Flatbush Flyer

For one thing, you can’t be on the cruise just yet since Riviera is in Japan. Also, have you signed up for the 3/9 M&G?

US residents with Medicare? Get a supplement that, when you leave the US, converts to regular emergency insurance which coordinates with GeoBlue.

As is the case with the tours section of the O web, know that availability of culinary classes (like excursions) shown may be incorrect- particularly if you are on a multi-segment cruise. ALWAYS call O to confirm what’s available!!!

Plus 1.

Others don’t have SM (kept O Life where they had other perk choices). The online choices you still see is an option for them. You can upgrade to Prestige once onboard.

Look at my post #3.

O, for far longer than it’s consortium arrangement with NCLH, has not disaggregated its fares. And what many unfamiliar with the maritime world seem not to recognize, is that there can be substantial costs to a cruise line each time an originally scheduled port is cancelled by O (rather than by the port itself) or replaced for whatever reason. Not only may there still be charges for labor, tugs et al. at an O cancelled port, there are the new charges for a replacement port that O does not pass on to its passengers. Add to that the cost of time and effort in possible navigational and fuel charges as well as added food and beverage expenses during missed port events and it should quickly become apparent that no ship’s master ever wants to modify the original itinerary if it’s at all possible. That said, if a narrow one-sided view of port charges is that important to some folks, they should definitely consider changing cruise lines or at least get travel insurance that covers reimbursement for missed port taxes.

I don’t know. The SF Chronicle bo longer carries his syndicated travel ombudsman column, which I seem to remember often dealt with issues that involved North Americans traveling abroad. That said, I do know that his Elliott.org staff will, at least, reply to reasonable issue requests by providing good contact info for company leadership folks that can get consumers one step closer t solving their own problems. I also know that when he chose to write about a travel issue with carriers that included land, air and sea, he usually got results. So, can’t hurt to try Elliott since there’s no charge for the service (though donations to the non-profit are always welcome).

If any one line lost out in the formation of the NCL Holding consortium, it was Norwegian. Cost cutting will certainly fall upon NCL before it touches Regent or especially Oceania whose former execs make up the bulk of NCLH leadership. O is our preferred cruise line, in part because the quality of ingredients and preparation is similar across all dining venues and specialty restaurants (never a charge) are differentiated only by focused menus and accompanying ambiance of the space. BTW, if you look at the daily net cost of a mostly inclusive premium line like Oceania and compare it to NCL once you’ve added all the extra costs ( like airfare, beverages, internet, etc)., you will be pleasantly surprised at the value.

“No” to your “no.” it really depends on the cruise line and the legitimate reason why you want to retrieve your booking. With our preferred cruise line, if you have been a victim of fraud by a TA and/or the TA has been negligent in servicing your account in some significant way AND refuses to release your booking back to the cruise line, you can formally request the line’s reservations supervisors to return the booking to their control

If you have a truly legitimate case for refunds or compensation related to travel, a great resource is Elliott.org which is a non-profit consumer advocacy organization started by syndicated travel columnist/ombudsman Christopher Elliott.

Theoretically, thst switch should happen automatically since the onboard accounting system first applies non-refundable assets in your account against the running balance.

Actually, on some cruises, up to four time a day (on sea days): morning, after lunch (e.g., Dottie’s “Men vs Women” Trivia), afternoon and evening.

Apparently, you’re still “missing the boat.” CC is a forum for exchange of info about cruising. That it happens to have TA advertising is how it “pays the bills.”

In addition to the advice in other posts on this thread, you may want to search here for the numerous (and very detailed) posts I (and other O Regulars) have made explaining the idiosyncrasies of (and strategies for) dealing with various O policies and practices including O Life, Simply More, Air Credit, Multi-Segment Cruise bookings, et al.

The bigger picture tells the truth. Searching here on CC confirms over and over again that there are numerous problems with the Web Cart tour purchasing - particularly as regards incorrect tour availability on multi-segment cruises (compared to the individual component segments) and inconsistent agreement of the website listings with the most up-to-date ShoreEx PDF and, most importantly, the actual accounting data visible to the O phone reps. Of course, occasional O cruisers who do shorter single segment cruises may be lucky enough to not encounter the glitches. But, if you do several long single and/or multisegment cruises annually and purchase many many total annual tours (e.g., 100+), it’s a safe bet that you’ll find yourself or your TA (if they truly understand O’s idiosyncrasies) calling O to straighten out the mess.

Excursions begin to be listed 365 days prior to embark. Of course, on day one, there may be no tours listed. So, check back regularly for updates. Same is true for the available shore excursions PDF (constantly changing and a far easier way to view/compare the tours. As for buying tours, always call O and never use the Cart which is extremely glitchy. Also, by calling, you can purchase tours before final payment date. (You also have to call O to cancel prepurchased tours).

We’re in a B3 extended balcony on Riviera right now. They’ve always been the best buy on an O ship - particularly the four open corner ones.

Plus 1

The wine-by-the-glass list (which is both O Life and Simply More) is the same for the basic package and for the upgraded Prestige package and it has always been mostly mediocre stuff with an average U.S. retail price of $10-$15 +\-. We will continue to bring our own - perhaps a bit less if O “ups it’s offerings quality.”

On Saturdays, O does web maintenance-usually afternoon to/through evening EST. At that time, passenger accounts are locked for security.

Hardly unusual anymore. They’re readily available at most banks in $200 packs. And they’re quite common in tourist destinations because they’re far less cumbersome than a fat wad of $1 bills. I doubt that many veteran cruise hotel crew who provide front line service have not seen a $2 bill. And, in any case, $2 is always better than $0.

O’s room service uses regular wait staff. Tipping not required. But, we too have a stash of $2 bills (ordered from our bank).

You lucked out with having Putu serve you!

Your original (first) O invoice will clear things up because it will show both the deposit date and amount along with the date of the invoice and the name of whoever booked it.