Was Marina's Fall 2023 refit cancelled?

[ORV]

Could there be any more confusion than the posts on this thread? Does anyone have any actual facts, or just supposition? 

 

With all due respect I don't consider what some customer service rep that answers the phone at Oceania as actual facts. On the other hand, if you talked to someone higher up in management that might carry a bit more weight. 

[shepherd really]

7 minutes ago, ORV said:

Could there be any more confusion than the posts on this thread? Does anyone have any actual facts, or just supposition? 

 

With all due respect I don't consider what some customer service rep that answers the phone at Oceania as actual facts. On the other hand, if you talked to someone higher up in management that might carry a bit more weight. 

More weight, like the VP who misinformed a member here about the progress of Vista?

 

[edgee]

23 minutes ago, ORV said:

Could there be any more confusion than the posts on this thread? Does anyone have any actual facts, or just supposition? 

 

With all due respect I don't consider what some customer service rep that answers the phone at Oceania as actual facts. On the other hand, if you talked to someone higher up in management that might carry a bit more weight. 

For a question about some change in policy or a date when new cruises will be released, I agree with you. For something like this, where multiple people have inquired, I think it is more likely to be credible information. But I sure hope you are correct!

 

[ORV]

2 minutes ago, edgee said:

For a question about some change in policy or a date when new cruises will be released, I agree with you. For something like this, where multiple people have inquired, I think it is more likely to be credible information. But I sure hope you are correct!

 

I see you enquired, but who else did? 

 

I went back and checked and see one other poster mentioned calling. Is there a thread somewhere on a Roll Call or a FB post that has the multiple people on it? I guess I haven't seen those, but have to admit I have not been checking Roll Calls during this period. 

Edited November 25, 2022 by ORV

[cruisingxpert]

31 minutes ago, ORV said:

I see you enquired, but who else did? 

 

I went back and checked and see one other poster mentioned calling. Is there a thread somewhere on a Roll Call or a FB post that has the multiple people on it? I guess I haven't seen those, but have to admit I have not been checking Roll Calls during this period. 

The fact that the cruises that were canceled because of the Marina refit( Oct 11 to Nov13) are all back on the site with availability in almost every category would suggest that they got the right information. 

[Gracie115]

This is concerning to us...  we have a 38 day cruise on Oceania booked at the end of 2024.  One of the reasons we booked it was because of the scheduled renovations.  We do like the look of the existing rooms, but can only imagine that a refit was scheduled because the ship is aging and needs the work done.

 

Will be interested in hearing what people's experiences are like on the Marina over the next year or so before we commit to this expensive trip 

[SophieM]

Oceania just announce a grand voyage on the dates formerly set aside for the Marina refurbishment next October. That seems to put to rest whether the refurb has been pushed into 2024. Interestingly, I just spoke with an O rep yesterday who said it was still on and that they weren’t selling cruises for the ‘23 dates. Apparently, sales hadn’t been informed, yet, or he knew and couldn’t say. 

[SophieM]

announced

[MEFIowa]

On Sirena (11/18-28/22) the Oceania Club Ambassador was providing nice color-coordinated calendars for 2023, 2024, and 2025 (as announced so far) for all 7 ships.

 

For 2023: Marina is shown with cruises for all of September, October, November, and December.

For 2023 into 2024: Marina is shown with a 24-day cruise starting on Dec 21/2023 that then leads to a 24-day cruise starting on Jan 21/2024. There is a gap, but not a big one.

For rest of 2024: Marina is shown with NO gaps sufficient for a refit.

For 2025: Marina is shown cruising thru May 8, without any gap sufficient for a refit.

[basket bob the sailor]

I thought this was a newer ship.

 

How often is normal for a refit?

[LHT28]

5 minutes ago, basket bob the sailor said:

I thought this was a newer ship.

 

How often is normal for a refit?

Built in 2011  but this is not a normal fluff job

She has  been refurbished over the years 

[basket bob the sailor]

Just now, LHT28 said:

Built in 2011  but this is not a normal fluff job

She has  been refurbished over the years 

 

Thank you.

[pinotlover]

38 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

On Sirena (11/18-28/22) the Oceania Club Ambassador was providing nice color-coordinated calendars for 2023, 2024, and 2025 (as announced so far) for all 7 ships.

 

For 2023: Marina is shown with cruises for all of September, October, November, and December.

For 2023 into 2024: Marina is shown with a 24-day cruise starting on Dec 21/2023 that then leads to a 24-day cruise starting on Jan 21/2024. There is a gap, but not a big one.

For rest of 2024: Marina is shown with NO gaps sufficient for a refit.

For 2025: Marina is shown cruising thru May 8, without any gap sufficient for a refit.

At this point, What seems obvious is this:

 

1. Oceania has decided to delay the Marina refit in 2023;

 

2.  Oceania has not yet secured a schedule with a shipyard to do the work further in the future;

 

3.  When they do get it scheduled, scheduled cruises will be cancelled to facilitate the work.

 

In essence, the process will be much the same as a Charter. The schedule will get altered at some point. Since time in the shipyards must be scheduled well in advance, everyone will know far before any airline tickets are purchased thus minimizing the cancellation impact.

 

Much beyond this is all speculation.

 

 

[aj1998]

On 11/19/2022 at 10:26 AM, pinotlover said:

A lot of us with considerably more than two cruises both taken and cancelled by Oceania likewise booked cruises on the Vista when they were first released. We don’t know if those cruises are sailing either.

 

The issue of the Vista came up one evening In Martinis on my recent cruise. Seems the game plan for most is to not book airfare, tours, or most anything else until at least after payment in full date which isn’t until next March -April for most.
 

I haven't heard anything recently regarding Vista and the likelihood of them meeting their new target date for inauguration.  I realize Oceania isn't likely to divulge if they are behind schedule, but what was the general feeling around the group on your cruise?  Given the plan to postpone bookings, can one assume there is a general concern more cruises will be canceled?  

[edgee]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

At this point, What seems obvious is this:

 

1. Oceania has decided to delay the Marina refit in 2023;

 

2.  Oceania has not yet secured a schedule with a shipyard to do the work further in the future;

 

3.  When they do get it scheduled, scheduled cruises will be cancelled to facilitate the work.

 

In essence, the process will be much the same as a Charter. The schedule will get altered at some point. Since time in the shipyards must be scheduled well in advance, everyone will know far before any airline tickets are purchased thus minimizing the cancellation impact.

 

Much beyond this is all speculation.

 

 

Speculation that IMHO has a reasonable chance for accuracy is that major refits are done in Europe, so likely that the cruises in 2024 likely to be cancelled will be European, not S.A. or Caribbean. (I have a 24 day Norway/Greenland/Iceland cruise in July/August that I am concerned about.)

[Cjohns16]

We spoke in summer 2023  to the Captain  of the Marina and asked if the November 2023 refurbishments are still going ahead? We are booked to join Marina November  20th and wanted to see the upgrades. Unfortunately  the Captain said the refurbishments  have been delayed until May 2024 

[SophieM]

20 minutes ago, Cjohns16 said:

We spoke in summer 2023  to the Captain  of the Marina and asked if the November 2023 refurbishments are still going ahead? We are booked to join Marina November  20th and wanted to see the upgrades. Unfortunately  the Captain said the refurbishments  have been delayed until May 2024 

We were just on the Marina in September and found her to be in good shape. We are looking forward to the refurbed bathrooms, though. We’ll see you on board on the 20th!

[SATaxman]

On 11/18/2022 at 12:16 PM, maadimom said:

We had our cruise Oct 11, 2023 canceled and they automatically booked us on the previous cruise.  They said it was because the refit got moved up. 

We were on the October 11, 2023 cruise. Were told that the re-do is April 2024.

[maadimom]

3 hours ago, SATaxman said:

We were on the October 11, 2023 cruise. Were told that the re-do is April 2024.

Originally the Oct 11 cruise was from Trieste to Barcelona.  That was canceled and when they changed the re-fit they changed the cruise ports.

[jonthomas]

On marina now...the ship is in good shape.

 

But the food has been awful. Yup I'm picky. It's our 8th O cruise.

I should post a new topic.

[cruiserchuck]

13 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

On marina now...the ship is in good shape.

 

But the food has been awful. Yup I'm picky. It's our 8th O cruise.

I should post a new topic.

We just got off Riviera today, and thought the food was excellent.  It was only our second Oceania cruise, and the first was 9 years ago.  

 

I wonder if after 8 cruises on O, you are too familiar with and not as excited about the food.  That happened to us on Celebrity.  After eating basically  the same food over and over, we were no longer as excited about it, and did not enjoy it as much.

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by cruiserchuck

[SophieM]

35 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

On marina now...the ship is in good shape.

 

But the food has been awful. Yup I'm picky. It's our 8th O cruise.

I should post a new topic.

We join you today. Can you be more specific?

 

[SophieM]

Just now, SophieM said:

We join you today. Can you be more specific?

 

Oops—tomorrow. 

[SophieM]

35 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

We just got off Riviera today, and thought the food was excellent.  It was only our second Oceania cruise, and the first was 9 years ago.  

 

I wonder if after 8 cruises on O, you are too familiar with and not as excited about the food.  That happened to us on Celebrity.  After eating basically  the same food over and over, we were no longer as excited about it, and did not enjoy it as much.

 

I think you make a good point about being too familiar with the food. After several O cruises, I’m not nearly as excited about the Red Ginger sea bass as I once was and am probably a bit pickier, too. I have thought a general menu refresh would be nice. 

[jonthomas]

Wonderful meal at Jacques tonight.