alcpa1

If all else fails you can easily find guides via the Ports of Call board here on CC. Trip Advisor, Tours by Locals, Viator and many more have options in each port. The local small company or independent guides really need the bookings.

An aft is the absolute best location for Alaska and we're doing it again. We selected our Alaska cruises by aft cabin location along with date. We wouldn't do it any other way. We have also been there in September and were prepared for any type of weather with waterproof shoes and clothing. We didn't let an occasional shower stop us. Have a great cruise.

Access to Persian Gardens applies to all Aqua class cabins. The Prime cabins are in a "prime" location. There is no difference in cabin size although if you study the deck plan there may be Aqua cabins with different sized balconies. We have been on the Solstice but it was before those A - 1 cabins were converted to "Prime." I don't know how they reassigned the cabins.

Don't recall if anyone has mentioned the insurance forum here on Cruise Critic. Check it out.

If your suitcases don't fit under the bed just have your cabin steward store them for you. They do it every cruise. ENJOY!!!

Jelayne, My sister is on her way back from her European jaunt and had a great tour with them about ten days ago. As soon as she gets back her US feet on the ground I will ask her specifics particularly since we are looking at them for next March. BTW, I have enjoyed reading your posts on CC.

We haven't bought insurance from a TA in at least 30 years. But our travel policies have always been flexible enough to add (or subtract) days or increase coverage. You should get back to your TA and ask for a modification.

You can easily transfer your bookings to a TA. It must be done within 30 days of the initial booking. For your ease I would also recommend you and your friends use the same agent so that bookings can easily be linked for something as simple as dinner reservations. There has been much discussion about using O air especially for business class travel. A TA can help you wade through that morass too. There are basically two types of knowledgeable travel agents that work best with Oceania. The Connoisseur agents and the Preferred agents. According to Cruise Critic rules we cannot recommend specific agencies. These would also be the agencies most likely to book premium and higher end cruise lines. We've all got our favorites and wish we could make recs but alas............. The cruise sounds wonderful and you seem to be someone we'd all like to travel with. Good luck

Don't forget, if you prefer liquor as well as wine or beer you can bring a onboard O ships for in cabin consumption only.

Can't remember when it started but for our Feb. 1, 2022 sailing every cabin was receiving the full breakfast room service, not just the A's and suites. I agree the benefits are better for the two larger ships and certainly for the Vista starting next year.

You would definitely benefit from using a travel agent familiar with Oceania. For the first timer it's daunting but so worthwhile. As with any cruise line excursions some are generic and some are wonderful. Because O ships are smaller than the mass market fleets you will not often be subjected to jam packed busses either. Tell us where you are going and I'd bet we'd have recommendations of the best "free" excursions too.

We no longer go in the day before. We aim for three or four days now for so many reasons. In February we overnighted in Atlanta because of an early flight to Panama City for a Sirena/Marina sailing. We've only got a few more cruises booked right now but we are padding our travel particularly for embarkation. There are luggage trackers for your luggage. We cross pack. Each suitcase contains both my DH's duds and mine. Learned that lesson after my suitcase was "selected" by thieves at the Ft. Lauderdale airport. That cache made headlines across the country over 24 years ago. The cruise lines generally will not hold a ship's departure. Maritime issues like port traffic, tides and weather dictate departures. There are always stories about delayed departures when air/sea booked passengers are involved but no ship is going to delay endlessly. Independent travelers have no bearing on embarkation. Monitor your flight reservations. Be proactive if you need to adjust your flight schedule. When you call (always best) have options ready to discuss with your agent. Have patience. Call wait times for the majors are loooong now. Pad connection times particularly for unfamiliar airports. The best approach is being responsible for your travel. Find options, use patience and smile. It helps. Have a great cruise!

Been a Blu fan since its beginning. We have found that the only times we have been given a beeper is around 7. We don't mind waiting!!!

If your other cruise line is Royal Caribbean and you have loyalty points you could be entitled to gratis or reduced price send out laundry. Some suite classes do get free laundry. The overall Celebrity experience is worth investigating further.

The advice to head to the MDR once onboard is the correct way to handle your change request. There are times when your request cannot be honored the first evening. In that case I suggest you go to the buffet for one evening. It might help if you take your child with you to request the change. The staff can definitely see you would all appreciate Select dining. You will all be weary that first night and an earlier dinner may just be what you need. Alaska is awesome and I hope your son loves it too. Enjoy

Which card/s? I have several.

We were on the Marina Feb 1st. This was another Sirena swap and couldn't have been better. The only thing I noticed was the lack of officers showing their faces. This was due to Covid of course. And I know Oceania officers aren't as warm and fuzzy as the staff on other lines.

azalice, Rebooking with perks may not be applicable. I'm sure you will watch the never ending offers but if you are comfortable with the price you may not find your rate even with an offer in the future either. O cruises tend to sell out early. According to so many O fans on the board you may not be using the most O friendly agent. Many of us get "nice" perks from our agents. Some of us even get cash back or a combination of perks and cash back. Hopefully you will enjoy your cruise and wish to book another. Booking onboard will also provide an OBC.

The picture of the tango interlude at the winery brought back wonderful memories! There are many sites you can use to arrange tours. Try the Ports of Call Boards here on Cruise Critic and Tours By Locals, Viator, and Trip Advisor. A simple google search of cruise port excursions will provide additional leads. Oceania Roll Calls are not heavily visited but are a definite go to for information and you can search for a Roll Call even before you book a cruise. If you find self booked excursions you can always open seats for others too. It works both ways very well. As you make plans try to extend your stay in Buenos Aires for a few days. It is a big city but it's a wonderful place to visit. The inner city has wide smooth sidewalks which would make it easy for you and your throne. Please enjoy planning your cruise and come back with any questions you have.

All of the ports have at least kiosk shopping. Be aware however few shops on any of the islands are open on Sundays and holidays. In the Caribbean Christmas is celebrated for three days with limited shopping in many of the ports. Most of the shopping revolves around t shirt type shops and glittering baubles. Enjoy!

There will be taxis of course but expedient travel depends on which port your ship will dock. If you have cross town travel restraints then book a car. If you have four hours or more then just grab a taxi at the pier. There are three possible piers in Copenhagen. Azamara at one time was docked at the middle pier. I don't know which pier they use now or will use in the future. The last time we were there was the first day the newest pier was used and we docked next to a disabled HAL ship. It was a real mess and it took us almost three hours after we retrieved our luggage to commandeer a shuttle. The taxis were all going to the HAL ship.

Azamara is doing a cruise from Lisbon next March. It's a coastal with a great itinerary ending in Barcelona. Join us on The Journey March 25th.

Azamara will be a welcome change from RCL in particular. There are several passenger events that enhance the onboard experience. Covid has mostly prevented the onshore Azamazing evening concert or local entertainment. White Nights is held on the pool deck with the officers serving dinner and music for all to enjoy. Having access to the closest docks wherever you sail is reason enough to sail the line. The only drawback is the cabin size in any cabin below Penthouse suites. The balconies are shallow. The bathrooms are tiny but you may never find a cleaner cabin. Booking air on the website is fraught with glitches and has been down for quite a while. You must call. We're dealing with that right now. Mackdogmolly has a good point about trying a shorter sailing but the world cruise may sell out before you can book if you do that. Good luck!

We were on the Marina in February and they were not spraying our cabin. I've not heard of anyone having their cabin treated and we have talked to others on different sailings. I haven't seen anything on Cruise Critic either.