Suefranss

Hi,

Our cruise will be leaving from Montreal, but we will be starting in Toronto.  Is there any train service from Toronto to Montreal?

thank you.

Does anybody know if they have fitness classes on Riviera? If so, when does one find out about them? Do I have to wait to be on board and read Currents?

We are leaving on the 15th, and I am trying to determine what to pack.

Thanks!

Our ship will be in Haifa on September 20 when the Seahawks play Green Bay. I wonder if anyone knows of a sports bar where we might be able to watch the game. It will probably be early morning on the 21st there.

We have signed up on Oceania's website for a private excursion while we are in Israel next month. I know that there are companies in Israel that can offer the same tour at probably lower rates, but I was lazy and just booked with O.

Since booking the excursion I have contacted O a couple of times to talk about what we will see and do, since I want to customize our time there. I am under the impression that you can do this when you pay for a private tour.

I have not gotten any useful information from the cruise line. Oceania advertises themselves as "Destination Specialists", yet I have been told that there is no one who can help me.

Anyway, I am fed up and just want to move on and use a well-recommended tour company in Israel and cancel my O excursions.

If any of you have had experience with cancelling an excursion with Oceania, will you please give me your advice? I hope they will not play hardball and refuse.

Thank you.

We will be taking a couple of different private tours in Turkey which include both a driver and a guide. I wonder how we should plan on tipping these individuals, or if tipping is expected.

Any advice?

Thank you.

I have cruised probably 4 times on HAL and don't recall a problem with the food. I also don't remember any of it being memorable, either.

What I really object on HAL, and the reason we switched to Oceania, is that you have assigned dining times and seating, and there are formal nights.

My husband won't do formal, and for me it presents a packing nightmare. I know you don't have to eat in the dining room on those nights if you don't want to do formal, but I object to being excluded for not choosing to do formal.

Anyway, we so much prefer the Oceania experience.

I like to have a cocktail in our room most evenings so I like to bring along those single-serve size bottles like you get on the airplane. They are easy to pack, and I just get my mixers on the ship. Have never had a problem.

I do agree with you about the Terrace at dinner. It is what I refer to as Naugahyde dining.

Can anyone recommend a couple of places in Istanbul where I might buy reasonable priced good quality scarves? Perhaps in silk or other lightweight material.

Thank you.

Oops! I forgot to mention that the cruise is to Alaska, so being hot is not too much of a worry.

Thanks for all your great advice.

I have purchased a couple of wonderful maxi dresses that I plan to take on my upcoming cruise.

My question is this: should I purchase some sort of slip to wear under them? One of them has a lot of white, and I am sure that you can see through it in the right light.

I don't wear dresses much, but I remember that slips can be very uncomfortable, and twist around under a dress or skirt.

If I need one, what kind should I get, and where should I look to purchase one?

Thanks all!

I have been on 3 Alaska cruises on HAL. They were all great, and the ships are lovely. The only thing I don't like is the formal night. I don't want to pack for formal on my vacation. Yes, I know you can dine elsewhere, but I want to eat with my friends without going all formal. This is why I have switched to Oceania. Wonderful ships and crews without the stuffy formal.

We love Oceania for their casual attitude and lovely ships. Smaller than most, no formal nights, no kids (usually).

What a wonderfully thorough review. Thanks so much!

This is not my first cruise, and I have a fairly large collection of handbags (it's really a sickness), but I don't seem to have the right one for evening.

We are on Oceania and they don't do formal, but I do like to wear something nice to dinner in the evening. I hope experienced cruisers would agree that a large or even medium handbag is not needed. Really, all I need to carry is my room card, lipstick and perhaps some tissue.

So, does anyone have an idea for a small handbag (picture would be great) that would be suitable for evening? A long strap would be preferable since I don't want to be worried about setting the bag down somewhere and losing it.

Thanks!

I love the look and feel of gel polish, but don't like the UV lights or the soaking-off part whenever I want a change of color.

Yesterday I was feeling blue, so decided to poke my head in to the nail shop next to the grocery store. I suspect they don't have tons of certifications, but they do have licenses from the state. They also don't speak much English.

I did get what was a new product for me. It is called (by them) SNS nails. It involved putting some sort of liquid on my nail then dipping the nail into a very fine powder that was colored with my choice of color. Then another layer of the liquid was applied, followed by more color. Minimal filing with the electric drill was involved. I like the look, and the fact that they dry almost instantly without UV lights. They feel like acrylic, and I imagine the colored powder was some sort of acrylic powder.

I'll see what happens when I need a "fill" on this particular product. It was not clear whether they will need to be removed completely, or if I can just get the outgrowth filled in.

I suppose it depends upon whether you have any "formal" events.

We cruise with Oceania, which is "country club casual" (no formal), so I travel with a nice pair of sandals for evening, a closed-toe walking shoe, and two pair casual sandals. I have to strongly resist the urge to pack more, but these four usually do the job.

I think it's an unfortunate decision for Oceania to make regardless of those who try to scam the system. Perhaps it is in black and white, but perhaps they should re-examine their position.

We will be flying in to SFO and staying in the city a couple of days before our cruise. Is it safe to travel on BART from SFO into downtown during the day with luggage, etc.?

I have used Ken's multiple times. They're great.

I don't do formal - it presents an insurmountable packing problem for me. Which is why DH and I love Oceania. They are "country club casual", which is so much more manageable. Excellent ships and amenities, and no sparkles required.

When I moved to the desert I found that unless I wore waterproof mascara, I quickly looked like a raccoon. So, I now use waterproof whenever I wear mascara.

I like the Cover Girl waterproof formulas, and for a bit more money, there is the Diorshow waterproof.

For eyeliner, I use Bobbi Brown.

The "Country Club Casual" attire that Oceania touts is really what made us choose them in the first place.

My DH does not like to dress up, and for me it presents a huge packing dilemma. Having cruised on ships where there was a "formal night", I greatly appreciate the lack of them on O.

I have a Tumi crossbody bag that is wonderful. It is a reasonable size, and has different zipped/snapped compartments for all the stuff I carry when I travel. I had purchased a "large" bag from Travel Smith that wasn't large at all, and just didn't hold things properly.

We did the Baltic a couple of years ago in August. There was a storm at sea, and it rained a lot during the cruise. However, I do remember the weather in the farther eastern ports as being comfortably warm during our ventures off the ship. I wouldn't prepare for cold as much as showers.