YoPhilly

I've stayed in Santa Croce a couple of times. It's very convenient for transportation and is a welcome relief from the congestion around San Marco. Just be prepared to carry your luggage up and over several sets of stairs over small canals.

I do have one funny misstep to share. At Toscana for dinner one night, the server described the night's special dish as pasta with mashed potatoes and salmon. I stopped him to make sure I heard correctly..."You said pasta with mashed potatoes and salmon?" Yes, ma'am. He left the table with our drink order, then came back and corrected himself....the special was grilled salmon with mashed potatoes. Oops!! 😁

I’m new to Viking and booked a 2024 New Zealand to Australia cruise, with just the $25 pp deposit. Viking wants full payment 13 months in advance, which is rather extreme. Is this normal policy, or just for reduced deposits?

It seems a bit more stable than last week. I’ve tried to avoid using it in the late afternoon. Night-time is better.

In Barbados today, we were berthed in front of Sirena. In all honesty, I have to say I prefer the R ships. I’m surprised. I was really looking forward to Marina. In the plus column, The food in every restaurant has been excellent.

There doesn’t appear to be a staff shortage. They are certainly plenty of staff, and they are bustling and busy.

I agree. Service has been unusually slow. In fact, last night in red Ginger, our waiter came over three times to apologize for the delay in bringing our entrées.

We’re currently on Marina for the first time, and I have a few thoughts to share. First of all, everything I’ve heard about Red Ginger is true; the food is phenomenal. The duck and watermelon salad perfectly complemented each other. The miso-glazed sea bass melted in my mouth. Kudos to O for a great menu. Not so much for the WI-FI which is sloooow-to-none. Having previously cruised only on the R ships with O, I’m happy to see the many lounge chairs all over the outside decks. No need to worry about that. I’m always able to find one tucked away in the shade. The staff all over the ship have been great - how they remember I ordered a bottle of wine three nights ago in Terrace Cafe is a marvel. I do wish there were more daily activities. It’s the same thing everyday: golf putting, bean bag toss (really????), shuffleboard and table tennis. The demographics on this cruise skews very old. Very old. There are too few lectures. Very few Artist Loft classes. I expected more variety in a 2-week cruise, especially in the Caribbean where so many passengers stay aboard ship. I told my husband we have to eat lighter for a couple of days after our Red Ginger meal last night. In fact, we had rez at Jacques tonight but I was able to rebook for another night. Too much rich food! I’ve been ordering light breakfast from room service as a preventive measure! We haven’t been to the Concierge Lounge yet…we’re pretty low-maintenance, although Ken would never say that about me! 😁 We saw something in San Juan I’ve never seen before. Virgin Valiant Lady was docked next to us and had started backing out of her berth…maybe 50 yards…then she stopped, pulled back in and tied up again. There must have been a sudden mishap b/c they brought someone out on a stretcher with a backboard and put her in an ambulance. Virgin’s passengers couldn’t see what we were seeing so we were shouting status reports across the dock! Today we’re in Dominica and heading to Barbados tonight. Another day in paradise. We are so fortunate. - Nancy

I find this policy very strange, especially with the overloaded strain on the customer service department. I'm sure O has their reasons but ..... having to call your TA to call O to cancel an excursion? Truly a waste of people's time.

Are you on the sailing this Sunday from Miami? Maybe we'll meet onboard!

I'm always intrigued when posters ask who is the current cruise director on a ship. In all my cruises, I rarely pay attention to the cruise director. Am I missing something by not buddying up to a CD? 😃

Thanks for the recommendation. It looks very popular

Wonderful info. Thank you for your help.

John Bull, thanks so much for your suggestions. There’s so much to see, you may be right. I may tack on another night or two. I had thought there wasn’t so much to see as in Southampton, but your comments clearly indicate you really like Portsmouth. As far as hotels go, I love a good “quirky”! Regarding transportation from the airport, is Heathrow or Gatwick more convenient for a train/bus to Portsmouth?

I'll need a pre-cruise hotel in Portsmouth for a couple of nights next September. Any recommendations for a solo traveler who is dependent on public transportation? Also, I'd love to do one or two day trips from Portsmouth via train or bus - what would you recommend?

That’s my point, Lyn - it isn’t free! She booked me O Life $400 OBC with no air and increased my fare by $400, even though I specified “cruise only”. Gotta pay attention to the invoice.

Even when asking for "cruise-only" fares, they automatically add the "free amenity" (which isn't free). I've had to ask to remove that costly "free" amenity. And this was through a TA, who should have known better. As much as I like cruising with O, it's shocking that they're still getting away with this.

As much as we love the O product, I have to agree with you. You are exactly right. Their pricing is ridiculously misleading to anyone who isn't paying attention. Their invoices are even more obtuse.

This is great information, Jazzbeau. This will be my first time cruising solo although I’ve traveled for years alone on land vacations. I like the size of this ship and the fact that they include shore excursions, not only for economy’s sake but also I feel it helps connect with other passengers. Thanks so much for your feedback.

Hmmm, I'll have to request quotes from a few agencies. I see on your blog you've been on 3 N.C. cruises, so it appears you're very pleased with their product. We usually cruise with either Celebrity or Oceania....not into nightlife, prefer laid-back vibe with well-traveled but not stuffy passengers. I'm looking at a Baltic cruise as a solo; DH isn't interested. Do you think N.C. is a good fit for a solo?

Jazzbeau, I haven't been able to find a U.S. agency that books Noble Caledonia. Did you book with a U.K. agency?

Although I don't know Laura and John, I'm sending positive thoughts their way. I know how terrifying those events are. My husband had a cardiac arrest in 2004 while mowing the grass. Whether you call it an angel or a once-in-a-lifetime coincidence, I found him in time to perform CPR and be resuscitated by the EMTs. Ken doesn't remember a thing about it; I'm the one still carrying the memory of those awful, awful precious minutes. Praying for John's recovery. Nancy

I agree. My husband and I love just being out on the open ocean. There's NOTHING more relaxing than that.

That's my idea of a good time! 🤣

No worries about staying in the cabin, Lynn. We previously cruised on Regatta and loved being up on deck. We love the small ships.