LovesToRead

A belated thank you for this information. We've booked a private tour that includes Eze.

We would like to visit Eze Village; we'll dock at Monte Carlo. Would we be able to get a taxi at the port to Eze? Is there a train or bus we could take?

Many thanks!

We had lovely services on the Marina in July. Services were guest-led and well-attended. On our 10-day cruise, the first service was held in the art studio and the second in the theater.

DH and I were on Explore the Isles on the Marina from 7/23 to 8/2. This was our first cruise on Oceania. We're in our early 60s; we've sailed with Cunard, Crystal, Regent, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean. We took this cruise as part of our 25th wedding anniversary celebration and we had a wonderful time! Despite a few missteps, Oceania definitely lived up to our expectations, based on the recommendations of friends and those on this board.

Food

Of course, this is always very personal. However, I thought that this was just about the best food that we've had at sea. We went to all 4 specialty restaurants (and were able to have dinner at Toscana, our favorite, twice). On the two occasions when we sent food back (once I found my lamb wasn't hot enough and once my husband received the wrong dish), the situation was quickly resolved and the servers were apologetic. We were extremely pleased with the Terrace Café for dinner. The atmosphere was lovely and the grill was terrific. A minor concern is that the wait staff in some of the venues seems to be unevenly trained. The pacing at Red Ginger seemed a bit off and we had one lunch in the GDR where, despite the fact that the room was virtually empty and there were two servers nearby, it took a very long time to get a different salad dressing. We also had an experience at Jacques where our previously ordered anniversary cake (suggested by the maître d' when we stopped by in advance) never arrived. Although this was disturbing, we didn't let it spoil the cruise (but I did note it in my evaluation).

Ports

We took 3 excursions and explored the remaining ports on our own. For us, this was a good mix. The excursions (to Cawdor Castle, a panoramic drive around Isle of Skye, and Kinsale) were quite good; the guides were excellent. Our fellow excursion passengers were extremely polite and prompt; people were early getting onto and back to the bus. The only frustration (as I've noted in another post) was that, for the ports that we did on our own, we didn't learn about shuttle information until late the night before.

Ship

The ship is lovely and immaculate. We loved the fact that there were so many places that one could sit and be quiet if desired. Our cabin attendant was fine and kept the room in great shape.

Staff

Ray Michaels, the cruise director, was very warm and accessible. Thomas, our concierge, was extremely helpful and provided excellent information about ports.

I owe my fellow CC posters a big thank you; the information that I gathered on these boards was an enormous help!

Again, we loved the Marina and the Oceania experience and are planning a second cruise next spring.

I just returned from the Marina; Ray Michaels was the CD. We liked him very much; found him extremely warm and accessible.

I just returned from a British Isles cruise that stopped in Dublin. The shuttle dropped us off on Kildare Street, right near Trinity College.

I just returned from Explore the Isles on the Marina.

-Edinburgh - Private shuttle for 10 pounds roundtrip from South Queensferry to Charlotte Square.

-Invergordon - Not sure. We walked into town and then took a ship's excursion.

-Kirkwall - Not sure; believe we were able to walk into Kirkwall.

-Portree - Not sure; I believe town was near the tender pier. We took a ship's excursion.

-Belfast - Free shuttle to town center (near City Hall).

-Dublin - Free shuttle to Kildare Street.

-Cobh - Don't think there was a shuttle; you could walk into Cobh. We took an excursion.

-Portland - Two free shuttles provided: one to Weymouth and the other to Portland

This was a wonderful cruise and I hope to do a brief review. However, it was frustrating that we typically didn't know definitely about shuttles until we received Currents the evening before we reached a port.

We just returned from a cruise where we used Smiths. They took us from airport to London hotel, from hotel to Southampton, from Southampton to London hotel, and back to the airport. We found the drivers extremely professional and prompt (often early) and were very pleased with the service.

We'll be in Kirkwall on Sunday. Will shops and sights be open?

Thank you!

We're also doing a British Isles cruise this summer. For that reason, I was happy to stumble upon Letters from Skye, by Jessica Brockmole. Although I wouldn't consider it great literature, the engrossing story gave me a sense of the Isle of Skye and Edinburgh, two ports that we'll visit. Happy reading and have a wonderful cruise!

We're actually having the opposite problem. We've been booked on an O cruise for over a year and would like to receive some brochures. Despite repeated requests (online and over the phone), we haven't received anything!

We'll be arriving in Cobh and would like to take a taxi to Kinsale, where we plan to wander around and likely have some lunch. Would it be best to book this in advance or are there sufficient taxis at the dock so that we could arrange this when we arrive? Any idea of what this might cost? There are two of us.

Many thanks for your help!

Many, many thanks for the information; it was a great help in planning our pre-cruise stay!

I'm wondering if anyone has stayed in this area and if so, what your thoughts are. I'm planning short pre- and post-cruise stays and I'm struck by the wonderful views, convenience, and the fact that it's a relatively newly developed area. Thoughts? Hotel recommendations? Many thanks!

Thank you so much for this terrific review and the wonderful photos. We were on the same cruise; I'll post a brief review in the next few days.

I look forward to reading more about your impressions.