marilynfaye

I'm going to piggyback on my friend Mura. Honfleur is delightful. My daughters and I will be docking in Le Havre at the beginning of September. Because it's a Sunday public transportation is not running to Honfleur so we are taking the Bee Bus. 

Since there is certainly interest in Cuba, whether you are going soon or are considering it for the future, you might want to check out Great Performances on PBS this Friday (10/6). The program is called Havana Time Machine. Here is a link to a very short preview: http://video.klrn.org/video/3004603839/

Marilyn

Robjame:

I am really enjoying your comments and observations. We will be joining you on Sunday for the T/A and your posts are making it real. :D

I don't think the original question was answered. Has anyone experienced excessive noise coming from Deck 6? This will be our 17th O cruise and it's never been a problem, but we have never been in a C cabin on an O ship. We will be moving into 7075 a week from tomorrow so I am curious. Thanks.

You must remember that Oceania does not consider mid-ship to be prized territory. The really big Suites are forward and aft...you may find that it is a compromise worth making.

I usually say Right On when I read your responses, but not this time. Yes suites are at the four corners, but the question used the example of a Veranda Cabin. O clearly considers Mid Ship prime territory. A1's & B1's are more expensive than A2's & B2's. Even with the Ocean View cabins on the R ships, C1 is a higher price than C2.

One of our early O cruises was around the U.K. By chance we had lunch with a professor from Baylor University who was escorting a group of alumni. He invited us to attend his lecture that afternoon. We were in the North Sea and he was lecturing on the Spanish Armada. One of our best days at sea.

I don't know of any cabins to avoid. Deck 7 has the extended balcony cabins forward and aft. I've never experienced any rockiness on Marina or Riviera, but if that is a concern, I would skip the extended balcony and book a cabin more mid-ships.

As I see it, being of Cuban heritage, Mr. Del Rio may legitimately point to those words which WE deliberately choose to mispronounce....

When is the last time that you heard the "R" in February? :p

Re: Oceania, I don't consider it mispronunciation. I consider it poetic license. FDR knew what he wanted to call his cruise line. The P&O thing was a minor inconvenience and he solved it the smallest way he could . . . with the letter I. Rather brilliant.

:)

The story I heard is that when it came time to name the cruise line, the name "Oceana" was already taken. So Mr. FDR went with "Oceania" but decided to pronounce it, contrary to the rules of English, as if it were spelled "Oceana." As Orv says, he can pronounce it any way he chooses, but judging from the number of times people put in that "i," I think he's having a hard time making it stick. :D

That's the story I heard, too, and I'm sticken' to it. That's the pronumciation I use and I'm sticken't to that, too. I think Oceana is/was a P&O ship.

Actually, I disagree with both of these statements.

1 You I'll get a $200 "club certificate" after completing your cruise whether you booked it onboard or at home (that is if there even is such a thing any more) - thus there is no advantage for this for booking onboard vs at home

2 I don't think you will get a $100 OBC for "repricing" your existing cruise while onboard - only if you book a NEW cruise while onboard.

At least, that is what I think :)

Well, Paul, I certainly respect your right to disagree.

Let me make this comment: Assuming they still send them out, I seem to recall those certificates said for "New Bookings" only. You want to reprice a cruise you have already booked. I believe you can do that with the on board Ambassador, assuming availability,etc. I put the words "club certificate" in quotes because that's how the discount reads on the invoice. One sometimes has to wait one's turn to chat with the Ambassador, but for a $400-$500 discount, I'm willing to put in the time. :)

And, to be clear, I said you "might get" the OBC.

Thank you for the correction.

I wonder what then is the true advantage of booking onboard if you can book at home and then get all the advantages of booking onboard later (additional 3-5% off, lowest price guarantee, $100 OBC, etc)? Why bother to book onboard to start with?

What happens to the TA's commission if the change is, say, 3 months after the initial booking?

I have 2 future cruises booked (one each for 2017 & 2018) - I will see what happens when I try this on our June cruise :)

PS I understand about your cabin category still being available as a condition for any changes (at home or onboard),

I would think you get the value of the "club certificate" - at least $200 per person plus you might also get a $100 OBC for the cruise you are on - in your case, your cruise in June. Now, if you take advantage of that OBC and eventually cancel the upcoming cruise, they will deduct the $100 from your deposit. Only fair.

Can't wait to read about your adventures. We follow a similar itinerary on Sirena in November.

Mairlyn

I am not sure that the "onboard booking" discount applies to already booked cruises.

I believe that the onboard booking discount (+ $100 OBC & lowest price guarantee) is only for new cruises booked while onboard.

I could be wrong though.

I think the key thing is whether there is availability in the cabin category that you have booked. If it's sold out, you can't do it, but if not, the On Board Ambassador should be able to contact Miami and have your booking redone and give you a new invoice while you are still on board.

I've been in 6052 & 6055 (a bit further from the elevator) and 7082 which is right above 6056 and have never been bothered by noise from the elevator itself or people congregating. For me, the convenience of being that close to the aft stairs and elevators is fantastic - direct access to the Main Dining Room and the Terrace Cafe. :D

I feel like I have lost a friend I had yet to meet. The community that will miss him is huge.

I was in 4053 on the same wonderful June 25th Alaska cruise this year and I never heard any noise or motion except the night the ship decided to poke its nose into a storm and quickly change its mind.:D

ROFL. I just realized I was in 4055 for this cruise, too, and I have no recollection of the above mentioned noise and motion.

Truc131: Glad you grabbed this cabin. One comment - and this is personal choice - The cabin is a little small. There is a round glass table that sits in front of the couch. The first time we were in a deck 4 cabin, we found we kept bumping into it and since we never order room service so don't need a table, we asked our room steward to remove it. It's a small thing, but in a small space everything is important.

Well, sadly these is all that are available in the C2 cat. and all C1 rooms are gone but the one [ 4055 ] next to the noisy reception area.

 

Gotta decide tomorrow or move on to another cruise, the TA wants his money

4055: One of our favorite cabins. We were in it on an 18 day cruise from Buenos Aires to Barcelona. Sometimes we select a balcony cabin, but (obviously) not always. Deck 4, right by Reception, is very convenient. You aren't far from the aft elevators. You are close to Reception if you need something. You can sit in the Lounge area late in the afternoon, read and listen to the music being played near the top of the Grand Staircase.

We NEVER heard a bit of noise while in this cabin or others in this area. Also, I can remember listening to people talk at breakfast about how much motion they had experienced the night before. We never felt a thing.

Marilyn

 

The upgrade was to an OV in 7007. This is a much larger stateroom but it's almost in the front next to the large suite. We face the side and don't have a veranda, which is fine.

 

Has anyone ever stayed in either 7007, 7006, 6006, 0r 6007? They are all larger with just a window.

 

Thanks,

Jan

Jan:

We haven't been in every cabin category, but we've been in a lot of them. Have been in both 7006 & 7007. A lot of bang for the buck. It's a tough call for me. If I'm going to go with an OV, I prefer the location of the deck 4 cabins, but, clearly, the size of these two forward cabins make them much more comfortable. You don't seem to care about a balcony. Sometimes the itinerary is a factor for whether a balcony is important. I think you'll enjoy it. I personally wouldn't try the same cabins on deck 6. Over the years, I have heard people say there is a sound bleed from the Lounge, but none of that occurs on 7. Have fun.

Marilyn

The GTY for our cruise next week on Regatta turns out to be cabin 6000 looking forward. Not a site we would necessarily have chosen, but wondering if we've lucked into something, or not so much. We'll miss our usual ability to sit on the verandah and watch the ocean go by below, and that as a forward cabin it has a solid rail. We had also chosen a B-1 for its midships location, which 6000 obviously isn't, so we're going into this with some mixed emotions. Anyone else's experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I am assuming you are sailing out of San Francisco on May 9. I just checked that cruise and there are other B-1 cabins available. B-2 is listed as guarantee.

You should never feel that you don't have control when using a TA. You just need one you feel more comfortable with.

I do hope you enjoy your cruise. We will be sailing some of those same ports on Regatta in a couple of months. New experience so looking forward to it.

They need to come up with a new plan for Oceania Club members or stop the Your World promo that includes the same benefits

Maybe give O club member that have 10 + cruise a discount in the cruise fare equal to PPG ;)

Would love that.:D

We have been in both 7006 & 7007. Fabulous for our cruise around the U.K. Not quite as good for our Aukland-Sydney cruise because the Tasman Sea was a little rough. If your itinerary calls for calm seas I would go for it. It's a good deal and the extra walking you do to get to dinner will help balance out the calories.

I would not chance it if only the deck 6 cabins are available. Apparently, the sound does bleed from the lounge - not just during a show, but during afternoon rehearsals.

To repeat SITRAVELER, pricing may be different in Australia, but booking a B2B saves you 5% off each leg. This is true even if you don't use O's air.

My recollection is that the company was originally supposed to be Oceana, but P&O had a problem because of their ship. They felt it would lead to confusion and it probably would have. So, FDR stuck an "i" into the spelling to get around the problem, but by then everyone was calling it Oceana.

When people ask me what cruise line we sail on and I say Oceana, I often wonder if they then try to search it out and have trouble finding it.

And, Lynn, you're right. Paying on time absolves you of all sins.

Heard from my brother who is on board Nautica. Mr. Klein was unable to go ashore in any of the Indian ports. His wife, who didn't have benefit of a Business Visa and therefore had to get herself the correct document, was able to get off and joined the tours they had booked with other members of their Roll Call.

I am sorry for Mr. Klein, but it does make the rest of us more aware of the fine print. I have an Argentine visa in my passport from landing at EZE in 2011. Since that time everyone, even those arriving in Argentina by cruise ship, have to have a visa and one can be obtained on line. Although my 2011 one was still valid, I was concerned when we were back in South America last December that I would have trouble because mine was different than the newer one. Everything turned out fine, but one never knows until you are actually faced with it.

I'd book now and then when you are on Riviera, speak with the On Board representative. If he/she can offer you a better price and IF there is still availability in your cabin classification, I believe your invoice can be repriced. If your cabin classification is sold out (for example, if you booked an Owner's Suite) then that option will not be available to you.