alcpa1

Your situation might be another case of the IT issues. Contact your TA to have your account updated or have them book your excursions.

FeelingCruisy, You can bring as much booze as you want no matter the ports - embarkation or otherwise. Don't worry about the O guidelines. The rules are trite and unenforced. As has been noted your potables are for consumption in your cabin or on your balcony. The corkage fee is for your personal wine collection consumed in the dining rooms and is $25 per bottle. The specialty restaurants are by reservation and prebooking can be done prior to the cruise. Numbers and booking dates are based on cabin category. Additional reservations are often available once you board. Oceania is a little confusing, especially the O Life component but once onboard everything works.

If you want a more modern hotel check out Marriott's AC.

We have used EcoUruaguay several times. They have offices in Hartford CT and can arrange tours throughout South America. We highly recommend them.

Just returned from The Journey and did get the on line survey.

We booked another Azamara cruise while onboard last month. The deposit was paid last week and we thought we were good to start planning. Today we had another booking number for a different class of cabin for the same cruise with a request for deposit. We could not cancel it on the web site. Finally got through to an Azamara agent who cancelled the second booking. I can tell you, and everyone else, that their cruise planners are just as frustrated as we are and their internal communications are driving them nuts. We all need patience, and lots of it. As my mother would say.....this too shall pass.

We have just returned from our latest Azamara sailing and are happy to report that it was a delightful cruise. You may not know that Sycamore Partners purchased the line from RCI several years ago and our ship, The Journey, was in fine shape with a very capable crew. The balcony and oceanview cabins are fine with good storage. The bathrooms are on the small side as is the shower. There are oceanview cabins on deck 6 that have been transformed into solo cabins. They are under the lifeboats so do not have much of a view. They are, however, midships with easy access to both elevator/stairs corridors. We found the passengers very friendly on this sailing as well as those in the past. Azamara is itinerary driven and that is its biggest draw. The cuisine was varied and quite good. Right now the only issue is the technology transfer from RCI to Azamara. Eventually things will work out. It has been widely reported but it certainly didn't stop us from booking another Azamara cruise while onboard.

Good morning. We embarked after several days in Lisbon so engaged our guide there but I imagine you can arrange a port pickup. Pifas Fonseca at ecotukpifas@gmail.com was a delight.

You probably know that the Tile Museum and the Carriage Museum are separated almost equaldistantly by theTime Out Market. To me that's a day well spent. Have you been to the Gulkenkian Museum? How about a Tuk Tuk tour that gets you on many side streets you may have missed on earlier trips. If you are going soon, Portugese time, be forwarned that a road construction project was just halted when they dug into ruins near the central plaza. Who knows how long it will take the government to determine how to preserve the dig site and restore one of the main roads. Traffic was challenging when we were there several weeks ago to board The Journey.

We have just returned from The Journey with 2 nights in Seville. Seville is just beautiful and easily walkable. The ship docks next to the aquarium and both are in a park like setting. You can walk to the Cathedral and the Spanish Square but more central Seville is quite a hike and while all of the neighborhoods looked fine I would advise a taxi due to distances and traffic. Crossing some of the wide boulevards and watching out for the motor bikes and crazy drivers would provide a challenge. While many of our port stops from Lisbon to Barcelona were in the low to mid 60's (farenheit) Seville was hovering in the 80's. Because it is so far inland we also didn't enjoy the ocean breezes. Enjoy Seville. It is truly beautiful.

jameslee, Please do not be surprised if your query vanishes. Please familiarize yourself with Cruise Critic rules, particularly those prohibiting the naming of specific travel/cruise companies.

Just as an fyi, and it is not O specific....your best views are from an aft cabin. If you want to see the shore and all that it offers. You will more than likely want to be on an open deck where you can view both sides. That is best for a glacial sailing and sailing in and out of Icy Straits to Hoonah. Check the weather before you leave because you might need shorts and cool shirts. I also highly recommend water PROOF not water RESISTANT outerwear. You may not have a drop of rain in June but if you do with the proper attire you can do almost everything. Enjoy.

Debarkation is almost always longer after a TA. Some Coast Guard inspections are carried out when the ship docks and before passengers and crew can disembark the ship. Couple that with the need to be at MIA 3 hours pre-flight and I recommend that you stay over and fly home the next day and you might find flights from both MIA and FLL. Have a great cruise.

Just as an FYI...There have been issues with coming and going through the port gates even in the most peaceful times.

If you have booked the cruise within the last 30 days you can still transfer the booking from Oceania to a travel agent. You may be overwhelmed by the types of agents representing Oceania but the best are the Connoisseur and Preferred agencies. Unfortunately we are not permitted to mention agents by name on Cruise Critic. Not only do they have more clout they can offer additional perks. They are familiar with everything you need to know to prepare for your adventure. Initially your 16 year old daughter should not be booked into any cabin unless it is adjacent or across the hall (inside cabin) within close proximity to you or your father. You can get around this by booking her with you and booking her father anywhere. Once on board you can move her. You can see all available cabins by doing a mock booking. When you talk to your Oceania agent have a deck plan handy. If there is any way to change 6000 do so. It is not the best site for a first time cruiser. 7084 is in a good stable location. There also isn't much advantage to a concierge class cabin on this ship. Specifically seek out cabins between the elevators for your first cruise. The single cabins on deck 6 are ocean view with wide windows but are below the life boats with limited visibility. They are perfectly fine and are probably less than either your father or daughter occupying a cabin priced for two if that is a concern. Alaska is a port intensive itinerary so think about logging in to wifi, making calls etc while in port. Do this off the ship to avoid ship charges. Access is available everywhere. It's the US. Things to do.....whale watching from either Hoonah - Icy Straits or Juneau. If you are going to Skagway think about an independent tour to Carcrosse Canada. Take the train sitting on the left side on the ascent. There are multiple options. Float planes and helicopters to the glaciers are easily self booked. All of the tours are easily booked independently and the guides will pick you up adjacent to the ship or pier. Please do two things. Join the ROLL CALL for your sailing. Go to the Roll Call forum, click on Oceania then Regatta and look for your sailing date. Check out the Destinations forum for Alaska. You should find information about the ports and guides there. There will also be advice for activities your father can participate in. There is no need for him to confine himself to the ship in most of the ports. Alaska is awe inspiring and we are heading back there shortly after your cruise.

I have seen mention of the $25 corkage fee a number of times on the O forum. I am trying to recall when the same fee began on some of the other 6 lines we have sailed. Oceania is not alone in the corkage rate. To the OP, The Riveria has laundry rooms on passenger decks. There are washers, dryers, two ironing boards, a folding table and seating. Soap is also provided.

Bus and train are very easy. But beware of strikes for either or both. Also do watch your pockets particularly on crowded trains.

Do they have the diet Fever Tree? I know it's made just hard to find in my burg.

Another X wit a + here. Oceania reminds me of the gracious early years of Celebrity. I hope you enjoy every moment.

To get the full experience think about starting you cruise in the Pacific and sailing through the entire canal. Better yet start from Panama City. There are plenty of cruise lines that offer a full transit. It's easy to spend three or four days in the bustling city and its environs.

Soycapitan, Welcome to Cruise Critic. Check out the Insurance forum. It has a wealth of information. Independently booked travel insurance covers more than evacuation and medical needs. As a first time cruiser be sure to arrive at least a day prior to sailing. Check out flights via Celebrity and compare those rates to flights you can book. You will have more control of the air portion if you book yourselves. Scroll down the main page to Roll Call and find your ship and sailing date. The Roll Call is the best way to plan your shipboard experience and excursions. Feel free to come back and ask as many questions as you want. There will always be someone to help.

While not on O we did a crossing on Azamara which is the same ship just different cruise line. It all depends on the seas. We have sailed into and out of hurricanes in the Atlantic but our trans Atlantic crossing was smooth as silk. We've also sailed the North Atlantic six times and had beautiful seas so you never know. Bonine is my friend!!!

We've done the AC in Santiago recently. Our go to hotel, the El Bosque Suites has closed. The staff was very helpful, the rooms were clean, and the location was just fine too. In Rio we stayed at the Hilton Copacabana. Many cruise lines use this hotel and there really are some very good restaurants within easy and safe walking distances. There are also several groceries, pharmacies and small CVS and Walgreens type stores within a couple of blocks.

I started to post this very query last night. Thank you Mrs. Miggins for beating me to the punch! We are on a different Spanish intensive cruise soon and am particularly interested in Seville and Malaga. I appreciate all the postings and if there is further clarifications in our docs I will post on Cruise Critic. The docs should be here soon. Can't wait.

We will soon be back on The Journey and have one last Celebrity cruise booked. The only reason for the Celebrity booking was a prime cabin for an Alaskan voyage which we couldn't get on any other line for our sailing date parameter. We are itinerary driven and love the overnights. The smaller ships are now our only other focus. Azamara has White Nights and an Azamazing evening which Celebrity certainly doesn't offer. I can't see us returning to Celebrity. We once thought it was the best line for us but time and things change and we are moving on.