MarkieMarkNYC

Moonhearts - you sound like a smart, insightful person. At the end of the day, your parents will make the ultimate decision and you might end up taking a vacation that you don't think you will like.

It's possible you will have a lousy time, but it's also possible that you might find yourself surprised at having a great experience!

Whatever happens, try to go with an open mind and a sense of humor. And if you hate it - it's only what, like 10 days or so from your life.

Some day you may have kids and you might end up dragging them along on things they don't want to do. That's life!

I hope whatever happens you have a wonderful trip!

We have dined at some of the finest restaurants around the world and nice jeans were always present. As a result, DH is intending to wear nice jeans to dinner along with a sportsjacket Hope this won't cause problems.

 

 

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Eartha - you will probably encounter a few fellow passengers who will clutch their pearls and grab for their smelling salts (looks like a few have posted after you!). But the Oceania site itself asks to avoid "casual" jeans. You specified "nice" jeans, which should be perfectly fine. Despite those busy-body types who would dictate what your husband wears or packs, I'm sure we've all seen very sharp-looking men with a nice pair of jeans and a sports jacket. That, according to some here, should be shamed while the man at the next table, stuffed like a pork sausage into a small casing and decked out in a pair of ill-fitting Dockers and polo shirt looks just fine.

Worry not! Most of your fellow cruisers are not so obsessed with your husband's nice jeans.

I will just say your planned dress will be fine especially in the Caribbean

DH used to take his blazer to wear in the Specialties

but the last several cruises it has stayed home

If you feel more comfortable wearing a jacket then do so ...some men do not feel dressed for dinner without one but a nice shirt & slacks will be just fine

It is a personal choice

JMO

Like wearing caps?

Interesting to see the usual cheerleaders making those snide little "you should have done your research" posts.

The home page of Oceania Cruises states "...aboard the elegant ships of Oceania Cruises..." and "Relax on board our luxurious ships..." and "Considering the uncompromising quality...". Oh, and "Lavish complementary amenities abound...".

How dare the OP expect the cruise line to offer a standard they advertise.

When you're blinded by devotion, perhaps terms like "elegant", "luxurious", "uncompromising", and "lavish" mean very different things.

There are some posters (one in particular) who is afraid of almost everything (muggings, infections, shoe-snatching, sea creatures, etc). Perhaps staying at home with an afghan pulled tightly around is the best option for the extremely fearful among us.

You asked for thoughts, so here are mine...

 

The fact that you:

 

(1) chose to engage in a protracted back and forth exchange with the customer services team; and

(2) needed to have your agent sit in on

your

call

makes me think that your predicament is of your own making.

 

Thanks for asking for my opinion... :)

How about offices, including post offices?

 

How about, forget guns, in the Tampa area we've had many instances of cars driven in the opposite direction on an interstate -- i.e., they are going north in the southbound lanes. People have been killed.

 

It's a dangerous world out there.

 

And every once in a while, an airplane crashes into a house.

I don't think you quite got my point. :confused:

As to Ken Yes the cruise lines do go to a lot of nasty places in Africa, Egypt ,Philippines Brazil, and until recently Turkey where the US recently closed an embassy. We all have choices and after enduring a war or two where people were actively seeking to kill me, I have aquired a keen sense of survival and risk taking... I see the forest for the trees as it were. There are some things where think for me are too risky without a reinforced rifle company and air cover.

Better avoid schools, movie theaters, nightclubs, and outdoor concerts in the US then.

Interpenetrating sounds painful.

Mark;

 

It was a rather nosy question. There was a known bit of an issue of “stomach ailments “ starting to go around with some of the passengers. After the issues on the Marina , I was trying to sense the scope of it. I believe our Butler realized that and answered honestly to calm any fears. Fortunately, the problem didn’t magnify and the problems remained few. They did an extra job of cleaning, for a couple of days, and really swabbing certain areas down, a bit drippy, to get successfully ahead of the issue .

Thanks for clarifying.

But asking about one particular cabin isn't going to give you a scope of the situation. Unless, of course, you were going about the ship asking about every cabin. Your curiosity about the scope of illness would best be directed to an officer or cruise director.

I still believe that the butler should have declined to give you any information on specific guests as it's really none of your business.

I noticed our Butler always heading into a cabin with food and asked if they were sick or something. He said “No, they take all three meals per day, all drinks, everything, only in their cabin. They have standing orders at cocktail and canapés time for drinks, along with at lunch and dinner. They don’t go to restaurants or bars and I bring them every thing.” He said it occurs most every cruise.

Seems like a rather nosy question to the butler.

I'm rather surprised the butler didn't prioritize the other guests' privacy over such an inane question.

Dirty water hot dog carts are "authentic" as well. :p

When YOU go to a new city, do you search for what is average there, or, for what is "the best" there?

Actually, for one day in NYC, strolling through Central Park and having hot dogs from a cart isn't a bad idea.

It would provide both an authentic AND an iconic experience.

FWIW, the OP used the word "authentic" and not "iconic". Perhaps the OP can clarify, but I tend to think of "authentic" as a place where locals go.

Yes, locals do go to Per Se, Daniel, etc. but those locals tend to do so rarely and for very special occasions or they are very, very wealthy.

I might be missing it, but did the OP mention a budget?

Quite a range of options have been mentioned, from relatively inexpensive and casual to extremely expensive and dressy.

What is "the best" is certainly variable. When I venture to a new place, I typically don't seek out the most expensive, famous places, but rather places where local residents might drop in to on a weeknight for a good meal at a decent price. To me, that is "the best".

I definitely second the call to avoid Little Italy. It's nothing like it used to be and is full of really bad restaurants that cater to tourists who simply don't know any better.

I believe there is a proposed bill on banning plastic straws but there is no law as of today.

 

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Shh. Please don’t confuse the issue with facts.

The unintentional irony is delicious.

Watching one of the responders in full drama queen mode is the best part of this thread.

Respectfully, it doesn’t matter if you’re spending $26,000 on a Penthouse Suite or if you found a $199 deal on Groupon, so I kindly recommend that you reconsider your thoughts. Spending more money on a cruise doesn’t make you special even though you may feel that you should, and it most certainly doesn’t allow you to circumnavigate the rules imposed by each governing agency.

 

I’m not an Oceania cruiser, so I don’t have a reason to defend their practices. But I do feel the need to point out your flawed logic because it seems to be the reason why people are replying to your comments in a way that you are perceiving as rude.

 

About which ship gets to berth where, its not because Oceania “chooses” to pay less which forces them to tender. There’s a logic that seems to be beyond many cruiser’s comprehension, even seasoned ones. For example, If you’re in port with a 6,000 passenger Royal Caribbean Oasis class ship (which do frequent St Kitts), you can bet with 99.9% certainty that they will be docked before you. It doesn’t matter that you consider them a “lesser cruiser line”. As a side note, passengers on a Royal Loft Suite on those ships are more likely paying more than what you’re paying for your Penthouse suite on Oceania, but they shouldn’t expect priority docking privileges because of that either.

 

Over 35 years, have sailed on most major cruise lines as well as several smaller ones, and I still can’t figure out who gets to go where. Even when visiting the same port on the same cruise line, sometimes our ship is in one berth while the next we are somewhere else. And there are times when my ship is docked while a sister ship from the same cruise line is tendering. Once again, there’s more to this logic than many of us can comprehend.

 

 

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Just when you thought the poor, dead horse had been beaten enough...

yes bit its $50 pp and the choice is a sushi bar and a Italian, neither Which i care for...

Cristal is too formal, drinks included, I seldom dirnk now, Smaller cabins per se and Larger pax ships.... so for me 4 no and no yes

Viking the same, package cruises with shore ex, 1 real specialty, Tight with drinks even soft drinks, free for all buffet,... for those that like european cutoms and the way of doing stuff... I have seen their river operation and it turned me off.

I suppose its great for folks who have little confidence or experience in travel but if your independent your tubed

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Thank you!!! I don't know why people on this forum attack anyone who does not make glowing comments about Oceania! We have spent over $26,000 on our two Oceania Riviera cruises since last May and another $12,000 plus on Regent Voyager last June. I had also booked 2 more Rivieras for June and early July at over $19,000. We always get Penthouse 1 and upgraded the Regent to Penthouse level with butler service. As I stated I have been loyal to the brand praising it over Seabourn. But that does not mean that EVERY cruise is up to standards! Because of the issues on this last cruise and a few incidents last May with regards to Oceania tendering when not supposed to while other lesser lines are right up front at the docks makes me think that they are just trying to cut corners in dockage fees. Even in Nassau we were the farthest from the entry to Nassau while we walked past RCL, Carnival and even MSC! Point being we want what we pay for and I do not feel that that standard is now being met. I can't believe how rude several of the posters here are to anyone who does not agree with you. *By the way - I only come here after I have cruised or while cruising, while these SAME people seem to be here day after day defending Oceania. Makes me wonder if they have a life. But you will not stop me from stating what I feel.

Thank you for sharing your perspective.

Oceania carries many thousands of passengers every year and, as you've noticed, there are a handful who post here frequently. So it's a minuscule proportion. I would image that more would participate but a couple of the regulars are rather delicate and can't seem to respond to opposing opinions without having a child-like meltdown (like the one a few above this post). So we get the same voices over and over while others with different experiences clearly stay away.

Here's a vote for Akureyri. The setting is really lovely and there's a decent amount of things to see for a relatively small city. We stumbled upon some really nice restaurants and hung out in a couple of bars with really nice locals. All in all it's one of my favorite memories (and a total surprise) of Iceland.

I thought Reykjavik was rather dull.

The Golden Circle Tour is definitely worth it too - but if you have the time, do consider Akureryi.

I have been avidly reading this thread as we are booked on the 12 day roundtrip Papeete cruise leaving February 10, 2019. I will confess that I had no idea it was the rainy season until reading this thread. Like you MarkieMark, I live in NY, specifically LI. We have beautiful beaches here and therefore choose not to travel during our summers. I would certainly consider doing this trip in the Fall but O does not sail here any time but the first few months of the year and next year not in March at all (except for a much longer journey). I do not like the mega ships and the other smaller cruise lines are much more expensive. I am so torn now on whether to shelve this bucket list trip for a few more years or throw the dice and hope next years February weather will be decent. Anyone have a crystal ball I can consult? [emoji13]

 

 

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Long Island does has some incredible beaches - you're fortunate to live near them!

Everyone is different, but I would personally choose to visit Tahiti when your chance of sunny weather is optimal. If you are a snorkeler, you will find some of the best snorkeling there. Needless to say, snorkeling on a sunny day is far better than on a cloudy one. If you don't like humidity (I hate it), you will find the air to be much more comfortable during the North American summer months.

Getting to Tahiti is a pain, and so why not increase your chances of great weather?

If you really want to visit Tahiti on a cruise, I would suggest Paul Gauguin. They have sailings during those months and the ship is more intimate than the mega-lines.

Apparently You are fixated on $$MONEY$$ ... you mention in detail just how much you pay for your cruises and the fact that you upgrade to Penthouses, butlers, etc. Somehow, you feel that, since you paid 'X' dollars for your cruise that makes you superior to those on what you classify as "lesser lines"! Wake up ... smell the coffee ... your money doesn't make you any better than any other passenger on ANY ship ... including those "lesser lines". I'm assuming that, since you never seem to sail on those "lesser lines", you are not aware that there actually are staterooms on those "lesser lines" that cost far more than what you paid on Oceania and ... using YOUR criteria ... THEY are better than you and your ship and THEY should get preferential treatment in docking locations.

 

Your attitude paints you as being one of those "entitled" passengers. Someone who, because they paid more for their cruise, should get preferential treatment over those in lower categories ... YOU should get preferred seating and get served first in the MDR ... YOU shouldn't have to stand in line behind any "peons" ... and YOU expect that any crew member should be at YOUR beck-and-call before helping any of the "lesser" passengers. Sorry, things don't work that way! If YOU don't enjoy Oceania and the way they "park" their ships (which, BTW, is NOT at their discretion and is strictly decided upon by the port authorities) ... then DON'T SAIL ON 'O' ... and leave us to enjoy what we consider to be a VERY nice cruise line. And, please note, YOU won't be missed!

Looks like someone forgot their mood stabilizer.

Be nice. No need for that here. Even though it may rain more in our winter it also rains in the summer months. If you are unlucky to catch those days ( and you can have 3 or 4 in a row) it is no different than the rainy season. Rain is rain no matter what month it falls.

Hmm, maybe burm had a point...

Please don't imply that people are stupid for travelling when and where they chose, MarkieMarkNYC. It just isn't nice.

I did no such thing.

But your post does make me wonder about your literacy proficiency.