Susagoode1

58 minutes ago, candy4040 said:

I just returned home from an Oceania cruise from Monte Carlo to Venice.  I contracted covid and was quarantined for 5 days.  I received the Paxlovid and was visited in my cabin at least two times a day by a nurse who took my blood pressure and temperature and made sure everything was ok.  They really took care of me.  My total bill for testing, visit and medicine was &1850 which I thought was very reasonable.  If I were to contract Covid again I would definitely choose to do it on a ship.  The hotel management called several times during my quarantine, they cancelled all my excursions for me, and I could order food from any of their venues.   

That’s a good way to look at it Candy. My friends were going stir crazy but nice to get the medical care like that. I’m sure they had medical visits daily too. It’s a bummer COVID’s still active. Don’t want to pay all that money for a cruise and stay in my cabin! Wish it’d end. 

If you can take it along, do so. My husband got Covid on our June Alaska cruise. Thankfully he didn’t need it. My friends just got off of an Oceania cruise and one got it. They were charged $1200 to see doctor but declined the $800 Paxlovid. COVID’s definitely still out there. They were quarantined in cabin for the last 5 days of cruise. 

2 minutes ago, Rainbow3fe said:

6 and they are lenient. We enjoy going to wineries and buying fine or just local wines.

That is so interesting. On other cruises, HAL and Celebrity, we could bring aboard the wine but any alcohol purchased in port they would keep till debarkation. 
Thank you all. 

Rainbow3fe

I read we can bring 3 bottles onboard per cabin. Is that correct?

26 minutes ago, Rainbow3fe said:

    

 

I am considering Oceania because we want a smaller ship. We went on 2 Celebrity cruises , our first with them and even with the last in a suite with butler, just don’t want to deal with the amount of people on board. The only saving grace was we had the wonderful speciality restaurant for that cabin class. 
Anyway, my question to you is with this new simply more program, do I understand correctly that we cannot go to a lounge and have a cocktail without paying for it? Is it only at lunch and dinner that it is included?

The concierge balcony cabin is very costly but I’d love to try Oceania. Thank you all!

Hi everyone, this is a long shot and not huge in the scene of things but I am a bit annoyed. I am wondering if anyone did a booking that Celebrity offered one free specialty dining experience? 
We, in April, booked the Eclipse for May 28,2023 to Alaska. We booked a sky suite and received the WiFi, premium drinks and gratuities. We received shipboard credits and an extra 50$ credit and we’re supposed to get this dining credit also. I am not losing my mind just yet. Last week I was on the app site and actually reserved the dining selection we wanted and when time to pay I redeemed the dining credit. Yesterday I get on the same app to confirm what date I chose and it’s not there. It’s not only not there but when I called Celebrity they told me I didn’t have such a credit. I do have my TA checking on it next week as she’s gone but I am totally perplexed what happened. 
I have learned from this that in the future I will screenshot the offer being made. The offer codes used in my booking are not something I can interpret. On a side note, in the future I will also check air and hotel prices before I book. Who knew hotels for 5/27/23 in Vancouver are $500-1000 per night. I’m used to $300, not $500. Crazy. 
Anyway, just wondering if any of you received this offer? 
thank you!

Susan

On 12/6/2018 at 1:19 PM, OC SeaPA said:

Just back from Cuba- DH is a avid cigar affectionado.  Here's some tips-  

1- not all prices are the same!  Quantanamera has a 15 cigar sampler pack that was great.  Paid 12.5cuc in Cienfuegos, 20cucs in Havana Rum Museum, and same was 35cuc at the terminal.  Great way to go- different sizes of a mild cigar.  All were exactly the same package- all "government cigars". 

2- Go to the :"2nd tier" cigars- these are the same tobacco, just not as large a leaf (more from the clippings), but smoke just the same.  1st tier- Cohiba, Montecristo- are the ones that could be counterfeit.  2nd tier- Jose L Piedra- ran 30cuc for a box of 25!  Another bargain- Troya- in tubes- ran 1.35cuc per cigar, and are also a great smoke.

3- Went to tobacco plantation in Vinales- got Montecristos without box, band for 3cuc per cigar.  At plantation found out the government takes 90% of the crop for the "government cigars", but the farmers have 10% they can sell themselves.  Gave us a sample to smoke, and even I enjoyed them!  If you have extra time in Cuba visit Vinales & the caves- fantastic experience!   

This is such great information. Thank you for posting. 

On 11/15/2018 at 8:37 PM, jamscckmc said:

Just got back from Viking Cruise to Cuba. All stores and most street vendors took US$. We didn't get Euros and only exchanges a small amount of US to CUCs for tips etc. Many on our tours tipped in US$. We spent the most on cigars and rum in the official stores and they took our US cash and we had the choice of change in US or CUC. Those from Canada had a worse rate than US. I believe it was .77 to 1 CUC. I would not exchange exchange your money for Canadian $.

This is completely contrary to everything else I’ve read! I read on multiple sites that if we convert our money here from US to Canadian we will save the 10% fee and that absolutely no one accepts US money. Frustrating and don’t know what to go by anymore. Thanks for posting your recent experience.