Jan.and.John
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Posts posted by Jan.and.John
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Hi Goldenbeacher!
I'll start with the questions for which I'm sure of the answers. We've been on 4 Oceania cruises now -5th coming up in September - in 2 years. Our first was 14 days on Nautical, Rome to Istanbul in Sept. 2015 in an inside handicap cabin (we were told same as you when we insisted it was not needed - you will love the spacious bathroom).
We do take magnets on the smaller R-class ships for our backpacks and hats. Walls definitely metal, and you'll probably put them in that big bathroom like we did. I put a bit of thin paper behind them to keep from making marks on the walls. Can't remember about night lights.
no worries about wine glasses - your room steward will make sure you have clean ones daily. just ask if you don't have them at the start (also tell him/her what kind of soda or still or sparkling water you like so they can keep that stocked in your refrigerator. They usually fill the ice bucket as well.
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Not sure exactly which countries are on your itinerary, but I'll tell you what we did last July: flew into Stockholm 2 days prior to embarking and got SEK (Swedish Krona - and if I mix up these names please forgive me) at the airport. We did not buy rubles in St. Petersburg because our private tours were prepaid and we used credit card for incidentals.
Tallin (Estonia), Helsinki, Riga (Latvia) and Lithuania all use Euros, which we brought along from a previous trip.
We disembarked in Copenhagen and used credit cards until we got into town, at which time we withdrew a minimal amount of DKK (Danish krone) at the closest bank-connected ATM. Spent what was left over at the airport.
So, to summarize: we brought Euros and got SEK and DKK at ATMs.
As far as temperatures, expect anything. We had cold, windy rainy days in SPB but a week earlier it was in the 80s. go figure. Wear layers, as everyone will say.
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Never change, Hawaiidan!!
(From a couple of - at least for now - NorCal residents).
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Joe -
Thanks agaIn for "taking us with you." Your photos (really?Phone?) are inspiring and your comments delightfully upbeat. In re-reading to copy notes for our 2019 voyage I saw I'd missed the part where you mentioned the King Tut exhibit in Seattle. I saw that too.
Have a wonderful rest-of-your vacation!
Jan
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JoePDX -
Thanks for your wonderfully cheery reports! We love Nautica and just booked Dubai to Barcelona in May 2019 so very interested in your descriptions. Now I'm craving Moroccan food for dinner!
Jan
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On our first Oceania cruise we booked an inside cabin. The first time I picked up tender tickets in the lounge I thought I'd have to wait for "priority" passengers to take the first few shuttles. Not so, they told me: everyone's treated the same, and you're early, so you're first. Needless to say there have been several O cruises after that one, each extraordinary.
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Hi Vic -
I count steps, min 11,000/day. Port days I'm usually fine but need lots of treadmill time on sea days. We always take the stairs on the R-class ships, not so much on Marina or Riviera. Oh and I LOVE the Oceania desserts!
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Excellent information, JimandStan - much appreciated. We have a few days in Venice before our September cruise on Sirena, and having been there many times I now know exactly what I want to do on one of those days!
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Exactly, Paulchili.
So far on our Oceania cruises there have been very few children, and without exception they have been very well behaved. That said, I would avoid the aforementioned cruises simply because the odds of that would likely decrease.
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Oops, iPad thought I was finished. At any rate we may very well change our minds long before the actual shorex are listed for the May 2018 cruises (past experience has shown them to be exactly like previous cruises, but who knows with Cuba!)
Happy travels!
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We're thinking of using our 2 'free' shorex in Cienfuegos and Santiago and collecting & using the many hints on this board to do Havana on our own (hablamos espanol)c
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Oh, and King I'm so happy you're bringing congas!!! Are u on the May 4th Sirena cruise with us?
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My understanding is no, you can't use USD (even for tipping since Cubans would theoretically have to exchange them and would then lose value, if indeed he were able to exchange). Last I've heard no US credit cards or ATM cards can be used either. Many threads on this - does your cruise have a roll call yet?
I plan on taking euros on our May 2018 Cuba cruise to avoid the bite in exchanging USD.
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Hi King - we Started out in an inside cabin on Nautica 2 years ago but have chosen B1 or B2s on 3 subsequent cruises. My experience was much LESS movement (for seasickness) in the inside cabin, but we rarely notice the bumpy rides anywhere. As far as the ship asleep by nine, that depends on the cruise. More so on our December Panama Canal cruise than our European cruises. We're on the May 4 (2018) Cuba cruise, which I imagine being a more energetic bunch than usual. I'm taking my 27year old son, and he will definitely not be asleep by 9.
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Appreciate your helpful Havana descriptions - can't wait to go next May!
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Thanks for sharing your Cuba experience. We are on May 2018 cruise so just starting to gather info. Will be taking plenty of Euros.
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On our first cruise ever (12 days?) we were in one of the Deck 4 handicap rooms on Nautica. The bathroom was HUGE, which we loved. It worked out fine for us at the time - the cruise was very port intensive. However, we DID miss the natural light and have booked B cabins on subsequent cruises. That first experience was enough to hook us permanently on Oceania!
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These fabulous food photos are (almost) too much to handle!!! 8 months until our next cruise and cannot wait - you're not helping! Seriously, keep them coming!
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Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos (and the journey). Will remember your comment re: Copper Canyon perhaps not best experienced as a day excursion. We went on Sirena's Guatemala excursion to Panajachel last month, and I felt the same way about that one, having done it as a more leisurely road trip back in the olden days.
Can't wait to enjoy more of your writing and photos - thanks again!
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Wow, sounds like you've paid your travel dues already - so the rest should run smoothly! Enjoy Regatta - I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventure.
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My single experience with GTY on Oceania was last summer on Marina. About 5 days before embarking we rec'd assignment - an upgrade. We were pleased. They wrote our new room number on our tags when we checked in. I hope you have an equally good experience. Just remember - you'll be cruising and we'll be at work!!
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Some Unrelated Questions From a First Time Oceania Cruiser
in Oceania Cruises
Posted
Oh I hate typing on my iPad! it seems to decide what word I meant and when I'm finished - I wasn't. As far as DVDs they are available somewhere onboard, though we have never used. There will be a lust in your room. There's also a wonderful library where I've borrowed travel books and traded paperbacks. You can always enjoy the library if you tire of your inside cabin. Other than the Panama Canal cruise our trips are so port-intensive that we're too exhausted to do much after dinner beyond sharing photos with family & friends. But I do understand!
We hope you have a wonderful time on your Regatta cruise and envy the 28 days! maybe after we retire!!!
Jan & John
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