Are you planning to book on Vista?

[Robjame]

We have asked our TA to try to book us on the first and second Vista voyages (b2b) but we don't really hold out much hope. I see this thread as different from the "Choosing a Vista cabin" thread.

As Canadians, a lot will depend on the cost in Canadian dollars.

 

Anyone else?

[pinotlover]

2 minutes ago, Robjame said:

We have asked our TA to try to book us on the first and second Vista voyages (b2b) but we don't really hold out much hope. I see this thread as different from the "Choosing a Vista cabin" thread.

As Canadians, a lot will depend on the cost in Canadian dollars.

 

Anyone else?

It will be interesting to see how many slots on that 1st scheduled cruise is reserved for VIPs and invited guests.

 

We have chosen one cruise, andinstructed our TA to try and book it. We gave her a large selection of cabins to shoot for. It is not the exact itinerary we want, but somewhat close. If the itinerary we want, which has been cancelled twice due to Covid, comes out in November, we’ll book that cruise and cancel the Vista cruise. Time will tell.

[Robjame]

19 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

It will be interesting to see how many slots on that 1st scheduled cruise is reserved for VIPs and invited guests.

Yes for sure.

 

‘We told our rep that we would accept any cabin that slept two and had a balcony. We have another booking on Riviera around the same time so it would involve a choice.

[Queen of DaNile]

Yes but not one of the first cruises. Saw something we like and gave our TA the go-ahead.

[Cliff-FLL]

We've provided our TA with a particular cruise and a list of acceptable suites so, fingers crossed, we'll be making our deposit at the end of this week.  We sailed on Marina during its inaugural season and it was worthwhile.  It was very nice to see everything before normal wear-and-tear took its toll.  While we had an incredible time and itinerary, I was surprised that the travel agents who toured our suite while we were in port had the nerve to open the box of Bulgari toiletries and steal everything.  They also walked off with the all of the unused toiletries in both the guest and master baths.  Oceania very kindly replaced everything.  If you book a cruise where TA's are likely to tour, nail it down or lock it up!

[Robjame]

25 minutes ago, Cliff-FLL said:

They also walked off with the all of the unused toiletries in both the guest and master baths.

LOL. Unbelievable! People always amaze.

[WESTEAST]

We are considering a 2023 cruise onboard Vista and the one that intrigues us has a 2 day stop in Haifa and 1 day in Ashdod.  Our understanding is that Israel ports are frequently diverted to other ports due to the country's volatility.  We may proceed to book this cruise recognizing the risk that the cruise line will not stop. That said, we are curious to hear from O cruisers that were fortunate to visit or, not and their experiences/recommendations.  (Posted this question under the Other Med Ports page but, no replies to date. Also scanned O Roll Calls.) 

[mauibabes]

Stuff happens in Israel but we were fortunate to visit there several years ago and we had a fantastic time, a wonderful experience.  No issues with people of any religions and we were able to spend some time with friends living in Tel Aviv. Just book it and we will see what 2023 brings.  It can always be swapped for another itinerary so no loss if you have to change your itinerary. Don’t let “What If”keep you from booking. 
Mauibabes

[WESTEAST]

2 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Stuff happens in Israel but we were fortunate to visit there several years ago and we had a fantastic time, a wonderful experience.  No issues with people of any religions and we were able to spend some time with friends living in Tel Aviv. Just book it and we will see what 2023 brings.  It can always be swapped for another itinerary so no loss if you have to change your itinerary. Don’t let “What If”keep you from booking. 
Mauibabes

Thanks for your reply and advice.

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, WESTEAST said:

We are considering a 2023 cruise onboard Vista and the one that intrigues us has a 2 day stop in Haifa and 1 day in Ashdod.  Our understanding is that Israel ports are frequently diverted to other ports due to the country's volatility.  We may proceed to book this cruise recognizing the risk that the cruise line will not stop. That said, we are curious to hear from O cruisers that were fortunate to visit or, not and their experiences/recommendations.  (Posted this question under the Other Med Ports page but, no replies to date. Also scanned O Roll Calls.) 

The division of the Ports of Call forums sometimes baffles me.  Israel isn't part of 'Other Med Ports' because that is a sub-forum of Europe.  So I moved your thread to the 'Africa & Middle East Ports' forum, which seems to be the right place.  Hope you get some answers there!

[Harters]

Almost certainly we'll book. But not for a while. Maybe 2024/5. 2025 might be a 75th birthday present to myself.

 

By the by, it was only the other day, we received a very comprehensive brochure for Vista. Ship looks lovely. And O is presumably expecting it to go down well with British cruisers. Not only must it have cost them a fortune to produce - it's been thoughtfully written with British spellings and terminolgy (not always a given).

[Harters]

Many years back, our ship visited Israel for the day without problem. But, of course, that part of the world has on-going security issues. For reasons that are inappropriate to discuss here, we chose not to leave the ship  - but were still subjected to interrogation by the Israeli security forces. Folk who did go on excursions had an interesting, if very long and tiring day, as I recall.

[Sharkerella]

We watched the zoom session on the Vista because it looked very nicely designed in the email.  But after sitting` through 15 minutes of ports, they finally got to the food.  They dropped Jacques and La Reserve and added two restaurants Aquamar (translates to seawater) and Ember which is described as California style cuisine but seemed like New England food.  Both seemed to be higher end fast food.  I am more interested in up scale restaurants, not ones where everyone comes in jeans. When they got to the cabins they oozed about the bathrooms for the veranda suites, but only showed the sink.  From the diagram on the brochure, it looks like they have the same small box of a shower and don't want to show it.  They said all the cabins are verandas (some are French verandas) so if they eliminated the inside rooms, why didn't they give the suites a better bathroom?  On Crystal,  even the lowest suites had a double sink, in fact I remember the bathroom was better than our hotel.  I am not booking Vista at this point. I have been on many Oceania cruises and I am booked on Riviera next year and am going to try Silver Sea in June.  Silver Sea is upgrading their cuisine, especially with the new concept S.A.L.T. kitchen plus everything is included, even the excursions.  When I add up all the additional costs for Oceania, Silver Sea comes up the same.  

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

Sharkerella.....totally agree with you re the bathrooms!  They are a downgrade, particularly in the suites.

[Redtravel]

Disappointed that Jacques is not on Vista.  Jacques is the best of all specialty restaurants. Ember cuisine is readily available in the USA.  It may be good. However, it doesn’t get me excited.  I would rather drop Toscana than Jacques.  

[Robjame]

39 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Ember cuisine is readily available in the USA.

I agree. It would make sense to add the Ember menu items to Polo IMO. The steakhouse concept is long gone.

 

The whole concept of Ember baffles me. Fast service or relaxed service - I don't see how that works.

They talk about a quick lunch between excursions. Isn't that Terrace or Waves? Reservations?

 

Ember has been called California cuisine -  Braised Short Ribs on Polenta, Grilled Swordfish with Asparagus, Crab Cakes with Spicy Aioli, and a Cobb Salad? Which of those are Californian?

 

To me trading Jacques for Ember is a real miss. 

 

[PhD-iva]

52 minutes ago, Robjame said:

I agree. It would make sense to add the Ember menu items to Polo IMO. The steakhouse concept is long gone.

 

The whole concept of Ember baffles me. Fast service or relaxed service - I don't see how that works.

They talk about a quick lunch between excursions. Isn't that Terrace or Waves? Reservations?

 

Ember has been called California cuisine -  Braised Short Ribs on Polenta, Grilled Swordfish with Asparagus, Crab Cakes with Spicy Aioli, and a Cobb Salad? Which of those are Californian?

 

To me trading Jacques for Ember is a real miss. 

 

+1

[Woofa]

My two cents.

Understanding that we have never cruised before.  First Oceania cruise set for January 2023.

My guess is that the elimination of Jacques from Vista has to signal a change moving forward.  To remove his restaurant when he has been your food ambassador would seem to be a clear indication that he will not be a major player in Oceania's future.  Lets not forget that JP is 85 years old.  In a post millennial world filled with celebrity chefs it would not surprise me if few below fifty (at least in America) even know who he is.  I doubt many would know Julia Child either.  Bobby Flay or Gordon Ramsey, yes.

Clearly many here like it and we are looking forward to a meal there on our cruise on Riviera.  But.  As someone just entering his fifties I think a restaurant like Ember looks like it will be of more interest to those in my demographic.  I would be willing to bet that is what the people Oceania are trying to bring in with a choice like this.  The majority of people I have known below fifty have very short attention spans and can't really imagine spending ninety plus minutes for dinner in the MDR.  Luxury for them does not necessarily equate to three hour dinners of Prime Rib or similar.  I think its just a generational change.  For me, this restaurant looks modern but classy.  While we have not yet seen the menu I very much doubt it will be upscale fast food.  Open kitchen should be a beautiful showcase for Oceania.  I think it looks like a clear delineation from Waves and Terrace both of which are clearly more casual.

Time will tell but I think you should give this a chance. It is sad that Jacques will not be available.  Enjoy it on the other ships.

[pinotlover]

On 9/5/2021 at 12:17 PM, Queen of DaNile said:

Yes but not one of the first cruises. Saw something we like and gave our TA the go-ahead.

Very smart. Some of the industry magazines are saying the ship yards are running 4-6 months behind due to multiple Covid issues. We gave our TA the go ahead to book a Jun cruise. I hope she’s sailing by then, but that may be cutting it close!

 

Woofa;

 

Right on. Spent a week in France in July. None of the high end French restaurants are doing Jacques type menus/ dishes. Most of those menus are out of last Century.

[csolyn]

On 9/5/2021 at 9:08 AM, pinotlover said:

If the itinerary we want, which has been cancelled twice due to Covid, comes out in November, we’ll book that cruise and cancel the Vista cruise. Time will tell.

 I feel you on that! Our Baltic cruise has been canceled 2x. I'm aiming for a Vista cruise but I too imagine they will be really booked. 

[csolyn]

Ember and dining on Vista. Seasoned O cruiser here, went on my first on at 35 and have just kept on with them for a decade. Woofa, agree with you about Ember, the younger generations not eating in MDR (I haven't since one night on my first cruise), and although I have learned to love the cooking vids of Jaques because of my time on O, I had no idea who he was before that! I have learned a lot from him on my O tv over the years. 😉

 

Toscana is my hands down favorite place to eat on O. Red Ginger is my second. I don't get the love of Polo Grill. I can get a fillet from room service, on a sandwich at Waves,  and a great grilled steak of some sort in the Terrace Cafe. Terrace Cafe grill is my FAVORITE and keeps me on O ships if I'm honest. 

[csolyn]

Someone who watched the Live Tour is the French Veranda just an Ocean View with a big window or does it open? The layout isn't obvious except that it looks too small to walk on!

[gnld]

13 minutes ago, csolyn said:

Someone who watched the Live Tour is the French Veranda just an Ocean View with a big window or does it open? The layout isn't obvious except that it looks too small to walk on!

With a French Balcony (aka Juliet Balcony), the door does slide open and you may or may not have a "balcony" about a foot deep you can step out on. Windstar's French Balconies are a foot deep like this. But some French Balconies do not have something you can step out onto. Brochure wording for Vista implies nothing to step out onto.

[AMHuntFerry]

18 minutes ago, csolyn said:

Someone who watched the Live Tour is the French Veranda just an Ocean View with a big window or does it open? The layout isn't obvious except that it looks too small to walk on!

The giant window is a slider door so that fresh air can enter. There is no balcony...just railing. They've been building these on some new apartment buildings where I live. One of the workers said they call the Juliette balconies on buildings.

[Robjame]

La Reserve ? Is it gone on Vista or will the Aquamarine Kitchen or the Culinary Centre be dual purposed?