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RTW Redux ... 2023

December 2022 - July 2023
Second around the world voyage on Oceania's Insignia. This time, we're taking a little more time to circumnavigate the world by choosing the 198-day itinerary over the 180-day itinerary. And we are adding an 11-day Caribbean cruise as a precursor. Read more
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  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    Q&A … A Quick Reference

    January 4, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    While FindPenguins is quite easy to use, I do sometimes get questions. So, here’s a quick "Q&A footprint" for those who might need it. (FindPenguins does have a good support page, which you can reach at https://support.findpenguins.com/hc/en-us.)

    The app can be downloaded from the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.

    If you prefer to use the website: https://findpenguins.com/

    DO I HAVE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT TO READ FOOTPRINTS?
    You can read footprints and view photos by simply opening the link I provided for my feed/trip. You do not need an account. However, without an account, you need to manually open the link each time to check if there is a new post. There are no automatic notifications.

    HOW DO I GET NOTIFIED THAT THERE IS A NEW TRIP OR FOOTPRINT?
    Only followers receive notifications. Confirmed followers are notified about new posts and comments. You can also see trips that are visible to “Followers Only.”

    HOW DO I FOLLOW TWO TO TRAVEL?
    To become a follower, a FindPenguins account needs to be created. You then have to go to my profile using the feed/trip link I provided and click on the “Follow” button on my profile. Once I accept the request, you will start receiving notifications.

    **** Important Note: If you create an account, FindPenguins will automatically give you a premium account. This is a TRIAL for the paid version. Not to worry. YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED. After three months, unless you have specifically taken action to activate the premium account, you will be converted to the free version.

    HOW DO NOTIFICATIONS WORK?
    Once you become a follower, you will immediately receive push notifications about new footprints and comments on the app or the website. This only works if you have enabled push notifications.

    Email notifications: If you confirmed your email address when you set up your account, you will receive emails about new footprints. These emails are sent within 24 hours of a posting, but to keep the mailboxes clean, no more than one email every 3 days.

    By the way … Email notifications are not sent if you have already seen the footprint.

    HOW TO RE-ORDER FOOTPRINTS?
    On the home page (aka the feed), the order is newest to oldest (or “newest first” if you are using the app). The feed is for all of my trips, so posts from different trips could pop up, though this seldom happens when I am actively traveling.

    You can reverse the order if you wish. This is handy if you want to catch up on a trip by reading the existing footprints first.

    To change the order of footprints for a specific trip on the website, click the blue “trip name” link at the top of the footprint. Then click the blue link on the right top above the footprint to reverse the order.

    If you are using the app, click the blue “trip name” link at the top of the footprint, then look for the “…” in the top right corner of the screen to reverse the order.

    LEAVING COMMENTS
    Every author enjoys receiving comments, so do take a moment to leave one instead of just clicking the “heart” at the bottom of the footprint. If you don’t have an account, please add your name at the end of your comment.

    I do answer questions and reply to comments when warranted. Unless you have an account, you will have to manually return to the footprint to see the reply.    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    3rd Try the Charm?

    January 6, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 39 °F

    RTW = Round the World. Or, to use the Oceania nomenclature … ATW … which stands for Around the World. I like my acronym better. Hence, that is the abbreviation I will be using.

    After our RTW2017 voyage, we knew we would be doing another one of these long adventures. There was a caveat, however. The itinerary had to be substantially different from the voyage we did in 2017.

    First try for RTW #2 ...

    We booked RTW2020 when the itinerary came out in February 2018. Then, we decided to settle in Colorado and bought a house in July 2018. We figured that it was more prudent to save our $s for the home purchase. Thus, we canceled the booking. In hindsight, it was a good thing that we did so. RTW2020 was severely disrupted mid-stream due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Second try for RTW #2 ...

    In January 2020, another Oceania world cruise itinerary caught our eye. This time for 2022. It was different not only from the 2017 itinerary but also from our now canceled 2020 plans.

    Within weeks of RTW2022 being announced, we had a deposit down for a cabin. Two months later, the coronavirus pandemic began burning across the world. Sigh! But we persevered. Surely this "bug" was a flash in the pan and would be gone by the time January 2022 came around.

    2020 passed in a flash of masking and social distancing. The pandemic grew. The numbers around the US and the world kept moving in the wrong direction ... up instead of down. Sometimes in huge surges. Sometimes slowly. Even with a vaccination program starting up towards the end of 2020, relief — partial or otherwise — seemed far, far away. We kept our fingers crossed for RTW2022 and persevered.

    Third try for RTW #2 ...

    2021 began with continued cruise cancelations. RTW2022 was still a go, however. Discussions of wearing masks and social distancing on ships took on a life of their own. Add to this the possibility of being required to take ship-sponsored excursions to get off and explore ports. Hmmm ... it was perhaps time to consider a postponement or cancelation of our 2022 plans.

    Today, Oceania’s RTW2023 itinerary was published. A cursory look at the map proved that it was worth considering. In some ways, it was similar to RTW2020. Definitely different from RTW2017.

    So, we've decided to jump ship if we can get a cabin. The potential glitch? Passengers on the disrupted 2020 voyage and the canceled 2021 voyage will be given incremental priority for making their reservations. Bookings for the rest of us will not open until 27 January.

    Nothing to do but patiently wait until then ...🤞🏻.    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    The Genesis of the Travel Itch

    January 10, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °F

    While we wait to find out if we’ll be doing the 2023 world cruise on Oceania, I thought I’d share the genesis of the travel itch that keeps us wandering around the world … often for extended periods of time.

    Instead of repeating myself in this trip journal, I’m going to link to the post I wrote while we were waiting for the booking window to open for our first world cruise (RTW2017). After all, nothing has changed since I wrote this bit in 2015 … except that we’ve added a whole bunch of places to our “visited list” since then.

    http://2totravelrtw180.blogspot.com/2016/05/fir….

    Enjoy!    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    Optioned RTW2023

    January 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °F

    Just 34 minutes after bookings opened this morning, I had an “option invoice” in my email inbox for Oceania’s RTW2023.

    We were hoping to get one of the two aft-facing veranda cabins on deck 6. But the chances of landing one of them were nil ... especially since passengers displaced from RTW2020 and RTW2021 due to the pandemic were given an early booking window. No matter, we managed to land a B2 veranda cabin, which was our second choice.

    The Oceania website already shows RTW2023 sold out. That’s a bit misleading, I think. I’m sure some cabins were held back for “segment” bookings when they become available in about a month or so. And of course, there will be some people who cancel between now and the final payment next year.

    We now have until 3 February to make the deposit.    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    It’s Official! Jumped from 2022 to 2023

    February 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    It’s a done deal! We have officially jumped ship. Or perhaps more accurately, since the ship remains the same, we have jumped years. From RTW2022 to RTW2023.

    I paid the deposit this morning. Between the $s transferred from other cruise bookings that we have canceled (including RTW2022) and future cruise credits from O-canceled 2020 cruises, there was no “new” hit to the wallet!

    Details coming soon!    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    Continental Connoisseur

    February 4, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 34 °F

    “Perhaps more than ever before, so many of us are realizing how valuable our travel experiences have become. Our travels connect us through a shared passion, create bonds that last a lifetime and often enrich our lives in ways we’d never imagined.” ~~ Bob Binder ... President & CEO ... Oceania Cruises

    Oceania gave us several itinerary versions of RTW2023 from which to pick and choose. The usual 180-days — this year from San Francisco to San Francisco — is one of them. Plus a few other options that include starting in Miami and ending in New York.

    After a careful study of the itineraries, we have opted to embark Insignia in Miami on 28 December 2022. Why? Because we saw a number of new-to-us ports on the 18-day segment from Miami to San Francisco. Besides, it's always fun to transit the Panama Canal.

    When RTW2017 concluded in Miami, we regretted not having more days on the ship. This time we will have those extra days🤞🏻.

    Our second world cruise will be 198 days instead of 180 days. And it will be known as the "Continental Connoisseur."

    Though it is fairly impossible to depict a "Round the World" itinerary on a flat map, attached is a snipped version from the Oceania brochure.

    We'll be going east to west, north to south, south to north, west to east. In other words, we'll be traveling in every possible combination of directions as we circumnavigate the globe.    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    B2 6084

    February 5, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °F

    Our ideal cruise ship cabin is one that overlooks the stern of the ship. There are several of these cabins on Insignia, but only two of them fit our budget.

    Considering the incremental booking windows for RTW2023, it came as no surprise that we were unable to book one of those aft cabins. Instead, we managed to snag a B2 category cabin on deck 6 ... portside ... in the aft third of the ship.

    The cabin is the same size as the aft cabin we'd hoped for. The veranda, however, is not as spacious. No matter, we're satisfied with what we've got booked.

    Insignia went through a refurbishment in late 2018. All new colors and decor. We're looking forward to enjoying the more modern look and feel of the ship as we cruise around the world.    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    Why Blog with FindPenguins?

    February 6, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 39 °F

    When we decided to book RTW2017, I struggled with the decision to blog or not.

    It wasn’t that I didn’t want to write about our adventure. I did. I love writing about our travels as an insurance against those days that will eventually come when “armchair traveling” will be our only option. And I enjoy sharing our trips with others. Thus, a blog is the perfect means for both.

    The struggle was because I know myself. I start out OK. But the further we get into the trip, the more difficult it gets to stay on top of the blog ... the farther I fall behind. This has happened with every blog I’ve written ... including the one I eventually decided to write for RTW2017.

    The problem, you see, is that I would rather be out and about enjoying the moment. And then there is also the availability — or lack thereof — of a wifi or data signal to post to the blog.

    So, for RTW2017, I came up with the idea of doing a private journal with all the nitty gritty of each day. The plan was to then post a snippet to the blog each day and include a couple of photos. Well, that didn’t work so great ... for a variety of reasons. Eventually — well after we were back home — I got the blog all caught up and the story of RTW2017 was completed ... thanks to staying on top of my private journal during the voyage so I could pull out details after the fact.

    So, for RTW2023, I am going to use FindPenguins instead of Blogger to recount our travel stories. Admittedly, I much prefer the story-telling format of Blogger. Photos interspersed amongst words work so much better. But I’ve tried it unsuccessfully. No sense in banging my head up against the same wall ... over and over again.

    The FindPenguins format is a lot simpler. That should keep me on the straight and narrow🤞🏻. As well, I can use my phone or iPad to post footprints anywhere ... anytime. After all, that is the purpose of this app. I won’t have to rely on the often-iffy wi-fi signal on the ship. I can draft up the footprints, and if the ship’s wi-fi doesn’t work, I can start posting as soon as I get within a data signal with my T-Mobile plan.

    Thus, once again, I will attempt to tell the story of a RTW voyage. Hopefully doing better with live or near-live footprints. I will maintain my journal as well ... in case I have to rely on it for missed details … again!

    All I can do is try!    Read more

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    RTW2017 ... for Armchair Travelers

    February 7, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F

    For those who are interested, here’s the link to the blog for our RTW2017 voyage. If you are not a “reader,” you might enjoy the images.

    http://2totravelrtw180.blogspot.com/2017/01/wer…

  • RTW Redux ... 2023

    Where Will RTW2023 Take Us?

    February 13, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 12 °F

    A cold, cold day. Though it’s a bit warmer elsewhere in Colorado Springs, here at home we have reached the forecasted high for today — 0F. It's all downhill from here into negative territory.

    Nothing special going on. So, I decided to delve into the details of the itinerary for RTW2023.

    No worries! I'll post a screenshot of the itinerary as published in the brochure, but I’m not going to bore anyone by naming them all. I’ll just do that with some stats instead 😜

    To begin, only 71 of our 198 days will be at sea. And of those days, 7 will include sightseeing — such as when we transit the Panama Canal. That leaves 127 days for us to spend in ports. Looking at these numbers another way, only 36% of our voyage will be at sea.

    We’ll be stopping in 43 countries and/or islands on 4 continents. Of these countries, 19 will be new additions to previously visited countries. We've explored all 7 continents already, so it doesn't bother us that this itinerary will be missing some of them.

    All in all, there will be 102 ports of call … including our embarkation and disembarkation ports. Of this number, 20 will be overnight visits … we get a second night in 2 of the ports.

    Breaking down the 102 ports another way, 67 will be new-to-us ... 35 of them we have visited previously. Percentage-wise, 65% new and 35% been-to. That's darn good. We don't mind that there are some repeats. The vast majority of the ports in that category still have so much more for us to see and do.

    We do expect that there will be changes to the itinerary.

    Weather and/or sea conditions are the usual culprits for itinerary changes. Sometimes political or safety reasons come into play. And then there is the pandemic to consider. While I expect — hope is a better word perhaps — the pandemic to be in our rearview mirror by the time we sail, there’s still the possibility that some ports will not reopen to cruise ships.

    No matter. We’ll make the most of any itinerary changes. With one caveat. If the itinerary starts to resemble RTW2017 too much, then all bets will be off.    Read more

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