Would you spend $14,000 on a cruise?

[jsn55]

53 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In terms of O “sliding,” being more specific might help the discussion.

 

We’ve done about 100 nights on O ships over the past 12 months and the only significant issues noticed/experienced are fourfold:

1) Because of the pandemic shut down, many of the seasoned long-serving hotel crew moved on to other pursuits. Industry wide competition for replacements has been fierce, particularly with several new cruise lines coming online. This has resulted in a challenge to acquire and  train/acculturate new hires and there will naturally be instances where tyro status and “new hire” performance will be noticeable.

 

2) Somewhat similarly, Destination Services has been impacted, not only by onboard staff replacement but also, by the upheaval of “restart” changes among the contracted tour providers and experiences themselves (including existing ones needing to return to service and new ones coming online). Note as well that many of the pre-pandemic private tour providers are permanently shut down.

3) Breadth and depth of food and beverage service provisioning (the “supply chain”) was especially hard hit by the pandemic and full recovery is still a long way off. Occasional hiccups in food prep and service are nothing new. Yet, IMO (as someone whose standards have been fashioned in cosmopolitan cities like NY and SF), O still does an exemplary job in keeping us (and you) well fed -particularly across the span of multi-segment cruises.

 

4) Itinerary modifications have certainly been noticeable (more so in 2022 than in 2023), again, primarily due to weather and, to a lesser (but significant) degree, the restart of cruise port operations (also impacted by staffing and equipment challenges) among everchanging Covid et al. restrictions.
But, let’s be realistic. No cruise line wants to modify itineraries. On our multiple recent O segments, there have been several missed/replacement ports and what some  average cruisers seem to not understand is the significant cost in time, work and navigational/operational $$$ to replace a port with added expenses (while still paying for, at least, some of the contracted services in the missed port and not passing the net added cost on to the passengers). And, yes, even added sea days come at a cost of additional food expenditures and manpower scheduling.

 

To those who may disagree with these observations and who still insist that their prognosis of perceived O shortcomings is permanently irreversible, I suggest that you jump ship and choose another line (which, of course, will have exactly the same issues for the easily foreseeable future). Don’t worry about O. There are already plenty of other new and veteran cruisers ready to replace you.

Nice to read the thoughts of someone who 'gets it'.  The world was shut down for YEARS with the virus hysteria.  It will take more years to bring things back up to speed in most areas of life.  It is what it is; be grateful for what you have and work around what's no longer there.  We travel to enjoy ourselves, right?  Constant carping about the "good ol' days" does nobody any good.  Do your research, book what you want and can afford ... then go enjoy it all.  Most people never get the chance to travel like we do.

[Joebucks]

On 7/4/2023 at 7:26 AM, Suzanne123 said:

I spent just under $20k for a 10 day Galapagos trip and tour on the Flora in January.  One time splurge for sure, but worth every penny.

 

I think this presents an interesting fork in the road to the original question. Is it would you spend $14,000 for an option that is also available at a fraction of that, or would you ever spend it at all, depending on the scenario? Personally, I could see me spending $14,000 for Galapagos because that is an experience that isn't available with a weekend cruise and $200 flight. While I probably wouldn't spend $14,000 on a Caribbean cruise. 

[dsrdsrdsr]

I spent about that much, or the Sterling equivalent, on an Alaska cruise in 2011.  Mind you, it did sail from and return to Southampton!  It can be quite fun telling people I visited Rhode Island on an Alaska cruise, because it makes them think their US geography isn't as good as they thought!

 

$14k on a fortnight cruise?  No chance.  I doubt I'll ever be able to repeat the Alaska one, either.

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, dsrdsrdsr said:

I spent about that much, or the Sterling equivalent, on an Alaska cruise in 2011.  Mind you, it did sail from and return to Southampton!  It can be quite fun telling people I visited Rhode Island on an Alaska cruise, because it makes them think their US geography isn't as good as they thought!

 

$14k on a fortnight cruise?  No chance.  I doubt I'll ever be able to repeat the Alaska one, either.

That sounds like a great cruise.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

16 hours ago, Joebucks said:

..While I probably wouldn't spend $14,000 on a Caribbean cruise. 

I wouldn’t spend even just $1400 on the Caribbean. There’s just no there - there. 

[Hlitner]

37 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I wouldn’t spend even just $1400 on the Caribbean. There’s just no there - there. 

Ahhh, something on which we can disagree.  DW and I still like to do one Caribbean cruise (usually 2-3 weeks) every year (mixed in with travel all over the world).  On that Caribbean cruise, we often do not bother to get off the ship at most ports.  We cruise for the ship (usually MSC's Yacht Club or Princess) and see it as an alternative to the ole "cruise to nowhere."  The Caribbean is perfect because we usually get excellent weather and all the cruise competition means we can usually get a very good deal.  It is also relatively inexpensive to get to embarkation ports.

 

Hank

[Joebucks]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I wouldn’t spend even just $1400 on the Caribbean. There’s just no there - there. 

 

I can understand why it's not for everyone. Especially for those who may have visited them a ton of times due to their accessibility. 

 

However, I hold firm that they offer some great experiences. It is not perfect, but it isn't to be missed. Some of the 14 day itineraries are quite marvelous even. 

[Lois R]

I have a question.........what does it matter about what someone else pays for a cruise? .....If someone wants to spend said amount (14 grand) is it really anyone else's business?

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

….It is also relatively inexpensive to get to embarkation ports.

With a major embarkation port for the Caribbean being Miami, that’s yet another reason we have so little interest. Maybe if the embark port was Charleston? Sure, as long as the ship was headed anywhere other than South Florida - the Capitol of “there’s no there - there.”
Though Brooklyn born and still drawn home occasionally to enjoy the northeastern US (for all the obvious reasons), living on coastal California has spoiled us when it comes to expectations for domestic travel. Our SF Bay location is the standard bearer for our version of “staycation” (e.g., Wine Country, Tahoe, the North Coast, SoCal beach towns, even the real Disneyland). And if we need a change of scenery/weather, we can head in any direction to equally beautiful/interesting places- even out the Gate to “western” California (aka Hawaii). 
That said, I do understand that it can be a somewhat expensive effort for Eastcoasters to opt for the Pacific ocean over the Atlantic side. Nonetheless, many do and are richly rewarded. 

 

 

[babydrum]

On 7/6/2023 at 5:34 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Agree with the fact that Oceania has slid in recent years (not as badly as NCL) - but then, what cruise line, other than the really top shelf, has not degraded?  Certainly Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, HAL, Royal Caribbean, etc. have all entered the race to the bottom.  One thing Oceania still offers (aside from generally superior itineraries) is the ability to enter smaller ports.  A cruise to Bermuda stopping at St. George and Hamilton is far better than those offered by the big ship operators which can only fit into that out-of-the-way tourist trap of Dockyard.

I just booked a 27 day on the Riviera and I'm getting concerned about the increasingly negative comments about Oceania.  This is my first cruise with them and I'm hoping it will be better than my recent HAL experience.  The room was fine but the food was terrible and tendering was terrible.

[aungrl]

On 7/6/2023 at 9:34 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Agree with the fact that Oceania has slid in recent years (not as badly as NCL) - but then, what cruise line, other than the really top shelf, has not degraded?  Certainly Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, HAL, Royal Caribbean, etc. have all entered the race to the bottom.  One thing Oceania still offers (aside from generally superior itineraries) is the ability to enter smaller ports.  A cruise to Bermuda stopping at St. George and Hamilton is far better than those offered by the big ship operators which can only fit into that out-of-the-way tourist trap of Dockyard.

Good point.  And that's not an insignificant advantage.

[aungrl]

On 7/6/2023 at 12:40 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

In terms of O “sliding,” being more specific might help the discussion.

 

We’ve done about 100 nights on O ships over the past 12 months and the only significant issues noticed/experienced are fourfold:

1) Because of the pandemic shut down, many of the seasoned long-serving hotel crew moved on to other pursuits. Industry wide competition for replacements has been fierce, particularly with several new cruise lines coming online. This has resulted in a challenge to acquire and  train/acculturate new hires and there will naturally be instances where tyro status and “new hire” performance will be noticeable.

 

2) Somewhat similarly, Destination Services has been impacted, not only by onboard staff replacement but also, by the upheaval of “restart” changes among the contracted tour providers and experiences themselves (including existing ones needing to return to service and new ones coming online). Note as well that many of the pre-pandemic private tour providers are permanently shut down.

3) Breadth and depth of food and beverage service provisioning (the “supply chain”) was especially hard hit by the pandemic and full recovery is still a long way off. Occasional hiccups in food prep and service are nothing new. Yet, IMO (as someone whose standards have been fashioned in cosmopolitan cities like NY and SF), O still does an exemplary job in keeping us (and you) well fed -particularly across the span of multi-segment cruises.

 

4) Itinerary modifications have certainly been noticeable (more so in 2022 than in 2023), again, primarily due to weather and, to a lesser (but significant) degree, the restart of cruise port operations (also impacted by staffing and equipment challenges) among everchanging Covid et al. restrictions.
But, let’s be realistic. No cruise line wants to modify itineraries. On our multiple recent O segments, there have been several missed/replacement ports and what some  average cruisers seem to not understand is the significant cost in time, work and navigational/operational $$$ to replace a port with added expenses (while still paying for, at least, some of the contracted services in the missed port and not passing the net added cost on to the passengers). And, yes, even added sea days come at a cost of additional food expenditures and manpower scheduling.

 

To those who may disagree with these observations and who still insist that their prognosis of perceived O shortcomings is permanently irreversible, I suggest that you jump ship and choose another line (which, of course, will have exactly the same issues for the easily foreseeable future). Don’t worry about O. There are already plenty of other new and veteran cruisers ready to replace you.

Ah, I should have been more clear in my original post.  I was commenting on Oceania from the early 2000 era to Oceania just BEFORE the pandemic.  I haven't sailed on any of the Oceania ships since 2018 or thereabouts, and so have no idea of anything that may have happened to the good or the bad because of the Covid staffing and supply and other operational shortages.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, babydrum said:

I just booked a 27 day on the Riviera and I'm getting concerned about the increasingly negative comments about Oceania.  This is my first cruise with them and I'm hoping it will be better than my recent HAL experience.  The room was fine but the food was terrible and tendering was terrible.

The food  will better than HAL   don't worry

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, babydrum said:

I just booked a 27 day on the Riviera and I'm getting concerned about the increasingly negative comments about Oceania.  This is my first cruise with them and I'm hoping it will be better than my recent HAL experience.  The room was fine but the food was terrible and tendering was terrible.

Sounds like you’ll be going from Dubai to the Med.  At the very least the food and service will be superior to that on HAL - and it seems you will be staying in ports much later than would be the case on a HAL itinerary.  Although, I was disappointed to learn that on our upcoming Bermuda sailing we will be pulling out of Hamilton much earlier on our last port day than originally scheduled —- most likely an effort to economize on fuel with a much slower return to New York:  a rather disappointing cut in overall quality.

 

I am inclined to think that at least some of the negative posts are from people with little real Oceania experience - or simply justifying their reluctance to pay for Oceania quality.

Edited July 7, 2023 by navybankerteacher

[D&L Thomas]

Entry level price point for Regent Seven Seas is right around $1K per day. Which sounds outrageous, but there are good deals available sometimes. We tried Regent this Spring on a TA and it was completely wonderful and just as luxurious as you imagine, and we paid right about the same as in a mini suite on Princess. Considering all that was included and how uncrowded and lovely everything was, it was a great cruise. I wouldn't do it again, for a variety of reasons, but I'm glad to have had the experience.

You want sticker shock? Go look at the "Regent Suite" on their ships Grandeur, Explorer, and Splendor. It's 4,000 square feet. It has its own spa with unlimited treatments. In addition to your private butler, you have a private car with driver in every port. A 10-day cruise will set you back about $120K for two.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, babydrum said:

I just booked a 27 day on the Riviera and I'm getting concerned about the increasingly negative comments about Oceania.  This is my first cruise with them and I'm hoping it will be better than my recent HAL experience.  The room was fine but the food was terrible and tendering was terrible.

Increasingly negative? Where’d you get that idea? Was it from the handful of complainers here on CC rather than all those who have been O regulars for more than a decade?
 

Perhaps your concerns will be relaxed when you find that more than 75% of the passengers on most O itineraries are repeaters. (And many of them were folks who had “jumped ship” from Celebrity and HAL).

 

[babydrum]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Sounds like you’ll be going from Dubai to the Med.  At the very least the food and service will be superior to that on HAL - and it seems you will be staying in ports much later than would be the case on a HAL itinerary.  Although, I was disappointed to learn that on our upcoming Bermuda sailing we will be pulling out of Hamilton much earlier on our last port day than originally scheduled —- most likely an effort to economize on fuel with a much slower return to New York:  a rather disappointing cut in overall quality.

 

I am inclined to think that at least some of the negative posts are from people with little real Oceania experience - or simply justifying their reluctance to pay for Oceania quality.

The decreasing time in port is one of my concerns mainly because I plan to do mostly outside excursions and I worry if they shave too much time off of ports like Petra where it's a long ride to the site, I might be cutting it close.  I agree with you all that the food has to be better.  HAL let me down on my recent cruise but I lost two lbs. on a 21 day cruise so there's a bright side!  I'm looking forward to my upcoming cruise with Oceania and I plan to look to the bright side whenever I can.  I guess I'm just managing expectations at this point.

[babydrum]

17 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Increasingly negative? Where’d you get that idea? Was it from the handful of complainers here on CC rather than all those who have been O regulars for more than a decade?
 

Perhaps your concerns will be relaxed when you find that more than 75% of the passengers on most O itineraries are repeaters. (And many of them were folks who had “jumped ship” from Celebrity and HAL).

 

I think I may be over researching on CC running into posts with seemingly legitimate gripes.  Reading too many in a row can give a distorted view the ratio of negative reviews vs positive.  I know the ship looks absolutely beautiful and the itinerary is fantastic so as long as we make most of the ports, I believe I'll have a good time.

[babydrum]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

The food  will better than HAL   don't worry

I believe you.  I honestly can't imagine it being worse. I think my expectations for HAL from my pre-COVID trip may have been a little unrealistic in these times of cost cuts and staffing shortages.

[LHT28]

21 hours ago, babydrum said:

I believe you.  I honestly can't imagine it being worse. I think my expectations for HAL from my pre-COVID trip may have been a little unrealistic in these times of cost cuts and staffing shortages.

Probably applies  to many lines

 Go with an open mind  & you might be surprised  or not 

Enjoy