basenji56

And the older ships similar to Regatta. Nothing like Riviera and Vista.

Viking Ocean is comparable

Avoid the Bay of Biscay...

In the past, I have made early dinner reservations for one of the Specialty restaurants on the first or second nights. I won't do this in the future since the first solo meetup is usually for one of those nights. Around 6 pm or 6:30 pm.

Not sure of every sailing, but on the transatlantic I took last Spring on Vista, they had many social events for singles. On the first night, they had a meeting in Horizons with free drinks. Once you got on the list, you received invites to multiple lunches and dinners with other solo travelers. The Social Hostess (Kathleen) ran the program. We had 19 solos on my sailing.

I have never had a zero alcohol wine that tasted like actual wine. I'm sure such things exist but I haven't found them on O. And, yes, the Heineken Zero is not bad.

I didn't see any others on my last several O cruises. Disappointing but at least I was almost always able to get the Heineken Zero.

I found Heineken Zero on several sailings.

Resort fees are a ripoff, no doubt. But I must say that many hotels include beach service (chair and/or umbrella day rental) with the fee so it not quite so bad if you plan to go to the beach.

It might be sold out now.

I always stay on the beach in Miami Beach. Kimpton Surfcomber is nice. A little off the beach: The Balfour or Urbanica The Fifth.

Suites on Celebrity are very expensive. I have never booked a suite for that reason but people who do book them often say they find them worth the money. But, yes, its an apples to oranges comparison.

Yes

I would do the VV in a heartbeat over that Celebrity price. I would like to the see the price comparison with a Celebrity regular ocean view veranda.

Great review. Thank you. Sorry to hear about the Wifi. Was it unusable for basic texting, WhatsApp, Facebook? Any kids on your sailing?

I am 6'8" and 250 pounds. Found the shower on Regatta very difficult. On Marina and Riviera, I always used the shower in the tub. Vista is my favorite for size of the shower.

Thanks for clarifying! Me (and many people) were thinking--thank goodness we are not on that cruise with 50+ kids!

Compare the stock prices of NCL, Carnival and Royal. All three stocks sunk after covid. But Royal stock is through the roof while Carnival and NCL stock is still in the dumpster. I'm sure some of our financial experts can explain why.

"The Spanish rescue agency emailed a statement saying the Insignia is expected to arrive on Friday at the port of Santa Cruz, Tenerife. The Canary Islands is a destination for boats packed with migrants departing from northwestern Africa on a perilous Atlantic route in search of a better life in Europe. "Spain's Interior Ministry says a record 55,618 migrants arrived by boat — most of them in the Canary Islands — last year, almost double the number of the previous year. More than 23,000 have landed so far this year, the ministry said."

Virgin Voyages might be a better fit. They have Korean BBQ in a specialty restaurant. And while expensive, it is significantly cheaper than Oceania.

Very low chairs. Designed for little people.

I took a chance and booked a day pass for December. THE ROYAL SONESTA SAN JUAN - Updated 2024 Prices & Resort Reviews (Puerto Rico/Isla Verde) (tripadvisor.com)

I guess it comes down to luck. Does he only work on one ship?

Great information. I will have one large bag and a small carryon.

What is the luggage situation when traveling first class on National Rail?