Edited to add:

Other possibilities would be 10026, 10031 or 10033 – away from pool deck noise but near the elevators. 

10031 is the only one of these five that doesn't have a sofabed – we are only 2 people, so would use it only for sitting.  Is the regular couch more comfortable for sitting than the sofabed?

Finally, I see that there is a huge overhand right above deck 11.  We actually look forward to a shady balcony, so this is a good thing.  Are the deck 10 balconies also shady?

I will begin with a scam I encountered.  I once spent a week in Saint Thomas.  Many of the shops in Charlotte Amalie only open on days when there are cruise ships in port.  A friend wanted to buy a digital camera and we went to a camera shop downtown.  During his negotiations for the purchase price of the camera, the shop worker would not negotiate price but offered a free accessory that would equal the amount of the discount being sought.  After leaving the shop, we went directly to a nearby bar, got a drink and inspected the contents of the boxes in his bag.  To his surprise, the box containing the free accessory only had a rock in it.  We immediately returned to the shop and confronted the worker and obtained the promised accessory.  It was not until later that I realized they thought we were off a cruise ship and would not discover the deception until after we sailed.  Moral: always check your purchases before returning to the ship.

However NCL and O have taken different paths for the Alaska season past the month of May. A couple of days ago NCL ceased taking new reservations for the remainder of 2021 Alaska season, although it did not actually cancel the cruises, stating they were "exploring several initiatives that may allow such cruises to continue." Presumably a temporary waiver of the PVSA foreign port requirement is among the initiatives being explored.

On the other hand Oceania continues to accept new bookings for the remainder of the 2021 Alaska season, which is solely cruised on the Regatta. Perhaps they believe the relatively small Regatta may have a chance of getting a relaxation of the rules from Canada that would permit the ship in Canadian waters, which gives it another path in addition to a PVSA waiver that would allow the Alaska season to proceed.

We were looking seriously at a NYC-NYC cruise on Insignia in September.  Like many, we anticipate that, even with vaccinations, we will be hesitant about air travel throughout this year.  The prospect of departing and returning to by our own car was a big attraction.  It wasn't particularly about the itinerary, we just wanted to enjoy a cruise, with safe travel.  We also were thinking of a NYC-Montreal cruise, knowing we could rent a car in Montreal and drive home.

The Insignia was scheduled to come from Europe late summer, spend two months in New England, and then head for the Caribbean.  It would be great if Oceania still offered some revised itineraries with US ports. How about a simple NYC, Newport RI, Boston, Portland, Bar Harbor, NYC???  Or NYC, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, NYC?  Or add Bermuda to the mix.   Also, I know cruise lines sometimes offer 7-day round trip cruises with Bermuda as the only port.  Boston or Baltimore could also be the home port.

I know they could move to the Caribbean early, but autumn is so pleasant in the Northeast, and cruises of this type would better serve the large Northeast population.

I really believe there is a demand for this type of "first step" back to worldwide cruising.

Am I alone??

My computer takes a 3-prong US plug for charging.  Do I need to take an adapter to convert a 3-prong US to a 2-Prong US plug, or is there another location, perhaps at the desk, where there are 3-prong US outlets?

Many thanks.

Thank you in advance!

Patti

NCL removed all May cruises from its website earlier in the weekend although it hasn't formally announced any cancellations. Tuesday marks the start of the business week after the holiday weekend and is also exactly four weeks since the last general cancellation announcement, so I'm guessing that's the day May cancellations will be announced.

We have travelled on several cruise lines over the years. After trying some mainstream lines We found a good niche with HAL on their small ships for a couple trips, but those ships are gone and we are not interested in larger ships. Several years ago we experienced Viking and have since sailed several times with them. We very much enjoyed their service, food, included wine/beer, specialty restaurants, free spa visits (not services), the ships, and itineraries. 

In researching options Oceania has several itineraries that are very interesting to us. Reviews on CC are really very positive and I am seeing a lot of aspects that are inviting.A few things about is - we are mid 60’s and early 70’s. We rarely do ship excursions preferring to explore independently or private/small group. We don’t need casinos, shows, art sales, photographers. We enjoy good wine - as well as a higher end cocktail or two. we enjoy a relaxed meal in the evening with very good food. Balcony relaxing is a pleasure as well as a couple sea days to relax. We enjoy visiting lesser travelled ports amd longer port days. While most of those boxes are checked with Viking, what we do not like is their payment policy. It is ridiculous how far in advance they require payment in full. It works for them, but not so much for us. We also see continued steep pricing increases, and that combination has me looking. 

If anyone has travelled on Viking and would kindly provide some comparisons as well as insights and suggestions/recommendations, I would very much appreciate hearing your experience. Thank you 
 

The cruise was canceled in mid-January and we are eligible for a full refund. Oceania also emailed with a few suggestions for cruises with similar itineraries. However, somehow the 125% towards a future cruise is no longer available. And of course the recommended future cruise with an identical itinerary is a lot more expensive than we had booked. The 125% would just about cover the cost of the replacement cruise but of course the 125% isn't available....

Oh well, 'lots of other fish in the sea', or cruise ships, as the saying goes. Just be warned if you are faced with a similar situation by Oceania.....

Does the Insurance company refund the payment or give you a credit to apply to another cruise?  Anyone have first hand knowledge?

Transport Canada Extends Cruise Ship Ban to February 2022 (travelmarketreport.com)

No Alaska season this year and no Canadian East Coast as well.

-Does Allura #1 have a name?  Thought a "contest" was offered some time ago.  Don't recall we ever heard the results.

-Where will she sail?  DH will never consider a ATW on an R ship.  With the advent of Allura class it would be nice if one of the O ships would be considered for ATW.

Well, there are a couple of starters.  Hope y'all have some more.  It would be great if we actually got some feedback, maybe even answers.

-Katie

I do have two questions about Day #1.

first, does Oceania (Sirena) have their 4:00 pm tea on embarkation day

and two, is the Thassotherapy (?) pool open for use while still in dockage.

We always board early and like to get a start on the amenities.

Thank you!

😀