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@Flatbush Flyer we agree to disagree...one of the things Ray was famous for were his Trivia sessions - they were legendary and always packed! We have sailed with both Julie and Ray and thought they were very, very different.

A sad day for many of us as it now announced that Ray Carr has said good by to Oceania and will now be on Explora Journeys - they got one of the best in the industry!!! In addition, Explora Journeys has welcomed new members to their leadership team with the additions of Ray Carr, Michael Langley and Keri Noble as entertainment managers. Travelers can expect one of these managers to lead the guest experience program on each journey this summer.

All non-alcoholic beverages are included.....if you want only wine with meals, you can purchase the "OLife" select beverage package which includes wine, beer and champagne during meal time at any of the dining venues and room service. Depending upon how much wine you consume, you might be better off just paying by the glass. You could try just buying your drinks the first day or two to see if the package makes more sense cost wise. Oceania allows you to purchase the package any day and you only pay from that day on...

We are boarding in Athens and taking a similar itinerary on Riviera mid Oct....hopefully the weather will be cooler and fewer crowds. Looking forward to your blog and appreciate all your insights. We sailed on Vista last Fall and it is beautiful!!!

It is published - when you go to look at shore excursions, you will find a question mark next to "selected tour". When you hover over the question mark, it will tell you how many excursions are necessary for the 25% discount on your specific cruise, The number varies depending upon length of cruise and number of ports..

Yes - all rooms have 2 large golf size umbrellas and also have some available at gangplank, if raining. They are large so we also bring a small fold up umbrella that fits in our backpack

The process is the same as under Olife.....there is one price if booked individually and a lower price (25% off) if you book the minimum number of excursions for your specific cruise. The number required for the SM Excursion price is noted on the shore excursion page SELECTED TOUR PACKAGE when you click on the question mark next to the words "Selected tour package" Once you have selected your excursions, your SM shore excursion credit will be deducted from the total cost owed. If you total cost is more than your SM shore excursion credit, you will pay the additional with other OBC or credit card.

Yes, you are receiving $500.00 and have no out of pocket expenses, that certainly is nice..... 1 port - $500 per port, 2 ports - $250.00 per port, 3 ports - $166.50 per port....if you did have non-refundable pre-paid private shore excursions, those cost are covered under a separate part of the policy.

I have not had to make a claim for any of my O cruises so can't comment. I assume you would need to have proof that the cruise missed the port. This is in addition to loss of pre-paid excursions. TRAVEL INCONVENIENCE BENEFITS The Company will make a one-time payment to the Insured for one occurrence of each of the following Unforeseen events, per Trip. The maximum limit payable for all Travel Inconvenience benefits combined will not exceed the Inconvenience Benefit maximum limit shown in the Schedule or Declarations Page. Cruise Diversion ($250) – the Insured’s cruise does not stop at a scheduled port of call due to Inclement Weather, a Terrorist Incident, a medical incident involving another passenger on the ship, or a Natural Disaster; This is per person so you would receive $500.00 per couple...

When I booked online, the updated pdf was sent to TA and she forwarded to me...

I have learned that you need to book all of the required excursions together in order for the discount to apply, If you book a few and then go back later and add a few more to reach the required discount, it does not work. When looking at the accounting online for excursions, it looks very wanky. I choose the excursions I want, write down the discounted price as shown on the webpage, add up the discounted price to come up with the correct total and then check that against the bottom line total and usually it matches. Calling O also is quick and easy and the accounting is correct - I still have my own calculations to verify...

The Travel Guard Preferred Plan for many States reimburses a maximum of $250 per person for missing a port

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed and ready to argue all day....off to my garden and fresh air

On embarkation day, you go to the art class room and they will have a description of the classes available on the upcoming cruise. There will be a sign up sheet for the classes. If you ask the artist about the following cruise, they may be able to tell you what will be offered and since you will onboard, you can be one of the first to go to the art class area and sign up.

And they never will be- as those sales were to bring us all back to cruising after COVID...the cost of eggs is nothing like it was in 2021,2022 and 2023 either

I have not been onboard so can not answer first hand - do know that they replaced La Reserve with Aquamar and redid Waves to include the pizzeria area for evening meals. This provides additional breakfast, lunch and dinner options onboard for everyone.

Each stateroom has 2 WIFI accounts - a separate account must be set up for each. Then each account can have 1 device signed in at a time. There is no limit to the number of devices allowed to access the account, just only one can be signed in at a tine.

Having sailed on Vista, I would enjoy the addition of Aquamar and redoing Waves to add additional dining options for everyone onboard......these refits were not part of the original plan and Oceania made the choice to spend the time and money on these additions. They did not save money by not doing a refit of the A cabins but spent the money on dining options for all onboard..

Unfortunately you are quoting someone else not me as we do not drink anything but wine which we bring onboard or enjoy provided with dinner,....we have never purchased the Prestige package.....perhaps your other quotes are also misquotes due to lack of clear reading or listening

Interesting, we have spent over a 100 nights onboard all 7 of the O ships and never encountered the bragging that is indicted...I guess we either are not hanging out with the "right" people or engaging in conversations that elicit these comments.....we also do not "brag" about how much we have "saved" by doing this or that and put down others that do not do the same. The middle of the road makes for lovely conversations....

You are correct, I definitely have a different approach to reading people's comments from you. Please show us where the above quotes have been made by people or that is your interpretation of what they said? I am reading CC to learn as much as possible about other's experiences and not to dismiss their experiences as ridiculous because they do not align with my approach to a cruise.

Asking other's opinions about a certain offering onboard Oceania, is not bragging but seeking information if that offering is something they might be interested in....as indicated in the thread about the wine pairing lunch n Embers, it is a new offering that people are interested in and seeking information. The people replying are answering their questions not bragging about how special they are for deciding to spend their $$$ for the lunch.

We attended these last Fall on Vista.....we enjoyed them very much, They do not show up on the website but will be advertised in Currents and also offered by the various wine stewards around the ship. I do not remember the price but felt they were definitely worth it.

The premium drink package does include drinks any time through out the cruise. There are a few top shelf special liquors that are not included.

On every O cruise we have been on there has been a free morning stretch and exercise class and at least one other free exercise class daily They have only offered a yoga or pilates class when they have had a certified instructor onboard and those did cost. So their marketing is not fluff but true - they do offer daily free fitness classes.