LuAnn

On 4/15/2024 at 10:43 PM, ohmark said:

Thanks. Will look for you additional report.

The Bakery/Barista's/Library area on Vista is a highlight and significant upgrade from that area on the (pre-upgrade) Marina.

Just off Marina this AM and the chief barista told me that the area will not be changed and he was happy about that.He had worked on Vista and while a beautiful ship he did not like the way his work area was laid out. 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Good Afternoon Folks,

 

Over our long cruise life we have found that it usually takes us about 24 hours to form an opinion of a ship/cruise.  In the case of the Vista, both DW and I are equally impressed and have mostly good to say about the ship and O.  So, Flatbush Flyer can breathe easy and say, "I told you so."  

 

Our cabin (a B2 balcony on deck 8 was absolutely quiet last night.  We did not hear any noice from our neighbors or anything else.  Our thermostat functions perfectly and it was nice to be in a nice cool, quiet, cabin for our first night's sleep.  

 

Today we had a short port day at Great Stirrup Cay, which is a long held property of NCLH in the Berry Islands (Bahamas).  We decided to stay aboard since it was only in the high 70s, and we saw no reason to leave the Vista for a beach morning.  I say morning because the last tender was at 1:30.  

 

Last evening we enjoyed our first Vista dinner at Red Ginger, where we had a shared table with a very nice couple from Texas.  We were seated at 7pm (our reservation time) and did not finish dinner until 9:40!  Part of the reason for the very long dinner was that nobody took our food order for nearly 30 minutes and our first food did not arrive until around 8pm.  But long dinners do fit our style, the company was good, and I think all 4 of us enjoyed the evening and the food.  I was looking forward to trying the spicy duck/watermelon salad and it was quite good.  Not the best I have ever enjoyed, but darn good for a cruise ship.  I had the rack of lamb, for my main, and they were also good and properly cooked to my "medium" request.  I am also somewhat impressed by the wine offerings (by the glass) which are as good, if not better, than what we have received on several luxury lines.  

 

After dinner, DW decided to turn-in early (it was a long day) and I went to Martini's for some victuals.  At the bar I met two nice couples including a younger German couple who were impressed by the Vista.  I have purchased the upgraded drink package and the offerings at the bar were quite good.  "Anthony" entertained us with both piano and voice and was delightful.  

 

Lets talk about breakfast on the Vista.  There are ONLY 6 options which is quite amazing for a ship of only 1200 passengers.  One could get room service (with a pretty full menu).  The Grand Dining Room was also opened for breakfast.  But than we had Waves, Aquamar, Terrace Cafe, and Baristas.  DW and I decided to just go to Baristas where we enjoyed some pastries and cappuccino.  The croissants were the best we have had on any cruise ship.  Baristas is basically a self-service venue with several waiters standing-by to clear tables and offer any help (they took DW's tea from her hand and carried it to our table).  We were both very impressed with the venue and it holds its own against a similar venue on Explora Journey 1.  If doing more comparisons I would rate it a much better venue then what is offered on Seabourn (Seabourn Square).

 

We spent much of our day on deck 12 (pool deck) and also walked around deck 14 (the miniature golf course is a nice touch as is the pickle ball court).  The deck chairs are among the most comfortable found on any ship.  I noticed that my Bloody Mary was made using Mr and Mrs T mix, but the bar tender skillfully enhanced it with spices to meet my request for a "spicy Bloody Mary."

 

Lunch was at waves, and my Wagyu Burger (topped with lobster chunks) was excellent as were the thick cut French fries.  I love the Wave lunch menu and am happy that we will have more than a month to try everything!  There was a Filipino band (trio) with terrific singer that entertained us with a 45 min sail-away set.  That band is quite good, so we are batting 1000 with the entertainment (up to this point).  

 

So, my friends, where is the negative stuff?  When O decided to cancel our visit to Bermuda (due to a bad weather forecast) I could not understand why they did not extend the length of our visit to Great Stirrup Cay.  There were no other ships and a 2pm departure was a bit early.  We now have a week of sea days (DW and I love sea days) and the Vista will not need to break any speed records to get us Horta on time.  But that is being nitpicky since we cannot criticize a ship for sticking to their schedule.  

 

Hank

Great news Hank!! So glad you are enjoying O and Vista!! 

12 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The adventure begins"  This morning we got in our pre-ordered Uber at our Ft Lauderdale hotel, for Terminal J.  After driving around the port for 10 minutes we finally arrived at the small ship terminal around 11:40 (our boarding time was 11:30-12:00).  After handing our luggage to the Longshoreman we entered the terminal and had our first Passport/boarding pass check.  That only took a few seconds and then we went through the usual metal detector and were told to take a seat in the large seating area (plenty of chairs for everyone)  

 

Boarding has just started, but in the seating area there was some chaos since nobody seemed to know when to move.  We quickly found ourselves in a queue to check-in.  Since we do not get any priority (it is our first O cruise in a normal B2 cabin) we patiently worked our way to the check-in counter.  When we finally reached the counter, they took our pictures (why do they even bother asking for pictures during the pre-cruise stuff).  It took about an hour to get through the terminal and finally board the Vista.  Unlike some of the better cruise lines, there was nobody greeting us with a glass of champagne.  Just a message that our cabins would not be ready until about 3pm (the latest time we have encountered in 50 years of cruising) and we should go up to deck 12 for lunch.  Waves, Aquamar, and the Terrace Grill were open and we decided to sit at an empty table.  Wine service was slow (we consider it typical first day stuff) but we were happy with the various selections (I had a Sauvignon Blanc from NZ).  DW and I were not very hungry (we had a big breakfast) so I enjoyed a small cubano sandwich and DW tried the so-so pizza.  

 

After lunch we sat in some pool deck loungers and then did some exploring.  At first glance the ship is attractive and has an old ship feel with more contemporary furniture.  We thought the deck loungers were very high quality and better then found on some luxury lines.  The pool area was beautiful, but we did sense that there are not enough loungers (especially in the shade) for a busy day. 

 

Around 2pm I went down to deck 5 and waited a few minutes to speak with one of the concierges.  I asked for a reservation (tonight) in Red Ginger and that was no problem as long as we wanted to share at 7pm (all good for us).  

 

We then learned that our 2nd port, Bermuda, has already been cancelled due to a lousy weather forecast.  We had an excursion booked on Bermuda (had to use up our $1300 pp Simply More credits) which was now to be refunded.  When we asked about booking an excursion at a future port we were told they they cannot access any tours (for our next two segments) until at least April 10.  Not only can we not make a reservation, but we cannot even know what (if anything) is available.  This policy truly sucks!  Consider that a person who might be on 5 or 6 segments would not even have access the last segment once they were within a week of embarkation.  But folks that might be boarding at a later segment would have access (as long as their embarkation was more than 7 days in the future).  The policy really penalizes the folks who book longer cruises.  

 

I did try a glass of champagne and they are using Montaudon (the same Champagne used by Seabourn).  Not my favorite sparkling wine, but certainly a reasonable selection.  

 

Our cabin is a normal balcony cabin (B2) and is immaculate.  The interior is contemporary and attractive.  The big negative is the lack of storage (a potential issue for folks on longer cruises).  With all of our experience on dozens of different type ships, DW and I did manage to get everything in their proper place.  O does have room for additional shelving, but I think they opted for design over substance.  

 

Our bathroom is quite impressive for a non-luxury cabin.  There is lots of space, the shower very attractive and large, and (strangly) there is a lot of storage!  In fact, we actually stored some of our clothes in the bathroom drawers.  

 

Our balcony is typical for a regular cabin and is furnished with two shares (both with removable cushions) and a small round table.  I noticed that the balcony does have night lighting and its done in an attractive indirect way.  

 

I believe this segment is completely full with the demographics favoring we seniors.

 

Hank

The pizza served at Waves in the evening is much better and totally different that what is found in the Terrace...at least that was my experience. If you 2 like pizza you might try it there. 

54 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

I own NCLH stock, so I contacted Oceania in the first half of last year to apply for $100 shareholder's OBC.  It was rejected, as it was too soon (2nd half 2024 sailing).  I waited until late in the year and tried again.  Again, it was rejected for the same reason.

I tried it again several times in 2024.  I didn't receive an acceptance or rejection, but my OBC shown online didn't change.  I waited a few weeks and called Oceania, but that didn't seem to help.  Finally, I decided I'd submit weekly until I got an answer.  Today, I got a message that they've added shareholder's OBC, but the amount previously shown ($300 from my Amex Platinum Cruise Privileges benefit) hasn't changed, so I'll give it a few days.

Is it normally this hard to get shareholder credit applied?  When I login to Oceania's website, shouldn't that amount shown have increased from $300 to $400, or not necessarily?

It should show up as a line item all on it's own. I had trouble with mine posting and reached out to my TA and it showed up right away. If you have a TA you might try contacting them about it. 

3 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

We recently finished a cruise on Pursuit and found the food in the MDR to be mostly as good as ever. There was one exception - I had duck breast one night and it was both very small and as tough as old boots. To be fair they were very happy to change it for another dish - I chose lamb chops and they were brilliant.

Everything was very tasty and very well seasoned, Thai dishes like hot & sour soup were terrific! We also had the Reistafel, which was great, but way too much food!

Thanks for the reminder re the Reistafel!! We did that once and it was fabulous!!! 

According to "Copilot" an AI feature Jacques will still be on board Marina after the refit. Sorry for the confusion!! Just looked it up!! 

19 hours ago, ORV said:

Where did you read that? 

I thought I had read it here on CC but maybe I'm mistaken? 🙂

21 hours ago, Redtravel said:

You sound like me.  We liked Ember. We weren’t thrilled with Aquamar Kitchen. We were on Vista in January.  We are on Marina in May. Looking forward to Jacques. 

Are they still going to have Jacques on Marina after the refit? I thought I read they were replacing it? 

Glad you are trying O and will be interested to hear what you think!! Thanks for doing this for us!!

Do they still have the "Art Hunt" where you go around trying to ID the items? They had that on Vista in October and it was fun!! 🙂

2 hours ago, ORV said:

Just got documents for upcoming cruise. They have a nice blue folder everything goes in. 4 luggage tags that you can continue to use and an insert for your current cruise. They have a plastic tie to attach them with. 
 

We didn’t have these in January so it must be a new deal. 
 

32 minutes ago, golfguyhhi said:

Orv,

 

Got mine last week for early April cruise.  I rather like the reusable luggage tags.

I like the tags as well. Mine are always lost and/or stolen. 

6 minutes ago, clo said:

Caesar salad was invented in Mexico!!!

Yes.. at Caesar's Restaurant in Tijuana!! 🙂 Ole'

20 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Hmmm you think anyone talks at a Steely Dan concert?  LOL.  I have a close friend who is not a classical music lover, and she thinks classical music lovers are pretentious when it comes to keeping quiet in the presence of live classical music.  But put many of those folks in a Jazz Club/bar (such as Take 5 on Princess ships) and they will talk loudly without any consideration for the jazz lovers.   And how about in a piano bar?  Should folks have conversations when an entertainer is playing/singing?  

 

While I think most agree that it is proper to be quiet when in a theater setting, it is very open to debate about doing so in a bar/lounge where there is some entertainment.  

 

Speaking about classical music lovers, on some HAL ships they used to have classical (often chamber music or perhaps a violin/piano duo) that would play in a room that had an adjacent main corridor.  Folks would come walking along (it was a main route after leaving the MDR) that wide corridor chatting away and "disturb" the classical music lovers sitting in the adjacent lounge (which was completely opened to the corridor).  Some of the music lovers would try to "shush" the masses coming from dinner, and it was almost amusing.  While many of us would show respect for the audience and not make much noise, there were others that could care less that some folks (the audience might be 100) want everyone to be quiet.

 

So what is the proper decorum?  You will likely get all kinds of answers.

 

Hank

I have seen that "setup". There was usually a sign in the corridor asking people to stay quiet. As you say...mixed results for sure!! 🙂

1 hour ago, basor said:

We found chatting was not frowned upon at afternoon tea but was when the string quartet was playing in the evenings....the evening crowd comes to "listen" to the string quartet.

Same here. The evening crowd was REALLY into the music. Horizons is big enough that during tea time there are plenty of places to sit away from the quartet if you want to chat. At least that is what we found. 

I had a friend oh Vista who was in a solo cabin and she felt the bathroom was too small. And the bed was like a "bunk bed" with walls surrounding 3 sides of it. The TV is also around the corner from the bed so if you like to lay in bed and watch TV that would be a problem. I think she thought it was "OK" but would not book it again. FYI

6 hours ago, makai 7 said:

I have to laugh at this discussion….  First, I found the food at Ember to be a poor excuse for American cuisine, unless you classify mushy, frozen vegetables as “elevated American “.

 

I Don’t care if the table has a cloth, a place mat, or a sheet of paper covering it, but I do prefer something to a completely bare table that may or may not have been properly cleaned before I put my fork and knife on it.  Or maybe at least give me a bread plate to put them on?

 

We did not enjoy the atmosphere or the food, except for dessert, and we canceled the second reservation so someone who did want to eat there had the opportunity.  I don’t eat at Applebees at home, so why would I pay huge sums of money to do so on a cruise?

 

On the other hand, the evening pizza was a nice add on feature for a casual dinner at the buffet.  And there are place mats and table cloths used at Waves and the buffet at dinner!

 

We really enjoyed the pizza and the "starters" in Waves on Vista as well...we went 3X I think on the 16 night cruise. And it was so nice eating outside!! Ember didn't really "float my boat" but it wasn't bad!!! And re tablecloths..this was in October and there were no tablecloths. So.....???? And we were in a veranda with no TV noise from next door. In the theatre we always sat down front for Trivia so can't comment on that. But IMO I do think it's good to be on a ship prior to giving your opinions about it. 🙂

4 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

I think she's fine. Her announcements are crisp and easy to understand, does a nice job leading trivia, and is a solid performer based on her solo show last night.

Do you happen to know if she'll be on the April 5th T/A? Thanks!!

8 minutes ago, fdnycruiser said:

We all cruise for different reasons, but some like myself,like being at sea. The more sea days the better. Wouldn’t be interested at all in a land based vacation 

Me too...I could just go around in a circle and be happy!!! Being on the ocean is "my happy place". 

Is there currently a cosmetic section on Marina? Thanks!! 

18 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Thank God for the Extraordinary Savings Sale in early 2023. Our 10 nights on Riviera Triest to Athens 10/30-11/9/23 in an A3 was just $1899 PP and our 10 nights continuing on Riviera Athens to Barcelona 11/9-19/23 in a B3 was just $1749 PP. Sailing O by serious sales is the only way to go! (USD)

WOW!! Those rates are incredible..I'm Obviously not looking at the right sales!! Good for you!!!

22 hours ago, ORV said:

If it's a TA you'll probably have one, but as Shepherd Really stated theirs was not on Sunday, so not always on a Sunday. It's quite the spread, we didn't go in there to eat, but it looked great. 

The best one for me was the one on the East Bound T/A on Marina when she was brand new. HUGE tins of caviar!!!! That's pretty much all I ate at the brunch!! I've never seen them serve it since!! 😞

On 2/26/2024 at 1:18 PM, ORV said:

I wouldn't worry, I checked your cruise and they're not having one. 

How can I figure out if I have one on the upcoming Marina T/A? I've had them before...seems like usually on a Sunday? 

On 2/29/2024 at 6:00 AM, shepherd really said:

Yes, after the gravel ends and the peat bogs begin it’s quite a roller coaster. 

i seriously thought at one point we were going to tip over sideways..and the driver said "Thank you for not screaming"!! We have always considered it our most favorite shore excursion!!! So glad you made it in...you were with Patrick Watson? 

On 2/27/2024 at 10:10 AM, clo said:

I'm sure this doesn't do it justice but found this.

A23a iceberg seen with striking arches and cavernous hollows as it floats away from Antarctica | CNN

The article says it's 3 times the size of LA!!!! 

58 minutes ago, clo said:

I tend to avoid buffets like the plague but I might give O a peek. Maybe.

Their brunches are fantastic!! Buffet isn't bad either!!! 🙂