mbiggers

Hmm, we may need to send our laundry out. Thanks for the info!

So far we have only been on Riviera and Marina. Besides pressing (I hate to iron) I prefer to use the washers in the laundry room. Finding an open machine has never been a problem, so I was worried to read that Nautica only has one laundry room. Our upcoming cruise will be at the end of a six week Europe trip, so we’ll definitely need to do laundry. Were the machines always busy? Thanks!

Our first O cruise was in late March, 2022. We started in Miami and before embarkation Frank Del Rio, the CEO of NCL, and Howard Sherman, the O CEO, came to our CC Meet and Greet. The Norwegian Escape had run aground two weeks before our cruise. FDR told us that he had informed all the Captains in all three brands that “THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!” He said he told them to cancel any port if there was even the slightest risk in getting into port. Now, after a total of 7 O cruises, we average 2-3 port cancellations per cruise. On our last 14 day cruise there were 3, including St Malo. We had prepaid a driver to take us to Mont St Michel and were surprised that travel insurance covered it. So, yes, it’s not your imagination that NCL is the most conservative cruise line around. For us, Oceania is worth the risk.

Our favorite dinner on O is the GDR’s Halibut Viennoise. O’s Executive Chef developed it in honor of Paul Bocuse. We have canceled our reservation in a restaurant in order to be in the GDR on the night they serve it. Best fish ever! Skimming through this thread someone had asked about comparing the food on O to Luminae on X. I think both are very good. I have to eat Gluten Free and appreciate that when in Luminae you can order off Blu or MDR menus, so lots of options. However, two problems with the suites on X: the cost (generally more than O for similar cruise) and you’re still on a ship with way too many people. Overall, we are mostly sticking with O or Viking Ocean.

Thanks, I was hoping it would be sooner.

Hello, We are booked on a Viking Ocean cruise to view the Eclipse and would like to book something on Oceania afterwards, but they haven’t released anything after June, 2026. Does anyone know when Oceania might start booking August? Thanks, Michele

No, I think Oceania is treating us very shabbily. “Here’s a refund, that’s it.” They definitely should provide FCC or onboard credit to take the sting out of the turmoil of having to change/cancel all our plans. Or, a great deal on a replacement cruise. Plus, we had $700 onboard credit each from the cancelled ports on our cruise in May that have now disappeared. $700 for canceling three ports but ZILCH for canceling the whole cruise? The more I think about it, the more offended I am- changing my whole attitude about Oceania. I’ll have our TA complain, but I’ll also write to them. Does anyone know the email of the best person to write?

Anybody know about a shuttle for Zadar, Croatia?

Yes, there was a shuttle in Alta a few weeks ago when we were on the Venus.

DH and I have done several cruises on both O and VO and find which one we book is determined mostly by itinerary. We are currently searching for Northern Lights on the Venus. Food has been very good, but O definitely wins for variety of gluten free options. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned in this thread is the loyalty program. VO is pretty much nonexistent and O’s is rated as best in industry by the Points Guy.

Currently onboard the Venus. We were supposed to have two sea days between Amsterdam and Narvik. Yesterday we had 20’ waves and 40mph winds. Last night things got worse. You could not stand without holding onto something. The Captain announced this morning that waves had been over 35’ and he had been forced to greatly reduce speed for safety. We were heading straight into the waves which caused loud bangs and jerking- like trying to sleep on a trampoline while someone was jumping! Due to the slow speed he was canceling the Narvik call and heading up to Tromso. The good news is that things have calmed down to moderate seas this afternoon. Our previous crossing from Tilbury to Stavanger was also rough (also in January).

Thinking of booking our first Ponant cruise. How gluten free friendly are they? thanks, Michele

You do need to be vigilant at buffets. We were on Viking Ocean last month and I noticed that the Israeli Couscous didn’t note gluten as an allergen. Does AZ have the Gluten Free folks order the day before? suefrankw, Oceania is good for GF- great rolls, but they don’t keep much in the buffet, so by the time someone goes downstairs to get something, my husband was always finishing eating. Michele

Thanks everyone! I discovered that Success Cake was gluten free during disembarkation, so I’m looking forward to trying it. Michele

We haven’t been on Viking Ocean since 2019 but are scheduled on the Neptune in 10 days. I remember they had decent scones for tea, but the World Cafe had limited gluten free products- no cookies, bagels, or cakes. Any comments on current selections would be appreciated. Should I bring a bag of bagels? Thanks, Michele

Oceania is definitely aware of their cookie quality. Frank del Rio came to our Meet n Greet before ours TA on Marina last year. Someone asked a question about a feature on Regent. His answer was that you’re going to pay a lot more for Regent than O. He mentioned the delicious cookies on R. Basically his response to all the points that were raised was that you get what you pay for, and the company has a responsibility to use their funds wisely. His talk and responses to questions were very open and informative. We really appreciated his taking the time to come talk to the CC group. Michele

Thanks, Heidi!

I just downloaded the Viking app. It mentions the Kitchen Table cooking classes, but I don’t see anything else about them. Were they a victim of Covid? thanks, Michele

Just around the corner from the Churchill is the Wallace Collection. My sister lives in London and I’ve been there a jillion times and thought I’d been to about every museum in town. This past September we were staying at the Churchill and found the Wallace. It’s housed in Hertford House, the town house of the Marquess of Hertford. It is definitely worth a visit- beautiful building filled with amazing furniture and artwork. Another fun thing we discovered on this last trip was Brigit’s Tea bus. It’s a double decker bus that takes you around the city while they serve you a cream tea. If you’re there at the right time visiting Buckingham Palace offers visits. So many fun things to do in London!

We spent a few days in Southampton before a cruise a few years ago. It was a much more interesting city than we expected. The Sea City Museum was fascinating. One of the volunteers heard our American accent and told us about the American troops who had massed there to prepare for D Day. Also really enjoyed the Titanic exhibit. https://seacitymuseum.co.uk/ there was also a Tudor house museum that was good. Easy train ride to Salisbury if you haven’t been there.

The three prices are based on how many excursions you choose. The Unlimited package includes most excursions in each port with a few exceptions for exceptionally expensive one. You pay a discounted rate for those. The YWC package is based on how many ports you’ll visit. On our upcoming cruise there are about a dozen ports. The YWC package requires that we purchase 8 excursions. Then we get a 25% discount. The third price is for people who just want a few excursions so they pay the full price. one benefit to the YWC is that if the excursion or port is cancelled you get a full refund. On our last TA about half of our 11 excursions were canceled, so we basically got the 25% discount for taking just a few excursions. I don’t believe that the Unlimited people were refunded.

That’s it! Good job. You can always depend on Cruise Critc members!

Sorry, not sure, but the menu does explain that the recipe was made by Pepin in memory of his friend, Paul Bocuse. I think it was crab crusted with a rich sauce.

We’re onboard next month and I will cancel any specialty reservation if the MDR has the special halibut. It’s Jacques Pepin’s tribute to Paul Bocuse. Totally scrumptious, worthy of licking your plate! On a B2B they only offered it on the second leg. Also, as others have mentioned, the sea bass in Red Ginger is wonderful.

So, you're not a pedicure person. Maybe Mrs. What a Market is familiar with them. The spa chairs for pedicures are large chairs that look like theater seats with a basin attached in front to soak your toes. They have a faucet and a drain, so the nail person fills it up and then drains it when finished. The problem with them for me is that bacteria grows down inside the drain, so even if they wash them out, they aren't really clean. I only go to places that have basins. Thanks for your respone.