basenji56

Yes. I was surprised to see that they apparently met their target demographic on the Christmas sailing I got off last week. On Oceania ships, I feel like the youngest passenger at 66, on that sailing I felt like the oldest.

I concur. I was a bit disappointed in the food given the rave reviews. Definitely not better than Oceania. Steaks were bad. Sides generally better than entrees.

I totally missed that Deep Blue Extras get you early boarding time. How early? How do you prove you have the Extras before they give you the wristband?

The hotel analogy is instructive. A hotel charges by the room. But I have never heard of a hotel that charged a single guest more than a couple or family because the couple was projected to spend more in the gift shop. This is pure greed and solos should take their business elsewhere.

And it takes some time for the drinking game!

In my experience, that is correct.

But if you are having this issue, see if a travel agent has better rates. Mine has solo rates at a bit less than the Celebrity price for two. I know people assume using a TA costs more than booking directly with Celebrity. In my experience, this is not true.

I sailed over Christmas. Was very surprised at how young the sailors were.

Yes, that is apparently our only option.

And generally, one person will eat less than two. And take up less space in the theater. Generally, but not always.

Celebrity obviously doesn't want our business. I wrote to the company but I plan to take my business elsewhere unless it is changed.

I tried! They all had big bar tabs too!

I liked it but was surprised the sailors were so young. Median age appeared to be thirty. Not bad but just unexpected given the premium price. I was disappointed that I could not use my sailor loot to buy excursions BEFORE the sailing. And by the time I got on the ship, most excursions were sold out. (I would have lost much of my sailor loot but for an advantageous visit to the casino on the last night). Bar tab is nice but since I don't drink alcohol, I left the ship with $450 unspent. It was hard to book dining and shows. Most were sold out very early. Cabin bathroom was the smallest I have ever seen. Shower was nice though. Pizza was excellent as was the ice cream. Galley was good and had a lot of fresh fruit. I will sail on VV again but just want to point out some negatives for a fair appraisal.

Try doing a transatlantic cruise You will need to find a matching time zone On my current TA, for one day, we were on Nuuk, Greenland time.

I have a fair amount of nonrefundable onboard credit on another cruise line. I plan to try to turn it to cash through the casino. My plan is to bet red and black on roulette to turn the promotional chips into cashable chips. Of course a hit on green ruins that strategy.

"No you don't. Card counting is very simple and just takes practice. Nothing changes with more decks except that it becomes more of a waste of time given how small your edge is." If you say so. I have trouble remembering what I had for dinner last night, let along trying to count cards. But, if you can do it, great.

You probably need an IQ of 160 plus to count that many cards enough to make a difference.

How many decks do they use for Blackjack on the ship?

Great. I am used to the buses that stop near the cathedral.

Does Oceania usually provide a bus from the port to the center of the town in Palma?

Yes as to first day. I believe the ship should have a Diamond lounge with a machine for lattes, etc.

It is always hard to compare the past with the present without comparing the menus. I wonder if some people have old and new menus to post? This wouldn't address the quality but would address the quantity of choices.

This "no salt" issue is a game changer. I guess I need to bring salt packets on the ship??

Grand Hyatt was very nice. $12 Uber ride to port.

I have an O life transatlantic cruise booked with the unlimited shore excursion package. Booked almost all of my excursions before the switchover to the new plan. Realized that I had forgotten one day's excursions in Seville. Tried to book that one and found it was $270 even with my unlimited package. Usually when I booked the more expensive excursions with the package, the upcharge was around $100. I booked it but plan to cancel and book through Spain Day Tours. Same excursion--$80.