If O could sail to......: new itineraries/ports

Oceania already goes to three different ports on the east side plus Palermo on the north. That’s four. Other lines visit Gela, Licata, and Empedocles on the west side opening up different in land opportunities .

I haven’t a clue. I can’t think of any on the west besides Palermo and nothing on the North. It is interesting though, because it’s not an easy land destination unless one rents a car.

 

 

 

Another area this half Croatian/half Sicilian would be interested is a very, very intensive Adriatic round trip from Venice. One that just stays in the Adriatic. Up and down the Croatian cost is another PITA land trip, much better suited to a cruise. Southeast Italy is also logistically more difficult on land.

Cefalú on the north, though it would need to be a tender port.

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2 voyages I would love would be:

 

 

 

Start in San Diego, down the coast through central America to Panama City, then head to French Polynesia. Continue across the Pacific stopping just about every port possible heading towards Vanuata and Papua New Guinea before heading down the coast of Australia to Sydney. There would be no Hawaii or New Zealand. Would be around 45 days. Could be done in reverse order.

 

 

 

Second is to start in Barcelona and circle Africa returning to Barcelona. Would include just about any port available on mainland Africa plus islands like Madeira, Canary Islands, Reunion Island, Mauritius and Madagascar. Cape Town would be a 3 day stop. This would take 60-70 days and could be 2 segments.

Would love this! Please, Oceania, make it happen! Either options would be fabulous!

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Sicily would be great. Even better if Corsica and Sardinia could be included. How about Islands of the Mediterranean? Malta, Ibiza, Palma de Majorca, Corsica, Sardinia. Oceania does most of these islands from time to time. A few more often than others. However, Corsica and Sardinia never seem to show up on the same itinerary. Would love to go island hopping!

Sicily would be great. Even better if Corsica and Sardinia could be included. How about Islands of the Mediterranean? Malta, Ibiza, Palma de Majorca, Corsica, Sardinia. Oceania does most of these islands from time to time. A few more often than others. However, Corsica and Sardinia never seem to show up on the same itinerary. Would love to go island hopping!

Checkout Rivera May 3-17, 2018,,,,,itinerary includes both Corsica and Sardinia.

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Hadn't really looked because we will be on a TA on Marina at the same time. Hope this itinerary happens again.

Would be all over Circimnavigation of Sicily, thank you.

As to the circumnavigation of Newfoundland, Lindblad does that in Septembers. Completely different cruising experience (spartan onboard, with focus on excursions/enrichment), but it's there. We do Lindblad on routes that other cruise lines don't/can't go to (e.g. So. Georgia) but it is billed as an 'expedition', definitely not a 'cruise'.

Buggins;

 

At least five (5) if not more.

 

Lyn;

 

I fully appreciate that people can sail how they please, and leave the ship when and how they please. They write the checks and are fully entitled to do so. Still doesn’t diminish my amazement at the wonderful ports they often sit out.

 

It was on a different thread, but I commented on the number of cruisers that have responded on various Roll Calls concerning tours. Quite often their parameters are (a) no longer than 3-4 hours; (2) must be back to the ship for lunch. I typically politely tell them they need to look elsewhere for tours to join. I have a good feeling for the number of cruisers that insist upon being on the boat for lunch either through O tours or private ones. Again, they can do as they please. I’m a port sight seeing guy, while many are ship destination people.

I think the objection was to the pejorative tone "rushing back" for lunch onboard. Certainly how I read it.

We are fortunate to have visited most of the Mediterranean ports multiple times. If we have a favourite restaurant we will certainly eat ashore, other days we prefer the quiet of the ship. And we DEFINITELY don't rush.....either back to or off the ship ;)

And another +1 for the Mediterranean Islands, lots of the smaller ones get very few visits but are quite capable of hosting cruise ships, particularly the R ships.

They could also fill a cruise with the islands in the Dalmatian sea.

That’d be far to many sea days for many of us! Your PPT-LAX cruise would be a long one mostly for those where the ship is the destination not the ports. Of course, you have plenty of them!

I'm sure it would be too long for many if not most. Sea days are idyllic to us. Our past PPT-LAX cruise in May had 9 of 18 days, and an extended version of it that would include all the major islands in Fr. Polynesia would prob be 11 of 25-26. It sounds incredibly perfect to me especially since our PPT-LAX sold poorly and we got a nice upgrade due to the "boring-ness" of the cruise! If one likes snorkeling and just hanging out which we do it's just right.

I'm sure it would be too long for many if not most. Sea days are idyllic to us. Our past PPT-LAX cruise in May had 9 of 18 days, and an extended version of it that would include all the major islands in Fr. Polynesia would prob be 11 of 25-26. It sounds incredibly perfect to me especially since our PPT-LAX sold poorly and we got a nice upgrade due to the "boring-ness" of the cruise! If one likes snorkeling and just hanging out which we do it's just right.

Our favourite type of cruise!

Mo

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I'm sure it would be too long for many if not most. Sea days are idyllic to us. Our past PPT-LAX cruise in May had 9 of 18 days, and an extended version of it that would include all the major islands in Fr. Polynesia would prob be 11 of 25-26. It sounds incredibly perfect to me especially since our PPT-LAX sold poorly and we got a nice upgrade due to the "boring-ness" of the cruise! If one likes snorkeling and just hanging out which we do it's just right.

The latter of the two segments of our upcoming transpacific on O (May-June 2018) goes from PPT-LAX. We start in SYD and PPT is midway of 38 day trip. Total sea days = 18.

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I have no problem with occasionally having sea days, enjoy them like anyone else. However, on Oceania, IMO, they are a poor deal. If I’m paying $500+ per person, per day aboard ship, that’s $1,000 per day, plus, for my wife and I. For that amount, on shore, I can get a fabulous all inclusive resort far surpassing the amenities of the ship with a spectacular golf course and probably get 1 Star Michelin dining, either on resort or in town. If one is on a R ship, with only two Specialties, O’s prices can’t compete with having multiple exceptional local restaurants. Except for those with so much money nothing matters, start throwing to many sea days in and O’s product isn’t price competitive.

I’ve just looked at a 20 day cruise that books out at $800 per day per person (including Prestige Beverage Pkg) so $1600 per day! Know what that will buy at incredible resorts? Every Sea Day is very expensive!

Every sea day may be expensive if you think of it as a resort day. If you think of it as a travel day, it is extraordinarily cheap for many locations. Figure cost of a flight or train to the next destination, the aggravation of the airport, booking out of one hotel to and into another. Now compare that with a relaxing day at sea. Wake up the next morning and you are in a new city, refreshed and ready to explore.

Mary

I love the idea of a cruise around Japan.

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andee...

thank you....i started this thread with this plea to O....'please circumnavigate Japan' because I really want to go on my favorite cruise ships.

Currently we've placed a deposit with Celebrity for a Japan circumnav for April '19; my TA says it is a very popular itinerary. I wish O would offer it.

+++1 for SICILY. with a few other Med or Adriatic islands or lesser known cities/town in the boot of Italy thrown in. Would sign up in a heartbeat no questions asked. We are doing the circumnavigation of Ireland r/t Dublin including stops in Liverpool, Isle of Man and Holyhead, Wales on the Nautica this coming June. This itinerary has no sea days and long stays in each port. It has been entirely wait listed from shortly after it was announced. These circumnavigation itineraries are wildly popular. Hope O takes note. DO YOU HEAR US? Sicily seems like a very desired itinerary for their guests according to this thread. Fingers crossed.

I'd like to see more in Australia that don't include New Zealand, don't do the circumnavigation in December and are shorter than 30 + days so that people who work can do them. Love the Sicily idea. For the person that wanted more off the beaten track Greece, check the October 14th, 2018 sailing Athens to Athens.

+++1 for SICILY. with a few other Med or Adriatic islands or lesser known cities/town in the boot of Italy thrown in. Would sign up in a heartbeat no questions asked. We are doing the circumnavigation of Ireland r/t Dublin including stops in Liverpool, Isle of Man and Holyhead, Wales on the Nautica this coming June. This itinerary has no sea days and long stays in each port. It has been entirely wait listed from shortly after it was announced. These circumnavigation itineraries are wildly popular. Hope O takes note. DO YOU HEAR US? Sicily seems like a very desired itinerary for their guests according to this thread. Fingers crossed.

S-I-C-I-L-Y! S-I-C-I-L-Y! S-I-C-I-L-Y! S-I-C-I-L-Y!

[emoji106]

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Oceania already goes to three different ports on the east side plus Palermo on the north. That’s four. Other lines visit Gela, Licata, and Empedocles on the west side opening up different in land opportunities .

Someone posted this on the Azamara forum asking for a circumnavigation of Sicily:

https://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/tour/1421/circumnavigation-of-sicily/itinerary/?search_url_id=6

Ports they used are Siracusa, Licata for Piazza Armerina, Agrigento, Trapani, Palermo, Lipari, Messina for Taormina. So between this list and the ones you mention, looks like plenty of ports.

We were in Sicily for 10 days in April, driving. It is wonderful - we loved it! And there is still so much more we didn't get to see. We saw the HAL Prisendam docked in Trapani. We've also been on Azamara back in 2009 and had a stop for Taormina. Highly recommend Sicily.