Going to try Oceania (Regatta)!!!

[NHcruisers]

Yesterday we booked our first cruise on Oceania, the Panama Xing departing on January 28th from LA to Florida. In actuality, we are priority waitlisted (with deposit) for PH1 (first on list) and PH2 (third on list) so I think we're almost certainly to clear. Our preference was really for a Vista suite and we really hope that clears.

In any case, I'm sure we'll have lots of questions as the cruise nears despite our numerous (almost 30) cruises on other lines. Up until this booking, our favorite lines were RSSC and Crystal in that order.

Although there are several things that I wish Oceania would do differently, it is what it is, I am totally looking forward to the elegant European ambience of the "old" R ships. I am also looking forward to what many consider to be the finest cuisine afloat.

Let's hope that our waitlist clears!!!

Anyone else on this cruise?

Best regards--
Bill (and Nancy)

[LHT28]

Great !
We will see you onboard

come join our group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OceaniaJan28_07panama/?yguid=2135687

[Jancruz]

Not to worry, your PH1 stateroom will clear..Stu and I did that trip this year and it was so relaxing..consider renting the cabanas on this trip..great to see the canal from, we had one and loved it!!
Jan
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[PurpleCow]

Bill and I will see you on board. This will be my second, his first, Oceania cruise and I'm really looking forward to it. Jan, I've been considering the cabana thing, but haven't made a final decision. There aren't any major "shopping" ports, so that loosens up a bit of cash.

[Jancruz]

I dont suggest them on every cruise..but on this one they are reall nice to have especially the day you are transiting the canal!!
Jan
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[Leonid]

We did the LA to Miami transit on the Regatta in 01/2005...had a Vista suite on deck 7 port side. Can get a little noisy when they weigh or drop the anchor.
Still, the Vista suite is a great place to be when transiting the Canal.
The one port that made no sense was San Andres, Columbia. It's nothing but a naval base with not much to see. We stop there on a Sunday and just about everything was closed. At least there were local vendors right where we disembarked the tenders. Picked up some Columbian coffee , which my wife said was excellent.

[fsalzer]

...The one port that made no sense was San Andres, Columbia. It's nothing but a naval base with not much to see. We stop there on a Sunday and just about everything was closed. At least there were local vendors right where we disembarked the tenders. Picked up some Columbian coffee , which my wife said was excellent.
We did that cruise in 1/06. I thought perhaps San Andres was a "distant foreign port" in order for the cruise to comply with the Passenger Vessel Services Act.

Fred

[Leonid]

[QUOTE=fsalzer]We did that cruise in 1/06. I thought perhaps San Andres was a "distant foreign port" in order for the cruise to comply with the Passenger Vessel Services Act.

I can't believe that it was to comply with the Act, since we had visited Mexico (twice), Guatamala and Costa Rica. My take: O had to kill a day before we hit Miami. Too bad they couldn't have found a better port. Then again,San Andres was probably too cheap to pass up. Arguably, the worst port in 30 cruises.

[fsalzer]

I can't believe that it was to comply with the Act, since we had visited Mexico (twice), Guatamala and Costa Rica. My take: O had to kill a day before we hit Miami...
I believe that ports in Mexico, Guatamala and Costa Rica are "nearby foreign ports". My understanding is that a non-US registered ship must generally visit a "distant foreign port" in order to comply with the PVSA if the voyage is between two US ports.

Please see 19 CFR 4.80a.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/aprqtr/19cfr4.80a.htm
"Nearby foreign port means any foreign port in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao). A port in the U.S. Virgin Islands shall be treated as a nearby foreign port."

Fred

[PurpleCow]

Found this (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g297482-s4/San-Andres-Island:Colombia:Things.To.Do.html) for things to do in San Andres. Looks like we'll be there on a Friday. I'll probably opt to snorkel. DH will opt to do anything but snorkel.

[mike35]

I believe that ports in Mexico, Guatamala and Costa Rica are "nearby foreign ports". My understanding is that a non-US registered ship must generally visit a "distant foreign port" in order to comply with the PVSA if the voyage is between two US ports.

Please see 19 CFR 4.80a.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/aprqtr/19cfr4.80a.htm
"Nearby foreign port means any foreign port in North America, Central America, the Bermuda Islands, or the West Indies (including the Bahama Islands, but not including the Leeward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles, i.e., Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao). A port in the U.S. Virgin Islands shall be treated as a nearby foreign port."

Fred

Princess sail r/t from LA to the Hawaiian Islands and makes a "service call" in Ensenada in order to comply with the Jones Act.

Mike

[fsalzer]

Princess sail r/t from LA to the Hawaiian Islands and makes a "service call" in Ensenada in order to comply with the Jones Act.
The round-trip cruise from LA , in my opinion, falls under a different Passenger Vessel Services Act ("PVSA") rule than does embarking in LA and disembarking in Miami to which Leonid was referring. In your example, the service call to the nearby foreign port, Ensenada, is apparently necessary to comply with the PVSA. Presumably, Princess doesn't allow anyone to embark or disembark in Hawaii.

As far as I can tell, the Jones Act (Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) relates to cargo, not passengers.

Passenger Vessel Services Act
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2002/aprqtr/19cfr4.80a.htm

"If the passenger is on a voyage to one or more coastwise ports and a nearby foreign port or ports (but at no other foreign port) and the passenger disembarks at a coastwise port other than the port of embarkation, there is a violation of the coastwise law."

Fred