vlthom

Personally, I would not have my TA make reservations in the Specialty Restaurants on my behalf.  This is not because he's incompetent but because there are many variations and I typically have to make decisions on the fly when I'm making the reservations.  Sometimes the night/time that I want for a particular restaurant is not available but the day/time is available for a different specialty.  Or maybe the date/time is available but only if we're willing to share.  To me, it seems more cumbersome to have to spell it all out for my TA to understand than it is to just do it myself.  Of course, you may be someone who is relaxed about such things and not particular with how things wind up.  Depending upon the length of your cruise, you may find that options fill up fast.   If your cruise is short, for instance,  everyone must fit their allotment into fewer days.  It's less of an issue on longer cruises.  I see that you are in Florida, so as others have said, reservations open up at midnight on the designated date, so, to DIY, you have to stay up until midnight to get first dibs.  That would be true for the TA making your reservations as well.  Will your TA stay up that late to do this for you, or take what they can get during regular business hours?

18 hours ago, asnaleah said:

I didn’t think you could use air tags with Luggage Forward. We are using them for our return flight from Reykjavik, but checking a bag going there.

We did -- and had no problem doing so.  I do not recall seeing anything in the information that they provided us ahead of time that we could not use them.  

We had luggage shipping included in our fare for an O cruise last Fall.  The downside was that the outgoing bags had to leave about 10 days ahead of us and they were only being shipped from Northern CA to Southern CA.  There are restrictions on what you can put inside the bags -- basically no toiletries or anything with batteries.  But if only clothing and shoes are what you want to ship, you're good to go.  Our bags were also shipped for our return home from Sydney.  They arrived at home more quickly than the outgoing bags that traveled just a short distance.  Luggage Forward was great at providing tracking info so we were able to keep an eye on our bags' progress.  Additionally, we had air tags inside the bags to also track them that way.  It was great not having to lug so much around when traveling to/from home and because our trip was lengthy, we had more luggage than usual.  So, the service was quite helpful in our situation.  If it were not included in our cruise fare, I might have thought twice about using it as it is quite expensive, though.  

We have been on some O excursions where listening devices were issued.  They were issued by the tour company -- not O.  I find these devices to be helpful, when they work properly.  It does allow one to hear the guide from a distance where one might not otherwise be able to hear.  And they are especially helpful at crowded sites.  Not everyone uses or likes them, though.  My husband absolutely refuses to use them.  We did have some guides who did not speak into their microphones, though, too.  That was actually worse than not having the headphones at all because the guide always assumed that we could hear everything being said.

On 5/14/2024 at 1:27 PM, lschachn said:

Would greatly appreciate any opinions of noise level for suite 11034 on thre Marina.

Avoid 7114 on the Vista

Larry in Miami

What was wrong with 7114 on Vista?  I see nothing on the deck plans above it other than other cabins, nor is it particularly close to the elevators or stairs.

As I stated previously, we've only had one experience aboard Regent compared with many on Oceania but I was impressed with Compass Rose in comparison to Oceania's Grand Dining Room.  I felt that I could customize my meal much more readily.  There were set dishes for each course, if one preferred to order in that way, or you could customize your meal, choosing a protein with or without a sauce, along with preparation, and individual sides.  It felt like there were more options particularly compared with the GDR's rotating menu that repeats frequently.  

8 minutes ago, Hanoj said:

Are the cookies better on one line? Price be damned (thanks Admiral Farragut), cookies quality is my new litmus for cruise selection 🙃.

We have sailed quite a number of times on Oceania compared with just one time on Regent.  We've had excellent experiences on both lines.  I will say though, that I find the cookies inedible on Oceania but they were good on Regent.  So, if that's your litmus test, then Regent is the hands down winner!

As with the tote bags and hats, we do not take ours home since we know that they will never be worn.  We leave them behind so that they can be given to someone else who may want them.  Personally, I feel that O could cut back on this type of swag since I don't think that many truly want this stuff.  The more important part of earning milestones are the perks associated with those milestones.  That's really all that I care about.

6 minutes ago, rbtan said:

Then make the request. Are you in a site? If not they may or may not provide them. As you said they are available in the spa area.We've been happy except I don't care for the shampoo. My spouse is fine with all of it. He especially likes the soap that is provided for the sink area. We both hate bath gels.

My answer to the situation is to bring my own.  I never reply upon the toiletries provided by the ship.  I like what I use at home so I bring it with me.  Simple.  So, I've had no real need to make a special request. I was merely responding to the poster who asked if l'Occitane products were available.  They are definitely on the ship and during our 22 O cruises, they have been found regularly in the spa.  This leads me to believe that one may be able to request them for one's cabin.

3 hours ago, CO 2000 said:

Does anyone know if there an alternative on Oceania to "Bulgari" amenities (for PH guests) such as "L'Occitane" (like on RSSC)? The scent on most of their products is rather strong😷 - or at least it is with the Emirates onboard amenity packs for both BC and FC passengers

I'm not a fan of the Bulgari products due to their strong scents.  My husband enjoys showering in the spa and loves that they have L'Occitane products there.  He usually brings some back to our cabin.  I suspect that if we requested them from our cabin attendant, they'd be provided.  But if not, they are available in the spa area.

We recognized straightaway that the bags were not something that we'd ever use.  So, we left them in their cellophane and returned them to the Club Ambassador (or whatever she's called these days).  Since they seem to be in short supply, our hope was that someone else would get ours and be pleased to have it.  We felt that it was silly to bring them home and later dispose of them.  If these were better quality, we might have hung onto them.

17 hours ago, Cliff-FLL said:

While I appreciate the convenience of the free bags of laundry - and have used it on a few occasions - it always seems to come back less-than-April-fresh.  I understand that they probably do this because of people's allergies and personal "scent" preferences, but it never smells like what I consider clean.  On the other hand, in an emergency (e.g., I'm feeling lazy), I've sent things out and haven't hesitated to wear them.  Nevertheless, from my perspective, they just don't feel clean.

I completely agree with you on this.  The clothes are clean but they do not seem fresh.  They have what I'd described as a metallic odor which I find off-putting.  And so, we seldom use the free laundry service.  When we use the self-serve laundry, we never have this issue.  I've made comments about the laundry's odor in the mid-cruise comments but nothing has happened so we will continue with the self-service.  It's quick and not that much trouble.

27 minutes ago, Cruisedreamer1 said:

Are you referring to the Promenade Deck?  Or the pool area?  O has some blankets available -- but are not always consistent with their availability.  Cooler weather usually brings them out, though.

4 hours ago, FeliciaLee said:

Our next cruise is also on Vista, but maybe we'll be able to sneak in a small ship cruise here and there in the future. No matter which ship we sail, it seems like we are always pleased with Oceania and haven't had that feeling since we were on Crystal back in 2019.

Thanks for sharing your perspective.  It does indeed sound like you've found a great fit for you in sailing on O.  I hope to run into you some time on a future cruise.  Next up for us is a June/July sailing on Vista.  That will be our 23rd O sailing and our first aboard Vista.  

I've used Blacklane and have always been pleased with their service.

14 hours ago, riversights said:

These replies are very helpful.  You are dealing with greenhorns.  There is a dialectical element operating that multiplies the effect of your comments.  That's an oblique way of saying, "We read between the lines."  You are the experienced voyagers; we are your ignorant mates.  I would prefer to travel light, check the cargo, and join up at Stockholm at our stateroom.  Are we crazy?  

Generally speaking, if you can travel with less, you will find it much easier to deal with.  That said, I typically pack a 26" rolling duffle and it's filled to the max.  We do laundry as well.  I usually feel that this bag, along with a small carry-on, are about as much as I can comfortably wrangle around myself.  

Years back, O did some currency exchange, even buying back local currency (bills only) if one wound up with more than needed.  But that seems to be one of those services that's gone away.  I can't blame them; however, it was really nice that they did that.  On our most recent cruise, they would not handle any currency other than U.S.

19 hours ago, edgee said:

Anyone had experience with taking your own hair dryer on board. Qs and As do not sound like they are specifically prohibited.

I ALWAYS bring and use my own hairdryer and never had any issue.  I'm very particular about my hairdryer and feel that the provided ones are inadequate.  From what I've read on these boards though, most feel that the provided ones are fine.  You cannot use the outlet in the bathroom for hairdryers, whether it's the one provided or one that you bring onboard.  I've never had any issue with using my own dryer with the outlets in the main part of the cabin (close to the mirror, of course).  

1 hour ago, rcinteriors said:

Is it possible to pay for a quicker return of laundry? 

Yes, you can always use the regular laundry service for which there is a per item fee.  The fee amount is dependent upon the type of item. Turnaround it much faster than the 3-day complimentary service.

15 hours ago, mamaclark said:

it took us 5 days to get ours back on a 12 day cruise. Be sure you have enough time.

 

If it's not returned within 3 days, generally, it's because the cabin attendant has forgotten it.  If you don't receive it within 3 days, ask the attendant (politely) and it's usually found and brought to the cabin.

We hang things to dry utilizing the clothes line in the shower.  Generally, things will dry very quickly due to the ventilation in the bathroom.  For us, it has worked very well.

You could wear your formal wear to any of the dining venues; however, you should be aware that Oceania is "country club casual" and you will rarely see other passengers dressed in formal wear.  But if you enjoy doing so, by all means get dressed up.  Others will appreciate it, I'm sure.  I'd much rather see other passengers dressed up beyond the requirements of the dress code than those that push the limits in the other direction!

Enjoy your cruise

2 minutes ago, kstrittm said:

Thanks - very helpful.  I may just use the machines because I’m one of those crazy old ladies who can’t sleep and I’m up by 4:30 or 5 every day.  I suspect the machines will be empty then!  LOL…

There are hours when the self-serve laundry facilities are open for use.  I don't recall what time they open in the morning, but they close at 10pm.  And at least on our most recent cruise, the facility was locked up for the off-hours.

3 hours ago, roberts2005 said:

Do they have the sugar substitute Truvia (stevia leaf) aboard?

 

thanks

Yes

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Thanks everyone. One of my travel companions was told they could do it today for a 5% charge or tomorrow for no charge. I can wait until tomorrow. It a pretty big amount.

 

it would be nice if there was some consistency but I’ll deal with it.

Don't wait until the very end.  I did this on a recent cruise and had a sizeable refund coming to me.  When I went to reception to get my cash, they only had small bills left and unless I wanted to haul a bag of money with me, it was unreasonable to cash out.  They said that a credit would appear on my credit card; however, I've never had them actually provide a refund to my credit credit card.  It has typically arrived via check a couple weeks later.  On this most recent occasion, it was over 3 weeks before I received the check.  But it did arrive without prompting.