Sthrngary

Normally this kind of topic is way to technical for me to comment.  However, I just spent two weeks going back and forth with the Guest Support in Europe simply to enroll me on the website so I could look at my booking.  It seems, Explora Journeys has good taste.  They did not like my main email account.  As Rodney Dangerfield said, "Respect, I don't get no respect at all."  

I gave up and then I tried my google email.  BINGO.  The corporate office had to combine two accounts.  I had no idea I had two accounts, how lucky am I.  I could then make a password and see my account.  UNTIL today when my password did not work nor did the "Password Reset".  I also tried to look at a specific cruise and the screen went to an error message every time I tried. 

My point in writing this.  My career which is long over was all about understanding the luxury buyer's motivations, needs and wants.  Interesting study for sure.  To a luxury client, the debate on why this website is "kind of bad" and "not client friendly" makes no difference.  Luxury buyers just want it to work and when it does not, it is a poor reflection on the brand.  The luxury brand category comes with premium prices and the client expectations are noticeable higher. I am sure this will get fixed in the future.  As we all know, it is a Third World Problem for sure.  Still, a tad bit disappointing. 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

2 hours ago, Barsoap said:

I have just spent about an hour reading this board and im no closer to putting it (sale pricing ,BoB, price drops,etc.) all together , if anything im more confused. My wife and I , are past final payment on, Riviera, in October , PH1, Athens to Trieste. Our first cruise since we tried it and didnt like it in the late 80S. I know ! a lot has changed. We travel a lot,always independently, international , A couple a times a year.So after a couple of less than perfect trips we decided to try doing it differently  hence the cruise. haven't even been on the first one yet and im looking to do it again crazy,,! but its not entirely my fault. Every day there is something, booklet , mailer ,card in my mail box from O, Most of the time it doesnt get a second look as were booked.but the last on 4 category up whatever caught me, and i understand the hype ,someone here said its marketing to move less than desirable itineraries. also that its lower pricing on higher tier cabins, whatever anyway this booklet  med 2025 voyages page 12  tenerife to lisbon caught my eye  10 days  9 ports 1 sea day 1 overnight only one place listed i ahve been to  so pretty good itinerary for what we like to do  and whats more its on a freshened up  Marina , at the time of year we usually travel, so score. the cost is 6399 with free upgrade in ph1  which is exactly what the current cruise cost when i booked back in November on some kind of sale. with all that said asking advice for booking the Tenerife to Lisbon trip during this sale period or wait til im on board in October to gain a few xtra bucks thru maybe price drop  and bob discount  Ive read the thread here and im aware of the small % but then im running the risk of the ph's being sold out

@Barsoap I tend to do a lot of research.  I am NO expert and my first Oceania Cruise was November 2023.  My next one booked on the ship is October 2025.  Please comment on your thread, exaction what you want to know.  Break down your questions and make them as specific as possible.  I and others will look at the questions and do our best to help you.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

16 hours ago, lelak said:

We are a few weeks back from 19 days onboard--Vancouver roundtrip to Hawaii, so lot of sea days.

One major caveat--the ship was less that half full (about 350 passengers), so some of our very

positive experiences may not be duplicated when the crew to passenger ratio isn't almost 3 to 1!

Also, my comments come from over 40 cruises on mainly luxury lines (Crystal, Silversea, Regent,

Seabourn (and Oceania which in a "Upper Suite" is in most respects a luxury line)).

 

In many respects this was a tale of two cruise lines.  First the positive:

1.  The crew could not have been friendlier or more responsive (except the front office staff, see below)

They knew our names almost immediately and responded to almost any request.  For example, at one

dinner we were chatting with the "restaurant manager" (one step below the overall F&B manager)

and remarked that the gelato choices in the gelateria were rather limited.  He asked what we'd like

and we told him coffee gelato.  He told us it would be available the next day and sure enough when

we asked at the gelateria they had made a big tub just for us (which we enoyed off and on for the

next 14 days).  

2.  The Emporium Marketplace is a superb concept, clearly better than the best buffets on the above

mentioned lines.  The freshly cooked pasta, sushi, and salad stations (yes they now have thousand

island dressing!) were particular favorites and there was no need to wait around while they were

preparing dishes--crew were happy to bring to our table (would this be true if the ship were full?)  We

even did something we never do on the other ships--had dinner at the "buffet" with three or four

nicely grilled lobster tails brought to us as main courses.

3.  The ship itself was gorgeous--everything was immaculate.  Four pools, an amazing number of

huge spa pools, and despite what others have noted, we never experienced a problem in finding

a way to lounge in the shade.

4.  In general, the food was excellent (a few negatives noted below) at all the restaurants No problem

in eating wherever or whenever (again others have noted this isn't true when ship is closer to full).

They handled my wife's gluten free request extremely well.  She is the family oenophile and did find

some drinkable wines on the included list, but more importantly was impressed by the quality on

the discounted premium list and how close the discounted prices were to internet pricing on the

two or three she purchased.  I haven't seen much said about this option and wonder whether it

was new to our cruise.  I've seen some controversy about Anthology.  We used our OBC for it

and found the meal superb--extremely close to the meal at Claude Le Tohic's O' restaurant

in SF--actually a bit cheaper for the almost identical meal on land and no $100 upcharge for

the wagyu beef.  I don't know if we would have spent the money if we didn't have the OBC, but

it definitely a culinary highlight.

5.  Our Cove Residence was very well laid out and very comfortable.  The bathroom is small (although

shower is huge) compared to other luxury lines and it is weird they have a heated floor but not

a heated mirror--so wiping with a washcloth needed if you want to see yourself after showering!

6.  Cruise director Michael a hoot especially at trivia which he converted into a personal cabaret show.

(He is moving to Explora 2 soon).

7.  We enjoyed the two resident singers and went to all their shows.  Sight  lines in the show room

excellent--no pillars, etc.

8.  Best internet I've every seen (and I'm a computer scientist) at sea.  Download speed mostly 

100 mps and upload close to that.  Better than at our location at home.  Easy to stream anything

and no blockage of sites.  The fact that were technically in the US the entire trip at sea helped eliminate

the need for using any  VPN almost the entire trip.

 

Minor negatives:

1.  No production shows (this could be anything from irrelevant to a major negative depending on personal taste).

2.  All fixed menus (some minor variants day to day).  However, halfway through the cruise they added five

additional main courses to both Fil Rouge and Med Yacht Club, so perhaps they were listening to comments for

such a long cruise.

3.  We're from N. Cal. so Asian food snobs.  Sakura was a mixed bag.  Huge variety of sushi of all types and

excellent quality.  Lots of excellent appetizers (although I'd suggest asking for the lobster and soft shell

crab rolls without the very spicy mayo or other sauce as it drowns out the delicate shellfish flavor).  Main courses

were not so good--salmon very overcooked/dry, Pad Thai tasty but nothing close to actual Pad Thai--laughably

wrong noodles and missing the characterisic tamarind flavor entirely, curry almost devoid of spice.  At a second

visit they cooked the salmon properly, added a decent amount of spice to the curry, and gave me a separate

bowl of tamrind sauce to add to the still wrong noodles for the Pad Thai (but there was lots of lobster!)

Two big misses they really should fix:  1.  no tea menu or asian tea variety, 2.  only one sake' available.  Both

Oceania and Regent do this much better in their Pan Asian restaurants.

 

Major negatives:

1.  As noted by myself and others before on CC, by far the worst website not just of any cruise line,

but any customer facing company.  In all our previous cruises I never used our TA for simple tasks

like restaurant reservations.  I analyze websites as part of my work and in just a brief review of

Explora's I found over a dozen serious to fatal problems in any other case would cause the website

to be taken down for repair and another beta test (if they even did one in the first place).

2.  While the internet was superb, the onboard IT infrastructure was not.  The onscreen menu

had several significant flaws--for example the tab for showing  one's onboard account didn't work.

3.  While the majority of the crew was superb and in fact both friendly and responsive, that did not

carry over to the financial management staff.  As noted above, you couldn't see your onboard

account on your room TV and when we got a printed statement it was the most confusing

balance sheeet I've ever seen.  With three days to go we finally figured out we were missing half

of our onboard credit from Virtuoso and they refused to fix it without "documentation" which

because of the non-functional website we only had the email accounting from our TA.  This finally

got fixed post cruise by our hardworking TA, but you would think both the onboard staff and the

head office would know what their deal was with the huge Virtuoso consortium.  No big deal

except for the early morning calls from the front desk repeatedly asking for documentation,

although we did end up leaving about 40 Euros unused because of the foul-up.

 

A few tips:

1.  Believe it or not, unlike on all the other above-mentioned lines, you actually can

(in some cabins easy, in others requires some nimble fingers) attach an HDMI

table to the TV and display whats on your laptop (so we watched on a large screen

our streaming services included what we recorded on YouTube TV).  On the

onscreen menu go to "Your Home at Sea" and "Connections" then the far right

choice of "HDMI," the down to "Confirm" (or something like that).  Before you

do that, connect your HDMI cable to HDMI1 on the rightside back of the TV.

This is easy if you have a room where the living room TV is on a swing out

mount like ours was, trickier if it's on a fixed wall mount like our friend's cabin

was.  That required someone with smaller fingers than find getting the HDMI

cable into the socket--depending on the room lighting you might need another

person holding a cellphone flashlight so the nimble fingered person can see

the socket.  Since Explora does provide this menu option they really ought to

either have an HDMI port on the USB area next to the TV, or have an HDMI

cable already attached to the TV port for your use.

2.  This has already been noted, but it did work for us.  If you have a Residence,

the champagne in the room is the cheap complimentary stuff served throughout the ship.

However, if you ask your butler nicely for the promised 2013 Dom Perignon it

did magically appear in our refrigerator a couple days later.

3.  If you want something, ask for it.  This seemed to work almost as well as on

Crystal (at least the Old Crystal, we haven't tried new Crystal yet).

 

Bottom line:  we would definitely book Explora again, even given the additional

strain on our TA, most likely on a 14+ day voyage where occupancy was likely

nowhere near capacity if they have any of those again.  I think we've learned how

to "navigate" the line appropriately!

 

@lelak Now this is what I am talking about.  GREAT job.  Really.  Super helpful.

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

15 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

And for those of us who are more savvy and knowledgeable and don't want to spend money on inclusively-priced items we don't use, a la carte pricing is far superior to the current trend of automatic inclusions that have their cost built into  the fare.

 

@njhorseman Your point is well taken.  Therefore when we find a brand that provides the approach to cruising we want, has an Itinerary we want at a time, that we want to go, we book it. When that brand changes their approach and some of things we liked get lost or changed, we have to reevaluate future bookings. Our money, our choice. 

In my humble opinion this is why there are so many brands that go to the same places.  A great example is Oceania.  I choose them because I did not like all the items provided by Regent Seven Seas that made their price so very high.  Items I would not use and therefor was a waste.  Lost value and money to me.  So I choose the sister company Oceania.  Then Oceana changed their approach not to be as much as a "A La carte" cruise line by bringing in Simply More.  

Some folks loved it, some likes it, other did not like and some hated it.  The ones that hated it or did not like it simply moved on to another brand.  But not before the complaints as if they owned the company and how upset they were that the company that they were loyal to let them down. And that like this topic and pages of talk about chair hogs is a venue called Social Media.  

I like everyone else have an opinion.  If the brand changes and you don't see the value, leave.  No fanfare needed.  Simply find a better brand for you and be happy.  Your money, your decision.  The brand can't please everyone every time. Brand loyalty does not mean when the brand does not suit you needs any more. 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

1 hour ago, Thought2go said:

My sister just returned from a Carnival Cruise- she is a Sun/Pool worshiper. I ask her about “chair hogs”. She said absolutely not. If staff saw chairs sitting vacant for more than 15 min or so- they removed the items so others could use.

@Thought2go Thank you for sharing. The issues is, some folks simply don't like Carnival because it is designed for a much different demographic.  When I was in my mid-20's, I went on Carnival.  OR, at least I think I did.  It is ALL a fog.  I started doing shorts of tequila on day one and sobered up on the last day.  People tell me I has a BLAST.  

Needless to say, I am 67 NOW.  I think? Without drinking because I simple cannot drink much any more, I still can't remember what happened last week.  It is a fog. Every week is like being on Carnival Cruises, the Fun Ship. Funny how that happens as you age.

All kidding aside, I hope the trend that Carnival is doing sets an example for ALL Cruise Brands.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

50 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

I recall sailing with Home Lines in the 1980s when all passengers officially had an option to reserve a pool lounger for a fee. The Europeans on board thought it was normal, but most others did not, and it was eventually phased out -- as had the class system before it. Now that chair hogging has become more commonplace, I wonder if cruise lines will look at ways to generate more revenue from our displeasure by charging for chair reservations again. In a way, some cruise lines have begun this process by creating private areas (Haven, Retreat, Sanctuary, etc.) of the ship for guests willing to pay extra for the exclusivity -- private restaurants, private pools, sufficient supply of pool chairs, etc. And if paying to reserve pool chairs becomes official, might it resolve the issue created by chair hogs?  

 

@commodoredave Hi Dave, how are you?  You hit it out of the ball park.  But it goes far past the VIP area's.  Here are some examples.  If you want early boarding, Pay me a fee.  If you want to stay in the private sundeck, like the Vibe Beach Club, pay me a fee.  If you want to utilize the Thermal Spa, payment a fee.  If you want to stay in the private VIP area like Haven, Retreat and Yacht Club, pay me a fee. In Disney world, if you want the express line with little or no wait, pay me a fee.  Same with Universal.  Delta, if you want to check bags, pay me a fee. My list can go on, and ON.  

I don't believe this is the brands creating folks like Chair Hogs.  I do think it is their was of adding more revenue.  Increasing their bottom line. We have not even talked about increasing the fee for gratuities.  

This and other reason is why I have started to go Book, Premium-Plus and Luxury brands.  I compared all the stuff I would receive (Perks and Amenities) and still have to pay for area's like Haven, Retreat and Yacht Club.  I then had what call a "Total Price".  I then would convert it to total cost per person, per day.  I then would look at in my case three different cruise lines that were considered Premium-Plus or Luxury.  Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Explora Cruises.  The results were amazing. 

80% of the time, when you compare the total price per person, per day, the Premium-Plus and Luxury brands were actually less then the VIP areas on Mainstream Brands like NCL, Royal, Celebrity, and MSC.  I literally had to check my figures three times because I thought I made a mistake.  Sure there was some things lost like Water Slide, Go Carts Tracks, and Virtual reality.  Give and take is simply the reality of the world we live in.

Now, are their still rude guest.  Yes, you hear the all the time at guest services.  They put on quite the show.  Are their still Chair Hogs and folks that save entire rows for their families for the big shows, then their family's don't show up. Answer, ABSOLUTELY.  Just far less, less of an issue and makes ones vacation better.  Hope all that makes sense. 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

9 minutes ago, Eloise4Ever said:

Thanks Gary, I took your post the wrong way 

@Eloise4Ever I am an acquired taste like scotch. But I assure you, I am FUN to drink, eat and go to shows with.  Something happens to me when I go on a cruises, it is strange.  For 7-14 days, all I want to do is have fun, be happy, engage with people, eat way to much and drink ever so slightly more then I normally do.  In real live have a drink a week.  I break the rule on a cruise. 

If you ever cruise with me, we will do shots, by the pool, in a lounge chair far from the pool because I will not tipping to get the chair.  We will laugh, watch the action and I assure you.  That show will be better then the Oceania Shows we have seen.  

All the way you look at things.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

15 minutes ago, Eloise4Ever said:

 

Apologies if my post troubled you Gary. I'm just reporting what's happening onboard.

@Eloise4Ever Oh, NO.  Sorry If I gave you that idea.  There is NOTHING I dislike more than entitled guest on a cruise ship that simply don't play fair.  Really, as I was writing, I had a huge grin on my face not a frown. I am SO sorry if I gave you that idea.

I find social media for cruising a much needed therapy.  I have what is obviously a very strange sense of humor.  Again, I find what that client and crew member did as appalling.  Instead of getting mad about it, I just made fun of it.  

Chair Hogs are here to stay.

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

4 hours ago, Harters said:

It's mentioned quite often on this forum that folk have tipped their cabin attendant over and above the auto gratuities. No doubt, pool attendants will have heard about this from their cabin colleagues and, presumably, reckon they can get a slice of that action. 

@Harters I just checked the Oceania Cruises FAQ section and this approach to gain a Day Bed at the pool on a sea day is not listed as a suggested approach.  Let the guest bidding work begin.  Let the poorest guest lose. 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

I was SO scared and really it was effecting my attitude and mental health at home.  It had been at least a week, 7 long days, since I had seen a stream on the subject of "Chair Hogs".  Really I was getting worried and I know each and everyone out there is with me.  Then this morning, in a state of total and complete depression, finally the cloud parted, the lovely light of rays came to me from the sky's.  Here was the topic I was needed like a hot cup off illy (sorry Oceania Brand Coffee they dropped illy) coffee in the morning and a tasteless dry Oceania cookie.  Chair Hogs still exist, the topic will never die and the world is right again.

All brands can have all the rules they want.  However, we guest know rules are made to be broken and whether it is right or wrong, some guest are more then willing to break those rules.  Oh wait, this rule break was by a crew member, not the guest. That makes all the difference. NOT, Like little children throwing a tantrum because they did not get a bigger piece of cake.  Entitlement is obvious to those with the "Chair Hog" affliction. 

"I want a chair, if my old technique of getting up early and putting my beach bag on a chair won't work anymore, I have come up with a fail safe new idea. 

I got it, Bribery.  That will get the job done.  Bribe a crew member."  

The best part of cruise critic is learning NEW innovative skill sets to get everything I want. The hell with all those other losers.  Now I have the perfect plan to get my "day bed" by the pool in the perfect location when I am on the Vista next year in October.  I will start saving my extra milk money because the bribe amount might turn into a bidding process.  But if I start saving today, it should not be an issue. Pool day bed, here I come.

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

2 hours ago, Mommapadraig said:

Sorry for the hijack on the lounger question. I too would like two on our cruise.Good morning Gary. I have followed you on your NCL haven post from its inception I believe. I avidly read it in preparation for our first Haven cruise. We too loved the NCL haven concept and cruised it whenever we could afford it. Then in May we ended up in the MSC Yacht club on the seashore. We loved it. The service we received far exceeded any previous experience on NCL including being guests in the 3 bedroom owners suite due to kindness of friends. Perhaps it was the staff. The fact that the chef came out into the dining room during every dinner and talked to each guest to find out what they liked or what they could do better. My butler seeing me enjoying a Dos Equis and when I returned to the cabin finding 3 of the beers in the fridge. The inclusion of water and Wi-Fi and the fridge contents in the price….we cancelled our pending NCL cruises with the plan to book again in the MSC yacht club with our travel friends. Then he saw the Explora Journey. We are now booked on the Explora ll in January. I doubt we will go back to NCL. I feel that they have outpriced themselves compared to what is being offered by the competition for much less cost. Wrapping this up I wanted to thank you for your posts in the past. Cruise on!

@Mommapadraig So nice to hear from you.  Thank you for acknowledging the topics I wrote about in the past specifically on the NCL Haven. I also want to thank you for giving me a reason to break away from my morning which has become really stressful.  I needed a break and writing about cruises will give me that break.  Here goes.

Some time ago, right after covid, I wanted to choose a brand outside of the NCL Haven that was a 100% luxury cruise.  I wanted to take a "Luxury Cruise Test Drive".  I wanted a ship that everyone when they came out of their stateroom, were treated exactly the same.  I choose Crystal Cruises at the time.

One of the things I started to be uncomfortable with in the Haven was the looks, comments from guest that were not in the Haven.  I also felt the treatment when you leave the Haven was significantly downgraded from when you were in the Haven.  So your cruise did not have a balanced of personalized service. Luxury is all about personalized service from soup to nuts more then any other aspect of a cruise. This opened me up to different brands.  It also opened me up to experimenting with a "Luxury" brand. My Crystal experience although not ideal, showed me what I wanted to see and feel.  I got the difference immediately, and I liked it.

Fast forward, before I choose another brand, I research the heck out of it.  Part of that is doing a price, amenity, ship, and perk comparison.  What most folks don't quite get is the add-on costs you have to pay when you use a Mainstream Cruise company even in the Haven.  Things like waters, specialty coffees, in-suite mini-fridge items that have a cost, gratuities, access to the thermal spa, and the list goes on.  If those item are included, it makes the higher cost per day equal to OR less then those other brands VIP sections.  I did that with my upcoming cruise in February 2025 on Explora 1.  My fare on Explora was equal to or less then the Haven and a real problem was the Haven only has King Sized Beds and I needed two twins.  I know Explora is a new brand but they are in my opinion trying very hard to provide to every guest on their ships, a "Haven On Steroids" experience.  So everything we liked about the Haven and Yacht Club and lots more for the same or less daily cost considering everything. 

My Haven Threat you are referring to started in 2019, was then and now one of the most read and commented OP-ED on all of CruiseCritic.com  I rewrote it in 2022 to revise the things that changed.  The revised OP-ED is even more popular then the original.  It would be safe to say that I was an unofficial advocate of the NCL Haven Brand.  Yet, here I am with my next cruise on Explora and the cruise after that on Oceania.  I am still an advocate for the NCL Haven and the MSC Yacht Club, however my wants, needs and quest to enhance my future cruising experience plus quite frankly the companies offering a ship-within-a-ship concept ever increasing cost, make evaluating and selecting other brand especially in the luxury category simply a good business decision. It is clear, we both seem to feel the same way.  

Hope that all makes sense.  Thank you for allowing me to write my thoughts to your post.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

If you don't like my long wordy post that seem like I am preaching or come across like I am some sort of cruise expert or influencer, don't read this one.  It is long, opinionated and some might consider it condescending. You have been forewarned. 

Move forward at your own risk. 

This post is NOT directed at the author who I consider to be an trusted and respected member of this community.  It is not directed to any one contributor. It is to the topic of issues with a specific cruise brands decisions. I also don't mean to hijack this topic.

Goal of my future Cruising:  "Elevate my cruising experience based my my past experiences."

Topic of this Tread: "Simply More pricing and quality of excursions are not going in the right direction"

Reality of ALL Cruise Brands: Oceania Cruises is NOT perfect cruise brand.  It is like every other cruise brand, not perfect.  However, we as consumers have choices, that is our power. Our money, our choice. With chooses, brands differentiate themselves from their competition some way.  "We are different because of....". The Brand Marketing Department makes claims to attract new clients that quite frankly don't pay off. The Marketing Departments of ALL brands have never understood the notion of "Under Promise and Over Deliver". The same department changes how things work and say it is because the clients asked for it. The notion of Simply More is a great example of this. Human nature is we HATE change even good change.  We like things the way they were. 

All Cruise Lines Do The Same Thing: This is NOT an Oceania Cruises issue.  This is an industry issue.  I personally started to cruise on Oceania to elevate my cruising experience as was my stated goal above.  My experience was it did just that. Was it perfect, no it was not. Did the good out weigh the bad, YES.  If it did not, I personally would not have booked another cruise for 2025.  But let us all remember. My and others evaluations was NOT based on 20 cruises on Oceania.  It was based on our past experiences compared to Oceania. My past experience was the NCL Haven, Celebrity Retreat, MSC Yacht Club, Crystal Cruises before being re-purchased. Past experience creates perspective which is everything to my evaluation of my future bookings.  I don't think I am alone on this approach. 

Being an Advocate Does NOT Mean Being Exclusive to a Brand: When I got married 44 years ago, my commitment was until death do you part. Product and service done fall under that commitment. I was/am a major advocate to the "Ship-Within-A-Ship" notion created by NCL for its Haven Product.  Yet, I went on Oceania Cruise.  I AM a fan of Oceania Cruises yet my very next cruise is on "Explora Journey".  Why? Because each of us has the obligation to ourselves and our family's to know the great, good, bad and ugly about the vacation/brand we choose.  No one brand is perfect.  Each do things differently.  Changes happen and when they do, your evaluation of your next cruise needs to be considered based on that change. 

The Simply More Program: I don't like the Simply More Program but I do understand it.  I don't like Cruise Brand excursions regardless of the brand including if all excursions are included and would prefer they don't offer them at all. My reasons don't matter, just my likes and dislikes realizing everyone is different.  I don't like the Simply More Drink program being just Wine/Beer at lunch and dinners so I upgrade to the Unlimited Plan.  Now I feel inconvenienced having to show my stateroom card at every bar instead of ordering a drink, because everyone has the different packages. I don't think Oceania has the best food at sea or what ever the correct motto is.  The old Crystal was much more to my liking.  This matters because I know what the deal is before I purchase a cruise. So when I have to provide my card, not have a great lobster tail at the buffet, have tasteless cookies, miss Illy Coffee Beans at the Barista or need to have a strategy to use brand excursions that are not really to my liking; I knew the deal before I went on the ship.  I choose it anyway, yet I had a choice. 

Increased Prices and Decreased Quality: The prices are going up.  The cost of doing business is going up.  All the cruise lines have huge loans that need to be paid due to Covid.  The quality of some items that before were GREAT have gone down.  Those are the facts, if it does not suite you, choose another brand or don't cruise at all.  Or, simply pick and choose the brand that is right for your next cruise knowing the facts from doing so simply research.  

Conclusion: I warned you I was going to write a book.  You read on anyway.  If any of have a issues with any cruise brand, a disappointment with any aspect of their product, by all means share it.  If you care about the brand, share it with them especially so they know how their client base works.  Survey's are worthless, well written letters with the intent of helping the brand and your next experience on the brand is much more productive. Highlight issue so the can be fixed and tell the people who actually can fix them. 

"Cruise well and enjoy every moment."

2 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

When is your cruise Gary?

@chill6x6 February 14 - 21, 2025, Explora 1

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

4 minutes ago, chill6x6 said:

We have never really been "loyal" to any particular cruise line.  We alway go with what works best with the time I can get off for vacation and try not to duplicate itineraries.  I don't like standing in lines and I like to have sodas/water/beer/etc in my fridge in our cabin as I would at home without having to "work" the system.  Last requirement is two lounge chairs on our balcony with a table and two table chairs.  Nothing different than I have at home. Sounds simple! Not so on a cruise ship! LOL

 

So to get all that(not really that much, IMO) we've been mostly in HAL Pinnacle suites, Royal Star Class, and NCL Haven(working the system for drinks and careful to book suites with loungers/tables). Star Class prices have increased to a point that is ridiculous. Pinnacles suites don't really have the service you pay for, and with NCL one has to really purchase "Free at Sea Plus" to include WATER in ones drink package! LOL! Water!  So this lead us to either Virgin Mega Rock Star OR right HERE with Explora.

 

Deciding between Virgin and Explora took me several days(weeks?/Months?) to decide.  As with any decision you really CAN'T get everything one wants but you can come pretty close. Both are really lacking a little with the bathroom area. Two sinks should be standard with an over $10,000 suite.  So equal here.  Suite storage...It looks as if Explora is definitely a step up here. Virgin looks to have better entertainment.  Explora has so many pool areas, NICE! So it came down to itinerary as it does many times. I didn't want to go to San Juan three times in a row no matter how much I like it! So we took the 8-day Cozumel. Belize City(haven't been here in a while), Cayman Brac(never been), and Key West(love Key West!) itinerary.

 

Really looking forward to this cruise! Next up is HAL Rotterdam though which should prove to be a nice cruise!

@chill6x6 Chuck, well done.  Love the evaluation you did.  All cruise lines are adjusting all aspects of their offering.  The lack of cruising and loans due to covid will do that to a company.  This is happening to all main stream cruise brands. Whether MSC, NCL, Celebrity, and the list goes on.  This is even more true with the "Ship-in-a-Ship" or upper suite areas.  I could write a book why I think this is happening but who am I anyway.  Just opinions.  The fact is with many brands, prices have goon up, and cost saving measure are clearly apparent.  So Pay me more, for less concept.  I don't care that the brands took a hit from covid.  I evaluate what is really provided and compare to other brands even new brands. 

Loyalty to brands.  A very long time ago, when I first did a Haven suite followed by a Retreat suite I LOVED the concept.  They solved many of my issues I was having on Food, drinks, and personalized service.  I loved it so much I became a cheer leader for the concept.  When the prices rose, I realized, I had to look at the pros and cons of other brands especially brands that included items that the Main Stream Offerings were charging for.  This lead to starting to list, what you got vs. what you did not get from each brand.  Took a very long time but worth the study.  

The conclusion was in every case, as you indicated, there was some benefit and some loss of benefit.  It was never a clear path.  The one thing was, as much as I love the Ship-in-a-Ship concept for my way of cruising, it has to make a good business decision for me. When the price reach its current levels, it was clear, Luxury Cruising with all that is provided could actually be the "NEW" value approach to cruising for my wants and needs.  That is why in the past I cruised Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises and now Explora Journey.  Would I consider Haven or Retreat or Yacht Club; sure but not at current investments.  

For me, once I clearly knew what was and was not provided in detail, it made it easy to make a future business decision.  The result, I booked a cruise on a brand I never cruised before, Exlplora Journey.  I booked another cruise with a brand I cruised once, Oceania Cruises.  I knew the pros and cons and feel very comfortable I made the right decision.  Actual results with be the true test and I promise I will write in great details my honest and balanced experiences. Bravo to your post again.  Well done.

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

2 hours ago, chill6x6 said:

 

Hey,

 

I just wanted you to know that your info was so helpful, I just booked it! I let go a NCL AF PH for this!

 

Any other pointers you'd care to share?

 

Thank you!

@chill6x6 Something tells me you made the Right Choice.  I also enjoy NCL, especially the AF PH in the Haven.  I am also sold on this new Luxury brand for many reasons.  So happy we who love cruising have so many choices.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

AND now it makes it easier to find you onboard. On our cruise on Riveria late last year in the Med I think you were the 4th or 5th person I'd walked up to asking, "Are you, by chance, the Southern Gary who posts on Cruise Critic?" [Guess I should've known you be hanging out at the pool bar? And it was Gina who said, "Maybe that's him? Go ask. I was getting frustrated by the weird looks I was getting from those I had asked before.] 

@MEFIowa LMAO, you are missing the BEST part of the story.  Yes, we were with another couple.  Yes, if anyone wants to find me, I am at a bar.  Yes, the only bar I could find was the pool bar.  You went up to my friend traveling with me, who actually looks like the image I used to use and said, "Are you SthrnGary?" He laughed and said no because you were the forth person to ask him.  He really looks like the old picture.  I said, "Who is SthrnGary and is he a good guy?"  You said yes, he writes a lot on CruiseCritic.com.  I said, "I am SthrnGary!"  

That meeting made my trip.  My friend was so sick of being called SthrnGary.  He thought it was crazy how many folks knew who I was.  The same thing happened at the Martini Bar with a new friend by the name of Bubba.  Bubba, if you are reading this, I miss you. 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

17 minutes ago, momofmab said:

One other question - since the minibar is not complimentary as it is in the Yacht Club, does NCL allow passengers to bring soda or water to keep in the cabins?  I recall doing that for one cruise back in the day but can't recall if it was NCL or RCCL.

I don't know.  That is a question for NCL.  What I always do is have the butler take every single item out of the mini-fridge day one. They now usually put it up in a closet rather then take it out of the cabin.  This keeps the mini-fridge open for other things.  Bringing soda's on board I have no clue. 

Ask NCL and or your Travel Advisor about the Free At Sea PLUS program.  You might gain value from that.  

I highly Oceania Cruises for the Mediterranean.  I did a comparison of Oceania, Crystal Cruises and Exploria on my Caribbean Cruise.  900 to 1200 guests with a crew ratio of 1.25/1. Oceania was the value. I would consider those three choices when considering a Mediterranean cruise.  Smaller ships to get into smaller ports is the way to go for that.  Happy to answer any questions but would prefer to focus on all things Haven and NCL on this thread.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

In the OT category, which has a balcony of 75 sf, consider a Ocean Grand Terrace Suite which has 115 sf.  Cost more but accomplishes your need. Or go to Penthouse Level which is a significant price hike.  

I fully understand why you want that request.  Smart to think about it now.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

33 minutes ago, momofmab said:

-Morning coffee (very important!): I know there are machines in the room - I have one at home and they are noisy. Where else (besides Starbucks) can I get a morning cappuccino?  The Haven lounge?  I know I can always ask my butler to bring, but I like to be self-sufficient.

@momofmab Hello.  I am the author of this stream.  I will do my best to answer some of your questions.  At the end, I will comment on the other lines you brought up because I know them both.  On Coffee.  Transparency, I have NOT been on the Epic but have been on her sister ships.  Usually, in the Haven Observation Deck is a GREAT High End Coffee Machine that serves everything from drip to specially coffees.  Also have light breakfasts and snacks.  Usually empty in the morning. 

39 minutes ago, momofmab said:

-Is it necessary to make reservations for the Haven restaurant, or just drop in?  What is the general dress code for dinner?

The Haven Restaurant does not take reservations but my experience is rare to wait for a table. The dress code is Country Club casual but mostly not enforced.  Debated on a daily basis with no clear resolution. 

41 minutes ago, momofmab said:

-Does NCL have a move-up or bidding process for suites?  (

They do a Biding process.  Depends on the sailing and availability to win.  I have NEVER won. 

42 minutes ago, momofmab said:

-I'm reading 120 days out for making specialty dining reservations. Is that still the case?

For Haven it is 130 days out, you can do them from you online account.

43 minutes ago, momofmab said:

-On Epic, are entertainment reservations required for Haven guests? 

For the big shows yes and no.  Yes officially, but I have never been turned down.  There is a Haven Section reserved up until 15 minutes before the big shows. 

44 minutes ago, momofmab said:

-If we order room service, is that always done through the Butler?

Yes, complementary and important when the Haven Restaurant is open to ask the butler to get the food from there.  Much better food but they only make what is on the Haven Menu. 

46 minutes ago, momofmab said:

-Great Stirrup Cay - what is there now?  Is it just a beach?  Is there a Haven-only area there?

No Haven private area, very nice private island, beach-pools and bars.  

47 minutes ago, momofmab said:

My husband and I thought about moving on to the luxury lines (Oceania, Explora Journey)

I highly recommend trying Luxury Brands.  The difference is once you leave your stateroom on a luxury brand, everyone is treated the same.  More things are free across the board like soft drinks in your stateroom mini bar and thermal spas.  What you miss is go cart tracks, water slides, and huge production shows.  The best approach for me is to only go Luxury in Europe/Asia.  Port intensive and the ship is focused on relation not excitement.  Oceania I found to be GREAT for a recent Mediterranean 10 day cruise.  Explora Journey I have booked with my older sister for February of 2025 for a 7 day Caribbean because of the quiet ship, up tick in food, larger staterooms and personalized service for everyone not just Haven guest.  

You can't go wrong with Haven or any of your other choices.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

12 minutes ago, ORV said:

Is that your college graduation picture?

@ORV Ok, so embarrass me.  Call me out on social media.  Make me feel old.  Thanks a lot.  All true though.  That picture is me, a few (maybe a few more then a few) years ago.  But it is me.  

All kidding aside.  I want everyone on CruiseCritic.com whether on this Oceania Cruise Board, or NCL, Crystal Cruise or Explora Journey Cruises how much it means to me to be aloud to talk about a subject that makes me so happy, CRUISING.  We all work hard, I feel so fortunate to still be here to enjoy this last quarter of my life on a cruise with all of YOU.  

"Cruise well, never show your current old wrinkly picture and enjoy every moment."

8 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

@Sthrngary

 

New Photo ?  I liked your Avatar -- it allowed me to imagine what you looked like !

 

I had viewed your comparison Xcel sheet, and also noticed your names and booking #.  Now deleted.

 

I would also like to experience Explora Journeys, at the right price point.  I recently watched a Travel Agency presentation, live from the Explora Journey ship.  Looks and sounds like you will enjoy your cruise with them.  They also include gratuities in the fare.

@FetaCheese on the picture.  It was suggested to me by someone I really admire to lose the Avatar.  It made me look mean and angry. It might make people not even consider read what I wrote.  Yet my posts were not so.  I thought about it and said, ok, makes sense to me. So, that is really me.

On the Explora Journey, I don't want to go into to much detail on an Oceania Blog.  It would make me question the post since it was not the brand on that specific blog.  I will say, the value on that spreadsheet was Oceania, not Crystal of Explora.  My issue was different Embarkment and dis-embarkment locations. Also, I always like to experience new brands in the Luxury segment. Not so much for me but for my sister who is joining me, round trip to Miami was better.

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Just now, Daniel A said:

@Sthrngary Since that info is already out there, can you rebook the same sailing, so you get a different booking number?  Just a thought.  

@Daniel A Agreed and already in the process.  What is funny.  This is just one more sign I am getting older.  I was talking to my wife this morning about forgetting some details I used to NEVER forget.  When we get older, we have knowledge, experience and maturity.  Just our minds and bodies simply don't want to cooperate.  LOL.

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

5 minutes ago, the mice said:

@SthrngaryYou are certainly detailed, but maybe you didn't want to include your booking # and full names.   Just sayin'....

@the mice I feel like a fool.  I read what happened to others.  I am so upset with myself.  Thank you. 

MODERATOR: CAN YOU HELP ME DELETE THE EXCEL.  i WILL ADJUST IT AND REPOST. 

On 5/28/2024 at 6:59 PM, drpclarke said:

...and this is my first rodeo with Explora.

 

Explora doesn't seem to offer additional trainings for TAs, so I'm just popping on these boards, visiting their websites, and trying to understand all things Explora. While I am learning about it, the pricing is just baffling to me.

 

For example - the cruise they are looking at...(April 2025, Explora 2) ...the "Unique Escapes" rate (this looks like a short term promo) starts at $5285 per person. The "Early Booking" rate starts at $6695 per person. It goes on to say that the "early booking" rate is a great deal on the "journey" fare.

 

Huh? Journey fare? Is the unique escape not a journey fare?
 

I just don't know all of this Explora terminology...can anyone here help?

Thanks!

Rachel

@drpclarke Hello.  First I read your first post.  I then read everyone else's comments. I would like to complement you for taking the time to educate yourself even though you knew you would get some heat for being a travel agent.  That takes guts.  

On to you questions.  I drill down deep as a client and guest before I book a new brand.  The level I drill down is much more then most yet less then some. For me it is kind of sport to know as much as I can know.  This and other brand boards are GREAT.  Still, take everything with a grain of salt as you should take me.  I just booked a OT-2, for a 7 day Caribbean itinerary, comparing Oceania, Crystal and Explora Journey.  I have cruised Oceania Cruise and loved it, I have also cruised Crystal Cruises before they were purchased.  I enjoy it very much but at the time there were some issues that have seemed to be resolved.  

I was also confused by the two different prices given.  That was my first education.  You got great advice here, the "Unique Escapes" is the way to go if you are booking any of the OT's.  My next quest for knowledge was what was the difference between OT.  Obviously like all cruise brands it was locations, except for the most expensive OT which had a larger deck.  While I was on the phone with the Explora consultant, he brought to my attention the other promotion which also was mentions above called Penthouse Dreams.  It seems if you want a upgrade to a Penthouse, book the most expensive OT (larger deck mentioned above) NOT on the special "Unique Escapes" sale, on the "Early Booking or Normal Fare" and get the upgrade. 

This lead me to drill down on the differences between categories. OT, Penthouse and the upper suites. Seems simple and it was.  So simply I was surprise.  Basically, it is simply the size of the stateroom and which residences, they come with butlers.  My bottom line was, unlike other brands, the amenities and benefits were so very close from the least to most expensive stateroom.  I at first did not believe it but every thing I learned seemed to lead to the same place.  I usually get a bigger suite with a butler but the investment different simply for me (not everyone) was not there. I also wanted to separate beds because I was going with my older sister and we were sharing a cabin.  I learned, OT-1 did not have cabins where the beds separated, OT-2 & OT-3 did.  So I took an OT-2.  That cabin had a bath tub shower and had a door for a connecting cabin.  A very wise contributor said, look closing at the deck plans and most every question about what each cabin has is answer.  GREAT ADVICE.

I know this is a long post but I think I am answering your questions.  Here are other things I liked:

No Main Dining Room and all Specialty Restaurants are included except for a special 7 course meal at 190 euro's with another 75 euro's for the wine pairing.  Mix reviews on this special extra cost meal. Those that liked it LOVED it, those that did not like it HATED it.  Like for example Oceania the specialty restaurants that took reservations the first one was guaranteed and the next ones were space available. Nice to know information for strategy. I also learned the buffet is not a buffet.  You can see the food, much of which is made fresh for you and the chef plates if for you behind glass.  I loved this concept. 

Everyone has the same Internet and drink program. Neither has an upgrade option except to purchase a high dollar Wine or Spirit.  Also, unlike Oceania that you have to show your card to get a drink because of all the different drink plans, no card needed on Explora. Some complaints on quality of wines but i here that on every board.  I drink straight vodka on ice so it did not effect me. Each stateroom has a bottle of champagne but the brand lowered the standard for the OT's but it is still champagne.  I am used to horrible sparkling wine from other ships and give to a honeymoon couple who love getting that extra bottle. 

I am going to give you an Excel Comparison of Explora, Crystal and Oceania below.  Look to the bottom of the Excel for where I listed the different amenities and benefits.  That should help.  I hope this was helpful.  Never stop asking question.  Hope this helped.

I loved the crew to guest ratio of 1.25/1.  Yet the more you read, the more you can see this brand is finding their sea legs a bit.  My cruise is February of 2025 so my hope is they have their total act together by then.  

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

PS: I will post the comparison later.  I have to make a correction

On topic and off topic.  In my career, I worked with Toyota Motor Sales National Headquarters.  That was one of many clients.  Toyota the brand has very rich history and culture.  That history goes into how they manufacture all of their vehicles.  One thing they say and execute better then most is their cost cutting approach.  They reduce cost but NEVER reduce quality.  It is a fine line and just takes some very careful thought before they do something.  Kind of like "measure twice cut ones".  Other companies simply cut costs which leads to guest reduction of satisfaction. 

I just read a complaint about Oceania on another Social Media site.  My wife belongs to that sight and I don't.  I deleted all my social media with the exception of YouTube and Cruise Critic years ago.  So I just read what the guests write. One such guest was referring to the article on "Cruise News" showing NCL and its brands were focusing on cutting cost.  This was followed with what this guest felt was a reduction in quality of the dining and food onboard the Oceania Marina.  The comments were both supported and challenged by other guests.  Knowing that food and dining is relative to the guest.  This guest was angry that the person in charge of that blog deleted their post. 

I personally like balanced, reviews that give all sides.  Whether you are new to a brand, traveled them once or 20 times, it gives you sense of what to avoid or have a lowered expectation. When it is not helpful is when it is the SAME guest that seems to always complain, yet still cruises the brand.  Those people, I simply don't understand. We should embrace all opinions as long as the contributor is just someone who hates every thing, all the time.

I hope Oceania will embrace cost cutting in the way Toyota did.  That is my hope. Just my two sense.

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.