pinotlover

Used them twice in Spain last Oct & Nov. did a terrific job! Highly recommended.

Aboard ship, if one tests positive for Covid, they go into quarantine until they test negative. Fairly simple and straightforward. Is that strict protocols?

I believe this is primarily true. We are lower 70s. On our Sirena cruise in October, we were probably a decade below the median age aboard. In February, we were about 6-7 years below median age. That upper 50+% probably enjoys Perry Como around the pool and Peggy Lee and older entertainer’s music. A decade ago they were still doing Glen Miller stuff in the show Lounges. So some progression in a decade. I question whether they can wait another decade to even get to 70s. Bringing back “ The Brill Building “ show from 2018-2019 was a horrible decision imo. That ceased operations in 64-65. Perhaps, time will tell, Oceania has decided to skip over a couple decades and bring on music, on the Vista, that appeals to the next generation of cruisers.

One needs their room key for entry to both. On the Sirena last October & November the door lock was not functional for the Spa deck, so open for all. Hate to assume anything, but would guess it’s been repaired by now.

It depends upon whether they have bought and paid for their own air. Cancellation may not be so simple even at seven months pre cruise.

I agree if you cherry pick the most expensive towns in Europe they are more expensive. Last summer we did find staying in Lucerne both far less expensive than Zurich but also more enjoyable. Grindelwald was even more so! Of course a prime difference is the absolutely incredible two different fondues we had sitting along side the river in Lucerne. Unique, authentic, and unworldly tasty. Untouchable by anything aboard ship. Unless one has a dead palate, it’s outside the math spreadsheets. Not a knock on O food, just a different universe.

Let’s get a grip. No one here is booking hotels the size of R ship verandas! Probably not even as small as a R ship PH. Probably not as small as an O ship PH! 🙄 What does eating three meals per day mean? Even on the ship, we never eat three complete meals. Maybe a cappuccino and a pastry for breakfast in Barrista, very light lunch, and a nice dinner. If we’re having a big lunch ashore, dinner is rarely more than a light salad or a couple pieces of sushi. I don’t have to, nor want to, turn sideways to walk down the aisle on the tour bus! We stayed over in Lima, after MP was cancelled, at the Hyatt. Had a great room, ate tremendously, and spent ( not counting tours) around $450/day. That’s $225 each per day. Except for those getting the silent sale, no way to touch those prices on Oceania. We’re going to Cinque Terre post Vista. Very nice hotel overlooking the ocean at sub $200/night with breakfast included. That $100 each! As a side note for anyone ever going to Lima, Peru again. The Peruvian restaurant Astril & Gaston is absolutely phenomenal. The old mansion it’s located in is incredible and the food unworldly great. 300-400 meters from the Hyatt Centric San Isidro Hotel were we stayed. Mega leaps over anything aboard ship and still included in the prices above. We don’t demand Merican food when abroad and have found that going with the local cuisine and/ or fresh catch of the day, eating most everywhere is typically less expensive than in the States. Of course we’re not nearly as enamored by frozen lobster tails as some! 🙄

In two and a half months I’ll know!

While I agree with the concept of extending port stays, from Cpt Max’s report, port fees are often higher than deferential fuel fees . Plus commissions/leasing fees for shops and the casino are diminished.

Well Frank, let’s start with the basics. Are Oceania’s paying customers clamoring for more sea days and abbreviated port times? You seem to believe that not only is that what they want, but they are willing to pay more for it. 😳. Not sure you know your customer base as well as you think, or perhaps you’re trying to adjust your base to that model.

Excluding those left drunk in a bar in some Carribe port by a main stream line, I’m betting that overall the number/ percentage of passengers left stranded at some port is so minuscule, it’s materially irrelevant. More a thing of ghost stories than actual occurrences.

Both restaurants are out of the same kitchen. What I have found on multiple cruises is that if one of those restaurants is hitting it well, so is the other. OTH, if one is off, it’s a bad omen. RG and Jacques, on the O ships, have their separate kitchen, so their performance is more independent and chef driven.Typically a winner, but sometimes not.

People late on private tours get left. The small private group doesn’t wait more than a few minutes for those choosing to show up late, forget passports, or whatever the excuse. A couple might sign up for a private tour they aren’t physically capable of. It happens once, and the tour captain removes them from any future similar tours. They aren’t allowed to do it day after day as O does. I’m not sure where the myth, that if a ship tour is delayed the ship will wait indefinitely, comes from. Except in countries, like Russia previously, that requires all passengers leave with the ship, I’ve seen ships forced to leave both private and ship tour passengers. If a ship has to leave, it leaves port. The assistance those stranded passengers receive may well be different, but they still are waited for.

No problem, just let the front desk know you’ll be off the ship for the night. We’ve done overnights ashore in the past. Simple.

Where needed, we take the beverage package, not the shorex package. Since we generally have zero interest in 2-4 hour “ on your left, on your right “ panoramic bus tours, we rarely find under $200 tours we’re interested in. If those are the type you enjoy, they may well meet your needs. Oceania does/can arrange some very good more expensive tours $200-$365, which are often terribly overpriced, but. The typical issue isn’t the outline of the tour, but fellow passengers. Those that can’t read or comprehend that if a tour has a three walker symbol, it’s not appropriate for them if they can’t walk 100 yards without a rest. Painful, to stand and wait and wait, and sometimes miss part of the schedule because of all the time standing and waiting. Painfull sitting on a bus for over 30 minutes waiting for fellow passengers to show up. Where were they you ask? The CD announced that if we were going to a certain destination we MUST have our original passports. Destination Services asked if we had our original passports before giving us our tour tickets. We were told copies were not sufficient. Finally, at the bus, the tour guide demanded to see everyone’s passports. Three people didn’t have them. Everyone had to sit and wait for them to go back to their cabins to retrieve them. We were made to sit and wait. The boo and hissing didn’t compensate for the time wasted and our actual tour abbreviated. Painful! On this last cruise, we had one couple get separated and lost twice on a tour. Once was just a bathroom stop!!! Senility issues. Painful to just spend the money and sit and wait. I have come to realize that I’m the problem. I’ve been on multiple Oceania shore tours and should fully recognize the risks we’re taking by merely signing up for one. It’s my fault for being lazy and not fully exploring private options. On our upcoming Vista cruise we’re doing all private tours. However, excuse me when I warn others that Oceania’s tours can be “ painful “.

Jayne; If you’re on the April 1st Tokyo-Tokyo sailing, I’ll probably start posting private tours soon. No need to suffer through Oceania’s shorex, especially at their prices. If Oceania continues the significant port cuts, we’re bailing out. Already canceling the OZ circumnavigation, and will bail from Japan also if the cuts mount. We’ll see what they do on our Vista cruise in June.

We had an incredible Wine Reduction Party in our suite. A couple of fellow passengers had purchased more wine along the way than they could carry in their luggage or drink. Eight of us in our cabin solved the problem. Our butler provided plenty of food to maintain us. in the $30 upgrade price. We most often did a happy round in either Martinis or Horizons. Then, after dinner while enjoying the show or while reading Currents in our cabin, we often enjoyed a Remi Martin VSOP. Occasionally I might change up and do a Dramboie or something different. With grats, that $30 was easily blasted past with only two drinks. Especially if I ordered a double knowing I was forced into another sea day. This didn’t include those forced sea days when, to console myself, I might have had an afternoon toddy. All in all, we probably either broke even or were up on the deal.

If one goes to Medical and are displaying Covid symptoms they are tested. On the Marina it was the PCR test at $250. People were not automatically let out of quarantine at 5 days. After 5 days they could retest ($100 antigen test) and only if it was negative they could come out of quarantine. If positive they had to wait and be retested again. Another $100. Still mostly self reported, however Oceania was still using the facial recognition system and taking your temperature on boarding the ship. Some people got caught by the cameras apparently.

Azamara was/has been long differentiated by both its longer port stays including over nights in ports. Dubrovnik is just lovely at night, especially after all the cruise ships leave. A wonderful opportunity to enjoy a delicious dinner of local cuisine and wine. What we travel for.

Excellent point. 🥂 However, some of us don’t do/enjoy self service and already avoid the buffet. The joys of ordering ones food and having the meals delivered to you is part of vacation for us. It’s kind of like not having to wash or own dishes.

We are currently booked on the Riveria for Tokyo to Tokyo next April. A significant group of us on that cruise are closely monitoring all your schedule changes and port changes.The cruisers could obviously care less, we travelers are already having second thoughts. Continue keeping us informed please. As merely a hypothetical, how long do posters believe Oceania will be able to legally sell cruises with stated port times and schedules and then be allowed to alter port times at will after full payment and cancellation penalty?

We are neither senile, mobility limited, nor tied to only Mommy Oceania’s offerings. We are seriously looking at : 1. A combo Via- Rocky Mountaneer journey from Quebec to Vancouver. 2. An Amtrak ride to Flagstaff, followed by a tour to the various canyon lands national parks in Utah including the Grand Canyon. A couple days finale in Vegas before flying home. 3. I ‘ve been contracted to host/guide a two week tour of Tuscany next year, with possible pre and post tour additions .Those on the tour will find far better cuisine than any thing offered at sea. It won’t be Merican or Americanized food! 🙄. Numerous excited “ travelers “ have already fully booked this trip. It will require quite the weather event to alter any schedules. Ships are only needed by cruisers to have an enjoyable time. They are optional for travelers. Perhaps by late 2025 or 2026 the surviving cruise lines will decide and demonstrate what they want to be. Currently, it seems hazy with some.

For the OP - “ It’s like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you’re getting until you open the box!” Some will report very good results with O Air, while others can report poor too bad. In today’s market, unless you are willing to most often pay a premium for a better routing, your chances of satisfaction are diminished. Waiting until 45-90 days preflight to book a routing to a popular international destination is like looking for good used car in a junk yard. It may be there, but good luck.

Blind tastings from opaque colored glasses of unknown liquids. Predominantly smelling and tasting. Some get them, others don’t. Everyone that misses them act shocked, believing they would easily get them right. Like entering a room and being completely oblivious to what’s around you, many people are completely oblivious to what they eat or drink. How much credibility do you give them when they say something is good. It’s why food & wine pairings don’t work for many. If your taste buds are so diminished that distinguishing flavors is impossible, it really doesn’t matter what you drink.

The Marina had neither Blantons, Woodford Reserve, or Knob Creek aboard. A little Buffalo Trace and Jack Daniels were left. They were waiting until Miami to see what was restocked. If one is considering upgrading, I would recommend going to both Martinis and Horizons and inquiring about what is actually in stock on your cruise. For favorites also perhaps how much is present. Oceania doesn’t change alcohol lists often. For example, several of the wines on the “ Bin End” list had been sold out for quite some time even upon boarding. The wine by the glass menu might sound impressive, but in several instances it wasn’t what they were pouring and hadn’t been for quite some time according to the wine stewards. Buyer Beware. Get a feel for what’s actually available, not what some possibly outdated list says.