Currently On Sirena - Questions?

[ToxM]

10 minutes ago, samiam0403 said:

Hi all! Sorry to have dropped off on posting! We were just having such a lovely time with some folks we met on board, and galavanting about the islands. I'll do my best to go back and fill in gaps, answer questions, and post pics. We are back at home and counting down the days until our next O cruise in April!

 

 

So pleased you had a great time! 

[samiam0403]

Ok, back to it. Day 6 was Roseau, Dominica. Beautiful day, but I spent the day basically being a potato. Finished another book, chit-chatted with folks on the ship, and ate too much. We've been to Dominica previously, and I had no desire to go awandering. Hubs got off the ship and walked around town for quite a while. Beautiful day, but I wasn't feeling it. We had our second reservation at Tuscan Steak this night, and it was definitely better than the first night. Only one minor mishap - hubs ordered the Caprese Salad after his starter, and it never came. My salad came, and after quite a wait, we flagged down our server and asked where his was. After a look of sheer panic, and an approximate 10 minute wait, he had his salad. On the upside, he said it was amazing. I don't even like tomatoes, and I thought it looked fabulous! I had the pasta trio, and it was delicious, but so much food! Tuscan Steak is still in last place for us amongst all of O's specialty restaurants. Seems they had too many tables, and not enough staff. 

 

 

[samiam0403]

Next up: St Barts. This is the port I was most looking forward to. And we had an incredible time. No excursions planned, just wandering and shopping. And eating. St Barts was a tender port, and we headed ashore as soon as excursions were all shuttled off. The process was super easy - head to the Sirena Lounge and get a tender ticket. We waited maybe 10 minutes and were off. Seas were a bit rough, but the crew did an incredible job of safely getting people off and on the tender. Tenders were the ship's life boats and it was a quick ride over to Gustavia. 

 

 

[samiam0403]

Once in downtown Gustavia, we walked around the port area, and down the main street. Had to check out which shops were there and do some planning! But first, lunch. We stopped at Cantina on Rue du Bord de Mer. We had heard horror stories about a quick lunch and 2 sodas costing over 100 euro, but we had 2 mains (a sort of duck shepherds pie and a burger and fries that were AMAZING), a large bottle of Evian, and a pina colada, and the total was around 55 euro. Not bad at all. Would definitely recommend Cantina! After that, we just wandered the town. 

[samiam0403]

St Barts - cont. We walked for quite a while, and decided to head back to the main strip. Found a great little shop, Les Canebiers, where hubs found a few linen button-down shirts and I snagged a great beachy dress. At that point, we were melting from the heat, and found a small juice bar/smoothie shop/cafe called Kaz á Juice for some smoothies. Absolutely delightful! Finally we headed back down to the main shopping area to do some damage to my credit cards at Hermès. But quelle horreur! We had waited too long, and they were closed for lunch from 1400-1630. Drying my tears with the money I saved, I headed back to the ship to get cooled off in some A/C. Hubs stayed ashore to do more walking and wandering as he usually does. All aboard was 1730, so imagine my surprise when ship's security called our cabin at 1645 asking where my husband was. I let them know he was still on shore and that was that. 

[samiam0403]

St Barts - cont. I finally cooled off, and started getting ready for dinner when hubs made it back to the ship with time to spare. He had climbed dang near every hilly street in Gustavia, and had a great time. I was pleasantly surprised when he showed up with an orange bag for me. This one's a keeper, ladies!

 

No specialty dining tonight - it's Thanksgiving! A turkey dinner was available in all dining venues, so no worries there. We went to dinner in the GDR with a lovely couple we met earlier in the cruise. O did a fine job with Thanksgiving dinner!

 

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by samiam0403

[samiam0403]

Next up: San Juan, Puerto Rico - 0700-1600. All aboard seemed very early 1500, maybe?

 

We had a leisurely breakfast, and had planned to have lunch on shore with another absolutely wonderful couple we had met early on (hi John and Dianne!). Francesca, the chief purser also joined us. We met up at around 1200 to get off the ship and grab a taxi. $35 total for the 5 of us for a ride to the Fairmont el San Juan Hotel. The hotel is absolutely gorgeous, and we had a lunch reservation at Caña by Juliana Gonzales. One bottle of wine, delicious lunch, and a tad bit of gambling in the attached casino, and it was time to head back to the ship. Really wish we'd had more time in San Juan, but I suppose if we hadn't slept in we'd have had plenty of time! For those interested, the ship docked at Dock 4 in San Juan. 

[samiam0403]

Last stop of the cruise - Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. 

 

Hoooooo boy, this day was an adventure for us. Being the most important day of the year for an Ohio State football fan (that's me), I had researched prior to the cruise to find a sports bar at which to watch The Big Game. There were multiple sports bars within walking distance to the port, but there were some issues. One being, the World Cup was on. So American college football was hard to come by. We walked all through Taina Bay (the new shopping center/bar/restaurant area at the port) and had no luck. So off to wander downtown Puerto Plata for some other options. As soon as we left the enclosed shopping area, a gentleman with a badge approached us and offered to help us find what we needed. (Official port assistant type person.) We accepted his help, knowing we would tip him whenever we got to where we were going. Near the port is one sports bar/casino - he steered us away from that one, saying it was small with only 1 television. He then walked us to one about 10-15 minute walk away, and went in with us.

 

This is where it got interesting - lost in translation was the fact that their idea of a sports bar is a casino with lots of sports on tv and betting. Lots and lots of betting. No food, only beer, and a VERY sketchy vibe. We told him we'd prefer to get some food first and then return. (Note: we did not return.) He then walked us over to 037 pescados y mariscos - a small restaurant overlooking the water. Gave him a tip, and let him know we'd be fine on our own from here. He seemed quite happy, and headed out. We spent maybe $15 on 2 lunches and a few sodas, and had some of the best food we'd had (excluding the ship, of course) in a while. Fresh, tasty, and a beautiful view of the water. A large group of ship's crew showed up a bit later, which is how we knew we'd found a gem. We eventually just gave up looking for somewhere to watch the game, and streamed the game on my husband's phone. Let's just say I did not have a happy ending to the day, as my Buckeyes acted like they'd never played a game of football in their lives. 🙄

 

We then headed back to the ship, and relaxed and cooled off. The shopping center by the ship seems to have pretty much everything you could want, and is currently being expanded. There are loungers overlooking the water, shopping, restaurants, spas, etc all at the port. 

[samiam0403]

The next day was a sea day. Spent a lot of time taking turns packing as I think hubs and I would have murdered each other trying to maneuver around each other. 🤣 Dinner tonight was Red Ginger, nice and early so we'd have time to eat, finish packing, and put our bags out before 2200. I made sure to return my library books - happily met my goal of reading 3 books on board. The library is really great - new releases, classics, and all types of topics and books readily available. 

 

After (mostly) packing and getting cleaned up for dinner, we headed off to a lounge for a quick pre-dinner cocktail and to chat with new friends. We were the first at the door when RG opened, and were led to one of the windows overlooking the stern of the ship. What a view! Dinner was fantastic - as usual. Having had the tom kha gai soup, duck and watermelon salad, and beef penaeng the first night, I opted for the tom kha gai soup again (soooooo good!), the asian greens with peanut dressing, and the sea bass. Have never had anything but fantastic food at Red Ginger, and the streak continues. One odd thing - both nights we ordered the imperial crispy potato roll. The first night, we each received one about the size of a small spring roll. The second night, it was cut into 4 pieces and was clearly MUCH larger. Seemed like a completely different appetizer. Ah well - both were delicious, though we would prefer it as served the second night. 

 

After dinner, off to change clothes for the evening and disembarkation, finish packing and put out our bags, then off to the casino. We played roulette for quite a while, then finally made our way to the cabin to get to bed. Ugh. Filled out our room service request for the last time, and cried ourselves to sleep knowing we had to leave Sirena in the morning. 🤣

[samiam0403]

The next day, disembarkation was running a bit behind due to waiting on the ship to be cleared. (Our time was expected to be ~0900, and they called our number at ~1000.) Our coffee and OJ came promptly at 0730, and we were out of the cabin before the requested 'get out' time of 0800. Headed up the Horizons for more coffee and ran into the usual crowd in the smoking areas. Sat around visiting and exchanging contact info until it was time to leave. With much sadness, we breezed through the passport check and were in line for a taxi in minutes. Super quick and easy process. 

 

Almost forgot, I nabbed a pic of some spa offerings for someone who had asked upthread - sorry I didn't make it to the spa for the whole list of offerings/prices, but the O website has it all listed out. 

 

 

[samiam0403]

Final random thoughts on Sirena and our cruise:

 

The staff and crew were an absolute delight! The ship is a perfect size and has everything we need on a ship. This was our first time on an R class ship, and was a bit of a test to see how we would manage with the smaller bathroom and cabin size on future longer cruises. The shower was a bit of a challenge, but not a deal-breaker by any means. Storage was plentiful, and we had plenty of room for our things. While I missed the Wine Spectator dinners on O class ships, I didn't miss them enough to exclusively sail O class in the future. I will say though, as a massive introvert, the small size meant it was difficult to find a spot to curl up and read without someone we'd met wanting to sit and chat. Not a huge downside, but there were occasions where I was 'peopled out' and needed some solitude. 

 

The Christmas decorations were being put up starting Friday evening, and the ship was fully decorated by Sunday. Absolutely stunning, and I'm sad I didn't take pictures of how well done it all was. With that, Christmas music was being piped into all of the lounges starting Saturday or Sunday, and I wasn't ready for that! 🤣

 

The viewing options on the tv in the cabin were plentiful. Lots of new and classic movies and tv shows, as well as replays of the on board lecturer. All World Cup games were aired on a separate channel. Lots of music channels on the tv as well. We watched a few movies (mostly before falling asleep), and I wish I'd had time (and the inclination to laze about in bed) to watch some of the newer offerings. 

 

MEFIowa asked Dottie (the cruise director) to set up a veterans' gathering, and there was a pretty good turnout - even considering it didn't make it into the Currents. It was great to chat with other vets, and I was pleasantly surprised at how many of my fellow female vets attended. Would love to see this on all sailings! 

 

Food was good to excellent everywhere on board - with the exception of Tuscan Steak. I'm just going to pretend my awful ribeye never happened. Room service food was surprisingly great - and there were plenty of options. I appreciated the self-serve coffee/espresso/cappuccino machine in Horizons and utilized it frequently! 

 

The on board O ambassador had his work cut out for him on this cruise - lots of people booking future cruises! We booked 2 on board - another on Sirena, and a 35-day Grand Voyage on Nautica from Cape Town to Paris. I considered booking more, but our cruise and travel calendar is pretty well booked for the next few years. Still eyeing doing a World Cruise in a few years as well.

 

The past guest party was well-attended, and we had a great time. The recognition of crew members' service was a nice touch. I (for some reason) hadn't previously attended, but am glad we did. 

 

We had access to the Spa Terrace, but never used it. The one day we went out, all of the lounges and cushions were stacked up and tied down - likely due to the storms and/or wind the night before. No great loss - there's not much shade up there, and I would have burst into flames.

 

Happy Hour at Martinis was apparently the place to be. Always packed, and a bit of a wait for a drink. Toodling up to Horizons instead worked out much better for us. Also, if you like a particular brand of alcohol and don't see it on the list, ask! Late in the cruise, I mentioned wishing they had Woodford Reserve (I'm a bourbon gal) while chatting with the Horizons bartender. He grinned, dug around in a cabinet, and pulled out a bottle. It's probably a good thing I didn't know it was there, but still. 

 

I think that's about it for my ramblings. I'll add more, I'm sure, as it pops into my head. Again, any questions, and I'll try to do my best to answer! 

 

Happy sailing, all!

 

 

 

 

[samiam0403]

On 11/23/2022 at 8:31 PM, birdrock96 said:

Also I forgot to ask..Are there spin and yoga classes?  Thanks 

Bonnie 

Apologies for not getting pictures of the spa offerings! I do know that the services and prices listed on O's website appear to be accurate. Not sure about spin, but they did have yoga!

[samiam0403]

On 11/24/2022 at 11:19 AM, susiesan said:

Is it worth just wandering around the town in St. Vincents, anything to see? I'll be there in a few weeks from marina. I have a snorkeling excursion I the morning but nothing planned for the afternoon. Looking for tips as there is little info on the ports of call section of CC.

Tough question! Nothing any different from any other Caribbean port in my eyes, but hubs had a wonderful time walking around after the rain. He said everyone was so friendly and he quite enjoyed walking around the town. I think you'll get a good feel on whether or not you want to go walking about when you go to/from your excursion. I wish I had better info for you - it was pouring rain when we got there, and most of the morning, so I didn't see much of the town. Just off long enough to go find a place to buy cigarettes. 

[shepherd really]

Would you happen to know the seating capacity in the two specialties?  Thanks

[samiam0403]

7 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Would you happen to know the seating capacity in the two specialties?  Thanks

Unfortunately, I don't know. Both are fairly good sized, though. I just asked my husband, and he guesstimates that Red Ginger is around 50 and Tuscan Steak is around 75. (I am terrible at guessing such things, but I did think they looked about the same size to me.)

[shepherd really]

15 minutes ago, samiam0403 said:

Unfortunately, I don't know. Both are fairly good sized, though. I just asked my husband, and he guesstimates that Red Ginger is around 50 and Tuscan Steak is around 75. (I am terrible at guessing such things, but I did think they looked about the same size to me.)

Thanks, this thread has been very helpful.  I'll be on Sirena in 5-6 weeks.

[samiam0403]

1 minute ago, shepherd really said:

Thanks, this thread has been very helpful.  I'll be on Sirena in 5-6 weeks.

Happy to help! I felt like there was a lack of recent info on Sirena, so wanted to help a little. Enjoy Sirena - she's a great little ship!

[ORV]

Funny, the only time I've been to St Vincent we got soaked while on a tour. 

 

Just out of curiosity, what is your age range?

[samiam0403]

13 minutes ago, ORV said:

Funny, the only time I've been to St Vincent we got soaked while on a tour. 

 

Just out of curiosity, what is your age range?

Hubs and I are 50 and 49, respectively. And not the youngest on the ship by far! 

[Twiga]

1 hour ago, samiam0403 said:

Happy to help! I felt like there was a lack of recent info on Sirena, so wanted to help a little. Enjoy Sirena - she's a great little ship!

Thank you so much for your posts.  I agree that the Sirena is great!!  We were on the Sirena in 2018 for 28 days, Transatlantic, and loved it.  I read 5 or 6 books from the library.  Great selection of books.  We were supposed to be on the Sirena last February, but that cruise was switched to the Marina.  We will be on the Sirena for 27 days beginning in January. Just a few short weeks away.  I can't wait!

[samiam0403]

23 minutes ago, Twiga said:

Thank you so much for your posts.  I agree that the Sirena is great!!  We were on the Sirena in 2018 for 28 days, Transatlantic, and loved it.  I read 5 or 6 books from the library.  Great selection of books.  We were supposed to be on the Sirena last February, but that cruise was switched to the Marina.  We will be on the Sirena for 27 days beginning in January. Just a few short weeks away.  I can't wait!

Lucky you! I hope you have an amazing cruise! We're on for a transatlantic on Sirena as well, but not until 2024. Curious as to your thoughts on how Sirena handled the crossing?

[ToxM]

8 hours ago, samiam0403 said:

Lucky you! I hope you have an amazing cruise! We're on for a transatlantic on Sirena as well, but not until 2024. Curious as to your thoughts on how Sirena handled the crossing?

Was on March TA, she handled it fine, worst part was a squally couple of hours off Cadiz. This was a southerly North Atlantic crossing (Barbados to Barcelona) but she was fine.

 

The TA we are both on in ‘24 is later in the year and a more northerly route. The weather is very unpredictable lately, I have no qualms that she will handle everything thrown at her. 

[pinotlover]

15 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Would you happen to know the seating capacity in the two specialties?  Thanks

Seating capacity of the restaurants is not indicative of the number of passengers seated at any time. Tables are set and intentionally left vacate for ease of seating a new time slot.The number actually eating/ being served is based on the number of servers available to provide excellent service.

 

As I posted in a different thread, one night the restaurant mgr came by our table in TS and apologized about the poor service. The system had allowed too many bookings at the time slot.

 

 

[LHT28]

12 hours ago, samiam0403 said:

Lucky you! I hope you have an amazing cruise! We're on for a transatlantic on Sirena as well, but not until 2024. Curious as to your thoughts on how Sirena handled the crossing?

We have been on the sister ships  during rough seas    they handled just fine

We were hit by a rogue wave   between Grand Cayman & Columbia  

Though we had hit a container it was such a bang .. someone in the smoking  section on the pool deck said  it came up & over the walking track above

Then again in the Irish sea  it was force 9   but Insignia  was fine

 

[MEFIowa]

20 hours ago, samiam0403 said:

St Barts - cont. ... All aboard was 1730, so imagine my surprise when ship's security called our cabin at 1645 asking where my husband was. I let them know he was still on shore and that was that. 

Same thing happened to my wife 3 times because...after we missed St. Kitts I swore I'd spend every safe minute ashore and be the last person back on the ship. I came back on at St. V at 1730 because I didn't think it was safe after dark nor was there anything I saw to do after that. BUT I was the last back by myself from Dominica, San Juan, and Puerto Plaza. (As well as St. Barts but with my wife, as we were tendered back just the two of us.)

 

IF you are the last person back, you sometimes get special treatment. They, in this case the port staff, met me at the beginning of the pier in Puerto Plaza and drove me to Sirena. When I came back last in San Juan I didn't have to walk thru the empty cruise terminal for they opened the previously locked gate near the bow and I just strolled over to the gangway.