mauibabes

Is there any chance this Heading/post can be laid to rest. I know, if we stop responding it will die a natural death 😇🙏 I am sure someone had a less than stellar cruise but it sure does create a great deal of unnecessary angst for those preparing to book or sail. This experience is not the norm but it can happen. For anyone considering an O cruise, sail and enjoy because it will be an amazing experience. Perfect, no but believe me, take the negativity under advisement, it is one persons experience and opinion but no more. Go and make your own decision about any O ship and the experience. JMHO Enjoy, Mauibabes

@Esther1Absolutely , Also, the BEST coffee and coffee drinks on board are In Baristas so make it your first stop of the day. They are open by 6:00 a.m. as I recall. Enjoy 😇👍 Mauibabes

TA got ours, received the Option email good for a week to make our decision, no Deposit yet so No $150 Administration Fee, yet either. I heard they had about 70 agents on line to help us get bookings in place. It did not seem to be the feeding frenzy of Vista fame. Of course the pent up Covid demand drove that day wild. Mauibabes

@DJP31 if you can, book a float seeing trip in Ketchikan, Islandwings.com we have used them multiple times, Michele is a great pilot, been flying in Alaska about 30 years. Absolutely the BEST. mauibabes

@Ride-The-Waves Oh contrair, when we post we try to offer offer information, like so many others, that is based on our specific Oceania experiences. IMHO, While this is an O board, We have found it quite enlightening when it comes to preparing cruisers for what it is like on board. No line is perfect so there are always some negative experiences that can be shared and we have ALL had them. Our worst experience was a toilet that backed up and overflowed, TWICE over two days. Bad, yes but I really felt terrible for our Room Steward who had to clean up and sanitize the bathroom, again twice. By the way, not O’s fault as a guest upstream had put a washcloth in the toilet. I will say no more. What is hard to take sometimes is the constant postings based on negative experiences on another cruise line by a Newby who has yet to sail on O and equating them to how O operates. Again, JMHO but our experience is that O goes out of their way to offer a wonderful cruise experience and a great value for the dollars we spend. You do not get 60% returning cruisers by delivering a substandard product. Since we have sailed O for 15 years, we do hope to have some credibility. Have a great cruise, wherever you sail. Mauibabes

Hopefully you mentioned the 5 A.M. noise to your neighbor and let them know it was effecting your sleep? Many people, as they age, develop hearing issues and do not even know how loud the TV might be for someone in an adjoining room. When I walked into my parents apartments, the first thing I had to do was turn down the TV so we could hear one another talk. We find O cruisers to be quite kind and considerate so being made aware of the issue, I would expect them to turn the TV down or not even turn it on so early in the morning. When cruising, the first thing we do each morning is turn on “The Morning Show” with the CD to get days schedules of activities and any tour/tendering info. Your point about early morning noise is a valid one so we will be sure to reduce the volume on our TV in the future. Enjoy your cruising, Mauibabes

@Woofa Well said. We found the Oceania niche about age 60 when the RCCL, Princess and Celebrity products no longer provided what WE wanted in a cruise. It truly is a NICHE market and we hope to partake of it for as long as possible. Vista, here we come. Mauibabes

Perhaps my thinking is a bit different about tasting the fruits of my DW’s efforts. My thought is that since it was a “private” class for a group of 24 guests, we might be able to squeeze in for a taste. Her class is at 8:00 p.m. so after dinner. Mostly the Classes are before dinner and another reason why you might want to temper your dining options when taking a Culinary Class. Just Enjoy! Mauibabes

Do it and enjoy yourself. There is nothing O is going to offer that is going to be a waste, JMHO. DW and friends are going to go drink Champagne and make a Molten Lava Cake. Of course I do get to drop in when it’s done to help eat it so she got my vote. Word is from friends who have taken many of them is that they are great but don’t plan a Specialty dining reservation that same night, you might “explode”. You are on vacation, have fun, Mauibabes

@jonthomas And that’s the TRUTH as Lily Tomlin would say on Laugh In. Some TA’s are better connected than others and then some are BETTER than that. We all live and learn because it is not always about a discount from a TA. No unnecessary stress as my sanity and angst have value AND costs, JMHO. Have a great cruise. Mauibabes

@FetaCheese I would follow up on that email to jancruz. At this time Oceania may not have a room for you yet or maybe there are others in addition to you who they are also trying to place. Just “maybe” they have not found that guest who is willing to accept an offer they could not refuse. Call it “the price isn’t right yet”. We have accepted “buy outs” in the past and they can be QUITE lucrative, like a longer future cruise in a PH-1 when we were in an A-2 and 💵, 🤪👍. Good luck and enjoy your cruise and we hope your angst was worth it. Mauibabes

@Sthrngary 🙏🛳️👍. Nicely said. I have enjoyed reading your posts and approach to cruise planning and execution. IMHO, you will absolutely love your Riviera experience, we sure have. Based on the time of year you are sailing in Europe, I am sure we have sailed her to all your ports, Wonderful! Our good friends Graham and Shuna Denison may be your Artists in Residence. If anyone in your group wants to partake in some artistic fun, sign up that first night for classes. Great people and he is TALENTED so we acquired a couple very meaningful paintings over the years. You are on a 10 day cruise, far too short but after this trip you will have learned, longer O cruises are better. I do understand your reasoning for the short cruise with your friends however. You will also find it difficult to do or take in everything Riviera offers but will have fun trying. A MUST, a visit with your Oceania Club Ambassador to book a future cruise or two 😇. Have a fantastic cruise. Bonnie and Gerry, aka Mauibabes.

Well, if my information is incorrect, and it certainly can be because it did not come from the Operations side of the house, all CC posters transiting the PC with or after us, Mea Culpa 🙏😇 Since Vista can fit thru either locks, all we need is water 👍🛳️, Definitely ready to sail on Vista October 16. See everyone at the CC M&G. Mauibabes

Hi all, just sharing what I was told however I too was surprised about the new locks transit as I expected to be using the old locks. I guess we will see how it all plays out in October. Most important, can’t wait to sail again on Vista with friends and our O family of staff and guests. Enjoy, Mauibabes

I asked my O Rep yesterday about any issues/or problems that would impact our October PC transit. I was told we would be going through the new Locks and O was not aware of any specific issues that would impact our transit, we are good to go. We are definitely ready for our Vista inaugural with friends, can’t wait. Enjoy, Mauibabes

Ditto ORV, Vineyard, we have not been on V or SB so NO comparisons. Perhaps set your level to V and let the chips fall. I refuse to sail Viking, ocean or river, due to their pricing and payment policies. We routinely book cruises upwards of two years out and there is no way I am paying for a cruise in full that early because “life happens”! All I do know is that we enjoy being treated well, be able to chat with staff and laugh together and get to know them over the term of the cruise. Wonderful people! Long ago for a special occasion I opted for a PH and on occasion we had a Suite fall into our lap. 🤪, so the die was cast and I have not gotten her back into a Concierge level stateroom. My DW loves her Butlers, just great guys and attentive but she is not demanding, just keep her ice bucket full. We always travel with friends so our Butler gets to make extra dinner reservations for 4-6 and that has never been a problem. We do like to be called by name and that begins almost immediately. If you are having a stateroom issue, mention it to your Room Steward, the “fix” begins with them. If you have a Concierge, talk with them. Get to know the Maitre D’s in the various restaurants and your servers, they are very friendly and can make some special things happen. We had a dinner in Polo, Post Covid, and had a couple substandard Prime Filets. I called the Maitre D over and we had a quiet chat. From that night on, and yes the ship was only 1/3 full, he told us we had a table in his restaurant ANY night for 6. We took full advantage of his offer 😇🙏. The staff are very hard working and committed to serving you. Will they come up short on occasion, Yes. The most important thing is if you have issues, tell them! Like ORV, we can sit and watch the world sail bye and be content. Give my DW a seat up front in Horizons with her Needlepoint project chatting with the other ladies and she is in “heaven”. Me, I will play some games, meet guests and earn Big O Points. I can even be content sitting in the Laundry Room chatting with the ladies or guys, you’d be surprised about the topics 🤙. The Artists Loft is great fun if so inclined. Oceania guests are not generally the mass market party hearty cruisers nor the Luxury cruiser, just people looking to travel in a bit of luxury and receive great value for their travel dollar. Just enjoy your cruise. Mauibabes

@Vineyard View We were in your neighborhood last week, took our Granddaughter glamping at Safari West. Great fun! Thanks for the compliment and yes we have found OUR niche that fits US. Not saying it is the fit for everyone but it is an amazing product, IMHO. Not perfect and yes there are changes Post Covid but nothing that is significant and definitely nothing degrading the quality of the food or overall product. Yes, a Filet might be an ounce smaller 😇. We know we are not meant to be luxury, all inclusive cruisers nor gourmet diners. My Cardiologist won’t allow that 🤪. Anyone looking at Oceania for a first time should not set an impossible expectation. We do think they provide the Finest Cuisine at Sea and that is the operative word, Sea. Overall great food but NOT Michelin Star level. One thing I do know, that after 15 years of O cruising, we know the Culinary staff on every ship busts their tail to deliver the Finest Cuisine at Sea. Enjoy your cruise. Mauibabes

@hubofhockey Do not be dissuaded by a few comments, GO O and make your own decisions about the line. We have not sailed on A, Pre or Post its sale but we have docked next to A ships in various ports. There is just no comparison between the two lines when comparing ships and that is before you even consider the product and services. I asked a good, WELL CONNECTED industry friend early in the Covid shut down when we heard A was on the market if O/NCLH would buy A since it was so cheap. The answer I got was that far more than what was to be paid for the line would have to be spent to bring the ships up to Oceania standards. I thought back to when O bought Sirena from Princess. She was a mess and O put $50 million + into her with $10’s of millions more early in her Oceania tenure. All the R ships (Ex Renaissance ships) owned by O or A are 25 years old+ with a ship lifespan of 30 years. That tells me O made a great decision to “Pass” on any acquisition because it would not provide any true long term benefits for the line or the loyal and future guests Oceania guests. Talking with “refugee” guests from all lines when on an O cruise, (just my term 😇) none of the Premium level lines compare to Oceania. Don’t let the chatter here on CC keep you from trying Oceania for yourselves and make up your own minds. We left Princess, RCCL, Celebrity YEARS ago and have never regretted the move to Oceania. We were not even committed cruisers when we took our “trip of a lifetime” on Oceania and then we understood. That was 2007 and 25 O cruises later, we are considered Platinum level loyalists and proud of it. We encourage anyone to “Try it you’ll like it”. JMHO. Mauibabes

OOPS, NOT MID MAY BUT MID SEPTEMBER FOR BOOKING. Mauibabes

How about soon for the itinerary release and it has been said, about mid May for the Booking release. Bottom line, it’s right around the corner. Keep in contact with your TA but no one will know how significant the feeding frenzy will be on release day. It was NUTS and setting O records for bookings two years ago. Of course Covid and the first new O ship in over 10 years helped stoke the fires. Have fun, Mauibabes

My understanding is the Allura Itineraries are due out for viewing August 23, with the Booking window opening about 3 weeks later after the middle of September. Lots of time to create interest and booking excitement to mirror the Vista booking frenzy, I am sure they are 🙏👍 Now the real Q is what ships go where and when as Pinot has pondered. Is this a FIFO system, with the oldest R ships hitting the 30 year mark and going out to “pasture” first? The O and RSS and NCL construction schedules are in place to accomplish this rotation so Allura will not be the only O new build in process in 2025 and thereafter. This whole question will make for lots of click bait and CC Board chatter, all based on facts, fiction and opinions shared by named and unnamed sources. Again, if it is not coming from a guy named FDR, it is a lot on conjecture and reading of the tea leaves and crystal balls. The two biggest markets with the most untapped potential for a line like Oceania is South America and Asia with Asia #1. Bets are on Riviera or Vista spending a lot of time in the Asian market. On the Vista Founder’s Cruise, behind US guests, the number 2 nationality was Chinese from Hong Kong. South America could be interesting if the itineraries and the seasons could be enhanced and geopolitical situations stabilize to promote more and more tourism because that area of the world is beautiful. There certainly won’t be mega-ships heading down there. JMHO. Ciao, Mauibabes

Damn auto correct 😇🤙 mauibabes.

She has to start in the Med somewhere because she is being built in Genoa as I recall. Probably an Inaugural season like Vista. Now can we get Frank and Marsha aboard again for a Founders Cruise? Mauibabes

@DrBruce We will be in 11073 beginning October 16. Feel free to mark your Calendar and send me an email a few days into our trip. Gerryesker at gmail dot com We are certainly hoping it is great as we booked specifically that room on Vista’s Inaugural opening minutes two years ago. Mauibabes

We have done 7 segments post Covid and have not had the issues some are complaining about so a MAJOR DITTO here. We did expos couple things that some may consider earth shattering 🤪, O had the audacity to remove Lasagna from the Toscana menu on Riviera in 2021 but a chat with the F and B Dir., Maitre d and Chef resolved that faux paux. Lasagna was back for good two days later. Second, January on Marina Red Ginger ran out of Sea Bass, substituting cod. No Thank You and no, the world did not come to an end. IMHO, it is still the Finest Cuisine at Sea. Ready to sail on Vista in October 👍🙏😇 Enjoy, Mauibabes