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Before pandemic, when past passengers checked in at the cruise, they could ask to be waitlisted for upgrades. Same size cabins were free and often the upgrades happened. The routine was checkin early, ask to be put on the waitlist, don’t unpack, and wait. After everyone checked in, cabin reassignments happened. We usually booked a suitable cabin and didn’t ask to be upgraded. Past passengers could also be placed on a waitlist for upgrades to a big suite. If you were lucky and got it, you paid $300. There were also some random free upgrades that were given out before you sailed. We got some. Same type cabin on a higher deck. It was a nice gesture. It cost them nothing and made you feel rewarded for loyalty. On Star ships, before stretch, we booked a cabin with walk-in shower. Since there were very few of those cabins, we usually booked way in advance. Now, with most tubs removed, there are more cabins that are accessible for my spouse. When WS resumed sailing after lockdown, those upgrades didn’t happen. Not surprising because WS got a new President. The new paradigm is upsell. My paradigm is to book a cabin suitable for you. If you get an upgrade, be happy.

I never asked for an upgrade. However, there were a few times that I got a complimentary upgrade. All cabins are basically the same, it really didn’t matter. That was before the pandemic. It was also before my spouse had mobility issues. After pandemic, on Star breeze I asked for a cabin change. I wasn’t looking for an upgrade. The concern was a mobility issue. Instead I got a high pressure sales pitch trying to get me to pay extra for a “new” cabin with bed near the window. Just wanted bed facing the opposite direction. Ship had only 135 passengers. There were lots of empty cabins.

I was shocked when I saw the flights that Viking selected for flights from Bergen to Philly. Leave Bergen at 6:15 am.to Fra. 4 hour layover. Flight fro. Fra to Phl. It was the only way we could get home with one change and arrive home the same day. In reality, Viking picked the best route available. We know people who cancelled cruise because of that 6:15 am flight. If Viking discontinues air, it may save them from those disgruntled guests who don’t like the air arrangements.

We gave up Celebrity when they went to All In. There were too many loud, obnoxious drunks. I didn’t realize that they did away with All In. Would I reconsider Celebrity? Not after seeing how a ship of drinkers act. When Azamara made changes, everyone already booked got those changes. When we first sailed on Azamara, it didn’t include WiFi, liquor, excursions, or tips. Specialty restaurants were $5pp. As time went by there were added things like including tips and wine. Prices went up. The increase was minimal. Even though we seldom drink, the price increase was ok. When the change was including all beverages, prices went way up. It made us reconsider options. Oceania Olife was a good fit for us. We could sail cruise only when we wanted. If we were going to a new port, Olife choice of excursions was perfect. Now we aren’t sure if Oceania will continue to be a good fit for us. We have 2 future bookings. One is a Caribbean cruise booked before SM. It is cruise only. Since we have toured many of the islands, we have no desire to take any excursions. The other is a Med cruise. Since there were places that we wanted excursions, SM was a good option. Thinking ahead, while we like O, we may only book Oceania on cruises that visit places where we want excursions. For Caribbean cruises, we question if it’s worth sailing on O.

There was a lot of confusion when we went to Vietnam on Celebrity. Celebrity didn’t explain how to get the visa. It actually was easy. We bought the visa onboard. It cost very little. Maybe $6? That was in 2018. Vietnam was amazing.

Elite level 300 points is the best in value. Elite plus 750 points doesn’t add much value. An extra bag of laundry and coffee. Not enough to get me excited.

It’s October. That’s when Simply More is supposed to start. Curious how it is working. What kind of drinks are included at lunch and dinner? Do all cabins get 2 WiFi connections? Since some people booked Olife before July, is there any distinction between people on Olife and those on Simply More?

It’s October. That’s when Simply More is supposed to start. Curious how it is working. What kind of drinks are included at lunch and dinner? Since some people booked Olife before July, is there any distinction between people on Olife and those on Simply More?

When you book a cruise, you agree to possible changes. I have experienced many changes. Some things happen that can make a change necessary. I have experienced changes due to weather, evacuation for an ill guest, Covid lockdown, pier problems, demonstrations, etc. Nobody wants these to happen. However, things aren’t perfect. Accept it. People on cruises may be disappointed cutting time short or skipping Israel. I would be too. Be relieved that you can sail away from the war. There are lots of tourists on land trips that are stuck in an Israel. They are certainly not out exploring. Most likely they are in a bomb shelter wondering when or if they will get a flight out. Pray for the hostages safe return.

Hope that we don’t sail from Tarragona. If so, it would be a real inconvenience. We will be staying in Barcelona prior to our May cruise.

R ships were not intended for luxury. They are ok if you accept that cabins are small and bathrooms are tiny. That shower is extremely small. We sailed on R ships with Azamara and Oceania. Had a good time. However, now we try to avoid all R ships. If we pick R ship, we book a suite. Our next cruises are on Vista and Marina. Cabin size on both is like a suite on many cruise lines. We are in veranda cabins.

Don"t count on getting any loyalty perks. On our last WS cruise (Sept 2022), we were told that we not getting the level 3 OBC because we got a discounted rate for the cruise. We were very annoyed and haven't booked on WS again. The OBC isn't a big deal. However, the attitude of the loyalty rep is a big deal. It was the first time that anyone on the crew said no to a request. In reality, before the loyalty program, we cruised on WS because we liked it.

Is Oceania still docking in Barcelona? I have noticed that some cruise lines are docking in a town outside of Barcelona. If you have recently stopped in Barcelona, where did the ship dock?

Been in several different categories on O. Boarding times and room access times don’t really interest me. I used to think getting on the ship early was a plus. It isn’t. If you go later, there are no lines. Spend your time seeing the sights. Waiting on a deck chair to go to a cabin is ridiculous. We did an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver. We arranged a full day tour that finished by dropping us off at the pier. Had a great time, ate lunch locally, and didn’t wait to board. On our most recent O cruise, using O air, we got the ship at 3 pm. We checked in and got on the ship very quickly. Terrace buffet was closed. Our food choice was Waves or room service. We ordered room service. My days of hurrying to get onboard early are done.

We are at 89 points. Wish there was a way to get one point. We know people who were very close to Celebrity elite class. They got an offer that included being awarded the needed points. It was a great incentive to book.

We booked a month before sailing.

Have never gotten the tote bag. Our last 3 cruises, we questioned it. Answer was supply issues. Sounds very convenient. We got a letter welcoming us to the next higher loyalty level. It listed the gifts. Some were missing. When we questioned it. We were told that we should’ve gotten a letter omitting those items. Not a deal breaker. Don’t advertise what you can’t or won’t deliver.

Turkish air is good. We took it going on a land tour. However, if you use Oceania Air , you may find your flights are crazy. Took cruise from Southampton, uk to Oslo. Going we flew PHL to FRA on Eurowings discovery. Worst airline ever! FRA to LGW. 2 hour bus ride to Southampton. Going home we flew OSL to AMS to MSP to PHL. Lost luggage, delayed planes, etc. made the trip an adventure. We made it to the ship 2 hours before it sailed. Going home the plane from AMS to MSP was delayed. We were told when we checked in in Oslo that it was unlikely we would get home that day. Hotel vouchers were issued to be used in MSP. Thankfully Delta held the plane going to PHL. Alls well that ends well. We saved money letting O book our flights. Not sure the stress was worth it.

We booked late. We tried to arrange our own air. Prices were extremely high. Many flights were sold out. We decided to let O book air. This was our first experience using O air. We weren’t thrilled with the arrangements. However, we got to the cruise and got home. Going we changed planes once. PHLto FRA to LGW and a 2 hour bus to Southampton. Got to ship 2 hours before it sailed. Flying home, we had 2 changes. We had a few hiccups with delayed flights. OSL to AMS to MSR to PHL. Crazy route. We got home. Our bags didn’t arrive until the next day. on the ship we met many people who had crazy routes. If you can find air at an acceptable fare, skip using O air. However, if you can’t, accept that O will get you air.

Agree. We booked a “grand voyage” not realizing that it really a b2b. We got one credit. We did get double restaurant reservations. We were told that if Oceania lists a cruise as”grand”, you cannot book 2 separate cruises. Is it fair? No! Only fair way is to count the number of nights. Some cruise lines have revamped the way they award loyalty points. Be happy that you get anything for loyalty.

Relax. We were on a ship excursion when our bus broke down. Bus driver threw up his hands, said “it happens”, and left the bus. Tour guide did nothing. Passengers asked her to call the ship agent. She said that she wouldn’t and would call only her excursion office. We called the ship agent phone number. A recording said that it was closed. Eventually a new bus picked us up and got us back to the ship. We arrived 5 minutes before departure. It was tense.

Include all tips in the fare…tips for crew and tips for excursion guides/bus drivers.

Not everyone talks quietly. Viking has lots guests. Some may have hearing loss.

Relax and enjoy your cruise. There are some people who like to complain about everything. Ignore them. While I haven’t been on Riviera recently, I have been on Marina twice in the last year. Both cruises were amazing. We have 2 more future Oceania cruises booked. As far as comparing Oceania before the pandemic and now, there are some changes. We noticed chaises are more spaced out. Chaises are arranged in groups of 2 separated by a table. Buffet has more areas that are only accessible by the servers. Baristas is open later. These changes are good. While nothing is perfect, Oceania comes close.

Only book R ships if you can get a suite. Sirena is a nice ship. However, cabins are small. Bathrooms are tiny. I would only consider booking Sirena for the itinerary. We were on Sirena in 2020 when the lockdown started. We skipped most ports. There wasn’t much to do on the ship. On Marina or Riviera, cabins are huge. My TA described standard veranda cabins as suites on most ships. Larger ships have more things to do.