chrisbu315

I have bought CCL twice (2020 and 2022) as a trade and not an investment. I consider the OBC as risk mitigation. So far, so good.

Sailed on Azamara Journey and Oceania Riviera back-to-back in June/July 2023. My wife and I are both more interested in ports than ships so the opinions below will be influenced accordingly. Oceania cabins and ship are nicer. I don't care much about this as long as the bed is comfortable and the Internet works. Journey showers are very small. Oceania specialty restaurants are slightly better but overrated. Journey MDR was far better than Riviera MDR. Buffets and pool side food about equal. Port experience far better on Journey. Longer times in port and far fewer tenders. Hassle free getting on and off ship. On Riviera process was more like a mainstream cruise line. White Party and sea day brunch on Journey were wonderful. Nothing like these on Riviera. Riviera has casino, Journey does not. I like a casino when the itinerary has a lot of sea days. Entertainment about equal - not nearly the variety or quality found on a mainstram cruise line. If the intineraries and price are nearly are equal, I would choose Azamara.

I'm also a HAL person who just tried Oceania (Riviera) in July. Specialty restaurants are included but must make reservations. Sometimes difficult to get a table for 2 at a reasonable time. In my opinion, The O specialty restaurants are no better than HALs inspite of O's cuisine claims. Also, the MDR is mediocre at best. The buffet on O is better than HAL, especially for breakfast. My wife is also a bit of a coffee snob and did not think O's specialty coffees were any better than HAL. Entertainment on O is okay but not better than HAL. A very basic Internet is included but you may need to upgrade if you need to do anything beyond basic email, surfing, etc. The ship and the cabins are beautiful. Far nicer than HAL. Cooking classes fill up quickly. Book as early as possible. Not sure about your SPA and suite questions. For me, the bottom line is itinerary. I would book either line if the itinerary is interesting. If both offer similar itineraries, I would probably book HAL because the price will likely be far lower. If the ship is your priority, than Oceania should be your choice, but in my opinion, not because of the food.

Recently did Azamara and Oceania back-to-back. In spite of website issues, much preferred Azamara and booked again while on-board. Cabin better on Oceania Food about equal No lines for anything on Azamara - dining, buffet, embarking, disembarking, service desk, etc. Too many time wasting tender ports on Oceania Shore excursion selection much better on Azamara White Party and sea day brunch were fantastic on Azamara

Like you, I have given this a lot of thought lately and came to a counter-intuitive conclusion. I cruise to see new destinations. I like sea days but I don't consider them nearly as valuable as a day in port or scenic cruising. Consequently, if I can see what I want in 7 days instead of 14 days, I will pay more per day. This is why I am embarking on my first Azamara cruise on June 17. It is a 12 day cruise with no sea days. I am willing to pay a lot more for this.

My wife and I were reluctant to sail on Cunard but gave a try to an east to west crossing on the QM2 last December. We loved it. A few tips below: The formal dress requirements are only on gala nights and can be avoided by spending time in venues were there are no formal dress requirements. Definitely go to tea in the Queen's Room several times. It is a great spectacle usually with entertainment. There is a small, hidden, open kitchen Italian restaurant in the King's Court. It has table service and a limited menu of a Caesar salad, pasta, and pizzas. I tried it on one of the gala nights because my wife was sick and I did not want to get dressed up. It was very good. In the Queen's Room in the mornings there are a series of mild exercise and line dancing classes. They are fun and a great way to work off calories. Feel free to wear gym clothes. We were on the crossing where the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was performed. One morning two of the cast members led a Bollywood dancing class. It was delightful and could only happen on the QM2. The internet is dodgy but works in your room if you pry your cabin door open with a towel (this was a Guest Services recommendation). Also, the internet works reasonably well in the Corinthia Lounge - a large delightful venue with plenty of seating space plus entertainment in the evening. The casino is a great place to play Black Jack. In December, it was paying 3 to 2 on Black Jacks. Most other cruise line casinos pay 6 to 5.

Yes, but how many people are going to recognize and complain about undercharges? I think it stands to reason we will hear a lot more about overcharges.

For those interested, there is a Roll Call underway for the Pole-to-Pole cruise.

There are likely fingerprints all over this knife, but there is no excuse. This transition was poorly executed. There should always be contingency plans. If I were Oceania or Viking Ocean, I would come up with a clever advertising campaign to lure over the Azamara faithful.

I was becoming concerned because I finally was able to access my upcoming cruise on-line but it said I owed $2,400. I knew I was paid in full and was concerned about cancellations. I called Azamara early in the morning, around 8:00 am PDT, and stayed on hold for 15 minutes. Finally I gave up and opted for the call back when it was my turn. At 3:00 pm I got my call and the service representative was very pleasant and put my mind at ease. She said all my payments were in their old system but had not yet been transferred. I was assured my balance was zero and nothing would be cancelled. She said the payments will catch up with the charges on the new website shortly.

4 appetizers: The Lobster Salad at the old Le Cirque pop up Escargot in the MDR Foie Gras at Rudis Clotheline Bacon at Pinnacle 2 mains: Beef Wellington in the Westerdam MDR (I only had it once and it was great...haven't had it recently) Chicken Tikka Marsala in the Konnigsdam buffet 1 dessert: Banana Crisp with scoop of vanilla ice cream

I didn't try for that so I am not sure, but I think it is highly likely I could have gotten it from my TA anyway.

You are undoubtedly correct assuming my travel agent would have given me the extra $200 regardless. I think I could have swung that deal, but I have no doubt we will use the $800 OBC.

Just went through this exercise yesterday. I wanted the O-Life perks without air. The upcharge was $300 per person to the Cruise Only fare. This did me no good because the perk I wanted was $600 OBC so there was no benefit. I called my travel agent and got an additional $200 OBC for the same fare + upcharge. Net result... I paid an additional $600 in upcharges for $800 in OBC that I will definitely use. I had to prod my travel agent to get the extra $200. I tried for more but to no avail. Hopefully you can do better with your travel agent.