Riviera Norovirus Cruise - Should We Ask for Refund or Future Credit ?

I thought it was a fair offer too, until I turned the letter over and read the very small print. Take a look at it. This is NOT combinable with any other offer. So, if the cruise offers OLife amenities, you won't get them if you want the 25% off.

Have a look on the main board for the post "Oceania Steps Up." There are a couple of posts by James Rodriguez (who wrote the letter), indicating that this 25% discount offer, is, in fact, combinable with the OLife amenities. He even went so far as to suggest he would call into their customer service reps to ensure they were clear on this aspect.

We are seriously looking at booking a future cruise under this discount offer, but I will tell you, I will have a copy of that posting by Mr Rodriguez just in case one of the customer service reps "missed the memo."

Randy

Have a look on the main board for the post "Oceania Steps Up." There are a couple of posts by James Rodriguez (who wrote the letter), indicating that this 25% discount offer, is, in fact, combinable with the OLife amenities. He even went so far as to suggest he would call into their customer service reps to ensure they were clear on this aspect.

 

We are seriously looking at booking a future cruise under this discount offer, but I will tell you, I will have a copy of that posting by Mr Rodriguez just in case one of the customer service reps "missed the memo."

 

 

Randy

We got the OLife amenities part straightened out. But the price I paid for the cruise is less than the current price minus the 25%. So the cancel and rebook strategy that was suggested will be more expensive.

I thought the 25% off would apply to the price I paid. Looks like it doesn't. I ask for clarification on that from Mr. Rodriguez - and haven't been able to get an answer.

We got the OLife amenities part straightened out. But the price I paid for the cruise is less than the current price minus the 25%. So the cancel and rebook strategy that was suggested will be more expensive.

 

I thought the 25% off would apply to the price I paid. Looks like it doesn't. I ask for clarification on that from Mr. Rodriguez - and haven't been able to get an answer.

Since I didn't get a letter I can't tell you the exact wording but I'm not sure it said it applied to existing bookings.

Do you have the O Life amenities with the rate you paid?

If you have the O Life amenities and have a rate less than 25% off the current rates I'd say you really have nothing to complain about.

Since I didn't get a letter I can't tell you the exact wording but I'm not sure it said it applied to existing bookings.

 

Do you have the O Life amenities with the rate you paid?

 

If you have the O Life amenities and have a rate less than 25% off the current rates I'd say you really have nothing to complain about.

I didn't write to Oceania asking for a discount. They wrote to me.

If someone wrote to you and offered you a 25% discount on a cruise, wouldn't you want to receive it? ;) (The letter, which I have in front of me, says "future sailing" and not future booking.)

I didn't write to Oceania asking for a discount. They wrote to me.

 

If someone wrote to you and offered you a 25% discount on a cruise, wouldn't you want to receive it? ;) (The letter, which I have in front of me, says "future sailing" and not future booking.)

I understand, now that you explain it like that I can see the problem. Good luck in your negotiations with them.

After 35 cruises, and our 15th on Oceania, it is time to part company with Oceania. My wife got sick the second night out, but I did not. The nurse came to the cabin and was interrupted with 5 cell phone calls. She never took my wife's temperature, nor any vitals, nor questioned her about medicine allergies or her medical history. I had to phone the medical office and inform them. She decided it was the noro-virus without taking any samples for testing, and just pushed anti-diarrhea pills on her. These pills cause her sever cramps, and we switched over to Imodium which we brought from home.

We were both quarantined to our cabin for 51 hours. Our cabin door was sealed with red tape and our cabin cards were taken away. Without our cabin card we would not be admitted into any restaurant. Room service was horrible. Hot liquids were served in plastic (bathroom) glasses with syranwrap covers. Liquids spilled onto the tray, into the plastic plates. The food was soggy, lukewarm to cold as it took up to 2 1/2 hours to be delivered. Our last lunch finally came with Styrofoam cups and lids.

Aruba would not permit the ship to dock, and Bonaire would not permit any previously quarantined passenger off the ship. Oceania fumigated our cabin while we were confined to the ship after we were able to finally leave our cabin. Whatever they used exacerbated my wife's asthma, and she then contracted pneumonia. So the rest of the cruise was pure Hell.

We missed visiting 3 ports because of the quarantine and one port because we had to be tendered in and the tender was crowded with passengers, many still ill. Oceania also tendered us into a port which was suppose to a docking port, They did not deliver as listed.

After numerous letters back and forth, Oceania offered us a 25% discount off a future Riviera Caribbean voyage (2016-2017). First of all we will not sail on the Rivera because of its history of noro, secondly, we do not want to go back to the Caribbean. We prefer to select the ship and the destination we want, not what Oceania chooses. They have declined our request.

Everything was closed, the library, the laundry, artist loft, culinary kitchen, no snacks with bar drinks, etc., yet the boutiques and casino were open. We were not even invited to the Oceania Club Members Reception to receive our "gold" medal.

We have cancelled our next Oceania cruise reservation. We still have a few more years of cruising ahead, but not on Oceania, Regent or Norwegian, since they are now all under one company. Customer service does not exist once you pay for your cruise and the cruise turns into a nightmare.

The cruise line settled for a pittance rather than incur huge litigation costs far exceeding settlement. In the us not sure suit is even possible

Since the ship is registered outside of the USA, you have to go to that country to file any legal action.

Oceania's offer is a joke. According to my certificate, I have to book on the Riviera and go back to the Caribbean, neither of which I want to do. We felt that we were entitled to something more since we were quarantined in our cabin, served miserable meals, missed 4 ports and then my wife contracted pneumonia, ruining the rest of the cruise.

While I am sorry that your wife was ill, it has not been determined that Oceania caused the norovirus outbreak so I question why Oceania should offer more than they already have. "Noro" occurs on many cruise lines - particularly in the winter months when a lot of people are sick. The quarantine must have been horrible but, again, Oceania was trying to protect their other guests.

Hope that you find a cruise line that reimburses for becoming sick onboard their ships.

While I am sorry that your wife was ill, it has not been determined that Oceania caused the norovirus outbreak so I question why Oceania should offer more than they already have. "Noro" occurs on many cruise lines - particularly in the winter months when a lot of people are sick. The quarantine must have been horrible but, again, Oceania was trying to protect their other guests.

 

Hope that you find a cruise line that reimburses for becoming sick onboard their ships.

This was the fourth cruise on Riviera since December 2105 that this occurred. It occurred again the next month. Oceania offered this discount to every passenger on the ship. Those of us who were confined to our cabin, missed posts, served cold, wilted food from Room Service (2 1/2 hour late). We then had to put up with fumigating our cabin, causing pneumonia to my wife and then making me ill, so that we did not enjoy the entire cruise. We did not get what we paid for, so why not offer us something a bit better, like letting us choose our own destination, not the Caribbean, and our own ship, not the Riviera. Also, our request for the names of the chemicals used to fumigate our cabin were denied. Oceania said that we would have to write to the CDC! We have been on ships where the noro broke out and we did not get sick, so we were able to enjoy ourselves. Rest assured, no more Oceania cruises for us.

This was the fourth cruise on Riviera since December 2105 that this occurred. It occurred again the next month. Oceania offered this discount to every passenger on the ship. Those of us who were confined to our cabin, missed posts, served cold, wilted food from Room Service (2 1/2 hour late). We then had to put up with fumigating our cabin, causing pneumonia to my wife and then making me ill, so that we did not enjoy the entire cruise. We did not get what we paid for, so why not offer us something a bit better, like letting us choose our own destination, not the Caribbean, and our own ship, not the Riviera. Also, our request for the names of the chemicals used to fumigate our cabin were denied. Oceania said that we would have to write to the CDC! We have been on ships where the noro broke out and we did not get sick, so we were able to enjoy ourselves. Rest assured, no more Oceania cruises for us.

I guess you'll have to change your CC handle also. I think if you contact administration they'll do it for you.

As a cruiser affected by this, and one that thought Oceania should do something, I feel your desires are a bit overboard. I'm also confused how Oceania gave your wife pneumonia, and how "they" made you ill.

I am taking a Caribbean cruise on Riviera in Dec that's ridiculous in the price per day for a line like Oceania. That's before I start adding in my perks and freebies. Anytime I can cruise Oceania for less than a lower level mass market line I'm there.

If she had racking abdominal pains for up to 3 days it was NORO. It was caused by poor hygiene of passengers, not O.Its on just about every cruise. You just do not hear about it.There is a shot for pneumonia which most everyone should get. I got Noro in my hometown, probably at Senior Center. I also have noted that Seniors are lax in handwashing .Maybe because they live alone.

I guess you'll have to change your CC handle also. I think if you contact administration they'll do it for you.

 

As a cruiser affected by this, and one that thought Oceania should do something, I feel your desires are a bit overboard. I'm also confused how Oceania gave your wife pneumonia, and how "they" made you ill.

 

I am taking a Caribbean cruise on Riviera in Dec that's ridiculous in the price per day for a line like Oceania. That's before I start adding in my perks and freebies. Anytime I can cruise Oceania for less than a lower level mass market line I'm there.

ORV, I did change my CC handle.

Our cabin was fumigated while we were still confined to the ship. The personnel were dressed in white haz-mat looking outfits compete with face masks. We did not have the luxury of wearing them. Whatever chemicals they sprayed our entire cabin, bed, furniture, bath, closet, etc. was never disclosed to us. However, within 30 minutes, my wife could no longer breathe. As an asthmatic, she had a prescription inhaler to alleviate the problem. We did not go to the medical office because we did not want to be quarantined again. I, too, got sick after returning to our cabin after it was fumigated. So we self medicated. Upon reaching home, after undergoing a battery of tests, it was determined that my wife had a case of pneumonia. The x-rays etc. showed that she had it for a couple of weeks. She got sick on the ship. Whatever chemicals they used, which they will not tell us, caused breathing problems. It exacerbated into pneumonia. The so called medical office never asked about her medical history or medical allergies. After 35 cruises, 15 on Oceania, we are through cruising with Oceania.