EasyGoingGuy

FWIW... 1994 NCL Westward midnight buffet (obviously the end of a 'formal night')

When I rebooked our 'O' canceled March '20 cruise (covid obviously) apparently it was during the time of a Labor Day sale (if I remember right). I wasn't aware as I was just working with my TA (who didn't know I would file a shareholder benefit request) and she booked us at the current price. I had a large credit from the canceled cruise so I wasn't looking too closely at the price. When we started the cruise the $250 didn't show up and it wasn't until I received a couple of hard to understand voicemails that it started to become clear. THEN I read the shareholder benefit fine print. 😉

Well...interestingly enough on our cruise last month (Riviera) this was the carpet in our B3 7112. They must have run out of the 'high dollar' carpet by the time they got down to deck 7. 😊

Terminal J is ('was' for you I guess) a piece of cake to get to (by car)...1st and only on left as arriving, smallish, good signage, easy in. Wasn't quite so easy to get out from for the unfamiliar, but as I drove down the road past the other terminals I saw how relatively easy it was to navigate to them and the good signage as mentioned by shepard really above. Eventually I found my way out and back to MIA to drop the rental (when we were picked up by a professional driver after the cruise I saw how really easy it should have been). With Google maps on your phone, driving relatively slow and another set of eyes should be easy. Have a great time. Note: I was told that since business had rebounded they were no longer charging "The fare between the Miami International Airport and Port Miami is a flat rate of $27.00." Don't know the truth, but we were about the last to leave and our 'adjacent to the airport entrance hotel' was $55.

Well, we were chatting with a nice couple who sat down beside us so maybe the ‘probably’ time didn’t seem as long for us. All I know is after we went back to the cabin and then made it to happy-hour @ 6 easily.

On Riviera, 6pm departure, drill was at 5:15. No lifejackets required. Assembled at designated muster station. Short life jacket use explanation, followed by short general safety talk. Probably 15min.

Just joined in... I'm puzzled why someone would ask such a question on a website devoted to answering peoples questions about "total information" regarding cruising. Is that not why we are here? Some may ask about this and some about that, but it all is about getting information about their cruise. CILCIANRQTS (1600+ posts since 2009), if you want total spontinaity on your cruise, why are you on Cruise Critic? People come here to ask questions and do research. You should avoid this site, book your cruise, show up, see what happens. Enjoy your experience.

Hmmm, we're in a B3 on a Feb Riviera cruise so I thought I'd give it a try. (on O's site) I added the Prestige package to my cart and got as far as putting in my credit card info. I didn't really want the package so I didn't go on. Didn't seem like a problem though, but who knows.

So, here we go with my 'amusing' butler story. Last Dec., Santiago to Buenos Aires (although we never made it to BA), I arrived to the ship luggage-less (as did my wife, thank you American Airlines). The experience just getting to Santiago was, well, our worst ever. Here's where the butler (maybe Akshay, so sorry I can't remember) kicked in, (you will find not to depend on 'O' gift shop for emergency clothes) every night I gave him our clothes, and every morning they were there clean and ready. Every day he was there smiling asking how he could help us. After a few stops (don't count on remote South American ports to have clothing stores) my wife's clothes found us and a week later I found a store in Ushuaia that sold everything I needed. Other than bringing a wonderful breakfast most mornings, he was a breath of fresh air on a stressful adventure. Anything we asked (and frankly it wasn't much) he took care of. We never could figure out before we left why we needed a butler, we probably would have left the cruise and flown home early without him (the lugaggeless SA covid port experience was that bad). Based on that experience we booked a 20 day Med in a PH2 and can only hope Akshay is there again. Kinda schmaltzy but he really did help save the trip .

I believe that capacity is always quoted based on 'double occupancy'. ORV... I see in your 'coming up "Enticing Caribbean". We've got that one scheduled just a month later than you. Looking forward to a relaxing cruise as our Dec'21-Jan'22 South American covid impacted one wasn't.

From the Travel Weekly article.. "Oceania is calling it a "stem-to-stern re-inspiration" of the Riviera and the Marina. Built to accommodate 1,250 passengers, the ships will have a capacity for 1,210 after the refurbishments." 40 less pax is 20 cabins (I know, the obvious). Seems like a lot to lose unless they're maybe taking smaller cabins and combining them into larger ones. Anyone know?

I'm not sure I follow you. I think what you're referring to is the "With OLife Choice* package, enjoy 2 for 1 Cruise Fares, Roundtrip Airfare and Airport Transfers* plus choose one: ... ". As I understand it, this is the airfare included price. I always take 'cruise only' (no airfare) price and always choose the OBC. For non-airfare travelers I believe this (or shore excursions or beverage package depending on your preference) is the best value (coupled with some O 'kickbacks' from the TA). Anyone agree/disagree?

The hotel in the middle of the picture is the "Hotel Tiare Tahiti" where we stayed the nights before and after the cruise. Nothing fancy but may have a day rate and it is definitely walkable (and we're 70ish) to the ship (the picture was taken from our cabin). We walked over, dropped our bags, then strolled about for a while as there are shops, restaurants, etc. in that area. Maybe we chose a good time to board, and this was the Marina, not the Regatta/Nautica, but it was no problem. I also don't recommend flying in on cruise-day. Good luck.

As an OLD engineer (who just rec'd the above email for our 2023 cruises)... this sounds like possibly a 'discovered' structural problem. Not sure what receiving "an update from the shipyard" really means since the ship isn't there. Obviously something unexpected turned up in the process of making the showers (prefab?)(DW is really disappointed in the "unable to accommodate the built-in bench"). At this point in the process nothing this big should unexpectedly show up (since things were so far along that it was released to customers...big faux pas). I'd guess someone (or company) was paid big bucks to design this. I would assume that whoever was responsible for the design plan will be happy in their new job, whoever it's with. (I was actually happy with the old bathroom although I could never figure out the dual shower/tub thing). Looking forward to our two 2023 Riviera cruises whatever the bathroom ends up looking like.

I've been in 7108 and 7114. 7108 & 7111 would only be a lifeboat problem if the boats being lowered are on 'your' side of the ship and more aft. On the cruise I was on, in 7108, the transfer boats for the anchor ports were more midship or on the other side. In 7114 I never heard a boat being lowered or any noise from the dining room below. There is the 'issue' of wind underway in 7108/7111, but since we mostly sailed at night it was not a problem. I'm booked in 7118 next spring and looking forward to it.