Flatbush Flyer

Actually, it appears that YOU wanted the last word.😉

ROTFL. What happened to “cultural sensitivity” being a two way street? Twenty percent is not “ridiculous” to most cosmopolitan city residents in the US. And we’ll pay it to foreign wait staff if that’s what we want to do. BTW, our minimum wage in California for even just a fast food worker is $20 USD/hour (about $35 NZD). And regular restaurant workers get at least $16 USD/hour (about $27 NZD) plus any locally mandated health et al. benefits coverage. And, finally, if anything is “ridiculous,” it’s the suggestion that a savvy NZ waiter would have ANY sort of “issue” with an apparently “generous” 17.5%+ tip.

😳

So, a fairly US standard 20% tip on a single $400 NZD meal (>$200 USD for that meal alone) would be $80 NZD, which at a local exchange bureau might conservatively translate to at least $40 USD. I’m pretty sure most wait staff (worldwide - not just NZ) with a bunch of those US $20 bills in hand would find the time and energy to go to the exchange bureau every once in awhile. $$$ 😎 Just checked Travelex. Those two $20 USD bills would net someone “only” $70 NZD (17.5% tip on that $400 NZD tab). Case closed!

You may want to reread your post: “Anyway, the whole experience left us less than happy to return to the US. Not sure we would ever get used to the rudeness in general and the ‘tipping’ culture in particular.”

If you ever decide to do one of Oceania’s “R” ships, where some “larger” folks find many of the cabin showers to be “too small,” here’s a proven strategy for enjoying the shower: 1. Only shower when the ship is underway in rough sea conditions. 2. Get wet and lather up completely with soap. 3. Under running overhead shower, spin around against the shower walls allowing ship motion to agitate you (just like a washing machine). 4. Rinse off thoroughly. 5. Towel dry. BTW: if the seas are extremely rough, you won’t even need to go to the spa for that massage!

So, of all places, you pick Miami, Florida by which to judge an entire country?

Response #23.

no soup for you.

Not true. Even our local bank branch carries them (and the manager says many folks order them in large denomination packs for future travel.

“Seems to be” (Americans) is your unsubstantiated claim and nothing more. In any case, the fact remains that all money is money and, personally, I’ve never seen any service person refuse a gratuity consisting of US $. In fact, I remember one experience many years ago in Athens, Greece where I asked a cab driver how he preferred to be paid during a time when the Greek economy was having a difficult time. His answer? “US $ if you’ve got them.”

See response #23. All over the world, service personnel (particularly on cruise ships) gratefully accept all sorts of money and exchange it amongst themselves or at banks/exchange bureaus. As for me: As a young man, I worked in the ski industry and I can tell you that I always preferred even foreign currency to yet another knitted cap. 😎

And therein lies the difference (though the insult you imagine may only be in your head). If a European diner has only Euros in their pocket and chose to leave them as a tip in an American port city restaurant, the server would be appreciative of the kind/generous gesture and, along with all the other foreign currency s/he regularly receives (just like on a cruise ship), take it to the bank for conversion on their next visit. As for your “cultural imperialism” comment, call it whatever you want. I couldn’t care less about anyone who, when a service person has “gone above and beyond,” refuses to recognize that effort with something tangible like money (whatever color it is).

We often spend from 75-100 nights annually on O ships and, as sloop sailors, see zero need for any cabin larger than B (veranda) or A (concierge). The significant price difference to move up to a PH - basically for unnecessary space and an equally unnecessary butler would only serve to test our budget’s ability to stay the course of having O serve as our regular vacation home.

If a service provider has done an extraordinary job, I still tip in the UK et al. supposed “no tip” locations (which, ironically, often tack a “service charge” on the bill anyway). BUT, very often a use $USD (so they’ll remember US folks are the nice ones). 😉😎

Not sure where the US State Department’s “renew on line” project is at this moment (last time I checked several months ago, the beta test was done). When it’s up and running, you’ll not need to send in the old passport. Apparently, the minute you submit the online renewal application, the existing passport still in your possession becomes voided.

Look at your O invoice, it will tell you the cabin number and classification you’ve purchased. I assume your invoice details will govern what you get.

I haven’t searched to see if anyone else may have noticed it but… Our beloved B category “extended balconies” on Oceania and Marina have been reclassified as Concierge cabins.😳

Three cruises?🤔

But O is only a Premium line (or as some of their old advertising said, ultra-premium). Glad you’re enjoying the cruise. A suggestion: Do find the time to submit your mid-cruise comment cards. BTW: who is your General Manager and Cruise Director?

As I have often posted over the years: At least a month (preferably two) prior to embarkation, you or your TA can make special F&B requests which O will do its best to accommodate. We have two standard requests. We ask for our cabin fridge to be kept stocked with small bottles of Pellegrino and cans of Coke Zero.(both regular and caffeine-free). The former is usually no problem. The latter (caffeine-free Coke Zero- NOT Coke Lite) sometimes gets lost in translation from one world region to another. As for food (beyond dietary restrictions), a great example of O’s accommodation can be found on Sirena where the merger of Polo and Toscana as Tuscan Steak resulted in limiting the traditional list of available items from each of the partner venues. One casualty was the Aragosta Fra Diavola. However, a request to the Exec Chef early in the cruise will be honored if at all possible. We’ve even had bartenders (mostly among the original “Bali Boys”), who are aware that we’ll be coming onboard and often have real lemon juice set aside for our Side Cars. (Fortunately, now that O has upped its cocktail game, fresh juices as ingredients are more readily available).

Lido Deck? That would be on the Love Boat.

Not always.

Since many cruise-lines do similar worldwide itineraries, you may want to modify your question along the lines of “once you have certain ports in mind (particularly start and end since you may want to add land stays too), what factors determine your choice of ship?” For example: Lots of cruise-lines do the Med and start/stop at Civitavecchia (Rome) and/or Piraeus (Athens). But, antiquities remain the same regardless of who gets you there. IMO, Once you have what you want to see in focus, your attention should immediately turn to your “home away from home” (particularly if you’re looking at a longer cruise of at least two weeks or more). The ship itself and its quality/value quotient then becomes the most important consideration. Note that I’m not talking about cheapest cabin price (that’s not the sole determinant of value). Rather I am talking about “bang for your buck” since one cruise line that is all or mostly inclusive can be a better value (quality/price) than another cruise line that nickel-dimes you for every little thing (and then serves you mediocre food too). With all that in mind, we’ve found a preferred cruise-line with which we begin our search for a future cruise. So, in one sense, you could say that the ship is the most important consideration for us (that is, as long as that cruise-line goes where we want to be).

FetaCheese: did you email me this morning?