Flatbush Flyer

2 hours ago, BarbaraM said:

FF, I understand what you are saying, but I have never had to use your language when booking multiple cruises onboard. We rarely take just one cruise, typically 3 consecutive.  In either case, why we do it this way is personal.  Regarding nonrefundable OBC, it is always rolled over until the end of our last "segment" "cruise" --  we don't have to try , it is automatic.  

 

Re: booking SM excursions -- we are able to do this each "segment" whenever the date opens for booking (365 days before each cruise) , just as we do with specialty restaurant reservations.   We are restricted to those opening dates, while if we booking as one cruise -- we could do it all at once.  We don't mind the restrictions of having to do this 3 times. 

 

 

Depending on your O Club level (particularly if you’re Platinum or above), how you book those multi-segments (even when booked onboard), affects their discount amount and the O Club perks as well as cruise credits. (And it can affect Roll Over in certain cases). That said the math has to be done by the OCA or by you to figure out which of the available ways is most efficacious. Hopefully you’re considering that in your choices.

FWIW, we pretty much only do multi-segment cruises (soon will pass the 500 nights on O mark).

18 minutes ago, gailellen12 said:

Does this mean you cannot book excursions for your second cruise of the back to back a year ahead as you are doing with the first?  Since it is a separate booking number and considered an entity unto itself this doesn’t seem to make sense if I am understanding this correctly 

Again, there is no “back to back” phrase in O bookings. They’re either individual segments or multi-segments and the devil is in the detail of what you get (or not) depending on how you book the adjacent segments. 
Thus, if you have booked separate published adjacent cruises - each with it’s own booking number, your perks/reservations/etc are per segment. Once onboard, you could certainly try to have Roll Over of unrestricted SBC. But, there’s no guarantee until you see it in print. 

1 hour ago, BarbaraM said:

We take back to back cruises all of the time-- When we booked our last cruises in January, I asked the same question to the "future cruise consultant" and the destinations desk.  The woman at the desk went back to the head of destinations with no answer.  It was so new at the time that they had not encountered that question yet.  

 

 -- we currently have a bookings for this fall  that are 3 consecutive ("back to back") cruises, each with their own booking number and deposits.  These were also available as a a single cruise in different combinations of the three.  My invoice states back to back savings applied -- Perhaps the OP has the same experience of back to back cruises --  I also have the same question.  With all the reports of canceled port stops and shore excursions canceled -- would love to hear from an actual report than speculation.   It is possible to prebook excursions a year out -- but once on board they typically do not let anyone book for the next cruise until the current cruise is over. 

The more important question is why did you book them separately (even with a multiple segment discount - usually about 5%). If they were advertised as an “extended journey,” the fare discount would be significantly more. The only $ benefit to individual adjacent bookings is multiples of  O Club perks (which usually requires that you are at least platinum to see substantial extra SBC).

1 hour ago, gailellen12 said:

If doing back to back cruises and you do not use up all your available sm

 excursion dollars on the first cruise Can you transfer them to the next one? I am guessing probably not.  

There really is no such thing as a “back-to-back” cruise in Oceania’s booking language (which does all its bookings by “segment(s).” There are individual cruises (each with it’s own booking number) that may be adjacent to another segment OR their may be multi-segment cruises of different types (with the distinctions being VERY important- particularly when it comes to Oceania supplied perks.

Though Simply More may ultimately play out differently than O Life when it comes to carry-over SBC (of whatever type), you will probably want to get your best fare price(s) when initially booking adjacent segments. And, in almost all cases, that means booking them as an “extended or grand journey” (multiple segments marketed as a single cruise with a single booking number) or as a “custom cruise” where you join two segments - still with an individual booking number. Note however, that the O perks with each of these options can vary significantly from the size of the fare discount to what you get from the O Club.

All that said, whether allotted O Life tours (or SM tour SBC) or even initial specialty restaurant reservations, they’re all doled out per segment.
 

Now, if this was O Life and you had a single booking number multisegment cruise, regular SBC would carry over to the next segment. But SM tour SBC may be an unknown (though someone here may be able to report a recent experience). What is a good bet, however, is that separate individual booking numbers will be treated as totally separate entities. But, for me, it’s still just a bet.

53 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Today we are docked in Marseille.  I have a strong dislike of Marseille (my least favorite place in France) but love the port as a gateway into Provence.  A large majority of passengers went off on excursions to places like Aix en Provence, Avignon, St Remy, etc.  DW and I left the ship around 9am with a DIY plan of going to Cassis for lunch.  Although we have spent a lot of time in the south of France (including having rented apartments in both Avignon and St Remy) we had never visited Cassis.

 

Upon walking off the ship we boarded the free port shuttle bus that would take us into town (a few blocks from the old port).  We also noted that one tour group also used the free shuttle bus (along with their guide) which is not impressive when one considers those folks paid about $150 pp for their tour.  The docking area used for most cruise ships (Terminal A and Terminal B) are too far from Marseille for walking.  DIY folks need to either use the shuttle bus or hire a taxi willing to do the short haul into town (which I assume will cost about 25 Euros).

 

Once in Marseille, DW and I walked the 1/2 mile to the St Charles train station where we bought round trip tickets for Cassis (about 12.50 Euros pp).  We arrived in Cassis (a 25 min train ride) around 11am, only to find no taxis at the station, very infrequent buses to town, etc.  So we decided to make the 2-mile trek into Central Cassis.  Much of the walk is downhill, so the walk is not difficult for folks used to long walks.  In Cassis we walked around the picturesque and somewhat charming marina area before settling on a local outdoor restaurant that specialized in mussels.  We got the best table, had a wonderful view, and enjoyed our Moules et Frites and Vino Blanc.  After spending some time walking around town we used our phone to summon an Uber to get us back to the station.  That cost about 14 Euros, which was a good investment as we were not looking forward to the trek (with many uphill slopes) back to the station.  Back in Marseille it was an easy half mile to the shuttle bus stop and back to the ship.  Another decent DIY Day.

 

Dinner, last night, was in the GDR with our favorite waiter.  DW and I both enjoyed a shrimp main which was served in a light/tasty sauce.  The evening show was a decent singer from Holland, who turned out to be a competent Opera Soprano.  While she did quite a few popular songs, it was her few opera arias that really shined.  Our Guest entertainers on the Vista continue to be very good and comparable (or better) then we have experienced on other cruise lines. The late show in Horizons was Karaoke and I had a good time chatting with my new-found Aussie friends and our Assistant Cruise Director (Paul) who ran the karaoke show.  There was a good size crowd (over 50) in Horizons until the end of karaoke ended around 11:30.  

 

A little tidbit about our cabin bathroom.  The shower is quite large (close to 4' square) and has two glass shelves for items like soap. shampoo, etc.  O provides excellent Bvlgari soap, and it is in bar form.  When you put a wet bar of soap on smooth glass, it will stick.  In fact, it can be a challenge to pull the bar off that glass.  After a few days our steward put a folded face cloth on one shelf in order to avoid the problem.  Great idea! DW and I both appreciate that O does provide decent bar soap.  Much of the competition has moved to liquid soap dispensers, which we have never liked.  We finally did hear our neighbor's TV (during our pre-dinner shower time).  Not a problem, at that hour, but it was the first time we did notice the oft reported issue.  I suspect that, in most cases, getting a quiet cabin on the Vista is simply "luck of the draw" in terms of having quiet or noisy neighbors.  

 

Hank

Interesting that you don’t care for Marseilles.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time there at the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime. There’s much culture, history, art (about two dozen museums) (and, of course, bouillabaisse) to be enjoyed in one of France’s most visited cities.

But, like so many cruise ports, it may take longer than a half or full day every few years to have that experience “special” to you.

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

So according to certain posters here: when the Marina is on her last seasonal run around South America and you and your room attendant are both getting off in Lima , and she’s going home to the Philippines, giving her the last scraps of your Argentinean pesos and Chilean money ( maybe $30) is a good plan? I’d vote it’s not, but rumored to happen regularly. 

With the understanding that the USD, of course, remains the “coin of the realm” on Oceania ships (including for added gratuities), there certainly are occasions when augmenting $$$ with appropriate local currency makes sense for all concerned.
 

This is especially true for crew mid-contract on a series of reverse segments where they’ll often do internal money exchanges that save them the time and expense of finding exchange outlets in port and paying some exorbitant fee.   
 

Savvy cruisers chat with service crew they encounter on a daily basis and can quickly determine when a mix of currencies might be useful/welcomed.

6 hours ago, tine-tine said:

Maybe one of our American cousins can help me with my musings when I eat in a US restaurant (not high end), I look at the number of diners, the rotation of tables and the number of tables a waiter/busboy is servicing, the average cost of say a one or two course meal then add the 20% tip on top and it is becomes obvious there are lucrative earnings on top of their wage, possibly not so much for a quiet restaurant but then there probably is a reason no-one is dining!

In a premiere American food city like San Francisco, being a waiter/waitress in a restaurant that is popular with both locals and tourists alike (e.g., Scoma’s, The Slanted Door, Perbacco…) and is always packed with patrons makes for a very good living!

On 4/11/2024 at 4:29 PM, shepherd really said:

49 cruises listed on the R ships, 51 on the O and A ships, so far for January-June '26.  All four R's have cruises listed, but Nautica has only 4.

Nautica does tend to do sonewhat “longer” cruises Two of those four are 25 days each. What I find interesting is that she disembarks in Mauritius.

Just now, daydreamer62 said:

You clearly want the last word so you can have it. I know exactly what the reaction to your actions would be but you clearly know better so was I said you do you. 

Actually, it appears that YOU wanted the last word.😉

3 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

20% would be ridiculous and pretty much unheard of in NZ where a the minimum wage is $23.15 per hour even for wait staff.  But hey if you want to pay that then you do you . Regardless of the amount it would be far better received in $NZ no matter what the amount .You clearly think your time is more valuable than the staff serving you. You could have spent 2 minutes at an ATM getting NZD or pay by CC as most of us do. 

ROTFL. 

What happened to “cultural sensitivity” being a two way street?

Twenty percent is not “ridiculous” to most cosmopolitan city residents in the US. And we’ll pay it to foreign wait staff if that’s what we want to do.

BTW, our minimum wage in California for even just a fast food worker is 

$20 USD/hour (about $35 NZD). And regular restaurant workers get at least $16 USD/hour (about $27 NZD) plus any locally mandated health et al. benefits coverage. 

And, finally, if anything is “ridiculous,” it’s the suggestion that a savvy NZ waiter would have ANY sort of “issue” with an apparently “generous” 17.5%+ tip. 

32 minutes ago, clo said:

I don't see a reply down thread. Too bad.

😳

2 hours ago, daydreamer62 said:

A small amount of foreign currency though would have the same value as no tip at all!  

So, a fairly US standard 20% tip on a single $400 NZD meal (>$200 USD for that meal alone) would be $80 NZD, which at a local exchange bureau might conservatively translate to at least $40 USD. I’m pretty sure most wait staff (worldwide - not just NZ) with a bunch of those US $20 bills in hand would find the time and energy to go to the exchange bureau every once in awhile.

$$$ 😎

Just checked Travelex. Those two $20 USD bills would net someone “only” $70 NZD (17.5% tip on that $400 NZD tab). 
 

Case closed!

42 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

I was just relating ‘my experience’.

 

I don’t judge the entire country by my trip to Miami, which actually I didn’t  ’pick’, rather it was ‘picked’ for me, as that’s where the cruise was departing from!

 

We actually had an amazing time in Sarasota several years ago but that was a place we did ‘pick’!

You may want to reread your post: “Anyway, the whole experience left us less than happy to return to the US. Not sure we would ever get used to the rudeness in general and the ‘tipping’ culture in particular.”

9 hours ago, coolbluegreenseas said:

I appreciate the responses! As far as budget goes, I can make either work. What I hate to do is purchase a service and never really use it. Still, the larger cabin and bathroom just might be worth it. I have time to think this over.

 

Thank you so far!

If you ever decide to do one of Oceania’s “R” ships, where some “larger” folks find many of the cabin showers to be “too small,” here’s a proven strategy for enjoying the shower:

1. Only shower when the ship is underway in rough sea conditions.

2. Get wet and lather up completely with soap.

3. Under running overhead shower, spin around against the shower walls allowing ship motion to agitate you (just like a washing machine).

4. Rinse off thoroughly.

5. Towel dry.

BTW: if the seas are extremely rough, you won’t even need to go to the spa for that massage!

4 hours ago, Vallesan said:

OK!

 

Very briefly we sailed from Miami February 2023. Arrived at the airport. I have assistance. Collected luggage, assistant called porter to take said luggage, 2 cases. He walked less than 50 yards to taxi stand. OH gave him $5, …” not enough” says the porter, “ it’s $10!

 

Intercontinental. Toro Toro restaurant for dinner. Pretty empty. Waited on by pleasant lady. Towards the end of the meal a young man, who’d not served us, came up to our table…. “ Can you leave me a tip as the service charge is kept by the hotel”!

I gave him a ‘tip’ …. but not to be repeated here! 
 

Not to do with tipping but added to our experience the hotel failed to service our room until 5pm and that was after bringing the issue to the attention of the front desk several times. When the room was eventually serviced the tray from the previous evening was left in the room. Expect far more from an Intercontinental!

 

Anyway, the whole experience left us less than happy to return to the US. Not sure we would ever get used to the rudeness in general and the ‘tipping’ culture in particular.

 

 

So, of all places, you pick Miami, Florida by which to judge an entire country?

4 hours ago, daydreamer62 said:

I would kindly suggest if you ever come to New Zealand that you don't tip in US dollars. Banks here do not convert foreign currency at all. You need to take it to a currency conversion shop which give appalling rates and often have minimum amounts and maximum fees to convert. A few US dollars would be almost useless unless the recipient was planning to leave the country . It would be far more appreciated if you had converted your money to local currency or used an ATM to get cash  and paid those fees yourself if you really appreciated the service you had received 

Response #23.

3 hours ago, Harters said:

Bollocks! 

no soup for you.

6 hours ago, Kay S said:

Remember when US $2.00 bills were a new thing and people were using them for tips on the ships?  I think they thought they were doing something special since the bills weren't really common for a bit.  Now they have faded away again.

Not true. Even our local bank branch carries them (and the manager says many folks order them in large denomination packs for future travel. 

1 hour ago, clo said:

Of course one would prefer any currency to none. Sorry. My point is that Americans (that seems to be who do this) don't want to go to the process of going to an ATM and getting a small amount of local currency. The cost is minimal and can't we possibly afford it more than the person 'serving' us?

 

“Seems to be” (Americans) is your unsubstantiated claim and nothing more. 

In any case, the fact remains that all money is money and, personally, I’ve never seen any service person refuse a gratuity consisting of US $.

In fact, I remember one experience many years ago in Athens, Greece where I asked a cab driver how he preferred to be paid during a time when the Greek economy was having a difficult time. His answer? “US $ if you’ve got them.”

1 minute ago, clo said:

Which is another topic entirely. I ask people who want to use dollars to tip, how would they like it if they got tips in pounds. They don't seem to reply to that 🙂

See response #23. All over the world, service personnel (particularly on cruise ships) gratefully accept all sorts of money and exchange it amongst themselves or at banks/exchange bureaus.

As for me: As a young man, I worked in the ski industry and I can tell you that I always preferred even foreign currency to yet another knitted cap. 😎

2 hours ago, Harters said:

Ah, yes, American cultural imperialism. Have you even considered for one moment what an insult that would be to your server, to receive a tip in a foreigner's currency, rather than their own.. Nasty. Just plain nasty. Shame on you. 

And therein lies the difference (though the insult you imagine may only be in your head). If a European diner has only Euros in their pocket and chose to leave them as a tip in an American port city restaurant, the server would be appreciative of the kind/generous gesture and, along with all the other foreign currency s/he regularly receives (just like on a cruise ship), take it to the bank for conversion on their next visit.

As for your “cultural imperialism” comment, call it whatever you want. I couldn’t care less about anyone who, when a service person has “gone above and beyond,” refuses to recognize that effort with something tangible like money (whatever color it is). 

We often spend from 75-100 nights annually on O ships and, as sloop sailors, see zero need for any cabin larger than B (veranda) or A (concierge). 
The significant price difference to move up to a PH - basically for unnecessary space and an equally unnecessary butler would only serve to test our budget’s ability to stay the course of having O serve as our regular vacation home.

3 hours ago, ORV said:

There's a reason why those countries now have it rolled in to the price. They know exactly who are removing the tips at Guest Services. This will put an end to that. FWIW, anytime I'm in the UK I honor their method and don't tip anyone. 

If a service provider has done an extraordinary job, I still tip in the UK et al. supposed “no tip” locations (which, ironically, often tack a “service charge” on the bill anyway). BUT, very often a use $USD (so they’ll remember US folks are the nice ones). 😉😎

48 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

The problem with suing the expired passport as ID is that if you have applied for a renewal, you have to send the expired passport in with the application.  So you wouldn’t have it is the new one didn’t arrive in time…but if it did, you wouldn’t need it anyway.  The great thing about the test period for online renewal was that you didn’t need to send in the expired passport.   EM

Not sure where the US State Department’s “renew on line” project is at this moment (last time I checked several months ago, the beta test was done).

When it’s up and running, you’ll not need to send in the old passport. Apparently, the minute you submit the online renewal application, the existing passport still in your possession becomes voided.

1 hour ago, Tidalmist said:

I have put the deposit down, will I have Concierge privelges?

Look at your O invoice, it will tell you the cabin number and classification you’ve purchased.

I assume your invoice details will govern what you get.