Rollcalls Oceania VS Prince

[cinci4u]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are booked on an Oceania Cruise to Asia this coming October and we are booked on a Princess Cruise in October of 2021.  Both ships are the same size and I am active in both rollcalls.  Why is there more activity on the Princess rollcall which is almost 2 years out compared to Oceania’s rollcall.  What gives?  Yes, I know the OLife and tours.  However, people should still be excited about their up coming cruise and want to meet new people.   
Thanks,

Bryan and Terri

[clo]

25 minutes ago, cinci4u said:

However, people should still be excited about their up coming cruise and want to meet new people. 

Not sure why you think that not signing up means lacking interest in the above. I signed up because we have a lot of experience in Rio in case anyone wanted any advice. I don't need formal venues to meet people...and actually find them off-putting.

[cinci4u]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Not sure why you think that not signing up means lacking interest in the above. I signed up because we have a lot of experience in Rio in case anyone wanted any advice. I don't need formal venues to meet people...and actually find them off-putting.

Each person is different on how they plan a cruise and meet people.   To me a rollcall is about building a rapport with your fellow passengers, sharing ideas and planning small group activities.  We have sailed on all major cruiselines including Viking and Oceania seems to have the least active rollcalls.  I am just surprise by the lack of activity in Oceania’s rollcall sections.

[Mura]

Before oLife came on the scene the roll calls were VERY active ...  I agree they aren't so active now, sometimes not at all ... Even so, WITH oLife in place we were able to find fellow passengers for private tours on our recent cruises.

 

Sometimes activity doesn't rachet up until after final payment ... But if you want to find others for private touring it can be very frustrating to find a roll call that has few participants!  I'm with you there ...

 

In the past we might book a year or more in advance and have more than 100 at a Meet & Greet.  That hasn't happened for quite a while!  (We did continue to book a year or more in advance, but we just had smaller M&G groups from the roll call.)

 

Mura

[Hawaiidan]

16 hours ago, cinci4u said:

Each person is different on how they plan a cruise and meet people.   To me a rollcall is about building a rapport with your fellow passengers, sharing ideas and planning small group activities.  We have sailed on all major cruiselines including Viking and Oceania seems to have the least active rollcalls.  I am just surprise by the lack of activity in Oceania’s rollcall sections.

It is a completely different demographic for the mass market lines. many first timers  and much younger market....just look at what the lines provide on board

  O's demographic I  believe is  a more experienced and traveled bunch.  They as a rule  do not need as much info and are used to cruising and lower key.   They like it ,but are in need to espouse.

[cinci4u]

20 hours ago, clo said:

Not sure why you think that not signing up means lacking interest in the above. I signed up because we have a lot of experience in Rio in case anyone wanted any advice. I don't need formal venues to meet people...and actually find them off-putting.

Each person is different on how they plan a cruise and meet people.   To me rollcall is about building a rapport 

[cinci4u]

You are right about the demographics of the commercial cruises.  However, even Viking has more activity on their rollcalls compared to Oceania and they have similar demographics as Oceania.  Plus, Viking offers tours at each port. 

[clo]

4 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

It is a completely different demographic for the mass market lines. many first timers  and much younger market....just look at what the lines provide on board

  O's demographic I  believe is  a more experienced and traveled bunch.  They as a rule  do not need as much info and are used to cruising and lower key.   They like it ,but are in need to espouse.

We're not frequent cruisers but do travel a lot and simply don't need or want a whole lot of 'bonding.' I'm happy with "how was your day?"

[Wishing on a star]

I have been active on Princess roll calls..  So, I will chime in here!

1.  Princess cruises so many more ships and passengers.   It is not just the similar size of the ship.   (I am assuming you will be on a Princess smaller ship.)

2.  And, yes, the demographic is probably the biggest factor.    The bigger the market, and the younger the demographic, these are the people who are online all the time.  Where I don't know if a lot of the 'O' demographic are like that.  Just living on their iPhones, tablets, computers.  Connecting thru social media....  Just a different thing, I think, for many of the Oceania cruisers.   Even Viking might have a bit more of a different demographic than one might think?

 

From what I have experienced, while a roll call and M&G are great...  in the end, there really is not a whole lot of participation once onboard.   

 

We are considering Oceania for a European Cruise.  I would be hoping to start a shared tour with a big outfit that will help arrange shared shore excursions online.  As these excursions in Europe can be very pricey,  especially a private tour for two!   But, I really don't know if I should expect that to happen.

Edited January 12, 2020 by Wishing on a star

[Mura]

It was much easier to do that before oLife tours came on the scene.  For us, I usually set up a M&G which sometimes was well over 100 people but sometimes only a small group. 

 

Our main reason to use the Roll Call was for setting up small group tours as you have described.  In August 2012 on Regatta's Black Sea cruise we had a group of about 16 who did strictly private tours organized by one person.  On our November 2017 Marina cruise, and also our May 2018 Riviera cruise, I was able to set up 4-5 private tours for a group of 8 ... pretty much the same people on each tour.  But even there, we had fewer people who expressed interest whereas in the past there were usually many who expressed interest.  And in the past we wouldn't necessarily have the same group for each tour.

 

We have also used the Roll Call for setting up some private dinners beforehand with fellow passengers that we know would be sympatico ...

 

Mura

[pinotlover]

My experience on O Roll Calls has been that if I put together a good private tour of 8-12 people, I have had zero problems filling that tour. I define the tour, ensure all are fully cognizant of any physical limitations, and give the price. Requires work, but I fill my tours.

 

I always include my email. Some choose to contact me directly, other do so via the Roll Call. It has been several years since I’ve taken an O tour, in that the Roll Calls have always provided excellent opportunities for lesser price. 
 

Once I have committed to lead tours, via the RC, I have often gotten invites to participate in other’s tour. 
 

If you notice the “views” on many of the slower RC they can still be quite large in compared to the number of posts. As clo points out many cruisers are not looking for a group with which to socialize. However, if you volunteer to lead/captain a tour you’ll often get multiple responses.

Edited January 13, 2020 by pinotlover

[clo]

2 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

that the Roll Calls have always provided excellent opportunities for lesser price. 

We have a Baltic cruise in the fall that will likely be conducive to my joining a tour.  We'll see.

[pinotlover]

Clo;

 

I will recommend STP Tours for St. Petersburg. They do an exceptional job at prices a fraction of O’s. I’m quite positive someone on your RC will set up a tour with them. Join it quickly. Hopefully you’re there for three full days. 
 

On a food note, they took us to two different restaurants for lunch that blew away anything served aboard ship! As with many foods, real local cuisine prepared with fresh local herbs and produce blow away most all of the Americanized versions we get at home or aboard ship. Absolutely fabulous stroganoff!! 

[clo]

25 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Clo;

 

I will recommend STP Tours for St. Petersburg. They do an exceptional job at prices a fraction of O’s. I’m quite positive someone on your RC will set up a tour with them. Join it quickly. Hopefully you’re there for three full days. 
 

On a food note, they took us to two different restaurants for lunch that blew away anything served aboard ship! As with many foods, real local cuisine prepared with fresh local herbs and produce blow away most all of the Americanized versions we get at home or aboard ship. Absolutely fabulous stroganoff!! 

Be still my heart on every word you wrote!!! We are there for three days. Does STP handle the visa requirement? TIA.

[Paulchili]

2 hours ago, Mura said:

It was much easier to do that before oLife tours came on the scene. 

I agree with Mura.

In the past I have arranged and participated in many small group excursions in Asia, Africa, Middle East, etc.

These days it is very different.

I am trying to get people to join a couple of Spain Day tours in Seville and La Corunna as they have a minimum Participation requirement.

I’ve had ONE single response for one of the tours.

Someone else on the cruise is arranging tours for different ports without any success.

The cruise is in May - so it’s not that far away.

[KS&JW]

8 hours ago, Paulchili said:

I agree with Mura.

In the past I have arranged and participated in many small group excursions in Asia, Africa, Middle East, etc.

These days it is very different.

I am trying to get people to join a couple of Spain Day tours in Seville and La Corunna as they have a minimum Participation requirement.

I’ve had ONE single response for one of the tours.

Someone else on the cruise is arranging tours for different ports without any success.

The cruise is in May - so it’s not that far away.

 

Yes, this seems to be the new normal.  Taking an Eastern Mediterranean cruise this fall, many people joined the roll call and have added their names to the meet and greet. However,  they are not joining the private excursions. (One of the tours is with Spain day tours).

[Paulchili]

42 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

One of the tours is with Spain day tours.

You may get lucky - they often fill their groups with others.

Our tour to Seville got the 10 required people without any others from our ship.

[ropomo]

9 hours ago, clo said:

Does STP handle the visa requirement?

 

To clarify, A Visa is only required in Russia if planning to tour on your own or with an unlicensed guide.  Russian law provides for a "Waiver" of Visa requirements for tourist arriving by ship, staying for 72 hours or less and accompanied by a tour operator licensed by the Russian government.  So participating in either an O tour or STP, Alla or any of the other popular licensed operators requires no Visa since they all meet this criteria.  Since the requirement is "Waived", there are no Visas involved.  The comments that tour operator X or Y provides the Visa is incorrect since a Visa is not required. 

[Paulchili]

10 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I will recommend STP Tours for St. Petersburg. They do an exceptional job at prices a fraction of O’s. I’m quite positive someone on your RC will set up a tour with them

I second STP although Ala was excellent as well.

STP also provides tours in other Baltic ports like Tallinn & Berlin. In fact, the founder of STP splits her time between St Petersburg & Berlin.

[Wishing on a star]

I wonder if it would help if O-life does not offer a similar desirable tour.  

I am hoping to do Amalphi coast from Naples.  I am not seeing a similar tour by Oceania. 

 

Does anyone have insight into arranging a private tour thru Rome In Limo’s Shared Tours?   They are very reputable 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Wishing on a star

[Mura]

1 hour ago, ropomo said:

 

To clarify, A Visa is only required in Russia if planning to tour on your own or with an unlicensed guide.  Russian law provides for a "Waiver" of Visa requirements for tourist arriving by ship, staying for 72 hours or less and accompanied by a tour operator licensed by the Russian government.  So participating in either an O tour or STP, Alla or any of the other popular licensed operators requires no Visa since they all meet this criteria.  Since the requirement is "Waived", there are no Visas involved.  The comments that tour operator X or Y provides the Visa is incorrect since a Visa is not required. 

FYI, when we did the Black Sea cruise in 2012 we didn't need our own visas (as Ropomo said) but they DID ask for passport information in advance.  As I recall they checked our passports against the provided information at passport control.

 

As to WishingOnAStar's question, I don't recall O providing an Amalfi tour when we did ours a few years ago.  We used Drive Amalfi (our port was Sorrento but I don't think it matters) for a private tour of Pompeii followed by a drive along the coast.  We had an excellent day for a very reasonable price.  There are other outfits that do the same. 

[ORV]

Many of us here have toured with Rome In Limo, Limo in Rome, Stefano Tours, Rome Cabs, etc. They are all quite good and reputable. Most of them are also middle men that will contract with the same tour guides in different regions. I would go for best price as they are all good. 

Perhaps one reason the ship doesn't do a tour from Naples to the Amalfi coast is distance. While it can be done it's a pretty good drive. Much easier from Sorrento. 

[clo]

1 hour ago, ropomo said:

 

To clarify, A Visa is only required in Russia if planning to tour on your own or with an unlicensed guide.  Russian law provides for a "Waiver" of Visa requirements for tourist arriving by ship, staying for 72 hours or less and accompanied by a tour operator licensed by the Russian government.  So participating in either an O tour or STP, Alla or any of the other popular licensed operators requires no Visa since they all meet this criteria.  Since the requirement is "Waived", there are no Visas involved.  The comments that tour operator X or Y provides the Visa is incorrect since a Visa is not required. 

Thanks tremendously. A couple of years ago I did a little preliminary research about independent Russia travel. So do you not have any 'document' and does that mean you have to be 'joined at the hip' with your group. TIA.

[clo]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

I second STP although Ala was excellent as well.

STP also provides tours in other Baltic ports like Tallinn & Berlin. In fact, the founder of STP splits her time between St Petersburg & Berlin.

Good to know as this is a very port intensive trip. Thanks.

[pinotlover]

I see the problem some have as being primarily ( not exclusively) three fold.

 

First, let’s put something in perspective. On our last 20 day cruise, the O Life package provided for 8 tours per cabin or 4 each. So we actually had 19 days with six (6) sea days = 13 days of ports and tours. Some of those ports were easy DIY ports, however many more than 4 were not.

 

When comparing only to premium lines and above, I not sure that O is really any more sophisticated or well traveled than their competitors, but let’s say they are. In many ports, particularly in the Med and Carribean there is a lot of “been there done that”attitude with some of the cruisers. Even on our cruise this summer, we found one couple that had been to Reykjavik 2 other times before on Oceania! We were there for 3 days with beautiful weather and they said they never got off the ship. Strange thing also was they had never done the Golden Circle nor the South Loop! For those Med ports, some have been to them multiple times and stirring them for any tours is difficult.

 

Second, and bluntly. We sailed with friends  on O last year that choose Princess for their Anniversary Alaska cruise. They found Oceania’s passengers to be overall older and less active than those on Princess or Viking. Oceania has a reputation as having more senior passengers, many of which are very physically limited in stamina if nothing else. After subtracting out all those that “ sail for the ship” and rarely get off in any circumstances; are only physically able to do minimal touring; are just plain tired most of the time; and #1 above the pool of possible candidates for tours shrink.

 

Lastly, many of Oceania’s tours are quite good or have the possibility of being so. I don’t typically participate in them for multiple reasons, one being their costs. Even at 25% off, they are often not a deal. However, for many of O’s cruisers, money isn’t an issue. They pay $250 to O for a tour they could do for $100 privately in a group. Psst, no big deal, especially since they don’t have to think. Added to that with number 2, they never have to leave Mother Oceania’s arms. Paying for that security blanket is cheap insurance.

 

All together for many cruises to well traveled ports I can see why Oceania Roll Calls are now slow.