Vallesan

I just wonder, given that the Ascent is a much larger ship, if that had a bearing on noise issues?

That’s almost like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’ If it’s a cruise you really want to do and you can afford/are willing to pay the current price then go ahead and book. It may or may not come up on a sale at a later date but Oceania should honour any reduction in price. If the cruise is a long way off then you can look at the cancellation terms and if you are prepared to lose the initial £150 per person here in the UK, not sure what yours is, then go ahead and book and if the price doesn’t reduce before the initial penalty expires you can always cancel. It’s all a bit of a lottery. If you are not prepared to pay for the cruise at ‘todays’ price then you probably shouldn’t book.

Interesting! Maybe there is indeed a ‘systematic’ noise issue. If Regent are having a similar issue I wonder if the ‘modern’ construction methods, to maybe become more environmentally friendly or more efficient, or both, are having an impact on inter cabin noise levels? The youngest ship I’ve sailed on is the Silver Dawn, just a year older than the Vista, and we never had any noise issues. Maybe a different ship yard. I don’t know.

That must have been an awful experience for you. I guess we should all stick to the old rule ‘choose a cabin with cabins next to, above, and below you’ to stop that sort of thing happening.

The same happened to us in 2020 but we booked B2B. It was invoiced as one cruise with just one set of ‘amenities and gifts’ and only one loyalty credit. If I remember correctly we could have booked it as two separate cruise B2B but it also would have been more expensive. Such is life!

Is it systemic? There have been reports of noise in some cabins. There are about 600 cabins on the Vista so for the noise issue to be ‘systematic’ you would expect a minimum of, off the top of my head, maybe around 20%? to be noisy. Not sure we can say that in excess of 100 cabins are affected. Also, the issue is a bit subjective. My level of noise tolerance may be different to yours. Not sure that the Vista should be declared a ‘no fly zone’ on the evidence here.

Yes it does work better with SM for some of us. I have mobility issues and can’t access a coach easily. I wouldn’t pay £300 for a private car but because, in some ports, private cars are included in SM I would use a car rather than not use the allowance!

I have a different ‘sale’ story. We booked B2B in September/October 24 in the ‘New Year’ sale. The second segment went down in the ‘new’ New Year extended sale yesterday. I rang my TA. The first segment has increased in price. Oceania would have to reprice the whole trip which would mean a substantial overall increase. The booking has one booking reference but the ‘amenities and gifts’ are split into two, first and second segment. So I took that to mean that I had booked two separate cruises. Not so. Anyway, a cautionary tale. If you plan on booking B2B in a sale just check if it’s better to have one booking or two!

Make that 2! In fact we just had to cancel a cruise with Oceania. I don't have the full list of ports but it was 15 nights. There were two overnight ports and probably eight other ports plus the embarkation port so probably 13 lots of port taxes. We had a refund of port taxes of approx. £450 for the two of us, which in the grand scheme of things was a ‘drop in the ocean’ (sorry!). We do have insurance cover for missed ports which is far preferable to a refund of the actual ‘cost’ of port taxes. P.S. I’ve never seen port charges listed separately on my invoices.

Yes Silversea and Seabourn are comparable on one hand but on the other they are ‘different’. Silversea tends to attract more cruisers who are looking to ‘dress-up’ whilst Seabourn has relaxed its dress code. For me the one thing that is outstanding on Seabourn is the service. I think it’s second to none. Yes there are butlers in every suite on Silversea but the ‘individual’ service on Seabourn is amazing. The word ‘no’ doesn’t seem to exist on Seabourn, unless of course they don’t have the item you request on board. This is an example from 2018. We were sailing from Singapore to Dubai. We asked for Albarino at lunch and they had none. At the next port of call they took on some Albarinho on board and it was offered to us every lunch time after that! Above and beyond maybe? Last autumn we were on the Encore and I asked for Greek yogurt straight from the fridge for breakfast and every morning it was offered to me without asking and that was in the buffet restaurant. We were only in an average veranda suite so no special treatment. The service, as I say is second to none in my opinion. As you say, we too would book any of the three lines which are all good, but are also different from each other.

I agree with both observations! The Silversea passengers seem to be so much more determined to hang onto the ‘dress code’. I find it quite amusing. Seabourn cruisers do seem to be far more relaxed. In saying that I’d happily sail either line and Oceania ‘floats my boat’ too, but for different reasons.

Yes. We did an Indian ‘special’ evening at the Colonnade on the Encore last September and it was very nice. The only ‘specials’ I’ve seen on Oceania have been seafood which my OH doesn’t eat, or ‘American’ something or other which doesn’t appeal to us either. Maybe I’ve just not taken enough notice!

Thank you. Yes mobility plus motion don’t help with carrying plates! Waiters help at lunch time so we will give it a try one evening.

We have never eaten at the TC in the evening but you make it sound really enticing. Can you have waiter service from the buffet?

Thank you. This tour would just be for 5 people plus another five in another vehicle. So it could work? Many thanks for all your input. Much appreciated.

Thank you.

Thank you a really good description of the tour.

I’m not sure that ‘everything you’ve read here’ is accurate. I’m not sure that there’s a legal right to cash back if an itinerary is changed significantly because we still agree to the cruise lines T&Cs. So it’s not ‘travel insurance’ per se. ABTA/ATOL do assist the consumer in the case of the bankruptcy of a cruise line etc. and of course that needs to be paid for so I’m sure there is a levy on the consumer. This is a non negotiable ‘levy’. However, if I need to cancel a trip then I need my own insurance on top of any ‘mandatory’ amount built into the total cruise price.

This is general description of the tour from ‘manage my booking’. “Wander among the excavated ruins of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the Great Theater where St. Paul preached and the Library of Celsus. See a modest building nearby that is believed to be the last residence of the Virgin Mary. Gain an appreciation for the past through ruins in and around ancient Ephesus, including a column from the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As you meander through the remains of this UNESCO World Heritage site, you will visit the Great Theater where St. Paul preached the Gospel. It can hold 25,000 spectators, so you can imagine the scene when the house was full. Other highlights include the Fountain of Trajan with its regal statue of the emperor and the Library of Celsus, a monument constructed as a mausoleum with a separate library for scrolls and codexes. Nearby, you will find the House of the Virgin. Believed to be the last residence of the Virgin Mary, the modest dwelling contains a bedroom, kitchen and an altar adorned with images of Mary. Although archaeologists date the building to the 6th century, the foundations may be from the 1st century, the time of Mary.” Then it notes ‘step free etc’ Maybe I’m wrong because I’ve not toured Ephesus but does this sound feasible to you? Thanks.

I agree 100%! If you read my response to the previous post you will see what Oceania are actually saying about their accessible tours. I actually think they are completely irresponsible. Some people will read the blurb and think that Ephesus is actually wheelchair/scooter friendly! I think that maybe Oceania is providing ‘accessible’ trips because there is now a SM allowance so they have to provide something for the mobility challenged. Just providing an accessible vehicle does not automatically make a tour ‘friendly’!

Thank you you have confirmed my suspicions. Oceania say… PLEASE NOTES: Tour includes step-free routes, shorter distances and no stairs. Accessible restrooms with wide doors for wheelchairs are present along the tour route. Vehicles are adapted with an access ramp (or lift where available) I just think this is generalised advertising blurb. The tours are run by local agents and I really can’t imagine a ‘step free route’ in Ephesus. In fact we were in Kusadasi with another line last September and the evening tour was cancelled because it had been raining!

The extra isn't for ‘travel insurance per se. We take out travel insurance against cancellation etc. I have a feeling it’s for ‘insurance’ for cover if the TA or company ie Oceania go bust. ABTA/ATOL insurance. I know somebody will jump on here and correct me. I probably don’t have that exactly right!

Oceania are now offering ‘accessible’ tours. Has anybody taken any of these tours? Question for anybody who has been to Ephesus….. Oceania offer an ‘accessible tour’ which allows you to “meander through the ruins”. Whilst the vehicle Oceania use seems to be accessible I would be really surprised if Ephesus would be suitable for anybody with walking difficulties? Comments please. We all know that the ‘descriptions’ of tours, easy, etc. can be really misleading so I’d really like to hear from anybody who has actually taken a tour Thank you in advance.

Whichever way you look at it in ‘real’ terms it actually ‘costs’ more!

Yes pretty sure. They announced that the refurbishments in cabins lower than PH will just be ‘soft furnishings’ and not bathrooms! Sad but true!