Flatbush Flyer

Unclear on the concept of protecting public health?

I seem to remember that NCLH was going to dump embarkation testing in certain countries/regions starting this month (though still requiring proof of approved/required vaccination). If true, this is nothing less than STUPID for all of the obvious public health reasons. And it would be a safe bet that, just like at the beginning of 2022, decisions to “lighten up” on ship’s Covid restrictions/testing requirements will eventually be reversed. We’ll join Marina in October and will, of course, get, at least, Antigen tests within 72 hrs of embark (also being pre-flight SFO-FRA-BCN). BTW: Isn’t it interesting that, at least, O still requires all crew to be masked but not passengers? The marketing ploy suggests that it protects the passengers when, in fact, what it does is to protect the crew. IMO, it is so discourteous for passengers not to return the gesture by also wearing masks to improve the protection of all onboard.

I do know that Ultimate is more often offered outside of North America. However, I also assume that there may be a significant (higher) fare difference as well.

Are you in the US? There’s no Ultimate Sale on right now that I can find on the US Oceania website.

And the nature of the policy may be that you must insure the trip door to door for its total cost. One of the problems with buying from a TA (or a cruise line) is that the person you’ll initially ask about the questions is most likely not a licensed insurance agent. We use insuremytrip.com.

It was a time limited offer for a selection of cruises that was available to book until around the end of this past May.

Food really important? Oceania.

If you pick the right cruise line, there’s no need to jump from ship to ship to find long/interesting multi-segment itineraries with little port repetition. There are several premium/luxury lines that offer published “long hauls” ranging from 3 weeks to 3 months (or more). One line that specializes in filling this niche is Oceania. Check out their “extended journeys” (e.g., 1-2 months +\-) and “grand voyages” (3 months +/-).

The “consequences” never left. If you read the continuing saga of the FAQs, you’ll realize that they’re full of contradictions from one version to another - even to the point of self-contradiction. The safe bet has always been to have proof of “negative” before you got to the embarkation port so that there’s never be a question of O’s cost coverage or “positive” to get you a 100% refund despite the full penalty period. As I’v said many times here: Sadly, stuff that goes out under Carlos Ortega’s name often appears to have been “cut and paste”‘with no proof reading.

The full FAQs statement about the effect of passengers not doing the pre test recommendation appeared in conjunction with the required pier testing at O’s expense (back at the beginning of the O cruising restart in autumn 2021). It said that if you didn’t have that negative test proof and you then tested positive at the pier, you would be SOL for cost of quarantine in the embark city and for air cost to get home (beyond what your own insurance would pay) That was still the deal when we started back in January 2022 - pier test required. Pre-test recommended but, in essence, it was really your choosing whether or not you wanted that possible O coverage for positive pier results.. BTW: there was a ton of threads discussing this here around that time because of changing Covid restrictions.

This has long been the case in the SailSafe FAQs. The “recommended” pre-test prior to any required embarkation test is actually required if you want to protect your investment. Testing negative pre-cruise gets your Covid related costs covered if you test positive at embarkation. Testing positive pre-cruise qualifies you for a full refund at a time when cancelling would’ve carried a 100% fare penalty.

Looks like your on one or two segments of our Marina trip this autumn. We join in BCN on October 18 and finish at MIA on December 4. My earlier “double dip prohibition” comment about Ultimate was also true for the original booking. Actually four segments, the “best” published pricing was as two “extended journeys” (BCN-FCO and FCO-MIA). But, we couldn’t combine them as a “custom cruise” for an additional 5% off and double Platinum perks. Oddly enough, the bottom line $ calculations on lower price vs lower O Club perks for our entire journey (in every theoretical way to book) turned out to be pretty much a wash. I do seem to remember, however, that I did come up a bit short in cruise credits. And as aforementioned, rebooking for the Ultimate would have not been worth the few $ savings once the cruise was repriced etc.

No one else’s passenger rewards program comes close to the added value of O Club. (As for the food item: all cruise lines are facing the same supply chain/staffing challenges. In comparison, O remains the “finest cuisine at sea.”)

OP: Ditto on “use the search feature here on CC.” I and others have posted very complete descriptions of how O Life can work to your advantage. But, for starters: O Life can be with air or air credit. Choose the allowed excursions (<$200 sa) and add enough others to get 25% discount on those. Specialty restaurants: No charge for as many times as you can add (space available) to your base allotment schedule pre-cruise. And all dining venues serve excellent food. The “specialties” are focused menus and ambiance. Entertainment: Martini’s has pianist nightly. String quartet plays daily in different location. Multi-talented band plays in Main Bar (Horizons). O uses same talent agency as NCL for onboard company and changing guest performers but ship size limits big productions (want a Broadway show? Go to Broadway). FWIW: Most O itineraries have 75%+\- repeat customers. And many of them were former Celebrity regulars. Finally: where O really shines is longer/exotic itineraries. IMO a 7 day Bermuda cruise is a “boat ride” that will not be time enough to really experience what O has to offer.

Last time I checked, NYC was closer to BCN than is SFO and AA was not United. In any case, I know I have an old United mileage chart somewhere. But, if I look at it, I know I’ll get depressed.

Some days that’s a bargain👀

Grand Dining Room has several repetitive Jacques Pepin meat/fish/vegetarian classics nightly (for the less adventurous[?]) . But the rest of the menu is varied and diverse nightly with something for everyone. Note as well that the only real difference among dining venues on any O ship is the menu focus and ambiance. All the food is top quality as are the ingredients and preparation.

UA flies nonstop SFO-LHR.

Please let us know the outcome.

We recently had individual segments of our published/discounted multi-segment cruise added to the “Ultimate” list. Fine print basically said no “double dipping.” And, in any case, when we looked at the current prices, the “ultimate” savings would net only a few dollars here and there. Also, in general, cabin availability is a key factor on O when it comes to price modifications. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t hurt hurt to have your TA inquire.

It’s not just the cuisine, which on a cruise of several weeks duration, would be a very significant (perhaps the most important) onboard factor. It’s also things like space and crew to passenger ratios and the quality of service - as well as the aforementioned inclusiveness of necessary and optional items (e.g., an air credit for a transoceanic flight is no small item). As for the ships: newer does not mean better. And, in any case, Regatta recently received the multi-million dollar Oceania NEXT interior makeover (decoration/electronics/etc) given to all the R ships. FWIW: even Sirena, which only several years ago received a $40 million makeover to bring the former Ocean Princess up to O standards, had that work done. From the hotel side perspective, these are “new” ships with very high quality materials throughout. And I’ll never understand some folks’ love for cabin size. It’s a ship and even the smallest cabins are larger than those familiar to us yacht sailors. Entertainment? Let’s not forget that O now uses the same talent management as NCL. So, with the exception of major production shows, it’s the same performers. IMO: Want a Broadway show? Go to Broadway. I’m not saying that OP shouldn’t try HAL. Rather I am saying that comparing a mass market ship’s onboard experience to that of a premium or luxury line is a useless endeavor. Even the mass market lines recognize this - so much so that they’ve created ship-within-a-ship concepts to make up for their shortcomings (and then charge prices that are usually more expensive than the real thing).

Whether you leave from Seattle, Vancouver, SF, or LA, you need to realize that it’s the Pacific Ocean - smooth as silk unless it’s not. Here’s an example from the transatlantic portion of our most recent cruise: The day prior to the short video, all was calm and then... IMG_9555.MOV

Excursions on O need not be too expensive. Select the O Life excursions option and you can double it’s value by choosing the allowable $199 ones that interest you. Add to that enough paid excursions to make the total number of tours meet the minimum YWYW requirement on your cruise and the paid ones will get a 25% discount. Together, you may find the cost comparable to DIY. Perhaps more importantly in this age of Covid uncertainty related to itinerary changes, the convenience of O’s Destination Services handling all arrangements, changes, refunds, etc. can be priceless. Of course, on Bora Bora, nothing beats the private tours offered by Patrick and his Maohe Nui outfit.

Perhaps cabin “pricing” on HAL is less expensive than on O. But savvy cruisers always look at comparing the bottom line “net daily cost” of all required and optionally desired expenses. Make THAT comparison and you’ll find the real value of an O cruise which includes airfare (or an air credit), unlimited internet and all non-alcoholic beverages as well as no cost specialty restaurants and a choice of a cruise amenity from booze, excursions or SBC. Get a few O cruises under your belt and then add gratuities coverage, increasing levels of SBC, spa credits, air deviation fee waivers and even the occasional complimentary 2 week cruise anywhere O travels. And that’s before the better O food/service/amenities/et al. are considered.

I guess I’ve been very lucky.