MEFIowa

Per O e-mail this weekend, - Losing 1 hour each in Split and Istanbul in early November 2023, BUT gaining one hour in Heraklion. No change to the other four stops. - Losing 1 hour each in Istanbul and Provence (Marseilles) in later November 2023, two of the 7 ports.

Now if only I could find one for Madagascar with 3 days there (time enoght to go to the capital for a day) and some Mozambique and Tanzania, too!

A great reminder why sailing slightly off peak can be so wonderful! We were on Sirena in San Juan on Black Friday (2022), the ONLY cruise ship there! Wife and I took a lovely walk from the terminal/pier around the outside wall to the west, entering by way of the west-central gate to spend the day just wandering around the old city. Was fascinating to see how empty it was from about 0900-1300 and then suddenly the crowds came out and thousands of PRs were enjoying the shops and market and sites of interest. I walked back up the gangplank right at the end of our scheduled time. Quite the enjoyable day in Old San Juan.

That's what I say about Madagascar, which is why I'll have to plan my own lengthy trip (as I did with Paraguay in 2022). If only I could find one that had Mozambique and Tanzania, I'd take the Seychelles and/or Reunion. Shooting for 2025. Two weeks.

Wife and I may have been the only two that went there when Sirena docked. We didn't see anyone else and didn't hear anyone else mention it. Our tour van had room for say 12 and there were just 4 of us. The other two did the city tour then beach but not the cable car. We were the only ship docked there that day.

I'm 6'2" and concur. All I had to do was learn to use the two swinging glass doors properly. (But the shower on the larger O-class is bigger.)

Not our experience on Sirena (11/18-28/22) in the E. Caribbean, at least not for crew or cabin or food. And we've also sailed on Riviera (12/2021).

Though wouldn't they be adults, not non-adults?

Riviera and Marina have a board/card game room aft of Baristas on deck 14. Tables and chairs with some board games (very limited selection). The smaller ships have a card/board game room forward on deck 9. Being very active in my local area board gaming group for the past 11 years and with my own collection in the hundreds of games, I make sure to bring some of my own for my wife & I to play 2 player.

When it comes to non-adults, depends on each cruise line, cruise ship, itinerary, and date. So highly fact specific. Take Sirena 11/18-28/22. We had about 630 passengers. We had ONE infant, a toddler about 18 months old watched by two younger parents. We had ONE family with a 17-year-old, 20-yr-old and a 22-year-old. The latter got pretty drunk one night early on the cruise. He (mostly) learned his lesson. So as far as I could tell (and being a former USAF intelligence officer) I was paying attention and asking questions, this would mean 2 non-adults (or .003). A third of 1% of the passengers.

Did these ports in Nov off Sirena. St. Vincent has Fort Charlotte with its magnificent views and the botanical gardens. St. Barts has the ruin of Fort Karl with its magnificent views that is right next to Shell Beach. AND Puerto Plata has the only CABLE CAR in the Caribbean that has the 1/2 replica of the Rio Jesus on the top of the mountain where there is a national park/forest.

My point being that on DAY 1 embarkation we were adjusting where we ate on DAY 9. We added the Tuscan Grille reservation on Day 1 for Day 9.

My wife doesn't like Asian food, so no Red Ginger for her. When we embarked, that first day, we changed our Day 9 Red Ginger reservation for one in Tuscan Grille. We gave up the Red Ginger and added the Tuscan Grille. On Day 1.

Though so much of this is so subjective. From the photographs I've seen I prefer what I actually saw while on Riviera 12/2021. I'm not a fan of what I'd call something like "Scandinavian minimalist bright". This is a bit like discussing the art on board. Mostly disliked what I saw on Sirena 11/2022 but that's my subjective opinion. (And my wife prefers a bathtub, which we had in our A4 on Riviera. Another subjective issue.)

Yes, after you embark you can ask about openings in the specialty reservations. If this is important, do this when you embark to make actual additional reservations. Deck 4 (which has Reception Desk, Destination Service and the Concierge. Unfortunately on Sirena, unlike on Riviera/Marina, there is no Concierge Lounge. Being A1-2 Concierge means you have access to the spa therapy pool & area forward as well as some perks like a bottle of champagne, etc.

And keep in mind there is a way to get on an actual list, with a real number for where you are in line, for a waitlist. But you have to contact O for that cruise.

We loved St. Vincent and Kingstown off Sirena 11/22. But we were the only cruise ship in port that day. We did Fort Charlotte ("Kingstown is overlooked by Fort Charlotte on the north side of town. It is located 190 metres (620 ft) above sea level."), the cathedrals, and the Botanical Gardens. All AFTER we took the ride up to Black Point Tunnel on the eastern side of the island, driving along the coast to get there, but then driving thru the interior on the way back.

And if you ever want to literally cry, see the published Presidents' Day sale for 2021 when O thought they'd restart in May. So many great cruises at fantastic prices! But then they cancel May, then June, then July, etc. So glad we thought that would happen which is why we went for the 12/21 cruise.

Never looked into a Christmas or New Years cruise due to the expense. And they don't seem to get the sale activity. BUT we try to cruise near them when you do get the sales (e.g., Riviera 12/13-23/21), and the decorations (Sirena, 11/18-28/22).

However, since this "sale" runs thru the END of February 2023, I don't think there will be a dedicated "Presidents' Day Sale" in 2023. Have to watch Memorial Day and Labor Day. And YES, always say, "Best Price Guarantee"! Still smile every time I think of the 2021 sale that February. A 10-night Concierge A4 on Riviera for just $2099. Never see that price again! The 2022 Memorial Day sale got us a B4 on Riviera (11/9-19/2023) for $2249. Current published cruise only list is $2999. Another sale in 2022 got me the larger C1 Deluxe Outside (7006, up high on deck 7) on Sirena for $2849. Current published rate is $3199.

Out with the old, in with the new. But having been on Riviera (12/2021) and Sirena (11/2022) and anticipating going back on Riviera 10-11/2023 for 20 nights B2B, can't say this makes any difference or serious impression on me. Just different. Neither better nor worse. And eventually this too shall be replaced.

Sadly, compared to the cabin upgrade sales in the recent past (e.g., Presidents' Day), this one is hardly a "sale" at all. Just glad we booked our two 2023 and one 2024 cruises in early 2022. Beat the price increases and then we were able to use sales to upgrade to better cabin for a lot less.

I'm pointing out HOW she actually used the PA system. I'm not sure what the actual complaint is here about Dottie and the PA system or "nickel and diming". I didn't hear it or have any issues with her PA announcements on Sirena 11/22. I'm filing those complaints under, "You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but...."

I prefer the larger O-class to the smaller R-class, but since we only had about 630 passengers on Sirena in November 2022, she never felt "crowded" in the lounges, bars, restaurants, pool area, library, spa, etc. If I did the "math" comparing the length and width of say just the outside pool deck area of the larger O-class, which can carry upwards of 1250 passenger, to the smaller R-class at HALF the capacity, I think all things are...relative and subjective in this area. Both were a joy to sail on. (Yes, Riviera was a joy 12/21 when we had just 719 passengers and about 780 crew.) Keeping in mind the huge passenger increase for the O-class, just for overall dimensions... Riviera: 785 feet long with a beam of 106 feet Sirena: 593 feet long with a beam of 83' 6"

This former USAF officer always had "Cluster-foxtrot" in his vocabulary. My current USN NCO son uses a different "f-word". My deceased USMC father said the first when around his grandson and the latter around his son.