Cliff-FLL

No. Just because some people think there are some things Oceania could do better/differently, that's no reason why they should stop sailing on Oceania. Oceania, contrary to what some people think, is not perfect and could use improvement in some areas. I, for one, believe an Oceania app could be a real boon. They're pushing "going green", yet they publish a daily newsletter that may not even be opened by many on that cruise. If they had it delivered to the app each day, it might be a bit more useful. No more photographing the harbor master's info, just in case! Same holds true for tour tickets. Send them via the app and include the tour bus number, time to disembark, and the time the bus actually leaves. This way, no one has to sit in the theater for 45m, waiting to be called. If we can get on planes using electronic boarding passes, and get on cruise ships the same way, and get into or on other tourist attractions using one, then it should be pretty simple to do the same thing for ship-sponsored, 3-hour local tour. "Going green" applies here as well, since they wouldn't have 100 people running around the ship, dropping off a million paper tickets that are just thrown away. There are a lot of other ways that Oceania could maximize the use of an app (for those who want to use it). It's just a shame that they don't.

Hmm...after clicking on "Manage This Booking" and "View Credits", ours appears as "Complimentary Shipboard Credit" and each of our accounts reflects 1/2 of the shareholder benefit.

Hey, Jan - You're one of the best, most up-to-date sources of info about what's going on with Oceania - frequently better than the folks on the phones in Miami. I appreciate all of the info you provide, as do many others, but you can't bat a thousand all the time. Please keep doing what you do! - Ed

We were on Marina back in October/November 2021 and the classes were definitely hands-on. The only change was that each person had his/her own cooking station (no sharing), resulting in half as many people taking each class. Can't imagine what would've happened on your cruises that the students weren't permitted to cook.

It can be just as easy, if not easier, to complete the form they provide on their website. Email that and a copy of your brokerage statement to the address on the form. I can't say one way or another about the fax, since Oceania asks you to email it to them or send it via USPS. They provide both addresses on the form.

We were on a B2B not too long ago and received a discount. We have a particular suite we prefer, but it wasn't available for the first part of the B2B so, for that week, we accepted the same suite on a different deck. We asked about switching to our preferred suite at the mid-point, but were told we would lose the B2B discount. This was bc we would need to make 2 separate reservations to get the other suite. We kept our original reservation - and our discount - and having the other suite for the entire time wasn't the dungeon we'd anticipated.😁

We're on the November TA on Marina and already have the credit. If I were in a similar situation, I'd be inclined to resubmit it, wait a day, and then call the customer service line to follow up. Although the CS folks can't make the adjustment, they can shoot a message to the Shareholders division and ask for an update.

I was on a cruise in November 2021 and carried on a separate suitcase with 13-14 bottles. No one said a word. Oceania has always been very generous about allowing guests to bring their favorites on board.

I've been using T-Mobile for several years now in Europe and couldn't ask for better service & coverage. Because of my plan - Magenta Max, I believe - they don't throttle my data so I can send emails, texts, photo's, etc. without any problems. Calls, as noted by Patty, are $.25/minute - but that's still cheaper than my old AT&T plan that charged $.35/minute for calls, $.10 for each text, limited data, and $60/month just to have access to service!

Uh, no. Just no...

Hi, Jan, and thanks for the info! If we're already in one of the top 3 categories, does this mean we get to bump the Captain?

We're on the same TA and they've already given me the shareholder credit. I sent it via email and it only took a few days for it to show up. I sent in 3 requests at approximately the same time, but the only one they acknowledged was the November TA. Still haven't heard a word about the other two (one in mid-2023; the other, mid-2024). A few days later, I submitted another request for late 2024 and received an email that I need to submit it closer to the sailing date, since I must own the shares at time of sailing, not necessarily at the time of booking.

Uh, not always. This was from a tour of the British Isles in 2019. While the fresh fruit may be "replenished daily", it doesn't necessarily mean that the older fruit is removed daily. We've seen fruit get a bit soft/mushy on occasion, but this was the first time we'd seen it go this far.

We always enjoyed Churchill's service, but John is doing a great job in his stead.

I've lost track of how many trans-Atlantics I've done, but I've enjoyed them all and I'm sure you won't get bored. We jokingly refer to it as "enforced relaxation". I, too, enjoy reading and there's nothing quite like grabbing a glass of wine and going poolside with your book. There are plenty of low-impact, on-board activities or you can grab tonight's restaurant's wine list and figure out which one you'll have with dinner. If you don't want to put that much forethought into things - you are on vacation, after all - you can go back to your room, have a glass of wine, and catch up on the news of the world. If that's too depressing, head up to Horizons at tea time, have a little pre-dinner dinner and a glass of wine, and look out the window as the the lack-of-world goes by. I'm sure there are other things to do on sea days, but I'm perfectly content with the options I've found. 😁

To a certain extent, it depends on how much you want to see specific cities/places. If you choose the land-based tour, you'll likely spend a couple of days here, a few days there. It allows for a certain amount of wiggle room in the event of unforeseen events - e.g., bad weather, unexpectedly-closed venues, etc. On the other hand, if you're just looking for a taste of each location, a ship's itinerary may suit your needs best and eliminate the need to pack/unpack, get your bearings straight in a new locale, etc. We were on a Great Britain & Ireland sailing a few years ago and the weather created all sorts of issues, including a cancelled port and a few that were barely tolerable. Had we been on a land-based trip w/a few days at each location, it's conceivable that the following day might have had better conditions, or arranging a visit to a different site might have been feasible.

According to the UK's foreign travel site - https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/coronavirus - the only time people are required to wear masks in Italy are: 1) when entering Italy by ferry, train or coach; 2) on public transport within the country, including boats, ferries, interregional trains, buses, subways, cars and taxis with a driver and, 3) when visiting healthcare facilities such as hospitals and care homes. Occasionally, regional governments might require more but we're all used to rolling with the punches these days. Go, and breathe in peace!

Uh, maybe it would be better the other way around? Reduction in healthcare costs would be an immediate benefit. Plus, their whole reputation for just being nice and easy-going could do a whole lot for our reputation!

So, exactly how do you know we're NOT "beautiful 20-somethings..."? Rather presumptuous of you, I'd say! 😠 Every morning, I get up, face the mirror, and say, "I am gorgeous!" Then, of course, I eventually have to open my eyes and, well...never mind.

Not sure about Princess, but we're on Oceania's 15-day, 2024 trans-Atlantic. After leaving Rome, it has 2 stops (Valencia & Santa Cruz de Tenerife), then heads across the Atlantic, where it has 2 more stops (San John's, Antigua & San Juan, PR). We then get a couple more days at sea before embarking in Miami. Not complaining, as I knew the itinerary when I booked it and love sea days, but it sounds like Princess isn't the only one cutting back on ports of call.

Oh, goody! The "jeans" discussion! Per Oceania, "We request that casual jeans, shorts, t-shirts, baseball caps, or tennis shoes not be worn in the restaurants after 6 PM." It used to say that "dressy" jeans were acceptable but, awhile back, they flipped it to casual jeans were not acceptable. Subtle change in perspective, but it still allows for "jeans" to be worn in the dining rooms. My gut is telling me that they'll accept jeans, provided they don't look too much like jeans. Also, rips, tears, holes, strands, and other signs of mutilation are a clear no-no, which is not unreasonable. There are some that believe that the appearance of jeans on any Oceania vessel, at any time, is unacceptable - even if Oceania doesn't restrict it. I remember one poster that lamented people wearing jeans on shore excursions because they weren't keeping up Oceania's image. 🤣 I have several pairs of slacks that have a bit of a "jeans" appearance, but they're not made of cotton/denim, don't have rivets at stress points, etc. No one has ever given me a problem going into any evening dining venue.🤷‍♂️

BTW, the last few times we booked, they provided special menus that were unique to Privée, rather than simply ordering from Toscana or Polo.

We normally book Privée for 2 nights. The first booking is an intimate evening just for the 2 of us. It gives us a chance to reflect on our holiday thus far, with impeccable service provided by 2-3 crew members who are not distracted by other people. As the cruise goes on, we make note of people whose company we've especially enjoyed and request that the butler send invitations to them. On the night of the dinner, we host a cocktail party and then, as a group, head up to the dining room. We've always enjoyed both evenings and we still stay in touch with some of our guests.

Just went into a cruise we're on that's departing in 4 months. No problem with looking at what we've already purchased, as well as looking at available excursions.

Going way back and slightly off-topic... I can remember when my sister was married back in the 70's. (Of course, I was but a child at the time...) After the reception, she & the groom headed to the pier for a Bermuda honeymoon cruise, with a group of 20 or so of us in tow. We boarded the ship with a couple/few cases of Champagne & Asti and partied in the main hall until sail time. Since it was also the ship's "sail away" party, we were served by waiters circulating with hors d'oeuvres for everyone. No one made arrangements in advance, no one checked ID, no one asked for a cruise card, and we all got off when they started blaring the "all ashore" whistle. Life was good. 😊