34 Days Aboard Marina

[WaterView2]

Don-- Thanks for all of the info. In post #34 you discussed the electrical plugs. Could you elaborate a little more, are the regular 110v plugs all two prong or are some a total of three with the round ground pin? I didn't want to bring an extension strip, which you mentioned as a good idea, with the two blades and pin if they were all only two blade receptacles. I understand the Euro 220v is present as well.

[skigrams]

The two outlets that are on the desk area (110v) do have the third prong grounding capability. However, if you plug in something with that wide oblong plug like on a hair blower, two things will not fit at the same time. The outlets seem to be too close together. Even with just the computer plugged in, you will unable to use the second outlet. It was just a minor inconvenience to unplug the computer while I was using the hair blower. Then, plug the computer back in. But you will love the lighting around the mirror!! Big plus and looks good also. Have a wonderful time on your cruise on the Marina. She was gorgeous.

 

Bobi

[WaterView2]

Thank you for the update on the plugs, very useful information.

[Imagineer]

Don, now that you've had ample experience with both the new and old, how willing are you to go back to one of the "old" ships? After hearing so many amazing reports about the Marina, and assuming the same will apply to the upcoming Riviera, how is Oceania going to "sell" people on returning to one of the "R" ships? Or will they now have, basically, a two tier system?

 

cheers,

 

Lorne Miller

[orchestrapal]

Don, now that you've had ample experience with both the new and old, how willing are you to go back to one of the "old" ships? After hearing so many amazing reports about the Marina, and assuming the same will apply to the upcoming Riviera, how is Oceania going to "sell" people on returning to one of the "R" ships? Or will they now have, basically, a two tier system?

 

For those of us who love the Oceania small ship experience, which keeps getting better, it will not be difficult.The choice will come down to the itinerary. We do look forward to trying the two new ships but have no intention to give up on the smaller.ships. I think Ocenaia has fans for both options.:)

[lyndenfa]

For those of us who love the Oceania small ship experience, which keeps getting better, it will not be difficult.The choice will come down to the itinerary. We do look forward to trying the two new ships but have no intention to give up on the smaller.ships. I think Ocenaia has fans for both options.:)

 

I agree, it will be the itineraries. For our Maiden Voyage we didn't go because of the itinerary but for the ship, so there may be a surge of reservations from people who just want to experience Marina (and deservedly so, she is all the adjectives we have read about).

We are on Regatta for one of the Alaska trips and there is sort of going home feeling (we have sailed her twice before). We look forward to our time back on Regatta and the itinerary was a definate decision maker. Next January we will sail Marina again and this was both the ship and itinerary. I don't know if we will go out of our way to take the Maiden Voyage for Riviera but we put a bit more focus on the ship than the itinerary.

Long winded way to say the same thing that Orchestrapal did :D

Also, to agree with Bobi, the plugs are very close together and even when two of the two prong varieties are inserted, it is a tight fit. We bring an adapter so we can use all three, or only two if there are three pronged plugs needed.

Lynne

[dwelsh]

In reviewing the posts on the Marina i notice that 98% of them ar all about the "ship" experience, very few mention the itinerary or the POC's.

 

I believe that a cruise is 80% the ship and 20% the destinations. We are very much looking forward to our very scenic journey on board the Mariner in July but the real excitement will be experiencing "going home" to the "O" and enjoying the new offerings. It's something like visiting your friend's new home!!

:):):):):)

[hondorner]

I just did it again. This is the 4th time I have started this thread. I keep bumping the wrong key and losing it. Yesterday, I typed for 46 minutes, creating the best post I have ever created on CC, and lost it. I gave up and went to the pool. the same thing happened this morning, and now again. they have got to set up an editor for cut and paste. This computer has Word, but it doesn't work.

 

Today, we got an extra sea day. Yesterday, as we left Puerto Chiapas, Mexico, it became apparent to the bridge that something was wrong with the Starboard propellor. They theorize that it was tangled in a fishing line or net. They shut it down and evaluated the situation. They decided that there were no good services in Huatulco, Mexico for a professio0nal diver to examine the shaft, so they decided to skip the port and proceed slowly to Acapulco, where we were already scheduled to stop tomorrow, and where divers can examine the propellor.

 

I welcomed the sea day, as we love them. We weren't planning anything for the port, anyway. They quickly added more classes, more lectures and two trivia sessions . I spent the day beside the pool with good conversation and read for a while.

 

Which leads to the discussion of ships, itineraries and such.

 

I don't want to lose another post, so I'll continue in the reply.

[hondorner]

...Which leads to the discussion of ships, itineraries and such.

 

I don't do so well with this kind of post, because it involves subjective opinion rather than facts or logic. But, I come down on the side of those who travel more for the ship than the itinerary. If I really was seriously interested in the itinerary, I'd want to spend more than a few hours, and if I was satisfied with cruising there, I'd be happy in any ship, even a mass market cruise line.

 

Instead, I choose Oceania (and sometimes Regent when the price is right), because of the ships, the food, the ambiance, the fellow passengers, the dress code, the smoking restrictions, the dining policies, the staff and service, the company attitude, and maybe, somewhere way down the list, the ports that are included.

 

The size of the ship is what it is. I like the R ships at 30,000 tons and 684 passengers, Navigator with fewer than 500 passengers and a little large0r ship, Voyager and Mariner at a larger ship yet but still just 700 passsengers, and Marina just a little larger than Voyager or Mariner and around 1200 passengers. I have sailed on larger ships (but never more than around 2400 passengers) and don't like them as much, but still enjoyed them based on the lower price and therefore lower expectations.

 

Marina is supposedly larger, but it's very hard to notice. the layout is very much like the R ships. Take the Waves grill for example -- it's in the same place as the R ships, right outside the Terrace Cafe on the Starboard side. It just has a few more tables than the R ships, but one almost has to count them to realize it's larger. The ship is a little wider, so the sun deck promenade over the pool deck is wider. There is room on it for both walking and lounge chairs, which is really nice. It also offers more room under it in the shade, but really, how much can you notice an extra row of deck loungers? Plus, the fitness track is super nice, with room for croquet and such, and an 18 how putting course on the forward sports deck instead of cananas. The sundeck in front of the spa has more loungers, two thelassoltherapy whirlpools instead of one, and the loungers have little canopies over them.

 

The Grand bar has a few more seats, the casino has a few more slots, Martinis has more seating, but it's all a matter of a slight difference in scale. You will be right at home, no matter which ship you think you prefer.

 

We'll be back on Regatta in June and July for Alaska, and will lke it equally. We run into the same number of friends as the R ships; there are just a few more friends we haven't met yet. The ship is really just a little longer, so the walks from one end to the other are almost the same.

 

So, reagardless of whether you sail for the ship or the itinerary, or whether you may now think you prefer smaller or larger, once aboard Marina you will soon forget it is larger and start to see the similarities rather than the differences -- except such nice differences as the two extra specialty restaurants, Baristas and such -- all of which are tucked way logically instead of interrupting the flow to which you are accustomed.

[Imagineer]

...thanks Don, and the others who replied to my pondering, it's good to hear there is so much similarity between the two sizes, and that Oceania is maintaining their distinctive 'flavor' in all of the ships - after all, that is why we're all 'O' aficionado's...

...looking forward to our upcoming cruise on the Insignia - Venice to Rome!!

 

cheers,

 

the Imagineer

[LHT28]

Thanks Don

Hope they get the problem fixed

 

I think we would love both ship sizes for different reasons

 

In 6 more days we will find out ;)

 

Lyn

[charleylake]

What can you tell us about the wine list and are there wine packages that help with the cost??

[hondorner]

What can you tell us about the wine list and are there wine packages that help with the cost??

.

Oceania has always had an extensive wine selection, but has never had a "wine package" of the sort offered by many other cruise lines. There are wine packages offered as bon voyage gifts at very high prices --- wouldn't help with costs, unless you want to spend more, not less ;). On some cruises, I have seen a flier listing some "sale" prices on certain wines, often with a "buy 2, get one free (or at reduced cost, I forget which)", but the wines I remember being offered were up in a different stratosphere than I inhabit.

 

There are many wines at reasonable prices. However, some of the prices have gone up -- I remember a Louis Jado Beaujolais Villages Bordeaux that I drink at home for around $12.99 at Publix supermarket, and which sold on board about 2 years ago for $34 (plus 18% gratuity, or around $40). Today, it's on the wine list at $50 (plus 18%). One of the best bargains (for my limited palate) is an organic wine, Eliliano Carmenere from the Central Valley oif Chile, offered for $30, which comes out to $35.40 with gratuity. But, real afficiandos will likely prefer something more sophisticated (we started drinking Carmenere at home from Casillero de Diablo, which means Cellar of the Devil, from the Conchi y Toro Winery in the Maipo valley of Chile. This Emiliano is even nicer).

 

Don't forget that there is no actual limit to bringing your own wine on board for consumption in your stateroom, and you may take it to dinner for a $20 corkage fee (no gratuity added to the corkage fee). If you receive wine from your travel agent, there is no corkage fee. If you receive a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne in your stateroom, you can trade it in for a house red or white at no cost, or perhaps upgrade it for a small fee -- ask a sommelier. and, if you do not finish your bottle at dinner, they will label it with your cabin number and bring it back at the next meal, no matter which restaurant you are in.

[charleylake]

Thank You for your reply - that was helpful in knowing what to expect. We are traveling with a group of 16, so it may get complicated. I know we will not do without!

[Paulchili]

Don,

As we board Marina in a week we are anxious to find out what they found in Acapulco re: the propeller.

Hopefully it has been corrected and she is good as new (which she is):)

[StanandJim]

Don,

As we board Marina in a week we are anxious to find out what they found in Acapulco re: the propeller.

Hopefully it has been corrected and she is good as new (which she is):)

 

Paul-

 

The divers in Acapulco discovered that a large piece of wood (akin to a log or a stump of some sort), had gotten lodged in the blades of the starboard propeller.

After it was removed, there did not appear to be any serious damage thanks to an automatic shut off device which was triggered as soon as the propeller encountered resistance.

There will be more divers, and more underwater fine tuning when we get to LA, but for now the ship appears to be sailing normally, and at quite a brisk speed.

[DOJO466]

Paul-

 

The divers in Acapulco discovered that a large piece of wood (akin to a log or a stump of some sort), had gotten lodged in the blades of the starboard propeller.

After it was removed, there did not appear to be any serious damage thanks to an automatic shut off device which was triggered as soon as the propeller encountered resistance.

There will be more divers, and more underwater fine tuning when we get to LA, but for now the ship appears to be sailing normally, and at quite a brisk speed.

Thanks for letting us know. Happy Birthday belatedly to Jim. Heard you had a lovely time in Privee

[frqttrvlr09]

I have just returned from 85 days on 3 back to back cruises on Nautica. The Marina was a topic of much discussion during those cruises. Since my return I have been reading the posts from the passengers on Marina's first voyages with interest: my main concerns were whether the increased size of the ship decreased the intimacy of the cruising experience, in terms of service, intimacy, food quality, efficiency in embarking and disembarking in ports, particularly tendering; and seating in restaurants. I was also interested in the bathroom size, as that is one of my pet peeves with the "R" ships. In addition, the tiny rock-hard "sofas" on the "R" ships are pretty useless, and not having plug ins near the beds is a problem for those of us with CPAPs. I am relieved to know that the answers appear to be "no", with the exception of the bathrooms, which still appear to be small (I was hoping that they were like Regent's, though I do prefer a separate shower/bath, as Marina has). It isn't clear, but it appears that there are still not plug ins by the beds. Also, I have not read about tendering, embarking or disembarking in ports and if the size of the ship has affected those issues. Further, what I have read in several posts about the lack of sound proofing (noise from adjacent cabins, from the hallway, chairs overhead) is disturbing, as my experiences on Insignia and now Nautica were that it was the rare occasion that I heard any noise from either, except when someone was yelling. Are there any plans to try to remedy those matters?

[hondorner]

On our way to Cabo. As reported by Jim, no apparent damage from the log stuck in the prop.

 

The corporate folks mentioned by Jim have been filming and photographing the ship for inclusion in the newest DVD. When it comes out, I suspect it will be really popular. We were invited to be "extras" in a filming of the Grand Dining Room, but as work started around 11 PM and lasted until at least 2 AM, us old fogies declined. Almost all the interior taping has been done at night. During the 3 day media cruise to the Bahamas, the ship "posed" for pictures outside Nassau harbor as we were circled by helicopters doing aerial photography.

 

Entertainment has been exceptional. Oceania has kept up a steady stream of entertainers. The Platters embarked in Acapulco and were scheduled to perform tonight, but I just heard an announcement that their show will be postpned a couple of days.

 

The first MUTS, or "movies under the stars", occurred a couple of nights ago with a broadcast of David Foster, then last night they showed "The Social Network" on the pool deck. Our dinner conflicted in both cases, but the really exciting news for me was the unveiling last night of a new popcorn machine! We saw it on the way to the Terrace Cafe, but ist was poacked away by the time we completed dinner in the Grand Dining Room. You heard correctly; Jim and Stan invented a new way to enjoy dinner, sushi and appetizers in the Terrace Cafe, then down to the GDR for the rest of the courses.

 

I did a quick laundry while in Acapulco; the machines are currently taking quarters, not tokens, with the cost set at $2 wash and $2 dry. During conversation with Tim Rubacky we suggested the machines be set up to take World Cards, and he took it under consideration. While I was in the laundry room, a couple of workers came by with a new 26" flatscreen TV and debated where to mount it; I expect it to be installed in a couple of days. This was deck 9; some of the other laundries apparently have their TVs already. Work on the ship continues non stop, with new artwork being installed almost daily. It's fun to try to discover what has been changed.

[hondorner]

I almost forgot -- we also made a "place holder" booking while on board Marina, to get the 5% discount for booking on board. We let the Oceania Club representative, Per Olsen (sp?), pick the voyage and the cabin so it would be less likely to interfere with anyone else's plans. We intend to transfer that booking to Riviera as soon as those itineraries are released.

 

The rules are that the 5% discount is instead of the $200 per person normnally extended to Oceania Club members. In other words, the selection has to be more than $2,000 per person to make it pay off, but that's usually no difficulty. The discount can be transferred once, before final payment of the reserved cruise. When transferred, the discount is applied to 5% of the new cruise fare. The onboard booking is made in the name of your present travel agent, so there is no need to have it transferred from Oceania to the agent.

 

We'll be home before itineraries are released for Riviera, and we're really looking forward to it. Lots of rumors are swirling about, but the official word from Oceania President Bob Binder is that plans are still being developed.

[spindrift]

Re the C-Pap machines, our friend uses one, and there is no plug near the bed. They brought in an extension cord right away to accommodate his need.

 

Don, that is a great idea using the World Card for the laundry machines!!!

 

And did Bob say when the Riveria itineraries will be available?

[Paulchili]

S&J and Don,

Thanks for the update and we are glad to hear that the propeller is OK.

[hondorner]

Regarding an electrical outlet near the headboard, I heard FDR say that it was intended, but was apparently lost in the millions of details. I'm positive I heard him say it would be corrected on Riviera, and I think I heard him say that they would try to add an outlet to Marina. and, as reported, they will bring an extension cord if absolutely needed.

 

We're in Cabo San Lucas,. our first tender port. There is a natural harbor, so the seas are gentle. They are running four tenders -- so, one is pulling into port as another is leaving, one is pulling up to the ship as another is leaving, and two pass in the middle. Something new for Oceania on Marina -- there are two gangway staircases leading in either direction from the Deck 4 exit, leading to two separate boarding platforms, thus letting them load two tenders at once. Vey efficient.

 

Now, I hope to end all the controversy and discussion about independent tendering once and for all. We were NOT on a ship tour. Tendering was due to begin at 11:00 AM. We followed instructions in the daily Currents newsletter, repeated in PA announcements and in the Daily Program TV show. Those instructions (which have been in effect for several years) are for independent passengers to proceed to the theater lounge to get a colored tender ticket, and for all others to go the the theater lounge to get a tender ticket that corresponds with their tour.

 

We were there a few minutes before 11 AM, were issued an Orange tender ticket for immediate disembarkation, and proceeded immediately to the first tender. If there were folks heading to a tour mixed in with us, it didn't matter. As independent shore travelers, we did NOT have to wait until all tours were tendered first. The procedure is to issue a mixture of tour passengers and independent passengers on each tender. When they call a number for the tour passengers, they also call a color for the independent passengers.

 

If it seems I'm going into too much detail, and saying the same thing over and over, it's because this has always been a contentious subject on Cruise Critic, on both the Oceania and Regent forums, with a few passengers claiming they had to wait until all the tours were tendered before they were allowed ashore. Once again, this is NOT the case.

 

It is true that OPEN tendering, without a numbered or colored ticket, does not take place until the majority of passengers have already departed.

 

Cabo is very nice. The weather is absolutely glorious, as it has been the entire voyage, so far. There is not a cloud in the sky, and there are literally hundreds of boaters, water taxis, sport fishermen, kayakers, jet skiers, para sailers and jet skiers all around the ship on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

 

The Gary Musick singers and dancers perform their show, "Con Molto" this evening, absolutely the best production show I have seen on any ship, although the Cirque Voyager show on Regent Voyager is a close second. In this show, the singers perform some operatic music, including Nessan Dorna (sp?) and "I am I, Don Quixote!" from the Man of La Mancha. Not to be missed.

 

We were at Red Ginger last night. This is turning out to be many guests' favorite. I had a chicken entree, bite-size chunks served in a stoneware pot, with a chile sauce that is almost a soup and some julienned vegetables, very spicy and served very hot, just to my taste. I also had some fried rice as a side, very tasty with a hint of a nuttly flavor, but served only lukewarm, which is NOT to my taste. I sent it back to be heated and received a fresh portion a few minutes later, still lukewarm. I yearned for a microwave. The Steamed Ginger Cake with cardamom flavored apple ice cream made up for it, as well as the Citrus Sorbet I couldn't resist as a second dessert.

[Mura]

Thanks for the further update! You confirm what I have recalled -- that we did NOT have to wait until all tour passengers had tendered in order to be able to do so ourselves.

 

It's Nessun Dorma ... "nessuno" meaning "no one" and the final "o" is often dropped when sung.

 

"No one sleeps" ...

[spindrift]

Again I ask, Don, did Bob say when the itineraries for the Riveria would be available?

 

Yes, Cabo is a fabulous port. Glad to hear that you have had wonderful weather.