pinotlover

Greed is a bit harsh. Oceania is Ala carte . Pay for it if you want, DIY if you don’t. Just like their shore tours, they charge very high prices for those that don’t want to exert the effort to arrange their own. They offer you an option with a price. Their wines are the same. You can bring your own and pay $25 corkage or utilize the convenience of drinking theirs at 3-5X retail. It’s the reason some people choose all inclusive lines, they’d rather not know the price of convenience.

Unless you are a dedicated DIYer, ask around the ship on who they use and recommend as a Travel Agent. A good Travel Agent, that is knowledgeable of the inter working of Oceania is a tremendous asset. Fellow cruisers will gladly share the information with you. After you have enlisted that TA’s services you’ll never again need to read a five (5) paragraph verbose DIY explanation on solving a problem. You’ll just quickly and efficiently hand the issue off to that knowledgeable TA and let them take care of the issue. That is benefit you get from Oceania paying their Agency the commission for helping you.

The gift was to make you feel better about your medical bills! 😇 Hope you’re feeling better! 🥂

Everyone is guaranteed at least one reservation in each restaurant. If you didn’t eat at Jacques, it was your decision. The staff at the Reservation desk would have gotten you in. You weren’t locked out.

A note on the “ international “ nights in the Terrace. Sometimes they are good, others very Americanized and not international at all. Additionally, they are unannounced until the day off. Therefore, if one has a Specialty reservation or La Reserve, they miss it altogether. One can be on a cruise and never see the “ international “ night.

Another important issue is that the kitchen and the wait staff has to be in sync. Beef continues to cook after it comes off the grill. Even more so, if put under a heat lamp to stay warm. If the wait staff gets behind because of staffing issues, slow waiters, or that happy birthday serenade , and your steak is just sitting there waiting under the heaters, you’re in trouble. That perfectly prepared steak isn’t when it gets to you! Sometimes the kitchen just has to basically stop and let the waiters catch up. Easier said than done. Then someone is complaining on why it taking the kitchen so long to get their course out! 🥺

Enjoy your cruise. Don’t overly hype your expectations and you’ll find Oceania offers a ver good Premium product. It is not Luxury nor does it claim to be, so don’t expect a luxury cruise line experience. Merry Christmas!! 🥂

Really!! Do you not believe the Head Chef is not knowledgeable about the quality of steaks they are preparing long ( days) before it hits your table? I personally have no idea whether the issue is supply chain problems or debt problems ( they buy what they can afford) or both. However, I believe the Head chef is fully aware of what’s being served. Fwiw, on the Sirena in Tuscan Steak, we got top quality prime rib one evening, and a grisly tough to eat Tuscan Steak on another night. Huge difference in meat quality. I’m sure the Chef realized the issues.

Adding insult to injury will be all the trash containers they are made to fill with all the (to them) junk glossies. They’ll all go into the trash along with the cruise ship trinkets handed out. Personally trying to constantly de clutter and get rid of the stuff often as fast as it comes in the mail. The baggage tags go after the tour. I was still working when my parents died and it took me a couple years to go through all their memories and move them to the trash. Renting the storage space to store the junk, until I could go through it, was good money chasing bad. Hope not to do that to my kids. Don’t need more stuff!!! Oceania, save the money and stop the mailings. I don’t even mind picking up a baggage tag indicating cabin number at the ship.

All flights cancelled late yesterday and most of today around here. If you waited to fly down, you missed the boat.

We went into Bangkok on the Nautica. It was a 45 minute bus ride to downtown. Probably a 45 minute ride from the ship to the airport likewise. Time of day matters for traffic.

I believe what they are poorly trying to say is that the first beverage package is $39.95 per day all inclusive. That price is broken down as $18/ day gratuities, or service charges, and $21.95 alcohol. It’s internal accounting. I’m still betting that somewhere along the way Oceania ( or the customer) is required to pay a VAT or other tax on alcohol but not service, so the breakdown. Everyone will still pay $39.95 for the package. Same scheme different numbers for the Premium Package.

*1. I always discuss plans for en-suite dining with my butler at least by breakfast time.

ORV; You’re mixing apples and oranges. Your $16/day grats are for the entire crew for the ship. Here the drinks package has an all inclusive price including the drinks and gratuity. Often, for tax various purposes, the two must be split. This is drink package only. So if any sales or excise taxes are required, Oceania has published what the value of each are.

Fwiw, there is a drop box/ suggestion box by the main desk. I still list all the employees that do an exemplary job during the cruise and drop it in there. This gets done whether I can fill out the online survey or not. They claim those comments read them.

We’d travel internationally extensively and rarely call back. This thing of claiming to need to be connected constantly is overblown. We have gone days on Oceania with no internet for a variety of reasons. The earth keeps on spinning . I agree with ORV, if you feel you can’t go a day without internet, you need to find a new cruise line. May also need to evaluate why you believe that’s the case!

We were on for two segments. The ship’s wifi didn’t work on any of the days the surveys were to be completed. 😂 Participation Rate = 0

There is an old story to this. Back 7-8 years ago, there was poster here on CC that bragged about eating in a Specialty every night. Said all it took was to palm a Maitre De at the door and you got in. At that time, all posters contact information was listed here on CC. Oceania knew by his email address exactly who he was . Everything is in the computer, and when Oceania checked, sure enough he had eaten in a Specialty every night and never through the Reservations system. We boarded the Marina a couple cruises later and two Maitre De had been fired and the others were read the Riot Act. A restaurant Maitre de would then let no one in on their own, and everyone was directed to the Reservations Desk. Caught accepting a tip and seating someone was instant termination. Several of the changes they made then was actually for the better. I think some have slipped with the Covid recovery.

I believe our primary difference is 1. If only booking a couple of tours, I do it on line myself; 2. If booking enough to qualify for the discount, I give the list of tours to my TA and she books them; then; 3. She automatically sends me the pdf of what’s booked and pricing for my review. 4. I print out the pdf and take it with me. We also print out a listing of our Specialty reservations to take along. Anything affecting our contract with Oceania, she automatically sends the pdf. I have no reason to call 1-800. My TA said the number of Regional Reps supporting the TAs was reduced during Covid and never increased back to earlier levels.Not much room for further reductions.She spends time on hold, not me.

I wonder how many of those experienced phone reps have/will survive the current downsizing? I have a TA and know how to use her. Zero need to call 1-800.

PG has always been our least favorite restaurant. As it, it could never compete with the other steak/chop houses in our area. Slow service is subjective. If your dining experience took between 1.5-2 hours, service was as planned. Unless at a large table with a large group, if it takes over 2 hours then it is running slower than normal. Oceania thankfully doesn’t subscribe to the American regime of “ Flip that Table” which some prefer.

I suppose I agree with the TA that probably has experience in this matter. Oceania cancelled one of our tours last cruise and we had the same scenario. They didn’t take away our discount. If you extrapolate the position some here suggest, if O cancelled a port, thus cancelling a cruise, you could lose your YWYW discount on your other tours. Insult to injury. I’d trust my TA that has plenty of Oceania experience. Hopefully the OP’s does likewise.

There is a web of companies involved. It starts in the workers home country where local companies recruit, verify skills, and ensure things such as vaccinations are in place. Then the next tiered company pulls from those lists to fill actual personnel needs for the cruise lines. After receiving a personnel order, then the local company arranges transportation and logistical needs to get their people to the port. Similiar to dealing with any single or multi layer employment agencies here in the States, what Oceania pays per worker is not what the workers take home. Only the top officers are actually oceania employees.Even the entertainment crew works for separate talent agencies.

We aren’t scheduled there on the Marina until mid March. Doubt we’ll hear much before our cruise starts in late February.

If steak cost $10/lb in the grocery, but $30 in the restaurant, do you currently tip on the retail or restaurant price? Be careful making assumptions on beverage prices. Some States have “ on-premise prices and off premise prices from the distributor. A liquor store or chain that buys 20 cases of wine may be able to buy it lower and resell it than a restaurant can sell it for. Lots goes into pricing.