SeaWatch12

On 3/14/2024 at 4:48 PM, Waltershipman said:

 Dw tested positive for Covid the day we got off ship  

I am wondering if that was the sailing that returned to Miami on 1/19? When we got home that afternoon from the Vista, I tested Covid positive. Thankfully it was a mild case. 
 

9 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

They are relocating and apparently downsizing the library to make room for the crepe and ice cream venues.

Oh no, not the library. The extensive bookcases and seating areas on Vista were wonderful. 

Oceania posted this on their Instagram account yesterday. This would be a welcome addition to the new ship. Anyone know where it would be located?

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3i5GVGLDSN/?igsh=Mm13YzQ4eXQ2YWRk 

7 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Your theory doesn’t hold either.  We are in a PH 1 and were still refused at the reservation desk.  The only reason we were given a table in Toscana was because the Head Waiter knew us from prior cruises.  It had nothing to do with the type of stateroom we are in.

Terri

Okay, thanks. Was wondering about that as I have read on the Oceania posts in the past that butlers for suite passengers can get extra reservations. Maybe only for those sailing above PH.  I'm certainly not paying for a higher end suite just to get an extra night in Red Ginger!
For the first time ever on a cruise ship  we went to dinner at the buffet. As it was just the 2 of us, we enjoyed the buffet better than the Grand dining room. Excellent service made the buffet an elevated experience!

On 1/31/2024 at 10:27 PM, Cruzin Terri said:

Well, things sure have changed.  Tried to get a reservation tonight by going to the reservation desk on Deck 5.  First night on Vista.  Only thing available was 8:30 and sharing.  I said “no thank you”

Interestingly, I then met the Head Waiterof Toscana, whom I knew from prior cruises, in the Terrace Cafe. He asked me if I wanted to eat in Toscana tonight.  I said yes, but would like a table for two earlier than 8:30.  In five minutes I had a table for two at 7pm.  Now, why could that not happen at the reservation desk?

 

I found going to the reservations desk on deck 5 of Vista to be useless when requesting a second experience in Red Ginger. The staff member there was very business like, by the book type. Verging towards being unfriendly. 

We stoped in Red Ginger just before they opened on day 7 of the 10 night sailing. The maitre d refused to consider us for a seating anytime before 8:30. We never have dinner that late. 

There was never any staff person in any specialty when I wandered in at various times of the day to take photos. 
I honestly gave up, was tired of being told "no". Maybe they weren't more receptive to us as we were not guests in a suite. Are they more willing to give those in suites additional specialty seatings at a reasonable time?

4 minutes ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

We're taking our first cruise ever in March. We have an 11:30 embarkation time. On our calendar it says we have a guest safety briefing at 10:45, lasting 4 hours and 45 minutes. What does this consist of? So, as soon as we get on the ship we should go directly to our room, drop off our carry on luggage, and then I'd like to have lunch. Can the safety briefing be done after that? Also, what time should we arrive to the terminal?

The total you will spend on the safety is about drill is 5-10 minutes. I think they show 4 hours and 45 minutes as that is the time span from first guest allowed on till they no longer let guests on the ship.
 

I'm sure someone can explain the process more specifically. 

Briefly, my two comparisons:

The food and meals in the dining room and restaurants are much better on Oceania.

The Terrace Cafe on the Vista is the only sailing I have had dinner in a buffet.

Although, I prefer Cafe Al Bacio on Celebrity over Baristas and Bakery on Vista.

The overall entertainment on Celebrity is better than Oceania.

Productions shows on Vista were good.

However, the Vista Lounge is severely lacking due to a low stage and poorly arranged seating. 

I appreciated the string quartet on Vista and listened to them quite often.

It's always nice to experience different cruise products. It did take a bit of adjustment to get used to the smaller Oceania Vista which is beautifully decorated.

3 hours ago, Lastdance said:

My DH and I are not drinkers, but love having a gym to go to onboard.  I am still looking forward to my TA and trying Vista; will I love it, or just like...who knows?

Since you mentioned the gym onboard, just be aware that it is smaller on the Vista than any Celebrity ship, which I see is your sailing history. The Fitness Center was very busy in the morning of sea days, and even in the afternoon of one of our sea days. Sorry, I don't have a photo to show you, that is one place on the Vista I didn't take a picture of. By the way, we enjoyed Aquamar for lunch and went there for half the days. They also serve breakfast but didn't try it.

27 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Was it a line of sight problem or a seat design problem ?

A few things. 
The slope of the rows from front to back was not enough and the way the seats are staggered row to row caused severe blocking from many of the seats. For the first production show I was sitting in the center section there quarters of the way back and could not see what the performers were doing as there were several audience members heads in front of us. We actually got up and left after 15 minutes because it was so frustrating to see the show. Also, the stage is barely a foot off the floor which doesn't help the sight lines. I understand the low height of the room's ceiling but they could have configured the seats better. If sitting in one of the side sections, those seats face each other, not the performers space. I had a crick in my neck after sitting on the right side for one show. In order to get a good seat, in the first couple of rows, you have to get there 45 minutes before the show starts!

The talented performers deserve a better space as well as the guests. 

On 1/19/2024 at 5:27 AM, Redtravel said:

never got any info about the end of cruise survey. Looked on tv, read Currents and all disembarkation literature, bags packed, and we disembark this morning.  NOTHING!
if they really cared, they should’ve let guests know where to find it.

If they told guests the online address form at a special event, they really don’t care about people like me who just relax onboard.  

I was on the same Vista sailing as you that disembarked yesterday.

I asked at the reception desk for an end-of-cruise survey at about 8 PM on the last night and was told to go to the Oceania site before the end of the night to complete it. There was nothing there to link me to a survey!

I brought home all of the Currents and looked today for mention of how to complete a survey, but there was none. 

It appears they aren't interested in what guests have to say about the trip. 

I didn't get a chance to praise some crew members for their excellent work.

I did submit the handwritten mid-cruise comment card with my thoughts on the terrible seating in the Vista Lounge but the General Manager's office didn't have the courtesy to reach out to me and there were plenty of days after to do so. 

The ship is beautiful, and the food and service are excellent, I just wish they would have given the opportunity to express it to them after the voyage.

2 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Ate at Embers last night.  It was excellent.  Loved the decor, food, and prompt service.  We had lobster roll, potato soup, ribeye steak, and key lime cheesecake. Everything was delicious.  Steak was prepared perfectly. It was outstanding.  

We were in Ember also last night. 
The only issue was the lobster meat in the lobster Mac and cheese was not good, wasn't prepared as well as it was the first night in the lobster pad Thai in Red Ginger. 
The scallops on Ember were excellent. 
We were sitting at a two top by the window so it was wasn't as noisy as the main part of the room. 

Arrived yesterday at the terminal curb at 12:25.

Yes, had to wait in line at security and check in but stepped on the ship at 1:30 which was perfect for the announcement that concierge level rooms were now available. So didn't have to schlep our carry on around the ship, went right to the room and dropped them off. Had a relaxing lunch in Aquamare. Wonderful dinner in Red Ginger. The Vista is absolutely beautiful!

Excellent video and photos. 
Reminded me why I have always enjoyed my trips on M class ships. Unfortunately, haven't had the opportunity to go on one in a long time. 

I'll try to get on here in 10 days to report when we ultimately arrived and how the process went. 
In the meantime, Happy New Year!

Mark

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

“Noon?” Noon for what? And from which source document? I can’t remember ever seeing O “always tout noon.” in the Blue Book, Cruise Vacation Summary (final docs) or newer Boarding Pass.

I found it in the FAQ section on their website. Also recall seeing it when I booked the cruise. 

28 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

At the bottom line, potential “issues” and/or “what happens when” mostly depends on your embark port and how its own personnel handle check-ins.

That said, there’s also multiple distinct “times” associated with embark day including:

 

“arrival time” at the port on changeover day. That scheduled time for when the ship will tie up or set an anchor is listed in brochures, on the O web et al. It should not be confused with “disembarkation time” which is when it is your preselected/predetermined time to depart the ship (that has been identified several days prior to the end of the cruise).

“check-in time” at the embark port terminal. That time is the one you select (from what slots are available) when you do your online checkin within three weeks of embark day.

 

”embarkation time” is a somewhat theoretical target for when you have completed the terminal checkin process and are expected to board the ship. This term is often misused by all sorts of folks.

 

“departure time” is the scheduled time for the ship to leave its berth or anchorage. Like the arrival time, it appears in brochures, on the O web.

 

The Blue Book (which is no longer blue) “embark” time was/is mostly an estimate of when your check-in at the port should happen.
 

The relatively new Boarding Pass process attempts to pinpoint at what time you should be available in the terminal to begin the process that leads to embarkation. IMO, this is the time to aim for.
 

Again, a lot depends on the embark port personnel. For example, in a port like SYD, staff at the terminal may not let you enter the terminal until the time stated on your boarding pass. In other ports, you can enter whenever you show up. But those times have little to do with when you’ll actually be allowed to get in your cabin category line for check-in and how attentive staff are to following the plan. 
 

As a rule, we try to pick the earliest available check-in time if for no other reason than to get a good seat while we figure out how “today’s” process will actually work. It’s also great for people watching and for renewing old acquaintances with passengers and crew alike.

I am hoping Port of Miami will be a smooth experience. They have plenty of experience!
My issue is with Oceania as they always tout noon but I guess it's a sales gimmick and not guaranteed. 

33 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Let's break this down.

 

You appear to live in Pompano Beach, about 50 miles from the port of Miami. 

 

If you're driving, have a nice lunch somewhere, get to the terminal parking around 2:00, park your car, check in, breeze through embarkation and your room will be ready.  Then you can dump your carryon's, have a bite to eat or a drink and enjoy Sailaway.  

 

Or

 

Get there at 12:00, wait in line until the named suites are boarded, wait behind the many folks in concierge suites who also want to board as early as possible and got there at 11:00.  Schlep your carryon around the ship, maybe get a seat in Terrace Cafe or Waves (or maybe not, because it will be crowded) and wait another hour for your cabin to be available.

 

I choose the former, not the latter.

 

You decide which sounds like a better way to start your cruise.

Thanks for the "or" scenarios for the relaxed vs more hectic situations.  
We either get a ride from a friend or use a car service especially when it's Port of Miami and not Port Everglades and like to have a light lunch on the ship so will probably attempt to arrive in time to do so. 

Isn't the boarding time for Concierge Verandas 12:00PM?

That is what is indicated on the Oceania site.

The cruise booklet indicates 1:00 and my boarding pass shows 1:30, that was the earliest time available when I did the online check-in.

Would there be any issues if we show up at the Vista in Miami at 12:00?

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Mark

IMHO, I feel we should tip whatever crew member we believe deserves above the preset gratuities. Crew in any department we wish to give extra thanks to. Handing it to them directly will show the extra appreciation for what they do. What happens after that is both theirs and their employers decision. If they are required to share it, so be it. They might wind up sharing it with other crew members we would never have the opportunity to give extra to but still deserve it. It may also depend on what department they work in as to them sharing it. It's entirely a HR concern that I don't think the cruise line would officially share with guests. 

In an early review of Vista, I found this mention of the library:  

"Happily, I found my own shipboard zen for no additional fee in Vista’s impressively curated library, spanning several small rooms with cozy nooks for settling in alongside hundreds of loaner tomes that ranged from self-help books and murder mysteries to classics like Don Quixote and an impressive travel section that only served to further stoke my wanderlust."

if you are interested, the full article:

https://www.afar.com/magazine/review-a-first-look-at-oceanias-new-vista-cruise-ship

Exactly 5 years and 1 day from when the EDGE first sailed into Port Everglades. 
There was a big celebration on land opposite the pier, to welcome the first Edge class ship on 11/20/18. 
 

9 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Typically, the procedure is about inventory control and monitoring sales. All wines are ordered by Miami. They know how wines are selling based upon what’s ran through the register. Hard to imagine the accounting gods will be happy if a ship register shows sales of 120 bottles while the ship m’s inventory shows 180 bottles gone. There will soon be a meeting between the rubber and the road.

I feel that just because the server doesn't physically take your card and swipe it at the computer that the consumption of the wine is not recorded. When they look at your card, the server can find the necessary info to be able to manually input how many glasses were ordered at that meal. 
As long as everything is accurate, I don't mind that they don't take my card to their closest register. 

2 minutes ago, Dwtlion said:

On Vista in September with the prestige package the max was $18 per drink. However, there were exceptions. When no Bulliet available, Woodford Reserve was offered under the package.

Thank you, that is good to hear. 

Is there a maximum price for drinks on the Prestige Beverage Package?

MVPinBoynton posted Vista drink menus on his website and the Founders Bar shows 

Bulliet is $14, Whistlepig is $22, and Woodford Reserve is $25.

The cruise lines we usually sail on charge extra if you go over a certain dollar amount of a drink not included in the package.

We booked the Vista with OLife for the OBC and kept it instead of switching to Simply More, therefore we don't have the House Select package.

I am trying to determine if purchasing the Prestige package will be worth it for us. We have the OLife OBC (already used some to cover the gratuities) and some OBC from our travel agent to apply towards drinks.

Thanks for any information.

Mark

On 10/30/2023 at 9:00 AM, mafig said:

I'd love a 10:00 time for sea days.  Especially since they don't do lunch.   We could sleep in another half hour.

Perhaps there is someplace on the ship to get a later breakfast type of meal after 9:00 or 9:30 on the mornings you wish to sleep in. I would think they don't serve after those times in order to give the hard working staff a short break period before they have to report to another venue for lunchtime. I would see the CO hostess in the buffet at lunch. On sea days some of the CO team is probably assigned to the dining room. They work such long hours, they deserve a break.