MEFIowa

If he wants to pay a fortune...fine with me. Spend away. If he wants to save a fortune...that's more my style. Learn your options. And at the very least he needs to know about the various options. It amazes me at how much people are willing to spend when they don't know their options and are steered in only one direction. Those people who don't know, for example, how cheap, quick and easy it is to take a train from Venice to Trieste or vice versa. We paid E15.50 each.

We spent 3 nights in Venice before taking the train to Trieste to board Riviera on 10/30/23. We flew into Marco Polo and took the public bus down to Venice, to the area where the buses stop, Piazzale Roma. Then a short walk to the vaporetto (water taxi). We had a Venice Pass for 72 hours of unlimited public water taxi use (that also got us into some museums). So many tourists are lugging so much luggage around to and from and on the water taxis. Our BnB was at the 2nd stop going East. The 1st stop going East is the train station (Ferrovia). Our stop was Riva di Biasio, and the BnB was about 100 yards away, down an alley. We had a great time using the public water taxis.

Had a fascinating conversation with a very high-end TA while on Riviera 11/2023. She was on the ship researching O, in general, and Riviera, in particular, in the post-COVID environment. When I asked her what things she was seeing and what she would tell her clients, she quickly mentioned demographics of the passengers. She pointed out age and ethnicity and culture issues, for example. She made clear she knows her clients and she tells her clients what she believes they need to know about cruising. She mentioned we had a large Asian contingent. Older. She described a (humorous to me, not to her) situation where an older Asian lady broke wind repeatedly exiting an elevator. And their preferences and actions in the TC buffet, for example. (To say they liked the grilling station and there was always a long line there would be an understatement.)

So... O apparently wants the world to think there are tablecloths. "Staged publicity photos". Yet there aren't. Why is that? Tells us something. And O knows why. As do we.

Really, I point out how EASY it is to contact O and book and rebook your own cruises. Have 4 cruises done with O since 12/2021 (booked 1/2021) and 2 more scheduled for later in 2024. BUT it is people like you who are so vocal that one really must use a TA. That state or imply that essentially only fools don't use the unicorn TAs that are out there in the aether to be discovered in the magic forest. But that just isn't true. So people should DO what works for them! Simple as that. I neither need nor want a TA. And if you do, fine. Just don't denigrate or imply denigration for those who don't use a TA. And it is NOT me whining daily about noise issues on Vista. Or complaining about site lines and other issues in the theatre. BUT I can enjoy the laugh as I read "Vista cheerleaders" saying how wonderful their Applebee's (aka Ember) is and equally how nice the Pizza Hut (aka pizza station at Waves at night). So superior to Jacques, though I doubt anyone in the real world really so views dumbed down American food. Wonder what they'll call the eventual Denny's that will be available for breakfast. I can't even get anyone to tell me if Ember has tablecloths. O pictures say yes, but reviews and comments say no. Can we get crayons and pages to color, too?

Cyprus "interesting"? In the modern era alone, fascinating history! Sad, but quite historical in modern terms. Hard to believe violence going back to the 1950s by the Greeks against the Brits. Then the political settlement. Along comes sectarian politics and later violence in the 1960s. And an attempt at union with Greece, "civil war", and Turkish military invasion in the 1970s with the creation of a "new nation" recognized only by Turkey. And a militarized dividing line across the island, not unlike the DMZ between N. & S. Korea. And two huge British sovereign military bases. UN Peacekeepers still wearing the blue helmets to separate the sides! https://unficyp.unmissions.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_invasion_of_Cyprus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_Emergency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akrotiri_and_Dhekelia

Still begs the original question. The O page for Ember shows tablecloths. Reviews and comments by passengers have discussed a lack thereof. So, does it even have tablecloths?

Are you following the current thread titled "TA made $4500 Mistake"? Saying that their TA cost them a fortune. Who knew? (sarcasm font applied)

Of course, if you've got a friend or family member who is a lawyer, you might discuss it with them. Maybe a letter from them to the TA might get some movement? Even if you only got half back. Half a loaf is better than nothing. But, weird how the TA cheerleaders are suddenly silent. All those posts about glorious TAs and all they do. Here I thought "TA" meant sunshine and unicorns and the Sound of Music. (We handle these things ourselves so when we book, we book and when we cancel, we cancel. So far 4 O cruises for us since 12/2021 without a hitch and 2 more going smoothly so far to be sailed later this year.)

One small thing OBJECTIVELY about the pizza operation on Riviera. On our recent 20-night B2B on Riviera in the Med (Oct-Nov) the pizza operation in Waves forced the MOVE of the smoothie, yogurt, ice cream, etc. stand that had been there. Moved forward. Past Waves. Where the cold wind and rain pummel the worker and the customer. Was MISERABLE a few mornings in bad weather at 0700. With the worker bundled up and dripping wet. I was apologizing to him for how rotten this experience was for both of us. (Of course, he was always a trooper. After about 2 morning visits he knew my morning routine. The Sun Salutation smoothie and yogurt dish with the almonds and other "condiments" I preferred. We had many enjoyable morning chats.)

And we start with some salient facts. First, Vista is the "hot new ship", "the cool new toy". Second, she is more expensive to cruise on than other O ships. Now, take into account the psychology of these two facts. That do alter peoples' perception. See, for example, the concept of cognitive dissonance. Anyone who knows they paid more, wants more/better. They can alter their perceptions just on the basis of having to subconsciously defend the decision already made and the action already taken. Not all do and it can be subtle. But it is a real psychological phenomenon. So objectively I struggle to understand any claim that adding pizza, a common mundane heavily consumed food in America, seriously enhances an O cruise where a highly salient selling point hammered home is "The finest cuisine at sea." What does Ember truly bring that wasn't at the GDR, TC, or Polo? Pizza Hut and Applebee's ain't that! AND can YOU tell us, does Ember even have tablecloths? I half expect to see crayons and something for people to draw on or color on the table! Like we can find at many American chain restaurants.

Dottie on Sirena (11/2022) wasn't going to have a Veterans' meet & greet, but she was kind enough to help me put one on, when we discussed it. She did the publicity for it on a sea day. We had 25 people show up at Martini's in the afternoon.

Really, so you think you can equate Ember to Jacques? Now we can quibble if Ember is more akin to Applebee's or Ruby Tuesday or some other generic American restaurant chain, but O won't get anywhere in the real world trying to convince passengers that their dining experience on Vista has been elevated if they've already eaten at Jacques. I can't tell what Ember truly adds, menu wise, that you can't get in Polo or the GDR. O has this on their web site, BUT people who have been on Vista can't seem to agree if Ember actually always has...tablecloths! "EMBER Elegant American Traditions When the fuel of classic American dishes meets the fire of culinary masters in a sophisticated setting reminiscent of a Napa or Sonoma tasting room, Ember is the glorious result." The Finest Cuisine at Sea® & Culinary Cruises - Oceania Cruises The picture on the page shows tablecloths, but does it have them? And you really think that adding pizza to ships is somehow a significant improvement in the culinary experience? As if Americans and Canadians, the two biggest demographic groups on most cruises, don't get their fill of pizza weekly or monthly? Check out the data on pizza consumption. See weekends. I guess if O wants the new ships to have a Pizza Hut and an Applebee's then that's objective culinary progress? Will a Denny's or Perkin's be next? See the entire thread on NOISE in Vista. There may be more than one. That's coming from a plethora of passengers. On a variety of cruises and cabins. As for sight lines and other issues in the Vista theatre, I didn't make that up. Repeatedly brought up as an actual problem over and over. I'm just shocked that whoever designed it apparently screwed up an easy thing. And it is an OBJECTIVE fact that people are paying more to cruise on Vista compared to the other O ships.

We just did our 20-night B2B on Riviera in the Med 10/30-11/19, 2023 and will do a 22-night B2B on Sirena in the Baltic Aug-Sept 2024. I will miss Riviera's big therapy pool on the spa deck! Loved that in the late afternoon and early evening after a hard day of great excursions and sight seeing. That gave us 30 nights on Riviera and will give us 32 nights on Sirena since our first O cruise on Riviera 12/2021.

The Vista pay more get less program has its cheerleaders. An Applebee's and a Pizza Hut as culinary progress. Noisy rooms. Bad sight lines and complaints in the theatre. We'll stick to Riviera & Sirena. (The pizza on Riviera was fine, if you like that, though we do that most every Friday evening. I just felt sorry for the guy working there in the evenings, standing around waiting to make & bake a pizza. Competing against all the great food in the other dining venues.)

I signed up for our very first cruise in late Jan 2021 for a 12/2021 cruise on Riviera. Then I saw the O Presidents' Day Sale in Feb 2021. I rebooked it immediately and saved (going to just $2099 10 nights in an A4). And have religiously followed EVERY O sale in 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024. See my thread I created on all the 2023 O sales, to be keeping an eye out in 2024.

Thank God for the Extraordinary Savings Sale in early 2023. Our 10 nights on Riviera Triest to Athens 10/30-11/9/23 in an A3 was just $1899 PP and our 10 nights continuing on Riviera Athens to Barcelona 11/9-19/23 in a B3 was just $1749 PP. Sailing O by serious sales is the only way to go! (USD)

Though O already ran its New Year Sale in Jan-Feb and currently has a smaller one going on now. The current one pushing about 30 cruises. So O will have sales to fill those ships on cruises in serious need of passengers.

The only thing more fascinating is...that with all the complaints about noise from one room crossing into another on Vista recently, no mention of anyone complaining about couples getting jiggly. Reminds me of the old classic dinner theatre play, so I'll update the title, "No sex please, we're on Oceania."

Weird, a topless woman on a beach at St. Bart's doesn't cause the end of the world, but a topless woman on an O cruise ship does? Odd how a tiny bikini makes all the difference. More power to the nudists if they've got the numbers to charter the ship. The nudist colonies and resorts, like bowling alleys, have struggled in the USA. The more fascinating issue is...do they change any policies in regard to cellphones? They say the rise of cellphones that can take immediately take and store high quality photographs has hurt the nudist business.

Pretty simple, there was a GAP in the Aug 2023 published 2024 Collection of Voyages. Appears O filled part of it with your 28th September cruise. Which was NOT in that 2023 publication. Nothing still shows anywhere for anything on September 21st.

Pulled out the 2024 Collection of Voyages. From Aug 2023. For RIVIERA: Aug 25 Rome to Monte Carlo 10 days Sep 4 Monte Carlo to Barcelona 7 days Sep 11 Barcelona to Athens 10 days -------------------- GAP Oct 15 Athens to Venice 10 days Oct 25 Venice to Rome 10 days

READ your daily Currents each evening the night before to know exactly what will be taking place where and when the next day. Study it carefully each night for the next day. It is a most wonderful daily resource for all things happening during your voyage.

And that inflation includes the double whammy of a seriously declining currency. Took about 19TL to the $ in late 2022, but was at 28TL to the $ in Nov 2023 and is now over 31.50 TL to the $ today. So they raise prices due to inflation just in TL and raise them again due to a declining TL to foreign currencies. Turkey has to import so much.

Though when I compared prices in TL for the underground cistern tour and the Raki hard liquor in the Jan 2021 Rick Steves' guide to Istanbul, prices have skyrocketed: - Basilica Cistern Jan 2021: 20 TL ($1) - Basilica Cistern Nov 2023: 450 TL ($16)