Flatbush Flyer

Not exactly. There are some cruise lines that require ALL passengers on ALL itineraries to present a valid passport.

Say whatever you want but it is a useless measure when it comes to human cargo, which moves around. Has zip to do with being an O regular.

That depends. Some cruise lines require all passengers on all itineraries to present a valid passport. So, it’s not just what the government regulations mandate.

My understanding is that, if you’re trying to make an international call, you need to purchase Google Voice credits. Why not Google the topic for options?

Sorry but ROTFL. You may want to do some research about what exactly that ratio represents AND how it is calculated.

A blanket statement like that is incorrect. There are numerous factors (including differing requirements of the local port authority) involved in the transition from arrival at a port to your stepping foot on land (not to mention that some cruise lines scheduled “arrival” time is the ship’s actual arrival time at the port).

Well, that depends….

Are you a Mileage Plus member and, if so, do you log on before you search? Members will often see more options. FWIW, depending on the time of the year, the United non-stop bizclass Multi-city tix cited above (SFO-SYD and PPT-SFO) $ only will run about $6 to 7k each. OUCH.

Call United and ask them. You don’t have to book it if you want to not pay $25 (or you can ask nicely and they will waive the phone charge. That said, we’re doing a United multi-city ticket for bizclass: SFO-SYD and PPT-SFO. On the United website, you could compare flight cost in money and/or points in multiple ways. If you are a United regular, look at starting from EWR instead of JFK.

As long as it signifies the era before “open enrollment.” BS ‘67

“Will” arrive and “does” arrive can be vastly different things. And scheduled “arrival” time may have little to do with actual “disembarkation” time.

Apparently, s/he has missed a lot on those cruises.

I have one bula shirt from Fiji. As for Spooner now, last time I was in one of their stores -last autumn- I was disappointed.

Sounds like you are somewhat new to cruising(?). This type of info is often on the list of items a really good TA might include in a “newbie” orientation.

Yes, I should’ve clarified: “vintage” Spooner. I’ve got a nice small collection of some classic Alohas including from Spooner’s artists’ series of old. I also have some older Tori Richard ones (among my favorites is a silk “Don The Beachcomber” shirt)

So many internet possibilities: segment changeover days, system maintenance, temp isp move to land provider…. In any case, it’s not unusual in our experience. As for the live TV feed, think about restrictions in their provider contract when in port….

The Oceania Tech help desk person can explain why this happens. And if you use the search feature here on CC, you’ll find several extensive explanations about the basis for required limits imposed on live feeds when ships are in certain ports.

Perhaps you are referring to Aloha Shirts? A good one (e.g., Reyn Spooner) would be reasonable in any tropical location and afficianados would shoot you a broad grin for your good taste. But, if you’re talking about a cheap Hilo Hattie (or ABC Store) polyester one, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb.

And, that conjecture and misinformation would be even worse if less than complete/“final” info was communicated. It’s that “less” that travels like wildfire, morphing each time it is passed on. The Captain just announced tomorrow’s “port arrival on time.” Simple, accurate and not subject to misinterpretation. Enjoy tomorrow. We’ll be on Regatta in February.

I know this may not make you feel any better but: Would you REALLY prefer the “play by play” announcements when the next announcement you hear might reasonably be “Well, that didn’t work.” What many cruise passengers, even seasoned ones, may not understand is that solving operational (including navigational and engineering) problems in a maritime environment, particularly when key controls may lie with local authorities, can be complicated, fluid and subject to far more variables than you or I realize. Add to that passenger misconceptions about things like the cost to the cruise line of missed and/or replaced ports. I always chuckle at folks who want their missed port fees automatically returned (though O may still be required to pay for the tugs, labor et al. logistics while also paying costs associated with any replacement port). Can Oceania be better about communication? Absolutely, but not with “your play by play.” The normal Captain’s daily reports should be sufficient to provide layman’s detail of the most key issue causing any major actual or anticipated change in the itinerary and the action(s) required to correct them. As tasks are completed (and only when they are completed), passengers should be informed during those regular Captain reports and/or by his/her written communication distributed to cabins. Will Oceania “make things right” for your inconvenience (even if it didn’t cause the problem)? In my experience: In most cases yes. But, like the above items, it would best not be done as “play by play.”

When it comes to FF miles tix, there’s something to be said for brand preference and understanding its idiosyncrasies. Quick example: If you search United’s website for points tix, whether you sign in (or not) can make a significant difference in what availability you see. Even then, whether points, cash or a combo, having higher FF status (and the phone number that goes with it) can get you availability/pricing that is not displayed on the airline website (particularly when Star Alliance connections are involved). Nonetheless, you need to do your homework (particularly in terms of knowing where to look and who to call). Of course, with “dynamic pricing” also now the standard for FF points flights, your search efforts are aimed at a moving target. A 300K points bank might get you a bizclass ticket today but “bupkus” tomorrow.

For all of French Polynesia, the currency is French Pacific Francs (XPF) and many small businesses REQUIRE them for cash transactions. Also FWIW, if you have a choice of XPF vs Euros or USD for completing a CC charge, it is usually best to pick the XPF since your CC’s exchange rate will almost always be better than the foreign country’s exchange rate to USD (or Euros)

Aft ones are bigger than the forward ones due to their right angles (vs diagonal)

Thanks for the detail. Bummer.

Look at the F&B section of your online account and you should find the same option to pre-purchase gratuities related to beverage packages as has been posted here in this thread. BTW, if your gratuities are covered by Oceania and, as “YOU invented from nothing,” the gratuity box was for the daily service charge for other than booze, your auto-populated total due would be $0.00. We’re all still waiting for you to demonstrate anything other than what is on the current printed page.