Flatbush Flyer

On 3/30/2024 at 10:10 AM, Hlitner said:

…..Food on this ship continues to be very good.  That being said, last evening we dined in Toscana, and I was disappointed in their lobster main, which came with a tomato-based sauce that has no business being put on lobster.  While this is subjective, that type of sauce simply overwhelms the delicate lobster flavor….

Most importantly, thanks to Hank for the “live from…” reporting on Vista. It’s the only O ship afloat that we haven’t been on. But, we’ll experience her on some ATW segments in 2026 (and actually will cruise on Allura first in autumn 2025).

Somehow I missed the CC notification that Hank had begun his Vista review. So, I only just now read through the threads (carefully focused solely on his commentary and skipping those replies that basically amounted to whining about “issues” that are easily corrected by speaking with the crew member involved or, if necessary, a supervisor.
 

FWIW, the cruise industry suffered an upheaval and, along with the influx of many new ships and cruise lines, one resulting issue has been a tremendous shortage of seasoned hotel staff which has, in turn created a wide spectrum of experienced service. It has particularly hit O hard where you may now find first time wait staff along side O’s traditional 5 to 10 year veterans. Interestingly, post-Covid stoppage, some O old timers (including several chefs and bartenders I know) “jumped ship” for a try at a competitor or new line. According to my sources, for most of them it was a “one and done” contract and they’ve returned to O (which treats its loyal crew very well). 
 

Have I noticed a post-Covid inconsistency in some service arenas onboard? Absolutely, but I have already witnessed improvement, particularly as first time staff return for a second contract (as most do). Time will tell.

Back to Hank’s review. I debated about going through and responding to selected posts. But I decided, instead, to lump here my comments so far.

Toscana! I am a first generation Sicilian-American who spent much of his childhood in the Red Hook/Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn - the Sicilian stronghold so accurately portrayed in the Nicholas Cage/Cher movie Moonstruck with its Cammareri Bros. bakery just a few doors down from my grandmother’s “walk up.”

I know Sicilian food (whether native or descendant). I mention this because, if Hank’s lobster main was Toscana’s Aragosta Fra Diavola (“lobster, brother of the devil” [or “from the devil”]), what was placed before him (yes, red sauce!) was quite accurate and, if I had to fault anything with the dozens of times I’ve eaten it, it would be that it was not always as spicy as I prefer.

From a different post, I noticed the comment about the Terrace orange juice, the solution to which has been “just ask for it.” Likewise, if you want an omelet made with fresh eggs (rather than the already prepped eggs), “just ask for it.” Same goes for cocktails: Want a true “Side Car?” Specify Hennessy VSOP, Cointreau and fresh squeezed lemon juice in a 2:1:1 ratio. It costs no more than a well swill drink with citrus mixer (and most O bartenders will remember your preference the next time you order it). 

Another item in the “live from …” review that caught my eye was Country Fair. That’s a long standing tradition on O ships during multiple sea days (as is the hilarious boat building competition and the quite challenging Art Scavenger Hunt which Hank may not yet have experienced). We enjoy all three activities (though it was sad to see the elimination of “wack a waiter” from the Country Fair lineup - the waiters too were sad to see it go). And then, there are the line-crossing (equator, IDL) ceremonies  and some other itinerary dependent fun (and often educational) pastimes - each with some semblance of an experience aimed at creating a camaraderie among what often becomes an expanded group of O regulars. 

Thus, I hope we’ll hear more from Hank about his onboard engagement experiences.

That said, I’ll limit my comments about O entertainment: If you want a Broadway show, go to Broadway! (Our 2025 Allura cruise is NYC-NYC and we’ll do a Broadway binge land stay as well.). And remember that the size of O ships imposes physical limitations on the nature of the entertainment provided. As for the late night ghost town perception, the O ships have far less passengers than most mass market ones and, on longer cruises, the demographic skews to 60 to 70+\- who generally are not there for the entertainment. (The lectures and cooking demos or classes, however, are a different story.)

A final thought- am I an Oceania fan? Not really. What “loyalties” I have are only to people. What I am a fan of is a favorable Value to Quality quotient. And when I compare cruise industry segments (including bottom line costs and experiences), O, because of its excellence “here” and despite its shortcomings “there,” meets my needs for a good fit. And, I’m not alone in that determination.

Apologies for the long post (but, it’s probably much better than a bunch of smaller - though not much shorter 😉 - ones).

I hope that Hank will continue to enjoy the ship and the food and that he will take my advice to heart: If there’s anything that’s a reasonable concern onboard, say something. You may be surprised at how quickly it gets fixed.

23 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

And REMEMBER, you can bring on board ALL the beer, hard liquor and wine you want at embarkation and in the ports. Drink any beer and hard liquor in your cabin/veranda and know there is a $25 corkage fee to drink your own wine in their restaurants.

$25 fee applies to your own wine (bottle or glass from that bottle in ANY public space - not just restaurants.

2 minutes ago, mnocket said:

I've never thought of Hawaii as having particularly clear water.  Snorkeling there was fine, but not nearly as nice as other places - especially the South Pacific islands. 

NaPali Coast on Kauai.

56 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The clearest sea water we have experienced was at various islands in the South Pacific.  Bora Bora was certainly among the best.  The water off Northeastern Australia and out at the Great Barrier Reef was quite amazing.  
 

Hank

Aren’t you on Vista now? If so, how about a “live from…” report?

1 hour ago, caribsun said:

The cruise lines private islands in the Bahamas. 

You need to expand your horizons….

Try Polynesia and Hawaii. Even the Seychelles would blow away anything you’ll find in the Atlantic O or Caribbean Sea.

22 minutes ago, AC2 said:

forgot to mention that it is a mexican cruise

Doesn’t matter. The U.S. Dollar is O’s standard currency. 

26 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

You seem to forget (or ignore) the fact that the overwhelming majority of posters on these threads define “value” as “low cost”.  I agree with you completely when it comes to the value Oceania provides - I believe their fares are competitive WHEN IT COMES TO PURCHASING A QUALITY CRUISE, but are much higher than most CC posters are interested in paying.   I know that, for the sort of cruise experience I want, I can get a better deal on Oceania than on NCL - once I pay the add-ons to bring NCL up - to near the quality Oceania offers (and I would still be crowded in the middle of thousands, rather than hundreds, of others).

 

I cruise a lot less than I might due to my wanting a better experience - but then I cruise to get the experience I want - not just to pay the least amount to be on a ship.  Sort of like my choosing a superior light moselle rather than Thunderbird when I want a white wine.

 

In short: I suggest you give up continually singing the praises of Oceania in all sort of inappropriate contexts.

Perhaps you’ve missed those of my posts that criticize Oceania for certain things much in need of correction including the complexity of its promotional programs and poor efficacy of its destination services operations.

In any case, we can agree to disagree since I will not cease offering solutions and citation of any particular provider of those solutions. 
Happy Easter to you.

10 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

 

I understand you have some curious need to hawk your favorite cruise line at every possible opportunity.   Your claims are simply, to put it nicely, not applicable to most cruise passengers who enjoy mainstream lines.   

 

 

you “understand” incorrectly.

OP has a problem encountered with a single cruise line - Celebrity. I offered a long term solution that will help avoid that (and similar) problem(s) in the future.

After all, it is “net daily rate” calculation comparisons that often help cruisers find the better value they seek.

4 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Good Idea!  Spend 3x's the fare but checking in for the flight will be free!  

“3x’s” a Celebrity fare? Do the real math.

Most truly savvy cruisers have figured out that cabin fare comparisons are the worst way to judge both the true bottom line cost of a cruise (door to door) as well as to determine the value of what you actually get for your money. 
 

Learn to do “net daily rate” comparisons on all sorts of travel providers and you may be very surprised at where true value lies.

4 hours ago, jargey3000 said:

we're on Celebrity Reflection in April, but this question might apply to all lines...

We never get the internet package. What are the chances of getting Customer Service or whatever, on ship, to allow me a few minutes of "free' internet use just to check-in for my airline flight the day before cruise ends? I do usually hunt out the free internet locations in ports of call,but on this trip the day before is in Bimini, and I'm not too hopeful...unless someone has a tip for free internet in Bimini ....anyone? TIA.🤓

For the future…

For about the same fare price (once you address desirable fare inclusions and options), you can do what thousands of former Celebrity cruisers have already figured out: There’s much more value to be had by moving up to a Premium cruise line (e.g., Oceania) where unlimited internet and other things like specialty restaurants, beverages, excursions and airfare or air credit are all included.

47 minutes ago, kbconthemove said:

Finally have it narrowed down to a last minute cruise and would appreciate any input on either itinerary/plans as I need to make a decision quickly now before they are gone.  They are both very cheap right now, with Tokyo a bit cheaper.  Will be traveling solo, interior cabin.

 

1) Sydney to Vancouver - Majestic Princess - 30 days ($1650 base) - Flight LAX to HNL ($250)  1-2 day stay ($400??) - HNL to SYD ($250) overnight in SYD possibly (??) then cruise - main attraction is the several stops in NZ, don't really care about the rest and concerned about the # of days at sea.

 

2) Vancouver to Tokyo - NCL Spirit - 18 days ($900 base) - Flight LAX to YVR ($200) after cruise stay a couple nights in Tokyo for sightseeing ($400??) - then Tokyo to HNL ($250) - 1-2 days HNL ($400??)  - HNL to LAX.($250) - did AK cruise 2 yrs ago and want to go back, very interested in seeing Japan especially in Spring, even though a little late.

 

I don't drink so don't care about drink/SD packages.

At any cruise price, there’s no contest. IMO, Sydney is a far better land visit than Tokyo. Tokyo is huge and there are a few good museums that set it apart if you’re into Asian history. Otherwise, it’s just another large/overcrowded (and VERY expensive) metropolis. Sydney, on the other hand, is a beautiful city that is far more interesting and “user friendly” in many ways.  

22 hours ago, ORV said:

I also got that survey. Unfortunately it didn't have a spot to put any comments or suggestions. They only want answers that will reflect the outcome of what they've already decided should happen. Many surveys are written this way. 

Exactly!

There were only two questions of significance on that survey- both carefully worded/limited to elicit “support” of bad news for the current program. One was “which worse-than-now situation would you prefer?” And the other was to “rank order only 3 items” (instead of prioritizing all items) which, of course, will end up erroneously suggesting that the O Club is basically irrelevant.

In addition, not having a space for written comments on that survey is unconscionable when so many of us who are O long-haulers are a tremendous resource for informing O’s corporate decision-making regarding the policies that directly impact the guest experience.

Since the survey was sent under Neli Arias’ signature, I urge all of you who know Neli (or who have corresponded with her) over the years) to contact her with your concerns AND reasonable suggestions for actually improving the O Club experience. 
 

BTW: small though telling item: Have you noticed that the onboard O Club “Ambassadors” are now referred to only as “Future Cruise Consultants?” The seesaw has fully flipped from “service” to “sales.”

39 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

I usually find interesting things in museum gift shops.

Though it can get pricey, museum shops often have a selection of affordable originals/reproductions of historical/cultural significance. Likewise, indigenous art collectives in exotic locations are often worth the detective work to identify and find them. And don’t forget that a bit more research can identify authorized art restorers who have museum permission to manufacture/market certified “spot on” handmade reproductions of handicrafts in their collections. 

On 3/24/2024 at 8:38 AM, Hlitner said:

A few years ago we spent a few weeks driving through Ireland.  DW stopped in some shops, looking for gifts, and was not happy with what she saw or the prices (the US Dollar was weak at the time).  We bought nothing.  But when we returned home, DW visited a local "Irish store" and found some nice Irish products for less than it would have cost in Ireland :).  

 

Just this past year, I stopped at the Duty Free shop on the Sky Princess and noticed that some of the "Duty Free' higher-end booze items were more expensive than the same products at home, where we have a pretty high taxi and all the booze is sold at State stores.  Princess has a price guarantee, so I showed the shop manager that decent Cognac and Scotch was cheaper in Pennsylvania (with all its taxes) than at their shop on Princess.  She just laughed and said their price match was only a match for similar items at ports on that particular cruise.  When I mentioned that the booze was a lot cheaper in Ft Lauderdale (our embarkation/debarkation port) she explained that they do not consider that one of their ports for price matching :).

 

Hank

Duty Free shops anywhere are seldom (if ever) a better deal than at home in the US (even in locations with State Liquor Stores).
 

On the other hand, in-port specialty liquor/wine shops and, in particular, excursions to your itinerary’s regional wineries/distilleries can mean some rare/real acquisitions/bargains for knowledgeable/discerning consumers.

For example, certain varietal wines are very difficult to find outside of their country (or even their appellation) and may certain editions may only be available at the winery or distillery itself. Caricante wine (from a “postage stamp” sized Sicilian appellation) immediately comes to mind. Same holds true for spirits (like the oh-so-affordable/exquisite Dingle Gin from Ireland).

That said, however, a little research back home can often find a U.S. distributor/specialty shop that can get what you want. Of course, however, the State Store predicament in some locations most often puts the screws to any hope of shipping from a different State.

BTW: Anyone headed to SYD for a cruise? If so, check out the Red Bottle Wine Shop (formerly the Australian Wine Center) at Circular Quay (a short walk from the ship if it’s parked there).

Also, is Ensenada a stop on a future cruise? If so, find a guide or excursion and head straight for Val de Guadalupe wineries and some excellent wines.

The list goes on ….

11 hours ago, Actuality251 said:

So Im about to take my first Caribbean cruise on Virgin’s Valiant Lady and I just learned it has not a single full size swimming pool.There are apparently two you can wade in. The largest has a sign saying “Maximum: 14.” I didnt think this would be something I had to double check.  Don’t all cruise ships have pools? Even the Titanic had one. I had ordered a second swim suit but sent it back without trying it on. What’s the point? Wasn’t it right to assume this ship would have a real pool? 

Surrounded by an ocean in a tropical climate area with a ton of port stop beaches and you’re worried about the size of the ship’s pool(s)???🤔

5 hours ago, kahuna21 said:

Has anyone been able to convert from an existing O-Life booking to Simply More, without paying an additional amount to equal the newer Simply More price?

O Lifers can convert existing bookings to SM. But, whether the resultant deal saves or costs you bottom line $ varies significantly since there appear to be no algorithm yet in play (nor will there be once all the O Life applicable cruises have occurred).

FWIW: we had two recent cruises where we could switch. Only one would’ve gotten a “better” deal but the limited value wasn’t worth the hassle.

8 hours ago, Philob said:

Look at your ATM/Debit card, if it has any MasterCard/Visa/Cirrus/Plus, whatever logos, then you can technically use an ATM that displays the logo. Be mindful of the fees that may be charged.

 

 

Not necessarily. Recently, in Thailand, among all ATM machines we tried to use (that had our card’s logo), a couple of them rejected the cards (two different cards) while most ATMs were OK.

And, for others (with little experience abroad) reading this thread, never use your credit card in an ATM machine since a cash withdrawal will immediately start the accumulation of interest on your entire CC balance. Also, be aware that some machines are bank ATMs while others are Exchange Bureau machines with significant transaction fees (e.g., Travelex).

And I agree with others here who have said always indicate that you want your credit card charges made in local currency so that your regular home bank exchange rate and fees will be used (almost always a better deal than their banks).

5 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Don’t start the “party “ yet, sometimes these offers are not “combineable” at least that is what has happened to us.  It makes a difference what offers and discounts you may already have on your booking, at least that is what we were told. 
Mauibabes

Good point.

Just did a “book onboard.” The chosen cruise was on the O Club “10% off” list. Got that discount AND the “book onboard” low price match guarantee plus bonus SBC on the new cruise. BUT, there was no 5% book onboard fare discount added to the O Club 10% deal. 
O’s mantra (“No Double Dipping”) strikes again.

4 hours ago, ATWCruiser said:

With Oceania's new cancellation policy of $150pp, those that book a free cruise as part of Oceania Club Benefits will have to make sure they are qualified.  There are a lot of rules for using your free cruise.  I think the normal procedure is to book the cruise you want, put down a deposit and send a letter to Oceania that you want this particular cruise to be your free cruise.  If for any reason, Oceania Club Benefits declines your request because it doesn't adhere to the strict rules, then you are out of $300 ($150 pp x 2).  Anybody else know of this or have this experience?

As is often the case with O: what you read in the O website FAQs and “reality” can be vastly different things.

Might I suggest that, as you approach your twentieth cruise credit, you contact the O Club folks in Miami and enquirer about what you’ve got in mind for your complimentary 2 weeks on an O ship. Come to an agreement and go from there. That’s what has worked for us.  

1 hour ago, AMHuntFerry said:

No bidding, but sometimes O will offer a higher level cabin for a flat fee which is first come, first served. Sometimes it's a deal, and other times it's just the regular price difference.

Add to that that O Connoisseurs Club TAs are the first to know about the upgrade availability and you can inform your TA if you’re interested and what would be your OK price.

1 hour ago, RSV Angel said:

We/wife mainly , are thinking about a cruise to the Panama Canal. We want to do a round trip not sail through and go on to west coast. Is that even possible? it has been at least 10 or 112  years since we did a cruise. And we never even thought of this before. 

IMO: Partial canal transit is like kissing your sister.

Nonetheless, it is possible.

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Not a problem on a closed-loop cruise. 

 

Hank

…until it’s a problem. (Just one of the reasons why most premium/luxury lines still require all passengers on all itineraries to have passports).

6 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Not available to Book I believe. The Unlimited Collection was available before the Simply More Program started in October. In past years we did purchase the Unlimited Collection a couple of times but most often when you crunched the numbers, the YW Program provided the best bang for the buck. The YW Discount of 25% appears to be the best way to maximize the value of the SM Excursion Credit when coupled with additional ship excursions. Combining these programs with some Private Tours can produce some great values. JMHO.

Mauibabes 

In this case, N/A Could mean “not applicable” if the tour is under $200 (as was the case under O Life where U.P. folks paid no premium for them.

That said, however, I do agree that, under O Life, Unlimited Passport, was most often not as good a bottom line deal as was the YWYW option.

19 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I think the issue is that IF you were somehow delayed (illness or injury?) and couldn't return on time, you could potentially be unable to re-enter the US.  But how likely is it that you'd be delayed until June?  Sounds like an over-abundance of caution.  

 

Birth certificates, on the other hand, do not expire.  

…but are still useless for international air travel.

Not having a passport with 6 months expiration leeway? Not a problem until it’s a problem - a very costly problem.

44 minutes ago, Mareblu said:

What’s replacing Illy, Flatbush?  Hope it’s Lavazza🤞

In house brand which isn’t bad.