the more ports the better

Hi Rizzomamma, please let us know if you hear anything. I'll do the same.

Right now, we are booked on Baltic cruise. It has four overnights plus ending in Amsterdam. We are taking three adult kids in their 20's and two grandkids in their young teens. It's a bad mix as the baltic is heaven for the 20's kids with all the nightlife and clubs but one of us will have to stay on the ship with the grandkids at night as their parents are not going with us.

Ovation would be much better for all of us. Like you, I need to start the visa process for either China or Russia. Also, if I take the Baltic cruise, we have three days in St Petersburg and I need to buy flights from there to Moscow as we want to see the Kremlin. They are going to sell out if we don't act soon.

I would rather go on Ovation but I'm not sure I want to risk the itineraries being the four or five day sailings like Quantum.

Please post if you hear anything.

Hmmm, I think I may call and ask. Did you hear that from RC? They told me it would be open for booking in Aug but that never happened. Quantum has been opened for booking for summer 2016 in China for awhile now.

We are booked on Ovation in Dec 2016 in Sydney. The summer sailings are perplexing me.

I've been waiting for itineraries to be released too. There is a sailing that ends in Beijing on June 12 then nothing till Nov, odd??? We tried to get two suites on that June sailing but they sold out almost immediately as there was just one sailing offered. The short cruises on Quantum have tons of suite availability but the longer ones on Ovation sold out quickly.

We were hoping to take the kids on that same itinerary, or reverse, next summer, and spending some time in Beijing seeing the Great Wall etc. but RC has not released any sailings. It may have something to do with the PR from the explosion at the Tianjin port.

It's pretty much too late to coordinate Visa's, tours, flights, hotels, etc., so we gave up waiting and booked a Baltic cruise on another line as RC doesn't have any longer itineraries on their nicer ships there.

Kind of frustrating.

We are cruise addicts. Been on Seabourn, Paul Gauguin and Azamara. Going on Oceania Riviera in a few weeks. I have to say, I already feel nickeled and dimed on O. I'm laid back to a fault so that is saying a lot. Drinks, specialty coffees, specialty restaurants are extra, unless in a suite, which we fortunately are, shore excursions are crazy expensive.

Seabourn is near perfect. Azamara is my favorite though. GREAT workout facility and equipment in addition to fantastic entertainment. Seabourn is owned by Carnival cruise lines and Azamara by Royal Caribbean international. These companies know what works and they know the difference between mass market and upscale because they created mass market cruising.

We stay in suites on almost all cruises so staterooms are nothing less than spectacular. Seabourn entry suites are long and narrow though, can be claustrophobic as you only have a foot or so to walk past the bed to the balcony area.

RCI excels in entertainment. We've been on a zillion cruises with the kiddies and seeing a broadway production of Mama Mia or Saturday Night Fever is a bonus. This flows to Azamara's entertainment. It is really good. Seabourn not so much.

All Food on Seabourn is spectacular as are specialty restaurants on Azamara. Azamara main dining room is lacking big time, the grill is pretty good for breakfast and lunch.

Paul Gaugin is like a small Seabourn in the South Pacific. Wonderful except, we stayed in a suite and our bathroom was exactly the same size as the smallest stateroom. The ship is old enough that even renovations cannot give it true luxury.

Just my two cents, hope this helps. Honestly though, when you sail away from port, watching land disappear, any cruise is a luxury!!!

Ferry boat is beautiful and runs about 4 or five times a day from LeSpezia going around the peninsula. Takes 2 hours or so to get to Monterosso. Train runs every 10-20 min and takes 20 min. Walk is really easy from cruise port on a pedestrian walkway through nice shopping area. Follow signs with pictures of trains going there and signs with pictures of boats going back. (Don't even have to read)

If you take the ferry, the first one is at 9:15. We didn't clear to get off the ship till well past 8:30, closer to 9 so we missed the first ferry and took the train. I think a few people may have made it but be ready to disembark as quickly as possible. The second ferry didn't get to Manarola until past noon, about 1:00 to Monterosso, and we figured that would make for a very late start so we took the train. Ferry was about 75e for 4. Train was less than 10e for all of us.

Keep in mind that the ticket machines at the train station are very crowded in the morning so leave time to buy tickets. I think you can get a day pass for the trains online in advance for a nominal fee.

We did scuba in Manarola then hopped the train to Monterosso, had great lunch on the beach, walked around town then hiked to Vernazza and went swimming, shopping and gelatoing. Really easy. Took train back from Vernazza to LaSpezia and walked back to ship, shopping and gelatoing again along the way. I hope this helps, Have a great time!!!

I sailed on Oasis a few months ago and CL is still available to D+. No signs of Wonderland. I assume Allure will be the same after dry dock, will know after cruising on her next month and will report back. I'm D+ and always sail in suites.

Concierge lounge on all ships but Oasis and Quantum class is horrible. Why go in concierge lounge on freedom or voyager class when diamond is soooo much nicer? Who cares if they eliminate access. D+ still has CL on Oasis and I'm guessing on renovated Allure as well as quantum class ships. Harmony is not being built with CL so nobody is losing anything.

New suite lounge is fabulous on Oasis. Full bar all day, full restaurant, great concierge. It is what should be offered for suite guests. You expect that level of service when paying 10k-15k to take your family on a cruise. It opens up the possibility of having your kids happy and occupied on a mega ship as opposed to a small luxury line without compromising too many amenities or too much service. If this was opened to all the D+ it would be impossible to keep up that level of service as Oasis class has so many suites.

D+ should stick to Oasis and Allure. Skip Harmony if having a CL is a high priority for a vacation.

Looks like we're a couple weeks after you, so keep her clean for us! :D

Hi there.

We will be on her on June 18 also. Have our days planned except Marseilles. Any thoughts?

I heard a rumor that The Ovation will Port at Navy Pier with stops in Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Muskegon! :eek:

Yeaaaa, and the best part is, no one will want to sail so you and I will be the only ones on the ship and have it all to ourselves!!! MTD with no lines working like clockwork, imagine that!!

Very true Bob, so that means there is room for 2 new ships at PE. One to rotate with Oasis and one to rotate with Rhapsody. Hmmmmm. What do you think?

Royal has three berths at PC. The new giant dock for Oasis class and the existing EOS and FOS docks. Oasis will take the big one when Freedom moves to PE, Rhapsody will take Enchantment's current position. What Ship will take Freedoms current space? My guess is Ovation after a summer/fall in Europe. I can't imagine RC not placing a new class of ship in Florida. I wish we could get one here in the Midwest but I've finally come to terms with the fact that it's cold here and we have no Ocean. :(

Just my two cents as I love these ships. My only complaint, MOVE THE FITNESS CENTER BACK TO AN UPPER DECK! Oasis and Allure have very nice fitness centers but they are tucked down on deck 6 with just a few port holes. Most all cruise ships have floor to ceiling windows with sweeping views of the ocean. This makes working out a breeze. Quantum and Anthem moved their fitness centers back up top, let's hope the new Oasis ships do too!!!!!