Acrusa

booked 4 excursions for our Jan 2025 cruise in March

Years ago there was a big round board behind the couch on our concierge veranda cabin on R ships and when We ordered breakfast they placed the board over the table. Not any more on our Riviera and Vista cruises

13 hours ago, TRLD said:

To make it clear we sail for destinations. It is that sone destinations include having a lot of sea days  This 21 itinerary was a good example French Polynesia to LA. Singapore to Cape Town is another.

 

Most port intensive itineraries we have done multiple times. We can do most of those on just about any cruise line.

 

What I stated is not that we sail for sea days, but that we have never minded them in the past, even on much longer cruises.

 

In the past our view on almost every other line we have been on is better to cruise somewhere instead of flying. With Oceania that has changed to in the future if the only way to get somewhere is either Oceania or flying, we will fly. 

 

This cruuse went to FP and Hawaii. We have been to both seversl times including both cruises and land trups in both. Spent 14 days in Bora Bora, Moorea and Papeete last year and we usually fly to Hawaii for two weeks each year.  Thought this would be a good time to check out Oceania. Almost got off in Honolulu to sprnd a few days and fly home instead of spending the last 7 days on board. Several people (I know of atleast 10) did get off there. There was enough interest that they put a notice in the Current giving the cutoff of when anyone deciding to do so had to notify reception.

 

Different people different views.  Glad you enjoy them. 

We are doing LA to PPT on Naitica this January just curious why people decided to leave the cruise in Hawaii. Why where they unhappy with the cruise. 

On 1/6/2024 at 11:40 AM, Cruisedreamer1 said:

Just be careful when booking since the final payment dates have changed (shorten time). If you elect to take the sbc while on board and then cancel the cruise you will be billed for that amount. My husband hates to commit so we are always wrangling around about booking.

You can no. longer elect anything since the new SM has been in effect 

We booked our 2025 cruise while on board the Vista this winter and received a $200.00 reduction each for booking on board  The price of our cruise went up $400.00 PP good thing we booked on board . So we saved $600.00 pp

The Hyatt SHUTTLE is it easy to catch from LAX international terminal? Anyone with experience using it?

On Vista this past February always requested Perrier instead of water and they always opened a fresh bottle in front of us at all venues breakfast lunch dinner 

5 hours ago, Travrat said:

If you arrive at TBI and are taking a domestic flight on Delta you can use the luggage carts but have to exit TBI and walk outside to Delta. When you get to Delta you need to recheck your luggage and go through security again

is it a far walk?

I guess I'm a little OLD fashioned on our 13 cruises  on Oceania I always wear a sport jacket in the specialty restaurants.

But that's just my choice. 

According to Delta they just finished the 2 billion dollar sky walk between international terminal with moving platform just wondering if anyone has had experience using it.

I was thinking of the 2pm flight to JFK 

I've noticed your boarding Natica after We disembark the 26th

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

At LAX, there are free luggage carts in the international customs-area baggage claim.  You can easily take the carts out of TBIT, take a left at the street and walk to the DL terminal (T2/3).

 

Interestingly, at SFO there is a charge for the carts inside customs - $6.

 

Now, the important question....are you on two separate tickets from PPT to LAX to ???.  If it is one ticket, and the bags are through checked, you can just drop them off after leaving the customs area.

 

 

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

At LAX, there are free luggage carts in the international customs-area baggage claim.  You can easily take the carts out of TBIT, take a left at the street and walk to the DL terminal (T2/3).

 

Interestingly, at SFO there is a charge for the carts inside customs - $6.

 

Now, the important question....are you on two separate tickets from PPT to LAX to ???.  If it is one ticket, and the bags are through checked, you can just drop them off after leaving the customs area.

 

 

2 separate tickets 

Can We Use a luggage cart on the DELTA SKYWAY from TOM BRADY INT TO DETA TERM 3

Can we use luggage carts between Tom Brady Int. and Delta Terminal 3 on the SKYWAY  at LAX.

Can We Use luggage carts from Tom Brady Int. To Delta Termal 3 on the SKYWAY.

1 hour ago, Snaefell3 said:

I've eaten Applebee's (mystery fish) and Ember's (sea bass) Fish & Chips.  Ain't the same dish.

 

Tip: Even more so if you substitute out ordinary Chips for "Potato Dippers" -- kind of midway between a french fry and a potato chip.

Best fish and chips I have ever eaten 

when I read sea bass I was amazed .The 2nd night I had the rib steak fantastic We went to Ember expected not much but was pleasantly surprised .

Still miss Jacques 

5 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Have you made your reservations? IF NOT, you'll find that if you're in a G-B cabin you won't likely get anything before 8 PM and most likely not before 8:30, unless your ship isn't full. The A and higher cabins get to make their reservations long before the lower-level cabins. You're left with the scraps.

 

Experienced this 1st hand on an Oct-Nov 2023 B2B cruise on Riviera. Started with 10 nights in an A3 and finished with 10 nights in a B3. We could get 6:30-8 pm reservations in the A3. We got an 8, 8:30 and two 9 pm's for our B3.

 

On board O asked us if we could change our horrible 9 pm times for 8:30 times, and I saw why. We and 2 or 3 other couples were the only people who showed up at or after 8:30. And by the time we're mid-way thru our meal, the place is emptying out fast. It was all but empty by 9:30. (I suspect the 9 pm is really a "fake" time, that they don't want you to accept, hoping you'll just not try to reserve a table that late. But if you do, they'll try to seat you at 8:30.)

 

The above is ONLY about tables for 2. We did NOT try to share a table.

That ussaly happens when you book 2 separate cruises instead of B2B.

On B2B we where able to book all our 8 reservations at one time.before the next segment was available for the 18 day cruise But you get 2 cruise credits instead of 1 by booking separate cruises. 

52 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Good day folks,

This morning, several hundred late sleeping folks (we have lost an hours sleep for the past 3 nights) were cheerfully awakened by those nasty bells and the soothing voice of Peter (our CD) with his important 9:30 am (8:30 for many body clocks) announcement that breakfast was being served until 10!  He then went on with his other important items which was to read the schedule found in Currents!  If these annoying announcements are O company policy then they should have a PA system in their home office and be disturbed several times a day by such important announcements.

 

We continue moving eastward (at about 18 knots) towards Madeira.  It has turned into a gorgeous warm day and quite a few fellow passengers have been spending some time in the sun (including yours truly).

 

Today I will talk about a popular O topic which is the cuisine.  Last night, DW and I enjoyed dinner in the GDR and my meal was truly enjoyable.  In fact, my starter was a true star and something we hope DW can duplicate at home.  It was on the menu as "Crispy Scallops parrillas."  It was a dish suitable for the cover of Bon Appetit!  Small scallops (not sure if they were bay scallops or cut-up sea scallops) were wrapped in crispy phyllo dough and surrounded by a colorful garnish.  For me, it was the most interesting dish (so far) we have had on the Vista.  Yesterday I mentioned that "grilled prime rib" was on the menu and I decided to give it a try.  Our waiter warned me that it was not normal "prime rib" but simply slices.  The plate had 3 slices (similar to the size and shape of London Broil slices) with a brown gravy.  The slices of beef were over 1/4 inch thick and were truly prime rib presented in a different way.  The taste was good (just like eating a big slab of prime rib) and the gravy tasted like an au jus reduction.  It was easy to see the economic benefit of serving prime rib in this manner, but the taste and texture were spot on.  The Vista has an excellent pastry chef because we have found almost all the breads to be excellent.  That being said, I am still looking for my first New York quality bagel on a ship.  The bagels here are quite good, but they do not have that proper chewy texture one finds in the bagels of New York or Montreal.

 

For lunch we returned to our favorite lunch venue which is Waves.  I had the Philly Cheesesteak, which is my favorite sandwich in Waves.  I do think we could crown Waves as having the "best sandwiches" at sea.  Many folks are fond of Aquamar, but this ole guy is not looking for "healthy cuisine" on this cruise  🙂  Speaking of Waves, DW has enjoyed several of the decent malted milk shakes.  Today we were also able to get our requested Perrier.  Yesterday there was none on the ship, so it must have magically been smuggled aboard via pirate ship (in the middle of the night).  

 

We are finally on Madeira time and today's schedule is back to normal with a single 9:30 show.  After more than a week of relaxing sea days we now must try to find the energy to handle many upcoming ports

 

Hank

We found the water on Vista not great so I would have them pour Perrier at all the venues we ate at. Also at the pool the bar had small bottles of Perrier also had room steward supply us with them 

8 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

So where is the issue? Would you prefer that they wait in the kitchen to give you a pause? I guess you would complain then that they arrived cold?

So you would dine in a Toscana style restaurant in less then 30 minutes pay any where between $150.00 and $200.00 and say you had a fine dinning experience. Too each his own.

6 hours ago, proton-excitement said:

I must be misunderstanding: So you ordered an appetizer and a main, and once you finished your appetizer they brought the main, but you refused what you originally ordered?

We finished our appetizers the Busboy took and cleared them and the waiter delivered our meal as the appetizers where removed. 

42 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

Excellent points and appreciated.  I have been trying to pin point what I felt was missing on Vista. While we enjoyed the trip we found that dinner In GDR felt less than relaxing. There was no time for a glass of wine before the food order was taken 

While service was good the room while lovely did not feel intimate and service was rushed and the venue was loud and crowded

 

We were on Azamara years ago we might revisit the ships again

 

All the best

 

Waltershipman 

 

Thank you

I think that's partly your fault On Vista in February  in the GDR we spread our dinner out for about an hour or more always told the waiter to spread out the meal.

one evening in Toscana our main dish came as soon as they removed our appetizers told them to take it back  and ordered different main course 

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We continue on our easterly course headed towards a Friday morning arrival at Funchal.  Today marks a week since we embarked from Ft Lauderdale.  Since DW and I did not bother to get off at our only stop (Great Stirrup Cay) we have not set foot on land in more than a week.  For us. it is all good since we love our lazy sea days.  The weather is OK with blue skies and seas with swells about 4 meters.  While the ship does move around in these seas, it is not enough motion to bother most folks.

 

Last evening, DW and I returned to Red Ginger and shared a table with a delightful couple.  Dinner was quite good (DW and I both had the sea bass) and the table conversation enjoyable...so we did not leave Red Ginger until after 9:30.  No reason to hurry since there has been a major schedule change aboard the Vista.  Last evening (and tonight) the usual 9:30 show has been changed to 5:45 with a movie showing after dinner.  We skipped last evenings Production Show (did not want to watch another high school musical).

 

As usual, I was among those who closed down the ship around 11:30.  I think it is safe to say that no more than 10% of the passengers are out and about after 10:15. Several have told us that they head to bed by 8:30!  

 

Had lunch at Waves today and discovered that the ship has run out of Perrier and Pelligrino.  Our table service was somewhat comical.  DW and I sat at a table for 4 (all the 2 tops were occupied) and about half way through lunch a waiter stopped at our table and cleared away the two extra place settings.  About 5 minutes later another waiter decided to set a third place setting at our table.  Less than 5 minutes later another waiter raided that 3rd place setting and took away the water glass.  

 

I mentioned in an earlier post that there is no Prime Rib on the menu of any of the reservation-only restaurants.  But I noticed on our TV menus, that in the GDR (tonight) one of the mains is "grilled Prime Rib."  We shall see what that is all about :).  Speaking of food/drink, yesterday I decided to order a glass of Orange Juice in the Terrace Grill.  The juice was semi-awful and tasted like cheap stuff out of a can.  One might compare this to Seabourn where they have a large self-service juice machine (the type where they dump dozens of whole oranges in a hopper) in their Lido restaurant.  

 

Vista now has a Bundled Laundry deal.  20 items for $24.95 (wash, dry, folded...but not ironed).  What I find interesting is that this is offered only on select dates (April 3, 4, 6, and 9).  I guess there is some logic to this offer 

 

Also noticed a "Top California Cabs" wine tasting is on today's activity agenda.  Only $95 + 20%.  $228 a couple for wine tasting is a bit rich for my blood.

 

Hank

Just to let you know ask someone behind the middle counter in the terrace cafe to pour from the fresh squeezed oj  that's in the fridge under the counter 

Back in the old days before the turn of the century we where docked in Shanghai on the Royal Viking Sky.

Train broke down with ships tour on the train.

Ship due to depart at 5 pm but it waited 6 hrs and departed at 11 pm.

The independent passengers where lucky the ships tour was on the train 

Before the turn of the century we where on the Royal Viking Sky docked In Shanghai. There was a ships tour by train and train broke down with about 30 passengers. We waited 6 hrs for there return. Left the port at 11 pm instead of 5 pm.

As Arthur Former always said the ship will always wait for ships tours

to return. 

On 10/6/2023 at 4:43 PM, julia said:

Recently off Regatta, our 33rd cruise, first time on O.  We have always booked verandah cabins, which work fine for us.  I'd read many posts about the bathrooms on this class, and was prepared for it, but the small shower was still shocking. 😲  Really.  My guy is 6'5", 250, and he had to stand sideways (never complained) to shower.  It was manageable for the week, but could be a deciding factor when considering a long cruise.

Are there any shelves or drawers in the renovated  bathroom 

is there still a round stool in front of the dresser or did they put a chair with a back like on the O ships 

31 minutes ago, KeepCalmBearOn said:

 

90% of those close by are mediocre national chains or mediocre tourist traps. One notable exception is L'Opera Italian Restaurant; a truly outstanding place.

 

And while I find Parker's Lighthouse a bit of a tourist trap, the Queensview Steakhouse on the 3rd floor of Parker's is very good.

 

Thanks for that we planned on Parkers and L'Opera sounds like something we would enjoy