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Your Favorite Cruise Memory


Aloha 1
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Instead of arguing with one another over Covid this and that, let's try a different tack. What is your favorite cruise memory on O? Could be something about a ship or port.

 

One of my favorites was the first time we did La Reserve on Riviera in 2014. The food and wine were over the top as was the company. How many times do you get the chance to dine with a retired Australian Colonel, head of a major bank on Cyprus, A Professor of Antiquities, etc. Truly an enjoyable evening and one I recommend to all.

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19 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

Instead of arguing with one another over Covid this and that, let's try a different tack. What is your favorite cruise memory on O? Could be something about a ship or port.

 

One of my favorites was the first time we did La Reserve on Riviera in 2014. The food and wine were over the top as was the company. How many times do you get the chance to dine with a retired Australian Colonel, head of a major bank on Cyprus, A Professor of Antiquities, etc. Truly an enjoyable evening and one I recommend to all.

Being able to spend two days in Easter Island, making a stop at Pitcairn Island, and five days in French Polynesia on Marina.

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Our first cruise was on the maiden voyage of Riviera and on a picture prefect day we left from Venice just as all the America's Cup boats were coming back from the America's Cup World Series Match Race Championship. A real thrill for a lifelong sailor/racer to be sipping champagne on the veranda as they all  came by. Quite a welcome to Oceania!

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Transatlantic Barcelona to Miami with Jacques Pepin aboard.  

 

Not only did he conduct the cooking demonstrations that one would expect; he also used the gym along with us regular folk, and he would sit at the bar and talk to people.  

 

A great guy, totally unaffected by his status.

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Oceania land tour of India Golden Triangle including Jaipur pre Mumbai to Rome cruise.

Normally, we are trying to avoid Oceania land tours and overnights because of the cost and limitations of traveling in the big group. That being said, this tour was amazing and organised so well, it allowed us to see most everything we wanted. One thing that helped, most people chose shorter version that didn’t include a visit to Jaipur, so we traveled in a relatively small group. Based on our experience we’re more open to take Oceania land tours in the exotic places that we like to travel to in the future.

 

Also, we rate 30 days Mumbai to Rome cruise itself as one of the best we have taken on Oceania.

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2 hours ago, DrHemlock said:

Transatlantic Barcelona to Miami with Jacques Pepin aboard.  

 

Not only did he conduct the cooking demonstrations that one would expect; he also used the gym along with us regular folk, and he would sit at the bar and talk to people.  

 

A great guy, totally unaffected by his status.

Oh wow, what I wouldn't give. What a star he is. Good for you.

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14 hours ago, DrHemlock said:

Transatlantic Barcelona to Miami with Jacques Pepin aboard.  

 

Not only did he conduct the cooking demonstrations that one would expect; he also used the gym along with us regular folk, and he would sit at the bar and talk to people.  

 

A great guy, totally unaffected by his status.

What a  wonderful way to spend 14 days on O.   Our T/A from Barcelona to Miami was just great.  Plenty of time to relax and then plan all our dining.  What fun.  And being able to get into the car and drive home was a terrific extra to seal the deal. 

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Several ....

 

First ever cruise ... thru Panama Canal then going under the Golden Gate Bridge upon arrival in SFO on Regatta

 

Sailing upriver on Sirena with overnight in Sevilla

 

First light over ‘The Rock’ with dawn arrival in Gibraltar on Riviera

 

Passing by Castillo del Morro when entering Havana on Sirena 

 

Sunday Brunches on Riviera, Regatta, Sirena

 

 

.... disappointment ...

 

unable to round Cape Horn on Sirena because of Force 7 storm

 

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13 hours ago, clo said:

Oh wow, what I wouldn't give. What a star he is. Good for you.

In the fall of 19 we were on Amsterdam to Lisbon which had a wine theme. He was on board with family & and a group of 6 or 7. One night we were eating in Jacques and he and his group were in there. I was really curious what he ordered, but not as curious as a couple that went over to him, interrupted his dinner and asked to take a picture with him. Cmon now, I know that goes with the territory, but there is certainly a time and place for that, and while having dinner with his family wasn't it. 

 

Early in the cruise we had dinner in La Reserve for the Dom Perignon dinner and his family was all there. There was an empty spot at their table and someone mentioned he was supposed to come but was a bit under the weather. 

 

His cooking demonstration with his wife was a lot of fun. 

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26 minutes ago, ORV said:

Cmon now, I know that goes with the territory, but there is certainly a time and place for that, and while having dinner with his family wasn't it. 

OT but it will always amaze me how impolite some people can be.

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Here are photos from five of our favorite memories; all of these are from a December 2017 Christmas/New Year's sailing on Riviera.

 

(1) Our traditional virgin Miami Vices at the pool bar upon boarding

(2) the pastry cart at tea time, of course

(3) during a port of call at Barbados, watching the QM2 sail away while sitting out back at the Terrace Cafe enjoying dinner al fresco

(4) my mother and I at the NYE celebration at the pool deck; my hair was much shorter then. That evening was an unscheduled stop at St. Maarten because of a medical emergency. The "pit stop" resulted in a very uncomfortable (but equally memorable) full-speed trip through some particularly rough seas on the last night of the voyage (January 2, 2018) to make back to Miami at the scheduled arrival time. The seas were so rough that my veranda door flung itself open at about 2 o'clock in the morning with the wind howling accompanied by lightning and thunder. Quite a wake-up call.

(5) enjoying a magnum of Moët rosé champagne at tea time

 

And for an honorable mention: watching Jacques' cooking demonstration on the stateroom television

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On 3/15/2021 at 9:28 PM, osandomir said:

Oceania land tour of India Golden Triangle including Jaipur pre Mumbai to Rome cruise.

Normally, we are trying to avoid Oceania land tours and overnights because of the cost and limitations of traveling in the big group. That being said, this tour was amazing and organised so well, it allowed us to see most everything we wanted. One thing that helped, most people chose shorter version that didn’t include a visit to Jaipur, so we traveled in a relatively small group. Based on our experience we’re more open to take Oceania land tours in the exotic places that we like to travel to in the future.

 

Also, we rate 30 days Mumbai to Rome cruise itself as one of the best we have taken on Oceania.

 

Ya know, I always shied away from cruise line travel extensions.  Until Late 2019, then Oceania offered pretty much exactly what I wanted to do post-cruise in South America.  We signed up for it, and I was seriously sweating the decision.

 

There were only 14 of us, and the entire experience was just fantastic.  From the hotels, to the activities,  to the flexibility, to the individual attention.  I'm still in awe of how well it went.

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There are so many ,memories after almost 50 cruises, places visited and people met, but two experiences on the ship always seem to crop up in my memory banks.  Both rather pedestrian but both are strong memories.

 

1)  My brother and I were enjoying an early sunrise breakfast on the aft outside dining area on a ship cruising around South America. The sunrise that morning was very colorful, like a sunset. I was sitting so that I could watch the wake of the ship and just as I happened to look up, a whale breached in the middle of the wake.  He only did it once, but I can picture it to this day.

 

2)  I was on the promenade deck on a sea day, curled up with a good book and watching the sea go by.  Somebody said "excuse me sir".  I looked up and a white gloved waiter had an afternoon tea cart and was making the rounds for people enjoying the deck chairs and the view.  Tea and scones, a good book, and a magnificent view of nothing but the ocean.  I can also picture this moment to this day.

 

Funny the little things that stick out in one's mind.

 

 

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On 3/15/2021 at 1:17 PM, njhorseman said:

Being able to spend two days in Easter Island, making a stop at Pitcairn Island, and five days in French Polynesia on Marina.

 

I have taken that cruise on Marina.  Actually, the last time she did it.  Overall, It was a fantastic cruise.  However, we were unable to visit Easter Island due to rough seas.  I am still trying to get back to Easter Island.  I envy you.  

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Just now, KS&JW said:

 

I have taken that cruise on Marina.  Actually, the last time she did it.  Overall, It was a fantastic cruise.  However, we were unable to visit Easter Island due to rough seas.  I am still trying to get back to Easter Island.  I envy you.  

I still have nightmares about the tendering process in Easter Island. My wife nearly ended up in the ocean while boarding the tender.  As my wife was stepping onto the tender from Marina's boarding platform the seas suddenly yanked the tender away from the side of the ship but fortunately two alert crew members grabbed her arms and literally pulled her out of the air onto the tender. Fortunately my wife is petite so they were strong enough to hold her. If it had been me, as a person who is anything but petite, I doubt the outcome would have been as good. 

 

I hope you're able to get to Easter Island some day.

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5 hours ago, KS&JW said:

 

I have taken that cruise on Marina.  Actually, the last time she did it.  Overall, It was a fantastic cruise.  However, we were unable to visit Easter Island due to rough seas.  I am still trying to get back to Easter Island.  I envy you.  

We did this cruise and were lucky to be able to spend 2 days on EI.

Another time we flew from Santiago to EI on a 3 day/4 nights package. It’s a good and guaranteed way to visit EI - something to consider after a S. America cruise ending in Santiago.

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I know this is supposed to be about Oceania but I've never sailed on this line. All being well that changes in May 2023. Anyway, one of our first cruises was on Carnival and our MDR tablemates were this wonderful couple from Chicago. (More than 10 years later we still maintain contact, which reminds me that I owe them a letter.)

 

Anyway, one evening we were enjoying a great meal, wine, and conversation - so much so that we didn't realize we were the last passengers in the dining room. Undoubtedly to tell us (politely) to leave, they started making crew annoncements on the room's public address system. OOOOPPPS!  We quickly left, sheepishly apologizing to the maitre'd on our way out, who was remarkably classy in assuring us that it was okay. Though it was a little embarassing, in nine cruises on three lines, it's my favourite memory.

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1. In the Spring,  cruising up the canal to Amsterdam surrounded by the fields of tulips.

 

2.  July sailing on the starboard side of Marina. The sun came up at 03:00 and got up to watch us cruise through the spectacular archipelago leading to Stockholm. Simply beautiful. We unfortunately disembarked In Stockholm, so would consider another cruise starting there just to watch the sail back out again.

 

3. Coming out of Milford Sound and the incredible aerial show the wild dolphins put on for us. Spectacular backdrop scenery with a great show.

 

4. Sailing under the bridge and past the Sidney Opera house.

 

5.  Sailing down the Canal through the heart of Venice past St. Mark’s Square.

 

I could go on, but this is enough.

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Sailing up the Bosporus on the way to Istanbul watching the city come into view on a beautiful sunny day.  Relaxing in a lounge chair sipping champagne made it even better.

Also, leaving Lisbon and sailing through the straits of Gibraltar.  Any cruise sailing past the Statue of Liberty.  Too many moments to love.  Can’t wait to sail again.
 

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