WESTEAST

Our TA changed agencies and reviewing the 'new' agency invoice for a recent onboard booking, it now states service fees will apply over and above the main component of cruise booking. Service fees include: booking domestic - international air $50-$100.00 pp; changes to booking - $25.00 pp for hotels, transfers, shore excursions, etc. File cancellations are $100 pp. Kinda shocked as have been with this TA for many years. Always was an advantage to have TA book non-O air, transfers but now the advantage is diminishing. No doubt 'new agency' is trying to recoup lost Covid revenue. Would like to know if anyone pays such fees as news to us? Will shop around or, transfer booking back to Oceania.

Caveat: the renovated R class showers are great, the old ones were tiny but still managed ok.

Looks like we missed the ratio - what is it?

Yes we have sailed many times on the R class and agree the bathrooms are small but we managed just fine. My concern is that Oceania with each new build is inching up in passenger capacity and interested to see the passenger/ratio.

IMO, this is an indicator that the R ships will be history... Disappointed that Oceania is increasing the passenger capacity to 1400 and not sure this will be appealing to current loyal (but aging) Oceania passengers. Perhaps larger ships will appeal to the younger generation. We are not thankfully, in the mobility challenged/aging passengers (as seen in our recent cruises), however by 2027/9, it maybe time to look at options. Times are a changing...

Well, not always. Yes, the time your stateroom is ready is based upon your stateroom category. That said, time to embark does not always follow the Priority Check in. We just returned from the Japan cruise onboard Riviera and many were on the 3 day land tour. We have 'priority' boarding however, the provided transfer by buses from Tokyo to Yokohama all left within minutes of one another and no advantage to any 'priority' boarding passengers (regardless of what your online check-in stated). We were directed to sit in an outdoor kiosk (in the cold) in rows and were only permitted to pass through customs/immigration based upon the first row seated - a mess! There was only standing room remaining in the kiosk. The Port Authority has the authority for embarkation and we have experienced many times no identified lines e.g. PH and above, Concierge, etc. to respect the 'priority' boarding. Furthermore, no Oceania rep was present to even ask a question.

Yes, it will be on the day you arrive at your final port in Japan. Only Customs and it was easy - we only had to pass through Customs Office at Yokohama pier terminal, show passport and hand in our yellow Customs Forms. This was done after we had picked up our luggage. Oceania provided the yellow Customs Form in our stateroom a few days prior and advised that luggage searches may be conducted by hand during disembarkation however, we saw no passengers being stopped for any searches. Regarding disembarking early, you will have to check with the Purser but on other O cruises, we indicated on our disembarkation form, checked with the Purser's office (Reception) and were told what Deck to arrive at and time. We had our luggage with us and exited quickly - approximately 12 other passengers were doing the same. On this cruise, we had an Oceania transfer to the airport and followed the time/luggage location per the colour coded luggage tag process.

Thank you for your post. We were onboard this cruise as well and share many of your comments and have included our feedback below. We have cruised with Oceania many years. Had read that using Visit Japan Web to pre-register would save time upon arrival to Japan. We had our QR codes however, the process at Haneda Terminal 2 was awful. We still had to line up three times to repeat the same process: present QR code, scan passport, fingerprinting, photos, etc. We were part of the 3 day Oceania land package which includes transfer from Airport to Hotel - Oceania driver was at the wrong terminal in Haneda and thankfully a driver for Regent at our Terminal assisted us. Our embarkment in Yokohama was chaotic: marched all passengers into an outdoor kiosk to sit where we waited in the cold with no priority to stateroom category. People were angry. Being part of the three day land package at the Tokyo Hilton and hence, there were many buses arriving at the port at the same time which may have contributed to the problem. However, no Oceania rep was present. Notified our Concierge and he indicated that Oceania should have done a better job in assisting passengers and they are looking at how they can improve. As you referenced, leaving Japan to Busan, South Korea and the return process was very poor. Both exit and entry required face-to-face with Immigration and Customs. Exit was shorter but still involved a long queue then sitting in Riviera lounge. However the re-entry was the worst wherein we stood for 2 1/2 hours waiting for the Japanese authorities to arrive, set-up and then try to resolve their technical issues (passport scan, fingerprinting, photo etc. repeated both times). Crowds were vocal and overall an unpleasant experience. Oceania acknowledged the issue and we received a note from the Executive Concierge with truffles in our stateroom. Our dining experiences were all positive and we enjoyed excellent food and service throughout our cruise. The only critique would be that the savoury lamb chops in Red Ginger were not up to past standard. Last negative re dining is a sore point for many on this board: Oceania’s "resort or country club casual” is a stretch as jeans (even sweatshirts) persist in Speciality restaurants, etc. We took a mixture of Oceania excursions and a few on our own. Favourites: - Two sightings of Mt Fuji: from observation level of Tokyo Government Building and from beach in pine groves near Shimizu. - Impressive Golden Pavilion in Kyoto and Osaka Palace - just stunning. - Somber visits to Nagaski and Hiroshima with excellent museums and memorials. - Samurai houses were interesting and the Museum to Kamanzi Pilots in Kagoshima was thought provoking. - Fish market in Busan, South Korea was amazing. - Beautiful cherry blossoms near Shimizu port. In summary, it was a great cruise. Most Japanese ports, had a welcoming group of singers, flag waving and in Kobe during sail away an entertaining drum show. People were friendly, polite and all cities were exceptionally clean. Also, must mention that Japan has the best toilets! p.s. many passengers had mobility issues though continue to travel which was difficult as this cruise was port intensive with multiple sites required long walks, steep stairs, etc. Unfortunately, three occurrences of older passengers falling or collapsing and one was very serious - sadly, we heard that the lady may have not survived but never received confirmation.

Thank you as we look forward to reading your in-depth reviews. Will head over now to read as we always gain valued tips/recommendations; we've used some of your noted tour guides on past cruises and were very satisfied. Losing an engine sounds unsettling,

We disembarked last September in Portsmouth with no customs check (believe it depends upon your itinerary i.e., our itinerary was in the UK so no issue. However, if Southhampton or Portsmouth is the first port of entry to the UK, you would need to pass through customs). Previously, have disembarked in Souththampton and in both ports, our ship arrived early with no issues. You will complete a Disembarkation Form a few days prior where you identify your flight number, whether you have paid for an Oceania transfer, etc. Luggage tags will be delivered to your stateroom which are coloured coded based on departure time and you follow the announcements of colour codes to know when to disembark, pick-up your luggage and get your transfer or taxi, etc.

Very exciting and never been to Singapore but one day we will! Enjoy Singapore and your cruise. We depart in March and looking forward to visiting Japan and South Korea. Thanks again.

Wonderful and very pleased that you saw my question! You are always helpful and full of knowledge.

Successfully registered, completed Immigration clearance and Customs declaration and received our QR codes. Hoping someone (maybe @monkey@cruise) may be able to answer. Question: assumed I should logout but then saw this message below - if I don't get wi-fi at airport and remain offline, I will still be able to access my trip. Believe this what I understand from this message: If you logout while you are offline, the data you are inputting may be lost In addition, a network connection is required to login again If you register from an airplane or other location and planning to use the app offline, stay logged in

Media release of 15 February announced that Oceania has a new/revised Your World magazine which will be sent to past and potential future guests, as well as to travel advisors this month. The magazine was developed through a new partnership with SANDOW. The latter half of the magazine features sailings from July to December 2024. An online version is included in the release - link: https://www.oceaniacruises.com/emags/jan_2024_your_world_mag us/. Of interest, page 94 has the 2024 Voyage Calendar which in the past, we only received when onboard. There will be three issues of the magazine: next in the summer and last one in the fall.

Thank you for this list as it is a good reference. We took advantage of the Land Program and then the ESS for two different cruises. Will be interesting to see if 2024 follows the same continuous pattern.

The volcano, Mt. Sakurajima, towers 3500 feet over the city and the bay. Take a look at this site: https://www.whatsinport.com/Kagoshima.htm  map you can print, cruise calendar to see what other ships will be in port that day, hint and tips etc. This site also has great info: https://www.kagoshima-kankou.com/for/cruise/marinport. We opted for a ship shore excursion to see Samurai homes + Museum to Kamanzi Pilots.

Concur with everything said about Trinity College and amazing Long Room. We took a shuttle from the port to downtown Dublin and walked the remainder of the day as was easy to get to Trinity College. We then walked along bank of River Liffey to Temple Bar area (stopped for an Irish Coffee at the famous Temple Bar) before heading to Christ Church Cathedral and then St. Patrick's Cathedral. Browsed shops along Grafton Street before returning to ship. Wonderful day. In Edinburgh (port of New Haven), we chose to take an excursion to St. Andrew's as we are golfers and a quick tour of Edinburgh city. Believe there is public transport available to St. Andrew's. After, we toured on our own the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Agree - we always tip and always receive a nice thank you.

We disembarked Riviera in September 2023 and the renovated ship is beautiful and crew were great (other than the CD was poor). The bathrooms are gorgeous and the overall ship is lovely. Enjoyed the expanded Barista area where you can relax in comfy chairs with your cappuccino. New Waves Pizza was delicious (and they will bring your pizza to your table if you are dining in the Terrace in the evening). Not sure why there are negative reviews. We sail her again in a few months and can't wait.

It depends on the cruise and the night. Have sailed O class many times and as recently as last September when we did have to wait approximately 10 minutes for a 2 top. Last September, we were sitting waiting and the maître d'approached us and asked us if we would like to dine at Toscana instead and we accepted!

Thank you for the beautiful photos and we are looking forward to seeing so many stunning sites in Japan.

Just booked our Speciality restaurants and the earliest was 6:30 PM. 7:00 PM was not a choice next was 7:30 PM then 8:30 PM. We took the 6:30 - now, these choices were for a table for two and if one shares, the times could differ.

Thank you once again @monkey@cruise. Have read about admission tickets (or stamps) being a collector's item. Much appreciated.

Thanks everyone for your replies and yes, we were a tad suspicious 🤨.

To avoid a long queue for tickets, we are thinking of purchasing advance admission tickets to Nijo-jo Castle/Ninomaru-goten Palace online (https://nijo-jocastle.city.kyoto.lg.jp/ticket/?lang=en); tickets are valid for use within 3 months from the date of purchase. However, can't seem to find advance online tickets for Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) - has anyone purchased tickets online and if so, could you provide link? Thank you.