cindygad

We are elite on Celebrity. We have noticed a decline in alot of areas the last few years. We gave Oceania a try in Feb to South America. We ended up having 8 extra days due to virus hitting. We had to travel from South America to Miami to deport. We attribute the care to details as to why our ship remained virus free.

What I liked better was definitely the food. We ate in dining room for almost all meals except for about 12 meals in specialty dining. We had a window room and were able to get a reservation in each of four specialty restaurants, We found it very easy to get more reservations if we down and checked in morning. We found the food better in all venues. We have cruised since 1979 and I agree Oceania is like Celebrity was in past.

We are dancers and found the big band and 2 other smaller bands much better on Oceania. We have been un happy on Celebrity you will be listening or dancing in area and then after 40 min nothing would be going on in lounge. On Oceania in 15 min another band will set up and play. We do not go to other entertainment so I can not compare.

We always plan ahead and due our own excursions. We did feel the online board or roll call was not as active as Celebrity.

liked that we had internet free when we booked our cruise for one person at a time.

We booked our flight through cruise line and did not like 150 deviation fee a person because we went 4 days early.

The price is more than Celebrity but feel the service, food make up for it and have a cruise for Oct scheduled 2021 if that happens will look forward to cruising with Oceania.

On our extended cruise of 8 days to get to a port that would except us we were treated with professionalism in all areas.

Goodmorning, My husband and I was on the Marina. We are home and safe. We were treated by professional hard working staff. Kudos to them for keeping the ship so clean and passengers well. To my knowledge no one had the virus. We actually felt very safe and in a protected bubble on the ship. I was quite anxious to get off and enter back into the world.

Life went on without any issues on the ship. They kept on serving us with a smile and had wide selection of food. I do not know how they did that with 8 extra days at sea! Total of 11 sea days before we got off. It was unsettling to be refused to enter ports. Going through the canal and to Miami was a wise choice.

This was our first Oceania Cruise out of 32 cruises. This will not be our last.

Pray for the crew for many can not go home as their ports are closed to entry

We are self isolating even though we feel fine. Lets all work together to get through this and make our world stronger.

All our best

Thank you , I bought a card last year and still have some punches left.

Is there still a punch coffee card you can buy for bistro?

Mike you have my deepest condolences of your beloved wife Carol. I have been reading your reviews and enjoying your pictures for years.  You have inspired me and my husband on taking more than one trip after reading your comprehensive reports. So happy you were able to continue to travel and share your trip with your son.

We will be on our first Oceania cruise in Feb and on Marina. After your review I feel I know more what to expect. This is a great time to thank you for the detailed reviews and how much we appreciate the time and detail you put into them. Even without Carol you did a wonderful job.

Last year when we finished our river cruise I had my knee replaced. I no longer could keep up with my husband. We walked alot but I had pain with each step. I hope you get relief. With all you have planned it would be hard to fit a replacement in.

Enjoy the many memories you have with Carol. I hope to see you someday in person and thank you for your awesome reviews and pictures. Keep traveling!

Mike,

Thank you so much for all the hard work and time you put in your reviews. They often inspire me to want to go somewhere new after reading yours. I feel like I understand and know what to expect on the Edge. We are going in March.  We did not get infinity balcony due to cost. Your pictures show it in detail and it makes me feel like I have experienced it even though I won't.Thanks again and keep traveling

Thank you for all the tips. I am getting excited for our trip in March. The ship looks amazing!

Esprit, Enjoy your cruise. Please talk to your daughter and tell her to please incorporate some slots for ballroom and latin.  It will not ruin cruise but will probably keep me from booking again.  We are not booked until March. Please report back if you find anywhere to dance.

I was wondering the same thing. I love to dance after eating and some ballroom dancing

I for one am glad they extended the hours. I just got off the Jewel RCCl and loved the hours of 500=830 for three drinks on our card. It was nice to be able to have a glass of wine in the dining room. We had not cruised on RCCl for 21 years. ALSO when my husband went to get our drink the first night the three drinks were included. 

We do mostly celebrity cruises.  In March on the Edge, we have the drink package as a perk. I have never bought the drink package, we just do not drink enough to justify it. The one thing I like better about Celebrity is the martini bar. 

Thank you for taking the time to go through all the pictures. I started the blog instead of picture albums and it is a nice way to help remember the trip.

It had been 21 years since we had been on RCCL. We have primarily traveled on Celebrity since. This was our 26th cruise.  It started off to a rocky start boarding due to a virus on the previous cruise. Understandably we want them to do their job and make sure safe for passengers. The main problem was communication. From when you checked in all we were told is that the rooms were not ready.  People were sitting in halls and stairways. They could do a better job maybe telling you where to go and wait more comfortably.  The could walk around and offer water. Would this taint my opinion of the cruise? No, we were very happy for the most part

We found the food exceptional in the dining room and other seasoned passengers we commenting on how good it was. The two sea days we ate in the dining room for lunch was superb. One day we had lobster and shrimp and the other my husband said the salmon was some of the best he has ever had. We felt the meat and fish dishes were outstanding. Hats of to chief.

To top this off we had two of our favorite waiters and assistant waiter. We had any time dining and found them the first night. We requested a table in their area every night after. We started cruising in 79 and they reminded me of some of the best services we back when service was everything.

Another positive was our room Attendant; She remembered your name and was top Notch. 

We are diamond level and loved the lounge. It was nice to have longer open time to free drinks 5-830. I liked we could also get a glass of wine in the dining room before 830.

We felt the layout of the ship and decor and upkeep was great on Jewel.

We did not find the crew to generally be as happy and friendly as on Celebrity. We however as very lucky to get outstanding servers and stuck with them.

We are dancers and found the bands and music venues good. They sure used the forum to the extreme. They could have used the lounge with bigger dance floor up in Safari more instead of cramming everyone in the forum. They did, however, use this area other times and would get maximum crowd involvement with activities.

Sad to say on our last day they had a big glitch in Naples. We were supposed to be off at 0700 and ship was not even in port yet. Again communication was very poor. There were lines of people waiting to get off. The line wrapped around the hallway. All could have been avoided with communication in what was going on with delay. Staff was frazzled and had no idea what was going on. Unfortunately first and the last impression was very poor of how Staff handled common occurrences.

My glass is always half full and I would cruise again with RCCL

Here is my travel blog of the trip.

Warning very picture intensive

https://cindygad.travellerspoint.com/80/

"I'm not good with blogs. I just don't get them really. I've tried reading others blogs and I get so confused as to how to navigate them or look for things.

I did start a website with all of my reviews and ports, ships and so on. I just haven't finished it or published and hosted it yet. I keep taking all these darn vacations and can't never seem to get caught up. I gave a preview of it on one of my other reviews.

If you are interested in checking out what I'm working on...here's a 3 minute video showing what I have been working on.

I hope you have a wonderful cruise on the Jewel. We definitely enjoyed ourselves.

I have never been to St John yet. I hear people talk about the wonderful snorkeling there. Some day I'll make it there.

Thanks for the good luck from this nurse to you as a nurse. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/imag...moji-grin-1677"

Love what you are working on. Makes looking at all your wonderful pictures easier. Thanks again for your time involved to share with us.

Wow Kim thanks for your review and all your pictures. Have you ever thought of doing a travel blog. Your writing and pictures are amazing. You then can post a link on here and easier to see pictures. I do a blog instead of picture albums now for my travels. I am not the photographer you are though. Your detail is wonderful and makes you feel like you are there. We usually cruise once a year and it will be 21 years since we have been on RRCl. We will be on Jewel in October and I feel I know what to expect from your pictures.

Have you ever been to St John? I love the snorkeling there from shore. Loved seeing the pictures of your daughter and her drawings are so skilled for her age.

I admire your work ethic and from one Nurse to another good luck on finishing your degree.

Thanks Clarea,

So does the coffee machine in DL make good specialty coffee's?

Any dancers out there to know if place to dance nightly?

We cruised RCCL 3 times early on our cruising days. Starting with honeymoon in 79. Looking forward to Italy and Greece trip on Jewel. This will be 26th cruise.

1. Any venues for ballroom dancing? Love to dance away calories after dinner.

2. Anytime dining anything we need to know about on RCCL. Can you ask for same waiter each night?

3. Coffee card how do you get it? What floor is specialty coffee located?

4. Diamond level. Like that time frame is longer than we are used to. Also like that they are loaded on sea pass card. What is the list of drinks you can get? Is there somewhere to get specialty coffee in Diamond lounge in am?

I am sure will have more questions but appreciate any answers

Enjoying your report . Thanks for taking the time. May I ask how much day pass was at Jolly Beach resort?

Forget the ship's tours and check out Eli's Eco Tour. You get some great sightseeing, some snorkeling, a bit of beach time and lunch. We did it a few years ago the last time we were in Antigua and loved it.

http://www.adventureantigua.com/the-eco-tour/

I totally agree.We have done all 3 of Eli's tours and they have been some of the best excursions we have ever done. Check out web sight.He is used to working with people on Cruises and always got us back with plenty of time to spare. First Class Act.

Thank you for the illustrated report. I've just managed to finish it.

Most of your excursions are new aspects of familiar ports. We go to Tenerife most winters. However, I have only travelled through La Laguna, on the way to the Mercedes Forest, but never managed to stop. A must for our visit this winter!

Thank you and sorry for the length. I need to check about Mercedes Forest first I have heard of this.

Since we had been to every port except Tenerife I tried to do new things. Fun to find different things and enjoy a familiar port in different ways. This trip was very relaxing and at unhurried pace. Except for SCARY ending of bike tour in Marseille.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip! You took a lot of beautiful pictures of amazing sites and vistas. We have been to Rome for two days pre-cruise, and your report just makes me want to go back. It is such a great city!

 

So glad you did not miss the ship, boy was that close :eek:

My husband takes all the pictures. Funny thing he takes them all then never looks at them again! For me I relive trip again and again through pictures.

It was way too close. I told Amine the guide If we did not make it back I was staying with him. Not sure where my DH was staying but I had a backup plan.

I used to think westward TA were preferable. I have now been on 3 and wake earlier and earlier, as my body clock doesn't change. On our Infinity one in 2013, breakfast was scheduled 1 hr earlier towards the end of the crossing as so many people found difficulty in sleeping!

OK you will loose an hour each day on the eastbound crossing, but you won't have to get up to go out on excursions on many days.

I agree we both kept waking up at 4 with all the time changes. When we got home I thought with the long crossing our body would be adjusted. Not so it took us a few days at home to get adjusted. It was easier than flying though.

Rome, Villefranche, Marseille, Barcelona and Tenerify on Reflection Transatlantic Oct 21 2016. This was our first time doing a Transatlantic. We could not believe how calm the seas were and how warm it was. Loved the Reflection. Hope to do another in the future. This was our 25th cruise and one of our favorites.

Very picture intensive blog. I do not print pictures anymore so my way of remembering trip. Sorry I made a mistake so you have to go to right of blog to hit on part one. Rome 2016 and 15 day cruise.

http://cindygad.travellerspoint.com/

Just back from 19 days total and 15 day transatlantic cruise. We took stairs and went to Gym everyday for one hour. We did not miss one meal, ate more bread than we ever do and most nights dessert. My husband came home yesterday and said he lost 3 pounds!!!!

Today I got back to GYM stepped on scale and gingerly looked at pounds and was pleasantly surprised. I gained one pound.

Forgot to say we danced every night for about a half hour too.

One thing for me is the main entree portion was too big so I did not always eat it all. I told waiter to bring me smaller portions if he could.

Food was very good on our crossing. One night did not want any entrees so ate 3 appetizers,

We just got back from Transatlantic Cruise. This is first time we have not brought my husbands tux. He wore a nice suit and tie. I was pleased to see about 20 percent still in tuxes, Everyone has different interpretation of what Chic is.

The only thing I did not like was seeing so many ladies in pants in the evening. I brought several skirts and dresses and was pleased to see a lot of women did the same for all nights.

Thanks for sharing your honest opinions.I agree with some of your opinions except your dining experience.

This was our 25th cruise, 15th with Celebrity, First on Reflection and First Transatlantic My husband and I who are both 59 ate every-evening in main dining room with select time.. We felt the food and service had improved and felt they were excellent. I how ever only ordered steak once and it was good not great. We tend to order fish, lamb and pork dishes. My husband raises own beef so steaks never compare to what we are used to.We commented many times on just how good we thought the food was. Salads better, Main entrees good.Desserts better, a superb experience for us. The only complaint I have is

entree portion is to large.

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