TKS

Thanks for reviving the wonderful memories, all! What a great trip that was!

Not only are there likely to be few passengers your daughter's age onboard, the nightlife aboard O is pretty sedate too. If your daughter likes to talk to well-travelled, worldly older folks she will be fine. If she wants to party and dance the night away - well, not so much.

We did a version of this cruise two years ago (Barcelona to Dubai). It was amazing. At that time the troubles in Egypt kept us from docking there, but it afforded us an additional day in Haifa and in Jordan. I was very sad to lose Egypt, but the additional day in Israel was amazing, and political/military conditions in the region were really no different then than now, with the exception the Somali pirates were more active than they apparently are currently (we took armed guards aboard in Haifa and the crew was on watch too, just in case). We saw armed military in several areas, but were told that is usual. We had no problems at all and enjoyed an amazing number of historic and religious sites in Israel, all on private tours.

The two days in Jordan allowed us to do a long private trip to Petra and Wadi Rum the first day, arriving back at the ship at around 8 P.M. What a day!!! The photos one typically sees of Petra are really just a teaser for the entire site. It is an enormous site and I would love to return one day to experience it fully.

Yes, we did have some concerns before we left, and the ship sailed less than full, but we had no troubles anywhere, nor did we feel in danger anywhere. The people we met aboard were amazing, people in all the ports were welcoming and hospitable, the tour operators were highly conscious of safety for their patrons, and it was truly a trip-of-a-lifetime.

Only you can make a decision if this is the cruise for you. But I agree that it is not likely politics in the region will change any time soon to make it as safe as a Caribbean cruise. But, oh my, the benefits available to you if you decide to take that plunge!!!

Whatever your decision, happy cruising!

It's been several years since we visited Cinque Terre from Livorno. We did the trip by rail, changing trains at Pisa we just had time enough to catch a taxi to the Leaning Tower, make a very quick tour and move on to La Spezia, where we changed trains for Cinque Terre. We walked the Via dell'Amore most of the way and rode the train back from there. It was a wonderful day, but very long. I don't think we would have done it if we weren't in port the next day too (Italian trains are not the most reliable in Europe).

If you're considering visiting Cinque Terre by land, be sure to go online and check train times/connections to give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship in plenty of time.

If you do decide on Florence, be sure to check online for museums' hours/days of operation and get tickets in online to avoid the lines. We were there in early November on Nautica, and we were the last cruise ship through the area that year. We found it lovely - weather was good, people were very accommodating (wanting to get that last little bit of tourist money before winter) and the crowds were gone. I would never visit Florence during the summer, high season - too crowded and too hot.

I don't envy your choice. Both Cinque Terre and Florence are magnificent, albeit very different. Either way, you will have a memorable day. You will likely find, like we have, that Tuscany is an area you need to visit several times to savor all its delights - and they are MANY!

Age is relative. I'm 62 and have been sailing O for ~10 years.

On our last O trip a lady and a gentleman of ~80 years joined our tour of Petra, a 6-mile round trip walk, uphill returning to the entrance. They walked the entire way, we did not wait for them, and we all enjoyed the trip immensely.

On our last Celebrity cruise we saw several much younger, very heavy folks who mostly sat at the bar and drank and smoked, day in, day out.

My point is that although O skews older than Celebrity (within my limited experience of X), many of the O cruisers are seasoned and active travelers, and not all the "fun" on Celebrity is age-centric. You won't have any problems aboard O, and your fellow passengers will welcome you onboard as well. Age doesn't matter.

I especially love Regatta because of the quiet early mornings at the very fore of Horizons, with a cappuccino and a pastry, and a view of the sunrise over the bow of the ship.

We also love Regatta's small size, which allows one to meet and get to know others more easily, both passengers and crew.

I agree with Jan, I can't think of a single thing I dislike about Regatta (well, maybe only that I'm not aboard right now, but who's fault is that?)

We recently finished a Ruby cruise and one of my major concerns before departure was the comments on CC about anytime dining, which we had booked.

We called the dine line every morning (only had difficulty making the connection the day of embarkation - lots of folks setting up their needs) and were essentially able to walk in each night with no wait. We sometimes dined alone, and sometimes with others. There were few young people on our cruise, and we're over 60, so we were pretty much the average demographic for the cruise we were on, but we thoroughly enjoyed the folks we ate with.

But be sure to call for reservations. Each night when we virtually walked in with our reservations at 7:30 we saw lines of anywhere from 20 to 40 people waiting to be seated, and those lines were not moving quickly.

We returned to Port Everglades 01/31 aboard the Ruby Princess among a group of 600, with about if those 200 Estonian citizens. We were scheduled off at 8:55, delayed off until about 9:25 and actually got through customs (there were 5! agents for over 3,000 passengers) about 10:00. BUT, DH's cousin from Canada was scheduled off at 9:20 and was delayed aboard until nearly noon, and didn't get through customs until after 1PM!:eek:

She had a 7 PM flight, so she was ok, but as she was trying to help some of the confused Estonians who had long-missed their shuttles to the Miami International Airport, the port officials shooed her away because she was crossing the street back and forth "too many times" to help non-English speakers get taxis arranged for their journey.

What a mess!!!

The PH's on Regatta are about 4-5 foot wider than standard balcony cabins (same depth), with an extra window, so the room is lighter. There is a full size sofa instead of a love seat, and the table with two chairs is large enough for a dinner, as long as you don't get carried away. The room feels much more open. The closet is similar in size to the balcony suites, but there is about twice as much drawer and counter space. The tv position is not ideal, but we don't watch much so it's not a problem for us. There is a small mirror/shelf by the entry door - a good place for a final check before you leave the cabin and a great place to leave cabin card and other things you don't want to forget.

And of course, the butler can be used to your advantage if you like. We loved having coffee/tea delivered each morning to wake us up, and it was fun to have a small party in the room with canapés delivered by the butler when we requested.

Only you can decide which cabin is best for you. For a port intensive itinerary maybe a balcony is fine, but if you have more sea days the additions in the PH are really nice.

In a specialty restaurant one night the chef made the rounds of the table, and my dinner was fine, but the chef said it was a shame we hadn't been able to taste one of his specialties from the main dining room that night. After his description I said it sounded wonderful, and I would have loved to taste it. He thanked us and left. About 10 minutes later the chef came back with a plate of his specialty from the MDR for us all to taste. It was wonderful!

Now that's a man who is proud of his work and a real asset to the cruise line that employs him. What a joy to see someone so dedicated to his job, and talk about feeling pampered!?!

We were in 9307, aft center on Solstice, sister of the ship you're looking at, two years ago. Loved it! So much, in fact, we booked it again and convinced six other couples to join us back there for an upcoming Alaska cruise. And, yes, the adjoining center cabin balcony was a bit wider, but not an issue for us. Since we were three cabins together on the last cruise, and seven this time (:D), the cabin dividers can be removed. We enjoyed the wonderful view with our friends with drinks/snacks on "our" balcony(ies). And, since you're at the end of the hallway, the noise level outside is virtually non-existent in aft cabins.

We had no problems with soot, fumes or downdrafts. The partially uncovered balcony didn't bother us, and the distance to the elevators was not a problem - just getting part of our 10,000 steps/day.

If you enjoy viewing the wake, you will love these cabins! You get to see twice as much as those on port or starboard, plus you get the bonus of the wake view! We especially enjoyed the view leaving ports - the receding panorama and the pilot boats heading back to shore - with adult beverages and snacks in hand:D.

When we took a 24-day cruise two years ago were concerned about boredom/restlessness, just like you. We also enjoy sea days, and it's hard in today's world to become truly "unplugged." Those sea days really do force you to relax completely.

We've also found people tend to be more social on longer cruises, making it easier to get to know other people. We've made friends aboard longer cruises we are still in communication with, years later.

Whatever you decide, keep enjoying cruising!

Congratulations to Mr. Del Rio! I believe this will reassure those concerned about the future of Oceania and Regent.

We met Mr. Del Rio briefly on the maiden voyage of Marina, and I hope he remains the same unassuming hard worker who was proud of his accomplishments that we observed during that trip.

Unfortunately, it seems more and more people today are "entitled" and feel it is their right to throw a tantrum if they don't get their way. There isn't much one can do about them, if they aren't in your group, except ignore them or report to crew if they represent any kind of threat to others or themselves (it sounds like the person you described might have just been an argumentative, mean drunk).

I agree, some people treat crew, and other people in general, very poorly. I haven't seen it much on Oceania, where we usually cruise, but it's not unknown. Boorish behavior knows no income boundaries. The good news, ~99% of the people I've met on all cruise lines are really wonderful!

You said her headaches started after a "helmet dive." Not exactly sure what that is, but diving can lead to the "bends" in sensitive people who are well within the published "safe" limits. Or if the air source/delivery was not clean and she was breathing in unintended things (I've seen dive tanks being filled right next to diesel engines:eek:) she could have suffered adverse effects. Both could last for days. I'm not a doctor, but I am a diver, and headaches can be a symptom of both these situations.

It's probably a good idea for your daughter to see a medical professional knowledgeable about diving trauma, just in case. If she did get "bent", even within safety limits, she needs to know so she can avoid any future diving activity. Diving, while a magical experience, isn't for everyone, and everyone's tolerance is different.

We also love CC or private tours, and have only done two ship tours during our four European cruises. Be sure in your planning you factor in extra time to return to the ship. On ship-sponsored tours either the ship will wait, or they will be responsible for getting you back aboard. But on any non-ship tour you're on your own, so if you miss sailing time, you really do "miss the boat." They will not wait for you, and you are responsible for getting yourself to the next port. And remember, you will be in many ports without your passport, since the ship typically keeps them unless its a country which requires you to carry your passport ashore.

Local tour operators are very aware of this issue, and they don't want bad reviews on CC or TripAdvisor, so they plan accordingly, but if you're on your own you need the advantage of information before you set foot ashore. Therefore, read up on transportation issues in the ports you're visiting (are trains reliably on time, are there traffic issues in the port which make extra travel time necessary, etc.). We've seen people literally running down the pier to get back to ship as the gangways are being taken down. Who needs that type of stress on a vacation? The advantage of taking a private/small shared tour is you can actually see as much, or more, in less time than the ship's tour, meaning you miss nothing but the crowds on a DIY.:D.

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful cruise!

I'm not trying to denigrate anyone by this comment, but it is food for thought.

After the recent fire and subsequent deaths and cruise cancellation aboard Insignia, everyone's attitudes, expectations and concerns should be set a little more charitably. Imagine the families of those lost, the feelings of their co-workers and employer, and the guests aboard ship at the time. Thank God the crew was well trained and no more were injured or lost than were.

Reflecting on this sad happening makes minor criticisms of any cruise line pale in comparison.

I did not register for the contest and this happened to me a couple months ago.

 

Just for the record, in the year since Princess changed products I've already had a bottle of conditioner explode all over my suitcase. Really hard to get the darn suitcase into the washing machine to get it all washed out. ;)

I had that problem years ago, so I make sure I double-bag my lotions, shampoos, etc. in small freezer bags to ensure no more problems of that type.

I always take several quart and gallon size freezer bags rolled up in my luggage, "just in case". They weigh virtually nothing and can really save a mess if things go wrong during luggage handling while in transit.

Definitely go for it! 2014 is the Panama Canal's 100th anniversary. It is fascinating to see how a 100-year old system still functions so well today. And with the new locks nearing completion, it will be really interesting. The other countries are fun - we especially enjoyed Costa Rica where we visited the rain forest. We didn't need visas either, but if you'll just google VISA for each country you are visiting you can get up-to-date information for each one.

As to cabins, both the Balcony and Concierge cabins are essentially all the same. The concierge cabins come with a few extra perks, so only you can decide if the additional cost is worth it. I would recommend making sure any room you book has cabins above and below, and be sure you understand the proximity of such things as the elevators/stairwells, laundry facilities, etc. And, of course location on the ship can make a difference if you are sensitive to sea sickness.

I also recommend contacting a good TA for their recommendations, help if things go wrong and the possibility of some $$$ credit to lower your cost a bit.

Have a wonderful time. Our Panama cruise aboard the Regatta was one of the best we've ever taken!

Barcelona is a wonderful city. If you can, fly in a day or two early to enjoy it more completely. Sagrada Familia is not to be missed; the interior is spectacular; definitely get your tickets before going so you don't have to stand in the often very long line for entry, otherwise you won't really get to do anything else. Las Ramblas is the heart of the tourist area of Barcelona, and is great fun. A tapas bar for Cava and lunch (remember many restaurants close from ~2-8 P.M. for "siesta") and La Boquerilla for amazing photos of all types of foods, both along Las Ramblas, would be my second must. Parc Guell is fascinating, but if you only have 8 hours (and it takes about 30 minutes to get from the airport downtown), I would forgo it for another trip.

Whatever you choose, enjoy! Barcelona is my favorite embarkation port because of the opportunity to relax, sightsee and eat great food for a few days prior to boarding.

Just got our boarding passes. It states our deck will not board until 2PM, we must be aboard 90 minutes before sailing at 4 PM, and two decks are boarding at the same time. Plus doesn't emergency drill have to be completed before sail away? Is this going to be the nightmare it sounds like?:eek:

Where are you disembarking?

O sometimes offers day tours if many are booked for late flights.

Adults only pool areas are to give adults freedom from kids "horsing around". Your son is a serious swimmer, training for competition. Possibly staff will take that into account and allow him access with your supervision. It can't hurt to ask.

What is the "free" brand of tea?