Live from Riviera - Missed Port

[SU-Florida]

Fifth Oceania cruise - fifth cruise to miss a port!

Yesterday we were scheduled to be in Taormina, tendering from Giardino Naxos.  We went instead to Messina. So far, so good - but farther to Taormina. So we took the "On Your Own" shore excursion to Taormina, but were only allowed about 2.5 hours in Taormina....taxi to return later would have been expensive.

At dinner they announced that we would not continue to Malta as scheduled for today due to weather.  Well...weather happens. But We are here in Messina another day...not thrilling but could be worse...

Destination Services offered us the fabulous opportunity to pay for the same shore excursion again today.  Yes, for a mere $109 per person we can spend another hour on a bus to spend another 2.5 hours in Taormina - the port scheduled in the itinerary

I hear about those "free shuttles" from Oceania

Seems like a free shuttle would be a fair solution - instead of paying for another hundred bucks for a bus ride to our planned port!

While I (and many others) are disappointed by missed ports, what really grates is Oceania's attitude about it.   We've missed ports on other lines - bad weather can happen to anyone.   But other lines have been apologetic, and usually were very helpful.  With Oceania, it's "too bad, not our problem" ....they simply don't care, it seems.

 

 

 

 

 

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[PaulMCO]

1 hour ago, SU-Florida said:

While I (and many others) are disappointed by missed ports, what really grates is Oceania's attitude about it.   We've missed ports on other lines - bad weather can happen to anyone.   But other lines have been apologetic, and usually were very helpful.  With Oceania, it's "too bad, not our problem" ....they simply don't care, it seems.

 

Sounds familiar.  Likely they will give you 1 hour worth of an open bar..  😞

 

 

 

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[Shawnino]

It might be an NCLH thing.

NCL is just as bad.

The ships would rather have you stay aboard -- and spend money aboard, of course.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, SU-Florida said:

Fifth Oceania cruise - fifth cruise to miss a port!

Yesterday we were scheduled to be in Taormina, tendering from Giardino Naxos.  We went instead to Messina. So far, so good - but farther to Taormina. So we took the "On Your Own" shore excursion to Taormina, but were only allowed about 2.5 hours in Taormina....taxi to return later would have been expensive.

At dinner they announced that we would not continue to Malta as scheduled for today due to weather.  Well...weather happens. But We are here in Messina another day...not thrilling but could be worse...

Destination Services offered us the fabulous opportunity to pay for the same shore excursion again today.  Yes, for a mere $109 per person we can spend another hour on a bus to spend another 2.5 hours in Taormina - the port scheduled in the itinerary

I hear about those "free shuttles" from Oceania

Seems like a free shuttle would be a fair solution - instead of paying for another hundred bucks for a bus ride to our planned port!

While I (and many others) are disappointed by missed ports, what really grates is Oceania's attitude about it.   We've missed ports on other lines - bad weather can happen to anyone.   But other lines have been apologetic, and usually were very helpful.  With Oceania, it's "too bad, not our problem" ....they simply don't care, it seems.

 

 

 

 

 

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Shuttle from port to a "downtown" is vastly different than from Messina to Taormina. That said, look at the positive side: you could've done a bit of quick research and found that "Sicily with Mario" (or his brother) could've gotten you the best of both towns at a very reasonable private tour price.

Also worth mentioning is that the right travel insurance will reimburse you for missed ports (above and beyond any non-refundable excursion cost).

Edited October 18, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[LHT28]

maybe  a  sea would have been better

too  bad you did not have time to research things to do in Messina 

[jo-b]

There are usually plenty of taxis offering tours at Messina

[SU-Florida]

We didn't even get a free drink, much less open bar...

 

 My point about the shuttle is that the itinerary was to Taormina from Naxos.  We would never have chosen a cruise with a overnight in Messina!  Messina was never in the plan. 

 

But thanks for the reminder about missed port insurance!  My Nationwide plan does include this and I have never remembered to use it!  Now I have a plan for sea day today researching what docs I need to make a claim.

 

Thanks!

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, SU-Florida said:

We didn't even get a free drink, much less open bar...

 

 My point about the shuttle is that the itinerary was to Taormina from Naxos.  We would never have chosen a cruise with a overnight in Messina!  Messina was never in the plan. 

 

But thanks for the reminder about missed port insurance!  My Nationwide plan does include this and I have never remembered to use it!  Now I have a plan for sea day today researching what docs I need to make a claim.

 

Thanks!

Copy of published itinerary (e.g., on your original  invoice),  letter from Guest Services stating what port(s) was/were missed and reason(s) why, and any claim form(s) required by Nationwide.

[Glenndale]

Hi SU-Florida,

Can you discover whether Nina Ricci Nina and Lancome La Nuit Tresor are stocked on board please. Thanks for your help 

[katz]

We are getting ready to take B2B's on O.  Our seventh and eighth O cruises.  We have missed at least one port on each previous cruise.  We have decided that if we miss any this time around, not related to a serious weather problem, we will no longer sail with Oceania.  

 

Our last cruise was in Southeast Asia.  There was a major uprising when we missed two ports.  A meeting was called by the GM, with the Captain.  The take-away was "We don't care if you are upset.  This is the way we do things."  

Edited October 21, 2018 by katz
correction

[Flatbush Flyer]

13 minutes ago, katz said:

We are getting ready to take B2B's on O.  Our seventh and eighth O cruises.  We have missed at least one port on each previous cruise.  We have decided that if we miss any this time around, not related to a serious weather problem, we will no longer sail with Oceania.  

 

Our last cruise was in Southeast Asia.  There was a major uprising when we missed two ports.  A meeting was called by the GM, with the Captain.  The take-away was "We don't care if you are upset.  This is the way we do things."  

Spent much time on the ocean or in countries with a host of non-maritime related issues? 

If I were entrusted with your well being and was convinced that skipping a port was in your best interest, I'd be concerned about your upset BUT, still do the right thing.

Are you mixing up "we don't care" with "we do care" (even if our actions piss you off)?

just out of curiosity: why we're the ports skipped?

 

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[katz]

Tides, winds and timing. The issue was docking in Yangon .   I know the Irawaddy is tricky, but you would think after awhile they would be able to figure it out in advance.  We have docked in Yangon before without missing  previous ports.  Their reasons seemed “fishy” to a lot of people.  Even those with nautical experience.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

44 minutes ago, katz said:

Tides, winds and timing. The issue was docking in Yangon .   I know the Irawaddy is tricky, but you would think after awhile they would be able to figure it out in advance.  We have docked in Yangon before without missing  previous ports.  Their reasons seemed “fishy” to a lot of people.  Even those with nautical experience.  

If I remember correctly, ships calling at the Yangon Port are generally dependent on flood tides. and daily maintenance dredging is carried out to reach sufficient water depth.  Pretty easy for a whole boatload of things to go wrong on any given day- and those are just in the maritime realm.

I'm not defending the port skipping. But,  I'd need more than angry passengers to contest the captain's decision.