amusea

My explanation was in reference to calling the Explora full size beds 'king size".  They are five inches less wide.  Correct information can sometimes avoid disappointments regarding expectations.

Well yes and no.  The width is the critical measurement in beds and the acknowledged dimensions are as follows:

STANDARD KING   76 X 80  (not California King)

STANDARD TWIN  38 or 39 X 75   EXTRA LONG TWINS  are 80" LONG                 

  TWO EXTRA LONG STANDARD TWINS TOGETHER ARE 76 TO 78 WIDE AND 80 LONG,  thus becoming a true King.

The common width of ship twins is 33" so Explora has improved on both twins and something that is wider than a queen but definitely not a King.  I designed hotels and homes for many years so bed dimensions are always critical in designing a bedroom.  The extra few inches of width on Explora beds makes a HUGE difference in comfort.

I had originally booked a Ocean Grand Terrace Suite on Deck 6, mainly for the deeper terrace.  Having sailed on more than 120 cruises it never occurred to me that most beds on Decks 6 and 7 were Queen-sized and not convertible to twins.  Since my booking for Explora II was very early in the process, Explora allowed me to book a twin on Deck 8 for the same charge when I discovered the problem.  Yes, most folks prefer one big bed but the large number of non-convertible suites seems strange.

Jay in Tucson

I had originally booked a Ocean Grand Terrace Suite on Deck 6, mainly for the deeper terrace.  Having sailed on more than 120 cruises it never occurred to me that most beds on Decks 6 and 7 were Queen-sized and not convertible to twins.  Since my booking for Explora II was very early in the process, Explora allowed me to book a twin on Deck 8 for the same charge when I discovered the problem.  Yes, most folks prefer one big bed but the large number of non-convertible suites seems strange.

Jay in Tucson

I asked my travel agent to contact Oceania about the lack of the ability to make reservation for Red Ginger before my 16 day Vista cruise in November.  I am very disheartened  and angry with their answer since of all the specialty restaurants it is my favorite.  Here is the answer:

I called Oceania, and they advised the only way to pre book Red Ginger is to book a cooking class. He checked and there are none available right now, but you can keep checking in your reservation to see when those open to reservation.

I realize that I can try to book once onboard but it will make the process much more difficult since the cruise is sold out.  I don't consider that a satisfactory option.  If I cannot eat at Red Ginger when I am cruising for 16 days that will probably be the end of my Oceania bookings.  I still do not know if Embers will require a reservation although for me it is much less appetizing than Jacques according to the publicity.  Why would Red Ginger have different reservation rules than Polo or Toscana?

What happened to Red Ginger?

I just checked my 16 day Vista cruise on the Oceania website and this is what it states for my dining reservation:

Veranda (B5) offers you 1 reservation per restaurant in Polo Grill and Toscana 

I am also assuming that EMBERS which has replaced Jacques does not require a reservation but that is also unclear.

Hello Mark,

Our profiles are similar and we have encountered many of the same situations and preferences.  Last September on Regatta we failed to make any specialty reservations before boarding the ship.  There was a splendid concierge gentleman at a special desk who handled requests and complaints.  Since we also like to dine early we just left our requests with him and he was able to work it out to our satisfaction as the cruise proceeded.  We gave him as many possibilities for time and date as possible.  

We have just booked the Vista and were fortunate to get one of the last accommodations still available for the Panama Canal cruise from L.A. to Miami on November 3rd.  Since the only reservation available was a French Veranda guarantee we are in the very lowest category and thus have concerns about getting a table for two at an early hour but we will try to make changes once onboard if what is available doesn't meet our needs.

We also were confronted with the mysterious Pier 50.  Our car's driver was not familiar with the pier and there were no signs on the road coming into the main port from the freeway.  Unfortunately, we drove into the main port area and then were in a traffic jam for about 30 minutes while we circled the main port and then exited to where we had begun.  It turns out that pier 50 is farther down the main road that adjoins the pier area but again no signs.  The clue is to look for the ship with the X on the smokestack and head in that direction but don't go in the main fenced area.  However, that was not the end of the escapade.  We finally were alongside the ship and as we got out of the car we were told NO.  This is not where you start the embarkation.  Nearby there was a large tent and that was the first stop for embarkation.  So that was another detour for us and the poor driver.  Finally we exited at the tent, checked in and then stood in line for checking our bags.  THEN we boarded a bus back to where the ship was docked.  It was not a pleasant experience and you would think that at least someone could put up a few road signs but for our late October cruise on the Solstice there were none.  Luckily for disembarkation we were at pier 93 in the main port area.  Perhaps someone else can give more explicit instructions since it was several months ago and I have tried to wipe it out of my memory.  Good luck.

I totally agree about inconsistency and some poor meals.  Our sailing on Regatta last September was not up to Oceania standards.  Not being able to get some of the usual  supplies should not affect the dishes that are prepared if the chef is clever.  We felt that the food on our Seabourn cruise last month was far superior in creativity and taste.

And the buffet luncheons were among the best we have ever experienced.  The upcoming Vista Panama Canal cruise will help us decide if we continue to look towards Oceania for the best cuisine at sea.

Realizing that food opinions are very subjective, my recent experiences show that all lines are having a harder time maintaining a uniform standard.  The head chef of any ship can make a marked difference in the food that is presented.  My last (9th) cruise on Regatta in September was comparatively disappointing from a cuisine standpoint whereas the food on my October cruise on Celebrity Solstice in the main dining room was among the best that I have experienced on that line (27 Celebrity cruises).  Likewise, Regent has been mostly wonderful but there was one cruise on Voyager where the food was not at all up to par but other recent cruises on Explorer were excellent.  The less said about my November cruise on Discovery Princess the better.  The Vista will be my 114th cruise so I do speak with some historical perspective.

I agree about Port of Miami.  We disembarked Seabourn Sojourn from Terminal D on January 6th and the passport control was very rapid and casual.  The passport official just glanced at the passport but Miami does not yet have facial recognition (however for our November Celebrity disembarkation at Los Angeles San Pedro the facial recognition was operational).  Our small ship had only 400 passengers and Seabourn didn't even announce numbers or colors.  It was all on the honor system and you just disembarked on or about the pre-determined time. There was no line so it was a breeze.

On 1/14/2023 at 2:17 PM, AMHuntFerry said:

This is from Oceania's 2023 COLLECTION OF VOYAGES (https://www.oceaniacruises.com/request-brochure:

Thanks for this verification of the sliding door that opens.  We have sailed the Panama 
Canal itinerary seven times which inlcudes the first time in 1970 on the old P&O Oriana and recently twice in 2022 on the Seabourn Ovation.  We have always been curious about how we would enjoy a French Balcony so we are giving it a try.  In November there is a good chance that the weather will be cool enough to enjoy some fresh air at times.  I don't find the balcony furniture particularly comfortable on Oceania so hopefully the stateroom's love seat will be more inviting and sometimes the noise from adjoining open balconies can be aggravating.

Having just booked the stateroom last week the only option was a guarantee.  If we are on the starboard side, the continual sun would make the real balcony only partially useful in any case.

Jay in Tucson

I have not been able to find any information regarding the fresh air access on the French Balcony cabins on Vista.  Usually that designation means that the door/window can open to let in outside air.  That is not the case with the Oceanviews on Marina and Riviera as far as I know.  Can anyone confirm that the door on the Vista French Balcony rooms will actually open?

We have been on two Seabourn Ovation cruises recently -  December/January and 

March/April.  Our recent Silver Muse cruise was a B2B Alaska cruise in June/July.  

The Seabourn Holiday cruise in December did not start off well in the Restaurant.  I spoke to the Maitre D' and expressed my disappointment about the entrees and others did also.  Within a few days the food was much better and Seabourn had dispatched the head of food and beverage from Miami to oversee the kitchen problem.  From then on food and service on both Seabourn cruises was very good, even though it was obvious that Covid had caused some staffing problems.  The Maitre D' continually thanked me for my criticism which seemed to help in replacing the Chef.

Our first meal on Silver Muse was also a big disappointment.  We decided to dine in what is the nearest thing to a main restaurant which is called Atlantide.  Service was very slow and the food was barely acceptable.  Since we were sailing for 14 days we decided to try all the other dining venues and were much happier with IndoChine and the Italian restaurant which is created from the Buffet Restaurant in the evenings.  But our best meals were at the tiny intimate night club room called Silver Note where reservations are hard to come by.  As a comparison, for my second dinner in Atlantide I had ordered Duckling a l'Orange.  What was presented was half a of tough, dry duck which had no taste and was complete with large bone.

In Silver Note the duckling was served with slices of  medium rare duck (as requested) and it was as tender as filet mignon.  No skin or bones.  The sauce was its equal.

Service on the Silver Muse was fantastic and the ship has many very nice cocktail lounges, all of which have very pleasant ambiance.  On the Seabourn small ships there are only two inside lounges that serve drinks before dinner and the larger two ships add a lounge adjoining the Thomas Keller restaurant.  But we preferred the greater choice of Silversea public lounges and the very personal service.

However, even though the Seabourn caviar is not as good as it was formerly, it was still way better than that offered by Silversea.  The Silversea caviar had absolutely no taste and the little eggs were actually crunchy.  On Seabourn you could put a serving in your mouth and you could enjoy the flavor as it dissolved.   So each line had its ups and downs.  We found the Seabourn passengers a little more friendly,  Perhaps the more 

strict dress code on Silversea tended to make folks a little more aloof.

We used the 2 day rapid NAAT test and had no trouble when boarding our Silversea cruise two weeks ago.  I had checked with Silversea in advance and they said that it was acceptable.   But interestingly, the official at the check-in desk couldn't determine whether it was a PCR or Antigen test.  However, it was accepted without any problem.

We are planning to use the  2 day drive-in Walgreens NAAT rapid test again for our August Oceania cruise.  The Walgreens is only two blocks from our house.

THRILLING NEWS 😄😃

One of the problems with many cruise lines is that there is no one person who takes responsibility for rules and regulations.  I specifically asked my TA not to call the general telephone line since the reservation agents are prone to giving conflicting and often incorrect information.  My travel agent complied but I do not know who her source of information was regarding the disembarkation testing.  

Here is the part of the information received by myself from Silversea and it the same information was also sent to me by my TA.  Nowhere does it mention that Silversea will provide testing for those people who required a negative test in order to fly home after the cruise.  In fact they suggest that you purchase the Abbott Bimax test kit.  That certainly does not sound like they are providing any service.  Here is what was written by SS:

DISEMBARKATION DAY AND RETURN HOME

• To enable the suite cleaning and sanitisation processes to be completed, you will be required to leave your suite at 8am on the day of disembarkation. Before disembarking the ship by 10am, you are invited to enjoy breakfast.
   
• For your return journey, you are responsible for complying with all local health and safety requirements — those of your country and the countries through which you are transiting, which may include additional COVID-19 testing.

RE-ENTRY TESTING REQUIREMENTS

It is each guest's responsibility to know and understand their home country's re-entry requirements before disembarking the vessel.

For your convenience, we offer the following optional service:

• Monitored Self-Test Kit – Abbott Binaxnow™ COVID-19 AG Card. The Optum COVID-19 Ag Card Home test allows you to complete your post-cruise testing onboard, or any place of your choosing, with the help of live video supervision by a Certified Testing Guide. We recommend that you order the kit/s at least one full week in advance of your sailing. Your results are typically ready in about 15 minutes. To order, please click here.

If you develop COVID-19 symptoms after disembarking the ship, you should self-isolate and seek immediate medical care, sharing your travel history with the health care provider and a Silversea representative.

Today, Thursday, June 9th, Silver Muse arrived in Vancouver.  Perhaps there is someone who will join this discussion with first hand information.

All the information about testing and vaccinations came to me yesterday from Silversea along with my tickets for the 7 day northbound and 7 day southbound return - June 23rd  to July 7.  My TA got the info at the same time and I noticed that there was no mention of onboard testing before disembarkation so she checked with SS and confirmed that it was no go.  And yet, "in transit" passengers will be tested so that means in Seward I will undergo another test.

The hotel "upstairs ' from the Canada Place cruise terminal is the Pan Pacific - not the Fairmont .  There is a very close testing site in the Convention Center which is just adjacent to Canada Place and their prices are much less expensive than than the Empower Clinic.

It is called CVM Medical and the Antigen test is $79.  Appointments are required but you can cancel up to a few hours before the test for a refund.  My flight is at 1:40 PM so I hope that I can get tested and still arrive at YVR in time to cope with the long lines.

I am sure that some passengers will not notice the omission of the test onboard at the end of the cruise since SS does not specifically mention it and that could cause some problems for folks flying to the USA.  It is these little extra courtesies that separate the luxury cruise lines from the premium and mass lines.  However, I just read a blog from someone who tested positive before disembarking a HAL ship in Amsterdam.  He was provided with 5 days of free quarantine hotel and meals in Rotterdam courtesy of Holland America.

I don't know if Silversea has consistent rules for foreign ports other than Vancouver but It is disheartening to see these personal services being chipped away.

I have just been informed by my TA that when disembarking in Vancouver from my Alaska cruise on Silver Muse  I will be personally responsible for arranging a Covid test prior to flying back to the USA.   Silversea suggests  purchasing  the Abbott Binaxnow test kit which can be administered personally within one day  before my flight.  However, there have been reports on the internet that it is difficult to reach the testing company due to high demand.  Furthermore, the internet is not very reliable on the ship and the Inside Passage has no internet reception.  The best alternative is probably to arrange a test at the Vancouver terminal after disembarkation although it makes the morning much more stressful.

I can request early disembarkation but i want to choose an appointment time for the test with the earliest time slot that it is possible to make since the wait time at YVR can be very long.  My flight was booked months ago and changing the flight is not an option.  My flight is on the same day that I disembark.

If anyone has experience with the time required to disembark the Muse in Vancouver it would be appreciated.  Luckily it is on a Thursday when no other ship is in port.  Evidently most ship lines no longer want to be responsible for dealing with anyone who tests positive while still on the ship and eliminating this disembarkation testing service relieves them of any responsibility such as providing hotels and meals for anyone that tests positive.  I would have expected better from Silversea.

We were on the B2B April 30 and May 10 sailings.  We have received the certificate for the April 30 cruise but not for the May 10 sailing nor the $300 that was promised as partial reimbursement for the cost of airfare from Cabo San Lucas back to the USA.  Has anyone who was on the April 30 cruise from Puerto Vallarta received that promised $300? 

Thanks for these responses that have helped to clarify the issue.  Upon further investigation it seems that the key word in my query is RAPID.  If the NAAT is rapid then it is an antigen test with results in a few hours and falls under the antigen rules.  If the NAAT is sent to a lab which requires a 2 or 3 day wait for the result then it may be considered a PCR test.  Since I am interested in the rapid test that is administered at Walgreens very close to my domicile I will make sure that the test is done within 48 hours of embarkation which is the qualification for Canada cruises as specified in the Silversea website.  If there is any error in my conclusions a further reply would be welcome.

It seems that there are several types of PCR tests and my question is whether a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, {NAAT) which I think is a rapid PCR test is accepted by Silversea.  The lack of specific information about the various types of tests that are accepted makes this whole business very confusing.

Someone also wrote that Alaskan cruises have no formal night.  Can anyone confirm this?  My cruise agent called Silversea and the answer from them was that there was one formal night for a seven day cruise.

One of the reasons for our confusion is that the rules are different for Canada and Silversea  for the pre-embarkation Antigen test:

Silversea Embarkation

All travellers embarking on a ship operating in Canadian waters (even if Canadian port/s are not the embarkation port) are required to provide the following test results regardless of their vaccination status:
Evidence of a negative PCR test result conducted within 72 hours from embarkation, OR
Evidence of a negative Antigen test conducted within 48 hours from embarkation.

Canadian Embarkation rule

Proof of a professionally administered or observed negative antigen test taken no more than 2 days before you’re scheduled to board your ship

• the 2-day window does not depend on the time of day the test was taken or the time that you board

Naturally we would prefer using the Canadian regulation but I think that the Silversea rule must be followed.