MEFIowa

Calendar Qtr 1 is Jan-Feb-Mar. Calendar Qtr 2 starts Apr 1. Sounds like another such increase. Often seen around Jan 1 or Jul 1, too.

Gina and I hope to get back to Destin. Did part of our 2018 honeymoon there. Starting it in Charleston, then to Savannah, and ending in Destin. The road construction going west was a bit of a pain then! If you get the chance, take the boat out to Ship Island to have it all to yourself for the day. I had proposed to Gina next to the large cannon on the upper deck of Fort Massachusetts on it: "Ship Island is the site of Fort Massachusetts (built 1859–66), as a Third System fortification. Part of the island is included in the Gulf Islands National Seashore." Ship Island (Mississippi) - Wikipedia And DO some amazing bucket list in-depth vacation. For me, that was 2 weeks in Paraguay in April-May 2022. I've studied the country since my college days in the 1980s. Hope to get to Madagascar in 2026! SEE THE AMAZING TRAVEL/HISTORY WORKS BY JOHN GIMLETTE, A BRITISH ATTORNEY.

I enjoy buying travel guides from the local Half-Priced Book store. Detailed ones. Like Rick Steves' for European cities and areas. Then I study the city tours he sets out. Walking thru the route in my mind as I follow the map and read the descriptions of what we'll see. Then I'll have the book with me when we actually get there and walk the route. Did that in Istanbul, for example, taking the #38 bus 4 miles out to the old walls of Constantinople and then walking his route back, finding everything on the route. Doing this for out upcoming 22-night Baltic cruise on Sirena. Studying London, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tallinn, Stockholm and more. Of course, I salivate at the thought of going into local grocery and liquor/wine stores to see what bargains I can find on beer, hard liqour and wine. It was paradise in the Med last year. Whether Italian wine, Montenegrin beer or brandy from Greece, Serbia and Spain. With some bizarre finds like red Etna fire water and Turkish Raki.

Though not too long ago, sometime in 2022 or 2023 on my NPR station in Iowa I listened to a CBC "As It Happens" radio discussion of the famous "Canadian Spiral Tunnels". From what I remember, there were both westbound and eastbound trains in the Canadian Rockies that are amazing! https://www.clevercanadian.ca/spiral-tunnels-in-canada/#:~:text=The Spiral Tunnels are a pretty cool engineering,and are connected by a series of switchbacks.

And for me the "real world" STARTS with O's sales. That Extraordinary Savings Sale in early 2023 that was an absolute blow(!) out did NOT come from any TA. But from O. And that saved $$$$. As opposed to OBC or the like that are pennies on the dollar in many cases. My A3 on Riviera last year was $1899 PP for 10 nights and the B3 on her as the B2B was just $1749 PP for 10 nights. That's the "real world". Of sales.

YOU left out a critical component, as people can read these boards for years, as I have: "And thus we read here of people who either complain about their TA or want to find one of these mythical uber-O TAs but can't because they can't be named here. I've read repeated claims over the past few years here from O passengers whose TA wouldn't reduce a booked cruise because of a sale or who NEVER told them about the sale to begin with."

Yours to keep. We received one of the nicer more functional older tote bags on Riviera 12/2021 and then this new less functional one on Riviera 10-11/2023. I had the first one with me on that cruise, too. I use it to bring back my alcohol in ports. Very sturdy.

Though to keep things in perspective, O had 8 major sales in 2023 and started the year with the New Years Sale, that just ended 2/29/24. So that was a mere 5 days ago! O now has a smaller sale on 30 cruises. BUT SALES are still oh so TODAY. Will be interesting to see how many sales O has in 2024. Right now were at 2. With 9 months to go.

My wife smokes so I get all the socialization I want in the 2 smoking areas. Weirdly, I get to know so many members of the crew in the smoking area up by Horizons. On Riviera last year the Russian captain was there all the time. Sometimes by himself, often with crew. Had a nice chat with him about our respective days in the military. And the point of sampling inexpensive alcohol purchased locally is to test that theory: Is the cheapest Italian wine decently drinkable? Yep, delicious. Whether one bottle at E1.49 or three bottles assorted at E5.00. Same for so many beers and hard liquors. I could live on Greek, Serbian and Spanish brandy! Inexpensive doesn't have to mean low quality.

Oceania does NOT care nor monitor how much beer, hard liquor or wine you bring on board. I brought all three on board in Trieste 10/30/23 as I did on Sirena (11/2022) and Riviera (12/2021). And brought back all three from various ports throughout our 20-night B2B. In 2022 I remember people did look at my smiling & asked me questions as I pushed with my feet a 6-bottle canvas carrying bag in the "snake" that was the G-B line at Terminal J, that had 5 bottles of wine and one of vodka. Had 12 pack of beer in my suitcase. In Trieste we embarked, had lunch, then left. Brought back my haul of beer, hard liquor and wine from a grocery store later that afternoon when we came back.

Though in the absence of details one has no idea why this cruise was so bad for you. You didn't like cruising alone? As long as the itinerary had some nice ports and I could do some interesting excursions, that price would make it worth it. But then I'm not shy about solo traveling. Spent 2 weeks in Paraguay back in Apr-May 2022. I was up at 0500 wandering around Asuncion, Humaita, Pilar, and more all by myself. Never forget the kid on a motorcycle herding cattle down the dirt streets of Humaita at 0630. Or feeding monkeys hanging down from trees in the square in Santa Maria de Fe at 0530. And I don't speak any Spanish!

Reminds me why I bring my own beer, hard liquor and wine on board to drink in my own cabin. Paid just E1.49 for a bottle of Italian red at a grocery store in Naples. The wine shops there would sell assorted bottles of wine at three bottles for just E5.00. Montenegrin beer on sale in Kotor grocery store for just E0.69 per 500 ml can. Great prices on brandy in Greece, Montenegro, and Spain. Stocked up on a lot of beer, Italian grappa, and wine at the start with great prices in a grocery store in Trieste.

We enjoyed our 10-night cruise in a B2 on Sirena in the E. Caribbean in 11/2022 from Miami. Thankfully was just $2249 PP cruise only (booked on Riviera in the W. Caribbean 12/2021, and that 10-night A4 was just $2099 PP cruise only). Thank God for sales & discounts. But prices have climbed since then esp. under SM.

Check to see if there is a Roll Call for your cruise. We're on Sirena in the Baltic from August 28-September 19th. B2B London to Stockholm and Stockholm to Copenhagen. There is a Roll Call for these cruises. Not very active, however.

I wish there was some published objective data on this. Comparative data post-COVID for the various lines and ports. We, too, have done 4 O cruises, 40 nights. 4 10 night cruises. Missed one port completely, one private island completely, and changed a port. On Riviera 12/2021 in the W. Caribbean we only missed the private island in the Bahamas, the last stop. Due to waves. They sure looked high and powerful to me, preventing tendering. While passing Key West we had to make an emergency medical stop to transfer an obviously ill older passenger to a small CG patrol craft, but this just cost us some time, not a port. On Sirena 11/2022 in the E. Caribbean we missed St. Kitts because on the way down we had to make an emergency medical stop at Puerto Plata, DR to tender a passenger to the hospital. Took the crew a lot longer to accomplish this than they thought. Hours. On Riviera 10/30-11/9/2023 Trieste to Athens we did NOT miss a port. And while on the next leg of our B2B on Riviera 11/9-19/2023 Athens to Barcelona bad weather diverted us from Livorno to La Spezia. So a changed port, not a completely missed day.

And OVER on the ATW 2026 thread ongoing we get to READ this about Vista: "Just a heads up THERE ARE NO CLOCKS ON VISTA." "https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2986918-atw-2026/page/2/#comments:~:text=Correction --,there are no clocks in the staterooms upon embarkation but you can ask your room steward/butler and they are happy to provide you one. The same for sewing kits%2C etc. ,-Quote The pay more get less part of Vista compared to Riviera.

Having been on Sirena (11/2022) and Riviera as well as on Riviera pre- (12/2021) and post-refit (10-11/2023), what does Vista truly have that Riviera lacks? One notes immediately how similar in size and floor plans they are. Riviera has the large therapy pool on the spa deck that Marina lacks. You can argue all day about Ember and Aquamar, but neither has any serious "wow factor". I've read many horror stories about Vista's main theatre's seating and stage. I just don't read the specifics as to why spend a lot more to be on Vista. If the itinerary is the same or similar, I'm going with Riviera and saving some $$$$. (Too bad we've got to be on Sirena in the Baltic in Aug-Sept 2024, for I would prefer Riviera. But we can live with Sirena for the ports and excursions and the price.)

Thank God for sales. Riviera 10/30-11/19/2023 Trieste to Athens (10 nights) and Athens to Barcelona (10 nights) off the ESS from early in 2023 was just $175 PP PN in a B3 and just $190 PP PN in an A3. I can't imagine sailing on O without a sale price.

Though I might've expected someone once to have stayed next to a couple on Vista who flew the pineapple on their door? (My wife alerted me to the potential meaning of that from her Reddit groups.)

Though I'm not sure what conclusion to draw from this thread, since most of the noise seems to be talking or TV or music. I don't think anyone above has ever complained about any couple gettin' jiggly next door. I mean, who doesn't hate it when someone else is obviously having a better time than you? I stubbornly keep wondering if this all just doesn't show...the aging of the O passenger. As they turn up their TVs and have the best in hearing-aid technology. One suspects the oldest and wealthiest are on Vista. 😉

Though not too long ago CC posters on O threads were personally attacking Tom Drake, a long-time comic who performs on O ships. And he's married to Dottie, a long-time O CD, who gets rather viciously attacked here, too. Of course, BOTH have their defenders, too. Even from the same voyages, you get two different subjective opinions. But then I forget how many PAGES of comments there were not too long ago most attacking O's cookies (the kind you eat). I mostly let the subjective comments fly right by, since what one person likes to eat or how they want something served is entirely different from another person's perception. You can read Southern Gary above. He and I were on the same cruise. His first on O, our 3rd-4th (a B2B). We don't share the same opinions in regard to various subjective factors, including both food and specialty restaurants. Not surprising, things are subjective. Take just the GDR. My wife and I have 40 nights on O ships since 12/2021and have yet to eat in the GDR and doubt we will on our upcoming 22 nights on Sirena. No desire at all. Zero, zip, nada. We just prefer the TC, eating under the stars and since we cruise for exciting & energetic excursions, sitting down to 1 1/2-2 hour evening meals isn't our thing most nights, though we do do the minimum number of specialty restaurants (1 per cruise). Nor does day drinking on the ship appeal to us. So could care less about drinks packages, esp. when I can bring on board whatever alcohol I do want to drink in my cabin. I wish there was a thread dedicated to OBJECTIVE issues. Like missed or shortened ports, lounge hogs, broken HVAC or plumbing issues (which we've all seen here), etc. Things most reasonable people can agree on as to "it" being an actual "issue" or not.

We had outstanding cruises on Riviera (12/2021), Sirena (11/2022) and Riviera (10-11/2023). Mostly fantastic food in all the venues. And great customer service all over the ship. Can't wait for our 22-nights on Sirena in the Baltic come late Aug!

And the ALL-IMPORTANT Ticket Contract: IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE ARE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU AS OUR GUEST AND OCEANIA CRUI (oceaniacruises.com)

The topic does periodically pop up... Here from 2022: Refund for missed ports taxes and fees - Oceania Cruises - Cruise Critic Community

Track all future sales. There is a "40% off sale" right now but on just 30 cruises. You never know if or when "your" cruise may go on sale.