Tarpeian Rock

Stateroom outlets: We know power strips aren't allowed, but with the number of chargers most of us travel with now, we're wondering as to the number of US standard 110 outlets in a typical verandah stateroom. 

Water: Have been puzzled by the number of threads on bottled water, both still and premium. Water can be "safe" but unpleasant to drink (looking at you, Disney World). Is the ship's water palatable or problematic?

Beverages in the Buffet: Is there any beverage service (beer, wine, soda) in the Oceanview, or is it only self serve water / coffee / juice?

We've done 14 or so cruises on other lines, but this is our first on Celebrity. Thanks! 

We were on the 12/1 cruise also. We took Euros to avoid the U.S.$ penalty, no problem in Havana changing Euros. But in Santiago, they only had dollars to convert back to, not Euros. I think we got 1 for 1. They said that they might have Euros in Santiago at some future time.

Are there any water / ice cube concerns specifically at the Tropicana?

What are the different O card colors, and what are the requirements for each level?

Reading on our verandah. With some liquid refreshment and an occasional snack. Watching the ocean go by.

Ruin clothes or cameras? No. Leave a soapy residue or stain that needs to be cleaned? Yes. To say nothing of the danger of spillage, to Ruth's point. Amazing how slippery one of those plastic bottles can get once a little solution has spilled out. The issue is personal space and foreseeable risk, not being a killjoy.

I express an honest opinion about the casino, and suddenly I'm a "hater?" I thought this was about a free exchange of views here.

Lose the casino and put in something with broader appeal. On our 3 O cruises the casino has always seemed barely used.

Echo comments on both quality (good) and prices (high). Still have my $100. cotton "hoodie" purchased when things got unexpectedly cool. It's a nice hoodie (Polo) as hoodies go, but still . . . . .

And so, how far should we go back, in your opinion? Should we be happy with a fan in the cabin rather than using that newfangled air-conditioning? Maybe instead of a bathroom in every cabin, we should go back to the days of shared bathrooms on each deck of cabins.

 

Plus, who needs that "modern technology" such as stabilizers? It was sure a lot more fun back in the day when ships really pitched and rolled with every swell -- back when they lined the corridors with those little paper bags....

 

:rolleyes:

Reductio ad absurdum.

We just booked the Dec. 1-8 "Timeless Cuba," 3 different Cuban ports and 2 sea days. Used our O PCC, all the verandah cabins are already gone (except for Owner's). We were happy to get an Ocean View, really excited, whole new experience. Nice that this is an all-Cuba experience without having to deal with "Tanzanite" ports as filler.

Flying in on the same day. Through Atlanta no less. Never since.

Make no mistake, Carnival has revenue enhancements and cost efficiency in mind with this technology rollout. It will be interesting to hear the feedback about the initial installation over on Princess.

Exactly. As I tried to say in my earlier posting, people are focusing on the wrong thing here. Does anyone really think that Carnival would spend this kind of money so you could get in your cabin more easily? This technology, as it did at Disney, facilitates revenue enhancement by supporting the monetizing of things that had been "free," and rationing things that are expensive to support. One example: getting a prime parade viewing spot at Disney used to mean getting to your preferred spot early. Now, one reserves a prime, limited-quantity viewing spot in a special area, reserving this ahead of time on your "magic band," and thereby using up one of the precious few reservations you're allowed per day. Technology is NEVER altruistic - it costs too much.

We did all three LaReserve menus on our last Marina cruise (many sea days). Two were great, one very good, great experience even if maybe one wine per evening wasn't outstanding. Extremely interesting mix of guests in such a limited venue, great conversations.

For the record, I HATE the Disney system.

 

I totally get the theory. But the reality is the Disney system has made a Disney vacation much more complicated. It makes your vacation much more rigid with little room for last minute changes.

 

Disney Example: You can make your dining and ride reservations in advance. But you've got to set your clock and log in the moment the reservation window opens or you won't be riding the Snow White ride (unless you want to stand in a two hour standby line). The theory is great-- you can eliminate lines. But what happens when you wake up and it's raining outside and you decide to skip Disney World today and go tomorrow?? The answer is, you're out of luck because you won't be able to make dining or ride reservations because they were snapped up 30-days ago at the stroke of midnight. A Disney vacation is now super structured. That may be one of the reasons Universal Studios has seen a huge increase in attendance (plus Universal has been adding higher quality attractions). The Disney bands are also a revenue generator that help Disney identify ways to make more money off of you (photos, etc).

 

I am all for efficiency and making a vacation "easier," but I worry these former Disney guys are the ones who helped Disney remove some of the magic ;-)

 

And in all fairness, I do not begrudge the company looking for ways to increase revenue with technology. Businesses are in the "business" of making money. But PLEASE maintain a balance and don't destroy the vacation experience.

This, this, and this again. Really, the concern shouldn't be about "privacy" or even the proliferation of RFID technology, but the fact that this technology - as evidenced by how Disney implemented it with the same guys coming to Carnival Corp - is as much about crowd control and the rationing of experiences and services. The system seduces you with such blandishments as being able to reserve things ahead of time; the reality is that spontaneity is almost totally eliminated, and vacation planning - a la how Disney is now - becomes a lite version of the Invasion of Normandy, complete with one-minute-after-midnight website login attempts to secure some elusive attraction slot.

Example: they might say "use it to reserve a deck chair; no worries about chair hogs." But sadly, it's raining when your reservation is. Try for later? Sorry, those slots are all gone. Like tonight's show? So much that you want to get there really early for a front seat? Sorry, the first 10 rows have been monetized and were already snapped up by the folks willing to put an extra $10 on their "Magic Sea Bands" for the privilege. THAT's the kind of thing Disney has been doing, and that's what this kind of system enables Carnival to do.

So let's not be seduced by happy-slappy images of people just waiving their wrists at their cabin door, or waiving their band at a server bringing drinks. There's a deep, dark underside that Disney is still exploring in its own implementation. A "vacation" which has to be planned in 1-hour segments six months in advance is no longer a vacation.

Two Princess cruises, 3 going on 4 with Oceania, which we now consider our "home" cruise line. Did Princess because of itineraries: Hawaii, Alaska land-sea. In my opinion Princess "owns" Alaska and we'd do it with them again in a minute. That said, we enjoyed the land portion (Fairbanks to Whittier) far more than the ship portion. Both Princess experiences were on the Grand, and it was like two different ships. The Grand to/from Hawaii was wonderful: terrific MDR meals & service, great lectures & shows, engaging staff. The Grand from Whittier to Vancover was extremely "meh:" MDR food so poor that we gave up after two dinners, ate primarily at Alfredo's and the International Café for dinner. We missed the companionship of dinner time, but putting up with the mysterious food and glacial service wasn't worth it.

And after 3 Oceania experiences, we've come to love the smaller ships, the food, the "rhythm" of life on an O ship. We're not show-gowers, not game-players, we're readers who love to sit on our verandah and watch the sea go by over the tops of our books. May sound deadly dull to others, works for us.

I agree with you totally except for the fact my DW and I are inseparable on a cruise and for cruising with RCL. We tried RCL once, but found most of their activities were focused more towards young families with children rather than active adults in their early 60s. Actually, we're quite happy on HAL cruises and are so looking forward to the cruises we have booked the next couple of years on HAL as well as Crystal, Celebrity and Azamara.

 

We were considering Oceania again after being on the 5th norovirus cruise on the Riviera this past March. However, after reading all the feedback on this thread, you have brought to life again many of the shortfalls of Oceania cruises we had almost forgotten about. Actually, this is why I started this thread to see if anything had changed and it seems it hasn't. Thanks again for all your feedback and helping us avoid making a bad decision by booking the 34 day cruise on the Regatta around Australia.

I think the advice you received was appropriate and it looks like you're headed in another cruise direction which works for you. I would however dispute your comment as to the "shortfalls of Oceania." One person's "shortfall" is another's "big plus." Everyone's mileage varies.

The most important thing to do is, embrace, your at sea days. Don't worry about what is happening, make your own happenings. Take advantage of being able to read a book or just enjoy watching the sea go by.

 

 

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Precisely. That's what it's all about for us: reading, relaxing, escaping from our "digital chains" for a few days, sitting on our verandah and watching the sea go by, exploring the wonderful O library, savoring our last meal or looking forward to our next one, no responsibilities other than not missing the ship at the next port. No TV, no movies. The atmosphere on O suits us perfectly.

Does someone have a link to the renderings? Wasn't able to Google anything on this.

I'd like to thank Wings for being the voice of reason. I still can't understand the negativity and fear I'm seeing over this. Do I need to get that shot? You bet I do. And I'm smart enough to follow rules.

 

Also, it seems like there is some thought that these things only exist in the US, and bringing one into somewhere like the Caribbean would be some unknown exotic technology. Really? They are everywhere.

 

The thing that really harshes my mellow though is the fact that they were not readily available for all the past trips I've taken. I could have had some amazing shots.

Unless you work for National Geographic, you do not "need" to get that shot. I suggest the word you're looking for is "want," not "need." We all have wants. Many go unmet.

So my understanding from our O Cruise Consultant is that no separate Russian visa is needed if all we do in St. Petersburg are O excursions. Is this correct in everyone's experience? I'm just paranoid enough to have this nightmare about being refused at check-in if we don't have Russian visas of our own. How does the check-in staff even know whether or not we might have arranged our own tours? How does the "no separate visa" get policed in St. Petersburg? And relying on the blanket cruise visa also means no walking around on our own I believe.

Of course, this is a separate question from whether or not we should consider any private tours - in which case I know we'd need our own visas.

I think for many folks, reaching a definitive "drink package" answer for themselves involves personal experience. Key factors are obviously one's own drink habits and preferences, cruise duration, number of sea days, intensity of ports and excursions. We took the prestige package on our first O cruise which as I recall wasn't particularly sea day intensive. On our second cruise, Miami to San Francisco, we didn't, but kept meticulous records, including tip, of what we spent; we got everything we wanted, morning Bloody Marys, champagne by the glass, wine with meals, whatever. We spent half of what the prestige package would have cost for that duration.

Our third O cruise, Valpariaso to Papeete, had a ton of sea days, at least by O standards, and while our record-keeping wasn't as meticulous, we satisfied ourselves that the package didn't work for us. Coming up is London to Stockholm with I think only two sea days and many ports; I think time on board that cruise will involve a lot more sleeping than drinking. Everyone's mileage amd personal preferences vary.

Is the Grand Dutch Café something like the International Café on Princess?

Well, ANY corporation will want to cut t the fat to maximize profit.

 

HAL is it's own management. Of course they do answer to Carnival Corporation. To do that they do make 'cuts', but this goes along the board on EVERY cruise line. Passengers want to cruise for less and the way to do that is make cuts.

 

I was just cruising with Saga. Their prices are higher than some cruise line. The fare incudes travel to and from the ship, insurance, all tips, wine in dining room and lido for lunch and dinner. Drinks, wines, shops on board, very reasonable, shore ex, not much. Free WiFi. Bring on board anything you want... wines, spirits, no corkage. No casino. Excellent food! Excellent service. OK.... the ticket price is higher than HAL. If you did the same with HAL, yes, the cruise would be a lot better than what we see today.

The tricky part, of course, is defining "fat," versus those things that have traditionally given a cruise line its distinctive character. I fear that's a distinction that HAL management hasn't been successful at making the last few years.

I disagree. Today chefs go to great lengths to present their food as attractively as possible as well as in a new light and new form. The desserts in upscale restaurants are a lot more interesting than a simple slice of an apple pie (and just because it is beautiful, it doesn't mean it can't taste good); ditto for other food plates that are like a work of art.

Perhaps the presentation is not more important than the taste but it is VERY important to any chef worth his/her reputation.

On a different note, just think of how attractive the elaborate food displays and carvings are at the special lunches and special teas. I know I really like them a lot and enjoy taking pictures of them.

The creators of this beauty are rightfully proud of their work - as well as they should be. How best to preserve this wonderful memory but with a picture (after all, a picture is worth a thousand words :D)

I think there's a significant difference between taking pictures of the special displays (the High Tea, the fancy brunch) versus plate-by-plate pictures of a regular meal. Pity the friends and family who have to wade through those.