Live Regatta Panama - 2 Ports Cancelled

[Shawnino]

That sounds pretty bad.

We had similar experience on NCL (azipod blew out heading to Singapore). Well "we"... I had a broken leg and didn't make the cruise, I might have been the lucky one as my MIL (etc) soldiered on.

 

I wonder why NCLH isn't more upfront with guests about mechanical issues. Aside from honesty for honesty's sake, deceitful practices can eventually hurt a bottom line.

[sammiedawg]

It is possible  they  slowed down Regatta to save fuel because they had two days to kill at sea before the canal.  Ships have timed reservations to go through.  Or they may have had propulsion problems.  

ABoatNERD, my advice is to keep an open mind about future sailings.  We have done a double digit number of Oceania cruises with three more booked and most were lengthy sailings.  Although we were very irritated with Oceania on one cruise, we remain their customers. Overall, we love their product and it is the perfect fit for us. 

[ORV]

Probably time for you to fire them. Perhaps a more upscale line would suit you. Or perhaps the uncertainty inherent in cruising isn't a good fit for your personality. 

 

I do believe I've never seen such projection of personal perceptions attributed to other passengers. I'll bet sharing dinner with you is a joy for everyone at the table. Do all your interactions with other guests revolve around these issues eating at you? 

 

Try to enjoy the rest of your cruise. Hopefully they'll keep your wine glass half empty for you.

[LHT28]

rarely do they go top speed  as it can make  it more uncomfortable  for guests

they even slow down more during mealtime   especially when the seas may be a bit more bumpy

 

[wripro]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Probably time for you to fire them. Perhaps a more upscale line would suit you. Or perhaps the uncertainty inherent in cruising isn't a good fit for your personality. 

It's not the uncertainty of cruising. It's the uncertainty of cruising on Oceania.

[tine-tine]

Is there a central register of cruise lines cancellations, do cruise company hold such statistics? It would be interesting to compare cruise lines/ships/cancellations to see of Oceania are coming top of the league. Having cruised for 25+ years I never experienced cancellations until Oceania and all of my cruises have had cancellations.

 

When you think that recently Nautica broke its moorings in Greenock yet I have been in the Caribbean where you could only compare the winds as breezy and ports have been cancelled yet Nautica was sitting in the west coast of Scotland in a gale, how do these two weather events correlate? 

 

I have also experienced 'propulsion' related missed ports which have me asking many questions about the long term viability of these ships, it seems that this is constantly given as a reason for missed ports, if there is ongoing propulsion problems why don't they rectify the problems? If you think about your vehicle on the road which regularly starts to break down you would be think of heading towards a replacement so why are Oceania taking all this trouble to upgrade these ships if they are unreliable? From experience you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear, you can pimp the ships as much as you like but what is under the bonnet is what counts!

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, tine-tine said:

Is there a central register of cruise lines cancellations, do cruise company hold such statistics? It would be interesting to compare cruise lines/ships/cancellations to see of Oceania are coming top of the league. Having cruised for 25+ years I never experienced cancellations until Oceania and all of my cruises have had cancellations.

 

When you think that recently Nautica broke its moorings in Greenock yet I have been in the Caribbean where you could only compare the winds as breezy and ports have been cancelled yet Nautica was sitting in the west coast of Scotland in a gale, how do these two weather events correlate? 

 

 

You could always  check  with CLIA  to see if they have such statistics

https://www.cruising.org/about-the-industry/research

 

Wasn't the Nautica already in port when the gale picked up??

I would not think any ship's  Captain would try to dock  in a gale ??

But then again some people might try it

 

 

[ABoatNerd]

Update from Regatta in Colon.

 

The following status aboard:

* Two separate groups have met with the Captain to complain why so many stops were cancelled

* Numerous guests have been taken into see the staff captain and forced to sign letters that were to "cease" complaining about Oceania. Some of these guests met with the Captain

* Guests are talking non stop about this cruise and the computer room is full of people right now emailing their TA's and at least 2 of the guests right now to their lawyers

* Mgmt has basically disappeared in public areas.

 

This is unprecedented in my cruise history.  Everyone, everywhere is talking non stop about what is the real story of this voyage.

 

The prevailing talk I hear is that the propulsion issues with Regatta are in place and have forced the cancellation of the stops.

 

There are many retired navy guests aboard who have loudly discussed how to "hug" a storm while protecting the ship and easing the sailing conditions for passengers. No one believes the cancellation of the 3 ports due to the storm.

 

Further, there have been quick blackouts and lights shimmering and many plumbing issues including long periods of time where the toilets were not working. Around 10 each nite there is no hot water, lukewarm at best.

 

Thankfully the great service by the staff have salvaged this voyage.

 

I suspect there will be more to come.

 

 

[LHT28]

Will they be disembarking the complainers at the next port of call ?

If  not  I would be tempted to toss them overboard if I was on the cruise

 

Are  the passengers in danger? is the ship disabled  at sea ?

Floating  sewage scow like the Carnival was ?

Has anyone read the cruise contract ?

 

I do not think this  a record  as there was a cruise  a few years back that missed 5 ports  in one cruise

 

[Shawnino]

@ABoatNerd

How did they force them to sign letters? 

Thanks

[JimandStan]

I think that it is safe to say that this thread has largely become a sounding board for passengers who are hoping to bolster their position in demanding compensation for ports which were missed on this voyage.  

 

Perhaps not an unreasonable request, given that three ports were apparently missed, but the situation is somewhat mitigated by the area of the World and the time of year.  Sometimes there isn't any  "good" option available.

 

 

 

[LHT28]

this  is what you missed

 

and right behind Rosa

 

[ORV]

Sure would be nice if someone else onboard would give additional input. There seems to be some obvious bias here. 

[judithaco]

We are also on this ship and have felt the same "pain" as those who have already contributed to this thread.  After saving and planning for this cruise, and selecting it based primarily on its itinerary, what a huge disappointment to have experienced these itinerary changes.  We totally get safety, and would not expect to cruise into a major tropical storm or hurricane. But, in today's world of Internet connect, it is possible to check the weather in live time and follow what is going on in the areas to which we were expected to arrive. Sergio had passed over the Baja and was dropping rain in Arizona by the second day of our cruise.   As we sailed South, passing Baja, I checked my friend's photos on Facebook, and saw the sunshine in Cabo and the fun they were having swimming with the whale sharks. We continued to cruise south to "no where,"  and that is why so many of the passengers on this ship have been disappointed and upset with the cruise line. Communications have been non-existent, and the only answer given has been "bad weather." Yes, the ship has been traveling at a slow speed and knowing why would have been helpful. Skipping two important ports and shortening the stay at a third leaves much to our imigination!!   We are not "Seaday" people. While I know that the cruise director and his Department have made a great effort to find activities for the passengers, most are not things  in which we have a great deal of Interest. This has not been what we signed up for and I also would be hesitant to cruise on the Regatta again.

 

Side note:   This is our 6th  cruise, and our first on Oceania. We have also had some issues dealing with cabin size, bathroom size, and the old / outdated appearance of the cabins. But I will save those issues for another thread.

Edited October 23, 2018 by judithaco

[Shawnino]

The lack of communication is pretty bad.

If there really was a storm to be afraid of, post the daily satellite imagery on a bulletin board near Reception or something.

At minimum.

[StanandJim]

1 hour ago, Shawnino said:

The lack of communication is pretty bad.

If there really was a storm to be afraid of, post the daily satellite imagery on a bulletin board near Reception or something.

At minimum.

There mere fact that you still say "If" given the evidence which you have already seen here speaks volumes about your attitude and willingness to compromise, given challenging circumstances.  .

Perhaps you'd be happier on a different, perhaps more trustworthy, Cruise Line

[Shawnino]

3 hours ago, StanandJim said:

There mere fact that you still say "If" given the evidence which you have already seen here speaks volumes about your attitude and willingness to compromise, given challenging circumstances.  .

Perhaps you'd be happier on a different, perhaps more trustworthy, Cruise Line

 

The pax on the ship who posted here saw no evidence.

 

Every cruise line needs sheep who will simply accept what they are told.

I'm really sorry my criticism of how Oceania handled this made you feel baa-aa-aa-aa-aad.

[DrHemlock]

Well, I for one am happy to continue reading this thread regardless whether posters are positioning themselves for rebates/refunds (as has been suggested) or are simply expressing their displeasure with the turn of events -- justified or not.

 

Here's why:  We were also aboard the previous Regatta cruise where she went dead in the water while exiting Hubbard Glacier.  No explanation was offered other than "technical difficulties."  Not saying there should have been a detailed explanation; we all have technical difficulties in our own lives that don't necessarily need explaining in detail to others who may be affected.  

 

However, if the "technical difficulties" revolve around propulsion problems, then I want to know everything ... even the rumors.  We're booked aboard Regatta in January for a fairly port-intensive journey that cost a lot of money (for us).  While we totally understand that weather can alter itineraries and that unexpected mechanical issues can arise at any time, we also believe that if the ship isn't in tip-top operating condition before we even climb aboard, then it's something we want to know because it's a potential deal-breaker.

 

Will we ever know if the pods are not properly propelling?  Beats me ... but I'm sure interested to hear what current pax are doing, saying and hearing.  Maybe the clamor will reach a point where O or NCL will deign to respond.  (Or maybe pigs will fly....)  

[ABoatNerd]

Greetings to all.

 

The drama continues and escalates.

 

To recap:

 

We were delayed 1 day by stopping at San Diego instead of Cabo to let the dying tropical storm pass through the Baja. There was no evidence of any clouds or large swells as we passed the Baja because the storm was well inland. 

 

However, we lost 3 full days of ports.

 

Fascinating ratio.

 

After San Diego this vessel sailed less than 16 knots the entire way to the canal. 

 

New surprise - upon leaving Cartagena this vessel sped up to 20.9 knots all day yesterday. 

 

Guests are discussing the speed increase.

 

The question around this vessel is - if this ship can go 20.9 knots - why were we not going 20.9 knots before the Baja and after the Baja to make up time and reinstate some of the ports previously cancelled?

 

This question has been posted by myself and numerous others to Oceania HQ.

 

Will be most interested in the response.

 

 

 

 

[LHT28]

perhaps  they have been working on the issues 

 

Probably speeding up to get back to Miami ontime 🙂

 

 

[neepawa]

All ships going through the Panama Canal have a scheduled entrance time that is booked months if not years in advance. My guess is that Regatta was proceeding at a speed to meet their ETA for the canal.

Regatta is currently at this location  for  a  docking in Havana on the 25^th and Miami on the 26^th.

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9156474

Cheers,

Don

Edited October 24, 2018 by neepawa

[wripro]

There are certain posters on these boards to whom Oceania can do no wrong and should someone have the nerve to complain or to voice dissent to obvious abuses on the part of the cruise line it is THEY who are to blame for being too fussy instead of the cruise line. And forcing people to sign a paper that precludes them from complaining is like telling the press not to report the truth as it sees it. Oh wait....there's someone who's doing that. Now I see from where Oceania is taking its lead!!!

[potterhill]

We did the Regatta Miami to San Francisco in May.  We missed ports.   Were told it was engine issues.   Then they made every excuse under the sun.  We were exceedingly late into SF, effectively losing 1 of our three days there.  We will never sail on Regatta again, unless  they replace the engines.  Have 2 booked on Sirena that we discuss regularly.  Recently booked a crossing on QMII, our first not on O.  Actually quite looking forward to it! 

 

Mo

[sitraveler]

3 hours ago, potterhill said:

We did the Regatta Miami to San Francisco in May.  We missed ports.   Were told it was engine issues.   Then they made every excuse under the sun.  We were exceedingly late into SF, effectively losing 1 of our three days there.  We will never sail on Regatta again, unless  they replace the engines.  Have 2 booked on Sirena that we discuss regularly.  Recently booked a crossing on QMII, our first not on O.  Actually quite looking forward to it! 

 

Mo

I was on that cruise.  1 port was cancelled due to civil unrest.   We were never told of "engine issues"

[LHT28]

34 minutes ago, sitraveler said:

I was on that cruise.  1 port was cancelled due to civil unrest.   We were never told of "engine issues"

wow  that is a big difference  in "excuses" 

Wasn't there some weather issues as well ??