Vallesan

Yes I have looked at Azamara in the past. On the R class ships we like the PH for the size of the bathroom especially. I found the equivalent on Azamara was more expensive. We have sailed on the Regatta, the Nautica a few times and the Sirena several times. I would only choose the Sirena now if we wanted a small ship because it has Red Ginger. I must admit we were on the Riviera last year for the first time in quite a few years and I think I’m leaning more towards the larger ships now. We don’t need a PH on the larger ships and I like the extra restaurants. But I do think the Riviera is the largest ship I would consider.

Your perogative!

I think a lot depends on your WHY? We like small ships mainly for their size as they are far easier to navigate, no lines, not x thousand people all trying to disembark at a port. etc.etc. Large ships may have theYatch Club or Haven etc. but at the end of the day they are still huge ships with many thousands of passengers. From what I hear you are only ‘special’ when you are in your own little bubble, unlike smaller ships where everyone is ‘special’ all the time. We, for instance, would only book a small ship so our choices are limited and Oceania has given us the best value, in the past. I’m not so sure now. Sometimes Seabourn is more competitive.

You make your choice and you pay your money! Lots of people may be upset with Oceania at the moment and vow never to sail with them again but in fact …. there are plenty more fish in the sea (sorry)!… and there will always be new passengers willing/wanting to sail with them!

So, with your help, we decided under the pool deck wasn’t the best plan so we have booked 730. We’ve only sailed on the Encore before so I’m really looking forward to the smaller ship experience.

Thank you. 738 is under the patio whilst 737 is under the bar. I was hoping it wouldn’t be too noisy. Maybe we will just take another look. Possibly a little further forward on 7 or even deck 8. Thanks again for the information.

Sounds like a plan!!

Maybe it was just a UK thing. Possibly they don’t offer that anymore. I’m in Europe at the moment so can’t access the UK site to check.

Thank you. I think we are going to rake a chance on 737… can always take ear plugs I guess just in case!

I wanted to know if anybody who has stayed in these cabins found them noisy because of the patio and the bar on the deck above?.

Oceania have a ‘best price guarantee’. I booked a cruise for next January and it was vastly reduced in the Summer Sale so had it repriced and the new price. Future Cruise Deposit …. we have had a couple and discovered that they just aren’t combinable with other offers. In fact if you look carefully there may be several offers applicable to some cruises but you can normally only apply ‘one’! So you have to pick the best for you!

Very true!

That is an amazing price! Our first Oceania was a promotion and we have been hooked ever since! Enjoy your cruise.

I’ll take the other half of your glass! Fingers crossed the refurbishment all works out well.

The Marina hasn’t yet been refurbished. She is due to arrive in Venice April 29th then sail from Barcelona May 18th … hopefully. We are due to sail on that cruise but I have read here that the first cruise is June 1st, the day we disembark. I will make my own enquiries before I book flights!

? Singapore Bangkok January 28th? Look forward to seeing you too!

Yes there are tour buses. If you fly with Singapore Airlines they give you free stop over tours …. at least they used to! Hotels usually have all sorts of maps etc. Wouldn’t worry if travelling solo as Singapore feels really safe. The laws are pretty rigid, the penalties dire. Not sure if the lash is still used but one thing for sure ‘don’t chew gum’ or even take it into the country… strict laws about that too! I would suggest you pick out the points of interest to you … there are so many… and try and make a plan before you arrive.

FlyerTalker great advice. I think sometimes people don’t really think about the places they are going to, their own expectations and there own interests. We called at Santa Cruz de Tenerife August 22 and I was speaking to a lady who had imagined the Canaries to be a group of small picturesque islands, maybe a bit like some of the Caribbean islands. She was shocked at Santa Cruz because it was so big. I explained to her that it is the capital of Tenerife and, as with other capitals, was a large city! So disappointed was she that she decided not to leave the ship which was a great pity, because the scenery in the National Park is amazing…. for anybody who remembers Planet of the Apes, parts of it were filmed there. Amazing lunar landscape. Romantic visions don’t always meet the reality!

Hi Sophie no we are sailing Singapore to Bangkok late January. We have sailed Singapore to Dubai and it was a great cruise. At the moment we are thinking about AbuDhabi - Singapore in December 24. but not quite sure yet.

We get the thirty days pre sailing in the UK too.

The Fullerton does look good although we’ve not stayed there. I guess a lot depends on whether you’ve been to Singapore before, what your interests are. For example if you like to ‘shop’ The Shangri-La is close to Orchard Road and there’s a shuttle service. Also the Hyatt or the Marriott are close to Tangs on Orchard Road. If sightseeing is your main aim then staying close to an MTR station is a good idea.The transport system in Singapore is great.

So pleased you’re enjoying your trip so far. We have never had a ‘bad’ Oceania cruise and sometimes I find the ‘nit picking’ on here a little sad. Somebody said here “some people wouldn’t be happy if they were hung with a new rope”! So true. Anyway “keep enjoying”, especially your butler!

I have no idea about Celebrity terms and conditions!

Oceania offer full refunds up to 181 days before sailing. After that there is scale of increasing forfeits. I think any bookings from October 1st have an automatic $150 per person penalty for cancellation.

January 28th? The lobby in the Shangri-La is quite stunning and the pool area is like an oasis in the desert. There’s an amazing buffet restaurant, The Line, which has serving stations from every nation, but I just find it a bit noisy. The club is much, much calmer for breakfast. Thinking about it I’m not sure why I was looking for somewhere else to stay!