haskinskj

@Mura, I have been reading that higher suites like the Vistas , on Insignia, have balconies you cannot use while the ship is moving. They also say that since they are forward right under the bridge that they are not particularly private. Do you have any opinions/knowledge about this??

We were in a Vista suite on Insignia in July of 2017 from Miami to Iceland. We loved the size of the suite and the size of the forward facing veranda. There were many times we sat out on the veranda while the ship was moving. Sometimes the furniture was tied down but not always. We never felt like we were missing anything. If the furniture was tied down it probably was too windy to be out there; having said that, we did get out there frequently.

While we loved the cruise and the Vista suite on the Insignia, our preferred ships are the Mariner and the Riviera; they just are a bit larger and offer more, in our opinion. We stay in Oceania suites on deck 12 on the “O” ships. We are not big fans of the aft cabins. This once again proves “to each his own opinion”!

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

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The Celebrity excursions are quite expensive. Any recommendations for tour guides/companies in Iceland? We'll be there for 2 days in early May 2018.

Private tours by Iceland companies are very expensive as well. We disembarked in Reykjavik and stayed for four days two years ago. We easily spent several hundred dollars for two for each private tour. The distances are long and gas is expensive are two reasons for the big dollars. In addition, there are not a huge number of tour companies so you are competing with the cruise ships. Having said that, i don’t regret one dollar that we spent. What a magnificent country!

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I am new to the Princess cruise line. Looking for the smaller ships below 1500 passengers. What ships would qualify for this? Thank you.

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Our PCP says the flu vaccine is available without the egg . He orders a few in every year with the regular vaccines. Your PCP can either order them in for you, or direct you to a clinic where they are available. The vaccines have shelf lives and they don’t want to order them in to not us them.

Thank you for your reply and the information about eggless flu shots. My doctor is aware of them but he believes it is far less effective than the more common flu vaccine. Since I have never had the flu as an adult, at least the last 20 years under his care, he doesn’t recommend that I get the eggless variety. That could change in the future if my health deteriorates. Thank you again.

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I wonder if it is a case of:

 

 

 

1. Worldly travelers not getting their flu shot as recommended; or

 

 

 

2. Wrong flu shots?

 

 

 

Hard to imagine that a line like O doesn’t mandate all its employees get the flu shot. Maybe even a couple.

 

 

 

I do know that it’s been an issue where some passengers refuse to get recommended shots , such as yellow fever shots, before taking cruises. Really have to wonder how much that’s coming into play? A flu shot is cheap, painless, and easy to get.

I am coming a little late to this “session”but i am wondering if you all believe everyone should get all vaccinations all the time regardless since they are so “cheap”.

I am allergic to eggs and cannot get any vaccination made from chickens or egg protein, which is most of them, including every flu shot i have ever heard of. Fortunately, I was not allergic when i was a child; this is an adult onset situation so I have had all of the childhood vaccinations. My primary physician, whom I have had for over 20 years, expressed concern when the allergy was discovered (after several violent food reactions and some investigation). He told me i couldn’t have any vaccinations from chickens or eggs and that included pneumonia, flu and shingles.

So i would ask that before you criticize those who don’t get shots as uncaring and/or cheap, or worse, please consider that they may be a very good reason why they don’t get certain vaccinations.

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2 voyages I would love would be:

 

 

 

Start in San Diego, down the coast through central America to Panama City, then head to French Polynesia. Continue across the Pacific stopping just about every port possible heading towards Vanuata and Papua New Guinea before heading down the coast of Australia to Sydney. There would be no Hawaii or New Zealand. Would be around 45 days. Could be done in reverse order.

 

 

 

Second is to start in Barcelona and circle Africa returning to Barcelona. Would include just about any port available on mainland Africa plus islands like Madeira, Canary Islands, Reunion Island, Mauritius and Madagascar. Cape Town would be a 3 day stop. This would take 60-70 days and could be 2 segments.

Would love this! Please, Oceania, make it happen! Either options would be fabulous!

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I am presently on the Marina en route to Miami after the March 21 sailing including 2 days in Havana. There is not a hint of the Noro virus. There seem to be no health issues, such as colds or chest problems, either. Great trip, great weather and great times. Enjoy your cruise on the transatlantic. I have always wanted to try that but can't convince the DH.

Was the ship's internet available while you were in the port of Havana for 2 days? If so, was it limited in any way?

TIA

It was available in Havana on the ship but very spotty. As a matter of fact, internet service was slow or down most of the days of the cruise, in my experience. I have both an IPhone and a Samsung and neither was reliable on "holding" the signal for any length of time--"thrown off" and have to restart multiple times. It actually became kind of relaxing not to keep checking emails, etc. I think I have troglodyte genes in my body that became reactivated on this wonderful cruise.

"I have an entirely different question, but would love to get a response from anyone presently on "Marina". Is the ship presently healthy? No Noro virus or other health issues? We are on a transatlantic on 4/10/2017 from Miami to Lisbon, so curiosity is killing me, Carol C.

I am presently on the Marina en route to Miami after the March 21 sailing including 2 days in Havana. There is not a hint of the Noro virus. There seem to be no health issues, such as colds or chest problems, either. Great trip, great weather and great times. Enjoy your cruise on the transatlantic. I have always wanted to try that but can't convince the DH.

Shortly after arriving home from the cruise ,I had a high fever and headache.I was diagnosed with viral spinal meningitis. I was just curious if anyone else on the cruise had contracted a virus.

Other than the virus(which may or may not have been contracted on the ship), the cruise was great...one of the best we have had.We arrived in Reykjavik 4 days early . The scenery...waterfalls , geysers . lava fields, etc. in Iceland were spectacular. Everything on the Insignia was up to it's high standards . We have been on the Insginia 4 times, and have never been disappointed.

Silkman, I was on the July 1-19 cruise segment disembarking in Reykjavik on July 19. For what it's worth, I didn't hear of any illnesses on the Insignia during our segment. Sorry to hear of your illness and hope you are recovering rapidly.

So glad to hear the wonderful vibes of Insignia continue! Your description of the Terrace Cafe compared to the Grand Dining Room mirror my experience very closely. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice review... I enjoyed your comments. Were they any families on this cruise?

We saw some teenagers, maybe five, probably sixteen or older. I don't remember seeing any younger children than that.

My husband and I were on the Insignia July 1-19 for the Northern Crossing trip from Miami to Reykjavik. Overall, what a wonderful cruise; we really enjoyed the ship, several sea days, the ports and, most especially, staying in Reykjavik for a few days after disembarking.

But this is about the ship. We had sailed previously on the Marina (three weeks around South America in 2013). We also have sailed on Regent's Voyager three times and previous to that on Holland America and Costa a few times. The Insignia was very well maintained; I didn't see any torn or stained carpet in the public areas; the ship gleamed every day from continuous thorough cleanings. Staff we encountered were not only unfailingly polite but, in most instances, also very warm and genuine in wanted to assure your positive experience and providing you a great trip.

We stayed in a Vista Suite, Cabin 7004, at the front of the ship. We were directly below the bridge so heard almost nothing except an occasional footstep. The suite has 1 and 1/2 baths which is a particular reason why we chose it--no fighting in the morning for space! The bedroom did not have a walk in closet; instead it had wall units around two walls which provided more than adequate space both hanging and drawers. There was also a desk in the bedroom and two small bedside tables (just enough to hold our cell phones at night). The living room had a large piece of furniture which was a bar and storage space for glasses, napkins, menus and a small refrigerator. There was also a small dining table with four chairs, a sofabed, two chairs, two side tables and a coffee table. More than enough room! Our balcony extended across the front and had enough room for two loungers and a table with four chairs. We really liked this suite.

We had wonderful room attendants. Victoria and Nilesh provided superb service promptly and efficiently. They were never too busy to stop and chat for a few minutes. I think they had eyes in the back of their heads because when we left the cabin in the morning for breakfast the room would be thoroughly cleaned by the time we got back. They were just amazing. Mishra, our butler, was also incredibly service oriented. He never failed to give us more information about what was going on in the ship than I would have imagined he would know. He knew about the laundry routine for cleaning our clothes, he knew the weather forecast and would recommend how to dress when we were going out for excursions, he would tell us about the menus in the dining room, the specials that evening in the Terrace--he was just incredible and so very, very kind.

We used the balcony quite a bit in spite of getting the headwinds and a bit of "jostling" on afternoon on our way out of Halifax. There were several days/nights when the furniture on the balcony was tied down due to wind. However, there were other times when we could stand/sit on the balcony despite the wind and feel perfectly safe that we weren't going to get blown overboard.

Dining on board was delightful. We found the food very good to excellent (with one exception which I will get to shortly). There was plenty of choice regardless of the venue and we felt all dining rooms were well staffed and service was of very high caliber as well. Our favorite dining room was the Grand Dining Room. I know this flies in the face of many Oceania regulars but our experience was that there was plenty of choice every day we ate there, the service was excellent, the ambiance was elegant and classy and the overall experience was truly one of grand dining. My husband defines me as high maintenance as I usually ask for some change to my meal from how it is described on the menu. For example, at lunch one day, I asked for the Nicoise salad if I could have it with grilled chicken instead of tuna or salmon (which were the choices listed). No problem. Many times I would ask to have the starch deleted and add a second vegetable--no problem. Mercy, the hostess in the GDR, did an outstanding job. I think she remembered everyone's name by day three of the cruise! Walter, the waiter we had most frequently, remembered our desires after only the second time. The food was always well prepared, hot when it was supposed to be hot, room temperature if it was supposed to be so and my, did it taste good!

I do not enjoy the Terrace Dining Room at all. The food is usually not at the appropriate temperature, the choices to me were uninteresting and uninspiring in general, the grill which many rave about provided about the toughest steak I have ever had and the most dried out lobster tail I ever experienced. I hated the experience of trying to find a table. I found numerous other guests pushy and demanding from the staff unlike any other bar or restaurant on the ship, and the overall experience for me in the Terrace was very "Golden Corral" level of dining and I do not mean that as a compliment. Give me the level of service and food preparation in the GDR; I think we ate only three times in the Terrace Dining Room during the entire trip.

My criticism of the Terrace does not extend to the Waves Grill. We loved their sandwiches when that was our mood and the warmth and courtesies delivered by all of the staff whose daily job was the Waves Grill.

We ate twice at Toscana and twice at Polo. We actually had reservations for one additional time at each (because we were in a suite and due to the length of the cruise we had the opportunity for three reservations in each specialty restaurant). We ended up cancelling the last two reservations of the six because we enjoyed the GDR so much. There was nothing wrong with either Toscana or Polo; we thought the quality of the food was very, very good. However, we received the same level of attention and quality of food with more choice in the GDR.

We both really love sea days because the opportunity to enjoy the ship is so special on sea days. By the way, once we got north of New York City (July 6 onto July 19) the weather became much cooler (it was heat indexes of over 100 degrees in Cape Canaveral, Charleston and New York). From Bar Harbor on we wore sweaters and slacks every day for excursions or on sea days; it was quite refreshing!

Anyway, back to the sea days. Oceania doesn't offer a lot of activities and the schedule doesn't vary much on the sea days. Having said that, we did Bingo every sea day and I actually won $80 one day. Then my husband always went to the Blackjack and Texas Hold 'Em Tournaments every day; he didn't play he just enjoyed watching and talking with the folks. I went to some of the enrichment lectures--Joseph Campbell did an outstanding job and we both had massages and haircuts on the ship. We were pleased with the quality of the spa services. I am a voracious reader so I found the library quickly and loved the room. There was plenty of choice among the books offered. We also attended a couple of cooking demonstrations and really enjoyed the humor of the executive chef (and, of course, the recipes).

So what didn't we like about the ship? Having sailed first on Marina, we missed the cooking classes and the greater choice of specialty restaurants that one has on the larger ships. We were in an Oceania suite on the Marina and liked that size and décor much better than the décor on Insignia; the décor on Insignia was too fussy for me. Given the weather on this cruise, we couldn't enjoy the decks very much. We did know that was likely going into this cruise so this is certainly not a fault of Oceania or the ship, just an observation. On the days when we could use the decks it was hard to find loungers.

We also were supposed to have a dedicated tablet (IPad like electronic) in our cabin for our use. Although the equipment was there we were unable to use it because Oceania had not updated the software to make them usable--this we got from the Computer Room guru on the ship. I thought this was very tawdry and cheap of Oceania to use in their marketing when they knew the tablets were unusable! How can they be so elegant in the classiness of their ships, the quality of the food, the outstanding training they provide to staff and be so cheap as to pretend they are offering this great advantage to us and then just refuse to update it to make it usable--unbelievable! I should mention here that Internet was not available many days due to the lack of satellite access-not an Oceania problem or responsibility. Contrast this with how they handled a cancelled excursion which we received "free" due to the OLife offer of five "free" excursions. When it was cancelled, Oceania made an adjustment in our shipboard account to add back $100 credit. Now that was classy!

We had the Prestige Drink Package and I disliked having to show my card every time I wanted a drink. I get why Oceania does this--I just don't like it and find it cumbersome.

You can see that my dislikes are far smaller than my likes. I still really enjoy Oceania and would choose it again for another cruise. I loved the itinerary and enjoyed all of the Canadian ports as well as the three Greenland ports and Iceland. Who knew I would find Greenland so charming and Iceland so spectacular?! I loved the cool weather.

If you have finally read this far I am amazed as this is probably way too much detail. Thanks to all of you who provided me with such fun reading over the last three years and helped me plan a great trip on Oceania.

Thanks so much to you and to Waynetor for sharing these wonderful experiences! (I hope this doesn't show up twice as it seemed to disappear as I was writing it!) I have so enjoyed your reports and would love one day to follow in your footsteps but I don't think that is likely. I am very jealous of the thought of spending so many days at sea with such wonderful comrades.

I will be one of the people boarding the Insignia in Miami for the next segment--Northern Crossing (only 18 days). We are going from Miami to Reykjavik and I am so excited I am having trouble focusing on work where I will be until Thursday. Is there anything you would share about the ship--special places on the ship, special events, special staff for whom we should be grateful! Did you leave it in good shape for us--no doubt as both of you are so caring of others that I know we are lucky to be following you.

Thanks again for sharing your trip. You have done a remarkable job and I am so looking forward to the Insignia starting on Friday.

Kathy

You cannot "see the sea" from the bed in a vista Suite, although the desk in the bedroom has a superb view through that oversize porthole..

This diagram is very accurate, and is actually fairly easy to read if you know that the front door to the suite is pictured at the lower right corner of the image. One enters into a small foyer, with the guest bathroom on the right and walks into the living/Dining room. The bedroom is separated from the living room only by curtains, and the Master Bath is off that bedroom.

It should be noted that the Deck 6 Vista Suites (R ships only) offer the ability of adding an adjoining category C cabin as a second bedroom. This arrangement is slightly awkward, because the adjoining door is in the Bedroom of the Suite, so occupants of one bedroom must walk through the other in order to get to the Veranda or Living areas.

 

Thanks to all, especially StanandJim, for the pictures. We stayed in a Voyager Suite on the Regent Voyager which, I believe, had close to 600 square feet, so the R ship Vista Suite is larger than that. Of course we were unbelievably spoiled on the O ship Oceania suite but I think we will manage very well on the R ship.

 

I am so glad to hear that the main bathroom has a shower stall. I am not a tub fan so much prefer the shower stall. And the extra half bath is also something we had on the Marina and on the Regent Voyager so glad to hear that is part of the floor plan.

 

Thanks again to everyone for your help.

So appreciate your prompt reply and reassuring answer...Deck 7 had been our original thought so we're now even more excited about our first O adventure! We have realistic expectations, thanks to all the generous CC posters, and selected this sailing for the uncommon departure port, the VS accomodations and less formal dress code...paired with an upbeat outlook, we intend to love every minute!

We are booked into Vista Cabin 7004 on Insignia for the Northern Crossings July 1 - 19, 2016, from Miami to Iceland and I am getting very excited about it! I was delighted to see this thread and wonder if anyone has photos of the interiors of the cabin 7004 (or any Vista Suite on the R ships), on Insignia especially, since the fire a year or two ago. I can see the floor plans on the website but they use only drawings, not photos, for the pictures.

We have sailed on Oceania before, on the Marina in a vista suite cabin for three weeks around South American two years ago. We loved the line, loved the cabin, loved the people we met and the loved the service people who were just awesome! We previously had sailed three times on Regent's Voyager so were looking to try the R ships on Oceania as we really enjoyed the smaller size of the Voyager. And I, more than my husband, love sea days and there are 8 on the upcoming cruise.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide with pictures of the Vista suite interiors on the R ships.

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I found this last week. Whoever did this is brilliant.

This is a fabulous tool! I can't believe I have never seen it before. This takes all of the guesswork out of the decision. A big thank you to whomever developed this.

I know that answers are available somewhere, but I am a little confused. We live in Miami. No problem to go. When I go to the website for a visa, do I fill out the form on line and send it electronically or do I download it fill it out and take it in? Second, Proof of income: what do you bring in?

Thx

We had to do this in 2013 for our cruise to South America. We live in northeast Florida so went to the Miami Brazilian consulate. This is what we did. We filled out the form online and sent it electronically (printed out a copy before sending). You are required to visit the Miami consulate in person (as you know) but they did not accept appointments in 2013. You just have to show up between 9:00 AM and 12:00 Noon. At noon they shut the doors and wouldn't allow anyone else in. We got there about 11:00 and were finally called to the desk at 12:25. Once at the desk it took about 5-7 minutes for the entire transaction.

We took a copy of our checking account statement and they asked for it and told me they needed it for the application. They also took the letter I prepared indicating why we wanted to enter Brazil and the dates and also indicated that if we had not had that letter, they would not have continued processing the application. You would have to come back later on another day to complete the process.

They did mail it to our home address rather than requiring us to come back in person to pick up the completed visa. (We provided them an overnight envelope from the US Postal Service.) And, yes, your passport is out of your control for about two weeks--not a comfortable feeling! It really isn't difficult, just tedious and annoying but I do realize this is what the US requires for Brazilian citizens so it is tit-for-tat. And the US does not have nearly as many consulates in Brazil as Brazil has here so it is much more challenging for Brazilians to go to the US. consulates in Brazil. Just stay cool and enjoy the people watching while waiting at the consulate.

Hi, I've read reviews and seen pics of the Oceania Suite on this forum and am on the verge of booking. Just wondering whether it's going to be worth the extra cost. I don't have the option of an Aft suite (already gone on the sailing I am looking at) Does anyone have a pic of the deck on one of the 'side' Oceania Suites - I've done a search and can't seem to find one..

We just came off the South American Holiday cruise (December 8-28) and were in Cabin 12014, an Oceania suite. We had never been on Oceania before so can only compare to other ships. We loved the suite! It was very well laid out inside and we thought the balcony was a good size. We frequently sat out there--most afternoons, some evenings and my husband used the Jacuzzi once. The balcony was as large, if not larger, than the Voyager suite on Regent Voyager which we stayed in during three cruises. The interior was much larger than the Voyager suite on Regent. I don't know how important the balcony is to you so that may well determine your decision. We would stay in this suite again in an instant!

Our first trip on Oceania was on the Marina--South American Holiday. We boarded in Rio de Janeiro on December 8 with departure on December 9, traveled around the Cape eventually to Valparaiso and disembarked in Valparaiso on December 28. Overall experience was wonderful!! The ship is beautiful, as many have already mentioned, and the ports were very good giving us a great experience in four South American countries--Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. We could never have visited on a land tour as much as we did on this cruise.

I will probably not be able to give a complete review in one posting. Just for background: my husband and I have done about 10-12 previous cruises. The most recent ones were three on Regent's Voyager over the last 5-6 years. We did the Baltics, Hong Kong to Bangkok and a B2B Greece and Turkey on Regent. Previous to those three we did several other cruises in the 80s and 90s. Most of our travel has been land tours throughout Europe, Canada, China and a week in Egypt. A good friend is an avid Oceania cruiser and encouraged us to try Oceania.

I must admit that we had an Oceania suite which is an astounding cabin--certainly the best we have ever stayed in. It is spacious, comfortable, with the best bedding we have ever experienced in any hotel or on any cruise. We were on deck 12, very convenient to the pool, to the Waves bar and Waves grill and to the Terrace dining room/café. Our butler, Ismail, was superb. He anticipated our needs and made frequent suggestions which he thought might improve our experience. He made several reservations for us at the specialty restaurants (above and beyond our pre-cruise reservations), booked a couples massage for us at the spa, served us room service two nights when we had just run out of energy and was there whenever we had a thought about what we wanted to do next! Kosta, our room steward, evidently had a camera on our door because we no sooner left our room than he serviced it before our return (many times while we were at breakfast with no expectation that the room would be cleaned while we were out).

We did a combination of private tours for just the two of us with tours we arranged through Cruise Critic with some other folks prior to embarkation. The tours we arranged through Cruise Critic turned out to be some of our best experiences. The people were very friendly, the folks who did all the arranging should be given medals of honor (thanks, Howard and Martha--you are my idols!) and we were so pleased with the level of exposure we got in each of those ports. We didn't do any of the ship's excursions; I must say we heard many complaints from others about the poor quality of the ship's tours. We were patting ourselves on the back for using the Cruise Critic roll call feature.

We had 8 sea days for our 21 day cruise. We have never been on that long a cruise (14 days was our longest previously) and were a bit concerned about the number of sea days. I cannot begin to tell you how much we enjoyed the sea days! How incredible to be able to enjoy the ship and socialize in a different way than when you are on an excursion or just meeting folks at dinner and, maybe, never really getting to know them. We did three of the cooking classes, several wine tastings, bingo (both of us won--how did that happen!) and lazing on deck. Neither of us sit in the sun very much (both cancer survivors) but you can still enjoy the pool sitting in the shade, reading and people watching!

As for the ports, we loved Buenos Aires (great private guide, fabulous tango show, a culinary excursion with the ship's chef), Puerto Madryn (don't let anyone tell you that you won't enjoy a penguin rookery--the penguins are astounding) and Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego--has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth! We also really enjoyed the other ports with the exception of Rio de Janeiro--poor infrastructure, dirty and just uninspiring.

On the ship itself, we found Jacques to be our favorite specialty restaurant with Toscana and Polo closely tied for second. Frankly, we found Red Ginger to be overdone with the food not particularly appealing to us. That's our opinion and I know flies in the face of what many others have found. We visited Red Ginger once and that was it for us. The Grand Dining Room was just okay. The food was average and frequently we found only two or three things on the menu that we might want to eat. We had some service problems in the Grand Dining Room; during one dinner they messed up one of our appetizer orders and both of our entrée orders. On another dinner, they messed up one entrée. At breakfast one morning they messed up one order. We just found little consistency in service although the servers were always trying. Frankly, I think they were understaffed. We watched one main waiter try to handle seven tables with no real assistance one evening. I wasn't surprised by the mistakes when I noticed that. One outstanding experience was the Christmas Eve buffet brunch--it was fantastic--I don't think I have ever been to a better buffet brunch--the dining staff outdid itself.

I am not a fan of the Terrace Café either. Frequently, breakfast was a zoo with everyone showing up at the same time (right before excursions) trying to get breakfast. We had the same experience at dinner. Having lobster tail as a choice during dinner did not make up for that fact that we never felt relaxed during dinner; would we get a table or have to wait, watching like a hawk for someone to be finished and get up and walk away so we could get a seat--this is not a five star experience! It was always a concern about how crowded the serving areas would be and how long we would have to wait in line to get an order of lobster tail or something else from the grill. The two nights we ordered room service were to avoid having to go to the Terrace Café. Both my husband and I tried not to compare Oceania to Regent's Voyager but the contrast was most evident in the Terrace Café and was not to the benefit of Marina. We did enjoy the Waves Grill and had lunch there several days; the sandwiches were good and the "control" by the staff to ensure orders were accurate made it seem more relaxed and enjoyable compared to the Terrace.

Bars were a pleasure in that there were always plenty of bartenders and wait staff. We particularly enjoyed the Waves Bar during the sea days and the Martinis bar for our happy hour before dinner. The staff of both were excellent, very friendly and always trying to make sure you had a great experience.

We had a great trip and thoroughly enjoyed South America. Some additional comments on our experience on the ship: we chose a beverage package; we still found it a chore to have to show our card every time we wanted a drink. (Maybe there is a message here to us that we just wanted too much to drink!) We much prefer Regent's all inclusive when one doesn't need to show a card. I realize this is a minute problem; however, it did take away some element of the experience. The entertainment was average but we were expecting that so I won't compare it or complain about it. It provided some enjoyment although not necessarily one of great quality. The Main Dining Room was an overall disappointment. Food choices were not particularly great and it was understaffed. It never felt like a fine dining experience. The specialty restaurants are outstanding--I would go to sea just to eat in them again!

The canapés offered through butler service at happy hour were a disappointment. Again, while we tried not to do so, we did compare it to hors d'ouevres we experienced on Regent. Regent had shrimp cocktail, crab claws and other "bites" of that level if you wanted them every evening. We didn't order the canapés after the first day on Marina because they just weren't very good. There were numerous activities during the day but they quickly became repetitive as the same activity at the same time was repeated pretty much throughout the cruise each and every day.

Overall we did greatly enjoy the ship and its beauty, the fantastic itinerary and the great people we met especially on our excursions. We experienced sharing a table at dinner a few times and had some great dining companions during those dinners. It seems most of our shipmates were very well traveled and enjoyed meeting others making such experiences a lot of fun.

The itinerary is what is most important; all other things being equal, we would go back to Regent if the itineraries are quite similar as the negative things I mentioned above did impact our experience.

Our first trip on Oceania was on the Marina--South American Holiday. We boarded in Rio de Janeiro on December 8 with departure on December 9, traveled around the Cape eventually to Valparaiso and disembarked in Valparaiso on December 28. Overall experience was wonderful!! The ship is beautiful, as many have already mentioned, and the ports were very good giving us a great experience in four South American countries--Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. We could never have visited on a land tour as much as we did on this cruise.

I will probably not be able to give a complete review in one posting. Just for background: my husband and I have done about 10-12 previous cruises. The most recent ones were three on Regent's Voyager over the last 5-6 years. We did the Baltics, Hong Kong to Bangkok and a B2B Greece and Turkey on Regent. Previous to those three we did several other cruises in the 80s and 90s. Most of our travel has been land tours throughout Europe, Canada, China and a week in Egypt. A good friend is an avid Oceania cruiser and encouraged us to try Oceania.

I must admit that we had an Oceania suite which is an astounding cabin--certainly the best we have ever stayed in. It is spacious, comfortable, with the best bedding we have ever experienced in any hotel or on any cruise. We were on deck 12, very convenient to the pool, to the Waves bar and Waves grill and to the Terrace dining room/café. Our butler, Ismail, was superb. He anticipated our needs and made frequent suggestions which he thought might improve our experience. He made several reservations for us at the specialty restaurants (above and beyond our pre-cruise reservations), booked a couples massage for us at the spa, served us room service two nights when we had just run out of energy and was there whenever we had a thought about what we wanted to do next! Kosta, our room steward, evidently had a camera on our door because we no sooner left our room than he serviced it before our return (many times while we were at breakfast with no expectation that the room would be cleaned while we were out).

We did a combination of private tours for just the two of us with tours we arranged through Cruise Critic with some other folks prior to embarkation. The tours we arranged through Cruise Critic turned out to be some of our best experiences. The people were very friendly, the folks who did all the arranging should be given medals of honor (thanks, Howard and Martha--you are my idols!) and we were so pleased with the level of exposure we got in each of those ports. We didn't do any of the ship's excursions; I must say we heard many complaints from others about the poor quality of the ship's tours. We were patting ourselves on the back for using the Cruise Critic roll call feature.

We had 8 sea days for our 21 day cruise. We have never been on that long a cruise (14 days was our longest previously) and were a bit concerned about the number of sea days. I cannot begin to tell you how much we enjoyed the sea days! How incredible to be able to enjoy the ship and socialize in a different way than when you are on an excursion or just meeting folks at dinner and, maybe, never really getting to know them. We did three of the cooking classes, several wine tastings, bingo (both of us won--how did that happen!) and lazing on deck. Neither of us sit in the sun very much (both cancer survivors) but you can still enjoy the pool sitting in the shade, reading and people watching!

As for the ports, we loved Buenos Aires (great private guide, fabulous tango show, a culinary excursion with the ship's chef), Puerto Madryn (don't let anyone tell you that you won't enjoy a penguin rookery--the penguins are astounding) and Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego--has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth! We also really enjoyed the other ports with the exception of Rio de Janeiro--poor infrastructure, dirty and just uninspiring.

On the ship itself, we found Jacques to be our favorite specialty restaurant with Toscana and Polo closely tied for second. Frankly, we found Red Ginger to be overdone with the food not particularly appealing to us. That's our opinion and I know flies in the face of what many others have found. We visited Red Ginger once and that was it for us. The Grand Dining Room was just okay. The food was average and frequently we found only two or three things on the menu that we might want to eat. We had some service problems in the Grand Dining Room; during one dinner they messed up one of our appetizer orders and both of our entrée orders. On another dinner, they messed up one entrée. At breakfast one morning they messed up one order. We just found little consistency in service although the servers were always trying. Frankly, I think they were understaffed. We watched one main waiter try to handle seven tables with no real assistance one evening. I wasn't surprised by the mistakes when I noticed that. One outstanding experience was the Christmas Eve buffet brunch--it was fantastic--I don't think I have ever been to a better buffet brunch--the dining staff outdid itself.

I am not a fan of the Terrace Café either. Frequently, breakfast was a zoo with everyone showing up at the same time (right before excursions) trying to get breakfast. We had the same experience at dinner. Having lobster tail as a choice during dinner did not make up for that fact that we never felt relaxed during dinner; would we get a table or have to wait, watching like a hawk for someone to be finished and get up and walk away so we could get a seat--this is not a five star experience! It was always a concern about how crowded the serving areas would be and how long we would have to wait in line to get an order of lobster tail or something else from the grill. The two nights we ordered room service were to avoid having to go to the Terrace Café. Both my husband and I tried not to compare Oceania to Regent's Voyager but the contrast was most evident in the Terrace Café and was not to the benefit of Marina. We did enjoy the Waves Grill and had lunch there several days; the sandwiches were good and the "control" by the staff to ensure orders were accurate made it seem more relaxed and enjoyable compared to the Terrace.

Bars were a pleasure in that there were always plenty of bartenders and wait staff. We particularly enjoyed the Waves Bar during the sea days and the Martinis bar for our happy hour before dinner. The staff of both were excellent, very friendly and always trying to make sure you had a great experience.

We had a great trip and thoroughly enjoyed South America. Some additional comments on our experience on the ship: we chose a beverage package; we still found it a chore to have to show our card every time we wanted a drink. (Maybe there is a message here to us that we just wanted too much to drink!) We much prefer Regent's all inclusive when one doesn't need to show a card. I realize this is a minute problem; however, it did take away some element of the experience. The entertainment was average but we were expecting that so I won't compare it or complain about it. It provided some enjoyment although not necessarily one of great quality. The Main Dining Room was an overall disappointment. Food choices were not particularly great and it was understaffed. It never felt like a fine dining experience. The specialty restaurants are outstanding--I would go to sea just to eat in them again!

The canapés offered through butler service at happy hour were a disappointment. Again, while we tried not to do so, we did compare it to hors d'ouevres we experienced on Regent. Regent had shrimp cocktail, crab claws and other "bites" of that level if you wanted them every evening. We didn't order the canapés after the first day on Marina because they just weren't very good. There were numerous activities during the day but they quickly became repetitive as the same activity at the same time was repeated pretty much throughout the cruise each and every day.

Overall we did greatly enjoy the ship and its beauty, the fantastic itinerary and the great people we met especially on our excursions. We experienced sharing a table at dinner a few times and had some great dining companions during those dinners. It seems most of our shipmates were very well traveled and enjoyed meeting others making such experiences a lot of fun.

The itinerary is what is most important; all other things being equal, we would go back to Regent if the itineraries are quite similar as the negative things I mentioned above did impact our experience.

My husband and I went to the Brazilian consulate in Miami this week (10/2/2013) to submit our applications for visas. We live in Jacksonville, FL and must use the Miami consulate. We flew to Miami (I had business there and my husband accompanied me). The consulate accepts applications between 10 AM and 12 Noon Monday through Friday. You must be in the consulate room at 12:00 or you will not be able to submit your application. No appointments are necessary and, as a matter of fact, I could not find a way to make the appointment. Make sure you understand the paperwork requirements; it is quite tedious but the website is clear about what is required. It is amazing when you get there. You can only pay by cash (through a bank ATM--more about that in a second) or a US Postal Service money order. We had cash; there is a Bank of Brazil ATM in the room and we were able to deposit our money and get our receipt with our name on the receipt. This is what we gave to the person processing visas.

 

We arrived about 10:45 and were called to the window at 12:45. By the way, we saw many people turned away because they did not have the proper paperwork or couldn't use the ATM to pay in cash. I had spent time understanding the requirements through the website and had all of the required paperwork. We spent about 7-10 minutes at the window and completed the process. We left our passports for "processing" (getting the visas into the passports) which would take 10 business days. They would mail us our passports provided that we gave them a US Post Office overnight delivery envelope so they could mail them to us.

 

I agree the process is tedious. I sweated the details and I am glad I did as I saw so many people turned away in order to complete the paperwork or to have the right amount of cash to pay for the visas. I recognize that other Brazilian consulates are not so demanding; it is the luck of the draw which one you are assigned to (geography) and what their requirements are. Fortunately, we had all of the paperwork, had filled out all of the forms required and will have our passports back in 10 business days (fingers crossed!).

 

You no longer have to go in person to the Miami Consulate. However, they are very clear that in person applications are processed more rapidly than mailed applications. Since I had business in Miami any way and my husband didn't complain about making the trip we made it in person.

 

And now I can look forward to our trip once we go to the Argentinian website to pay our reciprocity fee! At least that one can be done online!

 

I would not give up this trip because I don't like the visa process. There is some justice in their requiring the same detail we require from Brazilian citizens. I am just glad I can visit Brazil and all of the other South American countries in December!

We received our passports in the US mail (overnight mail since we provided the envelopes at the time of application) on Wednesday, October 16 which was exactly ten business days, as they committed to, after we submitted all of the paperwork in person at the Miami Consulate. I went on line to the Brazilian website a few times in the interim to check on the processing and could see that the consulate provided an update as the application moved through the process. Glad we had a successful conclusion and have the passports back in our possession!

Just visited the Miami Consulates web page for Visa info and discovered that they have removed the statement regarding non-acceptance of mailed visa applications and requiring one to appear in person at the consulate to obtain a visa. However, they still remain the only Brazilian Consulate, to my knowledge, requiring three months of financial records be included with an application.

 

Of course I don't know why they backed off the "in person" requirement, but then it seemed to me to be unreasonable in the first place. This does temper my attitude towards obtaining a Brazil Visa (I still have a bit of a problem with the 90 day financial requirement), but it comes too late to change things for me as I have already booked a cruise with Seabourn in the same time period.

 

Maybe the Amazon Explorer next year if the Miami Consulate doesn't repeat their antics?:D

My husband and I went to the Brazilian consulate in Miami this week (10/2/2013) to submit our applications for visas. We live in Jacksonville, FL and must use the Miami consulate. We flew to Miami (I had business there and my husband accompanied me). The consulate accepts applications between 10 AM and 12 Noon Monday through Friday. You must be in the consulate room at 12:00 or you will not be able to submit your application. No appointments are necessary and, as a matter of fact, I could not find a way to make the appointment. Make sure you understand the paperwork requirements; it is quite tedious but the website is clear about what is required. It is amazing when you get there. You can only pay by cash (through a bank ATM--more about that in a second) or a US Postal Service money order. We had cash; there is a Bank of Brazil ATM in the room and we were able to deposit our money and get our receipt with our name on the receipt. This is what we gave to the person processing visas.

We arrived about 10:45 and were called to the window at 12:45. By the way, we saw many people turned away because they did not have the proper paperwork or couldn't use the ATM to pay in cash. I had spent time understanding the requirements through the website and had all of the required paperwork. We spent about 7-10 minutes at the window and completed the process. We left our passports for "processing" (getting the visas into the passports) which would take 10 business days. They would mail us our passports provided that we gave them a US Post Office overnight delivery envelope so they could mail them to us.

I agree the process is tedious. I sweated the details and I am glad I did as I saw so many people turned away in order to complete the paperwork or to have the right amount of cash to pay for the visas. I recognize that other Brazilian consulates are not so demanding; it is the luck of the draw which one you are assigned to (geography) and what their requirements are. Fortunately, we had all of the paperwork, had filled out all of the forms required and will have our passports back in 10 business days (fingers crossed!).

You no longer have to go in person to the Miami Consulate. However, they are very clear that in person applications are processed more rapidly than mailed applications. Since I had business in Miami any way and my husband didn't complain about making the trip we made it in person.

And now I can look forward to our trip once we go to the Argentinian website to pay our reciprocity fee! At least that one can be done online!

I would not give up this trip because I don't like the visa process. There is some justice in their requiring the same detail we require from Brazilian citizens. I am just glad I can visit Brazil and all of the other South American countries in December!