brittany12

SS yesterday advised passengers on my May 2024 Transpacific on the Muse from Tokyo that it was cancelling the scheduled stop in Petropavlosk. They added another Japan port instead before beginning the long hike back to the US. Citing the reason as the continuing Russian war against the Ukraine, it's a good thing they did or else we would have cancelled the cruise on our own. We had been waiting, but this is two years out! So this is really serious stuff. I'm sure the SS Baltic '24 cruises will be changed when that schedule comes out. Russia is now an international criminal nation and no one we know wants to go there. And it isn't safe anymore for Americans. Thank God we got to SPburg twice in earlier, friendlier times.

I found the Montreal to Boston Fall foliage cruise a bit boring. Ports are nowhere like European ports with exception of Quebec City. Has not everyone been to Boston by now in their lives? Waters not always predicable as we enter the fall hurricane season. Not much foliage to see from out at sea and only good when entering and in ports, if before Columbus Day.

SB as well as SS seems to believe that the Russian-Ukrainian war will be over by next year and Russia will be welcomed back into the family of civilized nations. St. Petersburg is either back on or bender left their 2023 sailing schedules. All forgiven. Not true for Oceania and others. Personally, I won't forget and would not go there under any circumstances, even if the US allowed, considering what its criminal government has done not just to its next door neighbor, the harm it has inflicted on the rest of the world, and the irreparable damage it has done to international law. Cruise travel to welcoming and safe nations will never be the same.

Yes agree about the Keller experience. His domination very harmful to the SB brand. Long term contract a big mistake. Prior management bought into his charms.

Picking up on Saminina comment above about SB caviar in the age of Keller influence. Yes, I could not agree more, it once was really good, Uruguay-sourced back in the old days when Meadows ran it but then he switched to the Keller brand once Keller-culture took over a few years before pre-covid. Way inferior. As is their choice of Monopole champagne if that is still the one SB switched to a few years back and still being poured on board. I'll soon find out when I sail for first time years.Try to find it on sale at wine shops anywhere or spoken about by serious champagne drinkers. Pommery SB used to serve is so much better. Which is it now? No flambées any more or candles in DR, ice cream lollipops, and the quality of twice baked goat cheese souflees tell me nothing about the taste, diversity, service, and quality of dinner time dishes coming-out of the kitchen.

Completely agree about the unnecessary flip comments. WE are supposed to all be in this together. This after all the Vista hype By Oceania and stress on the booking passengers to land a spot is particularly egregious

Lets also not forget that the 2023 Vista cruises were priced at 25-30% more than the normal Oceania summer cruise on M and R. The reduced prices for the '24 season prove that to be true. The market was so hot to get space on the brand new ship in its initial season that people bit hard. Sold out in hours. So they stoke the market to make it red-hot and then turn around 6 months later and screw the people who moved heaven and earth to secure this booking. Its' so easy to say this is no big deal and cruise-lines will always throw passengers overboard when a charter raises its ugly hand, but this should really sting all of us. Not just those who booked and got screwed.

There's a much bigger point that seems to be missed. Oceania made such big deal many months back when they launched Vista and opened the booking for Vista cruises. That special video. People turned themselves inside out to get a booking. All the 2023 cruises were sold out in a matter of hours. To build up such enthusiasm and expectation about a new ship and then to dash all passenger loyalty on the rocks for this charter cruise is just plain wrong. And how they told you, too.