Sthrngary

@babystepsI think my issue was that I was changing my stateroom to a PH. It did something to the what their computers used the monies. I have no issue using my agent. So even it that is not the case, happy to follow the process they gave me. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I had no intention of booking a cruise while onboard, NONE. However, my friends, wife and I had such a good time, we did book another 10-Day Mediterranean Cruise on the Vista for October 2025. The port we missed was Florence so our next cruise will go there. Also we will go back to Rome which is great because we never got to go to the fountains. The rest of the new itinerary will be new. Before I do anything, I study the rules and love the process of due diligence. I went to future booking desk a few day before the end of the cruise. I had a list of very specific question which I asked in front of my friend so he would clearly see where I was going with those questions. Here are some things I learned and I hope it will be helpful to so. I am not selling to book on a cruise but this was a first for me so I figured it might be a first for some reading this. My Travel Agent Got the Booking Automatically: Even though I booked on the ship (Riviera), my travel agent got the booking. Since my agents, agency had a promotion to pay for my gratuities, the computer on board recognized it and provided it in the booking. I thought that was cool. Benefits of Booking On the Ship: Unless I really wanted to book another cruise, the benefits were just ok in my opinion. For a concierge level stateroom, the benefit was $400.00 off the stateroom with $250.00 of On-Board Credit for the stateroom. You could take the OBC on the cruise you were currently on or save it for the cruise you are booking. The issue is, if you take it now, and cancel the booking they charge you for the $250 so I save it for the next cruise. Making Changes and Staying on the Same Cruise Booked: I initially booked the Concierge Stateroom one for me and one for my friends. I did it because of their budge. Yesterday, I upgraded my wife and I to a PH2 with a specific cabin number. My benefit went from $400 to $600 for the stateroom, same On-Board-Credit, the agency now is paying a higher gratuities fee, when I booked originally, the SimplyMore Excursion Credit was $800.00. It has since gone down but I was grandfathered in for the $800.00. Also, when I booked, there was a 5% discount for booking so early. It applied to my new booking. So it was as if I booked the Penthouse while onboard. Upgrade to the Prestige Drink Program: While my agent was moving me to the PH category, I asked her to do the upgrade for the Prestige package. In the past before the SimplyMore(tm) program, you could only do this onboard. I wanted to do it now if it was possible because if the price went up, I would be locked into the lower price. It was $30.00 per per day per person. Change Cruise Once with No Fee: So if we wanted another cruise instead of what we booked, we could do it once with no fee or penalty. New $150.00 Admin Fee: The agent must have told me five times about the new admin fee of $150.00. No issue for me but my friend was with me and I wanted him to understand also. American Express Platinum Perks: The AMX perks were not possible with the Travel Agencies payment of my gratuities. No issue, the gratuities were more then the AMX perk. Booking Excursions: It was made clear to me to let my Agent book my excursions using the SimplyMore(tm) $800.00 credit. The reason was, if I did it from my computer, Oceania's system would take my $250.00 On-Board-Credit first instead of starting with the excursion credit. As we all know, all you can use the Excursion Credit for is excursions. However the On-Board-Credit which came from booking the the ship could be used for anything. Lower Deposit: Not that is matters but the deposit given was a reduced amount. Documents Provides: First, you could not use your stateroom account for the deposit. You had to give them your credit card. The documents give were clean and easy to understand. I should have gone to the Oceania Ambassadors desk and ask if there were any other special benefits. I don't know if that would have benefited me but someone made that comment online. Next time I will try that. I hope my explanations help someone. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@English Tim Thank you for your review. Would you share which of the brands you mentioned you like the best and why. Also, which ship in the other brand you liked. I am booked on Oceania Vista for my next cruise in 2025. I am thinking of a cruise in 2024. Thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@trickylibrarian Hello. Full disclosure, I have not read all the responses. Sorry for being lazy. I wrote a document that I never released that I call FAQ designed by a Oceania Guest. One of the topics is Guarantee Staterooms. I had a Guaranteed PH3 for my guest. Booking a Guarantee Staterooms Details: 1. “What are the Oceania rules/policies if I book a Guarantee Stateroom?” Answer: If a stateroom is a Guarantee Stateroom, you are purchasing it like you would any other stateroom in that category. It will be assigned usually one week prior to the cruise departing. You have no control over the stateroom provided. You will receive stateroom at the level you guaranteed or higher. “Do I save money when I book a Guarantee Stateroom?” Answer: NO. The fare is the same in a specific category if it was an assigned or unassigned stateroom. The motivation for a Guarantee Stateroom is not for a value price. It is often used because the ship is sold out or as I did, to accomplish a four-category upgrade. No real financial benefit. “Will I get an upgrade if I book a Guarantee Stateroom?” Answer: NO and maybe. The only obligation you receive is to have a stateroom in the category you booked on your Guarantee. We booked a PH3 Guarantee. Yes, it is possible to gain an upgrade, but it is not a given. On the Booked PH3 Guarantee I had, we were assigned a PH2. Some would say that is an upgrade, I do. Don’t ever expect an upgrade from a PH to an Oceania, Vista, or Owners Suite. That is rarer than gaining an extra tax refund. “Can I change my stateroom selected by the brand at no expense when I get a Guarantee Stateroom?” Answer: Most likely NO. The rules say No. Is it possible you get lucky with a kind soul helping you, sure. It is likely it will happen, NO. We need to have realistic expectations so don’t hold your breath. The higher cabins usually go to a Paid Client Upgrade by someone that wants an upper-end suite or higher class of stateroom then they have, for less than retail. That is usually only when the cruise line cannot book them because the sailing is too close. Our results on the PH3 was a PH2 so that was a lucky upgrade. The stateroom was assigned 7 days before departure. Hope that helps. "Cruise well and enjoy every moment."

@MEFIowa And I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and your bride. I thought it was great that you could find so many GREAT wine and spirit values on each port. That will be my new hobby and only hope I can come as successful as you were. The point I was making was not that I got a super value for a Vista Suite, I did. You got the super value and I admire that. It was I took a bad situation and fixed it to my satisfaction. I spent my entire life on the road. Only home 1.5 days a week. I grew up poor. We had nothing but my mother never let us feel poor. This drove me to do something to make sure it would not happen to me as an adult and I found something I could do really well. Decades later I spoil myself, my wife and my children. I like the bigger suites, the amenities that come with it. Would I purchase that suite at retail, no. Would I do that suite again even at the same price. no. But it is my money to spend anyway I want. I tend to be a bit Bougie and I really like that. Because of that I cruise less but it suits me. That said, my new hobby because you were a great teacher is to find value adult beverages at every port. I can't wait. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. .

@FetaCheese Not your fault and I do this on lots of things for my family and friends. It comes from actually training Issue Resolution in my professional life. I also trained many call centers with is a very unusual bread of experience and team members. A little side note. I hesitate to write this kind of op-ed. When I have gone into deep detail on what I say in my letters, some folks really hate my comments. They simply can't believe that someone has an approach that can actually gain resolution because they never could. Human nature. You will also notice I was detail on the items where I met you online. The Upgrade to the Vista Suite on my recent cruise. I think you had seen a comment from me on another board and referenced it on the Oceania Board. As Paul Harvey used to say, "And that is the rest of the story!". Reach out to many any time. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@SATaxman Yes it was. It will NEVER happen again. It does go to show you, Oceania will play it fair is you approach it nicely. Great brands in general need to evolve to becoming great brands. Lots, and lots of mistakes made along the way. LOTS. Guest can help the brands if we approach it with some strategy, warmth, and kindness. Raises the odds of mutual success. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

WARNING: I have written a long post and if you don’t like long posts, simply skip this one. I have only given a few examples of issues I have had with cruise brands, what I did and how they were resolved. To those that don’t like the way I post and say it seems I am talking down to people. That could not be further from the truth. I am just attempting to show you can gain resolution to issue with focus, never giving up attitude, never threatening the brand, never brand bash, and always being accurate as well as professional. If that kind of post interests you, read on. If not, please move on. Life is too short. Overview: My history with cruising is 44 years, 30 plus cruises, cruising in the least and most expensive staterooms. I have gone on all the major lines, different size ships, and a few smaller brands. Knowing many contributors on this and other boards, I have NOT cruise or experience the most or the least. It is also clear I am NO expert except what I like or don’t like when cruising, which has changed over the years. Why Write this Topic: Because on all the boards I look at every day on CruiseCritic.com, the Brand Bashing and the words, “I will never cruise this brand again,” seem to be happening increasingly. Sometimes it makes me feel like the poster thinks they are the only one that had an issue and wants to make sure no one cruises the brand again. They never take into consideration, many others have had the same, similar, or worse situation and got it resolved never having to bash the brand online in a brand social media blog. It also SEEMS to me the same folks comment on those post because the have a old bone to pick with that brand. Seems like just spinning your wheels if what you are really looking for is a resolution. Issues On Cruises: Third Person Drink Package Denied (2018): This was the Celebrity Equinox, prior to it being refurbished. My adult son was joining us. We had a Celebrity Suite which is a larger suite and now would be considered in the Retreat VIP section. I was told my son did not have the drink package because he was the third person in the room. All documents I printed and brought showed he got the same benefits, including the drink package, as my wife and me. I requested the Concierge to call the home office prior to departing Miami to fix the issue. I was told it would not matter but she did as I requested with my documentation in hand. It was fixed in 20 minutes. Was I angry, yes. Did I get over it, yes. Did I learn a lesson, yes. Always keep your document. Pre-Purchase of Spa Treatments to Gain a Discount (2018): This was again, the Celebrity Equinox. I booked 8 spa treatments to gain a 25% discount on them all. I called the spa company on land to confirm the rules and confirm the 8 treatments. The spa representative on ship day one said that quantity discount would NOT be honored. I called the home office of the spa company from the Concierge Lounge, prior to the ship departing Miami. They told me they could call the ship spa, which they did. Fixed in one hour. Yes again, I had documents printed. Was I angry, yes. Did I get over it, yes. Did I learn the same lesson, yes? Four Category Upgrade Denied: Oceania Marina 2020. I was told you could not use the upgrade to get to a PH/Penthouse by the Oceania representative on the phone. I accepted that and booked anyway. Our friends joined us at my request, asked and got the 4-catigory upgrade to PH level. I had my Travel Agent ask Oceania to upgrade us using the program and was told it expired the day before. My travel agent went to three (3) supervisors and was told NO. I sent four (4) registered letters, twice and finally got a call saying I was accommodated, and the agent would call me soon. Another example of a guest, with a good professionally written letter, getting things fixed when told NO by his agent and the Brand. Was I angry, yes. Did I get over it, yes. Did I learn a lesson, yes. You get more honey and professionalism than with vinegar. Third and Forth Adult in Stateroom Did not Receive the Drink Package (2021): This was the NCL Encore. They changed the program to all adults get the drink package in the suite, after I booked. They told my Travel Agent, “NO” to including my Adult Children. I sent four (4) registered mail letters three (3) times over a 5-week period. They included my adult children finally. The cruise ended up being cancelled. Was I angry, yes. Did I get over it, yes. Did I learn a lesson, yes. Don’t get angry, write a great letter. Never give up. Once Onboard, 3rd and 4th Guest Did Not Have a Drink Package (2021): NCL Joy. Prior to cruise, I called NCL, got approval for my wife and I to have (and pay for) the upgraded Premium Plus Drink Package and adult children to stay with the complementary normal Adult Premium Drink Package. When we got onboard, my adult children did not have a drink package. I was in the Haven Owners Suite at the time and went to the Haven Concierge. I gave the Concierge the printed documentation, asked for them to leave a message in my stateroom when the issue was resolved. 60 minutes later the issue was resolved. Did I get angry, no but was a bit disappointed. Did I get over it, no I was over it before it even happened because I had the documentation. Did I learn a lesson? No, this is simply something that happens when dealing with 4,000 guests so it became water off a duck. Paid Guest Upgrade (2023): Oceania Riviera. I had heard that you could request, through your travel agent, a discounted guest paid upgrade with Oceania. I had my agent call Oceania and was given an amount of $800.00 per guest to go from a PH3 to a Vista Suite. I would have done an Oceania Suite, but they were sold out at the time. I was on the phone on a three-way call with Oceania, My Agent and myself. The moment I heard $800.00 for each guest as an upgrade amount; I accepted it. I asked to leave the call for a moment to get my AMX. One minute later, I came back, and the offer was taken back. My agent went to two (2) supervisors, and they said no. I sent four (4) letters registered mail. From the time they were received, 24 hours later I got an email from the Inventory Department apologize for the issue and providing me with an “Guest Paid Upgrade” of $2,000.00 per guest or I could wait for closer to the cruise for a lower offer. I took the offer on the spot. This cruise I had already had a four-category upgrade and took advantage of the “Extraordinary Sales Event.” My daily cost per passenger for a Vista Suite was $475.00 per day. That was less than half of the Retail Price the staterooms were currently selling for. Did I get angry, NO. Did I over it? No, I did not need to, I knew I would just nicely send a few letters out. Did I learn a lesson, no. The lessons had already been learned. Paid Upgrade Offer After Cancelation (2021): Crystal Cruises. I booked a nice balcony room on one of the first Crystal Cruises leaving after covid-19 allowed cruising again. I really wanted to stay in a Penthouse Suite but did not want to pay the price. This was a “Luxury Cruise Test-Drive.” A month or so before embarkment, I was given an offer of a “Paid Guest Discounted Upgrade” for $750.00 per guest to a Penthouse. I took it instantly. Unfortunately, eight days prior to the cruise, my wife got Covid-19 and I had to cancel it. The penalty was 50% of my fare but yes, I did have cruise travel insurance purchased directly from the Insurance Company. I was made whole in less than two weeks. I rebooked for the next month but was not offered the upgrade option again. I wrote four (4) letters, sent the registered mail explaining the story. I was given the upgrade complementary. So now I am in a Penthouse. The next week, I was offered an upgrade to a Penthouse Suite which is the second largest suite on the ship for $750.00 per person. I took it immediately. Was I angry, no. Did I get over it, no, never had to. Did I learn a lesson, no. Again, the lesson was learned years earlier. There were more issues in my early days of cruising especially with Holland America, however, I think everyone gets the point. Many issues arise with cruising. I never once took to posting my issue on social media just to complain or gain support for my position. After the issue is resolved, I will post. I had an issue, here is what it was and here is how it was resolved. Conclusion: Cruising is a messy situation. We the guests must abide by a 44-page contract which favors the cruise brand. Logically we should tell the brand to jump in the ocean, but we cruise anyway. Our choice and our money. Will most brands do the right thing if you are fair and balanced with your story, outline, and suggested resolution? Yes. Should it take going through hoops to gain resolution, NO. Just the way it is. Once you know it can be managed most of the time, you simply handle it. This last time with my Oceania Cruise Paid Upgrade, my agent wanted to know in detail how I got it done when she could not. I told her and everyone that is still reading this. “No one will fight for your rights as hard as you will for yourself.” It is the principle of the thing and principles matter to me. “Cruise well and enjoy every moment.”

@Loki4 Best you go to the roll call for your cruise. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello every one, great to visit with all of you again. The topic of the last few entries was the Premium Plus Beverage Package. If you do a search on the NCL Board for the Premium Plus, you will see an op-ed I did on the subject. I always said, I would ONLY do the Premium Plus Beverage Package. Those of you that know me, read my stuff, I have a way of finding out how to use ever once of value for a package and year of course the Haven in General. The problem has been, I think NCL was reading the topic as well. My last cruise, all the brands and personal favorites gained by the Premium Plus were not longer part of the program. My wife, could not find a white wine that was not super cheap stuff. Sorry to say from my standpoint, the package lost its benefit for me. It is most likely my fault. I drink to much Champagne and Tequila 1942. Sorry, I messed up the program, but had a blast doing it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Fogfog It was my pleasure. Glad it assisted you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

When I read the authors post #1, I really read it as a request from experience cruisers on how to simply cancel the cruise in 2025, and not have to pay the administration fee. This kind of issue happens all the time and it creates deep emotions from the community. So I saw this way. a Problem, what is the potential solutions. It is now about brand bashing which is fine, social media provides an outlet for that. I find it funny as soon as it get to brand bashing, some of the same player come out of the wood work. In an earlier post on this thread, I personally shared I also have been disappointed with more then one brand on more than one issue. It happens especially with cruising because of in my humble opinion, not allowing the frontline touchpoint team member to be empowers to make a simple call. This situation was a simple call. This leads to a client/guest to get upset. Does the brand have to help the client in this situation or the few I had. Unquestionably NO. That is NOT the point. Great companies become great because the trust their team member to make good decisions. Then some of these great companies get sold to bigger companies and the policies change. Soon, what was a great, successful and profitable company is no more. I an NOT saying that for this situation with Oceania, I am saying that is what happens when employees are not empowered to handle something as simple as an administration fee for a product not available for two years. Not a good look for any company. It would have been nice for Oceania to simply say, we wave the fee and send the deposit back. To do it without aggravating the guest. If done right away, this leads to the guest possibly rebooking right away. It also leads to a guest to walk away for ever. I will take those odds if it is my company. Will this thread, the authors experience, and the comments make me never cruise with Oceania again, NO. What if it happens to me would I be upset, YES. Would I make a stink about it online in social media, NO. WHY? I would just handle it myself first with my agent and then directly with Oceania. Why am I so confident it can and will be handled with direct contact. Simple, much more intense and costly situations have been handled in my past, if we approach it with direct and clear communication in writing. The old way, with Registered mail. The emphasis should be to fix the issue. Again, we all have the right to complain online. It simply does not fix the issue. If this situation makes you not want to use the brand, in this case Oceania, book else where. That is the best reaction if you are that upset with this or any other policy. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Unhappy campers Welcome to CruiseCritic.com and to the Oceania Board. Anyone who has cruise any brand has had an issue from time to time. The longer you cruise the higher potential to have an issue. Oceania is within their rights to charge you the fee. It is part of the agreement you make when you provide a deposit. That does not make it right though. I think you are here to find ways to resolve this issue rather than to complain. My approach is not embraced by all but has worked well for me. $300.00 fee will not" bankrupt any of us but it is the principle of the thing. Write a well thought out letter to the four key executives at Oceania. Look up the company executive online. The fact is, Oceania is within their rights so you are asking for what I call a, "Professional Courtesy". Explain your reasoning, never (not saying you would) threaten, stay on point, and give a realistic resolution. The better the letter, the better the result. Allow your Travel Agent to take the first stab, if no travel agent then it is up to you. Send the letter signature required. Wait two weeks and send the letter again. Usually, at least for me, it is resolved in days. I hope this resolves itself for you quickly. Sorry for your issues. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@SaltyPawz Ask anything you want on this board. Good topics go off the reservation from time to time and come back. I grew up in Long Island New York 50 minutes from NYC. I now live in the south. I have visited NYC many times in all those years. I have an approach and hope it helps you. Come In at Least a Day Early: I think this is your plan. If you do, any of the Airports will do. I personally due to business travel for what ever reason like LGA the best. Ground Transportation: Do some research and find a limo. If you search you will see the cost is very reasonable from the airport to NYC. Hotel: You are 25 minute to NYC. One of the greatest places to visit (not live). This is a rare opportunity. Do a hotel in the theatre district and look for deals. Regardless the rooms will be on the smaller size yet for one night who cares. Theatre: I love Broadway. Get to the city early so plan it that way. Go to the Half/Priced ticket line and get some seats to a Broadway show. If you want a specific show, book it pre-cruise but get ready to pay a lot for those tickets. Also if you flight is late, you might miss the show. So back to the Half Price ticket line. Food: You are about to take cruise and the food is usually good on the ship. If you have never had deli foods, a great choice before a show. I personally go to a REALLY GREAT Italian or steak place and forget about the cost. Peter Lugers for Steak, or Carmines (family style) in the Theatre District or just google best Italian. Leverage the experience of being in this city. Ground Transportation to the Port: Same approach as to the Hotel. Have a bag with your city clothes so you don't have open up your big bags. Those are my thoughts and I hope in some way it helps you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@icedearth15324 Your question seems to be simple however it is not. So many things depend on so many issues. I will give you my approach and why. You will get lots of replies. Take it all in. When you do your online registration 21 days prior, choose a time. I always go early vs. late. Other go late vs. early. With the Haven, we are the first to be boarded. The ship needs to have all passengers off and go through a clearing process. Estimates vary based on ship, size, on-time arrival, port and a list of other issues. I go in as early as I can, grab a seat in the Haven Lounge, grab a coffee and turn on my laptop until boarding begins. I am usually there at the port at 09:00 am to 09:30 am. I have waited an hour to three hours and remember we are the first to be boarded. I never mind the wait. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Always Cruising I 100% agree. Since I am home for the bad weather, I would love to elaborate. Hotel In Athens, Greece: Hotel Grande Bretagne. It takes a lot to impress me. I have stayed in the Ritz and Red Roof Inn. This hotel was a 5 out of 5. So much so that I am considering going back to Athens just to stay in it again. Since we are talking about Marriot Frequent User Benefits, here is what happened. 1) Room Upgrade to a suite with a view not just my room but our friends that joined us because I made the reservation. 2) A bottle of Greek spirits was left in my room with candy thanking both rooms for staying. 3) The roof top deck restaurant had with out a question the best view I have ever seen. That was at night with a few drinks. In the morning, the complementary Breakfast in the day light was also incredible and the food was a new level of outstanding. HINT: This hotel was offered by the cruise line as a pre-cruise hotel choice. I saved 50% from what the cruise brand wanted to sell the room for by booking direct with the hotel. Keep that in mind. Hotel in Barcelona, Spain: The hotel was the Barcelona Arts Hotel at the Beach. This is a Ritz property which is owned by Marriott. Everything was first class, both rooms got upgrades, the staff was unbelievable. This was my second choice of a hotel but when I found out most places were closed on Sunday, I said let us go to the beach. The Barcelona Arts Hotel was less expensive then the Athens hotel. I will say, no breakfast was provided but we had to go to airport early anyway. Each room got a nice bottle of red wine. Great experience and made a great cruise even better. PS: My hotels were cancelable unit 24 hours prior to arrival, the ground transportation I booked online was under $80.00 each way for all four people. The drivers were all on time with sign. So easy if we just do some research. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

To all my NCL Haven and CruiseCritic.com friends. This weather is not just cold, it can be dangerous. When my area of Alabama is 16 degrees, with light snow. That tells me very clearly, we are in a Heat Wave compared to the rest of the country. Have a plan, help someone in need, work together to keep everyone safe. We will all be able to cruise together another day. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

It was Barcelona. That was a nice touch.

@RocketMan275 Thank you for asking. Hotels: I am a lifetime Marriott Titanium Elite member so like with airlines, that has some benefits. The first is Room Upgrades, internet, a bottle of wine and free breakfast. On a recent Mediterranean Cruise for 10 days, I stayed at a Marriot property in Athens and at the end of the cruise in Barcelona. I booked both reservation directly with the hotels and double checked the prices on third party sources. I booked them a year or so in advance and my quote was the lowest price on both hotels. Airfare: Oh boy is this a loaded question. So let me start with a disclaimer because in the past, some contributors who are true experts on flights ripped me to shreds. Here goes, my experience is mine and yours may vary. I traveled by air for 40 years. That does not make me an expert. On to answering your question. I book directly with Delta. Prior to booking, I do a mock booking to see what the cost could be. Delta does not allow you to make reservation until 330 days prior to the flight. So I make the reservations 319 days before the flight because it is a 10 day cruise and I am spending an extra day in the last port. I usually only book "Fully Refundable" fares because I want all my money back if I choose to cancel the cruise. That is until I buy Travel Insurance which would pay for my air if I cancelled. Prior to booking, I look at what upgrade benefits I have like Global upgrades to Business Class and make sure I understand the rules. Things like is it good for Fully refundable coach or do I have to do fully refundable comfort coach. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@graphicguy Not sure what T's and C's are? T he information said I would be a Diamond as of February. I could collect my yearly gift (in this case, 4 global upgrades would be my choice) when made available in February. I then googled the new benefits online, looked at all the information and compared it to the Delta site. It was clear, they changed to think high milage lifetime flyers. At this stage in my life, it will come in handy for pleasure trips. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@graphicguy I support and agree with everything you said. I am a 5 mil miler with Delta. I went from lifetime Platinum to lifetime diamond. I am not sure you gain access to the Skyclub with Platinum Delta. If so, I missed that. What I am excited about is the four global upgrades. Now we are talking, thank you Delta. This conversation is a Great one. Anyway we can help others gain value, it the best conversation we can have. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@graphicguy I have had a AMX Platinum for decades. I also traveled for business for decades to support your point. Credit Cards like Frequent Flyer benefits with airlines, need to be studied and evaluated. The cost of the card can be substantial and if you don't utilize the card benefits, it seems like a waste. So we all should really read, study the benefits for the card we have and or the card we want. Be informed shoppers. A few things that made my American Express Platinum right for me. My Wife's Purse: We were in New York, her purse which was brand new was stolen and it was expensive and purchased with the card. Two weeks later, the card was credited the full amount plus tax. Present for my Daughter: I bought a Christmas Present years ago for my daughter. The website claimed it was the real authentic brand and returns were withing 60 days. It was a poorly made knockoff. I sent the information into AMX, it was credited to my account again. Cruise/Travel Insurance: I drilled down deep on this one. I had heard that my AMX card would cover some health and accident issues for a certain amount. It was nice coverage but not great coverage. I compared Exclusive Travel Health Insurance companies to the coverage and decided not to take the risk with the card only. Good thing, my wife got covid 8 days prior to the cruise, it was a luxury brand and it was thousands of dollars. The Travel Health Insurance Company paid the lion share and the AMX paid some incidentals. Every benefit that @graphicguy outlined above is in addition to the items outlined in my post. I have a lot more examples of how I have used my card over the years. My main message just like when you cruise, learn every single advantage, amenity, benefit and leverage them to your benefit. Regardless of card used. Not many people do a deep dive and that makes what ever fee you pay less effective. It is fun once you start the research. Cruise well and enjoy every benefit.

@Mareblu Like many, most things that I do in life now is about the experience. A nice drink, in a lovely crystal glass, with some nice jazz music and friends. Take away the glass, music or friends I don't want to have the drink. I learned to smoke cigars in Europe in my late 20's when I was invited to train sales people, managers and executives. That experience changed my approach on many things from the event to an experience. My mentor taught me how to eat properly, respect others culture, and enjoy the experience. It changed my life at an early stage. If I were to do something like smoke a cigar, in an area that could negatively effect another guest enjoyment, it takes the pleasure away for me. Yet these area's are designed for smoking with the approval of the cruise brand. I also do not expect anyone at any time to have to have the same rules I put on myself. If the area allows smoking, feel free to smoke. If other don't like it, they can take actions to avoid it. If they have to go through the area, it is not the smokers issue, it is a design issue on the ship. The Vista when designed created this area to be better for all passengers smokers or not. Obviously it was an issue on other ships. That is a lot of words simply to say, experiences need those that are joining you not to be uncomfortable or unset with the actions taken. Thank you for your kind words. We all have a different approach in life and each approach should be respected. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@RocketMan275 I am truly sorry for your lose. I also miss my dad. If seems they both lived life on their own terms, making their own decisions. We both learned a lot from our parents obviously. Thank you for your post. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@JoePDX That review was a new level of GREAT. Wow, and I learned a lot from it. I want to thank you so much for sending the link. I will share the link with my wife and guest joining us on the Vista. Can't thank you enough. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.