Fetchpeople

I am not a medical professional.

I have no connection to Oceania nor to any travel company

I have no connection to anyone or any company which provides or makes hand sanitizers or the like

What I do not understand is the concern if someone uses their hands to take a piece of bread rather than tongs. What's the difference between a person infected with a virus or bacteria who gifts their condition by using the tongs or by touching a piece of bread?

Seems to this amateur that spreading through the tongs could potentially impact far more passengers and crew than a casual brush against a single roll or slice of bread.

I have been to Istanbul 4 times. I'm sure there are honest taxi drivers in the city.

So far, I haven't found one.

1. On cruises that have few if any sea days, there is unlikely to be a cruise instructor on board

2. On a cruise with an instructor on board, that instructor will be a highly skilled individual; there will be ACBL registered games; the instructor usually has an assistant with him/her, such as a spouse or friend. The longer the cruise, the more likely it is that an instructor will be on board.

3. The instruction ALWAYS is given in the Polo Restaurant

4. There are 2 classes of instruction, each for an hour, on those days where instruction is given: at 10 AM for beginners and then at 11 AM for intermediate/advanced players

5. There is an organized duplicate bridge game (if you do not have a partner, the instructor will match you up) on those days where there are lessons. These games are also held in Polo, beginning at 2 PM and ending just in time to go to Trivia which is usually held at 4 to 4:30 PM. If you are an Afternoon Tea person, it is nearly impossible to play duplicate, gorge on pastries, and get to Trivia.

6. On those days when there is no instruction (think port days) open bridge is held, usually at 3 PM, in Polo. Those who are not off touring should be able to cobble a game together.

7. If there is a day where there is a late port arrival or early departure, it could be that there will be either open play, or instruction or duplicate-depending on the instructor's schedule.

You can be sure that a late decision to cancel ports in Egypt is one that O made with great reluctance and only after serious consideration. They certainly value the health and welfare of their passengers. They also value the profit dollars lost on extensive tours in Egypt which now are cancelled.

Needless to say, the tour activity in the new 2 ports pales in comparison with what was booked for Egypt.

Please give O some credit for thinking not about their bottom line, but about doing the right thing.

I have no idea either way, but could it be that other cruise lines are also bypassing Egypt? Or that some feedback from O's Egyptian contacts was pivotal in their decision?

I have never been on a TA or a sailing with a number of sea days where there wasn't a Bridge Director.

On each of those cruises, there were lots of players, both for duplicate as well as for social play. Polo, the venue for the bridge, was heavily used.

It remains in all its glory, for sure, on Nautica as of 12/21/14.

Can't be any different on the other 2 R ships.

Lately there has been so much negative posting on the Oceania section of CC that we just have to put in my 2 positve cents:

30 days at sea with an excceptional crew who delivered every possible service with a smile, including fair weather and amazingly calm seas. And, of course, far too much delicious food.

Special kudos, in no special order, to:

*CD Julie James for being funny, friendly, approachable, ever available and more. She's a keeper, for sure.

* Executive Chef Smeets for being on duty from earlierthan 6 AM to late, late, always making sure the quality was superior, the presentation superb, and the variety to die for

* The Oceania at Sea staff person who deserves accolades for dealing with the tech challenged idiots on board, self included, always with a smile, always helpful, and always successful

* Reception for being fully informed at all times, and finding each of the 3 items we lost

* Bridge Director Susan Carter for being a gem of a teacher with limitless patience even for those who are a tad slow at the game. A terrrific instructor!

Guest Lecturer Don Campbell who spoke many times, always with a sense of humor, always informative, and always dining in the Terrace at a table designed to attract friends and some who weren't friends yet. A great asset!

Low points? Room for improvement? Sure, a couple but their significance is dwarfed by so many positives. I know this posting doesn't obliterate that Insignia tragedy, but we want to assure any doubters that there were no signs of NCL finding corners to cut or making excess staff walk the plank. Maybe that's why the Ambassador was non stop busy doing new bookings.

Judy & Fred 10, O cruises and counting

I agree that taking only Taxi Stockholm or Taxi Kukir is the way to go.

In our case, we spent a few days pre-cruise in Stckhlm, asked the front desk at the hotel to call the cab and specifed that the taxi must take a credit card (which the driver gladly accepted).

As a result, we paid our hotel using every last Swedish coin first, with the consderable balance paid by credit card.

Worked prefectly and the pier was about a 20 minutes drive from downtown Stockholm.

The bad news:

We were part of a Tours By Locals group in Grenada, Spain. It was a total disaster: the guide did not show, the driver spoke only Spanish, they failed to follow the planned intinerary, a substitute guide came for a while and then handed us off to another substitute, and much more.

The so so news:

The home office agreed to a partial refund, a token amount only.

The good news:

After a courteous and professional conversation, every one received a full refund in casn (not a credit slip).

And to top it off the office also sent everyone a $100 coupon towards a future tour.

In short, the company's heart is in the right place, but they are dependent on non-employees a continent or 2 away.

Go to the above web site, get their 800 # and call the experts with your questions/concerns

By all means, do not try to make a decision on your own about what policy to take. Deal with the professionals.

Check with one or more of the sellers listed in the e-mail above (I'm sure they all have 800 #). Describe to them what your needs are and what you want to insure for. You do NOT need to insure the trip itself, unless you want to.

You can get medical evacuation coverage to the closest suitable facility (insurer's choice) or to where you want to be taken, after being stabilized (your choice, but more expensive). Either way, you should, in my opinion, have at least $250,000 in coverage. Not that expensive.

I ain't 2 dum, but CC has made me quite a bit smarter.

For that and to all of you, my best. You've saved me $ and helped me avoid mistakes, for sure.

As to insurance coverage, you can insure for all of a trip, part of a trip or none of the trip cost. When you insure for little, if any, of the trip cost, you are really taking out a major medical policy and probably concerned with medical evacuation more than routine medical expenses.

I found out through experience that O's Medical Center's bills are considered reasonable and reimbursable by my primary carrier. No med evac necessary, but the coverage is not too expensive, when taken without trip cost. From my perspective, self insuring for the trip and buying medivac makes sense.

Even if a current look at your particular ship's Boutique stock shows they carry your item(s), I strongly recommend you not assume the item will be in stock when you sail.

If there is one thing the shop is known for it's the lack of a consistent inventory with adequate sizes, etc.

Any traditional retailer would be embarresed to have the ship's percentage of outs and the resulting lost sales.

Is delighful, personable and an accessable CD. Runs a really pleasant Trvia game. Always a gentleman. You will be well taken care of if he is your CD.

I took a O cruise to those ports in April 2010. There were no shuttles provided in either port.

All this talk of Oceania's fabulous food and all those brilliant pictures only serve to prove that this thread is in direct violation of one of the most important elements of our constitutional democracy: the ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Surely Host Andy could step in and take whatever steps are necessary to prevent this uncalled for torture of CC's readers.

It's just not fair for those who have been on the O ships to thumb their noses at those who have been limited to the R class.

On the other hand, in 20 days I plan to sprint to the Terrace on the Marina, lest they run out of ice cream or lobster tails or hand sliced roast beef or sushi or, or , or......