JoePDX

ORV thank you for taking us along on your cruise.   Loving the pictures.  We embark Sirena in a week....   Captain and Executive Chef are the same we had on Riviera in September/October..  

If you run into Jack of jackdeb ask him how the sticky buns are.  You can tell him you are asking for a friend.   😄

Joe

4 hours ago, stephanie1968 said:

 

Concierge level -- I chose to pay for the concierge level mostly because I liked the idea of the spa deck, but now I am wondering if this will be useful on an Alaska cruise in August? Does anyone have pictures or comments on the spa deck of Regatta? My father is mobility impaired so will likely be staying on the ship for many of the port days while we will be out, so wondering if this would be a nice option for him? After reading here and looking at the excursion list, I don't think the "free" excursions in the Olife package are ones that are appealing to us, so I may see if I can downgrade if the spa deck is not that great.

I enjoy the spa deck, but it is not anything super special.   It has a large powerful saltwater jacuzzi and several plush lounge chairs.   That is all.   It can be calmer and quieter compared to the pool deck.   That said I would not pay significantly more for access, especially on a port intensive cruise like Alaska.

Do you have a travel agent?  If you do they should have explained the stateroom locations and guarantee with you.   Also most cruise lines do not allow a guest less than 18 to occupy their own stateroom unless it is a connecting room.

Joe

4 hours ago, stephanie1968 said:

 

Private excursions -- From my reading here, it seems like often a better deal to book the higher end excursions privately. 2 questions about that. First, if you book them yourself, how do you manage transportation to the town or starting point of the excursion? Are there Alaska-specific issues I should know about? Second, does anyone have comments on "must have" Alaska excursions? And how to go about researching them (obviously I can google around but wondering if there are specific sites or hints for finding good ones).

When I book a private excursion I request pick up at the cruise terminal or very nearby, 5 to 10 minute walk max.

Cruise Crituc’s sister site TripAdvisor.com is a good place to research available private excursions or small group tours.  Or simply Google “port name day tour” or “port name cruise tour” and. you will get lots of options.    Also check out the Ports of Call section here on Cruise Critic for recommendations or tour companies to avoid.

I only do private excursions.   You are in control and you often see so much more sometimes for a lot less.

Joe.   

Hi @jackdeb

Bin voyage!   We are watching you sail away live!   Have a great time.

Joe and Jeff

2 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

The 767 flying back is 2-3-2 seating. So, we have 2 seats together by ourselves in the back!

The Boeing 767 or the Airbus A330 each have 2-x-2 seating.   So much better to have just your partner in the row and that is all.     

The first row of Delta Comfort (extra legroom, but still economy) is the best on the 767 or the A330.  These are bulkhead seats.    I am 6'2" and can easily stretch out and no one reclining in front of you.

Joe

18 hours ago, Lance&Jen said:

What has been peoples experience with Oceania provided air from say LA or Seattle gateways to Barcelona?  Do they keep it simple with say a non or one stopper or go for absolute cheapest and maybe two stops?  If they get crazy, like LAX to Chicago to Rome to Barcelona, we'll do our own air.

Thanks

Have you priced it out doing it yourself and comparing to the Air Credit?   We fly from Portland which is not a gateway city for Oceania.  So we pay $199 extra plus we always fly in early or leave late so add the deviation fee and I can always do better on my own.   And I am in control.   We typically fly Delta non stop PDX-AMS and then onward.

No sure of your dates, but I just priced a nonstop on Iberia from LAX to BCN (October/November) for $522 a person in economy and $976 in Premium Economy.   Seattle your best options in my opinion are British Airways or Delta both with one stop options, nothing direct to BCN.

Joe

5 hours ago, Cashsmoney said:

Yeah unfortunately I don’t have any old phones. I would have just got them iPod touch’s but they don’t make them anymore.

Take a look at eBay…..

9 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Are you sure?

 

https://www.lifeatseacruises.com/faq/are-there-any-sit-down-restaurants

https://miraycruises.com/life-in-ship

Seems contradictory…..scroll down to Eating and Drinking section.

Translation issue maybe, but “Useful Information About Camping”.   Camping!

Joe

I stopped researching when I saw that all meals are served buffet style.

Joe

1 hour ago, bikegrrrl said:

Also, at that distance, you could probably just get a taxi!

We did taxi from Monaco to Villefranche and it was 75€.    Probably close to 150€ to get to Nice, each way.    Uber/Lyft do not serve Monaco.

Train is easy.   And inexpensive.   Monaco station is very modern.   Nice station about a 15 minute walk to the beachfront and market area.   Street car is a block from station in Nice if you don’t want to walk.
 

Joe

We are slowly ramping up to a 30+ night cruise.   We leave in two weeks for a 21 night crossing from Aruba to Barcelona.   Husband's retirement trip.  I will retire in 2024, then we have a 24 night crossing planned.  My dream is Oceania's 180+ day Around the World cruise.  Someday.  🙂

Joe

Watching the Port of Miami cam.  Riviera is pulling away from the pier right now...  10 minutes late.  So the late debarkation didn't impact departure.

https://www.portmiamiwebcam.com/

Joe

Hi Nashna -

I suspect  you will find a new home in Oceania.   

And I agree - generally a very positive and helpful group here on the Oceania Board.    I see you joined CruiseCritic in 2001 as I did, although I am one day older!!!   I've been posting on the Celebrity and Oceania Boards during most of that time and little has changed here in the tenor of the posters on the Oceania board.   

There are a couple of people that have responded to this thread that have been my "friends" for all those years.   I've met one in person and the other hopefully some day.   I think that says a lot too.

We were on Riviera in September/October of last year.   Overall an excellent cruise with the crew making it special and some outstanding meals.   Was it "perfect" no, but pretty darn close to what I expected of Oceania.

Welcome to the group!

Joe

1 hour ago, jackdeb said:

Hello Katz

Most of your questions have been answered,  the house band is often playing in Horizons at night or possibly Karaoke for the adventurous. My best advice is to join the roll call for the cruise, or start one.The outdoor daytime activities are always weather dependent, putting, shuffleboard, etc. Enjoy and happy sailing.

 

Depending on the cruise - Jack might sing too.   🙂

On our last Oceania Cruise there was a great band that played nightly in Horizons.   You could call them a tribute band, but that is not right, as the lead singer could seemingly sing anything.   80's, 90's, Gaga, Divas.   And most nights she had the dance floor full too.

We too are Elite Celebrity Cruisers...we still wouldn't rule out Celebrity.  Or as you can see in my Signature an upcoming RCCL cruise that was a rock bottom price. But for us Oceania fits just so well.

Joe

1 hour ago, ORV said:

 

Or I could be thinking of something else, I'm still a little bedazzled by that Houndstooth carpet. Don't think I've ever seen that on a carpet before. 

I am a big fan of houndstooth, but this version is pretty bold!   Must have been put in during the refurbishment as I don’t remember it when I was onboard Riviera this fall…

Joe

If you can get one of the SV staterooms, they are a good 3-4 feet longer than a standard cabin.  Very spacious.   And a traditional balcony that is also very large.

Joe

I put in my special request yesterday for our upcoming cruise.   Coke Zero and a gallon of distilled water for my CPAP.   Emailed specialservices@oceaniacruises.com.   Within an hour I had a confirmation email that our booking had been updated.

Joe

High praise for Ramses Tours.  https://ramsestours.com/  We used them in Safaga for a Luxor overnight in 2017.   Everything from preplanning to the tour itself was handled professionally.   We had a super guide, name of Dida.  It was also very cost effective.   Cost included guide, driver, guard, five star hotel stay on the Nile, all meals except dinner.   I think it was around $250 a person.

Joe

1 hour ago, jackdeb said:

Hello Mark we are also on Pink Sand Soirée ( aka Bermuda Triangle). Looking forward to seeing you two at the M&G in Horizons. Defending Canadian values is part of the fun.🇨🇦

@MarkWiltonM we thoroughly endorse @jackdeb.

We would love them even if they were not Canadian.   😊

Joe

Although I know there are awful people even on Oceania, Jeff and I have not had that experience.  We have sailed 54 nights on Oceania and have had the joy of meeting wonderful people, including some now lifelong friends.    I hope the same for the two of you.    

Although Red Ginger is our hands down favorite, Toscana ranks high for us too so don't rule it out.   If you are a fish eater the Dover Sole is amazing.   🙂

Definitely use  your roll call for connections.   Also see the reservation desk upon boarding and call every morning to see if anything has opened up.

Have a great time on Riviera!

Joe (& Jeff)

7 hours ago, MSEm said:

 

Could we carry glass of wine into the dining room?

 

No.   Either consume in your stateroom, or bring the unopened bottle and pay the corkage fee.   

Joe

It is very easy to get the Turkish e-Visa yourself.   Their site is a little finicky, but you will save $50 a person by doing it on your own.   Took me less than 15 minutes to get both of our e-Visas.  And within a few minutes more we had the email with a link to print the actual e-Visa.

The e-Visa is good for entry into Turkey anytime within six months of the first date of entry you choose.   I backed the first entry date back about a week just in case we had any flight changes, as once you pick a date, you cannot enter anytime earlier, nor can you change the date after the visa has been issued.

You can apply for the e-Visa no more than 90 days before the first entry date.

Make sure you are on the official Turkish government site - there are a lot of "imposters" out there that will either steal your information or charge you a higher cost.    This is the official site:    https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

Joe

I reserved Privee on Rivera this past September for my husband’s birthday.   Cost was $300 which included gratuity.   I chose the Degustation Menu.  I bought the wine and champagne ashore and paid the $25 corkage fee.   The staff serving us that night was amazing and I provided extra gratuity to each.   
 

The Concierge will reach out before the night to confirm the menu selection.   I have heard that some alterations can be made to the menu, but in our case the took the menu as presented.   
 

A real highlight of our trip.   And I would do it again.
 

Joe
 

As a non-drinker, I agree with LHT28, would never want to see alcoholic beverages included in the cruise fare.   I personally choose not to subsidize the cost of something that I will not use.

I hope the food issues are resolved before we board Sirena in March for the 21 night crossing.   We were on Riviera in September/October and overall found the food to be very good to excellent.

Joe

My experience is to regularly check availability on Oceania’s website.   The one time I was waitlisted, I located the availability and made the call to my TA to get it.

LHT28’s advice is also valid, you can always cancel before final payment if what you want doesn’t become available.

Good luck!

Joe