MEFIowa

See the Cruise Director or Assistant CD. I set up a Veterans' Meet & Greet with CD Dottie on Sirena 11/2022. When I boarded Riviera 10/30/23 I asked the Asst CD if there was going to be one and he said there would. Already set up. On both legs of our B2B.

Yet time isn't fungible like money... So when you get say 8 hours in a port, your time is limited. For us, we're doing excursions and walking ports extensively. So, when we ported in Kotor, we're off the ship first thing and climbing the narrow steps up to the top to see the view from the St. John's Fortress. And when we came back down we walked the walled city and then hit some local stores to buy local beer, hard liquor and wine. I think we had to be back at 2:30 PM for a 3 pm departure. We only had a partial day to get to and from Rome off of Riviera. We met the driver at the gangplank as the first two off the ship in November. And we were back by 4:30 pm (drivers have to worry about rush hour traffic). We SKIPPED the lunch they wanted us to have, so that we could explore the Pyramid of Cestius and the Protestant Cemetary that were near the restaurant. I won't forget that Pyramid or the graves. I'd struggle today to even remember what I ate, if we had had lunch, but the pictures I took at the cemetery are priceless: "The English poets John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley are buried there." [And we toured the Colosseum, Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Pantheon!]

Pulled out my last 3 currents for Day 1 (Embarkation): Athens 11/9/23: All aboard: 4:30 pm. Departure: 5 pm (Riviera) Trieste 10/30/23: All aboard: 6:30 pm. Departure: 7 pm (Riviera) Miami 11/18/22: All aboard: 4:30 pm. Departure: 5 pm (Sirena) This is the same 30 minutes I've seen on every O cruise in every port since our first on Riviera 12/2021.

I've found that sitting down for a meal hardly compares to actually walking around and engaging locals in the neighborhood. In Istanbul last Nov for 15TL (about 55 cents) we took the #38 bus 4 miles to the old walls of Constantinople. Then we walked back about 2.5 miles along a wonderful neighborhood route in Rick Steves' guide. We were the only tourists out. As we saw sights and stopped into shops. In Puerto Plata in Nov 2022 I walked about a mile deep into the barrior. Into shops and along neighborhood streets. A young girl popped her head out of a house as I walked by. I don't Spanish but she started counting in English. So I counted back in Spanish. We both could count to 8. Her grandmother came out and invited me in. I shook the girl's hand. And we laughed. In Paraguay in Apr-May 2022 I would get up at 0445 and go walking around the cities I was staying at. Met a young man herding cattle on his motorcycle in Humaita. And in very broken Spanish I'd ask to take pictures of families sitting outside drinking their morning mate. In Asuncion walked out to the Paraguay River and sat amongst some fishermen watching them cast. Listened to a drunk sleep it off in Plaza Italia at 0515 under the Italian flag-colored lights.

On that we'll have to mostly disagree. The food is already paid for on the ship and we all know we paid for it. And I explore the places I visit. I don't have time for much food. Maybe a small bite or drink of something unique. I'm busy going places and seeing things and meeting people. (I bring back my fav hard liquor in my checked bag. To drink later.)

We'll be on Sirena in the Baltic Aug-Sept 2024. Expect to do such shopping in port or at a stop on an excursion. Off the ship. But avoid the obvious tourist trap shops right near the cruise terminals. That's part of the joy of cruising, get off the ship, walk around, and meet the locals where they shop. Of course, a key is what exactly are you looking to buy? Find the store that sells that.

From Graham's "class schedule": Day 1 Open House/Meet Day 2 Finding Inspiration Day 4 How to Use Various Art Materials Day 5 Fundamentals of Drawing: Perspective and Free Time to Continue Working On Your Works of Art Day 7 Fundamentals of Drawing: Shading Day 8 Palette Knife Techniques Day 10 Finishing Touches and Art Exhibition of Guests Works

On Riviera 10/30-11/9/2023 we had Graham Denison. He is a leading palette knife artist. (www.denisonart.com) From the "Artist in Residence Profile": "CREATE YOUR OWN MASTERPIECE For budding artists, there is Artist Loft, where talented artists-in-residence offer step-by-step instruction. Under their watchful eye, you may paint with acrylics or watercolors, sketch or create collages. The courses change continually and are designed with every level in mind, so everyone from beginners to seasoned professionals will find the classes engaging and enriching."

READ your CURRENTS each evening carefully. Study it. has all that information. Easy to carry on you, too. Or to refer to in your cabin the next day before you attend some event.

Having been to Costa Maya & Mahahual on Riviera 12/2021, you did NOT miss anything. A "fake" cruise town built in the late 1990s. Mainly a tourist trap of little real value. ("The area was generally undeveloped but has been growing rapidly since construction of a large pier to accommodate cruise ships. Costa Maya is also the name of a subdivision near the village of Mahahual."

Though if Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan were on the job solving the noise problem... “I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?”

So bizarre about Istanbul. We were there on 2 consecutive weekends overnight on Riviera on a B2B (Trieste to Athens and then Athens to Barcelona) in November 2023. So 4 days and 2 nights there. When we first arrived the massive Istanbul marathon was taking place that day. There were Palestinian protests near Hagia Sophia/Cistern area. And then in Dec the Turks arrest a couple hundred potential troublemakers. There was one other cruise ship both times.

Our guide's name was Gaia. She was fantastic. But then it was just her and the two of us in the various locations. The Vatican guards knew her. Just smiled, said "HI" to her and waved us thru. We went thru I-Tours for the private driver and guide.

Though almost no one knows where their name came from. See William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch.

We spent 3 nights in Venice before going to meet Riviera in Trieste on 10/30/23. We took the train for E15.50 from Venice to Trieste and did the Venice pass (for 72 hours for public transportation, esp. the Vaporetto (water taxis)). Riviera docked right downtown in Trieste, next to another cruise ship there. We took a short cab ride from the train station to the ship. This was part of a 20-night B2B on Riviera that would eventually end up in Barcelona, but we also did Rome. To "make the most" of your cruise READ the CURRENTS each night. Study it thoroughly. It will detail what all is happening where and when on the ship the next day! And on embarkation day take the time to walk each deck, studying where things are and how to get around. As for the "most of Venice", we lived on the water taxis. A blast just going from stop to stop. Had a great Rick Steves' guide to Venice and used it extensively as we walked to and from and around neighborhoods. We walked off the beaten path to find little local restaurants and grocery stores (for our own beer, hard liquor & wine). The highlight for us was St. Mark's Cathedral on a Sunday. If you go that day you can worship there (I'm not RC) for an hour (thinking liturgy was at 10:00 and noon). We did the noon. It doesn't open to the public until 2 pm (IIRC). So we had the cathedral "to ourselves" for about 30 minutes before it started and another 30 minutes afterwards. Just line up to the side door to the north (to the left as you face the front of the cathedral). We were in awe wandering around this amazing building! And for Rome, again had a Rick Steves' guide but we took a private car from the port to Rome and back. Met right at the gangplank, first 2 off that am, as we ran to meet our driver waiting for us. We did the Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps, Vatican, Protestant cemetery & Pyramid of Cestius, and more as we drove and stopped to get out. Of course, the Colosseum blew us away. As did the Pantheon! We had a private guide who gets you in (skip the line) there and at the Vatican. She must've been good for they just waved her thru and said "Hi". The one thing you learn quickly is that BATHROOMS can be an issue. Make sure to go before you go out and go where you find one. For example, there is a pay public toilet near the Illy Coffee shop to the west of the Doge's Palace along the canal. Our Venice pass had access to some museums and 7 public toilet stops! The coffee shop across from the Pantheon had toilets; we bought coffee to go and used them.

If he wants to pay a fortune...fine with me. Spend away. If he wants to save a fortune...that's more my style. Learn your options. And at the very least he needs to know about the various options. It amazes me at how much people are willing to spend when they don't know their options and are steered in only one direction. Those people who don't know, for example, how cheap, quick and easy it is to take a train from Venice to Trieste or vice versa. We paid E15.50 each.

We spent 3 nights in Venice before taking the train to Trieste to board Riviera on 10/30/23. We flew into Marco Polo and took the public bus down to Venice, to the area where the buses stop, Piazzale Roma. Then a short walk to the vaporetto (water taxi). We had a Venice Pass for 72 hours of unlimited public water taxi use (that also got us into some museums). So many tourists are lugging so much luggage around to and from and on the water taxis. Our BnB was at the 2nd stop going East. The 1st stop going East is the train station (Ferrovia). Our stop was Riva di Biasio, and the BnB was about 100 yards away, down an alley. We had a great time using the public water taxis.

Had a fascinating conversation with a very high-end TA while on Riviera 11/2023. She was on the ship researching O, in general, and Riviera, in particular, in the post-COVID environment. When I asked her what things she was seeing and what she would tell her clients, she quickly mentioned demographics of the passengers. She pointed out age and ethnicity and culture issues, for example. She made clear she knows her clients and she tells her clients what she believes they need to know about cruising. She mentioned we had a large Asian contingent. Older. She described a (humorous to me, not to her) situation where an older Asian lady broke wind repeatedly exiting an elevator. And their preferences and actions in the TC buffet, for example. (To say they liked the grilling station and there was always a long line there would be an understatement.)

So... O apparently wants the world to think there are tablecloths. "Staged publicity photos". Yet there aren't. Why is that? Tells us something. And O knows why. As do we.

Really, I point out how EASY it is to contact O and book and rebook your own cruises. Have 4 cruises done with O since 12/2021 (booked 1/2021) and 2 more scheduled for later in 2024. BUT it is people like you who are so vocal that one really must use a TA. That state or imply that essentially only fools don't use the unicorn TAs that are out there in the aether to be discovered in the magic forest. But that just isn't true. So people should DO what works for them! Simple as that. I neither need nor want a TA. And if you do, fine. Just don't denigrate or imply denigration for those who don't use a TA. And it is NOT me whining daily about noise issues on Vista. Or complaining about site lines and other issues in the theatre. BUT I can enjoy the laugh as I read "Vista cheerleaders" saying how wonderful their Applebee's (aka Ember) is and equally how nice the Pizza Hut (aka pizza station at Waves at night). So superior to Jacques, though I doubt anyone in the real world really so views dumbed down American food. Wonder what they'll call the eventual Denny's that will be available for breakfast. I can't even get anyone to tell me if Ember has tablecloths. O pictures say yes, but reviews and comments say no. Can we get crayons and pages to color, too?

Cyprus "interesting"? In the modern era alone, fascinating history! Sad, but quite historical in modern terms. Hard to believe violence going back to the 1950s by the Greeks against the Brits. Then the political settlement. Along comes sectarian politics and later violence in the 1960s. And an attempt at union with Greece, "civil war", and Turkish military invasion in the 1970s with the creation of a "new nation" recognized only by Turkey. And a militarized dividing line across the island, not unlike the DMZ between N. & S. Korea. And two huge British sovereign military bases. UN Peacekeepers still wearing the blue helmets to separate the sides! https://unficyp.unmissions.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_invasion_of_Cyprus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_Emergency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akrotiri_and_Dhekelia

Still begs the original question. The O page for Ember shows tablecloths. Reviews and comments by passengers have discussed a lack thereof. So, does it even have tablecloths?

Are you following the current thread titled "TA made $4500 Mistake"? Saying that their TA cost them a fortune. Who knew? (sarcasm font applied)

Of course, if you've got a friend or family member who is a lawyer, you might discuss it with them. Maybe a letter from them to the TA might get some movement? Even if you only got half back. Half a loaf is better than nothing. But, weird how the TA cheerleaders are suddenly silent. All those posts about glorious TAs and all they do. Here I thought "TA" meant sunshine and unicorns and the Sound of Music. (We handle these things ourselves so when we book, we book and when we cancel, we cancel. So far 4 O cruises for us since 12/2021 without a hitch and 2 more going smoothly so far to be sailed later this year.)

One small thing OBJECTIVELY about the pizza operation on Riviera. On our recent 20-night B2B on Riviera in the Med (Oct-Nov) the pizza operation in Waves forced the MOVE of the smoothie, yogurt, ice cream, etc. stand that had been there. Moved forward. Past Waves. Where the cold wind and rain pummel the worker and the customer. Was MISERABLE a few mornings in bad weather at 0700. With the worker bundled up and dripping wet. I was apologizing to him for how rotten this experience was for both of us. (Of course, he was always a trooper. After about 2 morning visits he knew my morning routine. The Sun Salutation smoothie and yogurt dish with the almonds and other "condiments" I preferred. We had many enjoyable morning chats.)