pieces of 8

We just returned from a four day MEX and there was an interesting problem when it came to parking.  The terminal garage was full as there were three ships using it.  We arrived at noon and there was a bit of confusion.  It took about an hour of waiting while port personnel moved their vehicles and we were allowed to park in their open parking lot.  It worked out fine but patience was needed and some folks had trouble handling that.

 The cruise was great, really liked the changes in the main dining room which shortened the dining time.  No tablecloths to change, a fork and a knife inside the napkin, most already knew the menu and you order all courses at once.  We scored with anytime dining and a great waitstaff we were able to use for every dinner in the dining room.  

I will not review the ship as it is going to dry dock in two more cruises.  I must say the crew was still busy painting and cleaning so it was not in poor condition that we saw.  

The only perk I was aware of as a platinum guest was meeting in the dining room on disembarkation and virtually walking right off.  

A great cruise at a great price, thank you Carnival and Staff.  

From a portion of a email sent by Oceania:

Here are some highlights of the new season: 

SAVINGS 

• Early Booking Savings when booked by December 31, 2020. 

• Onboard Savings Program applicable on all voyages. 

LAUNCH HIGHLIGHTS

• Free Airport Ground Transfers included with Oceania Cruises Air

• $149 Premium Economy Air Upgrade Available – will Expire March 2021

LAUNCH OFFER

• Olife Choice Package includes:

• FREE Roundtrip Airfare*
• Plus Choose one:
  • FREE Shore Excursions
  • FREE Beverage Package
  • FREE Shipboard Credit

OVERVIEW BY SHIP & HIGHLIGHTS 

Marina

·         • 1250 Guests - 800 Staff Members - Year Refurbished 2016 - Currently At Sea

• Summer 2022 season is in Northern Europe and Baltic, featuring unique itineraries to the British Isles and Scandinavia.

• Late Summer 2022, she is bookended by a set of Mediterranean cruises taking you down the Adriatic to the Holy lands.

Insignia

·         • 684 Guests - 400 Staff Members - Year Refurbished 2018 - Currently in St. George, Bermuda

• Summer 2022 season begins in the Caribbean and features voyages to the Amazon and Canada/New England.

• Insignia then ends her season with a special sneak peak into the winter timeframe with a 25-day Miami roundtrip voyage focusing on the Amazon and scenic islands.

Regatta

·         • 684 Guests - 400 Staff Members - Year Refurbished 2019 - Currently At Sea

• Summer 2022 is spent in Alaska, alternating again between Sitka (southbound itineraries) and Icy Strait Point (northbound itineraries) so that guests have options between the two ports.

• After Alaska, she will end her season exploring the best of California  

Nautica

·         • 684 Guests - 400 Staff Members - Year Refurbished 2014 - Currently At Sea

• Summer 2022 is spent entirely in the Mediterranean with a heavy focus on the Western Mediterranean, Greek Isles and Holy Land voyages

• Fall 2022, she ventures into a range of 10- 12- days focusing on the enticing Adriatic and Aegean regions.

• She ends her season with the crown jewel – a 20-day Barcelona to Abu Dhabi voyage, Sands & Sculptures,with overnights in Haifa, Israel; Luxor, Egypt; and visits to Aqaba, Jordan; Dubai; Abu Dhabi and more.

Riviera

·         • 1250 Guests - 800 Staff Members - Year Refurbished 2019 - Currently At Sea

• Riviera spends the entire season in the alluring Mediterranean, exploring iconic destinations and boutique ports of call

• Late Summer 2022, she closes the season with a unique 16-day Awe-Inspiring Atlantic transatlantic cruise sailing from Rome to Miami, which combines the classic European flavors of Monaco, Spain, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands with the tropical flair of the island ports of St. John’s and San Juan.

Sirena

·         • 684 Guests - 400 Staff Members - Year Refurbished 2019 - Currently At Sea

• Summer 2022 in the Mediterranean before navigating the British Isles, Ireland, Northern Europe and the Baltic with a set of 7- to 18-day sailings for the remainder of the season.

• Later part of the Summer, she will feature awe-inspiring 14- 18 Days itineraries like Oslo to London North Cape Connoisseur cruise with calls on new ports in Norway and a 14-day Whimsical Europe roundtrip London sailing, which takes you throughout the North Sea via the Kiel Canal and into the Baltic. Sirena then explores the Iberian Peninsula and concludes her season with a Barcelona to Miami Spain to Sunshinevoyage.

SEASON FACTS 

Total Itineraries = 110

Total New itineraries = 77

Total Ports = More than 250

Overnights = 79

Extended Journeys = 49

NEW PORTS

Måløy, Norway

Bristol, UK  

Kotka, Finland

Aarhus, Denmark

Kiel, Germany  

Leknes (Lofoten Islands), Norway

Porto Torres (Sardinia), Italy  

Tromsø, Norway

Killybegs, Ireland

Eureka, California

Brochure: 2022 Europe & North America Collection Voyage

I am privileged to assist, and always delighted to say…… Welcome Back Aboard Oceania Cruises!

TRAVEL PROTECTION PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT

Dear Valued Guests,

Oceania Cruises is pleased to advise you of certain benefit enhancements recently added to the Travel Protection Program. The plan enhancements detailed below are designed to provide increased protection and more confidence to our guests during these unprecedented times.

*If you must extend your trip with additional hotel nights due to a Physician certifying that you cannot fly home due to a sickness or injury which does not require hospitalization or if your traveling companion is sick or injured and must remain hospitalized, the plan will now provide reimbursement for reasonable additional accommodation and transportation expenses you incur, up to $200 per day.

I would definitely recommend flying into Istanbul 2-3 days early.  If you have not been there before there are so many interesting sites worth seeing.  We used Ephesus Shuttle and were very happy with their tours in Istanbul as well as our private tour of Ephesus from the ship.  They still have very high reviews on Trip Advisor.  We had an airport pickup and transfer to the hotel they booked for us.  Time on our own as well as superior tour guides throughout.  

Hopefully, cruise lines and local authorities will allow excursions by private providers or travel on our own in ports.  

As a side note, our trip was during Hurricane Sandy and we stayed overnight in Istanbul awaiting East Coast travelers who were arriving late the next day.  We did not mind as another day in Istanbul on our own was great.  

We too were on the December Lisbon to Cape Town trip and decided to forego the wine tours and pay for the tour of the safari park for a second day. We were so happy we went on our own and paid for it. We were able to see a mother rhino and her baby on our tour that were hiding on the day of the scheduled tour. We spoke to a few fellow passengers who were not impressed with the wine tours. It is also well worth a separate tour to Boulder Beach to see the penguins and to Cape Point for the experience, if interested. The hotels Oceania used were very nice and close to an upscale pier area, for those who don't mind a walk. There were several ships coming and going which threw off the scheduled access to the rooms times. Many people were quite upset but there were wiser ones who took it is stride and checked their bags with the concierge and went to the pier area instead of huffing and puffing about the rooms not being ready.