Newbie...a few basic questions?

[Robyn2]

Hi, we are new to Oceania and can’t wait to board in Miami….a few basic questions please, would appreciate your advice.

 

Firstly, do we need to bring reusable water bottle and coffee cups?

 

What toiletries are supplied, ie shampoo, conditioner, body lotion etc?

 

Are towels supplied for beach excursions?

 

We are on Deck 7 Riviera, basic veranda cabin, when would be the best time to board in Miami in order to avoid long queues?

 

Any other advice for newbies would be most welcome, thank you!

 

 

 

[eldaradoe]

23 minutes ago, Robyn2 said:

 

 

Firstly, do we need to bring reusable water bottle and coffee cups? not at all.....

 

What toiletries are supplied, ie shampoo, conditioner, body lotion etc? everything is supplied

 

Are towels supplied for beach excursions? yes

 

We are on Deck 7 Riviera, basic veranda cabin, when would be the best time to board in Miami in order to avoid long queues? the queue is not bad as these are 1200 passenger ships so anytime after 12 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob the Cruiser]

31 minutes ago, Robyn2 said:

Hi, we are new to Oceania and can’t wait to board in Miami….a few basic questions please, would appreciate your advice.

 

Firstly, do we need to bring reusable water bottle and coffee cups?  No. Oceania no longer provides plastic lids for coffee to go, so you may want to bring a travel mug/cup.

 

What toiletries are supplied, ie shampoo, conditioner, body lotion etc? Yes.

 

Are towels supplied for beach excursions? Yes.

 

We are on Deck 7 Riviera, basic veranda cabin, when would be the best time to board in Miami in order to avoid long queues? Most of the time there aren't long lines. We have boarded before our assigned times with no problem. (Standard veranda.)

 

Any other advice for newbies would be most welcome, thank you!

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by Rob the Cruiser

[Hoyaheel]

If you WANT a reusable water bottle and coffee mug, then yes, you should bring them. They are not provided by Oceania. I brought my own bottle (I always travel with one) and refilled it whenever I needed (Vero water bottles in the cabin).  They do still hand out plastic water bottles to take ashore - I prefer to bring my own. Didn't bring a coffee mug but that's because I only have one cup of coffee a day - just up to Baristas or to the little coffee area in Horizons and I usually drank on-site in a provided ceramic mug. 

[YoHoHo]

2 minutes ago, Hoyaheel said:

If you WANT a reusable water bottle and coffee mug, then yes, you should bring them. They are not provided by Oceania. I brought my own bottle (I always travel with one) and refilled it whenever I needed (Vero water bottles in the cabin).  They do still hand out plastic water bottles to take ashore - I prefer to bring my own. Didn't bring a coffee mug but that's because I only have one cup of coffee a day - just up to Baristas or to the little coffee area in Horizons and I usually drank on-site in a provided ceramic mug. 

I am a coffee drinker and did not get the OP's post at first as it has not occurred to me to use a paper cup. You mentioning Baristas I remember I have delivered Cappuccino a couple of times in a paper cup to she who waits for my return. I am guessing paper cups are popular choice overall that this would be asked.

 

I was wondering about those Vero water bottles and read O was now providing this a  "green" option. I don't  know what Vero water is. Interesting you bring you own water bottle. Are those Vero bottles not to be taken off ship or too cumbersome or such? I was planning on taking one for off-ship use but maybe need to have a plan B

 

 

[Hoyaheel]

Vero bottle are 1 liter (or 1.25?) and glass, so no, not easily portable and not designed to be taken off the ship. I typically travel with an aluminum bottle that is lightweight. I've read Oceania wants to get rid of the plastic bottles at ports but not sure what their plan is. On an Avalon river cruise on the Mekong, all passengers get an aluminum bottle of their own, and we refilled (from water coolers) on board. But MANY fewer passengers so not a problem to do that.

 

I did see some passengers who brought their own mugs (for water or coffee) on board, so if that's your choice, you won't be the only one doing it.

[YoHoHo]

1 minute ago, Hoyaheel said:

Vero bottle are 1 liter (or 1.25?) and glass, so no, not easily portable and not designed to be taken off the ship.

Thanks for that info. We'll add a bottle to the packing list.

[Hoyaheel]

I'm basing my response on a Dec 2019 cruise on Riviera. Other threads are discussing portable Vero water bottles, so it's possible some ships have those already, if Oceania rolls out one at a time? So I'd search for a Vero thread for specifics before your departure.

[Classiccruiser777]

2 hours ago, Robyn2 said:

Any other advice for newbies would be most welcome, thank you!

 

If you want to change your specialty restaurant reservations talk with the waiter at the reservation desk after boarding. Also, don’t hesitate to request additional reservations (space available basis).

 

Tell your room steward what your preferences are for non-alcoholic beverages to be stocked in your fridge.

 

The Terrace Cafe isn’t the typical cruise line buffet. Steaks, lobster tails, lamb chops, prawns grilled to order. Sushi most nights, salads made to order, homemade ice cream.

 

In the Grand Dining Room vegetables, such as grilled asparagus, sautéed spinach and others, are available. Just ask.

 

Tea in Horizons at 4 is a must. Best to get there a little early as it tends to fill quickly.

[Paulchili]

3 hours ago, Robyn2 said:

We are on Deck 7 Riviera, basic veranda cabin, when would be the best time to board in Miami in order to avoid long queues?

Come 1/2 to 1 hour after your posted boarding time to avoid any lines.

That said, lines are not a big issue on Oceania even if you come at your suggested boarding time.

[Toranut97]

1 hour ago, Hoyaheel said:

I'm basing my response on a Dec 2019 cruise on Riviera. Other threads are discussing portable Vero water bottles, so it's possible some ships have those already, if Oceania rolls out one at a time? So I'd search for a Vero thread for specifics before your departure.

I just cruised January 13 -24, Sirena. The Vero bottles are glass and, as stated, a liter each.  No way are they portable. When going ashore in port, however, the usual individual plastic bottles were distributed to us.

 

Donna

[KatieBelle]

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20315-oceania-cruises-to-eliminate-plastic-water-bottles.html?fbclid=IwAR2gJabAyxQ-nveir5eCPM7UmHCmMLswtEfACMT9QpnZwC820bZT3GlQb1s

 

Oceania/Vero Water was to roll out in 2 phases per the press release above. The first phase was done last year.  The second phase was to begin the end of 2019 with personal bottles to carry off ship and take home.  No one to our knowledge has reported from any ship that the second phase has even begun.  Until that happens you may want to bring your own water bottle/coffee mug or take off plastic water bottles provided by Oceania in every port.

 

Katie

[Mura]

Occasionally we have seen lines at check-in but as Paul says, usually not.  If you want to avoid the lines just don't try to check-in at the earliest moment.  Many regulars will plan on lunch and perhaps afternoon activities before going to the ship.  As long as you meet the "last call" requirement, there's no problem.

 

DH and I usually like to get there in time to have lunch on board but many others prefer to have lunch in the departure port on their own time.  We done the same as well on occasion.

 

With smaller ships, there are fewer people checking in, of course!

 

People in higher suites will have less of a problem anyway.  We once checked in (not too long ago) but probably looked a bit disreputable after a day of touring.  The clerk seemed to assume that we were in a lower cabin even though we were in the "suite" line and it took him rather long to find our reservation.  BUT ... we were the only ones in line so it wasn't a problem in the end.

 

I do recall once or twice when the reservation stations were not properly manned.  Maybe it was their lunch hour!  It didn't matter what cabin level you were in when there weren't staff on hand to check you in ... even then, it was not a long time.

 

 

[clo]

2 hours ago, YoHoHo said:

Thanks for that info. We'll add a bottle to the packing list.

Our cabin steward quickly noticed that we were using a lot of water so starting leaving us two. I go NOWHERE without my water bottle so this made it super easy.

[clo]

38 minutes ago, Mura said:

DH and I usually like to get there in time to have lunch on board but many others prefer to have lunch in the departure port on their own time.  We done the same as well on occasion.

 

As you know we had feijoada and caipirinhas in Rio and boarded around 2 🙂

[Hoyaheel]

Oh yes, we had two or three veros in the cabin 😉 I was a bit infamous on the ship as I noted on the survey that the water service in restaurants suffered...It's bad when the wine service is better than for water 😉

[Classiccruiser777]

5 minutes ago, Hoyaheel said:

Oh yes, we had two or three veros in the cabin 😉 I was a bit infamous on the ship as I noted on the survey that the water service in restaurants suffered...It's bad when the wine service is better than for water 😉

Next time ask the waiter to leave the bottle, or two.

 

[Mura]

17 minutes ago, clo said:

As you know we had feijoada and caipirinhas in Rio and boarded around 2 🙂

Indeed I do, Clo!  We still treasure our feijoada meal at Ipanema way back when we were newlyweds ... the only other couple there were celebrating their 25th anniversary, and they toasted us.

 

A special moment, which I have mentioned several times before!

 

Mura

[clo]

1 minute ago, Mura said:

Indeed I do, Clo!  We still treasure our feijoada meal at Ipanema way back when we were newlyweds ... the only other couple there were celebrating their 25th anniversary, and they toasted us.

 

A special moment, which I have mentioned several times before!

 

Mura

Which I continue to love hearing about 🙂

[Jay23]

6 hours ago, Hoyaheel said:

Oh yes, we had two or three veros in the cabin 😉 I was a bit infamous on the ship as I noted on the survey that the water service in restaurants suffered...It's bad when the wine service is better than for water 😉

But we expect the water service to be as good as the wine service; and we expect the wine service to be very good indeed.. 😄

[Hoyaheel]

12 hours ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

Next time ask the waiter to leave the bottle, or two.

 

They never would....

[Robyn2]

Thank you all for the excellent advice and tips.

 

Yes we will now bring our own water bottles but not coffee mugs, paper cups will do just fine!

We will take our time boarding but maybe in time to get some late lunch.

Great tips re specialty restaurants, thank you and the Terrace Cafe sounds wonderful.

 

I note the waiter might leave the water bottle on the table but would they kindly leave the wine bottle too !!

We enjoy a glass of wine in our suite while getting ready for dinner. Will room service take for ever to deliver it or can we just go and pick it up at the nearest bar?

 

One last question, which of the speciality restaurants is the most popular/requested, ie difficult to get a reservation?

 

Thank you all those great Oceania CC experts....a great help to first timers 👍😊

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pinotlover]

Robyn2;

 

I’m in that group that prefers a delightful lunch ashore and not boarding until at least 2:30 - 3:00. 
 

As to wine service: If you are in any of the packages, the wine is served to you “ by the glass” and the bottle is never left at the table. At a dining venue, even when you purchase a bottle it is rarely left at the table. The waiters will refill your wine glass. I suppose one might ask for the bottle to be left, however in many quarters that is considered a bit tacky. Think the old cowboys at the bar “ leave the bottle!”

 

It is my recommendation to go to the bar and get your own drinks to take back to the room. Room service is extremely busy on most days between 4:00 -6:00 so service can be slow. With a Butler, we give him plenty of advanced warning yet sometimes even that service can be slow.

 

You didn’t stipulate which ship you’re on so the reservation question is difficult to answer. Since the R ships have only two Specialties each, one venue is no harder than the other. On the O ships, Jacques is normally the most difficult, perhaps followed by Red Ginger.

[KatieBelle]

37 minutes ago, Robyn2 said:

Thank you all for the excellent advice and tips.

 

Yes we will now bring our own water bottles but not coffee mugs, paper cups will do just fine!

We will take our time boarding but maybe in time to get some late lunch.

Great tips re specialty restaurants, thank you and the Terrace Cafe sounds wonderful.

Just a note the the steaks, lobster, etc. on the grill are an evening offering.

I note the waiter might leave the water bottle on the table but would they kindly leave the wine bottle too !!

If you have the beverage pkg. offering wine by the glass at meals, do not expect a bottle on the table. 

We enjoy a glass of wine in our suite while getting ready for dinner. Will room service take for ever to deliver it or can we just go and pick it up at the nearest bar?

Hopefully you are already aware of the opportunity to bring your own wines/spirits on board to enjoy in your stateroom.  You may also take your own unopened bottle of wine to any venue and pay the corkage (a one-time fee).  Any unused portion will be stored properly in their cellars and may be called for again in any venue.  Depending on the length of our cruise we might take on 6 bottles apiece and replenish in other ports.  (I now see that pinotlover has chimed in.  Concur with his remarks)  We also like happy hour in our room, maybe with a few guests.  We open a bottle of wine and order the international cheese plate or smoked salmon from room service.  And as pinotlover has already expressed, allow for slower delivery during happy hour.

One last question, which of the speciality restaurants is the most popular/requested, ie difficult to get a reservation

 

Thank you all those great Oceania CC experts....a great help to first timers 👍😊

Enjoy your cruise!

Katie

Edited February 17, 2020 by KatieBelle

[clo]

6 minutes ago, KatieBelle said:

You may also take your own unopened bottle of wine to any venue and pay the corkage (a one-time fee).  Any unused portion will be stored properly in their cellars and may be called for again in any venue. 

We usually take it back to our cabin. If we don't drink it there, we'll take it back to dinner. No surprised looks 🙂