Flatbush Flyer

Looks like you are not aware that what basically amounts to “outsourcing” (i.e., cruise lines relying heavily on the use of TAs) saves cruise lines $ millions each year as opposed to the cost they would have without them (e.g., significant increase in staff, salaries, benefits, physical facilities, marketing……). The net effect of cruise lines dropping TAs would be that your fares would increase. Bottom line is that the TA commissions are money well spent (for all concerned).

Jan: We’re on Regatta now- Best captain in the fleet Giulio Ressa! And surprise, at least to us: Gabriel Ovesea (the Transylvanian) has been promoted to GM. We are happy campers! Regatta was our first O ship more than a decade ago. Nice to be “home.”

7:30. There are no bars in the specialty restaurants except for Polo. But, it’s not really used for socializing- rather for wine storage.

Which is why Hank (and I [for many years] and most airline crew) uses TravelPro luggage. Duffel bag? ROTFL

$$$ is hardly expensive. To each his own. But, still, you won’t see many “million milers” toting duffle bags.

Add to that the fact that so many folks don’t realize you earn the credits for a cruise on embarkation day of that cruise (not after it).

It should say something like “on the milestone cruise during which you’ve accrued your 20th cruise credit.” FWIW (you can thank me later), “without exception” is sort of a “guideline” as opposed to “set in concrete” (not unlike O’s 6 bottle personal wine limit OR Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Code). The O Club folks understand and appreciate the complications that hard/fast milestone cruise rule places on folks who cruise O multiple times per year (where yet another new booking could easily change when you hit the 20 credits). If you’ve got a specific cruise in mind that would put you at the cruise after your 20th credit, contact them about your preference. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Briggs & Riley has regular online sales with prices that our local brick and mortar B&R dealer will match. Always worth a look.

Yet additional reasons to consider premium lines. Again using Oceania as the prime example since they have: no charge for specialty restaurants bring as much wine and spirits as you want (even at port stops) for in cabin consumption. Take personal wine to meals for $25 corkage. One final item: when looking at the cost of a cruise, don’t make the rookie mistake of comparing only cabin fares! Look at all your expenses “door to door” including desired options like beverages, internet, gratuities, specialty restaurants. One of the key items often forgotten is the cost of airfare (even if you don’t need it). Why? As aforementioned, some premium/luxury lines like Oceania include airfare or provide an air credit to DIYers. So, a DIY air credit could lower the bottom line cost to you for an intercontinental transit by $2-3k per cabin. Check the true bottom line of all required and optionally desired costs and you may be very surprised when comparing the cost of a premium line to the upper end of the mass market (e.g., Celebrity, Viking, etc)

Wrong. You need 20 cruise credits (not cruises). Each 20 you earn gets another comp cruise.

We’ve used TravelPro for many years (including two 29” soft sided Platinums and other pieces as well). As for “Fuggedaboutit” when it comes to the hassle of repair, the picture you paint is not true for everyone. Where you live can play a significant factor in that scenario. For example, I needed replacement of a TravrlPro wheel with a bad bearing on my most used 15 yr old rollaboard. Dropped it off at the certified repair shop near SFO and picked it up several days later. The only paperwork was providing my name an phone number. FWIW, though the 29” TravelPro bags are still in great shape, they do pose one interesting problem. We most often use private transfers when traveling by air (or ship) and the newer sedans being used worldwide (mostly foreign brands) have started sporting slightly smaller trunks that can challenge those bags! So, recently, we added two new 27” Briggs & Riley hard sides to our collection. Why? The new bags have a compression mechanism that basically starts with slightly more interior cubic space than the TravelPro 29” bag. However, though one side remains rigid (for less flexible non-clothing items you don’t want to compress), the other side has interior ratchets at each end. Once packed and closed, you press down at the ends of the bag and it compresses and locks itself in place. It’s sort of like sitting on an old bag but it then stays compressed (until you open it and unlatch the ratchets to repack). We’ve now used them on three trips - excellent. And should they ever need repair, we have another nearby certified repair shop for no hassle fixes.

Your first step is to find a reputable travel agency that specializes in cruising. Do your homework and you will be rewarded with unbiased recommendations and having your hand held this first time. That said, I suggest that you peruse the Oceania Cruises forums here on CC. ”O” is a premium cruise line with ships serving either 1200 or 670 passengers (yes, seaworthy and stable) with excellent space and crew ratios, admittedly the best cuisine at sea, a country club casual dress code and no proms, phony art shows, pesky photogs, incessant PA announcements nor amusement parks overrun with kids. In addition, O fares are mostly all-inclusive (beverages, specialty restaurants, internet, et al.) but have a menu of “O Life” options that let you select an included option from booze, tours or SBC. AND O fares include air tix OR an air credit. Overall, O is a rare value in the cruise industry. And I’d characterize it’s clientele as primarily accomplished adults who are cosmopolitan, well traveled and who have worked hard for their money.

Covid. Covid vax/test requirements were the catalyst for introduction of close in dates (the 21 days item). And even though many cruise lines have loosened their Covid requirements, many governments have not. In fact, we’ll board Oceania Regatta in Sydney tomorrow and just did the “w/i 24 hr” pre-board Covid test required by New South Wales. And, if it ain’t Covid, it’ll be something new threatening travel next month or year or ?. So, having/maintaining a close-in check-in window means the cruise line doesn’t have to “gear up” for ever-changing requirements (their own or others’). They can just add/subtract items from the check-in list.

Cold, wet weather? First time to Alaska? As for excursions, regardless of where you’re going in the world, there are some ship excursions, particularly those with limited availability due to controlled access, specialized equipment et al. that can sell out quickly after they are added to the itinerary. A perfect example is the Nazca Lines in Peru. For the brief time your (and other) ship(s) are in a close-enough Peruvian port, there will only be a very limited number of regularly scheduled flights available for the flyover. Anything in the air (at anywhere of real interest) will often sell out quickly (whether you’re on a ship or not). For example, helicopters for a flyover of Kauai’s NaPali Coast (probably one of the best natural beauty experiences you could ever have) book many months in advance. Alaska? A lot of folks want to do a glacier flyover and landing (helicopter) or they want to do a float plane that adds a mountain lake landing to that glacier flyover. Expensive, it can be. Nonetheless those few seats per air carrier sell out quickly. Last thought on the Alaska flying item. I highly recommend that you find a float plane excursion that uses one of the few remaining Dehavilland Beavers. That’s the real deal!

I assume you’ve never seen a duffel bag that’s been torn up by mechanical handling machinery at major hub airports. It’s not a pretty sight. In any case, you’re missing the point. No one here is saying that durability has anything to do with cost. Rather, we’re saying that good design, appropriate materials and quality in manufacturing are major factors in determining durability. And though extremely important, durability is not the only consideration. A lifetime warranty (with few to no exceptions) add real value to an investment in the right product. And one last word about duffels. Not only are they far more prone to irreparable damage (and theft of contents - thanks to even a dull knife), the lack of a reinforced structure invites destruction of delicate contents including medical equipment, fragile containers et al.

pardon me. I confused two different NCL Holding check-in processes. Oceania (and I trust Regent) sends two different emails - one with the Cruise Vacation Summary (the practice for many years) and, since the relatively recent restart, a separate Boarding Pass sent after completion of the also new online check-in process w/i 21 days of embarkation.

If you travel a lot - particularly by air (which is known for tough baggage handling), the above advice is ill-advised. Spending $$$ on the right luggage will get you a lifetime guarantee of durability. So, one outlay of cash vs the multiple purchases of often poorly made and not very sturdy stuff you buy at a discount store is far more economical. And then there’s the difference is materials (lightweight/strong), design (the new compressible hard sides), size/shape (that will be easier to do transfers), etc. Don’t be “penny wise and pound foolish.”

And when you were “fully checked in,” did you then receive a followup email with your boarding passes? FWIW: The “boarding passes” are different than the also emailed “final docs” that include your “cruise vacation summary.”

BreathRight strips work for many folks.

Being able to do “book onboard” within a month prior to embark is nothing new. However, $500 is new. Of course, “certain restrictions apply” often “rains on your parade.”

Please read my post #8 above. First off: There are three types of multi-segment bookings on Oceania: Extended Journeys, which are published multi-segment cruises with single booking number and significant fare discount. (Though the O website search lists them under “Grand Voyage,” that title is an artifact from many years ago when that “Find a Cruise” O website section used the general heading “Grand Voyages” for both Extended Journeys (usually two segments not exceeding approx. 1.5 months and Grand Voyages (three or more segments exceeding approx. 1.5 months and including extra perks like laundry et al.). Grand Voyages are the longer published/single booking number versions of Extended Journeys as explained above. Several years ago O stopped offering the Grand Voyages until only recently with several long itineraries will mark the return of Grand Voyages starting near the end of 2023. Custom Cruises are bookings with single booking numbers joining consecutive segments that are not published as Extended Journeys or the recently reintroduced Grand Voyages. Individual Segments are just that: A multi-segment cruise not published as an Extended Journey or as a Grand Voyage that is booked as individual segments with individual booking numbers. As I explained in my earlier post above, each of these booking types have different amenities/discount arrangements that can significantly affect your bottom line costs - all dependent on itinerary, O Life options and O Club status.

Though some models are more expensive, look at Briggs & Riley compressible hard sides. Excellent guarantee and same amount of packing fits in a smaller footprint- very important if you do airport transfers in sedans or even some SUVs.

Well, not so fast there- just yet. You can book what will be your Platinum cruise now and even select your usual cabin type. At about six months prior to embark (won’t hurt to do it even a bit earlier), you contact the O Club folks and identify your desire to get the comp cruise. Technically, what you’re supposed to get is a “guarantee” cabin with actual assignment at a later date. But, since you already have a reservation for a specific cabin, it is the usual practice to give you what you want (unless you upgraded yourself- in which case you might have to pay the difference or take a lesser cabin.

O still uses key cards for cabin entry and onboard purchases. You won’t see a lot of hole punched key cards on a lanyard on O ships - just not that “country club casual” vibe.