mamaclark

Thank you for your thoughtful and kind response. Have a wonderful celebration with your family.

As always, we chose this cruise for the itinerary. Japan, Vietnam and Singapore are of particular interest to us.

Thank you for your perspective, but this is their problem, not mine. I buy, they supply.

So noted.

I appreciate your response very much. I suspect there is a tremendous difference between Vista and Regatta. I suppose we could just arrange to eat ashore when we can.

Thank you, I realize for every bad review there are many good ones unwritten. I am agonizing over whether to pull the trigger on this rather expensive cruise when the list clears, which undoubtedly it will. All I can do is compare prior experiences. I never had a bad bite of food on Oceania, never. Were you on the Regatta?

I continue to struggle with posting anything negative about a cruise line I have touted and loved for so long. We had an absolutely hideous Alaska cruise last summer on Regatta and I did not publicly post, only complained to my TA. We have tried to book the Tokyo to Singapore cruise since before Covid, no one's fault for sure. We are waitlisted for the Oct. 29 cruise. Since booking I continue to monitor reviews for Oceania and I am staggered by the number of mediocre and downright bad reviews on the food. On Oceania! I had three inedible meals and one that never arrived. So understaffed, too! Does anyone read the reviews or pay attention? I know, this is heresy.

This made me laugh! Good one! I have often wondered if some of the comments come from "plants" from other cruise lines. Anyone else?

It takes three days to get your laundry back, too, so you must plan carefully.

I have yet to post a review and I intend to...but briefly, we just returned from an Alaskan cruise on the Regatta August 28-September 7. This was our fourth O cruise and it paled in comparison to our previous cruises. The food was lack luster and repetitive, not bad, just very ordinary. My husband sent back two steaks, one in Polo (raw) and the other from GDR (full of gristle). I finally cancelled my entree another evening (GDR) at 9:20 after hearing nothing to let us know what was taking so long. They were short staffed in most areas and we had a language barrier with too many of the staff in the restaurants. I think that is what I missed the most, not having that chance to build a relationship with the staff we saw every day. We did love our room steward and rewarded her in our reviews and gratuities. We came home and canceled a cruise we booked for next spring.😥

Really? I cannot leave our wonderful cabin steward a little something extra?

Wow! I should have been more specific about trying to clarify the bar tab with auto tip vs. cash. Having said that, we are keenly aware of how hard people in the hospitality industry work and, if anything, are a little over the top. We can and do "know how" to do that; for some though this is the trip of a lifetime and they cannot do "over and above." You know what they say...walk a mile in my shoes and those would not be Ferragamos. Have a blessed day.

Works for me and the CDC. I think the point is never to cough or sneeze into your hands.

Use the inside of your elbow if you cannot sneeze or cough into a tissue. Throw tissues away and wash hands. CDC

Yes, got it, thanks for reinforcing. The cabin service is always so outstanding, I can't imagine anyone not giving AT LEAST what they suggest.

Most of it regarded the bar. I appreciated the tip on using cash rather than just signing to the cabin. Thought I had better check...thanks so much!

You are doing all this on TOP of the amount charged for gratuities by O?

I am happy to see this and would be interested to know where you have used them. We are booked in April 2024 Tokyo to Singapore. I am looking at them for Tokyo.

Just booked Tokyo-Singapore for April with SM. Thrilled! Special thanks to LHT28 for so patiently answering questions, including mine.

Fingers crossed ours is minimal, too!

I should have been more clear. The website allowed me to search, etc., but not look at a particular cruises for pricing or availability. Thanks you.

Ironically, Oceania's website is down today so I cannot check the price.

Thanks all. We have had a Tokyo-Singapore booked and cancelled four times since 2020. Perhaps Simply More will make it worth the wait! Meanwhile we are looking forward to our Alaska Cruise in August.