Flatbush Flyer

Other than one of the large 10 person tables (where you could try asking beforehand, NO.

Should I ask a world renowned pharmacist to weigh in on this thread?

Must be a mistake. Marina is busy, at least into December of this year.

The future is already written. Vista will have single cabins and it’s my understanding that the upcoming NEXT mods on both Riviera and Marina will see some single conversions.

See my post in the other thread. Studies underway are very concerning regarding long term effect of Covid (regardless of how mild the symptoms may be).

There decision impacts others in a very real way. What’s interesting in many recent threads related to Covid is the often heard “symptoms are mild” with zero mention of the mounting evidence regarding long term implications of Covid infection. It will be very interesting to see what longer term studies say regarding the negatives already established. Not a study I’d want to be in. How about you?

Interesting statement. Though we do occasional transatlantic cruises, our “home territory” is the Pacific and many of our cruises do focus on the Pacific Rim. And we like a good mix of port and sea days. (Recently did 5 weeks ARN-LIS-NYC and, this fall, will do 7 weeks BCN-FCO-MIA. But then it’s back to the Pacific for another 5 weeks SYD-SYD-PPT) That said, my comments about “intercontinental” cruises are most often in reference to the air transit necessary to get to embarkation and from disembarkation. Why? It’s the issue of airfare (I think we can all agree that no one in the US is driving to a cruise that begins and/or ends in a country on another continent). On the one hand, it’s that intercontinental air component that is one of the very important factors in making net cruise cost comparisons where cruise line A’s fare includes air and cruise line B’s fare doesn’t. On the other hand, it’s getting as much as you can out of a single airfare and that means new and/or favorite distant ports where we combine cruise and a land stay at each end.

Good to know.

The same way you get an Rx for antibiotics before you need them. If your long-serving MD considers your Hx (incl Dx, Tx and Rx) and compliance, s/he should have no issue prescribing a course of appropriate meds for you to have on hand.

Are you really unaware that Oceania and Regent both now use NCL entertainment management and air department AND have always used identical crew recruitment/management services, purchasing, etc. dating back to the Apollo Group days?

Add every included Regent item to the partially inclusive Oceania fare. Same food, same service, same crew. On a 3+ week intercontinental cruise O will usually bottom line at $ thousands less.

Yes to number 1. No to number 2.

Don’t know how they expect to make decent pizza without NYC tap water.

Yes - expanded menu for sure! And then there’s the uncertainty of a possible change to hot breakfast now included in, at least, some cabins below concierge level. We had that option (B balcony) on Riviera in January/February but not on Insignia in May-July (also B). I had read about the change but don’t know if it was temporary while passenger capacity was low.

Really? “Shepherd Really.” 😉😎

Citation(s)?

Have you not ever received an incorrect O communication: wrong visa application link, wrong change of embarkation location (just happened to us and most others joining Insignia in Stockholm in May), contradictory statements within the same message(!), wrong excursion changes (looking at one right now that has a nighttime “star gazing” event in Hobart (6 hours after the ship has left)? As much as I prefer Oceania, its “attention to detail” is challenged on a daily basis - with or without Covid in the mix.

Are you being serious? Having had Covid is no guarantee that you cannot get it again.

You may want to revisit the definition of “hyperbole.” Math is math.

Check out the new Room Service additions. Not Red Ginger but worth a couple of lunch or dinner eat-in meals.

DUH! Pay Attention. Take the air credit- price reduces. Take the TA rebate- price reduces further. Continue the exercise with each required, necessary or OPTIONALLY desired amenity (included with one line/paid on another). Compare the prices and then adjust for difference in quantity/quality that are important to YOU. If it’s an intercontinental cruise and quality/amenities are important to YOU, you’ll begin to understand why even mass market lines have created a wannabe “ship within a ship.” Clearly, this arena/strategy is not good for YOU.

This little PR stunt by NCLH in general (and O specifically) will backfire when someone at the top starts having to rectify all the “oops - forgot about that” results of this “lax vax” fiasco. If the current state of incorrect and/or contradictory cruise specific O email notices about “(fill in the blank) changes” continues, O will need to eliminate its long-standing “cut and paste” process for creating such notices.

Of course! Because our preferred cruise line includes air fare or an air credit (often as much as $1500 pp for multi-city intercontinental flights), what some might consider “sticker shock” when first looking at premium cruise line fares begins to soften. Add to that the reality that some TAs who deal almost exclusively with premium/luxury lines often provide substantial amenities ranging from gratuities coverage to commission sharing rebates. On longer/more “expensive” cruises, this too can mean a four figure price discount.

My concern about comparison shopping has always been focused on folks who are looking for the total cruise experience in “faraway lands.” A four day “drive to” boat ride MIA-MIA (lugging a case of sodas) is not on my radar nor on the radar of the folks I hope will enjoy an “aha! experience” when they do the real math on intercontinental cruising where there are inclusive options with value laden quality (which BTW is why I prefer “premium” rather than “luxury” cruise lines). Likewise, my recommendations are not generally suited to families with kids in tow (unless it’s school break kid-friendly summer cruises like the Med or Alaska). I’ve made all this very clear over and over again. And, if it doesn’t fit your profile, you can always just skip my posts.

This is why I constantly urge folks to do the math for a “net daily rate” of ALL costs door-to-door that are required, necessary and optionally desired. So many folks look only at cabin cost and stop their cruise line comparisons there. These days, four figure multi-city intercontinental coach fares are not uncommon.