plimsol

Thanks to all who have responded especially those from Canada expressing their comments re USD and CAD.

I have no interest in a quote in either CAD or USD. All I want is to be able to search for cabin/suite and find if it is available. eg. we have some interest for a particular itinerary and want to find if there are any cabins left in category B3, stern extended - 7115 to 7131. Our Oceania website do quote the cruise in CAD but it is only availability I'm interested in. I have no interest in contacting Oceania directly or our TA. We used to do this search and once we found the desired cabin, then we would proceed with a discussion and possible booking through our travel agent.

I used to easily find which cabin/suite was available on interested itineraries. I haven't done it for quite sometime but trying to remember how I did it. I'm not getting any results.

I used to select Oceania itinerary, click on "available" category and got results for up to 7 available cabins. Now the site wants me to fill in my personal data so they can phone/e-mail me. I never had to do that previously. I also use to enter a desired cabin/suite number and it would let me know if it was available or not.

Is my memory failing me or has the procedure changed?

We have sailed with Oceania a number of times over the Holiday season. There always was turkey on Christmas Eve and available in all restaurants. Goose was always on the menu on Christmas Day. If we were at sea on Christmas Day, they served a beautiful brunch in the GDR.

We always brought a selection of small decorations with us to use in our stateroom and hung a Central American woven Christmas tree hanging for outside our door.

I believe this is a western Caribbean itinerary that does not go to the Bahamas. We would have had the same ports had our March cruise not been changed to include Cuba.

Great Stirrup Cay is a port of call On Marina 12/17 TA from Barcelona to Miami.

My DH was there in early 60's while on one of Mike Burke's Windjammer cruises and when there was little tourism.

We have also booked this TA itinerary and look forward to visiting Great Stirrup Cay again but might be disappointed with all the changes and tourists. C'est la vie.

I want to thank everyone who responded to this query, Your advice was extremely enlightening and has helped in deciding to forego this short strenuous overland tour.

The cruise we are contemplating is from Miami to Papeete which includes the overnight stay in Lima. Machu Picchu is not an option as a pre- or post- cruise stay.

We are contemplating a cruise at includes an overnight in Lima. One feature that appeals to us is Oceania's overland tour to Machu Picchu where one returns to the ship at next port of call. In the past, we have met fellow passengers who did Oceania overland tours in other countries but never Peru. In perusing Lima's tour, we found the pricing very expensive compared to ones in various other countries.

Have you or anyone you know ever taken this Oceania overland excursion, and if so, what was your positive or negative experiences?

I did go on Ports of Call but could not find any answer to my particular question.

Occasionally, Oceania have spa service promotions for port days. If that is something you want to do while staying onboard, make your reservation well in advance. Several spa technicians assist with tour guides, especially on popular destinations. On long (b2b2b etc.) cruises where I developed a relationship with a technician, he/she would not be available on many port days for that reason.

We have been to many ports around the world and are repeats for us. Now we use the ship as our destination and love it.

Is it possible to receive an upsell while you are on an extended b2b2b, etc. cruise for one of the segments? We always book the verandah category that we want but are open to a PH upsell. Are upsells mainly reserved for booked cruisers who have not yet left for their voyage(s)? The only time we were offered an upsell was from a verandah to a concierge but in a location on the ship that we did not like, hence our refusal.

A few years ago, we had a voyage on Marina which ended in Buenos Aires. After some weeks, we were embarking again in Papeete and we seriously considered approaching Oceania asking if we could leave some of our luggage on board. After some consideration, we thought it would be risky in case there was a circumstance where we had to cancel our SP to NZ itinerary and our luggage would continue on vacation. We would then be faced with challenges to retrieve it. Also, it would be very sad knowing the suitcase(s) travelled to the islands and had a great time while we were homebound during some of our cold winter months.

I don't know if this subject has been discussed before or not.

We have cruised on Marina a few times and enjoyed all the speciality restaurants and now feel we would miss them by going on a R class ship again. Now we are considering a voyage on Sirena. We are aware of the specialty restaurant options on this particular ship but would like to know if any of you have experienced them versus the O class ship. Eg. Is the noon hour Jacques menu in the grand dining room available each day and same or different as dinner one on the Marina/Riviera?

Any feedback on the other Sirena specialities would be appreciated.

We will be on the holiday cruise on Regatta. As we will be onboard at Christmas, I was wondering if there is any knowledge of a service being held on Christmas Eve and when it might be. Thanks all. Counting the days to get back on Regatta:)

We have been on various Oceania ships over the holidays and there was always a Christmas Eve service conducted by the CD and other entertsnment staff.

Brazilian visas are good for five years. We got ours two years ago and have plans to visit Brazil again this November. We got new passports earlier this year so we have to make sure that we take our old passports with the Brazilian visas with us.

When we booked our cruise(s), we received and Oceania PDF invoice document and also a PDF available excursions outlining departure times. I've added an example of a Cadiz tour with two optional times. Over the years of cruising with Oceania, we have always received this information at time of booking as long as excursions are already available. Hope this helps with your planning.

CAN-018 A PANORAMIC LOOK AT CADIZ

Tour Price: $79.00

Date: November 22, 2016 11:00 AM, 02:00 PM

The ultimate overview of Cadiz, this panoramic driving tour passes a multitude of landmarks that offer a sweeping look at this ancient town perched on a tiny

peninsula in southern Spain.

Depart from the pier and begin driving through Cadiz, a town founded as a Phoenician trading post in 1100 B.C. Considered the oldest continually inhabited

city in Europe, Cadiz exudes history, particularly through its glorious architecture.

The wonderfully ornate Town Hall was erected in 1799 upon the foundation of another building that was constructed at least 100 years earlier. Sprawling

across land reclaimed from the sea, tranquil Plaza Espana is filled with historical monuments, including one that celebrates the constitution of 1812. Then,

there is Cadiz's golden-tile domed cathedral, which was started in 1720 but not finished until 116 years and seven architects later.

But architecture is only one of the highlights viewed on this panoramic city tour. For serenity and natural beauty, few places rival Alamada Park and Genoves

Park, where you will enjoy a bit of free time. Unexpected ocean views occur frequently during the drive, but the absolute best perspective of the sea will be

from the late 16th-century Santa Catalina Castle. It overlooks spectacular Playa Caleta, an isolated yet popular stretch of sand featured in the James Bond

movie "Die Another Day." After approximately two hours of driving, you will return to the pier.

Please note: This tour is panoramic in nature with very limited optional walking at the stops. The tour is available

Dear Fellow Cruisers!

We have a booking for "Signature Sailing 13th Oceania Club Reunion Cruise". The brochure states - this extraordinary voyage features exclusive cocktail receptions, members only dinners and special shore excursions, plus many other exciting opportunities.

Although we have a platinum designation, we have never been on an Oceania reunion cruise. Can anyone enlighten us on what to expect?

A couple years ago, we had the privilege of dining with fellow CC posters in Privée. The décor might not be to everyone's taste but the service and fellowship made up for a close friendship we formed while on the cruise.

The charge at that time was $250 and I was curious if it was still the same.

Thanks for all your feedback.

I know that Privée can be reserved for a maximum of 10. What is the surcharge?

I have MS and have used a cane for years to assist with my mobility. I had a relapse almost a year ago. We cancelled the booking we had but feel confident to travel again after much therapy. I do now have to use a walker for any distance since a cane is not reliable enough. Have any of you been in a similar position? We do not always need to get off the ship while in port but there will be occasions that we want to venture out where one with limited mobility can enjoy the port of call. If you are in a similar situation or know of one, I would like to know of your or their experiences.

We have 20+ cruises with O and have requested a few times, including this past year if we could bring on some family member(s) while we visited a port of their residence, eg. Australia. The request was denied every time.

Grace! ..please! ..get a tablet and bring 100 books in your handbag! :p

Ron,

I knew you would jump in, Ron, and reveal my name - lol. Enjoyed your company on a previous Marina cruise and your CC M&G leadership.

Thanks to the many that have responded with alternative suggestions. Yes, on our previous cruises, we found a selection of books in the card room. And yes again, we find the layout of the chairs in front of the glass book cases on the O class ships very obstructive. Also, passengers fall asleep with their legs extended on the built-in sofas/couches in the corridor along the library from Baristas to the elevators. I necessitate the use of a cane and I find that hazardous and cause for tripping.

We do b2b or sometimes b2b2b cruises, which gives us opportunity to read books which we seldom do at home. Having completed three b2b/b2b2b cruises (127 days) on Marina since November 2013, we found it difficult to find new books of interested for us. We have booked another b2b cruise for this November and wonder if the library selection is updated on a regular basis or should we bring our own? We prefer paper books over electronic (eg. Kindle).

Our apologies if this query has been addressed before.

After receiving 3-4 mailings a week, I called their toll-free number on one of the brochures and asked the person who answered we wanted to be removed. I was told this would be done but it would take about 3 weeks to become effective. Guess what - no more Oceania brochures.

When we returned from our recent O cruise, in our stack of mail were 10+ Regent brochures - wrong name but our address.

We recently returned from a 01/14 to 02/28 Marina cruise. We also did a Nov 2014 Marina cruise - Lisbon to BA. During these voyages, we saw the wine packages change numerous times based on sold out items. We had the same head sommelier for all of these itineraries and was told that was the reason for the change in the offerings. New listings would be delivered to your cabin/suite showing additions, deletions and repeats and not necessarily at the end/start of a voyage.

Also, please note the 7 bottle package is $297.50 ($42.50/bottle) including gratuity You cannot purchase any of these wines individually nor do any of them appear on the wine selection menu.

Want to thank all of you for your observations and experiences whether they were favourable or unfavourable. None of you made any reference to the time of year of your travel. We hope to go the end of April. What weather and scenery could we expect at this time of year? Is the Douro affected by spring water levels like other rivers in Europe?

We will celebrating a special milestone wedding anniversary the end of April 2016. To mark this event, we have been perusing a river cruise. Several years ago, we river cruised from Rotterdam to Strasbourg and also Vienna to Amsterdam. Both journeys were in the summer months. We are considering the Douro River region in Portugal but would like to have some feedback what to expect at this time of year. Also, any other itinerary suggestions would be most welcome, Black Sea, Mekong Delta, etc.

We received our mail about two hours ago and among the greeting cards was one from Oceania.