phillymaps

I schedule my haircut when I board the ship - no problem. Price is around $35-$40.

You will only have "quieter excursions" as all the islands are small. My opinion, and it may be my opinion only is that they take all the best who offer excursions. If you really want to use your shipboard credit, I would book them...pay and then when you are on board cancel and rebook using the shipboard credit. Tell them you paid cash and you want your cash back. If you are thinking Bora Bora and Morea, you will probably be able to get them at the last minute. I would not chance the smaller islands.

If you cancel a tour which is fully booked, the next person on the waiting list will get the tour. If you try to re-book the tour you will be placed at the end of the waiting list. Frequently I have ship board credits which I use for tours. So far I have not been unable to get a tour I wanted when I waited to book aboard ship. Destination services is the first stop immediately upon boarding the ship. Occasionally I have been placed on a waiting list for a desired tour, but always a spot opened for me.

We did the Miami to Miami Amazon cruise about 6 years ago with another couple. We all liked it so much that we repeated it last year. It was good the second time. The only cruise we have repeated.

Find a different travel agent who will give you OBC. I tend to book my cruises about 18 months in advance when they are first announced. Frequently I get OBC from both Oceania and my travel agent when I book early. These credits tend to "disappear" when you get closer to the sailing date. My travel agent also rebates part of her commission to me when I return home from the cruise.

Don't think you have cruised on Oceania recently (last 3-4 years) when it has been almost impossible for folks to use Skype.

I used Skype multiple times on my cruise December 2013 to the Amazon from Miami, and July 2014 to Iceland/Greenland from London. I also used it on my cruises in 2012.

I have used Skype many times while sailing on various Oceania ships without any problems. Just be certain you have a strong signal. I had one cabin where the signal was weak and I went to the area near the concierge desk to Skype (I also received a ship board credit because the wi-fi router near my cabin was not working properly). Most of the time I Skype with video from my cabin with no difficulty, but I have "taken" my grand-kids on tour of the pool, lounge, and library.

The foreign transaction fee is back! Last week I returned from a cruise and my credit card company placed a foreign transaction fee on my ship-board charges. My travel agent called Oceania and replied that "according to the reservations agent that I spoke to with the cruise line they are no longer refunding the FTF associated with onboard ship accounts." Apparently there is no fee on cruise fees, but there will be a FTF on any charges made aboard ship. I suggest we write to Frank Del Rio and tell him we are not happy with this change.

My cruise ship visits Gustavia on a Sunday. Are the shops open on Sunday? Anything special we could do on a Sunday? Thanks.

Just returned from Bora Bora where we had a great tour with Patrick Tairua <patrick@maohinui.net>. We arranged a group of 16 for the Lagoon Excursion & 4X4 Safari (8 did the Lagoon first and then the 4x4 safari, and the other 8 did the reverse - we met at the Motu for lunch) http://www.maohinui.net/en/lagon-et-safari-4x4.