Harters

Yeah but I'm not holding my breath either.

I sent it to GuestServicesEMEA@OceaniaCruises.com which is on the UK version of O's website. I know from a recent thread that there's no equivalent email address on the US version of the site. But I presume the sentiments in your email would still get to the right place if you sent it to that address.

A British phrase, which I'm not going to post, comes to mind. But, to paraphrase for my compatriots (and possibly others), it seems they are unable to organise a social event in a beer making facility.

If that is the case, then it seriously calls into question their ability to market their company. Successful marketing requires time for things to bed in. Selling expensive holidays is not a business in which you can judge success or failure in a very short time. It calls into question the original planning for and commitment to more inclusive arrangements under Simply More. And then to scrap SM so quickly and replace it with Your World Included again calls things into question. Now if as you suggest, YWI may not last past the end of the year, it really does make you wonder what on earth the company is up to.

Good idea. I've just sent an email to Guest Services. "I am writing to express my disappointment at your recently revised offer "Your World Included". Or Simply Less as it would be better called. When you introduced Simply More, I regarded that as a very positive way forward. As the company indicated at the time, the right move was towards a more inclusive customer offer. But your new offer is an even more backward step than the previous OLife arrangements which is what attracted us to Oceania in the first place, almost completely unpicking any sense of inclusivity (gratuities excepted). My recollection is that, when Simply More was introduced, prices were increased to reflect the "extras" over OLife. I had no issue with that whatsoever. My understanding now is that the company is removing the excursion credit and the included drinks with meals, yet is going to maintain prices at the same level. Clearly this is now a proposal which is much less value for money. Call it just a big price increase or call it Simply Less. We have an Oceania cruise booked for 2025 and we will need to reflect very carefully as to whether it will be our last with your line. My guess, as at now, is that it will be and that competitors will prove to have a better offer. "

I hadnt previously but now you mention it................. 😀

I think that's the company we did the boat trip with. Photo of the boat seems familiar.

No personal experience, I'm afraid, but a "reliable source" suggests two places in the Ocean Village area, if that's any help: The Jetty - seafood Blue Jasmine - southeast Asian

Customs officers know the destinations where ordinary folk (not organised smuggling gangs) are likely to smuggle over the duty free limit. Tenerife, for example, has much cheaper cigarettes and booze than mainland Spain. And they'll be on the lookout for marijuana smuggling on flights from the Netherlands because of readily availability.

Like me, the OP is in the UK. As mentioned here before, our travel agency industry is structured and regulated differently from that in the States. There is much less flexibility to do deals, worsened for Oceania cruises, in that Britons are a small minority of the customer base, so our agents don't get as good deals from O.

I always look for good BBQ when I visit the South. Our stay in Alabama was all too brief - just a couple of days (one night). We'd been in Louisiana's Cajun country and were heading back to Atlanta for the flight home. We took the longer, more scenic, route as I particularly wanted to pay my respects at Hank Williams grave in Montgomery. That proved to be an interesting stop. Got chatting to a local taxi driver who was visiting his family's grave. And, just along from Hank's grave was a largish group of Commonwealth War Graves - all men who were learning to fly for the Royal Ait Force in WW2. I spotted several buried next to each other, all with the same date of death. I researched their names when we got home. Turned out they had been flying together in very close formation and it went wrong for them in dense cloud, with several planes colliding in the air. A rather sad day at the end of a really enjoyable holiday - which had been mainly focussed on music. We'd visited Nashville, Memphis, Tupelo, New Orleans and then Lafayette.

And I've been to your State, but only the once.

Although in the UK, there was a court case that ruled they were not legally potato crisps/chips, due to the lack of potato in them (only 42% apparently) - which supported the manufacturers case. Legally, they were in the same category as a cake - so the good news was that, as a cake, they shouldn't attract Value Added Tax, so be cheaper than they otherwise would be. However, the Revenue appealed and won, so VAT is now levied on them. Doncha just love the law? I have been known to eat a full tube at one session. Which is, perhaps, why I am a short fat man, instead of just being a short man. In similar vein, I've been known to demolish a whole pack of Jaffa Cakes at single session. Relevant to this story only in that there was another court case which ruled they were indeed a cake, so exempt from VAT.

Everyone loves a smartarse. 😀

You're right, V. I had forgotten that. As it happens there's no decrease and, with the way it's selling, I suspect there won't be.

My thanks to all for your suggestions. They've been most helpful for us to draw up a shortlist of lines we need to look at more closely. There's no rush for that. We have a cruise on Vista next June and two land based holidays before that. After those three trips, we'll be in a position to know if cruising is still for us and, if so, then we can start a process to see if any of the suggestions will suit us better than Oceania. Again, thank you. John

All operators and travel agents adjust their prices to reflect how well a particular holiday is selling. Doesnt matter whether it a transatlantic cruise or a fortnight in Benidorm. It happens. Sometimes the prices come down, sometimes they go up. It's a gamble whether by booking early you'll have won or lost. My only comment about leaving it late to book, is that choice of cabin can be limited. For example, our next cruise is in June. We booked last March securing exactly the particular cabin we wanted. Just checked and I see that most categories are already waitlisted and only A1, A2 & A3 are available. I've not kept tabs on any price movements - the contract is the contract is the contract. I wouldnt expect to pay more if Oceania increased their prices and I wouldnt expect a reduction if they came down.

It's great to see a post like this - where someone actually wants to see something of our country that isnt just London. To get the best out of your two days, you need to stick to southern England and, in particular, southeast England rather than spending time travelling further afield. Without knowing your interests, it's difficult to make specific suggestions as to what you might do. However, I do suggest you have a Google for the tourism websites for the five counties - Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Susses & Kent. I'm sure that will help to clarify things for you - and probably leave you wondering how on earth you could possibly fit all that in to just two days. FWIW, apart from Surrey, we've spent week long holidays in the other four counties over the years (most more than once). Always find lots to see and do.

Indeed. It's similar to the shrinkflation you get from manufacturers. A tube of Pringles down from 200g to 185g but price the same. Or Lurpak butter down from 250g to 200g but price the same. I suppose the financial difference is that Oceania removing the included perks adds up to a much larger hit on the wallet, than for a packet of snacks.

$100pppd is obviously an arbitrary figure and it's difficult to comment on the specifics. But, as a general response, I expect businesses to raise their prices periodically. And Oceania does that. It raised prices when it introduced included gratuities, drinks and excursion credit with Simply More. In the ordinary course of events, I would not have expected O to withdraw its offer only months after it had introduced it, before it had any chance to be proven a success. Rather, I would have expected them to raise prices in due course in line with any business' normal practice.

You're missing the many people who know they are over the limit but deliberately do not declare them. Effectively trying to smuggle the goods into the country. The partner of an ex-colleague of mine drove lorries across Europe. He would usually stop in Belgium and buy large quantities of cigarettes to resell in the UK. Washing machine powder was also a bootleg product for him. That is, until customs stopped his vehicle at Dover and found all the goods. Everything confiscated and a large fine. Shame really, the cigs were still very cheap in comparison with British retail prices.

We were there in 2017 on Marina. There are a couple or so small boat tours back down the fjord, if you are not fed up with being on the water. It is a very dramatic view of the scenery - a definite different sense of scale than looking at the waterfalls, etc, from the ship. It stopped halfway back and a number of folk got off to hike back to the village. Can't recall the name of the company we used but Google should find them. We'd booked online beforehand but I think you can just turn up on the day and buy a ticket. We followed that with lunch in one of the places overlooking the water. And then walked up the side of the waterfall. More drama, IMO, and a very different day for us city dwellers. It's a very pretty village and must be lovely once all the cruisers have left.

If posting "many who are venting are doing so because they are in many ways hurt", is not an unevidenced and unfounded presumption, then I really don't know what might be. As for your later remark, are you really suggesting that either I should block you or you should block me? That would be the height of silliness and I really am not going play that game with you.

Along with the alcohol and excursion deals, gratuities were also included for European customers. So, yes, absolutely more inclusive. I'm pleased that they are now extending that for North Americans. That, at least, is a progressive move. I also don't drink but did take occasional advantage of ordering an alcohol free beer or wine at meals. Makes a nice change from water now and again.

Gosh,. It must be great to have customs staff who don't enforce their own rules. Not the case if you're entering the UK where, depending on where you've come from, you have a realistic chance of being searched. Depending on how much you are over the limit, at best your goods may be confiscated, at worst you face prosecution.