What would make Oceania (even) better?

[orchestrapal]

I think it would be a great idea if Oceania introduced a Spa package to be purchased in advance which incorporated a discount - say a percentage discount for committing to $500 or $1000-worth of treatments which could be pre-booked.

 

The spa is a concession so why not get in touch with them with your idea.

They advertise constantly while on the ship and you'll be able to get rid of your money very quickly.

[ORV]

One improvement that I think would be beneficial would be to install automatic door openers on the Pool decks of the R ships like the O ships have.

 

I really missed these on our recent Regatta cruise after having been on Riviera, especially on those windy days we had. There were some people that couldn't open the doors at all. I was also surprised at the lack of assistance by waiters with this around the Waves area.

[mountain grandma]

One improvement that I think would be beneficial would be to install automatic door openers on the Pool decks of the R ships like the O ships have.

 

I really missed these on our recent Regatta cruise after having been on Riviera, especially on those windy days we had. There were some people that couldn't open the doors at all. I was also surprised at the lack of assistance by waiters with this around the Waves area.

 

Orv -- I don't mean to argue (just disagree :)) but we were in Waves on several occasions on very windy days during this cruise and I was impressed by the fact that the wait staff in that area (and also from inside the Terrace Café on the Starboard side) were giving a lot of assistance with the doors for those of us who were trying to go between Waves and the Terrace Café. Maybe you were there when they weren't manning the doors but I saw it several times on different days.

 

I do agree that the doors would be better if they were like the O ships have and were automatic.

 

Billie

[ronrick1943]

as Mura suggested is PERFECT for late afternoon 3 or 4. I can not believe they won't use it.

 

The theatre is horrible and when they do it at night in Martinis...bring a big, big guy to move the chairs.

 

It should never be in Martinis, let the bar be what it is a bar for people to meet and be able to talk to each other during the day, before dinner and after.

 

Rick

[Travelcat2]

It should never be in Martinis, let the bar be what it is a bar for people to meet and be able to talk to each other during the day, before dinner and after.

 

Rick

 

Although we have only done one Oceania cruise, Martinis was dead in the afternoon. It didn't become a zoo (literally) until Happy Hour started. We really believed that people who chose Oceania over Regent didn't drink and did not want included excursions (nothing wrong with that). We were shocked to see the mob of people in Martinis during Happy Hour. If Trivia was done in Martinis at 4:00 p.m., IMO, it would lead nicely into Happy Hour. However, as proven earlier, some people get very upset if an opinion is offered:confused:

[Paulchili]

. If Trivia was done in Martinis at 4:00 p.m., IMO, it would lead nicely into Happy Hour. However, as proven earlier, some people get very upset if an opinion is offered:confused:

 

It's not so much that "people get very upset if an opinion is offered" - it's more about whether opinions are useful and workable. The afternoon trivia are usually very popular (we had between 150 and 200 people) and they would never fit into Martinis. The evening trivia that were held in Martinis had much smaller crowds so it worked well. :)

[fairbourne]

I think it would be a great idea if Oceania introduced a Spa package to be purchased in advance which incorporated a discount - say a percentage discount for committing to $500 or $1000-worth of treatments which could be pre-booked.

 

They offered a spa package on the Riviera, booked once on board though. I remember you could choose 4 or 5 treatments from selected treatments that made a nice package and it gave you a saving over buying the treatments individually, as you mentioned. They were also flexible with me in swapping a treatment not on their package selection for something which I preferred and it also meant I had the same therapist for each of the two treatment choices I made.

 

The Spa is usually one of our first "ports of call" when we get on board! :D.

[DaisyUK]

They offered a spa package on the Riviera, booked once on board though. I remember you could choose 4 or 5 treatments from selected treatments that made a nice package and it gave you a saving over buying the treatments individually, as you mentioned. They were also flexible with me in swapping a treatment not on their package selection for something which I preferred and it also meant I had the same therapist for each of the two treatment choices I made.

 

The Spa is usually one of our first "ports of call" when we get on board! :D.

 

Oh great, that's exactly what I meant. It would be nice to have it ahead of time so that it could be taken into account when booking other activities, but I shall look out for offers when we board.

[fairbourne]

Oh great, that's exactly what I meant. It would be nice to have it ahead of time so that it could be taken into account when booking other activities, but I shall look out for offers when we board.

 

 

I know what you mean! But booking as soon as you get on board is the best as it gives you the greatest availability of times, and when I had to change the time of one of my appointments later on due to a clash, it wasn't a problem.

 

When we went up, all the therapists were doing their bit and showing people around the spa, and also offering taster sessions on the massage chair! That was really good as it gave you a chance to "feel the hands" as it were before you booked! Of course, I'm exactly the person they want for that taster session, as I'm an easy convert to sign up for "more of that please"! LOL!

[Lady Meer]

And regarding Trivia - I think Wendy is right. Hold Trivia once teatime in Horizons has finished (1645 or so?). It really works well on Regent where on the Mariner it is in the Horizon Lounge which is always packed at tea time and then people drift off OR stay to play. I love Trivia (especially when I can play with Tallship!) but on Riviera I really did not like the idea of playing in the theatre so I didn't go. And on the TA I would really love to play...

 

I know I'm going to regret this but here goes anyway :o. Afternoon trivia could be in Horizons at 4.30 pm with tea being served in the dining room which would eliminate the staff having to carry all the tea stuff to and from Horizons.

[ronrick1943]

I know I'm going to regret this but here goes anyway :o. Afternoon trivia could be in Horizons at 4.30 pm with tea being served in the dining room which would eliminate the staff having to carry all the tea stuff to and from Horizons.

 

I agree, that is really a great idea-plus it's a little more formal as High Tea should be.......

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I know I'm going to regret this but here goes anyway :o. Afternoon trivia could be in Horizons at 4.30 pm with tea being served in the dining room which would eliminate the staff having to carry all the tea stuff to and from Horizons.

 

Sounds good, but then the MDR crew would have massive work to get it ready for the dinner hour.

[I_r_a]

> Afternoon trivia could be in Horizons at 4.30 pm with tea being served in the dining room which would eliminate the staff having to carry all the tea stuff to and from Horizons. <

 

Excellent idea, Lady M.

 

Ira

[Paulchili]

Sounds good, but then the MDR crew would have massive work to get it ready for the dinner hour.

 

+1

Only the staff themselves could tell us which would be easier for them - setting up tea in Horizons with moving of dishes back and forth or setting up tea in the MDR followed by dinner set up.

Otherwise it sounds like a good idea

Edited May 11, 2014 by Paulchili

[LuAnn]

I know I'm going to regret this but here goes anyway :o. Afternoon trivia could be in Horizons at 4.30 pm with tea being served in the dining room which would eliminate the staff having to carry all the tea stuff to and from Horizons.

 

hope FDR is reading this!!! :) LuAnn

[Toranut97]

My dumb question: where would you put the string quartet in the MDR?

 

Moving furniture around as well as the set up for tea service/ tear down of tea/ set up dinner just seems unreasonable to ask of even the hardworking O staff.

 

I play trivia pretty much every day and night -- can't see it becoming a driving factor for space allocation or scheduling. That is just me. I suspect that the whole dining and entertainment program is a finely tuned machine and hard to flex. It will be interesting to see if anything comes of these suggestions.

[Mura]

The string quartet already plays there on special occasions. We had a special brunch on our Brazilian Destinies cruise on Marina last November where the quartet played.

 

When Renaissance owned the "R" ships there was a platform in the far corner where a grand piano was located. I don't know if it's still there after refurbishment, and don't recall anything like that on Marina/Riviera.

 

I also remember the quartet playing once towards the front end of the GDR on Regatta. Actually, it was a trio so that made it easier to fit them in.

 

I'm sure it could be managed if management wanted to put these ideas into effect.

 

I like Lady Meer's idea of using the GDR for tea but also agree the comment that this would cause difficulty for the wait staff in setting up for dinner. As it is they set up right after lunch. They couldn't do that if tea were held there.

 

Well, maybe they could if they just reserved a section of the GDR for tea. The question is: how large a section?

 

Mura

[Toranut97]

Told you my question was dumb! [emoji6]

 

We enjoy the string quartet and like to be able to actually listen to them, not just catch them in the background.. Just one more little piece of the puzzle.

 

I am not persuaded. Fortunately I have NO authority!!

[sailfar]

We sailed a back to back on Riviera in February and March. Teatime tables were still being cleared at 5:45 PM almost at the end of the 5 -6 PM happy hour. The tea party people had left, and the happy hours people were frustrated because they did not have the wait staff to clear the tables, and for most the time, only one bartender was on duty.

 

The main issue is the allocation of staff in the right place at the right time.

 

We came to Happy Hour and left for dinner. However, we spent less because of the low level of service. As we looked around, we saw a lost level of revenue for Oceania.

 

I really like the idea of holding tea time in a limited section of the Grand Dining room. Surely the staff can service the area with an event between

4 and 5 PM. Dinner does not start until 6:30.

 

Meanwhile, Horizons is used nonstop from Happy Hour on and with many people coming in even later than the Happy Hour for pre-dinner drinks.

 

During Happy Hour people, including us, spent less because of the the low level of service.

 

Trivia requires no setup. Why not use the theater venues or even the outdoor sun deck on nice days when the pool area is desolate.

[sailfar]

One of the drawbacks of the O ships is the stationary chairs. Would it be possible to have a section with moveable chairs that could be moved for more team, face to face events? Trivia and other events would benefit. Not much labor is involved in moving a few chairs. Space on a ship is expensive. It needs to be well used.

[Paulchili]

Would it be possible to have a section with moveable chairs that could be moved for more team, face to face events? Not much labor is involved in moving a few chairs.

 

Moving a FEW chairs? :D

We had up to 200 people playing trivia at times. That's a LOT of moveable chairs. Not to mention that trivia teams cannot sit next to each other (for obvious reasons). Which chairs in the theater would you make moveable?

I am afraid that this is not a workable solution, IMO.

[JimandStan]

Moving a FEW chairs? :D

We had up to 200 people playing trivia at times. That's a LOT of moveable chairs. Not to mention that trivia teams cannot sit next to each other (for obvious reasons). Which chairs in the theater would you make moveable?

I am afraid that this is not a workable solution, IMO.

Quite right Paul, the biggest drawback being that (at least) several rows of the stationary chairs would ALSO have to be removed, or else the move-able chairs could only clog the aisles (which would just not do.)

[Toranut97]

Moving a FEW chairs? :D

We had up to 200 people playing trivia at times. That's a LOT of moveable chairs. Not to mention that trivia teams cannot sit next to each other (for obvious reasons). Which chairs in the theater would you make moveable?

I am afraid that this is not a workable solution, IMO.

 

Our November, 2013 Riviera cruise had trivia in the theatre. We had big numbers - people just had to (gasp) turn around in their seats to see each other and share answers. Not the most comfortable or convenient, but it worked. (CD was Roy Perez)

 

On this year's Mayan Mystique, Nolan Dean moved the trivia to Martini's. I didn't see how it could work, but it was okay. The room got pretty full. We were done in plenty of time for the crew to reset things for Happy Hour ("pig swill..." ;-)) and that worked also.

 

I am sorry to have commented again and swear this is my last input. My wish is that the GDR be left out of the mix, and that the tea in Horizons, which is highly successful and workable, be allowed to stay as is.

 

I really will shut up now.

 

Donna

[Hambagahle]

I think having afternoon tea while sitting at a table meant for dining is a ghastly idea. Afternoon tea is usually taken in a lounge or a sitting room... not at a table. It would change the entire atmosphere entirely. And the atmosphere they have created in Horizons with the string quartet, the white-gloved waiters passing tea and the cakes etc is totally perfect! let's keep it that way.

[LHT28]

It seems the biggest problem is trivia so why not just do away with it :rolleyes:

They could limit the number of people per session so they could hold trivia in one of the smaller dining venues in the afternoons

Having trivia in the bar in the evening is not suitable either

 

Leave afternoon tea in Horizons where the music & views are more enjoyable