BarbaraM

We took Spencer's tour in February, our first trip to St.Lucia. We spent a great deal of time waiting for a couple to show up -- then some more time to go to a different dock to pick up more passengers from another ship. It was maybe 1 hour of wait time to collect people from the 3 different docks, besides the wait time for the no show. They must have made a decision on the fly to change boats. Once the passengers were collected -- some were dropped for the land portion, the rest were taken to the beach. There seemed to be no difference in the boat portion of the trip. We took the land portion with another couple, and hopped in a van and drove to the volcano (underwhelming) mud bath ( same location, we opted for the volcano), photo stop, and brief waterfall (underwhelming), the "banana" farming, was stopping in town and looking over a fence at a couple of banana plants. We did manage to bypass most of the bus crowds. the 4 of us ate lunch at a cafe (it was Ok, plenty of food, but mostly the standard macaroni, rice, fish salad -- no local fruits) then a rather lengthy drive around town to pick up food for the beach goers, which wasn't ready, so we drove around the block 3 times (20 min). we had ample beach time,t the freebie chairs were as described elsewhere -- not many of them and in poor condition, but a great view --of the resort chairs -- which I wondered were available to rent, but we didn't-- and Pitons.

The boat ride was the best part of the trip -- the return was informative.

I'm not sure we would opt to do his tour again, definitely not the land portion. another couple were repeat guests, however. he did show up on time, but the tour did not start on time, and the wait for them to collect the meals for the other guests was somewhat annoying.

the van and boat drivers were good, and Spencer's daughter was a very good guide.

We did this tour this year. It is somewhat difficult to get in and out of the boat, but I am sure they would assist. Somewhat similar to the tendering process, timing the steps, etc.

There is no part of the tour that is strenuous -- you could see the volcano portion without walking steps, which just takes you to another viewing area. The beach portion is walking a few yards from the dock and sitting on a beach chair :), the van is able to park close to the two stops included in the tour. I would let them know you need assistance getting in and out of the boat.

We did the Volunteer Point tour this year in Feb., using Patrick Watts -- he had a team of 5-6 vehicles , 4 per 4x4. The drive was long, but amazing. They have enough vehicles, that if one got stuck, the others could pull it out. All vehicles caravan from the port -- off road for half the distance. I can't describe the view once we got there, a thousand penguins? 3 types, many body surfing on the beautiful beach. If you have back problems, take a pass , we found it fun.

We talked with others who took the closer excursions, and they saw very few penguins, and not within touching distance as Volunteer Point.

Patrick was paid the day of the tour -- if the ship doesn't make it, you aren't out of pocket for anything. I highly recommend him . I think you should be able to find him by a google search. The tours by Patrick and Estancia are very aware of the ship's schedule, I don't think it's much of a risk of missing the last tender.

You don't end to get unlimited, you can pay by the minute or get a 200 minute package. The 200 minutes was good enough for us to check emails, post a few Facebook pics and pay bills on a 20 day cruise. It is a slow connection, compared to land.

The crew could tell you where the free wifi spots are, and some tour busses also have free wifi.

New to Oceania, but was extremely happy with my first cruises on Nautica and Marina this past summer. This is my concern with the merger: how will or does NCL treat the staff?

I was surprised by how many Oceania staff renew their contracts to the point where they recognize former passengers by name. They seemed genuinely happy (mostly). We've gotten great service on other cruise lines, but the staff seemed overworked. In discussion with waiters and stewards, many had come from other lines. A waiter in London, after finding we had just been on a cruise, mentioned that he had 2 contracts with a cruise line, and said that it was well known that Oceania treated it's staff well, and was considered a choice assignment. Will current staff be uneasy with possible changes? Seems easy to believe since passengers are already voicing concern about possible changes. Will Oceania do what we have noticed on RCL cruises, and increase the work load of service staff?

Just off Nautica and Marina, menus with currents nightly on Nautica, none on Marina.

The menu is posted outside the dining room, where you could take a photo if you feel odd about taking it at your table. It was not unusual to see folks taking photos of their dinners.

We took O excursions both days, and met others who took private tours. Everyone enjoyed their trips, and we at no time were uneasy or heard of anyone with problems. Tour guides avoid any discussion of the current political climate.

Our docs that we received today say David, but they have been known to change.

I dog sit for my kids when they take off, either for a night or weeks. Believe me, once they are gone, the dogs consider this home, and my husband and I are their new parents. Of course I don't tell my kids that. The kids leave extensive instructions on now to deal with their "homesickness". But, it is truly out of sight out of mind, when they are here. If you can find a compatible sitter and have trial sleep overs in the months before you leave, they will adjust. I think 3 months might be a little long to have someone just check on them, but I can see that working too.

I've had very bad luck every time I've had someone i "trusted" come to feed the dogs, water the flowers, get the mail, etc. from leaving on the hose outside and coming home to a flooded basement, to not latching a door properly and a storm blowing it open for days, to having a party (well, that one was my responsible college son") And another time the hot tub cover was left off. All different responsible persons known to me. If you are able to find someone, hold on to them and pay them accordingly! I wouldn't feel comfortable with someone new for your world cruise, but maybe test them a few times on shorter trips.

Good luck to you, we are taking our world cruise in 6 months!

If anyone wants an updated price list, I'd be glad to share. Email me at bmcculloch217 at me dot com. To be clear, I have just booked the tour for 10-14 , haven't taken it yet, but considering all the good reviews here, and from recommendations from those who have taken the tour this year., I anticipate a great two day tour.

I am in the process of booking with Zoom for a roll call group. He sure is quick to respond! I think he is very aware of negative posts, and he has assured me he will be our guide next year. I'll give a review next year. For what it's worth, I did receive quotes from other tour companies, they were higher for basically the same tour. Again, there is no guarantee with the other companies who will show up to guide your tour.

This is just what I have encountered so far.

I am in the process of booking private tours for a 2015 cruise. I contacted Zoom through a recommendation of another CC member. So far, he responds quickly and his rates are very good. I plan on booking him with a small group from our roll call for Hanoi and Saigon.. I'll report back after the trip!

I have used tripit since getting my iPad. Love that it has the maps, weather, search function, and ability to send confirmations. I also have discovered Dropbox, and use it all the time, allows me to do a little trip planning at work...

I confess I have binders too. I try not to consider myself a nutcase , I actually find the planning stage "fun".

Would you mind sharing the tour guide info? Researching for a cruise ther next year. Bmcculloch at mchsi dot com. Thank you. Would also like to have the link to your WC blog if possible.

I also think for a 10 year old, bigger ship may be the better choice. I'd bring his DS or IPad as a backup activity, but think he is the perfect age for the group kids activities. Princess has a good reputation in Alaska. I also like their freestyle concept.

The rooms are all so small, I don't think a few feet is going to impact your ability to hear the wind at night, you aren't really going to see anything even if the bed is inches from the window. Then there is the privacy issue, and noise from adjacent cabins to deal with. Having the door open at night sounds much better in theory than in practice.

We stayed in 2012 for a few nights pre cruise and got a really good rate at the Westin Palace through a priceline bid. Excellent location.

I'd vote for the Madrid stop. We spent a couple of nights there precruise. It is a clean, walkable, safe city . We did a Tapas bar tour one night, which was great for history, food, and drink. During the day we walked from our hotel to the Prada and the Palace. Even took in a soccer game and a bullfight in our short n stay. While I think 1 night is short, the city has very late hours, so you should be able to have a very nice day.

We used TA to find a nice, small hotel near Victoria station (walking distance) -- nice inclusive breakfast, safe in room. There was a bus stop just outside the door. (we didnt use) We walked to everything, except the Tower area, used a prepaid Oyster card for that. The advantage to Victoria was the express bus from LHR.

I would rethink the luggage -- try to trim it down if possible. Life is so much easier if you just had one bag per person.

We were on the Solstice during the '12 Euro -- no sports bar, but some games were shown in the Casino TV, and one night a game was shown in the top lounge (forget the name) on a projector screen, we may have caught a game or two in cabin.

I should have said we booked the crystal and boarded the diamond with no advance warning. scenic considers their ships identical, despite age or updates.

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fromy personal experience, we didn't find out what ship until we were boarding.

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Easy fix, just place yourself near anyone under the age of 40, no one that age "talks" on the phone.

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Larraine, We have yet to take our first O cruise, but are booked for next summer, so I have an idea of the type of cruise experience you seem to prefer. We did a 14 day Scenic cruise last summer (Diamond, Crystal, Pearl.. that is another story), our first river cruise. I am sure for a river cruise company, it compares well, but we were disappointed and will never consider a river cruise again. The CC board is not a very good resource when planning, as all those who post are river cruise cheerleaders for their varous lines. After my experience, I doubt we would even try another cruise line, their formats all seem quite similar.

Negatives: very, very small opportunity for any type of small group experience. Days are programmed. You are let off, and often do not return to the same port at the end of your tour, but move up/down the river to catch the boat. The logistics of doing anything yourself is limited, as the ship changes it's itinerary constantly due to river conditions. You would find it difficult to book a private guide, as you might even miss that port entirely.

Crowded venues: no place to get away from it all. The scenic ships have a dining room and lounge, the top deck is almost unusable, again dependant on river conditions.

Service: too few staff to get any type of service -- dining room/bar/room.

Entertainment: drinking is about all there is to do. Some board games, some amateur entertainment.

Port days: you get to make a choice on activity. Think bus trips involving an hour or two transit, walking guided 30 person tours, up to an hour of DIY before being herded back on the bus.

I had no expectations of food -- I didn't go hungry, but here is the dining experience: everyone arrives within a few minutes of the dining room opening. Find a table -- most were 6 tops. Staff hands 2 menus per table, does not describe choices, or always available items. Wine service: red or white. There are usually 3 choices of each, but servers never give you a chance to make a preference. IF, you decide you prefer the Chianti, you can get it. But it's a 90/10 chance it will be refilled with a random other wine at some point in the dinner. Everyone orders -- food service is slow, as the logistics of serving 175 dinners at once is difficult.

THere are more buffet nights than I expected. Long line wait if you would like the specialty item, as there is one staff carving or serving.

Rooms, are actually not bad. I like their glass verandahs (depends on the ship). Scenic delivers a "tour" not a cruise, which is my major complaint with the whole thing. They want to be a luxury line, but IMO, are understaffed. I talked to many other passengers during our trip. I didn't meet anyone who would take another river cruise on Scenic, and only one couple who would take another river cruise. They didn't seem to expect repeat business, at no point was there any discussion about booking on board or future cruise credit.

We did meet another couple at our B&B following our cruise, who had done the same itinerary on another line. We spent an enjoyable couple of hours laughing about river cruising in general, and all the negative comparisons to ocean cruising. I don't think it was just Scenic, I'm just not a bus person, and I think you need to enjoy those type of experiences to enjoy river cruising.

To the other question regarding noise at night :: yes it is a huge problem if you are on a river with locks. I have never slept so poorly on any vacation.

.z

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