Sthrngary

Thursday, November 16, 2023: Naples was fantastic. We went to Gini's by the water for pizza and pasta. We walked the city, went to the famous Galleria Mall. Everyone has French bull dogs like I do and it was so nice to see the all. They are all allowed to run off leash and mind their humans. Mine would have ran to Rome if I let him off leash. We canceled our dinner in Toscana for Wednesdays Night and rescheduled it for Saturdays night. We cancelled our last night at Polo Grill and YES I did say something "Nicely" to the staff about our dinner. Not an issue, enjoying the food anyway. We took an early night because of all the walking in Naples and caught up on some reading. For the first time I used the Jacuzzi in the Master Bath and it was great. We still have not used the one on the deck but tonight is the night I think. We are going to book another 10 day cruise for 2025 in October on the Vista. When we come back from Rome today, we will go to the future cruise desk to fully understand the deal. If you have any question I can answer, ask, I will keep my posts and answer short but happy to help. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. PS: Weight Watchers, here I come.

Wednesdays, November 15, 2023--07:00 AM Yesterday we were in Messina, Italy. Again for those following this information, we did not Oceania Excursions. Messina is all about the clock. We found a cafe, got Expresso, and watched the clock. We then took the tourist train for 10 euro's each which took us around the area with audio information. It stopped several times to let us take pictures. A few of the Homeless asked for money but no one was mean when we said no. During our tour, we found a Pizza place off the beaten path and randomly choose it. It was GREAT. Came back to the ship after about 4-5 hours. Everyone wants something different on a ship. I want relaxation and the heated tile loungers in the spa is just up my alley. My wife and I laid down, and in 2 minutes were fast asleep. Now that is living because when we woke up, it was sunset outside. Again I say, a cruise is what you make of it. Everyone knows i did a lot of study, yet when I entered the ship, I stay open and flexibly. If there is one thing I really want to do, that is a focus. The other things are options. It is as if my hard core structure brain is turned off. We ate in Jacques for the second time. Just as lovely as the first. The weather was GREAT and we feel so lucky for that. We went to bed early because we all wanted to do a lot of walking in Naples. My goal is to find the espresso place I say on YouTube. Other then that, my friend wants to shop and I will watch her do so. I don't shop, I buy for my wife, but shopping is not my thing. Unless you are in Naples of course. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@mauibabes This will be done. I did not want to do it the night of. I would not have been as clear diplomatic as I would be a day later. But I assure you, it will hapGpen, thank you. The wine was lovely more important it was Italian wine. My wife LOVED it and the experience buying it. Why do you tempt me like this????? I promise my voice will be hear in 100 words or less. And a smile. Cruise well and thank you.

Thank you you take the good with the bad, but still, best cruise I’ve ever taken in my life. I also took your advice, we bought some nice wine and bought it on board and my wife is loving it. Thank you for all your help over all these months. Cruise well, and enjoy every moment

It is very important on any cruise not to let any experience affect your overall appreciation. We were also blessed to have the opportunity to cruise at any age. I have had poor experience in steakhouses on most all the cruises I’ve been on. This was no shock and just let me know to try something different. Most everything else food wise has been fabulous. Cruise well, and enjoy every moment

Tuesday, November 14, 2023: I am writing this overview based on being new to Oceania, being a veteran Cruiser of 40 years, looking for an enhanced cruise over Main Stream Cruise Brand and being 66 years old and having guest that have not cruised before. You have to understand my perspective when I make comments. I also attempt to look at the positive vs. the negatives yet still be realistic. Just who I am as a person. On to my thoughts about yesterday which was a sea day. Dinner at Polo Grill: Let me start by saying, I have another reservation for the Polo Grill for the last night of the cruise. I will cancel it today. That is going to give you an indication of my thoughts on our experience last night. I had high hopes for the Polo Grill yet read every ones review of the experience they had here on Cruise Critic. So I went in with balanced and realistic expectations. Let's start with the good. My Prime rib, queen cut was excellent. I was thrilled with that. Yet, I asked for horseradish three times and never got it. Still, great meat. The whole main lobster was inedible, tough and hard to cut. The 20 oz porterhouse was not cooked correctly and just warm. The deserts was average to below average. Now I can live with all that except the service was simple awful. From the ability to gain assistance, to the drink service to cleaning dishes off the table to asking us how our food was. This was the first and only major fail of this cruise. The table around me were having the same discussion so it was not just my table. As it relates to other cruise ship Steak Houses, other then my prime rib, it comes in on the bottom of my personal list. On our last night, we all agreed we will cancel Polo and go to the Waves Pizzeria. The Main Show: Tonight the show was really not good. Rather than complain, here is how we handled it. We sat in the back, gave it a chance, stood up and left. When to Martini's for a drink and the piano player. Then went to Horizons for Beatles Music which was very nice. The guest singer will be to night again and she was great for her first performance. Cooking Class: EXCELENT. I did thing I never thought I could do then ate them. Learned what i was doing wrong at home which will change my approach especially when cooking pasta and making a salad. I HIGHLY recommend any class. Folks From Cruise Critic That I Haven Met: Everyone has been lovely, kind and interesting. Thank for the warm embrace. Butler: You want a highlight, our butler. He caught us gong back to hour suite late and asked, "Since we get in to port late, what time do you want your coffee in the morning?" A little thing, but just think about how intuitive it was. Bravo. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Embarkment: Timed like all other cruise lines. The higher your suite, the earlier you can board. The more expensive suites like the Oceania, Vista and Owners Suite were ready when you boarded. No waiting. The Penthouses were ready at 12:00 PM which was their boarding time. No waiting for your room with Penthouse and above. This is not always the case but it was my experience.

@shepherd really Good for you for getting my humor. Funny thing, it was a wind breaker. Also funny, you cannot make this stuff up.

Red Ginger for Dinner Last Night: This cruise brand is so different in a unique way. On the first night, we ate at Toscana. It was lovely and everyone in my party was so impressed. The second night we ate at Jacques, to the person we all agreed, this was a truly positive experience in so many ways. The third night we ate in the grand dining room. The food was good, but how can you compare. It was better then most Main Dining Rooms I have gone to. THEN there was Red Ginger. To everyone who gave me advice on Red Ginger, Thank you. I was afraid our guest would not like it. Instead we all agreed, it was slightly better then Jacques. The crispy duck salad, the sushi plate, the expanding wet wash cloth, and for me, the Rack of Lamb. Yes, I did not get the Sea Bass but others did and LOVED it. BUT that lamb was outstanding. I have not been impressed with the deserts but my simple cake desert in Red Ginger I ate every bit. About the food: The food is obviously really good but that is compared to my previous experience on other cruise lines. I did not cruise Oceania pre-covid so I have no comparison to those that did. It is hard to image it being any better across the board. I am not challenging anyone that is was better, just giving my opinion. In addition, I am eating less and less every day we cruise. I find that the food is richer then I am used too. I have adjusted my eating patterns to eat less so I can be more hungry for dinner. Some Area's of Improvement: The pool bar is good for mixed drinks but don't order a Mud Slide there. Kind of tasteless. However the only reason why I ordered a mud slide was I tried to order a Milk Shake at the ice cream counter. The crew member there was over worked and alone. He keep leaving the door open for the Ice Cream and it was melting. My Milk Shake was like drinking chocolate milk. I wrote it off because I rarely ever get a Milk Shake anyway. The Morning Pastries are hit of miss. When they are a miss, I simply don't finish them. Back to my appetite. If you ever met me, I love to eat even when I am not hungry. When everything is for the most part a new level of good, it is hard eat something that is just OK. So I just eat less and wait for dinner. I hope that makes sense. My bedroom was a frozen tundra and I had to ask twice for it to be fixed. Finally, it is adjustable. Who ever stays in this suite on the upcoming cruise, you own me a drink. Conclusion for this Post: Bumpy waters for our first and only sea day. The weather has been crazy. One second it is raining cats and dogs. The next second it is sunny and warm. Trying to take a nap and being bounced around the bed is a unique experience. I thing all this bouncing makes one need to go to the bathroom more. That is my experience anyway. PS: To all the folks dancing late last night in the Horizons, I have you did not have to much of a hang over this morning. Some of you were feeling no pain. Yes I took pictures but will not release them unless you send me lots of money to Bit Coin. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Of course you are right. Folks should be more considerate. The issue they are not, simply cannot effect our over all enjoyment. Kind of like getting a bad meal. It happens. Make it like water off a duck. As it relates to the staff. They are a product of what happens when a person complains about them. It affects them in a negatives way even when the guest is wrong. If anyone is uncomfortable with this or any other situation, complain in a quite way to the leadership. I seriously doubt anything will change. But it is all of our rights to express dissatisfaction with a rule not being enforced. My observations is this type of situation has been observed, but I have not seen it much. I did see a many, from a country outside of the USA, in Red Ginger almost have a fist fight with his table of 10. I am not kidding. He was yelling at the top of his lungs until he grabbed his jacket and walked out. I love Dinner and a show. What a great meal and a memorable experience including this low class individual. I thought I was on Carnaval Cruise Line for a second. I looked at our guest, with a big smile on my face and said, "You wanted a memorable cruise and you got it." We all had a nice green tea and had a laugh. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

As it relates to the way people dress, this is a much more refined, cruising experience that I’ve had in the past. Unlike some of the passengers, I took the time to study what was acceptable and unacceptable dress. This is just what most people do. Yet it is true that some folks Choose to dress below casual. I say to each his own and enjoy my steak. how they dressed does not affect my cruise one little bit. That’s just me, everybody’s different. Just my two cents being on the cruise.

November 13, 2023: Entertainment Like food, subjective. I have been pleasantly surprised. Consider if I was on an NCL ship, their would be lots of big production shows. Here on Oceania, it is like a small venue cabana show. We saw the singer last night and she was excellent. The small production show as very good. How do I know, I did not leave as I would normally do if it was awful. The Piano Player at the Lounge (Martini's) if very good also which is where I spend most of my time. NCL obviously is better on all categories of entertainment however Oceania has nothing to be ashamed about. I will say, the crowds are older and subdue. Not insanely crazy on other ships. I kind of miss that energy form the crowd but this is a different cruise experience on many levels. The band by the pool, and in the lounge at nice was really fun and that is where I saw outstanding dancers who are guests. Everyone seems to not be late night people which suits me because I do like to go to bed a bit early. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

November 13, 2023: Day 5, of 10 of our Mediterranean Cruise. My real time blog is on the Oceania Cruises Cruise Critic area. However, I waited to start writing this one until I felt I understood the differences. I will do a couple of posts here and if I have time, I will answer some questions. We are on the newly renovated Oceania Riviera. The Biggest Difference: When you leave your stateroom, everyone is treated the same. No separate Haven Area or Haven bar/restaurant. No one ever feels like they are not getting the full luxury experience. Within your suite, the higher up you go, the more amenities in you gain. If you are a penthouse or higher, you get a butler, access to the Outdoor thermal spa which is like the Vibe Beach Club with a thermal spa area but no bar. An executive lounge with a concierge, snacks and computer area. I can get more specific here but I can say it best by saying, when you leave your stateroom, it is like the entire ship is the Haven on Steroid. Specialty Restaurants: No charge for any guest but everyone gets four guaranteed reservation pre-cruise and space available when on the cruise. If you are in the three highest suites called the Oceania, Vista and Owners Suite, you get 8 pre-cruise reservations. Food is subjective to the person so keep that in mind. From my opinion, the Specialty Restaurants are some of the best I have ever had on the sea, PERIOD on Oceania. The service has been stellar each and every time. The quality has also be excellent. The restaurants are smaller and they only have one seating. The Main Dining Room: Better then the Main Dining Room on any ship I have been on but not a huge difference. I will say, on day two at breakfast, they new my name and my guest names. That was impressive. Buffet: Smaller then NCL. Food quality, no comparison, Oceania wins again on the food quality with a grill to order section. I think you get the point on the food. The Butler: Yes, I did a butler letter. Yes, I had several items I asked for. Sorry NCL, you simply don't have butlers, you have folks that look the part. I kind of figured this from a past experience on Crystal. My butler on Oceania is the Real Deal. Quite, never have to ask twice, always available and never says no. No excuses, generally loves to see us enjoy ourselves in a way that makes you feel nice. He double checks everything you as for has been done. No comparison if a butler is important to you. Suite: I have a Vista Suite 1250 sf which is the equal to an H2 Owners Suite on a large NCL ship. My guests have a Penthouse, 440 sf. The quality, artwork, are all better on Oceania. The bed and linens are a new level. I like the showers better in the Haven because they are larger, regardless of which suite. I will add some more in the future, remember, I love the Haven, always will. At this point, no comparison. Ask any questions you might have. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Every stateroom has unlimited Specialty Restaurants. Oceania, Vista, and Owners Suites get 8 guaranteed reservation pre-Cruise.

November 12, 2023: Second Day in Istanbul We took the same Taxi we did yesterday and did the Blue Mosque. Lovely. We asked the Taxi driver to take us for a ride around town and he did. To our surprise, he took us with the cab on a ferry, to the other side. It was amazing. I was expecting the entertainment to be average on the ship. What I found was somewhat of a surprise. Especially the singer from Brazil. Really good especially on the pool deck for sail away. Tonight we go to Red Ginger for the first time. I will let you know how it is. Emma the Hotel Manager was wonderful and we had a good laugh at the sail away today. The grand dinning room staff new both my guest and my name on day TWO. A world record. Several folks came up to me to say hello. My wife said, how do they all know you. I said, I have no idea. She does not read any of my post so keep it a secret, please. LOL This is a lovely ship, great crew and a lovely time. Look, not cruise is perfect, however they are all what you make of them. Have realistic expectations, be flexibly and every one has a great time. One thing though, you might of to detox from adult beverages when one goes home. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Today, it took 5 min to get in. Easy.

We hired a taxi for the day who stayed with us and he took us to the leather place. It was $60 for the taxi back-and-forth and he stayed with us. We paid him $100. Punts leather

So I woke up early today and figured I would share a few things: Food: Good to excellent. No issue with meat cooked incorrectly. Even the steak in the Grand Dining Room was good. The specialty restaurants are all excellent for different reasons. Cookies: They were just fine. With everything else you can have, they are not my priority but I did taste them. Pizza: The Pizza at the buffet is just ok. The Pizza at Waves is very good. We are going to Italy so I just had a taste. You cannot compare Ship Pizza to Italian Pizza. On and Off the Ship: Super smooth but remember, we are not doing any Excursions so we go and come when we want. Best Bar: Martini's and my favorite drink is the "Big O" martini. Vista Suite: Outstanding, huge, and love the two bathrooms. I cooling in the bedroom is really cold and hard to control. The Bluetooth is easy to set on your phone. The deck chairs are tied up at night but as I have said, not an issue for us. The Jacuzzi in the Master Bath is huge. The Soap are top tier. Butler: He can't do enough for us and has done EVERYTHING we asked of him. Second day in Istanbul and I hope I can go to an Turkish Bath House. We will see. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

This will help I hope.

Istanbul Turkey: Wow, just wow. I got really lucky. This whole cruise I choose not to do any Oceania Excursions. Lots of reasons for this. One was I hate being restricted by time to leave, time to get back or time in an specific place. This strategy can backfire or be great. We got off the Riviera at the port with easy and no delay. I was a little nervous because of some of what I learned online about scams. I took my group to the Taxi Stand and was given a flat price of $60.00 to take us to a few places including the Grand Bazar. The Taxi Driver stayed with us, gave us advice and took us back when we were done. I gave him $100.00, a giant box of Turkish Delights for his kids. This man was so kind and helpful. He used his translator on his phone to communicate with us. It was a perfect way to approach the city for four Not So Young folks their for the first time. We skipped Breakfast and when the lunch was being served, we did that in stead. Skipping a meal on a Cruise with really good food is the way to go sometimes. Lunch for me was a Burger and fries and surprisingly good. When we came back from Istanbul, we went to Martini's for a couple of drinks. Our butler has some snacks waiting for us in our suite which were taste. Just a taste, nothing to heavy. We went to the Grand Dining Room for dinner. I was not expecting much and told my guest just that. Most of the meal was really good. Some folks went outside their box to order things they normally did not order. That was an epic fail be we all laughed it off. The main course were all really good. My test was the Sirloin Strip Steak Medium Rare. It was cooked perfectly and I liked it. My wife loved her chicken, my friend had salmon and his wife had veal. Everyone enjoyed the food. The desert was hit or miss. The cheese cake was excellent. The piano player in Martini's is just what the doctor ordered. Make Martini's a special place. Tomorrow with an over night and early start, we will focus on the Blue M and some more shopping. This city is something special and we are all really enjoying it. This is defiantly not St. Thomas, LOL. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

LOL, this gentleman and his wife was on a mission. I think they thought the line was for first available. Honest mistake. They should have asked the folks they were passing by if they had reservations, but Hindsight and all. It did not effect my evening in the slightest. We at my table had a good laugh about it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I met the general manager on day two. I don't remember her name. She had an UK accent and red hair. He was quite nice and kind. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Cruzin Terri You are right, I missed this but I am OK with it. I did know that I had to close my drapes at night. This one thing is fine and as I said to someone else, if it was the summer, I might be uncomfortable with it. Thanks for the comment. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Guest Interesting you shared this. Today, my wife went to a leather store and bought a new Leather Jacket. It was lovely. I have found Istanbul to be quite a spectacular place. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Gracie115 Not impacting us at all. If it was the summer time, it would be a really big issue. I knew the deck would be unusable during the night when sailing because of the wind. I had a similar cabin on the NCL JOY. I will ask if during our sea day of which we have one, if the same rule will be in place. My MO is never letting one thing impact my cruise. On this cruise, we are at ports we never ever thought we would get to go too. The food has been really good. The drinks are flowing. We are with good friends and other we met that are our new friends. Nothing ever goes perfectly on a cruise. It is always an adventure. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.