woody73

 

. . . Do we do our own air to LAX? Use Oceania's air from LAX to PPT? Let Oceania do the entire flight program with an air deviation?

Note that if you book your own air to LAX, most carriers charge for checked baggage on domestic flights. If your domestic and international flights are on the same ticket, it typically includes one checked bag per person.

Woody

 

. . . For our cruise coming up in Dec, there is NO WAY I could find fares comparable to O's offering.

 

. . . O's air for this cruise is a deal.

We are on the same cruise, and agree wholeheartedly. I priced flights separately, and could not come close to O's offering.

Woody

 

. . . Best orange juice at sea!

Is there a charge?

Woody

 

Are these two shows on the LOS worth taking time out of a busy cruise schedule?

I've seen both shows multiple times, and they're well worth the time.

Woody

Orazio was the Hotel Director on our June 4-16 sailing.

Woody

 

. . . My daughter has been on line with a crew member who said the current cruise skipped Athens due to strikes and went to Croatia instead.

We were on the June 4-16 sailing that substituted Dubrovnik for Athens. The officers and crew handled the itinerary change very smoothly. At 9:00pm on the night before we were to arrive at Athens (Piraeus), the captain made an announcement over the PA saying a 24-hour labor strike was called in Greece, and we would instead visit Dubrovnik. Our steward later delivered a letter with the new itinerary, along with a new Daily. (Day 10, "Athens," became a sea day; and Day 11, "sea day," became Dubrovnik.) The next morning, the Shore Excursions desk offered eight different excursions for Dubrovnik, and we received a one page Port Guide.

Having been to Athens twice before, we were delighted to be visiting a new port. Fortunately, we had Rick Steves' "Mediterranean Cruise Ports" guide book to read about Dubrovnik. We decided to DIY, and followed Rick Steves' self-guided tours.

Some random thoughts:

• Embarkation in Barcelona started at 11:20am, with cabins ready at 1:00pm.
  
• On day 1 there was a clothes "pressing special" at 50% off.
  
• There were two $24.95 laundry specials, one toward the beginning of the cruise, and the other toward the end.
  
• The shower has a dispenser with shampoo and shower gel. (We brought conditioner and lotion.)
  
• We used the wi-fi from our cabin. We did not buy a package. There was an initial $3.95 charge to set up an account, then 75¢ per minute. The connection was fast when we used it.
  
• The onboard Foreign Exchange Desk charged a $10 transaction fee. (We did not use this service.)
  
• The ship often arrived in port early.
  
• At Civitavecchia (Rome), the ship waited well past the onboard time, paged passengers, then left some passengers behind.
  

Woody

 

. . . I'm still smiling when I talk about this trip

That's a sign of an excellent cruise!

Thank you to all for sharing your experiences on a Spirit Med cruise. We sail next month from Barcelona to Venice, and your posts have been very helpful (it's the stuff NCL doesn't tell you).

We sail in to Venice in the afternoon. Which side of the ship would be best for the sail in?

Woody

Plenty of good information so far, thanks!

For those who embarked at Barcelona, was the Spain VAT added to onboard purchases? If so, what was the rate? Specifically, was the Spain VAT added to NCL shore excursions booked onboard? At what point in the cruise do they stop collecting the VAT? Thanks.

Woody

Terrific post. Thanks.

Woody

 

Based on my experience on the Volandam last June I have to vote for Patty Honacki

I think Patty Honacki did a terrific job, as well.

Woody

What a helpful thread. Thanks to all.

Woody

In September '08, we went to New Fei Optical in Kowloon and are very pleased. Thousands of frames to choose from, optometrists on hand if you need an eye exam, (we brought our own prescriptions), and opticians will adjust the frames for a perfect fit.

Our single vision glasses (reading glasses) were ready in 30 minutes. Progressives took a few days, so we had them shipped to the U.S. as we were leaving soon. The opticians fit the frames while we were there, so when the glasses arrived by mail they fit perfectly.

Prices were a fraction of what we paid for identical eyeglasses in the states.

We found New Fei in Suzy Gershman's "Born To Shop Hong Kong."

New Fei's address: Flat A&C, 12/F, Lucky Horse Ind. Bldg, 64 Tong Mi Road, 1-7 Bute St., Kowloon. Tel: 2398 2422.

Woody