Mumbling about Marina

[shepherd really]

5 minutes ago, Snaefell3 said:

Yum!  Which did you choose?

Red Ginger and Toscana, we have Polo Grill tonight, that was scheduled. So far on this cruise the specialties have been easy to get into, and these extras were both for parties of six, not shared, with our traveling companions.  

[shepherd really]

Another observation after five days, there are many lovely people on board, but I am most impressed with the ability of some of my fellow passengers to be miserable human beings while cruising.

 

If you can be as unhappy and unpleasant on a cruise as they appear to be, you can probably be unhappy anywhere.

[ORV]

4 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Another observation after five days, there are many lovely people on board, but I am most impressed with the ability of some of my fellow passengers to be miserable human beings while cruising.

 

If you can be as unhappy and unpleasant on a cruise as they appear to be, you can probably be unhappy anywhere.

Right, what’s up with that? Let’s spend thousands of dollars and see things that very few are fortunate to see and spend the whole time being miserable. Life’s too short for that. 

[shepherd really]

15 minutes ago, ORV said:

Right, what’s up with that? Let’s spend thousands of dollars and see things that very few are fortunate to see and spend the whole time being miserable. Life’s too short for that. 

And sadly, those folks seem to want to share their misery.  I don't get it, but my response to them (most of the time) is a big smile and a happy greeting.  

[Vallesan]

15 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

And sadly, those folks seem to want to share their misery.  I don't get it, but my response to them (most of the time) is a big smile and a happy greeting.  

Just as long as their ‘misery’ doesn’t rub off on you!

 

I remember being on a cruise several years ago and there was a couple, he was from Texas, she was a buxom blonde from Russia who spoke very little English but she always wore a huge smile. Her joy was to sit in the hot tub, smiling and drinking champagne. You just couldn’t help but smile along with her. They are the sort of ‘happy’ cruisers that are a joy to meet.

[shepherd really]

42 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Just as long as their ‘misery’ doesn’t rub off on you!

 

Not to worry, while I like to share joy, I won't accept other people's misery.  They can marinate in it on their own.  

[Snaefell3]

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Another observation after five days, there are many lovely people on board, but I am most impressed with the ability of some of my fellow passengers to be miserable human beings while cruising.

...and that's before a dose of Drake Shake?   🙄

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, shepherd really said:

Not to worry, while I like to share joy, I won't accept other people's misery.  They can marinate in it on their own.  

I’m curious, are they complaining about the cruise or life in general? Sounds like you are having a great time! We are on the Marina in November and those reports are really helpful.

[shepherd really]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

I’m curious, are they complaining about the cruise or life in general? Sounds like you are having a great time! We are on the Marina in November and those reports are really helpful.

Oh, it's an assortment of grumblings, walking around with a grimace like they just saw a beloved dog run over, an overheard whine about something or a curtness towards crew or other passengers.  Just negative people that seem to complain as a default setting.  

[shepherd really]

We are currently back in the Chilean Fjords. It's very foggy but seems to be lifting as we proceed.  The Captain said we would be cruising through them until this evening, then out into the Pacific until 2:00am, hopefully we get some good views.  i just got a call on my room phone from Frank Del Rio, he must have misdialed.  (not kidding).

[clo]

10 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Dinner has been at 6:30, I think the 6:00 is for the smaller ships on shorter itineraries to accommodate more people in the specialty restaurants.  This is a 20-day cruise, now on day 5 and we've already had two "extra" specialty restaurant dinners.

 

Marina is in the Pacific this morning, it's a bit rocky but we should be ducking into the Chilean fjords sometime today (unless there is an unannounced change).

 

Our Antarctica  trip, which was actually an escorted land/sea which took us through Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia, also did Chilean fjords. Very nice.

[clo]

2 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

...and that's before a dose of Drake Shake?   🙄

Gratefully WE got the Drake Lake in both directions.

[babysteps]

55 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

i just got a call on my room phone from Frank Del Rio, he must have misdialed.  (not kidding).

Tell him "hi" for all of us on this thread lol

[pinotlover]

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Oh, it's an assortment of grumblings, walking around with a grimace like they just saw a beloved dog run over, an overheard whine about something or a curtness towards crew or other passengers.  Just negative people that seem to complain as a default setting.  

We overall had a great cruise from Buenos Aires to Lima last year, but there were definitely hiccups. 

The larger question is does the whining have merit? We had three skipped ports, one announced when we got on the ship. Set a tone for the cruise, especially with the late port arrivals and consequently shortened port stays. Made some grumpy, while others could care less.

 

Outside of that, I have found that most of the dissatisfaction with Oceania comes from over hyped expectations. As a veteran O cruiser, I try to minimize those expectations and take positive actions. A few examples: 1. I book my own air, for the itinerary I want. Some use O Air and get good connections, others have horror stories of 3 connections and long layovers, thus exhausting them before they even arrive. 2. My experiences have taught me that I’ll have some excellent meals, some mediocre, and on a rare occasion a poor one. Others read CC posts where all the meals are outstanding, every bite succulent, and the restaurants Michelin star quality. Some Newbies have paid monies outside their comfort zone to learn for themselves the hard truth. Same goes with wine. Being a drinkable or even good wine doesn’t make it an outstanding or premium wine. Words have meanings. 3. This cruise in question is on an O ship, but some new Oceania cruisers , after paying the big bucks, aren’t prepared for the R ship OV bathrooms. 
 

My experience is those that are the most unpleased are those that came with oversized expectations. The Cheerleaders and Oceania Influencers here in created a lot of those expectations unnecessarily.
 

 

[davencl]

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Oh, it's an assortment of grumblings, walking around with a grimace like they just saw a beloved dog run over, an overheard whine about something or a curtness towards crew or other passengers.  Just negative people that seem to complain as a default setting.  

My alltime favorite happened on a Disney Cruise.  A guy in the elevator was grumbling about all the gol darn kids.  I was silently laughing hysterically.

[MEFIowa]

49 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

... Outside of that, I have found that most of the dissatisfaction with Oceania comes from over hyped expectations. As a veteran O cruiser, I try to minimize those expectations and take positive actions. ... My experience is those that are the most unpleased are those that came with oversized expectations. The Cheerleaders and Oceania Influencers here in created a lot of those expectations unnecessarily.

Happiness = Reality - Expectations.

 

Informed reasonable expectations lead to increased happiness.

[ak1004]

It's expectations and homework.

 

It's about people who book R hips and then are surprised about the cabin and bathroom size. This is the easiest thing to check before booking - if a cabin size is critical, book PH or book O ship.

 

It's about people who complain about mediocre entertainment and limited activities - which is 100% true, but also 100% well known, and applies to most small ships (the only exception is probably Crystal). Oceania cannot and will not compete with the big production shows seen on NCL or RCI.

 

Also, as mentioned, flights and hotels booking with any cruise line is rarely a good deal. Same goes for excursions. Book cruise only, no flights hotels or excursions.

 

I'm a big fan of O food, but I will never expect every single meal to be outstanding. I think very few people are really disappointed with the food.

[shepherd really]

Last night's dinner in Polo was good, although my wife's steak came to the table rare, she ordered medium.  Mine was just past medium, but close enough.  We exited the Fjords and went into the Pacific during dinner.  It got a bit bumpy for those with balance issues.  

 

Back into the Fjords at 2:30 am this morning.  Scenic cruising today if the fog lifts, Red Ginger again tonight and Punta Arenas tomorrow. Some coughing has been heard around the ship, but not worrisome, yet. 

 

 

 

[shepherd really]

The Fjords today have been magnificent, the poor internet service prevents me from posting any pictures, just screen shots.  Passing Desolation Island now.  We'll be heading to Red Ginger for dinner soon.  Punta Arenas in the morning.  

[osandomir]

Can you please tell what website are you using to find the current location of your ship.

[shepherd really]

3 hours ago, osandomir said:

Can you please tell what website are you using to find the current location of your ship.

cruisemapper.com

[shepherd really]

No tour today in Punta Arenas, I did walk around for a couple of hours.  It's a bit tired looking and didn't have attractions I found of interest.  

[pinotlover]

27 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

No tour today in Punta Arenas, I did walk around for a couple of hours.  It's a bit tired looking and didn't have attractions I found of interest.  

We took one of our few O tours there. Went up into Patagonia, had the barbecue mutton, local wine, etc, . interesting landscape and fun to get away from the coast. Some had never seen a sheep sheared. Lots of interesting local history along the way.

[shepherd really]

2 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

We took one of our few O tours there. Went up into Patagonia, had the barbecue mutton, local wine, etc, . interesting landscape and fun to get away from the coast. Some had never seen a sheep sheared. Lots of interesting local history along the way.

As you might imagine, I've seen many sheep being sheared, in fact I may have even done a few myself.  I prefer excursions that don't replicate my work at home 😉

[MEFIowa]

Sandy Point (Punta Arenas) has an interesting history, including everything from penal colonies to immigration:

 

"Croatian immigration to Punta Arenas was a crucial development in the region of Magallanes and the city in particular. Currently, this influence is still reflected in the names of shops, streets and many buildings. Punta Arenas is said to have the largest percentage of Croatians in the world outside Croatia and the former Yugoslavia. Punta Arenas also has the largest percentage of residents of British descent in the whole Chile. Punta Arenas is home to the southernmost Hindu temple in the world, which is used by the relatively small, but significant, Sindhi community in Punta Arenas. Sindhi merchants began arriving in the area during the early 1900s, and today constitute one of the largest communities of Indians in Chile."