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Spring Fall 2010

orchestrapal

By orchestrapal,
in Oceania Cruises

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Leonid

Leonid

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Talking with our TA about either the 06/30/2010 or the 07/11/2010 sailings. The latter has the suites that we want, but getting to Amsterdam isn't pretty. We may opt for the former and hope we get what we want. Round trip from LA to London is easy and looks like a good price for business air. At least based on 2009 prices.

The former itinerary looks a lot like SA,weather wise in the northern hemisphere.Still, would like to see that which we never have.

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Friscorays

Friscorays

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Booked Norway July 23rd within hours of opening on Monday!

 

We've been waiting for Oceania to repeat this fascinating itinerary for years!

 

I'm always looking for new places to visit and this looks really interesting. Have you done this particular itinerary before? What drew you to it in particular?

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Rickey 88

Rickey 88

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I'm always looking for new places to visit and this looks really interesting. Have you done this particular itinerary before? What drew you to it in particular?

 

We were on the Insignia's Inaugural to Norway in 2004 - and loved every bit of it!

 

The scenery is, of course, the highlight, but the size of the ship is ideal for Norway's fjords. Some days we enjoyed viewing the waterfalls and small homes from our balcony, and other days we were in Horizons looking forward.

 

Some of us have been after Oceania to repeat this itinerary, and they have finally come through - with better ports and cruising times. Even Murmansk in Russia is included, for those who remember the convoy days of WWII....

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Friscorays

Friscorays

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Thank you Rickey88.

 

First, I must confess that I don't remember the convoy days of WWII. However, my wife and I both enjoy scenery and we have never been to Norway (or anywhere near that part of Europe).

 

I'll look into it the trip further and may end up in your Roll Call. If you don't mind I'll ask some more questions that maybe you or LHT28 (since she is also doing Norway next year) might answer. What were your shore excursions like? Are there opportunities to go out and look for wildlife similar to an Alaskan cruise or are the excursions more limited to looking around the ports of call? Do you think the price point for the trip is good? Do you think a balcony is required since the trip is so scenery intensive?

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LHT28 Holiday Sharing Rare

LHT28

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I'll look into it the trip further and may end up in your Roll Call. If you don't mind I'll ask some more questions that maybe you or LHT28 (since she is also doing Norway next year) might answer. What were your shore excursions like? Are there opportunities to go out and look for wildlife similar to an Alaskan cruise or are the excursions more limited to looking around the ports of call? Do you think the price point for the trip is good? Do you think a balcony is required since the trip is so scenery intensive?

 

We are on the same cruise with RICKY88 ...we have done some of the ports before but with Orient.

Not sure what O will be offering in the ports but some you can DIY

The Fjords the ships usually drop people off in one port then sail to the next port to pick them up.

We enjoyed the scenery in the fjords (DH was sick during the trip) so it worked out for us to stay on board. This time we may do a shore trip

 

I think there are a couple of the same port on the July 13 '09 cruise so might be worth comparing .

 

Lyn

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Rickey 88

Rickey 88

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Thank you Rickey88.

 

I'll look into it the trip further and may end up in your Roll Call. If you don't mind I'll ask some more questions that maybe you or LHT28 (since she is also doing Norway next year) might answer. What were your shore excursions like? Are there opportunities to go out and look for wildlife similar to an Alaskan cruise or are the excursions more limited to looking around the ports of call? Do you think the price point for the trip is good? Do you think a balcony is required since the trip is so scenery intensive?

 

It's difficult to try to compare Alaska with Norway. Yes, there are inlets (fjords) for cruising into, but the mountains are steeper, higher and much less population. Wildlife is altogether different - no bears are to be seen!

 

Like Lyn, I can't compare what excursions may be available for next year, but in 2004, Oceania offered the typical Norwegian explorations. Remember, excursions are run by the local authorities and any cruise line simply sells them to passengers.

 

If I remember correctly, Geiranger fjord offered the most extensive, since it is one of the Norwegian highlights. There were trips up the mountain, both on foot and by coach, but unfortunately, there were high clouds that hide the view from high up.

 

Finally, I won't try to comment on price since so few cruise lines attempt this itinerary. You might look at Hurtigruten, the Norwegian coastal ships that travel year round, but their experience is more like a local mail and supply ship service than a cruise line attuned to a more luxury experience.

 

Hope some of this helps.....

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Leonid

Leonid

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Hey troops! Flying out of Reno is difficult. At best! And yes LAX to AMS can be done, but the timing leaves much to be desired.Then too, business class is not too cool and that's what we fly!. The return flight is also not pretty. Getting from LAX to RNO is not fun when one gets into LA late and one has to clear immigration, customs and then change terminals with a wife that needs assistance. And leaving LHR early does not work for us.

That said we just booked the 06/30/2010 Dover round trip on the Regatta. Plan to see what AmEx Platinum has to offer on Virgin Atlantic out of the various gateway cities. And contrary to public opinion, we booked a deck 7 VS.

Life is good - at times.

Plan to stay in Dover before the sailing. London - been there! done that!

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weimluvr

weimluvr

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:DHas anyone beside us booked in this the new booking period yet?:D

We are booked on the June 27, 2010 on the Insignia. Barcelona-Amsterdam. I woke up at 5am on April 6th (we're Pacific time) so I could get the rooms we wanted, we're traveling w/ daughter & son-in-law, and they were already taken. We got our second choice though. We wanted 7116 and 7121:( but we got 8066 and 8069:) our first aft room ever!!!

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Friscorays

Friscorays

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I booked the July 23, 2010 Norway trip on the Insignia last evening as well. Since there are six sea days and the trip is scenery intensive, I went with one of the aft cabins, 6090. Off to the Europe section to do some intensive Norway research....

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KathyPet

KathyPet

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Yes, we are booked on the 4/28/10 Venice to Barcelona on the Regatta in a B2 level. This is our first Oceania cruise and it was chosen specifically because we have two days in the Sorrento/Amalfi area and the only other cruise we could find that spent two days there was a Regent SS cruise for a lot more money.

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Rickey 88

Rickey 88

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I booked the July 23, 2010 Norway trip on the Insignia last evening as well. Since there are six sea days and the trip is scenery intensive, I went with one of the aft cabins, 6090. Off to the Europe section to do some intensive Norway research....

 

You ought to be very pleased with 6090 - friends of ours swear by these two aft cabins. While they are no wider, they do have a very deep balcony which, on this cruise, should be great to use and view down the fjords as we are leaving....

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