grmmybtty

We are booked on an Oceania cruise to Cuba in Nov 2018 and choose the O Life fare because we wanted to use it for our Shore excursions.HOWEVER when Iwent to Shore excursions I found that the OS (Oceania Select excursions are not included in the perk package.

 

 

 

 

 

Since we don’t need air fare and don’t drink a lot I am thinking we would revert back to regular fare. Any advice?

 

 

 

 

 

I think it’s important to know that the OLife fare does not include many of the Shore excursions.

If you are not interested in the lunch/dinner drink option, you can also choose the OBC option and buy the OS tour you want. That is what we are doing for our future Cuba cruise.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Duplicate post. Question answered already

Sent from my iPad using Forums

When we were on the Marina 2 years ago, I could not find any excursions out of the port of Verdun. Private tours were expensive and far between, so we chose to take the ship’s excursion into Bordeaux with stops in the Medoc region. The Marina did not continue up the river to Bordeaux. There was talk of work to widen and depend the river to allow larger cruise ships up the river so that in the future, the Marina would be able to sail into Bordeaux, but I don’t know if that has been done yet.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We could only find business on the 12th too. Didn’t have to think twice about it. That red-eye is a killer. Hopefully in the lie flat seats, we can get a few hours of sleep. Then taking the rest of the flight home in coach will be easier. Oceania will most probably use United, American or Delta for their flights from So. America. Same coach seats as in domestic.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Oceania air would be for economy seats. I do not believe that any of the airlines that fly the South America to US route offer premium economy. The US airlines that fly out of GIG all leave at night and arrive in the early am at either MIA, JFK, ATL or IAH, then you would have to take another plane home. If you pay the extra $2999 to upgrade to business class, it would only be the GIG to possibly MIA, then economy for the rest of the way. Most of the airlines are charging around $4800 for one way business class from GIG to LAX. Only Avianca had a lower price, somewhere around $1299. Their flights leave in the morning and arrive in the US in the evening. We chose to use miles for business class tickets from GIG to ATL, then are flying economy to LAX.

Hi Denise,

We are on the same cruise and our booklet with the luggage tags arrived over 2 weeks ago. If you haven’t done it yet, contact your TA. The TA should be able to get Oceania to Fedex your documents to you. A few cruises ago, our documents got lost in the mail and this is how we finally received the.

You can shower in the spa area. Towels, shampoo, conditioner and robes are provided.

Your room steward will give you new shampoo and conditioner when it runs low, if not just ask.

You should plan to bring your own sea sick meds. The ship may have them but not for your whole cruise, and I know that the gift shop has them.

I don’t think you can order off the specialty or even MDR menus for room service in the lower than penthouse categories. I believe that there is a special room service menu, but the room is so small, why bother.

Have fun, don’t worry about RTW vs. newbies.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We may be on the same cruise. Nautica 7/30-9/2? I believe that you will get a new card on the last day of the first segment. You will be able to walk off the ship as soon as it is cleared. There are not any tour providers at the port, so as another poster stated, you should make prior arrangements for whatever tour you may want to take. The ship usually provides a special lunch for continuing cruisers, but we will probably not take advantage of that. We have not made any plans for our day in Southampton yet. If it is a nice day, we may take the train to Stonehenge.

When we docked at Porto on the Marina, we were able to walk off the ship within minutes of docking. Since it is not a tender port, there is no preference for ship’s tours. In fact, those on tours are usually waiting in the lounge for their tour tickets when those of us on our own walked off the ship. If the ship docks on time and you take a taxi, you would easily make the 10am tour meeting time.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I was very surprised when I received a FaceTime call from our grand daughter when we were on the Riviera on a Med cruise. Didn’t realize that it would work, but I was logged into the ship WiFi then.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Take a Lyft or Uber. Taxis in LA are double the cost. We’ve used both to get to and from the Port of LA from our house. Very easy. Get the app and create an account before you leave home.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you Cynthia. I agree with you about the happy hour.

We also have talked with our TA and given her our preferences for booking. I didn't see the sense of doubling back to San Francisco, California coast and Mexico from Miami, so we will be starting in San Francisco for 162 days. So exciting!

Hi Cynthia,

I enjoyed following your blog on the 2016 RTW and wanted to re-read it again since we are also thinking of signing up for the SF-SF segment. I cannot find the link to it, would you mind posting it again. Thank you.

We were on the Singapore to Rome segment of the RTW last year and will be on the Beijing to Sydney segment this year. The RTW cruisers had special events and were invited more often to dine with senior staff, but it did not affect our enjoyment of the cruise. We also had opportunities to dine with staff and have good interactions with the worldies. They were a tighter knit group, but many were very friendly and welcoming. If we had felt discriminated against, we would not have booked our upcoming cruise.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We booked an oceanview (had a stateroom number) on the Marina a while back and were given a free upgrade to B3 veranda with an extended balcony towards the front of the ship. We were quite happy with the upgrade, but would have been just as happy in the original room. We always book a room category which in we would like to stay but are also happy for an occasional upgrade or upsell at what we would consider a good price.

If you intend to get off the ship and tour on your own, you will need to get a tourist visa. If you sign up with many of the well known your providers (Alla, TJ Tours, SPB),they will take care of all the visa details. You do not need to sign up for the ship’s tours.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

You place yourself on the Miami waitlist, put in the deposit, and you should be able to move ahead on the list ahead those who have not placed any deposit. Still keep yourself on the waitlist for the New York departure and even if you get on the cruise, wait for the Miami departure, then cancel the New York one. You can then move the deposit (if you paid one) on to the Miami cruise.

If you have a credit card that reward you with airline points or cash back, without an international transaction charge, by all means use it. We are using TJ Travels for our 3 days in St. Petersburg and by using our Chase Sapphire Reserve will earn at least 700 points we would have lost by paying cash.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

They’re not on CC or the roll call. They are George and Shirley from Thousand Oaks, CA. Nice couple. Hope you meet them onboard. Hope to meet you someday. Good luck with the train to Kyoto. I’m sure it will work out.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We were on the Singapore to Rome on the ATW last year, so we got on as you got off. Guess we remember each other from the CC roll call. We have friends on your cruise. I think you will be in Kobe before us. We have a food tour scheduled at 10am in Kyoto and have to rush off the ship to make it into Kyoto in time. I’m hoping that we will be docking at Naka since getting to the train station will be less complicated and more predictable if we can just walk to the station. We’re planning on taking a different train than you since we need to go to Nishiki Market fo the tour.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Like debshomespun, we have cruised multiple times and usually take private tours or DIY and have never been late back to the ship. We always plan to return at least an hour before the all aboard time. We usually can see much more for a lot less money and fewer people in the group with private tours. I usually google the ports where we will be visiting to find out things of interest to see or do, then go to tripadvisor for tour operators. This gives me an opportunity to read reviews of their service and reliability. Unlike many of the European ports, some of the cities associated with the ports are not close to the cruise terminal. If you are overnighting in port, it makes sense just to make that long drive once and stay in a hotel in the city. Public transportation is not an option for the ports you will be visiting, so you will need the services of a guide or a taxi. Most the the taxi drivers will not speak English. Most, if not all, will want payment in local money since they may not know how to convert USD into local currency or if in USD, then the rate is high. For that reason, I always contact and make arrangements to form a tour group months before the cruise. It has never been difficult to fill the group with fellow cruisers if you are active on the roll call.

Has anyone ridden the free shuttle from the Naka Pier Cruise Terminal to JR Motomachi Train Station in Kobe? How long is the wait to catch the shuttle, and how long does it take to get to the station?

Thank you.

 

Tea Snob:hot-beverage::hot-beverage::hot-beverage:

Hi Tea Snob,

We may be on the same cruise, Beijing to Sydney on Oceania Insignia? Anyway I don't think that the shuttle drops us off at the JR Motomachi Train Station. We were on the Celebrity Milennium a couple of years ago and the shuttle droped passengers off in Motomachi, directly across the street from the big shopping center. It is about a 5 minute walk to Motomachi Station and a 10 minute walk to Kobe Sannomiya Station. As Bruce stated, the shuttle leaves when it is full and it takes about 15 minutes to get to the shuttle stop. It was also quite busy at the beginning and many people had to wait for another shuttle. We were fortunate to be the last ones allowed on the first one out. I am hoping that we are docked at Naka Pier, since it is about a 15 minute walk to Hanakuma Station where we can take the train to Kyoto. This way we can exit the ship as soon as it docks and just walk to the station since we are on a tight schedule. Ship to Portliner to Kobe Station is a much longer trek.

We had the same restrictions for over a week after boarding the Marina in Callao a couple of years ago and then again on the Insignia last year after a few passengers became ill after the overland trip to the Taj. Oceania takes GI symptoms seriously and does not want to spoil their passengers cruises with rampant spread of GI disorders. It is an inconvenience, but it is for our safety. We have seen many people leave the restrooms without washing their hands and going directly to the dining rooms. We have also seen impatient cruisers reaching under the glass to get the tongs to serve themselves in the Terrace or even grab thing with their bare hands. I wash my hands religiously and am mindful of disease spreading mediums such as stair rails, elevator buttons, etc. We have never (Knock on wood) gotten sick aboard our many cruises. Oceania precautions serve to remind us how easily one can get sick on the cruise and the various means of spreading viruses and bacteria.

This is something best handled by your travel agent. Surely if you are approaching 20 you use one.

I thoroughly agree. Your TA is the most important person in this process. Our TA booked our 20th cruise the day it opened for booking. She was able to get the category we wanted (since we have been in many different categories with Oceania). This was in spite of the fact that we will not reach our 20th until our next cruise in April 2018. Of course it was with the stipulation that we take our planned cruise. Otherwise we would have to pay full price on it.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I agree with Keith. Unlike the Caribbean or Mexico, there usually are not people selling tours at the ports in Asia.

Were booked on a ‘Grand Voyage’ in Oct/Nov, from Venice to Rome/Rome to Monte Carlo — it is also being sold as two separate cruises. My question is this: on the second leg (Rome to Monte Carlo) we will become Silver Level Club Members, which will generate more OBC as well as including gratuities. But, since these two legs are also a Grand Voyage, will we receive the Silver Level benefits? If Oceania treats this as one Grand Voyage Cruise, it would technically be #9 9 for us. But if they look at it as two legs, we hit #10 on the second. Anyone have experience with this?

I believe that the number of credits you will receive is dependent on the number of days of your grand voyage. We sailed on a grand voyage from Barcelona to Venice, which was also offered as 2 separate cruises: Barcelona to Rome and Rome to Venice. We were unable to book it as a B2B, so instead of 2 credits, we received only one since the total cruise was only 15 days. Neverthless, we reached the silver level with that cruise and received all the extra amenities at the start of the cruise.