OBX-Cruisers

I saw on the daily paper that the Oasis is hosting the "Nations Scavenger Hunt". NOW I am really really wanting to be on your cruise. We did this on one of the Royal cruises and it was the best thing we ever did on a cruise. The cruise members themselves love it and they help you out finding other cruise members from countries that you need often telling you where to go to find a member from a particular island, country etc. PS: Watch for the crew who look like they work in the engine room if/when you need Romania.

Laurieal thanks for the reply to my question about your camera/phone that you are using. Your pictures and commentary are so good that RCI should be paying you for helping the rest of us understand the logistics of getting from one place to another to get to their cruises. On one of our TA cruises my wife tripped and hurt her knee sufficiently badly that I ended up pushing her in a wheelchair for most of the cruise and afterwards is disembarking and getting to and from the airport. YOU are one courageous and adventurous soul and I along with many others will be following you vicariously and joyfully. Unfortunately wife now has Covid that is a curse STILL with us. No cruises for us while you are on yours so enjoy your time on the Oasis; Solarium Bistro is my favorite for early breakfast and snacks; much nicer than Windjammer and usually not very crowded .

Totally agree with the sales angle you mentioned but the cruise line would more likely charge $999 for that first cruise you mentioned (for the exact same reason).

I have to ask this once after following your adventures so far: your pictures are very well done as others have already commented (food picture actually too well done because they induce snacking). What are you using to take the pictures and are you prepared with the memory you will need for the Oasis photo extravaganza??

My brother and law and his wife went on one cruise and HE was similarly SHOCKED about gratuities and that he actually had to pay extra for a Soda. They never went on another cruise...........fortunately.

The cruise lines would save a lot of grief if they just raised the cost of the cruise $20-$30 depending on cabin type and did away with what they call "gratuities" but are actually wages for THEIR staff. So until they do that, it would be mentally beneficial to just consider that extra amount as being the cost of the cruise. We have ALWAYS tipped in addition to that amount because of the excellent care we have gotten on 98%+ of our 35 cruises (Norwegian being that outlier). Interacting with the crew has been one of the highlights of most of our cruises, particularly the one where RCI had a contest to find crew members from a list of different countries. THAT was the best experience of all of our cruises and the staff seemed to love the attention too.

For those who will be in Norfolk for this cruise, there are two great opportunities for you if you are not familiar with the area. The Chrysler Museum (free) is an unexpected jewel very close to the port, and if you get there at noon you can see a free hot glass show in their annex building across the street. Within a 30-40 minute drive you can go to Yorktown or Williamsburg, VA for a great history visit.

Not sure where Vision will be in April from searches on Cruise.com, RCL site or other booking sites which list none in April after the 12th from Norfolk. Sailings in May still stay Baltimore departure. I thought I read somewhere that there would be at least 3 departures from Norfolk but don't quote that since I cannot find any site that shows April sailings.

RCL certainly seems to be taking advantage of this port change to Norfolk. I looked at cabin availability and found that there are many unsold/available Veranda class cabins still available for the April 12th cruise and probably the others sched. in April as well. However, the total cost is ridiculous (with "free gratuities") and OVER $300 pp/pd (>$5K for two people on a 7 day cruise??)!!!! We will pass so others can "enjoy" this ship with unspectacular reviews.

I think what several people are saying is that if RCL is changing a port that the least they could do is to call the city manager and ASK where they should recommend their detoured passengers to park. If you are in business you should at a minimum try to minimize the new situation for your inconvenienced customers. Nice to know how some cruisers are so experienced they need no help from anyone. However, others seem to appreciate help after such a major and short term notice of a port change.

Although many of the posts here are faulting NCL (not anywhere near out favorite line) for not waiting for these passengers, few have commented on how long should the ship have waited. The fact that the destination was in a high alert country suggests that maybe these passengers should have put THAT in first consideration about booking an excursion with an independent company not associated with NCL. I too have relied on MANY shore-based companies but typically use the higher cost ship excursions when safety and timing are critical vs. a few hundred dollars.

DON'T go on I95. We have done that trip often from the Outer Banks and NEVER go on I95 around Washington

Excellent point ignored by others it seems. Norfolk has been underused for many years now and it is a logical choice if the Baltimore port is out of service for months vs weeks.

It will take a long time to clear that bridge structural steel out to open the channel to ANY ship. Sorry for those who will miss out but this is a catastrope for commercial ships as well.

You likely did those cruises out of Baltimore where we fell in love with the Grandeur along with many hundreds of people in that area during the years you mentioned. We were on the Grandeur 4 times and loved each voyage. It is very sad to see RCI letting the small ships go without proper maintenance and cleaning. Their focus has now become money it seems from the reviews I have read about the changes in the buffet and dining room menus along with major changes in entertainment. Apparently all their attention has not gone to the massive ships that make tons of that cash they are focused on.