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Brentwood Bay

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About Me

  • Location
    Brentwood Bay BC
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Oceania
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    The World

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. Just got off Riviera last week (Singapore to Bangkok). Late lunch time was pretty busy on occasion and no table was available in either the Terrace Cafe or Waves Grill (a lot of people on their phones). On two occasions I ordered at Waves but told the order taker that I had no table. He couldn't comprehend the situation. I had to point to a corner of Waves where I could stand to await my order. Reluctantly he took my order and when it was filled I had to step forward to retrieve it from a very confused waiter. Somehow the food didn't taste as good in my cabin.
  2. We have an apartment in the Lagos (law-GOOSH) Marina and have got to know the Algarve area of Portugal pretty well over the past 15 years. Lagos is a wonderful town with pleasant people, scenery and atmosphere. Very convenient wooden boardwalks have been recently completed to visit the spectacular cliffs (Ponta de Piedade aka Lighthouse Point) and Meia Praia (aka Middle Beach) which is a 5km long pristine sand beach. Cabs are inexpensive and plentiful. Portimao (15 minute drive to the east) is a pale comparison to Lagos. Sagres (45 min to the west) is at the southwest corner of Portugal and also very scenic. Lots of good restaurants for fish lovers. For a day visit to Lisbon or Porto a short cab ride to the town centres would be advisable. Just wander around and let the ambiance seep in. If you enjoy port wine a visit to one or more cellars along the West Bank of the Douro River in Porto is really nice for a tour and tasting.
  3. I also asked our TA to find out which port we would dock at. Same answer. Port Hiep Phuoc. this is apparently downriver from the city port. We have booked a private Delta tour, I think it was with get your guide, and it is one hour shorter each way to drive so fine with us! We have visited before too, and loved it all! We will be there Feb 7 as well! We are disembarking in Bangkok and then going south to the islands until we get on again in Seoul! Does anybody know who will be the artist on board?
  4. Thank you very much cruiseej and alc 13 for the valuable information. We will definitely move up to Deck 6 or above to accommodate the potential hull noise and deck visibility (my wife loves her deck time) issues. A pre-cruise week in Chile seems to be in order to collect some nice local wines for the voyage. We will not miss Formal nights....it will certainly reduce the packing requirements. As will access to weekly laundry facilities. Sounds like Seabourn will be a good fit for us. Thanks again.
  5. My wife and I have been cruising with Oceania for many years but have been put off by Oceania's new Simply More program and PR fumbles relating to recent Middle East voyages. We are itinerary-driven and enjoy fine food and wine. To help us decide on a 38 day cruise from Chile to Australia (March/April 2025) I would appreciate some input from Seabourn patrons relating to the cruise line. 1. We are looking at Cabins V1 501 and V2 801. We are not bothered by rocking/rolling ship motion and don't use elevators. Any comments about either of these cabins? 2. I actually enjoy doing laundry/ironing when aboard (at home...not so much). Are the self-serve laundries normally accessible ie. not overly crowded or requiring lineups? 3. I read that The Restaurant (which I assume is the "premium" dining venue on board) must be reserved with one (1) reservation permitted per voyage. For a 38 day cruise this seems pretty limited. Is this correct? 4. My wife and I enjoy interesting and knowledgeable speakers. Are the calibre and frequency of the speakers reasonable? 5. We would normally bring a few bottles of wine with us (probably from visited Chilean wineries) but would not likely upgrade to Premium Spirits on board. Are the complimentary wines and beers on offer of reasonable quality? 6. We are not heavy users of the internet while traveling. Is the available bandwidth satisfactory for dealing with limited emails (no streaming required)? 7. The Formal Attire requirement is understood to be about once per week (5 occasions over 38 days?). Is it possible to get away with a collared shirt and linen jacket without a tie? Post-retirement my neck has become very adverse to wearing one. Thanks in advance for any assistance.
  6. My wife and I were circumnavigating Australia on Regatta during New Years Eve 2019/20 (barely pre-Covid). The New Years celebration was wonderful...perhaps our most memorable! The MDR meal had special touches but the Pool Deck party was fabulous. The ship's band provided great music. Lots of dancing including a pop-up performance by fellow passengers coached by the ship's singers and dancers. Party hats, streamers and noise-makers in abundance. Both hot tubs had been drained and filled with ice and stocked with champagne free for all. The deck was crowded and the mood was very festive. The countdown to 2020 was recited by all, followed by hugs with friends and others in reach. Things wound down a bit after midnight but the party continued until nearly 1 AM. As we danced back to our cabin we knew we had experienced a night we wouldn't soon forget!
  7. I would have thought a "terrible" cold would prompted self-isolation in one's cabin, regardless of being Covid or not. Regular visits to the sauna and steam room would surely help to pass the germs around.
  8. Does anyone know who is currently the Artist-in-Residence on Marina? Thank you
  9. We were on the Nieuw Statendam during the Hurricane Earl event (which our Captain successfully dodged). Our Cabin 5001 was adjacent to the bow access door. That door was not locked but identified as "Crew Only". We did see several crew members working or discretely having coffee on the bow deck but never passengers. When the ship was underway the bow deck would have been too windy for pleasant viewing. Our adjacent veranda was essentially unusable when underway.
  10. Just picked up my new passport yesterday for a September 7 cruise. The turnaround time was 2 weeks/10 business days in Victoria. Relatively smooth process. Keep in mind that there may be other reasons for passport renewal. My 10 year passport had 2 years left till expiry but no clear pages remaining. For longer cruises there may be requirements for several clear pages for application of visas and entry stamps. An upcoming (2023) Oceania cruise requires a minimum of 6 clear pages. Oceania's Around the World cruise requires 10 clear passport pages.
  11. We are embarking the Statendam on September 7 from Quebec City. To meet the Covid testing requirements we have organized an antigen test for September 6. The nurse/technician is coming to our hotel (Port Royal) room to administer/monitor the testing for us and friends. The testing firm is called: Equipe Medicale Quebec The testing cost is $90 Can per person.
  12. Thanks Cruz Terri. Good to have info from someone who has experienced the process.
  13. We are also cruising the Mediterranean this Fall. Our 54 day cruise on the Marina consists of four B2B segments so we will anticipat at least three Covid tests during the voyage. What happens if my wife and/or I test positive on one of these occasions? Are we quarantined individually/separately or escorted off the ship? Quarantining would be a bummer but an extended balcony B3 would minimize the pain. Leaving the ship would be BAD! What compensation is Oceania offering for positive test results and resulting quarantine? My wife and I (doubled dosed and boosted) caught Covid a couple of months ago. We self-quarantined at home after taking Antigen tests. Very minor symptoms (slight throat soreness/tired). I tested negative after 4 days. My wife tested positive up to 8 days after the initial positive result. How would that scenario affect the quarantining process?
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