babysteps

Hey @GeezerCouple are there now GF items labelled on the menu? That would be handy! Didn't see such in August 2022 on Nautica but open to progress 🙂 Process is as @mountain grandma describes. Embarcation day you end up having a longer conversation with the wait (or buffet) staff - just let them know you are a restricted diner and they'll take it from there.

Typically there is a waiter-style wine key next to your ice bucket. Once it was missing so we asked and one appeared.

This shortcut works on my phone - you do have to type over the "replace this... " text in the search box :) https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?&q=Replace_This_With_Your_Search&type=forums_topic&nodes=29

This link helps on my phone https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?&q=Replace_This_With_Your_Search&type=forums_topic&nodes=29

Horizons 5pm-8pm could be for an O Club reception or other group event?

You can check your wine with the porters in the terminal if you wish - as long as you trust your packing. We have checked entire boxed cases of wine no problem. You can keep wine with you but that is not required.

I may have missed this change! Of course Dom is a Moët & Chandon label. Is O switching the dinner libation or just changing the citation format? We will all have fun investigating when Vista launches :)

No these are the same (we have gone both pre and post Covid). Launched at the same time as the Dom dinners, and there is (or may be depending on length of segment?) also a Dom drop-in tasting offered. I know the wine bar evenings were available in April 2019, not sure exactly when they started.

Yes technically true. And high enough OneWorld status does let you choose seats for BA (even business class) at least for regular paid or miles tickets. Not sure if cruise air tickets would be any different.

If one is being processed for entry to the US when landing in LA it will be just as@FlyerTalkersays. You will claim bags after passport control, clear customs, and if on a single ticket, drop bags again before going to your next flight. If one is on separate tickets with checked bags you will almost always have to go landslide after customs and check in for your next flight. If one is landing in LA as a domestic flight (from US or pre-cleared from outside US) then you just go to your boarding gate for your next flight. If you pay $$$$ for VIP service you might avoid lines and hassles - I don't know those details lol

This is definitely a thing, and fortunately is not the case in my experience onboard Oceania or in Italy in general (very strong GF protocols in both places). In the US, some restaurants differentiate between 'no gluten ingredients' (which would describe the GF pasta cooked in water used for gluten items) and 'no contact' (which would prohibit the GF pasta cooked in water used for gluten items). No dedicated GF fryer is another common challenge, and at some restaurants almost everything gets braised in beer. Entire regions of the US seem to be easier (or tougher) to navigate, and I do enjoy how GF awareness is way higher today than it used to be. I was diagnosed celiac over 15 years ago, eventually you get a 6th sense about which restaurants get it and which do not - it does get easier!

We loved Villefranche last fall - the restaurant upstairs at the tender dock is amazing! We did walk a block or two along the shore but that's as far as we made it lol

2021 Thanksgiving on Marina, the specialties offered traditional turkey dinner in addition to their standard menus

And sometimes Southampton - less often than Portsmouth but it never hurts to check 🙂 Who me, browsing all those brochures? There was one longer cruise I noticed recently (putting together several segments) that was London-London but 2 different ports!

In case it helps someone else, we removed the waste can from its under-sink holder and placed it on the floor between the the toilet and the bathroom wall.

GDR mains used to be on a 14 day rotation, we've done three 10-11 day segments since COVID so can't absolutely confirm that is still the exact calendar. We saw no main course menu repeats on our post-COVID segments. GDR starters are more limited than pre-pre-COVID - they change daily but can seem oddly familiar day to day, this change was made pre-COVID early 2019/late 2018 iirc. Oddly familiar as in prosciuotto with melon one day, prosciutto with cheese another - not technically a repeat 🙂

Pretty sure they do. I assume any staff using Horizons smoking area are the staff who have passenger area dining privileges?

Haven't cruised in Canada lately but did a driving/land visit in July 2022 that required ArriveCan. Very easily replaced initial record with a new record at last minute (changed entry point due to traffic). The first ArriveCan is VeriFLY level of hassle but any later ones are super easy (or were in July). Passports and vaccine info are saved in your account - even our address while in Canada autofilled. If I were in your shoes I would set up an ArriveCan record for the cruise 'just in case'. Even though my guess is you don't need one 🙂 Aside: the Canadian official at the border chuckled when we showed our ArriveCan code on my phone - "just give me your passports" and we were through super quick.

Thanks for the link! Says "Updated June 19, 2018" so it's been a while. Explains why I haven't ever seen anyone vaping around the ships 🙂 I have a pretty sensitive nose to smoke. Entering Horizons from the Starboard side, and then not going right up to the smoking room entrance, means not smelling any smoke for me. Your mileage may vary, but the system is pretty functional for me 🙂

Sounds good. Overthinking alert: I wonder, do they add 2 smaller chairs or switch out the 10 big chairs for 12 smaller chairs? Inquiring minds want to know lol. Please deport back!

FYI on Marina in 2021 they had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner available in specialties (not just GDR or Terrace).

November 2021 we got blue book about 2 weeks prior to cruise. August 2022 we haven't yet received bluebook but many others on our cruise did. Luggage tags provided at port no problem (helps if you know your state room #). Your mileage may vary!

We enjoyed the sofa seating underneath the shade/overhang on the port side of the aft end of the pool deck on Nautica last month. Relatively quiet spot. Some piped in music but not very loud.

On our August 2022 Nautica cruise, OCA (is that right? the Oceania cruise ambassador) Cella in her talk said there was a new way that made it easier/possible to choose whether to do separate booking numbers for each segment of a cruise (pay possibly more, get more cruise credits) or not. She said TAs or OCAs could now do this. I didn't ask about it, so not sure of the details but it reminded me of threads like these! Sounds promising 🙂

FYI we just got off our 10th cruise last week. The loyalty bags and caps appeared in our cabin on day 8 or so of our 10 day cruise. Assuming this is typical timing, the loyalty bags are more handy for 'future use' than the anniversary cruise itself. Also ours are messenger-style bags (not totes).