mb777

9 hours ago, a.madruga said:

Mb777 

I talked to our PCC and was not happy as she could tell we brought up the fact that when placing our booking back in November 23 for our July 25 Alaskan cruise nothing was said about that being a quad We counted on Koningsdam there to be 70 quad cabins. This is our fourth cruise with HAL if they decide to move us and make that financial decision well we have choices for the future that most likely would not include them. We respect the changes but believe that those who have booked prior to change should be able to continue with their booking. It’s my DW 65th birthday and retirement cruise that’s been planned for two years. I don’t know when your cruise is but that should not be a reason to have one give up their original booking choice.  We as customers know about missing ports and changing itinerary but now to add something new and not respecting customers choices just for the sake of profit. IOO we should think about HAL allowing those bookings to be grandfathered in.

I did not know about the policy when I booked about 5 months ago.  The cruise is summer, 2025 and I didn't want to take the chance of being moved.  My TA said it rarely happens, but I didn't want to be the one who was moved as so many others have.

On 8/23/2024 at 2:27 PM, a.madruga said:

we are Koningsdam 8097 because of the bigger balcony and CO  also looked to upgrade to Vista aft  but besides the points didn't think the extra $600 PP ws worth it but that's our choice

we always try the same angled balconies especially doing Alaska   good luck with your decision remember its going to be a good one because its YOURS!!

Are you currently on board?  I see 8097 is listed as a quad.  Were you concerned about being involuntarily moved out of the quad?  Of course you may already have 3-4 in the booking so my question would not apply.  I recently gave up an extended balcony quad.   There are 2 of us and I didn't want to be involuntarily moved to a cabin I didn't choose as the cruise gets closer.

1 hour ago, Harboursiders said:

A Future Cruise Booking is a booking for a future cruise made while on a cruise through the on board cruise consultant.  We made our booking in July/24 while on board the Zuiderdam.  Hope this helps. 

What is the advantage or perks of booking a Future Cruise Booking?

On 8/19/2024 at 9:18 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I've been thinking about this thread. I understand not wanting to be moved randomly, but is the limitation on cabins for 2 such an issue for people for making bookings now that we know the policy? I understand booking a quad inside to get the space--some inside cabins can be very small. But unobstructed OV and Veranda cabins are all pretty much the same. Except for the unloved metal verandas, the cabin is the same inside. Balconies are the same size with a few (2 per ship?) double length and the deeper deck 4 balconies. But aren't there doubles on deck 4?

 

There are lots of OV and Veranda doubles to choose from. So why is having a triple or quad important if you're only 2 people in the cabin? 

 

 

For us it's extremely important.  If we book as soon as the itinerary becomes available we have an expectation to select one of a few cabins that are a cut above the rest.  Even though we are 2 people, we spend a lot of time on the balcony and prefer not to hear our neighbors conversations, etc.  Prior to this change somebody is going to book those select cabins, so why not us in the first few days the itinerary is available to book.

I am very particular about where I sit on a ship, plane, train, or most any other mode of transportation, yes even SWA.  If the particular locations are not available I just won't book.  An example is a recent Europe trip on a 787 and 777.  For both flights there are only 4 seats that I would accept in Premium Economy.  If those seats are not available I won't go on that airline.  Pretty much same with a cruise ship.  The early bird gets the worm as they say.

Now I do agree that HAL has every right to fill a quad with 4 people, that makes business sense.  What I don't agree with is doing this after the fact.  A computer should be able to grandfather fairly easily and after a period of time the issue will be well known.  I just moved out of an extended balcony quad and into a regular double verandah.  Thankfully one of the cabins I like was available, however this would not have been the case months from now.  If this is the new policy then going forward HAL should make it known, especially to the PCC & TA.

On 8/11/2024 at 2:30 AM, Mary229 said:

I usually go after 6:30 .  I have done so this year on the Oosterdam, the Koningsdam and now on the Volendam

This makes sense to me, I would think most are eating 5:30-6:30 then it starts to slow down.

22 hours ago, bcummin said:

Dear Grand Daughter

Thanks, I had no idea!

Not a Facebook, Instagram, tik tok  guy so I'm not familiar with all the abbreviations.

On 8/3/2024 at 9:44 PM, grannyshell said:

We sailed in June aboard Oosterdam with our 12 yo DGD. There were quite a few kids of all ages and I was pleasantly surprised to see all of them well behaved and supervised. The most noise around the Lido pool was from a group of adults playing ping pong.

What is "DGD"?

On 8/1/2024 at 4:05 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Ridiculous.

 

How long is it taking you to get thru meals? I'm a two course chicken and anything over 1.5 hours is miserable (ADHD). 

I'm at critical mass when I've been there for 1 hour.

3 hours ago, WESTEAST said:

@mb777 and @Pearl64 Interesting to read the embarkation experience you encountered as we will be embarking in Lisbon next year.  We have disembarked in Lisbon but never embarked.  Were you staying at a pre-cruise Oceania hotel or, did you receive notification that all embarkation must take place at a designated hotel, then be transferred by bus to ship or, opt to take your own transportation to ship e.g., Uber? Thank you.

I was staying at AirBnB much closer to the cruise terminal (by design) but the email said ALL had to go to the hotel and not to go to the cruise port.  Email stated that if we went directly to the cruise port we would have to still leave and go to the hotel.  

We got to the hotel at 1100 and were onboard by 1330.  We were going to have the bellman call a taxi but the Uber was cheap and right around the corner.

We were not going to ride the bus regardless of the wait, none of the 6 of us like sitting on a bus with 30 other people.  The Uber dropped us off right in front of the cruise terminal entrance and it was only about a 15 min process to get screened and on the ship from there.

I spoke to some people "in the know", and as Pearl said the snafu was the port booking too many ships at the same time.  I would think this was a one-off snafu.

Forgot to mention, I believe the ship was full or close to full and never felt crowded.  Also, we did see one child about 7-9 years old and she behaved beautifully.  We spoke to her parents a few times who had been apprehensive about bringing her but in the end they were pleased.

Also did not see many elderly people with mobility problems as has been posted so many times before.  Only saw one scooter and one walker.  Most everyone was moving about quite well and really didn't seem to be the age of passengers reported so many times by others.  We had quite a mix of ages, probably from 50's to 80's as far as I could tell.  The couple with the child may have been in their 40's.

3 hours ago, Pearl64 said:

Thank you, mb777. We do not have international cell service so ordering an Uber was not possible. We could have been apprised of the wait times owe could make alternate plans. We were actually at the front of the line for the shuttle. We were the cut off and had to wait for the next bus. The next bus was in a hour.

No international cell service on a 10 day voyage could be frustrating so I completely understand.  We have Verizon and it was very affordable for the month.  I agree the shuttle arrangements were terrible.  I asked the person in the front of the line how long they had been waiting and their answer convinced me to immediately take the Uber.  

Hindsight, but I wonder if the doorman could call you a taxi if something like this happens again?  There were 2 of them not doing much of anything at all as far as I could see.

2 hours ago, TomKan said:

Just ran across this today:
 

According to the American Time Use Survey, most Americans are eating dinner between 5:07 p.m. and 8:19 p.m., with peak dinner time nationwide being at 6:19 p.m.

Hallelujah!

3 hours ago, Pearl64 said:

Mb777,

 

While we agree with you about most things this cruise had some missteps. Embarkation was an absolute nightmare. we were changed from checking in at the port to a hotel. Ok. We accepted that. We had an 11 am check in time. Arrived at the hotel around 10:30. Nothing happened until the iPads arrived after 11:30. Instead of using the boarding pass time they called cabin category starting with Owners suite. It took them quite a bit of time to work their way down. After concierge was called there was no further calling of cabins. It was very chaotic. There were no announcements from Oceania as to what was going on. Yes, I know communication is not Oceania's strong suit. We were in a B1 with no luck getting through. Oceania did provide a shuttle to the port (about 25 minutes away)which was nice but there was only one bus and one truck for luggage. Lines for the shuttle snaked around with a long line. We finally got to the ship shortly before 3 pm.  Luggage never arrived until after dinner. By that time we were exhausted. This was our 16th Oceania cruise. Never did we have so much trouble. We have another cruise booked to Japan. My husband wants to cancel but Japan is on my bucket list so I will need to sweet talk him.

 

One problem with this cruise was the number of large groups(100+) who focused on wine. That is fine but they interfered with other venues that were either rescheduled or cancelled to accommodate them. Food was ok except for one night in the MDR when our chicken came inedible. We could not cut it even when we asked for a steak knife. We could have asked for another meal but we let it pass.

 

We hope this was the exception to Oceania excellence. We took all private tours which were excellent. Thank heavens disembarkation was smooth. Staff was excellent and up to the standard we were used to.

Glad you enjoyed the cruise. We did after Day 1!
 

 

I too had an 1100 embarkation time but of course ended up in the hotel along with everyone else.  I feel this was probably a port issue, not Oceania's.  I'm quite certain this was the last thing Oceania would have needed.  

I saw the long line for the free shuttle and ordered an Uber for about 10 Euros, was on the ship at 1330 and luggage was waiting outside our cabin.  After spending the amount of money we did for cruise and airfare I wasn't about to wait for a free shuttle when 10 Euros got me there in 20 min with no wait for the Uber.

59 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

@mb777

That is exactly how it started for us about 15 years ago with a two week Mediterranean cruise. We took our “cruise of a lifetime” and lo and behold we have added many more over the years. Welcome to the O family and hopefully you will be able to enjoy many more as well. Cruising O can become habit forming and once you learn more of the ins and outs of O, you can pick up those Sale bargains and set sail again. Understand however, Not every Sale is a great sale and sometimes barely a sale. One thing we did on our First and all others since, we book a future cruise on board earning Discounts and amenities, etc., usually one as far out as possible because we need to dream and plan and find more friends to join us for a grand adventure. Usually the Best price is offered when the itinerary is released and some of those Up to 4 Level Upgrade Sales can be “Nice”. We recently swapped an On Board Booking into a 12 day Transatlantic in a PH in November on Marina that was cheaper than the cost of the flight home from Barcelona. Lots of good info is shared on these Board Posts. 😇👍🤞🛳️

While the many negative posts here on CC can raise a First Timers anxiety level, the reality is that your cruise will most likely turn out to be an amazing adventure, especially if you have even reasonable expectations and can be flexible and friendly. Our O family starts with the staff in Miami, the Roll Calls on CC can ease us into new friendships and then there are the well traveled and friendly guests we share a table with and last but certainly not least, the absolutely wonderful ship staff.  Just wait until years from now when you board a ship and a staffer calls you by name and remembers you from that Nautica trip, it makes your heart flutter. We had a Butler in October who was our Butler 6 years prior when we were traveling with family and friends in the Holy Land. ABSOLUTELY wonderful young people 🙏🛳️👍😇. 
Like I said, welcome to the O family.

 Mauibabes 

Thanks Maui, we did put down $500 FCC before we disembarked so we will keep our eye out for some good bargains.

57 minutes ago, Kay S said:

Thanks for this.  I will be on Nautica in the fall.  An issue I have seen raised is that there are no restrooms on the Horizon deck to service that lounge.  Problem?

Not a problem that I can remember.  I think you just have to go down the stairs to deck 9 and there are restrooms.  We really did not spend much time in Horizon's at all.  Just maybe during sail away once or twice.

Nautica 10 day Lisbon to Le Havre

Just finished a 10 day trip, first time on Oceania.  I had researched for approximately 9 months, reading and reading until I just couldn’t read any more reviews, tips, videos, etc.  Some of the info about Oceania and Nautica in particular was spot on, and some not so much.  Thanks to all who have written reviews, it helped my preparation.

The cruise experience on Nautica was beyond my expectations and left me culturally immersed more than any land based tour could have accomplished.  Despite many complaints about Oceania missed ports, we made them all and right on time!  The ship is beautiful, easy to navigate after a day or two and the staff incredible.  Our cabin was on deck 6 so there really was not much need for the elevator although it never looked busy.  We felt completely pampered the entire time aboard and our cabin attendants never said no.  We were greeted by them each and every time they saw us, always by our names.  We are not huge tippers however the very first time we met them we tipped them generously.  We do not like to tip at the end of cruises or hotel stays but prefer upfront, or at least along the way.  We probably only had one request and that was for fresh ice every day..  We are pretty low maintenance.

I had a little angst concerning the dress code as some had mentioned I would need dressy shoes for the evening dining venues.  First night in Toscana (a free one), I wore khaki pants, shirt and new dressy shoes.  I never put the dressy shoes on again until my flight home!  I brought a pair of decent looking boat shoes (loafers) and wore them every night without socks.  Not a word was said and I was comfortable and not out of place at all.   As far as jackets for men I probably saw a total of 5 during the entire 10 day cruise including both specialty restaurants.  I did not bring a jacket and never would, so this worked out nicely.

Getting on and off the ship was a breeze since we docked at all ports and did not need tenders.  There was really not much of a line to leave and I left about 0745-0845 every day.  I had reserved private tours at each port well ahead of time and we had a group of 6 each day which was perfect number.  One day we had another in our group join for a total of 7, still a workable number for the guide.  Not having to ride a bus or spend time waiting for that always late straggler was quite refreshing.

The food was much better than I had been reading although I have never cruised Oceania so have nothing to base this on.  I would rate the food 5 stars with zero misses.  Ate twice in Toscana and once in Polo, all 5 stars.  Meals in any venue other than the buffet and waves take quite a long time by our standards so keep that in mind.  Dinners ran 2-2.5 hours which for us is a long time, very subjective issue of course.

The only downside for the entire cruise were the dining times.  We prefer early dining and in a B2 verandah that was difficult to acquire.  This topic has been beaten to death (including by me) in other threads so I’ll leave it alone here.

We don’t gamble so cannot comment on the casino although it seemed busy toward the end of the cruise.  We did go to the show every night at 2130 and found it enjoyable, especially since it only lasts 45 minutes.  It was a nice way to end the evening.  After early rising, touring all day, dinner and a show we were tired each night by the time the show ended.  With such a port intensive itinerary there really wasn’t much sense trying to stay up late even if we were night owls, which we are not.  I believe the majority on this cruise kept a similar schedule.

The cabin was beautiful and well appointed.  If you looked around enough you could find more storage than you probably need.  There are cubbies and storage places everywhere and under the bed is also a great option.  We fit 4 large suitcases under the bed with no issues.

I was dreading the shower since so many had complained about it.  I admit when I first peered into the bathroom I thought it looked very very small.  By day 2 the shower was a non-issue and we never thought about it again.  Yes it’s on the small side but realistically how much room does one need?  We could turn around with our arms either at our sides or up in the air so again, how much more does a person need?  It really was a non-issue and the water temp and pressure was outstanding.

We were not in a concierge class so did laundry ourselves.  One laundry room for 700 guests is not the best option but of course some of those 700 are suites or concierge with their complimentary laundry service.  The days we did laundry we went promptly at 0700 when they opened and were able to find a washer/dryer although once there was only 1 left.  We did NOT try to do laundry on sea days, you could see the line forming all day long and the place was quite noisy and busy.

All in all a wonderful cruise, bordering on life changing due to all the local people we met and local sights we saw through our guides eyes.  I’m sure we will be back on board an Oceania cruise in the future.

4 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Bingo!!!

 

The Social Director, and Oceania , are correct. If dining started at 5:00, many cruises would indeed be ghost ships by 7:30. This is much like my aunt’s assisted living facility, but wait! 🙄 That would turn many off.

Not sure many of us expect dining to begin at 5, however 6 would certainly be a huge improvement and possibly open up some 6:30 slots.  Happy hour 5-6, dinner 6-8 (yes, it took 2 hours each meal), Martini's after dinner, shopping at the boutique, maybe casino for some, then 9:30 show doesn't sound like a ghost ship to me.

19 minutes ago, ORV said:

For us it's not about being hungry, it's about not wanting to go to bed on a full stomach. We tend to go to bed between 9-10 at home. If we don't get done with dinner until 9 or later then we have to try to stay up for a while, we also tend to be up around 5-6 to get ready for a full day of touring. The eating late European model just doesn't work for us. 

Sounds like we are on the same schedule.  Your post summed it up much better than mine, thank you.

Just now, mb777 said:

I should probably explain, by early dining I'm talking about 6:30 which is very difficult to obtain.  We did go to happy hour which is 5-6, then the natural move for us would be heading to dinner at 6:30 after happy hour.  Hope this makes sense.

We're thrilled to eat at 6:30 on board, just found it very difficult to secure that time with our B2 Verandah.

57 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

@mb777

We too eat early, sometimes going out to dinner before 5:00 but we do change our dining habits when on board. When back from excursions, we may head for tea in Horizons or our common practice is to visit friends and guests in Horizons or Martini’s for Happy Hour with a snack and a glass of wine or maybe a Big O or ?  If we have had a snack, perhaps that has taken the edge off a state of perpetual cruise hunger 😇👍 We tough it out and try to dine at 6:30 whenever possible. 
 

With excursions returning any hour of the afternoon or early evening, I don’t think early dining is ever an option, other than a bite ordered thru Room Service which is included on Oceania. 
Maybe one day on a future cruise we will have the opportunity to meet and share a beverage or a bite. We will even invite you to a Specialty dinner at 6:30, IF I can get that early reservation.

Mauibabes

I should probably explain, by early dining I'm talking about 6:30 which is very difficult to obtain.  We did go to happy hour which is 5-6, then the natural move for us would be heading to dinner at 6:30 after happy hour.  Hope this makes sense.

1 hour ago, mauibabes said:

@mb777

Sorry  to hear you came out on the short end when it came to your dining reservation times/experiences. Every ship, every cruise and every night is different on Oceania. We have not had your experiences but maybe we have been “Lucky” over the last 15 years.

 

Vista was opening dinner reservations at 6:00 during her Inaugural sailings but I don’t know if they are still opening then or not. Staffing and crew rest and staggered starting shifts and illness and time off can present a real issue in the Specialties. A lot of people do like to dine between 6:30- 7:00 so it can get tight. You were on an R ship so your restaurant capacities were reduced and you encountered a cruise with an over abundance of early diners, it happens. 

Can you get what you want when you want them, maybe yes but you might have to consider booking a different stateroom level. Remember the Reservation window can be 45, 60 and 75 days and it can make a difference if you use a connected TA or are a DIYer. There have been times when we had to settle for 7:30 reservations, we can not do 8:00-9:00, or we just try for another night. We have moved up our bookings to PH’s in our later years so our window opens early.  We vstill may not get every reservation when desired but really never come up short because we love to “Share” and are “Flexible” when requesting extra Specialty reservations. I may also suggest getting to know Maitre d’s in the various restaurants and you will see them in the TC during breakfast and lunch to chat with. The Restaurant Manager can be a great friend and the Food and Beverage Director can even be a source for a reservation. Your Concierge can be helpful and should you have a Butler, they do have “Friends” 🤪👍. If the ship is FULL, the challenge is definitely greater, especially during certain peak cruise periods like the summer. 
 

Don’t just get frustrated over one sailing, you will find it easier as you make new staff and guest friends who can be quite connected. If you are a “Two Top Only” cruiser, then you might need a lot of stars to align 😇🙏🤞.

 

Enjoy,

Mauibabes

We understand that Concierge level will get us 6:30 specialty dining but seems to be quite a jump in cost to an already expensive cruise in order to have dinner when we prefer.  This cruise we were flexible with any day, any shared number of people, but we don't consider 6:30 early.  We normally eat at home 5:30-6 and just because we are docked at a European port that doesn't change the time we prefer to eat or the time we get hungry.  Also, we enjoy going to the 9:30 show and that is not possible with a 7:30 or later reservation.  Our specialty meals were taking an average of 2+ hours unfortunately.  About 90 minutes in the dining room.

We did make friends with the Toscana restaurant manager while he was working the other meals in the dining room but he said we would need to go to the specialty dining desk to make any changes.  Perhaps we didn't speak to the correct manager although he was the one standing at the podium every night in Toscana.

It's just frustrating at this price point that Oceania doesn't do something to accommodate the obvious need for "early" diners.  I don't buy the argument that the ship will become a ghost ship with the casino, shops, quartet, showroom all going strong in the evening.

Thank you for your post, it was very nice.  

Just returned from 10 day Lisbon to Le Havre in a B1 Verandah.  Pounced on dining reservations the absolute second they opened.  Had everything written in front of me with first choices, alternate dates, you name it.

I didn't attempt 2-tops because friends on the same cruise were unable to get 2-tops at 6:30 even in concierge level and they kept trying over and over since their window opened earlier than mine.

I got one 6:30 shared and one 7:30 shared.  Tried all combinations/days at either restaurant and basically the 6:30 slots are almost all gone by the time the lowly non-concierge guests get to choose.  Some have said be flexible and I don't know how more flexible to be than any restaurant, any day, 6:30 shared.

This had been a big concern for me for the entire year leading up to the cruise.  Obviously the 6:30 slots are the favorites because late dining seemed to be very easy.  My concerns proved correct just as with many on this thread.

After boarding I immediately (with my carry on luggage) went to the dining reservations desk and was told there are no 6:30 slots available for any restaurant, any day, shared or not, period.  I stopped by the desk many times during the cruise and received the same answer.  I did however snag an additional reservation at Toscana on embarkation day as a shared table but thankfully the other people never arrived.

It would seem a relatively easy solution would be to start dining at all venues at 6pm.  I believe other cruise lines start as early as 5pm.  Why Oceania starts at 6:30 is frustrating and as we have seen in this discussion very stressful.

For those who say to just relax and enjoy whatever comes along, I find this unacceptable at this level of expense.  It's obvious that many, many Oceania guests are frustrated with the unavailability of 6:30 dining.

Just finished a 10 day Western Europe on the Nautica.  Had 3 specialty dining meals (2-Toscana, 1-Polo) and would have been over the moon to receive the entree 35 minutes into the meal.  All 3 meals took approximately 2.5 hours which for us is way too long for any meal.  One was 6:30 2-top, one a 6:30 shared and one a 7:00 shared.

If you want to see the 9:30 show, having a 7:00 reservation left us running out of the restaurant to catch the show.

The lack of any earlier seating and the length of the meal service was really the only negative thing about the whole trip.

On 4/19/2024 at 7:40 AM, pinotlover said:

I can understand your position fully. Do likewise find the people with 1:00 and later boarding times that show up at 11:00 , or before, as being equally rude?

Yes I do, exactly the same rudeness and reflects the "all about me" attitude.

On 4/17/2024 at 10:51 PM, pinotlover said:

Purely a matter of schematics. ORV states he has rarely stood in line more than two minutes. Let me otherwise explain the math to you. Oceania typically does about 60 people , or 30 couples, at that 6:30 seating. In ORV’s case that would be 120 seconds for thirty couples or about 4 seconds each per couple. For most of us arriving timely, we aren’t processed in 4 seconds. It takes a bit for entering our room number and waiting for staff to seat the early arrivals and rotate back to pick up the next wave. The process is clean and efficient, but for those of us arriving promptly at 6:30, it’s not a two minute drill. Those arriving at 6:35 or 6:40 may well be seated nearly the same time as those of us arriving promptly. 
 

As a case in point for those starving souls sharing tables. Depending upon actual activity for the night, your table mates may well have arrived on time (6:30), but not seated for another 5-10 minutes. One’s decision to arrive early May or may not get tone faster service depending upon seatings for that evening.

Thanks for the arithmetic lesson. however, I think you may be using fuzzy marh.

6:30 reservation plus :10 = 6:40 = late = rude, 100% of the time, no matter how you want to justify this behavior.