alcpa1

Please consider letting the staff take your luggage down to the terminal. It will be much easier. Toting one's luggage may entail steps within the ship or ramps disembarking. Too many passengers choose to remove their own luggage and it creates chaos in the elevators and hallways on the ship. A disembarkation time of 8:30 to 9:00 is very reasonable and less crowded than anything earlier. We have used Rome in Limo and recommend them too.

Thanks for the review. We will be onboard shortly and it's always great to get current reviews.

Think also about moving the items in your safe. We were able to access the new cabin's safe immediately. The cabin steward, in our case, moved all the luggage and we were on our way off the ship. You will meet staff who will handle the turn over process and issue new keys.

You will have plenty of time to get a true appreciatlion for the great project that will always be a engineering feat. If you haven't read David McCullough's "The Path Between The Seas" grab it when you get home. It's a must read for anyone who has any interest in the Panama Canal. We've gone through several times and will be returning in just a few months. There is really no bad exterior viewpoint. Follow the recs to move decks and from port to starboard. I prefer watching the mules from the aft though. Enjoy!!!

Do contact Special Needs. They will arrange the distilled water and an extension cord depending on the ship. These items may not be in your cabin when you board but just ask your steward or butler and everything will be provided.

We stayed at the Avenida Palace last year. The location was great. We thought the hotel was rather run down. There are some very good restaurants within easy walking distance and unlike most of the sidewalks in Lisbon the streets were paved not beautifully covered in Portugese tile shards. Last year's visit was not our first. You will wish you could stay longer it's such a wonderful city.

Just as an FYI. Aruba's airport regiment can be arduous. Be prepared to stand outside in a long line as many US flights leave about the same time.

Oceancruiser2023, Welcome to Cruise Critic. Scroll down the home page and you will find a Ports of Call/Destinations forum for Europe.or the Mediterranean. Many of your questions can be researched there. A sister site that will be helpful is Trip Advisor. If you booked with Simply More reconsider taking a tour to Rome. The one day tours, while long, will hit the high spots. Logistically this is the optimum way to get a taste of Rome. Rome is not a wandering city for a day. I have not been to Argostoli so I can't help there. All the other towns are easily walkable if you can manage the terrain. Please join the ROLL CALL for your sailing. There will be other passengers who may put together small group excursions.

This should act as a firm committment from a holding company not truly aware of Azamara's unique place in the cruising industry. Perhaps the rumors of new builds now have a chance. We love Azamara just not the bathrooms!!!

Connecting cabins are notoriously noisy. It wouldn't be my choice on any ship. Have you looked at the itineraries for the newest ship VISTA? It's passenger complement is smaller than either the Marina or Riveria although the ship is about the same size. And, it's shiny new.

The original question was asked if anyone had had itinerary changes. We sure have, We will now embark from PC and go through the Canal instead of embarking from Cartagena and hitting some of the lower islands for longer port stays. This is a Sirena sailing in March 2024. We were originally scheduled to sail on Sirena in '21 from PC and ended up on the Marina for the same itinerary.

Just as an FYI............. Many cruise lines are in the same situation. We were just on an X cruise embarking in Vancouver. The same issues were persistent.

We sail both lines but have done a Marina in SA but not the Antarctic. I would seriously compare the itineraries and time in each port. For example, you want the longest port time you can get in Ushuaia. Are there multiple ports to see the penguins? What other experiences do you want? With O you now have the excursions as part of Simply More. Of course you don't have to use them but you are paying for them. We prefer to do our own excursions and the last trip we used EcoUruguay for every port in January '23. There are other companies of course. Happy planning. Either would work for me.

I too recommend the Dec. 3rd itinerary. We have done both but this is the one I never tire of. I too thought it was strange with a sea day between Aruba and Curacao. Bonaire is just a short sail between. When you get to Cartagena tour with Dora. She operates the best tours in Cartagena. She is sensitive to the needs of her clients too. If you haven't been to Aruba take an island tour that takes you all over the islands. Some tours only go to the east. Try to find one that goes to Baby Beach on the west coast. My best advice on Bonaire is to avoid the temptation of picking up salt! There aren't many signs but it's a big no no. I found out the hard way. We've been to Curacao three or four times and are finally going to take an island tour when we are there in '24. The ABC islands are famous for their water sports. You will have to choose since it's almost impossible to tour and snorkle, swim or dive in one day. Choices............. You should think about going to the Canal visitors center and museum in Panama. If you have time consider a visit to the Embera Village. There's lots of information on the Ports of Call boards. Enjoy!!!!!

If you are sailing a one way cruise think about your flights too. Sailing from Whittier/Seward and disembarking in Vancouver brings you 1500 miles closer to your lower 48's. There are also more flights with better times from Vancouver. FYI Hubbard Glacier is an ascending glacier while Glacier Bay is not. If you choose a Seward embarkation ships sail into Hubbard in the afternoon after the morning fog has lifted. Unless it's an extended cruise (more than 9 days) and you like sea days in the outer passage don't select Seattle,

Sorry to hear of your plight but dang, if you TA can't get it worked out, it's on him. Don't take it out on the crew and staff.

Thanks for the suggestions. The original itinerary did not include the canal zone. Actually we were just there on the Marina in 21. We were scheduled to be on the Sirena which to our glee, was changed to the Marina. We are traveling with friends who, while not cruise noobies, have never sailed on Oceania. We wanted them to experience O. They are already balking at the cost of the cruise anyway. As cruise planner, I didn't check Explora. They would not be comfortable on any Silversea sailing. It's going to be hard enough to keep them out of jeans as it is. We are way past RCCL.....been there, done that. We earned our loyalty + rating more than fifteen years ago. Oceania is a better fit for us. Again much appreciate your responses.

Are you traveling through the canal? Have you been to Panama City before? Have you toured the Miraflores Visitor's Center? Whatever you do DO NOT wander beyond the pier in Colon. It's nasty and dangerous. When you answer the first questions there should be some good responses.

Oh how ironic because one week ago O changed our Sirena Cartagena to Miami embarkation to Panama City to Miami through the canal. With the length of time it takes to book a transit reservation one would think (not anyone at O) that the altered itinerary would have been announced months ago. Gone are our days in Cartagena's walled city and one of our ports and an added sea day...........oh well.

We have a scheduled stop at Barbuda coming up and from the little I know there are few tour options available particularly for people with disabilities. I would also hope that the island has recovered substantially from Irma. Any suggestions and information would be greatly appreciated.

PS We were on the same cruise as Joel Barry.

We had the children of friends in Sao Paulo and really wanted to see their newest baby but they urged us not to come. They mentioned distance and, of course, the traffic. We stayed in Santos and went to the Coffee Museum as well. They opened on their closed day for tours BTW. We spent a wonderful couple of hours at the botanical gardens and toured the outskirts of the city. We hated to miss the children but in the end thought it was the wisest thing we did.

Don't bring your own extension cord. Ask your cabin steward for one.

The major cruise lines have contracts with the port into 2025. The news reports are varied and some suggest that it will just be the day stops that are banned and embarkation and disembarkions will be permitted. I am wondering about overnights since we have one on Azamara next year. The authorities are also banning weed on the streets and instituting restrictions within the Red Light District. Rowdy bachelor parties, especially British ones, are being discouraged. The Dutch want their Amsterdam back!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the notice. I will follow it closely as we are scheduled to overnight there next August on the Onward.