vlthom

I completely agree with you on this. The clothes are clean but they do not seem fresh. They have what I'd described as a metallic odor which I find off-putting. And so, we seldom use the free laundry service. When we use the self-serve laundry, we never have this issue. I've made comments about the laundry's odor in the mid-cruise comments but nothing has happened so we will continue with the self-service. It's quick and not that much trouble.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. It does indeed sound like you've found a great fit for you in sailing on O. I hope to run into you some time on a future cruise. Next up for us is a June/July sailing on Vista. That will be our 23rd O sailing and our first aboard Vista.

I've used Blacklane and have always been pleased with their service.

Generally speaking, if you can travel with less, you will find it much easier to deal with. That said, I typically pack a 26" rolling duffle and it's filled to the max. We do laundry as well. I usually feel that this bag, along with a small carry-on, are about as much as I can comfortably wrangle around myself.

Years back, O did some currency exchange, even buying back local currency (bills only) if one wound up with more than needed. But that seems to be one of those services that's gone away. I can't blame them; however, it was really nice that they did that. On our most recent cruise, they would not handle any currency other than U.S.

I ALWAYS bring and use my own hairdryer and never had any issue. I'm very particular about my hairdryer and feel that the provided ones are inadequate. From what I've read on these boards though, most feel that the provided ones are fine. You cannot use the outlet in the bathroom for hairdryers, whether it's the one provided or one that you bring onboard. I've never had any issue with using my own dryer with the outlets in the main part of the cabin (close to the mirror, of course).

Yes, you can always use the regular laundry service for which there is a per item fee. The fee amount is dependent upon the type of item. Turnaround it much faster than the 3-day complimentary service.

If it's not returned within 3 days, generally, it's because the cabin attendant has forgotten it. If you don't receive it within 3 days, ask the attendant (politely) and it's usually found and brought to the cabin.

We hang things to dry utilizing the clothes line in the shower. Generally, things will dry very quickly due to the ventilation in the bathroom. For us, it has worked very well.

You could wear your formal wear to any of the dining venues; however, you should be aware that Oceania is "country club casual" and you will rarely see other passengers dressed in formal wear. But if you enjoy doing so, by all means get dressed up. Others will appreciate it, I'm sure. I'd much rather see other passengers dressed up beyond the requirements of the dress code than those that push the limits in the other direction! Enjoy your cruise

There are hours when the self-serve laundry facilities are open for use. I don't recall what time they open in the morning, but they close at 10pm. And at least on our most recent cruise, the facility was locked up for the off-hours.

Yes

Don't wait until the very end. I did this on a recent cruise and had a sizeable refund coming to me. When I went to reception to get my cash, they only had small bills left and unless I wanted to haul a bag of money with me, it was unreasonable to cash out. They said that a credit would appear on my credit card; however, I've never had them actually provide a refund to my credit credit card. It has typically arrived via check a couple weeks later. On this most recent occasion, it was over 3 weeks before I received the check. But it did arrive without prompting.

I celebrated a birthday in November onboard Regatta. My husband checked ahead of time with the Executive Concierge who said that they'd already noted the occasion. That evening we ate in Toscana and I was presented with a small cake with a candle at the end of the meal. Waiters sang Happy Birthday. It was very nice and the cake was delicious. Later in the evening when we returned to our cabin, it was decorated with balloons and a banner saying, "Happy Birthday". We've also celebrated anniversaries onboard. These have typically gone unnoticed except on the occasion when my husband again talked to the Executive Concierge a day or two ahead of time and they presented us with a cake at the conclusion of our dinner. We ate in a specialty restaurant on those occasions. Oceania may not surprise one with a celebration if the occasion is not brought to their attention but they will certainly do something to mark an occasion if asked to do so.