vaitape

Ditto!

As a person who lives with eczema/contact dermatitis, I carry a small bottle of hand lotion (can be found in the travel section of CVS, Rite Aide etc) and use that to lubricate/soothe after hand sanitizer use. Work very well....

Jo-b, Thanks for your unhelpful comment.

Shame on O to demote perks for loyalty passengers. Don't want a bottle of their cheap plonk instead of $100 OBC and Spa Credits. What will be taken away next.....credit for air deviation or the Free Cruise?

We sailed on Seabourn and Windstar in 2017 and had fabulous service and food. Cabins were spacious with walk-in closets and great bathrooms. But last year we had unfortunate experiences on Sirena....the food was tasteless, service spotty and the cabin was in disrepair. And then there's the awful shower curtain.

We're back on O this summer for our 16th cruise to see Iceland but if O doesn't measure up, we're done...that is, after our FREE Cruise...which may be the next Loyalty Perk taken away.

That has to be the answer! I had a bunch of itchy bumps up and down my arm. I admit to not using repellent because I never get bitten Of course in malaria areas I always use precautions but again I never get bitten

Yep, I think nonos were the nasties causing your problem. They are voracious and to think you can't even see them....!!!

Nonos=No-See-ems! Wear repellent while in FP!

Hope all is well with you now.

JudiK,

You were probably bitten by nonos which are like our no-seems. They're everywhere in FP. We wear repellent day and evening. Some types of Skin So Soft have a sun screen in them which is handy when beaching it. Will get the name if you'd like.

The OP is going on Regatta...no Jacques or Red Ginger there.

My dear husband had a minor abrasion on his ankle and 12 hours later when we landed at LAX from Rurutu, he had a suppurating painful mess. Was on 2 antibiotics and had to consult with an Infectious Disease and Wound Care specialist. Another time, he contracted Pseudomonas Pneumonia after spending 4 weeks on Huahine and Moorea.....snorkeling in the wonderfully beautiful and interesting water. It was almost 2 months before he was right again.Again, the specialist told him he most likely received the infection by snorkeling in French Polynesia.

Has he snorkeled in FP since? YES!! But we both learned that if anything untoward and unexpected happens over there, seek medical attention asap.

BTW, dilute the hydrogen peroxide with water 50-50. Otherwise full strength hydrogen peroxide damages tissue.

The specialty restos aren't that special actually. Don't fret if you can't get a reservation. Eat in Terrace and you will be comfortable in your casual clothes and the food will be equally good as in any venue.

Have to say that Red Ginger was a MEH for us in May and June. As was most of the food. Sorry to be a downer but our cruise on Sirena almost put us off O forever. Giving O one more try....

Weather is usually better Sept thru Oct. The Jan-April cruises are the re positioning cruises.

Great for things that don't need ironing....

That behavior is on Seabourn. I gave up the buffet for lunch after observing 3 ladies leave the toilets on their way to lunch WITHOUT washing their hands. Needless to say they avoided me for the rest of the cruise which was just fine.

When I stated my observation on the mid-cruise comment card, the Food and Bev Manager, the head of Housekeeping and the GM called us to acknowledge the situation and to apologize....not their fault of course but we appreciated their calls. They also expressed their frustration as we were not the only passengers who complained....on this cruise and other cruises as well. . The next day and every day following, a notice regarding hand hygiene was in the daily bulletin. They didn't heed the suggestion of staff serving at the buffet though.

I stopped using the public toilets and will only use the one in our cabin.

DISGUSTING is correct!!! Disgustingly Amazing.....

Shouldn't happen if you have booked a code share airline.

I recall seeing my photo on the scan and then security my card to me....so, not sure why that measure isn't used by O.

Seabourn uses a scanning system....pax holds card wallet up, security uses a wand to scan....no need to even take your card out of the card wallet. Makes for easier tendering too.

For the life of me, I CANNOT understand why people DO NOT practice hand hygiene and wash their hands after using the toilet, blowing their nose, before eating, and randomly during the day etc.

Ia Orana Dan! Glad you are back. Health and Happiness in 2018. Missed you!

Regarding hotels in CR: are you planning on renting a car? Want to go to the beach or ?? We stayed in several great hotels in CR. 2 in volcano areas and 1 in Playa Tamarindo. Hotels in Tamarindo and Arenal offered transfers for a price.

Pay the deviation, fly Air France (yes, it's a red eye but far better flying experience than ATN), get a cab at the airport to take you to the Ferry Dock and go to Moorea for at least 2 nights. Book a garden bungalow at the Hilton or the Manava (used to be the Moora Pearl).

If you want to rent a car (great way to see the island), walk across the road from the Ferry Dock and Avis is right there. Contact PacificCar for best rates.

If you're not renting a car, then the Manava might be a better location because you can walk to various restaurants (Le Mahogany is good) but the beach area and snorkeling is best at the Hilton.

Staying on the island is a way different experience than visiting the islands via ship. Both have their merits most certainly but staying a few days to get over your jet lag and easing into "island mode" is priceless.

And FYI, have your bathing suit, hat and sunscreen where they're easily accessed. Most likely your bungalow won't be ready since you'll arrive at the hotel before noon. Just change into your suit, lather on the sunscreen, and flop onto a sunlounger and take a nap til your room is ready....oh, and a beer might be welcomed too!

jsglow: CONGRATULATIONS!! Wishing many more happy years together....

Never been on a cruise with more than 600 persons and could only define one with "thousands" as a nightmare!

Thanks for the valuable info and your patience with our questions as we prepare for our first Windstar cruise.

Seems the small passenger load makes for easier embarkation. Only 2 weeks left!

Luggage tags from Oceania and Seabourn were required so our bags could be brought to our cabin. Guess Windstar provides them at the dock?

Gees, don't fly Air Tahiti Nui!! Worst airline we've ever flown. Broken seats, indifferent cabin attendants, etc etc etc. Air France is the better choice.

ps/rumor has it another French airline will be flying to PPT via SFO 3 times weekly starting sometime in 2018....less expensive fares too.

Yep, inconsistent at best and not very welcoming in truth.

Other than an email from our TA (who said WS will send us Final Documents) with attached a copy of our final WS payment, we've received nothing.

We'll find our way as we are experienced travelers and cruisers but this is not a good start for us or for First Time Cruisers.