mantadiver

Good news for people who live near Tampa (like me).

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/08/oceania-to-homeport-in-tampa/

Don't frustrate yourself doing the excursions online.  I have not had any luck trying to get the 25% discount online.  I always call and get the discount that way.  As far as the website remembering my login, it never does.  O's website is not the best,  

We have sailed in the MSC Yacht Club once.  That was enough.  The concept is great, but the product was lacking for us. We were constantly comparing it to NCL's Haven.  In the Haven they have the best of the best working .  The best bartenders, waiters and such.  The Havens restaurant is very good.  We can almost eat every meal there if they changed the menu a couple of times.  The Yacht clubs' food was ordinary.  The personal assigned to the Yacht club are hit or miss.  Our room steward didn't show up until late afternoon and did an okay job.  The butler was a nice guy, but never really provided any added value.  The spa on MSC was very nice and we went many times.  The pizza in the main buffet (non Yacht club) was very good, but there were always lines and twice people cut in line which caused arguments with many.  Not like anything ever experienced on Oceania or the Haven.  

I am onboard the Nautica now and the dress has been casual to semi-formal. No shorts, but I have seen some in the Terrace Cafe even at night. It's relaxed.

1 hour ago, Iamthesea said:

How does this work?  I have the Simply More with my booking.  Confirmation from my travel agent says Simply More House Beverage Package.  When I go into my reservation to purchase the Prestige Package, the cost is $69.00pp pd.  How do I get the $30 pp pd rate?

I called Oceania and they upgraded me to the $30 a day prestige package.  

On 12/15/2023 at 9:41 PM, basor said:

At this time you must wait until your onboard to upgrade ( and it is $30.00 pp per day) and both people in a cabin do not have to upgrade.  It is a quick process once onboard, just go to guest services and they will add the cost to your onboard account and issue a new card indicating your new beverage package.

 

I was able to call Oceania and upgrade to the premium beverage package before the sailing.   We had a large onboard credit and didn't want it to go to waste. 

Your post was great timing for us.  We are going on our first Oceania cruise in March (Nautica).  

Thanks again.

Bravo.  I really enjoyed your Haven secrets on the NCL board.  It has a life of it's own. 

We are cruising September 2nd, arriving in Maui the 3rd.  So far our itinerary has not changed.  We dock in Kahului, which is on the opposite side from the fires.  We are due to be the first ship back to Maui after the fires.  From what I have read, many Maui residents want tourists back because it is the backbone of their economy.  They just want tourists to stay away from Lāhainā.

I did a back to back in June and put both reservations on one form.  I received the $100 on board credit on both cruises.  

15 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I almost answered the same way, however I believe @dolphin lady may be in a suite, but not a Haven suite. I'm not sure what the perks are for a suite compared to Haven suite. 

I am in a suite right now that does not have the Haven. So my answer is based on that.

There is no charge. You order off a menu that includes omelets, bacon etc. It's great if you have an early morning excursion. Otherwise we go to the Haven restaurant for breakfast.

This is the one in suites.

3 hours ago, arpie05 said:

NCL hasn't mailed tags home in over a decade. That I'm aware. It's possible you used a travel agent at some point and they sent you them.

I was mailed my tags for my sailing in the 31st of this month.  

50 minutes ago, jeepers13 said:

So these bids to upgrade are per person, is that correct?

Yes.

I only remember a seating area for suites.  There was a line for Platinum and above separate from the main boarding line.  I have sailed out of Tampa 3 times and didn't enjoy the boarding experience at all, even when we were in a suite. 

7 hours ago, efuzz said:

After all my reading and planning, the one outstanding issue I have now is the embarkation experience. It appears the Seattle port is not designed for a quick process prior to getting to the Haven boarding area, and honestly, if I have a bit of a wait in security before immersing ourselves in all things Haven, I don't count that as a problem, and it won't harm my cruise experience in any way. Do any of you have specific thoughts on the Seattle port experience and anything I can look for or do to make that part seamless?

Thank you all for your help up to this point! I'll be sure to come back with a review after we return.

We boarded in Seattle on the Bliss last September booked in the Haven.  When we arrived at the port we were a little dismayed at the line, but after about five minutes a NCL rep. came out with a Haven sign and asked if anyone is in the Haven.  They escorted us to the Haven waiting area and the rest was Bliss...

Just about every cruise we get charged for drinks that are included in our drink package. It's a pain but I watch the bill daily.

My shareholder benefit showed up a week after I requested it.  

Libtrek is correct.  It is because you won't avail of the transfers on the way to the ship.  

I brought all of our suitcases onboard by myself once (not on purpose, porters were not to be found in Tampa one time).  All of the suitcases went through the detectors.  It was a pain in the as* though.

We are just off of the Getaway in the Haven and the bar was open until 11:00 pm, the concierge hours were 8 am to 8 pm, and the haven restaurant hours varied based on if it was a port of call day or not.  The lounge is open 24 hours, but you would be lonely after 11 pm.  I really never saw anyone in the pool area so I cannot comment (it was cool, 50's to low 60's).     

4 hours ago, a1betpr said:

Congrats, mantadiver!  Did you bid the minimum on all the Haven cabin categories, or just the one you won?  We are on the 12/4 Joy and it seems like the Haven is practically wide open (60-ish cabins available) - we've bid very aggressively on every category with the hopes of snagging something with two rooms (travelling with our 15yr old) but at the bare minimum we're hoping for anything in the Haven, which we've never experienced.

I bid the minimum on four categories in the Haven and I was upgraded to the best Haven suite that I bid on.  It was the best case scenario for us.  I wish you luck!

7 hours ago, Pieson said:

How much availability ? 
I’m seeing about 40 total Haven rooms available on mine in the joy 11/27

I don't know the exact number of Haven rooms available before my bid was accepted, but at least 30.  I would say with 40 rooms available you have a good chance of an upgrade.

4 hours ago, tracyfitzs said:

Did you recently put your bid in or change it? Or has it been sitting there?

I actually changed my bid to the lowest bid just yesterday.  It was $300 more.