Redtravel

We booked a month before sailing.

Have never gotten the tote bag. Our last 3 cruises, we questioned it. Answer was supply issues. Sounds very convenient. We got a letter welcoming us to the next higher loyalty level. It listed the gifts. Some were missing. When we questioned it. We were told that we should’ve gotten a letter omitting those items. Not a deal breaker. Don’t advertise what you can’t or won’t deliver.

Turkish air is good. We took it going on a land tour. However, if you use Oceania Air , you may find your flights are crazy. Took cruise from Southampton, uk to Oslo. Going we flew PHL to FRA on Eurowings discovery. Worst airline ever! FRA to LGW. 2 hour bus ride to Southampton. Going home we flew OSL to AMS to MSP to PHL. Lost luggage, delayed planes, etc. made the trip an adventure. We made it to the ship 2 hours before it sailed. Going home the plane from AMS to MSP was delayed. We were told when we checked in in Oslo that it was unlikely we would get home that day. Hotel vouchers were issued to be used in MSP. Thankfully Delta held the plane going to PHL. Alls well that ends well. We saved money letting O book our flights. Not sure the stress was worth it.

We booked late. We tried to arrange our own air. Prices were extremely high. Many flights were sold out. We decided to let O book air. This was our first experience using O air. We weren’t thrilled with the arrangements. However, we got to the cruise and got home. Going we changed planes once. PHLto FRA to LGW and a 2 hour bus to Southampton. Got to ship 2 hours before it sailed. Flying home, we had 2 changes. We had a few hiccups with delayed flights. OSL to AMS to MSR to PHL. Crazy route. We got home. Our bags didn’t arrive until the next day. on the ship we met many people who had crazy routes. If you can find air at an acceptable fare, skip using O air. However, if you can’t, accept that O will get you air.

Agree. We booked a “grand voyage” not realizing that it really a b2b. We got one credit. We did get double restaurant reservations. We were told that if Oceania lists a cruise as”grand”, you cannot book 2 separate cruises. Is it fair? No! Only fair way is to count the number of nights. Some cruise lines have revamped the way they award loyalty points. Be happy that you get anything for loyalty.

Relax. We were on a ship excursion when our bus broke down. Bus driver threw up his hands, said “it happens”, and left the bus. Tour guide did nothing. Passengers asked her to call the ship agent. She said that she wouldn’t and would call only her excursion office. We called the ship agent phone number. A recording said that it was closed. Eventually a new bus picked us up and got us back to the ship. We arrived 5 minutes before departure. It was tense.

Include all tips in the fare…tips for crew and tips for excursion guides/bus drivers.

Not everyone talks quietly. Viking has lots guests. Some may have hearing loss.

Relax and enjoy your cruise. There are some people who like to complain about everything. Ignore them. While I haven’t been on Riviera recently, I have been on Marina twice in the last year. Both cruises were amazing. We have 2 more future Oceania cruises booked. As far as comparing Oceania before the pandemic and now, there are some changes. We noticed chaises are more spaced out. Chaises are arranged in groups of 2 separated by a table. Buffet has more areas that are only accessible by the servers. Baristas is open later. These changes are good. While nothing is perfect, Oceania comes close.

Only book R ships if you can get a suite. Sirena is a nice ship. However, cabins are small. Bathrooms are tiny. I would only consider booking Sirena for the itinerary. We were on Sirena in 2020 when the lockdown started. We skipped most ports. There wasn’t much to do on the ship. On Marina or Riviera, cabins are huge. My TA described standard veranda cabins as suites on most ships. Larger ships have more things to do.

I had the same question. Even when I saw $50 OBC, I was confused. On other lines, member benefits are per person. At least you get something. We used to sail on another line that refused benefits if you got a discounted fare. Doesn’t everyone get a discount?

Any time in Red Ginger is good.

As long as you can get to a MBTA stop, you can use go anywhere. There are lots of interesting places to see in Boston. Have fun.

Celebrity has changed. When I first sailed on the Zenith, it was delightful. Loved it. It had good food, great service, beautiful decor, and good service. Sadly, as time passed and RCL took over, modern luxury was the theme. It meant cutbacks, crowds, and mediocre service. Food selections were boring. Each time that I sailed on Celebrity, there seemed to be less amenities. Sailed on Celebrity until nothing could persuade me to do it again. Tried Azamara. While not perfect, it was better than Celebrity. We enjoyed the smaller ships with no crowds. When Azamara was cruise only, we were there. When they restructured and included beverages, we looked for other options. We seldom drink. Oceania and Windstar were a good fit. Have sailed both lines and enjoyed them. Both have great food, excellent service, spacious cabins( on Marina and Riviera), include several dining options with no surcharge, and didn’t include beverages in the fare. That was until Simply more. I like taking excursions in new ports. However, on Caribbean cruises, I prefer lounging by the pool, going to a beach, or leisurely walking through town. While I am booked on 2 future cruises, I am hesitant about Oceania. On European cruises, I usually book excursions. I prefer Olife options. Since Olife is gone, I am undecided if I will continue sailing on Oceania. I may only book if an itinerary has excursions that interest me. For sailing in the Caribbean to escape cold winter weather, I am thinking Windstar.

I had hoped that formal nights would be eliminated with the new Crystal. Gave away formal clothing. Optional formal doesn’t make Crystal an option to the more casual folks.

Have sailed on R ships on Azamara and Oceania. Public areas are nice. Cabins are small. Bathrooms are tiny. The best attraction is R ships can get into ports that larger ships can’t fit. Once we sailed on Marina/ Riviera we stopped booking R ships. We like the larger cabins and more choices of dining options. We love Jacques.

Eurowings is awful. They gave away our reserved seats on the aisle across from each other. Instead we got the middle of 4 seats. The legroom was very tight. I am short. Eurowings gave new meaning to feeling like being in a sardine can.

They gladly take dollars.

Even if you try to complete the survey onboard, you may have problems completing it. On my recent O cruise in June, my spouse did the survey. When I tried to do the survey, got an error message. Called guest relations.They told me to go to the computer area for help. I gave up. When I got home, I sent O an email addressing 3 concerns. Got email response yesterday that only addressed one issue.

Going in the day of the cruise can be very stressful. If you have time, going in early is a better choice.

Be aware that seat selection, equipment, etc. can change without notice. We flew on Eurowings Discovery in June. Couldn’t get seat assignments in advance. We were told that we could select seats when we checked in online 23 hours before the flight. I did the online checkin and was assigned an aisle seat. My spouse had problems trying to do the online checkin. We called Eurowings and were told the everything was ok. We were told that we were both in aisle seats across the aisle from each other. My TA was told the same thing. When we got to the airport, those aisle seats became the middle of a row of 4. Asked for a reassignment, told that nothing was available. Don’t fly Eurowings.

Using Oceania air can be wild and crazy. Your flight times sounds fantastic compared to our most recent cruise. Arriving at LaGuardia at 9:30 is excellent. You may have to wait for people arriving on other flights before you get on the bus that goes to the ship. It’s not a long ride from the airport to the ship. Keep in mind, that Oceania air guarantees gettting you to the ship. On our most recent cruise, we embarked in Southampton, UK. Oceania assigned us 2 flights flying into Gatwick with a 2 hour bus ride to the ship. When we arrived at Gatwick, we waited more than a hour before we were put on a bus. We arrived at the ship 2 hours before it sailed. That was too close for comfort. This time we asked to be flown into BCN a day early. You can fly in or depart up to 3 days before or after the cruise with no charge. Your return flight is also at a good time. They will take you to the airport early. A good book may help pass the time. Sometimes they offer excursions on the last day for guests flying on late planes. Relax, all will be well. Bermuda is beautiful.

yes, mailings off. I got a mailing just after a cruise in June. It had a coupon discount if booked a future cruise within 45 days of disembarking. Next day, got a sale brochure for past guests. We booked a cruise for spring 2024. Since then, we haven’t received anything from O. That was a month ago. Wondering if O is using the strange Viking marketing approach. Book a Viking cruise and your mailings will go way down. You will not see promos. It’s a ridiculous marketing strategy. It assumes incorrectly that you book one cruise, take it, and afterwards book another cruise. Many people, like me, have multiple future bookings.

You will find positive and negative comments. When everything goes right, great reviews. It’s when things go wrong, what they do matters.

Don't worry. Lots of good menu choices in all dining venues. On some cruises, we book ahead. On some, we wait and see what's available on the ship. Not all reservations are given out online. People often change reservations. On some cruises we decided not to use a reservation. We always call and cancel. Sometimes we get an extra reservation. Jacques is my first choice on any cruise. On cruises with warm weather, the outdoor deck at the Terrace Buffet is often my favorite choice.