elbowroom

Last August, the ship, Nautica, docked in central Zadar.

The public taxi service advertises 30 minutes as the standard time. At that time of the morning, that sounds about right. There is a fixed tariff for city taxis, €45 (per taxi not per person) from cruise terminal to airport. Whether this would be slower or quicker than any other service remains an open question. Usually, there are plenty of passengers awaiting plenty of taxis. The distance is just over 15 kms. There are plenty of "unofficial" taxi services and shuttles that can be booked in advance. You can always buy fast track through security at €10 more or less. We've used this service in similar, hurried circumstances, and it works well. https://www.aena.es/en/josep-tarradellas-barcelona-el-prat/vip-services/fast-lane.html

Thanks a million. That really is very, very helpful.

As we will be there in a forthcoming cruise, any information would be greatly appreciated.

We have used both train and GoOpti (taxi, shuttle service). The former is much cheaper and a good option if you luggage doesn't weigh you down. I found their booking app very easy to use, though, of course, you can buy tickets at the station. The latter is door-to-door. However, the Trieste-Venice motorway can be very busy!

Let's hope it's not too much of an "ouch." The figures at the start of this thread were disappointing but, at first glance, not so radical as I had expected. Let's wait and see.

https://www.oceaniacruises.com The prices are in Euros, so I suppose it recognises IPs. I used a VPN and saw similar blank spaces. Let's hope they will be filled later.

I sure hope it's just an update matter. It give me a bit of a shock, I must admit. Happy New Year to all!

I was looking for information about a future cruise, and the picture I got was this. Where reference to Simply More etc. was post just to the right of the dates is empty on this and other cruises, as far as I can gather.

Just looked at the Oceania webpage (Europe) to find that all reference to Simply More has disappeared completely. Is this a hitch? An adjustment? Any suggestions?

The train station is certainly near to the docks, 3-4 miles away. The train itself is fast, comfortable, and journey times vary simply due to the number of stops: sometimes it goes direct, other times, stops on 3 or 4 occasions. The Barcelona train station is a bit old and cramped, as we are waiting for the new station which will be completed...(fill in the details). Your luggage will be scanned just before you board the train, which takes some people by surprise. The train is often fully booked, so plan ahead. As prices are based on supply and demand, the difference between classes fluctuates considerably. The Madrid station, Atocha, also the name for the surrounding district, is close to the three big museums, Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofia.

The two bugbears of "resort" cities are cruise ships and tourist apartments, particularly one brand. The move makes little or no real difference, but it makes a headline or two. Big cities seems to want tourists' money but not tourists themselves...Short-term letting is, in my view, much worse a situation, as it affects the housing market, and particularly first-time buyers, who find prices spiralling out of their reach.

Per vehicle. It's official name is Tariff T4. If you scroll down the page you will find the correct information. https://taxi.amb.cat/en/usuari/tarifes

I hope that makes it clearer. Oceania usually docked where the Azamara is. Now you will be where the larger vessels are.

What's the difference? The WTC lies on the shoreline, so visitors could walk straight into the city in a couple of minutes. For taxi drivers, it was convenient too, as it was just off the main road. The other docks are built out into the sea with only one side of the quay suitable for docking. They're close to the WTC, but not convenient for pedestrians. Unless you're fit, you need the cruise terminal bus or a taxi. In short, simply add another 10 - 15 mins to your journey to the airport. The flat rate tariff is the same, 39 euros. Taxis will be of all sorts and sizes.

Small ships usually dock at the World Trade Center, which is in the city center itself. If the cruise only visits Europe, i.e. Schengen area, there are usually no checks on disembarkation. Taxis are usually plentiful and organised. There is a flat rate from port to airport that includes luggage. It takes 20 minutes when there is no traffic, but rarely more than 10-15 longer at that time of morning.

Have you noticed the relatively high number of 24 day voyages to the comparatively lower number of 25 day ones?

Same thing happened last year. In the print-out the schedule and return time were clearly from another cruise. It was corrected, but only a few days beforehand. On a more positive note, we were given a non-programmed lunch, a typical, but excellent kebab, and Sardis is certainly worth a visit.

Thanks, that's very helpful.

This was a peak season, August, cruise, from Venice to Barcelona, through the Adriatic, Tyrrhenian, Ligurian seas, then across the Gulf of Lions. I thought I’d make a few remarks that might provoke a comment or two rather than write a survey. First of all, halfway through, the crew appeared wearing masks. We were informed that evening that this was due to Covid-related incidents, so my first wish is for the good health and recovery of those affected. The embarkation process involved check-in at Venice terminal and coach transfer to Fusina. It was a bit cumbersome, partly because we first received a boarding pass stating Fusina, then a week later a “warning” telling us on no account to go directly to Fusina; instead, we should proceed to the Venice terminal. This was followed almost daily reminders of the same. It is no big deal, but why not simply send out one clear notification in the first place? Three really good things. The itinerary of a port intensive cruise, with many interesting places to visit in many countries. The two not-so-recommendable destinations were Durres and Portofino. Albania has many wonderful places to visit, but Durres doesn’t rank among them, I’m afraid. Portofino was completely overrun by visitors, both cruisers and day-trippers, in short it was as crowded as any tabloid reporter could imagine. It’s a pity, as otherwise it is surely an attractive destination. Small-ship privilege, as that it what it is! Being able to walk off Nautica and stroll into the centre of Zadar, Monte Carlo, and above all, large cities such as Marseille or Barcelona. That’s worth the price alone…well, almost! As we are planning a south-east Asia cruise, I wonder whether O-class ships dock in such places Ho Chi Minh city, or Bangkok. Having a destination representative on board adds to the experience. Housekeeping: truly excellent, top marks to Lucy and Christoph. Not so good things… As this was a port-a-day cruise; the GDR was shut each and every day. In our previous experience, on some port days, it has remained open. Indeed, one of the pleasures in life used to be visiting an interesting port, a light lunch in the GDR, followed by a return visit. Never open at lunch seemed somewhat excessive: some passengers like to stay aboard, not everyone desires a buffet or short-order options every day. In the end, the best cuisine at sea was “invisible” at lunchtime. Is this a cost-cutting exercise? There have been plenty of exchanges about this issue. It might extend to others. For example, it seemed to me that the more expensive items in the GDR were smaller and rarer. The size of the sole and the smallest portion of foie gras ever might indicate that. Otherwise, the food was as consistent as before. Breakfast outdoors at the back of the Terrace Café is a great start to any day, though the air-conditioning inside and in other public spaces is truly gelid. Perhaps rather than introduce new restaurants on new liners, a bit of variety in the older ships might be money better spent. Toscana and Polo are immutable; do they ever change? Tender service…our memory informs us that previously it was more frequent. I don’t recall ever having to wait so long for a short hop ashore. This time was different, and a strict schedule was adhered to, after a very slow beginning to the process. This might make sense, but with Covid-related incidents, I would disagree. One day in particular, in St. Tropez, the tender waited (for some time) until it was full before heading off. Full means full: sardines in a tin. “Social distancing” has long been forgotten. The weak points always take longer to describe in what was overall an extremely enjoyable cruise with an itinerary that would be hard to equal. We will return.

"The new promotion will launch in mid-July, for the release of Oceania Cruises’ 2024/25 seasons." Earlier threads had suggested a later release date in autumn. From this angle, if not any other, this is better news.

In our experience, they don't reply. However, the credit appears at some moment on the web booking in a rather strangely worded fashion that gives no hint as to what it actually is. The amount will make it clear, if nothing else.

I was told by an Oceania employee that the advance bookings represent about half the available space, so presumably your first stop on board would be the reservation desk, as first there, first served.

Nautica, August 2023, Venice to Barcelona. Website states Venice, recent leaflet through the post affirms Trieste. So...

What is confusing, and further proof of lack of editing skills or proofreading, is that our check-in document says a negative test is required (in our case the cruise is EU but not Greece) whereas the general rule says the contrary!