DrHemlock

And in exuberant seas, they rock 'n roll.

Exact proximity to Cuba may change slightly dependent on weather and tides.  On our cruise with exactly the same itinerary, Cuba was indeed a smudge on the horizon.

2 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

someone thought they'd heard Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" on an O ship.

It was I who heard it at breakfast in Terrace Cafe aboard Riviera and subsequently posted about it.  As soon as the weird instrumental break in the middle was completed, the song was cut to some other muzak-style song without bringing back Jimmy Page's guitar or Robert Plant's vocals.  Maybe some diner of a more recent generation asked the maitre d', "What the heck is that?" -- and that was the end of that.

"Better still."

"Until they go wrong."

(Anyone recognize those two lines of dialog?)

21 hours ago, susiesan said:

Do we need to bring our vax cards to show anyone? Since the box is checked that says vaccinated, is having the card in hand still necessary?

We didn't need to show our vax cards but that doesn't mean cruisers boarding different itineraries wouldn't need to do so.  What we did need to do is fill in the dates of vaxes and boosters on an O med form.  I, for one, couldn't have done it without having the vax card in my hand to refer to.  YMMV, but it's better to have the card and not need it than to not have it and be SOL.

Same exact experience as jondfk on our two recently-completed O cruises.  

24 minutes ago, Robjame said:

Having said that I pay little attention to others in a dining area. My focus is my wife and the food (in that order?)

And the bottle of red (or white) that soon enough renders everyone else out-of-focus. 😳

They were there on our just-completed (10/24) Lisbon-to-Rome itinerary.

On 10/22/2022 at 5:53 AM, pinotlover said:

Went to the GDR today for lunch and ordered the veal piccata. I got veal in a ( tasteless) brown gravy. It was a mostly forgettable meal, but I complained to the head waiter that it wasn’t what I ordered, and if one checked the menu, there is no veal with brown gravy on it. 

Can't resist adding this coda to pinotlover's story.  On Riviera's GDR menu tonight is "Veal Piccata Marsala."  A bit like saying "pasta bolognese al pesto," isn't it?  

If the sauce really does contain white wine and lemon and capers and mushrooms and Marsala and parsley, then perhaps despite being brown in color and gravy-like in consistency, it may not qualify as "tasteless."  While "tasty," on the other hand, could be an entirely different matter.  (Think I'll skip it.)

3 hours ago, JanDom said:

You do not have to wear masks and you can sit near to other guests and talk and meat other travelers. 

 

 

 

We're currently on the Lisbon-Rome cruise that's the subject of this thread.  It's true that masks are no longer required, but they are encouraged.  Roughly 5-10% of guests (including us) wear them when moving about the ship -- especially on elevators.  About an equal percentage of waiters and bartenders wear them while working.  

Are they all just "virtue signaling"?  Maybe.  But now that the vaccination requirement has been rescinded, they just might be unvaccinated and wanting to protect themselves from folks like us who've been vaxxed and boosted but who could be carrying (and shedding) the virus without knowing it.

Masked or not, neither service nor social interaction seems adversely affected in any way.  As JanDom writes, it's back to 2019 and before.  I even get to pick up my own yogurt carton in Terrace Cafe!  (Though not my own slice of bread.)  😎

FWIW: Somebody on Riviera is playing with the restaurant mix-tapes.  As we walked into Terrace Cafe for breakfast a couple of mornings ago, the muzak was playing the long, weird instrumental break in the middle of Led Zep's "Whole Lotta Love."  That was different -- and right up our alley -- though they cut away to 50s pop as soon as the vocals resumed.  Maybe somebody didn't pay enough royalties for the entire song?

17 hours ago, Senior Citizen said:

On two recent Oceania cruises—different ships—we found the refrigerated plastic bottles of water in the gym replaced by a Vero water dispensing machine.

True...at least on Riviera where we are now.  However, the gym does have a refrigerated case filled with single-use plastic bottles of energy drinks.  Take one; empty it into your stateroom sink and fill it with water.  

I always drink the ship's tap water instead of fancy-pants Vero.  It tastes better than at home -- and if it's just desalinated sea water: ¡Tanto mejor! 

Departed Casablanca eight hours late last night due to "some alarm in our propulsion system" (per the Captain) so today's port call at Gibraltar is now in the rubbish bin.  C'est damage, but stuff happens.

Their is no reason to suspect there going to improve they're spelling.

14 hours ago, Snuffie said:

Someone needs to proofread their letters to guests and travel advisors.  

ESL.

2 hours ago, Robjame said:

1. (Never) Take the OBC as your OLife perk - there is no monetary advantage and you are lending $ to Oceania, interest free.

I would dispute this point, depending upon what one wants from a cruise.  Consider the alternatives to OBC: 

1. The House Select beverage package of wine & beer by the glass with meals (no martinis during happy hour; no choosing your bottle of wine with dinner); or

2. Shore excursions.  Granted, one can achieve nearly double value by choosing the shore excursions (as many of our astute contributors have pointed out), but that assumes one actually enjoys ship's excursions on a bus with a gaggle of new BFFs.  Sorry but, for many of us, that's anathema.

OBC works perfectly for those who make full use of Happy Hours at Martinis and Horizons, and who prefer to choose a nice bottle of wine with dinner.  And if we want a beer or glass of wine with lunch, we can pay for that with OBC, too.

Chacun à son goût.

12 hours ago, ORV said:

This is the first time I’ve been on an R ship since the NEXT refurb and I swear the storage layouts and drawers are less user friendly. At least in the C category. 

Just off Sirena in an A category and you ain't wrong, baby.  Same in the bathroom.  (Just try to reach the waste can under the sink without doing contortions or clonking your head).  And tucking your shoes under the nightstand when retiring, as we used to do?  Fuhgeddaboudit!  No vacant space there anymore.

That's why we do our drinking during Happy Hour, of which there are two every day.  Five-to-six p.m. and another later on, for which I don't know the time because we're asleep by then.

On 8/17/2022 at 11:40 AM, LNielsen said:

We received several requests to watch the safety video before our May cruise, which we did.  We were then required to watch it once again in our cabin upon arrival.    

Having had the same experience, and having watched the video three times before leaving home because we thought maybe something had changed ... well ... the good news is that we won't be fooled again.  We'll wait to watch in our cabin on the next cruise, and that will be that.     

Still there as of today.  Very useful and pleasant for cartophiles.

Take a look also at this thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2846012-alternative-ports-if-japan-is-still-closed/page/2/.  The most recent information as it pertains to US visitors begins with post #37.

16 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Maybe take your own travel mug    I have seen many people  carrying them around  the ship

No more plastic lids?  Wow, that's a problem for couples who like to send one person to Baristas or Horizons to bring back two cups of coffee.  With a lid, the paper cups can stack in one hand while pushing elevator buttons and opening the cabin door with the other.  Two lidless cups means sloshed coffee for sure.  ¡Que lastima! 

Guess LHT28's got it right.  Oh well, we were going to the travel store anyway so one more thing into the basket....

6 hours ago, Stockjock said:

FWIW, just received a message that requests for shareholder credit must be submitted within 15 days of sailing, as one has to be an NCL shareholder at the time of sailing.

From whence did this message come?  I've just now checked NCL's website.  It says, "...simply complete the attached Shareholder Benefit Request Form and mail or email (with accompanying documentation) request at least 15 days prior to sailing."  That's exactly the opposite of "within 15 days of sailing."  https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/nclhltd/files/documents/Shareholder+Benefit+Offer.pdf

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Here’s my split pea soup!

Thank you, Linda Blair!

Love the penguin pic.  Immediately brought to mind RCA Victor's "His Master's Voice" logo from so long ago.  Were you imparting wisdom or just trying to teach the bird a new song?