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Thanks everyone! I'm looking forward to that bar of soap 😎

9 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

About a year ago but we will pass our 30th cruise on Oceania next year.

Sounds reasonable, unless you're cruise line favourites. I'd expect you have preferential treatment after so many cruises. 😎

6 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Hope that helps.

I've been reading about heaps of cost saving changes recently. When did you last sail Oceania? Thank you.

I'd like to add my first timer Oceania questions to this thread too please. It might also be helpful to the OP and others following the topic.

* I'm curious about the bathroom amenities. Is there real soap or that awful stuff in a pump fixed to the wall that some of the cruise lines have now? Ditto for the shampoo and condition being mixed in a single dispenser. Urrrrgh

* Can we take a glass of wine back to our room? And alternately, if we pour a glass of our own wine in our room can we carry it around the ship?

38 minutes ago, publicpersona said:

 

So basically, the only beverage on this menu you can order is Heineken? No wine choices at all?

Just a reminder that the lists I posted above are for European sailings and the prices are in euros. The easy package in Europe covers drinks up to 8 euros. 

Countries bordering South Africa like Namibia and Mozambique accept South African Rand, especially Namibia. There are ATMs readily available throughout Cape Town and even banks down along the V&A Waterfro

I'm really sorry for your downgrade. It happened to us once. Our chosen cabin was a perfect mid ship balcony but our upgrade to an aft mini suite with no balcony cover was a horrible cruise experience. For us. Many others would have loved it I'm sure but it taught us a big lesson. Always stress not for upgrade when you book.

Embrace the new cabin if you can. Don't let the change spoil your cruise.

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I actually will be in Black Tie on some formal nights in the YC.  But many others will not be formal and a decent shirt and trousers is more common then formal wear.  So why do I bother to dress?  For me it is fun and I would rather be one of the nicest dressed then not.  But it is personal preference and we happily enjoy cocktails with those not similarly dressed.  
 

Hank

We like to look our best too. No reason to dress up at home and we love the romance of formal dress.

On MSC in the Mediterranean it's wonderful to see three or four generations of a family dressed beautifully for formal night.

4 hours ago, reedprincess said:

Full disclosure - we'll be the couple in tux and cocktail dress on our upcoming Sailings - because we enjoy it, and have almost no reason to ever do so at home, and hubby looks amazing in his tux!  And i fully expect we'll be in the very small minority.. it's cool.  

We'll be the couple dressed the same at the table next to yours 😎

You must ask yourselves....what is it you want to see in southern Africa? Amazing animals? Victoria Falls?  Cape Town?  The dunes of Namibia?
Most of the cruise lines sail around the Southern coastline at the time of year (December to February) when the animals are least active due to the extreme summer heat, but add on trips are plentiful and always available. 

We sailed in the Mediterranean in May. The $6 USD Easy Package becomes all drinks up to €8 These pages should give you an idea of what you can order.

4 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

To prove you wrong I have just joined your/our roll call with some chatting and tips for trips, however no welcome/reaction yet from anyone.

How does that prove me wrong?

We're from Australia too and also booked direct with Oceania. We chose our excursions then phoned our Oceania booking agent who took care of everything. Once you're booked the shore ex show on your online account and include any associated costs. Are you aware that if you book more ship's shore ex you get 25% off? 

35 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Do you use a TA to book the cruises?

If so ask them to  help stop the flow

Some of the brochures come from Oceania via your TA  list of clients ...

We booked directly with Oceania

We've managed to stop the daily emails but even a phone call to Oceania hasn't prevented the arrival of multiple brochures in our letter box each week! This bombardment started the moment we booked but as we haven't even sailed with Oceania once yet, we are not interested in checking out their future cruises at all. If anything, it's a bit off putting.

4 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

 

I noticed that Oceania's roll calls are kind of dead.  Being new to Oceania, I started a roll call (17 months out) and nobody has joined or viewed.  We mainly do tours on our own, but it's nice having roll calls to get ideas what others are doing.  

Totally agree. We like to do our own thing too, but the general chit chat on a roll call adds to the excitement of getting ready to travel. We cruise in less than six weeks and our Oceania roll call is so dead there's no chance of resuscitation. Hope our travelling companions aren't the same.

8 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

Robben island....book online. 

If you are looking for a great dinner, try Carne S.A. on Kloof street.

We used uber in Cape town.  From Hilton city center to pier was around $5 u.s.

We Went to wineries with a private GUIDE. The HOHO bus stops at a bunch. You have to check which ones are within walking distance from bus...

A young couple we met said they were not permitted entrance to one winery because the gate guard said it was too far to walk from bus..

 

De pending in while cruise line you are using, buy some wine in town to bring onboard. We found a goid place across the street from New  York Bagel.  Wineries boxed up the wine we bought from them.  We brought along a roll of duck tape to reinforce.

 

Company Gardens....Holocaust Museum...in downtown area

I think you're confusing the vineyards of Stellenbosh and Franschoek with the little hoho wine route which basically only stops at Groot Constantia. It's very close to Cape Town.

The hoho company, City Sightseeing, do have a full day tour to the big vineyards at Stellenbosh and Franschoek. It includes two vineyards for tasting but drops you in Franschoek to find your own way. The vineyards there are mostly uphill and accessible by taxi or tuk tuk, if you can believe that! Franschoek itself has some wonderful cellar door type restaurants and cafes but this tour is completely separate to the Cape Town city hoho. Perhaps the young couple who complained to you didn't understand the difference?

1 hour ago, Trend said:

Thanks that helps us also as we have a few days before and at end while ship is docked.

The hoho has special deals and inclusions for multi day passes. A little planning will get you great extra experiences. We like to explore new cities by hoho and the Cape Town bus has an exceptionally good commentary. One of the best.

Cape Town is a great city and if you're happy to do it yourself, I'd recommend a two day pass on the hoho. It has two or three routes and you really need to allow time to actually get off at a few stops.
 

If there's no cloud cover you'll want to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. The hoho also drops you at one of South Africa's oldest wineries, Groot Constantia, where you can taste the famous pinotage and the Hout Bay Green Point beach front has heaps of seafood cafes. There are included walking tours, in a township and in the old city centre, and an interesting harbour cruise. There's also a small sea lion colony at the wharf in front of the aquarium (entry included with your hoho ticket) where you board the cruise. 

If you want to go further afield you can take a day trip to Cape of Good Hope via the fairy penguin colony at Boulders Beach, a day trip to the wine growing region of Stellenbosh and Franschoek, or a boat trip to Robben Island. You could of course plan to include these things in a two day private tour.
 

The waterfront area is full of eateries and is quite safe although I don't know where the cruise ships dock. There's also a ferris wheel, shops, and a wonderful sculpture of the four most influential Sth Africans of our time. 

19 hours ago, pinotlover said:

My experience shows that destination plays a huge factor in Roll Call activity. Going anywhere in Europe, especially the North and Iceland usually yields plenty of forum activity and private tours. The same for Australia, NZ, and French Polynesia. However, I found the Roll Call dead for our SE Asia cruise. Many were scared to get off the ship for an O tour no less a private tour! Eat a Vietnamese or Thai lunch, hah! Those tours had better be back to the ship by lunch. I have never sailed O in the Carribe, but hear the Roll Calls there are equally dead. A lot of people just stay on the ship.

 

We are doing a BA to Lima cruise in February 2021, and looking at the RC for upcoming cruises there, they appear active.

You would think a cruise around Sth Africa would create a bit of interest. Or is everyone just staying on the ship? Is this the norm for Oceania?

Can understand 'old hands' not being interested in roll calls but newbies learn so much from experienced sailors. Our upcoming roll call has about five posters who aren't interested in 'chatting'. About anything.  Definitely not online. If they're so bored now......

5 hours ago, csolyn said:

This is a good recommendation and one I will keep in mind! We once had a really bad room steward. Like I walked in the first day and was like, "This room is dirty. It feels dirty and smells not right." That cruise I proceeded to get strep throat (never had it IN MY LIFE) and we got bed bugs in the room. That entire floor was ill. It wasn't a good thing and to this day I feel it was the staff wasn't keeping the rooms and halls etc clean. The people aboard also weren't that clean (I watched some guy blow a snot rocket on the hallway floor and was like ***** dude?!). To this day I am appalled that this was an O cruise. But It's good to know I should have complained to someone besides my room steward who didn't seem to care! 

This is disgusting. How long ago and what ship were you on?

3 hours ago, Earl Rosebery said:

Not expected or necessary.   

Thank heavens. At the prices Oceania charges and the recent threads stressing slow service, I would hope I didn't have to tip in the specialty or any other restaurant. After all, Oceania, claim they are not special restaurants, just specialising in certain food.

On 10/30/2019 at 2:18 AM, pinotlover said:

While you are reasonably eating your meal, one can order wines and beer by the course as they see fit. Seems fairly simple.

 

A few details:

 

1.  Plenty has been written about the very slow to near non existent adult beverage service in the Terrace. If you get two glasses of wine there during a meal you have been blessed. Don’t expect multiples. On very busy nights in the GDR service can be slow but never as bad as the Terrace. The term in Oceania advertising about “ unlimited beverages “ might be a bit misleading. 

 

2. While you are reasonably eating has a meaning. Depending upon the server, you may be delivered a bill for later drinks. Sitting over four French fries and a partially consumed sandwich for three hours on the Terrace deck or Waves may not be considered “ during the meal “. You may be running a tab. Best to ask your server if that second glass of port is considered “ during the meal!”.

 

3.  Within all those limitations, one can leave the dining venue with a partial drink.

Remember, even on the various packages, they will always scan your card.

Is it really this bad? We have the house package on our upcoming cruise, our first with Oceania. We're not big drinkers but if the service is so bad, it sounds like the next package up wouldn't be much better.

I hope someone replies to you. I'd like to know when they close access to the thalassotherapy pool.