iMarco46

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-02-11/japan-confirms-39-new-virus-cases-174-total-on-cruise-ship

Japan Confirms 39 New Virus Cases, 174 Total on Cruise Ship

3 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

Marco....got something against a 7000?  Or a tribute to the resiliency of a 380?

🙂

Oh, let's call it a tribute 😉

Pretty amazing that big chunks of that engine were recovered, eh?
<thread creep alert>  the avatar photo was borrowed from this 2017 incident.
http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4af15205&opt=0

Thank you. 👍 

Silversea newbie here.

What is the difference between a post-cruise "Simply Hotel" vs. "Grande Hotel"?
Our Nov 2020 Silver Origin Galapagos cruise ends in Guayaquil and there are two options listed.
How would you choose?

👍👍

Thank you, Les !

Thanks to 57 varieties & tsavorite - much appreciated. 😎👍

12 minutes ago, tsavorite said:

They are both good. Western itinerary is the volcanically active part, and the one with penguins and flightless cormorants. North and Central is to the older, more eroded islands and the only one where you will see albatross. The rest of the wildlife (boobies, sea lions, giant tortoise, marine iguana etc) you will see on either itinerary .

Thanks for the post - (we're now booked on a Western itinerary Nov 7 2020 on Origin).

The SS splash wear store offers a wetsuit that "can be worn under a shortie wetsuit".  Given that November sea temps are near coolest, would having both be a good idea?  

This will be our first voyage on Silversea therefore no experience with their "expedition" products either.

We'd be grateful for any other advice on how to best enjoy this adventure.

Many thanks for posting the excellent reviews.  Very helpful to calibrating our expectations for Nov 2020. 👍

Cruise happily... Avoid stress over who gets to charge what/when . 😊

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-PowerPort-iPhone-Galaxy/dp/B00P936188

Well, Origin's new cabin designs are certainly interesting.

     Q: When is a balcony not really a balcony?

     A: When it's a "Horizon Balcony" . 😉

Descriptive brochure attached. See pages 16-17 of the .pdf...

Do the "verandas" of the Superior Veranda Suites, Deluxe Veranda Suites and Medallion suite seem to be no more than areas where the cabin floor is surfaced in a wooden-type material?

And the verandas are actually inside each of the aforementioned suites..?
with adjustable exterior windows but no doors?

The exterior view seems to confirm that cabins on Deck 6 will not have balconies/verandas separated from the cabins by sliding glass doors.  Rather, the guests will experience their "Horizon Balconies" from within their cabin quarters and have the option of lowering the top half of the outside window.

On the plus side, the "deck furniture" will always be indoors and protected from any unfavorable elements. No more wiping the tables/chairs then waiting for them to dry.  The new configuration was at first somewhat puzzling, but grows more favorable with additional time and contemplation.

The Celebrity Flora cabins on Deck 6 appear to be of very similar design -- marketed as "Ultimate Sky & Premium Sky Suites as well as Sky Suites with Infinite Veranda℠".

Looking forward to seeing the pricing information.

SS_Origin descriptions.pdf

All I can say are New York and Chicago safe??

Jancruz1

And now we have an attack on a hotel in Burkina Faso.

 

I wish I had hope that this would end soon ... but I'm not that naive.

 

Mura

And Burkina Faso was designated as Threat Level Two on the Telegraph's map provided by the Foreign Office..

Windows Cafe is the name of the Terrace Cafe on Azamara ships. It's the same size and in the same place.

Many thanks, Don -- Azamara was not familiar to me.

Under the Windows cafe is about the worst place you can go..I suggest under the pool or forward a bit..

Jancruz1

Deck 9 in the pool area - note elevator shafts

Deck 8 - aligning the elevator shafts as best I could

Under the Windows cafe is about the worst place you can go..I suggest under the pool or forward a bit..

Jancruz1

Windows cafe????

I would avoid 8053. On Nautica the room is under the kitchen door and we heard the dragging of buffet carts at 5am and again at 10pm. Not very quiet.

Trying to verify and compare locations...

Deck 9 - note the location of the elevator shafts

Deck 8 - again, note the location of the elevators

When the elevator shafts are matched and deck plans compared, isn't 8053 beneath the (carpeted) Terrace Cafe?

Or have I missed something?

Do reservations for the culinary classes become available at the same time as reservations for the specialty restaurants -- or is it possible to book earlier?

Thanks Jim --

OK, then -- Red Ginger and Tuscan Steak it shall be. 👍

No doubt the dining reservation web page will require modification; perhaps the cuisine page for Sirena will be updated soon.

We just finished a Baltic cruise on the Marina.

Spoke with the GM about Sirena and we were told that after the refurbishment she would have a Red Ginger restaurant in the Polo space and the Toscana would feature menu items from Polo and Toscana.

It sounds good but my favorite restaurant (Jacques) seems to have gotten the short end of the deal :(

Oh wow. Hope this is true. I LOVE Red Ginger...

It is true...you dont have to hope..

Jancruz1

I'm confused.

The Sirena 2016 Inaugural Season brochure says otherwise.

Also see the current(?) Sirena Cusine page.

Is Oceania promulgating bogus information in their brochure and on their web site?

...As far as availability - actually they both suck lately (and are getting worse as we speak).

Same experience here -- even tried engaging an award booking service... no success.

...If you ask for biz air on O it is usually extremely expensive

The current O biz offer for our 2016 cruise is beyond expensive... it's higher than retail First/Business fares !! (F,D and I)

Oceania Business:

.........$3698 X 2 = $7396

Air Deviation:

............$175 X 2 = 350

Total:...............$7746

:eek::eek:

It can take a fair amount of research to figure out what is best for you.

Mura

You can say that again!

It can take a fair amount of research to figure out what is best for you.

:D

Thanks all for sharing experiences and suggestions.

Spent a great deal of time yesterday grinding through the air options and eventually found a decent value... subtraction of the $1200/person Air Credit from the cruise price made the DIY airfares even more palatable.

Cheers!

...I don't believe Oceania will help you find an AWARD flight...

We have either always deviated on a Star Alliance partner, OR used a flight reward that we booked on our own.

...Forget CLT and start shopping MIA-NY-IAD for going and returning to because CLT is not a big variety place to shop....it commands a premium of miles . You can buy super cheap US domestic fare to a major-market hub and better your chances

For the future, this is why many of us do open-jaw type cruises that end up back in the US or a very Major overseas city withLOTS of flight

Thanks to all who responded with policy clarifications and suggestions.

We won't attempt to fly to the USA from Le Havre -- planning to stay in Paris post-cruise and CDG will likely be the departure airport for the return.

Has anyone been successful upgrading to Business from the "inclusive" Economy reservations made by Oceania?

Hello --

DW and I are sailing Sirena from Lisbon to Le Havre 2016.

Currently not having much luck finding award space (Business or First) with American and/or Lufthansa. CLT-LIS and CDG-CLT; CLT is an Oceania gateway.

Oceania indicates that they can assist with using mileage programs:

Leave the Flying to Us

The Oceania Cruises FREE AIRFARE Program* is available in Coach Class from the 26 U.S. and Canadian gateways listed on this page. Air transportation from cities not listed on the chart can be arranged upon request at an additional charge. Business and First Class airfares are also available for purchase. On bookings that include air travel, the air arrangements, including routings and selection of air carrier, are at Oceania Cruises’ sole discretion and are based on flight availability and agreements among various airlines and Oceania Cruises. Should you encounter a flight delay or travel interruption, we will make arrangements to assist you or rebook you on another flight at no additional cost to get you to your destination. If you have a preferred air carrier, a mileage program or special scheduling requests, you may wish to make customized changes to the air arrangements provided by Oceania Cruises. For a modest fee, our custom air department is available to assist with specific flight requests.

How much assistance can we expect from the Oceania custom air department?

Any tips or suggestions for making flight arrangements would be greatly appreciated.

IMarco46,

The tour we did with Guido was private with just the two of us, not a cruise tour.

The Osteria I mentioned is one of the Antinori estates and we chose that because the Bolgheri area (Sassicaia Super Tuscans) was closed due to a Holiday. If I recall correctly Guido charged approx $500 US for a full day tour and since we chose the vineyard and Michelin restaurant, that part was on us. An expensive day, but well worth it for food, wine, and tour of Tuscany wine region. He will take you to places you choose or he will plan wine tour for you. He is extremely knowledgable.

That Osteria looks wonderful.

http://www.osteriadipassignano.com/en

I was only trying to point out that while $500 USD may very well engage a car+driver/guide from Livorno -- lunches + wine tastings are typically additional and can vary widely in cost as well as cuisine.

Fortunately, wonderful food/wine options seem to be abundant in Tuscany.

We've also done private tours in Bolgheri. Sounds like Guido was a great choice. Was he recommended by someone you know or did you lean on Trip Advisor for the selection?

The reason I ask is that we are booked on Sirena next year (Wineries & Waterways) and will no doubt have to evaluate tour and excursion options. I'd be grateful for anyone sharing "lessons learned" and bad/good experiences in the selection process.

thanks in advance,

We were docked in Livorno and used Guido's Tours... we had him take us to" Osteria di Passignano" in Chianti region for tour and fabulous lunch. Cin Cin

We were on Regent and one of the tours in Marseille was a Food and Wine Trails excursion to a winery in Provence. We had a tour of the winery and lunch. It was extra about $250 per person (remember excursions were included). The luncheon was multi course. The tour was led by an American living in France who taught cooking - a friend of mine had done one of her courses. In any case - it was a nice tour but it was on a full bus and we were very disappointed. For more or less $500 we could do our own private tour in most ports via cab/van with a guide.

I'll begin by saying that the OP and other posters in this thread have far more cruise experience than DW and I.

D -- I'm mostly guessing, but is this the excursion under discussion?

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Mediterranean-cruises/athens-to-barcelona-RVA151005/port-florence-LRN/?voyageday=6#all

Food & Wine Trails - Wine Trails Of Tuscany (LRN-011)

 

Tuscany produces some of the most important reds in the world. It is a region full of tradition, but in continuous evolution since the introduction of international grape varietals that became common in the seventies. The term “super Tuscan” was penned when a group of winemakers began producing wines not in accordance to traditional blending laws. Today, you will visit the estate of one of those winemaking rebels and taste some of their “super” wines.

 

First, you will make a short stop in the medieval town of Suvereto. An hour from Livorno, this 10th-century village is surrounded by stone walls that were built to protect the paved streets lined with rustic houses, historical buildings, and impressive churches. Here you can grab an espresso or cappuccino before taking a stroll through the heart of the 10th Century village.

 

Next, you arrive at the Super Tuscan estate Azienda Agricola Tua Rita. This family-run winery began as a humble family project conducted in a tiny, rustic cellar. Not seeking commercial or critical recognition, it took only a few perfect ratings to turn a wine of disarmingly simple origins into a staple of the cult genre. Their renowned merlot, Redigaffi, received a perfect 100-point score from the Wine Spectator in 1997 and then in 2000 became the first Italian wine ever to receive the same perfect rating from Robert Parker. As their guest you will experience true Tuscan hospitality during a tour of their state of the art wine cellar, followed by a delicious multi-course lunch paired with a selection of their current vintages.

 

Oceania Cruises is proud to partner with FOOD & WINE TRAILS, America’s foremost culinary travel company, in the offering of this tour. F&WT tours are always kept intimate and visit sites not typically offered by mainstream travel suppliers. Their tours are always led by a knowledgeable, English-speaking sommelier, wine or food expert, cooking instructor or chef, who enjoys introducing visitors to some of the best and most authentic food and wine of their region.

The Oceania web site doesn't directly state that booking the cruise through FWT is a prerequisite -- additional inquiries through your TA or Oceania might be worthwhile.

The excursion's description leads one to the Tua Rita winery and its hospitality facility. The "News" and other links make clear that Tua Rita is a pretty special venue.

http://www.tuarita.it/en/

http://www.tuarita.it/en/hospitality/

Going back to our 2013 experience... the current price of a wine tasting plus multi-course lunch at Ornellaia is €200 per person without any consideration of transport costs.

And the food on the Chateauneuf du Pape excursion was nothing short of spectacular.

http://www.latabledesorgues.com/

There are no doubt many many options to have a memorable wine experience in Tuscany.

My question is --

How do you veteran cruisers evaluate total costs vs. value for a port never before visited?

Hello D,

Oceania offers shore excursions through a company called Food and Wine Trails. I am particularily interested in the Tuscan tour which includes a wine tour, tasting, and multi course lunch with pairings as described on Oceanias web site.

It' is expensive, so I'm wondering if any one has joined this tour and what was the experience like.

I can't find an independent tour that is as comprehensive, unless anyone could recommend on for me!

Food and Wine Trails is a travel agency specializing in wine focused tours, both land and sea. There was a large group traveling with them on our most recent Australia/NZ cruise. However, unless you booked your entire cruise with them, you couldn't just add yourself into one of their excursions.

 

If you have other information, I'd like to see it - thanks.

I believe that newbie60 has that right.

We sailed on Riviera - Venice to Barcelona - Sept 2013 and did the Ornellaia & the Super Tuscans of Italy
 excursion as well as Parker's Passion for Chateauneuf du Pape.

A few snaps from the Ornellaia tour:

Mediterranean sea in the distance.

Ornellaia's signature oak tree and viewing platform.

Hospitality deck.

Both winery tours appeared to be FWT exclusives, but because our cruise was booked with them, the exclusivity was invisible to us.

It would be interesting to know if you are able to book the tours through a different TA or directly with Oceania.

As you noted, the excursions are a bit spendy but the multi-course "lunches" with wine pairings were w-a-a-a-a-a-y over the top.

The entire area is so charming that we returned to Bolgheri for a few days on our own last year.

"Too much Tuscany is never enough!"

I think everything should be five cents