greenamber

Just a reminder in the event that you are unaware, May 1 is the annual Labour Day holiday in Europe and some attractions may be closed and public transport is on a reduced schedule. The shops certainly will be closed, and there my be street parades. Lisbon is a great city just to walk about, sit and enjoy great coffee and of course Pasteis do Nata which are delicious. Enjoy your cruise,

We used taxis both ways. Plenty of taxis available outside both the airport and cruise terminal. They are all fixed price.

Glad to hear about the sandals as that is what I usually bring but I read somewhere no sandals at dinner?

Sandals are fine as long as they are smart, not flip flop/thong beach type.

As a fellow Brit female, I thought I would just add my thoughts, pretty much agree with all previous posters, I like to dress up a bit in the evening, but very rarely wear dresses, I take several pairs of trousers in different colours and team these up with floaty tunic type tops, think Sahara or Phase Eight in the Uk and you will know where I am coming from. Add a nice pair of sandals and some jewellery and you will be spot on. My husband does take a blazer type jacket, which he wears some nights, other than that chino type trousers with a smart casual shirt. Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise, I am sure you will love it.

I love the bath salts and the clear soap, but find the combined shower gel/shampoo is not very good if you have long hair. I take my own preferred brand of shampoo and conditioner, and shower cream as I have sensitive skin, but my husband uses the Bulgari stuff. I do like the perfume however.

Sorry still trying to get the hang of posting photos, the previous post shows the outside tub on an aft Oceania Suite on Riviera.

Depending on where your cruise is departing from my advice would be to book pre-cruise. I think the cut off point for pre-booking is something like 2 weeks, you will need to check this. After the cut off date you can book on board, however this year we purchased on board and were caught out by an additional tax imposed by Spain, this applied to the whole cruise. Next year we will be sure to book before our departure.

We have just returned from a Riviera cruise and the art classes were held between 16.00 and 18.00 on most days of our 10 day cruise. As others have said get there early and that may well include your boarding day, so do check. The first day of our cruise was a briefing by the artist and all the classes were full and some were unable to get in. The classes were painting only and all abilities were welcome. Like you I am more into jewellery and textiles and on a cruise a couple of years ago we had a mixed media artist who was fantastic.

As far as needlepoint is concerned this normally takes the form of a coffee get together with the social hostess. She will provide kits for you to stitch during your cruise. I think this takes place on a sea day, so keep an eye out in the currents.

Enjoy your cruise and crafts.

We have just returned from our cruise in 11083. We loved it. I too spent some time reading through the differing opinions vis a vis the aft suites and those on deck 12. After much deliberation we went for the aft and are so happy that we did. I think one should consider the time of year and climate of your cruise. We had zero noise from the terrace above, but as it was an Autumn med cruise not many people were eating on the outside terrace. The only problem we experienced was considerable vibration when coming into port, so much so that my bedside glass of water on one occasion ended up on the floor, but as we are early risers this did not bother us at all, other than that we had no problem with motion and with that wonderful bed slept like logs.

The suite was fantastic and the highlight for me the wrap around terrace, the view of the wake is mesmerising and we were always able to find a sunny spot. My husband also loved the media room and was able to watch many of his favourite movies without disturbing me relaxing in the main lounge area.

I did take photographs when we first entered the suite and I will try to post below.

We received an email from Oceania via our UK TA yesterday to notify a change of itinerary from Tunis for our October cruise. It is such a shame as this was the only place on the itinerary we had not previously visited, but we can understand Oceania's decision. I am sure we will enjoy yet another visit to Sicily there is always something new to see and if not we will just enjoy some quality time on the ship.

Hello greenamber,

 

We're heading to Nautica on Tuesday. Seeing that you are from the UK, you may be a football fan. If so, my London born husband would like to know anything you can share about how the crew members are viewing the World Cup since it's not available on board. I have visions of him sneaking to the crew bar to watch on someone's I Pad! Sadly we won't be in port to see games live.

 

Thanks! Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

Hello Mrs Jones, we are not great football fans, but we did enjoy some great banter with the Italian staff and I believe there was a party on the crew deck after they beat England!! I know they were very happy at breakfast the morning after the match. There is no coverage on board, but you will be able to get the results on the TV and I am sure the staff will keep you up to date . Have a wonderful cruise. X

Come on be nice guys, don't attack someone who has never posted before for adding their views. I actually agree with quite a few of the points raised although think they were being over the top picky! However I would concur absolutely on the points of hygiene and rudeness. We were given a letter before embarkation to say that they had cases of sickness on board the previous cruise and were taking extra precautions, but we saw time and time again passengers ignoring the hand cleaning points, forgetting that even though they may have washed their hands before leaving their cabin they may have held hand rails or used lift pushes. Also there is no cause for the rudeness we saw staff being subjected to on numerous occasions. It costs nothing to say please and thank you, but this seemed to be a rarity. I personally found this very upsetting and on more than one occasion had to bite my tongue for fear of conflict with fellow passengers.

Having got that off my chest, we had a wonderful cruise, visited some new ports and with the exception of Durres we enjoyed them all. We met some great people among our fellow passengers who were generally older than our last cruise, having said that we did have a lovely Australian family on board covering three generations, including several delightful and charming children who were a joy to watch and they were thoroughly enjoying the experience. The ship, the food and especially the staff were fantastic, but I think on reflection we prefer Riviera due to the wider choice of restaurants. Back home now with just a mountain of laundry, happy memories and look forward to being back on board Oceania soon.

The condition of the ship is wonderful as is our PH there is plenty of room my observation was that the bathroom was a bit small, but the suite itself is very spacious and the decor is lovely. All throughout the ship the carpets are new and I believe most of the soft furnishings it is obvious that a lot of money has been spent. The chairs in Martinis have that lovely smell of new leather. The bed is heavenly!! Have not been to the casino, but it is next to Martinis and it seems to be quite busy after dinner. I am sure all who are fortunate enough to be boarding in the future will not be at all disappointed.

Live from Nautica continued

Day 2

The sail out of Venice was spectacular, we left venice at 20:00 the sun was just setting as we sailed past San Marco, providing wonderful, photo opportunities. This was followed by our first dinner in the Grand Dining Room. We shared a table and enjoyed a very convivial evening, although I was a little disappointed with my " taste of Red Ginger" main course which tasted mainly of salt! Rob's steak however he said was superb. By the way they are not serving any meat rare at the moment due to a few cases of sickness, but we have found the level of cleanliness on boars to be second to nine, with staff at the entrance to all dining venues to ensure all guests clean their hands before entering. Also when re-entering the ship from ashore, one not only cleans hands, but shoes as well. Well done Oceania for trying to keep us all free from sickness.

Day 3

Early morning visit to the gym before arrival in Koper. Slovenia. By the way the gym is not large, but all the equipment appears to be in good shape and definitely meets our requirements. Koper is pretty little town and we spent a pleasant morning wandering around the narrow streets admiring the views before returning to the ship for lunch again at then Terrace which is such a nice place to be when the sun is shining which it certainly is. Today it hit 30 c and felt a little uncomfortable, there were no sun beds I'm the shade so we retreated to the comfort of our suite for a snooze. Dinner tonight in Polo was excellent, we both had a beet root and goats cheese starter and I followed with Lobster and Rob with veal. We have also found the wine service to be really good and our glasses were never empty. By the way we have taken the premium wine package, we are not really big drinkers, we enjoy a glass or two of wine with lunch and dinner and maybe a cocktail or two and that's it, but we like the convenience of not having to sign and we know up front what our bill is likely to be. We also have unlimited internet which is proving to be pretty good for emails although I have tried Skype voice only and is hasn't been successful.

Day 3

Split, Croatia. Lovely city with lots of interest, we spent the morning touring the city, but it was again extremely hot for walking in the sun. Luckily a lot of narrow streets which were quite shady.

Spent a lazy afternoon on deck 10 taking in some sun. Dinner last night in the Grand Dining Room was faultless, both in terms of food and service.

Day 4

Kotor, Montenegro.

Up at 6.30 to enjoy the wonderful sail into the Fiord. Again this morning the weather is extremely hot. We enjoyed walking around the fortress walls of Kotor, but did not attempt to climb to the top due to the heat, instead opting for a swim in the lovely clear cool water.

Because of the heat we decided to return to the ship for lunch and again opted for our favourite spot on the Terrace. By this time the skies were becoming darker and thunder was rumbling in the distance. We were half way through our lunch when an unbelievable storm suddenly hit taking everything from the Terrace with it. The crew did a wonderful job of getting everyone off the terrace as quickly as possible, but unfortunately a couple of guests did receive some injuries. I am now feeling very cross when I hear guests who were not even present saying the crew should have known better. Believe me we were there and this storm came in seconds. Rob is an experienced sailor and he said that although rare this does happen without warning. In fact a yacht which was passing Nautica with its mainsail up had it ripped to shreds in seconds, they had no chance of dropping the sail which goes to show how it happened so fast. I just wanted to get that off my chest in case any rumours hit this forum. Believe me we were there and the crew did a brilliant job.

Hello

I have followed many of your thoughts and comments for the past couple of years so thought it about time I gave some of my own. First of all this is only our 3rd cruise, the first being on Celebrity Eclipse and whilst we enjoyed the experience it left us feeling cruising really wasn't for us so we went back to land based holidays. A couple of years on I read an article about Oceania and thought maybe we should give it another try and last year we were on board Riviera, a totally different and enjoyable experience, we loved it. So this year here we are again this time on Nautica chosen for the itinerary rather than the ship itself as there are 3 countries on this list we have never visited before.

First thoughts on Nautica well like me she may be a lady of a certain age, but she absolutely doesn't show it. Of course just having had the refurb we have nothing to compare to, but I would say in style she is a mini me version of Riviera, although Nautica is more country house than glitz. I will try and post some photos later, but in the meantime if anyone has any specific questions just post here and I will try to answer.

Day 1 arrival

Left London in torrential rain and thunder storms, pilot did a good job of avoiding them and just over 2 hours later arrived in a very warm Venice. Straight to the ship, welcomed by staff, checked in on board and our suite was ready a PH3 aft. First impressions of the suite were lovely, the furnishings all have that new smell and the colours are the same as our suite on Riviera last year. It is not quite as spacious, but plenty of room for our needs, the bathroom a little on the tight side, but functional, personally I would prefer a large shower rather than a bath. There was a lovely floral arrangement in addition to the normal orchid plant, a gift from our TA.

We had lunch in the Terrace, Ceaser salad enjoyed with a Proseco, well we are in Italy!! What a view, sitting in the sun overlooking Venice water and the red tiled rooftops of this beautiful city. The ship is moored in San Basilio at the end of the quay with nothing to interrupt the view. After lunch time to relax and familiarise ourselves with the ship.

Cocktails in Martinis, followed by dinner in Toscana, we hadn't booked but they were able to accommodate us and dinner was superb. Risotto and Scaloppini for me and Gnocci and lobster pasta for Rob washed down with a glass or three of chianti , well we are in Italy. A quick pit stop at Martinis on the way back left us feeling a little weary, time for bed. By the way a menu for lunch and dinner in the Grand Dining Room was delivered along with Currents, a welcome addition.

Day 2 Venice

Awoke after a good sleep in the ever so comfortable bed, also happy to report that although our suite in under the Terrace, no noise problems. We managed to drag our not so enthusiastic bodies off to the gym for a quick work out before breakfast at the Terrace. The berries are still here and were delicious! As we have visited Venice before, we did not go into the centre, but walked along the waterfront and went to the Galleria Accedemia and then watched a regatta before strolling back to the ship. Lunch again sitting outside at the Terrace, more proseco, followed by a visit to Baristas for coffee. Must admit it doesn't have the same atmosphere as Baristas on Riviera, but the coffee was just as good. Dinner will be late tonight as we want to enjoy the last glimpse of Venice as we sail away.

We were in this PH1 on Riviera last year and we did experience noise problems in the early hours of the morning due to a group of 'party animals' on board who used the sun beds for smoking, although this was not a designated smoking area. The crew were excellent and the problem was quickly resolved after a phone call to reception, but obviously annoying at the time. We did not hear any noise early in the morning from staff sorting sun beds. I would add that according to staff and also other guests it was unusual to experience these problems. The suite otherwise is in a really good position and quite close to the Lounge which was useful for a quick cup of coffee.

You should be fine. This past autumn the weather was lovely well into November. You may find it a bit breezy with the occasional shower. It is a great itinerary and Jim and Stan are spot on with their comments. All ports of call on this itinerary are great places to visit and Lisbon is also a wonderful city to end your stay! if you have not visited this area before, go for it I am sure you will have a great time and if possible do try to fit in pre and post stays.

We also throw away the World Card holder .. see no use for it. On this subject, we also wipe the card with hand sanitizer after entering and leaving the ship. Since the security staff handle each card before ours ... we want to be extra safe and healthy.

Hey, I still use mine every week when I go to the gym, it is just the right size for my gym pass and emergency £10 note to fit into my joggers small pocket. Looking forward to our cruise in the summer to get a replacement. :)

Amsterdam is a city I know very well having worked for Dutch companies most of my working life. I agree with most of the comments made, especially looking out for the bikes and trams, they really do rule the road. A canal trip is a very relaxing way to see the city and if you take the museum boat it is a ho ho boat which stops close to all of the museums. My favourite is the Van Gogh and I believe is a must see.

Of course a lot depends on one's budget, but I would say the most important factor would be to be within comfortable walking distance of the underground; sorry subway. London is a wonderful city but then I am a little biased. I am sure you will have a great time and a week is enough time to enjoy the city and maybe explore a little further afield. Whatever you decide enjoy.

I too make a daily call to my 88 year old Mum and use Skype credits to call to her land line, she does not have internet access. I call via wifi from my ipad or cell phone and the cost is minimal. Probably worth giving it a go. Good luck.

To clarify ginger beer in the UK is available in both alcoholic and non alcoholic varieties. I don't think Enid Blyton would have been too happy if the "The Famous Five" had enjoyed "lashings of ginger beer" on their picnics if it had contained alcohol!

Thanks Mr del Rio for your usual "on the case" attitude, we can't wait for our FIRST Oceania cruise in May.

I would second this request, my husband's favourite cocktail is a "Dark & Stormy" and it just doesn't taste right without ginger beer. Ginger beer is also fantastic if one is feeling a little sea sick.