Mura

Actually, I'm glad that you double posted! When I first read your post I thought that you were asking if others could join you in your suite ... and I responded that way. But there is NO limit to the number of times you can ask to dine in your suite. And this applies also to the GDR menus, not just the suites. Mura

I should have made it clear that when I said we didn't know about "Vista" suites, I was referring to the new ship! On Marina/Oceania the table is certainly large enough to serve 4 people in OC, Vista and OS suites. But in any PH suite we've been in on ANY of the ships, the table only suits two people. Someone one on CC one referred to it not being possible to have guess with in-suite dining ... I do NOT know if that is true or not. Mura

There is but since I've never had to use it (we got our agent from Renaissance Cruises of lamented memory so we never needed to use the Oceania recommendations). Perhaps do a search on CC, or someone may mention it. Mura

P.S. I just looked at Tom's Port Guides and the issue I had on file dated from 2012 but he has issued one in 2017. He also has advice about travel from Rome to the port. Although ... our experience has been that just googling taxi services Rome to Port was fine. Mura

Our experience has been that the PH staterooms only are comfortable for 2 people. If you are in a higher suite, it's possible to seat 4 people. (We don't know about Vista suites.) You should check. When we were in Vista Suites and Oceania Suites on Marina/Riviera, we felt that 4 was the limit. You need to ask! Mura

For future people with questions about Civitavecchia/Rome, , I suggest consulting Toms Port Guides.com. He has one for Civitavecchia which I found helpful. Not sure how current it is because my computer doesn't seem to want me to bring up my copy on the computer. But it's also helpful for things to do in the vicinity should you come in prior to cruise departure. When we were there last (November 2017 I think) I was also able to talk to a couple that had given him information about their recent trip. Mura

Ditto. Use one of the Oceania approved TAs.

Thanks, Lyn. I for one like that itinerary. Combination of sea days, ports we've been to and ports that would be new. Mura

I see posts from people who don't like repositioning cruses and others who do. Count us in the latter category. When we started cruising we wanted port intensive ... no longer! We like the relaxation of a few sea days on a cruise. Depending on the itinerary that might be really only a few or rather more. I remember a Miami-Barcelona cruise where the first port was in Madeira, 6 days later. I may well remember that because I discovered at the last moment (Saturday morning) that my passport was not to be found and we were to fly to Miami for departure early Monday morning. I was unable to book an appointment for a new passport until later that week when we'd have been mid-Atlantic. So the result was to fly to Miami as scheduled and immediately go to the passport bureau. I had all the papers necessary and did get my passport in time. On that same cruise there was another couple coming from Logan Airport in Boston who were late as well because of bad weather further up north. We both made the cruise ... Fortunately departure was delayed a bit due to loading comestibles .. True, these cruises are more "relaxing" ... But we've always found plenty of on-board activities to fill our time. Or we just hang out ... Then again, we're no longer as young as we used to be ... But this attitude was the same when we were in our 40s and 50s ... Had we been cruising regularly in our 20s and 30s, probably not! Mura

I came into this conversation just now but while I'm not a a smoker I USED to have friends who were. They were always our friends even when they were smoking. We have had a duplex apartment since the end of 1980 and we always banned smoking upstairs (where the playing of chamber music occurred) but permitted it downstairs where meals occurred. It's a while since we've had these parties but our system worked, even though some did comment that the smoke downstairs might waft upstairs. But I'm very sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke and I didn't notice a problem going from one floor to the other. And as years passed, there were fewer and fewer smokers. But I would never "judge" my friends on whether they smoke or not. At the same time as I say that, I would not sail on a line that allows free smoking everywhere. Are there lines these days that do??? When we started sailing on Renaissance (Oct '99) we were attracted to their no smoking policy. Shortly before they went belly up after 9/11 they had intended to amend their policy to permit limited smoking, which is basically (as I recall) the policy that Oceania adopted when they took over. Mura

It is many years now but in November 2005 (which still call the non-Libya cruise) we were in 8067. We loved it. Did not notice noise from above, although we have in other rooms below the restaurant(s). We booked the room at the last minute when someone very nicely cancelled. This is the only time we have been in an OS on any ship. It turned out to have been very fortuitous because I tore my meniscus boarding a train in Barcelona a day or two before we boarded Regatta and was pretty much wheelchair bound on the cruise. The OS was spacious enough that I could negotiate around the room with the wheelchair. We had upgraded from a PH which would hot have allowed me that freedom. We loved the room and that was the first time we really used the butler! Now we always use them ... Mura

I believe that would be me! I have a link below my message with my email address but just in case: mkievman@nyc.rr.com Of course, I am assuming that you are asking about the VISTA August 30, 2023 cruse from Southampton to NYC. If I am wrong, just ignore this post! Mura

The first time we were in a PH we did not use the butler at all. Then in November 2005 I tore my meniscus climbing aboard a train in Barcelona, and so was wheelchair bound on the ship (Regatta) for the entire cruise. By then we were in an OS (booked at the last minute at a bargain rate) which turned out to be most beneficial since the suite was large enough that I could get around in the wheelchair inside the room. Don't think I could have done that in a PH. And this time we really used the butler because we needed him. So we were converted to using the butler. Plus, in later days they brought on the ability to dine in your suite (PH and above) from the restaurants, and then you really DO need the butler. So while I wouldn't object if O made use of the butler optional, we would continue to use him. Just our personal opinion. Mura

We prefer Oceania but I have to say as well that we were only on the older riverboats with Viking, never have done an ocean cruise with them. The reports on the ocean ships that I've seen have been very positive so I guess we'll just have to try Viking some time. We also haven't been on any Viking trip in 10 years. Our last time was with a group of (I forget exactly) maybe 16 people arranged by Jan Cruz. All of us (as I recall) were somewhat disappointed. It happened that we were on the same river boat we'd sailed on for our first river boat cruise back in October 2003. Dinner was somewhat of a trial because 5 servers trying to deal with 150 passengers was pretty much impossible. Dinners were very long although the food was fine. I happened to visit the galley (I forget why) and could NOT imagine how they could prepare all that food in such a tiny space. My kitchen at home -- a good size for a NYC apartment but not huge --- was larger. Back in 2017 we were dining at an outdoor restaurant for lunch on the Douro River in Portugal when a Viking longboat pulled into port right in front of us. Even though we hadn't sailed on the newer boats, we felt like we were greeting an old friend. I might add that one reason Howard and I were disappointed on that last trip was because river boating had become so incredibly popular over the years. On our first river boat experience we were on the last trip of the season, so understandably ports were not crowded. We took another couple of Viking trips before our last one, and those weren't crowded either. But the 2012 trip in France was extremely crowded. We were usually triple docked at ports, and we always seemed to be the boat furthest from the dock. This meant that we had to climb through the other two boats to get to shore. Not ideal! But not horrible either. We just haven't been back. Mura Mura

Back to a earlier question, I have found that a good time to do your own laundry starts around cocktail hours. I can't remember having a problem getting a machine if I started around 6pm. Port days are also good, sea days are not! I usually note the time when laundry will be done and get back in plenty of time to promptly remove my laundry from the machines. Mura

Have to agree with you! We did not see the need for so many controls either. We weren't in the room for a month -- more like 2 weeks -- so it became a guessing game. By the end of our cruise we had pretty much figured it out. On a later cruise we found it much easier ... perhaps things had been changed in the interim.

An excellent improvement!!

I guess we'll have to bring back some "leftovers" on our next cruise ...not until late August 2023. Maybe by the time we actually board the problem will have been resolved. Mura

Those Sunday brunches (which don't happen all the time) are indeed fabulous!!! Mura

We have been on I think 3 cruises where we were in a VS on Oceania and while I've read lots of complaints about the veranda not being available (due to wind), we didn't notice that. Now, it might have been a port intensive cruise (although we tend to avoid those these days) but we didn't have a problem with the veranda being unavailable. We did get a call one night when we were in 1001 on MARINA. The bridge crew was asking us to turn out the lights on our veranda. As far as we knew they were not on. After a bit of searching we discovered that the curtains in the living room had not been completely closed when the cabin crew did the turn-down. Our deck lights were not on -- in fact, we couldn't figure out how to turn them on or off. But it was the curtains who were culprits. That was an easy fix once we figured it out. (Although we did conclude that occupants needed a Ph,D. in operating the lights in the suite. And we did not have such a degree. This was in October 2011 so thing may have changed by now! Mura

Cannot say that I have noticed a difference between the bigger ships and the littler ships in terms of passenger attire. There are some (as I referred to many posts ago) that we noticed, but in general we have not. People usually are "country club casual" in our experience. Remember I've said long ago (not necessarily here) that we met a couple on a first night and he asked about the dress code because he was in a suit and tie and asked. We informed him that the suit and tie were NOT necessary. We happened to see them the next night in a specialty restaurant and the suit and tie were gone. No, he wasn't naked ... Mura

When in the past we have been on more traditional lines (NCL, etc.) they did have dance lessons. Nerver have seen that on O.

That's an excellent point! It seems that many people -- I won't say a majority of people! --- tend to leave not much time for arrival to the airport. We always allow extra time to allow for potential problems. We just do NOT schedule an early flight we are going home on the same day (which I admit has only happened once or twice in the last 20 years). But I always advise newbies to leave time, just in case. Don't think that because you have to be off the ship by 8 or 9 am that you can book a noon flight. Maybe you can, but probably you won't be able to. At least not safely when according to my flight to/from NYC-Sarasota they still wanted you to be there 2 hours in advance. So I assume for international flights it is still 3 hours.

Maybe I missed this in reading the previous comments but there is no predictable transfer time. It depends on where the hotel is and where the ship is. We are usually in a suite which has earlier boarding times(and while once or twice we were in the hotel O uses, usually we are on our own). BUT we tend to have a late breakfast, then do some touring and THEN go to the ship on our own. We like to get there in time for lunch but if we miss it we go to the lounge for some sandwiches, etc. (this has rarely been necessary.) A lot of this, of course, can depend on the time the ship is scheduled to leave port. 10pm? 4pm? Mura

Way back when -- again, I think it was Renaissance, not Oceania -- there was a grand piano in the GDR with a small dancing area. I remember a ballroom couple who were REALLY good dancing there. It was fun to watch them. I also rehearsed a recital program I was about to give in Denmark while the waiters were still working ...they didn't complain about the "noise". (I did ask permission beforehand!) That piano is long gone, however ... I think another best bet is going to Horizons on the smaller ships after dinner. When we've been there at that time there was plenty of "danceable" music. Good music, too. Also a larger area for dancing than the GDR had way back when. Mura