Just back from a TA on the Marina, Bcn to Mia.

[osandomir]

6 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Let's hope he does not run StarLink the same way he does Twitter or Tesla

It’s very easy to criticise. Remember that he was the richest (second richest now) person in the world. For me it’s an indicator that he’s still fully capable to run all his businesses very well.

[jonthomas]

Well O has deposited $100 into our credit card account for this cruise. I have NO idea why. We made sure we had zero balance. Yes we filled in the questionnaire but that would be OBCs if we won, not a credit card deposit. Wish they had sent an email with explanation. Hey I am grateful, thank you O. 

 

Anyone have an idea why we were so lucky?

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Well O has deposited $100 into our credit card account for this cruise. I have NO idea why. We made sure we had zero balance. Yes we filled in the questionnaire but that would be OBCs if we won, not a credit card deposit. Wish they had sent an email with explanation. Hey I am grateful, thank you O. 

 

Anyone have an idea why we were so lucky?

Actually deposited $100 or “pending?” Sometimes those credits appear than disappear.

Also, do you have a future cruise booked for which you pre-purchased tours? If so, and if any port changes eliminated a tour, you might get a refund without any notice (though $100 is too even a number unless the cancelled tour was an O Life one and you had no additionally purchased tours at under $200 to replace it [i.e., O Life allotment is base value $100 regardless of tour list price].

[Redtravel]

On 12/20/2022 at 12:12 PM, SophieM said:

We love it just the way it is, too. It sounds like Celebrity might

It sounds like Celebrity might be a better alternative for you, at least on a transatlantic cruise. We just completed one and had no (major) issues keeping up with friends and family, and we even had to share the logon. Our dog sitter sent videos, which we were able to download. Also, as a backup, I always make sure family has the emergency number to call the ship, if they can’t get ahold of us. 

We did Celebrity in June. Just did Oceania Marina.  Oceania is better in most areas including included internet.  While it isn’t as fast as my internet home service, it is fast and it works. The internet on Celebrity was pathetically slow when it worked. It often didn’t work or dropped off.  We are elite plus and found our elite plus minutes worked faster than the All In internet.  

[jonthomas]

actually deposited....

[Ride-The-Waves]

On 12/20/2022 at 12:18 PM, shepherd really said:

In all the discussions here on the internet service on remote voyages, never once did I hear someone suggest buying or renting a satellite phone, which would make the service provided by the cruise line irrelevant.

We sailed with Hurtigruten (Fram) to Antarctica and south of the Antarctic Circle with many stops to Zodiac ashore.  Great trip to include wonderful food.  And, great internet enabling the downloading of books for evening reading.  Have also had horrible totally unusable internet on Princess during a TA.  Its all in what the cruise line wants to provide it customers.

[Ride-The-Waves]

On 12/20/2022 at 2:45 PM, LHT28 said:

I am sure it is a cheap option also  🤔

Likely the cruise lines will totally balloon the price above anything reasonable.

[jonthomas]

22 hours ago, jonthomas said:

actually deposited....

 

and now it has vanished....O is not playing nice...have no clue what all that was about...someone doesnt know what they are doing...

[ORV]

Sounds like FF was right about it being a hold on the card, although it might have shown credited. 

 

I recently had an issue at a hotel, where I was charged for a room that was paid with points. I had to dispute the charge. When it all shook out I was a little over $100 ahead. I'm waiting to see if they ever figure it out. 

[jonthomas]

yeah all  kinds of weird stuff going on....

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, jonthomas said:

 

and now it has vanished....O is not playing nice...have no clue what all that was about...someone doesnt know what they are doing...

They gave you $100 on your credit  card   then took it away?   is that correct

 

Maybe call next week & ask ??

JMO

 

[jonthomas]

yes that is correct....

 

yes will call....ty

[taxrunner]

On 12/24/2022 at 11:25 AM, jonthomas said:

 

and now it has vanished....O is not playing nice...have no clue what all that was about...someone doesnt know what they are doing...

Same thing happened to me.  I had a Pending Credit show up on our Credit Card last Thursday from "Oceania Marina" for $428.90.  Two days later it disappeared.  Never could reconcile to the $428.90 phantom credit amount.

[ORV]

On 12/24/2022 at 11:37 AM, jonthomas said:

yes that is correct....

 

yes will call....ty

If it was not money you expected back what do you want them to do? Obviously it's just an accounting blur between them and the credit card processor. Unless they are charging you for something you didn't spend I don't see the issue. 

 

If I understand correctly you are going to call them because the $100 credit you were not expecting has now disappeared? Or am I missing something?

[LHT28]

4 hours ago, taxrunner said:

Same thing happened to me.  I had a Pending Credit show up on our Credit Card last Thursday from "Oceania Marina" for $428.90.  Two days later it disappeared.  Never could reconcile to the $428.90 phantom credit amount.

Could  that have been the amount Gratuites would be?

 Did they actually bill you ?

Some times  places  will put a hold on CC to be sure they can get your money  then the "hold" is cancelled  when the bill is paid  or no balance is required

JMO

[jonthomas]

gratuities are much more than 100...and they were all automatically deducted...

 

since this is a common occurrence it seems, I will just forget about it...

[LHT28]

37 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

gratuities are much more than 100...and they were all automatically deducted...

 

since this is a common occurrence it seems, I will just forget about it...

Of course they are

For many years you could not view your credit card account  so probably many things were in the pending  category  that people never knew about

I do not look at my online CC account very often  so I am sure stuff is put there that I do not know about 😉

 

[ORV]

7 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Of course they are

For many years you could not view your credit card account  so probably many things were in the pending  category  that people never knew about

I do not look at my online CC account very often  so I am sure stuff is put there that I do not know about 😉

 

I look at mine almost everyday and it's interesting to see the interplay between pending and posted. Sometimes they completely disappear for a few days then reappear. I've had hotels charge me the hold amount, then credit it back. There's a local casino hotel we go to occasionally that always does it that way. 

[taxrunner]

19 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Could  that have been the amount Gratuites would be?

 Did they actually bill you ?

Some times  places  will put a hold on CC to be sure they can get your money  then the "hold" is cancelled  when the bill is paid  or no balance is required

JMO

No, the $428.90 wasn't for the gratuities.  They didn't actually bill me, it was a pending credit on my VISA that disappeared two days later.  

[SATaxman]

On 12/8/2022 at 10:04 AM, MarkWiltonM said:

 

 

Not sure how much chance there is of increasing water pressure through a refit, but we can always hope. We just got off Sirena and the water pressure was surprisingly excellent.

 

We are scheduled on Marina for November 2024. Will cancel if the refit hasn't happened by then. Celebrity canceled (postponed?) some of their refits on their older ships, and in the case of their ship Equinox, they started the update in some of the public rooms and then stopped; the difference in the decor on some levels was quite noticeable (old carpet patterns versus new, etc.). And the staterooms just got new curtains and maybe carpet (can't remember exactly but it was disappointing, especially having just been on a sister ship, Silhouette that had been updated). 

The ''refit" is now scheduled for April 2024.

 

[SophieM]

16 hours ago, SATaxman said:

The ''refit" is now scheduled for April 2024.

 

We are currently on the Marina. While I won’t disagree that she could use an update, she is in otherwise great condition, as far as we have seen. We have three more booked on her before the refurb with no hesitation!!

[basenji56]

9 minutes ago, SophieM said:

We are currently on the Marina. While I won’t disagree that she could use an update, she is in otherwise great condition, as far as we have seen. We have three more booked on her before the refurb with no hesitation!!

How was the Wifi?  I believe that needs to be rehabilitated from what I have heard.

[jonthomas]

21 minutes ago, SophieM said:

We are currently on the Marina. While I won’t disagree that she could use an update, she is in otherwise great condition, as far as we have seen. We have three more booked on her before the refurb with no hesitation!!

How is the food?

[SophieM]

2 hours ago, jonthomas said:

How is the food?

in general, it’s been very good. Husband did send a steak back in Polo, but they were quite happy to redo. I think, though, they’re still bringing on kitchen staff. We really have no major complaints, oh, except for the internet, of course. Semi-patiently waiting for StarLink. I’m sure if we tried hard enough, we could find something to b…h about, but there are enough others on the boards doing that. It’s really been a very nice cruise. Great crew with a number of familiar faces! People seem to be much more interested in socializing, too. 

[takemewithyou]

When is the refit scheduled for Marina?

I had read 11/23.  Above says 4/24 but is that in reference to Marina or Sirena?

Edited April 15, 2023 by takemewithyou