sunlover12

I'm not an expert on wine but I do love it. The glass that it is poured in does make a difference. I don't drink beer or hard liquor. Wine is it for me. I take notice of the glass and for those who don't, that's fine but don't be critical of those who do.

Menus for all restaurants are available on your TV in the cabin.

This is going to vary by ship, cruise, and staff. When I've had the basic beverage package I have always had to ask for another glass. They never topped off. With every glass that I ordered, they took my card each time because they have to swipe it at the machine.

Yes, you can order in from the specialties. We were on Sirena last year in a PH and had dinner from one of the specialty restaurants in our cabin. It was wonderful. Another thing worth noting is if you are on the beverage plan, you can also order your wine/beer to be brought to the cabin. I ordered 2 glasses of wine and the butler brought both at the same time.

@Redtravel As I recall, the number that is used for log-in is your Oceania Club number which is on your stateroom card. With all the issues about the online survey being reported, I'm curious now how it's going to go on my cruise next month. I didn't have any trouble with it last time but that was last November.

FWIW, I have always completed the online survey and have not had any significant problems with it. I do it on my iPad and it's a little cumbersome but it didn't take much time, including comments I wrote. I agree, however, that it should be made available to us after the cruise. It's more efficient for Oceania to do the electronic survey (it goes to Miami immediately) as opposed to a paper version. Now I just wish I would win the OBC as I always have a balance on my account.

I am American and I agree it's a common practice here to clear tables too quickly. All for the sake of turning tables over. I don't like lingering over a long dinner either but taking my plate away, without asking, while I am still chewing and still have a bit of food on it is unacceptable. It happened to me recently at a popular lakeside restaurant in the Midwest. It was ridiculous. The other 2 people in my group were finished but that doesn't mean that I am. It was so obvious they were trying to get us out of there as quickly as possible. I will not be going back to that restaurant.

We've been on 3 cruises post-Covid. We both got Covid only one time and it was from the last cruise which was on a RC mega-ship in the Caribbean in January. We didn't do any shore excursions. The vast majority of passengers and crew were not wearing masks. Good chance it was from the elevators which is hard to avoid on a ship with 17 decks. Luckily it was a mild case with mostly just fatigue and no coughing or sneezing. The other 2 cruises were on O's R ships. On my upcoming Nautica cruise I will be wearing a mask when I am in the elevators. The R ships are easier to get around on without taking the elevator. I use the stairs often.

I've used Viator once (last year in Barcelona) and it wasn't good. One of the worst tours I've ever been on. They are an intermediary and you don't know what you're going to get. Their prices are good but cheaper doesn't mean better. I agree that you should book directly with the tour provider if possible. I know that I shouldn't judge based on one tour but this was my experience.

One thing to keep in mind when asking for a refund of a FCC, I believe you will have to pay back the credit you received on the cruise where you purchased the FCC.

Philadelphia

I didn't use expedited service. Mailed Priority mail and received my new passport in 7 weeks. This was in February-March of this year so it was before the big backlog they're having now. The website that shows application status was still showing "in process" so I was surprised when I received it in the mail as soon as I did.

I agree that’s a big jump but not all cruises’ prices went up that much. My 2024 11-day cruise in an PH2 increased $300/person. I don’t foresee O going back to the old pricing of cruise only. Included drinks and excursion credit is here to stay. The percentage of cruisers who post on CC is small so we can’t gauge what we read here. Most cruisers won’t have a problem with paying a little more for beer and wine with meals. Some won’t even notice the difference. Just My Opinion, of course.

It's because of the age of my MacBookPro. Safari is getting to be a problem.

I use united.com quite a bit and haven't had trouble. In recent months it no longer works using Safari so I use Google Chrome now. I believe that some 777 aircraft do not have premium economy. If the flight you are looking at has it, it will be listed as an option on the page that shows fares. Some of United's 777 aircraft only offer business, economy plus, and economy. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

A big reason is because they're going for a younger clientele who are more likely to drink. Younger than baby boomers. It's the trend in cruise travel and it's not going away. I was on a river cruise last year where all drinks (including cocktails), all the time (not just mealtime) were included. The cruise line surveyed their clients and that's what they wanted. I'm happy with the change. I'll get my money's worth on wine and now they won't have to swipe my card when I'm having my meal. JMO, of course.

The cruise I have booked for 2024 increased $400 per person. For reference, this is an 11-day cruise on Nautica in a PH2. All cabin categories are showing to be available. If I change to Simply More, I will take advantage of the wine with lunch and dinner and get my money's worth on that. Additionally I'll get a $400 credit on shore excursions. Seems like a pretty good deal for me however I understand the disappointment of those who don't drink or take the ship's shore excursions. As was mentioned, the increase in price is going to be related to the demand of the particular cruise. What I don't like about the marketing of Simply More is the use of the word "free". It's deceptive because we all know that nothing is "free".

The majority of the wine we have packed in our luggage has been returning home from California. Don't know yet if we'll still bring a bottle or 2 on cruises. We drink it in our cabin, not the dining room. It's not a hassle at all. I'm wondering if the wine that will be served at meals will be from any wine from the list that is served by the glass. Or will it just be a choice of whatever red or white they're serving that day. If so, the servers would walk around with the bottles which shouldn't be hard to keep up with demand.

We often travel with bottles of wine in our checked luggage. We’ll usually pack bubble wrap around it but sometimes just clothes. The key is to have enough items in the luggage so that they’re not moving around. We go to California 3 times a year and always bring wine home. We’ll also take a bottle or 2 of our favorite wine on the cruise. Been doing this for 15 years and have never had one bottle break.

They have to physically swipe your card in the machine. The process is more than just a matter of knowing your name and cabin number. I place my card on the table and have not found it to be awkward. YMMV

@Woofa Yes, the musical trivia in Martinis is fun. The trivia in the lounge is the one I avoid.

Yes, you can do that.

+1 I love trivia but I don't play it on Oceania. The intensity and competiveness of it doesn't make it fun at all.

Not everyone speaks English and that is okay. Simply point to what you want and they will gladly serve it to you. I’ve never had a problem with it.

No, I did not say that. I’m saying that lumping any group all together to the point of not wanting them onboard your cruise (as some people on this board have implied) is a gross and unfair generalization. Bad behavior can come from anywhere. Being part of one particular group has nothing to do with it.