Flatbush Flyer

1 hour ago, Skyrose said:

Is this the 6/1 cruise on Marina?  We're on that cruise, but I haven't seen the culinary classes show up yet...

As is the case with the tours section of the O web, know that availability of culinary classes (like excursions) shown may be incorrect- particularly if you are on a multi-segment cruise. ALWAYS call O to confirm what’s available!!!

13 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

All excellent points, and another thing that is often missed by the conspiracy theory advocates is all the revenue lost from shore excursions. This alone can account to tens of thousands of dollars per port.

 

Those repeated claims that O (or any other line) misses ports on purpose to save money really get old and tired. But if this is what some people believe, they should definitely look for another line. Good luck in finding the perfect line that never misses ports.

 

Never stops to amaze me how people pay thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars to cruise on a luxury line, but become so cheap when it comes to $10-20 in port charges. btw, SS also does not refund port charges, and I believe it's the same with SB. But if people prefer to sail with Princess, NCL or Carnival because those lines refund port charges, there is not much to discuss.

Plus 1.

2 hours ago, durberville said:

Hi all! First time Oceania cruiser here. I just booked a cruise for October under the New Years Sale with the Simply more promo. My invoice says “simply more house beverage package” under amenities and gifts, and yet when I go to manage my account I see “view and shop beverage packages” - then I have a choice of “House Select - wine + beer by the glass w/meals” (for a tidy sum!) or the premiere package (for an even tidier sum! Haha!)  Presently “none” is selected. 😳 What the heck? Is this a website glitch? Anyone else?
 

I was able to use my shore excursion credit and all selections appear in my account. So confused. 

Others don’t have SM (kept O Life where they had other perk choices). The online choices you still see is an option for them. You can upgrade to Prestige once onboard.

18 minutes ago, Sdancer said:

I have port charges as a one separate charge for all ports in my invoice, but is not the point.

The point is that Oceania knows how much they DID NOT pay Cozumel for missing this port.

It is alarming that Oceania just keeps the money - it tell you a lot about the company.

Look at my post #3.

48 minutes ago, thebsinmiss said:

….it seems like NCL's corporate culture is influencing O and it is not for the better.

O, for far longer than it’s consortium arrangement with NCLH, has not disaggregated its fares. 

And what many unfamiliar with the maritime world seem not to recognize, is that there can be substantial costs to a cruise line each time an originally scheduled port is cancelled by O (rather than by the port itself) or replaced for whatever reason. 

Not only may there still be charges for labor, tugs et al. at an O cancelled port, there are the new charges for a replacement port that O does not pass on to its passengers. Add to that the cost of time and effort in possible navigational and fuel charges as well as added food and beverage expenses during missed port events and it should quickly become apparent that no ship’s master ever wants to modify the original itinerary if it’s at all possible.

That said, if a narrow one-sided view of port charges is that important to some folks, they should definitely consider changing cruise lines or at least get travel insurance that covers reimbursement for missed port taxes.

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Does Elliott provide advocacy for cruises sold outside the US, for non-US passengers,  for a cruise that does not call in the US?

 

 

I don’t know. The SF Chronicle bo longer carries his syndicated travel ombudsman column, which I seem to remember often dealt with issues that involved North Americans traveling abroad. 
That said, I do know that his Elliott.org staff will, at least, reply to reasonable issue requests by providing good contact info for company leadership folks that can get consumers one step closer t solving their own problems.

I also know that when he chose to write about a travel issue with carriers that included land, air and sea, he usually got results. So, can’t hurt to try Elliott since there’s no charge for the service (though donations to the non-profit are always welcome).

4 hours ago, donaldbihl said:

 

We need some serious discussion about food. Our last two cruises were NCL Prima and Gem. The same food and exact menu on both. MDR was 2* at best. The specialty restaurants we tried were great, 5*. Another cruise last spring on Princess was even worse.. Why has the quality gone down so badly, and on what lines can you find good quality meals without paying for specialty services? We really can’t afford lines like Viking and Virgin. This is ruining our daily enjoyment, especially on sea days.

If any one line lost out in the formation of the NCL Holding consortium, it was Norwegian. Cost cutting will certainly fall upon NCL before it touches Regent or especially Oceania whose former execs make up the bulk of NCLH leadership.

O is our preferred cruise line, in part because the quality of ingredients and preparation is similar across all dining venues and specialty restaurants (never a charge) are differentiated only by focused menus and accompanying ambiance of the space.

BTW, if you look at the daily net cost of a mostly inclusive premium line like Oceania and compare it to NCL once you’ve added all the extra costs ( like airfare, beverages, internet, etc)., you will be pleasantly surprised at the value.

1 hour ago, islandwoman said:

 

In other words, "no".

“No” to your “no.”

it really depends on the cruise line and the legitimate reason why you want to retrieve your booking.

With our preferred cruise line, if you have been a victim of fraud by a TA and/or the TA has been negligent in servicing your account in some significant way AND refuses to release your booking back to the cruise line, you can formally request the line’s reservations supervisors to return the booking to their control 

If you have a truly legitimate case for refunds or compensation related to travel, a great resource is Elliott.org which is a non-profit consumer advocacy organization started by syndicated travel columnist/ombudsman Christopher Elliott. 

On 2/29/2024 at 8:54 AM, FetaCheese said:

If the class is important to you, I suggest you book it and pay for it with a Credit card.  When TA OBC is posted once onboard, you could ask GS to refund your cash payment, and apply OBC.  

Theoretically, thst switch should happen automatically since the onboard accounting system first applies non-refundable assets in your account against the running balance.

4 hours ago, edgee said:

Oh yes. On some cruises twice a day. Sort of a blood sport...very competitive in the quest for Big O points which are cashed in for Oceania logo cheap cheap merchandise. 🤔 

Actually, on some cruises, up to four time a day (on sea days): morning, after lunch (e.g., Dottie’s “Men vs Women” Trivia), afternoon and evening.

19 hours ago, jobinseattle said:

Thanks, I thought they were a TA. I am new to this site. I guess I will rephrase. What are the benefits to book through this site verse directly booking with the cruise line?

Apparently, you’re still “missing the boat.”

CC is a forum for exchange of info about cruising. That it happens to have TA advertising is how it “pays the bills.” 

In addition to the advice in other posts on this thread, you may want to search here for the numerous (and very detailed) posts I (and other O Regulars) have made explaining the idiosyncrasies of (and strategies for) dealing with various O policies and practices including O Life, Simply More, Air Credit, Multi-Segment Cruise bookings, et al. 

7 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

…..FWIW: I've never been bitten by booking classes or excursions via the website.  YMMV

The bigger picture tells the truth. Searching here on CC confirms over and over again that there are numerous problems with the Web Cart tour purchasing - particularly as regards incorrect tour availability on multi-segment cruises (compared to the individual component segments) and inconsistent agreement of the website listings with the most up-to-date ShoreEx PDF and, most importantly, the actual accounting data visible to the O phone reps.

Of course, occasional O cruisers who do shorter single segment cruises may be lucky enough to not encounter the glitches. But, if you do several long single and/or multisegment cruises annually and purchase many many total annual tours (e.g., 100+), it’s a safe bet that you’ll find yourself or your TA (if they truly understand O’s idiosyncrasies) calling O to straighten out the mess.  

2 hours ago, Sailnsurf said:

I am new to Oceania and wonder when offered excursions are available to view. 

My understanding is that excursions cannot be booked until the cruise fare is paid in full. Our cruise will be on Regatta in Polynesia in August 2025. It would be great to have time to consider all opportunities without having to make a.decision under any pressure. Any information would be appreciated.

Excursions begin to be listed 365 days prior to embark. Of course, on day one, there may be no tours listed. So, check back regularly for updates. Same is true for the available shore excursions PDF (constantly changing and a far easier way to view/compare the tours.

As for buying tours, always call O and never use the Cart which is extremely glitchy. Also, by calling, you can purchase tours before final payment date. (You also have to call O to cancel prepurchased tours).

We’re in a B3 extended balcony on Riviera right now. They’ve always been the best buy on an O ship - particularly the four open corner ones. 

13 hours ago, njhorseman said:

It was never an 'Antarctica" cruise as a ship that size can't do actual Antarctic landings. It was a "sail by" scenic cruise and a sail by of an island that is still considered to be part of Antarctica but closer to South America was substituted for the original itinerary sail by location.

Sorry, but the whole story is an exaggeration and misstatement of the itinerary change.

Plus 1 

5 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

Flatbush Flyer......we also bring a case of wine onboard with us. Works out great. This is our first O cruise with Simply More....how are the wines that O offers? Is there a list online?  Do you think we should stop bringing wines?  We are planning a 27 day cruise.  I always value your opinions. 

The wine-by-the-glass list (which is both O Life and Simply More) is the same for the basic package and for the upgraded Prestige package and it has always been mostly mediocre stuff with an average U.S. retail price of $10-$15 +\-.

We will continue to bring our own - perhaps a bit less if O “ups it’s offerings quality.”

1 hour ago, Mrs f. said:

My husband and I share an account. I can log into our account. He cannot get in from his computer but can from his cell phone. Oceania office closed today.  He'll call tomorrow but does anyone have an ideas for today?  Thanks.

On Saturdays, O does web maintenance-usually afternoon to/through evening EST. At that time, passenger accounts are locked for security.

16 minutes ago, edgee said:

U.S, Two dollar bills may be cute and quirky and folks will remember you for them because they are unusual. However that is the exact reason I would never give them out to some crew member while cruising in a foreign country. They may not be accepted and worse yet, they are so unusual and rarely used that the person using them could be accused of trying to pass counterfeit currency. I would never subject a crew member to such a risk.

Hardly unusual anymore. They’re readily available at most banks in $200 packs. And they’re quite common in tourist destinations because they’re far less cumbersome than a fat wad of $1 bills. I doubt that many veteran cruise hotel crew who provide front line service have not seen a $2 bill. 
And, in any case, $2 is always better than $0.

1 hour ago, Snaefell3 said:

Newbie to O, but figure it's the same as on all the other lines: The room service runners are usually entertainment or other staff picking up a side gig and not in the gratuities pool.  We usually pack a stack of $2 bills for the purpose  (1 per order).

 

If you're in a suite, not sure how your butler figures in.

O’s room service uses regular wait staff. 
Tipping not required. But, we too have a stash of $2 bills (ordered from our bank).

1 hour ago, rim2rimhiker said:

We were on the Sirena for the holiday cruise from Miami and enjoyed it.  I was surprised how good the wi-fi was, never had one issue.  Excellent service from Putu in Martini's, he made that place special.  First time on the "R" class ships and we wouldn't hesitate to go on the "R" ships again.

You lucked out with having Putu serve you!

8 hours ago, Redtravel said:

I don’t think so. My TA has always been excellent in making arrangements.  Oceania insists that we booked onboard. While we sometimes do book onboard, we didn’t that time.  In June, there was a hint ,but not much info about Simply More. On the June cruise, we did inquire about it. Future cruise person said that they didn’t or wouldn’t give us info about Simply More. She only said that it would be better. That’s why we didn’t make a future booking on the ship.  Once we got home, we got all the details about Simply More. We got the welcome home offer.  For us, Simply More was good for the cruise that we wanted to book.  It was a Med cruise with ports that had interesting excursions.  We booked.

 

 

 

Your original (first) O invoice will clear things up because it will show both the deposit date and amount along with the date of the invoice and the name of whoever booked it.

On 1/26/2024 at 2:54 PM, Iamthesea said:

DH and I cannot find decent airfare for our Oceania Vista cruise on the 9th of March.  We are talking figures of $600 - $800pp or more for Premium Economy, and $1000 - $1500pp or more for First class.  The better of those rates are at times we least prefer (arriving/departing Miami late afternoon or evening.)   This is even if we drive to ATL (from NE TN) before flying out.  Very frustrating!!!  Normally, we can get Premium Economy airfare from our home airport to FLL or MIA for around $350pp.  I think at the most it has been $450pp.  And with perfect times!  We have looked at several options and the planes don't appear to be full.

 

Oceania's allotment for air is $700pp for our cruise.  Since we have never booked air through any cruise line, is that figure a starting point?    For instance, lowest Economy without seat assignment? Or are seats assigned?  I guess my biggest question is if we can change our booking to include the air since we are after final payment.  The cruise is 6 weeks out.  Also, is there a way to check for Oceania's air offering online?  See what is available without having to go through a booking?  We can do that with Celebrity and Holland America, but I cannot find a link for Oceania.

With the understanding that the prices you are seeing this close to embarkation are actually “decent” in this day and age, 

know that the Price difference between air/no air only demonstrates what credit you’d get for DIY. And that $700 is not the cost of the O Air coach tix (the value of which could be more or less than that amount.

If you want O Air, you’ll be offered what they’ve got for routing with their contract carrier. If you don’t like it, you can pay a deviation fee (and any price difference from the initially offered flights’ fare) and tell them what carrier and itinerary you want.

All that said, I recommend taking the air credit and DIYing it - particularly if you want bizclass (since O’s upgrade cost for bizclass is over and above the coach fare that’s built into the “with air” fare. AND, you’ll get no credit for the original tix purchased!

As for the future: when it comes to air travel,  cheaper is seldom better, at, least, if you want non-stops, adequate layovers, FF points, etc.

6 hours ago, broberts said:

 

You find this confusing?

 

 

Cabling me a liar doesn't make it so.

No one is “cabling” (or calling) you a liar. And I, for one, am crystal clear about what the “problem” is perceived/reported to be by the OP. 

That said,  the fact remains that it’s the sum total of OP’s posts beyond his/her original statement concerning a perception of O “wrongdoing” that often confuses, muddies and poorly presents the underpinnings, justifications and culture of evidence for the initial complaint. In short, a lack of OP completeness and clarity has resulted in a need for numerous respondents to keep asking for more information/clarification as they try to formulate and offer solutions.

Ergo, what confusion exists here is in OP’s presentation style and content as opposed to confusion in reader comprehension. And NO, that’s not “victim blaming.” It’s merely stating an academic observation that deserves attention.

And, thus, the best course of action for the OP (as the clock ticks away), is to digest and apply the most useful of the help that has been offered here, take a break from posting in an attempt to focus on the tasks at hand and report back here on the final outcome of the ordeal.