tanny18

Tom's "shtick" is looking over the passenger list for unusual home locations, then doing ad lib comedy about those places -- usually starting something like, "Anybody from such-and-such?" I find him really funny, and never miss his show. But then, I'm a hick from Okeechobee who has no pretenses.

 

In fact, Betsy and I were the target one evening, as soon as he saw "Okeechobee, Florida" on the guest list. It's a real small, real rural town with more than it's share of rednecks, and he nailed it with his comments. I was flabbergasted that he knew so much about the small cow-town (more cows than people, by almost 10 to 1) characters. After the show, I asked him about it -- turns out that when he was young, he was the opening act in what was one of the roughest country bars in town (and still would be, if it hadn't been so damaged in a 2004 hurricane).

 

We thought it was one of the funniest things we've heard -- guess you had to be there.

 

We love Dottie and Tom. Dottie is from McKeesport, PA, just outside Pittsburgh, and likes to give a bottle of sparkling wine to anyone who lived close to her. Betsy is from Greensburg, PA, with just one town between that and McKeesport, so she "won" the bottle. Dottie is folksy and warm and loves her job. She and Tom now make their home about 2 hours north of us in Central Florida. I'd love to sail with them again.

 

I never found her announcements annoying, but then, I have to look really hard to find things that annoy me.

Don, everything you say is so true. We love both of them. We sailed with them before she told anyone she was married to Tom. One night he let it slip that he was sleeping with the CD! We knew it, but others didn't and they were a little surprised.:rolleyes: And as I have said before, that's why there is Rocky Road and Cherry Garcia. I hope we sail with them again soon - it's been about 3+ years now

Does anyone know if the OP pacheco18 is ok? I don't see her user name in the members list?

She's just fine!!

This is a positive move from NCL with deep pockets to enhance Oceania.

Let's hope that ALL the future moves from NCL will be this good.

My sentiments exactly. Seems as if NCL wants to keep Oceania just as it is and that's what we all want!

Just go to the lounge when you are all together & ready to go

I would plan on 45 min+ prior to your tour

They work the independents in with the tours

They use locals for the tendering process & they are pretty quick to turn around

This has been my experience for the last several cruises. I tell Destination Services the day before, tell them how many, and they tell me to come when tendering starts, we get our tickets and are usually off on the second tender - sometimes the first depending upon how many they have on their tours. Never had a problem!

Not too bad compared to the mainstream lines I think. They charge for alcohol, unless you buy a package, and the self-service laundry machines. Some kinds of exercise classes perhaps have a charge(?) Gratuities are not included, but often are given gratis as part of a "deal". Can't think of much else.

Does Azamara still charge for their speciality restaurants??? We all know Oceania doesn't except for La Reserve and Privee on the O class ships.

Left Nautica on the 9th - cruise was Copenhagen to Lisbon. Oceania never collected our passports, but in certain of the ports - Amsterdam, Bruges, and a couple in France, we were required to carry passports with us. I guess it depends on the customs regulations in each port. However, in Porto, Lisbon because were going to the synagogue, our tour guide informed us we would need them. Oceania will advise the night before if you need your passports! If we didn't, we just kept them in the safe.

Do those in suites get any type of priority?

Just curious: Deluxe OVs and insides on Regatta are so similar in overall square footage, but does anyone know if the square footage is calculated to include the window, or just to where the wall would be if there was no indentation for the window? I am assuming it includes the window space, because I think the veranda cabin square footage includes the veranda space, but I'm not sure. Also, does the inside work better for a scooter because of how the room is configured (foot of bed in front of you as you enter room versus side of bed for deluxe OV)?

Every single $1

KSK

And those of us who sail frequently already knew this!! Arlene;)

Has anyone taken a guided tour to Mount Stewart and/or Grey Abbey from Belfast? If yes, can you please supply info to tanny5258@att.net. Thanks. Arlene

And as for us, that's Oceania's problem!! We have them included. Arlene

Arlene: Is that Marina? I like David. Haven't sailed with him in years. We don't board until Oct 21.

No, sorry, the Nautica!!

David Shermet on September 27th cruise - that's what my cruise docs tell me! Arlene

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I do not understand why, if I have a thought that opposes yours I should not be free to comment.

 

Brian

You can comment all you want about anything you want; you are certainly entitled to your opinions, as are the rest of us, but you are just so negative and I don't understand why!!

Joseph Lustig is better known onboard simply as “J.R.” He has been with Oceania for many years, most often as assistant cruise director. He is energetic, efficient, gentlemanly, talented and thoroughly professional.

 

I am surprised no other Oceania cruisers have answered the OP’s original question!

 

-Sukey-

I know who is is!! He was with us when we did our Australia cruise in 2009 and he was all the things you said. He was Dottie's assistant CD and left to go to Regent as a CD!! Arlene

Why does every CD discussion always come back to LJ........The question asked had nothing to do with him !!

 

As I have said many time the CD has zero impact on my cruises.

 

Brian

If you don't care about the CD, then don't comment.:rolleyes: We who play trivia are very interested in the CD. Not only does he or she plan trivia, but all the other activities on the ship and keeps everything moving. The first time we sailed with Leslie was in 1999 (yes on one of the original R ships), and after 15 years, we measure all CDs by Leslie. He and my darling Dottie are just about neck and neck as far as #1 CD is concerned in my book!! Arlene

And the air is not free since you can get money off for not using it.

We never celebrated a birthday or anniversary (but I will be celebrating a birthday on next cruise) but there was a couple celebrating a big anniversary a few years ago. We made arrangements for a large table (10 I believe) and for an anniversary cake. If I remember, we all had a nice size piece and that finished it. Just enjoy the experience of the ship and it will be celebration enough. Have a great honeymoon. Arlene

Where did you get that info? Pacheco is right. We did Auckland to Sydney on Nautica in Jan '08 and they've been there every year since. The next of our cruise went to Bangkok. We were originally booked for the B2B but ended up just doing the Auckland-Sydney leg. It was fabulous.

 

Mura

And we did it in January '10 as the second leg of a b2b and yes, it was just fabulous. We spent 34 days on Nautica. O has been going AZ/OZ for several years now. Arlene

I am no a big fan of those kind of sales....You can easily go around the booking thing tho.

 

Just book a cruise for late 2015, cheapest you find, pay the deposit, wait til the sweepstakes is done ( November ) then cancel the cruise.

 

That should give them a lesson if many did that.

 

Not sign of a great cruise line if you ask me...and the cruise they offer is...boffffff

 

Pete

Read the terms = NO PURCHASE NECESSARY!! And a free cruise is just that, free!!! /B]

Oh no...this is the train headed for you...

 

This is a Segway for the NEW marketing strategy... Brand swapping, buy a Oceania or Regent... get a free a NCL cruise. Prepare for the time sensitive gott'a do it now... sales

Get ready for the last min discounts which NCL is famous for. Too I see the liquor package rolled into the fare for EVERYONE like Regent. because if you charge everyone the package ( which is wildly profitable since probably only 30% of the passengers at most can put away that much liquor)

 

Say goodbye to Gratuities included.. all sorts of little things

Have you gone completely bats? What's wrong with a promotion for a free cruise no matter where it goes? Can't we just think the glass is half full and not completely empty? Let's wait and see what occurs. If these ominous things happen, then we all have other choices. That's why there are Cherry Garcia and Moose Tracks!!! Lighten up a bit - it's not armegeddon - life will continue; we will cruise!! We we will enjoy. And as for gratuities, most of us get them either from our TAs or have enough from our cruise credits. Arlene:rolleyes:

You obviously didn't welcome the "fresh air" that the Oceania cruise brought to your cruising experience - is it then so hard to imagine that most Oceania's cruisers would not welcome NCL's "fresh air"? They cruise on Oceania for a reason - just like you do on RCI for your own reason.

Paul, very well said and right to the point!!! Arlene

Guys the sky isnt falling ....a cruise line was bought, cant we all adopt a wait and see attitude??

Jancruz1

And well we should. This just happened and if Frank Del Rio is the man we know and love, Oceania will keep up its high standards of food, service and itineraries. We all know Cunard is owned by Carnival - people still sail on Cunard with their class system. I'm sailing in 3 weeks on Nautica and will let everyone know if anything has changed yet!! Arlene

+1

We are close to our 20th (free) cruise and I wanted to book some cruises in 2016 to get there. Now, I think I'll wait and see how our next 2 Oceania cruises will go before booking any more.

Paul, we are in the same situation as you and Marsha!! We have 19th coming up in 3 weeks and then the "freebie." Also want to look at 2016. I'll see how this one goes and then decide what to do. Hopefully, everything will stay in place and we will be as happy as we have ever been :rolleyes: Arlene

Wouldn't you consider it a class system where in certain room categories only a cold breakfast is available by room service??

I don't have room service; HOWEVER, if that's the only thing that you can name, then I don't think there is a class system. Do others get a better table in the dining room? or a better lounge at the pool?or a better seat for a show? No, no and no. I'll continue to sail on Oceania even if my lowly cabin cannot get a "hot" breakfast. We much prefer the terrace where I can see everything!! A