Just back from the Insignia

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

We were on our first Oceania cruise, Barcelona to Istanbul. 9/22/05 till 10/6/05. We have been on several lines, including twice on Radisson. Here are some of my thoughts on Oceania. The ship is beautiful! The restaurants, reception, library, pool area are beautiful. We had penthouse II; #8055. The room was just that; a room. It is nothing more than a nice hotel room. However, the bed was wonderful, so comfortable! The pillows and comforter were all down filled and very, very nice. It was the best bed on any of our cruises. We did miss a walk-in closet and balcony was on the small size for a penthouse. But, it was fine for us. For 2 days we heard what sounded like water running constantly. We followed the sound to right outside our door. We called reception and they sent someone up immediately. They figured it was in the AC vent right outside our door. They said they would fix the problem the next day. Still no solution to the noise. A day later they offered to move us to PH 8001. By then we were all unpacked and geting used to it, so we stayed where we were. They sent us a bottle of champagne. I must admit they did everything to solve the problem. If you book 8055 remember the problem is still there and annoying. The embarking and disembarking was simple and the crew was welcoming. The food was good. Altho, the only restaurant it was excellent was in the Polo Lounge. Fantastic shrimp cocktail and steaks. Desserts was medicore as was the Tapa's buffet. The food on Radisson is better but not much. I like the fact that everything is included with Radisson. I felt nickeled and dimed on Oceania. Little things like giving complimentary water before going out to tour was a nice little thing that Radisson does and Oceania could do. Tipping included and wine with dinner is another nice thing that Radisson does. We had a butler on both lines and frankly, didn't need them on either one. They don't do anymore than a cabin streward and room service does. I would recommend Oceania and think they are an up and coming cruiseline. Their itineraries are probably the best available right now. Everything went smoothly on this cruise.

We stayed on our own for 3 nights in Barcelona. Since we had been there a few times before, we decided to stay on our own. We booked the Roayl Hotel online. It was very nice, clean and reasonable and had the best location we ever had in Barcelona; right on the the Las Ramblas. Alot of cruiselines use the Barcelona Hilton. It is a terrible location in the financial district. Don't let them book you there.

We stayed 5 nights in Istanbul on our own at the Ceylan Intercontinental. The most beautiful hotel we have ever stayed in. I had heard that Istanbul has the world's nicest hotel and not expensive. Other friends stayed at the Swisshotel and Ritz Carlton and said they were lovely too.

Istanbul is a very interesting and exotic city. We did the first day on own taking taxis to the Grand Bazzar. The first time in that place is confusing and hectic but fun. The next 3 days we booked an splendid private guide. She picked us up at our hotel everyday and took us everywhere and then some. Her name is Fatos. Her English is excellent and she is young and modern (35). If you want her e-mail; let me know. Also we had a great guide in Kusadasi. Her name is Emek. She took us to Ephesus and to the House of the Virgin Mary. Her English is equally good.

The other private guides we had were, Sylvie DiCristo in Monte Carlo. What a charming young woman with excellent English skills. Highly recommended! We had Joan is Malta. Also, very highly recommened. She and her husband Chris, a Brit, treat you like family. And she is so knowledgeable! In Marseille we had a terrible guide named Louisette from Taxidurand. Do not use her. Her English is poor and she is not really a guide. I think she is just a taxi driver.

We booked Claudio for tour outside of Rome and he sent Carlo. A very nice, and well versed gentleman. Highly recommended also. We had Salvatore himself in Naples. Cannot recommend him. English is not that good and he just drops off and picks up.

Any questions, I will gladly answer. Istanbul was a wonderful experience and Oceania was very, very nice.

Judy D.

[digby]

How do the daily rates for similar cabins compare for Oceania and Radison?

[brian_uk]

Judy

 

An excellent and very fair report and probably in line with my general thoughts about Oceania.

 

Question is.....Would you go back on their Ships ? We have rebooked for July.

 

Brian

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

Yes, we would go back on their ships. Next September we are interested in doing a river cruise from Prague to Amsterdam. Anyone any recommendations on a good river cruiseline? Either that or a trip to the British Isles. We have done the Med 3 times and the Baltics once.

Judy

[Jancruz]

Hi Judy,

Stu and I are going on Viking Lines River Cruise to Eastern Europe October 15, 06 and looking forward to a change of pace..

Jan

*****

[mike35]

Judy,

 

We did a Peter Deilmann (HMS Mozart - 5 Star) cruise down the Danube last year, and it was spectacular - great ship, cuisine and service! 200 Passengers, only 24 spoke English - only 12 Americans - but they provided announcements and tours in English. HIGHLY recommended!

 

Mike

[meow!]

Thank you for your nice report. Your description of the ship is very similar to our experience last year, even though we had an ordinary balconied cabin, two-thirds your PH size, and with a very small washroom. We found the Tappas quite nice, with food similar to the main restaurant, but buffet styled such that we picked up what we liked and ate at our own leisure. The fact that it was mostly empty (until later on in the voyage when more people became aware of it) was a plus, giving us the feeling of more privacy.

 

We mostly took taxi tours on our cruise (Barcelona to Venice), they were cheaper and we did not have to book ahead of time. However, your mentioning of the guides in the various ports should be very helpful to those looking for guides in those ports you mentioned. As your voyage took you to some of the more "exotic" (middle eastern) ports, it might actually be safer to pre-hire a recommended guide than to take whichever taxi which happened to show up!

[Liv4cruzin]

I'd be interested in the e-mail address for Fatos in Istanbul. I'm on the Regatta in April; & have 4 nights pre-cruise hotel in Sultanahmet. Wanted to see a few sites that are too far "out" for public transportation. She may be just what we're looking for.

[spindrift]

I would highly suggest that you check into the Avalon River Cruises. I was on board the M. S. Artistry for its christening. You can't go wrong with this first class and new line. Rooms are quite sizeable and very, very nice. Avalon Waterways is part of the Globus and Cosmos company. Excellent.

[mjmme]

Judy,

We are in Barcelona for 2 days before our Nov departure, and naturally they have put us in the Hilton.We have been to Barcelona before and have been to the typical things: Ramblas/ Sagra Familia etc. anything to add from your recent visit? Any restaurant that you'd re-visit?

I read on another thread that its a $20 corkage fee, was that accurate? I hate it when the fee exceeds the cost of the wine.

mjmme

[jfb128]

We recently were on a cruise that stopped in Barcelona. If you haven't been to Park Guell by Gaudi it is worth the trip. We did the Antonio Gaudi tour and visited a couple of homes that he designed as well but Park Guell was very special.

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

This is the address for Fatos. She is such a nice, darling girl. She will take you anywhere you mention. fatos65@superonline.com

[7continentKaren]

You can rent a car in Barcelona and drive through the mountains to Andorra. Gorgeous.

[ClaudiaF]

:D If you have not been to Montserrat would recommend going there. Also the lovely town of Sitges. If you like wines Penedes for the wineries.

[gopackgo]

I second the vote for Montserrat. We went there with on a bus tour since we were with a group but once you are up there, you can take a short tour and then go on your own. It is so beautiful! There is a mass everyday at 11:00 and the altar is filled with the monks that still live up there. The abbey is absolutely gorgeous. Make sure you go inside for the mass. Then everyday at 1, a boy's choirs sings for about 10 minutes. Get there early!

 

Take the car up to the top of the mountains for fantastic views. It was one of the higihlights of our Barcelona visits. There were several highlights.

 

Ginny

[carolhat]

Hi Judy,

 

My husband and I and our 14 year old son are booked on the Barcelona to Athens cruise on the Nautica on 8/11/06 and would like to book private tour guides in some of the ports. Since you had good experiences with your guides in Rome, Monte Carlo, Malta and Marseilles, I was wondering if you could tell me how you found them and share their contact info, if you still have it. Thanks!

 

Carol H.

[wongri]

Hi Judy,

 

I enjoyed reading your review as we have never cruised with Oceania.

We normally cruise with Celebrity, Crystal and RCCL so we are looking forward to experiencinf a new ship and line.

Our family will be on the Insignia April 2006 from Rome to Athens.

We will be in Malta for the day and would like to contact Joan to see if she is available to take us around as it will be our first visit there. There will be 9 of us. Would you have her email or contact info? Will we require a full day tour or half day tour with her?

 

Many thanks!

Rita

[drwong]

We booked a tour with Chris and Joan Sheridan of MaltaTravelNet.com (aka TouringMalta.com) who were recommended on these boards and we were very disappointed for several reasons.

 

We were on the Insignia cruise that was diverted to Alexandria, Egypt, instead of Libya, putting us 900 miles (or a day and a half sailing) from Malta. We were originally scheduled for an 8 am arrival Tuesday morning in Valletta, but we encountered rough weather heading west and the captain informed us in Monday morning's announcements that we would be arriving at 6 pm the next evening, leaving us with only a two-hour port visit. For that reason, Oceania would be cancelling all of its shore excursions and refunding all prepaid tickets.

 

I immediately emailed MaltaTravelNet to let them know of the schedule change and to ask them whether they would refund our 50% deposit (they required 50 Maltese Lira, or $150, at the initial booking). Although I gave them over 24 hours advance notice, I didn't heard back from them until late evening, only to find out that they were refusing to refund any part of the deposit because of the "late" notice.

 

In Tuesday morning's announcements, the captain informed us that we would be arriving at 4 pm due to calmer seas, leaving enough time for Oceania to provide a complimentary 2 hour shore excursion for any and all passengers. I again emailed MaltaTravelNet to ask if they could reschedule our tour to accommodate our late arrival, since they were were so disagreeable over refunding the deposit. They offered to reschedule, but with an "overtime surcharge" of 20 Lira (another $60 bucks). Since we had NO negotiating power at this point in time, we were forced to take what we could get. And of course, because everything closed up at 5 pm, the only place we were able to enter on what became a "drive-by tour" was a church.

 

Neither Joan Sheridan nor Chris (her husband) guided our tour - instead, we got Brigitte, a very nice and eager Maltese lady but with a thick local accent that made parts of her narration difficult to understand. Chris did call on Brigitte's cell phone during the tour to see how we were enjoying the tour, but what were we supposed to say with Brigitte sitting in the car?!? And although the emails I exchanged with Chris led me to believe he was English, I detected a Maltese accent during our brief phone call.

 

Would I use TouringMalta/MaltaTravelNet again? Probably not, given their inflexible cancellation policy (which is not posted on their website), the inability of cruise lines to guarantee arrival times, and the abundance of taxicabs at the pier (we found out after we returned that other cruisers hired cabs at pierside for about half the cost of our guided tour and the drivers seemed to be about as knowledgeable as our guide). But if travelling with a large group, booking with a professional guide might be the only way of securing a vehicle large enough for all nine of you.

 

Also, they don't take American Express, so be prepared to see an additional 3-5% credit card penalty on your next statement for using your Visa or Mastercard, since their charges are all in Maltese Lira and you'll get hit with both a conversion charge as well as a foreign transaction fee by your credit card company.

[wongri]

drwong - thanks for sharing your story on Malta.

I think I will wait till we get into port and see about arranging a car then. It is so annoying spending your vacation trying to reschedule a tour when the tour company is so unaccommodating. Especially, when they know you have no control of arrival time due to weather conditions. I will definately not book with MaltaTravelNet.com.

We had a bad experience on our recent New England Cruise. We booked a tour with Imperial Limosines and they sent us a driver who had no idea of any of the sites in Boston and we spent half an hour going in circles. Worst of all we asked to be dropped of at Filene's basement for some shopping. He dropped us off at the wrong store and we had to take a$15 taxi ride to the right store. Driver was most unfriendly and unhelpful. He also charged us 2 hours for travelling time which was not part of the contract. Argued but finally gave up as I was not going to waste my time. I called head office and emailed them from the ship with my complaint and asked for part refund which they never answered. I would never use them again. Part of travelling and seeing the worldI suppose - the good and the bad!

Happy cruising!

Rita

[drwong]

Rita - you might also try Edrichton Holidays (www.edrichton.com), another Maltese tour operator that handles small and large groups. I don't know if you'll be able to find a 9-passenger vehicle at pierside (unless you want to break up into separate cabs, or if some are content with walking through Valletta). The cruise ships dock at the Pinto Wharves (click on the flashing dot: http://www.mma.gov.mt/pics/map.swf) in the heart of downtown, so a walking tour of Valletta is very doable, although there will be a lot of vertical climbs (but not as many as Monte Carlo!).

 

No matter which tour operator you use, be sure to ask for a copy of their cancellation policy in writing, and document every email you send to them -- that way you'll be protected if you want to challenge any charges made to your credit card. American Express has been very good in taking the side of the consumer, which may be why MaltaTravelNet won't accept their cards. MC and VISA, on the other hand, tend to side with the merchant. In addition, AmEx only charges its holders a flat 2% currency conversion fee, while many MC and VISA cards charge between 3-5%. If you're spending $3000 on your vacation, those little fees will add up fast!

[ClaudiaF]

Hi Judy,

 

My husband and I and our 14 year old son are booked on the Barcelona to Athens cruise on the Nautica on 8/11/06 and would like to book private tour guides in some of the ports. Since you had good experiences with your guides in Rome, Monte Carlo, Malta and Marseilles, I was wondering if you could tell me how you found them and share their contact info, if you still have it. Thanks!

 

Carol H.

 

Hi Carol,

Since no one answered you re: guides here are 3 we would use again ( and again)..

for Rome, Claudio ( speaks perfect English and a great driver)at

http://www.limoinrome.com/home.htm

for Monte Carlo , Jean Marc ( or owner Alain-but we had Jean Marc and he was wonderful-spoke perfect English and very knowledgeable) at

http://www.dream-tours.com/

and for Marseilles for touring Provence, St. paul de Vence- Aix, Arles or Avignon ( or other places) Louisette Durand ( her English is not terrific, but she took us where we had planned and with our limited French and her little English we got on great)at

http://www.taxidurand.com/index.htm

[drwong]

Carol - sorry about that - in responding to Rita, I neglected your questions!

 

Barcelona has the Bus Turistic (http://www.barcelona-on-line.es/eng/reserves/bus_turistic.htm) - you can pick up a brochure at the airport or the cruiseship terminal, and for 18E (or 22E for a 2-day pass, a better bargain), you can have a guided tour the entire city on an open air double-decker bus. This hilarious website prepared us for what we ran into in Barcelona: http://www.jones.tc/barna/scams.html. We actually witnessed a tourist being taken for 50 Euros, despite our warnings it was a scam!!!

 

We also did Monte Carlo on our own - it's a small place, and a 3.50E all-day bus ticket will take you every place you need to go, picking you up and dropping you off at the foot of the cruise ship pier. There's so much to see and do in Monte Carlo, that we didn't feel a need to venture beyond (like taking the coastal train to Nice or Cannes).

 

In Marseilles, we hired Catherine D'Antuono (www.provence-travel.com). Her degrees are in history and art history, which is the expertise that we were looking for in our 7-hour drive through Provence. She also used a 7-passenger Mercedes minivan, which provided plenty of room for the four of us. And she provided bottle water, which my wife appreciated.

 

In Livorno, my wife had already been to Florence and I was interested in Puccini, so we did a Puccini Pilgrimage out to Lucca (his birthplace) and Torre del Lago (his resting place). We felt we didn't need to hire a guide for the full day.

 

In Rome, we hired Paolo Apolloni (www.drivinguide.com), who talks (and drives) like a native New Yorker. He knows the ins and outs, the back roads, and narrates the entire way. He preps you for the various places you'll enter, while he double-parks or waits with the van. He uses a 7-passenger Mercedes mini-van, so if you find other cruisers, you can split the costs with them.

 

In Positano, we hired Salvatore (*****) based on recommendations from this Board, but he was more of a driver than a guide, as fellow passengers have subsequently reported. He's also fairly expensive, and other cruisers have recommended the "dreamy" Franceso Marrapese (http://www.francescomarrapese.com) instead. Anyhow, by this time, stories of our personal shore excursions got around the ship and other passengers wanted to join us. But because our minivan was already full, they had to follow behind us in the van of one of his "associates" and were subjected to Italian radio programming for the bulk of the trip, resulting in a very small tip for that driver. But the scenery along the Amalfi coast is spectacular, and he let us spend some time shopping in Positano. You should choose whether you want to tour Amalfi, or take the ferry and spend the day in Capri instead - both are good choices.

 

In Taormina, we used the services of Diana Mazza Rampf. She was able to accommodate our swelling crowd of private excursionees (?) and she managed to find a minibus to take all 15 of us around Taormina (the Greek Amphitheater was spectacular) and up to Mt. Etna for lava souvenirs. She has no website, but you can email her at trinacria2000@hotmail.com or gerdia@t-online.de for prices and quotes.

 

You've already read about my experience on Malta, and you hire a driver at your own risk. In Athens we hired the legendary Spiros (*****). We ended up with one of his "associates" but were satisfied with the pickup arrangements, the tour around town, and the dropoff. I'd recommend hiring him for a full day tour on the first day, and I'd strongly recommend using him the next day to take you to the hotel or the airport because the taxi queue at Pireaus is a madhouse! Surly drivers aggressively ply the crowd for anybody willing to pay 50E for what should be a 15E ride into town, and if you won't pay, they won't play. You'll find it very comforting to emerge from the anarchy of the cruise ship terminal to find a smiling taxi driver beside a shiny yellow Mercedes holding a sign with YOUR name on it. :D Have fun!!!

[wongri]

Thanks for the pointers on what to watch out for drwong.

 

We have booked Santorini Day Tours, Nikos to take us around in Santorini and in Sorrento Renato Cuomo whom other CC members recommended.

We have been to Livorno/Florence several times so how did you find your Puccini tour and how long was it?

Have a great evening.

Rita

[drwong]

Tour took half a day - birthplace was just a walk-by, as the building was undergoing renovation. Torre del Lago was far more interesting, including a tour of the estate led by a docent. Small little gift shop near the lake where you can buy libretti in the original Italian and a few assorted postcard and knicknacks. Not much going on at the concert pavillion unless there's a concert there. I'd recommend it only if you're a Puccini afficionado - otherwise, there are far more interesting options to see.

[7continentKaren]

I would be very unlikely to hire someone in advance for any cruise after our Insignia experience. We were late into Tunis and exceptionally late into Malta. The previous cruise missed Malta altogether. A crew member told me that one of our engines was down; hence, the late arrivals. But the brass would not admit to it. Regatta had even more changes in its itinerary and a disaster for those who booked outside vendors for tours. Besides the issue of advance booking and refunds, we would not go on an Oceania cruise again anyway because we feel their attitude and communications are horrible. To add insult to injury, we still do not have our refund for tours in Libya. :mad: Just got home yesterday.