Flatbush Flyer

Agreed. Don’t forget the backpack. That said, I trust that you’ll agree that the O “messenger bags” provided at each O Club milestone level aren’t exactly top quality gear. The single Velcro fastener on the big flap cover, the shoulder strap et al. are at the low end of the performance spectrum for regular use.

Only the tip of the iceberg. There are other O software glitches - particularly with O invoices - e.g., specifically dealing with any mix of OCAPP $ passed to you via a TA which then conflict with “in lieu” O Club gratuities $ coverage on multisegment cruises. The “good” news is that it all works out before embarkation (usually). But, many TAs and passengers are clueless about O idiosyncrasies. Another glitch involves tour availability on some multi-segment cruises which requires O to be notified of the problem in order to fix it. All that said, I’m ROTFL everytime someone suggests that O should have an app!

Bags are useless.

I can only assume you haven’t perused this forum and haven’t seen/read any of my zillion posts saying NEVER use the O web cart to buy excursions. It is extremely glitchy!!! Always call O (or have an O knowledgeable TA do it) to buy tours and make sure you get a copy of the “prepurchased” shore excursions PDF which shows all the math. It’s important to have on the ship if there’s ever any disagreement about your tours/refunds/etc!!!

The only SM “option” is with/without air. As for Princess- once you cruise on an O ship, you’ll say goodbye to Princess.

Yes- the “new” SM 25% deal is the “old” YWYW 25% deal.

I wish folks would use the search feature here on CC. There have been many many threads (quite a few involving my detailed responses) that highly recommend NEVER using the O web cart (originally for O Life and now, seemingly, it’s necessary for SM as well. As for your SM package discount (formerly called Your World Your Way, different itineraries require different minimum number of purchased tours to get the 25% off. If you qualify and the Cart’s bottom line didn’t jive with your own “correct” math, call O and the phone rep will straighten it out. And make sure that you get a copy of the “prepurchased shore excursions PDF with all the math shown for your purchase. This doc is essential to make a point with Destination Services onboard if there’s any disagreement about what is owed you if O cancels your tour(s). You can also have your TA do this all. But, know that many (if not most) TAs are clueless about the idiosyncrasies of O’s excursion policies and practices. And when the “poop hits the fan” regarding your ship’s excursions while you’re onboard, your best resource/advocate is YOU. BTW: Once onboard, if your total tours booked falls below your minimum for the 25% discount due to an O cancelation, you do not lose the discount on the remaining tours. However, the refunded SM tour SBC cannot be used for anything other than replacement tours.

At least (until the recent FDR Sr retirement), the bulk of NCLH’s executives were previously Oceania execs (from FDR to. Bob Binder and on down the line). With FDR senior at the NCLH helm, there was little worry that “his baby” (O) would ever get the short end of the stick. But, that was then and this is now. Moreover, FDR Jr (now heading up O) remains an uncertain as regards his familial devotion to the brand.

It’s not just cruise lines. Try airlines and hotels- lots of glitches. That said, however, the one travel website (and it’s accompanying app) that I have found to be the least problematic and best maintained/updated is United Airlines. Add to that the fact that they actually answer their phones!

Just booked a multi-segment SYD-Bali-SYD (35 days on Riviera) in the newly available 2026 itineraries. It was supposed to be two ATW segments on Vista (based on pre-roll out segment intel). But a now-confirmed disembark in Dubai instead of Mumbai (for a cruise starting in Sydney) put an end to that plan. FWIW, not only do we like the SYD-Bali-SYD itinerary, the fare ((for pretty much the same cruise duration) on Riviera is significantly less. But, the real killer was a bizclass airfare price check (this year’s) of RT SFO-SYD vs the multi-city SFO-SYD/DXB-SFO. That multi-city for a variety of different dates and airlines was as much as twice the SYD-SYD RT. Final decision was easy!

These fold out 3D globes come in varying sizes. Bought ours in a eclectic shop in Miami.

Should you eventually decide to return often to Oceania, the value of certain of the GMs knowing you will become apparent in quite tangible ways. CDs are, perhaps, less influential but knowing who will be onboard can prepare you for their style, which can vary significantly from uniquely entertaining to a bothersome PITA.

ExecuCar

The four “inside corners” extended balconies on Marina and Riviera (e.g., 7108) interior cabin size is exactly the same as the regular B cabins (recently changed to Concierge) next to them.

It’s called a “custom” cruise and, though the fare base discount of an “extended journey” (published multi-segment) will often be better than a “custom” cruise’s approx. 5% discount, the extra O Club perks may make it the better deal.