LIVE REPORT from Riviera - NEVER AGAIN!

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, GregoryPaul said:

Sthrngary your posts are always well thought out. I enjoy reading them, maybe consider changing your online ID to “the voice of reason.”

@GregoryPaul Thank you for the kind words.  The reality is, beside my horrible spelling/grammar, I sometimes write my post three times.  The first time I get it all out.  When I read it I realize I took what I call the "Low Road".  I write it again.  The second time I see area's I need to change to make the point.  The third time I make a decision to post or not to post; that is the question.  

 

We all love to cruise.  If we did not we would go to an all inclusive and lay by the sea.  With the choice of a cruise, on water, in different countries, there is always a risk.  Remembering back, some of my funniest memories are situation no one could have fixed on cruises.  This unpredictability create dreams and dreams can sometimes be nightmares.  The High Road is always the bast approach to approaching things on Social Media. 

 

Cruise well and thank you again. 

[ssawjo]

We were supposed to call in the Azores last September.  The port was cancelled because of Hurricane Danielle and the captain had to turn more southerly to avoid the hurricane.  The seas were still a bit rough but nothing I, personally, couldn't handle. Was I disappointed, yes.  Was I mad and upset, no.  You reach a certain age, and you can't let things get to you.  It isn't worth it.  Just my two cents.

[PaulMCO]

Oceania has a history of pulling so called cancellations at the last moment.  We have been sailing them for 14 years.  We have come to expect this and will not sail them at a must see port (like the Falklands).

 

Our worse experience with this was cancellation of Myanmar right after final payment and penalties.  Treasury sanctions was cited as a reason.  The treasury sanctions were in place a year before the the final pay date, after doing research.  In the end it was good cruise, only because of several new friends we made on the cruise.  But this is very typical of how management works on Oceania.

 

You just have to look at the deceptive advertising they continue to make -- which comes from the top.

 

"Free Round Trip Air Fare"

"Free Transfers"

"Brochure Fare"  (so called brochure fare you do not see in their brochure)

"Free Excursions"

"Free OBC"

"Free Beverage Package"

 

Of course don't forget to check the terms and the magic *

 

FREE FREE FREE FREE --  Nothing is FREE on Oceania or any of the NCL owned cruise lines like Regent..  It seems like the most asked questions on cruise credit.

 

The US DOT fined Oceania and Regent once for this type of deception in 2010, yet it still continues.

 

[Sthrngary]

13 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

Oceania has a history of pulling so called cancellations at the last moment.  We have been sailing them for 14 years.  We have come to expect this and will not sail them at a must see port (like the Falklands).

 

Our worse experience with this was cancellation of Myanmar right after final payment and penalties.  Treasury sanctions was cited as a reason.  The treasury sanctions were in place a year before the the final pay date, after doing research.  In the end it was good cruise, only because of several new friends we made on the cruise.  But this is very typical of how management works on Oceania.

 

You just have to look at the deceptive advertising they continue to make -- which comes from the top.

 

"Free Round Trip Air Fare"

"Free Transfers"

"Brochure Fare"  (so called brochure fare you do not see in their brochure)

"Free Excursions"

"Free OBC"

"Free Beverage Package"

 

Of course don't forget to check the terms and the magic *

 

FREE FREE FREE FREE --  Nothing is FREE on Oceania or any of the NCL owned cruise lines like Regent..  It seems like the most asked questions on cruise credit.

 

The US DOT fined Oceania and Regent once for this type of deception in 2010, yet it still continues.

 

@PaulMCO We were old posting friends from Crystal prior to it being sold.  If is clear, you are not a fan of Oceania.  Please let us know, what is your alternative brand they you prefer?  Hope things are well and glad so see your posts. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[PaulMCO]

25 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@PaulMCO We were old posting friends from Crystal prior to it being sold.  If is clear, you are not a fan of Oceania.  Please let us know, what is your alternative brand they you prefer?  Hope things are well and glad so see your posts. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

We tried Oceania Marina again in December/Jan after being disappointed twice before. We were in an OC suite and were disappointed.  Had a really hard time with the invisible management aboard Marina.  That was cruise 15 with O.

 

Yes we loved Crystal, but Crystal is gone. Crystal was our home.   Definitely the best food at sea.  Lost $$$$ as many did and we will wait and see.  I hope they succeed -- choice is good. 

 

We are still looking for a good cruise home.

 

We had a great Regent cruise.  Food and service was superb.  Only issue we had was their excursions and those that managed them -- seems to be a common problem with Regent and Oceania. So we will cruise them again next year. 

 

We had a good Seabourn cruise in July.  So we will try them again in April for the Turkish and Greek Riviera.

 

We liked Silversea before RCCL purchased them so we will try them again in November.

 

You too stay safe and cruise well

Edited March 21, 2023 by PaulMCO

[HaveDogWillTravel]

I’m about to lose my internet as the ship sails out of port Canaveral. I really, really loved our day in St Augustine out of Jacksonville.  We got a rental car last minute really cheap. We would have gone to the zoo the next day but decided not to. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by HaveDogWillTravel

[nolafrank]

The extent that the cruise line can change the itinerary and the lack of recourse the cruiser has was brought home to us in the spring of 2020. We had a cruise booked on Celebrity Millennium  scheduled from Hong Kong to Shanghai on March 14 of that year. We were already in Asia when Covid travel restrictions started to hit China. Celebrity informed us that literally EVERY PORT was changed including the embarkation point, the disembarkation point, and the ports that were of interest: Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and Seoul.  Celebrity changed the embarkation point from HK to Singapore and disembarkation from Shanghai to Tokyo and ALL PORTS  in between with no compensation for flight changes they wanted us to make. Remember this was all happening before we were due to set sail.  How is that even the same cruise?  We had flights, hotel, etc and for several weeks Celebrity refused to refund those who wanted to cancel and it was absolutely maddening.  I never understood how that was possible but my TA and I wrote numerous requests that were denied. 
 

Well, eventually as the pandemic evolved the industry decided refunds and credits were due and we were made whole but that episode was an eye opener. You have NO rights on an international cruise except what the cruise line wants to grant.  Scary indeed! 

[MEFIowa]

2 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

We tried Oceania Marina again in December/Jan after being disappointed twice before. We were in an OC suite and were disappointed.  Had a really hard time with the invisible management aboard Marina. ....

What does this mean objectively? "Disappointed". "Really hard time with the invisible management".

 

I keep wondering about the "princess and the pea" for those in PH and above versus those of us who've cruised A and below. No complaints here for Riviera (A4 12/2021) or Sirena (B2 11/2022).

[PaulMCO]

37 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

What does this mean objectively? "Disappointed". "Really hard time with the invisible management".

 

I keep wondering about the "princess and the pea" for those in PH and above versus those of us who've cruised A and below. No complaints here for Riviera (A4 12/2021) or Sirena (B2 11/2022).

Easy -- requested a meeting with the General Manager about some issues.  Denied.  Management did not care about issues -- could they see them no, they were invisible.   Could you meet with the GM or Hotel Manager no.  Was told to see the front desk manager. 

 

I have 15 O cruises under my belt ==> in an Oceania suite. Expected more concern with our cabin issues and the Nasty excursion desk manager.  Thought the food was subpar ran out of many items during our cruise (but that was not the biggest issue). 

[Sthrngary]

OK, we ALL have had issues with cruising. it is the Nature of the beast.  It is so easy to continue on with our personal situations.  Yet when it becomes a stream about how BAD the cruise brand is, it has reached it end for me.  If anyone does not like a brand, or an experience, we all have the right to simply state our case openly and not cruise with them any more.  

 

Thank everyone for their stories.  It really does help to know the good, bad and ugly.  Point made.  I hope everyone has a better cruise the next time around.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

 

[MEFIowa]

13 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

Easy -- requested a meeting with the General Manager about some issues.  Denied.  Management did not care about issues -- could they see them no, they were invisible.   Could you meet with the GM or Hotel Manager no.  Was told to see the front desk manager. 

 

I have 15 O cruises under my belt ==> in an Oceania suite. Expected more concern with our cabin issues and the Nasty excursion desk manager.  Thought the food was subpar ran out of many items during our cruise (but that was not the biggest issue). 

Seems pretty subjective to me. I suspect likely tied to your expectations at the OC cabin level. Which might be quite stratospheric compared to mine. As for the senior staff you wanted to meet, IIRC they do have offices on the ships. I poked my head into a couple to see what their "office space" situation was like. And they can be found out and about on the ship. On Riviera 12/2021, seemed like if you wanted to meet the captain, GM, HM, etc. you just went to the indoor smoking area.

[ORV]

I do believe the poster in question has been unhappy with Oceania for a few years now. Maybe they’re just tired of hearing it. 

[PaulMCO]

4 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Seems pretty subjective to me. I suspect likely tied to your expectations at the OC cabin level. Which might be quite stratospheric compared to mine. As for the senior staff you wanted to meet, IIRC they do have offices on the ships. I poked my head into a couple to see what their "office space" situation was like. And they can be found out and about on the ship. On Riviera 12/2021, seemed like if you wanted to meet the captain, GM, HM, etc. you just went to the indoor smoking area.

Subjective -- give me a break.  You want the list of issues. You cannot compare a ship that just came out of drydock and recently refurbished, with one who is long overdue and Oceania already cancelled in 2023 dry dock until 2024 when it returns to the EU.  My issue is with both ship and management.  Invincible they were. 

 

Cabinet's that would not close and would swing open with a slam awakening you in the middle of the night.

Veranda door that was stuck close.  Ships maintenance could not/would not fix this

Front door that would not lock.

Spa tub on veranda was useless since the pump motor for the jets was broken and ship had no replacement.

GM was never in the office.  You had to make an appointment.  Other people we know had similar issues.

Complaints on mid cruise comment card -- completely ignored.  Not even a phone call.

Excursion manager was rude to the point of being nasty.

 

And yes -- you pay for an OC suite you expect certain level of service.

 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by PaulMCO

[LHT28]

I think anyone even in the lowest cabin cat  expect the cabin to have doors that close  & drawers that work

It does not have to be just  top suites where people expect  things to be in working order  or maybe some people  who get a "deal" do not care if the doors are falling off  because they got  a good deal 🙄

[brobin111]

Maybe it's just me but when I spend over 20K for a 10 day vacation I expect any change in itinerary to be something more exotic than two days in downtown Jacksonville and sailing in circles for three days.  And if it's not, and you want to see me back on your ships again, you'll do something tangible to encourage that.

[pinotlover]

Another deceptive term we learned on our cruise: Cruising the Chilean Fjords.

 

It would be the same as saying “ sailing the puget sound fjords “ or sailing the French Polynesia fjords. You sail, for a period,  between the islands and never enter a fjord, while spending most of the time at sea. Those islands were not glacierly carved either.

[ChadnKate]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Another deceptive term we learned on our cruise: Cruising the Chilean Fjords.

 

It would be the same as saying “ sailing the puget sound fjords “ or sailing the French Polynesia fjords. You sail, for a period,  between the islands and never enter a fjord, while spending most of the time at sea. Those islands were not glacierly carved either.

I think that must be dependent upon the weather. We were on the Marina a few years ago and did the Chilean fjords,  They were absolutely beautiful The ship was able to go inland to visit a spectacular glacier. However, visiting Catholic Puerto Chacabuco on Christmas Day was rather non-productive!

[brobin111]

This was our 4th post-covid cruise and, based on the changes in business practices and the myriad cost cutting measures we've seen,  I'm beginning to think that perhaps the cruise lines are less interested in retaining their old customers and are more interested in a younger, maybe less discerning group.  Less time in ports, skipped ports, lower quality food, 2nd rate entertainment and a "we don't care" attitude seem to be the direction that most lines have taken.  Great opportunity for a someone to do it right!

[Sthrngary]

Well it seems as if this thread has taken a turn from expressing the authors opinion on a less then positive cruising experience to brand bashing.  Darn shame. If any guest has dissatisfaction with the product or service they have received, do a review, be honest and share your thoughts.  It helps the brand do better and guest with varied opinions which is also good.

 

When it becomes brand bashing, it is NOT helpful.  It makes it feel like some folks have an axe to grind. I have no skin in this game.  All I am looking for is honest evaluations of a brand I have booked for the first time.  In my professional career, I studied survey systems, luxury client expectations and how to engage client so they can become brand advocates.  When a client only has negative things to say or another client only has positive things to say; you toss those views.  You go with the 80% in the middle.  

 

Thanks for everyone's feed back, opinions, experiences and comments.  It was a interesting read.  All points have been made and understood.  I hope what ever cruise or other vacations we all go on next, it is something we truly enjoy.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Carol28]

We were also on this cruise and just canceled our upcoming Marina cruise.  This was our first Oceania.  I understand the change of itinerary. I don't understand why my TA did not advise me when i sent an email and I will discuss this with her.  BUT, what really annoyed me about this trip was the lazy cruise director who provided no extra entertainment for the guests.  Extra music and games, culinary experiences and lectures could easily have been arranged.  Of our 41 cruises, this was our worst. Never again!

 

[ak1004]

We sailed on Oceania twice after Covid. Both times we had significantl itinerary changes, and we still had a great time. Yes, no extra activities on sea days, but this is expected. Oceania is not known for great activities or entertainment. Doing some research before booking would save people the disappointment. You sacrifice activities and entertainment for great food and great service.

 

it’s actually a good thing that some people didn’t like Oceania and cancel future bookings. Otherwise it would become too crowded, and prices would go up. We want more of Oceania to ourselves.

 

And yes, all lines have itinerary changes. Our last SS World Cup cruise cancelled 3 nights in Doha 6 weeks before the cruise. They had to rename the cruise actually..

[MEFIowa]

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

I think anyone even in the lowest cabin cat  expect the cabin to have doors that close  & drawers that work. It does not have to be just top suites where people expect things to be in working order. or maybe some people  who get a "deal" do not care if the doors are falling off  because they got  a good deal

I merely note that "doors that do not close & drawers that do not work" are objective complaints. Things that are not in working order are also objective. People should lead off any complaints with objective items. But that tends not to be the case and in so many situations we get vague generalities or subjective issues.

 

Thus, for my comments about Sirena 11/2022 I have discussed how the automatic sliding door in the TC leading outside aft on the starboard side was broken for about 3 days or so. And when so many pax were using walkers and even motorized scooters there, you noticed it when everyone had to use one working outside sliding door for the entire aft outdoor eating area. And who doesn't recoil in horror to the relatively recent postings not too far back about some deck(s) on whichever ship it was that was having toilet flooding issues?!?!

[rrunner]

23 hours ago, Carol28 said:

We were also on this cruise and just canceled our upcoming Marina cruise.  This was our first Oceania.  I understand the change of itinerary. I don't understand why my TA did not advise me when i sent an email and I will discuss this with her.  BUT, what really annoyed me about this trip was the lazy cruise director who provided no extra entertainment for the guests.  Extra music and games, culinary experiences and lectures could easily have been arranged.  Of our 41 cruises, this was our worst. Never again!

 

 

 

[the more ports the better]

On 3/21/2023 at 3:05 PM, PaulMCO said:

Oceania has a history of pulling so called cancellations at the last moment.  We have been sailing them for 14 years.  We have come to expect this and will not sail them at a must see port (like the Falklands).

 

Our worse experience with this was cancellation of Myanmar right after final payment and penalties.  Treasury sanctions was cited as a reason.  The treasury sanctions were in place a year before the the final pay date, after doing research.  In the end it was good cruise, only because of several new friends we made on the cruise.  But this is very typical of how management works on Oceania.

 

You just have to look at the deceptive advertising they continue to make -- which comes from the top.

 

"Free Round Trip Air Fare"

"Free Transfers"

"Brochure Fare"  (so called brochure fare you do not see in their brochure)

"Free Excursions"

"Free OBC"

"Free Beverage Package"

 

Of course don't forget to check the terms and the magic *

 

FREE FREE FREE FREE --  Nothing is FREE on Oceania or any of the NCL owned cruise lines like Regent..  It seems like the most asked questions on cruise credit.

 

The US DOT fined Oceania and Regent once for this type of deception in 2010, yet it still continues.

 

Paul, we are going through the same thing right now trying to cancel and refund our sailing in May as it ports three days in Myanmar.  O will not admit, even at this date, that there is a civil war going on, that the military put the entire government in prison and the citizens are forming militias to fight the military.  I have contracts with DOE and DOD.  I’ll never get another one if I go to Myanmar right now and violate sanctions.
 

I have an overland to Bagan paid for and the fighting in Bagan is constant.  No consular service and we have sanctions in place so how are we going to even pay for flights on their airlines.

 

Very frustrating.  The whole reason for booking the sailing two years ago was to see Bagan.  I have been trying to move payment to any other sailing to no avail.  I did not think to contact the Dept of Transportation but I will now.  Talk about deceptive practices!  I imagine DOT will not be all too happy.  
 

I just figured that I would file suit as their T&C are unconscionable when taking a war zone into account.  Plus, I practiced law for 20 years prior to getting smart and quitting law and going into tech.  Even if I lose, the case will not cost me anything but it will cost them at least 20 times the fare that I paid.

 

Upon registration, rights to a class action are signed away but prior to registering for the sailing, it is not waived, also, it is unconscionable in this circumstance so probably a class action is still an option. 
 

Typically, I am a big O cheerleader but this situation is beyond unreasonable. 

[KimKM]

brobin111, we were on this cruise, too. We weren't first time cruisers, just the first (and last) on Oceania.

 

So many responders here are ignoring the OP's point that we didn't expect the Riviera to risk lives sailing into bad seas. We expected much better communication (any communication would have been an improvement) and that a cruise line would know when to offer a trip to a specific locale. I know now that you don't sail to Bermuda in March. I'm guessing Oceania also knew. Maybe it's a bad plan to sell a cruise to people based on Bermuda, knowing that it probably won't happen? I'm sorry, but I also think that there should be a more interesting port than JAX for a substitute. I lived there and really liked it, but it's not even close.

 

We wouldn't have known about the itinerary change if we hadn't asked at check in, because I overheard another customer dismayed about the change. Our check in agent was "forgetting" to inform us until we asked. I know a couple onboard who found out at dinner that night (awkward).

..

We went on a 10 day cruise, and spent most of the time wandering aimlessly around the ocean, with not much substance (the map of the ship's course was hilarious...like a spaghetti blob.

 

We were treated like idiots at the beverage package upgrade station and we found the food, that everyone seems to love, to be bland and mostly served cold (in every dining room). We were honest on our mid cruise survey, and received calls re: food & beverage, but nothing of substance.

 

Our only bright spot was our room attendants... lovely and attentive.

 

It's very difficult to change a first impression. I would never trust them again. We will return to our previous cruise lines, and call it a very expensive learning experience.