Harters

Horizons on Vista doesnt have a coffee machine.

Morning, Techno. Is that photo at Geiranger? We were there 27/7/17. It was a lovely day - nice enough to have lunch on the terrace of a restaurant in the village. In fact, the weather on that Marina cruise was fine once we got north of mainland Scotland. And, my answer to the question in the OP (which applies to men as much as women) is dress for dinner based on the ship's climate, unless you're planning to eat on the outside terrace of the TC. June can often be the best summer month in the UK (and elsewhere in Northern Europe) - it's usually warm enough for us to have dinner on the patio at home. FWIW, we did a transatlantic on Vista earlier this year. With the exception of one night, when the air con in the GDR had a problem (making it very cold), we found all the restaurants to be comfortable. I didnt need an additional layer to my polo shirt and I don't recall my partner complaining of it being cold (she feels it much more than I do).

FWIW, I've just priced up parking for my Oceania cruise next year. Parking4cruises - £125. ABP - £182.

Here's the "sticky" hotels thread https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2902493-barcelona-hotels/page/12/#comment-67125612

No.

Agreed. We do not want to share and will always wait for a two-top. Might occasionally have to wait a few minutes but that's all. Similarly, we've usually been able to find a two-top in the TC almost immediately. Although on occasions, we've taken a four-top. The ratio of two to four-top tables needs some adjustment, IMO.

We've used parking4cruises before and would most certainly do again. Their drop-off point was directly opposite the cruise terminal. They were very thorough about photographing the car for any existing damage - partly to protect them against spurious claims but, also, to provide evidence to customer should a vehicle be damaged while in their care. My understanding is that they then remove cars to their own secure compound somewhere away from the port, returning them for disembarkation day. Car was ready and waiting for us when we got back and we were straight off - and back in North Cheshire in time for a late lunch. My only issue, such as it was, is that we'd booked for them to valet the car but it wasnt done. Guy logged that when we collected the car and, within a couple of hours, the fee had been reversed on the credit card and an apology offered.

I've only the experience of one dinner in the TC on Nautica (much prefer the GDR for dinner) but my notes don't indicate any issues with food temperatures then, or the several times we had lunch there. We would have been eating dinner around 8pm.

I'm sure that will be the case for some folk. We had a butler last year on Nautica and there was nothing that we wanted him to do, Except a couple of days, we got him to bring canapes - but they werent very nice so we stopped ordering them. The butlers must love guests like us.

Thanks for the tip. Didnt know CC had that feature. I use it, very sparingly, on another forum. Unfortunately, Tripadvisor (CC's parent) doesnt have to on their own forums - perhaps if they did I wouldnt have felt the need to stop posting to one of them, to avoid personal abuse. No-one on CC irritates me as much as that guy so no need to use the facility - at least not yet.

Did you ask to be seated in the same area? Reason for asking is that, over our two cruises in the last year, seating has been random. Occasionally, we've been seated in an area where we've previously eaten but it's been entirely coincidental.

Certainly similar, although I don't know about the legalities around American lobsters. As regards the EU protected designations, they are quite prized in the food industry. The UK used to be part of the scheme but, since we left the Union, we now have our own system which mirrors and continues to accept the EU system. By co-incidence, it was only last week when we were in a restaurant and a tartlet on the plate said it used "Yorkshire Fine Fettle Cheese". I googled this later to discover that it was originally called "Yorkshire Feta" but then the EU designation came along that said feta had to be made in Greece, so the producers changed the name. In similar vein, the "Cornish Pasty" has PDO status which means it has to be made in Cornwall and to a set specification. The intent is to preserve the nature of the product as well as its geographical heritage.

A few years back on one of our trips to the States, we stayed for a few days in Portsmouth, NH. One day, we took a little boat trip round the estuary of the river which serves as the border between New Hampshire and Maine. According to the skipper's commentary, there's lots of lobster fished in the estuary. Apparently, if it's landed in New Hampshire, it will be sold as "lobster". And, if it's landed on the northern bank of the river, it's sold as "Maine lobster".

In my world, that would be a bribe not a tip.

Vista's GDR is definitely open for breakfast.

Bear in mind that Tenerife (and the rest of the Canaries) has a different taxation regime from mainland Spain. Even though I've been visiting the island annually for the 30 years, I've never needed to find out about tax refunds. It will be worth you checking out if Tenerife will have the documentation to process claims for mainland purchases. You'd like to think that it would but......... The advice to claim port by port would seem to be sound advice.

Stephanie - I see you've also posted to this cruise's Roll Call, so I think you've covered the bases for Cruise Critic. I understand your concern and that you need the reassurance that she's OK. I can only suggest that you contact Oceania's Customer Services and explain your concern - I presume they will have a way of making direct contact with the ship. Hope all is well.

I'm sure that, in due course, you'll post something positive that helps to answer NJ Gal's OP, 😀

Yes. I sometimes wonder why I bother posting and don't just leave it to those who have experienced many cruises.

My reading of your post is that you are committed to booking this cruise, so don't need further persuasion as to whether it is going to suit. In which case, I think the following are the basic questions you are going to want to ask: 1) What Simply More shore excursions do I want to book and when can I do that 2) What do I want to do in ports where I'm not doing a ships excursion (see 5 below) 3) When can I make reservations in the speciality restaurants. 4) Do I understand Oceania's dress code so I'll know what to pack. 5) What's the benefit of joining the Cruise Critic Roll Call for my cruise.

When we were there last autumn, there were several taxis waiting right outside the terminal. No queue.

Indeed not. I know someone from here now working in Barca in IT. But in parts of Spain, like Tenerife and Mallorca, tourism is the main driver of the problem as has been well reported in the local Spanish press. But you are right that migration generally is also a driver. You may have seen reports of anti-migrant and anti-Muslim violent protests in the UK over the last week. So not just a problem for Spain and rightly condemned by our government.

No. I only drink red (and then not very often). I've always been disappointed by supermarket alcohol free wine but I'll have look next time I'm in an Aldi. I know they've won awards for their normal wine so should be worth a try.

And they will only be for nomads from outside the European Union. Folk from other EU countries have the benefit of free movement so don't need a visa

I buy online from a specialist "dry drinker" website here in the UK. They have pretty good selections and well priced too. The Carl Jung range are my favourite as they seem to me to be almost as full flavoured varietals as normal wine (of course, it misses the alcohol kick). Google tells me that they are available on your side of the Atlantic.