hawkesbaynz

My father would have loved that music! He would be 93 if he was still alive! I thought that Glenn Miller music was a bit old for him as he was 14 when the poor chap died. Offerings from AC/DC… could do that. Saw the original line up in the 70s a couple of times before I got into New Wave and Punk like the majority of my age group. My wife (62) is concerned that she will be too young for O. She will be pretty miffed if the food is not what she anticipated. Fortunately she does not read social media and I am not telling her.

Agree with @cangelmd. I note the a poster & DH stated they took paxlovid and eventually stopped as felt so unwell. My understading is that it should be prescribedfor people who are very unwell with Covid or who are immunocompromised or have certain medical conditions. In the UK there is a pretty narrow category of people who are eligible. Fortunately the vast number of people who are contracting Covid-19 now, who are vaccinated, are having relatively mild diseases. Why take unnecessary drugs on top? Take analgesia, honey & lemon and fluids. Reach out for stronger drugs and medical attention if you deteriorate. We had a cruise on Beyond last month that we cancelled for FCC as out cruising companions both contracted Covid seven & five days prior to the cruise. They had relatively mild symptoms and would have still gone on the cruise if we had not stated that we would not travel with them. I had to argue for FCC but they got their refund with ease. We went to Porto a few days later (sans companions) and like the UK you would not have known that Covid existed. We were the only people on tour coaches and the airplane wearing a mask. I am triply booster, had covid March 2020 and am very healthy but...

Great review! We usually are Celebrity cruisers too in various cabins. Although we have a few Oceania, Princess, and Celebrity cruises in the diary the next cruise I plan to book is Cunard. My wife has been aboard Queen Victoria on business and was wowed by her. Definitely booking a cruise on her or a sister Autumn 2024.

We have only enjoyed a weekend cruise on P&O after a dozen years lay-off from cruising after an Airtours Caribbean cruise. Got us back into the habit. I like the drink prices and the ship had a good vibe. Prices are very decent and a 20 minute taxi ride is hard to beat. Will likely be fine for last minute trips but I like to plan my cruises far in advance and book interesting small group tours before they are all taken. Hopefully O will suit. A better mix of nationalities too. I would try an inside but DW would not.

We sail Celebrity but have cruised with Marella, RCI and even P&O Oceana. Really enjoy Celebrity and have three cruises booked with them coming up. Trying out Princess too on a cruise to Turkey as the price and itinerary were good squeezed in a busy 2023 diary. However we found Oceania because of the amazing itineraries. I love food too although been happy with Celebrity’s. Glad am not a foodie. Like the idea of the smaller ships although I would likely be happy on 5000 berther or a 20 person dive cruise. As long as I have personal space. I am happy to wear a tuxedo to dinner or shorts and T-shirt! I anticipate taking many more O cruises but will be enjoying other cruise lines, river cruises and land trips. May even try P&O again! Admit could not afford just Oceana with the the number of vacations we enjoy.

We cancelled 3 days before a Beyond cruise 2 weeks ago. Our companions had Covid and cancelled for a refund and us for FCC as DW upset to go alone. We had attractive Sunset Verandahs. I imagine someone got them on boarding by attending guest relations.

Enjoy your trip. My advice buy cherries and eat a lot. Great for jet lag. Full of melatonin.

I’d be more scared about the exchange rate. Best to blank it out and enjoy the holiday. Singapore Air is great. Too late to upload a meditation app to listen to on smart phone?

The fashion that sterling has collapsed this year against the dollar cruises will be getting very expensive for Brits. Holidays in Orlando😨. My current crop of cruises were booked at approx. $1.35 to the pound. Now it is $1.10. Staycation for us in 2024 unless sterling does not improve.

Although a seasoned traveller I was a little confused by Oceania’s pricing. However I did not get the chance to be educated by this board and went for: beverage pack which I will upgrade for a short Caribbean cruise; OBC for a three week cruise SA cruise. I booked via different UK TAs and managed a couple of percent off and indifferent service. I believe US TAs add value but with recent exchange rates and need to use specific sterling CCs (for airpoints) with forex charges not viable. The Caribbean cruise originally was a transpacific which I cancelled thinking O would do (it did). The TA had the temerity to charge me an Admin fee and the rearranged cruise was the book price😡. Saved several hundred dollars on the SA cruise by arranging small group tours and will bring my own wine for dinner and gin for the cabin. OBC will pay gratuity, corkage and G&Ts in bars. Am earning little in deposit account anyway. That OBC is worth more to me now than previously with the demise of sterling🙁. As said am a seasoned traveller so flying Biz class direct on airpoints and hotels on Hilton points/ Hotels.com points. Good tip about booking onboard.

@CruiserFromSC Glad you are having a great cruise😀. We were supposed to be on the Beyond for this cruise but cancelled on Wednesday☹️. My 60th cruise too. You will be enjoying the sailing for us😄. Our travelling companions both contracted Covid and DW so disappointed she did not want to travel (I did!). They easily got a refund whilst I had to argue for FCC under ‘cruise with confidence’. Can plan another cruise anyway and booked a trip to Porto for a few days this weekend (just DW tho).

The exchange rate (thanks Kwasi) is truly horrendous. I am peeved I have a cruise from US in November and then I am keeping well away until reasonable again. Glad that We have paid up front for most things. Will have to keep future US cruises on hold.

Doubt if we could manage with a carry on. It would just about cater for my wife make-up paraphernalia! For a long trip often take 3 cases but no carry-on prefering small back packs. How are smart dark blue/black jeans? I no longer own a suit. Will buy one for the next funeral I attend. Wore a suit to eat dinner in the mess in the army and for work in the last century. Have a blazers & linen jackets and a tuxedo for more formal cruise lines.

Am Elite with X. Looking forward toa SV cabin on Beyond for our first Edge Class in a few weeks. Have a further two cruises booked on Solstice & Millenium in Far East. Love the product. Have done suites but prefer Aqua. However like value and variety if suits. Have two Oceania cruises booked (great routes) and a Princess cruise for a fabulous route. Looking at Cunard for a Canada then TA home to S'ton. Will keep with X if the prices, quality and routes are good but with cruise for us, not a line. Often surprised by Zenith suite guests who post prolifically on CC, have numerous outrageously priced suites but only go to the Retreat and Luminae. Never the entertainment or cattle class spots like us. Why not try something else? Personal choice but maybe missing something

Hopefully the 'extra' waiting staff will be staying on the Beyond as we are on the ship in 3 weeks.

I called to upgrade for my forthcoming Beyond cruise. Would have done onboard but as Elite thought I would get the call only discount. Reminded the guy twice I would get a discount. He affirmed. Paid £235. Told by bro-in-law to upgrade on the ship. Typically he ignored me and called up. Paid £235. He has never stepped foot on a cruise ship. Unfortunately I could expect no less from the hopeless back office team. Wrote an email to complain. No response.

Gratuities are a dark secret with Oceania. Other lines add them at booking or they are inclusive as per the Aus/UK lines. I would anticipate tipping (and always do on top of the included ones) but only found out about Oceania's tipping through CC. Am not surprised that some people have a shock at the end of the cruise. For my next two O cruises to Miami and South America i am flying biz using British Airways airpoints. Mind I had to book them 355 days prior to the flights. Am using cheap Easyjet flights to Barcelone back from Rome for a celebrity cruise next month. BA cancelled the original ones! Great review.

Agree too much boozing by Brits. Arguably it is reducing though. I know where to avoid them, including short cruises. However the worst boozing I have ever witnessed is Cancun. Amazing more holidaymakers do not drown at the pool bars.

To access the free 90 minutes with Elite do you need to d/w the IT desk guys. @the penguins do you not use the basic Wi-Fi when not using you allocated free 90 minutes. How do you separate?

I have only booked one Princess cruise and did so via Quidco direct with Princess as the discount UK TAs offered me was similar to the cash back. However I usually cruise Celebrity and many UK based folk use US TAs. I agree the currency will be a big issue at present. I always compare the Celebrity US & UK website deals and have purchased my cruises in dollars. The UK military discount is better too. However I like to use Amex for large purchases and the forex charges are another discouragement (I thus pay with Halifax Clarity Mastercard).

Am on that cruise too. This is busier than the Roll Call. We will be in Miami two nights so no particular stress with times. Evening flight home so a HotelfortheDay room. I could never fly in on the morning. Only time I ever stress is travelling…. Usually cruise with Celebrity and have usually slowly walked straight on with brief checks. Even with the post covid cruises. I have been onboard sipping bubbly within 45 minutes of getting a taxi too from home too😀. Lots of waiting and Qs with RCL and Marella😦.

There is not much distance between Southampton & Portsmouth. I have never taken a cruise from Portsmouth but sail yachts occasionally from there. It is about 30 minutes East from here. Southampton cruise port is 20 minutes West from here. Likely an extra 15 minutes in a taxi coming down the M3 as Portsmouth closer off the M27. I would take a taxi. Public transport is not well served from Heathrow but is from London if sojourning there. Portsmouth could be an okay 2 nighter. Stay in hotel at Gunwharf Quay (shopping centre with restaurants). Visit the Victory and naval docks. Walk on Southsea Common and try some old pubs. Perhaps even a hovercraft/ferry to Isle of Wight. If I had a couple of days pre-Southampton cruise I would stay in Winchester. Fabulous medieval city with amazing pubs. Impressive cathedral too. Only 20 minutes by train or 30 minutes taxi to port.

I test twice a week as required as a health care professional in the NHS. Likely i will know pre-cruise anyway. However I would not wish to be sick on my forthcoming cruise next month and would rather stay at home for my, and fellow cruisers benefit. I will be testing outside the window for cancelling for FCC or claiming on insurance. I can go another time. I had Covid March 2020 post a ski trip - was not nice. Saw a patient this am who lost both parents to Covid-19 prior to vaccinations. Am little anxious that the Med Centres will become over run with sick unvaccinated cruisers. Time will tell but hopefully not.

We stayed at the Riverside too. Good position near plenty of restaurants and bars. The on-siterestaurant is good for breakfast too. A boardwalk is opposite for a pleasant morning walk too. Reasonable pool too. The Uber too port not too expensive.

Confusing or what! I FB'd Celebrity Captains Club and received this reply regarding our 24th Beyond ex Barca: Hi xxxxx, for sailings out of Barcelona that do not have a port of call in Greece, fully vaccinated guests will be required to do a test within 1 day prior to sailing. This does not have to be supervised and we will accept NHS Lateral Flow home tests. You can bring the test with you and we will dispose at the port or you can bring in a photo. Please read the information on this website link: https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/healthy-at-sea/barcelona-spain-travel-requirements/updated Thanks, Su