Harters

Our own process started with reading CC's own article detailing specialist TAs in the UK (yes, it's odd they ban discussion on the forum but have no qualms about naming them themselves). That gave me a shortlist of about six companies. I searched for these on the Tripadvisor cruise forum and was able to delete two from my list, as they had quite negative comments. So, for the remaining four, it really came down to getting quotes for the cruise. The information is out there.

Yes, they were really good. And versatile, playing a different sort of set each evening. We particularly enjoyed their "country" evening.

Other than my suggestion upthread, my other advice would be to look at sites other than CC. There are Oceania Facebook groups which might have a more relaxed attitude to mention of TAs. The Tripadvisor cruise forum also has no restrictions on naming names - which, seeing as it owns CC, makes CC's ban not only unhelpful but just downright weird.

Basically - put a lot of business O's way. And, in return, getting "perks" - which probably include cash incentives (probably a reason why it often appears that North American customers can get a better deal than customers from other countries) Google found me a letter from O welcoming a new company to the group. Obviously I can't mention the company, so have blanked out mention of their name but it should help inform about the "Club" "On behalf of the entire team at Oceania Cruises, it gives me great pleasure to welcome (deleted) into our Cruise Connoisseur Club. Your contribution to our success as well as the significant business you’ve booked with us for the future has qualified your agency to be a member of this prestigious club. As you may have heard from industry colleagues or your Regional Sales Director, the Cruise Connoisseur Club is Oceania Cruises’ recognition and rewards program for our top producing travel agency partners which provides an array of benefits and perks. It is our pleasure to present (deleted) with a personalized recognition award to commemorate your club membership. Again, we deeply appreciate the outstanding support of Oceania Cruises that you’ve demonstrated and we’re delighted to be able to recognize you in this new and exciting way. We look forward to working closely with all of our Cruise Connoisseur Club members and to enjoying a mutually successful relationship for many years to come."

Oceania has a group of preferred travel agents known as the Oceania Connoisseurs Club. A Google on this name may well find companies who mention their membership on their website. Only of help to O's customers in North America as all the companies are based there/

Not the hop on/off then but a normal public bus service (which seems to run between the Plaza and Castle). Could you not just give your taxi driver the address of the castle? If your fishing destination is within the Barcelona municipal area, the taxi will have a city licence and the driver is bound to know the castle. If some distance away, where the driver may not know the city well, maybe get the taxi from the fishing place to, say, the Plaza and get the bus or a taxi from there.

Is this the hopon-hopoff bus? If so, then it operates on public roads just as a taxi would. I cannot recall which stop for the Castle would be the best (I think there are three stops on Montjuic - and we only got off at the one for the Miro gallery, but, if you could work that out then you would have a destination to be able to tell the taxi driver. Getting a taxi back after the castle may be an issue - I can't recall seeing taxi ranks up there (although I wasnt looking for one).

O will have an agent at each port. You could ask O if it would be possible for this company to receive it for you and pass it on when the ship docks. By the by, I'm impressed at the dedication to your country's democratic process.

I'm sure you're right but, in Belgium, you will often find that the likes of mussels are off the menu in the summer months.

I've seen a couple of websites discussing recommendations. My plan is to work out our sight-seeing walk and then see which recommended ones are near the walk, so we can combine being tourists and being eaters.

Not least because of folk like me who don't carry a mobile phone of any sort, let alone a smartphone.

Absolutely. A leisurely MIchelin starred lunch may be a possibility but I think it may cut into our sightseeing time a bit too much. More likely we'll look to sample pintxos in a couple of bars and leave a fuller food experience for a long weekend trip.

Wouldnt the difficulty be in not knowing when the ballot paper would arrive, therefore not knowing which port to have it sent to? The law may well be different where you are but, here in the UK, an absentee ballot paper would only be sent to the address registered on the electoral roll. I have a similar interest. We may well have a general election sometime in the autumn and we're going to be in Cyprus for a couple of weeks. We are registered for postal votes but hopeful that the timings won't clash. Nothing we can do if they do.

Thanks. The first link is particularly helpful - seeing a ship in the bay. As you say, the tender point must be the small marina/port at the northern end. I can plan my walk round the "old town" from there.

They will have just made the assumption, as I did, that everyone uses A4.