tigerfan75

6 hours ago, Janet&Carl said:

I think after months and months of debating, adding up new ports vs already been to ports, sea days vs port days we have almost very nearly 😉 made a decision to sail our WC with Azamara.  Lots of considerations including the ambience onboard, but the major one was the ports and not only the new ports we will visit but how long we spend in each port.  MSC was close because of the cost, they included drinks at meal times and shore excursions. Costa had very little time in port, HAL didnt have very many inclusions so everything was extra, Princess had good itinerary going places we want to go but their seaday port day ratio let them down.  Oceania didnt include drinks and Viking was booked out in the category we can afford so its Azamara.   We can no longer afford 2025 due to DH having the past 5 months unemployed and eating into our savings.  This will be a once in a lifetime deal for us so we are pleased to have made the decision.

"Oceania didn't include drinks".  Congrats on your big decision.  Just an FYI...Oceania does include wine, beer, and champagne at lunch and dinner.  Enjoy the WC.

4 hours ago, pettapil said:

Yes — same here - got the same offer for both Platinum and Reserve Amex card.  Pretty sweet deal. 

Not yet showing on my AmEx Delta Reserve card...😔

My faves…

Toscana:  Parmesan appetizer from the cheese wheel, Chef’s Special, Lasagne

Polo:  Always the Filet Minon, Onion Rings

Terrace Cafe:  Lamb lollipops, Humphrey Slocombe ice cream

Red Ginger:  Vegetable Tempura

In the U.S., typical travel insurance would reimburse expenses (up to a specified limit) for clothing due to lost or delayed luggage.  Perhaps this can be the back-up plan?

25 minutes ago, bandgbasset said:

Anyone else annoyed by phone calls from Oceania after looking at their website.  We haven’t cruised since cruising restarted.  I logged on a couple of weeks ago and the next day I had a phone call.  Last night I logged on again to check some cruises and this morning got another call.  
 

Princess is doing the same thing, although we are done with Princess.  Oceania is so much better in many ways.  Wish they sailed out of sfo :).

 

thank you.

The only times that I received a call from O was when I “saved” the cruise online.  I quickly learned never to do that.  Are you “saving” the cruise?  Thanks.

7 minutes ago, tigerfan75 said:

Yes, it has changed.  Two accounts per stateroom.

I probably miss-stated this.  It is two devices per stateroom.

Yes, it has changed.  Two accounts per stateroom.

30 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Quick question please. I am looking at an itinerary on Marina. Cabins starting aft at 9133 and 9126 respectively have symbols that I cannot locate on the legend. I do not see them on any other decks. They almost look like two waves…..not the same as the connecting cabin legend shows as an equal sign. 
Would someone please let me know what this designates?  Thank you

For a deck plan I found in a brochure of the Riviera, the notation refers to "Full-size Bathtub/Shower & Separate Shower".  I do not know if that will be applicable on the Marina after its refit.  

22 minutes ago, Rosroz said:

Just wear what you would when you go out to a restaurant, my husband wears jeans most nights with a fashionable shirt and good quality on trend shoes , I’ve seen people with “ smart “ clothes who can look like a pile of **** , I wear , dresses, coloured trousers, white jeans  , nice tops .

it’s sometimes not what you where but how you wear it.

So, to make sure I understand...you are advocating that one should NOT follow the dress guidelines regarding the casual jeans in the evening?  Thanks.

5 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

I had not heard of that ice cream until I saw it listed on a menu from Vista.  Is it really good?  Or just ice cream? 

As the saying goes, "Food is subjective".  I find the HS very good.  Love the different daily flavors.  Current flavor is in the Terrace Cafe, while yesterday's flavor is at Waves.  And from my too much time with the ice cream servers: one scoop is standard, and must ask for a second (or third) scoop.  🙂

3 minutes ago, CO 2000 said:

Does anyone know if there an alternative on Oceania to "Bulgari" amenities (for PH guests) such as "L'Occitane" (like on RSSC)? The scent on most of their products is rather strong😷 - or at least it is with the Emirates onboard amenity packs for both BC and FC passengers

We have never asked for a luxury alternative to Bulgari.  However, my wife has allergic reactions and is quite sensitive to regular bath amenities.  Through a request to O Special Services, O provides her doctor-recommended Vanicream products.  Sure makes it easier when one does not need to pack them all...

And of course, you are eligible for a one-time change of sailing before final payment.

26 minutes ago, roberts2005 said:

Booked a cruise more than a year ago.   I am approaching 6 months before the cruise.   What do I lose if I cancel?  I understand there is now a cancellation penalty but this was booked before that went into effect.

 

Also, I did not take any OBC for the cruise I was on.

The cancellation penalties should be outlined on your O invoice, Page 2.  If you transferred the booking to your TA, there may be an additional penalty based upon their invoice and Ts & Cs.  After reviewing those items, consider making a call and discussing the issue with an O phone rep.  Maybe you can mitigate some of the penalty if you offer to transfer your booking to another cruise.  One will never know for sure unless you ask...Good Luck.

2 hours ago, MV21 said:

We are just off our transatlantic on Vista and I must say I was disappointed to discover that none of the films on board had subtitles. Indeed there doesn't even appear to be a way to view subtitles on the TV.  I am hearing impaired, or as my kids say, "a deaf git", so I wear hearing aids. When watching TV at home the need for subtitles to assist me is very important.  When on the Vista I was careful not to turn the TV up too loud (especially after reading about all the problems with noise between cabins) but it effectively meant that I couldn't really make out the dialogue.

It just seems a pretty large oversight on a new ship not to have included this facility, especially when virtually every film available on our flight to Miami had Close captions/subtitles in English. And a fair few in other languages as well.

I suspect this omission is making the soundproof issue worse! 

 

Interesting.  When I sailed the Vista last year, the triangle button on the TV remote activated the captions.

6 hours ago, AmateurGO said:

Oh, and cayman09, we were also briefly on Sirena in January.  We were on our favorite island, Bonaire, when some good friends on Sirena stopped there.  We gave them a tour of Bonaire and they gave us a tour of Sirena and their Vista suite.  It is purely a coincidence that we are now about to board Sirena for our own cruise.

I am curious as to how you boarded an O ship without being a passenger.  We have Family in several ports, and have been unable to have them come aboard.  THANKS for your help.  Happy cruising.

1 hour ago, jonthomas said:

is anyone booking anything today...

 

strange to only see tropics and exotics with so many more categories to go....

 

we also wanted to know if there is a prem econ for the TAs....

 

the O rep said, the info for that is not loaded yet....

 

in Canada we dont have the options for prem econ with the airlines that you do in the states...

 

we are very limited in our choices...

Yes, booked a 31-day Buenos Aires to Miami, for March 2026.  Coordinated last week with my usual O Rep, and all went smoothly this morning when the booking window opened.  Will evaluate the amenities from my Travel Agent, and transfer the booking within 14 days.  Since I DIY my air, I cannot comment about any current O Air offers.  Happy cruising…

9 hours ago, the more ports the better said:

Bora Bora and all of the FP ports are overwhelmed by both O and R ships.  Those tiny towns cater to Paul Gauguin and Windstar.  I cruise O regularly but have done FP on both O and PG.  No comparison, is a mob scene on O and perfectly pleasant on PG.  Can’t imagine something even larger.

A different opinion here.  Experienced no “mob scene” on Insignia in FP in February.  Well managed.  No sense of overwhelming.

Yes, O does not communicate detailed shore excursions changes except through the ticket/info packet in your room.  Soon after arrival to the stateroom, one should review the envelope of tickets and the listing of available shore excursions to compare times and tour descriptions to prior expectations.  ALWAYS changes…

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Where are these brands of bottled water available? All I've seen are the Vero Water available in still or sparkling. 

We ask for them at each meal, in every venue.  And the room attendant will stock our fridge, too.

All non alcohol beverages are complimentary.  The complimentary bottled waters are Perrier and Pelligrino.  If asking for OJ, ask for “fresh squeezed”, otherwise one will receive the juice from concentrate.  Enjoy your cruise!

“Ballistic trousers” is a poor choice of words.  Looked at Mr.Google, and they are certainly not bullet proof.  LOL.  Probably better described as as “cargo pants”, made from high tech fabric.  🤔

I would appreciate any and all comments regarding proper dressing for a QM2 QG dining for Breakfast and Lunch when in port.  It will be our first QG experience, and we will be in Norway in November.  The shore excursions in cold climates often require layered "outdoor wear" being worn at Breakfast prior to early shore excursion disembarkation.  Likewise, an early afternoon shore excursion return to the ship may not allow a change of clothes before Lunch closes.  We will typically wear denim jeans, or ballistic trousers, with heavy sweaters, etc.  What are the generally accepted norms?  Thanks.

We always have the beds separated.  Usually abutting each other, but with separate linens.  On one occasion, the room attendant placed a night stand between the beds, but it created more of a space issue, and we had the arrangement changed to our usual configuration.  Just let your room attendant know your preference, and he/she will happily oblige.  Happy cruising!

1 minute ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

It's called "London England Syndrome". According to TVTropes.com: "The name was coined by Bill Bryson. He discussed it in an essay in which he suggested that the stereotypically lower intelligence of Americans compared to people of other nationalities is not down to some sort of racial defect, but a result of Americans being regularly freed from any need to think, ever. This trope, he argued, is one way in which American newspaper-readers are not required to cognitively exert themselves in the same way that British newspaper-readers are."

 

As others have pointed out, there are a lot of US cities named after foreign ones. In my home state of Ohio, you can do an extensive tour of world capitals in one day: London, Berlin (and Bonn), Paris, Lima, Canton, Cairo, Athens, Dublin, Amsterdam, Lisbon (twice), Moscow. Plus many provincial capitals (Medina, Calcutta, etc.)

 

Most are ferociously mispronounced, of course. My favorite is Mantua (pronounced "man tuh way")

What is a newspaper?

8 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

 

Please do not stop posting things that interest you or puzzle you.

 

If we all did that, there would be no posts at all.

 

Ignore those that come across as nasty, most of them do not mean to be and those that do probably wish they hadnt been. 

 

Ive had my share here with nastiness, but still persevere with topics that interest me.

 

and will ask a question here that is not exactly on topic but I dont want to start a topic for it...

 

here goes...

 

in the past if you got included gratuities from your TA and you were silver or higher loyalty  level with O, O would give you an additional 250 non refundable OBCs.

 

Is that still true?

Yes.  Being silver, on my January cruise I received the $250 "in lieu of Oceania Club Prepaid Gratuities".  But having read Flatbush Flyer's advice, I asked for it through my TA, rather than assume it would have been "automatic" from O.  It eventually appeared as a line item under Amenities and Gifts on my O Invoice, i.e. Guest Statement.