susiesan

I have not embarked on what may be my last O cruise for a while yet. It's coming up in a week, Sept. 2 Sirena from Barcelona. I splurged and treated myself to a veranda as a retirement gift to myself.

It may be the 11th time. You missed a few of my posts.

I have no plans to ever cruise on Viking Ocean, too pricey for me. I have taken 3 Viking river cruises in the past and might consider another one of those.

Windstar. Princess, Celebrity, NCL as the price of the inclusions is minimal. I have an Azamara cruise booked for next year, the beverage package includes cocktails not limited to only with meals and the shore ex credit is minimal, only $300 or $150 pp. All of the shore ex credits on O with SM are at least $800, $400 per person. Also, Azamara's deposit policy is far more lenient than the new policy coming to Oceania Sept. 1. Only $75 pp is non refundable but it can be transferred to another AZ booking. O's new deposit policy will have you lose $150 a person if you cancel the cruise and it can't be transferred to another O cruise. As of September 1 Once you put a deposit down $150 per person penalty..no credit no refund you lose this money 180 Days $500 a person no credit no refund you lose this money You cannot move it to another cruise

If you have noticed, none of the cruises in the catalogs/brochures sent in the mail have times in port listed at all for any ports. This will make it easier for O to change times since no one knows what they are. I use these catalogs to evaluate potential cruises. I compare time in port between cruise lines doing similar itineraries and go for the one with the most time in port which is important to me. O does show the times online but I'm not always online looking at their web site when evaluating cruises.

Since SM doesn't work for me as I only book cruise only with no excursions or beverage package, my Sirena cruise on Sept. 2 will likely be my last on Oceania unless there is a spectacular deal in the future. I only book outsides and occasionally a veranda. Is it worth my time while on Sirena to speak with the onboard booking office to let them know my opinion of SM/ does Oceania want feedback or care what their customers preferences are? Would someone pass this info on to Miami?

You would be wrong. I am an avid Oceania lover, about to embark on my 6th O cruise on Sept. 2. I have never booked onboard.

I've sailed on R ships 8 times, 3 with Rennaissance, 2 with Azamara, and 3 with O. My 4th Oceania R ship cruise is in 2 weeks, Sept. 2 Sirena from Barcelona. I have another R ship cruise with Azamara booked for Sept. 2024. I seek out cruises on these ships, they are my favorites. I've only sailed in an outside or veranda on them, plenty of storage. The cabins are just as comfortable as on the larger O ships. The small bathrooms are fine since I am a small person. Looking forward to another good meal from Red Ginger in a few weeks.

Absolutely there are pax on the next few cruises who are oblivious to current events. These are the clueless cruisers who will raise hell at reception when they find out their cruise won't be stopping at Maui.

Not a single note or update regarding POA Hawaii cruises on the NCL website. The least they could do is put up a banner newsflash about Maui before final changes/details about itineraries on future cruises are worked out.

I'm surprised because when I have read about others getting these offers to switch they were usually involving the suites and higher priced cabins. I'm in a veranda booked a year ago. maybe because I paid a very low cost compared to the current rate they can resell my cabin for twice as much as I paid.

I am not taking the offer as I have my own air and hotels arranged. I could never get the same business award seats to/from Europe on such short notice. And I am definitely not interested in the Caribbean cruise having just been on one on Marina last December. I have never been to the Canary Islands and wouldn't switch no matter how good the offer. This will be my 6th Oceania cruise and I was surprised that I got one of these offers.

For the first time ever I received an offer to switch to a different cruise as mine must be overbooked. it's Sirena Sept. 2 10 night Canary Island Explorer. I'm surprised at this since the Canary island itineraries aren't that popular. I won't be taking the offer. I'm in a B 1 veranda cabin. Why would anyone just cancel and get a refund at this point, the cruise is a month away? Limited Time Opportunity to Enhance Your Vacation! We would like to present a completely VOLUNTARY OPPORTUNITY to switch your reservation to a voyage listed below with added benefits or cancel and receive a FULL REFUND! This offer is intended for those guests with flexibility in their travel plans. The number of volunteers will be limited so this offer is on a first-come, first-served basis! RECEIVE FOUR EXTRA DAYS AND $1,160.00 PER STATEROOM CASH BACK ALLURE OF FRANCE & IBERIA September 26, 2023 | 14-Days | Riviera VIEW ITINERARY RECEIVE TWO EXTRA DAYS, AN UPGRADE TO CONCIERGE, AND $1,160.00 PER STATEROOM CASH BACK CARIBBEAN WANDERLUST November 19th, 2023 | 12-Days | Vista VIEW ITINERARY

In Grenada, take a tour to the underwater sculpture park for snorkeling. https://www.caribbeanandco.com/grenada-underwater-sculpture-park-a-modern-wonder/

For future cruises stopping in or embarking and disembarking in Amsterdam, the ships will have to find a new place to dock. They are being banned from sailing into Amsterdam and docking at the cruise terminal there. This policy will likely not go into effect until 2024. https://www.cruisehive.com/amsterdam-makes-huge-move-and-bans-cruise-ships/107115

No, they were taken at a FedEx store by the "experts" as the prepaid envelope to overnight to the expediter was a Fed Ex shipment. There has to be a contrast with the white background and the outline of the head. Because I have long hair framing my white skin face, mine was fine. My husbands white skin and the white background blended too much for the US passport computers to recognize the outline of his head. I wouldn't risk taking my own pictures. When we went back to the same FedEx store to retake the pictures we were not charged of the second batch, of course, as FedEx crewed up.

Yes, one came back in a week, the other took 2 weeks because we had to retake and send my husband's phot. The US State Dept. didn't like his first picture so the computer kicked his application out. I was very happy with that company. it helps to use an expediter located in the city where the passports are printed. The one I used is in Philadelphia.

Remember this saga? A very costly lesson for me.

I don't get the big deal about showing your card to pay for an alcoholic drink with a meal. If you want to have a glass of wine with your meal but don't want to show your card for some reason, get your glass of wine in a bar on the way to dinner and carry it in to the dining room.

I'm with you. I've been going on safaris recently for land travel. I was in Namibia in 2021, Botswana 2 months ago in May, and will go on safari in Uganda in January. I had also been in Tanzania and South Africa in the past 8 years when I started going on safaris. They are my favorite kind of vacation now. I have also done a lot of land travel in Asia in the past 10 years as DIY trips. Japan is especially easy to get around on your own. As to the original topic, my next cruise booked after the Sept. 2 Sirena which does not have SM is with Azamara in Sept. 2024. I have not cruised with them since they were spun off from RCCCL/Celebrity. because I'm one of the people who likes the size of the R ships, the smaller cabins and bathrooms don't bother me. Their included beverage package is better than O's SM included wine & beer with meals. On Azamara there are spirits on the list of beverages along with wine and beer and you can have a drink anytime and anywhere you want, not just with lunch and dinner. Since I'm not a big wine drinker but I do like cocktails, this will work better for men if I have to pay for a beverage package.

Why would you need a tour to travel like this? Fly to the first city, take trains to the others, fly home from the last. Make a few hotel reservations. Book day tours from the concierge or tour desk at each hotel. You'll save a bundle.

I use United.com almost daily on an iMac using Safari browser and I have no trouble accessing the award booking calendar. I have no trouble booking awards with Safari.

I do drink some, I'm not that fond of wine and don't drink beer. I use my OBC from my TA, shareholder, and bronze level to pay for drinks and the occasional bottle of wine if I have OBC left . I usually walk off the cruise owing no more money and using up all of my OBC. With an included wine package I would go ahead and drink the included wine and skip buying any other cocktails.I'll make do with the free drinks at the 2 cocktail parties, that's enough for me.

I didn't book these, I just looked at the price June 29 and compared to what they are July 1. The 4th cruise is a holiday sailing, they are always more money. It's not worth $40-45 a day pp for the extra amenities and I don't care about a second wifi log in. I don't even use the first one.

Windstar is my second favorite cruise line after Oceania. They may be moving up a notch and taking over first place as I am not happy with SM.