AMHuntFerry

During breakfast there were pastries/muffins on the food shelves. There are also snacks in the frig...yogurt and some other things I didn't eat so can't remember. I think there was fresh fruit on the counter (all day??). For lunch there were mini sandwiches on the food shelves. Later there were cookies (strangely O does not do cookies well), and other desserty snacks (small cakes and the like). There is the coffee machine...espresso, cappucino, americano, latte (all either caffeinated or decaf); as mentioned, Baristas is first choice, but the machines pretty well do in a pinch. There are a variety of Twining teas, juices from a machine on the counter, plus there were other juices and milk in the frig. Any of the sodas/mixers that are in the room mini-frig were in the lounge frig. I know I'm missing something...for such a compact area it had quite a bit.

There are some very useful links at the bottom of the website...FAQs, T&Cs, shareholder credit, this pdf, etc.

If you haven't read Flatbush Flyer's full page (or more) explanation of the vagaries of O-Life, please search for it and read it. I learned sooooooo much from reading the advice from FF and other seasoned O-veterans.

I've never had the discount price show in the itemization, but the total paid is correct (has the discount). If the "pay this much" amount isn't what you expect before you hit the final button, call O and they will fix it. Or just call first. You want the itemized receipt anyway which requires a call. O IT is glitchy in general so I never expect it to work correctly.

My spouse had a power bowl almost every lunch we ate in Terrace last fall. He really liked that they offered something different from day to day and that he could customize if needed. While waiting for the sticky buns to be fixed, keep your eye out for a special if the day pastry with apples...sorry, I can't remember the name but everyone was oohing and ahhing about them. It's shape is similar to a muffin but it is definitely not a muffin. It's really good that they weren't available every day or I would have gained a few more pounds.

It looks like a brew pub style menu to me. Maybe that means they'll add some higher end beer and cider? The lack of vegetarian options may hurt when it comes to attracting the younger crowd (assuming GenX and younger), but I'm not in the cruise/food business so really have no clue.

Nooooo...don't take the bait! I take it back (what was I thinking?) 😉

There's always tipping and the internet if bored and want some mayhem (ducking in case something is virtually thrown at me).

The advice from the O-experts (not me!) is solid. As soon as you know you may want a shorex, book it! You are not locked in to anything until the deadlines for cancelling (see your invoice for these dates..O-Life is first, then YWC just before embarkation). Until then, what was once, for example, an O-Life "freebie" can become a YWC/YWYW, and vice versa. The only drawback of booking the YWC shorex now is that it is charged to your CC unless you have OBC. And to actually answer your question (me babble? nooooo), yes, you can book your O-Life qualifying shorex (any number of them) now, and when you add more later you'll get the YWC price on the rest. There are more complicated scenarios, so find one of FF's explanations for the whole picture.

I would not be surprised if the chairs got a quick tidy/dry when the rooms are done but I've never noticed. If needed, the blue "shorex" towels would probably work well on the balcony for drying or for putting between you and a damp seat. One thing I always pack for a possibly rainy-weather trip is a good quality rain poncho since it takes almost no space. It will keep you dry on deck if it's rainy/misty, and you can also use it as a barrier between you and a damp surface.

He's been an old man since his mid-20s...slipped disks, gout...eesh, not good for an active guy.

Get him a pair of these and he'll be happy as a clam https://www.newbalance.com/pd/928v3/MW928V3-19761.html?dwvar_MW928V3-19761_style=MW928BK3 My husbands chinos are just the right length to cover the NB logo on the side.

No one expects heels. If the sandals have bling, that makes them dressy...woohoo!

The sandal thing is more about beach/athletic sandals (plastic flipflops, Tevas/Chacos/etc.). If your husband wears chinos and a polo shirt, he'll be fine. If he'll wear a button down shirt, great! My husband has a foot issue so he wears his black leather New Balance shoes...technically sneakers but look like an oxford except for the sole.

I'm not sure why you assume I'm judgemental about other people from this statement, unless praising the current polite use of cell phones/tablets on O is judgemental in a good way. 🍸

The sushi on the room service menu is vegetarian CA rolls:

I agree with shepherd really...same dates/itinerary, the O-ship wins.

If you don't have a TA, insist that the O rep send the pdf (still refuse? talk to a manager). It not only has the shorex info, but also the YWC and UPC info specific to your cruise. It also has the legal stuff regarding cancelled shorex and cancelled ports...kinda useful to know.

No pic, but found a description...""You can also wear well-tailored, dark-wash jeans without visible signs of distress. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/smart-casual-dress-code-and-attire-guide

I have seen a spa special on port days...usually a massage I think (maybe a body wrap?). There are sometimes boutique specials (not associated with port days if I remember) but I believe they are required to be closed while in port. Port days are pretty quiet on the ship and the GDR has been closed for lunch on my cruises.

I wonder if the forward-most verandas would be dark. They are required to have veranda lights off and drapes closed so as not to interfere with bridge visibility which suggests "dark". Otherwise, I'd try as LHT28 said and go up to the sports deck. It may be worth asking the CD while onboard if some (not required for safety, etc.) lights can be shut off for star gazing one evening (oh, those lovely "moonless" nights!); you might even get an event in Currents 🙂

Were you on yesterday/Saturday? The O site had a notice at the top of the saying something to the effect that there would be maintenance from X to Z time (7 pm to 11 pm or something like that) and that certain functions (accessing bookings. etc.) would not be available. I about fell out of my chair in shock! 🤪🙃😮

I just checked mine and Wrangell still has shorex. Try all of the usual...clear cookies, try a different browser, etc.

Also, when considering OLife or no Olife (cruise-only), the internet access on board has nothing to do with OLife, i.e., every cabin gets one login no matter what fare they booked. The advertising and T&Cs don't make this clear at all. The search phrase you want for a TA is "Oceania Connoisseur Club". I use a bread and butter local TA, but now that I am kind of addicted to O, I am thinking of changing.

You can still switch to a different cabin, a different cruise, and change O-Life (if you chose OLife, you got the OLife Ultimate "all 3" offer I hope since it is offered for this cruise...double check your documents). The deadlines for changes and final payment are listed on your docs.