DAY 2: Venice (Oceania Cruise)

Ah, Venice!


After a good night’s sleep, we had a leisurely breakfast in the elegant Grand Dining Room, patterned after the classic 5-star restaurants of Europe.

Swarovski crystal chandelier in Marina’s Grand Dining Room

Grand Dining Room aboard Oceania's ship, Marina

Menus change daily, but this will give you an idea of the breakfast menu.

Page 1 of the breakfast menu in the Grand Dining Room on Marina (Oceania Cruises)

Page 2 of the breakfast menu in the Grand Dining Room on Marina (Oceania Cruises)

It felt funny (but nice) after eating a beautiful breakfast like this, to then just get up and walk out. There’s no bill to pay or even tip to leave. (There is a total tip charge, which varies by cruise line. For Oceania it’s $13.50 per person per day. For suites, which include butler service, there is an additional $5 per person per day.  Based on the attentive service we enjoyed throughout the cruise, it was money well spent!)

The weather that day was another definition of perfection. Beautiful, beautiful! Oceania provided a free shuttle from the ship to the Piazzale Roma (Venice's terminal), where we were able to pick up the vaporetto. Having been to Venice 1-1/2 years ago, there was nothing we felt we had to see, and having arrived just the day before, we preferred to have a leisurely Saturday and ride the vaporetto through the canals.

A vaporetto in Venice

A vaporetto is like the city bus, except that this being Venice, the bus is a boat. (Sidebar: if you’re planning a trip to Venice and are trying to decide between a water taxi [expensive] and a vaporetto [cheap] for your airport transfers, ask yourself if you’d like to be on this with all your luggage!)

With a day-pass, we were able to hop on and off the vaporetto and stroll for a while as desired. We both verbalized the sudden realization that Venice is one of our favorite cities in the world. We thought it probably has something physiologically to do with being on the water, but there’s also its incredible architectural beauty.

The Grand Canal in Venice

 

Gondola in the Grand Canal, Venice

 

Has anyone yet published a coffee table book called The Verandas of Venice?

Window boxes and flower-filled verandas in Venice

Pigeon in an open window in Venice

One of the highlights for us was to visit the hotel where we’d stayed on our previous trip to Venice, the Al Ponte Antico. We’d written ahead to the gracious owner, Matteo, who said that of course we’d be welcome to come back for a visit. We each ordered a Spritz ("the official cocktail of Italy," a combination of Prosecco and Aperol) and sipped them on the hotel’s veranda overlooking the Grand Canal, just as we’d done in the fall of 2009.

Our Spritz toast at the Al Ponte Antico Hotel, overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice

And just as at that earlier time, we were able to see an ambulance approach from under the Rialto Bridge and speed past, dodging other vessels and leaving its wake to wash up over the sides of the canal.

An ambulance boat speeds out from under the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal of Venice

While we were still sitting there, a wedding party passed by!

Bride and groom in a flower-bedecked gondola in Venice

When we tried to pay the bill for our Spritzes, Matteo was no longer there, but payment was refused. (Did I say gracious?) If you ever need a hotel in Venice, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Al Ponte Antico. There’s a reason why it stays at #1 or #2 on TripAdvisor’s list of 444 hotels in Venice. So our thanks to you, Matteo!  We enjoyed seeing you and your beautiful hotel again.

Al Ponte Antico Hotel, on the Grand Canal in Venice

Breakfast room of the Al Ponte Antico Hotel in Venice

We also stepped inside the Hotel Danieli for a quick peek at its 14th century lobby. It is gorgeous. I’d thought earlier that we might want to have lunch at the Danieli, but when we see on the menu a lunch item for €85 and a bottle of champagne for €600, that’s our first clue to keep looking for another place to eat!

14th century lobby of the Hotel Danieli in Venice

We never dreamed the extent to which Oceania Cruises really goes all out, even “arranging” for the Pope to be in Venice for our visit.

Banner welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to Venice

Italian officers in a water taxi on the Grand Canal of Venice

The city was all abuzz. Cameras were set up; the appropriate dock had been carpeted in red; and we saw a boat delivering plants and flowers, presumably to dress up for the occasion. We passed a scarlet-bedecked platform set up near the entrance to St. Mark’s Square.

Of course, there was a downside to this. Even though the Pope wouldn’t be speaking until early evening, for security reasons St. Mark’s Square was closed for the day. This wasn’t a big issue for us, but we felt for those who’d never seen Venice before, as that’s one of the major sites of the city. (See cruise tip below). Our ship was even delayed for two hours in leaving the harbor because port traffic was halted for security reasons. (The captain was able to make up the time, so we arrived at our next destination on schedule.)

Before pulling away from Venice, there was a mandatory safety drill. Each cabin was assigned to a specific muster station on the ship – ours was in the Grand Dining Room – and roll call was taken. They discussed the lifejackets and emergency evacuation procedures.

When we left port – and at many other times – music filled the air. It was magic. (Well, maybe it was Jack the Knife…either way!) One passenger joked that what you never want to hear a ship’s band play is Nearer My God, to Thee – and they didn’t!  :)

Live band poolside aboard Oceania’s ship, Marina

We had dinner in one of Marina’s five specialty restaurants, Toscana. One of the nice things about Oceania as a cruise line is that they don't charge for specialty restaurants (other than for the wine-pairing dinner at La Reserve, as alcohol is not included in the price of the cruise).

Toscana Restaurant aboard Oceania’s ship, Marina

I have to admit, it’s the first time I’ve ever been to a restaurant that had a separate, two-page menu for olive oils! There were plain olive oils of different varieties, others that were infused with rosemary and such, and still others that were mixed with vinegars.

It was beautiful eating dinner there, with the Roman shades raised, and watching the sun set over the bow of the ship. We shared a dinner table with Lee and Brenda, and with Jeff and Patti. Patti used to reside in the same small town where we lived when our daughter was little. We would bump into her and Jeff a number of times in the next 10 days, and we came to enjoy some running inside jokes.

CRUISE TIP #1: When selecting a cruise that includes a destination that’s on your bucket list, you may want to choose an itinerary that either starts or ends in that location. There are several reasons for this:

(1) Sometimes, due to weather conditions, a ship is not able to make all its stops. (This may be especially true if tenders are required for a given port.) But if a cruise starts or ends at the destination that’s most important to you, barring some disaster, you can be fairly certain that you’ll see it.

(2) It allows you the opportunity to add one or more days pre- or post-cruise in that location for more in-depth sightseeing.

(3) That pre- or post-cruise stay is added insurance if the destination is of particular interest to you. I really felt for those people who’d never been to Venice and now that they were, weren’t able to see St. Mark’s Square because of the Pope’s visit. Sometimes these things happen.

CRUISE TIP #2: Some cruise lines charge $20-35 per person for specialty restaurants, not including alcohol; others, like Oceania, do not. It’s just something to be aware of when selecting and pricing your cruise.

CRUISE TIP #3: Cruise prices can result in sticker shock because we’re often used to computing land travel costs separately: “This many days in this hotel at $___ per night, and that many days in that hotel at $___ per night, and the rental car is $___, and we’ll figure so much for food,” etc. With a cruise, the food, transportation and accommodations for the entire trip are rolled into one price, and I think that price is actually a bargain (especially because all the meals are gourmet). As for alcoholic drinks, prices seem on a par with those at restaurants (an 18% service charge is added). The area where I think one is more likely to pay more can be on airport transfers and ship excursions, but there are usually easy workarounds for these, so please don’t ever let that dissuade you from the wonderful experience of cruising.

Note: I will eventually be adding many more photos from Venice to my Flickr account.

PRE- and DAY 1 – Travel to / Arrive in Venice for Oceania Cruise (Thurs & Fri)

We were up at 5:00 a.m. for the long trip, made longer because we (in an effort to save some money) took three planes to get to Venice, having two- to three-hour layovers in both Dallas and Madrid. Oddly enough, it was kind of nice to have the stop in Dallas, which allowed for a real lunch and some light-duty shopping. And in Madrid, it gave us more than enough time to go through another (required) security check and enjoy the architecture.

Interesting architecture at the Madrid-Barajas Airport

While we were in an airport shop, all of a sudden music and dancing broke out! The people of Madrid really know how to perk up the souls of weary travelers!

Flamenco dancing at the Madrid-Barajas Airport

We had a pleasantly uneventful taxi ride from the Venice airport to the dock. The driver quoted €40 inclusive of tip. Even though the meter was slightly higher than that, he only asked for the 40 -- very refreshing! (For price comparison, a water taxi would have been €100 [about $150] for the two of us from the airport to the pier, and the cruise line’s transfer would have cost $139 per person.)

So after one limo ride, 3 planes, 2 inter-airport busses, 1 taxi and a short walk, we were on Oceania’s newest ship, the beautiful Marina. Embarkation was quick and simple, and we were in our veranda cabin in no time, with a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for us to pop the cork. There is just something about coming to an end of all that travel and finally being on the ship…surrounded by water…in Venice…and sipping champagne. It’s almost a definition of perfection.

Our concierge-level veranda cabin, #10112, aboard Oceania’s ship, Marina

The granite bathroom had a separate tub and shower, both with hand-held wands (as well as a rainhead in the shower). The tub was nice and deep for soaking after a day of walking cobblestone streets!

Bathroom in veranda cabin of Oceania’s ship, Marina

Bathroom of veranda cabin of Oceania’s Marina

Sometimes people who are used to 4- and 5-star hotel properties (and the space they provide) are surprised when it isn’t the same on a cruise. It’s important to remember that this is a ship. And for a ship, this is a fairly large bathroom.  (Admittedly, it looks smaller in this photo than the one above it.)

For more space, however, one can upgrade to a suite.  At the pinnacle is the 2,000 square foot Owner's Suite (photographed on an earlier ship tour in San Diego).

Master bathroom in Marina's 2,000 sq ft Owner's Suite

(For more of our photos from that ship tour, click here.)
 

Wonderful Bvlgari toiletries in Oceania’s concierge-level cabins and suites

Figuring we’d be tired from the trip, we’d planned to call room service for dinner and eat on the veranda – there’s no charge for room service on Oceania – but once we were onboard, we felt invigorated and wanted to explore the ship. We decided to eat in the Terrace Café, which was much like an upscale cafeteria. That allowed us to pick and choose and eat odd combinations of things, the way one likes to pick and choose and eat odd combinations after flying for so many hours and across so many time zones. (And they were quite happy for us to bring along our glasses of champagne from our room. Things are wonderfully different that way on a cruise!)

The service was exceptional everywhere on the ship, and I like that the servers all wear name tags that also include their nationality. It’s a very international group!

Our cabin attendant, Alexandra, from Serbia. She was great!

We wondered what it would feel like to be on a ship and imagined more of an up-and-down sensation. What it felt like instead was more of a jiggling. If you remember those massage beds that some motels had in the 1960’s, where you put a quarter into a box on the headboard to start the motion, that’s sort of what the ship felt like, especially when lying down. But we didn’t have to put in our quarters.  (We didn't hear of anyone getting seasick on the entire 10-day cruise.)

It really felt good to hit the sack for an early bedtime. Marina’s mattresses are the perfect combination of firm underneath with a cushy top, and I’m not kidding, those 1000-thread-count linens are fabulous!

I'm cheating a bit: this was taken in 2009.  However, in that the ship was in port for

an overnight, it would have been possible to see Venice by night during the cruise.

Tomorrow: Venice by day!

TSA TIP #1: I wore a long skirt for the flight, which meant an automatic TSA pat down in Los Angeles. And because I was wearing a money belt under the skirt, it required a private pat down. Turned out it was no big deal. Two female TSA agents took me into a private room and had me remove the money belt. Then one of them patted my legs through the skirt. It never felt inappropriate at all, and I got the impression the agents dislike the process as much as travelers do. I told them, “My husband will be really happy I didn’t talk him into wearing a money belt!” and they laughed. Good to know TSA agents can have a sense of humor.

TSA TIP #2: Something we learned at a travel agent meeting recently was to make sure to keep your small electronic equipment (phone, etc.) and watches/jewelry inside something larger, such as your carry-on bag. That way, if you’re delayed in going through the screening yourself, it’s harder for a would-be thief to pick it up, pocket it and be on their way. The TSA does have cameras, but they’re only responsible for reimbursement if it was one of their agents who took something. Better to avoid problems by making it as hard as possible to be victimized.

CRUISE INFO: The taxi driver dropped off our luggage in one spot and pointed the direction in which we should walk for embarkation onto the ship. We heard of some who wondered if they’d ever see their things again, but this is standard procedure. It’s important to have the cruise-line-issued tags for your luggage, as you will not see your bags again until they’re placed outside your cabin on the ship.

At embarkation, they take your picture and issue you what looks like a credit card. This is used for any purchases onboard, but more importantly, to check you on and off the ship for shore excursions, so it’s important to carry it with you at all times. When you reenter the ship, they check the photo, so if you did lose your card ashore, the finder couldn’t get a free cruise at your expense.

Our Anniversary at the Mission Inn, Riverside, CA

The Mission Inn

This will be a short entry because I already did a blog on the Mission Inn on February 7. I actually wrote that entry the day before, on the 100th anniversary of President Reagan’s birth, and I chose the Mission Inn because that’s where he and Mrs. Reagan spent their honeymoon.

I’ve lived in Southern California for over 30 years, and the research for that blog post convinced me that this was a place we needed to see, however belatedly! So I’ll share with you some of my favorite photos from that day.

Plaza in front of the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel at the Mission Inn

 

Staff member was guarding the door during a wedding inside the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel at the Mission Inn

I find this one intriguing. Why was the door cracked?

The workmanship is amazing on this façade of the

St. Francis of Assisi Chapel

(even if Assisi is misspelled, per my research).

The Mission Inn has an incredible conglomeration of architectural styles.

A room on the top floor at the Mission Inn

 

The famous clock tower at the Mission Inn

 

So European in feeling!

 

Our anniversary brunch at Duane’s

 

The surprise dessert they brought us

 

And we lived happily ever after!

Exclusive Tour of Oceania's Brand-New Ship, Marina

Oceania Cruises’ newest ship, Marina

Last week my husband and I had the opportunity to tour Oceania Cruises’ brand-new ship, Marina. If you’re a follower of the ScheckTrek blog, you may recognize that as the ship whose “Grecian Glory” itinerary I chronicled from November to January. So even though I was fairly familiar with what many of the public areas and staterooms look like, it was a special treat for me to be able to see it all in person. The only thing lacking was that I wanted to “feel the sea move under my feet,” to paraphrase Carole King. But I look forward to taking care of that part of it in due time!

This tour was only open to travel agents – some of whom flew in from Canada just to see this ship first-hand – but I can at least provide you with a visual tour and let you know why we thought it was special.

First of all, it’s gorgeous! We overheard agents saying they thought it’s the most beautiful ship out there, and its staterooms are especially nice. Prior to Oceania’s release of Marina, the staterooms on their existing three ships ranked 3rd, 5th, and 7th, respectively, in Conde Nast’s ranking of the top 20 ships in their size category. For Marina, Oceania has upsized and upgraded the staterooms – all of which is to say, they’re really nice!

Master Bedroom of the Owner’s Suite on Oceania's ship, Marina


There are three Owner’s Suites on the ship, each with 2,000 sq ft and a large, wrap-around veranda.

Dressing table in the Master Bedroom of the Owner’s Suite of Oceania’s ship, Marina

I should have had my husband take my photo while sitting at this table, pretending!

The Music Room in the Owner’s Suite of Oceania Cruises’ ship, Marina

This is the short side of the wrap-around deck of Marina’s Owner’s Suite, but this is the side with private Jacuzzi and outdoor television!

Our tour started in Horizons, an elegant lounge overlooking the bow of the ship and largely enclosed with windows. For this travel agents’ tour, we looked out onto the docks of San Diego; but imagine seeing the passing scenery of Adriatic coastline, for example, while sipping champagne and tasting canapés.

We then had the run of the ship, with one of each type of stateroom and suite available for our inspection. Marina has four suite levels: Owner’s (pictured above), Vista (1,200-1,500 sq ft), Oceania (1,000+ sq ft), and Penthouse (420 sq ft). All provide butler service and access to the Executive Lounge.

Following are photos of the Penthouse Suite. Though larger and with added amenities, it is similar in feeling/decor to the Veranda, Ocean-View, and Inside Staterooms.

Sitting area of the Penthouse Suite in Oceania’s newest ship, Marina

Penthouse Suite. There are two upholstered chairs and a table at the foot of the bed – just in case you feel like eating in your suite and prefer not to do it, for whatever reason, on your veranda or in bed.

The pool area of Oceania’s ship, Marina. I dream of parking myself in one of those lounge chairs while at sea.

After the tour, we had a 5-course lunch in the Grand Dining Room. Meals are one of the things Oceania does best. In Conde Nast’s ranking of the top 13 “always the best” cruise lines out there, Oceania’s food ranked 3rd, missing 2nd place by .1 point to Crystal. However, in a separate CN readers’ poll to rank the top 20 specific ships in their size category, Oceania’s ship Regatta, came in first with an overall score of 95.8. Their other ships were 3rd and 5th. The February 2011 publication was too early to include Marina, but I can tell you, we ate well! Following are some of the visuals:

This is the Grand Dining Room on Oceania’s ship, Marina

Beautiful china in Marina’s Grand Dining Room

Though I’m not a fan of caviar, personally, I appreciated Marina’s/Oceania’s generous offering.

I believe this fish appetizer came from Marina’s Red Ginger restaurant.

Surprisingly, considering the cost of gold these days, they gave us some to eat atop the dessert on Marina.  And I ate it!


There are a number of very good cruise lines out there, and sometimes it depends on what a person wants. (For example, those with small children might want to consider a Disney Cruise.)

Oceania is an upscale – though, for some reason, not considered deluxe – cruise line.  It is widely reputed to give good value for the money, and it excels in the following areas (where stats are given, they’re based on Conde Nast’s January and February issues, 2011):

• Ship size. I like medium-size ships, such as Oceania’s. They’re large enough to provide restaurant choices and things to do, but they can get into ports that the mega-ships can’t, and there are fewer lines (to eat, to get off the ship, etc).


• Port-rich itineraries, with enough time to feel you’ve actually been there. A personal pet peeve is to see some place like Santorini, for example, on a ship’s itinerary, but notice that there’s hardly enough time to get up to the top (where you want to be), see anything, and get back down to the ship on time. The itineraries for Oceania’s three earlier ships (Marina wasn’t out in time for these stats) were ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 6th for the top 20 ships of their size; and as a cruise line, Oceania’s itineraries ranked 3rd for top cruise lines (without regard to ship size).


• Food. Oceania Cruises was ranked 3rd for food, and readers of Conde Nast ranked Oceania’s ship, Regatta, in 1st place for food on a ship of its size. Another plus is that Oceania doesn’t charge a premium at any of their restaurants, which is increasingly rare. Four of their 10 dining rooms require reservations (but not set seating times, which provides flexibility) and 6 are open seating.


• Cabins are lovely and, depending on the ship, rank as high the top 5 for ships of its size.


• Crew and service also rank very high on Oceania.

Anyway, we had a really great time!
 
If you've cruised, please let us know where you went, which cruise line, how you liked it, etc.!  If you haven't yet cruised, where would you most like to go?
 

If you’d like to see all our photos from this tour, click here.