JHLH821

I empathize with your situation as it mirrors my husband's and my experience on Oceania. The day we boarded my husband was very tired- unusual for a very active person. He had minimal energy and just wasn't himself. By the morning of day 3 and made him call the infirmary- they came to our cabin and performed two tests, covid was confirmed and I tested negative. I was offered the option to move to another cabin but decided to stay- thankfully we were in a veranda cabin. I didn't test positive until day 6 but was free to move about the ship, though I opted to limit my time walking around. Oceania dispenses Paxlovid which my husband stopped taking on day 4 of the 5 day regimen as it totally incapacitated him and he was just sleeping all day with zero energy; I took it only 1 day. At least we received upgraded internet and through room service, could order food from room service, the main dining and all specialty restaurants. No ship staff could enter our room but our room attendants delivered fresh towels and supplies as needed. Yes, by day 7 we could not wait to get off and fly home. We've been home two weeks and have both been testing negative and have scheduled our 3rd booster (which on hindsight we should have done pre-travel). Increased cases are not surprising since no one is wearing masks and all ports are open. We will receive either future cruise credits or a pro-rated reduction in our fare after our travel insurance provided gets back to us re: our claim for reimbursement of the Paxlovid. Hope you and your husband are on the mend soon.

We were on the Riviera in September: I am gluten and lactose free and notified Oceania in advance. When we got to our cabin, there was a letter from the Dining Manager, requesting a meeting with me to review my selections. I also follow a modified low fodmap diet (no onion, garlic and a bunch of other items). After the meeting, I was given a modified menu to select from: made my choices the day prior and brought them to the Dining Reservations desk. This even applied to the Specialty Dining venues. I also have diet specific cards that I carry and distribute to restaurants- I gave several to the Maitre'D and the Dining Room Managers. I felt well taken care of

We just booked our first Celebrity Cruise- Hawaii to Vancouver. I have researched the beverage package options, specifically the non-alcoholic ones. My husband might enjoy a beer or glass of wine but not enough to order an alcoholic package. We are looking at either the Premium Water or Classic Non-Alcohol options. I drink coffee and tea, husband does not. Must we both order the same package or can we mix it up? Anyone who has ordered these, we would like to hear your feedback. Thank you.

We recently completed a Mediterranean cruise on the Riviera- I posted a review the evening prior to disembarkation and wanted to share our experience as passengers who tested positive for covid during the cruise. As my husband tested positive the morning of day 3, and me on day 6, we were unable to participate in most ship activities and port visits. We felt that the medical team provided excellent care but the services fell apart in the final day. For disembarkation, the medical staff told us not to leave our room until our tag color was called as they wanted us to be the last people off the ship. We waited and it was never called-the announcement confirmed that all tags had been called. We contacted reception services and we were told we could leave. With masks on we left and stood in line with others. We felt that all of the precautions taken throughout the week were now thrown out the window, increasing exposure, not limiting it. I do plan in providing feedback to Oceania.

We are flying this route. Would recommend arriving several days earlier, in case there are delays or flight schedule changes. We even decided to move up our flight by one day due to the current airport chaos. Some hotels will permit an early on-line check-in, worth investigating. (hotel recommended). You might also look into a car service, such as Rome Cabs for an airport transfer, the rates are very reasonable There are many options. BA's luggage allowances are good but carrying on a 50 lb. piece of luggage may be difficult. If a concern are luggage allowances, I might suggest a shipping service: Luggage Forward or Luggage Free. They recommend scheduling shipments to arrive at least 3 days prior to your arrival so you’ll have to pack earlier than you normally would, but the peace of mind was worth it. They track and handle all the customs regulations too. Would also suggest placing Apple Airtags inside checked and carry-ons. We used Luggage Free, our luggage arrived from door to Rome hotel in 5 days and is being stored until our arrival. If you have an AMEX, investigate them- this is our go to trip insurance option.

check here- many options in SF https://www.gohealthuc.com/locations?jv=dignity

We went to our bank to exchange dollars for euros- it took a while so give yourself time to arrange The euro and credit cards should be accepted in the larger cities- possibly smaller shops may not. In Cannes, if you have a plan on what to see, you can research them online and reach out to them before your trip to ask about their payment policies. The euro is the official currency in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal but in Croatia it is the "Kuna". ATM's are widely available in the larger cities. I recommend using Visa or Mastercard, not Amex. Establishments are not required to accept euros but I know people who have used them. I think the country is changing over to the euro some time next year. Euros are accepted in Albania but their official currency is the LEK.

There are several pharmacies in the area that do tests. We are also staying in the same area and wanted to book an advance appt. to alleviate any waiting in line. If you prefer to reserve online, this is who we booked with: https://thetourguy.com/tours/rome/rome-covid-test#

We found this website useful. Since we will be travelling to 4 different countries, each with different outlets, we were able to select the appropriate country and adapter needed. I also contacted the hotels we are staying at pre and post trip to confirm. We found the 2-USB + 1 input the best for our needs https://www.oreitravel.com/

Another T-mobile 55+ Magenta Max user. We have travelled internationally previously and it just works. For us, being able to use our own numbers and picking up a country's networks without switching out sim cards works for us. We also plan on purchasing the international add on with 15 gigs per line for our upcoming travel.

we booked our tests with this company in advance so there is no long waiting in line and you will receive a booking confirmation. This is an antigen test and you will receive results within 60 minutes, if not sooner. you will receive a voucher to bring with you to the appt. https://thetourguy.com/tours/rome/rome-covid-test#