Austinite by birth

I am booked on Across the Arctic Circle starting June 6.  I am very excited for this adventure!  I have been reading all the "whining & bitching" on the Facebook site.  Come on guys.....Aurora/Vantage is not responsible for the bankruptcy... they didn't have to offer the offer they have made.  I lost $$$$ on back-to-back cruises with business class flights...yea, I am not happy, but I am trying to recoup something,  The new company: Aurora/Vantage is more expensive, but what do you do...... I will send a report when I get home.  Also looking that if I like this adventure, I would like to do either Antarctica or Northwest Passage...... yea, not your typical adventures!!

On 12/29/2023 at 8:00 PM, BucketListKimmy said:

I am excited and scared all at the same time- I have never done something this epic-20 hr flight, totally foreign land, so far from home- Im double and triple checking what I have packed..Getting super excited!!

I fly out today!!  See you on the ship on Sunday!!

Went to review my excursions and was surprised to see that "SKYRAIL, KURANDA VILLAGE AND SCENIC TRAIN" in Cairnes, had been deleted from my cruise!!  It is no longer offered. I was able to re-sign up for basically the same with the deletion of the "train" part.  When I went to pay for the replacement, I had a credit...which covered the replacement excursion.  Glad I looked... I would have been very surprised if I hadn't.  I suppose it has something to do with timing.

I signed up for the Steak House restaurant on day 1.  I figured since I am a single/solo I will meet at least a couple of friendly faces at the dinner that I might see later on the cruise.  This is going to be great!!  I have read that the ship itself is not remarkable, but that is not why I am going.  I am going for the adventure!!  Really hope to meet up!!

Can't believe that we are a week+ away from this and so little chats!!!  Would LOVE to hear from more people on this.... the ship is HUGE and so little chatter!  Would love to know that more people are as excited as I am...........

On 10/13/2023 at 10:42 AM, BucketListKimmy said:

I am getting really excited- We are from Connecticut- we will definitely have to connect!

I probably shouldn't do this, but I am booked in room 7391.  I am also signed up for the steakhouse on the first night..Jan 7..... since I am a single, I am hoping to meet a couple of people I can connect with at the dinner.... join me if you would like.  Otherwise, lets meet for a cocktail either before or after.  I am assuming that there will be phones in the room.  

Anyone else decide on excursions??  I am really excited about this cruise, seeing others traveling from the USA and meeting a bunch of Aussies and others.  

On 12/7/2022 at 1:50 AM, legallyblonde67 said:

Hi all - can't see a group here for this cruise so I've created it. 

I'm travelling solo - so looking forward to it!

"Sea" you onboard! 🙂 

look up this link:

Great Barrier Reef Luminosa January 7, 2024

I am arriving in Brisbane at 9:55am January 6th.  I am staying in downtown: Royal Albert Hotel.  I wanted to see a little of Brisbane prior to the cruise.  I debated staying close to the pier, but decided to stay downtown.  The Royal Albert is about a 10 minute; 4-5 block walk from the central train station.  Also, I will be leaving Brisbane for NZ at 11:10am on the day we disembark...so no time to see the city at all... hope I can get off and to the airport in time!  Yikes. 

I am from Austin, Texas so no problem with snow here!

On 12/7/2022 at 1:50 AM, legallyblonde67 said:

Hi all - can't see a group here for this cruise so I've created it. 

I'm travelling solo - so looking forward to it!

"Sea" you onboard! 🙂 

there is another link on this trip..... look it up!

I am also booked on this cruise and coming from the USA.  I am traveling as a solo since my husband passed in July.  This will be the first trip I have taken as a single so I am a bit nervous.  I am arriving in Brisbane a day early to try to acclimate... hope it works.  My excursions: Ocean Rafting, Skyrail Village and Train, and then GREAT BARRIER REEF snorkling... it is also on my bucket list.  Here is hoping for a wonder cruise.  Then I am going over to New Zealand for 12 weeks (Gate 1) land tour.  Keep in touch and we can have a drink together!

Hello!  I am also on this cruise solo.  I live in Austin Texas and will be arriving 1 day prior to the cruise.  After the cruise, I am flying over to New Zealand for a land tour.

Have you booked excursions?  I have mine booked and wonder if they are good excursions.  Looking forward to meeting you!

1 minute ago, Lexie31 said:

NightFlight: I agree.

Same here!!

On 6/8/2023 at 7:45 AM, Austinite by birth said:

All of us on summer trip got the same notification on your portfolio page.  At least we all know that our trips are cancelled so we can start making other plans.  Be positive and pray that they company is able to honor the options they gave us.

 

44 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 I just logged into my portfolio and found all the information on my cancelled cruise is gone. If you need any info from your reservation ie a copy of your invoice, you better log in and print it out before it disappears.

 

On 6/3/2023 at 10:06 PM, magnetman said:

We booked the trip March18th 2023. The trip was the Route of the Vikings.

I just received the confirmation of the cancellation and the four options that they have offered.

All of us on summer trip got the same notification on your portfolio page.  At least we all know that our trips are cancelled so we can start making other plans.  Be positive and pray that they company is able to honor the options they gave us.

4 hours ago, MOssyLedge said:

Charles Moskowitz hasn't responded to anyone with a  ZOOM link.  I think he is bogus- completely. It would have been nice to hav such a get together. 

Wow!!!

4 minutes ago, Billybob79 said:

A prior post said all passengers were taken off the Ocean Odyssey in Rome. The fact that CruiseMapper shows the next desination to be Gibralter indicates the ship is not heading to what would have been its next destination if the stated itinerary was being followed. I believe the ship may be in the process of being repossessed by the owner. I hate to say it but the chances of your going on the Odyssesy in either July or September are not looking good. 

My wife and I were supposed to leave for South Africa on Monday and we received our cancellation notice last Monday, even after our plane tickets had been paid for. We had been on 14 prior Vantage, all of which we enjoyed. As I have said before, such a shame as Vantage provided the best value for the money.I researching other South Africa trips, no tour company has anywhere near the same itinerary for anywhere near the same cost. We now need to look for other options for some of the trips we were planning on taking, including on the Ocean Explorer, which we were on last October (Boston to Montreal) and which we really enjoyed,

Been to S Africa... our friends are going on a Gate 1 tour (not sure when), and they really like Gate 1.  I recommend a safari with Inyati in the Sabi Sands... we have been on a safari in Tansania and Kenya-- savannah-- the Sabi Sands is wooded, so a complete different look.  This is upsetting... sorry!!

2 minutes ago, Billybob79 said:

Does anyone know whether any land or cruise trips are currently going off as scheduled? It appears that all land tours are listed as "sold out" until the Fall, which means they have been cancelled. The Ocean Odyssey is on its way to Gibralter, almost certainly w/o passengers and the Ocean Explorer is currently in Reykajik, Iceland. It will be until at least until September until we know if Vantage survives as a shadow of itself.

How do you know that the Odyssey is empty?  We are booked on Odyssey in July and again in September.  The July sailing still doesn't have flights which makes me very nervous.  This makes me very sad because I have had several wonderful vacations on Vantage cruises.  So sad that this might be happening.

On 10/26/2022 at 12:29 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

SunStone Takes Delivery of Ocean Odyssey

HALLELUJAH!!!  Finally!!  Hope it all goes well for the Ocean Odyssey and Vantage!!

On 10/13/2022 at 4:52 PM, onespots said:

To Billybob 79

We are leaving Monday October 17 2022 on this trip. Doing the regular trip with Vantage that includes 7 days on the Nebu. We will do the post excursion to Jordan for 5 days. Will give you a full report upon our return. Perhaps you could me your email address.

 

Happy Travels, John (onespots )

sfaigle@aol.com

kitmrandall@gmail.com...... would love to tell you what a wonderful trip you will have.

On 8/15/2022 at 6:12 AM, twototravel said:

@Austinite by birth I hope all your details are made as your trip should start in just a few days. Hoping you have a wonderful time and all is well with the new ship. 

@Billybob79 I hope your trip as well in Oct goes well. 

Looking forward to hearing from both of you about your travels on this new ship.

I guess you missed it!  Our cruise was cancelled/postponed.  We were suppose to be going Copenhagen-Edinburgh Aug 23-Sept 6..... the rebooked us for Copenhagen to London June ? 2023.... but we declined that trip.  We have been to all of those places and were looking for more adventure.  They moved us to "Passage to the Amazon:Nassau to Manaus"  Sept 18 2023-Oct 12 2023.  Looks great and it should be lots of adventure.  I feel for Vantage.... covid has been awful for them, between cancelled sailings to dealing with trying to get a new ship built in China.... what a nightmare!!  

So instead of just staying at home and crying, we kept our flights to and from Europe, found another cruise (MSC for a week, Copenhagen to Copenhagen), and will fill the rest of our trip on our own in Copenhagen and Edinburgh.  Not what I had planned, but it will still be an adventure!!  Good luck to everyone on all their future voyages!!

7 hours ago, twototravel said:

@Austinite by birth I know your trip will be fantastic! Please post a review upon your return. Good luck with your flights. LHR is one of the airports that is having all the issues. Hopefully the issues will improve by your travel date. We are on a trip to Copenhagen and other countries a few days after you. We have a direct flight from NYC to Copenhagen with no stops in European hubs, thank goodness.

 

P.S. We are booked in cabin 417 for our Odyssey trip in Feb. 

We are in cabin 624... will let you know how it goes

21 hours ago, Billybob79 said:

We are booked on the October 7, 2022 cruise from Boston to Montreal and expect to be a go as the Ocean Odyssey is doing its scheduled itineraries. The issue is how well the ship, crew and leaders are doing. A review on Cruise Critic (not this thread) about the Montreal to Boston cruise in April 2022 was devastating bad. Excursions were skipped, the tour leaders were clueless, etc. The ship itself seems to be very good. I certainly hope that between April and October, Vantage will have its act together. This will be our 13th Vantage trip and all the others have been either very good or outstanding.We are also booked on the Egypt trip in December on the Nebu and would like feedback from anyone who has taken that trip on the Nebu.

Did this November 2021.  It was WONDERFUL!!  We were in there 21 years ago... lots have changed, but a LOT is the same--since most interesting things are 4000 years ago!!  We went 1 day early, hired a private guide because we wanted to see more of Islamic Cairo and the bazaar-- which are NOT included on your Vantage tour.  Our guide was Mohamed Anwar Eissa.... he was FANTASTIC!!  Hopefully the Grand Egyptian Museum will be complete and open when you go.  You will be amazed by EVERYTHING you see.  We also had the ship make us reservations at the Old Cataract Hotel (where Death on the Nile was written) for high tea.  You might be interested in doing that.  If you want to contact me about directly, feel free: kitmrandall@gmail.com.

On 7/11/2022 at 12:18 PM, twototravel said:

@Austinite by birth I was able to chat with Vantage earlier today and they did tell me, although slightly delayed, the Odyssey was currently on its way to Europe! I also confirmed that our cruise in Feb is still a go but as of now, has low numbers booked. The route is Singapore to Bali and then reverse. Hopefully if one doesn't fill up, they can consolidate us all on the other route. We have signed up for the Pre trip to Ubud, then Bali to Singapore on the ship. This will be our third Vantage trip. First was a cruise/tour to Burma about 6 years ago, then South Africa just last month. I hope you have found under the Ways to Save menu the cruise deals that they offer if you can travel at short notice. Some of them have been amazing! 

Well all looks good on our trip 8/22!  yea!!!  The Ocean Odyssey is moving toward Copenhagen!  We have our travel documents in our Portfolio!  We booked our own flights and so far they haven't changed.  Glad to be flying into LHR directly from AUS (British airways), then into Copenhagen.  No flights thru Amsterdam which looks like sh*tshow!  I am aware that since this is the first sailing, there will likely be problems, but we will face that when it comes.  So, looking forward to going!!  Wish us luck!

6 hours ago, twototravel said:

@Austinite by birth When are you booked on the Odyssey? Are you saying it's not operational yet? I'm booked for Feb 2023 and have given Vantage a lot of money!

I am SURE  it will be ready by February!  We are booked to travel on August 22, 2022!  I have been looking at a website: cruisemapper.com.  and for months it said that the ship was in the dockyard and the location was reported "45 minutes ago" , "6 minutes ago",  " 1 hour ago".....etc.  NOW it says that the location (same dockyard outside of Shanghai) was reported "5 days ago".  I am hoping (🤞) that means that it is on it's way to Copenhagen.  When I speak to Vantage they say the cruise is on!!!!!  Again- fingers crossed!  Have you traveled with Vantage before??  I know they have had a lot of difficulties since the pandemic, but we LOVE Vantage and have had nothing but good trips with them.  Ever think of going to Egypt???  If you do, go with Vantage, they do an excellent job with that trip!!

On 6/30/2022 at 1:41 PM, linda47 said:

I have had the same experience. I was scheduled to be on the "Jewels of Scandinavia +" in July, 2021. That was postponed to August of this year on the newer ship. Two weeks ago, I was notified that this cruise was "postponed" until June, 2024!! I asked for a refund, knowing it was unlikely to happen, and was told no refund because the trip was 'postponed, not cancelled." I disagreed about the terminology, and then was told I could schedule another trip. I accepted that, and am going to do the Great Lakes in September, I hope. But I certainly didn't get a bargain! I am highly unlikely to travel with them in the future. Their lure for me was the fact that they had 'solo' cabins. I hope they are nice! (And, yes, I have been on over 40 cruises.)

We were also scheduled to be on Jewels of Scandinavia in August... and it was cancelled.. and our cruise moved to 2024.  We phoned Vantage and had it moved to a larger cabin on the 2023 ( it was moved to 2024 because our original cabin was unavailable 2023).  To complicate the issue, we were on back-to-back cruises.  The 1st cruise "Jewels of Scandinavia"-- cancelled, but the 2nd cruise "British Isles and Scandinavian Jewels"  is still on!  I have been in a bit of a panic, since the reason for the cancellation was the ship wasn't ready.....BUT it will be ready 2 weeks later??  Not so sure, but I have looked at www.Cruisemapper and it looks like the Ocean Odyssey has left the ship dockyard in Shanghai....FINGERS CROSSED!  They tell me that we will be on the "inaugural voyage".  Hope it makes it and that everything works.  I have been on 6 Vantage Cruises and 4 Viking... Vantage offers better excursions at no additional cost, where Viking excursions seem a bit expensive... but sometimes you get what you pay for!  Lets be patient with the tourist industry, they have been hit extremely hard by covid.