Suggest an improvement

[UDSpud]

Assuming that Oceania and NCL corporate types read the Oceania Board, it may be time for users of this board to make improvement suggestions.

 

I will get  it started with the following:

 

1.  A daily sheet, or page, of things going on in the port stop that day.  Special exhibitions at museums, farmers markets, daytime sport events, concerts that fit the ships

in port time, etc   This would be especially helpful for things one could walk to from the port.

 

I have others, but want to hear from others.

[LHT28]

Why  can people not research that info themselves ?

Then if interested  they can seek out the events

It is like people lining up  that morning   at the desk with the tourist Rep to ask what they should be doing in port

 

We research well ahead of time to see what interests us  at the port

 

Playing along  though

Maybe get rid of the O Life perks  & just create packages for excursions or Beverage packages  instead of pretending they are free 

Like the 2 for 1 marketing cruise  fare pricing

JMO

[CanEcosse]

I'll go along with getting rid of the 2 for 1 fares nonsense. Why is this even legal? It would not be in Canada.

[pinotlover]

Monitor the shore excursions. If a passenger can’t keep up on a top level tour, they shouldn’t be able to hold up Groups day after day. Remove them from those levels, refund the money, and allow them to only sign up for tour on a level they have demonstrated ability to complete. 

 

Why should bus loads of people be held up, day after day, because of the same  one or two couples ?

[Classiccruiser777]

• Have gluten free and teriyaki sauces available, especially with the sushi in Terrace
• Denote gluten free dishes on all menus
• Increase the number of offerings in the GDR
• Make the chocolates on the turndown cabin service optional
• Instead of a bottle of wine as part of the O Club “enhancements” offer a choice of a pint of gin, vodka or other liquor. Better yet, reinstate the former OBC amount in lieu of the wine, cap and tote bag.
• More overnight port visits
• Fewer announcements 
• No more cutbacks

[clo]

37 minutes ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

• Make the chocolates on the turndown cabin service optional
•  

Can you just tell your cabin steward?

[Andee]

Low sodium options at breakfast and lunch, at dinner in Terrace Cafe.

Improve entertainment 

[Mura]

3 hours ago, UDSpud said:

Assuming that Oceania and NCL corporate types read the Oceania Board, it may be time for users of this board to make improvement suggestions.

 

I will get  it started with the following:

 

1.  A daily sheet, or page, of things going on in the port stop that day.  Special exhibitions at museums, farmers markets, daytime sport events, concerts that fit the ships

in port time, etc   This would be especially helpful for things one could walk to from the port.

 

I have others, but want to hear from others.

It seems to me that the Daily Currents does just that.  Is it that you want more detail about what they mention? 

[clo]

6 minutes ago, Andee said:

Low sodium options at breakfast and lunch, at dinner in Terrace Cafe.

 

What are examples of high sodium?  I cook a lot and am a recipe follower and really never see things with too much sodium.  And am always annoyed at people who salt before tasting.

[Mura]

You and my mother, Clo!  I inherited that dislike as well.

 

Have been reading lately too many articles about how salt is essential to food really tasting good!  Not salty, but good!  It's one thing if you are told to avoid salt because of b/p issues and the like.  But if that's not a problem, salt isn't evil.

 

I've been reading too many comments in general on this list where some complain that the food is salty and others say it doesn't have any salt.

 

Mura

[clo]

2 minutes ago, Mura said:

You and my mother, Clo!  I inherited that dislike as well.

 

Have been reading lately too many articles about how salt is essential to food really tasting good!  Not salty, but good!  It's one thing if you are told to avoid salt because of b/p issues and the like.  But if that's not a problem, salt isn't evil.

 

I've been reading too many comments in general on this list where some complain that the food is salty and others say it doesn't have any salt.

 

Mura

We add salt to things with our fingers.  Just a few grains at times.  We use unsalted butter and put minute amount of salt on toast after buttering.  Because it's right on top you get these nice little bursts of flavor.  I definitely salt tomatoes.  Oh, yeah, and corn.  I can't remember thinking 'oops, too much salt' when dining out.

[Mura]

These all sound very familiar, Clo!  I recently read a report that adding a ton of salt at the early stage was necessary ... wish I could remember which food that was!  I probably saved it ... somewhere.

 

Of course that article DID recommend experimenting so you find the right amount ...

 

Mura

[LuAnn]

56 minutes ago, Mura said:

It seems to me that the Daily Currents does just that.  Is it that you want more detail about what they mention? 

 

I believe the OP was talking about events/activities on shore for the day...not things to do on board the ship. 

[clo]

28 minutes ago, Mura said:

These all sound very familiar, Clo!  I recently read a report that adding a ton of salt at the early stage was necessary ... wish I could remember which food that was!  I probably saved it ... somewhere.

 

Of course that article DID recommend experimenting so you find the right amount ...

 

Mura

I've read that pasta water should be heavily salted - like sea water in flavor - but we don't salt it at all and it turns out fine.  We don't do it for health reasons just didn't know we were 'supposed' to 🙂

[Andee]

I imagine that if people accurately tracked their sodium intake, especially when eating in restaurants, they'd be shocked at how much sodium they're consuming.

The recommendation for people without a salt sensitive health problem is 2400 mg/day. My DH is one of the lucky 10% who survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but his heart is significantly damaged and his sodium restriction is under 1300 mg/day.

It's easy at home, where we avoid processed foods (never ate a lot), changed many products (switched from 440 mg for 2 slices rye bread for zero mg whole wheat, etc), and I eliminated most salt in my cooking, adding something acid to mimic the way salt can heighten flavors.

On a cruise, high sodium foods include most bread, soup, any sauce, prepared salads, etc, etc.

[GICNJC]

How about doing away with the fake whole prices that they always dicount from.

[Mura]

56 minutes ago, LuAnn said:

 

I believe the OP was talking about events/activities on shore for the day...not things to do on board the ship. 

I agree.  But from my memory of MANY Daily Currents they do exactly that.  Look at the page that talks about the port, not the ship.  It is before the pages that talk about what to do on the ship!

 

Now, they may not talk about events that are happening that day that do not normally happen -- like an annual festival parade, or something like that.  They may be talking about the usual sights to see.  Those ARE there in Daily Currents if you look for them.

 

I'm just wondering if the degree to what OP is suggesting would be difficult for a Daily Currents that has a limited number of pages. Besides, in most ports there are local people who come on to give maps, make suggestions, etc.

 

From Oceania's standpoint, if the port is a big one they might publish a separate document that could talk about "thing to do today".  But something like that -- I think -- should be for larger ports.

 

I agree with Lyn that if you are looking for unusual activities, then do your own research.  You don't need to depend on the ship's information, although I admit we've always checked out their recommendations as well ... especially when in smaller ports.  The ship does a good job and letting you know where local museums, art fairs, etc., are available when we are in port in larger ports.  They may not be able to do so easily in smaller ports.

 

Dinner calls so I'll have to sign off ... but I think I've said everything I was thinking about!

 

[clo]

18 minutes ago, Mura said:

then do your own research.

aka "Google is your friend."  But seriously I - the food and travel expert in the family - do this all the time.  I don't necessarily want to go where everyone else is heading.  We were on an escorted trip of the Balkans and had an on-your-own stop for lunch.  The group headed in one direction and we deliberately headed in the opposite.  And then turned down a side street.  Wonderful lunch.

[Mura]

I'm not much of a fish person but DH is.  This looks like a lunch he'd love!  And we've been known to abandon a group as well ...

[clo]

1 minute ago, Mura said:

I'm not much of a fish person but DH is.  This looks like a lunch he'd love!  And we've been known to abandon a group as well ...

We've really abandoned escorted land tours because we don't have nearly enough independent time. 

[Mura]

We have never done escorted land tours for just that reason.  We wanted to do our own thing.  We've done a lot of private land (self-drive) trips over the years ... once we discovered cruising we shifted over.  But our first European cruises were tied to self-drive tours before and after. 

 

MurA

[Ken the cruiser]

Increase the number and quality of the network routers on the ship and the internet bandwidth from the ship to provide passengers a quality internet experience while onboard.

[tvmovielover]

I wonder if the place for special events happening in a particular port could be given in the daily talk just before each port. (I think it is available on the tv if you do not attend)  The speaker would have to get in touch with the locals who will come on board but they have access to phones, email etc to do this.  In Paris on a river cruise, during tour, the leader talked about the Xmas booths (this was in Dec) letting us know why it would good to visit them (food not just trinkets) and then mentioned an art exhibit in an event palace we passed that was sold out but worth standing in line in the cold for.  We did it and were glad.  Any town fairs or concerts would be good to know about as well.

[Shawnino]

More time in port.

[aquidneck1]

Improve the wine selections for those who want to purchase the premium alcohol package.