Go-Bucks!

12 hours ago, bejwee said:

We are curre t on th3 Oceania Insignia. Concierge level veranda room, not a suite. It would seem all guests have access to the lockers and steam for free as nobody asks for you to sign in..but I am not sure. Either way, for the context of this thread, the setup is quite ideal! 😉

I recently spent 7 continuous months on the Insignia and went to the gym every other day plus had lots of spa treatments. 

Everyone has free access to the gym, exercise classes, the locker rooms and steam rooms. But only concierge level cabins and all suites can use the spa tub and loungers (accessed through the locker rooms).

9 hours ago, christinand said:

Some popular topics if you want to start a conversation is Where are you from? Have you cruised before? What excursion did you do or are you doing? Lots of opportunities to have short casual conversations. 

Sadly, at the early-in-the-cruise solo luncheon, 2 women started talking American politics and made the rest of us quite uncomfortable! Definitely NOT a good conversation starter!🥺

5 hours ago, tvlbum said:

Go Bucks, I am sorry but if you posted your house preparation list once you returned home I must have missed it.  I know it was like post 1138 where you told me to remind you after you returned home.  Well, I have been on 4-5 cruise since then and it much have slipped thru the crack as I missed it.

Thanks..  If it is easier you can just send it to my e-mail tvlbum@aol.com.  I am so glad that you guys are still following this post so you can answer questions for the newbies.

 

I can't find my original list, but in post #2408 I wrote my "tips" and other things I learned. Guess that's the best I can do...sorry.

Anyone know if the Island has USB ports on the night stand lamps?

On 9/26/2019 at 6:14 PM, erni said:

I had told him that he should be able to do it by putting his phone on airplane mode and connecting to the ships WiFi.  His phone will be WiFi enabled to make and receive calls.   He wants verification from experienced travelers/ those that have actually done this as to whether this is possible. 

I called home over Wifi and on Messenger for the 7 months that I lived on a ship (a world cruise plus the next 3 cruises after it). Worked every time...totally back. And I could receive calls too if the person also called over Wifi. 

Only issue I had was having calls drop if our crappy ship internet disconnected. But I just called the person back.

I have a Samsung Galaxy phone with Verizon. 

12 hours ago, cbb said:

I'm glad O changes their itinerary so we can see the world.

I agree...I wouldn't waste my money doing the same itinerary again unless there are no new places to go in the world. That's why I'm excited to circumnavigate South America in a few months...I've only been to Colombia so these ports will be virtually all new for me.

2 hours ago, redraider1966 said:

Her incessant long-winded announcements four and five times a day were indeed very tiresome as she proceeded to read the schedule 

This is disappointing...hope she won't be on my next O cruise!

Neither Leslie Jon nor Ray Carr did any of this...they would give basic info at 9am, noon and 5pm. No merchandizing. 

6 hours ago, cbb said:

GoBucks, our ATW itinerary had us in a tributary of the Amazon as well as both western and eastern Africa,  several ports in SEAsia and a bunch of tropical islands and their jungles.   We took no chances!  

Yes, I know that...I was sharing the ATW19 experience, which is the one I went on. I wasn't meaning that you shouldn't have taken the precautions you did. But our itineraries were very different so not all places will need malaria or yellow fever precautions.🙂

On 8/11/2019 at 8:39 PM, sloopsailor said:

And you won't get a 10% rebate on any cruises. 

Not true...I even got a 10% rebate from my TA for a world cruise!!

I love sea days and, no matter which cruiseline I'm on, each one seems to go by so quickly. Even the small R-class ships on Oceania had plenty of things to do each day and evening, plus 3 meals/day. Then there were my own "personal" activities...reading, knitting,  needlepoint, casino, lying out at the pool, working out in the gym, steam room, spa treatments, napping, etc! Whew...I'm tired just remembering all I did each day!😊

19 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Now that's some expensive closet space... Sounds bizarre to me.

Sometimes facts are stranger than fiction!😉

5 hours ago, cbb said:

we got Yellow fever shot at our doc's & travel clinic's rec for ATW16.  He said we travel so much he thought it was warranted. One less thing to think about for ATW20! (and no side effects for either of us)

 

Malarone made Mr Wonderful ill so upon advice of Insignia doc we just wore long pants & long sleeves in some ports. In other ports we used lemon-eucalyptus oil  which is much better smelling!

 

Consumer Reports tested deet products & lemon-eucalyptus oil and said both were highly effective. 

 

We had sprayed the long pants, shirts, & socks at home with permethrin and it also affords protection against zika, west nile, dengue & chikungunya.  Consumer Reports also rec'd it.  Check their ratings for 2019 to see if these rec'd have changed.

 

Permethrin will last through several washings although it is the agitation of the washer that breaks down the protection so we just dunk them in bathroom sink and hang to dry in the shower stall. 

 

We put them in a ziplock bag so as not to taint the rest of our clothes and on those days where the presence of mosquitoes was almost guaranteed that is what we wore.  Also sunblock then followed by dabs of deet on unprotected areas.  Worked great! 

 

common sense tells you not to be out at dawn or after dusk in some areas-- limit your exposure. Don't be like the woman who said she was 'eaten alive' on a shorex and when asked what repellent she used she said 'none, because nobody told me to.'

 

We didn't see one mosquito on the trip. I debated about using my Permethrin pre-cruise, but glad I didn't bother. I took Ben's Deet in my excursion bag, but never needed it. Again, I think it was our itinerary...weren't in Africa (except Egypt, but no mosquitoes in 124 degrees and bone dry) or any jungles. 

8 hours ago, tvlbum said:

Did anyone get a Yellow Fever shot or Malaria pills?

Not needed on our itinerary. 

4 hours ago, CruiseVA said:

you got me, it's actually from a picture that someone took of their wife as they brought the luggage for their section aboard on Facebook 🙂 It's been a fun run though - LOL.

Actually, there's a post on the World Cruise board about a woman who took 12 large suitcases and booked a second room to store all her clothes!🥴

Sometimes I walk outside but other times I like to walk on a treadmill. 

How large and nice is the fitness center on the Island? Lots of treadmills and strength training equipment? In general, is it well used or not?

Sounds yummy!🥔🥣

9 hours ago, CruiseVA said:

I snapped this pic of my wife as we were taking our luggage to our cabin for our 13 day cruise.

Oh my...I took half (or less) on my 6 month long world cruise!!! And I had too much. 

Where will she ever put it all? And imagine how much time will  be wasted just to unpack and repack.🤪

8 hours ago, tvlbum said:

Thanks Go-Bucks, I understood what you posted and you answered my question thoroughly.  Sorry if I hit a sore spot with others or they did not understand my question.

Not sure what happened but I'm glad your question was answered. 👍

On 9/23/2019 at 3:17 PM, FetaCheese said:

If you don't want to use ride share, the taxi rate from MIA to cruise port is a flat rate of $27 per vehicle.  (Check the MIA website --->  Ground Transportation beforehand, in case of any change. )  Have used this several times.  No extra charges if driver cannot find correct terminal.  I recall that to get to Term. J, you have to drive around almost the entire cruise port.

Was still $27 flat rate as of July. 

On 9/23/2019 at 3:05 PM, RJB said:

Oceania does not always sail from terminal J.   Every once in a while it goes from the other side.  Also Regent sails from J, so be sure to read the signs. 

We sailed away from both Terminal J and Terminal F.

13 hours ago, Mura said:

And note that I did say it could well be different on a 6 month cruise!  In fact I expect that it would be. 

Since this was our world cruise thread, I was sharing my thoughts and experiences in dealing with cash for a 6 month long cruise...as requested by tvlbum.😉

14 hours ago, doone said:

I also like Marriott Marina, but they have no shuttle services to my knowledge.  A taxi should run you around $15 - $20 from the airport and probably the same to the pier the next day.  This hotel is right on the Water Taxi line and has an amazing pool area.  There are also restaurants within walking distance from the hotel.

Are you meaning the Hilton Marina? I'm staying there in January (not my first time) and your description sounds like that one...but it's not a Marriott, it's a Hilton. 

On 9/23/2019 at 10:47 AM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

From a safety standpoint, I'd say Alaska cruises top the list.  Most of their stops are in US ports, in cities without serious crime problems, and the only foreign port (usually Victoria, BC) is safe as well.  Caribbean itineraries vary; I'd say Grand Cayman is the safest for solos, and Jamaica is the least safe.

I agree with this!👍

Hawaii is very safe too...as well as much of Europe, British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada.

On 9/20/2019 at 9:14 AM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I think there might be something behind the door that prevents hanging it inside.

That's too bad. Some people hang their shoes inside the bathroom on the door. 

18 minutes ago, Mura said:

I've not experienced problems in easily finding an ATM even in not so large places.  BUT a cruise like the ATW is more likely to encounter ports where it indeed could be difficult.  

I didn't say I couldn't find an ATM, but who wants to waste time finding them when you are visiting 90+ ports!! Saving time to see those many ports without worrying about finding an ATM was a priority for me...(can't speak for others though).