pinotlover

Great we’ll see you aboard. I’ve set up a group going to Volunteer Point with Patrick Watts in the Falklands.

Those are Oceania prices. About $150 each with private companies.

Are you working the Feb 27, 2023 cruise out of BA going west?

Currently $549 each, that’s $412 if you have the 25% off.

Oceania does offer this land/flight tour. At about four (4) times the price offered by private tour companies.

We have an early (16:00) sail away from Gijon on 10/20. Why don’t we plan to meet in Horizons for Happy Hour at 5:00. We’ll probably be there a bit earlier , if that suits you, to catch the sail away, plus it will be getting dark early. What say Yee?

A correction to post #2. Transfers from and to the ship are included, if using O Air, on the Day of Embarkment and Disembarkment. Even if you pay the deviation fee to come in early or leave later, transfers are not included. Exception being, as pointed out if you pay and stay in an Oceania hotel or land tour.

We would enjoy that! 🥂

To answer the questions, one must first define a Sommelier. The wine industry now has a test and certification processes to become a certified sommelier. Those without the certification are considered wine stewards or just waiters. However, in a practical sense, this doesn’t stop those establishments not wanting to pay for the certified Somm calling their wait staffs sommeliers. As part of the Agreement with Dom Perignon to do the La Reserve Dom Perignon dinners, Oceania had to agree to hire and have aboard ship a certified Sommelier. So the Marina and Riveria brought one each aboard in late 2018 when that program began. Before then, I never meet any of the wine stewards with sommelier certification. The staff, even those at the paid tastings and in La Reserve were all wine stewards before with varying degrees of experience and knowledge, but definitely not up to sommelier certification standards. Whatever title any particular steward is given aboard ship is a different question. The number of active wine stewards aboard seems to vary. FWIW, some speculation suggests that by not having La Reserve on the Vista means Oceania can save the money by not being required to hire a certified sommelier which costs multiples more than a waiter. Just offering the meal in Privee is probably outside of the original agreement.

We’re in the Feb 27, 2023 cruise, BA to Lima. Last two attempted cruises there cancelled. We’re going during the shoulder months. Weather can very considerably in the Southern extremes between Dec and March.

Thank you. We’ll be aboard the Sirena from 10/18-11/4. If later than that, I suppose we miss the book aboard discounts. Always the FCC offering, but without the cruise discount.

Bump!! Can someone please query your OCA please?

We did all private tours this summer with everything going smoothly. It was the big tour operators and ship tours that had the problems. Bus driver shortages, no show tour guides, etc. Some of the ship tours had to be cancelled and combined last minute because of problems.

As a point of reference, when we board at 3:00 or so there is never a line or long wait at Passenger Services and the transaction goes swiftly and efficiently. It is highly likely that those early boarders might endure other circumstances. Isn’t that what they board early for? Mayhem! Just wait until the ship are cruising full again and 850 of the 1150 passengers all arrive at 11:00 again to board. So much fun🤪

Any particular cabin category in mind for your question?

We’re they Oceania cruises?? When you upgrade packages, one gets a new room key indicating they have the Premium Package. Hard to imagine that bartender bringing you a new room key???

Flyertalker beat me to it!

Ha! This is a separate question! If one eats in the Terrace Cafe ( buffet) they are lucky to get a single glass of wine. Ignore claims of unlimited drinks. Consider your itinerary. If one is gone ashore most lunches, buying packages including wine and beer at lunch, is a waist. If, however, you are among those rushing back aboard ship ship for lunch or have multiple sea days. What is your schedule, economics change? Some cruise Embarkment ports are in wine deserts. One is not reasonably going to buy cases of wine there, nor during their cruise. Buying the package makes tremendous sense. Other cruises are in large wine producing areas. Buying locally makes sense. If you only want CA wines and CA flavors, then pay to ship CA wine to the ship. Heaven forbid you do anything local.

Check bags with hotel concierge. Enjoy the port city with a long lunch of local delicacies. Get to the ship at 15:00 or so for an easy check in. Buy our beverage package upgrade to the premium package, head to the cabin to dump the carry on. Go to the bar for bubbly . If in a PH, listen to the Butler’s pitch for on board wine tastings and Bin End specials. Short wait for luggage delivery to unpack while I obtain another glass of bubbly. If in an A2, trek downstairs to explore the options not given by the butler. Head upstairs to Horizons, after safety drill, for Happy Hour and sail away. Sometimes off to the upper deck for even more spectacular sail aways depending upon port. Depending upon itinerary a M&G may be involved. As events evolve, off to the GDR for dinner with newly meet cruisers. Times flexible depending upon events. Maybe dinner is at 7:00, maybe 8:30. Who cares , it’s vacation!

Got the brochure today. My biggest surprise was the number of segments on the 23 ATW listed on the Upgrade sale! 😳.

In which decade was that!!?? Complaining about WiFi on Oceania is like complaining about no rain in the Sahara Desert! If you have any water, you’d better be conserving it. It’s not going to rain.

Hi tech or low tech, I’m against neither. We had a long discussion about QR codes replacing printed menus . A lot of people were opposed. The only thing, and it can be multiple, I’m against is anything that puts more demand on Oceania ships wifi! I’ve been on cruises where I can only check email every three days or so. Telling me they’re taking away Currents and to use the app, is a no go, when globe just spins. Outside of maybe choosing whether to bring a bottle of white or red to the GDR, why do people need to know what’s for dinner at lunch? The menus in the Specialties haven’t changed for years, maybe a decade! No guessing there. So yes, I’m against more demand, for non essentials, on the already overtaxed wifi system. Hi tech or low tech.

For the OP, or another current cruiser, please ask one of the onboard OCAs when the next cruise release will be. Should be sometime in the next 6 weeks. They may be pushing the LD sale and not want to discuss it, but any information would be appreciated.

ORV; You’re not considering a chip implant are you? 😳 😂🥂

So we agree. Thus my comments on cell phones lighting up on most every Trivia question. They are consulting their smartphones for the sole purpose of cheating to win. How childish!