Arizona

We've had a price drop twice on our June Med cruise. They wouldn't do anything for us on the 2nd price drop. They said they only give the option of an upgrade or FCC once. That's disappointing. 

8 hours ago, udivegirl said:

 

Chrome worked for me.

 

Got 11 confirmation emails.  😄

 

Got you beat - over 40 confirmation emails!

12 hours ago, kent9xxx1 said:

just curious, why do you let the cruise line book airline tickets for you?  Is it cheaper? For people who booked themselves directly, aa, delta all refunded them quickly for cancelling.  Not all airlines are that decent, but at least you won’t be hit another $450.

They were about 20% less than I could get direct or elsewhere online. 

On 4/29/2020 at 2:52 PM, KathyK13 said:

I read the cancellation policy listed above.  I understood it to apply to passengers that cancelled their cruise, not to Uniworld cancellation.  I don't see how they can legally keep the money if they cancel the cruise.  The alternatives listed don't work for everyone.

This is amazing. I called my TA today and was given our options which did not include getting a refund. And, the flights we purchased through Uniworld don't make it all the way to Venice anymore. To cancel that, we have to pay the $450 cancellation fee - how's that work? - purchased a flight to Venice, can't deliver, and they charge you? Sounds like some class-action lawsuits are coming fairly soon. 

I highly suggest the Bernina Express Train from Zurich. It does not end in Venice (Milan) but it is one of the greatest train trips ever!

13 minutes ago, tomservo said:

 

I just did a few mock bookings, they don't look very under priced to me. 4-5k for a balcony for 4 on a 7 day. Does this kind of itinerary normally cost more than that?

We were about $3500 for two in a 3D Balcony. 

Since this is a rather unique itinerary and a new ship, I thought I should give a quick review from the perspective of a regular RCCL/Norwegian/Oceania U.S. cruiser. This cruise was seven days to Tokyo with three ports: Osaka, Kobe, and Tokyo. 

We made our way to the Port of Shanghai around 11:00am. Quick drop-off of the bags (and quick delivery to our cabin) and we were into a very nice port facility. I suggest you keep your eyes on the signs as there are opportunities to fast-track through some lines. Waits were not bad and signage did inform you of what stage you were at (about five in the process due). We were on the ship before noon and explored some of the top floors and hit the pool/spa before the crowds. Cabins were ready at about 3:00 and the muster drill around 4:30 (the new video – no need to bring lifejackets or go out to the boats). We did bring a dozen water bottles (suggested) on board in our packed bags and a bottle of Chinese fortified wine in our carry-on without issue. 

Cabin. We selected a balcony cabin on the 7th deck. We were quite pleased with the layout, spaciousness, and design. The ship was only on its second month, so everything was nice and well-appointed. As you look at the profile of the ship, there are hundreds of balcony cabins – it is quite the site. We found we appreciated having a nice cabin as we spent more time here than usual on sea days because we needed space to veg away from many of the very loud, stressful guests.

The Ship. Common areas, elevators, etc. all were very nice. Unfortunately, some of the really nice spaces on sister ships are now gone in order to make more room for casino spaces. Yes, the workout room is tiny and treadmills were never available so I spent my workout time on the walking/running track. 

Food. Well, that’s been a highlight in the past for cruises we like to take and I’d have to say, for someone from the U.S. this will be quite a disappointment. We had been in China for a few days prior so we felt like some “American” food so we hit the Windjammer only to find a small segment of sandwiches and hamburgers. Ok, so I grabbed a bun, tossed on a burger and pickles, found some cheese at another line and gave it a shot. I also waited for some hot french fries (ketchup packets available at another location). The burger was a solid C- grade with the fries making up at a B+. My wife got a sandwich with some unique looking deli meats for a C grade. On the way out, I did grab a slice of pizza which was pleasantly well cooked (color on the bottom!) and tasty! 

Moving on, we went to dinner in the MDR that night. The menu is a bit different as now there are pictures for the 3,000 or so Chinese guests on the ship. There are about 10 starters and 10 entrees to choose from. Yes, we’ve got funky stuff here (which is worth a try) but you should be able to find one or two items on each list that would be of interest (so not really much of a selection). And, there’s always the “generic” menu of Caesar salad, Onion Soup, Steak, Chicken, Salmon as an option. On one evening our waiter let us know that they’ve been informed that their guests want dinner to only take 45 minutes, so cocktails, app’s, dessert, coffee are not emphasized or really offered. That doesn’t really work for the way we like to start our evening (let alone, for a ship this size, there’s hardly a bar to be found to have a cocktail). Breakfast in the MDR is a very similar experience – very limited “normal” selection so I suggest going to the Windjammer or the Café@TWO70. 

The whole food emphasis is to try and upsell to the specialty restaurants. They say this cruise is under-priced due to Chinese policies/restrictions and RCCL makes up for that by charging for anything they can think of. There was a three-dinner package for $99 + 18% and a four-dinner for $125 + 18%. So, if you want to pay $40 for a meal, that’s available. We had been to all of the restaurants on a previous cruise so we only chose to do Chop’s this time. 

Ports. Immigration in Osaka was quite easy – yes, lines took a while but in less than an hour we were on our way (there are 4,000 people or so on the ship). We took the ship’s tour to the castle and Dotinbori street in Osaka as taxis are rather overpriced and Didi is only in Simplified Chinese (no English) in this location. That worked out well and the $65 fee was fine with us – as well as some education and history along the bus ride. We found private guides for Kona and Tokyo prior to sailing.

Entertainment. This is for sure a highlight. The first night was Showgirls – Past, Present, Future in the Royal Theatre. There were so many people in this production! – at least 18 girls dancing, a dozen guys, and four singers on stage at the same time. I wouldn’t miss this one. The acrobatic team, Gold Art Duo, is also another that should not be missed. The Magician, Duck Cameron, was entertaining but nothing much new – he did make quite a few of the guests uncomfortable as he dragged them up on stage. 

The Aura Cover Band was quite good in the Music Hall. Unfortunately, the piano melodies with Filmore Flores was disappointing (a Canadian who got the job because he plays, sings (kinda), and speaks a bit of Mandarin. And, we really missed an acoustical guitar in a pub as that location is a Tea and Coffee shop (not many going there – this will change) on this ship. 

As you can guess, we passed on paying for the iFly and Northstar as we had done them on another cruise for free. 

The Spa. We have traveled with this cruise line over the years and greatly enjoy our time in the spa. So, believing that the experience would be similar to all our others we booked a couples’ massage for the first and last day at sea. Granted we booked a couples’ massage and thought we would be in the same room, but this room was having “situations” so we were separated, on both days. Vicky was my attendant for the first booking and she was fabulous! She provided what was expected in a deep tissue massage. Unfortunately, my husband did not have the same experience, I was not sure if his expectations were too high, but unfortunately they were not. The last day on ship we went for our other appointment, we had the same attendants, so we switched and I took Fanglu the attendant my husband had. If we had been in the same room, the attendance would have preformed the same service and it would not of varied in quality. I was extremely disappointed that the massages were so different, I was expecting this to be similar to my first. 

On-Board Shopping. This was pretty much a feeding frenzy when the sales were on. I would have guessed there were no stores in China the way people grabbed and hoarded as many items as possible. And, I imagine most of them were “made in China.”

Crown & Anchor. Well, we’re only Platinum, but NONE of the following benefits were on board this cruise!...
• Onboard Offers are preloaded to your SeaPass card. Refer to your onboard Welcome Letter for details.
• Priority Check-in
• Private departure lounge with Continental Breakfast
• Exclusive Top Tier Event
• Signature Lapel Pin
…just so you know!

Wish I could read the answer to your question. Nada?

Dining

Has definitely taken a step or two back from previous cruises. :(

Waves grill is still excellent – grilled tuna outstanding, filet and lobster sandwich really good but keep getting smaller.

Red Ginger was Asian food at its best. Service was impeccable and we really felt catered to. Duck and Watermelon salad was a must. Coconut soup was interesting and worth trying. The sushi sampler was very fresh and tasty. Sea bass portion appeared larger than in the past on Riviera and still one of the best dishes.

Jacques for lunch was just fine but certainly nothing compared to the original full restaurant on Riviera. Pasta appetizer and sole had both spent too much time in the warmer – neither made fresh. Avocado-shrimp salad was delicious.

Tuscan Steak was actually better than the previous steak house concept (forgot the name). Tomato-basil salad was fabulous with fresh-made mozz. Ribeye and Porterhouse were both cooked-to-order, hot, and outstanding.

Diner in the dining room (MDR) has been mediocre with hurried service, overdone food, missing orders, and the like. We’ll try to avoid this from now on.

Cocktail waiter/waitresses seem to now be on commission. I won’t go into the details but I would certainly complain at a regular establishment for the attitude, service and lack thereof.

Common Areas

Furnishings and decorations are all very nice and this is obviously where most of the refurbishment budget was spent. Nothing new from Insignia – nearly identical visual experience.

Ports

The captain managed to miss our first port in Sete as they appeared to arrive in plenty of time to port but fog rolled-in and it was determined we could not. Very disappointing as our private tour guide let us know that the port was clear from land and we should have made it in. Other ports have been as expected – we did our first O excursions as they were part of our package – wouldn’t do them again as it is the herding of folks onto a bus and minimal experience once at a location.

High-hopes for the next 6 days! :)

Some notes and comments as we are currently on Sirena...

Cabin

The cabin is clean with the usual robe and slippers included and pretty much exactly what we anticipated. Linens are nice and neat as expected from previous cruises. We requested an upgrade upon arrival but never received a call either way.

Bathroom

Obviously, has not been refurbished since coming to Oceania. Hard water stains on the divider between the shower and sink, mirror is chipped, (attached) shower curtain is old and has snags in the fabric, flooring is something from my college experience. Water pressure is minimal.

Entertainment

Fell asleep during the first production show. Six performers, four who sang with two of those singing “well.” My wife liked it. Other individual performers have been quite forgettable. :confused:

Music

String Quartet is very nice and upholds the O standards. There has been no music at the pool except for embarkation – disappointing. The five piece group does a fine job but is rarely seen. Late night music/dancing is canned and forgettable.

More...

I would imagine someone was fired over the champagne bottle "miss" at the Christening. :confused:

John's taxi day tours in Athens is one of the best tours we've had on a dozen plus cruises. Nice Mercedes vehicle, very informative, goes the extra mile.

Try your roll call, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2141066

 

That is where folks share plans for tours. Have a wonderful trip!

 

Donna

Oh, we have posted there. Just not a lot of interest or details. We'll keep trying. Thanks!

Since this is LIVE FROM INSIGNIA, there are lots of us boarding in Los Angeles next Monday and we are wondering if there are any group tours already put together for the upcoming ports (maybe I missed it earlier in this long thread).

We have four interested in the Gio Tours 8-in-1 in Costa Rica.

And, looked at Julio Tours in Corinto but might go with NicaTours and Kenneth.

Would love to hear if there are other plans or if anyone wants to join these!:)

This trip has sounded wonderful! What has the evening entertainment been? We get on in LA and are wondering how this works..