Techno123

Thanks @Snaefell3 That will likely be 5am our time 😂

Thank you @EJL2023 and @Vallesan

What time does the booking window open for the speciality dining and is this East coast or West coast time? In a concierge so I can see it 60 days before the cruise but not sure of the time 😁 Many thanks in advance

We have just booked our second O cruise on the Vista. Our last one was 10years ago in a veranda on Insignia and my hubby had to make me promise that the bathroom was bigger (the toilet was crammed in at an angle). Lots of complaints about the Vista too re inter cabin noise. We are hoping our neighbours turn the TV off early 😜

@Vineyard View it's difficult to know as we only get to see the UK prices. in fairness, we haven't sailed O for 10 years 😱 but there is a cruise with some Med stops we haven't done - cost for 10 nights (without flights) is the same as SB for 7 but in fairness, I do think all of the 4 lines we have sailed have their positives and negatives. Our first ever cruise was on Seabourn Odyssey and we thought it was truly amazing at the time. Still love Seabourn but happy to experiment 😁

I think it depends where you live. For us in the UK the Simply more offer at the moment includes gratuities, credit for excursions plus as you say drinks with lunch and dinner which probably balances out as inclusive as Seabourn 😁

Personally, I don't do loyalty. I do stick to the all inclusive (or mainly so in O and SB's case) of SS, RSSC, SB & O and have looked at Explora but not sailed/booked yet. i like them all in different ways - some are a little better with one thing, others a little better with another but not so much difference. I choose based on itinerary and cost 😜

Yes a lot of thought went into that name 😁 We were taken there by my cousin when he was over from Rome. We really enjoyed it. Tapas style with very helpful staff. Hope you enjoy it when you eventually make it over 😁 We haven't sailed on Oceania for 10 years so thinking of giving the Vista a go later this year on a Med cruise. Seeing my consultant on Monday to check its knitting together before I risk booking though as I know the insurance company won't cover me as they had to pay a fair chunk to get me home!! I can highly recommend the Austrian public health system though if you are looking for somewhere land locked. Hopefully we have quiet neighbours 😜

@Harters - it has been doing far too much throwing it down of late. Other half is most unhappy as forecast is for torrential rain tomorrow so no golf for him 😜 Sadly, I ruptured my Achilles tendon skiing so my walking is along the promenade with my boot and crutches being overtaken by everyone 😂😂 but got my vitamin D this morning. Which restaurant were you going to?

Why on earth would you want to go on a cruise departing from the USA when you could come to North Wales instead. Views from my window of Conwy mountain and behind it Tal y Fan and then Anglesey and Puffin Island hiding at the base of the trees. I promise the sun was shining this morning 😂😂😂😂😂😜

@Tr1v1alCru1ser I looked for the 😱button but there wasn't one. Some people are just selfish beyond belief but the worst is, they don't think they are doing anything wrong.

Prevention is always better than cure and the thing with norovirus is that hand sanitiser doesn't work particularly well, so it's handwashing, handwashing, handwashing then don't touch anything other people may have touched - door handles, banister rails, elevator buttons etc. because you can be sure there will be people onboard who don't do handwashing. It might not save you completely but you have a far better chance of avoiding catching the lurgy 😁

@frantic36 your views are the same as mine. We both live in countries where service staff are paid properly and I hope/believe that on the luxury cruise ships this is also the case. I find the whole gratuity thing uncomfortable to navigate and so I choose cruise lines that have them included. If I have already paid the gratuity as part of the fare (or like on Oceania it has been included in the SimplyMore package) why would I pay again? I expect the service to be intuitive and excellent - for anything extra it would have to be exceptional 😁 Personally, I think the guests who received the begging letter should write a suitable, acerbic comment on it and return to head office!!

I wonder if this will back fire and people who would normally tip the staff will be so fed up that they don't bother!

A couple of people have mentioned visiting the 5 countries of the UK. Southern Ireland or more properly known as the Republic of Ireland is an independent nation and still part of the EU and therefore not part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. But that's only nit picking 😁 The North Coast 500 in Scotland is a trip we would like to do (the Scottish Route 66 😜) but gets very, very busy in the summer.

Me too.

Also @Dolcevita Diva She's on linked in - been with them as a Hotel director since September 2022.

If these guests specifically asked the hotel director for guidance and this was provided then fair enough but if this has been sent to all passengers then I am afraid it is the thin end of the wedge and absolutely not appropriate on a tips included cruise! Update - I have read the thread on the other site and they are mainly horrified. The recipient who posted the letter had not asked the question and it appears all guests received it. Poor show.

We had the issue on Seabourn a few years back. The elderly, hard of hearing couple had left the TV on and fallen asleep. At 3am, my hammering on the door did not raise them so I trundled off to Seabourn square who kept ringing til they picked up and turned it off 😜

For a small country there is an awful lot to see. Like @Harters we try to holiday in the UK when we can and not even scratching the surface. The more I travel, the more I appreciate my home (although got to say, Norway is a close run thing 😜)

Croeso @Harters We camped (well in a motorhome when we had one - it got crushed by a falling tree but that's another story) very near Porthmadog a couple of years ago. Got the train to Pwllheli and walked the coastal path back - gorgeous. Have you been to Portmeirion (I am not a number if you are a child of the 60s 😜) - well worth a visit if not. Caernarfon has the castle and easy access to Anglesey so also a good option. Decisions, decisions 😁

Do staff still serve from the buffet - if so that at least removes some of the horror of other guests with unwashed hands using all the serving utensils then leaving the handles in the food 😱

Bore da pawb only a few of you have mentioned God's own country - Cymru (Wales) It's the land of mountains and castles (over 600) beaches and song. With just over 3 million people, it's never crowded. It has its own language (please don't ask a Welsh person or a Scot come to that if they are English😜😂) If you dock at Holyhead which is on Ynys Mon (Anglesey) you would need to take an excursion so would only see a fraction of just my tiny corner of Wales so I definitely recommend a land tour. How long for the UK - well I've lived here all my life and I'm still exploring. Hwyl fawr

@LAexNY Have you never heard that phrase used? My mother used it regularly when I wanted to do something she couldn't talk me out of 😜 On the 3 cruise lines I mentioned, the tips are included in the cost of the fare therefore there is no requirement to tip again but people still choose to do so (even in places where tipping is not the culture). The debates about this are endless hence the 'if you must' however, raising a member of staff's profile with their manager can have far reaching, long term benefits.

@AtlantaCruiser72 the little bottles of L'Occitane Lavande are lovely and I agree, bubbles are much longer lasting than chucking some shower gel in the bath 😁