the more ports the better

Gary, I’m glad you enjoyed the hotel in Athens.  It is so nice and the Bonvoy perks are great.  Hopefully the Arts hotel will be just as good.

I forgot to tell you to download the free Rick Steves Audio Europe app.  Rick Steves narrates walking tours of all the major sites in Europe.  They are better than many of the guides that I have hired over the years.  There are talks on the app too of various interviews that Rick Steves has done on his TV shows over the years that are interesting but the walks are so fun and entertaining and….free!  In Athens it’s a great overview of the city.  With one day and being jet lagged it would have been tough though.
 

The gothic quarter walk in Barcelona is really good.  It is a lot of fun and you will see all kinds of interesting sites.  He also has “Renaissance Walk” in Florence and a “ Heart of Rome” walk in Rome.  Both great if you have some time to spare after your planned tours and want a free Rick Steves walking tour.  Also, the Forum tour in Rome is one of my favorites and only an hour or so.

Enjoy your trip!

Between August and September, 100% September.  It is the start of whale season.  The Humpbacks are there with their babies.  Michael Poole has a whale swim, you get in and swim with the whales, that you can book while on Moorea or with O.

It is high season and weather is good both months.  Rainy season is Dec thru March.  Keep in mind that it does rain throughout the year, just more in rainy season.

We are on a private tour to D day beaches with Overlord, it filled immediately on the roll call.  
 

We are now putting a small group together for MSM. I have contacted both Overlord and Westcapades.  Thanks for the suggestions!

FYI, none of the tours I chose were panoramic.  All were visiting specific sites, getting off the bus for a period of time and receiving a tour, then sometimes time on our our own before regrouping.  Anyway you look at it, if you have more than a few people, the guides are herding cats.  A facility break with six people is quick.  With 16 people it is a 20 minutes, 30 people is a way too long.

When visiting historical sites, we typically hire a qualified guide.  The interaction between a guide and 4-6 people is much greater than a group of 22.  With the group tours, we listened and the guide talked.  We could ask questions but there are just too many people for the guides to engage with everyone.

If we are visiting a scenic site, it is always nicer to take our time on our own.

One more thing, we have hired at least 100 private guides over the years and many have been outstanding but for the top sites in Europe, it is hard to beat the Rick Steves Audio Europe walks in his app.  They are free, fun, informative, and entertaining.  We have done almost all of them, many multiple times, and would do them all over again and probably will.  It is tough to find any guide that is better than good old Rick.

About 22, actually, a few excursions were exactly 22 as the guides would count people often.  22 was the number a few times.  Once we had 16.  The busses were never close to being full.

Riveria was beautiful as usual and the food was very good in all restaurants, except the lamb chops in the MDR but there is inevitably going to be one miss.  We were in a PH on deck 11.  The stateroom was lovely.  The sailing was sold out so no spare staterooms and unfortunately someone clogged the main plumbing line on a lower deck so we had no WC one day from the time we arrived back onboard around 3:00 until 10:30 in the evening.  I take my 89 year old mom on a trip once a year and this was it.  Not having facilities for half a day was a problem.

Since I was with my mom, I decided to try out O excursions as they will soon be included as part of simply more, plus I had never done one with O or any other line in 60 plus cruises except for an occasional small group catamaran sail.  I thought that with my mom, O excursions would be easier.  Big mistake.

The entire experience was incredibly confining.  First we were herded into the Riveria lounge where we waited for our tour to be called.  Then we waited for everyone to get situated on the bus, then we waited for everyone to get off the bus and use the facilities, then we followed a person holding a sign while wearing earbuds in some cases.  Then the facilities again…..  Every excursion was the same procedure.  I felt like I was on a school field trip.
 

In Marseille, we saw St Remy and Arles, it took all day, and I mean 10 hours or so.  Last I was there, we rented a car and had a fantastic day just driving around Provence visiting the Palace of the Popes, we drove to St Remy, had lunch in Le Beux, then ended the day with the Van Gogh walk in Arles.  It took about the same amount of time and was 100 times more relaxing.

The O tour in Monte Carlo went to Eze.  We were rushed in and out of Eze before the shops even opened but we had all the time in the world at the the next stop, the perfume factory where they gave us a sales pitch and encouraged us to shop for as long as we liked.  It was insulting, I felt like we were on a Carnaval cruise ship.  We were told that the botanical garden in Eze was closed when it was actually opened.  The guide took the group to a view point and said it was the same as the garden which, having been there several time before, I called her on it and let everyone know that there were people walking around in the garden, it was clearly open, and the views were spectacular.  Most people missed the gardens which are by far the most beautiful part of Eze, as the guide said we had to be at the bus in 20 min and the walk down was 10.

The rest of the excursions were more of the same and SM or not, I will avoid them.  Private guides cost a little more but are well worth the price and renting a car to take our time and see exactly what we would like is a much more enjoyable vacation.  Even my mom, at 89, said she felt like a child following someone around with a sign all day when we were perfectly capable of exploring on our own.

If O gave onboard credit equal to the SM credit, it would be a bit more palatable, it could be spent on drinks, in the spa or shops, but limiting it to shore excursions will make me think twice about booking a sailing under simply more.

With the changes in itineraries due to the war in the Israel region and revocation of offered FCC, plus the loss of significant funds if something comes up where you must change your travel dates, cruising is much more burdensome than land trips.  I have a sailing on Riveria in February in Asia in which final payment is due next week.  I think we will cancel and just take a land trip as the sailing ends in Hong Kong and if China starts causing trouble, we will be in the same boat as those sailing through the Red Sea next month.  I can stay twice as long, in fabulous hotels in Thailand and Vietnam, for the cost of the O cruise.

In June I have a sailing booked on Marina up the coast of Portugal and France in an OC so that will be a treat but it is the last reservation I have that is not on SM so I guess I will think long and hard about booking another O sailing.  I have been sailing on O for quite some time and I love the O ships which feel like home when onboard but spending an extra $1000-$2000 on non used shore excursion credit that I will just throw away is not a good use of my vacation dollars.

Is anyone else in the same boat…..ship?

Even in a PH the bathrooms are very tight.  

30 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@the more ports the better I will change my online name to "Stingray".  I have Grey hair and ever joint in my body Sting on a daily basis.  Love it. I love the fact that the Yellow Metro is close.  Thank you for sharing. 

 

Cruse well and enjoy every moment. 

Sorry about that, I see you are Southern Gary not stingray.  Do not change your name, I have very fond memories of a Southern Gary (TN) from my much younger days!  Have a great time!

Stingray, I think you will enjoy it much more.  We have been to the beach there and you are very close to the yellow metro.  One stop to the center of the Gothic Quarter from there so it is almost as good as staying in the GQ with much nicer accommodations.  I hope it works out.

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

So, the Edition in Barcelona is not the place to stay? Please confirm. and Thank you. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

I wouldn’t stay there again.  Service was fine, the restaurant just ok, but it’s a funky, very dark hotel as in hallways and rooms have dark walls and little lighting.  It’s clearly aimed at the young hip crowd.  I’m neither young or hip, maybe hippie a very long time ago.  Loud music at night from the rooftop bar.  The rooms are designed poorly and we felt very cramped.

It’s a different animal compared to most Marriott properties.  I had high hopes for the Edition when I saw they were building it as I love the location.  I didn’t think it would be Ritz or St Regis caliber but maybe JW or Westin.  I was surprisingly disappointed.  We couldn’t wait to leave and board the ship.  
 

Our PH on Riveria was much more spacious to give you an idea.  We stayed in PH’s for years and we now typically stay in OC if available.  I can’t imagine going from anything above a small stateroom on O to the Edition.  Even going to the PH was a huge upgrade and we booked the highest level room at the Edition.  Maybe a suite would be ok but I didn’t have the opportunity to see one.

I hate to sway someone as everyone has their own taste but it was not nearly what I was expecting.

On 4/6/2023 at 1:07 PM, Sthrngary said:

 

Pre-Cruise Hotel Research for Athens, Greece: 

 

 

Our choice was The Barcelona EDITION Hotel.  Again, no cancellation fee, correct area, high-end hotel, and Marriott property.  The videos are the hotel were outstanding for the higher-level rooms as I would have expected for a 5-star hotel at this price point.  I would not have chosen this hotel unless I was confident of gaining an upgrade.  When I read reviews, I noticed the scores were 9.2 out of 10.  I dived deep to find out why folks were upset. To the person, it was they purchased an cheaper reservation, that was prepaid and had no cancellation option.  These kinds of reservations have consequences and are the reason for Travel Insurance.  Second was that the rooms were classy but small.  That is where the Marriott Status upgrade comes in. 

 

Stingray, Grand Bretagne is fantastic.  We had a giant balcony looking at the Acropolis before Nautica in July.  Great food, service etc.  Can not say enough good things. 

Before Riveria a few weeks ago, we stayed three nights at the Edition.  Would not stay there again.  I always have titanium or ambassador at Marriott.  Our room was cramped.  It was 300 sq ft but layout horrible with a wall in the middle of the room dividing it in half.  We booked a top floor terrace room.  Great terrace but looking at an apt building across the narrow street.  The entire hotel is very dark.  Great location but there are much better options.  You may want to look at a larger room at La Meridian if you want to stay in the Marriott family in that area.  Better than Edition but not five star.  Outside of Marriott but in that same area, I once stayed at the Hotel Colon in a Cathedral facing room with a balcony.  It was dated but nice and spacious with outstanding views.  Renaissance is about a 7-10 min walk away but not too far outside of the Gothic Quarter.  W is isolated but has great views and a beach.

If you do stay at Edition, breakfast in the food market two doors down is a must.  Editions do not participate in Bonvoy breakfast perk but the market is 1000 times better anyway!

My guess is that it is not clear whether China will be a viable country to visit.  Then there is the future of Taiwan.  Much uncertainty in Asia and the Middle East.  Europe is flooded with tourists and next year will probably be worse with less places to visit.

Kind of makes me appreciate the time between Isis and Covid.  We travelled quite a bit but would have travelled more if we knew the world would go to hell!

I find that getting to the ship is usually no problem, however, getting from the ship to the airport can be a PITA.  Last sailing we took the O transfer to Rome as all the private transfers were charging  upwards of $200.  I’m sailing again in two weeks ending again in Rome and finding the same issue.

9 hours ago, zipher36 said:

Is it fair to say that generally for cruises that embark/disembark at the same port, you're better off booking your own flights but if you embark/disembark at different ports, Oceania can provide better value due to the cost of 2 X 1 way tickets?

Airlines charge 1/2 the price of a round trip ticket for each leg of the journey so long as you are going to the same region.  Such as Rome-Venice.  One half the price of the round trip Rome ticket plus 1/2 the price of the round trip Venice ticket.  

Does anyone know if it is possible to change traveling companions after final payment and if so, what is the cut off?

We were last on Riveria in January, sailed her many times prior and this was or our second time post COVID, on her again in three weeks.  The refurb is gorgeous, the food was very good, the service was excellent as always.  We commented that it was the best food we had experienced on Riveria in all our sailings on her.  
 

We did notice that some of the larger steaks were thinner but we just order the filet instead of the ribeye.  We live in Naples where it sometimes seems that there are more five star restaurants than people.  Food on a ship is never going to be at that same elite level but O is very good as a whole.

The front desk people are helpful when they can be.  They take a lot of flack so sometimes they seem a bit standoffish but all in all they will happily help when they can.

We sailed on Nautica in July and it was lovely and the service was good (except destination services, there was one very surly women there) but Riveria is one step up in food three steps up in hard product.

 If the excursion sells out, then you know there are 16.  This happened on an excursion to Hanoi.  We changed to the regular tour as 6 hours on a mini bus with 16 would be uncomfortable.

The only downfall to a specialty restaurant the last night is that we are so full by the end of the cruise that we don’t try everything we might have earlier in the sailing!!!

we were just in Jerusalem in July, when the protests were going on, interesting.  We hired a private company which I would not recommend, but I would highly recommend staying at a hotel in Jerusalem.  We disembarked for the three days and stayed at the King David.  
 

Any hotel near Mamilla Mall is perfect.  You can walk through the mall, it’s outdoors and festive with great gelato, right into the Jaffa Gate.

The sights are crowded during the day, however, by around 5:00, the old city empties out other than the Western Wall which is always busy, and you can take your time and see everything else.  Our guide dropped us at our hotel at about 3:00 then we headed back on our own in the evening and were able to take our time and really reflect on the sites.

Our last day was in Nazareth and Galilee where we reboarded in Haifa.  If you have a private company, make sure you have shuttle meeting coordinates from the ship and drop a pin on Google maps as the O bus to the port is a bit confusing to find.

Also, my husband was an alter boy, catholic schools…..  we hired a company that does private Christian tours to see all the biblical sites which was amazing.  I would not, however, recommend doing that for the following reasons.  The Christians are obviously not Jewish and they are not permitted to enter the port so you must take the port bus both ways and it does not run very often.  Also, the Christians are mainly Palestinian Arabs even if they have Israeli passports, so be prepared for a lot of political commentary regarding the Israeli Palestinian conflict if you have a Christian guide.  It seemed that the Israeli guides had opinions too but did not seem so vocal about them.

Our first day was in Palestine seeing Jericho, the Dead Sea and Bethlehem.  The rest of the time was in Israel.  I am a big planner and It was a great experience but I will do it differently if I go back.

I am on the June 13, 2024 Marina sailing and it states that it docks in Bordeaux so hopefully in the center of the city.

Shepard, pooling with a few other couples is a great way to spend the SM credit and still have a semi private excursion.  Having control over itinerary and how much time to spend at each site is the biggest issue for me.  The executive collection works perfectly for this.

Seabourn includes alcohol but not excursions and is comparable or better than O pricing in many cases.  They could be the sweet spot.  Smaller ships 450 passengers but the accommodations are lovely.

In our case, when sailing with O, we will probably spend the simply more excursion credit on one or two OE excursions and do independent on everything else.

Does anyone know if the the SM excursion credits could be spent on the executive collection cars or vans.  That would be a way to spend the SM credit.

Dock….

We stopped by the beach but not at the beach.  You could swim to the beach or just swim around behind the catamaran which is what most of us did.

We have done both arrived 2 hours before departure and checked in early the head out for the day.  Anyone doing a b2b will have to be on the ship at all aboard 30 min prior to departure.  If you check in early and drop your things, you will have to be back at all aboard time.

Recent experience post COVID on Riveria, as stated earlier, staying in a OS, just show card at the top of the stairs and walk on to tender.  No tender ticket needed.

Also, Oceania handles tenders fairly quickly and allows independents to fill up tenders when ships tours are departing but the tender is not full.  Koror should be no problem.  As long as they are using their own life boats as opposed to the local port authority, tenders operate smoothly.  When you throw in local operators such as in Santorini, it becomes an issue.