halfapair

Discover the joy of traveling with carry-on luggage only. No waiting to see if your bags show up, or not. No wrestling giant suitcases. No dropping heavy bags on your toes. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

Too big. Pack the clothes you need for 6-7 days + toiletries, and do laundry on board. You'll want to be able to put your luggage in the closet or under the bed to keep it out of the way during your cruise.

Book an excursion through a private company, not Oceania. It will be cheaper.

Looking forward to your thoughts and impressions. Especially how much motion you feel on a Transatlantic cruise. I hope you have a wonderful time!

Driving is great, but can be scary (little windy roads and driving on the other side of the road, etc). You can get to many of the best sites by train, and then take specialty tours (eg. take the train from London to Bath, then do a tour to see Stonehenge). Or you could do a combo-trip: part cruise, part land tour. Do a British Isles cruise, then do a land tour on your own - the best of both worlds!

My opinion as an ice cream lover and aficionado: HS is a better quality ice cream than the standard offering, however some of the flavors are strange. So when they offer a good HS flavor, I eat as much as I can, and I don’t eat the standard Oceania ice cream at all.

I drank iced vanilla lattes on the Insignia. I visited Baristas twice a day: in the morning for cappuccinos, and in the afternoon for iced vanilla lattes. 😀

Very good to know!!

I was able to book 6 excursions for the two of us (12 total), and only pay an additional $120 after all my OBC was applied ($1250). That leaves no OBC to cover pre-paid gratuities, or drinks on board.

Neophyte question here: When do they serve brunch in the GDR? Is it on Saturdays and Sundays? Or only Sundays? Or just sea days? Inquiring minds want to know!

I recently booked 6 S/E for our upcoming cruise. When I tried to use the website to book the excursions it did not calculate the correct cost. I had to call Oceania to book them so the correct discount was applied, the total was added up correctly, and our credit was applied correctly. I did have to book 6 excursions to get the discount. I don't know if it was 5 excursions previously. But a warning for all trying to book Simply More excursions: DO NOT use the website to book. Figure out what excursions you'd like, then call Oceania. Their website is extremely messed up.

A particular insurance company that serves US Armed Forces and their families has a travel benefits division, and they sell Oceania Cruises. Whereas a particular warehouse box store does not (or at least they don't advertise O cruises on their travel app). We booked our first O cruise via the insurance company. I have my membership via my father who served in the USAF.

If you're doing the Panama Canal, then, yes, definitely. During the P/C transit, the best views are from the Spa Terrace. I love the Concierge cabin, but others disagree. So the answer is: it depends on what is important to you

100% Endorsed. The Spa Terrace is the place to be. If you sit in Horizons, you have to look through the blue glass, and if you take pictures everything will be blue. Up on the Spa Terrace they have loungers, you can get yourself water, and restrooms are nearby. And the commentary will come over the speakers on the Terrace. Also, if you climb up the steps where the hot tub is, you can see over the top of the glass, and get great pictures. Go early, grab a spot!

My favorite dessert in the GDR is the nightly souffle. I am so sad on the last night we eat there, because I know there will be no more souffles until I cruise with O again. We'll be on the Riviera next January, and I am already looking forward to the souffles.