GerryL13

Recently got off Oceania (tag line" "Finest cuisine at sea") and will soon be going on my first Viking cruise. I think that one reason people are often underwhelmed is that cruise lines build expectations beyond what anyone can consistently deliver, especially considering people's different tastes. I enjoyed most of my meals on Oceania and on the Saga cruise I took earlier in the year, but I would not base my decision to book with either just on the food. Now, if the food had been inedible ....

He probably wouldn't enjoy Oceania. I recently came off a 16-night cruise on the Vista, and while I enjoyed everything, I did find the menus to be a bit pretentious. Late each afternoon, I would turn on the tv and review the menu for the restaurant where we would be dining to see what I might order. I almost always had to Google words describing ingredients or cooking technique to figure out what it was. And I speak French!!!

Sort of related question about Viking Star. Not hooks, but drawers. I understand that Star was among the first ocean-going ships Viking launched. I notice in videos showing the deluxe veranda cabins on the newer ships, there is a set of drawers on one side of the closet. But it appears in videos specifically about Viking Star, that there is no set of drawers in the closet. Can anyone confirm this? It seems the drawer space on Viking Star is rather limited. Note: I recently came off the Oceania Vista where there is a lot of drawer space, but it is scattered all over the cabin, including lots and lots of drawers in the bathroom and several in the desk.

I was told I could donate it to Crew Fund or extra gratuities (on top of standard gratuities, which were paid with OBCs). The person at the desk took my information and said the amount would be applied to Crew. When I did not see it reflected on my statement, I called reception and they said they would check into it. At no time did anyone tell me that the leftover amount could NOT be applied to gratuities.

I registered a complaint on the last day of the cruise (Nov 1) that the leftover OBCs I had asked to be applied to gratuities showed up on my final statement as forfeited. I have yet to get any confirmation that the issue has be addressed. Thinking I should write to someone. But who?

I think the discontent is because it is a change. Not that long ago, you could book cruise-only for a lower price, which suits some people. In fact, right now, you can be on a cruise with the SM package pricing and socializing with people who booked under the previous rules. That could extend for a long time. I'm booked on a spring 2025 program as cruise-only. The inconsistency of the current situation may be what is annoying.

So it looks like I may have lucked out. I ‘inadvertently’ booked an extended balcony B3 cabin on Deck 7 for a cruise on Riviera in April-May 2025.

Agree that the ship is gorgeous. Love the mosaic wall panels in the Terrace. One issue that is going to need to be addressed to protect the elegant finishes is the air conditioning. On a couple of occasions, I have been “rained on” in public areas by condensation dripping from the ceiling. When it happened yesterday evening by the boutiques on Deck 5, I could see little puddles of water on the floor, and when I looked up, I could see that the wall coverings were bubbling, significantly, and even starting to peel away from the walls. Since we are currently in the steamy subtropics, the ship’s a/c may be undergoing a new stress test. The gangway on Deck 5 was open all day and well into the evening, and the a/c was fighting to keep the atrium cool. But I’d heard a few days earlier from a passenger on Deck 8 who’d been moved to a new cabin because the a/c had flooded her forward cabin. Off-topic funny story: We’d just finished dinner in the Polo Grill and were looking at the dessert menu. Key Lime Pie. Baked Alaska. And my brother asks “What is ‘schgrrr … shugu… ?’ I can’t read this. What’s under Crème Brûlée?” We both told him “Seven-Layer Chocolate Cake.” He still looked confused and showed me his menu. They’d accidentally given him a German-language menu! My brother says he’d thought he was having a stroke.

I don’t think I rushed to check in online. May even have waited a day or two. Or more. Managed to snag an 11:30 am slot. I arrived at terminal in Miami at about 11:10 and was strolling onto the ship even before my official embarkation time. I am in a “humble” B3 stateroom.

I am booked on Riviera for 2025 in a deck 7 aft B3 cabin -- with an extended balcony. I booked the same day bookings opened for that cruise and did not realize I was selecting an extended balcony. Do not want concierge level. And I do not want to have to choose a new cabin after the selection has gotten more limited. Wonder if they will notify booked passengers of any changes. (They've already reduced the cruise by a day and taken out at least one port.)

@DrKoob I got stressed just reading about your Charleston adventure. I haven't yet heard from my brother about how his day was, but he said he was going to take a tour of the city. Sounds like I will not meet you when I board Vista on Monday. I'd thought you were one of the (seemingly) many who are continuing on.

I was worried about being in a connecting cabin (near the elevators, no less) on a recent cruise on another cruise line. It was not problem. In fact, it was so quiet, I thought that the cabin next door was empty ... until I met my neighbors on the balcony. On my upcoming Vista cruise, I will be in a connecting cabin. Hope it is as quiet as the one on the other ship.

Earlier this year I was on a British ship. For passengers 50 and above -- with the emphasis on "above." All dining venues open at 6:30PM, but 7:00 is a good time to go. I never headed to the main dining room before 7. Guess it was because I was so close to France.😉

@AMHuntFerry Yeah. I was surprised that with my B3 cabin status I was able to snag an 11:30 embarkation slot. As soon as I saw it, I grabbed it.

Oddly, one of the very few times I ate as a solo during 22 nights on SoA was at the Amalfi. I was seated at a two-top, and the closest table, which was for four (or maybe six?), was several feet away and we had no interaction. On almost all other occasions, I was seated with others or at a two-top in the Grill with less than an inch gap between tables.

I found plenty near the airport that had free shuttles to and from the airport but saw none that had FREE shuttles to the port.

My flight itinerary was arranged by Oceania with my input (and additional $$). I read that they do not charge an extra fee to schedule arrival within 3 days of embarkation, so I figured I would be eligible for an included transfer. As experienced cruisers agree is wise, I am arriving in Miami the day before the start of the cruise. When I was planning my one-night hotel stay, I thought I might want to stay near the airport and take the hotel shuttle back to the airport the day of embarkation to catch the Oceania shuttle to the port. I called about how to arrange that. No can do. I was told they will only provide transportation to the port for people who are arriving on the day of embarkation. Huh? Seriously? How many people risk arriving at the departure city only on the day of embarkation? During hurricane season, no less? Seems like a money-saving rule -- for them. Kind of petty. Often no one will be arriving at the airport the day of departure, so Oceania doesn't have to schedule any transport from the airport. Neat trick, eh? Has anyone been able to do what I was trying to do: Meet the Oceania rep at the airport to get transportation to the port? Should I call again and see if someone else gives me a different answer? Right now, I have booked a room in the Brickell area, but I can still cancel that reservation.

@Denarius You are so right about the camaraderie! My very first evening on SoA, I was hoping to find someone I'd met on Facebook, but her FB photo was so tiny, I really wasn't sure what she looked like. I approached a woman who was sitting alone in the Living Room going through some papers. Was that her? Maybe? I asked, "Is your name by any chance Karen? I'm looking for someone I met on Facebook." She said, "No. My name is Jane. But please join me so we can chat."

@DrKoob Can't you draft and edit your blog posts offline in another app and then copy & paste into your blog when you are online? I generally draft lengthy content in another app and copy it to avoid losing my work if the connection fails -- even when I am at home and hardwired to the internet.

That would be a bit disappointing, to go through the new locks. This will be my first transit, and I have been looking forward to going through the old locks. We'll just have to wait and see what happens on the day of.

If that were the case -- cheapness being the primary reason -- then they wouldn't object to passengers providing their own TP. But I've seen that they ask you NOT to bring your own.

The "crappy" TP is bad for a reason: It breaks up more easily than "normal" TP, which reduces the risk of clogging. And when you clog your toilet, you could clog the system and, by extension, the toilets in the cabins around you. I'm guessing you would not appreciate returning to your cabin after an excursion to find someone has caused the plumbing in your cabin to malfunction because they require a more luxurious bathroom experience.

I'll be boarding Vista in less than 2 weeks. After cruising 22 days on the Saga Spirit of Adventure earlier this year, where Deck 6 features a full wrap-around promenade, I know I will miss that feature. Plenty of other great things to be looking forward to -- including my own beautiful, light-filled stateroom and my brother's luxurious suite -- but I will miss the promenade.

My MO is to open my clamshell style case, slide it under the bed, and then use it as a "laundry bag." Slide out. Dump dirty clothes. Slide back under bed.

From what I understand, the certification is needed because it is a new kind of system. Same port was missed also on the previous itinerary. My brother is on that one and this one. (I will meet them in Miami for the Panama Canal transit.) I also read that the boarding delay was caused by the need to do extra cleaning following the Covid instances on the previous itinerary. Bummer when you manage to snag an early boarding and then have to wait.