question221

How do they compensate you if they do that? Airfare and other hotel expense would be out of pocket for example. Also, do they really discount future cruise? How do they make up for this.

we are looking at a cruise and want to book one of the available junior suites. It is a bit more expensive if we choose the room - and I am wondering if there are any of the junior suites that have obstructed views or are just that bad that we should pay the extra? The ship is the Voyager of the Seas. Seems like there are only a few suites left and they all seem about the same to me. Any help is appreciated.

A few of the people commented about overcrowding in the Terrace Cafe and that it was difficult to get a table at 7:30. And, another few people commented about "chair hogs". I had posted a question about the pool hours and depth. I have done river cruises on small ships. Very small indeed. But river cruises are a bit different. I have done ocean cruises that were bridge cruises - so our schedule and dining was pretty fixed. I have done one ocean cruise on a large mega ship in one of the grand suites - and it was wonderful. I would definitely do it again but it is hard to get the suites and the itinerary for this cruise sounds wonderful. I am an "excursion" person and would be expecting to do excursions every port day. Possibly save Santorini - which been there done that and not sure I would want to bother doing again. I certainly would not expect a lot of amenities compared to the large ships, but then I would not expect crowding as the number of clients is also smaller. So, I was in fact a bit shocked when people talked about the terrace closing at 8:30 and being too crowded to get a seat by 7:30. Could be that they just had a bad experience. Thanks for the input.

As long as people don't use words like childish or slob - I am not offended. I am not easily offended and travel to have a great time. We have been lucky enough to travel our entire lives - even when working. We are now retired. We can no longer do the really strenuous trips that we used to do (we used to take hiking trips and remote adventure trips) - and we have come to appreciate only unpacking once. So, we have one river cruise booked for summer, a relaxing cruse booked for early spring, and now we want to book 2 additional trips for late spring and early fall. Making a scene or arguing on board with anyone is NOT my idea of a good time.

Well - I had a genuine concern regarding dress code. Sorry if it offended you - but there does seem to be a genuine difference of opinion on nice jeans. I tried to ask without taking on a TONE. At this point, I am far more concerned with the hours of the pool and the hours at the casual dining. Also concerned that the pool area and the casual dining area sound overcrowded - with people worried about "chair hogs" and someone mentioned that there was no place to sit at the Terrace Cafe at 7:30 PM - the place closes at 8:30. Since a balcony on O is more than the grand suite on RC - I would simply expect more access. I have mild arthritis and would like to keep it mild. This requires exercise and the best time would be early evening. We all look for different things on vacation. I do my level best to not JUDGE other people. In spite of the great itinerary - this might not be a great fit. One of the things people have told me is that O has bridge on sea days - but since there are no sea days - that is not really an issue on this cruise. I will talk with the booking agent to get the actual rules and hours of the amenities.

wouldn't the same thing be true of "slacks"? Or pantsuit? Or sundress? Are all sundresses okay? All slacks? How about loud plaid slacks? How about purple or other bright colors? Polyester or silk? This can all be carried to extremes. Best to live and let live. As for the maitre de - don't they receive gratuities? Seems to me that they would love to keep everyone happy and not cause conflict. As for LCD - for me - LCD is more about behavior and being unpleasant or unfriendly. Best to relax and live and let live. It is a vacation after all. Not a work convention.

Thank you. I agree completely. Lots and lots of things have changed. Top resorts allow jeans everywhere I go. I do remember about 20 years ago staying at a resort the did not allow jeans - but upon returning about 10 years ago they had abandoned that rule. It was weird because it was near some of the best hiking trails in the country - and people typically don't dress up for hiking. The main thing is that people are polite, and interesting is always a big plus. I used to travel on land tours, and have been very lucky meeting some of the most interesting people on those tours. Some of them famous. Some of them very accomplished. And some of them just interesting without being either. The purpose is the experience. For the life of me, I could not tell you what any of them were wearing. One exception - on the cruise down the Nile, they had an Egyptian costume night - and I do remember what people wore for that. Great fun. We had a great group.

Thanks for sharing. . I am attracted to this itinerary on Vista and also have heard that Oceania is great for bridge games on board. This itinerary has no sea days, so bridge is less of an issue than it would be on a different voyage. I don't think nor have I ever been told that I look like a total slob because I am wearing jeans, a nice top, and a pleasant scarf to dinner. Once I am seated, you would have to look under the table to even know I am wearing jeans instead of a different fabric - and that is all it is about - fabric choice. I don't relish bumping into people while I am in the pool - and would be thrilled if no one else were using it at night when I would be using it. I would not appreciate anyone bumping into me while in the pool even if they are not splashing. Even if they are just walking. Or swimming. Or whatever. So, I do not anticipate a problem. That said, I am reading that the pool is open to 10, but dinner at the Terrace stops at 8:30. This is an issue if I want to use the pool before dinner but after an excursion.

Trying to get the hours of operation for the pool on board the Vista in particular - and the Oceania ships in general. Also, does anyone know the depth of the pool on board? I understand that the pool is relatively small. I was able to find out that the fitness center is open until 10PM - and trying to find out if the pool is also open until 10. Thanks

LOL. I guess everyone's idea of a good time is different. "Hair Helmet" probably a bit more formal and all hung up on everything looking perfect. Must be tiring. I can only hope she was either joking or caught on a very bad day. We certainly enjoy good food and meeting people - but I think the Terrace Cafe might be our best option. We can eat anywhere at home. The cruise we are looking at has no sea days - and our reason for looking at it is the itinerary really fits the bill. 2.5 days in Istanbul - one of my favorite cities in the world. Most cruises only spend 1 day. And no overnight. Would actually love to see whirling dervishes again. And of course, the Blue Mosque. This cruise spends 2 nights in port. The other possibility is to do a cruise that begins or ends in Istanbul. On our last cruise we were supposed to go to Israel, but then October 7 happened and we were diverted. I don't dare book a cruise heading to Israel at this point - but by next spring/fall this could change.

LOL - The real problem is I actually can see this happening. We live in Phoenix and we are fortunate enough to have our own pool. I would much prefer to be able to use the community pools - BUT. I have been told that the lap pools are to be used ONLY for lap swimming - even if empty - and that splashing is not permitted - even if empty. There are non-lap pools where people walk in the water for therapy - and again - splashing in those pools is not permitted. So, the ONLY time splashing is permitted is when there is a water aerobics class being conducted - and then you must be doing that class. SOOOOOO - we pay to heat and maintain our own pool because I totally enjoy - and frankly need for my joints - doing my own water aerobics routine - which I have on an waterproof mp3 player and use waterproof headphones. I think at the very least, there would be hours during the day when you can splash to your hearts content - and if someone is that worried about their hair - use a shower cap or walk on land. Had I been her - I would not have had the nerve - and I cannot believe the pool is so small that should could not walk along the other edge. It is just a control issue. But telling someone else they are not swimming properly - that is another level. I did a cruise a few months back on a large ship and the pools were so very crowded- so I did not do my water aerobics for the duration of the cruise. I am easily intimidated. I could truly feel a difference in my hips and back and even my knees - even though I was getting plenty of land based exercise - primary on some excursions that involved a LOT of walking and stairs and "uneven" paths. Let's just say I was thrilled to get back in my pool upon return. When someone stated that they never saw anyone use the pool at night - I was thinking "great". I don't want the big 5 course 3 hour dinner anyway - I can go to the pool and do my thing which is very relaxing for me as well - takes about a 1.5 hours - change into my most casual and hopefully non-offensive outfit - head to the terrace cafe, and probably join my hubby who will have been sitting there eating for the prior hour. He does not use the pool - but he might choose to walk instead. It is all about priorities and what you do to relax and enjoy your vacation. Did your husband try swimming at all in the evening? Is it true that it is empty at night? We are going to verify the hours it is actually open. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be having the pool to myself in the evening under the stars on a ship:)

I am very curious about this. We are taking a cruise in April that has the same stops but on another cruise line, and I have heard nothing about this. I just googled and it sounded like a malaria vaccine is not even available in the US. In the past - I have taken anti malaria meds. Did not personally like the side effects. I also took doxycyline when in South Africa and surrounding countries - and I would likely go that route again. Talk to your doctor about all of the options. The downside I know about for doxycyline is exposure to the sunburn. If anyone has info about the malaria vaccine being available in the US - please post.

The comments are largely encouraging. This particular cruise has no sea days so we would be on excursion every day. Casual dining would work for us if we don't meet the standards for MDR. I am talking about jeans that meet the "business casual" standard. We can bring other pants. I would probably try to use the pool before eating dinner - especially if it the pool is not crowded. So casual dining would probably be more flexible for schedule as well.

HI - LOL - I play loud hip hop at the pool. just kidding. Yes - I have headphones and no one can hear anything but me. I have a WONDERFUL water aerobics workout that I have used for years. I have waterproof headphones and a waterproof mp3 player with the audio. I am lucky enough to have a private pool at home and I use it daily. As a matter of fact, I have 2 mp3 players that I switch off so that they can be fully charged. The only difficulty I have at public pools is that it involves jumping around and splashing - so frankly - if the pool is empty in the evening - I would pay extra for that:) When the pool area is crowded - I tend to just skip the workout and frankly, it is so great for my joints to do it that my body truly misses it. If I don't feel like I can do it - I guess I can at least use the t-pool to help make up for the loss.

we also trying to decide between concierge and regular veranda rooms. All the penthouse suites are wait list only.

We are looking at the Vista ship and the cruise is from Athens to Trieste. On some other ships, I have worn nice white jeans with a very nice plain long sleeve t-shirt and a shawl to dinner. This is so easy for packing to just change t shirts and shawls - and have not had a problem. But technically they are jeans and technically this is a tshirt. Our last cruise we brought a pair of khakis for my husband to wear and he wore them the first night, and realized that about half the people were in "nice" jeans. I am also concerned about being able to use the pool at night for aerobics - after 6 PM - as that would require going through public areas. We are from Arizona and AZ is incredibly casual - you can go anywhere in jeans. So, this is a departure for us. This cruise would be 17 days - so that is a lot of packing if we have to worry about wearing the "right" thing.

Most of the posts on this subject seem older, and things have gotten more casual. OK I see the rules for dress code. We are trying to decide on a cruise and looking at Oceania Vista for a June 2024 cruise. Seems to say country club casual or resort casual - but also no jeans/shorts/tshirts. We are lazy packers and it is a 2 week cruise - also after a shore excursion that I would likely do wearing jeans I hate to have to rush to get changed before dinner if I don't have to. I read that jeans were not permitted "in public areas" after 6 PM and the same with shorts. What are the hours for the pool? Can I not wear a swimsuit and robe to/from the pool even after 6 PM? We are trying to decide if this cruise is for us. We love the itinerary. I like to use a pool to do water aerobics (I have a tape) so I do a lot of jumping around in the pool and want to make sure that facility is there - but I also want to take advantage of the shore excursions. Several years ago we did a land tour and we were told the dress code was resort casual. So, this was in Istanbul, we had done a long day of touring and we went back to the room before dinner and cleaned up and "dressed for dinner". When we went downstairs - we were the ONLY ones that had changed out of their touring clothes and that meant jeans and shorts and whatever. We are not trying to impress anyone, so would frankly prefer to just dress very casually sometimes involving jeans. Please let me know the ACTUAL restrictions. And please don't say eat in your room or in the coffee shop. We would want to enjoy the amenities of the ship. Thanks in advance.

as part of the Royal Up program, we are in a Sky Class suite. One of the perks is priority tendering. Today we are at a port with tendering, and we were signed up for an excursion. Our concierge told us that since we were with an excursion, there was no need for the concierge escort nor the ticket for the tender. Our question is for the return to the ship. There was quite a long line and the person at the dock told us to just get in line when we asked about priority tendering. Are you entitled to priority tendering for the return to the ship, or just for leaving the ship. Could make a big difference as the line was quite long. Thanks in advance. If we are entitled to priority tendering, how do we get that point across if the dock attendant says no.

We were able to land a grand 1 bedroom suite on our current cruise. We love the room and are very happy with the cruise so far. My question is - RC increased our prepaid gratuities when we did the Royal Up. The concierge has been helpful as we are not very experienced cruisers - so we are expecting we should tip him at the end of the cruise over and above the prepaid gratuity. That said, he has answered questions but we have only asked him to do one or two things - so not sure how much we should tip. Also, our room steward has been great, but we are relatively need people and have not asked him to do anything extra. We would love some guidance as to how much we should tip the room steward and the concierge. The concierge has agreed to help us off the ship as we have arranged for private transport from the ship and also have luggage that we would like to have assistance with. Any guidance would be great. It is a 13 night cruise.

The reason we called was to confirm about internet access being complimentary. When we go into the items available for purchase, the voom surf and stream was one of the items offered. Since we thought it was included, this seemed strange and we wanted to verify. Thanks for the information. I am relieved to hear that we get all the benefits except the loyalty points. Our primary concern was internet, priority tendering since there is tendering at a few of the ports, and actually the complimentary room service is also of interest. We are especially excited about having the room that comes with the deal - primarily the bathroom. thanks again.

Has anyone done the RU to a grand suite before? We did and our bid got accepted. We "assumed" that all of the suite benefits - minus the double points - would be included. My husband just spoke with a customer representative that said we get the room but that is it. We assumed that we would get complimentary zoom, priority tendering, coastal kitchen, etc. I know we were told before that we would get everything except the points. This will be most upsetting if this representative is correct. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for that info. Did I see that there is some special seating in the theater if you have a suite? Would that make it more likely we could get in when we wanted to see the show?

We did the Royal Up and got upgraded to a Grand Suite - 1 bedroom. Very excited. So, now we are wondering how to sign up for entertainment. We are not sure what shows will be onboard and we are novice cruisers. We will have concierge service and somewhere I saw that the concierge contacts us before the cruise to get things set up. Is that correct? Any help on procedures would be great. Also, how do I find out what shows will be playing on board. Thx

Our cruise if for 2 weeks so there is time to catch it, diagnose it, and treat it while on the ship. We will be taking precautions of course. Getting sick is no fun regardless of the cause - but my husband has lung issues and we would like to be prepared. Sounds like we should try to get a prescription before going and literally bring it with us - we will be in Europe and cannot just run to the local pharmacy. We will definitely bring covid tests with us, just in case we start showing symptoms, but we are hopeful that we will not get sick. I got sick with covid about a year ago and took Paxlovid as soon as I tested positive. No side effects except the bad taste and I had no rebound. My husband got sick about 3 months earlier than I did, and he started to run a high fever but we were lucky enough to get Paxlovid and it resolved quickly. However, there was a rebound per the test, but no symptoms after the initial treatment of Paxlovid. I am not sure if his Physician will prescribe as a travel medicine. Mine might as she has a different philosophy. But, I don't want to be barred from taking the booster when it becomes available. We are hoping that it is available before our cruise - but it might not be as we leave September 27. They are saying mid to late September. Fingers crossed. As for long term side effects - well we are both in our 70s so I worry more about short term effects these days.

Hi - we are heading out for a cruise in late September for 14 days. We have had the latest booster shot last September, and we are hoping that we can get a new booster before leaving for the cruise. It is uncertain if it will be available before we go. My husband is considered more high risk that I am, but we are both seniors and have some concern about the availability of treatments on board if we do get sick. I know that Paxlovid was unavailable in 2022 on board, but not the drug is more readily available in the US and I wonder if it will be available on board should we test positive during our cruise. I know that you need to have "recent" blood work with you to get a paxlovid prescription and we both plan to bring blood test results with us just in case. Also, my husband takes a medication that needs to be adjusted to take paxlovid and he plans on taking something in writing that explains the protocol for this purpose. We are hoping that we do not need any of this. Question - this is in Europe so just getting off the ship to head to the CVS is not an option. Also, we will have the RC trip insurance and also a supplemental policy so hoping this covers the cost of the drug. Also, we are both on Medicare and that should cover the cost as well I think. So - does anyone know if the antivirals are on board in case needed during a cruise with RC? And has anyone gotten a travel prescription to take with in case you test positive while on the ship or while traveling in Europe? Both of us have had covid in the past but it has been at least a year for both of us. We each took Paxlovid and had no problems, but of course we do not know if the outcome would have been different had we not had the antiviral. Any and all help is appreciated. I searched, but could not find any information specific to RC or information that is very recent.