Greetings from Marina (Nov 7-21, 2017)

The cruise has been delightful weather and smooth seas ... until today! We missed Sorrento as the first port because of tender difficulties but that was replaced with Naples, so not much difference. However today (9/16) we missed the Greek port of Gythion due to dangerous tender conditions. We now have an unscheduled sea day and hope to arrive in Malta early, although the captain wasn't clear about how early. It is also a question of available docking space, so we shall see. We happen to like sea days and don't mind the change, even though we had an interesting sounding private tour scheduled. However, I'm aware that there are those here who are unhappy with changes like this, so I am mentioning it.

About the "free" laundry for concierge and above -- it does exist! However, one limitation which you should be aware of is that they say it may take 3 days to get your laundry back. We got our first load back somewhat early upon request (early Sunday morning rather than Sunday evening), but we turned it in early in the cruise, so maybe there wasn't as much demand from other passengers. It's understandable that priority would be given to paying customers.

At breakfast in the GDR on the first morning there were a number of small errors by the wait staff. We thought perhaps they were new to the ship and later heard that there had been a number of change-overs in crew. These errors weren't serious enough to complain about, but since we rarely have seen an error in service they were noticeable. Since then everything has been smooth.

One thing we've had on board Marina this time which we haven't noticed before is that the GDR has been closed several port days for lunch. We understood this with our overnight in Haifa -- Destinations told us on the first day that only 80 people were on board. But the GDR has been closed several other port days for lunch and when we asked a waiter about this in Terrace yesterday he said it was because many people were on tours and not on board.

But if that's the case the GDR should usually be closed on port days, shouldn't it? And the negative result was serious overcrowding in Terrace. It wasn't just a matter of finding a table (which we did without much difficulty) but sometimes walking down one of the isles was nearly impossible because so many people were getting their food.

Has anyone else noticed this on prior cruises? We never have ourselves but when we're off the ship at lunchtime we don't necessarily check to see which restaurant will be open. Maybe it's a more common practice than we thought.

Anyway, we are having our usual lovely time.

An afterthought -- about children. So far I've seen a boy around 6-7 years old, who didn't look that happy. Last night at Jacques we were next to a small child (under a year old I would say) who was perfectly happy for 2 hours ... Not a peep out of him except for a gurgle or two.

Mura

P.S. I don't know how many are on board for this cruise but we WERE told that 1,000 passengers boarded in Civitavecchia. No idea, though, how many were on the past cruise.

The mainstream cruise lines started closing the MDR on port days some time ago, so it sounds like Oceania are following suit. It is such a shame as my husband and I loved our lunches on Regatta after a morning tour last year. Really it was the main thing which set Oceania apart for us and made it a superior experience. For me, it was the highlight of the onboard part of the trip. We are booked on Riviera next summer and I was looking forward to those lunches!

On our 7 day cruise in June the MDR was closed all the days except one. We were very surprised since we eat lunch in the MDR not being fans of buffets. I wrote about it on my comments. This was our 10th port intensive cruise and never before was the MDR closed except for a rare day. The other two dining venues were mobbed to the point you could not find a seat and lots of upset cruisers. Many tours were half day and people returned to the ship for lunch. Oceania should have extended the hours of the Terrace Cafe to accommodate the crowds but they did not. Unfortunately this is another cost cutting measure which will continue on future cruises.

On our 7 day cruise in June the MDR was closed all the days except one. We were very surprised since we eat lunch in the MDR not being fans of buffets. I wrote about it on my comments. This was our 10th port intensive cruise and never before was the MDR closed except for a rare day. The other two dining venues were mobbed to the point you could not find a seat and lots of upset cruisers. Many tours were half day and people returned to the ship for lunch. Oceania should have extended the hours of the Terrace Cafe to accommodate the crowds but they did not. Unfortunately this is another cost cutting measure which will continue on future cruises.

I think that if this continues it will come back to bite them in the you know what. Will turn people off very quickly. A foolish was to cut costs. :(:(:(

Last year on Regatta they did close the GDR once or twice but most people were off the ship on tours & the Terrace was not that crowded so I could see why it was closed then

If the Terrace is that busy then they need to re think the idea of closing the GDR at lunch

The only ports where they have closed GDR on our cruises were ones where literally almost everyone left for the day. As in Haifa and Jerusalem.

We too enjoy lunch in the GDR. Different entrees and I love the ice cup dessert. A different one every day. [emoji39]

Mo

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There were 1100 on the cruise before yours. I noticed a huge line of crew waiting to board at Naples (the stop before we disembarked on the 7th) so there has been a large crew changeover.

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Count us in as ones that enjoy lunch in the GDR, if our tour schedule allows it. We have noticed a trend the last couple of cruises of it not being open every day. But it does seem to be open more than closed.

Mura, is everything going ok on the ship? Problems were reported with the plumbing on the aft section of the ship recently. Everything seem all healthy?

Is Nolan still the CD? Do you know if he will be on there for the TA coming up in a couple of weeks? GM?

 

Is Nolan still the CD? Do you know if he will be on there for the TA coming up in a couple of weeks? GM?

I believe I read that Nolan will be on until Miami. Too bad, since we will be boarding in Lima on the 16th of January and will miss having him around! :(:(

Also on that cruise before yours Mura and the turnover was huge. First in Athens, then Kotor, then Naples. Faces changing all the time. Lots of miscues in service.

A story that started funny, but didn’t end that way. Having dinner in the GDR, and they bring out the wrong first course. The waiter actually wanted to argue with me saying that was What I had order. Since I had ordered the four course set course menu selection, it obviously wasn’t mine! The guy at a close table spoke up and said it was probably his, since he hadn’t got his first course and everybody else at the table already had their’s for awhile. Later, the second course comes out, not mine again. Wasn’t the other guy’s either. They found it’s home server tables away! When they brought out the third course wrong I exploded on the waiter and his manager. Snafus such as this seemed a bit to common place. Hopefully, with time the staff gets all this worked out!

I was personally never aboard ship while in port, but I heard the GDR was typically closed at lunch. It was open on our single sea day, but I opted for my single milk shake at waves for a light lunch to cost my stomach for a red wine tasting that started at 14:00.

I think that if this continues it will come back to bite them in the you know what. Will turn people off very quickly. A foolish was to cut costs. :(:(:(

Ditto, we would probably because we often stay on the ship on port days or return for lunch. We do not like buffets and are happy our other line of choice serves lunch in several non buffet venues as well as the GDR.

Nolan joined the Marina in Athens, with us on 10/28. He’ll be there for awhile.

Cruises and their cruisers vary a lot. Some cruises we see far more people where the ship is the destination and they either rarely get off the ship and/or only for short periods of time. When putting together shore tours on a roll call i’ll get requirements that a tour can’t last more than 3 hours and they must be back for lunch aboard ship.

Others of us travel for the ports and the land destinations with different priorities and never see the ship on port days. Each to his own. Question is, since O is not preparing fresh food, to have a viable venue how many customers would they need? Can’t imagine they could provide quality service, on an intensive menu, if only 10-20 people were showing up for lunch in the GDR. Was it an issue of “use it or lose it” and over the years just not enough people were showing up to make it a viable option at today’s cost?

Count us in as ones that enjoy lunch in the GDR, if our tour schedule allows it. We have noticed a trend the last couple of cruises of it not being open every day. But it does seem to be open more than closed.

 

Mura, is everything going ok on the ship? Problems were reported with the plumbing on the aft section of the ship recently. Everything seem all healthy?

 

Is Nolan still the CD? Do you know if he will be on there for the TA coming up in a couple of weeks? GM?

Everything seems fine for us. We're in one of the aft OCs and haven't had any plumbing problems. And yes, Nolan is still on board but I don't know if he will be on for the TA.

could not think of anything worse than sitting in the GDR for lunch - each to their own!

Never ever had a problem finding a table upstairs inside or outside near the buffet

The food on ship is fine. Here is my issue: Given the choice of eating fresh local authentic cuisine in a nice restaurant watching the world go by versus sitting aboard ship eating out of the freezers and coolers looking at the walls is not a decision, it’s a natural reflex for me. An example on this last cruise: sitting in an outdoor restaurant in Almafi, eating a fresh seafood pasta dish drinking local wine from Mt. Vesuvius , while looking out over the blue shimmering waters of the Amalfi Coast ;versus sitting in the GDR tied up in Naples Harbor.

Each to their own! I know which I, and my tour group, choose, while I’m sure others may have opted for the latter.

If you are in a position to eat ashore great if not you have to eat on the ship or go without

I dislike the mayhem of the buffet so we do try to eat lunch in the GDR when possible

We will eat at Waves on occasion

YMMV

When we are out on our own we always eat local off the ship. I consider eating in a back alley off the beaten path the best part. However, this time we had Olife tours and they all returned the same time and they were for the most part half day tours. On several of the days the ship sailed early creating a mob scene in Waves and the Terrace Cafe.

The food on ship is fine. Here is my issue: Given the choice of eating fresh local authentic cuisine in a nice restaurant watching the world go by versus sitting aboard ship eating out of the freezers and coolers looking at the walls is not a decision, it’s a natural reflex for me. An example on this last cruise: sitting in an outdoor restaurant in Almafi, eating a fresh seafood pasta dish drinking local wine from Mt. Vesuvius , while looking out over the blue shimmering waters of the Amalfi Coast ;versus sitting in the GDR tied up in Naples Harbor.

 

Each to their own! I know which I, and my tour group, choose, while I’m sure others may have opted for the latter.

The principle is great - and we often do that - but it is not without potential danger.

I have gotten quite ill on more than one occasion eating out. Before you say anything - one of the times was eating in Shangri La hotel in Shanghai in a beautiful restaurant with a great view that set me back quite a few bucks. That was certainly the last place I expected to have a problem.

Getting (very) sick from eating a pizza in Corsica was less surprising but most troublesome.

That said, we have this kind of trouble very rarely but when it hits, oh boy...

Have never gotten ill from eating on Oceania.

Mura,

thank you for al the updates.

If Boris is onboard, please give him our best.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise. :)

Paul;

Life is certainly a test of risk and reward s! Kind of like norovirus. People likewise get ill while aboard ships, including on Oceania.

Paul;

 

Life is certainly a test of risk and reward s! Kind of like norovirus. People likewise get ill while aboard ships, including on Oceania.

Apples & oranges :D

We were discussing food onboard (like lunch in the MDR) and ashore and not viruses (onboard or ashore)

As I indicated before, we do eat ashore but I just thought I would point out potential problems.

Some are willing to take that risk, no matter how small, while others are not.

Closed MDR is bad news for us, we do tend spend a lot of time on the ship when we cruise and the lunches i MDR are lovely. Buffet are not for us, Terrace Cafe is just sometimes a madhouse at lunchtime!

.

Some are willing to take that risk, no matter how small, while others are not.

Correction - this should read

Some are willing to take that risk while others are not, no matter how small.

Nolan joined the Marina in Athens, with us on 10/28. He’ll be there for awhile.

 

Cruises and their cruisers vary a lot. Some cruises we see far more people where the ship is the destination and they either rarely get off the ship and/or only for short periods of time. When putting together shore tours on a roll call i’ll get requirements that a tour can’t last more than 3 hours and they must be back for lunch aboard ship.

 

Others of us travel for the ports and the land destinations with different priorities and never see the ship on port days. Each to his own. Question is, since O is not preparing fresh food, to have a viable venue how many customers would they need? Can’t imagine they could provide quality service, on an intensive menu, if only 10-20 people were showing up for lunch in the GDR. Was it an issue of “use it or lose it” and over the years just not enough people were showing up to make it a viable option at today’s cost?

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Just wanted to say hi from Riviera, en route to Cartegena Spain.

Lou