pinotlover

That’s a bit complicated. Being at Sea may not make a difference depending upon the next port.

If you upgrade your package on board, or buy either package onboard, in a country that charges a VAT tax, the tax also applies to these packages. So if the upgrade is $30 pp/d, the tax makes it $36/day. Always something to remember when considering timing of purchase. Unless there has been a change, upgrading the package can only be done aboard ship. For those on OLife ( without drinks package) or cruise only, they could pre buy either package at least seven days prior to boarding.

Not offended at all. There are probably 400-500 posts on wearing jeans already. From my experience here is the best answer possible to your question. The Maitre de at the reception desk decides what is appropriate attire at the time. One Maitre de may allow you in dressed however, and the next night one might be rejected wearing the same outfit. There is no consistency across ships or even aboard the same ship at different venues. No one here can predict what or how any Maitre de will react to any unseen attire on any given night. The rules are neither steadfast nor evenly administered. I have never seen a Restaurant Manager override the decision of the Maitre de. We other guests only request that if denied entry, one doesn’t make a scene; hold up the line; and just either go change or go to the Terrace. I hope this answer doesn’t offend you.

Haven’t had a “ formal “ M&G” since pre Covid. It has become far more difficult. Night two is most often the Captain’s Welcome Reception. Post Covid, on all my 3/4 cruises, night three has been a Newbie Welcome Party in Horizons. Sometimes there was a second Newbie Night. Then came the F&WT events, Alumni Events, corporate events, and other large gatherings making reserving any part of Horizons virtually impossible. We often ended up in the Grand Bar as far from the String Quartet as possible. The best solution is as FF hinted. Just schedule it on Embarkment Day and have everyone show up starboard side mid Horizons at 5:30. Have someone there early to attempt to reserve an area. The waiters will get everyone drinks as requested. Many of the souls will disappear at 6:30 to go eat, so more food isn’t needed. Be flexible and it will come together. People sitting in the middle of the Group , not wanting to participate, will generally get up and leave.

It’s not hard to grasp. It’s a childish game some enjoy playing. Kind of like starting another dress codes threads and sitting back and watching the pages of fireworks go up. It’s all a game .

Oceania has had the same dress code for a couple decades. CC has , over the decades, consistently gotten threads “ how slobbery can I go and still get in? What is the lowest level of dress allowable?” Neither the dress codes nor the number of those wanting to undermine them has changed. For 90% of us, our dress hasn’t changed. The other 10% enjoy playing the lcd game. There is NO level of dress code that some won’t attempt to take lower. It’s merely a game for them.

I was on the Vista this past June. I found the attire to be the exact same in the GDR and Specialties as was the case for the last decade. Probably a 100 pages of easily searched discussion of dress codes on Oceania. Zero interest in duplication.

Very true. 🤔. Shedding those outside royalties across the board. Those multi page advertisements in WS can’t be inexpensive either. Wonder how long they’ll last?

Trust me, Perry Como continuously isn’t enjoyable by some of us either. You can’t please all the people all the time. Variety helps.

On a different thread, we discussed Jacques aging out. It sounds like with the changes on Marina that La Reserve is doing so likewise. Oceania mostly stopped supporting it by not enhancing it. Repeated menus without updating. Having done all the menus a minimum of twice, some three times, to keep repeat customers at current prices required newer more exciting menus. Not something O does. Riveria will become the only ship( for awhile) with an advanced bookable La Reserve.

With the B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B2B cruise fare sales being offered, maybe Elliot will find one purrfect for him! 🙄

The overhang blocks the range of view. A tunnel vision thing.

If the Holiday Sale offers the same prices as the Black Friday Sale, then logically the current price of any cruise is now that sale price. What’s the new sticker price? Interestingly, just read an article where another cruise line is dropping its single supplement charges to move cruises.

June 2022

I apologize, it’s Barcelona that is now only allowing ships to dock that are e/d. Venice is regulating by ship size.

Oceania’s last release of cruises , outside of the new Allura, has been how many months now? They’re still trying to sell cruises released months ( or over a year) ago. If most of O’s patrons wanted any of those cruises they would have been booked months ago. At this point, looking for new red meat or bottom feeders. Personally booked through 24 and into 25. Waiting for the new releases next March/April for NEW cruises. We’ll probably see 3-4 new sales on those existing cruises with little appeal before the new release.

This isn’t difficult and has been posted previously. if a cruise ship is embarking or disembarking passengers in Venice, then the port of Venice can be used IF available. If a cruise ship is only visiting the area, and not e/d passengers, other local ports must be used. This policy is intended to (1) reduce the number of sea gulls in town; and (2) possibly spread the wealth of the visitors. If one is E/D in Venice, it increases the odds of hotels stays and restaurant meals consumed. OTH, The city is already full of seagulls, in their opinion, and they don’t need more from cruise ships. Look at your itinerary. What is the purpose of the port stop? Is it possible you might get in during off season. Yes. Possibly. Will you do it May-mid October, almost absolutely NO.

So Oceania encourage s chair hogs. OK, there you have it. Same with pool loungers obviously.

I always thought ones cabin was ” a comfy spot to read”. Also to sleep in. Not sure why people believe the library is their spare bedroom for naps! 🙄

You’re lucky! We hit Colmar and there must have been 20 tour buses! Ten, at least, from Viking, then every one else. Too many tour buses for such a delightful small tour.

And there are the tour buses regardless of how docked! How many tour buses does it require to make some of those river towns unappealing to visit? Those limits have been tested.

Yes! Unsolvable. As I posted on an earlier thread, on inclement weather days the chair hogs move to the library and hog chairs there. Several do it regardless of the weather. One of the advantages of the Spa Deck. I can typically find an available lounger there. Happily many don’t like going there.

I thought I had read that many of those already highly visited Cities were in the process of limiting, or reducing, the number of river boats coming in. Viking seems to be saying “ We’re going to raft them 5 deep”! Someone is not on the same page or singing from a different song book! Who’s going to drive all those tour buses? Just what many of these towns need, 4-6 more tour buses picking people up and dropping them off every 200 meters!🙄

First of all, what Oceania did pre Covid/pre billions of $$ in debt may have little to what they may be willing to do today. Second, this isn’t the first time this has occurred. If memory serves, Turkey got into everyone’s crosshairs around 2015 or 2016 and cruise lines cancelled Turkey ports. I remember one Oceania Embarkment getting moved from Istanbul to Athens. Seems to me that Oceania bought a bunch of discount airlines tickets for all from Istanbul to Athens. Don’t remember what they did for those disembarking. Of course past performance doesn’t guarantee future performance.

A Simple Question. Have we FINALLY settled the question as answered by two (2) different Butlers to me, and the Chief Purser by poster # 55? Monies given as tips directly to individual crew members are theirs to keep. They are not pooled. Is there any one that can’t grasp that? Are there those that want to argue none of them know what they’re talking about? Can we agree this issue is closed?