Hey Frank!!!

[cathi]

Frank - as the first truly around the world cruise is close to coming to an end, the worldlies as some have come to call us have a few things we'd like to let you know.

 

First, your idea (and Don was forever telling us it was your idea!!) to do a what had never been done in the cruise world - a cruise of 180 days was dead on!!! Of all the worldlies I've talked to there is no dissent - It has been an incredible experience!!!! Most of us have so many pictures it's going to take months to sort through them all. The crew on board has been especially wonderful!!! Although some have been here, gone on vacation, and now are back we think they are the best crew!!!

From the women side - we are all dreading having to go back to the mundane. Can't believe it will only be a few day before I have to go shopping, learn to cook again, do laundry, and clean the house. Oh you guys have so spoiled us!!!

When we were all afraid before we boarded that we might get bored, that disappeared just after we crossed the Atlantic! Some days have too much to do!!!

 

There are 2 things that need to be addressed. First is the internet access. Since almost everyone these days has a device that needs the connection and many who never turn their's off, we need a more reliable system. Not being a techie don't know what can happen but sure does need some help. And second the TV channels. Can we do something about getting a Canadian news station? For a Canuck 5 1/2 months of listening to "news" stations that have nothing but either commentary on the US election or financial news it's beyond dull. Then when we tried the TV shows or movies the same ones were played over and over. Seemed every time we turned one channel on it was the very same Soprano episode! And yes if that's all that I can find to complain about you know it was a great cruise!!!!

 

I think you will get some more comments from the rest of the worldlies that are on CC.

 

Thanks for the memories!!!!!

Cathi Wallis

[Queen of DaNile]

Sounds like you "worldies" had a great cruise. Welcome (?) home to daily chores.

[cbb]

love, love, love the cruise and hope to sign up for 2019 RTW when it becomes available.

 

Mr. Wonderful and I have been keeping a log of the things we love and the things we'd like to see changed. We will print that out and include it with our end of cruise questionnaire.

 

One of the things that immediately comes to mind is the repetition of guest speakers. I can't believe that in the whole wide world of really smart and gifted speakers we are having the same ones again.

 

One of the speakers said that there were ~400 passengers that haven't heard him. None of the speakers we've had are so wonderful that 400 MORE people need to hear him.

 

I actually heard one woman at Corregidor ask "which war is he talking about....Vietnam?"

 

Please, bring on a real history teacher/professor for the segments where WWII had a huge presence--Manilla, Hiroshima, Okinawa, Hawaii, etc. Don't bring on people who begin their lectures with "Now, I'm not a historian but...." And please have them speak about the port BEFORE we dock there.

 

Please, please....upgrade your speakers and don't repeat them unless they swear on a stack of Currents that they won't repeat a lecture. (Best speaker of all--Professor Greg Wheeler who spoke on volcanoes, continental drift, etc. )

 

That said....we only have 13 sleeps left and I'm disconsolate thinking about it.

Edited June 19, 2016 by cbb

[PaulMCO]

It is not just 180 days cruises that have the same issues on a 35 day segment.

 

How many times can you watch to the Soprano's if you had them all fine. But just doing seasons 1 and 2 over and over. Same with the movies. Seems like this is a contract issue with the provider as OP was on Insignia and we were on Nautica -- same entertainment.

 

Guest speakers. For 35 days we had same guest speaker -- expert at nothing but expert at everything from Asia to Athens... hmm. Especially if you do not like his/her style -- you are stuck for the entire cruise. I remember on a Riviera cruise we had a historian whose expertise was on the Alaskan Native Tribes. Nice if we were on an Alaskan cruise -- but we were in Greece. I lost count of the number of mistakes and errors in his lectures.

 

O needs to take lessons from Silversea or Crystal -- much better speakers.

[RJB]

It is not just 180 days cruises that have the same issues on a 35 day segment.

 

How many times can you watch to the Soprano's if you had them all fine. But just doing seasons 1 and 2 over and over. Same with the movies. Seems like this is a contract issue with the provider as OP was on Insignia and we were on Nautica -- same entertainment.

 

Guest speakers. For 35 days we had same guest speaker -- expert at nothing but expert at everything from Asia to Athens... hmm. Especially if you do not like his/her style -- you are stuck for the entire cruise. I remember on a Riviera cruise we had a historian whose expertise was on the Alaskan Native Tribes. Nice if we were on an Alaskan cruise -- but we were in Greece. I lost count of the number of mistakes and errors in his lectures.

 

O needs to take lessons from Silversea or Crystal -- much better speakers.

Does not sound like it would be to difficult to make these changes.

Edited June 19, 2016 by RJB

[2552phxcrzr]

Excellent input ... I hope more of the Worldlies join in with their thoughts.

 

I really enjoy lectures about the ports we visit no matter the cruise line, unfortunately too many the lecturers are not really qualified to speak on the topic at hand ... I often get the sense they somehow convinced the various lines that they can speak on any topic on any itinerary in exchange for a free ride ... boondoggle anyone ;)

Edited June 19, 2016 by h2so4

[LHT28]

It may be better to send your comments & concerns to the President of Oceania Jason Montague

I would think he would have the power to make changes :confused:

 

Maybe other lines PAY their lectures to speak on the cruises not sure Oceania lectures are paid in cash

They certainly need to see some of them in action before they are hired

 

Some we have had were pretty bad & some were very good & were duly noted in our comments

Having someone with knowledge of the areas you are actually visiting at the time would make the cruise a lot more enjoyable

 

Shopping lectures I certainly can do without

[Mura]

Two of the best lecturers we ever had on O cruises were -- to put it bluntly -- amateurs. But they loved their fields and were very interesting. They weren't "hired" to do the job.

 

One was a Hollywood movie buff, especially of the past ... and had many interesting examples to discuss. We also enjoyed Verne Lundquist very much, and we aren't sports buffs ourselves. I have heard from others who had heard him on previous cruises that "I've heard it all before". When you do re-hire people, that's bound to be an issue. But we hadn't heard him before so we were glad of the opportunity! (I guess that goes back to the "400 people haven't heard me" comment that was quoted above.)

 

Some of the worst WERE hired ... I imagine it can be hard to audition these people but it would appear that a least some of the lecturers on the various cruises really don't belong there.

 

And I won't talk about the people who just read the text and never look up.

 

Mura

[fred 15]

We don't cruise often , but the best we had on O were Roger & Graham from the U.K., and Larry, who did port talks. Their talks were a little different but very well done.