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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.

No clue. The tell be because it could fly off because it is on the front of the ship.

It is called a “Big O”.

72137749691__570656BB-2EDA-4144-8CEB-E491FE1F45D7.MOV Breakfast at the Terrace Café the weather is about 72°, it’s lovely out here what a great place for breakfast

Saturday, November 11, 2023: "It is the little things!" When you are actually on a cruise brand you have never been on before is where you finally gain reality. A cruise for my guest and I is much different than a cruise for you. My goal in cruising for the first time with Oceania was to Enhance my cruising experience over past experiences. So I look at Oceania with Fresh Eyes. Everything is new, unique and exciting. Take that under advisement as you read my installments. Now for just a couple of "Little Things" that happened. Dinner at Jacques: I messed up and was not clear with my wife about when the dinner reservations were. It was initially set for 07:00 PM. My lovely bride thought it was 07:30 PM. Let's just say, she might have been a bit upset with me. I called our butler on the phone, asked to have the reservation for 07:30 PM, in five minutes, it was done. Bingo. We met our friends at our newest and best bar, Martini's, had a drink and went to dinner. There was a line outside of Jacques for the 07:30 PM sitting. We were simply waiting outside the restaurant to be seated with the other guest. A man and woman pushed through the line, like they owned the place. He was frowning and rude. Then he found out no one was allowing him to enter and he asked, "Excuse me, we have 07:30 PM reservations." Ask the 10 people all looking at this couple with a bit of frustration said almost together, "So are we all." He got the point quick. Problem solved but interesting situation. The food at Jacques was great but it was not the most impressive thing. The way this place makes you feel the moment you walk in was the real effect. It just felt like luxury. Where most folks tell you how great their food was, and it was. I say, it made me feel truly special. We have another reservation for another night and already know what we will order. This evening, we had "French Onion Soup", "Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing", "Lobster with tiny scallops", "Stuffed Lobster Tails", "Dover Sole" deboned at the table, "Creme Brulee". Service 10 out of 10, Food 9 our of 10, Atmosphere 10 out of 10. Afternoon Tea: A table for four at the window. Tiny sandwiches' that were outstanding. Small tastes of sweets that were great, the tea was special with the classical music. A first experience that we all agreed would not be our last. Getting off the ship: If you get off on Deck 6, you have steps. If you get off on Deck 5, you have a slight ramp. Do deck 6. We had no excursions to there was never a crowd. Martinis Bar: I am an extrovert. I love to make folks happy and laugh especially the crew. This second evening, was our third time in Martinis. When the four of us arrived, the crew had a huge smile and said, "Hello Mr. Gary". This might not mean much to some of you, but it meant the world to me. A bar where everyone knows your name!!!! The drinks were lovely and they made my wife a special martini which she loved. My Butler: If I hear one more person on any brand say, "I think a butler is not worth the extra funds. They never do anything for us". Those people never met our butler. You don't know what your are missing but I respect your opinion. In our case, as mentioned above, instantly fixed our dinner reservation. I had a hot water issue and it was addressed in 15 minutes. Every morning at 07:30 am we have coffee from Barista's delivered with Danish, My request for a small dish or salty snack was accommodated instantly, my future request to have our guest join us on future reservation are handled the day of the reservations without asking. I can go on for ever. This gentleman is making our trip for all of us. Food On Day 3: The food so far is mostly hits with a very few misses. The more important realization is we are eating less, we are not hugely hungry and I think it has a little to do with the rich/tasty food being served where at home we would simply have cheerios for breakfast. I find myself eating far less then on other cruises yet being more stratified with the food. My wife and guest feel the same way. Thermal Spa: A highlight of this trip. Never crowded, always hot, great after walking all day. The neck water massage is great. This place for me is so very special. We will try the Jacuzzi on the Deck tonight now that I know how to get hot water. By the way, It was all my fault. Sometimes I can not see the forest for the trees. Conclusion: The crew is doing a great job. I contributed to crew fund with can be done at Guest Service. I met the Hotel Manager, and shared my excitement. I think she thought I was going to be mean and was pleasantly surprised. I met the Lead Butler and shared my joy with our butler. Let us be clear, if and when something happens that is not to my standard, I am not shy. I just do it nicely but it is clear how I feel. I have simply not had to do so at this time. If something goes wrong, say something so it can be corrected early on your trip. My only disappointment so far is all my furniture on this lovely deck of our suite is unusable, tied up at night. Seems kind of a waste of this prime space but I also understand the reason. Hope my take is helping some. Thanks for all the hints. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@the more ports the better This is great information for the ports soon to be visited. Thank you. Very kind of you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment

@mauibabes Funny, I order a 1/2 lasagna and shared with the Table. It was great.

@mauibabes Thank you. We discussed the Sea Bass at the table. We have another night at Jacques. We will order it on our second night. Tonight, two folks had the Lobster tails and the other two had the Dover sole. Both were outstanding. Thank you again.

@roberts2005 Thank you and agreed. One more thing. The bakeries in Kavaia were the best I have had in many years. An interesting observation. I am totally enjoying the food on board. Yet, I am eating much less than I usually do. I would not have expected that. Afternoon tea was lovely today. Just a tiny egg salad sandwich and a treat. Just perfect. Tonight, French food. Our friend are blown away. Our suite had no hot water. I call the butler, 30 min later issue solved. That was the first real test. Oceania did not disappoint. Cruise well, and enjoy every moment

Will do. Thank you very much. Cruise well, and enjoy every moment