vlthom

As with the tote bags and hats, we do not take ours home since we know that they will never be worn.  We leave them behind so that they can be given to someone else who may want them.  Personally, I feel that O could cut back on this type of swag since I don't think that many truly want this stuff.  The more important part of earning milestones are the perks associated with those milestones.  That's really all that I care about.

6 minutes ago, rbtan said:

Then make the request. Are you in a site? If not they may or may not provide them. As you said they are available in the spa area.We've been happy except I don't care for the shampoo. My spouse is fine with all of it. He especially likes the soap that is provided for the sink area. We both hate bath gels.

My answer to the situation is to bring my own.  I never reply upon the toiletries provided by the ship.  I like what I use at home so I bring it with me.  Simple.  So, I've had no real need to make a special request. I was merely responding to the poster who asked if l'Occitane products were available.  They are definitely on the ship and during our 22 O cruises, they have been found regularly in the spa.  This leads me to believe that one may be able to request them for one's cabin.

3 hours ago, CO 2000 said:

Does anyone know if there an alternative on Oceania to "Bulgari" amenities (for PH guests) such as "L'Occitane" (like on RSSC)? The scent on most of their products is rather strong😷 - or at least it is with the Emirates onboard amenity packs for both BC and FC passengers

I'm not a fan of the Bulgari products due to their strong scents.  My husband enjoys showering in the spa and loves that they have L'Occitane products there.  He usually brings some back to our cabin.  I suspect that if we requested them from our cabin attendant, they'd be provided.  But if not, they are available in the spa area.

We recognized straightaway that the bags were not something that we'd ever use.  So, we left them in their cellophane and returned them to the Club Ambassador (or whatever she's called these days).  Since they seem to be in short supply, our hope was that someone else would get ours and be pleased to have it.  We felt that it was silly to bring them home and later dispose of them.  If these were better quality, we might have hung onto them.

17 hours ago, Cliff-FLL said:

While I appreciate the convenience of the free bags of laundry - and have used it on a few occasions - it always seems to come back less-than-April-fresh.  I understand that they probably do this because of people's allergies and personal "scent" preferences, but it never smells like what I consider clean.  On the other hand, in an emergency (e.g., I'm feeling lazy), I've sent things out and haven't hesitated to wear them.  Nevertheless, from my perspective, they just don't feel clean.

I completely agree with you on this.  The clothes are clean but they do not seem fresh.  They have what I'd described as a metallic odor which I find off-putting.  And so, we seldom use the free laundry service.  When we use the self-serve laundry, we never have this issue.  I've made comments about the laundry's odor in the mid-cruise comments but nothing has happened so we will continue with the self-service.  It's quick and not that much trouble.

27 minutes ago, Cruisedreamer1 said:

Are you referring to the Promenade Deck?  Or the pool area?  O has some blankets available -- but are not always consistent with their availability.  Cooler weather usually brings them out, though.

4 hours ago, FeliciaLee said:

Our next cruise is also on Vista, but maybe we'll be able to sneak in a small ship cruise here and there in the future. No matter which ship we sail, it seems like we are always pleased with Oceania and haven't had that feeling since we were on Crystal back in 2019.

Thanks for sharing your perspective.  It does indeed sound like you've found a great fit for you in sailing on O.  I hope to run into you some time on a future cruise.  Next up for us is a June/July sailing on Vista.  That will be our 23rd O sailing and our first aboard Vista.  

I've used Blacklane and have always been pleased with their service.

14 hours ago, riversights said:

These replies are very helpful.  You are dealing with greenhorns.  There is a dialectical element operating that multiplies the effect of your comments.  That's an oblique way of saying, "We read between the lines."  You are the experienced voyagers; we are your ignorant mates.  I would prefer to travel light, check the cargo, and join up at Stockholm at our stateroom.  Are we crazy?  

Generally speaking, if you can travel with less, you will find it much easier to deal with.  That said, I typically pack a 26" rolling duffle and it's filled to the max.  We do laundry as well.  I usually feel that this bag, along with a small carry-on, are about as much as I can comfortably wrangle around myself.  

Years back, O did some currency exchange, even buying back local currency (bills only) if one wound up with more than needed.  But that seems to be one of those services that's gone away.  I can't blame them; however, it was really nice that they did that.  On our most recent cruise, they would not handle any currency other than U.S.

19 hours ago, edgee said:

Anyone had experience with taking your own hair dryer on board. Qs and As do not sound like they are specifically prohibited.

I ALWAYS bring and use my own hairdryer and never had any issue.  I'm very particular about my hairdryer and feel that the provided ones are inadequate.  From what I've read on these boards though, most feel that the provided ones are fine.  You cannot use the outlet in the bathroom for hairdryers, whether it's the one provided or one that you bring onboard.  I've never had any issue with using my own dryer with the outlets in the main part of the cabin (close to the mirror, of course).  

1 hour ago, rcinteriors said:

Is it possible to pay for a quicker return of laundry? 

Yes, you can always use the regular laundry service for which there is a per item fee.  The fee amount is dependent upon the type of item. Turnaround it much faster than the 3-day complimentary service.

15 hours ago, mamaclark said:

it took us 5 days to get ours back on a 12 day cruise. Be sure you have enough time.

 

If it's not returned within 3 days, generally, it's because the cabin attendant has forgotten it.  If you don't receive it within 3 days, ask the attendant (politely) and it's usually found and brought to the cabin.

We hang things to dry utilizing the clothes line in the shower.  Generally, things will dry very quickly due to the ventilation in the bathroom.  For us, it has worked very well.

You could wear your formal wear to any of the dining venues; however, you should be aware that Oceania is "country club casual" and you will rarely see other passengers dressed in formal wear.  But if you enjoy doing so, by all means get dressed up.  Others will appreciate it, I'm sure.  I'd much rather see other passengers dressed up beyond the requirements of the dress code than those that push the limits in the other direction!

Enjoy your cruise

2 minutes ago, kstrittm said:

Thanks - very helpful.  I may just use the machines because I’m one of those crazy old ladies who can’t sleep and I’m up by 4:30 or 5 every day.  I suspect the machines will be empty then!  LOL…

There are hours when the self-serve laundry facilities are open for use.  I don't recall what time they open in the morning, but they close at 10pm.  And at least on our most recent cruise, the facility was locked up for the off-hours.

3 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

Do they have the sugar substitute Truvia (stevia leaf) aboard?

 

thanks

Yes

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Thanks everyone. One of my travel companions was told they could do it today for a 5% charge or tomorrow for no charge. I can wait until tomorrow. It a pretty big amount.

 

it would be nice if there was some consistency but I’ll deal with it.

Don't wait until the very end.  I did this on a recent cruise and had a sizeable refund coming to me.  When I went to reception to get my cash, they only had small bills left and unless I wanted to haul a bag of money with me, it was unreasonable to cash out.  They said that a credit would appear on my credit card; however, I've never had them actually provide a refund to my credit credit card.  It has typically arrived via check a couple weeks later.  On this most recent occasion, it was over 3 weeks before I received the check.  But it did arrive without prompting.

I celebrated a birthday in November onboard Regatta.  My husband checked ahead of time with the Executive Concierge who said that they'd already noted the occasion.  That evening we ate in Toscana and I was presented with a small cake with a candle at the end of the meal.  Waiters sang Happy Birthday.  It was very nice and the cake was delicious.  Later in the evening when we returned to our cabin, it was decorated with balloons and a banner saying, "Happy Birthday".  

We've also celebrated anniversaries onboard.  These have typically gone unnoticed except on the occasion when my husband again talked to the Executive Concierge a day or two ahead of time and they presented us with a cake at the conclusion of our dinner.  We ate in a specialty restaurant on those occasions.  

Oceania may not surprise one with a celebration if the occasion is not brought to their attention but they will certainly do something to mark an occasion if asked to do so.

21 hours ago, SATaxman said:

Was your 20th bottle marked in a way for you to not pay the $25 corkage fee?

We received a bottle of Veuve Cliquot for our 20th as well.  We took it to a specialty -- no corkage was charged.  We also tend to take the included bottle of Heidsieck  Monopole to either the GDR or a specialty.  We've never been charged a corkage in those instances either.  

3 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

I'm planning an excursion.  Tender port. Ship leaves at 5pm.   I know we always have to be back a half hour before. But when might the last tender be?

I believe that the last tender is typically an hour before the scheduled departure time.

14 minutes ago, Snaefell3 said:

Missed that. 🙂   In lieu of coleslaw, though 😞  

Perhaps it's still available.  They've always had some salad offerings available that are not mentioned on the menu.

1 minute ago, clo said:

So were these 'ground' salmon? 

It was a salmon patty as opposed to a piece of salmon.  

I do see that they are now offering sweet potato fries as a side.....finally.

It's no longer optional for bookings made after October of last year.  You either have Simply More with airfare or not with airfare included, but everyone booking after last October will be on the Simply More plan.  The new program includes beer, wine and champagne at mealtime and also provides a credit to be used towards excursions but not other onboard expenses.  With the implementation of this plan, prices went up across the board for the most part.

We were recently in a PH cabin on Regatta and I was surprised to find that a blue light was on in the bathroom at night.  We had no control over this -- no switch to operate, but it was nice that this feature exists because it meant that no one needed to switch on the bathroom light during the night if they needed to use the facilities, particularly since the switch is located outside the door.