AMHuntFerry

Are they allowed? A while ago I discovered that satellite messengers (more basic than a phone) are (were?) not allowed on cruise ships.

We're keeping all the big ones for ourselves.

I suspect the TA quoted the O-life with Air fare instead of cruise-only (or something to that effect - wrong cabin category?).

Ditto on hating the online survey. I like to jump around (do question 8, come back to question 3 after thinking). I did the first one about a year ago...sat in the c-lounge on one of their computers sipping cappucino and reloading on decadent cakey-things to make it tolerable. In September my spouse was going to do it; after three attempts (two from our room, one on an O-computer) he gave up...not the way we want to spend cruise time.

Just a couple of thoughts for someone considering their first Oceania cruise...there are essentially two ship sizes, large (Vista, Riviera, and Marina ~1200 pax) and small (Sirena, etc. ~600 pax). The large ships have bigger bathrooms in the non-suite cabins and 4 specialty restaurants (included in fare) vs 2 on smaller ships. There are additional amenities on the larger ships such as a culinary center and art center, both with classes. I found youtube tours of the ships really useful when learning about Oceania.

@caribcruzrThere is a phone number and email address for making Aquamar reservations at the link below. Maybe they can tell you the brands that they use if no one answers here. https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005475093-Can-I-make-advance-reservations-for-Aquamar-Spa-and-Vitality-Center-treatments-

We were on Regatta during the Queen of England's funeral; there was an extra special tea that day, the "Queen Elizabeth II Afternoon Tea". Sorry I didn't get any photos, but along with the regular selections via tea cart, there were tables full of extravagant desserts and a large decorated cake.

Maybe it's your tote bag! 🙃

@Stockjock You may find this link helpful when planning your dining reservations: https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/360001119853-Managing-Reservations Enjoy!

Assuming the weather is clear, you will likely see Cuba. However, as others have said, you will see very little detail...kind of like seeing Greenland from a plane. If you have high power binoculars (i.e., large objective lenses) or even better, a telescope, you may see more detail. I wish O had telescopes mounted in various locations.

Re: the showers size...Giving your height/weight will be really helpful for people who are trying to figure out if they will fit. My spouse kept making fun of my "military showers" since I kept turning the water off so I could soap up without rinsing right away. My adaptation to the weird shape was to stand with a shoulder toward the water which is 90° from my norm; it kept my elbows from banging into walls.

Oops, I realized I forgot the forgotten-generation to which my parents and in-laws belong. Sorry!!

Aack, another variable that is difficult to predict! The recent cruise I referenced not only had a large number of repeaters (i.e., O-Club members who qualified for a round or two of free drinks) but it was the second 8-night CA-Fall-itinerary; many people combined the two 8-nighters to create a comfy 16-day cruise.

What changes is O considering to attract gen-X (and younger) while keeping baby boomers and greatest-generation happy? I've seen comments that Ember (on Vista) is supposed to appeal to the younger crowd but I'm not sure what about it is appealing. I also saw that the cocktail menu is getting additions which is on trend, but the lack of decent beers, ciders, and flavored seltzers (e.g., LaCroix) seems odd. P.S. The plant-based menu is an excellent start...on the right track there I think.

The availability of preferred (fill in the blank...time, shared/private) seems to vary quite a bit unless you are booked in an A4 or higher. My last cruise was an 8-night on Regatta in September along the CA coast...full ship and huge percentage of repeaters. We were in the last group to book so I had the midnight time in my calendar and got online promptly; the problem was that I was 24 hours late...doh! The only tables left were 8 pm shared, except for a couple of 7:30 pm times in Toscana. Luckily we like to share, but we do like to see some of the shows and an 8 pm seating makes it more of a chore to finish in time to see the show (doable but I hate to rush). It seems like the obvious variables (for B1 or lower) are number of nights, percentage of repeaters (who know to book early-ish), percentage of "cruisers" (mostly on ship) vs. "tourists" (explore ports for significant time and eat meals off-ship), and number of sea days (or port days where many don't go ashore much..."pseudo-sea-days?", e.g., Ensenada). The number of nights and (planned 😉 )sea days are known. The number of repeaters and cruisers may be somewhat predictable, especially for those with a lot of experience. Are there any significant variables I missed?

We had to show vac-cards in September in LA and answer "health questions".

I checked through my daily Currents for a September Regatta cruise for a recent example of what you may encounter. Either the Regatta ensemble or the Regatta show band had pre-dinner or pre-show dancing one to three times during the evening. Twice per evening (45 min. sessions between ~5:30 and 7:30 pm) was the most common. There were also some after-show performances with the band, but whether they do ballroom pieces probably depends on how broad your definition of ballroom is since the music trends toward pop/disco 😉. As mentioned previously, the schedule will vary depending on multiple factors. I have even seen avid dancers bring their own music (played softly) to practice when Horizons was not being used for something else. Also mentioned earlier, the string quartet may play some dance-able selections during tea. If you are flexible and are happy dancing once per day (but possibly more), it seems like you would have the opportunity. Don't be shy about making requests...everyone loves a tango!

I think you misunderstood (easy to do when two things have the same name)...the OP is asking about VS-category on Riviera, not suites on the new ship, "Vista".

That would be my guess too. If I considered using the sale, I would ask my TA about it.

Are you referring to the one that was started over 3 hours after my post? If so, it's a different question. The other topic's question was about TA consortium gratuities and loyalty gratuities. This question was about Black Friday sale gratuities, not loyalty gratuities. Assuming that the same thing happens in both instances can lead to disappointment as I'm sure you know being a frequent, knowledgeable poster.

If there are not enough people signed up, Oceania will cancel the disembarkation tour (as has happened to us), so if going on the tour is important to you, an independent tour may be a better option.

The drink package value depends on your habits. How many drinks do you consume? What type of drinks? When do you drink alcohol (during meals, happy hour at 5 pm and 10 pm, all day long)? Are you OK with regular level drinks (mainstream beer and wine and liquor, nothing fancy) or do you want top notch selections? Do you drink much on port days? The list goes on. You can approximate drinks at $10 (some more, some less) to estimate total cost. If you drink during happy hour, you'll get two (same) drinks for the price of one.

Not needed, but is ultra-safe. Current renewal price is $130 for anther 10 years. Cheap "insurance", plus you can plan other trips too (remember when popping across the Canadian border was trivial? Sigh).

But it is not knowledge that anyone is born with; it needs to be learned. I remember the first time (loooonnnggg ago) I had to have a passport that expired more than 6 months after my planned return date. I thought it was stupid, but I followed the rules. Now I make sure that our passports are not close to expiration because as the OP has learned, it's expensive and a PITA if you need a renewal in a hurry, plus you're prepared for emergencies that may land you in such a country.

Ugh, I had my fingers crossed that O would say "close enough!" You should be able to get your passport back in time. You may have saved someone else from this situation (be honest, how many readers ran to check the expiration date(s) on their passport(s)?).