Cutting corners?

[Cruzin Terri]

I realize I am new to Oceania and may be speaking out of turn, however, here goes:

 

I have been reading this thread and a few others with the same subject with great interest. So far my cruise next August is not affected.

 

We can all moan and groan here about the shortened port times but I am not sure how much good that will do if no one from Oceania or NCLH reads our postings. The Cruise Critic Members represent a small percentage of the actual cruisers on any given sailing.

 

All in all I have come up with 17 cruises that have been affected over a few different threads. That is only for 2015. My suggestion for those of you affected as well as the rest of us, is to contact your TA and let them know of your displeasure and ask them to contact the powers that be at Oceania.

 

I have done so already. I use a big box agency that does a lot of business with Oceania and my TA has promised me that she will be talking to her boss (who seems to have a lot of clout in the cruise industry) and have them get in touch with Oceania and let them know that their clients are unhappy about the recent bait and switch tactics (for want of better terminology) I suggest you do the same.

 

If I am out of line, I am sorry.

Terri

[Mura]

From my perspective you are not out of line at all.

 

This appears to be a problem that is affecting a number of cruises, all after final payment when it is too late to vote with your feet. I think the FIRST thing to do is inform the cruiseline of your unhappiness. (Not just you, Terri, but all of us.)

 

Personally, I am not affected ... yet. Our next cruise most likely will be a TA in October 2016 and we've been to all of the ports before. If I lose an hour, or even more, in any of them I won't be upset. If it were a different itinerary with ports that I really do want to see, that would be a different story.

 

But I am still inclined to notify O of my disappointment in what they are doing right now even if I am not affected directly.

 

Mura

[kazu]

I'm with Mura. And no Terri, you are NOT out of line.

 

I will correspond directly to O about my disappointment and the prevalence of seeing port times changed after final payment. Before final payment is fine but after is totally unfair.

 

If we were on board and there was an issue, I would get it. But we are still 60 days from sailing and past final payment.

 

If O doesn't choose to read CC so be it, but I join with Mura in suggesting we all write O. Even if we get the "same form letter", I bet they may be listened to and we may help future cruisers.

[Cruzin Terri]

I'm with Mura. And no Terri, you are NOT out of line.

 

I will correspond directly to O about my disappointment and the prevalence of seeing port times changed after final payment. Before final payment is fine but after is totally unfair.

 

If we were on board and there was an issue, I would get it. But we are still 60 days from sailing and past final payment.

 

If O doesn't choose to read CC so be it, but I join with Mura in suggesting we all write O. Even if we get the "same form letter", I bet they may be listened to and we may help future cruisers.

 

I think writing to O may be OK but I think the TAs may have more clout when they can say a number of clients are unhappy with the changes in itineraries after final payment.

 

Now I have a great relationship with my TA and she will go to bat for me. I know those who do not or use an internet booking service or book directly with O may not be in the same position. However I feel they need to hear it not only from one person, but from many. Then they will sit up and take notice. When they start seeing that their loyalty base is unhappy and thinking of looking elsewhere they cannot ignore that.

Terri

[DOJO466]

I realize I am new to Oceania and may be speaking out of turn, however, here goes:

 

I have been reading this thread and a few others with the same subject with great interest. So far my cruise next August is not affected.

 

We can all moan and groan here about the shortened port times but I am not sure how much good that will do if no one from Oceania or NCLH reads our postings. The Cruise Critic Members represent a small percentage of the actual cruisers on any given sailing.

 

All in all I have come up with 17 cruises that have been affected over a few different threads. That is only for 2015. My suggestion for those of you affected as well as the rest of us, is to contact your TA and let them know of your displeasure and ask them to contact the powers that be at Oceania.

 

I have done so already. I use a big box agency that does a lot of business with Oceania and my TA has promised me that she will be talking to her boss (who seems to have a lot of clout in the cruise industry) and have them get in touch with Oceania and let them know that their clients are unhappy about the recent bait and switch tactics (for want of better terminology) I suggest you do the same.

 

If I am out of line, I am sorry.

Terri

 

Frank Del Rio et al are fully aware of everyone's discontent. What will be done about it remains to be seen. people in the know seem to be keeping quiet about this.

[Cruzin Terri]

Frank Del Rio et al are fully aware of everyone's discontent. What will be done about it remains to be seen. people in the know seem to be keeping quiet about this.

 

I still think that the more they hear it, the more effective it will be.

Terri

[LHT28]

So if they are looking for more profits by cutting shore time what would you trade if they have to cut something ???

 

My suggestions

1)charge for specialty dining...those that like to dine several nights on the cruise would surely pay $$

 

2)Charge for sodas (again)

 

3) cut back on the lobster ..maybe 1-2 nights on a 10 day cruise

 

4) stop sending out so many SALE brochures (that would save $$$$$)

:D

 

[Cruzin Terri]

So if they are looking for more profits by cutting shore time what would you trade if they have to cut something ???

 

My suggestions

 

4) stop sending out so many SALE brochures (that would save $$$$$)

:D

 

 

BINGO!

 

I get one every day in the mail. Not to mention getting another two by email as well.

 

Terri

[LHT28]

BINGO!

 

I get one every day in the mail. Not to mention getting another two by email as well.

 

Terri

You CAN opt out ;)

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/changeofaddress/

 

I do not get them anymore

[buggins0402]

You CAN opt out ;)

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/changeofaddress/

 

I do not get them anymore

 

LOL! I haven't gotten any O brochures in the last year ( and haven't opted out), but still get Regent mailings. DH found a use for them...when the cat pukes they make great scoopers. Since Regent is in the same group, I'd vote for reduced mailings from all group companies as a savings also (we also get NCL, those just go out in the trash, not hefty enough to be a good scooper).

[Travelcat2]

Frank Del Rio et al are fully aware of everyone's discontent. What will be done about it remains to be seen. people in the know seem to be keeping quiet about this.

 

Agree with you. And, of course Cruise Critic is read by Oceania executives. Even some General Manager's read CC. My concern about this thread is that it is beginning to sound like NCL's board (i.e. the more and louder you complain, the better). The only thing their thousands of posts, phone calls, etc. has done for them is to get one policy reversed....... adults and children alike can now take food from the restaurants and carry it back to their cabins (dropping food along the way and putting their plates on the floor outside of the door making the ship look like a trash can).

[ORV]

BINGO!

 

I get one every day in the mail. Not to mention getting another two by email as well.

 

Terri

 

For some odd reason I haven't received any in about 3 weeks. Used to get them weekly. I didn't opt out.

[hondorner]

So if they are looking for more profits by cutting shore time what would you trade if they have to cut something ???

 

My suggestions

1)charge for specialty dining...those that like to dine several nights on the cruise would surely pay $$

 

2)Charge for sodas (again)

 

3) cut back on the lobster ..maybe 1-2 nights on a 10 day cruise

 

4) stop sending out so many SALE brochures (that would save $$$$$)

:D

 

I'd give up half my port time rather than pay for sodas (spoken as an addict). I would never pay for specialty restaurants, so they wouldn't make any extra from me. I don't eat lobster, now, so I'm not costing them anything.

 

The sale brochures are useless. I know when and where I'm going, at least through 2017 -- if the creek don't rise...

[2552phxcrzr]

BINGO!

 

I get one every day in the mail. Not to mention getting another two by email as well.

 

Terri

 

Agreed ;-)

[kazu]

Agree with you. And, of course Cruise Critic is read by Oceania executives. Even some General Manager's read CC. My concern about this thread is that it is beginning to sound like NCL's board (i.e. the more and louder you complain, the better). The only thing their thousands of posts, phone calls, etc. has done for them is to get one policy reversed....... adults and children alike can now take food from the restaurants and carry it back to their cabins (dropping food along the way and putting their plates on the floor outside of the door making the ship look like a trash can).

 

Well, 1,000's of posts, calls, emails, etc. got HAL to reverse their wine policy.

 

I don't think that this board sounds like NCL at all. I have been following the O boards and complaints are rare. Comments, differing opinions of course, but no outright complaints. This is a new development with O and worthy of voicing displeasure IMO.

[LHT28]

. adults and children alike can now take food from the restaurants and carry it back to their cabins (dropping food along the way and putting their plates on the floor outside of the door making the ship look like a trash can).

pure speculation on your part

you have never been on NCL & doubt you ever will

[Queen of DaNile]

OMG - cutting down on mailings would save millions of dollars and billions of trees:D I NEVER get promo emails from O (and I've tried to get on the list) but only ever get e-confirmations for dining reservations.

OTOH the one time I was slightly interested in trying NCL I asked for a brochure to be mailed. I was told they don't "like" to send them but they would put one in the mail. Never got it. Never did sail with NCL.

[sunlover12]

Reading all the posts about cutting port times is leaving me a little concerned. I'm on a Panama Canal cruise next year and the port times in some of the places is already short. There are 2 ports in particular I'm really looking forward to and those are Cartagena and Cabo. We've never been to either. We'll be in Cartagena 7am-1pm and Cabo 8am-2pm. If they cut those even further I will be upset. I've looked at one of the mass cruise lines to the Panama Canal and they have much longer port times. However I do love Oceania and do not want to travel to the Panama Canal on the mass cruise lines.

 

I probably would be willing to trade other things for a little more shore time, as LHT28 suggests. I don't drink soda so I'd definitely be okay with charging for it. Apologies to the soda lovers out there :-) Not sure if I'd be okay with charging for specialty dining. This is where Oceania stands above many other cruise lines. We don't need lobster every night so that would be a logical place to cut costs. Regarding the brochure mailings, they must be sent to select or random people because we don't get them. Well, maybe one or two in the past 7 years. I don't recall ever opting out of it either.

 

 

So if they are looking for more profits by cutting shore time what would you trade if they have to cut something ???

 

My suggestions

1)charge for specialty dining...those that like to dine several nights on the cruise would surely pay $$

 

2)Charge for sodas (again)

 

3) cut back on the lobster ..maybe 1-2 nights on a 10 day cruise

 

4) stop sending out so many SALE brochures (that would save $$$$$)

:D

 

[clcmdse]

We were the uninitiated before this thread!

 

We have experienced a number of port time changes in our prior cruises, but we did not question it. I suspect it was because the late notice of shortening of times did not affect our independent touring. But we are on the same cruise next year as Sunlover through the Panama Canal. Sunlover took the words out of my mouth in reading this thread. With seven sea days already lined up, the thought of further shortened port times in cities we want to see and have independent tours set up makes me nervous.

 

Catherine

[hypercafe]

If Oceania wants to change port times to streamline their operations they should just do it now for all published trips. It's really very poor to make people worry about their vacation that is a year away. If the ploy really is to wait till after final payment to lock people in that is really poor.

[Travelcat2]

pure speculation on your part

you have never been on NCL & doubt you ever will

 

Really not all speculation. I remained on a NCL thread for days (the thread went on forever). Many repeat NCL customers spoke of plates on the floor outside of their doors. Other stated that they were told to do so by their Steward/Stewardess. Reports of some ships looking trashy was also from NCL customers. The part of my post that was speculation was children and adults spilling food along the way to their cabin. I pictured people walking with plates of food down the halls of a moving ship - going into and out of elevators and then holding the plate(s) while they opened their cabin door.

 

In terms of never going on NCL - posters said the same thing about our sailing on Oceania.

 

kazu: Not sure what they do on HAL (or any of the ships owned by Carnival). I have noticed on main stream and some premium boards that people post constantly. I would estimate 50-100 posts on NCL for every one on Oceania., so, they do have the ability to inundate corporate with posts, calls, letters and emails. From my experience on the Oceania board, I believe that their customers handle things a bit better than NCL customers. Just my opinion.

 

.

[coldweathergirl]

I'm sailing on the Nautica November 24 doing the Cape Town to Cape Town itinerary. Regent was slated for the exact same itinerary on the same dates. Shortly before final payment we received an email from Oceania stating that they had to reverse the itinerary due to berthing conflicts. The new itinerary also had us lose 3 hours of time in port overall. I thought it strange that there would be a conflict because I would have imagined they had this itinerary planned for a couple of years but who am I to know the fine details of scheduling.

 

Today I found out via our roll call and then checked online that several ports have now been shorted again with an overall loss of 7 hours from the original itinerary. We now have to reorganize private excursions not once but a second time.

 

This will be my first time sailing on Oceania and it isn't making a very favorable first impression.

[OctoberKat]

You CAN opt out ;)

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/changeofaddress/

 

I do not get them anymore

 

Thank you for this link.

[Cruseforme]

We are on one of the GV's in December, and have not received any shortening yet..however, has anyone checked online at their scheduled cruise and also seen the shortened times now in the web for that cruise, or is it still the original? Just curious if they are being accurately reflected online now also, or if they still reflect the old times. Tina

[kazu]

 

kazu: Not sure what they do on HAL (or any of the ships owned by Carnival). I have noticed on main stream and some premium boards that people post constantly. I would estimate 50-100 posts on NCL for every one on Oceania., so, they do have the ability to inundate corporate with posts, calls, letters and emails. From my experience on the Oceania board, I believe that their customers handle things a bit better than NCL customers. Just my opinion.

 

.

 

huh:confused: HAL is a whole different kettle of fish from NCL (and yes, I have been on NCL in the past)

 

NCL customers have nothing to do with HAL customers or Oceania. I was simply trying to point out that things can happen if everyone takes the time to share their concern. Of course Oceania has fewer posts and less activity than NCL since they have fewer ships. You have to expect less activity when there are fewer ships and usually fewer clients than some of the behommoths that NCL has. Just my opinion too ;)