tigerfan75

HS is much, much better than the previous offering IMO.

I was on the Marina from October to December 2022. Beautiful ship. Absolutely no issues. Bedroom furnishings had some luggage scuff marks. Usually see rust on balcony, but saw none in Concierge Balcony this trip. As is normal, there was a full-time crew painting hull, pool deck, internal balconies, etc. while I was aboard.

I could not find any plastic water bottles available anywhere on ship during our 4-segment cruise Oct 18 to Dec 4 on the Marina. May be different on other ships...

Mysteriously, on my two bookings for Vista in Summer 2023, the online Manage Account only mentions the allowable number of reservations in Polo and Toscana. No mention of Red Ginger or Embers. Perhaps an I.T. issue yet to be resolved?

I have always had great service when calling the folks at TripInsuranceStore.com for my trip insurance needs. Their knowledge to my specific needs gives me confidence. Steve often hosts a Q&A here on CC. I hope all is good and you can cruise...

I am interested in the kids on Alaska cruises, too. But perhaps for a different reason. I want to take my sons/DILs, and grandkids as a "reunion cruise". Do you see "many"? Or will my grandkids be very much by themselves? THANKS.

All categories may make specialty reservations in advance. Go online to O, login to your account, find your cruise booking, and go into "manage my booking", Dining. You will find how many advance reservations per restaurant you are allowed for your length of cruise, and the date on which your booking window opens. The same info should be noted in your O Guest Statement. Inquires for more dining reservations may be made at the Dining Reservations Desk onboard. As I recall, O's website has a FAQ section that may help with some of your questions. Enjoy your cruise.

I switched from AT&T to T-Mobile in October, just before my 50-day (four B2Bs) cruise in the Mediterranean and a transatlantic crossing. I had only one week in the US before the departure. T-Mobile worked great in all the countries...Spain, Malta, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, etc., etc. I called T-Mobile Customer Service before departure to verify coverage, and they had service in every country. No cost texts and data usage on the Magenta 55+ plan. I loved getting the text when approaching a port, "T-Mobile welcomes you to _________". Good luck in your evaluation as to what works best for you.

I suppose I am in the minority on this topic. I completed the online survey on each of the four B2B segments on the Marina ending with her transatlantic to Miami. I used an O computer without any issues. I agree that the organization of the survey questions needs improvement.

My suggestion is to have a conversation with Steve, Kim, or Deanna at TripInsuranceStore.com regarding any insurance. If they cannot help directly, they may be able to refer you in another direction. Steve often hosts Q&A on CruiseCritic, and is highly recommended. I have sought advice and used their products for years, with no problems. YMMV.

Was on the Marina from Oct. 15 to Dec. 4, cruising around the Med, and then the transatlantic to Miami. No Brunch was offered. No Extravaganza Tea. There was a special Cupcake Tea, however.

Sorry for the late reply…lazy sea days, you know. CD is John Clelford OCA is Alex Norton

In the middle of the Atlantic on Marina now. Wi-Fi is sloooow, but doable per this post. Best to choose early or late in the day for better speed.

I am on the Marina now. She has not been in dry dock, but is scheduled next year.

We are on the Marina now. We booked an O overland for Israel, scheduled in October port visit. Of the entire ship, my wife and I were the only ones on the tour. Others had canceled. The tour ended up being a private one for the two days. This may not be typical, and may be port dependent. We were very happy that O continued to do the overland.

As others have said, I make use of the Concierge Lounge for coffee, tea, sodas, and snacks. Also available are two desktop pcs tied to a printer. And the hosting Concierge has been most helpful for onshore questions, and to coordinate “special requests”. We enjoy O immensely.

I agree that internet is terrible. Sitting now on my balcony on the Marina in Trieste, Italy, and using T-Mobile instead of O’s Wi-Fi. Access internet only in ports using cell service. 😞

Clairol, THANKS for taking the time to post your observations. We are departing tomorrow for a sailing, and will take a pair of old card wallets. Looking forward to reading more!

My experience is that one gets the cruise credits for each booking number, not for the sum of the b2b days.

Had a booked cruise. My TA kept the same cabin, but I got a cost reduction of $600pp. However, was not able to keep prepaid gratuities, and lost some of the TA rebate. But still came out ahead about $620 net.

My experience is that it is always best to deal directly with an Oceania phone rep for cancelling or changing excursions. There is no way to cancel on the website.

THANKS. I suppose that if the infection had to happen, it was advantageous to occur at the end of the sailing. I hope all is well.

Thank You for sharing. I am curious as to the protocol. Were you under any mask restrictions when released from the 5-day isolation? Were you tested at the end of the 5-day isolation? If you had been tested positive, would you have been isolated another 5-days? THANKS for any insight.

I agree with LHT28. If you like the itinerary, and can find a stateroom that works for you, then book it asap. We have sailed multiple segments on two ATW cruises. Yes, one or two guests had an "attitude" and already had "their" tables; while MOST guests were very friendly and affable. Whatever negative encounters we may have had, it has NOT put us off booking future ATW segments. In fact, we have already booked the same itinerary you mention, because it exactly fits our wants, too. We will be doing LA-to-Tokyo, the first four segments of the 2024 ATW. I hope you decide to book, and that we will see you onboard!

All my clothes seem to shrink on a cruise...no matter where/how laundered. 🙄