Rare cruisemom42 Posted February 14, 2013 #26 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Well, we signed up first thing this morning for our first cruise on Riviera, Istanbul to Barcelona, sailing May 22, 2014. Hope that you will choose to join us for this lovely itinerary of old favorites ports. Pam PS I will not be waiting until 2104 to sail; unfortunately I cannot edit the title of my post! :) Hi Pam, I am finally thinking of sailing with Oceania. (I recall your enthusiastic reviews on the Ports of Call boards.) I want to do a Black Sea cruise in 2014 -- have you done the Oceania "Black Sea Treasures" 12-day itinerary by chance? It looks like everything I want plus it ends in Istanbul (where I could spend a few more days; always a good thing). And the cruise I'm considering is on Insignia, which I understand will be newly spruced up. I don't know if you still have my email, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted February 14, 2013 #27 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Hi Pam, I am finally thinking of sailing with Oceania. (I recall your enthusiastic reviews on the Ports of Call boards.) I want to do a Black Sea cruise in 2014 -- have you done the Oceania "Black Sea Treasures" 12-day itinerary by chance? It looks like everything I want plus it ends in Istanbul (where I could spend a few more days; always a good thing). And the cruise I'm considering is on Insignia, which I understand will be newly spruced up. I don't know if you still have my email, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. We have not yet done that itinerary, because spouse is not too enthusiastic about some of the ports visited. However, I think you will enjoy sailing with Oceania; those "R" ships really are very nice, with wonderful beds, food and service. However, be prepared to arrange for your own itinerary on land. unless you want to drop a bundle of cash on Oceania's very overpriced shore excursions. (We never have taken one yet.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisemom42 Posted February 14, 2013 #28 Share Posted February 14, 2013 We have not yet done that itinerary, because spouse is not too enthusiastic about some of the ports visited. However, I think you will enjoy sailing with Oceania; those "R" ships really are very nice, with wonderful beds, food and service. However, be prepared to arrange for your own itinerary on land. unless you want to drop a bundle of cash on Oceania's very overpriced shore excursions. (We never have taken one yet.) Thanks for the input. I like the small ships and you know I avoid ship tours, so that shouldn't deter me. :) I'm on a quest to leave no ancient ruins unexplored, and there are actually some sites along the Black Sea (more on the Bulgaria/Romania side than Ukraine side). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted February 14, 2013 #29 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thanks for the input. I like the small ships and you know I avoid ship tours, so that shouldn't deter me. :) I'm on a quest to leave no ancient ruins unexplored, and there are actually some sites along the Black Sea (more on the Bulgaria/Romania side than Ukraine side). Sounds like a match then! (BTW, our October visits to Selinunte, Agrigento, Syracusa, Paestum and the Naples Archeological Museum were marvelous.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkiemomjn Posted February 15, 2013 #30 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Well, we signed up first thing this morning for our first cruise on Riviera, Istanbul to Barcelona, sailing May 22, 2014. Hope that you will choose to join us for this lovely itinerary of old favorites ports. Pam PS I will not be waiting until 2104 to sail; unfortunately I cannot edit the title of my post! :) Hi Pam, We would love to sail with you two again, but we are booked on the Riviera for this May from Istanbul to Rome! We booked our tours early and were able to get guides for Istanbul and Ephesus that come highly rated here on CC. We are booked on the Marina again in May 2014 from NYC to London. Jan, Stan & Jim, Don & Betsy and several more CC regulars are on that cruise and we are looking forward to meeting them in person. Hopefully some day we can cruise together again! :) Judy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseLover4Life Posted February 15, 2013 #31 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Lighthouse68 I am surprised you did not receive the mailing from Oceania on their new 2014 cruises. As a past guest I received mine this weekend and was able to reserve my staterooms for next year to Europe. You may want to contact Oceania as they may have the wrong address for you and that is probably why you did not receive yours. My friends, also past guests of Oceania, received their's as well. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted February 15, 2013 #32 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Hi Pam, We would love to sail with you two again, but we are booked on the Riviera for this May from Istanbul to Rome! We booked our tours early and were able to get guides for Istanbul and Ephesus that come highly rated here on CC. We are booked on the Marina again in May 2014 from NYC to London. Jan, Stan & Jim, Don & Betsy and several more CC regulars are on that cruise and we are looking forward to meeting them in person. Hopefully some day we can cruise together again! :) Judy Transatlantic is too much for my delicate stomach, although it would be great to sail with you both again, as well as Stan and Jim. This May we are doing a land trip, primarily Berlin, with stops in Berlin and Prague as well. We fell in love with Berlin when we did a one-day visit there from Warnemunde while on Marina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkiemomjn Posted February 15, 2013 #33 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Transatlantic is too much for my delicate stomach, although it would be great to sail with you both again, as well as Stan and Jim. This May we are doing a land trip, primarily Berlin, with stops in Berlin and Prague as well. We fell in love with Berlin when we did a one-day visit there from Warnemunde while on Marina. The Betlin tour was the one we did with you guys! We loved it, too. I wish we had had more time there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joysav Posted February 16, 2013 #34 Share Posted February 16, 2013 It is my understanding the FREE AIRFARE is not available to Australians .. correct?? Well yes but that's the point. The price for any given Suite appears in Australia to use some special Cruiseliner Xchange Rate and then we don't get the free Airfare. :mad: Anyway it hardly matters as I am going RSSC . Why Looking at the 2014 (July-Sep) schedules it is apparent that Oceania (Riviera, Marina) has decided to do mainly what everyone else is doing and are very port intensive. . RSSC (Voyager, Mariner) on the other hand has some very interesting 20+ day cruises. They have in my humble opinion resisted where possible going to Third rate Cities like Warnemünde , Talin etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted February 16, 2013 #35 Share Posted February 16, 2013 RSSC (Voyager, Mariner) on the other hand has some very interesting 20+ day cruises. They have in my humble opinion resisted where possible going to Third rate Cities like Warnemünde , Talin etc. joysav, This is what you said about me in a different thread on this forum (quote): "Obviously the original poster does not watch or read quality material." Talk about ignorance! Warnemunde is the port city for Berlin. I know nobody who would call Berlin Third rate - obviously you do. Tallin, while much smaller, is very charming and probably First rate in most peoples' minds. Maybe it is you that do not "watch or read quality material"? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joysav Posted February 16, 2013 #36 Share Posted February 16, 2013 joysav,This is what you said about me in a different thread on this forum (quote): "Obviously the original poster does not watch or read quality material." Talk about ignorance! Warnemunde is the port city for Berlin. I know nobody who would call Berlin Third rate - obviously you do. Tallin, while much smaller, is very charming and probably First rate in most peoples' minds. Maybe it is you that do not "watch or read quality material"? :D In your excitement to shoot me down you just proved my original "Obviously the original poster does not watch or read quality material" Did I mention Berlin :confused: I am perfectly aware of where Warnemunde is . It is not the Port City for Berlin. "Agree with the two former posters: despite the fact that Warnemuende is marketed as "Berlin Port", it is about 3 hours drive/ride from the city; ..." In actual fact it is closer to København & Hamburg. And you would spend 4 to 6 hour travelling to spend 4 to 6 hours in Berlin ;) Even sadder we have been there (Berlin) a few years ago and stayed down by the Berlin Bahnhof Zoo . Interesting Museum near there if you can fit it in the 4 to 6 hours.:cool: . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulchili Posted February 16, 2013 #37 Share Posted February 16, 2013 joysav. Warnemunde IS a port city for Berlin as used by cruise lines - much like Civittavechhia is for Rome and Livorno is for Florence - otherwise cruise ships would not call to those places Yes, it is further than the other two but it is a perfectly acceptable day excursion for thousands of cruise line passengers, especially those that may not be able to make it back to Berlin in the future. Many people choose to hire private tours with cars that cut down the travel time significantly and offer more customized tour options in Berlin - making for a great first time visit to Berlin. FWIW, we too have been to Berlin on land trips several times and for many days; thus when our ship called on Warnemunde we rented a car and spent the day exploring several nearby medieval German cities. It was a wonderful day - just one of many options for those that do not wish to go to Berlin. None of the places we visited were Third rate destinations IMO. As always, YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted February 16, 2013 #38 Share Posted February 16, 2013 What Paul said! Please, let's not make judgements on others' reading choices. As for port intensive cruises some of us choose O just for that reason. (btw, Talinn was a lovely place for a very amateur photographer) I'm glad you're happy with RSSC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted February 16, 2013 #39 Share Posted February 16, 2013 I too loved Tallin to each his own Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lighthouse68 Posted February 23, 2013 #40 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Just received my advanced notification of the summer 2014 itineraries today Feb 22. Bookings open Feb 13 !!! Thank goodness for CC. I was able to book my cabin on opening day. I guess only those in the USA really receive the brochures on time,the rest of us have to rely on the US Postal Service plus our local postal service, in our case Canada Post. Wouldn't email be a much better alternative??? Then we would all be in the same boat (so to speak)!!! Paula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted February 23, 2013 #41 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Well, we signed up first thing this morning for our first cruise on Riviera, Istanbul to Barcelona, sailing May 22, 2014. Hope that you will choose to join us for this lovely itinerary of old favorites ports. Pam PS I will not be waiting until 2104 to sail; unfortunately I cannot edit the title of my post! :) I certainly wish you could still be around by 2104! Likewise myself! Then again, asteroids might make that impossible even if you managed to still be with us! Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted February 23, 2013 #42 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Hi Pam, I am finally thinking of sailing with Oceania. (I recall your enthusiastic reviews on the Ports of Call boards.) I want to do a Black Sea cruise in 2014 -- have you done the Oceania "Black Sea Treasures" 12-day itinerary by chance? It looks like everything I want plus it ends in Istanbul (where I could spend a few more days; always a good thing). And the cruise I'm considering is on Insignia, which I understand will be newly spruced up. I don't know if you still have my email, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Your question was directed to CintiPam, but we did this cruise on Regatta last August and entirely loved it. I have not checked the specific itinerary for 2014 but I doubt it is that different from ours. (Ours was Athens-Istanbul.) This is a cruise I've wanted to do for many years and we were very happy when it happened. My favorite port was Odessa, but we didn't have any ports we didn't like! I'm happy to respond to tour guide inquiries. Just bear in mind that summer time in this area is HOT. Our cruise was not that hot for the most part but the July 2012 cruise was. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruba Posted March 2, 2013 #43 Share Posted March 2, 2013 This may have already been discussed in a separate thread, but I've been away for a while and haven't seen it. O's Summer 2014 itineraries include free pre-paid gratuities if booked by 5/31/13. We get complementary gratuities already as silver Oceania Club members. Our TA initially said that since we already get gratuities, the free gratuity promotion would be treated as an additional on-board credit -- made sense to me. Later she called to say that an Oceania representative said this is in fact not the case. If you already get complementary gratuities through Oceania Club, the new free gratuity promotion is of no additional value. It is only of value to those who have cruised 9 times or less with Oceania. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CintiPam Posted March 2, 2013 #44 Share Posted March 2, 2013 If you already get complementary gratuities through Oceania Club, the new free gratuity promotion is of no additional value. It is only of value to those who have cruised 9 times or less with Oceania. Thanks for posting this helpful information. However, having only four Oceania cruises so far, we are very happy to take advantage of this promotion!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 2, 2013 #45 Share Posted March 2, 2013 If you already get complementary gratuities through Oceania Club, the new free gratuity promotion is of no additional value. It is only of value to those who have cruised 9 times or less with Oceania. Randy That does not seem fair for being loyal cruisers to Oceania Punishing people for cruising too much with O :eek: We are leaving soon & will be in a similar situation ..we will see how it goes Hope you are both well Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted March 2, 2013 Author #46 Share Posted March 2, 2013 How are they punishing anyone? They are simply extending a benefit to those who have fewer than nine cruises. Nothing is being taken away from anyone. My TA gives me free gratuities all the time. Maybe I should complain about this too. LOL It's a great promotion. It does not hurt those who already get free gratuities already and encourages folks to book O. I just don't see the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acarlzon Posted March 2, 2013 #47 Share Posted March 2, 2013 My husband and I just booked July 12 Insignia voyage from Venice to Rome and are thrilled as we have never done a European cruise, although have been to Europe here and there. We booked an AFT Concierge room as we like the quiet hallway notion of such...but everyone has their own point of view. We have quite a while to plan and I am looking forward to collecting lots of wisdom from experienced travelers, of course, taking into consideration that everyone has different priorities. Is there a Roll Call yet for this trip? Do you think this newbie should start one? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted March 2, 2013 Author #48 Share Posted March 2, 2013 My husband and I just booked July 12 Insignia voyage from Venice to Rome and are thrilled as we have never done a European cruise, although have been to Europe here and there. We booked an AFT Concierge room as we like the quiet hallway notion of such...but everyone has their own point of view. We have quite a while to plan and I am looking forward to collecting lots of wisdom from experienced travelers, of course, taking into consideration that everyone has different priorities. Is there a Roll Call yet for this trip? Do you think this newbie should start one? :) There do not seem to be ANY roll calls started on the Insignia Roll Call forum so by all means go ahead and start one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruba Posted March 2, 2013 #49 Share Posted March 2, 2013 I just don't see the problem. Who says there's a problem? I was just pointing out something that Oceania Club members who are Silver or above might not have been aware of, that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 2, 2013 #50 Share Posted March 2, 2013 How are they punishing anyone?They are simply extending a benefit to those who have fewer than nine cruises. Nothing is being taken away from anyone. If you have 10 + cruises & you get gratuities paid by Oceania Club then you sign up for a cruise that offers pre paid gratuities if you book early. As ARUBA posted what they are saying now is that you do not the same perk as people you have 9 or less cruise In my book that is taking something away from those people that have earn a specific status with Oceania club So what you are saying is too bad you are loyal to O but you are not entitled to the same things as other paying passenger just because you have cruise more :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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