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Dear Oceania

Ray4Fun

By Ray4Fun,
in Oceania Cruises

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YourWorldWithBill

YourWorldWithBill

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Ray4Fun said:

Where's the App?  Your parent company has a great one. 

There is another thread where I mentioned that it is strange that a company such as O doesn't have an app, and quite a few were irritated that I mentioned it. The more important gamble is: when will they have one? At some point they will, just as they're moving to Starlink. 

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1985rz1 Holiday Sharing Rare

1985rz1

Posted
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Although I find some cruise apps, useful, I would prefer if lines would use the $$$ to continue to bringing the other experiences up to pre-covid level and reduce their the enormous  debt that they accrued due to the Covid shut down.  Targeted financial decisions are important, especially on non-mass market lines.  Just give them time.

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AMHuntFerry

AMHuntFerry

Posted
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While I agree that O will eventually have an app, I have only cruised on O and I have no idea why I'd want one. This is not meant to be snarky...I really wonder how it would improve the experience. What have people on other lines found better with an app? I can barely be bothered to carry around my card, so I am certainly going to be a big whiner if I have to carry a phone (hey, now those little card substitutes I could go for more than an app).

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1985rz1 Holiday Sharing Rare

1985rz1

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

While I agree that O will eventually have an app, I have only cruised on O and I have no idea why I'd want one. This is not meant to be snarky...I really wonder how it would improve the experience. What have people on other lines found better with an app? I can barely be bothered to carry around my card, so I am certainly going to be a big whiner if I have to carry a phone (hey, now those little card substitutes I could go for more than an app).

The one we used on another line had marginal value.  Cute and interesting, but nowhere essential.  If one needs a digital portal, the TV in the room is more than sufficient. But that's just us as we don't want to have our lives tied to a phone.

Edited by 1985rz1
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basor

basor

Posted
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48 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

The one we used on another line had marginal value.  Cute and interesting, but nowhere essential.  If one needs a digital portal, the TV in the room is more than sufficient. But that's just us as we don't want to have our lives tied to a phone.

We had the same experience with an app on another line and it was not useful at all......I hated carrying my phone around.

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Ray4Fun

Ray4Fun

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10 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

There is another thread where I mentioned that it is strange that a company such as O doesn't have an app, and quite a few were irritated that I mentioned it. The more important gamble is: when will they have one? At some point they will, just as they're moving to Starlink. 

Well, APP is needed. Period. Once you use a good cruise app you will not look back. Yes Baby Boomers we are part of this. 

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kibutzer

kibutzer

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Ray4Fun said:

Well, APP is needed. Period. Once you use a good cruise app you will not look back. Yes Baby Boomers we are part of this. 

I use cruises to get away from apps. Your comment above about grandchildren makes no sense for O. Currently designed as primarily for adults. 

 

 

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Ray4Fun

Ray4Fun

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18 minutes ago, kibutzer said:

I use cruises to get away from apps. Your comment above about grandchildren makes no sense for O. Currently designed as primarily for adults. 

 

 

OMG, Peace,, You need not have, that is fine. An APP for O does not make it a cruise for teenagers. 🙂

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Tranquility Base

Tranquility Base

Posted
Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, oskidunker said:

Who cares? I don't need it. 

Then don’t use it. 
Having a choice is a good thing.

Look at the angst created here when Oceania removed OLife “a la carte” choice and replaced it with mandatory simply more.

Choice, as people value different things.

9 hours ago, basor said:

I hated carrying my phone around.

Why did you HAVE to carry your phone around.

I am currently on a ship which has a app.

My phone stays in the safe.

10 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

 But that's just us as we don't want to have our lives tied to a phone.

But as you pointed out, just because there is an app which some people CHOOSE to use onboard with their phone, it is not necessary to do so.

The phone can stay in the safe if you wish.

Edited by Tranquility Base
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deck chair

deck chair

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, ToxM said:

While I don’t think O needs an app, I will gladly accept one over certain CD’s need to do 5pm storytime with the evening’s activities - something I find tiresome and annoying. 

I totally agree.  Passengers can read and do not need the CD intruding with longwinded reminders three times a day.   Especially annoying during breakfast when you are just waking up and want PEACE!!   I just returned from 28 days on the Queen Mary 2 and the only announcements you heard was the noon update from the captain.  Of course, during the day you would sometimes hear announcements about essential ship matters. Not the case on the Sirena where silly annoying announcements were apparently an inclusion in the SIMPLY MORE package or whatever you call it.   I never found out if these announcements were dictated by corporate or were at the discretion of the CD. 

 

I am booked on the INSIGNIA this coming January on a 40 day sailing to Australia.  Please, OCEANIA, drop the unneeded announcements!!!!

Deck Chair.

Edited by deck chair
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Woofa Holiday Sharing Rare

Woofa

Posted
Posted

I would agree that choice is a very good thing.  I have no doubt that an App will come but not because I believe the current O cruiser will use it.  Rather an App is what O will need to entice the next generation of cruisers who will make or break the line in the future.

I think this thread so far shows a good indication of the current O cruiser.  While I may be wrong, I would go so far as to say that many would much prefer not to be sailing with a majority of cruisers who would be carrying phones throughout the ship.  And lets face it, these are for the most part small ships, many if not most cruisers are repeaters and while there are activities, they are low-key.  

I think that O has its work cut out for them figuring out a way to make the next generation happy while making sure not to alienate those that cruise and pay the bills now.

We are a younger demographic on O.  I am early fifties and my wife late forties.  I can tell you honestly that I don't believe most of my peers would be happy sailing O.  As an example we met a nice couple on Riviera.  Maybe slightly older than us but still younger than the average.  We had breakfast the final morning before departure and were discussing the fact that we had put down a deposit for a future cruise.  They agreed they loved the ship, their room and the food but, would not be sailing O again, at least not for some time.  There was just not enough activity for them.  They were still looking for action.  He was in the casino every night, bored after spending an hour or two at the pool.  To us, it was the opposite.  Two hours for dinner was a welcome experience.  Playing bridge on sea days a pleasure.  We fit in perfectly with what has been termed the relaxed elegance of O.  They did not.  Its OK, plenty of lines out there for everyone, go where you are happiest.  But, I do believe that it will be harder for O to excite the younger generations which start with my group and get progressively more tech oriented and immediate satisfaction oriented as they get younger.

I believe that O was created to cater to a specific audience and its success over its history shows how well they succeeded.  The reality however is that as that audience ages and cruises less they will need to do certain things to ensure the next generation of O cruisers takes their place.  Don't kid yourself, at least here in America it is quite a bit different.  

And lets remember that O is still a relatively small niche, they don't have fleets of mega ships to fill.  I believe they are doing their best to find a happy medium between living for today and planning for tomorrow.  They are certainly not perfect and of course there is no way around the Covid shutdown which I am sure removed all easy decisions and allows even less room for error.

 

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Snaefell3

Snaefell3

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, basor said:

We had the same experience with an app on another line and it was not useful at all......I hated carrying my phone around.

On [mumble], we used their app for just two things:

1) "You are here" & turn-by-turn directions from YAH to a given event.

2) MDR menus for the entire voyage available on day 1.

 

#1 on O?  Meh.

#2 on O?  Please, please, please.  Gotta plan when to beg for an extra specialty.  😉

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mauibabes Holiday Sharing Rare

mauibabes

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Posted

@Woofa

Well said.  We found the Oceania niche about age 60 when the RCCL, Princess and Celebrity products no longer provided what WE wanted in a cruise. It truly is a NICHE market and we hope to partake of it for as long as possible.

Vista, here we come.

Mauibabes

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