2010-2011 Winter Collection

[Friscorays]

There are several threads on the neighbouring Silversea column of this same cruise critic board discussing this issue. If you go over to that column, you can read all the opinion!

 

I guess I will. It is just that those smoking threads tend to turn nast quickly and before I know it my blood pressuire is up.

[Aussie Gal]

Don,

 

We went to Samana a few years ago when we did an Amazon cruise with HAL. We spent a lovely day on Cayo Levantado. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a perfect beach with beautiful clear water. It was easy to get a boat to take us from the port and return us back to the ship in time. I have some great photos of that day.

 

Jennie

[blackfoot]

The new winter schedules are very disappointing! Some of the new cruises are prior cruises from when they first started ie. Mayan.

 

It looks like more of the same w/very minor changes( not considering Europe)- will hope for something new and exciting later in the year and for now I will have to look at other lines!Also, Their fares are now approaching other smaller ship 5 star lines.

[Friscorays]

Don,

 

We went to Samana a few years ago when we did an Amazon cruise with HAL. We spent a lovely day on Cayo Levantado. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a perfect beach with beautiful clear water. It was easy to get a boat to take us from the port and return us back to the ship in time. I have some great photos of that day.

 

Jennie

 

Our Roll Call has arranged a beach day in Playa Rincon, at one time rated as one of the nicest beaches in the world. I have seen a fair amount of negativity about the Samana stop but we hope to have a nice time.

[Aussie Gal]

The sailing from Chile around the Cape ending in Buenos Aires looks interesting. We went to Antarctica several years ago, roundtrip from Ushuaia, but never sailed the Chilean Fjords or been to the Falklands. Has anybody done this itinerary?

 

We sailed the Chilean Fjords when we did our Antarctic cruise back in 2006 from Rio to Valpariso. They are magnificent and were one of the highlights of a wonderful cruise.

 

Unfortunately, we were supposed to visit the Falklands but rough weather prevented us from tendering. I believe that the islands are missed more times than not due to inclement weather.

 

Jennie

[A Knitter]

The sailing from Chile around the Cape ending in Buenos Aires looks interesting. We went to Antarctica several years ago, roundtrip from Ushuaia, but never sailed the Chilean Fjords or been to the Falklands. Has anybody done this itinerary?

 

 

I did this in 2006, my first with Oceania and it was fabulous. The Falklands has a lot of history and beautiful scenery. Since I am a Knitter, I actually found two yarn stores while walking into town. I recall we tendered in. The childean Fjords as Aussie Gal commented on were absolutely beautiful.

[meow!]

. I believe that the islands are missed more times than not due to inclement weather.

That is a pity. The Falkland Island is a historical site, one of the few in modern history where a war had been won quickly, cleanly and with no aftermath. Rough seas are always of concern, we missed Guernsey on our British Isles voyage (Celebrity) and Delos on our Eastern Mediterranean voyage (Oceania). Just hope for the best, and enjoy!

[Druke I]

We were able to tender into the Falklands on Regal Princess, Mar 06, Buenos Aires to Valparaiso.

 

I went on a Falkland Island Battlefield Tour, led by a retired Sergeant Major from the British Army, and it was very well done indeed.

 

My wife, sis-in-law and bro-in-law went on a Sheep Farm tour, and enjoyed it very much also.

[MightyQuinn]

I received emails from Oceania to both Betsy and I just a few minutes ago. I was surprised that they posted the itineraries and opened the booking on the same day.

Well I did receive an e-mail directly from Oceania at 3:00 pm Pacific time. Maybe the e-mails to the West Coast were sent later. We’re always playing catch-up out here. ;);)

[MightyQuinn]

Unfortunately, we were supposed to visit the Falklands but rough weather prevented us from tendering. I believe that the islands are missed more times than not due to inclement weather.

What a bummer to miss Falklands. We've actually landed there twice - once on an expedition ship en route to Antarctica in '97 & then recently on a HAL Chilean Fjords/SA cruise.

I’ve read here on CC that cruise ship calls are often cancelled due to winds and/or weather. When we were in Stanley in April/09, our guides lamented that such info is often overstated. So when we returned, I e-mailed Falklands Tourist Board for the actual stats of cruise ship cancellations for their most recent (08/09) season.

 

Here’s part of their e-mail reply:

 

“Last season we had a total of 5 cancellations, 4 which we would consider expedition vessels and 1 large cruise liner.

Expedition Vessels:

1 cancelled due to engine trouble

2 cancelled due to high winds in the Falklands

1 cancelled due to bad weather elsewhere so they were delayed and had to cancel the Falklands to get back onto their itinerary.

Large Cruise Liners:

1 cancelled due to high winds in the Falklands

We had 105 calls last season. So as you can see, we had very few cancellations.”

So while these stats are only for the the most recent season, they seem encouraging that most cruise ships do actually make their calls in Falklands. :):)

[hondorner]

Don,

 

We went to Samana a few years ago when we did an Amazon cruise with HAL. We spent a lovely day on Cayo Levantado. It was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a perfect beach with beautiful clear water. It was easy to get a boat to take us from the port and return us back to the ship in time. I have some great photos of that day.

 

Jennie

 

Our Roll Call has arranged a beach day in Playa Rincon, at one time rated as one of the nicest beaches in the world. I have seen a fair amount of negativity about the Samana stop but we hope to have a nice time.

We've lived in Florida for 37 years. We don't even go to the beach here, let alone when we're traveling.

 

The first time we were in Samana was the very first port on our very first cruise, aboard the Carnival ship Carnivale, in December, 1980. At that time, the ship docked at a very long pier on the North shore of the Dominican Republic, supposedly used by banana boats. Taxis were waiting to take across the mountain to Samana. Seven of us, including three tall adults (from 5'10 to 6'4) and 4 young pre-teens, were crammed into an old Toyota Corolla, along with the driver. We were sitting on top of each other! Our driver went as fast as he could up one side of the mountain, often using the shoulder of the road (and his horn) to pass other taxis. We discovered the reason why going down the other side -- he wanted to be in front, because he had no brakes. As we roared down the hill, passing entire villages of homes constructed of bare concrete blocks, most with no roofs, he barely missed some children and ran over a chicken.

 

Once in the town, we were loaded onto a rickety old wooden Chris Craft for the trip to the island. The beach was gorgeous -- and overrun with urchins begging, pulling at one's clothing, and shoving their trinkets for sale in one's face. Several were selling what they said were hand carved wooden ash trays. Betsy felt so sorry for them, she bought one for $5. In the meantime, our 9 year old son traded a fried chicken drumstick for one. When we got back to the ship, we discovered they were ceramic!

 

Our last time in Samana was in 2006, as the last port on our first Oceania cruise. Many things had changed. The ships now tendered in the Samana harbor. A private company, I believe Playa Rincon, had bought most of the island and built a hotel there. Oceania did not offer a tour to the island. The government has constructed a beautiful harborfront walkway into the town. However, little else had changed. Those urchins from our first trip had grown up and were using a unique form of transportation to haul folks to town -- grimy, rickety little rickshaw-type things pulled by noisy dirt bikes. They had also grown a new crop of urchins, still begging and pulling at clothes and walking backwards in front of us and pushing their worthless wares. I have seen lots of kids, and lots of street sellers, in other ports, but nothing like this. They positively swarm!

 

Other than that beach, now mostly owned by the hotel, and whale watching between Jan 15 and Mar 15, there is essentially nothing to do there.

 

We're scheduled to go there again, in January, aboard Regent Navigator, and will be there in whale watching season. However, I've read that the tour boats are small and the water is rough and the trips range from bouncing around waiting for a whale and high speed runs of abject terror chasing the whales.

 

I'm not normally this negative, or this dramatic, but I really don't like that stop. We'll try some sort of excursion on the Regent cruise because all of the excursions are included and we'll try to get our money's worth, otherwise we would stay on the ship.

[hondorner]

The sailing from Chile around the Cape ending in Buenos Aires looks interesting. We went to Antarctica several years ago, roundtrip from Ushuaia, but never sailed the Chilean Fjords or been to the Falklands. Has anybody done this itinerary?

We did it this past December on Insignia. One of the best cruises we have ever taken. Every moment is still right at the top of my memory. We spent a couple of days in Buenos Aires and finished with a custom tour that included a specific winery I wanted to visit, all at lower prices than we have experienced elsewhere. I could go on and on about this one...

[Benita]

It is tough for us to go away for any length of time during season, but Oceania scheduled one of the round the horn cruises from a Saturday-Saturday, minimizing the time away. When we went to Antarctica with Lindblad in 2005, we were flying home from Santiago and sat next to a woman who had been on a similar cruise as Oceania's, but in reverse (Buenos Aires to Santiago) on Holland America. People were tendered into the Falklands, but all of a sudden, a horrible storm ensued and tendering was suspended back to the ship until the next morning. The people in the Falklands opened their homes, a church and a school to put everyone up for the night. Quite an experience.

[MightyQuinn]

When we went to Antarctica with Lindblad in 2005, we were flying home from Santiago and sat next to a woman who had been on a similar cruise as Oceania's, but in reverse (Buenos Aires to Santiago) on Holland America. People were tendered into the Falklands, but all of a sudden, a horrible storm ensued and tendering was suspended back to the ship until the next morning. The people in the Falklands opened their homes, a church and a school to put everyone up for the night. Quite an experience.

You're right Benita. Over 900 pax from HAL Amsterdam spent the nite in Stanley in Jan/05. They were stranded on the Island when unexpected high winds caused the ship to pull anchor & move on. I've read accounts that those pax who made it back on-board the ship before it had to leave felt cheated at not having this special adventure!

[Aussie Gal]

Also, a lot of the passengers who were on medication had left their tablets on the ship. The Pharmacy on the Falklands was very busy handing out medication to those that needed it. There was a long posting about the whole adventure on the HAL Board way back in 2005.

 

There was a lesson to be learnt from that experience and that is if you need to take medication, make sure you take some with you just in case of an emergency.

 

Jennie

[Benita]

There must have been some pretty bad storms around then. Our sail down to Antarctica from Ushuaia, crossing Drake's Passage was amazingly rough. They had ropes everywhere for people to pull themselves along. My husband was the only passenger who made it to breakfast and came back covered in Rice Krispies as the cereal bowls kept overturning. Once we got down there, the waters were totally calm - we even kayaked around the ice formations. I teased my husband that we were going to have to stay on the peninsula because I was not sailing back through Drake's passage, but the ship's doctor got on the overhead and made an announcement that anybody who was healthy enough should take a couple of the seasickness pills and sleep for the day - I think the whole ship, with the possible exception of the captain followed her advice - even my husband because he did not want to spend the day alone. That was around the same time as the storms in the Falklands. Great stories to tell, but hopefully the seas have calmed down.

[grg1]

aha I also sailed with carnivale in 1980. but I belive that the ship was carnavel? We also made that stop, but I WAS THINKING THAT THE SHORE tour was free? Which it should have been, because our experience was just as you described.

[hondorner]

aha I also sailed with carnivale in 1980. but I belive that the ship was carnavel? We also made that stop, but I WAS THINKING THAT THE SHORE tour was free? Which it should have been, because our experience was just as you described.

The cruise line was/is Carnival; the ship was the Carnivale. It was the second ship acquired by Carnival. The first was the Empress of Canada, which Carnival renamed Mardi Gras. Carnivale was the former Empress of Britain. Carnival's third ship, Festivale, was also converted from an ocean liner. The Tropicale, launched in 1982, the year after our sailings, was the first purpose-built ship for Carnival.

 

Lots of folks look down on Carnival today, but it has to be remembered that Ted Arison and Carnival essentially created the cruise industry as we know it today, which is considerably different than it was before Carnival.

 

I don't know if our expedition was free or not, because my Mother-in-law paid for the cruise for her two daughters, their spouses (that's me) and our two children, each. the nine of us had a wonderful time two years in a row. She was concerned she would pass away before she had the chance to spend time with us; she was 76 years old at the time. The irony is that she lived to be 103, passing away in 2007, still reasonably alert.

 

I mentioned earlier that my son traded a chicken leg for an ash tray; we had the food because the ship issued everyone a lunch box with fried chicken, chips, an apple and cookies for the beach party.

[hondorner]

You're right Benita. Over 900 pax from HAL Amsterdam spent the nite in Stanley in Jan/05. They were stranded on the Island when unexpected high winds caused the ship to pull anchor & move on. I've read accounts that those pax who made it back on-board the ship before it had to leave felt cheated at not having this special adventure!

Spend a couple of hours with the Falkland Island folks and you will feel as if you have known them all your life. I'm sure they were arguing among themselves to see who could open their home the fastest. We took the Rock Hopper Penguin tour, which involved a long off-road drive to the far side of the island. Our driver, in her personal Toyota Land Cruiser, was determined to outdrive the men in their fancy Land Rovers, and nearly wet her pants laughing when one of them got stuck. She told us that her daughter would be fixing the hot chocolate at the penguin site, told us her name and told us some personal things (nothing bad) we should mention to her when we saw her. We went in the little hut, said "Hi, Meg, hear you had some trouble getting home from the pub last night," and she was stunned until she figured it out -- "You rode in with my Mum, didn't you!"

 

Wonderful, friendly, caring and giving people. One of the highlights of the trip.

[frqttrvlr09]

Of the various penguin tours in the Falklands out of Port Stanley, which one would any of you that have done them recommend: the Rockhopper penguin trip; the trip to Sparrow Cove to see the gentoo and king pengins, or the one to Bluff Lagoon to see the gentoo and king penguins?

 

Also, what type of seasickness medication seems to work the best: over the counter stuff, and what in particular, or getting prescription Scopolomine tablets, now that they are back? I don't generally get seasick in "normal" seas, but in some of the particuarly rough seas of Alaska where I live, I have taken Scopolomine for a trip out the Chain that was some of the worst seas I have ever seen, and the Cape and environs appear to be particularly rough as well at times from what I have read here and elsewhere.

[meow!]

The Falkland Islands have only 1,800 residents, barely enough to fill an older Celebrity ship. So if all on your R ship stay ovenight, it will be one guest per family .. meow!

[KIWP]

On a lighter note, I received some “teaser” information from a TA regarding Oceania’s soon to be released 2010-2011 Winter Collection. No complete itins released as of yet(not until 9-15 it seems) but looks like there are thirty new ports of call including two new in the US...Charleston, South Carolina and Williamsburg (Yorktown), Virginia. Enjoy!

 

Kathleen

 

The new itins are great and inventive. A good deal of thought has been put into the process to keep the clientelle interested. One of the nicest aspects is that consistently Oceania listens to what the customer wants and acts on it. For several years we have made suggestions of various kinds and have had positive results throughout. Once again the new itineraries prove that. We were with Renaissance and once O came into being became totally devoted to the new line. I am most happy to say that yesterday (15 September) we booked the African itineraries (back-to-back for 65 days) and that will bring us to 24 "O" cruises. As consumers we have choices, and we (after crusing with many companies) prefer to spend our money with O.

 

This past February I was diagnosed with Cancer and had to have an operation. Fortunately all is going well so far and I feel great. I hope that will continue and that I will be around for a long time and keep on cruising and enjoying all that the world has to offer.

 

For those of you who like to look at the negatives (like not having your cruise itinerary suggestion picked) try to find something positive and stay with it. No I'm not on a soap box to prove anything. But life is worth living and there is something worthwhile in EVERYTHING!!!!

I will paraphrase Auntie Mame when she said "Life is a banqueet and most poor suckers are starving to death." SO LIVE and ENJOY!!! :)

[A Knitter]

The new itins are great and inventive. A good deal of thought has been put into the process to keep the clientelle interested. One of the nicest aspects is that consistently Oceania listens to what the customer wants and acts on it. For several years we have made suggestions of various kinds and have had positive results throughout. Once again the new itineraries prove that. We were with Renaissance and once O came into being became totally devoted to the new line. I am most happy to say that yesterday (15 September) we booked the African itineraries (back-to-back for 65 days) and that will bring us to 24 "O" cruises. As consumers we have choices, and we (after crusing with many companies) prefer to spend our money with O.

 

This past February I was diagnosed with Cancer and had to have an operation. Fortunately all is going well so far and I feel great. I hope that will continue and that I will be around for a long time and keep on cruising and enjoying all that the world has to offer.

 

For those of you who like to look at the negatives (like not having your cruise itinerary suggestion picked) try to find something positive and stay with it. No I'm not on a soap box to prove anything. But life is worth living and there is something worthwhile in EVERYTHING!!!!

I will paraphrase Auntie Mame when she said "Life is a banqueet and most poor suckers are starving to death." SO LIVE and ENJOY!!! :)

 

 

Congratulations on your bill of health. :)

[KIWP]

Thank you. I appreciate that you took the time.

[MightyQuinn]

Of the various penguin tours in the Falklands out of Port Stanley, which one would any of you that have done them recommend: the Rockhopper penguin trip; the trip to Sparrow Cove to see the gentoo and king pengins, or the one to Bluff Lagoon to see the gentoo and king penguins?

Here’s a fantastic site for everything Falklands, including info about penguins at the various sites and other touring options. Resources are very limited on Falklands so advance planning is critical. http://www.visitorfalklands.com/content/view/185/170/

 

We went to Volunteer Point in March/09 and it was a highlight of our SA cruise. Volunteer Point is a premium penguin destination on Falklands & the only reliable place to see impressive numbers of Kings. The colony is the 2nd largest in the world (~2000) after the vast colony on South Georgia in Antarctica. There are also colonies of Gentoos & Magellanics but the real stars are the Kings. We went with Patrick Watts at pwatts@horizon.co.fk It’s a 2-hr trip by 4x4 over bumpy boggy terrain to get to the beaches & bluffs of Volunteer Point. The ride itself is a hoot and Patrick talks non-stop about life on the Island! The ultimate reward is 2 hr with the Kings (and Gentoos & Magellanics) before returning to Stanley. This all-day excursion with basic lunch costs US$185 pp (HAL offered the identical trip for US$349 pp). You need a minimum port call of at least 7-8 hours in order to do this excursion. Patrick is very aware of cruise ship schedules & would advise you whether it is possible for you to go to Volunteer Point.

 

If you decide to go, make every effort to get in the 4x4 with Patrick himself. While I’m sure all guides are great, Patrick is in a class by himself. He’s so much more than a guide/driver. He’s part naturalist, part historian, part storyteller & all-round great guy. He’s also a local hero & Island legend from the Falklands War. Google him for the scoop or read about him in the July/08 issue of National Geographic Traveler. He obviously loves Falklands & is eager to share it with others. You’re in for a real treat. :cool::cool: