golfguyhhi

Hank and Basor, Thanks!!!!

Hank, Should you find yourself strolling towards Horizons, with a moment or two to spare, would you be so kind as to take a look into Lync, the computer space, and see if there are any computers available for casual walkup users during the time outside of any classes being conducted there? Both the O and R class ships have dedicated spaces for such casual use (called Oceania at sea) and I'm concerned from some bits and pieces gleaned from some postings here on CC that there are no such provisions made on Vista (and, by projection, Allura when she arrives). Thanks very much in advance, and thanks also for your detailed comments on the ship. We have 5 Vista cruises booked in 2025. May I also ask (while I have your attention) to describe the traffic flow for the crowd leaving the theater and wanting to get to higher decks after a show? I ask because on the O ships, those who wanted to access cabins in the aft part of the ship on the higher decks, could walk back past Jacques to get to the aft elevators. Looking at the Vista deck plans, I see that path is no longer available. I am envisioning a mass of humanity milling around the forward elevators with everyone surging forward as each elevator arrives. And, before anyone tells me to use the stairs, I have a knee and a hip that have made it abundantly clear to me that they refuse to go more than 4 steps in either the up or down direction on stairs. Again, many thanks. Golfguy

Orv, Got mine last week for early April cruise. I rather like the reusable luggage tags.

That drop-down arrival time menu is a holdover from Covid days when online check-in and temperature/nose swab testing was installed. O wanted small numbers of people to arrive at spaced-apart times. O hasn't bothered to have it removed. There are only a fixed number of slots for passengers per 1/2 hour time slice. The first online check-in folks to log in got the 1 am to 11;30 slot, When that bucket was filled, 11:30 to noon opened up, and so on until quite late in the afternoon. Now that the Covid testing regime is no longer being enforced, you can arrive around 10:45, show your passport and boarding pass, go through security (x-ray machine) and then find a seat to wait until the boarding process begins - usually at 11 AM. Plenty of seats - no food or drink. At 11 AM, the named suites (Owner, Vista, and Oceania) will be invited to step up to the counter to begin the boarding process, followed almost immediately (there are only a small number of the OVO suites, and very few of those passengers will be there at 11) by an open invitation to the remaining waiting passengers to get into the lines set up for them: 1 for penthouses, 1 (I think) for Concierge, and 1 for balcony, oceanview, and inside cabins. While the lines are dedicated to those cabin groupings, the boarding check-in agents are first come, first served, and there are personnel at the head of each line directing the next in line to the next available agent. You can board immediately, report to your muster station, visit the Terrace or Waves for lunch and a beverage, and then await the announcement that your class of cabin is available for you. This is a good time to roam the public areas and get your bearings, or see if you can nab an additional specialty restaurant reservation or upgrade your beverage package. This has been my experience in Miami, Barcelona, and Athens. That means others may have had a different experience.

Orv, I also remember the $299 PE upgrade, and I think I remember a $199 offer, also. The $499 is per person (we're coming from Heathrow). We had been paying $1799 for business class upgrades (for east coast to Europe or reverse, if that has any impact on the price) and that is now $2399, PP. We only used the BC upgrade for one-way flights, and we thought that provided good value. Looking at the 1-way PE rates makes me think the $499 upgrade is also good value. Before anyone feels the need to imply (or directly state) I'm a jerk for paying these upgrade prices, let me just say that I'm quite comfortable doing so.

As of 5 minutes ago there were 2 A1, 6 A2, 2 A3, and 1 B1 available -- as guarantees. The rest of the ship may very well be sold out. We're on this cruise (and the next one). The per diem was so low, it called out to us -- plus there is/was a $499 PE upgrade special attached. PS: There is at least 1 OLTA which shows up-to-the-minute availability for all cabins, by category and location, so finding out if the cabin you want is available is easy. Which begs the question: Why isn't that info available on the Oceania website?

Shep, Is she doing Trivia? Sounds like that would be a laugh riot!!!

PLEASE..PLEASE..PLEASE --stop telling people how wonderful it is to dine at The Terrace!!!!! If I can't find a seat at my favorite dining venue when I board in 5 weeks, I will hold you all responsible. Stop it!!

Then that points to FDR the Elder.

Well, if it isn't Frank del Rio, I'd be surprised...now as to whether it's Senior or Junior, well then there is some suspense.

I thought I read in a recent post that the LYNC center on Vista does not have computers available for casual walk-up use, such as exists in the Oceania@sea business centers on the O and R ships. Is this true?

Aurora George, I don't understand what you've posted here. If you booked under Olife, do you mean you booked "Cruise Only" and that's why you say you won't get wine with lunch and dinner? If you booked either OLife with Air, or Olife without air, your options include a choice of the House Select beverage package (wine, beer, sparkling wine, and port with lunch and dinner) or a certain number of excursions, or a certain amount of On Board (non-refundable) Credit.

Read the T&Cs for each sale and you'll see they are not combinable with other 'sale' prices - no double-dipping. Also, these are for new bookings only. You'll have to have your travel agent confer with Oceania to determine which sale is the best for you. Then, you might want to cancel and re-book (unless your TA is persuasive enough with O to wrangle a deal and get you more than 1 deal price). In my case, the prior guest discount was the best deal for me. That's what I booked 2 months ago, so I'm content with my deal.

Mike, Between the "quote" box and your "Upcoming Cruises" is: For Cruise Reviews and Pictures, visit our website at www.thepreismans.com

Nineteen cruises with O and never had the experience the OP describes. Crowding before 'cleared to disembark'? Yes. Injuries with people knocking people down, stampeding? No. People not waiting for their color/number combination to be called? Yes. But even so, it always looked like the old Apple ad, with people slogging along one behind the other to get to the card swipe station. Our disembarkations have all been as BarbaraM describes above. Guess we've been lucky.

BRRRRRRR!!!!! That's cold!

Have 2 cruises booked which are included in this promotion. Booked both of them under the "Oceania Club Benefits" promo, which was a 5% off listed price deal. Notwithstanding this new promo is for new bookings only, it is also not combinable with the "OClub benefits" promo. I'm not pursuing any action with this new promo. Would love to, as I can always find ways to spend OBcredit (or cash, as the case may be).

Pelican, By all means, book the car and driver. The airport is only about 20 minutes from the port. Just knowing someone will be waiting there with a sign with your name on it will be a great stress reliever. You'll need to be at the airport to check in by 9:30. That means you can pick a later debarkation time than 8 AM (like 8:30) and avoid the mob that clogs the exit area starting at 7:30, all desperate to be the first off the ship.

Unless you are bringing your own wine glasses and washing them in your room, why would you think O should bear the expense of these things? I guess I'm lucky to have been blessed with a plebian taste in wines, such that I can fine many very satisfying wine choices to enjoy on the by-the-glass list that O provides.

First, you can carry the unused credit from the first two cruises over to the third, as you don't settle your account until you are ready to leave the ship at the end of all three cruises. But, have you notified Oceania that the 3rd of the B2B2B is going to be your 20th? I ask, because the conditions surrounding your 20th are that you have to have completed your 19th, and you have to notify O of your intent no later than 180 days before the intended 20th cruise. Or, should I say, that's what we were told by O when we were nearing the milestone. Others may have had a different experience.

Thanks everyone for your input. Sounds like August 21 is the next date to check on what's happening with the canal. I just want clarity on my situation in December, so I will follow closely.

If so, you may want to check on the traffic slowdown in the canal right now. It's due to a serious drought in Panama that has drastically lowered the level of water needed to run the locks. As of yesterday, there were more then 150 ships backed up and waiting to go through, a backlog that is growing every day as the Canal authority has reduced the number of ships allowed to pass each day. RCI and Princess have already changed the itineraries of several cruises, removing their canal transits. I have my TA talking to O today to start the dialog of finding out what O intends to do with it's Canal transits. I'm on Insignia in December and I'm not making any flight arrangements until I know we're actually cruising. That cruise, by the way, is the first leg of the ATW cruise, and Insignia needs to get to LA by January 14.

Does Azamara include airfare -- either coach or business?

Just learned of a cruise HAL has scheduled for the end of 2024 -- a single 42 days from Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale, made up of two trans-Atlantics. The cruise goes from Ft. Lauderdale to do a complete circumnavigation of the Med, from Barcelona in the west to Israel, Egypt, in the east, and a bunch of other places throughout, returning back across the Atlantic to Ft. Lauderdale. HAL is using a 1400 passenger ship. I've been on HAL and have no interest in going back. BUT... I'd be happy in either an Oceania R or O class on this itinerary. No dealing with over-the-ocean air for those of us in the US!!! If Oceania ever offered something like tis, I'd book in a second. How about you?

Go to YouTube and type in 'Galataport cruise terminal' and you'll have your pick of several videos showing the terminal, how to navigate it, and how to survive.