mauibabes

May was 7 days, October was 16. It seemed like the 6:00 was specific to Vista but I still have friends on various cruises and 6:30 seems to be the normal dining room start time. Next cruise is November on Riviera so we will see what changes are in place. We prefer early dining times, 6-7 so we are easy to please and normally do not run into scheduling issues but if we do, the GDR or TC are wonderful options. DW needs her fix of Jacques Chicken in the GDR at least once a week ❤️. Just enjoy. Mauibabes

It sounds like “Change Happens” as on vista in May and October Specialty dining opened at 6:00, testing earlier times and maybe it changes due to Needs of the Executive Chef, staffing and decisions by the Food and Beverage Director and GM, whatever but bottom line, our service was always great and our meals EXCELLENT. As for Waves, we always walk up, place an order and tell them where to deliver our meals, be it in the Waves seating areas or in the Terrace Cafe. We find our seats first and then decide whether a Waves or TC or a combination of items for our meal is desired. Decisions, Decisions. Just enjoy your O cruise Mauibabes

@Sthrngary Gary, you really have passed Oceania 101 with an A+ and appear headed for Oceania Grad School, and Oceania 201 class. We have been sailing with O since 2007, booking with a TA or directly with an Oceania Rep in Miami or wherever they are located. DIYers can do their own thing but I can say using a TA is by far more reassuring and beneficial. A phone call to O in Miami just does not get the results I can get with a Connoisseur Club or top echelon agency. We ALWAYS book one of more cruises on board and use our One Swap feature if we find something that really strikes our fancy. We have always gotten our On Board Booking benefits added to the swapped booking, just like your experience. If we made a swap, in some cases that PH upgrade added even more benefits. When we hit the Silver level, that automatic Free PPG was even more beneficial. You will get there 😇👍. Here is another thought to tuck away. We learned to always pay attention to the cruise before or after our intended cruise because sometimes that next Sale allowed us to create an amazing B2B or 2B sailing at a ridiculously low combined price. Hey, I’m retired and I no longer have to beg for more time off, just tell my DW to pack a little more 🤪👍 A couple times that Mediterranean cruise in October or November was combined with an economical Transatlantic and no long international flight home. Those Biz Class Air prices now are insane unless you have an unlimited supply of air miles. Gee, a flight from Miami to Birmingham can’t be that much 😇🤞🛳️💰. Love the Points Guy and have added that reading to my personal Oceania Grad School program. Mauibabes

Stop at Destinations and ask the staff how they are handling guests on private tours and tender tickets. Every port could be a bit different as well as how things are handled by individual Destinations Managers. We have found that asking for their assistance to expedite our tender trips has been better than getting to the Stage with the staff at the tables in the Lounge and demanding to be let off first. Sometimes the entitled travelers make things tougher than they need to be. You should not have a problem, especially if there are only two of you and not some big group needing to tender. Enjoy, Mauibabes

We were on in May and then again for 16 days in October with a bunch of friends. Barista’s was a GREAT place to enjoy some coffee or other drinks and baked goods virtually all day long. It was always a place to find a friend and the variety of tables and chairs gave it a real Cafe vibe. Our local Starbucks and Pete’s and others are great meeting places with wonderful seating areas and Baristas served that need on Vista. When we needed heavy duty deserts like cakes and pies, there were always the various restaurants. Baristas is that place to go when you just can’t get through the morning or afternoon without a Capuchino or Latte and an extra 1,000 calories. IMHO, IT’s a WINNER so now you have my 2 cents and based on how full it always is, I would say a consensus from the guests aboard. We all have our “Likes”. Mauibabes

@clo 👍😇🙏🍷🛳️ Love our O trips and all the great staff and guests. There are definitely enough “Critics” to go around on the Boards. It got drilled into me by my parents that if I did not have something nice to say I did not have to say anything at all. I guess that is REALLY old school parental guidance 😇 I prefer to add something positive to any Board or Roll Call I post to because I think most guests are really looking for information related to an Oceania cruise experience. Mauibabes

@Twocoasts Absolutely on the Bourbon or anything else, and if on your trip you run out, just restock what you want in the next port of call or even a duty free store. We were with friends a few years ago in the Caribbean and he saw a Great price on some Jack Daniels, forget the color but they were well over $100+ a bottle so he brought 4 back to the ship to take back home to Florida. Mauibabes

Definitely not trying to be snotty. Just trying to encourage people to play by the rules. It is easy to bend them and IMHO O is being quite generous allowing us to bring wines aboard. Appreciate your feedback Mauibabes

Officially it is 6 bottles but there are no “Bottle Police on board nor are they running a spreadsheet on the number of bottles of anything you have brought aboard. You can bring wine, spirits and beer. Most importantly, you can open bottles and drink in your room but you don’t need to “smuggle” glasses of your wine into restaurants. It is a REAL privilege to be able to take wine aboard and we would hate to see that change. We just pay the $25 Corkage when we take a bottle to dinner. Also, if you do not finish one of your bottles, the Sommelier will put your Room number on it and put it away and bring it back to you in any restaurant upon request. We travel with friends and we stock a wine suitcase with a case of our good CA wines and then add to the stash as we test wines along the way. Enjoy, Mauibabes

Must be a typo, there is no 1108. If 11008 you are up front under the Oceania Suites, take the room good location IMHO. IF 11080, that is also a Primo Oceania Suite with great wrap around viewing and veranda. Yes under the TC but it should still be great although you could get a little noise in rough seas or something. That back corner suite sells out immediately and is highly desirable. enjoy, Mauibabes

OMG, guess we all have different definitions and tastes and wallets but I don’t drop $9 for <pint for any ice cream so in my world, it is Premium. 🤪 As we travel, we do keep up the search for great gelato so that is my “vice”. i do ENJOY my daily dose of a small scoop of HS whenever we are aboard. . Mauibabes

We found an almost pint size container of various Humphrey Slocumb ice cream in our local grocery store, a mere $8-9. What a great way to get a Return On Investment 👍😇 when on Oceania ships. Now if I can find some Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass. ENJOY, Mauibabes

Your TA can do that for you as well and yes, O is very accommodating for any food allergies and special dietary needs. Billie is right on, (Hi Billie) just make sure you meet with the Chef. Also, there is no reason for anyone to limit their restaurant choices to the Terrace Cafe, ALL the restaurants should be available to you. We have dined many times with guests who had specific dining restrictions and the Chef was well aware of your needs. If you had not met with the Chef, ask for the Restaurant Manager or Food and Beverage Director to assist you. I would not expect your level of care and attention to dining details to be any less than Regent, Just Ask. Mauibabes

Every new O ship built by Fincantieri (sp) Shipyards have been delayed for one reason or another by at least two months. When both Vista and Allura we released, we elected to wait for their arrival dates in North America to try them out. Other cruise lines are having the same issues, just the nature of the beast I guess. See you on Allura in October 2025. Mauibabes

@tom_uk So the Med in Summer, hot but lots of Americans, Aussies, etc. If I may offer a suggestion, Riviera will be sailing the Alaska season in place of Regatta. The Alaska sites are fantastic and definitely something special from what you could see in the UK or even Europe. Riviera’s rooms are much larger than Nautica or Insignia and you have all the O Class ship amenities, most specifically 4 Outstanding Specialty Restaurants. Something with 10 days or more could make a very memorable first Oceania cruise experience for a milestone Anniversary. We have done a number of Alaskan cruises and they can also be linked to Denali tours or a VERY special Rocky Mountaineer train trip into the Canadian Rockies. Actually something we are doing ourselves in August with friends. Check out the Rocky Mountaineer and discuss the option with your TA. Spectacular! Mauibabes

Not exactly silly as the Spa Terrace is an Amenity that is available to ALL but is Included in the fare for Concierge Level Veranda staterooms and above. All other guests can access the area for a Fee of $25 a day as I recall. If you like to use that area, it can be a good reason to book an A Concierge room versus a B or lower room. It is how your needs equate to Value and the level of room you prefer. We really enjoy our Spa Terrace time so, “Happy Wife, Happy Life”. Go and Enjoy, Mauibabes

Kinda accurate. Destinations Staff does operate out of the Regatta Lounge and people are asked to enter the lounge on the Right side and line up based on their specific tour arrival time so it is not a giant fiasco. That is for ship tours and normally they will go off first. Get your Tour ticket and go wait near the Left side exit for your tour number to be called. Numbers are called based on time and the availability of the transportation staff on the dock. If you are on a Private Tour or just going into the port on your own, you may have to wait for a Tender ticket a bit. They do their best to accommodate everyone getting off via tender and there could be 2-3 ship tenders running or depending on the Port, they could be using their required tenders. Regatta is not a huge ship and the process operates fairly smoothly but of course not as fast as some would like.

How about forgetting ANY flights and making it a 2 day road trip? After all, you are only in TN. All the airline prices are “sky high” yes that pun was intended as well. For a short flight, forget the PE or FC, just get there and enjoy your 18 days on Vista. Use that $700 from airfare for a nice hotel room or time in Miami before you sail. I always hate the west coast flights to Miami because nothing is direct from Northern California. We just did it in October and I always suffer scheduling angst if flights have to go near “Snow” country airports or others that are subject to the next big storm. 🤬🤬 Enjoy Vista, she is amazing. Mauibabes

On O, the Room Service staff are NOT covered by the $18 or $23 daily gratuities so we always have a pile of $5’s with us specifically for those instances and for others who we would like to give cash. A little extra for a waiter or bar staffer who is especially attentive or over zealous pour with a bottle 🤪👍. For the Captains party or O Club party, I will always order what I want to drink, maybe a Big O Martini or… and not take what is on their tray so a little Thank You can go a long way. If we have arranged a dinner in Privee for our travel mates, we will also leave an envelope with cash with the Head Waiter. IMHO, I have just dropped $10+++ for a cruise and I am very thankful for the wonderful staff and their efforts to make our experience special and a 💰 is definitely welcomed by the staff who are on board for months and away from family and friends. Mauibabes

@EmsMom Book it in a heartbeat and forget any CC negatives. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even those who have never been aboard Oceania but the only opinion that matters is based on your own experience. We were on Riviera for 46 days coming out of Covid and it was fantastic. We will be on Riviera Rome to Barcelona with family and friends. One cousin was on O Vista with us in October and were AMAZED with their overall experience. We have great expectations but then we are not hard to please but after over 25 Oceania cruises, we know what to expect. I spent a little time earlier today looking at the Barcelona to Capetown trip as that looked good too. Your proposed sailing looks Awesome so go and have fun. Mauibabes

We have had the towels since at least 2007, fantastic when in Europe in the Summer and you are sweltering. And yes, on Vista in May and October but not every cruise port. It is definitely welcomed. Sometimes in tender ports the towels were handed out on shore in the waiting area. Enjoy, Mauibabes

@katiebeth Blow off the negative and go with a positive attitude and you will have a fabulous time. As was said, a visit to Red Ginger will “make your day” unless of course you do not like Asian Fusion dining. Must try the Watermelon and Duck Salad, the Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass or their Rack of Lamb or the Teriyaki Beef (Filet Mignon) and so much more to choose from. The staff is wonderful and they really do want you to have an awesome experience. ENJOY! Mauibabes

PPG’s are always a winner, especially if on a longer cruise or you have gone for a PH when the rate is currently $23 pp, pd. Mauibabes

IMHO, the cookies are less sweet, more European style with less sugar and the chocolate is not as sweet either. Are they bad, not really but if they are not to your taste, consider them Weight Watcher approved to help you minimize point consumption/Calories. After all, there is another dining experience available within hours. As a last resort you can try some as a mid afternoon snack or at Tea in Horizons. They can be consumed as a filler or even, HORRORS, dunked in your tea 😇 Life on Oceania is such a challenge 🤪🙏👍🤞 Mauibabes

Jim, Take 7 if you really want a Vista Suite because the ones on 6 are above the Lounge, aka Theater and it could be noisy for awhile into the evening. Also mentioned the requirement to keep drapes closed so as to not interfere with the Bridge staff. If motion of the ocean is an issue, those Suites do get an exciting ride. Mauibabes