Techno123

@Harters - I was trying to be kind about our friends on the other side of the Chunnel 😜😜). Also t don't want to make out that the UK has unblemished animal welfare. There are still some areas (like battery farmed chickens) which we cannot be proud of 😢

@clo I'm still not convinced 😢 it is possible to produce ethical foie gras where the geese 'gorge' themselves rather than the use of gavage. I do eat meat (though less and higher quality) The lamb I eat I watch grazing on the hill behind my house, similar with the beef cattle (local small farmer) and chicken is free range (well barn range of late because of avian flu). I also have a bit of an issue with milk fed, crated veal. In the UK (and I assume other countries) we produce rose veal which is killed young but allowed to live a more 'normal' life. Anyway, I digress - back to the best things to eat onboard 😁

Thank you everyone - this is exactly what I was hoping for 👍👍👍 Its 10 years since we last sailed with O so I'm hoping the menu has changed 😂😜

@AMHuntFerry is the lack of spice to please the Nonos 😂

@AMHuntFerry I bet you are right 😂

As I have been reading through the boards, some people have specified particular dishes which they thought Oceania produced to almost perfection but others that didn't hit the mark. I know food is subjective (I don't eat shell fish, don't really like caviar and won't eat Foie Gras on principle) but as I didn't note down the great and not so great (apart from the miso sea bass), would fellow O board members be willing to list (in their opinion) the don't miss and don't bother options (and the restaurant), please? I am sure it would be so useful to those of us who either haven't sailed O for a while, or for those who are joining O for the first time and would make it easier to find for those searching. Thank you in advance to those who participate. 😁

@AMHuntFerry (or if someone else knows the answer, please chip in 😁) Similar question to @machotspur's If one purchases the upgrade to the Prestige drinks package, and decides to take advantage of the 15% discount on bottles of wine, is there a 20% gratuity added ( as there would be if you bought the wine without the package) or is that included as part of the drinks Prestige package 'included' gratuities. Many thanks.

We had a fortnight in a lovely hotel in Cyprus. As part of the checkin process we were told that we would have 2 sun beds allocated to us for the duration of the holiday and did we have a preference. As previous land based holidays had groups of people from a certain European nation who liked to get their towels out at 6am 😁 this was luxury and we asked for two as far away from the children's pool as possible 😜😜 and we had a lovely position at the cliff edge, facing the sea and a decent distance away from the pool where the families tended to be allocated. It was lovely being able to go out for the day and know we would have somewhere to sit when we got back. Not possible on a cruise ship, I know, so I do like @Daniel A's suggestion.

For our August cruise on Vista. sorrento 1/2 day £635 full day £793 santorini 1/2 day £714 full day £952

Venice has now implemented a €5 euro day tripper charge with significant fines if you are found in the city without having paid it. If you are staying overnight you don't pay it but still have to register. The local mayor has said that knowing how many people will be there will help with service planning. Whether that will make any difference whatsoever who knows.

@Hlitner and others onboard - Dubrovnik is more lovely in the evening when all the cruise ship passengers have left 😜 Hopefully, you will all be enjoying a relaxed evening stroll without being jostled by thousands of other tourists - every cloud and all that 😁

Are you on the Vista? Your TA probably means you are taken to Fira which is the port town. From what I can see there only appears to be 2 ways up and down the cliff - cable car and the steps the donkeys take

@ak1004 but there are specific areas on Oceania . The concierge and executive lounges and the Aquamar spa terrace only available to concierge up: Seabourn has the retreat only available to those willing to fork out extra, not seen anything on Regent and not sailing SS til next year 😁

Sorry if you are reading this again I posted it on the Vista thread. Has anyone done Volcanic Santorini? It involves a couple of boat trips but unlike most of the other excursions does not mention having to queue for the cable car but neither does it mention how you get back to the ship. I've also seen some private excursions doing the same thing which leave and arrive back to Fira harbour so 🤞🏻 Gaze into the crater of a still-active volcano and experience the green sulfuric waters of a thermal spring on this fascinating tour. Board a caique, a traditional fishing boat, and sail to the lava rock islet of Nea Kameni, where you’ll take an approximately 20-minute walk up an unpaved path among lava fragments and volcanic rock formations toward the crater of a still-active volcano. Learn that the island was named Nea Kameni, meaning “new burnt,” because it is only 400 years old. Perhaps you’ll observe steam rising from the crater’s walls and capture photos of the fascinating phenomenon. Re-board the caique for an approximately 20-minute cruise to the thermal springs at the nearby island of Palea Kameni. Understand that Palea Kameni means “old burnt,” since this area is over 2,000 years old, which unlike Nea Kameni has allowed it to develop soil to support a few goats, wild rabbits and some vegetation. Time permitting, you may take a dip in the relaxing, mineral-rich waters, whose temperatures can sometimes reach 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Marvel at na

You can walk down (if able) in about 20/30mins from Fira can't you? Obviously, need decent shoes on and to avoid the donkey droppings but beats standing in a queue in the sun.