Flatbush Flyer

Absolutely. Depending on the embark city and availability, we’ll often bring from 6 to 12 bottles to start.

Wrong. You can bring any spirits you want (at embark or at any port stop. You’ll even see notes in Currents reminding folks of the rules). However, personal spirits must be consumed in your cabin. Your steward or butler will stock your fridge with available mixers, juices. Personal wine can be taken out of the cabin but is subject to a $25 corkage fee for each bottle used.

One issue is incompatibility with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. But, even with Safari, I’ve noticed the questionnaire’s loading can be quite glitchy. i wish they’d go back to the paper ones.

I have an older item called a “seat stick.” It’s basically a folding cane with a combo handle/polymer bicycle seat that can be turned up from its folded position- thus allowing you to sit on it and create a triangle with your legs. I mail ordered it from a company in London well over a decade ago. Very lightweight and compact. But, you do need to balance yourself as the third leg of a tripod.

Actually, not snarky at all. One has to chuckle at questions about how the sea will be when they go on a cruise. It’s the ocean. And even NOAA can’t deliver exacting predictions months in advance.

Azamara was sold to Sycamore Partners several years ago. Bargain basement deal too.

The certainly could assign tix to consortium partners (I think they’re in “One World”).

Tada chair. Google it. About as inconspicuous as you’ll find. Don’t let vanity put you in a position where you’ll eventually fall and hurt yourself in no small way.

No. Both the “basic” and “prestige” alcohol packages have the same limited list of wine and beer selections served one-glass-at-a-time (for each person with a package) by bar, restaurant or room service. The only difference is that “prestige” adds spirits and unlimited amounts as long as bar service is available throughout the day while ‘basic” is during restaurant meal times. As for the cabin fridge, you can get available sodas, waters and mixers restocked as needed at no charge. Of course, you can purchase bottles onboard or bring your own wine and beer for in cabin consumption. But, if you want to bring your personal wine (bottle or glass) to any dining venue or other public space, you must pay a $25 “corkage fee” for each bottle used. (Wine stewards will store any unfinished bottle and retrieve them as needed).

Don’t know about public announcement. Just know that it’s a “done deal” from multiple trusted O sources.

Just remember that O Air is treated like a TA by air carriers. If there’s a problem requiring rebooking due to delays, missed connections, etc. folks who have used O air will need to connect with O air to make changes. Try that in the middle of the late night with long distance calls to O on US time.

If they use O for bizclass, they may end up paying more than you do. O’s bizclass quote is on top of the coach fare already in your cruise invoice and you don’t get credit for it!!! Also, if your friends want O air deviation from what’s offered by O, that’s going to cost several hundred for the deviation fee (unless their O Club status gets a waiver) plus any fare difference for their chosen carrier/route (which may not be O’s contracted carrier) They should use the ITA Matrix website to search the best routing/fares and then take the O air credit and buy tix direct from the airline.

You’ll see it on your tour tix: “Package” tours are non-refundable (unless O cancels them (in which case you get a refund or replace the canceled ones)). As for the group tours, just avoid the ones that say “panoramic.” They’re sightseeing bus tours. There are plenty of small group tours at O - particularly the more active ones like hiking.

Don’t do it. Take the air credit and DIY- especially if you want bizclass.

It’s an ocean: Smooth as silk unless it’s not. IMG_2847.MOV

If, between your allotted tour SBC on new SM fares or old O Life tour allotment, you have enough total tours purchased to get the 25% discount on your out-of-pocket cost (historically referred to as YWYW), know that, once you’re on the ship, you cannot cancel tours in that “package.”

Despite my protestations, Vista will be replacing Insignia as the ATW ship.

Let me save you any more searching. Oceania. Small ships with exquisite service and the finest cuisine at sea. Pricing is most recently very inclusive including airfare or air credit. The age demographic is very dependent on itinerary with shorter, traditional, Med, Caribbean and Alaska cruises drawing adults from 30s and 40s upward including multi-generational families. The longer (3-7 weeks), more exotic itineraries cater more to retirees and folks not restricted by work schedules. Azamara used to be O’s chief competitor in the Premium cruise industry segment. But, that line has new owners and “the jury is still out” on the current situation. Viking Ocean promotes itself as Premium (and pays lots of ad dollars to convince folks). But, IMO, it’s an Oceania “wannabe” that falls short of the mark. We’ve already done approx. 400 days on O ships. In a word: Stellar!

When we embark in homeport SF, we bring 6 to 12 bottles of our own stock in sturdy lightweight collapsible cardboard carriers obtained at wineries. They come in two, four and six bottle sizes (and can be used for onboard storage and wine shopping in appropriate distant ports). For other embark ports with good wine access, we pack the lightweight collapsed boxes in our checked luggage (and toss them at the end of the cruise). Carrying wine in checked luggage alongside clothing is not a great idea for all the obvious reasons. But, if you really think you need to do it, get a wine packing sleeve from your local wine merchant (see pic).

If you do your homework and find good wine shops in your embark city, buy your wine there and carry it aboard in sturdy lightweight cardboard collapsible wine carriers (available from most wineries). Transport them in flat in your checked luggage then use them for underbed wine storage and for more wine shopping at appropriate ports. Toss them when you cruise is over.

Better still, NEVER use the Cart - ultra-glitchy!

I’m betting you don’t know where those docked ships were headed on the next day and what the weather forecast and expected sea conditions were for each ship’s next ports.

Of course they do -as do all sorts of cruise lines and the ports that service them. Looks like those magical “algorithms” 🤣haven’t yet been adjusted for a post pandemic reality.

I know you weren’t arguing. That said, my point is that, if you subtracted all the significant weather causes from our total missed ports over a year, you’d have less than 3% of port adjustments.

If you were on a cruise right now, I’d just book anything that is a remote possibility since doing a BoB gets you one free cruise change (which you could do later). But, I assume you’re not on a ship now or in the next few weeks. Also, check if you can turn it in for the original cost less any penalty and return of SBC you may have received on the cruise where you purchased it. I think that’s allowed.