Snaefell3

14 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

Has O made moveover offers lately?

Instead, O went to 150 day Final Payments, and so can be less aggressive with overbookings since they have 60 extra days to find replacement pax compared to the 90 day Final Payment lines.

1 hour ago, Tranquility Base said:

If you hear of any outlet / USB upgrade plans for Marina please let us know.

From an NCL press release, Nov '23:  "The Penthouse Suites … more outlets and USB ports."

No mention of USB in top suites or steerage, but….

20 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

What does that mean ?  I have heard of "amen" ...  but don't know "ahem" ?   

I was teasing you over "I don't like generalizing" vs "all". 

-- mildly and in fun, certainly didn't mean to puzzle or offend.

6 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

I don't like generalising either.  But all...

Ahem!  😉 

2 hours ago, Vallesan said:

LOL!

Just sad that here in the UK our pricing is so much higher than in the US.

 

I wonder how much  the USA ‘ complainers’, who object to the new SimplyMore, would feel about the prices we have to pay!

Well, UK folks could just cancel for refund over all the Israel/Hamas/Red Sea "itinerary changes", so the nothing-for-something SM gives non-drinkers and 3rd-Party excursion takers is worse, no?

10 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

I agree!

Why would anybody want to eat in a noisy place unless it was a ‘Macdonalds’ !

Not I, but there is a school of restaurant design that spells "noisy" as v-i-b-r-a-n-t.  🙄

37 minutes ago, lawk said:

First time Oceania cruiser - considering the Nautica. Any issues getting a table for 2 for dinner?

Data point on the GDR ("Grand" instead of "Main" 🙄) from Regatta back in Mar '23:

Each evening, folks started lining up at the GDR podium at about 6:15pm and by 6:35 those that wanted window 2tops had gotten them and were seated.  Come much after 6:30 and you waited until a 2top had finished their meal.      YMMV!

8 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

On the Vista Feb. 11 cruise the website shows 6 pm as the earliest time for Specialty Restaurant reservations.

Shoreside IT actually talked to the restaurant staff afloat for once?  😃

30 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

I am sailing in early March in a standard B3.  Somewhere on my reservation it says that I can sign up for specialty dining on January 24.  Does that mean that I can go to my reservation just after midnight, EST tomorrow night and make the reservations?

More precisely, when the browser program on your computer realizes that O's computer has ticked over to 12:00:01am.  Hit the `refresh` button on the [Manage this Booking] → [Dining] page every few seconds until it stops telling you you're early.

IIRC, it will start with only buttons for [Dine a Private Table], [Dine with another Booked Party], and [Share my Table with Other Guests] then offer more detailed choices, layer by layer as you make your choices.

My 2¢:

You don't see much, if any, body-language when dealing by video, and none if by email only. 

When you know, have a history with, and trust a TA, that's one thing.

When you are having to deal with a new one, that's another.

…or you could use the bedside switch with the green pilot to turn the nightlight on/off as needed?

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

On some 7 day segments, with a full ship, they will offer a 6:00 dining time. They do this to facilitate their pledge of a guaranteed reservation for each passenger in each Specialty. If one is not on a cruise with a 7 day segment, the earliest time you will find is 6:30.

 

Rather simple actually.

Yep.  But even when they do, the earliest the website will offer will (often? always?) still be 6:30pm.  If "earlier" is attractive to you, do them a favour: if you get 6:30, check onboard to see if they are seating from 6pm.

On 1/12/2024 at 6:28 AM, hamrag said:

And can be booked by UK residents, I've just checked my 'go to' US website and the cruise only USD price quoted is genuine! 

Comparing UK/non-UK prices is always apples-to-oranges because the UK prices are mandated to include ABTA/ATOL travel insurance.

4 hours ago, Psoque said:

Regardless of whether the cruise line managed to entice any passenger buy up to a higher category or not, only way to "clear" the overbooked situation is to have less people booked to be on the ship.  The problem with the denied boarding was that there were more passengers than what the ship could hold. Moving passengers around the ship would not have solved this problem, since I highly doubt that the ship sailed out from Brisbane with empty cabins.  So, I can't see any way this would have remedie the actual problem with overbooking.  Only "remedy," if you can even call it that, is to entice some of the booked passengers to forgo their cruise for some compensation, and to make this arrangement much sooner than the day of embarkation.  Another remedy is to not overbook in the first place.

> [O]nly way to "clear" the overbooked situation is to have less people booked

Yep.  "Move up" and "move down" offers only work for an overbooked category.  For an overbooked ship, it's indeed "move over" or cancellations.

> and to make this arrangement much sooner than the day of embarkation. 

Yep, again.  But inferring from news reports, the first time someone actually added 2+2 and got "won't fit" was dockside -- the first offer was "go over there and sit while we see if anyone doesn't show up".   (and we complain about O's IT folks 🙄)

> Another remedy is to not overbook in the first place.

A final "Yep".  But at least some of the lost revenue from empty cabins ends up as cost-cutting on board and higher fares.

2 hours ago, clo said:

I'm sorry but what does this app do? I guess I missed that basic explanation.

The only app I'm familiar with is Princess' and it synergizes with their track-the-pax medallion:

• Handles your pre-cruise check-in/passport upload/etc.

  - Last Princess cruise I took, boarding was "xray your stuff and walk aboard"

• Displays planned MDR menus for the whole cruise (not just today's).

• Displays today's Princess Patter (their version of Currents).

• Gives turn-by-turn directions from where you are to any event in Patter.

• Ditto for bars, restaurants, pools, spa, purser, shops, …

• Lets folks you've authorized how to find you (well, your medallion) in real time.

• Lets you order room or bar service to wherever you are -- cabin, pool, theatre, …

• Lets you make/change/cancel specialty restaurant reservations.

• Lets you check your folio (onboard billing account) in real time.

• Lets you message other passengers  (last I knew, this one didn't work that well).

...and no, not enough value to go back.  😉
 

1 hour ago, clo said:

I saw that piece also and kinda briefly freaked. I talked to my O rep and TA and they said they've never seen it in their many years with O.

O minimizes their risk with a 150 day Final Payment date.  Cruise lines with 90 day Final Payment dates tend to do more overbookings because of fewer days to find replacement pax when folks miss that Final Payment.

Cruise lines normally use sweeter and sweeter "move over" (take a later cruise) offers to clear overbookings, or at least issue cancellations (with minor compensation) at the 30 day mark.  RCI lost track(?!?) and apparently failed to try to clear the overbookings for that cruise.  Their original dockside compensation was "you can sit over there and see if somebody fails to show up" 😲, but that didn't stand.

1 hour ago, JYDCruise said:

Seriously?

Quantum of the Seas, Brisbane, 28 Nov '23

1 hour ago, PrivateIdaho said:

We are getting ready to book our Vista cruise, and looking for advice on the best cabin locations or the locations to avoid. For example, we were once right above an outside smoking area and had to move due to the smell. Would appreciate any insights. 

Realize other's preferences are not yours.  Once upon a time we booked the farthest forward cabin on Deck 16.  Add Force 10 seas and we were up and down 30', with hangers in the closet scritching back and forth.  An 'E' ride for us (albeit tiring), but lots of "worst cruise of our lives" complaints at next day's dinner (and the next  😉 ) about the motion from folks in steadier cabins: mid-ship and lower.  

6 hours ago, Psoque said:

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding it, but the main dining room is first-come, first-served, with not reservation required, so it should not make any difference which cabin you select.

There is a report on another thread that when balcony couple ahead of a PH couple asked for a window 2top, they were told there were none left, but the PH couple claimed they got one.

One report only, without confirmation, and I'm not sure how the PH couple would know the balcony couple was in a balcony.

15 minutes ago, clo said:

No, I understand that part of the process. But what if people want to book up all the 'cheap seats' and then others who had already been 'guaranteed" got moved up. Does that not ever happen?
PS: No D'oh from me. I'm always learning.

Short answer: Yes

Real answer: Cruise lines try hard to avoid such, usually by making last minute pay-for-an-upgrade sale offers to those in the overbooked category, and sticking a GTY who hopes for a free upgrade into the vacated cabin.

PS: There was a recent kerfuffle where that plan didn't work and Royal Caribbean simply denied boarding to about 16(?) GTYs at dockside.

10 hours ago, hamrag said:

Yes, but either way, there is a much greater chance of your allocated cabin being in one of the less desirable locations on the ship. 

1 hour ago, clo said:

Not being argumentative but why is that?

Uhh...  Because GTYs get from what's left over after people who do choose a specific cabin choose ones that are in the more desirable spots?

(Yeah, we all eventually look at a question we asked and say "D'oh!" 😉 )

20 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

 

AIUI, O's new ships go through the big 2016 locks, and only the 'R'-class ships … go through the "interesting" 1914 canal locks.

4 hours ago, babysteps said:

Not sure about this. We were on O class for Panama Canal in 2019 and went through the old locks. Yes the new locks were open, we could see ships using them. 

OK, now I "understand" it better. 😉 Thanks for the update.

56 minutes ago, vipro said:

OP here again,

 

At the end we decided to go for it despite the recommendations from most ppl here. As you might have guessed we are not rich but we are still working so we can afford that little extra but we always go on the philiosphy of spending wise, especially after our previous experience on another cruiseline that concerige has no difference (and hence i asked the question)

 

Thanks for all those who have filled-in the info I did not know before. I also found a video of the Aquamar Spa Terrace on Vista so I know what it is like (small but has hot tubs, as someone said, it is weather dependent, I hope cruising in the MEDITERRANEAN during summer will give us sunny days)

 

I think the deciding factor really is the priority of getting the specialty dining. Last time we got a good deal to get on to the Regent 7 seas (as you might have guessed, we could only äfford" the cheapest catg) and as soon as reservations were opened for excursions and dining, it seems the best options were already gone, especially for those excursions that were most appealing (Regent advertised on their unlimited excursions, but they structured their half day excursions to be long enough that you could not get do two on each day, alas that is another topic) so it might be worthwhile to pay for a better chance to get the better time slots.

 

Again, thanks very much for all the responses, they were really helpful to get honest opinions.

 

 

 

Basically, you asked a "Should I order chocolate or pistachio ice cream?" question.  Enjoy your pistachio!  😉 

Bon voyage and bon appétit!

Now that CC's backend is back up, I'll add another oldie of mine:

IMNSHO = In My Not So Humble Opinion   😜

41 minutes ago, mb777 said:

Why do you type "AIUI"?  How do we know what this means?  Is it something related to cruising?  I don't get it.

::blush::  Showing my age here.  From the days of USENET (1980s), even:  As I Understand It.

(Psst!  GIYF = Google is your friend 😉 )