AMHuntFerry

If that's the Aug 28 sailing, you might want to check in with your O-person about a discount or upgrade. I'm seeing Inside for 1620 and OV for 1860 (verandas/suites are not discounted). These are not available directly online in my experience...need to talk with a real person.

The OV showers look like this (planar doors). Are the veranda doors curved? (or maybe Sirena is different than Regatta?)

No, it is the menu for all cabin levels. The different menus for A-cabins and above are GDR (A and up) and specialties (PH and up). Everyone has access to the hot breakfast menu too.

I don't think anyone has posted one since 2022, but here it is: Some tip, some don't so do what you'd normally do. It's appreciated but not expected.

We were on a 7-day June Alaska cruise in 2023; it had similar stats...I think about 90% new to O, and heavily USA-based. There were also some large groups of what appeared to be alumni groups.

I attributed some decent Indian food on our early-June Regatta cruise to the English chef, but now I'm wondering if they are working with better recipes/ingredients. I am hoping that this is a fleet wide change for the better.

Your observations are correct. Most of the differences are locations, but there are some that may be more desirable, so have a higher cost than others in the same location.

I believe they are saying that Wagyu no longer appears on some/all of the O menus. The last 2 sets of Preisman blog O-menus seem to confirm this. It is now Black Angus on the Waves and Polo menus (with a Kobe listed on Riviera under Polo Signatures, but not on Vista).

The airport hotels are definitely less expensive than downtown Vancouver. I was going to stay there, but we had plans to meet a friend downtown for dinner, so we stayed at Le Soleil (use the HOT promo code unless there is a better promo)...it is downtown pricing though (i.e., spendy). Our friend said the locals stay at the YMCA which was right next door to our hotel which I thought was odd, but they have regular (with bath) hotel rooms, so may be worth a look at reviews on tripadvisor/etc. If you are a public transportation lover, the Canada Line (local train) will take you from the airport to a couple of blocks from the Y. Then it's just a few blocks to the port.

You must need a vacation!

You'll find them on your rollcall:

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/marina/suites-staterooms 3 bags per stateroom, 20 items per bag (pair of socks = 1 item). There is an up to 3 day turnaround, so can't do near end of trip.

Contact (or have TA contact) O special services for dietary needs at least 60 days before embarkation. They will work with you to make sure every meal accommodates your needs.

They have regular pasta. The chickpea is for the vegan/GF needs.

@CaptainCook808 see the menus on the Preisman blog for examples of some of the GDR menus (Terrace will also change daily as ORV indicated except when there is a Chef's Special which runs 2 nights so no one misses if they have a specialty booked): https://www.thepreismans.com/riviera_24_menus.htm Riviera is larger so has more specialty restaurants, but otherwise the menus will be the same/similar.

or as my spouse mis-calls it, "the Grand Ballroom" 😄 I used to correct him, but now I just go with it.

Just ask for a 2-top when you arrive at the GDR. We were just on Regatta and only shared if we wanted to share. You may not get the "view" table unless you arrive early (or late ~8+), but there is usually a 2-top available (or maybe a short wait). Try the Terrace (buffet) at least once for dinner, especially if you arrive late back from port or when they have the chef-special dinner (usually 2 nights in a row).

Thanks to the OP for this thread...I had thought of posting less extensive random thoughts more to attempt to be funny, but you've giving me an alternative to doing the last bit of after-vacation laundry and unpacking (yes, still!). Since the OP and I will probably have some excursions that are different, I went ahead and wrote up some thoughts. I'm not a reviewer and rarely do surveys, so this is a bit of a hack job, but here goes: Ketchikan: Feeling lazy (1st port) so just went into town via the shuttle and went to the local museum. Interesting to me because of pioneer relatives, but I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone except serious history buffs. If we weren't being slugs we would have taken a hike or walked to the NPS totem park. We did a small group kayak in September but I did not see it offered via O this year; positive: small group, good amount of paddle time, price on par with non-O (actually, this applies to most tours in Alaska, especially when cruise ships are in, so I won't repeat below); negative: a bit slow if not a beginner. Juneau: We did a whale watching tour in September with cooperative whales; positive: lots of whale time plus other marine life (e.g., seals); negative: large group. We went kayaking this time; positive: a whale joined us so we spent most of the time being entertained by it (also a bald eagle); negative: large group of mostly non-O pax, split into 4 groups but no attempt to discern experience, so again a bit slow for non-beginners. Skagway: Took the bus tour up to the Canadian border in September (had O-Life shorex to kill so no train option); positive: if price is an issue the bus is a good alternative to the train, if you've never seen glacial tundra you need to go. negative: all things equal, a train is almost always my preference to a bus. This time we did the Goodtime Girls walking tour; positive: they hire theater folks who are good story tellers. negative: the O-tour was earlier than this nightowl prefers and a few bucks more than online. Hubbard Glacier: We signed up for the shorex that goes close to the glacier on a small boat, but it was cancelled a couple of months in advance. We saw it in September and were looking forward to it, but the water was full of ice and inaccessible this time. Later in the year is probably better. O does a poor job of advertising this tour...it's in the shorex pdf but I've never seen it on the website. Sitka: In September we kayaked; positive: small group, better (but still mellow) pace; negative: wear thick raingear to take boat to kayak start. This time we took a dreaded bus tour because I wanted to go to Fortress of the Bear and I was too lazy to look up DIY transport; positive: the tour went to Fortress of the Bear, the Raptor Center, and the NPS park where we were allowed to leave the tour and walk back to town. Note that in September we tendered but were in town, while this time we were docked but had to take a ~15 minute shuttle between town and the ship (the tour picked us up at the ship and let you finish in town or at the ship); negative: large group bus but people got on and off promptly and the time at the stops was sufficient. Icy Strait Point/Hoonah: We were supposed to kayak but the weather had other ideas (lighting and aluminum paddles on water = no bueno) so it was cancelled. It was priced significantly higher than other kayaking tours. ISP is odd...like an NCL private island but owned by the tribe; very amusement park-like. DIY options are slim to none; I'm not even sure if hiking is allowed except for the trails at the top of the (for a fee)gondola, and those may be more "walk" than "hike". If you like zip lines and rope courses, this is a place you may enjoy. Note: watch for large Tlinglit/Haida gatherings if you want cultural experiences...most were at a large celebration in Juneau during our cruise so things like dancing were sometimes not available (on ISP I heard the live dancing was replaced with a video...cancellation and refunds were popular). Klawock: We were the third cruise ship to visit, and Regatta's first visit so there was a ceremony (I didn't see it). We went whale watching. The boat/crew were out of ISP and this is a new area for them so they had a local fisherman onboard. Great whale watching! We were the only boat near at least 5 whales. There would often be 2 near each other and one time there were 3. There was also some minor breaching (not the full vertical body), but I have the worst sense of where to look so had to believe everyone who saw. DIY in June or September: Wrangell: museum (really good small museum even if your relatives aren't there 😉 ), "John Muir" hike, petroglyphs (can be difficult to spot on your own. Ketchikan: Salmon Walk using walking tour map from the visitor center Juneau: State history museum, walking tour (there are three on the map I have), State Capitol building (again, family ties so maybe not thrilling to most), walk/hike up the flume trail (this may be on the walking tour map...memory fades). Skagway: The NPS museum(s) are worth a stop. There is also a walking tour map. We saw the "Days of 98" show...silly fun. Prince Rupert: There are shoreline walks in both directions; we went "left"...nice walk. There are also some close-in hikes. If you stop for coffee at Cowpuccino's, go into the bathroom to see a well-known TV/movie star's autographed photo (my spouse made me go take a photo since I had my phone).

We were on the May 30 - June 10 portion. Here are some random thoughts: MOST IMPORTANT COMMENT (if there is one): Our cabin steward is the first one in five O cruises to solve the hand soap conundrum to my satisfaction (as I don't like the washcloth under the soap solution). He put the soap on end and pressed down to create a flat edge. Brilliant! Sometimes the solution is so simple, yet missed due to habit. We loved the cruise! Alaska is "our Caribbean" (i.e., vacation, not travel...we want to kick back on a vacation and we want easy travel planning and close to home). Nothing is ever perfect and I think these comments may include more negatives than are deserved, but I won't repeat the common good things about O (great beds, etc.) or the well known things like tiny showers (which I find handy when the ship is rocking). We'll probably book Riviera in Alaska sometime next year (Red Ginger and big bathrooms? It's almost heaven!). No skipped ports. We couldn't get as close to Hubbard glacier as we did in September, but the close-in water looked very full of ice so it was not an O decision. The Alaskan weather was again much better than expected (didn't need the rain boots, but did wear the coat). Saw some cookies with one bite eaten, but didn't try. The canales were the best and were always stocked while Baristas was open (running out of caneles was a common "problem" last September) which explains the extra weight gain. If you are getting something from the buffet and if you don't have something like a coat or book to leave at your table, please leave your napkin on your chair. I know Emily Post disagrees, but we almost stole a table because the occupants thought that water in the glasses and napkins on the table (on the left, Emily would be so proud) were good indicators of occupancy. Food: With proper expectations (i.e., kitchens cooking for a crowd...I expected farm-to-table on our first cruise which is not possible), most of the meals were good to excellent. We typically eat breakfast and lunch in Terrace and dinner in the GDR; there are exceptions sometimes (not always) such as GDR lunch on sea days, Terrace dinner if a "special" chef's dinner or we are tired, GDR breakfast occasionally. Specialty dinner reservations...I can take or leave them since Polo and Toscana are not exciting to me and I dislike having a set meal time; we went to them this time and enjoyed them. The chef was from England which may explain the better spices used in the Indian foods on this journey. Service: Need more training in Terrace so that I don't have to stand and wave down staff to get a table set or get a water refill. Otherwise, no complaints. I'm sure I missed something important (more important than soap position and caneles?!?) and happy to opine on most subjects though.

The first place I look for this type if thing is the Preisman blog. As far as I've experienced, the spa prices are the same on all of O's ships: https://www.thepreismans.com/riviera_24_menus.htm#aquamar

Can be both 1 and 2; picky eaters are the ones who won't eat what they are served (notice I said "won't, not "can't" as in allergies and the like). I'll stuff beef liver down my throat with a smile if I have to, but I certainly won't enjoy it.

The day I gave up worrying about picky eaters was when I brought a decadent chicken dish over to a friends' house. I knew one of them was picky so I checked the ingredients ahead of time. When I arrived, she took one look at it and said, " I don't eat small chicken pieces (~cubes), just whole chicken." Aaaaarrrgh!

This gave me a giggle. You have been spared encountering the food-neurotic. As a child, my food could not touch other food on the plate (heaven forbid the meat sauce/juice ran into the veggies). Each item was eaten one at a time (like courses even though on same plate). I now try to be more flexible, but I still have the tendency to eat one thing, then the others (e.g., meat, then veg, etc.).

Yes, but not online. Just call the O number on the website and they'll take care of it (and any replacements/additions). Don't forget to request the pdfs showing your itemized shorex purchases and confirmations.

Different menus? Just a thought since we don't like to eat in our room.