MEFIowa

The issue isn't that adding Ember couldn't be great for some, but rather what it replaced (Jacques) and how the combination of Aquamar & Ember now relate to what is available on the O-class ships. Thus, as you point out, they removed something you liked from Waves but now have something similar to it in Aquamar. So that is a NET gain of ZERO (or slight loss, if the older item is slightly more enjoyable). What does Ember get you on Vista that you couldn't already get in Polo & Toscana & Waves & TC on Riviera? The loss is likely the entire menu of Jacques and its setting. O describes Ember as a sophisticated setting for classic American cuisine, with tablecloths in their photographs. I don't want to pay $350-500 per couple per day to eat that kind of food in that kind of setting.

Makes sense to phase out 30-year-old ships as they get more and more expensive to maintain. Don't think going from 1250 to 1400 passengers makes any real difference. Certainly not if the ships aren't full on some cruises and in relation to the behemoths you'll see parked next to them in the future.

Guess you don't read O's own material or take it seriously? What is a "classic American dish"? That people from around the world are dying to eat that they can't already get in the GDR, TC, and the other specialty restaurants? Since they replaced Jacques with Ember. Which is the issue. They did NOT add Ember with Jacques. No, they cut costs, including tablecloths, with Ember. BUT maybe at least kids can color with crayons on the tables waiting for hotdogs and mac & cheese? From O on dining in general: "CULINARY MASTERPIECES It’s the finest at sea because we select only the best ingredients and the most talented chefs from around the globe. From Castilla-La Mancha saffron to French flour custom-milled to our specifications, our artisanal ingredients echo the dedication poured into every dish. In galleys evoking those in Michelin-starred restaurants, our gifted chefs create absolute culinary masterpieces. Come aboard and savor cuisine renowned as the finest at sea." THEN in the section on Ember laugh at the photograph of Ember on the website with the tablecloths (which aren't there!) saying this: "EMBER Elegant American Traditions When the fuel of classic American dishes meets the fire of culinary masters in a sophisticated setting reminiscent of a Napa or Sonoma tasting room, Ember is the glorious result." Nothing says SOPHISTICATION like a lack of tablecloths, though, of course, O made sure that isn't how the tables are picture. Compare to this for Jacques: "JACQUES A Passion for French Cuisine Exquisitely decorated with heirloom antiques, pickled wood furnishings and art from Jacques Pépin’s personal collection, Jacques was modeled after a Parisian bistro. Comfortable and eclectic, the ambiance is pure French, as is the cosmopolitan yet wonderfully embraceable cuisine. Get it, the JOKE is on us! American rubes who'll fall for anything? And pay more to do it?

Marina and Riviera pretty much have a laundry room on every major passenger deck. We did laundry 5 times on Riviera on our 20-night B2B (Trieste to Athens and Athens to Barcelona) in Oct-Nov 2023. Just walked down the hall on decks 9 (our A4) and 7 (our B3) to the laundry room.

We were in an A4 for the 1st ten nights and then moved to a B3 for the 2nd 10 nights. So we could book reservations earlier in the A4 than in the B3.

So, we received one of the older more useful stronger bags on Riviera in our A4 12/2021 and the newer less useful bag on Riviera 10/2023. One of each. Get a bag when you go A or higher. And we were Blue level, O Club. We go Bronze on our upcoming B2B on Sirena Aug-Sept.

ONLY when you go to the next level, not for every cruise. I doubt the focus on this thread are from Bronze or higher O Club Members already. They likely haven't even sailed once. Or maybe only in a G-B cabin. "COMPLIMENTARY MEMBER CAP AND TOTE BAG UPON NEW LEVEL ACHIEVEMENT"

No, I have pizza experience. Every Friday and on Riviera. I do NOT pay to cruise on O to eat mere pizza. And I'm NOT paying hundreds of dollars a day as a couple to DROP something like Jacques to tell my friends afterwards, "I ate at a glorified Applebee's". Tell me, what does Aquamar bring to the experience that I'm not already truly enjoying at the TC daily? We love the buffet. All the choices. And IIRC, you can't even get the Mahi-Mahi on Vista at Waves in the afternoon. I forget if something else was dropped from that menu, too. What is "clarifying" is how easy it is for cheerleaders to accept a decline in a product and make excuses for it. I prefer a tablecloth and a place setting that isn't suitable for crayons!

I ate the evening pizza at Wave's on Riviera 11/2023. Oh boy, the joy. Pizza. Like we can have every Friday night in America. I have NO desire to pay more and get less on Vista. Even on the Extraordinary Saving Sale from 2023, we're paying $350-400 per day per couple. So, do I want "Ember", a glorified Applebee's? No! And I'm not seeing anything wowing me about Aquamar, either. Cost cutting moves for O. The "pay more, get less" program for Vista, for those who want to be on new ships at any price.

Though have you read the cognitive dissonance groupthink of the Vista Cheerleaders and Ember, a glorified Applebee's! And the praise for the on-board "Pizza Hut". (I enjoyed a pizza on Riviera in Nov 2023, but that isn't what I'm looking for when it comes to fine dining or interesting cuisine when a couple is paying say $350-500 per couple per day.) Now all they need is a Denny's, a Burger King, and a DQ to complete the culinary triumph of modern American "cuisine"? 😞

The BAGS are ONLY for concierge (A) cabins and UP. NOT for G-B cabins.

Have you made your reservations? IF NOT, you'll find that if you're in a G-B cabin you won't likely get anything before 8 PM and most likely not before 8:30, unless your ship isn't full. The A and higher cabins get to make their reservations long before the lower-level cabins. You're left with the scraps. Experienced this 1st hand on an Oct-Nov 2023 B2B cruise on Riviera. Started with 10 nights in an A3 and finished with 10 nights in a B3. We could get 6:30-8 pm reservations in the A3. We got an 8, 8:30 and two 9 pm's for our B3. On board O asked us if we could change our horrible 9 pm times for 8:30 times, and I saw why. We and 2 or 3 other couples were the only people who showed up at or after 8:30. And by the time we're mid-way thru our meal, the place is emptying out fast. It was all but empty by 9:30. (I suspect the 9 pm is really a "fake" time, that they don't want you to accept, hoping you'll just not try to reserve a table that late. But if you do, they'll try to seat you at 8:30.) The above is ONLY about tables for 2. We did NOT try to share a table.

Plus you'll get ONE FREE night of drinking, the Captain's Party. There are Repeater Party and, sometimes, Newbie Party. So could be a 2nd free night, too.

And REMEMBER, you can bring on board ALL the beer, hard liquor and wine you want at embarkation and in the ports. Drink any beer and hard liquor in your cabin/veranda and know there is a $25 corkage fee to drink your own wine in their restaurants.

My luggage has to fit the airlines' requirements. I suspect trunks are best left to trees, elephants, and swimmers.

Pascha in the East is May 5th in 2024. (The Jewish Passover runs April 22-30, 2024.)

Though WHEN did you originally book it? The 2024 cruises could be booked rather early in 2022. And was it on sale? There were some great sales in 2023!

You must be upset that O had 6 major and 2 minor sales across all 12 months of 2023. AND as O is obsessed with sales and a need to publicize them. One just ended (Mar 31). That had started after the one before it had just ended (Feb 29). How much easier it would be for everyone if there just wasn't that O obsession with sales? But then some just choose not to play that sales game and just book and forget?

And sitting next to a person... - droning on about their premium drinks package (drink in hand, day drinking to near drunkeness) or - those who yap and yap about their high-level cabin with their butler and executive lounge or - those saying, "Too bad you didn't spend the extra $400 for the special meal we had last night in La Reserve" or "That $200 for the wine & cheese pairing" (or whatever it is, including premium spirit tasting). Gotta dislike all that money flaunting?

O had 6 major sales in 2023 and 2 minor ones. That pretty much covered all 12 months of 2023. Which, for 2023, would be "all the time". Whether your individual cruise ever went on sale or not was up to O. I do love the QUALIFIER: "reasonable price". Whatever that is. I've found that SALES can make prices quite "reasonable". If we see an itinerary that we like, we'll book it and track every future sale after the initial booking. So far, four out of our six booked since 1/2021 (4 already taken) went on sale. I'm still watching to see if the final two do sometime this year. We sail Aug-Sept on 22-night Baltic B2B on Sirena.

Since O tends to raise prices globally at the beginning of the new quarter, esp. Jan 1 and July 1, not too surprising if they raised prices on April 1st, the start of the new quarter.

You're not alone, though I love watching for sales Doesn't look like O is doing anything sales-wise in April other than the "pre-cruise hotel offer". Thankfully we're only about 150 days out from 22 nights on Sirena in the Baltic, Aug-Sept (12 nights London to Stockholm and then the 10-nights B2B Stockholm to Copenhagen), plus 3 nights prior in London and 3 night after in Copenhagen. We can't wait!

Glad you enjoyed the pun. Intended.

Displacement hardly matters, for non-combat ships. For cruise ships, more a function of: 1. Number of passengers. 2. Number of crew, esp. those providing services to passengers. 3. Size of cabin (including bathroom space!). 4. Size of public spaces (including hallway width). 5. Size of swimming pool. 6. Number of eating places. 7, Number, location and size of public restrooms. 8, Number and location of elevators. The smaller R-class ships built for 650 passengers. Our time on Sirena (11/2022) she had about 630. Which I think is near the new max, since she has solo rooms that reduced max passengers. The POOL on the R-ships tiny, more for walking than any actual swimming. And ONLY 2 specialty restaurants. You want heaven? We had that on the much larger O-class ship Riveria 12/2021 in the W. Caribbean. Only 719 passengers and 790 crew. We were treated like gods. Room to spare everywhere.

For women, dress sandals are fine. Esp. if you have a dress. For men, just need decent pants, shirt with collar, no tie, socks, and shoes. I see it more as business casual attire than country club, but either works, I guess. Just more people go to offices than country clubs.