New O policies

[Jancruz]

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION FOR GUESTS

TRAVELING WITH OCEANIA CRUISES

 

Dear Valued Guests

Due to concerns about COVID-19 infections and in an abundance of caution, we have rigorous policies and protocols in place that are designed to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew.

 

These policies will apply to all guests on all sailings worldwide, until notified otherwise.

 

Please know that the safety, security and well-being of our guests and crew is our number one priority. We truly appreciate your understanding and thank you for your diligence and assistance in helping us ensure that all of our guests and crew remain in good health.

 

Should you have any questions regarding the coronavirus, please speak with your personal physician or visit the websites for the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.CDC.gov or the World Health Organization at www.WHO.int.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carlos Ortega

Vice President, Guest Services

Oceania Cruises

 

·         Guests and crew who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, Hong Kong, Macau or South Korea within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our vessels. Travel companions of these guests who share the same stateroom will also be denied boarding.

-          Guests who are denied boarding will be issued a refund when they provide proof of travel.

-          The standard incubation period recognized by the WHO and US CDC for this virus is 14 days.

 

·         We have implemented enhanced pre-boarding health reporting and evaluation for all guests. Any guests who appear symptomatic are subject to pre-boarding medical evaluations including but not limited to temperature checks as deemed necessary.

 

·         Any guest who exhibits symptoms of any respiratory illness while on board will be subject to additional screening at our onboard Medical Center and may be subject to potential quarantine and disembarkation.

 

[bbtondo]

What about Italy???  

[clo]

So not a singer user-friendly word.

[pete_coach]

The problem with naming certain countries is that this thing has spread all over the world now.

Like one person said, what about Italy? A number of travelers passing through or coming from Iran have also been quarantined.

I appreciate them doing something but, naming only certian countries is not going to prevent this.

Before I get lambasted :), I do not have an answer or solution. If I did, I would get a accolades from the WHO 🙂

[clo]

2 hours ago, clo said:

So not a singer user-friendly word.

Oops - just saw this. "Single."

[Mura]

As a singer myself I appreciate the correction!  😀

[Sand Pine]

Hopefully this policy will also apply to the crew.  The crews are constantly rotating at each port with a decent airport.  I feel that is as large a potential for introducing flu as the passengers.

[bbtondo]

I have a med cruise on O coming up end of April.  This "new" policy is nothing new at all. Rather it's old news.  Other cruiselines have kept up with what is going on and have included a lot more areas, example northern italy.  So according to O's new policy, I could live in the area in Northern Italy that is being affected and hop on an O ship.  Really? I've read that MSC is allowing all people who have Med cruises in March or April of 2020 to either postpone their cruise or change to a different region within 12 months. 

 

My cruise was wait listed in all cabins before this virus.  Now, every cabin category is open.  I can see where this is going.  I hope that Oceania decides to cancel the Med cruises that go mostly to Italy  the next few months.  I booked my specific cruise because of the ports.  If most of the ports change, I don't want to go since I'm not getting what I paid for.  

 

Not to mention the other problems.  Possibly getting sick, not having ports accept our docking, different embark and disembark ports having to change airlines last minute.  Possibly not being allowed to get on any flights because of being in areas that are affected by the virus.  The good news is that my travel insurance covers being quarantined.  LOL

 

Oceania, do the right thing for your Med cruises coming up within the next couple of months.  Give people the choice of a refund,  rebooking for next year, or a credit.  Give your customers a choice.  

 

 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Sand Pine said:

Hopefully this policy will also apply to the crew.  The crews are constantly rotating at each port with a decent airport.  I feel that is as large a potential for introducing flu as the passengers.

 

Did you read  the whole letter

 

"  Guests and crew who have traveled from, visited or transited via airports in China, Hong Kong, Macau or South Korea within 30 days of their voyage embarkation, regardless of nationality, will not be allowed to board any of our vessels. Travel companions of these guests who share the same stateroom will also be denied boarding."

[LHT28]

Yes  they should  not cruise anywhere  the virus is prevalent 🙄

The Islands in the Caribbean & not allowing ships where  they suspect any illness onboard

Ground the planes  that will help  stop people from travelling out of the Country

 

 Dock the ships until the virus is gone..no place is safe

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

 

Stop people from travelling & spreading the  virus  ..stay in your homes lock the doors  ..it is spreading everywhere

 

yours truly

Chicken Little

 

 

[StanandJim]

8 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Dock the ships until the virus is gone..no place is safe

Have you ever wondered  what the costs are for an idle  Cruise ship?

There wouldn't be a Line left in business.

[LHT28]

9 minutes ago, StanandJim said:

Have you ever wondered  what the costs are for an idle  Cruise ship?

There wouldn't be a Line left in business.

Exactly

 It is  a  fluid situation  all lines are doing the best they can under the  conditions

[tocruiseguy]

27 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Exactly

 It is  a  fluid situation  all lines are doing the best they can under the  conditions

There is no doubt this is a highly unusual situation but if you have the bad luck of having someone on your ship come down with Coronavirus (or apparently another ailment with similar symptoms) your vacation will turn very quickly into something less pleasant.  One thing for sure, companies that show flexibility during these unexpected problems build customer loyalty, those companies that do not adjust for the customer build the opposite of loyalty.  

[susiesan]

Since the largest cluster of corona virus cases in the US is in California why are people who live in or have transited through LAX or SFO airports being allowed to board O ships? Please turn on your sarcasm meter.

 

The best thing O can do to appease the worriers is adopt Windstar's policy. Allow people who are uneasy to cancel their cruise and get a FCC, but not their money back.

[clo]

34 minutes ago, tocruiseguy said:

One thing for sure, companies that show flexibility during these unexpected problems build customer loyalty, those companies that do not adjust for the customer build the opposite of loyalty.  

I'm certainly paying attention to this. It's a lot easier to keep a customer than to have to try to win them back.

[pingpong1]

56 minutes ago, susiesan said:

The best thing O can do to appease the worriers is adopt Windstar's policy. Allow people who are uneasy to cancel their cruise and get a FCC, but not their money back.

Susie (and others) - Just because I wanted to (and did) book a future TA cruise from Rome to Miami on Oceania (which has been booked in advance for over a year now), does not in anyway mean that I would want or have to substitute or select an alternative cruise to Alaska or the Caribbean, if the original choice/cruise did not actually take place.

 

If I had wanted to go to one of those alternative destinations, I would have originally booked those itineraries.  I do not cruise simply for the sake of cruising - I can have a "good life" if I never step foot on another cruise ship again.  If the specific "product" that I ordered and paid for (ship/time/destination) is no longer being offered,  I should be able to get a refund of my full payment and not only be offered a "credit" towards some other product that I have absolutely no interest in.  If I go to a car dealership and order (and pay in advance for) a pickup truck, and then the factory subsequently stops making trucks, I do not want to be told that I have to "take a 4-door sedan",  instead.

 

In the case of being able to substitute an alternative cruise, if my first choice is cancelled....that should be my choice alone to either receive my original payment back or to use it towards another selection.  The final choice should be mine and not the cruise line's.  Regards to all. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by pingpong1

[bbtondo]

13 minutes ago, pingpong1 said:

Susie (and others) - Just because I wanted to (and did) book a future TA cruise from Rome to Miami on Oceania (which has been booked in advance for over a year now), does not in anyway mean that I would want or have to substitute or select an alternative cruise to Alaska or the Caribbean, if the original choice/cruise did not actually take place.

 

If I had wanted to go to one of those alternative destinations, I would have originally booked those itineraries.  I do not cruise simply for the sake of cruising - I can have a "good life" if I never step foot on another cruise ship again.  If the specific "product" that I ordered and paid for (ship/time/destination) is no longer being offered,  I should be able to get a refund of my full payment and not only be offered a "credit" towards some other product that I have absolutely no interest in.  If I go to a car dealership and order (and pay in advance for) a pickup truck, and then the factory subsequently stops making trucks, I do not want to be told that I have to "take a 4-door sedan",  instead.

 

In the case of being able to substitute an alternative cruise, if my first choice is cancelled....that should be my choice alone to either receive my original payment back or to use it towards another selection.  The final choice should be mine and not the cruise line's.  Regards to all. 

Exactly.  For me, I"m not worried or scared.  Has nothing to do with that.  I paid a lot of money for my cruise.  I want to get what I paid for within reason. I realize that skipping a port is just a disappointment, but this is beyond that IMHO. I'm pretty sure that Oceania doesn't want unhappy customers.  

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, tocruiseguy said:

There is no doubt this is a highly unusual situation but if you have the bad luck of having someone on your ship come down with Coronavirus (or apparently another ailment with similar symptoms) your vacation will turn very quickly into something less pleasant.  One thing for sure, companies that show flexibility during these unexpected problems build customer loyalty, those companies that do not adjust for the customer build the opposite of loyalty.  

What if you  have no Company  to be loyal to  at the end of all this ?

[Jancruz]

1 hour ago, bbtondo said:

Exactly.  For me, I"m not worried or scared.  Has nothing to do with that.  I paid a lot of money for my cruise.  I want to get what I paid for within reason. I realize that skipping a port is just a disappointment, but this is beyond that IMHO. I'm pretty sure that Oceania doesn't want unhappy customers.  

Right now the unhappiest people I know are at Oceania..believe me they are doing the best they can in an awful situation..

Jancruz1

[tocruiseguy]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

What if you  have no Company  to be loyal to  at the end of all this ?

Companies that treat their customers well tend to thrive and survive versus those that don't treat customers well.  I have not made any requests of Oceania myself as yet, but based on how a few weeks ago they left passengers who were booked on upcoming Asian cruises on tenderhooks longer than most cruise companies is not a good sign.  A simple comparison, RCCL's websites have their travel alerts at the top of their Webpage as do most airlines.  Oceania has a link buried at the bottom of their page, as if it isn't an issue.  

[bbtondo]

Just now, Jancruz said:

Right now the unhappiest people I know are at Oceania..believe me they are doing the best they can in an awful situation..

Jancruz1

I appreciate your thoughts and I value them. I sure wouldn't want to work for Oceania!  I imagine the top people around a round table figuring things out.  I understand O taking one thing at a time.  I'm just annoyed that on Regent (NCL and O) has given some cruises now 60 days out for final payment and their cruises aren't until later in the Spring.  I wasn't afforded that opportunity/choice since my final payment was end of January and I sail end of April with mostly ports in Italy.  

[LHT28]

15 minutes ago, bbtondo said:

I appreciate your thoughts and I value them. I sure wouldn't want to work for Oceania!  I imagine the top people around a round table figuring things out.  I understand O taking one thing at a time.  I'm just annoyed that on Regent (NCL and O) has given some cruises now 60 days out for final payment and their cruises aren't until later in the Spring.  I wasn't afforded that opportunity/choice since my final payment was end of January and I sail end of April with mostly ports in Italy.  

Possibly  the end of January there was not an issue in Italy at that time  so why would they change the  FP date ?

 

JMO

[LHT28]

18 minutes ago, tocruiseguy said:

Companies that treat their customers well tend to thrive and survive versus those that don't treat customers well.  I have not made any requests of Oceania myself as yet, but based on how a few weeks ago they left passengers who were booked on upcoming Asian cruises on tenderhooks longer than most cruise companies is not a good sign.  A simple comparison, RCCL's websites have their travel alerts at the top of their Webpage as do most airlines.  Oceania has a link buried at the bottom of their page, as if it isn't an issue.  

I agree the  Notice should be  in a big banner at the top of the webpage

But other lines  are changing things by the hour  as well

Many unhappy people  on many forums

[Petoonya]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

What if you  have no Company  to be loyal to  at the end of all this ?

+1

[Petoonya]

3 hours ago, susiesan said:

 

The best thing O can do to appease the worriers is adopt Windstar's policy. Allow people who are uneasy to cancel their cruise and get a FCC, but not their money back.

A reasonable and intelligent alternative. My cruise is in 44 days. Please don’t cancel it Oceania!