Currently on Riviera Lisbon to Rome

[EEB_Ott]

10 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Thank you, that's very helpful.  I've been to Lisbon before, but it was for disembarkation, so there wasn't a shuttle.  But if the shuttle goes to Restauradores area, that will be very helpful with lots of options for getting elsewhere.  And just about any cruise ship that has visited Lisbon for the past few months has docked in the same place, beneath Alfama or in the case of Sirena recently (3 ships in that day), stretching up north a little more.  So I'm familiar with that area. And yes, I love the sail in views from the ship, especially in early morning light.   Lisbon is a beautiful city. 

 

If you happen to remember any information about where the shuttles in Gijon or Portimao dropped/picked up, I'd love to hear about it. 

Sorry I can't help with info. on Gijon or Portimao, our cruise didn't visit those ports.

[ClafoutisFoodie]

22 hours ago, ORV said:

Sounds like you got an inexperienced Butler and room steward. Not following simple requests is either communication issues or passive aggressive behavior. Either way it's unfortunate you had them. 

 

Were your tours on your Final Cruise summary? I always take that with me in print and email. Sounds like you didn't sweat the small stuff and had a good time. 

I think you could be right on the butler's inexperience. He is a lovely man, but I think that in his zeal to please, he forgot to slow down and actually listen. He provided things we didn't ask for, and did not provide the one thing we wanted. Anyway, first world problems...Our steward, on the other hand, was fantastic. She remembered our son's name immediately and alway made a point to call him out and say hi etc. He is a young man with autism and she seemed to know exactly how to approach him and communicate with him.
The tours we not on our final cruise summary and ironically, were the only thing I didn't print our and take with us. I had printed everything else...flights reservations, boarding passes, proof of vaccination, insurance papers etc. But since we had booked our excursions directly on the Oceania website, I trusted they would be early found and tracked, so I didn't print them. You are right, though it was disappointing, we decided to not sweat the small stuff and made the most of the situation. We had a great time and lessons were learned LOL

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, ClafoutisFoodie said:

The tours we not on our final cruise summary and ironically, were the only thing I didn't print our and take with us.

When you put the tours in the "cart"   did you follow through to the checkout process?  I believe  they ask for CC details  at that point

Some people forget  to go through the checkout  assuming they are part of the deal so once added to the cart  you are booked

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/18/2022 at 5:46 PM, ShopperfiendTO said:

Could you provide information on what the Covid situation is like onboard for your cruise and whether Covid numbers are being reported?

Covid numbers were not reported but we did see what we came to call the covid police a couple of times on the ship. Men dressed in full hazmat suits in the hallway, coming in and out of a few cabins. We might now have initially thought of covid, but on one of our tours, there was a couple where the husband had a nasty cough. We tried to keep a distance from him, but I was seated next to his wife at lunch and she was very friendly. But then, we noticed her dining alone for the next couple of days, on the days that we saw the hazmat suits in the hallway...and while she was very cordial, she was also keeping to herself and did not try to initiate conversation or anything. We kind of put 2 and 2 together but nothing was ever reported publicly.

[ClafoutisFoodie]

4 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

When you put the tours in the "cart"   did you follow through to the checkout process?  I believe  they ask for CC details  at that point

Some people forget  to go through the checkout  assuming they are part of the deal so once added to the cart  you are booked

I think that is what must have happened. Our intention was to charge them to our CC  as we have done in the past (rather than our Oceania account), but we ran into a snag with one port and we believe that is when everything went sideways. In Cartagena I wanted to do a tapas tour that my husband and son had less interest in. I tried to book myself on the tapas tour and husband and son on a different tour,  but the system would not allow it. At that point, all the previous tours were still showing on our account and were confirmed, so we deleted the Cartagena challenge and continued with booking other excursions. At that point, they were all showing on our O account but the system would not prompt or allow to move on to checkout. Trusting that they would remain there, we close our session and likely caused our own demise. What was surprising to us though, was that Destination Services had not trace of that and no means to walk back or investigate, and just laughed it off. Oh well, lesson learned. They were able to rebook some of the excursions we initially wanted, but we ended up doing our own thing for most ports and had a really good time doing so.

[GrammieK]

25 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

When you put the tours in the "cart"   did you follow through to the checkout process?  I believe  they ask for CC details  at that point

Some people forget  to go through the checkout  assuming they are part of the deal so once added to the cart  you are booked

bingo!  Exactly what I meant when I asked if the OP received a credit for the reserved tours. 

[ClafoutisFoodie]

4 hours ago, GrammieK said:

bingo!  Exactly what I meant when I asked if the OP received a credit for the reserved tours. 

That was our question too LOL. There was no credit to be given since no charges were placed on our cc. The system glitched and didn't like it when we tried to book different tours in a same destination 9i wanted to go on a different tour than my husband and son in Cartagena) and that is when the wheels fell off the bus.

[GrammieK]

Sorry you didn’t get to do the tours you wanted. A good excuse to go back!

 

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/26/2022 at 12:27 PM, meg1021 said:

Regarding your difficulty with your shore excursions that were booked online, did you ever figure out what the problem was?  We are first time Oceania cruisers on the Insignia for 48 days this Jan/Feb, and my plan was to book our shore excursions online. Do you think that it would be better to actually call Oceania, book over the phone, and have them send us some sort of confirmation?  The TA already booked 2 overland tours for us on this itinerary, but I would prefer to take the time to look through all options, and book the other excursions myself.  Also, how far in advance do you recommend booking excursions?  Thanks for any information!

We never figured out exactly what happened, but in hindsight, we feel that the error was probably at our end. Everything was going smoothly until we tried to book different excursions in Cartagena (tapas tour for myself, trolley train for my husband and son). The system would not allow it and calling Oceania at that point might have solved the issue but we decided to forge ahead instead of calling O and sitting on hold for god knows how long. We were halfway in the booking process as we were proceeding in order of ports of call, and time was of the essence, as we were just about 10 days before travelling. We took the Cartagena tours out of our cart and continued, but the system was not prompting us for checking out. At that point, all our tours booked were showing in our cart. We just couldn't get to the checkout step. That is when we closed our session, trusting that our reserved tours would still be in the system. 
I must point out though that this was our third Oceania cruise, but the first time we ever had a problem. You shouldn't have any issues. In our past cruises, we booked our excursions through our TA months in advance and had no problems. This time around it was different; the cruise was booked and paid a long time ago (2020 booking cancelled, rebooked, recancelled etc). The shore excursions were the last detail to iron out, but we were finishing up a kitchen renovation and our house was in complete disarray. We wanted to wait until after the reno was done to take the time to focus on that task, because like you, we wanted to take the time to read through all the excursions and options and make the best choices for us. Once we did this and had made choices, our travel agent was away on holidays and advised that we could do this on our own directly without her assistance. We do believe that our problem arose when we tried to book different excursions. If you deal with a TA or call Oceania, you won't have a problem. 

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/27/2022 at 4:19 PM, GrammieK said:

Sorry you didn’t get to do the tours you wanted. A good excuse to go back!

 

Exactly! I like the way you think!!!

 

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/26/2022 at 12:40 PM, pinotlover said:

The problem may not have been your butler , but the timing. The Specialties only do between 100-125, depending upon venue, diners per evening total.

 

All passengers have a guarantee of at least one visit to each of the Specialties. The top suites get what they want when they want. They pay dearly for that privilege. It’s altogether possible the timing of your request was poor and Jacques, typically the most sought after reservation, was already fully booked for the time and/or date you requested.

 

I do believe the butler should have explained the situation for you.

That makes sense. I understand the reasoning and if the butler had explained it to us from the get-go, it would have been a lot easier for all of us. I did extensive reading and research on the question in preparation for our cruise, and many posters had expressed that butlers had the discretion and ability to provide additional specialty restaurant reservations. We enjoy all the restaurants, but Jacques is by far our favourite, and we had hoped to enjoy it once more time. Thanks for taking the time to explain it clearly!

 

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/26/2022 at 1:55 PM, GeezerCouple said:

 

One of the important (to us) perks of a PH on Riviera (or other Oceania ships) is that if a Specialty of choice is booked all evening - or if we are exhausted after an active day - we'll ask our Butler to serve us in our suite from a Specialty.  Although we usually enjoy the ambiance of those restaurants, there are times we'd just prefer to lounge around if we are tired, while not missing out on some food favorites.

 

Also, we always give our Butler a short, bullet item "greeting" letter.  It is as short as possible, but includes the important things.  First of all, food allergies!  Then we mention a few other things, including snacks.

We usually enjoy breakfast served, so we alert them to that, too.

 

And we let them know that we are almost always very flexible with respect to times, so if we have a request that conflicts with some other passenger requests, just let us know and we can almost definitely change our requested timing.

 

The Butler (on Oceania and other cruise lines) takes the letter upon first meeting, at which point we say something like, "We know you are very busy now.  Please read this later for a bit more information about us."  They almost always come back later that evening or the next morning, with the letter in hand, along with a pen, and ask us a few additional questions, and thank us for writing it all down.

(I can't imagine how anyone could remember what we tell them in the rush of newly arriving passengers, never mind if several others are also "telling them" things about any preferences or making requests at that time.  Personally, I can't imagine remembering any/all requests on the run; that's not one of my current strengths, to put it mildly.)

 

We'll also leave any other requests in written form, unless it's something fleeting, and we'll either leave it in a specific place or hand it to them if we happen to see them at the right time.

Having it written means less chance for misunderstanding or forgetting, plus if there are any language issues, they have a chance to ask a colleague for some help.

 

We do the same for the steward, but that's a lot simpler.  It's mostly about general preference of timing for servicing our suite, plus requesting that there always be extra bath linens in our suite.

 

Ah... we miss the Riviera... 😞 

(We love that large therapy pool in the spa area.  And everything else!)

 

GC

Thank you for your detailed explanation. You should change your handle from GeezerCouple to SuperOrganized!!!

Your written instructions really take any guess work out of the equation and optimize chances of success.
I will definitely keep that in mind for future cruises if we decide to go for a PH.

Our steward was fantastic, and we let her know as much. She really went the extra mile to make our son feel comfortable and welcome. He is a young man with autism, and our steward had this magic ability to communicate with and acknowledge him without being pushy or overwhelming. As for the butler, there was a language barrier, but I would never hold that against a person, since English is not my first language either. Thanks again for your very helpful insights!

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:01 PM, LHT28 said:

Ok  so I did not read the whole post

Paragraphs  would help next time

Did you request  the fridge be restocked  when it was not done automatically?

 

Did you speak to the GM or Concierge about the poor service ?

 

Why would you go to the Concierge lounge  when you are in a PH  the Executive lounge is for PH & above

 

Duly noted on the paragraphs, I will pay closer attention in the future. Perhaps reading the whole post before would help before offering a snarky comment.

No, I did not request the fridge to be restocked, as it was clearly indicated that this was done every day. Plus pointing out to my son in front of the butler that the fridge had Coca-Cola, his favourite drink, should be enough.

No, we did not speak to the GM or Concierge about the poor service, because the service was otherwise good. The thought of tracking down the GM for a fridge restocking concern never crossed our mind, and we didn't want to cause issues for our butler. It was just as easy for us to go fetch it where we knew. My apologies for calling it Concierge Lounge instead of Executive Lounge. My syntax and terminology were not on point but we were indeed in a Penthouse Suite and we knew where to find Coca-Cola.

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:12 PM, ORV said:

I don't know, you tell them the canapes are making you too full as it's too close to dinner and they bring you double. Seems like there is a problem....................

I am not sure I understand your comment, but English is not my first language so I may have expressed myself in an unclear manner. Bear with me, I am still learning. What I was trying to say is that when we realized how generous the portions were,  we decided not to place an order. Seems to me that if an order is not placed, it means that the guest does not wish to have canapés. Bringing them double may not be the best solution. When the butler said that he thought we had forgotten to leave an order and brought us double, we thanked him and explained that no, we had not forgotten, but preferred not to eat that much before dinner. Problem solved. But it was awkward and made an unnecessary waste of food. As a parent, a consumer and a chef, food waste is an important issue for me.

[ClafoutisFoodie]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:18 PM, LHT28 said:

Then the PAX needs to speak to the GM  so they can explain to the Butler  if it is  a language issue

Or  KIS  method just  say "No Canapes  thank you "  😉

 

If management does not know there is a problem  then they cannot fix it

 

JMO

Well, this PAX was on vacation and chose not to invest the time to chase down the GM who surely had bigger fish to fry. We found an alternate solution to the severe problem of canapés and Coca-Cola in our fridge. We explained to the butler that we didn't want any more canapés. JMO.

[LHT28]

10 minutes ago, ClafoutisFoodie said:

Well, this PAX was on vacation and chose not to invest the time to chase down the GM who surely had bigger fish to fry. We found an alternate solution to the severe problem of canapés and Coca-Cola in our fridge. We explained to the butler that we didn't want any more canapés. JMO.

Well if you got results by speaking to the butler  then problem solved

 

[CoolChile]

@ClafoutisFoodie, my husband and I think you did an absolutely STELLAR job of handling the issues, seeing the positive, then clarifying things even further on this thread.  Bravo!

 

We don't know what your "first language" is (and we don't need to know) but as people (fellow Canadians who cook well and love excellent food, but we are NOT chefs! 😉), we hope we someday sail with you, your wife and son. 😊

[ClafoutisFoodie]

23 hours ago, CoolChile said:

@ClafoutisFoodie, my husband and I think you did an absolutely STELLAR job of handling the issues, seeing the positive, then clarifying things even further on this thread.  Bravo!

 

We don't know what your "first language" is (and we don't need to know) but as people (fellow Canadians who cook well and love excellent food, but we are NOT chefs! 😉), we hope we someday sail with you, your wife and son. 😊

Thank you for your very sweet and supportive message! Our son was not supposed to be part of this trip at the beginning, as the cruise was meant to happen in 2020 to celebrate my 60th birthday. We all know what happened in 2020, and since then, the circumstances changed for the person who usually takes care of our son while we are away. Our son is a young adult with autism and an extended absence has to be carefully planned to ensure he is well taken care of. We decided to take him with us and we are so happy we did, to live this experience through the eyes of a person on the spectrum. That is largely the reason why we decided not to stress the minor things like canapés and butler issues, and live the experience to the fullest. We would love nothing more than to cruise with you also!! 🙂

[mauibabes]

So glad you had a wonderful time with your son, I am sure he had quite an experience. my wife spent 30 years teaching Special Education and I have heard thousands of heart warming stories.
 

In the future, if you need anything from your steward or Butler, you can even leave them a written note.  When we meet with our Steward and Butler on day 1, we always ask for the ice bucket to be filled twice daily and our refrigerator stocked with Pepsi and Diet Pepsi. Coke is provided in the Staterooms but the Crew canteen has everything else so just ask.  Our TA had the Pepsi request placed in our file so Pepsi is automatically there. For the sake of the Butler or Steward, please don’t track down the GM to complain because complaints can get the staff member off at the next port and on a plane home.  Complaints equal job insecurity. If for any reason you want to get a message across and you are having a language barrier or other problem with the staff member, just drop by the Executive Lounge or the Concierge Desk in the Reception area and let them assist you with your issue.  It will be handled. 
Glad you had a good time and O experience.

 

Mauibabes

[LHT28]

58 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

 When we meet with our Steward and Butler on day 1, we always ask for the ice bucket to be filled twice daily

Interesting that you need to ask for the ice bucket to be filled

Never had a problem in the A B & C  cabins    would have thought is was a given in PH   🤔

 

If you do not mention the problem with the staff it will not be fixed

If the butler cannot do the job  then they need  more training  ..they may or may not be put off the ship  as you say

They may be demoted until  they get trained but  not immediately sent packing 🙄

[shepherd really]

1 hour ago, mauibabes said:

So glad you had a wonderful time with your son, I am sure he had quite an experience. my wife spent 30 years teaching Special Education and I have heard thousands of heart warming stories.

Mauibabes

My wife was a Social Worker who also worked in Special Education. 

 

They are proof that angels walk among us.

[GeezerCouple]

5 hours ago, ClafoutisFoodie said:

Thank you for your very sweet and supportive message! Our son was not supposed to be part of this trip at the beginning, as the cruise was meant to happen in 2020 to celebrate my 60th birthday. We all know what happened in 2020, and since then, the circumstances changed for the person who usually takes care of our son while we are away. Our son is a young adult with autism and an extended absence has to be carefully planned to ensure he is well taken care of. We decided to take him with us and we are so happy we did, to live this experience through the eyes of a person on the spectrum. That is largely the reason why we decided not to stress the minor things like canapés and butler issues, and live the experience to the fullest. We would love nothing more than to cruise with you also!! 🙂

 

DO contact the Special Needs desk sooner rather than later.

I had forgotten this, and we've not needed it personally, but I've suggested telling Special Needs and also asking if there might be a steward (or butler/etc.) who is especially good with <whatever>.  They may reply automatically that "all" of their employees are equally good, on principle.  But perhaps they'll notify the ship, and if a particular steward could be moved across the hall or something... It's worth asking.

I got this idea when someone mentioned telling Special Needs (I think it was a different cruise line) about an elderly person in their family who only spoke Language A.  And they ended up with at butler who spoke Language A. 🙂   Would that same butler have had those assigned suites anyway?  We'll never know, but it certainly didn't hurt!

 

Point is, as always, others can't help make things work better if they don't know what might be helpful.

 

GC

[NeedToChill]

On 10/14/2022 at 3:36 AM, clairol said:

the classic faux leather card holders are gone and in their place a flimsy, super cheap, plastic folder over

 Looking forward to my first Oceania cruise in March. So I'm not sure exactly what you mean here, but did they used to provide a leather card holder for use carrying your ship ID card around?

--Julian

[mauibabes]

LHT28, just sharing expectations because sometimes they get so busy they might miss something.  It never hurts to share even the obvious, be it A,B, C or in a PH or… It’s the little things sometimes, and no we are not that picky. 
Just sharing the message, the GM is probably the last person you want to have to bring a simple problem to.  I always thought it best to solve problems at the lowest level first, escalate as needed. One time we had an issue with our safe keypad not opening. The steward tried to fix, then maintenance and then we were advised there were no keypads in the shop so it could not be fixed. The next knock at the door was the Housekeeping Manager and down the hall came the maintenance man carrying a “new safe” which was promptly installed.  Not in a PH either. 
Just saying, give the staff the chance to fix what is wrong. 

Mauibabes 

 

[mauibabes]

Julian,

Yes they did have a faux leather card case, at least that is what we had this past April on Marina.   Not sure what is provided at this time.  I would not expect to see everyone walking around with a lanyard around their neck and a hole punched in your card, just not O’s style. Actually when swiping my card to get in the door, there was no need to remove the card from the case, just pass the case by the door lock. 
Your first O cruise, you will love it.  We are on Marina in January in South America so our excitement is starting to build. 😁  Feel free to ask any questions of the Oceania family because the people who post here are very helpful.  Lots of new O cruisers and you will find it difficult to go back to other lines after you have experienced Oceania. Not inexpensive but amazing Value.

Ciao, Mauibabes