Great Meeting for CCC with Oceania

[clo]

1 hour ago, marieps said:

Thanks, Jan.  Hopefully this update is based on recent conversations with the CDC.

Which is what it's all about. And most of the countries on the planet. What the corporations say has nothing to do with anything until TPTB tell us.

[clo]

43 minutes ago, Waynetor said:

I'm hoping cruise lines can enforce something like this at least for a year.  

With respect, why would they not be able to?

[Waynetor]

I used the 'can enforce' because IF there is no reliable proof of the vaccine being done that can not be easily forged, then just saying you need to be vaccinated may be a problem.  People have been using forged vaccine docs trying to get into Canada already.

 

O serves passengers from many countries so there needs to be a reliable, universally accepted proof or passengers from countries not providing a reliable proof will be out of option to cruise.   

[LHT28]

It would be  a good idea to have the proof of vaccine just  attached to your passport digitally

Then no forged  negative test results or fake vaccine documents

It would have to be an agreement World wide  for it to work though

JMO

[bigmjh]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

It would be  a good idea to have the proof of vaccine just  attached to your passport digitally

Then no forged  negative test results or fake vaccine documents 👏👍

Digitally attached to passports = best idea. Already there are fake vaccination cards popping up for sale on the internet ... and, as history as shown, it will only get worse.

[Tranquility Base]

The CommonPass Travel Health App is one of the leading digital contenders presently undergoing trials by some airlines.

[cbb]

The Vaccination Credential Initiative, a cooperative venture between major high tech and health care companies, is also underway.

 

the big problem will be getting countries around the world to accept a common digital passport whether the holder is flying or cruising or attending a large event. 

[kathy9]

Thanks for the information.

I am very happy about the proof of vaccination requirement.

I really hope the crew will not be forced to continue sharing such tiny cabin spaces and that maybe after the year 2020 we can really appericate them even more!

Looking forward to safe sailing on my favorite cruiseline!

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by kathy9

[Redtravel]

Too little, too late. In January when the travel restrictions for international boarding flights into the USA were announced, I contacted Oceania asking what was happening. We were booked on a cruise in the Med this summer with a flight home directly after the cruise. We bought the whole O life package.  I asked again. I even asked my travel agent. Response was that something would be done. What?  I wasn’t up for a challenge of having to find the testing on my own.  Oceania had no answers about testing.  Our book by date on our fcc was expiring this week.  What were we to do?  Wait, rebook, cancel, or maybe just lose the fcc?  Again, we asked questions that got no answers.  After 2 months of wait and see, we saw that this situation wasn’t for us.  With all the pandemic lockdowns happening again in Europe, there didn’t seem likely that any cruise would sail in the Med this year. We canceled yesterday.   The one positive that I commend Oceania for was that they reissued our fcc and extended the expiration dates.  We now have time to find another cruise without being pushed.  It would be proactive on Oceania’s part if they extended all fcc to a year past the real resail  date.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Too little, too late. In January when the travel restrictions for international boarding flights into the USA were announced, I contacted Oceania asking what was happening. We were booked on a cruise in the Med this summer with a flight home directly after the cruise. We bought the whole O life package.  I asked again. I even asked my travel agent. Response was that something would be done. What?  I wasn’t up for a challenge of having to find the testing on my own.  Oceania had no answers about testing.  Our book by date on our fcc was expiring this week.  What were we to do?  Wait, rebook, cancel, or maybe just lose the fcc?  Again, we asked questions that got no answers.  After 2 months of wait and see, we saw that this situation wasn’t for us.  With all the pandemic lockdowns happening again in Europe, there didn’t seem likely that any cruise would sail in the Med this year. We canceled yesterday.   The one positive that I commend Oceania for was that they reissued our fcc and extended the expiration dates.  We now have time to find another cruise without being pushed.  It would be proactive on Oceania’s part if they extended all fcc to a year past the real resail  date.  

Industrial suicide?

 

Last year, O began issuing Covid-related Travel Advisories and a flexible Travelers Assurance Program via links on their website homepage. Readjusted on a monthly basis and generally looking ahead for several months, this achieved an efficacious balance of mutual benefit to both customers and company.

 

O, operating with a skeleton crew (not just on ships but also in the home office), carefully considered the overall impact of current and impending cancelations on their own clerical/financial workload and the uncertainty of worldwide reactions to the pandemic and wisely decided to take things “one step at a time.”

 

An initial surge of 30,000 cancellation refunds needing to be addressed in early 2020 stressed O’’s ability to respond, yet they performed far better than could be expected (we received refunds/FCCs for multiple cruises within ten days of O’s announced cancelations). In addition, they recognized that items like FCCs could significantly impact the flow of rebookings -particularly as relates to limiting future cabin availability (something we’re seeing now for 2022).

 

Add the final element of constantly changing international travel restrictions and “restart” scenarios and any reasonable person would recognize that a decision to make a wholesale move to extend all FCCs to a year out could theoretically leave the company with a near empty ship if “restart” was announced in short order and there were far less than whatever is/was the “new normal” safe passenger load. 

 

In essence, Oceania has created a flexible efficacious rhythm of responsiveness that protects us and them. Woven into that new fabric is O’s ever present willingness to consider reasonable exceptions to booking policies on a case by case basis. And, in our experience, they have most often “done the right thing.”

 

Anything else would be “industrial suicide.”

[Shawnino]

41 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

 

In essence, Oceania has created a flexible efficacious rhythm of responsiveness that protects us and them. Woven into that new fabric is O’s ever present willingness to consider reasonable exceptions to booking policies on a case by case basis. 

 

 

 

Mmm. Kool-Aid.

This is the company that charges your credit card immediately for a deposit but takes 90 days to refund said deposit on a cruise they cancelled.

This is the company that gives webinars to the select few rather than sharing this info openly, so its most ardent pax rely on leaks. 

There's not just efficacious rhythm woven into that fabric, there's also a Bras d'Honneur aimed at the clientele.

 

[clo]

6 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

 

Mmm. Kool-Aid.

This is the company that charges your credit card immediately for a deposit but takes 90 days to refund said deposit on a cruise they cancelled.

This is the company that gives webinars to the select few rather than sharing this info openly, so its most ardent pax rely on leaks. 

There's not just efficacious rhythm woven into that fabric, there's also a Bras d'Honneur aimed at the clientele.

 

Thanks for this. A year ago I was dealing with two canceled cruises and O wasn't any better than Hurtigruten. I developed a "jaundiced eye" and I need to remind myself of that.

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

 

Mmm. Kool-Aid.

This is the company that charges your credit card immediately for a deposit but takes 90 days to refund said deposit on a cruise they cancelled.

This is the company that gives webinars to the select few rather than sharing this info openly, so its most ardent pax rely on leaks. 

There's not just efficacious rhythm woven into that fabric, there's also a Bras d'Honneur aimed at the clientele.

 

Let us know when you find another cruise company that has better handled the situation.

[pinotlover]

40 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

 

Mmm. Kool-Aid.

This is the company that charges your credit card immediately for a deposit but takes 90 days to refund said deposit on a cruise they cancelled.

This is the company that gives webinars to the select few rather than sharing this info openly, so its most ardent pax rely on leaks. 

There's not just efficacious rhythm woven into that fabric, there's also a Bras d'Honneur aimed at the clientele.

 

I do take an exception with the “ select few” comment . From the thread, Oceania had a question and answer webinar with its OCC members . Those OCC members represent a large portion of Oceania’s base customer list. I believe that Oceania clearly expected those OCC members to disseminate the information to their clients. Mine certainly did. IMO webinars with 1,000s of participants are a waste of every one’s time. Not everyone believes that going on Oprah is the best methodology either.

 

I believe we got more and better information dissemination via that webinar than from a crafted corporate news release. Thanks to Jancruz and our Agents for sharing.

Edited March 17, 2021 by pinotlover

[Jancruz]

15 hours ago, marieps said:

Thanks, Jan.  Hopefully this update is based on recent conversations with the CDC.

Im sure they are constantly in touch

Jancruz1

[Jancruz]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Industrial suicide?

 

Last year, O began issuing Covid-related Travel Advisories and a flexible Travelers Assurance Program via links on their website homepage. Readjusted on a monthly basis and generally looking ahead for several months, this achieved an efficacious balance of mutual benefit to both customers and company.

 

O, operating with a skeleton crew (not just on ships but also in the home office), carefully considered the overall impact of current and impending cancelations on their own clerical/financial workload and the uncertainty of worldwide reactions to the pandemic and wisely decided to take things “one step at a time.”

 

An initial surge of 30,000 cancellation refunds needing to be addressed in early 2020 stressed O’’s ability to respond, yet they performed far better than could be expected (we received refunds/FCCs for multiple cruises within ten days of O’s announced cancelations). In addition, they recognized that items like FCCs could significantly impact the flow of rebookings -particularly as relates to limiting future cabin availability (something we’re seeing now for 2022).

 

Add the final element of constantly changing international travel restrictions and “restart” scenarios and any reasonable person would recognize that a decision to make a wholesale move to extend all FCCs to a year out could theoretically leave the company with a near empty ship if “restart” was announced in short order and there were far less than whatever is/was the “new normal” safe passenger load. 

 

In essence, Oceania has created a flexible efficacious rhythm of responsiveness that protects us and them. Woven into that new fabric is O’s ever present willingness to consider reasonable exceptions to booking policies on a case by case basis. And, in our experience, they have most often “done the right thing.”

 

Anything else would be “industrial suicide.”

Thank you for seeing the big picture sometimes people want O to do things that are not possible..appreciate your realism..

Jancruz1

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Thank you for seeing the big picture sometimes people want O to do things that are not possible..appreciate your realism..

Jancruz1

Thanks!

As you may remember from some of our conversations, I spent the bulk of my professional life as a university executive. In dealing with many academic professionals over the decades, I constantly found myself reminding some of them that there’s not just a “body of knowledge.” There’s also a “business of knowledge.”

[Kate-AHF]

58 minutes ago, Shawnino said:

 

Mmm. Kool-Aid.

This is the company that charges your credit card immediately for a deposit but takes 90 days to refund said deposit on a cruise they cancelled.

 

 

 

That has not been my very recent experience.  I posted this on another thread, but it's apropos here:

 

Oceania cancelled May cruises on 2/16/21.  Deposit was a substantial FCC, which has been transferred to our cruises booked for Sept/Oct 2022.  Shore-x was already purchased for this cruise, that refund showed up on 3/9/21... so less than a month.

 

Based on the letter that was sent to other O cruisers, I asked my TA to look into cancelling our June cruise on 2/24/21.  His online program still showed a $500 penalty, so he called them with the info I gave to appeal that penalty.  They agreed to manually refund our deposit of $1500.  That refund, along with the shore-x pre-purchased for that cruise showed up on 3/3/21 (before the May cruise refund).

 

Quite pleased with the response/refund timeliness.

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 minutes ago, Kate-AHF said:

 

That has not been my very recent experience.  I posted this on another thread, but it's apropos here:

 

Oceania cancelled May cruises on 2/16/21.  Deposit was a substantial FCC, which has been transferred to our cruises booked for Sept/Oct 2022.  Shore-x was already purchased for this cruise, that refund showed up on 3/9/21... so less than a month.

 

Based on the letter that was sent to other O cruisers, I asked my TA to look into cancelling our June cruise on 2/24/21.  His online program still showed a $500 penalty, so he called them with the info I gave to appeal that penalty.  They agreed to manually refund our deposit of $1500.  That refund, along with the shore-x pre-purchased for that cruise showed up on 3/3/21 (before the May cruise refund).

 

Quite pleased with the response/refund timeliness.

Absolutely.

A lot of the refund delays reported here on CC have involved non-US Travel Agencies that maintain a practice of their charging your credit card rather than immediately passing the info on to O. This results in O refunds going to those agencies rather than directly to customers. And, as has been reported here, some of those agencies have sat on the refunds for a troubling amount of time.

[Aloha 1]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Thanks!

As you may remember from some of our conversations, I spent the bulk of my professional life as a university executive. In dealing with many academic professionals over the decades, I constantly found myself reminding some of them that there’s not just a “body of knowledge.” There’s also a “business of knowledge.”

Well said, and so true.

[sunbrookgal]

On 3/17/2021 at 2:07 AM, bigmjh said:

Digitally attached to passports = best idea. Already there are fake vaccination cards popping up for sale on the internet ... and, as history as shown, it will only get worse.

Agree, yet the cat is already out of the bag so to speak. We are part of those 38 million already vaccinated (2 doses) crowd. We get a white little card with pretty blue and or black ink. Date of course and scribble. Who do we go to to get it digitized. Now that said, I'm in agreement that the world will, or at least hopefully,  require proof of vaccination. What is it? Passport stamp? 

[Host Jazzbeau]

32 minutes ago, sunbrookgal said:

Agree, yet the cat is already out of the bag so to speak. We are part of those 38 million already vaccinated (2 doses) crowd. We get a white little card with pretty blue and or black ink. Date of course and scribble. Who do we go to to get it digitized. Now that said, I'm in agreement that the world will, or at least hopefully,  require proof of vaccination. What is it? Passport stamp? 

You don't.  The Apps under development link directly to a government database with the info.  That prevents fraud and allows every airline, cruise ship and immigration official up-to-the-minute verification.

[From the Wall Street Journal Mar. 16:  The Common app will "use back-end networks to automatically link a user’s Covid-19 status from their selected vaccine or test center."]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/coming-vaccine-passports-aim-for-simplicity-11615922205

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

You don't.  The Apps under development link directly to a government database with the info.  That prevents fraud and allows every airline, cruise ship and immigration official up-to-the-minute verification.

[From the Wall Street Journal Mar. 16:  The Common app will "use back-end networks to automatically link a user’s Covid-19 status from their selected vaccine or test center."]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/coming-vaccine-passports-aim-for-simplicity-11615922205

In the meantime, if you got your shots at a medical facility with decent digital/electronic medical records and that system is available for you to logon (e.g., the widely used Epic product - MyChart), it would be a good backup plan to make sure the shots were added to your record OR that you “link” the medical record of wherever you got the shots to your existing MyChart account.

In essence then (as Plan B to whatever becomes the standard), you will always have a bona fide record of your shots in a recognized medical system (vs just a card in your wallet).

[njhorseman]

32 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In the meantime, if you got your shots at a medical facility with decent digital/electronic medical records and that system is available for you to logon (e.g., the widely used Epic product - MyChart), it would be a good backup plan to make sure the shots were added to your record OR that you “link” the medical record of wherever you got the shots to your existing MyChart account.

In essence then (as Plan B to whatever becomes the standard), you will always have a bona fide record of your shots in a recognized medical system (vs just a card in your wallet).

Correct...we got our vaccinations at a local hospital that uses MyChart and our vaccination records are right there.

[ORV]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In the meantime, if you got your shots at a medical facility with decent digital/electronic medical records and that system is available for you to logon (e.g., the widely used Epic product - MyChart), it would be a good backup plan to make sure the shots were added to your record OR that you “link” the medical record of wherever you got the shots to your existing MyChart account.

In essence then (as Plan B to whatever becomes the standard), you will always have a bona fide record of your shots in a recognized medical system (vs just a card in your wallet).

My Dr's system uses the My Chart platform. My record show that I have had both Vaccinations and the dates. You know where they got that information? I told them. The nurse entered it and she never asked to see my card. So there is room for fraud. Although in my case I got my shots at a event by my rural county health dept. Now I'm pretty sure they would have a digital record of my vaccination, and perhaps the Common App could get it from there, but if they got it from my regular physician then I would question it. 

 

I'm not alone in that 1000's of people are getting vaccinated in places other than their medical system or primary Dr.