Woodrowst

On 12/5/2022 at 4:55 PM, FlyingScotSailors said:

From the five links, hit the middle one "Experiences", then hit the "Dining & Drinks" link.  (This will get you to the same screen that margbem's suggestion below takes you to;  you just have to scroll down the Home screen to find “Gourmet Dining” and “view more”.)

 

Now, under Lounges, hit either The Club and scroll down to the "Club Menu" button or Observation Lounge and the "Drinks Menu" button.  Scroll through the pages to find the various lists.

 

Do not be afraid to come back here and ask more!

 

 

On 12/5/2022 at 4:55 PM, FlyingScotSailors said:

From the five links, hit the middle one "Experiences", then hit the "Dining & Drinks" link.  (This will get you to the same screen that margbem's suggestion below takes you to;  you just have to scroll down the Home screen to find “Gourmet Dining” and “view more”.)

 

Now, under Lounges, hit either The Club and scroll down to the "Club Menu" button or Observation Lounge and the "Drinks Menu" button.  Scroll through the pages to find the various lists.

 

Do not be afraid to come back here and ask more!

 

 

This is really strange.  I must have a different version of the app than you have.  When I get to lounges there is no button/picture/listing for the Observation Lounge.  When I click on The Club it simply gives a one sentence description of the lounge with no "club menu" button.  One hint as to what is going on is that it says "The Club - Venture" so it must be linking to my reservation on the Venture.  And maybe they haven't set up the drinks list yet for the Venture version of the app.    

On 12/4/2022 at 11:24 AM, FlyingScotSailors said:

David, did you scroll down to page 4 of the Observation drinks list?

 

There was a very old Chartreuse on the revenue list but we believe the standard expressions are included.  Pretty sure there is Sambuca; you could request a bottle for your suite in advance.  We sometimes drink sauterne or port with dessert.  Worst case, you will have to drink anisette. 🙃

I hate to sound like such a digital non-native, but I cannot find an observations drinks list on the app.  There are five links listed across the bottom of the screen: Home, Plan, Experiences, Connect, and Account.   I explored all of the five links but could not find any observation drink list.   The observation lounge is not even listed in the food and beverage section of the app.   Any chance you could give me specific instructions to get to the observation drinks list?   Thanks!

Iskalaar and FlyingScotSailors-

Thank you both for your helpful posts.  

FSS - I downloaded the Seabourn Source app but can't find the Observation list you mentioned.  Can you point me to it?  I did find the wine list under "Experiences" and then "Dining and Drinks" but there is no accompanying list for spirits.

You also were nice enough to say that I could follow up with a list.  You took care of my favorite gin - Hendricks.  Can you tell me if Chartreuse and Sambuca are on the premium list (or if available at all)?

My wife and I have booked our first Seabourn cruise and we are eagerly looking forward to it.   Would those of you who are experienced Seabourn cruisers be able to share examples (or a list) of premium spirits that incur an extra charge?  I am not so much interested in wine - spirits (gin, whiskey, and liqueurs) are my beverages of choice - in moderation of course.    Would something like Hendricks gin be considered a premium spirit?

I could not find this information in a search of the forum or the Seabourn website, so your help is appreciated.

David

Another reason we like a hard copy is to save it for our scrapbook.  You can’t do that with an app.

3 hours ago, Robjame said:

1. Take the OBC as your OLife perk - there is no monetary advantage and you are lending $ to Oceania, interest free.

 

2. Book a cruise through Oceania and fail to follow up with a TA to see what value-added benefits she can add if you transfer your booking to her. - often if not always you will get great perks from the TA like OBC, free gratuities, money back.

 

3. Assume that Oceania Air is a deal or that it provides guarantees that you will make your cruise. Unless you add more money you will arrive on the day of the cruise on an airline of their choosing and a routing of their choosing. No guarantees of making the ship either. At least ask your TA if she can do better.

 

and an added one:

4. Never book an Oceania hotel. Often it is twice the price with the pricing being per person. Check the same hotel through the hotel’s own website or one of the major consolidator companies.

 

Have you got other things not to do?

 

 

17 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I agree. Our issue ( if it’s an issue) is we often book cruises that only occurs once per year and are very popular. Take a look at the Dec 2023 circumnavigation of OZ. Been completely waitlisted since about Day 3. Large portions were waitlisted by the pre bookings. Our upcoming Sirena cruise was waitlisted from the get go. I could list several others. These cruises are never included in the Sales.

 

I do agree that if we wanted to take a random Carribean or Med cruise, I’d probably wait for a Sale. To date, we’ve only did that once ( a Med cruise). 

If you book the same pre-cruise hotel on your own that Oceania uses will they let you purchase a transfer from the hotel to the ship?

On 9/17/2022 at 4:15 PM, LHT28 said:

sometimes  using air from the cruise lines work sometimes it does not

You really have to know what you are booking  & not just  go blindly into the deal

JMO

We used to always book our own air but in the COVID age we go through the cruise lines.  Why?  Because 1) Cruises have been changing their embarkation/debarkation ports due to outbreaks and changing rules set by countries.  If you book your own flight you then have to deal with changing departure or arrival airports on your own, sometimes on very short notice; 2) Cruises have been rescheduled and/or cancelled.  If you booked your own flight you are then stuck with a round trip ticket to nowhere.  Things seem to be stabilizing but there can always be an upcoming outbreak that upends everything again.

On 9/1/2022 at 2:32 PM, ilv4cruising said:

Hi,

 

I took a look at Panama City and that is an option.  However, I've never flown with Copa.  The current reviews online aren't great (but then again, all airlines seem to be struggling).

 

Have you flown with them before?  Any experience?

 

Thanks

I have flown with Copa. They are a partner of United and are fine if no-frills.  You need to know that they do not have any lie-flat seats in business class.  Their planes are configured as most in the domestic U.S. market with two across nicer and wider seats in first/business class that only recline.  That is why Copa flies mostly everyone through Panama to South America.  It keeps most legs short enough where they can get away without having lie-flat seats.

JB-

Your post was extremely helpful.  Thanks so much.

David

My wife and I will be taking a cruise that stops in Safaga, Egypt as the jumping off port for Luxor.   The ship is offering a number of all-day Luxor tours.  Some seem to spend more time outside than inside in tombs and others focus on different parts of the Luxor site.

For those who have been to Luxor, were you more impressed by the outdoor architecture or the indoor tombs?  What is your list of most impressive things you saw/visited?

Thanks for your insight.

David

Keep in mind that you also save an additional 1% or so because you have less travel insurance to buy.

On 12/27/2021 at 9:11 PM, swkrupa78 said:

Hi David,

My wife and I also have the same question. We are on the Atlas World Navigator sailing on Feb 14.  It is not clear on the Argentinian website. I do know that only a PCR test is accepted, not a rapid antigen or the Abbott ID now molecular test. So this is critical to know what the rule is.  I would think its from the time of plane departure else the airline could refuse you to board.

 

Hopefully someone who has gone recently will respond sooner than later. If not Atlas should be able to clarify in February (as the rules could change). Once I hear back, I will send a post.

 

Have a safe trip!

 

Steve

Steve-

Since my initial post, Crystal sent their Antarctica guide for our cruise.  It states that the 72 hour clock starts from the time your flight departs to Argentina.   The United Airlines site provides that same information.

David

23 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

United Airlines.  The Travel Ready center tells me the earliest time for my COVID Test.

 

You can also check here:

https://secretsofbuenosaires.com/covid-19-measures-traveling-argentina/

 

From the Gaucho's mouth --

 

https://www.argentina.gob.ar/interior/migraciones/ddjj-migraciones

 

Translation PCR 72 hours prior to "boarding"

 

 

These resources are just what I was looking for.  Thanks so much!

David

14 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Prior to the last point of departure.

14 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Prior to the last point of departure.

Thank you for your post.  Do you have a particular authority/website that you re relying on for the reliability of this information?  With conflicting statements out there, I am trying to figure out who to trust most.

My wife and I are booked on an Antarctica cruise departing Ushuaia in February.   We know that we have to have a Covid pcr test within 72 hours before the trip.  But we have seen conflicting statements about when the clock starts.  Some “authorities” say 72 hours or less prior to the plane’s departure to Argentina and other “authorities” say 72 hours or less upon arrival in Argentina.  Given the long flight time from the U.S., this is a significant difference, especially when you include the lag time needed to get back results.

Any thoughts - or better yet documentation - as to when the Argentina 72 hour covid clock starts?

Thanks!

David

My wife and I are booked on an Antarctica cruise departing Ushuaia in February.   We know that we have to have a Covid pcr test within 72 hours before the trip.  But we have seen conflicting statements about when the clock starts.  Some “authorities” say 72 hours or less prior to the plane’s departure to Argentina and other “authorities” say 72 hours or less upon arrival in Argentina.  Given the long flight time from the U.S., this is a significant difference, especially when you include the lag time needed to get back results.

Any thoughts - or better yet documentation - as to when the Argentina 72 hour covid clock starts?

Thanks!

David

19 hours ago, Hlitner said:

So our first experience booking O is turning out to be awful.  Just today we were notified by O that they have completely revamped the 2nd half of our 12/1 cruise and eliminated the stops in both Ecuador and Peru (Lima was the final disembarkation port).  Now they have changed the debarkation port to Santiago Chile and added another Chile port.  O is essentially leaving those of us who have booked our own air (from Lima) on our own.  Since we booked our own air with Delta miles we are going to see if Delta can work some magic (we doubt it) rather then just refund our miles.  But this would leave us with awful air options from Santiago.

 

So, what does O say about folks who want to cancel.  They have given us 1 week to decide and if we cancel they will only grant a FCC (equal to what was paid) which must be used for a new booking within the next year for cruises.   O is not offering to refund the fare for cancelations.  Apparently they figure that if they change the end port to a different country and port it is just too bad.  I guess this will also cause problems for folks that were planning to join the cruise in Lima and have booked their own air.  They would now have to find a way to get to Santiago Chile and ultimately the port (which is at least a $100 cab fare).  What a mess.

 

Hank

P.S.  Msg to Flatbush Flyer.....we are not impressed by O customer service.  They were useless other then to tell us to call our cruise agency.

Hank-  I feel for you and for the stress and anxiety this causes.  In this day of COVID last minute itinerary changes you might want to consider booking air through the cruise line.  It may be a bit more expensive (it can also be cheaper) but it gives you the peace of mind that the cruise line will make changes as needed with no additional cost or hassle. This is the strategy my wife and I have taken (up until COVID hit we always made our own air arrangements) and it has paid off on an upcoming trip to South America.  The cruise line booked us on United to Buenos Aires.  They recently changed the point of departure from Buenos Aires to a bubble charter leaving from Miami.  With no muss or fuss they changed the United flights to go to Miami to connect to the charter to  South America.

Again, I feel for you and hope that everything works out.

David 

15 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

I had this problem with some Endeavor excursions in Iceland a couple months ago -- no facilities, not even a primitive portapotty, much less a bush, for 3.5 hours ( and no warnings this would be the case).   

The young healthy people running the zodiaks brushed it off with a twinkle in their eyes.

 

In a pinch, ( apart from no morning coffee, no hydrating, and no eating), remember you are lucky, because you are a man.

🙂

We stayed post-cruise at the Hilton Stockholm Slussen and found it the best of both worlds - it is right across the bridge from downtown so quieter but within easy walking distance of the downtown sites.  

David

10 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Looks like the season is a big GO.  Ships are already heading down.  In line are Silver Explorer, Silver Cloud, NG Explorer, Ponant Charcot, NG Endurance, followed by Quark near Morocco and Le Lyrial just leaving Portugal..  All heading to Montevideo for refuel and then on to the embarkation points.

 

Wonderful news.  Thanks!
 

David

Another piece falls into place.  This is from the Buenos Aires Times at   Buenos Aires Times | Argentina to scrap Covid entry quotas for foreign arrivals on October 19 (batimes.com.ar)

 Argentina to scrap Covid entry quotas for foreign arrivals on October 19

Argentina’s civil aviation agency announces that from October 19, Covid-19 limits on incoming passengers arriving from abroad by air will be scrapped.

Argentina’s civil aviation agency has confirmed that daily quotas on foreign arrivals by air will be scrapped, starting October 19.

In a statement, the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) said that all caps on passengers arriving to the country “by air” would be eliminated after Argentina “reached the threshold of 50 percent of the population vaccinated with the full vaccination schedule.”

"On October 19, 2021, all quotas on the number of passengers arriving in the country by air will be lifted," it confirmed in a post on Twitter.

At present, the quota on arrivals is 21,000 passengers per week, rising to 28,000 between October 11 and 19.

Citing a government decree, ANAC stated that "after fourteen (14) days" from the date on which Argentina "reaches a coverage of fifty percent (50 percent) of the population with a complete vaccination schedule, as announced by the Ministry of Health of the Nation, no quota of any kind will be applied."

3 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Would like to summarize the current season so far -- others can chime in and add:

• Seabourn Odyssey -- season Cancelled
• Quark cancels Ocean Diamond, Ocean Adventurer, World Explorer.  Only new built Ultramarine will sail from Ushuaia.  Quark will bubble in Buenos Aires on day before at the Hotel Emperator.
• Silversea has moved all ships to Chile.  Either Puerto Arenas or Puerto Williams.   They will bubble in Santiago. Only question is whether Silver Wind expeditions will be cancelled and ship is still in dry-dock in Poland.  FB rumors say TA's have been offering moving bookings to Silver Cloud.
• National Geographic will bubble in Miami and provide charter flights (at additional cost $2900 economy $8500 business RT) to Ushuaia.
• Oceanwide has cancelled Ortelius and Janssonius this season and moving passengers to Plancius and Hondius
• Hurtigruten will move departures to Chile.  Cancelled is Fridtjof Nansen departures.
• Albatross.  Ocean Atlantic cancelled for 2021. Ocean Victory still is sailing.
• Poseidon.  M/V Sea Spirit is still listed on their web site as operating.
• Ponant (including A&K) still a go.

Crystal recently sent an email to passengers confirming that the Antarctica season from Ushuaia on the Crystal Endeavor is moving ahead as planned.  The first voyage leaves November 18 and trips continue into February.

Many Antarctica travel sites state you should not wear cotton to Antarctica.  At the same time, many of these sites state that moleskin is their favorite fabric for pants to Antarctica.  But….. moleskin is made of cotton.  So why is moleskin exempt from the “don’t wear cotton to Antarctica” rule?  What am I missing?

David

3 hours ago, donaldsc said:

If you are talking about being on land in Antarctica, there will be zodiacs shuttling back and forth from the beaches to the ship.  On my trips to Antarctica which were not on Crystal, there were no facilities on land so you will have to go back to the ship if necessary.  Have you considered using Depends or a similar product if you have to go a lot.

 

DON

Don-   Your comments are very helpful.   How long did you typically spend on land?

We are booked on a February cruise to Antarctica on the Crystal Endeavor.   I have a sensitive question:  how long is the typical cruise ship excursion and are they long enough where I might have to pee?  If so, where/how do I go?  
 

David