babysteps

So I got curious - for Vista's visit to Santorini on June 22, 2024 there are 6 different private tour options. 3 vehicle classes, each available half day (4-1/2 hours) or full day (8-1/2 hours). Can't tell from the descriptions where the pick up is (ferry dock or top of cable car or...)

Every port is different, but here's the pricing

Private Car, capacity 2 people, $899 half day or $1199 full day

Mini bus, capacity 12 people, $1399 half day or $1699 full day

Van, capacity 6 people, $1099 half day or $1399 full day

Most ports I'm assuming this is waay more expensive than DIY, but if you have SM credit and hate group tours, it might make sense for some folks in some situations.

If you're traveling with a group a mini-bus might not be a bad price pp option, but it would still mostly make sense ONLY if you had SM to burn. Note that only 1 person reserves the private car, so only 1 person's SM can be applied.

We did Capri on our own in August 2022. October should be a bit less crowded! It is a charming island. 

There are many different ferry lines but they are not quite as separate as you might guess. Departing from Sorrento when we pick up our ticket next time we will ask which boat/slip we are headed to. I didn't, and dragged DH to end of pier - right company, wrong boat. Walked all the way back to other end of embarkment for the correct boat, we were in the last 10 people to board lol.

Our return ferry was cancelled last minute but we were able to (as directed) exchange our tickets for a different line's boat that was scheduled to leave just before the one we'd been aiming for. All worked out fine but very grateful we didn't cut it too close! 

Ok here's my worth just 2 cents recap,

What is the answer to a special request?

mass market "no"

premium "yes" *if* it's someplace onboard and isn't already an extra cost

luxury "yes" even if they have to make a special purchase ashore to make it happen

No this doesn't apply in all circumstances.

Yes there are additional differences between the categories. 

Yes we can all agree to disagree as to whether we see the $ value of a given category compared to any other category

Yes the conversation as we agree to disagree is engaging!

Hopefully someone who has been in Istanbul will reply!

We will be embarking there in June, all the research I've done suggests you are best off arranging a car service to pick you up at the port

On 4/23/2024 at 5:17 PM, lorimay said:

One line in the description says "There may be lines for the cable car during the busy summer season."  

I assume "There may be lines for the cable car during the busy summer
season." implies cable car both ways?

Many tours that end in Fira don't include this language, even though it seems highly likely that's the main way to get back to the ship.

My hopeful **guess** is that the disclaimer applies to tours that take the cable car up and down (so could delay tour) vs those that tender to the dock that buses can access near Oia.

Equally likely explanation is that the descriptions are not super-comprehensive or accurate.

We should be on Santorini this June on Vista. I double checked and there are at least 5 ship's tours including winery visits - we're doing one the "Santorini Wines at Venetsanos Winery" & I'll report back here. This particular tour doesn't have the disclaimer, but I'm guessing that the tour ends at Fira. I'm hoping it starts at the dock served by buses

On 4/22/2024 at 9:20 AM, godfreyb said:

It's not all by subway!  You have to take the Yokohama subway to get to the commuter station to get the train to Tokyo (30 minutes) and then use the Tokyo subway.  Sounds complicated but it isn't.  Have cash for tickets and then be aware that the Japanese stand in line behind each other as they gather, they let people off the trains first before they get on.  I can't remember the stations we went to, but people are very helpful.  We can't wait to go back to Japan.

We love taking local transportation and often reply on Citymapper app - but I just checked and it says Tokyo is in beta. Guessing there's some other similar app that is fully launched that covers Tokyo?

Citymapper is amazingly helpful in a strange-to-you city, it handles mixed-mode very well, reminds you when your stop is near, guides you through transfers, suggests best spot on platform etc etc. 

On 4/17/2024 at 8:19 PM, AmateurGO said:

.   I do suspect that their "status" in the Vista Suite probably helped grease the process a bit.  

We were in a regular Veranda cabin and did this in 2019 in NYC where we had an overnight. Worked with I think it's called "special services" at O. The process took a bit and was done well ahead of sailing (a couple of months?) . For a fee we were able to host our guest at dinner. 

8 hours ago, TRLD said:

 

There are some things that are very nice such as the string quartet playing during afternoon tea. But we find overall the environment  not a good fit for us

@TRLDif you could expand a bit on how O is not a good fit for you, I think that could help other folks considering the line for the first time. Thanks for taking the time to share your viewpoint! 

There are lectures on every O cruise.

Most are quite good but some not so much.

Little ships (R class) generally 1 lecturer per cruise with an almost-daily presentation. Larger ships usually have 2 lecturers but still typically 1 lecture per day except sea days. 

One reviewer called dismissed them as too "academic' but I would describe as well-documented entertainment. Once in a while you get someone who knows their stuff but isn't such a great presenter. 

Yes they usually have destination-focused topics. 

Everyone feel free to correct me, it was 4 cruises ago since we were on a 'big' ship - looking forward to trying Vista this year

From the printed brochure, following cruises offer the "free" (read, no additional cost) 1 night pre-cruise hotel stay. There may be more, this is just what was in this particular brochure - the direct mail code was c4 03/21/24

2025 01 12 Riviera 15 days Singappore to Hong Kong

2025 01 27 Riviera 18 days Hong Kong to Tokyo

2025 02 14 Riviera 24 day sTokyo to Singapore

2025 03 10 Riviera 11 days Singapore to Hong Kong

2025 03 21 Riviera 11 days Hong Kong to Tokyo

2023 03 23 Insignia 22 days Singapore to Taipei

2025 04 09 Regatta 15 days Singapore to Tapei

2025 04 13 Riviera 12 days Tokyo to Tokyo

2024 11 14 Regatta Singapore to Aukland

2024 12 08 Regatta 14 days Aukland to Sydney

2025 01 25 Regatta 16 days Sydney to Sydney

2025 02 10 Regatta 14 days Sydney to Aukland

2025 02 24 Rregatta 14 days Aukland to Sydney

2025 03 10 Regatta 20 days Sydney to Singapore

2025 03 26 Nautica 22 days Aukland to Singapore

2025 05 04 Insignia 24 days Perth to Aukland

2025 01 14 Marina 12 days Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro

2025 01 26 Marian 21 days Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires

2025 02 16 Marina 18 days Buenos Aires to Santiago de Chile

2025 03 06 Marina 18 days Santiago de Chile to Buenos Aires

2025 03 24 Marina 12 days Buienos Aires to Rio de Janeiro

there were also 7 itineraries without the free one-night hotel offer

Not sure any of us have clarified yet -

Yes you can book excursions with a no-cabin-yet-assigned guarantee booking on O

Got the O brochure touting free pre-cruise hotel in yesterday's mail - but it does not have prices. Of course Regent brochures also don't have prices these days... 

I guess this could mean that O has decided that little/no change in price combined with a hotel room and one extra shuttle is better for profit margins and/or branding than reducing prices would be? 

Red seems to be the "up to 40% off" price. 

For cruises where lower categories are not in red, I assume the lower categories are sold out or wait listed. There are some interesting juxtapositions.

Our latest such brochure had 4 cruises with red (sale) prices out of was it 13 total? Many different combinations of which categories were or were not on sale. 

Have fun shopping and Comp sent everyone! 

3 hours ago, Jimparr said:

Lettuce seems to be a common factor in all we have spoken to. 

Hope everyone recovers quickly!
Left that out of my list. I don't eat lettuce (unless it is cooked). My spouse says I need a t-shirt that says "lettuce can kill you"

Not foolproof but our protocol has worked so far: 

+Prophylactic pepto bismal in high risk areas ( Peru for example)

+Hydrogen peroxide wipes (are somewhat effective against virus) - wipe hands every time entering cabin

+Do not touch your face. Wash and sanitize wipe hands before any toothcare. 

+Do not touch your food. Silverware or napkin for everything. 

+do not drink tapwater onboard or in many overseas countries (often overkill but you never know)

2018 Lima to NYC cruise had a long period of GI related sanitary procedures. Whether by luck or above approach our guts were fine. 

Stay safe all! 

5 hours ago, Carnevale said:

The moving sidewalks to get to the pier have been mentioned but unless things have changed from the last time we were there (this past February), you can’t take the luggage trolleys on them. So be prepared for the walk.

Good point. Do I remember there is enough room in the connector to use the luggage carts just not on the moving walkway part? 

As of fall 2021 there are moving walkways between the airport and the dock. The connector is covered and is a level or 2 above the sidewalk. There were also luggage carts available. Elevator available at each end. 

Will be interested in what your TA reports! There are at least 2 factors that might calm your fears in the meantime: 

1- Online just now the 12-day Miami-Lisbon segment has some categories showing "avalable" or "guarantee" although most categories are wait listed. 

2-This 12-day segment has been one of the lower-priced pp pd itineraries on Vista so that could help drive early bookings compared to some other itineraries. 

@stevesol6718 you and/your TA have likely already thought of this. In case not, you could consider asking for a specific discount or onboard credit amount to apply to one or more of your already-booked future cruises. It's true that O could still decline to answer or say "no". Even so many companies are much free-er with future discounts than with cash-back on past problems.

Could you share if you are satisfied with your TA's handling of the situation? I'm disappointed to hear that O hasn't responded to either of you, even if to say 'we're not going to respond'. Or has your TA has been able to talk with people at O but nothing has been put in writing and/or resolved? That is still not great, but might be just a little less frustrating than radio silence...

TLDR "yes and"

I was once on a kitchen tour (many years ago made friends with the guest chef instructor). As I recall (hm-recall?) the entrance to the GDR-kitchen escalator is midships so not all the way as "front end" as yo can get. On Marina and Riviera the GDR is somewhat U-shaped...although the escalator entrance is as far forward as you can get at midships. I need a whiteboard to explain better! 

3 hours ago, urlaub said:

It is not only the lost of the suitcase but the way Oceania will not keep care for their longtime guests. They do not appreciate guests with 25 cruises.

And the other side is that the quality of Oceania went down.

We know also other cruiselines

( we cruised nearly 50 times) and so there is no reason for us to come back .

I only wanted to tell that you cannot count on Oceania if something goes wrong.

 

If you would, which lines are you travelling on now? Appreciate your perspective! 

4 hours ago, babysteps said:

Alcohol policy thread 2023/2024 including good stuff from @Flatbush Flyer and others

Included Drinks thread 2024 (a related topic)

 

Basics: O is passenger and drinker friendly.

 

+SM fares (and old O-Life if you choose the beverage package) include wine-by-the-glass and beer-by-the-glass with meals (including room service) when bars are open. Includes sparkling-by-the-glass, often a port-by-the-glass, and non-alcoholic-wine/beer-by-the-glass - well, definitely the beer, not sure if  0%wine is always available?

 

+You can pay $30pp pd more to include anytime by-the-glass and anytime spirits and cocktails (no change to level of included wines/beers). Some highest-end spirits and single-venue choices (for example, sake in Red Ginger) are excluded, there is no $-based rule (sake may be less expensive than some included spirits for example)

 

+You can bring on alcohol (wine, beer, spirits) for your own consumption, no effective limit. Paying a $25 corkage fee for a bottle of wine in a restaurant is the ONLY allowable way to drink your own alcohol outside your cabin. You can order empty glasses from/with room service!

 

+Paid beverage packages get you discount on by-the-bottle purchases and some wine events

 

+Whatever isn't consumed from a full bottle )from O's wine list or passenger-corkage-paid bottle) can be labelled, stored, and retrieved for future enjoyment. So you could have some white and some red at one meal, and have them retrieve it for your next dinner. Or brought to your room. Or even poolside (although that might take a while to deliver...). Avoid requesting around 4pm, beverage staff shift changes and you might wait quite a while

 

My opinion/experience-wine geeks love O but also bring some of their own wine. FYI it's not a party-hardy environment

Added detail in this quote of my old post to clarify old O-Life beverage package and add the bottle-follows-you detail.

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

My experience isn't real? 😉

2 hours ago, clo said:

I hadn't seen your comment here. ???

@clo responded so quickly she didn't see my edit that included your post @cruisemom42 - so that one's on me lol!

22 minutes ago, clo said:

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure - having booked with Simply More - that you get the beer and wine in the dining venues only. Not the bars or room service.

Basic SM has to be with a meal, so yes you are correct no SM basic by-the-glass is included bars. If you upgrade then this restriction doesn't apply.

See comment by @cruisemom42, if you order a meal from room service you can get an included glass with it, as long as a bar is open (so not at 3am)

Dress Code

Seems to come up over and over again lol

Related, Laundry prices and included laundry concierge and up

Dress basics: casual but not sloppy is the overall vibe. Smart casual (aka country club casual) for the specialties or GDR. If you want to be dressier, go for it but you may not have a lot of company.

Laundry basics: free laundry machines for all guests on all ships (but much more limited on R class), detergent is provided free. Paid or included laundry service also available.

+no shorts for specialties, GDR or Captain's party - at least not in the venue where the captain is

+"no sandals" for GDR/specialties means no grungy flip-flops or teva's. Dressy sandals are fine for ladies

+jackets and ties are never required for men, you will see a fair number of jackets in specialties but also lots of golf-shirts-and-chinos

+Many folks say "think Chicos" for ladies. I think this makes sense, but neither me nor my spouse has yet set foot in Chicos...

My opinion: many many people have strong views on what 'appropriate' dress is for a given venue. Often these views have little to do with the stated requirements. I love you all and will decline to participate in most of the spirited discussion! Also however much you over- or under-pack is fine by me, as long as I am not required to follow your exact rules or carry your luggage.