daydreamer62

My experience is that we are booked on a cruise in June around Spain and I was waitlisted for one excursion which cleared after about 4 weeks. I think that many who eventually cancel their cruise book excursions before they have made the final decision on actually going and when they cancel their excursion place is reopened ( the new penalities might disuade people from doing this in future .. hopefully) 

I researched this for our upcoming cruise too. What my research told me was trains seem to go hourly and take about 35 minutes but the station is 1.5km from the village centre which is a 20 minute walk  . I decided that wasn't ideal use of time for us so I decided it would be better use of time to book a tour . Based on the NZ$ terrible exchange rate currently it was much cheaper to book a ship  excursion than a private one. We also could have rented a car for the day,  but we recently spent a month in France driving and my husband wants a driving free holiday this time, especially where vineyards may be involved 

29 minutes ago, wayfarer1 said:

Thanks Daydreamer.

IMHO not very guest friendly, but c'est la vie

No it isn't user friendly at all. I agree . I also wish there were more reviews of excursions but they seem few and far between 

1 hour ago, wayfarer1 said:

We just booked our 1st O cruise. In looking at the excursions, it is a bit confusing, as there are different prices shown for each excursion. Can anyone explain what the difference is between the different categories for the exact same excursion - shown as

Tour Price             $319

Simply More Shore Excursion Package $239

Unlimited             $149

Also, how does one access the Simply More or Unlimited pricing?

Thanks for any illumination!

To get the simply more price you need to book the minimum number required for your cruise. You can see this on the book shore excursions page at the top of the section on the gold bar . My 15 day cruise has a minimum of 7 required. If I book 6 or fewer then I pay the tour price. 7 or more I pay the simply more price. Unlimited only applies to bookings before the simply more packages were introduced so if you just booked this will not apply to you and you can ignore it

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

Thanks to everyone the downloaded my document and made comments.  Glad you saw some value in the thought process.  That document was sent to Oceania Head Quarters and shared with the leadership.  I was honored to hear that.

 

This morning, I was writing a NEW topic for my personal blog, not CruiseCritic.com.  It was about how to create a "Ultra-Luxury Cruise Experience on a brand that is not Ultra-Luxury".  The notion was stimulated after reading a good CruiseCritic.com friends review of his resent Ultra-Luxury Cruise. 

 

We are all looking for something when we cruise. What I want, may be the same or different then what you want.  Yet what we all want and the one thing that seems keep coming up is "Personalized Service".  That is not the ship, brand or dishes in the restaurant. It is how the crew treats us. Not being treated like a number.  Being treated like a valued guest.  Whether it is remembering your name when you check in to the Grand Dining Room (Happened every visit for me) or the bartender in Martini's remembering you love the "Big O" martini.  Those tiny little things make a huge different.  

 

Sometimes, we can help that kind of treatment to happen more often and provide a sense of satisfaction for both the guest as well as the crew member.  Should it simply happen naturally, YES. But the world is simply not perfect.  Will we enjoy our cruise better if it happens to us, YES.  So help it along.  

 

Here is an additional item to my list of "Secrets List" that I wished I had included.  I call it, "Find a Crew Member That Did Something Outstanding and tell their boss about it." 

 

Not hard to find this item if you are open minded to being observant.  It happened to me on my Oceania cruise last month.  When it happened, I was both impressed and excited.  What it was does not matter because your criteria may be different then mine. 

 

I went to the front desk, asked to speak to the General Manager (Emma).  You can imagine what the GM thought I wanted to talk about.  When it was a sincere complement for some (More then one) crew members, the GM was thrilled.  From that point forward, when the GM saw me onboard, she said hello and visited for a minute or so.  I would always introduce the GM to everyone around me. The crew member were praised by their bosses and thanked me for the kind words when they say me next.  They told other crew members.  

 

We can be so quick to find fault with something on a cruise and let it effect our entire cruise.  I know, I have, I am a pro at it.  I can destroy the entire cruise with my attitude because something did not go my way.  Then a great friend taught me that perfection and cruise vacations is an "Unrealistic Expectations".  They were right and I was wrong.  So I came up with "Finding Someone Doing Something RIGHT!" strategy. Not original but what really is.  

 

Some folks say, when I write I tend to preach or talk down to folks.  NEVER my intention.  Long winded, absolutely. My goal is always to find a way, even if it is my own effort, to make my cruise regardless of the brand, a better experience then the last cruise.  That kind approach made every cruise after using it, a better cruise and yes, more like an "Ultra Luxury Cruise". 

 

"Cruise well and enjoy every moment." 

Too true and I want to thank you for your efforts in posting and producing your documents . As a (in 6 months) first time Oceania customer, I could be severely put off by the majority of comments here on Cruise Critic. However I know I am a (mostly) 'see the positive 'type of person and it's clear that many on this forum are not! 

I truely believe the more you look got the positive in whatever aspect of life, the less negative is noticed. In a way it's a bit like having realistic expectations just as you do  but also having eyes open to the positive around you. I see most of the complaints are about food and the size of the bathrooms in the R ships. I cook for a job. I know good food and not so good food, and I have eaten at many restaurants where I pay good money for food I could have cooked in a superior fashion.. But the good in that is that I didn't have to cook it.. I am with friends.  I don't have to clean up ... so I enjoy it regardless. As for the size of the showers, well in only in then for 5 minutes a day. How bad can it be!!  See the positive. I will though take on board your advice and do more to call out the positive and bring notice to others  from now on. I'm sure it works! 

1 hour ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

The old Tress & Co hat factory - a nice building, and a popular hotel. You may have already identified this, but your best route to Gatwick from there is to take the Thameslink train from Blackfriars Station. What may not be apparent from a map is that there is an entrance on the same side of the river as your hotel - the main entrance is the other side, but the station spans the river on the railway bridge. Very convenient for your hotel. The quickest trains take just 35 minutes.  

Yes I did see that thanks but from doing a   search  unfortunately it looks like one a Sunday mornings it seems to be the slow route taking 1 hour 38 minutes so I figured uber to Victoria station might be quicker but I think with 4 of us it may be not much more expensive to Uber the whole way but we can make that decision at the time

I have booked a central London hotel now. The Mad Hatter in Southwark.  I did the maths and it will still cost considerably more as it's  double the price of the Gatwick one but the location will be very  convenient for that day in London especially for the one in our party of 4 who hasn't been to London before , and I can still get to Hampton court easily should I wish to. The Gatwick express train though seemed to only take 30 minutes though from Gatwick to Victoria station so I don't think we would have spent 6 hours travelling each way...

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

 

I really doubt that you need to check in for your flight three hours in advance. Where are you flying to, and with which airline?

 

If you stay next to a central London station that has direct trains to Gatwick, you should be able to get to the check-in desk in about an hour from the hotel, or maybe a few minutes more as you're heading for the North Terminal. So timing is really not that tight for a 10 am flight.

Emirates to Dubai.  And I've been looking at hotels around Victoria station or London bridge but the difference in price for the 2 nights is a minimum  of £300 and many are sold out already.. Over 7 months in advance. Apparently due to a Taylor Swift concert.. crazy 

2 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

 But yes, I was using "inconvenience" in an understated British way.... To put it an other way, it's "not ideal" depending on timings and ambitions for London 🤣Costs add up too, so any hotel saving can be a false economy.

The cost differences are quite significant as it appears that weekend central London hotels definitely have a price spike .  I'm not sure the inconvenience of doing one night in London and one out at the airport, or getting to the airport for our flight at 10am before 7am from central London, assuming we need 3 hours too check in, is a better option than the time lost getting to and from the airport on those 2 days . Im always open to alternative solutions though. 

8 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

The terminals at Gatwick are connected by an easy and quick shuttle, which is right across the street from the Premier Inn and Sofitel at the North Terminal.  I stay at the Premier Inn for an early flight from Gatwick, irrespective of the terminal the flight is leaving from. 
 

This topic was discussed last month in this thread, which you will find useful 😀

 

Thanks . This sounds like a perfect option 

 I posted this earlier but it ended up in the wrong forum so I'll repost here where I meant it to be

We are disembarking in Southampton on June 21  and flying out from Gatwick North terminal on June 23 in the early am

I thought it best to stay both nights at Gatwick and train into London or elsewhere for sightseeing. Which hotel would be best located for our early am flight but also for convenient transit from Southampton and to London . 

Alternatively if anyone has a better idea for those 2 nights in very open to suggestions. I was hoping to get to Hampton Court palace if possible (been to the UK several times but never been there)

Not sure how this ended up in this forum as I'm sure I posted it in the ports forum but thanks very much for your response.  The premier inn sounds like a good choice . Is it easy to get the train from the North terminal or would we be better placed in the south terminal area for transportation? I've only flown into and out of Manchester and Heathrow on the past so Gatwick is new to me

We are disembarking in Southampton on June 21  and flying out from Gatwick North terminal on June 23 in the early am

I thought it best to stay both nights at Gatwick and train into London or elsewhere for sightseeing. Which hotel would be best located for our early am flight but also for convenient transit from Southampton and to London . 

Alternatively if anyone has a better idea for those 2 nights in very open to suggestions. I was hoping to get to Hampton Court palace if possible (been to the UK several times but never been there)

52 minutes ago, ORV said:

Depending on price and number needed for discount you might find 6 excursions being cheaper than five. I sometimes have booked a real cheap excursion just to meet the discount number, and it makes the overall price cheaper. Math can be your friend. 

This was definitely the case for me. One quite inexpensive excursion in Seville that I had no intention of booking originally,  meant I saved a few hundred dollars on the ones I did want to take

21 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

15 night cruise, 9 port days,  $1,000 shorex credit.  Not booked yet, just enquiring about FCC Deposit, and how SM Shorex credit would be spent.  

 

Subsequently, I just checked a few random cruises,  and all 3 shorex prices were listed, but not on cruise of interest.

 

But specifically, does 25% discount apply to 1st shorex thru all purchased, or only after a minimum # purchased.

It applies to all of them . For my 15 day cruise the minimum was 7 . I wasn't going to take that many excursions. 3 each that were my first choices  would have used up our $1000 ($1670NZ) credit and we would have had to pay about $US80 each on top of that. But with the discount applied to all of them the extra 4 excursions cost less than $US300  total each ,and that was  way way less than booking private excursions in those ports so it seemed like a good idea.

1 hour ago, FetaCheese said:

A few days ago, I was looking at a specific cruise on O website...Ports

 

3 prices listed:  Reg tour price, Simply More Shore Excursion Package (price was less 25% discount), and Unlimited .

 

All three prices "were listed"

 

Today, Simply More Shore Excursion Package price is N/A, for every tour.  

 

Was assuming that all tours would be SM price, using Shorex credit, if booked under that scheme.

 

Today, not sure if shorex credit to be used at full price.

 

Before I ring up O to ask, does anyone have an explanation of shorex pricing under SM?

 

Thanks

 

(Lots of web maintenance occurring last few days, and tonight)

 

 

I just booked the minimum 7 excursions required for the SM discount and the prices were reduced accordingly. 

5 hours ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

 

I think that if there was a way to price trips differently by region (with auto gratuity included in higher price, or as an add-on) it may eliminate some of these ongoing discussions.

 

This already happens . In NZ we pay more than those in the US and gratuities are included in our fare

We are booked in the same cabin on a cruise next year. How did you find it.? I was a little worried about noise drum whatever is in front and above it .

9 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

The beverage package is  a whole other story

I do  not think you can upgrade before  the cruise

at least with O Life you could not

Just go to reception & get them to do the upgrade  they will give you a new card also

There is going to be some glitches  between now  & when all those that booked under the O Life   option is  finished

That will also spread out the payments a bit more too! 

It seems like the website isn't optimal. We booked with the simply more package and were told it would be $US 30 to upgrade to the prestige drinks package. Originally I saw that option to book online but that's now gone and strangely it's offering the package we already have included as an option to purchase and the full prestige package at the full price as if we don't have a package included. Very confusing for a newbie to Oceania. I'm assuming their software developers are well behind their marketing people and haven't implemented the necessary changes for the new systems . I'll just do everything through the Oceania rep .. glad I decided to use her and not book online!! 

1 minute ago, ORV said:

It's a problem with the cart. Unless you do them all at once you don't get the discount. Say if your target is 6, and you do 4 today, then tomorrow do 2 more you're not getting the discount, although you should. Wanna know how I know? The hard way. I have to get it fixed Monday. 

Frustrating to say the least!

22 minutes ago, calvin81 said:

I'm traveling alone, and have $1000 excursion credit, so thought I would book some and can cancel if I meet some people onboard (roll call very quiet). I booked 7 and the discount wasn't taken off, so I called. They fixed it, although there was no explanation of why it didn't come off automatically. 

Well that's frustrating! Do you know if you need to pay immediately on booking if you go over the credit amount 

16 hours ago, LHT28 said:

We had good friends we did short trips with  & did not really work  but  we tried again 

Went with these long time  friends  to an AI   for 2 wks  & vowed never again

we then did  a river cruise  with the same couple   &  after that  it is NEVER AGAIN

 We just go on our own now  & after  being together   decades  (a long time)  we know what works for us & what does not

I organize  what we like  & if others come along I tell them to do  what they like & we can meet up for drinks or dinner 

 

This made me laugh. This is EXACTLY my travel history and after our last independent road trip in France for a month with friends who had already caused me stress on a previous trip, it was NEVER EVER AGAIN!!! .This time we were definitely going to travel in our own and we booked this upcoming cruise.. But another couple from our friend group found out  and booked the same cruise because they 'wanted to travel with us.' .. As they have never travelled to Europe nor ever cruised I think there is likely to be a lot of hand holding(already experiencing this..) but I'm trying to encourage them to at least book their own excursions (I'm more an independent explorer) so we can get some space from each other.. fingers crossed!!! 

I have another question. It's highly unlikely that we will book the minimum 7 excursions on our cruise to get the SM discounted price, but the friends who are joining us on our cruise are complete newbies to European travel let alone cruising so they may want to do more. In order to get the discounted price so they need to book them all at once?

11 minutes ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

Our cruise was not actually going to New Zealand it was a circumnavigation of Australia and the missed ports (two of them) were due to underwater hull cleaning. 

Believe me many many ports were missed in both countries and the Pacific islands during our summer and so many ships had to try and negotiate hull cleaning demands. It was all over our news at the time.  I'm sorry you missed some of your ports, it must be disappointing especially if it's a once in a lifetime trip , and I'm sorry for the thousands of others who had vacation plans disrupted (I feel more sorry for those who suffered a loss their  livelihoods when the cruise ships couldn't dock.. especially after the last few years ...and even more sorry for the many many who lost their homes and businesses and their loved ones who were washed away in the floods .