chloemonkey

We were on a Panama Canal cruise on one of the older/smaller  NCL ships a few years back and they were filming that show "Transparent" that starred Jeffrey Tambor.  Most of the filming took place in the Haven where our stateroom was located so we often bumped into he and the rest of the cast and crew.  There were times when we were asked not to leave our rooms as we would then be in the "shot".....but really we had no problem as they were very respectful of the regular guests.  And for our slight trouble.....we received an Amazon Gift Card....I believe it was for $100 if I recall.

On 10/3/2022 at 4:05 PM, shepherd really said:

You would think Oceania would have several people checking daily conditions and policies, that being directly related to their core business of transporting people around. Perhaps even someone beside Carlos to share that with inside and outside stakeholders, like their customers. 

 

Or do I expect too much?

I tend to agree...as isn't there also a "legal" element to not having the current conditions, requirements etc. on the company's web site?

A few years ago I used a web site that allowed me to input cruise line AND stateroom type to see what the current pricing was AND what catagory of suites were available for any particular cruise.  But now I cannot remember the name of the web site!  Doe anyone know what I am referring to?

On 9/2/2022 at 2:51 PM, cruisr said:

It has been ages since I was on Oceania.  When I was last on the verandah cabins had DVD players in them and a great DVD library to choose from at the front desk.  Is that still the case?  Thanks

This was NOT the case on the Riviera from August to September.....as my hubby had taken tons of surgery procedures on DVD's to study up on new/updated techniques....and there ended up being NO way to view them on board.  This despite our poor butler even asking the captain if he had an "extra" laptop with CD viewer...lol!

Only options are all on the television system and include a few "new releases" which are neither new nor news worthy.....and "classics" which are just OLD.....so don't plan on the DVD option for movie viewing.

Our biggest problem with the new port was the fact that we were late in getting released to go ashore and once we were - the floodgates opened and there were WAY too many people trying to get through the turnstyles by using their ship card.....

My card did not work and the agent near me just waived me through.  My husbands also did not work....and they pulled him out of line, took him to a security office....took his card and then another agent kept asking "where is your CARD???"  And my husband kept telling them that one of the other agents had already taken it.....since two of these personnel were toting rifle type guns....it was a bit disconcerting......on the way back all went well.  But the walk is really ridiculous for seniors or people with disabilities.....

Just off the Riviera 9/14 after two cruises and although we had been instructed that masks were mandatory in Greece and Italy and on the excursion buses.....there were maybe one in 20 people wearing masks......both on the tour buses and while exploring museums, galleries, etc.....seems people are just over it and no one is enforcing the use of masks.  I think unless things turn around for the worse at some point....we won't be seeing any mask enforcement anytime soon.

I believe that we had three certificates for pressing for each of us that were waiting in the closet.  I didn't send anything out at embarkation but did a day or two later.....it was returned on the 2nd day by the butler.

You all are making me "homesick" as we are just off the Riviera after almost a month onboard!  Hope you continue to have a wonderful cruise/cruises.  

On 8/29/2022 at 2:30 AM, welshfamily said:

We have just returned from our first Oceania cruise since COVID.

First.

Thanks to all the great people we meet, Old and new friends, who made our cruise exceptional. Sometimes the best thing about travelling is meeting people from different countries and enjoying their company.

The Riviera,

 

Stateroom 

She is a bit worn in the staterooms but is due for a refit very soon so other than a comment about the shower I will not comment unless asked a question.

I love to bathe however the shower, though powerful enough, is simply too small and I think Oceania are making a good decision to put in larger showers by removing the tub.

We had an extended balcony …….great.

HOWEVER……..we were over the “ things that allow the ship to manoeuvre “ every time the ship docked we were shaken so badly I could swear it loosened a couple of fillings in my teeth and at 4.30 -6.30 am every morning it was a bit of a shock. Since we are early risers and had lots of tours booked we never needed the alarm and enjoyed far more leisurely breakfasts then on any previous cruise so not all bad. Just be aware  the extended balcony on the Riviera and the two PH cabins next to them come with an added extra!!

 

Public Rooms,

Excellent condition.

 

The staff.

Lots of new staff.

Not perfect but polite, smiling , eager to help and on the whole simply great.

Shout out to Oceania ……. Include the gratuities in the price ……don’t allow guests to opt out. We don’t want to make a big thing on these boards about this but ………..

 

Fellow Guests,

Meet many wonderful people.

To all those  who don’t know how to say please and thank you to any member of staff helping you …..try hardened please.

 

The Food.

Gosh where to start.

The terrace.

Good choices, lots of variety, mostly excellent quality. 
In the Evening The terrace excelled  e.g. French night.

The Grand Dinning room,

Choice far more repetitive than before Covid.

Specialities.

All great except Toscana ………What has happened here? 2 of our meals had high lights 2 of our meals completely bombed. On the evening we went Chef was out apologising for the lasagne…..like a brick!!!, The mushroom Risotto….almost a soup however the lobster Risotto was superb. At least 4 tables were offered another night …..to let Toscana shine and a few people walked out. We felt sorry for the servers. This was the only place 

where we had a sommelier who was simply in the wrong job. We had the full package, had onboard credit to spare, but to be told the wines by the glass were ( curled lip…..masks went for staff towards end of cruise ) limited to basis wines and many choices were not available didn’t get the meal off on the right note. Now we are not wine buffs so are happy with most of the included wines, we were not asking for a recommendation and knew what we were getting but to have the wine bottle menu brought so we could selected better was ……rude. Fortunately we had been to the Martini bar before hand and were sufficiently ‘ relaxed ‘ to insist on our request being served with a smile. As my husband said …..She isn’t going to last on Oceania 

long. 
 

Excursions.

One was disgraceful, two excellent but all were free so we were happy enough. Now I know someone will tell me Olife costs but we like to believe these are free, this makes us happy so please don’t burst our bubble unless you just can’t help yourself.

Our advice ….check onboard exactly what your tour consists of, ask questions and if not sure ask more …don’t assume a leisurely drive isn’t a 1.45hr trek which will mean you hardly get off the bus and that approximately means …..depends on traffic and  may well be a optimistic view or an unrealistic expectation.

 

Nothing in life is perfect but after two years of COVID our cruise certainly did its best to give us a great holiday.

 

last note 

 

Oceania ‘s flights ….SUCK …..but that’s another story.

 

Questions

We will answer them if we can

 

 

 

 

 

It is always so interesting to see how others viewed their experiences.....we were on the Riviera from 8/28 thru 9/15....and had nothing but GREAT food from Toscana.  We were in a Vista Suite so had lots of specialty restaurants booked over the course of the two weeks +.  The one restaurant that we CANCELLED three times for was Red Ginger - as after the first time we visited there this trip.....it was clear that they were NOT on their game plan as yet.

We found the main dining room to be excellent - but agree that there were not a ton of options.  The Terrace Cafe probably had more business from us than anywhere....but that was due to the fact that the two cruises that we took had NO sea days and we were booked on shore excursions that departed early each day.  This made it the easier choice to dine at the Terrace Cafe due to time constraints.  We did NOT eat dinner here however.  

8 hours ago, LHT28 said:

yes on the O clas

8 hours ago, LHT28 said:

yes on the O class ships

The R class have 1  on deck 7

 

Not on Deck 12 however.....just off the Riviera three days ago.  Also, we sent laundry out twice during our tow B2B cruises....and it took a "long" three days each time.  I was not really happy with the results,  Since we had NO sea days ovr the course of our B2B cruises.....we opted to send laundry out.  If I had the option?  I will try to do it myself next time.

19 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

First, you don't need to tip in Italy, at all.

 

Second, the ship is the one of the worst places to exchange money, unless you like giving it away.

 

If you'll only use a small amount of cash the best rate is by using a bank ATM once in Italy.

So.....are you saying that you do not tip shore excursion guides or private drivers?  This would be very hard for me.....

I am a big tipper.....and don't think I want to change at this point in life......but just curious if this is just "Italy"?  What about Greece, Montenegro, etc?

Just dawned on me that we have not dealt with foreign currency for a few years now....and should know where to get some before and during out trip.  I would want some at least for tipping as we have transfers in Rome from the airport to our hotel and then from the hotel to the port....

I would imagine that we could obtain them once onboard the ship?  But do they need for you to exchange US dollars?  Or are they able to put them on your accont?  I know that I sound stupid....but again, it has been a while....the logistics of this trip are really telling me that we are getting a bit "old" to keep doing this! lol....

Thanks for any input.....I will also check with our local banks......and might even be able to purchase some foreign currency at the airport?  At least enugh to get us to the ship....

21 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Yes traveling, even on an insulated cruise ship is complicated right now. If self-insuring does not fit your risk tolerance and you want some financial security, buy some travel insurance and you won't need to figure out what O-covers or have lawyers reading documents you may never need to use. If your medical insurance does not cover international trips, make sure you have that covered too. Since travel insurance is usually a reimbursement for costs, be sure to have large amounts of credit or cash available to pay for any emergencies. Treat Covid like any other medical issue from now on and you'll be as covered as you choose to be.

Well, we DO have additional travel insurance....so maybe I should relax?  It's just hard as I like to "understand" what the policies are.....and do not feel as though Oceania is helping to make that possible.

On 8/5/2022 at 10:58 AM, khuselid said:

I didn't comment on what would happen, just let ya'll know what O says. The clause is not applicable if they don't require testing. Whether they will reimburse you, or not, is probably a moving target. If I get the flu, while traveling, I don't imagine O would reimburse me for lost days. 

 

But if you get the flu, you are not forced to quarantine.....as most of us would agree, we have been next to WAY too many fellow cruisers coughing and hacking away onboard and on shore excursions.....

Still SO confused.....as we sail on August 28th out of Rome......stay onboard for the next voyage which begins September 4th.....so TWO different set of criteria to deal with.  I feel as though I am going to have to ask some of the lawyer kids to read all of the "stuff" as I hate to think it....but feel as though we have lost a LOT of rights and reimbursement possibilities.....and the new docs are written in a way to not actually say that?  Just my humble opinion......But I am a bit niffed that all of this is happening after final payment, thousands more spent on beverage packages, airfare, extras.......It just begins to get overwhelming trying to understand it all.....

5 hours ago, ORV said:

We've really enjoyed the times we've been to Barcelona, someday I wouldn't mind spending 2 or 3 days there. Hopefully you're onboard and getting settled in now. Or maybe at Martinis getting ready for dinner. 

We have cruised three times with departures being in Barcelona.....and from the first time on, my husband has been bugging me to buy a place and retire there!  He loved it!  I "liked it" a lot?  Just not sure I like it enough to buy an apartment there......

But we spent two days before each cruise doing lots of sight seeing, etc......and agreed - 6 days is nothing!  Next time I want to go further down the coast for a couple of days...

On 8/15/2022 at 7:39 AM, MEFIowa said:

STOP THE MISINFORMATION! For those who do NOT want to pre-test, they must prove their vaccination status. From Oceania:

 

Fully Vaccinated travelers aged 12 and older will not need to test to embark. Fully Vaccinated travelers must meet the generally-accepted definition of “fully vaccinated” based on the destination they are embarking and/or traveling to and must provide proof of vaccination.

 

BUT if you are unvaccinated or don't have the proof:

 

Un-vaccinated travelers will need to present a negative, medically administered covid-19 test. Antigen and PCR test results may not be more than 72 hours old at the time of boarding.

 

sails-safe-program.pdf (oceaniacruises.com)

For those of us that ARE fully vaccinated - do we still need a negative PCR(lab) test to be done within 72 hours of embarkation SHOULD we become positive at some point?  I ask as I really need to do everything possible to assure reimbursement/quarantine assistance, in the case of catching Covid sometime during our 21 day journey....

I agree with the Smart Phone e mail.  Which was just one of about 6-7 that I have dealt with today.  Yet as you inferred, the "real" things that you need to know have not been communicated?  Same with us as we are dealing with two b2b cruises which have different testing criteria....and I am STILL not sure whether or not self testing before boarding will help us out at all IF we should fall victim to Covid.....

I was just overwhelmed as I believe this is the 6th e mail from them that I have received today regarding an upcoming cruise.  As far as I can tell, our stateroom has just been "updated"......with no real changes....

But with the amount of reading that I am having to do with regards to this trip....I could be wrong! lol.....Seriously feel that this has been the MOST stressful cruise in terms of planning EVER.....First world problems to be certain.

But bathrooms?  Maybe I am missing something....

4 hours ago, JoePDX said:

 

Turkey has no entry requirements as of 6-1-2022, you don't need to show that you are vaccinated and you don't need a negative COVID test.   https://tr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-2/

 

Greece also changed their masking requirements on 6-1-2022.   https://greekreporter.com/2022/06/01/face-masks-greece-coronavirus/

 

BTW - we get on Riviera when you get off.   Take good care of her for us!  😀

 

Joe

You are amazing for relaying all of this information to us!  And I promise....I will do everything in my power to keep the Riviera PRISTEEN and ready for you!  Thank you so much for your lighthearted response and attitude!  We could use more of it these days.....

I have tried various sites as I want to know what the weather/temperatures are likely to be on our upcoming cruise.  But the sites that I used and then input each and every port on our itinerary.....all had very DIFFERENT prospective temperatures.

So any of you have a reliable site where I can look up temperatures to expect on our upcoming trip? 

Thanks!

On 7/29/2022 at 8:02 AM, Joebucks said:

I really wish airlines would just level the playing field on luggage. If you're concerned about an extra 50 lbs, that 50 lbs shouldn't matter if it's in two smaller bags or one large one. It is tiring to fight with people for overhead space, hear arguments over what everyone feels they deserve, get whacked in the head, have to help people with heavy bags, slow down the entire deboarding process, etc. Carry-on culture has become far more of a hassle than it needs to be. All largely because of this loophole we've created to get "free luggage".

 

I love to watch people being shot down for storing their backpack in the overhead bins. You want to bring this stuff, you follow the same rules. It's a terrible precedent to allow everyone to put their personal item up there. God forbid you try to bring a carry-on to a flight that has it free but charges for a checked bag. Good luck finding a space. If there's extra space after everyone has had a chance to store their carry-on, then have at it.

 

Getting on a plane should never be a rush to get an amenity, ie - seat or storage. It just adds to the stress of flying. This is one reason I hate flying Southwest. I'm not trying to battle for seats. However it is nice to have included checked in luggage there so everyone doesn't feel forced to carry on. 

Agree with you about Southwest.....as we have been Frequent Flyers for many years now.....enough that I fly free with my hubby who has tons of miles.  BUT we have also watched the endless abuse of the free carryon luggage procedures as some of the bags that passengers come hauling down the aisles are just outrageous!  The process of getting all of this carryon luggage up into the overhead bins takes forever....and the process is repeated upon arrival at the destination.  

NO one is monitoring the size of the carryons!  And it sucks as others of us are doing our part to make the process streamlined and free of both charges and hassle.

On 7/26/2022 at 11:12 PM, DrSea said:

Thank you for your insight. Yes I am very thankful for being so able body.

 

I frequently care for patients on their death bed and I ask them what would they do differently if they had the chance. 3 common themes came up:

1. They regret working so much. 
2. They regret not spending more time with their family

 3. they wish they traveled more when they were younger and able to walk. 
 

I’m doing my best to not repeat these mistakes, although I work 80-100 hours a week. I’m trying. I am traveling and am in my early 30s. I appreciate the privilege I have

I am particularly moved by your post - as I was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer 3 1/2 years ago. thanks go great doctors, lots of chemo therapy and removal of one lung - I am currently cancer free and SO happy to be able to travel again.  But although I am so grateful to be healthy enough to continue to travel.....the loss of my luggage would be a terrific blow to me if it were to happen.

It may seem "shallow" to many of you....but there ARE those who can pivot and do with a few basic items of clothing....change a scarf here or there......but try as I might, I am NOT one of these people.  It just bothers me as of course clothes and the number of choices you have mean more to some cruisers.....and I just happen to be one of them.  Others are totally equipped to roll with the punches....and do well with whatever they carried on.  It is just NOT fair to judge those of us who would NOT be able to enjoy a long awaited cruise...if their also long awaited wardrove planning was disrupted due to lost luggage.

Wow.....as if I wasn't already confused about the Covid test requirements reimbursement etc...We are leaving August 28th on a 17 day trip from Rome to Istanbul.  BUT this is also TWO separate cruises....although ours "seems" to be booked as one.  But now I wonder if they will treat this as TWO different cruises and the terms will be different for each of the portions of the trip?

And I am confused as to whether or not we will be reimbursed if we have to be quarantined?  Or has this been taken off of the table as well?  To make matters MORE confusing.....we WILL of course be in both Turkey AND Greece...which seem to have more stringent protocols....

Wish I had cancelled this a long time ago.......

On 8/6/2022 at 5:55 AM, Joanne G. said:

I considered a luggage shipping service for an upcoming land vacation in London, given the stories and horrific pictures of luggage pileups at Heathrow.    But I found the cost to be high, and it seems such a service could misdirect or misplace a bag just like an airline can.  I decided instead to go carry-on only, and if I need to purchase something during my stay that doesn't fit in my carry-on, or utilize a laundry service, I would likely spend less than the luggage delivery fees.  

 

That being said, I am still intrigued by the service and might consider it for longer trips, and I will be interested to hear of anyone's real life experience with one of them.  

 

 

I too have recently inquired and in addition to the high price quote that I rec'd - it appears that I would have to have the luggage shipped 8 days ahead of our ship's departure?  I am a pretty good packer....but even I would probably have a hard time avoiding wrinkles in clothes that have been in a suitcase for over a week......

But I am still debating...as it would be LOVELY to not have to lug anything other than our carry ons through these airports.  So would also love to hear from people who have used the service.

Our trip is Los Angeles to Rome (through Heathrow) and return is Istanbul to Los Angeles (again thru Heathrow).  

Looking forward to hearing from the experienced cruisers out there!