Jim_Iain - Live - comparison of Oceania Regatta - Vista Suite to Celebrity Millennium Royal Suite

[canderson]

37 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Ahhh a confirmation you can use for overnight.    I will have to sort out my spend rate.   I was going to buy the Apple iPhone 16 Pro-Max but the first shipments will be on 9/20 and I won't be home yet.   I will be ordering it so it arrives the day after we get home. 

 

I'm also having cataract surgery surgery in late November and have opted for a new premium variable focus lens which is going to cost me about $2,500 out of pocket... The choice was to not have to wear glasses for reading or get the premium lens.    I'm not a candidate for one eye near sighted and one far.

If you're getting the Alcon AcrySof, I think you'll be very happy with them.  I no longer need glasses for anything.

[Gracie115]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

@SSFrance69 really has some fantastic food porn and recommendation.   Regatta only has Toscana and Polo.    I was beyond blown away by Toscana.

 

Toscana but Tuscan Grill go shame.

 

 

I thought you would love Toscana.  It was our favorite on Vista.... wonderful menu, food, service.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Ahhh a confirmation you can use for overnight.    I will have to sort out my spend rate.   I was going to buy the Apple iPhone 16 Pro-Max but the first shipments will be on 9/20 and I won't be home yet.   I will be ordering it so it arrives the day after we get home. 

 

I'm also having cataract surgery surgery in late November and have opted for a new premium variable focus lens which is going to cost me about $2,500 out of pocket... The choice was to not have to wear glasses for reading or get the premium lens.    I'm not a candidate for one eye near sighted and one far.

I had both eyes done in 2020, and had the basic government  lens installed ,there is  no charge for procedure 😁

so far no glasses 

I also had PRK in one eye ( done before LASIK was done , about 1996) and LASIK in the other eye ( 2001) which add to complication of picking the correct lens 

My dr really doesn’t offer the upgraded as he found a lot of people are not happy as in couple years they need glasses ,I think if you have had astigmatism it is a little hard to do 

[awhfy]

They would roll me off the ship!  Whst a lovely menu!!

[canderson]

2 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I also had PRK in one eye ( done before LASIK was done , about 1996) and LASIK in the other eye ( 2001) which add to complication of picking the correct lens 

My dr really doesn’t offer the upgraded as he found a lot of people are not happy as in couple years they need glasses ,I think if you have had astigmatism it is a little hard to do 

We're wandering a bit, but it's a good thing to discuss.

My doc was also very conservative, and until a year and a half ago, would not install any but a standard monofocal lens.  He was finally won over to the AcrySof lenses, but not without a lot of study. 

 

Here's what he used:

https://www.myalcon.com/cataracts/clareon-iols/panoptix/

https://www.myalcon.com/professional/cataract-surgery/iols/clareon-panoptix/

 

Unfortunately, as Jim has discovered, if you don't go with a straight monofocal, the government doesn't even chip in as much as they'd have been willing to pay for those to the cost of the upgraded lenses.  The procedure is covered, but $0 for the lenses.

 

Also - A toric lens replacement (either monofocal or the fancier flavors) can be used to resolve many cases of astigmatism, just as they do in contacts.

[NMTraveller]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

That is one of the things that wouldn't work for me.    I like the tracking of my sleep and most I've read of don't last overnight...

You might look at the Ultra 2 which has longer battery life.  Or wait for the Ultra 3  - release date TBD.

[bjahil47]

I have Apple Watch 9.  When I go up to bed I put it on charger.  I read and it is usually fully charged in less than an hour.  I put it on before I sleep and don’t take it off until following night.  I use the workout feature daily for my walks.  Right now it is 9:53 pm and it still has 38% battery life left.  It’s been on my wrist since about midnight.  

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Linda I'm sorry I missed your question.   Yes they have a full selection of Chardonnay, Rose and Merlot Non-Alcoholic wine and a Champagne.     I've had the Merlot and Chardonnay -  the Chardonnay is too fruity and sweet for my taste but the Merlot is quite drinkable.  They do also have non-alcoholic mocktails and Beer.

 

Brand of wine is Pierre Zero many on CC say that the bubbly is better than what other brands offer.

 

No problem, things come at you kind of hot & heavy sometimes.  Thanks for the answer.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

That is one of the things that wouldn't work for me.    I like the tracking of my sleep and most I've read of don't last overnight...

 

My cheap one used to last overnight.  My daughter made me get it because she was concerned about the possibility of my falling after my knee replacement, so I wore it at night when I was most likely to fall.  Now that's not an issue, so I don't wear it at night.  I don't think my cheapie has sleep tracking, although there are aps for that.  So, based on my experience with the lowest version, I don't think you need to be concerned about battery life.

[hcat]

9 hours ago, canderson said:

If you're getting the Alcon AcrySof, I think you'll be very happy with them.  I no longer need glasses for anything.

I went for the basic lense but look foward to glasses to make distance perfect with prigressive  built in readers   Taking the readers on anc off is insane..had bo choice ant the surgery and will be glad when all is healed!    Miss the gym..!

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

No problem, things come at you kind of hot & heavy sometimes.  Thanks for the answer.

 Ok. Here’s the run down. 
 

 

 

[bigbeergut]

14 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Ahhh a confirmation you can use for overnight.    I will have to sort out my spend rate.   I was going to buy the Apple iPhone 16 Pro-Max but the first shipments will be on 9/20 and I won't be home yet.   I will be ordering it so it arrives the day after we get home. 

 

I'm also having cataract surgery surgery in late November and have opted for a new premium variable focus lens which is going to cost me about $2,500 out of pocket... The choice was to not have to wear glasses for reading or get the premium lens.    I'm not a candidate for one eye near sighted and one far.

I hope you are not disappointed with your lens replacement, but I wonder if you are expecting too much.  I had toric lenses implanted 2 years ago and my vision is corrected to 20/20 and I can read my iPad to type this note.  However, I would strain to read a book and it wouldn’t be comfortable without reading glasses.  Although, I am corrected to 20/20 for distance I know I don’t see as well as I would like.  So I wear corrected lenses for driving.  Although I can function without any glasses, I function better with glasses and my solution is to wear progressive bifocal lenses most of the time.

 

Thanks for your review and good luck.

[Gordoncruickshank]

On 9/13/2024 at 11:36 PM, Jim_Iain said:

Earlier I was asked about the comparison of prices -   I did the best I can in inclusion  of everything.  In my case my Travel Agency either applies an OBC up front or as a refundable deposit.    I usually get in the range of a 9% discount from my agent.

This of course is comparison of A Vista Suite on Oceania to a Royal Suite on Celebrity. 

 

Jim

Can I chack that these are per person rather than the room cost?

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

7 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 Ok. Here’s the run down. 
 

 

 

Is a 20% tip than add to the prices?

[canderson]

7 hours ago, bigbeergut said:

I hope you are not disappointed with your lens replacement, but I wonder if you are expecting too much.  I had toric lenses implanted 2 years ago and my vision is corrected to 20/20 and I can read my iPad to type this note.  However, I would strain to read a book and it wouldn’t be comfortable without reading glasses.  

With any luck, Jim isn't trying to correct for any major astigmatism at the same time.  Mine was an asymmetric astigmatism on the left, and not entirely correctable.  Sounds like yours may have been significant as well.  It's what's keeping both of us from 'perfect' vision.  Toric lenses have limits, regardless of whether or not they're monofocal.  It's the same with contacts.

 

If Jim is getting the lenses I think he's getting, he'll be able to see every tiny scratch on the face of his watch crystal when it's done.

 

[Lastdance]

Jim, if you happen to go by, or into the gym, would you take a couple of pics?  My DH needs to have enough weights/cardio to at least maintain his level of fitness.  I am usually fine with what is available.  Thanking you in advance!  I am also looking forward to your review of the track for walking.😍  With all the wonderful food you are sharing, my DH said he may have to do two workouts on our Vista cruise😄.

[Gordoncruickshank]

On 9/17/2024 at 2:34 AM, Jim_Iain said:

I’ve looked at them -  what I like about my Fitbit is it charges in 20 minutes and last 72 hours.  That goes for quite a premium for the Ultra 2. 
 

The Series 9 might be an option.   How long does your wife’s take to charge. 
 

 

Can recommend the Ultra 2, Jim but it is expensive.

[Tom and Ingrid]

On 9/16/2024 at 9:34 PM, Jim_Iain said:

I’ve looked at them -  what I like about my Fitbit is it charges in 20 minutes and last 72 hours.  That goes for quite a premium for the Ultra 2. 
 

The Series 9 might be an option.   How long does your wife’s take to charge. 

I'd also consider a Garmin watch as a (much more advanced) Fitbit replacement.  I wear an Apple Watch, but it comes off at night so the charging doesn't matter too much. But a Garmin watch like the fenix is pretty much a no-brainer for fitness tracking and with a battery life in the several weeks category.  Since i primarily ride, I'm more in the Garmin Edge category, and my Apple Watch is mainly an extension of my phone but not an essential tool for anything else.

[Tom and Ingrid]

On 9/11/2024 at 7:05 PM, Jim_Iain said:

The big takeaway I noticed in this comparison is the Passenger to Crew Ratio -

 

Regatta  - 1.65 

Millennium - 2.65

 

Theoretically this means one should receive more attentive service.   

I'd be interested in how the ratio holds up for the "hotel" or service side of the house.  Maybe even more in favor of a smaller ship?  My guess would be a large ship requires more operational crew to run the ship and maintain it.  But, there may be a benefit (some efficiency) to a larger ship so it may be in favor of a larger vessel (ie a greater percentage of "crew" is in the hotel/service category). 

Of course, the proof is always in the performance and how well you feel treated on-board.

[canderson]

On 9/11/2024 at 5:05 PM, Jim_Iain said:

As I indicated before -  the reason I chose Millennium for the comparison is they were built about same time and each went through a refurbishment in 2019.

 

The big takeaway I noticed in this comparison is the Passenger to Crew Ratio -

 

Regatta  - 1.65 

Millennium - 2.65

 

Theoretically this means one should receive more attentive service.   

 

 

Jim -

 

Just noticed this late as it was quoted by someone.

 

I've never seen an ratio comparison shown using a max berth count before.  You have to stuff every berth to get a number of 2662 for Millennium.  More traditionally, comparisons are done based upon double occupancy in an attempt to keep apples/apples working.  The Regatta number is double occupancy.

 

For Millennium, that's 2158 pax double (2662 max).  2158/997 = 2.16 (2.67)

For Regatta, that's 684 pax double (824 max).  684/400 = 1.71 (2.06)

 

So while there's definitely a worthwhile comparison to be made there, it must be done apples/apples to keep that comparison in perspective.  Celebrity has the best ratio of all of the mainstream lines.

 

RCCL's Radiance class is the closest to a Celebrity M Class, and their numbers are different yet (sticking with double occupancy numbers).  In general, RCCL doesn't fare as well in these sorts of comparisons:

 

For Radiance, that's 2143 (2446) pax double.  2143/894 = 2.40

 

What surprised the heck out of me was the ratio for Silversea.  The biggest things they have to compare to Regatta would be the new Ray or Nova.

 

For Nova, that's 728 pax double.  728/558 = 1.31 !!!

 

 

 

 

[goldsmip115]

I hope today is just an internet issue and that you both are OK.  I, each day, anxiously await your posts. So far I am sold on Oceania.  Trish

[kluv2cruz]

1 hour ago, goldsmip115 said:

I hope today is just an internet issue and that you both are OK.  I, each day, anxiously await your posts. So far I am sold on Oceania.  Trish

Jim is posting in his live from Oceania board.

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

15 hours ago, bigbeergut said:

I hope you are not disappointed with your lens replacement, but I wonder if you are expecting too much.  I had toric lenses implanted 2 years ago and my vision is corrected to 20/20 and I can read my iPad to type this note.  However, I would strain to read a book and it wouldn’t be comfortable without reading glasses.  Although, I am corrected to 20/20 for distance I know I don’t see as well as I would like.  So I wear corrected lenses for driving.  Although I can function without any glasses, I function better with glasses and my solution is to wear progressive bifocal lenses most of the time.

 

Thanks for your review and good luck.

 

I hope I don't have too much expectation.    My problem is that for reading currently I only need a 1x reader but find it difficult to read my watch and my iPhone when out walking.  The doctors seems to think it will work fine for that.    I currently use progressives all the time even thought to top is almost 20/20 prior to surgery so I don't have to take my glasses on and off while out for my 4 hours walking. 

 

The main purpose of the surgery is that I have glaucoma and am allergic to all but 1 drug.  My first eye they did a 2 hours surgery to build a new drainage system and it worked perfect.    This time my left eye isn't as bad and they think they can just use a stint.  

 

 

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/17/2024 at 11:06 AM, Gracie115 said:

 

I thought you would love Toscana.  It was our favorite on Vista.... wonderful menu, food, service.

I was impressed -- tonight Polo.

[Jim_Iain]

On 9/17/2024 at 12:57 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I had both eyes done in 2020, and had the basic government  lens installed ,there is  no charge for procedure 😁

so far no glasses 

I also had PRK in one eye ( done before LASIK was done , about 1996) and LASIK in the other eye ( 2001) which add to complication of picking the correct lens 

My dr really doesn’t offer the upgraded as he found a lot of people are not happy as in couple years they need glasses ,I think if you have had astigmatism it is a little hard to do 

 

My main problem is I have Glaucoma.  I am allergic to all except one drug.   My first eye was a 2 hour surgery to build a new drainage system.   This eye they are recommended a stint.   Since they are already doing a surgery they have done the cataract at the same time.