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On some lines, one person in cabin can buy a beverage package. My husband has done it. I don’t drink anything alcoholic. I prefer tea, coffee, soda, and water. On Viking, they insisted that both of us had to buy. We chose to not buy it. My husband paid by the drink. In reality, he didn’t spend that much. Itinerary was port intensive.

Supply and demand will adjust prices. People are not stupid. Just because the prices increase, people don’t jump to book. There is competition for vacation spending. You can find deals. Waiting closer to embarkation could save you money. Be flexible.

The 3 day return for complimentary laundry is a deal breaker. Cannot send out last 3 days. If you pay for laundry, it is returned next day.

Booking Viking with air is usually a good value. Viking Air has been good for us. The flights that we have been assigned have been good choices. You may not get your first choice. Viking has contracts with several airlines. If you want specific routes, wait to see what Viking gives you. If it isn’t good, ask for custom air. Only once did we balk when we got the air. We were flying out of Bergen to Philadelphia. Our first flight left at 6 am to FRA. Next we were on Nonstop to PHL arriving same day. We looked at 6 am and couldn’t believe it. At first glance it looked terrible. However, it was the best arrangement to get us home the same day. We like using Viking Air. They will tell you the air flights shortly after you book. That way, you can get seat assignments early if you book early. When we cruise on other lines, we usually book our own air. That way you have control. However, the down side is if the cruise line cancels the cruise, you will get stuck with an air credit. since resuming travel during the pandemic, we have booked most cruises with air. Since some have been cancelled, it becomes easier to get a refund. Good luck with air. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you get a crazy arrangement. It’s like playing air roulette.

Dressing up is a personal choice. Having been on many cruises, the days of dressing up have become very scarce. When we first cruised, every night was dress up. It was delightful. As time passed, more people became casual. Since the pandemic, casual has become very accepted everywhere. On Vista in January, not many dressed up guests. Never saw a tie. A few men wore jackets. Saw a few women in glitzy clothing. There were several people in jeans at dinner. As long as it isn’t torn, jeans are acceptable. I did see men in shorts turned away from the GDR. It’s your cruise, dress your way.

Haven’t gotten our air flights yet. Starting to wonder if it will really sail. We don’t usually book cruises on ships that are just coming out of dry dock. However, the itinerary was good, and the price was right. The itinerary is very much like a cruise that we were booked on in August 2021. That was canceled. Hope we sail.

Still no air flights. Booked cruise last July for a cruise in May 2024. Everything has been paid in full. I called O a few weeks ago and was told that our air would be available on March 3. That’s today. Called O and was told it was too soon. Also, told that O would inform my TA soon. The rep said that they only contact TA. All info must go through TA. I usually book my own air. Since we are booked on the first cruise after Marina leaves dry dock, we didn’t want to get stuck with plane tickets if Marina doesn’t sail. Starting to wonder if it will really sail. Like many people we had pandemic cruises cancelled. This cruise is very similar to one that we booked for August 2021. Since the pandemic, I have become calmer making plans. If it happens, great. If it gets canned, oh well.

I was on Vista in January. Never heard anything from the adjacent cabins. Ship is beautiful. Comparing Oceania to Celebrity is a joke. I am elite plus on Celebrity. Oceania is much better than Celebrity. Oceania costs more and it’s worth it.

My spouse has mobility issues. The slope at Ephesus is mild. We had no trouble accessing most of the venues. Go and enjoy.

Oceania claimed that they didn’t pay port charges. Of course, we know that is false. We got refunds on port charges on other cruise lines. It was a small amount. Not really enough to get excited about. In January, we skipped St. Barts. Reason given was impending winds. Seas looked flat. Instead we were told that we got an extra day at sea to relax. I had intended to shop and eat at a French cafe. Shopping is excellent. Saved $

You will be quite a distance from the city. Take a ship excursion.

Usually more people eat in the GDR on the first few nights. You may find a line. It moves quickly. Why doesn’t it continue? It may take some guests a few nights to discoverer the Terrace Grill at night. I usually hate ship buffets. Oceania buffet is unlike most cruise lines. It is very good. Not only do they serve everything on the GDR menu, they have freshly made sushi and grilled to order items. Grill can cook lamb chops, steak, chicken, salmon, lobster tail, shrimp, etc. it is excellent. Tables are set with white linen clothes. On nice evenings, you can sit outside. We recently were on Vista. waves at night has table service with delicious Italian items. pizza is excellent. We ordered pizza and had it delivered to our table inside. Supposedly other ships will open waves at night. Try all the dining venues. You won’t be disappointed.

I am surprised that Oceania waited so long to pull ships out of the Suez. Sadly, sailing in that area is not safe. I am surprised that they are sailing Riviera around Africa rather than staying in Asia.

I like the idea of putting the creperie in the empty space on deck 5. Deck 5 atrium has lots of dead space. I often thought it would be nice if the atrium had a bar or coffee station with cookies or small sandwiches. When you return from an excursion or a day ashore, being able to get a nice drink when you board would be fantastic.

Got email from my travel agent that Oceania is going to make a big announcement next week. I will bet it includes making B3 extended balcony cabins a more expensive category. I love B3 cabins aft. They get booked up very quickly.

Yes, they are looking for younger cruisers who take shorter trips. I used to really like 2 week or longer winter Caribbean cruises. Sadly X gave them up. I don’t like b2b on X. I found that other cruise lines do longer cruises.

Supposedly all ships in a line should have same food offerings. What makes one ship better than another? If the workers are properly trained, all ships of a cruise line will be equal. If they don’t do same training, some ships may get sloppy. A table near the kitchen often has hotter food and quicker service. Celebrity has been serving the same dishes for years. It is what it is. If you find it lacking, maybe the reason isn’t the food. It can get boring. Try a new dish. If you are unhappy with the food, maybe it’s time to try something new.

446 is not over the galley. The galley is aft. I have stayed on all 3 decks. Never had a noise issue.

Viking often offers discounts as you get closer to the cruise date. If you don’t want a specific cruise on a specific date, you might get a big break. There are discount codes that can significantly drop the fare.

Not a good move. People plan, buy air, and look forward to a vacation. Canceling is always disappointing. Just giving people a refund cuts wrong.

I agree. My spouse sits back and lets me do all the work. I plan. Often book with private tour companies just for the 2 of us. I also print maps, get directions, learn about the local transportation, and ask questions on location forums. That cannot be done overnight. Using WS WiFi is expensive. WS wants to sell their excursions. I have taken many WS excursions. They are usually good. However, we have slowed down and tend to avoid group tours if possible. The shore excursion person often is unfamiliar with the ports. We got taken in Malaga. We asked the excursion person how can we get to the Picasso museum. He told us that it was far from where we were docking. He sold us a tour that included the museum. The tour went to many venues and mad a brief stop at the museum. Not knowing the lay of the land, we continued on the tour. It ended at a church close to the museum. Guide told us how to walk back to the ship. We walked back. Took us about 10 minutes. We passed the museum on our way. We were had. After that experience, I now research each port and expect no info from WS. They don’t even provide decent maps. You are your own best tour guide.

I have sailed to Bermuda many times. I have also flown in and stayed on land. Bermuda is beautiful. Given a choice, fly in and stay. Cruise is a good option. Being docked in Hamilton and St. George is the best. Insignia is small and can fit. Holland America used to sail Veendam into Hamilton. Not sure if it still goes there. Celebrity and the other big ships cannot get into Hamilton and St. George. To accommodate them Dockyard was built. It has no charm. It’s not where you want to be. If you go to dockyards, you will spend lots of time on the ferries and buses.

Find a cruise that has 4 available cabins that you can book now. While waitlisted cabin categories may open up, trying to get 4 in specific categories is too risky. When I travel with family or friends, we pick a cruise and book cabins… no gty or waitlist! Waiting could leave you with nothing.

Be comfortable and casual. June is hot. Dress during the day in lightweight pants and tees. A sundress might work. A hat is a must. Don’t forget the sunscreen, sunglasses, and bathing suit. I like shorts or crops if the weather is warm. For cooler climates, jeans or sweats with tees work well. Evening is still casual . I don’t wear shorts or jeans in GDR or specialty restaurants. They are ok in the Terrace Buffet or Waves at night. My usual evening attire is black slacks or capris with a nice blouse. Chicos is my go to place for cruise clothes. Be sure to try Terrace buffet and Waves for dinner. The choices include everything on GDR menu plus sushi, grilled fish and meat, Italian food from Waves. Pizza at night is very good. Enjoy.

I miss prime rib at Polo. We were on Vista in January. Got prime rib in GDR. Food choices are very good. Best dinner was at Ember. Ribeye steak was excellent. Also liked the potato soup. I enjoyed trying all the dining venues. I usually skip buffets. However, Terrace Grill is. Really good especially at dinner.