Live from the Vista - March 27 (Miami) to May 1 (Trieste)

[roberts2005]

Dubrovnik is nice, but if you have been there more than once, not much new to see.   Best to get out of town either by boat or bus.

[Hlitner]

Talked to a couple of crew/friends who told me it was interesting on the crew deck.  Quite a few crew were quickly dressed and out of their cabins into the corridor waiting for further instructions.  We know of one crew member who somehow slept through the entire thing (that seems almost impossible given the loudness of the alarm signal).   Cruise ships have complex electrical bussing (routing) and its interesting to see the obvious impact.  For example, in Horizons they had BINGO at 1:30.  They normally use a screen, which electrically drops from the stage ceiling along with a built-in projector system.  Today they set-up large portable speakers, put a portable projector on a table, and put up an old-fashioned manual screen.  We also noticed that we do not have our news stations on the cabin TVs.  Peter (the CD) also mentioned that they were having problems with some lost power in the Vista Theater and this might impact tonight's Production show (still a question).  But other than a few of these little things, everything onboard was back to normal by the time we awoke in the morning.

 

By the way, DW and I went to the Terrace Cafe to look at lunch (Italian Buffet).  Nothing struck our fancy so it was out to Waves for another good sandwich.  However, I spotted the daily special which was Country Fried Chicken and it looked good.  It was :).  Being an O ship with O passengers, I suspect nobody would panic as long as the galleys are functioning :).

 

Hank

 

[clo]

4 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

Dubrovnik is nice, but if you have been there more than once, not much new to see.   Best to get out of town either by boat or bus.

It was insanely overcrowded. But I read that UNESCO threatened their status if they didn't do something. That something was like limiting the number of cruise ships.

[Carnevale]

We are on deck 7 forward so are in the part of the ship where the electrical problems that started last night are most significant. Our power was out for over an hour during the night (the AC was out longer than that) and this morning we had no hot water (it was back when we returned from a culinary class just after noon and it was good to finally have a hot shower). One interesting part of the alarm was that as soon as it started a light came on in our stateroom and couldn’t be turned off until the power was restored. So while no other lights worked, it was good to not be in total darkness (but I will still continue to travel with a small flashlight for times like this).

[fdnycruiser]

Good thinking. I Always keep one by my bedside when traveling. 

[Iamthesea]

jazznruby - We were on the same cruise.  Our beach day was in Harvest Cay.   I was not expecting that a 5000 passenger NCL cruise ship would be docked at the pier, when the Vista had to tender.  Had the same experience with rowdy guest, crowding, and having a hard time finding a lounge because of the other ship getting there first.  We stayed about two hours and had enough.

 

One of our two "free" booked excursions were a disappointment, as well.  The port of Costa Maya being cancelled.    Our tour in Cozumel was just OK.

[Lastdance]

Kotor has been one of my favorite ports because there is so much beauty.  Even though I have been there twice, I would be disappointed to miss it, but that’s life!

 

Kotor is like looking at 100’s of beautiful paintings.

Edited April 28 by Lastdance

[Vineyard View]

8 hours ago, clo said:

It was insanely overcrowded. But I read that UNESCO threatened their status if they didn't do something. That something was like limiting the number of cruise ships.

As pf the end of last year, they are limiting number of pax from cruise ships to 4k per day. Hoping that holds. It is such a beautiful port/place to explore.
I hope that Vista is able to adjust offerings for this port. We loved Kotor. We loved Dubrovnik. Glad to hear that all are okay after this electrical wake up and hope all is repaired quickly for all of you. Not a great way to wake up. 

[Hambagahle]

The sail in to the Bay of Kotor (apparently Europe's southern-most fjord) is second to all spectacular sail ins I have experienced, the only one that surpassed it was arriving in Cape Town at dawn with the "tablecloth" beginning to spread on the mountain.  Last time we arrived at Kotor (2017) it was somewhat foggy.  Not very much so and the wisps of fog made the sail in even more lovely.  So sorry you will all miss that.  Hopefully the Fincantieri engineers can figure out what went wrong and fix it in Dubrovnik.  Meantime I hope you all enjoy your - longer - stay there.

[Techno123]

@Hlitner and others onboard - Dubrovnik is more lovely in the evening when all the cruise ship passengers have left 😜 Hopefully, you will all be enjoying a relaxed evening stroll without being jostled by thousands of other tourists - every cloud and all that 😁

Edited April 28 by Techno123

[Hlitner]

Just to update, we did make it to Dubrovnik and docked at 1:30pm with the assistance of two tugs.  The Captain had advised us to expect tugs since the bow thrusters are inoperative due to the power situation.  Fincantiari is supposed to have a technical team ready to board and deal with the blown electrical panel.  

 

This morning we decided to do some laundry.  There are 15 machines (3 each on decks 7,8,9,10 and 11).  That laundry rooms open at 7am and by 7:05 (when I looked) all the machines were already taken.  Like, with any cruise line/ship, there are various strategies to deal with these small problems.  In my case, I simply headed to the laundry room on deck 11 using the logic that the PHs and Suites mean fewer souls on that deck.  And folks in those categories often get free laundry.  Sure enough, by 10am there were empty machines on 11 :).  

 

Last evening, DW and I had our third dinner in Polo and it was all good.  I again opted for their French Onion Soup (excellent), tried the BLT salad (very nice), and had the whole Maine Lobster (a bit mushy...probably due to freezing).  We shared the 4 item tasting dessert tray.  Although we had an 8pm reservation, we walked-in at 7:40 and were quickly seated.  

 

I will repeat something i mentioned a few weeks ago.  The "by the glass" wine selection here on the Vista is very satisfying.  O provides better everyday wines than nearly all the luxury lines.  The wine stewards are always generous with their pours and getting refills is generally quite easy.  That being said, we follow our normal procedure (on any cruise line) of not ordering dinner until after we have received our wine.  The only exception to that personal rule is if we are sharing a table and do not want to hold up our tablemates.

 

As usual, we were among the last standing in Horizons and did not leave until about 11:45.  I know I sound like a broken record but ending the live entertainment at 11:15 drives me (and many others) nutz.  Last night there again was a pretty big crowd (over 100) and packed dance floor up until the minute the band stopped.  

 

Hank

[Harters]

14 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The "by the glass" wine selection here on the Vista is very satisfying.

My partner would agree with you - particularly enjoying the champagne, almost as an aperitif, which she ordered along with whatever she intended drinking with her main course. On the other hand, I found the zero alcohol Merlot was dismal - very little flavour (in comparison with the alcohol free reds I can easily get at home). I don't think I'd bother with it again and would stick to water. 

[Mrs f.]

On 4/27/2024 at 4:37 AM, Hlitner said:

Good Morning from the Med,

 

Last night was real drama.  About 3:30am, we were awakened by the general alarm!  The initial alarm was not the full 7 blasts, but only 3 or 4.  Within a few minutes there were several more alarm blasts (including the ships horn).

 

At this point I looked out our balcony door and the ship was moving, normally, through the moon lit seas.  A few minutes later the cruise director made an announcement that there had been a short-term power failure and the cause was being investigated.  At that point there was no emergency action required by the passengers.

 

About thirty minutes later, Peter (CD) woke us again with another announcement that power was restored.  We went back to sleep, although we heard this morning of some others who actually had put in their life jackets.

 

This morning at 10am, the Captain explained that there had been a failure in a forward electric panel and the Chief Engineer had been able to restore 90% of our power.  But the panel must be repaired by shore based technicians.  We have cancelled tomorrow’s port call at Kotor and are heading directly to Dubrovnik where we will arrive at 2pm tomorrow.  A technical team will come aboard to make repairs.  That should give us 1 1/2 days in Dubrovnik.  Kotor is now the third cancelled port since we embarked in Miami.

 

Hank

We had a power failure for several hours one evening when on Regatta. Nobody told us anything.  People with walkers and scooters were trying to figure out what to do.  

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, Hambagahle said:

The sail into the Bay of Kotor...is second to all spectacular sail ins I have experienced, the only one that surpassed it was arriving in Cape Town at dawn with the "tablecloth" beginning to spread on the mountain.  Last time we arrived at Kotor (2017) it was somewhat foggy....

We sailed in really early, starting right around sunrise on Riviera 11/2023. And it was foggy. So was hard to see anything as we first entered but lit and cleared up by the time we docked. BUT IIRC, we only had from 0800-1430 to explore Kotor. Then we exited in broad daylight. We did the amazing climb up to the top of the St. John's Fortress. 

[Hlitner]

19 minutes ago, Mrs f. said:

We had a power failure for several hours one evening when on Regatta. Nobody told us anything.  People with walkers and scooters were trying to figure out what to do.  

Wow!  I do think that attitude has been somewhat different here on the Vista.  It can take some time for the engineers to fully understand what has happened and what options exist for re-routing or restoring power.  We do know that cruise ship electrical systems are terribly complex.  There are a few ship engineers active on CC and we would hope that at least one of them joins in on this thread.

 

I do think that our crew has been pretty transparent about the power issue.  Once they identified the extent of the damage, the Captain made an announcement and followed-up with a detailed letter (sent to each cabin).  Nobody is happy about missing Kotor, but we have heard very little whining other than some folks expressing disappointment about the missed port..  As far as those with wheelchairs. scooters and walkers, the power to our elevators was quickly restored (not many using them at 3:30am).

 

Hank

[ronrick1943]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Just to update, we did make it to Dubrovnik and docked at 1:30pm with the assistance of two tugs.  The Captain had advised us to expect tugs since the bow thrusters are inoperative due to the power situation.  Fincantiari is supposed to have a technical team ready to board and deal with the blown electrical panel.  

 

This morning we decided to do some laundry.  There are 15 machines (3 each on decks 7,8,9,10 and 11).  That laundry rooms open at 7am and by 7:05 (when I looked) all the machines were already taken.  Like, with any cruise line/ship, there are various strategies to deal with these small problems.  In my case, I simply headed to the laundry room on deck 11 using the logic that the PHs and Suites mean fewer souls on that deck.  And folks in those categories often get free laundry.  Sure enough, by 10am there were empty machines on 11 :).  

 

Last evening, DW and I had our third dinner in Polo and it was all good.  I again opted for their French Onion Soup (excellent), tried the BLT salad (very nice), and had the whole Maine Lobster (a bit mushy...probably due to freezing).  We shared the 4 item tasting dessert tray.  Although we had an 8pm reservation, we walked-in at 7:40 and were quickly seated.  

 

I will repeat something i mentioned a few weeks ago.  The "by the glass" wine selection here on the Vista is very satisfying.  O provides better everyday wines than nearly all the luxury lines.  The wine stewards are always generous with their pours and getting refills is generally quite easy.  That being said, we follow our normal procedure (on any cruise line) of not ordering dinner until after we have received our wine.  The only exception to that personal rule is if we are sharing a table and do not want to hold up our tablemates.

 

As usual, we were among the last standing in Horizons and did not leave until about 11:45.  I know I sound like a broken record but ending the live entertainment at 11:15 drives me (and many others) nutz.  Last night there again was a pretty big crowd (over 100) and packed dance floor up until the minute the band stopped.  

 

Hank

I agree, you'd think "O" would realize 100 people-keep the music going.  Thank you again for posting as I'm really enjoying your cruise.

[FetaCheese]

@Heidi13

@chengkp75

Oceania Vista experienced a power outage 1 or 2 days ago, restored to 90% soon after.

 

Post is up thread.  They would like you to comment, if possible.

 

Ship is only about 1 year old.

 

Thank you.

Edited April 28 by FetaCheese

[Aloha 1]

On 4/4/2024 at 4:26 PM, Hlitner said:

Let’s deal with the CD announcement issue.  They are NOT piped into the cabins, but the sound of the the announcement bells is easily heard in many cabins and enough to wake many light sleepers.  In our experience (18 cruise lines) the higher the quality of the line, the fewer announcements.  O is trying hard to compete with Carnival when it comes to annoying PA announcements.  We have yet to meet anyone who says they look forward to hearing a CD reading the daily schedule.  O is too good of a line to have this BS.

 

Hank

We have 10 O cruises under our belt and another 40 + on other lines, and Peter was the most annoying CD we've ever experienced.

[pinotlover]

49 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

We have 10 O cruises under our belt and another 40 + on other lines, and Peter was the most annoying CD we've ever experienced.

Was this Peter the Shoe which is my least favorite CD of ALL? Any line, any time! 🤬

[ORV]

1 hour ago, Aloha 1 said:

We have 10 O cruises under our belt and another 40 + on other lines, and Peter was the most annoying CD we've ever experienced.

I think you might be talking about a different Peter. 

[Eloise4Ever]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

As usual, we were among the last standing in Horizons and did not leave until about 11:45.  I know I sound like a broken record but ending the live entertainment at 11:15 drives me (and many others) nutz.  Last night there again was a pretty big crowd (over 100) and packed dance floor up until the minute the band stopped.  

 

I've been enjoying reading your thoughts about your first Oceania cruise Hank. We feel the same way about the early ending of entertainment each night. It's the one thing on Oceania that we have found to be very much lacking. Have you mentioned this at all on any of your mid-cruise surveys?

[Mrs f.]

2 hours ago, Aloha 1 said:

We have 10 O cruises under our belt and another 40 + on other lines, and Peter was the most annoying CD we've ever experienced.

I think there are 2 Peters. 

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, Mrs f. said:

I think there are 2 Peters. 

Yep, forget about Cleford that I haven’t met. I should have known since the Shoe only works Marina. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Yep, forget about Cleford that I haven’t met. I should have known since the Shoe only works Marina. 

Trust me on this: Clelford is the absolutely worst CD ever employed by O. He was on some mass market line previously and the bottom-of-the-barrel mentality and attitude shoes through in all that he does.

and it wasn’t just one time. We’ve had him at least twice and the badness just blends together. 
I even went so far as to write management at O (and NCLH) and recommend that they require him and all newly hired CDs to intern for at least part of a contract with Ray Carr.

If you are unlucky enough to ever get stuck with Clelford, do be proactive and voice your legitimate concerns with O management (both on and off the ship). He is a monstrous zero and major O embarassment. 

[ORV]

30 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Yep, forget about Cleford that I haven’t met. I should have known since the Shoe only works Marina. 

 

14 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Trust me on this: Clelford is the absolutely worst CD ever employed by O. He was on some mass market line previously and the bottom-of-the-barrel mentality and attitude shoes through in all that he does.

and it wasn’t just one time. We’ve had him at least twice and the badness just blends together. 
I even went so far as to write management at O (and NCLH) and recommend that they require him and all newly hired CDs to intern for at least part of a contract with Ray Carr.

If you are unlucky enough to ever get stuck with Clelford, do be proactive and voice your legitimate concerns with O management (both on and off the ship). He is a monstrous zero and major O embarassment. 

Yes guys, but Clelford is John. The Peter that’s not Roberts is on Vista right now I think. 
 

I’ve also cruised with Clelford and commented on the Mid Cruise cards on his announcements being entirely too loud. Of course he called and left a message when he knew I was at dinner explaining how he’s right, I’m wrong. Perhaps these folks should listen to what the guests have to say instead of letting their arrogance rule their response. 
 

FWIW I like Peter Roberts, but he’s an acquired taste, and you have to get past the tone of his voice. 

Edited April 29 by ORV