vipro

10 minutes ago, edgee said:

We lucked out on a similarly crowded day at Santorini last summer. Our ship (was on Celebrity) had some early morning tours that got us to Fira early enough that there were no lines getting into the town. Of course, as the day wore on the crowding was quite evident. Long waits for the tram back down to the tenders, so we walked down doing our best to avoid donkey droppings...not fun, but in retrospect quite a memory of our trip!

I don't want to spend the money to join the excursion as a fast pass to fira. (I have been to Santorini 3 times already, don't think ). Maybe I will have a nice breakfast on ship first and take my time before tendering. Though with 8 ships I don't know how long it will take the cable car to digest all the crowds. I now understand why Sun Princess is skipping Santorini with it's 4k+ passengers.

3 hours ago, Techno123 said:

@vipro thank you that is reassuring. To be honest, the thought of being in a small Greek town with thousands of other people (we are there in August and there are 5 ships in port) does not fill me with any sense of joy and we like to be active hence the volcano trip. We had thought about popping up later or possibly getting the ferry to Oia (if there is one) as we don't leave until 2200 although the Norwegian Pearl and Epic also don't leave until 2200 🤔

Well to be frank it is not much of a volcano and there is definitely no lava (u might see sulphuric gas coming up from the ground). But you will get a great view of the "icing on the cake" (ie those white settlements above the caldera) but since you are on a cruise ship so the view is similar from the ship. 

The swim is more interesting as it is an experience to feel warm water mixes with the cold in the sea though last time we had to swim a long way to where the hot water was and shortly after we were chased to get back on the ship. But that was 30 years ago. 

Look at the excursion duration and then u will know how much time u will get after your cruise. At that time the cable cars will be cleared up so u won't need to wait that long. U could take the bus to Oia from the fira central bus station or take a boat directly from skala to amundi(sp?) bay. Watch the sunset and then go back to fira for dinner and go back to the boat by 2200. If there are too many ppl at the cable car station u can always do the donkey path which I think u should be fit enough if u can swim in the sea. But last time when I did it I slipped as the path was well polished and was really slippery even with my spider rubber teva. (And I haven't done it after dark so I can't comment if it would be well lit)

Edit: just to add for my upcoming cruise to Santorini in this July. There will be 8 ships! tendering in Santorini. I really wonder if I ever get a chance to reach fira at all! (But I really need to go to fira and take a photo of all the eight ships cramped together in the crater sea of Santorini)

19 hours ago, Techno123 said:

Has anyone done Volcanic Santorini? It involves a couple of boat trips but unlike most of the other excursions does not mention having to queue for the cable car but neither does it mention how you get back to the ship.

 

Gaze into the crater of a still-active volcano and experience the green sulfuric waters of a thermal spring on this fascinating tour. Board a caique, a traditional fishing boat, and sail to the lava rock islet of Nea Kameni, where you’ll take an approximately 20-minute walk up an unpaved path among lava fragments and volcanic rock formations toward the crater of a still-active volcano. Learn that the island was named Nea Kameni, meaning “new burnt,” because it is only 400 years old. Perhaps you’ll observe steam rising from the crater’s walls and capture photos of the fascinating phenomenon. Re-board the caique for an approximately 20-minute cruise to the thermal springs at the nearby island of Palea Kameni. Understand that Palea Kameni means “old burnt,” since this area is over 2,000 years old, which unlike Nea Kameni has allowed it to develop soil to support a few goats, wild rabbits and some vegetation. Time permitting, you may take a dip in the relaxing, mineral-rich waters, whose temperatures can sometimes reach 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Marvel at nature’s awesome power and resilience in these glorious volcanic sites.

If that is the full description of your excursion, then u don't have to worry about the cable car at all as you will most likely board the boat from port of skala and after your swim u go back to the same place. That means u won't even set foot on fira at all. 

I have not joined this particular excursion before but I joined similar local tour that has different variations. Some will go to Oia after the swim and others will even go to the other island (thirasia) for lunch. I would expect a ship excursion to cut out many things to save time.

So if u are there for the whole day u can still explore fira and Oia after the tour. Otherwise I would advise against this tour as a first timer. 

47 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

Even when the Vista Malta/Trieste cruise dropped Istanbul and Kusadasi all the cruises that started or ended in Istanbul were kept.  We were originally booked on the 21 April/1May Vista cruise but for unrelated reasons we cancelled.  We have been to Istanbul and Kusadasi before and really wanted to go again.  And hopefully will - we're booked on Regent Splendor Athens/Istanbul at the end of April next year.

we have booked a Vista cruise from Athens to Istanbul in this July stopping at many ports in Turkey. I don't know why the turkey ports were cancelled previously I just hope that they would not further cancel. 

35 minutes ago, clo said:

Even (most of) my husband's "dress shirts" are what's called "permanent press" come out of the dryer, hung on a hanger and worn as is. Also what are generally called "golf shirts." Nice cotton knit with a collar and a few buttons at the top. But honestly those dress if removed shortly after your evening 'stuff,' it will still be wearable. Again and again. Unless you dribble or "perspire." (In the South we say "Horses sweat, men perspire and ladies glow." 

Yes I used to have these permanent press shirts for work until I outgrew them. We don't have to wear formal shirts for work if we don't need to face the business. So I have not really replenished my stock for many years and I wonder if I really needed to. I have those collared tops ,(not shirts but they have a few buttons at the top) and come with long or short sleeves but they do crease quite easily. 

Maybe not perspiring is the way to go in this case. Btw. I have never heard of that saying and it is quite funny and I wonder how ladies will glow from where I come from. (A place with high humidity and temperature) 😂

11 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

Yes. See my post above - the collar was the key to entry into the GDR.

Yes read yours but not sure if u meant long sleeves or short sleeves polo shirt. I guess your yes means short sleeves is allowed as well. 

Kind of related. For men, can we wear short sleeves polo (ie t shirt with collar) or we have to wear long sleeves polo? 

And I guess we have an iron board in the laundry rooms for self-service ironing or we have to send them for pressing? 

That's why I don't prefer to bring clothes that will crease easily. Never a fan of formal dressing. 

6 hours ago, EJL2023 said:

Yes…allowed. They request no casual jeans in evening, which is a bit discretionary.  Basically no holes, whitewashed, etc.  those thas I’ve seen worn were fine. A dark wash with the lighter weight material which look a bit more dressier. This is for GDR and specialty restaurants.  Terrace much more casual with shorts, etc. 

Thanks. How about if I pair the jeans with trainers or sneakers, or do I have to wear leather shoes as a guy? 

41 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

The only thing that I have seen them ban was shorts in GDR at dinner.  Sandals are worn everywhere.  Jeans are also seen everywhere.  Most guests dress neatly.  During the day, anything is ok.  At night, guests dress casually most nights. You may see dressy clothing for the Captains reception.  Relax and enjoy.

So do ppl wear jeans at night? 

2 minutes ago, jondfk said:

The taste the world menu is on the lower right of the lunch menu in the MDR.  It’s a collection of regional bites (6 or so).  My favorite is Lebanon which has hummus, lamb, some pita, etc.  Many of the items also appear at Terrace cafe but the presentation in the GDR is just lovely.  A great starter for two too.

Ic. Thanks. So I guess they rotate every day but why are they there just for lunches and not for dinners? So that means we have to stick to GDR for lunches everyday if we want to try them all, lol. 

4 hours ago, jondfk said:

I’ll weigh in on question two comparing food to SB.

 

We sailed thrice on O in 2022 and twice with SB in 2023.  We strongly prefer being served so most of my food comments will apply to the MDR.  Our thoughts:

 

O is the clear winner at breakfast.  The vastness of their menu (compared to SB) is apparent at first glance.  All hot food was clearly prepared to order whereas on SB it was quite obvious that things like pancakes and French toast had been prepared hours in advance and kept warmish.  The only sure way to get freshly prepared hot food was to order a custom omelette or deviation such as eggs Benedict with American bacon.  Clear winner O.

 

Lunch is a tougher call.  I truly love the Taste the World offerings on O, basically a tapas menu which is reliably spectacular.  Elsewhere we found the O lunch menu a bit lacking.  SB lunch offerings seemed a bit more varied and generally more satisfying.  It’s a toss up, a good TTW menu gives O the win, if ordering al a carte we probably favor SB.

 

Dinner.  Here the vast O menu outs them in the lead for most nights.  One exception, the steak on the SB everyday menu was spectacular, exceeded Polo Grill standards, starved on a blazing hot plate with excellent bearnaise I’ve rarely had a better steak, but one can’t live on steak alone so we give the nod to O overall.

 

Service was essentially equal across the two.  We had an easy time getting a regular service team on SB (meaning the same server night after night) something we’ve never managed on O.  We will be tryin again for this when we sail on the 20th.  Should any of our impressions change after our upcoming sailing I’ll post an update.

 

What are the taste of the world offerings in O? And where can u find them? GDR?

On 3/27/2024 at 4:02 AM, sammyboots said:

We were upgraded to a veranda state room under the bridge on Insignia many years ago. We didn’t find it noisy at all. The worst thing was the movement on the Bay of Biscay, only time in 32 cruises that I’ve ever been seasick, thankfully it only lasted a few hours! One thing that did happen that was quite amusing, I received a phone call from the bridge politely informing me that I needed to close the curtain as the light from the cabin was affecting visibility from the Bridge! There is actually a sign in the room asking to close the curtains on an evening if you have lights on. It was toe curlingly embarrassing!!😂

Thanks for the info on this. Though we also like to leave the curtains open once in a while to stare outside at night but I guess we just need to remember to be considerate. Well, at least it is not as bad as being noisy. Thanks. 

I have asked this before but did not get any response so I will ask again in this thread. Booked a gty and got assigned to a veranda state room under the bridge on deck 10 forward on Vista.  Has anyone had any experiences staying in a cabin under the bridge, will that be noisy at night?

6 hours ago, basor said:

When you board, head up to the Artist Loft and there will be sign up sheets for the different classes offered during the cruise.  There is no charge.

Do they teach you the basics or just assume you know? Last time in celebrity it was expecting u know and the instructor was spending the entire session chatting with the ladies. 

So our guaranteed room has finally been assigned to the first concierge veranda room next to the Vista suite at deck 10 forward on the Oceania Vista. 

It seems the location is ok as it is not close to any noisy things. However it is directly under the bridge. So I want to ask for those who have stayed under the bridge in Vista, will that be noisy at night? I guess ppl will be walking around in the bridge and I wonder if we will hear any equipment noise as ppl say the walls are quite thin in the Vista. 

Also, ppl say we should try to avoid those cabins next to the staff exits/entrance. But we cannot tell where they are from the deck plan. Do we have any tips on this? (Not that it matters now as the room is assigned) But I want to know if it is near to my cabin right at the front. 

Thanks

10 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

I think it's the same Jacques offerings every night, not a rotating menu.  But, maybe others have other experiences.

Was looking at this https://www.thepreismans.com/vista23_menus.htm#grand

It seems the menu changes everyday in GDR even for Jacques offerings?

Maybe that's only for Vista as it no longer has that french specialty restaurant?

8 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Not really, see the loss of Jacques, replaced by Ember. And IIRC the menu at Waves is different on Vista now than when I was on Riviera 11/2023. Loved the Mahi Mahi on Riviera. Not in a burrito. Etc. 

But I notice you get a dish of Jacques every night in GDR, isn't it better than having it only once (in specialty dining) per cruise? Ok, u don't get to pick what u want, but theoretically u can have Jacques every night 🙂

9 hours ago, edgee said:

Yes there are still lobster medallians.You are not getting or looking at full pic of what I posted. Difference in surf and turf on the Vista  though is that the wagu beef with lobster is ground waygu rather than medallions of wagu as in the past.

Thanks for the clarification too.

I asked that question a while ago and although the majority ppl responses were not worth it. We went for it at the end because of the priority booking to the specialty dining and the little nice to have perks like access to the spa (though u can pay $25/person/day), room service with access to the menu in GDR (but ppl said they would bring u everything in one go and there is not a table big enough to put down everything), free laundry x 3 (you can still do your own in the ship), free bottle of champagne (u will also find champagne during your meals), concerige lounge (it is not a big one)

But it was only $150 difference/pax for us so we might as well try it out as it will be our first time on O. Let's see. 

1 hour ago, Snaefell3 said:

Yep.  Granted, it's Florida lobster, not Maine lobster.

 

Phasing out (but only gone on Vista so far) Waves, the pool grill, serves a surf and turf sandwich with lobster and fillet mignon.  It's being replaced by a waygu burger.

Sorry, do u mean there is no more lobster in Waves and pool grill on vista any more?

7 hours ago, pmatawan said:

The grill at the terrace offers the best lobster tails and grilled jumbo shrimp. Is usually always available along with steaks lambchops salmon and chicken every night except theme nights. When ship is full sometimes a 5 or 10 minute wait as they are cooked fresh.

Wait. U mean they serve lobster tail at the buffet every night? That's awesome. We didn't even have that in regent (where there was only lunch buffets)

43 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

In Baristas on Vista, there is the "bakery," which has about five or six pastries or, in the afternoon, a quiche of the day, and a staff person there to serve you. (Wish they had the quiche at breakfast but that's another issue.) Then there's a small self-service "buffet" closer to the coffee bar that has cookies and other pastries (not the same ones at the "bakery"), and this area also has bagels and toast in the morning and small sandwiches in the afternoon. It does seem like Oceania must have had a grander vision for the bakery because it's largely redundant, and it's weird that you need a staff person to serve you pastry at the bakery and yet if you walk 20 feet toward the coffee bar you are deemed capable of serving yourself. We never saw many people actually getting pastries at the bakery and the staff member there always looked extremely bored. And, yes, there's an oven there but there was no baking going on.  

I have read there is afternoon tea served, so are those pastries better than than this bakery? Or are they the same thing?

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Coffees (without booze) are always free.

 

We loved the Barista on Vista and it’s food selection. I believe the issue, for some, lies with Mauibabes comments above. There were several people that park there for hours; sipping coffee, visiting with friends, surfing the internet, a one group I remember played cards there most every day. What this meant was that people that just wanted a coffee and a quick bite often didn’t have a place to sit. I realize just broaching the question of: Is the Barista actually an appropriate place for the all day Bridge game?, will start a war on people’s perceived personal rights. Just be aware that some camp out there for hours, so you may either be standing and eating, or taking it back to your cabin.

If it is free then it's good as most other cruise lines will treat them as premium coffee and charges $$$. I don't mind to take that away to another larger lounge if there are other places to sit. Have never been on an O before so looking forward to having a good sip every day.

Thanks

Is the coffee free in barista all day long? I am talking about cappuccino or latte. Not those special coffee (if they have any)?

54 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

It's Eastern Time (ET) so GMT(-5) right now but we're switching to GMT(-4) on March 10th.

 

Thanks so much. It will be the next few months for my opening so I will use GMT -4.