Solar Yellow

I did a little amateur googling and I wonder if he's "retired" from maintaining his website because he turns 83 years old in September and his house is for sale.

Thank you to Tom Sheridan for all the hard work.  The guides were so helpful!

1 hour ago, Bimmer09 said:

 

Norris, Von from Iowa here.  I was on Azamara Quest in 2021 with you and Carol.  Have you looked at Oceania for Istanbul?  It appears Marina, Riviera, and Vista visit Istanbul in 2024.  Vista is their brand new ship and probably the most expensive option.  Riviera has been recently refurbished very nicely and Marina will be refurbished in April 2024 or thereabouts. They're lovely mid-size ships with 1200ish passengers and good food.  Even standard veranda cabins are a good size with nice bathrooms.  Entertainment is not their strength but sometimes the shows are remarkably good for a smaller ship. Their new Simply More package includes internet, drinks, and some tours.  No extra cost for premium dining restaurants, always country club casual, and no photographers or art sales.  Gratuities are extra but if you find the right travel agency, you'll often get more OBC and gratuities covered.

Istanbul is top two or three for me of the cities I've been to.  I agree with the poster above that says at least one or two nights in a hotel before embarkation even if the cruise starts with an overnight.  Be forewarned that the Galataport is a hot mess.  You'll see the ship 40 feet way from you but will have to walk a mile to get to it and probably get a little turned around on the way there.

3 hours ago, Piaa said:

 

Whew 🤣

Ha!  I wouldn't have posted a response if I had thought you were unfair.  People are entitled to their opinion.  

But, as I was reading your review, I kept thinking yep, true to every one of your points.  Had the cruise been expensive, I would have been very disappointed.  Cabin was old and tired, bathroom tiny (which I knew), etc.  Since getting back, I've been looking for another cruise to take on Azamara and there's no way I'd pay what they want now.

I have a cruise in late 2023 coming up on Celebrity.  Haven't been on them in 10 years but I'm looking forward to it.  I dream of returning to Oceania but I'm solo now and just can't justify the cost no matter how much I love the O ships.

I was prepared to be angry at Piaa for an unfair and overly harsh review but having read it and having been onboard Onward from July 20 - 30, 2022, I can't argue with a thing.  Piaa is 100% correct IMO.

It's funny, though.  I had a good time on the cruise and most of what Piaa remarks on didn't really bother me that much.  However, I got a good deal on the cruise and had tons of OBC which I'm sure positively impacted the experience.

So, I think people that feel the value is there won't find Onward to be a 2.9 experience.  I also did not find it to be a luxury experience but I didn't really expect it to be.  The food was only good, not great.  The premium restaurants were not worth the cost, the ship was still a little shabby in spots (but they were working on it), and I didn't bother with the entertainment. However, the itinerary was good, the crew was great, and there were no complete disasters.

Hi, Norris.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  Thanks very much for doing this.  It'll help keep my memories of the trip alive.

Von

1 hour ago, Bimmer09 said:

Alas Dani as you'll hear in my sailaway video coming up I don't have a strong accent anymore. Modified by years living in London, Noo Joisey and Chicaaaago.

Norris

Ha!  I can attest to the fact that he doesn't have much of an Irish accent any more.  But still more Ireland than Chicago or New Jersey.

Hi Norris. Signing on for the trip report!

2 hours ago, Huntingdon1701 said:

The Italian regulation about this is here and it came out on March 2, 2021:
 

https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2021/03/02/21A01331/sg

The relevant passage is:  5. Gli scali sono consentiti solo negli Stati e  territori  di  cui
agli elenchi A, B e C dell'allegato 20 e sono vietate  le  escursioni
libere, per le quali i servizi della crociera  non  possono  adottare
specifiche misure di prevenzione dal contagio. 

 

It essentially says walking ashore on your own is prohibited, unless the cruise ship can put in place specific measures ie runs its own bubble excursions. (According to google translate)

 

Someone in the NCL forum dug this up, not me. 

Thanks very much, Huntingdon.  I called Azamara again to ask why they're offering "own your own" excursions for our Livorno port overnight and they couldn't explain.  That in combination with the unclear documentation on their website (that appears to have been fixed now), explains why some of us are so confused and frustrated.  It is what it is.    

11 minutes ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Where did you find that out?

 

You are barking up the wrong tree with "private journeys". I know what these are. Azamara will put together your own private tour and these are very expensive. They are not a private tour as you are interpreting it. 

 

Phil 

Some of us on our Roll Call have googled and can't find any requirement for ship sponsored excursion from the country of Italy.  Also, the private tour companies we've already made arrangements with have said it's not coming from the port authorities (unsurprisingly) and they're checking on their end.

Believe me, I'm prepared for the prices that Private Journeys comes up with to be ridiculous and insulting.  Hoping this requirement goes away soon as someone removes their head from an orifice.  

I called Azamara this morning for some clarification on the shore excursion requirements/restrictions.  I told the very friendly rep that our research indicates that neither the country of Italy nor the port authorities are demanding only ship arranged shore excursion in Italy and that the number and types of available ship sponsored excursions are too limited. 

After being on hold for quite some time, the rep came back and told me that couldn't reach a supervisor, their port authority team, or a third group she was trying to reach (I forget whom) but that she googled it and determined that the restriction is indeed in place for Italy but that we could reach out to "Private Journeys" to arrange for approved private tours at 844-571-7851.  

I called the number and it was answered by "Royal Caribbean" and that they were for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara private tours (apparently they're still doing this for Azamara despite the sale of the company).  I gave them some details of tours that we'd like to replace for the private (non-sponsored) tours we already set up.  Their turn around time for the quote is four business days.  The rep also mentioned they can only arrange tours up to 21 days in advance.

Finally, I googled "Private Journeys" and found this website: royalcaribbean.com/privatejourneys

On 8/9/2020 at 6:16 PM, Baynanno1 said:

I would try a direct approach to Azamara.

 

The cynic in me sees your TA keen to reap the benefits of a more expensive cruise. Apologies if she is a very good friend of yours, but if you have read the boards extensively you will be aware many TA's have not been doing the best for their customers.

 

I know some who have posted on various threads have been able to lift and shift not only to different times of the year (outside the guidelines of the cruise with confidence policy), but also to quite different itineraries.

 

Nothing to lose by making that phone call. Good luck!

Our TA took another stab at it and escalated our request.  The manager was apparently annoyed that the first rep didn't immediately confirm it was okay!  So, we're set (again) for a cruise in the Med in late May 2021.  Crossing our fingers.

I lurk on the boards a lot but I'm not a big poster.  However, I'm curious what others think.  I booked a cruise for myself in one cabin and my sister and her spouse in another.  It was a Med cruise for last April so it was canceled.  We rebooked a Med cruise for late October using the 25% bump they gave us to upgrade our cabins plus just a little more cash.  This cruise was canceled this week (which we were anticipating, of course).

We're trying to book a cruise for next May but they want significantly more money ($1700 more for my sister and her spouse for an equivalent cabin to the October cruise).  My agent is working on them but says RC and their affiliates are very difficult to work with compared to Carnival and NCL.  She's trying to do a lift and shift since our original cruise was in April but they're not allowing it.  Am I being unreasonable to think we should be able to take this May 2021 cruise for the same amount of money and in the upgraded cabins?  The original cruise had starting prices of $1319 and this May 2021 cruise has starting prices under $1200.  I know there's more to it than that, but it seems like an indicator that we should be able to work something out.

We're very close to cancelling and going back to Oceania or maybe even try Crystal instead.  What do you think?

Mike, I've loved your reviews for years.  I'm so sorry to hear about Carol.

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

I have written a letter to Oceania.  This is not my first letter written to a large company of products/services that seem to have issues.  It is very detailed, written in a non-confrontational yet direct style and also provides solutions to the issues based on my decades of customer service experience. Those letters were sent registered mail signature needed.  They were sent to the office of the high level leadership of Oceania and NCL the parent company. 

OMG!  That's all.

If you think this may be your last trip to Europe, I say go for it! Treat yourself to the Riviera- you won’t be disappointed!

 

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Totally agree. If the higher cost of Oceania really isn't a burden, it's worth every penny. I just got back from Alaska on Nieuw Amsterdam (I know, larger and newer than Veendam). My friends were on their first cruise in 20 years and I probably drove them nuts comparing everything to Oceania. Apologizing, actually. They bought the soda package and ended up drinking no more than two or three Cokes a day because it was so difficult to find someone that would go get one. Also apologized for the food and the zoo of people in the buffet, the photographers, the art auctions, the formal nights, all the announcements, etc. It wasn't a horrible experience, it just wasn't in the same league as Oceania.

Oceania is a completely different experience. Do it!

I usually lurk, but this is a great topic and I feel the urge to comment. I've been on Marina once and Riviera twice. We did the Baltic on Nautica and I wasn't a fan of the ship. In fact, I would never sail an R ship again.

The comments and ideas here have hit the nail on the head. Nautica didn't feel special to me like the O ships. The decor is old fashioned and I missed Jacques and Red Ginger. The bathroom module in the cabin really sealed the thumbs down fate for me. I'm a large guy and actually found the tiny shower to be more manageable than the shower cubicles on the O ships (I have to use the bathtub/shower). However, the overall size of the bathrooms on the R ships is down-market and the 1960's Rubbermaid look brought me back to reality every time I stepped in. Seems like a small thing but the O ships just make me feel like I'm outside my normal reality - something I look for while I'm on holiday.

So, yes, I agree with the upgraded bathrooms even if it results in fewer cabins. And let's update the carpets and art - maybe not as contemporary as the Azamara ships, but lighter and certainly more modern.

Who cares one way or the other. Much more important things to worry about. :confused::confused::confused:

Well my goodness. I thought the was a public board where I could voice my opinion. Of course there are other things to worry about. It isn't a big deal but I do find them annoying and a waste of time. Also, I was responding to someone that thought maybe they'd gone away. Please RJB, please continue to be confused, confused, confused.

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Nope. On Nautica now and find the damn things every evening

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We just ask our TA to let Oceania know we want our fridge stocked with nothing but Coke Zero and we usually arrive to find it as ordered. It didn't happen one time, but we just asked our attendant. By the way, Oceania carries Coke products so I don't think you'll have any luck getting Pepsi.

I'm with Lyn. People can be very thoughtless and inconsiderate. I was on Riviera in May 2014 and witnessed an adult, though young, person run her finger around the rim of all the stemware on the table during muster in the Grand Dining Room. She also put the chrome lid to the butter container on her head. I made sure to tell the staff about it afterwards. I noticed in May 2015 during muster on Riviera, the tables were not set. Not sure if it was a coincidence or not.

May I say, this thread is exactly what the Oceana board needs right now? So fun to read along with somebody having a great time and experiencing Oceania for the first time! Thanks for sharing, Lee.

Annie more Ercolano photos coming up.

 

I doubt if there's a writer or photographer on Earth who can make Florence more interesting or beautiful than Rome. Florence had little time to make a big first impression on me.

 

Norris

Ha! I figured by now there would be a firestorm of posts from people telling you Florence is better than Rome. Guess I'll be the first. The first time I was there, we had an overnight stop in Livorno. We rented a car, stopped in Lucca and Pisa, and then stayed in Florence instead of going back to the ship. I think staying overnight helped us fall in love with Florence. Rome is great, but I love how walkable Florence is and I find it cleaner and more manageable than Rome. It has its share of history and art, too.

We have returned for a pre- and post-cruise stay including trips into the Tuscan countryside to visit Siena, San Gimignano, Cinque Terre, Bologne, etc. The surrounding areas are another strong draw for Florence. You owe it to yourself to spend more time there!

But I digress. Please continue... ;)

'fraid they won't be there from the previous cruise. Ours were whipped away the day before we docked!! The steward will put them out for you if you ask. See you on Monday and I will be asking if you have the loungers. Judith

When did this happen? I had one of these cabins in May right after the dry dock and my veranda had two loungers and a small table. They were so new, I finished removing the shipping wrap from them. I seriously doubt they were removed since they were specifically added just for those B3 cabins.

Solar_Yellow,

 

The ALL Vantage River Cruise Roll Calls: 2015-2016 thread on the River Cruise Roll Call forum shows that RLJAN, TwofromVirginia, donnasworld, drmbrm, and bobpatj are doing the Majestic Rivers of Europe before you are. After their cruises, they might be able to answer your question.

 

The problem is that CruiseCritic doesn't allow you to contact people directly unless you've made them a "friend," so it's hard to get people's attention.

 

Also, it looks like cp556 will be on the same trip that you'll be on. If it's OK, I'll go ahead and add you to the list.

 

FuelScience

Yes. That would be great! Thanks.

What an interesting thread! When I first read Norris' post, my thought was it was an easy answer. Then, I tried to define it in my mind and I really can't do it. I don't like formality and would probably not enjoy Crystal (and some of the other "luxury" lines) as a result. I'm not a big drinker so free-flowing alcohol is not import to me. I love Oceania for the food, ambiance, service, no formal nights, beautiful cabins/bathrooms, and size of ships. Most of all, though, I love Oceania for the wonderful people I've met and made friends with. Now that's luxury!

I've followed Norris' very entertaining posts on the Princess forums so I really hope he decides to try Oceania just so I can see what he thinks and live vicariously through him.