Corkage/liquor Fee Complaints

[Sculpta]

I have noticed that many people have seriously complained about, what they think is, unreasonably high corkage and drink charges- WHAT ABOUT A MASS COMPLAINT to the directors at Oceania.........maybe if enough people have a voice, things will be resolved. DO YOU THINK THE DIRECTORS AT OCEANIA READ THESE BOARDS?

[Merriem]

They really do not care!

[jazzsea]

I'm certain that these boards are read.

The question is, does any one care?

Oceania is a cruise line with lots of investors. I think the cruise line is making a ton of money and will eventually buy out the investors. Once the investors are paid off, who knows what will happen.

Right now, this a cruise line run by accountants and committees.

What a waste. Such beautiful ships. With care and attention to detail Oceania could become one of the greatest cruise lines in the marketplace. How sad that they can only see the $$$ and can't see the potential.

[goeurope]

Let me get this straight: You're trying to organize a protest over drink prices and corkage fees? Let's say that Oceania were to cut the price of alcoholic drinks by, say, $2 and the corkage fee from $20 to $10. You go on a 14-day cruise, have six drinks a day for a couple, and bring your own wine to the dining room every other day. That's a $70 savings on corkage and a $12 daily savings on drinks for a total savings of $238 over a two-week cruise. Now let's assume that you got a cheap fare of $2,499 per person for a total cruise-only fare of $4,998. Your savings on drinks represent less than 4.8% of the total fare. Is this enough to justify organizing a "MASS COMPLAINT" (sic) or objecting to the fact that, like all businesses, Oceania needs to make a profit? And if Oceania were to cut the price of booze and bar service, where would you suggest that it make up the lost revenues? To paraphrase an old expression, "There's no free drink."

[gencon]

Durant: Well said.

[chazaroo]

Be carefull what you wish for. If they cut the corkage and drink prices they might have to make it up by cutting the quality of the food (like Celebrity).

[jazzsea]

If Oceania were to charge reasonable prices for drinks and offer some lower priced wine and cut a few dollars off the corkage fee, what would happen??? In my mind, they would have happier, more loyal passengers. That would leave only one or two things for us to complain about. For instance.... their poor shore excursions (that are over priced) and their very bad, overall customer service skills.

Lovely ships. Great food and service. Outstanding cabin stewards and butlers. Why the big need to nickle and dime passengers? It just doesn't make sense to me.

[goeurope]

>>Why the big need to nickle and dime passengers? It just doesn't make sense to me.<<

Gee, and I thought it was the disgruntled passengers who were nickel-and-diming. :-)

[Sculpta]

FOR GO EUROPE: WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON? The more sophisticated the traveler is, the less impressed they are with those who nickel and dime them. If you were the captain of a ship and possess the attitude that you do, your following would surely be limited- to tell you the truth, hope we never see you on board.

[trvlnliz]

It seems to me that goeurope makes a very good point. You can pay an all inclusive price and there will be no nickel -and -diming but you will pay a price for this. Maybe the answer is just to put an extra $400 ( or whatever these extras may add up to) in your shipboard account at the beginning of the cruise and not think about it. It's just part of the cruise cost. I think you'd still be ahead of the game.

There is a wide choice of cruiselines to choose from. Some all inclusive, some with large Broadway-like shows, some port intensive, party hearty etc. etc. It seems what some would like is to have Oceania be a combiniation of Silverseas and Carnival at Princess rates from all the various complaints I've read. Something will suffer in the mix. Be it food, service, ports, etc. etc.

Not all of us drink liquor/wine. My perfect cruiseline would offer free bottled water, cappuccino and DietRite soda, a destination services that really was a destinations services and not a tour desk, free shuttles at all ports, a smoking room that was completely enclosed and ventilated with a great view for those who enjoy smoking,( I don't smoke but my DH does) Broadway musical productions, free foot rubs after a long day in port or maybe just a vibrating foot bath) :o and 1 bag free laundry service every week, would be nice. I'm sure Oceania would not be in business long if my wishlist were filled. Oceania is still my favorite cruiseline even if there next year Europe Itineraries are disappointing to me. I'm sure we'll be taking a cruise in 2006 on one of there ships. In the mean time we'll enjoy our October cruise on the Regatta.

What would your perfect cruiseline offer for Oceania rates? :~/

[roothy123]

I was getting a little tired of all this discussion of "high" corkage and drink fees, so I did a little researching of prices for cruises that are similar to the one we've put a deposit down for with Oceania (Panama Canal in January). Holland America and Princess have slightly shorter cruises with the cheapest cabin available for at least $500 more than Oceania. Crystal has an oceanview available for $1,000 more than Oceania. I don't know if Crystal charges for drinks and corkage service, but even if they don't, that $1,000 difference is a little hard to ignore. Cruise lines have to make money some way, and I'd rather have them charge less for the cruise itself and charge separately for drinks rather than price the cruise on an "all inclusive" basis, which certainly doesn't benefit ME. (I'm no teetotaler, but most nights I would be fine with that free cappuccino Oceania offers! And those little tiny almond biscottis that accompany them - even better still!)

What would my perfect cruise line offer for Oceania rates? Free shore excursions, free upgrades to owners suites for those in the cheap cabins, only 400 passengers onboard, nightly massages, always non-stop flights in first class, and to have the cruise line say you can bring your favorite pet along (with dogsitting while you're in port, of course!)

[Sculpta]

Perhaps Oceania should offer their passengers the option of paying a set amount of money for unlimited drinks (whether it be hard liquor, wine, sodas, etc.)- this way nickeling and diming is eliminated, people have a choice and everyone is happy.

We were told that the true cost (to the cruiseline) on the average, for the "average" drinker of the above, is $65/pp. for a 10 day cruise.

Go and figure that out.

[goeurope]

We were told that the true cost (to the cruiseline) on the average, for the "average" drinker of the above, is $65/pp. for a 10 day cruise.

Someone in the cruise industry pointed out to me that the issue isn't the cost to the cruise line, but the lost revenues. In other words, if the average person spends $30 a day for drinks and the cost of the booze, soda, etc. is $6.50, the cruise line loses $23.50 a day in revenues by including the drinks in the fare. Those lost revenues obviously have to be made up somewhere else: e.g., by raising the fare several hundred dollars.

[Jancruz]

I have just spent the last month on Oceania and had the most wonderful trip Stu and I could ever imagine..every once in a while I would log on to the internet and check CC to see what was going on..I cannot believe the whining and complaining on this board..I have this to say the following and then I will not post on this matter again, ...If you dont like Oceanias policies DON'T GO on Oceania..you have many other choices of cruise lines..My friends and I love everything about the ship..If I go to a hotel and dont like it..I dont whine and carry on, I DON'T GO BACK!!! Same with a restaurant..if you dont WANT to pay the price or the gratuity..go on another ship !!! If you dont want to pay the $20 corkage dont bring a bottle in the dining room or go on another ship...!!! People seem to forget the cruise line can charge whatever they want and set any prices they choose...and we as customers have the choice of paying or not or going or not..Evidently more people choose to go on this amazing new line ...as Oceania has almost sold out their whole year and has an unbelieveable sales on Regatta and Insignia for 2005 ..
Lets get constructive on this board and talk about ports, guides, great food and service ..they now have free Cappucinos and Expresso but you never hear anyone say anything about that..At each port this cruise Oceania had a person on board all day from the city or town we were in..I mentioned it to someone that I felt Oceania was responding to the clients needs..and this person said "But the lines are too long" lets make lemonade..and stop with the lemons..it really ruins a wonderful shipboard experience for all of us and for yourselves..
If you have been on the ship and dont like something use the form that Oceania provides you with at the end of the cruise..they ARE read and spare all of us on this board the constant complaints !!

[joan24]

Welcome back, Jan. I'm glad that you had such a wonderful cruise. Bob and I were very happy with Oceania and Regatta on our June 15 cruise. There were some very minor annoyances and we put them in the form we filled out at the end of the cruise. We booked another cruise for May, 2005 and can hardly wait.
Joan

[Jancruz]

Hi Joan,
I dont remember..was that your first Oceania cruise??? I am so glad you had a great time.. Did you meet Carmen the Future Cruise gal..I love her..she is one of my favorite people..Also on board Regatta, were Kristine the Purser and Bruno is the concierge..what a great group..how was the weather on your cruise?? It was rainy on ours, but since we are Californians it was great to see rain..I only wished it had thundered..it never does here..
Regards,
Jan
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[ClaudiaF]

YIKES- pulling my hair out!

[cruzemaven]

Jan, could you please elaborate on what you mentioned above about Oceania having someone come aboard in each port. Did that person give a lecture or help passengers plan their day? Thankyou

[Jancruz]

At each port there is a table set up next to destination services with someone from the town we are in..staffing it to answer your questions and handing out brochures and maps..Yes there may be a few people in line..but Im sorry, I think it is wonderful that O is doing something for us that dont take tours..they SELL tours and make nothing on us..
Regards,
Jan
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[joan24]

Jan,
This was our first Oceania cruise but definitely not our last. We had cool, actualy very cool, weather with just two days of rain. Yes, Carmen is great. We live in Hollywood, Fl. and she's not too far away in N. Miami. Bruno is terrific. I had heard that the entertainment will be changing. Do you know anything about that? We truly enjoyed the shows. If you want thunder, come to S.Florida. As soon at this draught ends, there will be plenty of thunder.
Joan

[cruzemaven]

At each port there is a table set up next to destination services with someone from the town we are in..staffing it to answer your questions and handing out brochures and maps..Yes there may be a few people in line..but Im sorry, I think it is wonderful that O is doing something for us that dont take tours..they SELL tours and make nothing on us..
Regards,
Jan
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I think that having someone come aboard from the town, port or city is an excellent idea. I hope that this proves to be a popular addition and is included on future cruises.

[Jancruz]

Hi Cruzmaven,
Oceania plans to continue with having someone on from each city..I just hope people finally appreciate that th V.P.'s do listen and try to improve..as I said before..lemonade..there are lots of changes in the works for the future..but everything takes time and money!!
Jan
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[ClaudiaF]

They had local people come on from a few towns when we were on the cruise in May. I thought that was great. They were really helpful.

[Jane110]

HI Jan,

Welcome home! I'm so glad to hear that you and Stu had such a great time.

I'm especially glad to hear that Oceania has a local onboard from the ports to give advice and answer questions. A big step in the right direction for Oceania!

Back to the wine topic (or should I say whine?). When we were on our Oceania cruise, there were some terrific wines offered at reasonable prices. Specifically, there was an Australian Shiraz at $33.00 a bottle. We happily consumed about a half dozen bottles of it.
Is Oceania still offering a nice selection of wines in the $25-$35. range or have they raised the prices?

Candice

[Jancruz]

Hi Candice,
I really cant tell you exact prices as I usually drank Martinis..and kept switching each night between, peach, apple and cosmopolitan..I do think they had wine in the low $30 range..
Regards,
Jan
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[Jane110]

Jan,

That's fair.
Thanks for the info.

BTW, have you had a french martini? My personal favorite. It's made with Grey Goose vodka, pineapple juice and Chambord.

[ClaudiaF]

I like them too............. ;-)

[warburg]

The problem with excessive charges for small things like wine and other drinks is not that they add great expense to the cruise as a whole but that they continually annoy the cruiser. One can't help but notice. It would be a wise move for Oceania to add a couple of hundred dollars to the general cost of cruises and eliminate this practice.

[goeurope]

>>The problem with excessive charges for small things like wine and other drinks is not that they add great expense to the cruise as a whole but that they continually annoy the cruiser. One can't help but notice. It would be a wise move for Oceania to add a couple of hundred dollars to the general cost of cruises and eliminate this practice.<<

Maybe, maybe not. The number of people who'll balk at a higher fare is probably greater than the number of people who'll switch cruise lines because of a $5 difference in corkage fees.

[digby]

I was in a restaurant in the countryside south of San Francisco this past weekend. Their corkage fee was $25.00.

[malony33]

until our 1st O. cruise in late Nov.; the "12 Petit Ports" include many that are uncommon on other lines, and diet soda as part of the cruise??? My husband will be thrilled! The free capuccino is a VERY big plus for me.

We've cruised many times and yes, over the last few years many of the little extras that were inc. have either disappeared or now come at an extra price. I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch over drink prices, corkage fees, higher gratuities, etc. If I did, I just wouldn't cruise. We are sailing the Regatta for the service, ambiance, ports, fine dining, lack of loud parties at 4:00 am, and, well, you who've sailed this line already can add to that list for me, since I'm a neophyte.

I agree with those who do not wish to pay the extra $$ so that all of us can have our wine uncorked at no charge. The fare we're paying for an exotic,
luxurious 12-day cruise is just a bit more than we're paying for a 10-day RCI cruise in Jan.! It's an excellent deal! Would I love everything for free? Well, sure, but as a business owner it's clear to me that for all the pampering on this upscale trip at such a reasonable price, O. MUST make some money elsewhere...in all the ways previously discussed, plus the spa, the casino, excursions...just like ALMOST every other line.

Jan, Joan, tell me about all the wonderful aspects of the cruise we can look forward to that set it apart from the other cruiselines, and let's get away from the complaints, dissatisfaction, and annoyance. THIS IS OUR VACATION!!! WE EXPECT TO PAY TO GO UP IN CLASS!

That said, how magical will it be? Will we ever want to come home? I've just lost 33 lbs...which dessert is worth ruining my diet for? And how 'bout those beds? Did they put little fridges in the staterooms yet? How well do the hairdryers work? And just what does one do on Nevis?

Thanks, everyone; I am grateful for these boards, you folks, and all the time and info you share!

Barb

BTW, anyone sailing with us Nov. 27, 2004, Regatta out of Miami to the Caribbean?

[ToniL]

I was just cruised through a trip review that was posted recently (I think it was from a Celebrity cruise) and they also mentioned a $20 corkage feee. I'll try to find it again to verify that, but I know it was a "mainline" cruiseline and it was definately $20. So Oceania isn't alone.

[joan24]

Barb,
All I can say about Oceania is that we had an absolutely wonderful cruise in June. Yes, the beds are great, but more important the crew is terrific. Everyone we came in contact with was friendly and great at what they do. As to desserts, now that's another thing. They are too good. My favorite is at Toscana and it's called chocolate lasagna. Oh well, there are lots of treadmills on board. Have a wonderful cruise and forget about calories.
Joan

[Sculpta]

What Is In A Peach Martini? Sounds Terrific :)

[shipcruise]

Nice to hear the nice comments, Jan. We are booked on the Insignia in Oct. and are very much looking forward to it. Radisson also has locals come aboard on port days, it can be very informative. This will be our first Oceania cruise, you are right, lately there has been a lot of negative chatter. There is nothing wrong with stating your experience, but it seems we keep hearing the negative from a select few. Thanks for your comments!
brenda

[ClaudiaF]

What Is In A Peach Martini? Sounds Terrific :)


..
Peach Martini

Combine 2-1/2 oz. vodka (try a citrus-flavored vodka, if you've got one), 1 tbsp. peach schnapps, and a splash of cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Shake or stir well; strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist.

Drink up sounds delicious! Cheers!

[Jancruz]

Thanks Claudia,
The only problem was it was so good..I drank too many!! LOL
Jan
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[goeurope]

All this talk of booze is making me feel woozy. Why don't we start a thread on unsweetened iced tea vs. sweet tea? :-)

[ClaudiaF]

All this talk of booze is making me feel woozy. Why don't we start a thread on unsweetened iced tea vs. sweet tea? :-)

That my dear Durant would be just BORING...
rather kick it up a notch as "someone" would say..
peach martini sounds yummy and the apple is even better!
Ya know, if I had "written" that recipe for peach martini I would float a small slice of peach in it ( you know, instead of the apple or olive or lemon twist in usual martini)...

[ClaudiaF]

Thanks Claudia,
The only problem was it was so good..I drank too many!! LOL
Jan
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well we know you are incorrigible anyways...