Wow, so many questions! 

mkhoo:  I would check with Olivia on the noon vs. midnight question in Puerta Vallarta just be be sure.  You may have to wait on the phone but you can leave your number and they will call you back.  Great advice from alaskagirl about making sure your money is refundable as things can happen such as weather, etc (We once had an excursion where both motors blew on the catamaran so we got no further than the docks.  Since we booked through HA, everything was refunded with no problem).

tgray:  sounds like the ceremony is at the Hard Rock the night before with a champagne toast during the cruise.  The excursions really vary in price.  You can go on the holland america site and look at the excursions.  Because of the times we are in port, all excursions will be offered but you can get an idea.  The things we have done in the past with Olivia have varied from $70 per person to $200 per person per excursion.  Massages and spa services on board can be expensive but very much worth the fee.  We each had a massage and I think the total was about $300.  Check on the HA website to see if they have a price list.

yeloc:  We have never had a coffee pot in the room.  They are very cautious about fires on board.  But you can pretty much get coffee 24/7 on the Lido deck.  No irons in the rooms either.  As for the cooler, never seen one.  Email HA and they will let you know.  They do allow you to bring wine on board.  I have seen people carting a case of soda on the ship.  Not sure if it made it through but ask HA.  If not, you can get a soda card ahead of time (when you book your excursions).  You prepay and your sodas are a little cheaper that way.

You will get all of your trip info about a month before the cruise.  It will have everything you need to review your excursions and book them.  They will also tell you the date and time you can book.  Don't delay....they sell out early!

Hope that helps!

Steph

WOW! So many questions, but 1st  I am Heather and my finance Tiff(any) are planning this trip for our wedding,honeymoon and just overall get away. This is our 1st everything! 1st flight and cruise. Olivia seems to have EVERYTHING we are looking for.

We plan on booking everything next week but need more info on exactly what all we need to book and have paid for in advance.

So far I have the trip w/ Olivia , the flights and Hard Rock  .

Are we actually having the ceremony at Hard Rock? Or on the ship? 

How much are the extras we aren't thinking about? Like excursions, massages?

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

 Thanks so much and can't wait to meet everyone in October!

You're on the right page with the times. Make sure you are back on board when it's time to leave or you'll be left behind and will have to find your own way back to the ship at the next port. Last year we had to do the ports in a different order than the schedule because of weather so make sure your local company will accomodate a change. I'd hate to see you lose all that money. This happened to serveral gals last year. That's the good thing about booking with Olivia. They will take care of changing all the excursions and making sure you don't lose any money if there is a change. I'm so looking forward to getting off this island to enjoy the fun in the sun. See you in October.

Rhonda & Dawna

Hi Mary!

My gf, Edna and I will be on board the Mexican Riviera Cruise this October and we're planning our excursions. We'd like to go with a local company and we've narrowed down what we'd like to do. So, here's the question: It says on the itinerary that we'll be in Puerto Vallarta from 8am to 12am. Does that mean the ship leaves at 12 midnight and we have 16 hours in PV? Thanks for your help!

 -Mag
 

Yes, you are allowed to buy alcohol and bring it back on the ship.  They generally do not let you take it back to your cabin.  They hold it and deliver it the night before we get back to San Diego.  On one of our Olivia cruises they did not say a word about our liquor.  We just took it back to the cabin and left it in the box.  Someone once gave us good advice about how to pack alcohol in a suitcase.  Buy some of those cheap swimmies that go on kids' arms, blow them up and put them around the bottle.  Works great!

There are some customs limitations as to how much you can bring back but I am really not sure what they are.  So check into that before you leave.

You are going to have a blast on your first Olivia cruise. 

Hey everyone!!   We are getting so excited about our first Olivia Cruise. This Thread has been very helpful, nice tips on the aspirin and sunscreen. We do have one more question about the beverages. Are you allowed to by alcohol at one of the ports to bring back home with you?

Have fun waiting around for October 4th, I know we are trying to.

Monique and Amber

Oh Deb, I am so sorry to hear of your loss!  Glad that you are sailing with us!

Stephany

Hey Saskwomyn..... don't let this message board influence you too much.  Yes, some of us have cruised before and as a result we happen to know a few people... which we chat with.  If you go back to some of my earlier posts, you will see that I am chatting to everyone, giving directions, or hints, or information as I can.  I have been solo for over 5 years and I have not had a shortage of buddies.... solo or coupled.  The Olivia experience is incredible.... yes, you have to get to know other guests & you can mingle as much as you want & at times, you can just mellow out and have some time on your own.  I have a blend of the above experiences and I have never been dis-satisfied with an Olivia holiday.... on shore or on a ship! 

The solo program is incredible and you are also welcome to join any event that is going on that has couples partaking.  Relax & don't worry.... I am sure you will have a great time.  We were all "rookies" at one time!   See ya onboard.... Mary   

Yes they have bottled beer. I'm not a beer drinker, but I did see alot of different bottles. You can go on the Holland webiste under the menus (I think ) and it might tell you what brands they stock.

As far as the itinerary that will come out about the same time as the excursion list (30 days before). On it will tell you what the theme nights are so you can pack your funny hat or halloween costume. Some people go all out for the theme nights and others just show up. That's the best part about cruising with Olivia- you can be yourself and do as you please. As it gets closer the modirator will post the info about the theme nights.

When it comes to packing- put in everything you think you'll need and then take half of it out. You'll never wear it or need it. The one thing you want to make sure you have is medications and hygene stuff. It's very expensive on board to get asprin and sunscreen. Most of the time we were in shorts or swimsuits. If you eat in the dining room you might want to wear long pants or sun dresses, but it's really up to you. If you eat at the buffet you can wear what you want as long as your swimsuit is covered. We did the Penical grill last year and really dressed up in formal wear, but that was us. Others that ate there had on nice dresses or suits. The formal night wasn't all that organized last year. Mainly everyone dressed up for dinner and that was about it. They had been offering ballroom dance lessons and you could go to one of the bars and try your new moves.

Rhonda