New To Oceania With Questions

[ORV]

47 minutes ago, LesSails80435 said:

or alcohol can't be served unless you are on one of the liquor packages.

Never heard of this on 25 cruises with Oceania. I've seen the extra tax many times. 

[StanandJim]

48 minutes ago, LesSails80435 said:

We've never had any questions about ordering a specific wine varietal or drink for us or our guests when we have the Prestige Select.

I hope that you are not saying that you are ordering drinks under your Beverage Package and then giving them to your guests, as that could get your Butler into serious trouble.  😵

[Hawaiidan]

7 hours ago, LesSails80435 said:

My wife & I typically book the Oceania Suite in O Class ships and Owner's Suite in R Class ships. There's one piece missing from this discussion and that is Oceania's Beverage Packages, House Select (wine & beer w/lunch & dinner) & Prestige Select Unlimited premium spirits, Champagne, wine and beer wherever and whenever you wish  
from $59.95 per guest, per day

We often entertain other guests and enrichment lecturers in our suite. We've never had any questions about ordering a specific wine varietal or drink for us or our guests when we have the Prestige Select. The other piece of this is in some ports and waters there is a significant 'tax' added to drinks and/or alcohol can't be served unless you are on one of the liquor packages.

So, your saying if your in a upper suite, and also have the unlimited package for liquor, for yourself, that you can order any wine  ir drink that O has and you can order for any others who do  not have the package, but are visiting. 

  I thought  the package was only for" A" specific guest and  not to be shared and also that your restricted to a specific list of open wines. and liquors..   .     I am confused !

[Flatbush Flyer]

13 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

So, your saying if your in a upper suite, and also have the unlimited package for liquor, for yourself, that you can order any wine  ir drink that O has and you can order for any others who do  not have the package, but are visiting. 

  I thought  the package was only for" A" specific guest and  not to be shared and also that your restricted to a specific list of open wines. and liquors..   .     I am confused !

They can certainly make a single order for more people than just themselves. However, anyone without the Prestige package who has one of those drinks will need to either have their own package or get a regular drink charge on their account.

in addition, the Prestige Package applies only to wines listed on the "wine by the glass" menu.

[Hawaiidan]

15 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

They can certainly make a single order for more people than just themselves. However, anyone without the Prestige package who has one of those drinks will need to either have their own package or get a regular drink charge on their account.

in addition, the Prestige Package applies only to wines listed on the "wine by the glass" menu.

That what I thought but the op states " any wine"....    So your saying you can make a single order for more people than your self  But then say if you do that person will have to pay ( or you) if they do not have the package...     Which is it   I still thought the package was per person and not to be shared...   Your saying yea and No.....    ?????????????????????????????//

[Flatbush Flyer]

29 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

That what I thought but the op states " any wine"....    So your saying you can make a single order for more people than your self  But then say if you do that person will have to pay ( or you) if they do not have the package...     Which is it   I still thought the package was per person and not to be shared...   Your saying yea and No.....    ?????????????????????????????//

No...

I'm saying that someone can place all of the "room service" (i.e., not your personal booze being consumed in the cabin) drink orders of those attending a gathering. But, whoever serves those drinks will need a key card from whoever is drinking one of them (just like what would happen with a group in one of the bars at happy hour or st a meet and greet).

Edited September 23, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[Hawaiidan]

15 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

No...

I'm saying that someone can place all of the "room service" (i.e., not your personal booze being consumed in the cabin) drink orders of those attending a gathering. But, whoever serves those drinks will need a key card from whoever is drinking one of them (just like what would happen with a group in one of the bars at happy hour or st a meet and greet).

Got it....... I don't think  Ill have that problem.....Thanks

[Paulchili]

3 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

Got it....... I don't think  Ill have that problem.....Thanks

There are 6 bottles of booze in the room to start with.

[Daniel A]

On 9/22/2020 at 11:40 AM, LesSails80435 said:

The other piece of this is in some ports and waters there is a significant 'tax' added to drinks and/or alcohol can't be served unless you are on one of the liquor packages.

Five of total seven days of our cruise will be docked in Bermuda.  Does anyone know if taxes will be assessed for Premium Beverage Package drinks while in port in Bermuda?

[njhorseman]

42 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Five of total seven days of our cruise will be docked in Bermuda.  Does anyone know if taxes will be assessed for Premium Beverage Package drinks while in port in Bermuda?

There are no taxes assessed in Bermuda. BTW...you're not in Bermuda 5 days. There's one day when the ship moves between  St. George and Hamilton and on the schedule because the port is changing it looks like two days, but if you look closely it's really one. In terms of 24 hour periods you're actually in Bermuda for a bit more than 3 days spread out over four calendar days because you arrive in Bermuda at noon Sunday and depart Bermuda at 2 pm Wednesday.

Edited September 23, 2020 by njhorseman

[Laszlo]

My wife and I are thinking of booking the same cruise. After 10 NCL cruises I would really like to try a small ship. I also like the idea of being docked in two other locations vs Heritage Wharf. Is a collared shirt and dress pants ok for dinner? I would rather not have to bring a suit

[Mura]

You won't need a suit, and many men don't bother with a sports jacket either.  A collared shirt and dress pants should be fine.

[njhorseman]

33 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

My wife and I are thinking of booking the same cruise. After 10 NCL cruises I would really like to try a small ship. I also like the idea of being docked in two other locations vs Heritage Wharf. Is a collared shirt and dress pants ok for dinner? I would rather not have to bring a suit

As Mura already stated, a collared shirt and slacks works fine. I no longer cruise on any line that requires a suit or jacket at dinner...even for one night.

 

Also if you eat dinner in the Terrace Cafe, Oceania's more upscale version of NCL's Garden Cafe, you can wear shorts and a t-shirt if you wish. Other than the nights on which we have specialty restaurant reservations we usually eat in the Terrace Cafe as we prefer it to the Grand Dining Room. Terrace Cafe has a grill where they'll prepare lobster tails, shrimp, fish, steaks and chops to your order in addition to the cafe serving the more typical and mundane cafeteria-style cruise ship offerings.

 

Docking in Hamilton and St. George is the way it was done in the good old days, before ships became the size of a small city.

[Laszlo]

Does anyone happen to know what the rate is for a spa pass for 7 days? Trying to decide if its worth it getting a Concierge level cabin over a regular Veranda is worth it since a spa pass come with it

 

[ORV]

38 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

Does anyone happen to know what the rate is for a spa pass for 7 days? Trying to decide if its worth it getting a Concierge level cabin over a regular Veranda is worth it since a spa pass come with it

 

I don't remember it being an option, maybe day to day from the spa. Maybe someone with more experience can chime in. 

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Does anyone happen to know what the rate is for a spa pass for 7 days? Trying to decide if its worth it getting a Concierge level cabin over a regular Veranda is worth it since a spa pass come with it

 

I think they charge $25 pd pp  but  I would not spend that just to sit on the spa deck 

The only advantage is  it is small seating area with a hot tub or T-pool depending on the ship

area on R ships

 

 

of course it is  a personal choice

 

[Laszlo]

Thanks for the information

[njhorseman]

3 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Does anyone happen to know what the rate is for a spa pass for 7 days? Trying to decide if its worth it getting a Concierge level cabin over a regular Veranda is worth it since a spa pass come with it

 

As someone who has sailed in concierge level cabins on Oceania, as well as spa cabins, or other cabins where we bought a spa pass on NCL I concur with LHT28's opinion. I wouldn't spend $25 a day just for the privilege of using that small area. I didn't even use it when I didn't have to pay extra for it because I was in a concierge cabin.  It's nothing like the NCL spas.

 

As you know NCL's spas are a great way to escape the mobs of passengers jamming their pool decks and to avoid the incredibly loud bands that play there. You don't have those problems on Oceania.

Edited September 26, 2020 by njhorseman

[Daniel A]

Another newbie question for the experienced Oceania cruisers:  We are considering sending bon voyage strawberries to friends who will be on the same sailing as us.  On other cruise lines, instead of the actual gift, there would be a card in the cabin instructing the recipient to call room service to get the gift delivered.  Does anybody know if the bon voyage strawberries would be in their cabin when they arrive or would they need to call to collect them?

[pinotlover]

Typically in the cabin. 
 

We have received fruit baskets and wines as gifts in the past. Always sitting there waiting for us in our cabins upon boarding.

[calicakes]

How would I go about finding a TA who is a top seller of Oceania?  I know you can't tell me, and I can't send anyone a message.  

[BSR]

I would like to know this too.

[pinotlover]

11 minutes ago, calicakes said:

How would I go about finding a TA who is a top seller of Oceania?  I know you can't tell me, and I can't send anyone a message.  

Go to Oceania’s website. There is a list of preferred Travel Agencies. Once you contact the Agency ask them to refer you to one of their Oceania specialists.

[Cruzinram]

Considering Oceania for our next Cruise. We have mostly sailed Celebrity with a few HAL, Princess and Cunard sailings. Celebrity is changing in so many ways that we are thinking of jumping ship. What some would think to be a small complaint, but important to us is the daily brought to the cabin each evening, and a small newspaper printed in different languages available at Guest Relations every morning. Looks like Celebrity is no longer going to provide these. They are going nearly 100% to apps which require you to carry you phone everywhere on board. I am not a heavy cell phone user. Use only for emergency and only when necessary. We prefer to long time traditions of sailing and regret the many changes we are seeing.

[pinotlover]

If one sails an O Class ship and stays in a Concierge or higher cabins, there are the Concierge and Executive Lounges provided where one can read a host of newspapers. These Lounges don’t exist on R Class ships. I believe one can pay a subscription fee, once aboard, and receive a couple of the papers delivered to their rooms.

 

The above is past practices. There has been some talk that the common used papers in the Lounges will be discontinued along with the food items. It appears that Oceania may well follow Celebrity and those items will be in line only. In the evening, after the show or dinner, we have enjoyed returning to our cabin to read the daily Currents, an O product laying out upcoming activities and management announcements, along with a separate world news brief paper. Those may become online only now. 😢