RCNslr

You will find Oceania is not like Celebrity in a lot of ways

When you get to the counter they take your passport info, take your CC then take your photo ..give you your seapass card & you are on your way

You even get luggage tags sent to you

Just back from Sirena and a tip: since they give you a "world Pass" they take your passport and keep it until the trip ends. In some ports you need govt photo id to re-board the ship at the local security, and your passport is not with you, so if you do not have a drivers licence with your photo, you need to make a copy of your passport to use as govt id. The nice people in the pursers office will do this for you if you haven't done it. We learned this on this trip.

I agree

it is more critical to arrive with luggage than when returning home

I would rather not have to worry if my bags will be on the same vacation as I am .....personal choice

When I have to check my big bags I cross pack & hope we get at least one bag if we get both it is another successful flight ;)

If I do take carry on sometimes it is gate checked but usually we each have a small 20 or 21" roller bag

coming home I pack a small folding bag to bring home extras then check the carry-ons

it is all about what works best for you

So right, but we did find another advantage to arriving in Canada with our carry on luggage - the new fangled machine declarations that were a major annoyance (since the one we used with a helper was malfunctioning) and although we were one of the first through to the lineup, we were re-directed to an officer to show the machine printed customs form that was incorrect. Many others passed us due to our delay, but we walked out first anyway since we passed them waiting for their checked luggage to reach the carousel. Our wheelies with our "purses" perched on top made the entire effort easy and we usually ditch liquids that are almost or actually finished to speed through TSA etc.:D

:DWe were gone 21 days in all, the cruise was 16 days. Laundry was a paid item but they do have specials of 20 items for $24.95 washed and folded only. The regular wash, iron, press & starch is more expensive but is ok especially if you have onboard credit to use up. Enjoy Sirena on your cruise.quote=Kingofcool1947;54254158]How many days was your cruise vacation?

On Oceania, is laundry service complimentary? Do they iron, starch and press the clothes?

We will be on Sirena for a 7 day Cuba cruise.

:DWe are on our way home sitting in Miami airport happy with our carry on adventure and sure to do it again. We did not use some items as the ship's laundry meant we always had clean clothes (same outfits) but works for us. We saw people with 6 - 8 bags set out for the crew to haul to the terminal and we did not envy them.

All the observations and suggestions in this thread have been most helpful to us and thanks to you we are carry on cruisers now. BTW great Sirena cruise!

First check in with you all, we arrived in Barcelona without incident. If we had checked our bags we would have been in trouble because our flights were changed due to weather and it was easy to switch because we had carry ons - an unforeseen advantage. Business class was what made it so easy, lots of room for our two roll on bags and two computer size bags. No question asked by any of the agents. Tricky trying to load the new electronic boarding passes in Paris CDG just as we got to the security guy, but it worked. Our Swissair flight were delayed for weather reasons and Lufthansa flew us from Paris on busy flights but got us there only twenty minutes later than we were originally scheduled. Great work by ground staff who told us it would not work if we had checked our bags - security reasons. Just walked Las Rambla and watching CNN to see the poor people caught in the Caribbean storm, our wishes for their safety are foremost in our minds.

I feel your pain! Recently I managed to get the gate next to the one I just exited, so your time is due. I am ready to pack my wife's carry-on under her supervision (of course!). I have finished packing my carry-on for the 16 night Sirena cruise and the three night land stay and I must admit there is much more I would have liked to include, but space is limited, so I will do without binoculars, big camera, scissors etc. Business class is an advantage for overhead space, thus we win on the space not so much on the cost of tickets. They won't be able to lose our luggage since it is with us and the temptation to buy more stuff in airports will be diminished since we won't have any room to stuff it. I weighed my bag and it is 18 lbs, maybe a touch more, but should pass muster. We change aircraft 3 times enroute to

Barcelona, and will have gates to get to but time to do it. Icelandair is best, the gate change is in the same terminal and very close[ they have great schedules on their routes. Swissair will be fine in Paris and Zurich but could be long walks. Yes, I know, I booked this stuff myself hence all the changes of carriers, next time my travel agent can do this. Well we are off to test the 21 day carryon trip and will let you know how it went after we finish dodging hurricanes on Sirena as she heads for Miami.quote=Kate-AHF;54093483]I completely understand. it never fails, I get the gate assignment for my connection, check it against the airport map, and my reaction is always "*&^%$%&$* because the gate I need is in the next county. You would think the law of averages would mean that at some point I will get a nearby gate assignment. But it hasn't happened yet.

I'm not going to try to pack in a 21 inch carry-on. There is never room for it in the overheads. But I have gotten tired of feeling like a pack mule with a small case and my oversized "purse". I recently was entranced by the 15-16 inch underseat carryon rollers, and bought two, one for me, and one for DH plus luggage bungees to strap the "purse" to it. I look forward to our first trip with them next year, walking that mile to the gate, with nothing on my shoulders and a tiny roller behind me.

What a wonderful bunch of folks you are with humour, advice (good), and a can do attitude. The cruise is the trick to this with using the laundry service ( we have tons of OBC) as you have advised me. Our euro air is German and Swiss, so we do expect an eagle eye on our luggage. We travel business class, so this might help. Regrettably my wife has Alzheimer's and the fewer things I have to track for her makes it easier, so I will do the carryon and bless her she does not complain. BTW ball caps are ultra vires other than Sirena caps which will be removed when in ladies company, Churches, dining places and anywhere else they might offend. Thus one cap only, but I giggled at the choice suggestion!

Thanks, we leave tomorrow for Barcelona to join ship Friday, all your good advice was gratefully received.:D

In the style of the late Don Horner, but not as good as he did it, we will attempt to do our 21 day cruise stay with carry-on bags only. It is a challenge, and given the rules (18 lb max on flights in Europe) means that our "extras" will be left at home. since the weather will be cool it makes it easier to wear a sports jacket onboard the plane (no packing) and .... cut out all frills. have any of you done this?;)

what a superb summary of a visit onboard Marina - well done, and accurate with great pics!

Sorry to be pedantic - but actually not so.

 

The Celtic Sea is the area of the ocean, broadly off the southern coast of Ireland, until it hits the English Channel. The Irish Sea remains the water between the island of Ireland and the island of Great Britain.

Thank you , I stand corrected - too eager to embrace the new sea namings. :o

Very good point - newspapers can be read and one can determine bias quite quickly. Just checked in with BBC this morning and see that in Dublin some six people have been injured due to a car hitting them, Police haven't said it was terrorist but have not ruled it out. Must check this out in the Irish Times newspaper. Careful in Dublin, folks!

Canadians can only get CNN and their own biased news. Fox is considered cable, few get it. So there is NO balance in Canada.

 

What happened to unbiased news. I remember a time that only news was reported not opinionated news. If a reporter had a bias, they were fired. Now you cant tell the difference between reporters and pundits.

Actually we get more news from varied sources than you suggest. It is comical and sad that some of you believe the junk that Fox produces under the pretext of news - but it is their form of news and you are entitled to your opinions. Our own CBC and the UK BBC give us a reasonable unbiased view of what goes on in the world - it is difficult to watch what our great neighbour the excited states seems to be burdened with these days. Perhaps we are suffering from a North America lack of good leadership that impacts us all.:p

Thanks, Lyn. I'm delighted to hear they were prevented!

 

We're to be in Barcelona and Mallorca in November, and Nice in April. We'll just be careful ... as we always are these days.

 

I remember we were in a small town museum in France about six months after 9/11 and the concierge asked us if we were frightened (he knew we were New Yorkers) and we said no. And from what I have seen, Europeans have reacted in the same way. You cannot just shut yourself up in your apartment.

How very true - keep on travelling, but....when we were in Barcelona last fall in the old part of the city we were taking pictures of the old buildings when we were rudely confronted by a local (Arabic person) who screamed at us not to take pics of the building, we complied, but I have always wondered about this chance encounter - since all our previous experiences in Barcelona have been great. We will be there again in September since we enjoy the city so much and that is where Sirena departs from - we will be more attentive to the surroundings we are in, but will once again go to old Barcelona. It is too much fun to bypass and silly to be put off by nutcase terrorists and by September Barcelona may need more tourists we will be there with our sympathy for those killed and injured and joy for a marvellous metropolis.:p

We are thinking of the Sept. 9 2017 cruise for the North and Irish Seas on the Nautical and worried that the seas might be very rough. Has anyone out there taken this cruise?

Yes, we did this cruise In June on Nautica and thoroughly enjoyed it. the weather was wonderful, the ports terrific, the people both onboard and the locals were most kind. We did skip one port because of a gale but I enjoyed the sea time (Celtic sea, formerly Irish Sea). Had my trusty heavy duty rain jacket but did not need it. the spectacular views coming round the north of Scotland and enrolee to Belfast were worth the trip alone. Go for it and don't be put off by those who tell you otherwise - the leprechauns will look out for you especially after a Guinness or two!:D

Our very first meal on Oceania was in Toscana. It was lobster pasta and very tough. We didn't send it back because for all we knew that was as good as it got. We have learned not to order lobster as part of another dish, including surf and turf. If we want s & t, we order a steak and the steamed lobster. The lobster is always great, the steak a crapshoot. It can range from excellent to shoe leather. Really.

 

Our first cruise on Marina I ordered the pork in Jacques that everyone was raving about. It was over cooked and tough. In fact on that cruise the food in Jacques was not very good. I tried it again later with same result. The Lobster Thermidor was so so. Gave up on Jacques.

 

I never really cared for Toscana much but on a couple of cruises it had the best food on the ship.

 

Jacques also came up a winner on a longer cruise. Go figure.

 

My take on this is that it totally depends on the chef, which restaurants are great on any given cruise. Can range from excellent to inedible. And on 2 of our cruises the food overall was bordering on mediocre. Having said that, we choose to stick with O as there are more winners than losers.

 

We do enjoy the MDR for the changing menu. Don't do dinner in The Terrace unless we are in a warm climate and want to dine outside. It can be lovely, and I enjoy the ambiance in spite of the food. DH enjoys the sushi bar. I hate buffets. Except the breakfast in Terrace is my favourite, preferably outside, weather permitting.

 

I do agree that there is little to no spice in the O kitchens so the ethnic dishes they prepare often miss the mark. I recognize that they are serving the masses, and having grown up with a father who wasn't fond of too much seasoning I totally understand.

 

For us, we love the entire experience and appreciate the smoking policy which brought us to O in the beginning.

 

There you go. More than you ever wanted to know about our opinions of the food on O. [emoji41]

 

Mo

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Good overview of the dining, Mo, and our recent experience on Nautica in June saw us give up one of our specialty restaurant dinners in favour of the Terrace which hosted an excellent "India Tastes" which proved to be a great choice. It seems to be hit and miss in Polo more often than in the past, but posters have convinced me to try the pork on our Sirena trip next month. The GDR is the best bet for us even if service is sometimes iffy. Compared to other cruises, O is still tops, and even many great restaurants cannot be on top of their game every night! So, it is with thanks that I commend O chefs and staff for doing a tough job exceptionally well!:D

Good point, If he was nose upriver, at the jetty, then he would be required to sound "I am going astern" on the horn for navigational purposes. We were in Greenock early June on Oceania's Nautica and very much enjoyed the piper who was there when we arrived and the pipe band at departure. The ship's horn was sounded to thank them and applause from those passengers watching the departure was given them. Cunard usually is very good about such things and properly appreciative, perhaps there was another reason for the omission. ;)

quote=goodsailors;53493848]QE was in Greenock today and it was disappointing to note that when she departed, unlike on her previous visits and of the visits of other Cunard Queens, there was no sounding of her horn.

The main reason for finding it disappointing was that I would have thought it courteous to acknowledge the pipe band who were playing on the quay side, in the pouring rain, as she departed, not forgetting the few hundred people who turned out to see her off.

Anyone able to say who the captain is on her current cruise?

We have taken 4 Cunard cruises and liked them all in QG or PG, QM2 is a great ship even if the officers are a bit toffy nosed sometimes. We now travel on Oceania almost exclusively since the food is usually very good and the relaxed atmosphere more conducive to our ways. Having said this, I still believe the best transatlantic trips are on QM2 and we may return since the airlines seem to running their businesses like they are a bus line.

Can't think of enough compliments for the waiters and service on Cunard that we have received, food is something we all have opinions about, but it is hard to deny that the cruise experience on Cunard is excellent.

Full marks to the poster/reviewer for her time and effort. It simply proves the saying, "chacun a son gout" (each to his/her own taste). Having done 4 trips on Regatta and 7 others on O ships as well as Cunard, Celebrity, Princess and Norwegian, my taste is Oceania and my bias is showing. Keep on cruising and look for the positives in your sea time.:D

We were docked near the fort/museum on Sirena in 2016 and it was superb. The seafront in that area has undergone a massive redevelopment that makes for a great walk/shop/eat tour. Previously on Marina and Riviera we were docked at the commercial port and a shuttle bus was the only way to get in and out of Marseille - not all that bad as some suggest, but better than nothing.:D

Thanks folks...for your comments, ORV prompted me to make a short post.

 

No, I am not cruising in the near and not so near future. Why? Well I have been to about every place on earth I ever wanted to go, and too to me cruising was a means to accomplish something,..I am not one to go again and again to the same places, it doesn't work for me.( Alexander the Great wept when he had no more worlds to conquer )

 

Too the world situation overseas I have learned/seen first hand, is not good at best and travel to most all the globe,( except Australia/NZ,Tahiti Hawaii) is now a VERY risky business. I am and have been a risk taker. my whole life, military, flying,climbing etc.. but only to a point that I feel they are manageable., However, the risks I see today are unacceptable to me and go far beyond..:o

You dont have to agree, but you ignore the elephant in the room if you dont. The media paints a very rosy picture which in NOT reality. It is in the selfish best interest of magazines, travel agents,,tour promoters, etc to paint a distorted from reality image of the truth.:confused:

 

.I know some here see cruising as a "life style" making 2-3-4 cruises a year. I am not one of those,. Dont take this the wrong way, but having sailed on Oceania an average of 30 days a year, the experience lost its thrill, and excitement and became routine. So, I am taking a break of several years or more to reflect on cruising's merit and value to me in the future.

So, I bid you all adieu and wish the best for you on any path you choose to take...

.God Bless. Dan:cool:

As usual, Dan, you make some good observations and one can only respect your decision to take a break. But, I do hope that you "must return to the sea again..." and a chance to have that long promised vodka that I said I would buy you. I suspect that I might be joining your queue shortly given that my wife is having health issues - I don't embrace being beached easily, but life sometimes makes choices for us. Best wishes to you and a grey goose still looms in your future.;)

Si!;p

per cab

Yes, Deck 5 is an excellent location to deck chair sit. If you chat to the guys on the pool deck, they will supply you with a blanket for your deck chair in the event that it is breezy. BITOB said it right and lyn sent nice pictures - Sirena is a great way to travel, we sailed on the inaugural and will be back onboard this September sitting in a deck 5 deck chair from time to time.

Are there deck chairs aside from directly around the swimming pool? Have booked an outside stateroom for the first time and thus am interested in alternatives to balcony seating. Thank you.

 

Clipper

We will be on an Alaskan cruise in July on Regatta. We have a B2 veranda, and we look forward to our balcony. We are particularly anxious to experience the itinerary, food, and ship. So...In order to enjoy some hidden jems on a Regatta, we are asking veteran Regatta cruisers to share their "favorite find" that they have enjoyed while on their trips. For example, share the best spots for panoramic views, quiet getaway, seating, etc. In fact, please share any tips on how to enjoy the various areas and amenities of Regatta. Thank you for your tips!

Having been on Regatta to Alaska twice last year, the best spot for watching for eagles, bears and wildlife is outside on Deck 11 (forward) especially when traveling the inside passage, get up early on Glacier visit day and gain a seat in the front row Horizons (deck 10) to view the scenery, and if you enjoy the waves get a lounger & blanket on Deck 5 which is also excellent for seeing whales. As others have suggested it is easy to enjoy this trip on Regatta - have fun!

Absolutely concur with this report, especially since we were onboard the same voyage and can only add that you do tend to get better acquainted with the other passengers in forward cabins as most of you are out enjoying arrivals and departures. Good fun and well worth the location as long as you are not prone to seasickness and enjoy fresh air. We have never had a problem with wind, although it did blow hard a few times - in fact I enjoy when it does, but this is not everyone's cup of tea.this

We were in 7001 on the maiden voyage on Sirena and loved it. Remember when you are approaching a port the ship is moving slowly and you have a ringside seat. We watched the crew ready the anchor for tender ports and the senior crew on the bow. The cabins all around us, the people came out every morning to watch the entry with coffee in hand. Venice, Kotor, Malta, Monte Carlo etc. all fabulous from the front of the ship. You generally travel at night and we never had a problem with the wind or the need to turn off the lights. I would book this again without hesitation.

Just to provide a differing view from the others, we travel in a forward cabin for the views, the bounce (if there is any wave action), and have rarely been bothered by wind. There will be wind because of the ship's progress, but just as often there will be a following wind which affects cabins located aft. Seldom are balcony items tied down during normal passages - only if it is rough. We are unaffected by seasickness which helps making this choice easier, thus higher is better. We are also early risers, so the crew prepping the foredeck for arrival or anchoring does not bother us - it is part of the entertainment.

We enjoyed our Nautica VS the only time we chose VS. Scenery is spectacular each time we have travelled the Inside Passage to Alaska (which is four in all), whale watching last year was best ever, fellow passengers very congenial, crew outstanding on Regatta and if your heart is set on spending for OS or VS you can't go wrong. Have a great voyage.:D