coolbluegreenseas

Excellent suggestion. Something to chew over.

Thank you for the pictures! The larger bathroom is another plus. It is likely what I will do is use the same standard as when I have previously booked cruises: choose a cabin we will be absolutely happy in and if a good upgrade shows up, take it. But, if nothing comes our way, that is fine too. Thanks everyone!

It is the Vista.

I appreciate the responses! As far as budget goes, I can make either work. What I hate to do is purchase a service and never really use it. Still, the larger cabin and bathroom just might be worth it. I have time to think this over. Thank you so far!

It is the Vista.

I have read the literature on Oceania’s site and scoured through here, but still undecided. TL/DR: Bucket list item for hubby. Trip is in October 2025 11 night Antiquity starting in Rome and ending in Istanbul. We tend to spend a lot of time on our veranda and enjoying each other’s company but do like to venture out. With this tiny bit of information in mind, is the suite worth it? The Concierge level is really, really nice, but the butler serving dinner from the speciality restaurants in the cabin sounds really luxurious. Does anyone have personal experience and thoughts? Thanks for any responsess.

There is good information on the board. You will have a great time!

The time of year you sailed is likely why there were 160 children on the Carnival cruise opposed to appealing to a different demographic. Go over spring break and you’ll see many children on any 7 day mass market cruise. Now, the scooter set and a mosh pit might actually be worth checking out! 🤣

We are going to agree to disagree on this subject as your experience and mine are absolutely the opposite.

That very well maybe true, but families are also notoriously poor tippers. Why, you ask? Well, the family has pretty much blown their budget on everything else which leaves the hospitality crew out to dry. But, CCL/HAL does not care about that as it does not affect shareholder value. It hurts the people who actually work on the ship. Best tippers? Boomers followed by GenX.

Well, I can tell you that would be a hard no on seating at that table.

My guess is you will find entitled parents result in poorly behaved children.

Ah, exactly why I chose the Caribbean for our December cruise: we are only getting off once. I want to enjoy the ship while everyone else is gone. For hubby and I, this is pretty much a cruise to nowhere. Also, we have seen enough of the Caribbean to know we have seen enough of the Caribbean.

Actually, Carnival is the opposite of refined, so if HAL is marketed to refined adults, it is nothing like a Carnival cruise. Or are you suggesting HAL is becoming Carnival without the moshpit? 😋

As previously noted, there are cruise lines that are child free. Also, there are lines such as Windstar that restrict smaller children, but allow older kids with the caveat that parents are responsible for entertaining their child. In general, it keeps most adults with kids, off. Now, as far as the OP indicated, they went at one of the worse times possible for the kiddos. Schools break between Palm Sunday and Easter increasing the likelihood of a large number of little people on board. But, here is the beautiful thing: traveling a week or 2 before/after will result in reduced fares and smaller crowds. I planned my (almost) birthday cruise around Christmas by selecting the week before winter break which means lower fares and fewer people. If you are unhappy with HAL, that is fine. Cruise lines are businesses and their first priority is the shareholders with customers a distant second. The best way to get their attention is by hitting them at the bottomline and spending your money with a line that meets your expectations. If there is enough of a downturn in revenue, they’ll pivot.

Honestly, I do not think CCL has any idea what to do with HAL. The low entry line, Carnival appeals to families and budget minded tourists. The upper end cruise line, Seabourn, captures the attention of more affluent, more luxury minded cruisers. Where does this leave HAL? The business people clearly do not know. Why they don’t pivot to an adult only line that attracts couples or groups who are childfree or not interested in traveling with children is perplexing. DINKs (Dual Income, No Kids) have money and time to travel. You’re welcome, CCL.

I think so. I don’t use the casinos so it is not something I take into consideration. I will tell you I was looking at Virgin, but I couldn’t get the dates to line up. I had a very specific period in mind that is close to my birthday but still a shoulder season period. Overall, I liked HAL the last time I boarded and I am sure I will this time, too.

I sailed Windstar in the South Pacific during August of 2023. It was one of the sailing vessels and you actually get to know people. Also, you need to be able to entertain yourself (I read 6 books). You know you are on a ship and not a floating hotel. This is why I came back to HAL as the largest vessels are still relatively small in comparison to the RCCL monsters. Full transparency: I looked at Windstar during the period I wanted, but couldn’t get it to line up. I suspect you’ll like it.

Or perhaps, with a little imagination, HAL should go the Virgin route and make their cruises kid free. I stay away from ships that cater to families as children can negatively impact any given experience or vacation. Right now, HAL markets to older, more affluent adults, but if that changes, so will my choices.

All while sharing one bathroom? That does not sound like a vacation but a test in patience.

Well, that was fun: https://www.airtahitinui.com/us-en/air-tahiti-nui-strike-update Strike over.

Considering the nonsense going on with Air Tahiti Nui, booking the airfare separately makes canceling the flights easier. Right now, I am on TN flights and if I’d booked separately, I’d probably cancel the flights and rebook on AF. Hopefully, the strike is resolved in the next 2 days or so. If not, I am calling Windstar to find out my options. From now on, I book all air separately.

Thank you! Matrix ITA is a good view into what is available. Also, here is some updated news: https://euro.dayfr.com/business/amp/517128 If that news is accurate, it may be close to concluding.

Thank you for the information. I have found the same news sources as mentioned above. There is something of a communication hole with this strike, but gleaning from the nuggets, it does not look like there is progress towards a resolution. Since I am still 35 days out, I will see where this stands at the end of the week. If this looks like it is going to drag out, I will work with Windstar to get me on the AF flight from LAX. Or worst comes to worst, I do it myself.

Air Tahiti Nui is currently in the middle of a cabin crew strike. Unfortunately, information is sparse but what is out there does indicate this could go on for sometime. I am on the August 17th Tahiti cruise and chose to book the air through Windstar. I know there is still time, but I have found alternate flights using Air France or United out of SFO. If this strike drags out, I will probably look to cancel TN for AF or United. With that being said, does anyone know how Windstar will handle this or will I more or less be on my own? I have trip insurance, so I can always lean on it. Also, any additional info concerning the strike that does not come from Reddit or Air Tahiti Nui would be lovely. Thanks.