Live from the Regatta by a first time Oceania Cruiser

[Zebra Cruiser]

Thalassotherapy spa is on the private deck in front of the spa.  You either have to be in a special category of cabin or pay to use it.

[suefrankw]

great to hear. Our first O cruise is September to Alaska. can't wait. One question... what time do you need to be back on board in each port? Some said 1/2 hr before departing.. also heard 1 hr before.

thanks... glad you are enjoying O. Hoping this will be our new go to as well.

[MEFIowa]

37 minutes ago, suefrankw said:

... One question... what time do you need to be back on board in each port? Some said 1/2 hr before departing.. also heard 1 hr before. ...

Was 30 minutes before scheduled departure for both Riviera (12/2021) and Sirena (11/2022). But read your daily Currents and see the sign posted at the top of the gangplank.

 

If everyone is aboard, the captain may leave before the scheduled departure time. I was the last person back on board Sirena for every port. We had to miss St. Kitts on the way down due to a passenger emergency while on Sirena so I "made up" for it by ensuring I got the maximum port time. They'd call me wife in our cabin about 30 minutes before the published "back on board" time to check on me. AND I told the security people each time I left I'd be back right at the last minute. By the end of the cruise they got to they expected it. In one port they even had the port manager and a golf cart at the end of the pier to drive little old me back to the ship. Seemed like our captain wanted to leave each port as early as he could. 

[suefrankw]

nice... they just made our port time on Skagway Alaska shorter and we have an off ship tour booked. the tour company is willing to change our tour time and will get us back to the ship 30 minutes before departure so just making sure we would be on time. this tour is not available on the ship tours. thanks!

[hmorrow]

22 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Hopefully the bathroom is larger than on the 18 passenger bike & barge trip we took along the Netherlands’ canals. 😉 Thankfully each cabin had a bathroom but there was no way 2 people could ever be in there at the same time…it was difficult enough with just one person. ☺️

 

Probably not😰

[hmorrow]

3 hours ago, suefrankw said:

great to hear. Our first O cruise is September to Alaska. can't wait. One question... what time do you need to be back on board in each port? Some said 1/2 hr before departing.. also heard 1 hr before.

thanks... glad you are enjoying O. Hoping this will be our new go to as well.

30 minutes before sail time….

[Robroy]

We’re on Regatta now and the T-therapy pool is indeed outdoors in front of the gym. Seems to be open to anyone according to a lady in the spa - not just concierge and above. I tried it a couple of days ago and although it was really chilly out with a strong wind, the pool itself is quite hot and the jets are really strong. Great for a sore back or hip! Cruise has been very good so far - we are first-timers and will post a review once we get home. Internet has been quite good the entire trip thus far - staff and service excellent! Coffee however is terrible in all dinkmg

venues however as has been the case with all lines we have tried - even Regent/Silversea and Crystal. There’s always Barrista’s though!

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Robroy said:

We’re on Regatta now and the T-therapy pool is indeed outdoors in front of the gym. Seems to be open to anyone according to a lady in the spa - not just concierge and above.

Spa deck door left open by accident or propped open on purpose is very different than “open to anyone” (which it is not, at least, not without a charge). Lower cabin classes can purchase a day pass.

[DOJO466]

19 hours ago, Robroy said:

We’re on Regatta now and the T-therapy pool is indeed outdoors in front of the gym. Seems to be open to anyone according to a lady in the spa - not just concierge and above. I tried it a couple of days ago and although it was really chilly out with a strong wind, the pool itself is quite hot and the jets are really strong. Great for a sore back or hip! Cruise has been very good so far - we are first-timers and will post a review once we get home. Internet has been quite good the entire trip thus far - staff and service excellent! Coffee however is terrible in all dinkmg

venues however as has been the case with all lines we have tried - even Regent/Silversea and Crystal. There’s always Barrista’s though!

Thank you for a most definitive answer to my question about the T-pool. I think I will need it. Heading out at "o" dark thirty to LA.

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, DOJO466 said:

Thank you for a most definitive answer to my question about the T-pool. I think I will need it. Heading out at "o" dark thirty to LA.

Safe  trip

Have fun

 Lyn

[Robroy]

I can’t speak to other sailing experiences or official policy but I can say that definitely the T-pool area has been open to all on this trip and it hasn’t been a case of the door being left open or propped open. I don’t profess to be an O expert but I am well aware of what I have seen this week.

[msavino56]

Did you use the laundry?  I am going on a 35 day cruise in December and wondered did they supply detergent or should I bring some and what kind do their machines use.  Thank you

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, msavino56 said:

Did you use the laundry?  I am going on a 35 day cruise in December and wondered did they supply detergent or should I bring some and what kind do their machines use.  Thank you

The  self serve laundry room has  free  laundry soap  

you may want to bring unscented dryer sheets  or the reusable dryer cloths

 

We rarely  use the ship's laundry service  so not sue what they use

[msavino56]

Thank you

[Flatbush Flyer]

36 minutes ago, msavino56 said:

Did you use the laundry?  I am going on a 35 day cruise in December and wondered did they supply detergent or should I bring some and what kind do their machines use.  Thank you

We usually do some self-serve laundry on the ships. “Ocean safe” detergent is supplied. So, please do not use your own pods or other detergents that are not certified as safe for maritime environments. 
And enough people are sickened by (or just hate) scented dryer sheets, that you should eschew using them.

BTW: No charge to use them (though I still have some tokens from years ago).

[msavino56]

Thank you also

[jonthomas]

11 hours ago, Robroy said:

I can’t speak to other sailing experiences or official policy but I can say that definitely the T-pool area has been open to all on this trip and it hasn’t been a case of the door being left open or propped open. I don’t profess to be an O expert but I am well aware of what I have seen this week.

Good to know, although I got an eye infection from the Thera pool on Viking star in April.

[LHT28]

11 hours ago, Robroy said:

I can’t speak to other sailing experiences or official policy but I can say that definitely the T-pool area has been open to all on this trip and it hasn’t been a case of the door being left open or propped open. I don’t profess to be an O expert but I am well aware of what I have seen this week.

Several years ago  anyone could wander out to the spa deck through the shower room  so I guess nothing has changed

[MEFIowa]

12 hours ago, Robroy said:

I can’t speak to other sailing experiences or official policy but I can say that definitely the T-pool area has been open to all on this trip and it hasn’t been a case of the door being left open or propped open. I don’t profess to be an O expert but I am well aware of what I have seen this week.

It was not locked on Sirena (11/2022) though IIRC some claimed later something was broken with the lock/door. You had to use your key card to access it on Riviera (12/2021) and sometimes it was a devil of a time to get the card & lock to work together. (We were A4, free access, on Riviera and B2, not free access, on Sirena.)

[AMHuntFerry]

4 hours ago, msavino56 said:

Thank you also

If you are on Regatta, the laundry detergent is automatically dispensed (i.e., you have no choice but to use it)...or at least that was the case last September. On Riviera in December 2021, the dispenser was on the wall; pushing that button dispensed the correct amount and there was a container that was used to manually transfer the detergent to the washer.