Cliff-FLL

It's just so much easier to take them directly from the housekeeping cart or while you're visiting someone else's suite. 🙄

Marina spa needs a few tweaks and, perhaps, they've already made them. I was on board last November, went in for a men's haircut, and they handed me a "health" questionnaire. The form asked about how well I was sleeping, what was my stress level, etc. When I told them - again - that I just wanted a haircut, they told me it was mandatory that I answer all of the questions. They refused to cut my hair without completing the forms, so I told them to forget it. I don't have to look at my hair most of the time and my inner peace was none of their business. Next time, if it's the same situation, I'll just lie.

We normally book Privée twice per cruise - once for just for us and once for a group we meet on board. We have pre-paid gratuities but we always tip the Privée staff separately. Generally, when it's just the 2 of us, we tip the waiter about $30 and the sommelier about $15. (The sommelier's tip is in addition to the corkage fee we pay for each bottle we bring.) If we're hosting a group, we "up" the waiter's tip to about $50 and the sommelier's to about $25, which is in addition to corkage fees and automatic tips for wine purchases. Vis-à-vis the menus, we were on Marina last November and they gave us 3 choices: 1) whatever each guest wanted from Toscana and/or Polo; 2) one of the 2 new, set, specialty menus. If we opted for one of the set menus, everyone would be served that same menu, and that menu only. Therefore, we opted for the Toscana/Polo menus when we were entertaining and the set menus for ourselves. The chef, even though he was cooking for La Réserve that night, took the time to make a special cake for my birthday and to stop by to learn our impressions of the new menus.

I don't know John or Laura, but I do know that the lives of everyone who are part of our community are precious. We'll pray for both of them.

We've been on board for US Thanksgiving many times and, regardless of the dining venue, a traditional holiday dinner has been offered. On one occasion, we booked Privée and it wasn't until we had all met for pre-dinner cocktails that we realized all of our guests were Canadian. 🙄

Generally, we book an upper-level suite and - in the past - they checked in those suites first. However, our most recent cruise (November 2021), check-in wasn't based on cabin category. It was done strictly on the basis of scheduled check-in time. Dinner reservations are coordinated with the butler, but nothing is guaranteed. We've been told on various occasions that our requested time was not available and they then offered alternate times and/or dates. Although I've heard that others have jumped the tenders line to go ashore, we've never availed ourselves to this possibility. Not sure what you mean that the perks are "throwaways". We book upper-level suites because we like the extra space and, as far as we're concerned, that's what we're paying for. The perks - an attentive butler & assistant butler, daily newspapers, priority reservations at restaurants, etc. - are very nice and contribute immensely to our overall enjoyment. As such, I wouldn't consider them throwaways. For me, they're more of a "thank you for your patronage", similar to what we get at some of our favourite restaurants - but on a much-larger scale.

Hmmm...changes to the loyalty program to recognize dollars spent/higher levels of accommodations? Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh! I know, I know!! I have all sorts of ideas that are guaranteed to tick off about half the people on the board, but I won't say them 'cause that would be wrong. 😌

Have you been spending a lot of time on Carnival cruises? If so, I'd suggest you try an Oceania cruise. I've never seen anyone in a restaurant on Oceania dressed in the manner you describe above. And, FWIW, some people - cruise ship or on land - wear looser-fitting garments to disguise/hide medical conditions, equipment, or whatever.

Because you've already paid for it and have absolutely no chance of getting your money back, so you may as well get the credit for it.

No. You must begin drinking wine. And enjoying it. 😠

I agree 100%. I've been sailing Oceania for 13 years and I could probably count on 1 hand the number of times I've seen people in restaurants that did not meet Oceania's dress code. If you want to get all "spiffed up", as you say, that's definitely your choice to make. Just don't expect everyone else to fall in line with your particular standard for that evening. One of the reasons that people sail on Oceania is that they don't have to get "spiffed up" in the evening. Provided the person is complying with Oceania's dress code, you DO need to turn a blind eye to "a slob at the next table" if what they're wearing is not to your personal liking. Insofar as staying away from you, that's a little difficult since we don't choose our tables, but you're certainly free to ask for a different table. If it's really going to upset you that much that someone is not meeting your personal dress code, perhaps you should consider ordering a lot of room service.

For most, adhering to the Oceania's minimal dress code isn't hard and, on any given night on board, I'd be willing to bet that 98% comply. The problem I've noticed is that people on these boards don't care what Oceania's policy is. They have their own perspective on what people should wear, regardless of the policy, and howl loudly when others don't follow their personal sense of style. I can remember being a kid and the men in the neighborhood would get home, out of their suits, and "dress sloppy." To them, this meant putting on khakis and a polo-style shirt. This is what they would wear to do chores around the house, do some gardening, etc. Not too long ago, though, someone was on the Oceania board, lamenting that some people wore jeans and couldn't understand why men couldn't dress up in, at least, khakis and a polo. Fashion, like morality, is a sliding scale...

Not too sure what various Caribbean countries are requiring, but GICNJC is correct about a 270-day cut-off. A number of countries in Europe (and elsewhere) require your primary, 2-dose vaccinations to have occurred within the past 270 days. If it's been more than 270 days, the traveler must show proof of at least 1 booster. It's also a good idea to check a country's definition of "fully vaccinated", as some consider it to be receiving 2 primary doses, while others deem "fully vaccinated" to be 2 primaries plus at least 1 booster. With all that said, I think Oceania will probably give you a heads-up on what is required as you get closer to your sail date.

Also stayed there twice. Nice rooms, great views, and friendly, helpful staff. Easy to walk to a lot of the top "must-see" places. Wonderful place to stay, especially if you have Marriott points and it doesn't cost you anything!

The receipts can be submitted by mail from anywhere. It's just faster getting the refund if you mail them from within the EU. We've also used the automated kiosks at airports, which are great when they work right. Regardless of which method we use, however, we must have the Customs Office stamp the rebate forms prior to any processing. By requiring this, they know that the goods are actually leaving the EU and are eligible for the VAT refund. Larger airports & sea ports that cater to international travel (outside of the EU) will normally have a Customs Office or facility that can verify that you are leaving the EU and you have the goods in your possession. The reason for my question is twofold: 1) Arrecife is not a major port and may not have full-time staff; and, 2) there is a question about whether they have special status and don't/can't provide the necessary stamps and verification. If anyone has had to deal with this in Arrecife, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

We've talked about hitting up Customs in Alicante and, if that doesn't work, trying again the next day in Málaga. If neither will cooperate, we'll still give Arrecife a shot and hope for the best. If they're going to offer a refund, they shouldn't make it difficult! (Of course, for all I know at this point, the folks in Arrecife may just smile and stamp the forms.) BTW, lived in Sacramento in the mid/late-80s in South Natomas, when they were just starting to build in the area. Back then, there were rice paddies on the west side of I-5 that, when they started burning the fields, choked out thousands of people! Hope it's better now.

Conventional wisdom says that the VAT refund forms are stamped at our last port in Europe, which we've done many times, and then drop the forms in the local mail. On a few occasions, the Customs officials came on board to verify receipts and stamp the forms. Yay! A government system that works! Now to throw a wrench into the works... On our TA later this year, our final stop is Arrecife, which is in the Canary Islands, which is part of Spain, which is part of the EU. We assumed (uh, oh...) that we'd be able to present our receipts there to begin the refund process, but someone mentioned that the Canaries have a special status. Under this status, they do not deal with taxes and that they won't stamp our forms. If this is true, we would need to get our forms stamped in Málaga, but we're not sure of their willingness to do so. Has anyone else encountered this issue? Will the authorities in Arrecife stamp the tax refund forms? If so, did they come on board the ship or do we need to slog our items through the port and/or town? If not, were there any problems with getting the forms stamped at the penultimate port within Europe? People have told me over the years that I need help and, in this instance, I agree with them. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Not if you don't want them to know it exists...😁

I'd give it a try. Submit the Fidelity statement showing that the company owns the stock, and include the corporate documents that show you own 100% of the company. The worst they can do is say no. I can't imagine them going that route since so many folks these days move their assets into trusts, calling into question the titled ownership versus practical ownership.

Where I worked prior to retiring, they allowed jeans in the office, with the same "non-casual" stipulation. Some of the old-time directors around the country, though, hated the policy and put their own spin on it. The only jeans they'd allow were "Sunday-go-meeting" jeans that were indigo blue, unfrayed, AND had a crease ironed in, thereby ruining them for any other use. The other 95% of the directors simply stated, "No rips, no worn spots, and no excessive fading." These days, even going to Michelin-starred restaurants, jeans are common - if not the norm.

I always wear a sport coat to the dining rooms in the evening. It has nothing to do with Oceania requiring one - because they don't - and everything to do with my vain attempt to hide what's underneath the jacket! 😁

Haven't read through all this but, as much as I hate TAP, I'm a big fan of theirs. Lousy service, but cheap fares. You can easily get a biz class, 1-way ticket on a direct flight from Toronto to Lisboa for less than US$2,000. Unless there's some sort of mid-Atlantic "Oops!," very little chance of lost luggage en route. And - as I mentioned somewhere else on the Oceania boards - TAP will give you a reduced price if you spend a few days in Portugal before continuing on to Barcelona. They also have flights that connect through Boston or Montreal (via AC) but they're more expensive. Go figure...

Dang!!! What makes you think anyone owes you all the specificity you're demanding? The person came on line to make a general statement about the benefits s/he received when using a travel agent. This is a forum, not a debating or scientific panel where one provides full proof, documentation, & back-up for every statement made. The person is entitled to make a statement without you beating them up! Aggressive and entitled, all rolled into one.

The OP indicated that he's in San Bruno, CA, so I made the reasonably-safe assumption that his credit cards were using US dollars.

All on-board transactions are in US dollars, regardless of the ship's location, so foreign transaction fees wouldn't apply.