aemari

We stayed at the Pan Pacific last year and it was wonderful. Good location and restaurants and pool. As you, I also wanted to stay at the Marina Sands, but couldn't justify the price.

We traveled to Kauai two years ago and took a helicopter tour with Jack Harter Helicopters. It was the highlight of our trip. I cannot say enough about this company and would highly recommend them without hesitation!

Ridiculously expensive and painfully slow! Just returned from a trip on Insignia, purchased the 200 minutes for $160 (minus the 10% concierge benefit) and of the 200 minutes we probably had less than half working minutes. Loading of web pages was incredibly slow which significantly reduced useful time. I would think with technology as it is today they could offer a better Internet experience, but then who knows what the cost would be! Not worth it, IMHO.

This is really disappointing. I have been monitoring this for a few days now as we will be in Singapore in less than two weeks. I know the haze is from smoke from fires, but is there any way to know if this will clear within the next two weeks? I'm still hoping for some of the beautiful views I have seen on pictures from Singapore.

We are flying on Cathay Pacific from SF to Singapore to join Insignia in a few weeks. We took an air deviation so that we can come in 2 days early.

I have one step up ring also that gets stuck every time use it with a filter and I am too cheap to buy a new one! I found these little filter wrenches that work well to get the ring and the filter apart. This link is from Amazon, but I know they also have them at B&H or Adorama. Hope that helps!

http://www.amazon.com/Mudder-Camera-Filters-Step-Up-Step-Down/dp/B00MVNR37W

We contacted Oceania and they indicated they had forwarded this information to our TA about a month ago. Contacted our TA and had the information forwarded to us. We have used this TA many times in past and have had good service, but a few things on this trip seem to be falling through the cracks! Thanks everyone for the information.

We'll be leaving 6 weeks from today to join Insignia in Singapore! Looking forward to our first Oceania cruise!

We are booked on the Pagodas & Palaces cruise departing Singapore 10/10/15. We received our cruise documents today and while they reference that visas have been purchased, there is no documentation included other than that reference. Should we expect to receive something from Oceania prior to the cruise?

We are staying at the Pan Pacific. We are traveling with my in-laws and they have stayed there previously and highly recommended it, so we decided to stay there as well. We leave SF on 10/7 so we will two days in Singapore prior to embarkation.

This will be our first time on Oceania, but are traveling with seasoned Oceania cruisers. We are leaving out of SF as well, getting into Singapore a few days early. Very much looking forward to this trip!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2085593

We will be aboard the same cruise and I wasn't sure if you were familiar with the roll call so I thought I would give you a link for it. There are probably about 15-20 people who have checked in for this cruise. I have been told that many use the roll call to meet others and book independent tours. We have met some people through the roll call, but we have planned mostly to use the Oceania tours. Just thought this information may be helpful!

My first cruise was in 1992. I hated it. My wife and I were newly married for a few years and travelled with my family and some other friends to the Mexican Riviera for the typical Carnival 7 day, 3 port cruise. Very little time in the ports and I grew tired of the ship very rapidly. Enjoyed time with my wife and family, but thought cruising was not for me.

Fast forward 13 years when my sister wanted to take the same itinerary, but now with Disney Cruises now that we both had children. I will initially opposed, but agreed to the trip. What a difference! I think it was probably the combination of the cruise line, the fact that we had children, and that I was older that allowed me to enjoy it more despite the fact that it was the same itinerary with the same limited time in the ports.

Since we enjoyed this so much, we decided to book a Royal Caribbean Mediterranean cruise in 2008, again with my family. Unfortunately from the time we booked the cruise to before we actually sailed, my mother's health had changed to the point where she could no longer travel and other family members felt that they could no longer afford it. So we cancelled our trip. After we cancelled it I thought "why did we (our family) cancel?" and I happened across an ad in our local paper for an incredibly low cost Mediterranean cruise on Carnival. Without really any research we booked the cruise, which was the ship's maiden voyage from the ship builder to England, stopping in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Lisbon, and France along the way. We had a fantastic time!

So our kids are now both out of the house and my wife and I will be joining her parents who are seasoned Oceania travelers on our first voyage on Oceania this fall. I am very much looking forward to this cruise, as it is to a different part of the world than we have ever travelled and I think I have learned to relax somewhat (although my wife will dispute this!) and enjoy my time on the ship.

We took a Mediterranean cruise a few years back and the port I was least interested in but really enjoyed was Lisbon. Cruising up the river to the port was just beautiful and, even though we arrived on a Sunday, we were well received and were told shops opened specifically just for the arriving ship. The people were very friendly and the city was just beautiful.

With regards to all the comments about Turkey, having lived there for two years, I would wholeheartedly recommend those that are interested to take a land trip to the country. Again, people are very friendly and welcoming.

Thank you for your insight. We will spend two extra days in Singapore before embarkation and have arranged some tours through Viator and also plan to explore on our own. Will likely take your advice and do the same in Hong Kong. Sounds like you are having a wonderful trip. This will be our first time on Oceania, very much looking forward to our trip!

Sella

I am curious (and perhaps I missed it at some point during your posts) as to whether you have used the Oceania shore excursions or have been exploring on your own? We are scheduled to travel the same itinerary from Singapore to Hong Kong on Insignia in October and have booked our shore excursions, but I think in some ports it may be better to explore on one's own. This causes great concern from my wife who I think prefers the "safety" of the ship's shore excursions, but that of course comes with a price.

I am curious to hear what your experience has been as well as that of others who may have faced the same choices and pros and cons of both.