"Q" for Frank del Rio

Just curious, since I keep reading about "the other ships doing it" why Oceania doesn't use their tenders to "shuttle" passengers in Venice to San Marco?

It would sure be a nice thing for you to consider...

Regards,

Claudia

Barcelona to Venice on Oceania - "Insignia"

Buenos Aires to Rio Oceania - "Insignia"

What harm would there be for some "perks" for past passengers: like some complementary cocktails, or waiving corkage fees, or adding complimentary perriers........................you are doing such an excellent job, but prices seem to be jumping and are now close to silversea.........and silverse is giving so much more. Or perhaps you could have some system whereby for a fee, one can get "all inclusive" packages for an additional price..............now that could be interesting.

Artgirl: I raised a very similar issue on July 5 and the response was very much against "bundling" perks. I am also very concerned that Oceania is pricing itself out of the niche that it has established, great food or not. It may well be that the ships are filling up at the current price level and if so, then Oceania has no need to give more for what it charges. Only time will tell if the current model will continue to sell.

The free market, like water, will in the long run and on average find its own level. However, at any particular time and at any given place, there are tides and waves. A good businessman, like a good surfer, knows how to ride and make the best use of the waves. We should not blame them for stocking up during the good years, as they have to weather the lean years too. Nobody is immune to business cycles, though the timing can be different for different businesses and market segments. Let us wish them good luck, for it is better to have more healthy cruise lines, which in due course provide more competition and therefore more variety for us ordinary individual consumers to choose from!

Well said, "Meow". We would all love to have our cruise lines provide every possible perk included in the price, but bottom line is bottom line. With wide fluctuations in fuel costs, rates of exchange, etc, all cruise lines are walking a shaky tightrope. The last thing we want to see is another line folding due to trying to give too much.

Mike

Right now I have never cruised on this line and I have bought into a concept which I find extremely appealing. If all goes well on my cruise and I am satisfied, then they have done their job and can count that as success.

"Just curious, since I keep reading about "the other ships doing it" why Oceania doesn't use their tenders to "shuttle" passengers in Venice to San Marco?"

Which other lines do that? I was on HAL's Westerdam a year ago for two days in Venice, and they didn't offer such service. They did have a shuttle (for a price) to the bus place which was a few steps from the water bus stop on the Grand Canal. There were plenty of water taxis near the ship too.

Hello folks from soggy Miami. Dennis the Terrible waved at us from a distance but still caused a miserable day here.

Let me respond to some of the questions/comments made on this thread:

I will look into the possibility of using our tenders in Venice. Frankly, I am not aware that we could, or that other lines have used their tenders in Venice.

As to pricing, we are a "for profit" business and Meow is correct. However, I disagree with the comparison to Silversea. Even with our modest price increase, when you add EVERYTHING up (including the fact that our cruises are usually 12 to 15 days in length, and theirs is more often than not 7 days in length), our per person per diems are still substantially less than thiers. Same goes for Crystal and Radisson. Travel Agents tell us that our 2006 Europe prices are very competitive against the likes of HAL and Celebrity and I think most of you will agree that our product is superior to those two.

As to recognizing past guests with special perks, I think we do a credible job

of doing that by offering past guests not only a $200 SBC per cabin for booking another cruise within 45 days of their return home, but the ameneties available in the Elite Level of the Oceania Club Program are quite valuable. I hope everyone takes advantage of both.

I really want to tell eveyone how pleased we are that folks like yourselves, who enjoy Oceania Cruises so much, take the time to let us know your opinions. We are listening to you and will continue to do so in an effort to constantly improve our product and services.

Happy sailing.

Frank

As to recognizing past guests with special perks, I think we do a credible job

of doing that by offering past guests not only a $200 SBC per cabin for booking another cruise within 45 days of their return home,

 

Happy sailing.

 

Frank

How about extending the time frame to 5-6 months after your return to use the credit?

Some people cannot schedule something within 45 days.

We were on Celebrity Constellation in 2003 in Venice and they provided free transfers to St. Marks. Ship tenders were not used for transfers.

Looking forward to sailing on the Nautica again - Feb.5-20, 2006 Hong Kong to Bangkok (sailed on it when it was the R5 and hope that the great Capt. Giuseppe Lemmi is the Master).

Not to be argumentative, but on some other cruise lines you have only the window of your current sailing to create a booking. To me 45 days is a nice wide berth.

The $200 credit is great IF you get it as soon as your cruise ends. After our first Oceania cruise we received the credit and luggage tags 2 weeks after we returned. This wasn't a problem as we had booked onboard. Since this is no longer an option the 45 days isn't great. We returned from our cruise on May 23 and still have not received our credit. The 45 days are up.

Joan

The $200 credit is great IF you get it as soon as your cruise ends. After our first Oceania cruise we received the credit and luggage tags 2 weeks after we returned. This wasn't a problem as we had booked onboard. Since this is no longer an option the 45 days isn't great. We returned from our cruise on May 23 and still have not received our credit. The 45 days are up.

Joan

We returned from our South American cruise in mid February and still have not received any credit vouchers for a future cruise. I called Oceania in May about this, was told it would be "looked into". Well, I guess they're still "looking" <sigh>

Jane

Perhaps I am not following this correctly then....the Credit FDR mentioned was listed as a SBC. I thought that was a Ship Board Credit. In other words when you book your next cruise, you will have a credit on your account of the $200.00 on that new cruise. Am I misunderstanding this?

Previously the credit went towards the price of your cruise and was not a ship board credit. This has obviously changed. To my mind, the problem is that you only have 45 days to apply this to a future cruise and the certificates must be sent in. If you don't receive them in time to book another cruise within 45 days after your cruise ended, they are worthless.

Joan

I am pretty sure Frank meant cruise credit ( off your final price) since that is what the "coupon" says.

I also would hope that that 45 days could be extended ,for the reasons as voiced above and because since some of us like to see what the latest ( new) offerings to come would be.. which may not happen within 45 days.

I am pretty sure Frank meant cruise credit ( off your final price) since that is what the "coupon" says.

I also would hope that that 45 days could be extended ,for the reasons as voiced above and because since some of us like to see what the latest ( new) offerings to come would be.. which may not happen within 45 days.

I agree. So many of us go with Oceania's newest itinerary's and many of them aren't available within 45 days of our last cruise.

I think that a 45 day window for a cruiseline that doesn't have all their itinerary's in place in not an especially generous offer.

My two coupons from our March/April b-2-b's were received quickly, and, the price of the two new bookings were each reduced $200, no shipboard credit.

Regarding the 45 day rule, if you're uncertain as to which booking you may want, just book something. You always can cancel and book what you want, and, I'm sure the $200 credit is transferrable to the new booking.

Regarding the 45 day rule, if you're uncertain as to which booking you may want, just book something. You always can cancel and book what you want, and, I'm sure the $200 credit is transferrable to the new booking.

Feel that is really a waste of my wonderful travel agents time and mine.

One great part of travel is in the planning ..look at brochure ..get excited..

book a cruise that I want to go on- get the cabin that I want to stay in.. not just tie up a cabin ( that may be someone else's favorite) ;-)

Horses for courses!

Yes, I would not let a $200 credit toward a future cruise lapse. That little bit of effort is not a waste of time.

Feel that is really a waste of my wonderful travel agents time and mine.

One great part of travel is in the planning ..look at brochure ..get excited..

book a cruise that I want to go on- get the cabin that I want to stay in.. not just tie up a cabin ( that may be someone else's favorite) ;-)

Claudia

I absolutely agree. How unfair to book a cabin, "just in case." It is something I would never consider doing, and cannot imagine someone else doing--although now I guess it's done.

A totally different story when you have to give up a cabin for genuine reasons, ie., sickness, family death, etc.

Maybe a shipboard credit would be a good idea, to be used on any future cruise with no expiration date. It could be used to cover laundry, gratuities, gift shops, etc. Just a thought.

Esther

E, so, you too would allow a $200 future cruise credit lapse/expire.

Anthony, that is not the point I was trying to make.

Which was, that if the "gift of $200 credit" from the ship was truly a gift as they say in the letter that comes with it.... then at least the gift should be good for a bit longer than 45 days so one could perhaps read through the brochure ( or recieve the latest one) to make a reasonable decision of where they would like to cruise next.

Not just grab any cabin at any price.

And yes have given up 2 "gifts" so far since they were sent 2 weeks before the 45 day was up..and even if sent "in time" ws not ready to book in that short of a time from our return.

some gifts ;-)

Mr. Del Rio - I, too, have a question for you. It was our unfortunate mistake to use a travel agent who is non-responsive and appears to be merely a booking agent. After booking the precruise package in Barcelona at the Hilton, we were informed that it is far from everything, being in the financial district. We therefore contacted our "travel agent" and asked her to change our hotel to the Majestic. She informed us that we couldn't do this. We then contacted Oceania and were informed we needed to contact our travel agent. However, after explaining our problem, your customer service person said she would call the hotel division and see if they can get us a room at the Majestic, but would have to notify the travel agent. We think this policy is very restrictive when folks choose the wrong travel agent to book their trip, such as is our case. We planned everything ourselves and merely had the TA do the final booking. Please help .... we do not want to stay at the Hilton and as of now the Majestic is filled. Thank you for your attention. We're very impressed that you read this chat line and participate and look forward to the cruise. This is the first itinerary we were able to avail ourselves of (having been on so many cruises), but we are so looking forward to it as we just loved the Renaissance cruises we have taken!

LV TAPPER

You have made a similar point to what I have mentioned before in an earlier thread. It is alright for full service travel agents (and some frequent posting TAs on this board appear to be full service and knowledgeable) to charge full commission, or for discount agents to act more or less as ticketing agents (which is fair enough and I also well appreciate that). What may upset customers is when some agency (not referring to those posting on this board) pretend to give discounts while they do not, and then offer only cursory service. To maintain cyber anonymity, I am not naming or giving details, but we all know that such types of agents/agencies exist, and in those cases once you have booked with the wrong agent, you are "done" (at least in the past, when Oceania was plausibly afraid to upset any TA, having Renaissance's previous experience).