smartdoc

HI,

Can anyone tell me approximately what time Oasis starts to let passengers on? What is the best time to arrive at the port in order to be ready to go once they open up boarding to Diamond members?

just realized I was posting from home on our computer under my wife login. oops. Smart doc posts above are from wallydoc

Other foot notes. the seas were a bit choppy the last two days. Some people complained of stomach upset. Some people complained of food poisoning as well these last two days. Nope---doubtful. As a physician, these people were either effected form the motion or had a case or norovirus. Without going into their symptoms---if you are better in 12 hrs it isn't food poisoning. Thankfully non one in our group was effected by the motion. and no norovirus. thats all for tonight. More thoughts on post cruise experience soon.....

Without going into much detail I want to hit on a few highlights. The snorkeling from Rabida was incredible! North Seymour Island is amazing for the blue footed boobies, Frigates, iguanas, sealions. This is where the birds nest. It did baffle me as people at times were very ignorant. The naturalists that accompany you everywhere would always point out before you got where you were going to stay on the marked trails. Yes they are clearly marked. Never failed. a few people didn't think this applied to them. One naturalist finally had enough after being polite to the same person and reminded him that if people go off the trail constantly the natural habitat will be damaged and we eventually won't be allowed back. This guys problem was he was trying to take photos with his iphone and never had a camera! a trip of a lifetime and no camera! I guess he thought the rules didn't apply for that reason. The Darwin Center was a bit of a letdown. Some interesting historical info but not much to look at. The last island where we saw the Giant Tortoise and had the option to plant trees was very nice. This was really the one island you could shop for jewelry. A small group of 13 opted for not planting trees and had a great time. Our guide Marvi took us on shore and took us to the turtle breeding center. Very interesting brief excursion. We then had some down time before heading to the Highlands to see the Giant Tortoise in the wild. So just the four of our group were having a friendly discussion with Marvi about street food (we travel to Mexico a lot) and the next thing you know he is taking the 4 of us to a outdoor market the locals have on Saturdays. Excellent empanadas. all kinds of wonderful fruits and potatoes. Not something the Celebrity people usually want but he definitely went about and beyond due to our interest. We did tip him a bit extra at the end as this was down time he could have had as well. This island is his home island and we even got to meet his grandmother!

If the ship was moving it could be breezy and chilly out back but being from PA this was a welcome relief. Breakfast each day was a buffett. Usually omelettes or waffle station. Some pastries/croissants on deck 4 outside with coffee for early risers. they also had room service but we never tried.

On to the excursions

This is definitely an active vacation. Our group did every snorkle--some from the beach and some open water. This was amazing. The water temp was 76 while we were there. We did make use of their wetsuits and Im glad we did. there is a lot of wildlife!! schools of fish everywhere. Sea lions that would dart right at you, engross that were so fast you could barely sea. With all the wildlife your swimsuits did smell a bit funky once they dried! I will share the details of all the islands but will hit a few things. The cruise director is very emphatic in warning people about the open water snorkles. yes, they could be rough and choppy but they do provide flotation vests. The hardest part for some people may be getting back into the zodiac at the end. You have to be able to take your flippers off in the water and then be able to step up onto a small ladder attached to the side of the zodiak to get back in. Some currents are strong and they do keep you close to rocks (the fish are best there) so keep that in mind if you debate doing the open water snorkel. Also, they have a fitness or more active type walk at different islands. The walk up to Darwin Lake is hard just for the steps. The lava walk is just awkward in areas because you are walking on lava!

Evening meals occur on Deck 3. People have complained about the food--especially the beef and I found this to be incorrect. I had beef a few times and it was excellent. they also had a daily carving station at lunch. The Red Snapper on day one was one of the biggest and most tasty dishes of the week. They had suckling pig another day. they also were open for lunch on deck 4 aft outside everyday for hamburger, hotdogs, panninis, pizza. etc. Lunch inside usually had a theme--Ecuadoran food one day, Italian food one day, Mexican/Spanish, Asian. Evening meals were very good. Only wine available was from Ecuador, Chile, Argentina. I usually enjoy California blends and hearty Cabs or Zinfandels and these were ok. Not bad, but not great. They also served Sparkling wine that was pretty good too. A new feature they promoted was eating dinner outside. This had a special menu and had to be signed up for in advance. Not lot of people took advantage but our group did twice and it was delicious. There were appetizers, soups, and salads and desserts to choose from and they served fish, chicken, beef, sausage (chorizo and Italian), large head on shrimps--family style--as much or as little as you wanted

after champagne and checking out our room we took a brief tour of the ship. All the action occurs on deck 4---nightly meetings/briefings for the next day. This is also where you find the bar. Again, excellent service. Within minutes of sitting down there was always someone approaching you to ask if you wanted a drink. The nice thing was given that everything is included you didn't have to pay extra. By the second day the bartenders were making milk shakes for the kids as well as adult versions of the same. I digress....

Bags were in our rooms in no time. We then had a brief cruise around Daphne minor and major and got to enjoy some of the wild life--frigates! The night we were at anchor and got to enjoy watching the sea lions chasing fish. Whenever anchored at night I highly recommend going on deck 5 or 6 to watch over the side. A bright flashlight helps at times as well. Although at times the moving fish created a bioluminescence effect.