station for a small fee of 3 or 4 Euros. https://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/en/shuttles

Thanks everyone for your replies.  I’ll have to start making some hard choices from a very tempting list of excursions, a nice problem to have 🙂.

Hello, we've recently booked a Mediterranean cruise on Rivera Oct. 3 to Oct. 13, 2022 and, for the first time, chose 6 Free Excursions as our OLife amenity. I appreciated the recent discussion advising that we should book or cancel shore excursions directly with Oceania.

The Q&As on the Oceania website says we can select any standard shore excursion not designated as OS, OE or Culinary Discovery.  I've seen this topic discussed in the past and remember posts saying that the chosen tours cannot exceed US $200 in cost. (Sorry, I don't know how to search for previous posts.)

We've usually arrange our own shore excursions, aren't interested in basic bus tours and wonder if there actually is a maximum price for the free/included tours.  We might consider buying more tours if the upgrade to YWYW proved to be a good value and if local regulations (e.g. Italy) are requiring passengers to take ship sponsored tours next fall.  Thanks very much for your help.

Just for clarification, Canada Day is celebrated on July 1 not July 2.  Enjoy your cruise!