Hello from Marina!

[daydreamer62]

12 hours ago, Vallesan said:

Passenger update: there are 500+ new to  Oceania cruisers on this cruise!

Not at all sure what this means?

I'll be one of those next week on Vista. For all the negative viewpoints posted here about  Simply More, it's one of the features that appealed to me and my group who are so looking forward to our cruise. It sounds like I'm not alone in my views 

[Cruisingagain2022]

2 hours ago, Vallesan said:

 

No USBs in old (non-refurbished) cabin on Marina. Don’t know about Vista but am addumning new ship so must be.

Sorry misunderstanding.

We are in Vista Suite on Marina July 6th just wondered if they had USBs in the suite.

We had been in Vista Suite on Riviera in 2022 and noticed they had no USBs but understand they do after the 2023 updates.

I will bring a charger just in case.

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

4 hours ago, daydreamer62 said:

I'll be one of those next week on Vista. For all the negative viewpoints posted here about  Simply More, it's one of the features that appealed to me and my group who are so looking forward to our cruise. It sounds like I'm not alone in my views 

There are plenty of people on Oceania who take ship excursions.  There are also plenty of people who arrange their own, or just walk of. From my persepective, Oceania's just trying to stay competitive, and to a lesser extent, simplify some things over how those things were done in the past.  Many people rely on excursions, and it seems like most cruise lines now include at least some in their price.  And Oceania has ADDED some nice things (faster, free for 2 internet, new ships/restaurants, included excursions, etc.) but inevitably those things seem to get a bit ignored when it comes to comments.  And some of the things that keep me coming back to Oceania (unusual and/or port intensive itineraries, wonderful/positive passengers, outdoor dining, served/combo grill/buffet dinner restaurant, free shuttles and often visits by tourist info personnel, etc.) may not even be considered plusses to others.  But they are to ME, so that, plus cost, keeps me coming back for more.

 

Just keep an open mind and I think you'll have a great time.  

[Vallesan]

7 hours ago, daydreamer62 said:

I'll be one of those next week on Vista. For all the negative viewpoints posted here about  Simply More, it's one of the features that appealed to me and my group who are so looking forward to our cruise. It sounds like I'm not alone in my views 

Hope I didn’t come across as negative about the number of 1st time Oceania cruisers. I certainly don’t feel that way. I was just surprised at just how many there are. It’s unusual that’s all.

 

Personally I’ve not found any huge difference with SimplyMore. Certainly nothing negative. I guess it depends on your perspective and exactly how much it matters to you that you extract every last single ‘drop of blood’ for your £, €, $!!!

Personally we look at the itinerary and the cost and if it fits our budget that’s it. If we don’t use some of the ‘included’ items so be it! 

 

I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful cruise. Enjoy!

[daydreamer62]

14 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Hope I didn’t come across as negative about the number of 1st time Oceania cruisers. I certainly don’t feel that way. I was just surprised at just how many there are. It’s unusual that’s all.

 

Personally I’ve not found any huge difference with SimplyMore. Certainly nothing negative. I guess it depends on your perspective and exactly how much it matters to you that you extract every last single ‘drop of blood’ for your £, €, $!!!

Personally we look at the itinerary and the cost and if it fits our budget that’s it. If we don’t use some of the ‘included’ items so be it! 

 

I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful cruise. Enjoy!

I wasn't referring to you personally being negative, but there are a large number of very negative posters here who complain so loudly about so many things I've found it quite depressing reading at times. They definitely outweigh the positive posters. I do know however that those people are likely a small very vocal minority and though I guess it's the nature of this sort of forum I've found the Oceania board is so much more negative than some of the other cruise lines boards . I'm not sure what that means but it did give me pause after I had booked to wonder if I'd made the right decision. Thats a bit sad when you are excited about what might be for some, a once in a lifetime trip . In glad I didn't suggest my trip mates read here!! 

[Harters]

38 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Personally we look at the itinerary and the cost and if it fits our budget that’s it

Exactly how we look at it. No different from how we look at any holiday we might be considering, whether cruise or land. I really am not fussed that O now builds in the cost of alcohol at meals, yet I don't drink alcohol. It is what it is. 

[EJL2023]

1 hour ago, daydreamer62 said:

I wasn't referring to you personally being negative, but there are a large number of very negative posters here who complain so loudly about so many things I've found it quite depressing reading at times. They definitely outweigh the positive posters. I do know however that those people are likely a small very vocal minority and though I guess it's the nature of this sort of forum I've found the Oceania board is so much more negative than some of the other cruise lines boards . I'm not sure what that means but it did give me pause after I had booked to wonder if I'd made the right decision. Thats a bit sad when you are excited about what might be for some, a once in a lifetime trip . In glad I didn't suggest my trip mates read here!! 

I think social media gives the negative people a perceived purpose. In real settings people would just walk away from their nonsense and know it all attitudes. But here….they feel important.  Yeah, I know we can block them but some days they give me a laugh as in laughing at you and not with you. 

[daydreamer62]

8 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

I think social media gives the negative people a perceived purpose. In real settings people would just walk away from their nonsense and know it all attitudes. But here….they feel important.  Yeah, I know we can block them but some days they give me a laugh as in laughing at you and not with you. 

Agreed .. though why it seems so much more pronounced in the Oceania board than on others I've looked at here is a mystery!

[EJL2023]

3 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

Agreed .. though why it seems so much more pronounced in the Oceania board than on others I've looked at here is a mystery!

Well……personally and just my opinion……I think lots has to do with demographics of who sails Oceania.  Older and retired and many with time on their hands. Also, older tend not to deal with change well and let’s face it there is change on Oceania and the entire industry.   Again, my opinion and I know I’m still allowed one!!!! 

[Vineyard View]

23 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Well……personally and just my opinion……I think lots has to do with demographics of who sails Oceania.  Older and retired and many with time on their hands. Also, older tend not to deal with change well and let’s face it there is change on Oceania and the entire industry.   Again, my opinion and I know I’m still allowed one!!!! 

You have some really valid points about being retired with more time on our hands on some days! I think the demographic is similar on Oceania (what I have read) to Viking (we’ve sailed several times), possibly Azamara. Seabourn had a wider range of ages on our sailing, but still was heavier on us retirees by a long ways. 
I think that there has been some unhappiness with SM vs how it was before. Then it really bumped up when the cruise scheduled right after the conflict/war happened and the way it was handled. There also is frustration with skipped/missed. Then the apparent lack of insulation between rooms on Vista. Those are legit issues for some people. 
I am guessing that for most passengers sailing, they aren’t even aware of all of these occurrences! That would provide a smaller number of disgruntled passengers when they board. 
All cruise lines have their issues. No doubt about that. I agree with you daydreamer62 that there seems to be more on Oceania. That said, I truly believe that you will have a fantastic trip of a lifetime, and I look forward to hearing about all the fun you are having doing so! 
 

[edgee]

2 hours ago, Vallesan said:

Hope I didn’t come across as negative about the number of 1st time Oceania cruisers. I certainly don’t feel that way. I was just surprised at just how many there are. It’s unusual that’s all.

 

Personally I’ve not found any huge difference with SimplyMore. Certainly nothing negative. I guess it depends on your perspective and exactly how much it matters to you that you extract every last single ‘drop of blood’ for your £, €, $!!!

Personally we look at the itinerary and the cost and if it fits our budget that’s it. If we don’t use some of the ‘included’ items so be it! 

 

I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful cruise. Enjoy!

I really like Oceania and am looking forward to a long cruise on Marina this summer. In concept, I do not disagree with your philosophy/acceptance with good grace of SM. Concept is generally okay with me. Problem is that O has almost a reverse Midas Touch with the way they roll things out. IMHO the way they have implemented it has an unnecessarily complex and punitive touch. Not having any way to reimburse guests when SM funded excursions are cancelled at the last port irritates many. Initial roll out was poorly done in that staff did not understand the complexities and the rules. Folks feel that a finite amount of funds is taken away from them under the circumstances when shore excursions late in the cruise are cancelled. Similar things can be said about new penalties for cancelling cruises, even far out from cruise date. Future cruise booking rules and deadlines have become more complex and less flexible. I wish they could get their act together so that the bean counters who are doing their job at NCLH holdings are better in sync with folks that interface with the guests.

[clo]

4 hours ago, Vallesan said:

Hope I didn’t come across as negative about the number of 1st time Oceania cruisers. I certainly don’t feel that way. I was just surprised at just how many there are. It’s unusual that’s all.

 

I'm curious how you know that. Is it something that's in the daily paper?

[ORV]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

I'm curious how you know that. Is it something that's in the daily paper?

No, it's usually announced at the Repeaters Party, or you can ask the CD or FCC/OCA. They all know, among others. 

[Vallesan]

8 hours ago, edgee said:

……..

Initial roll out was poorly done in that staff did not understand the complexities and the rules. Folks feel that a finite amount of funds is taken away from them under the circumstances when shore excursions late in the cruise are cancelled. Similar things can be said about new penalties for cancelling cruises, even far out from cruise date. Future cruise booking rules and deadlines have become more complex and less flexible. I wish they could get their act together so that the bean counters who are doing their job at NCLH holdings are better in sync with folks that interface with the guests.

Yes I agree with you to a certain extent. I do think that Oceania could have been clearer and handled the changes better. I think all cruise lines are scrambling to find ways to recoup their huge loses but just doing it in different ways. I think some lines are removing benefits like butlers etc.

 

Now Silversea, there’s a complex system! First they added excursions, ‘door to door’ includes everything, ‘door to door without air’ , ‘port to port’, no air, pay up front and no refunds. Then the prices went through the roof. Now they have ‘door to door’, ‘port to port’ without air but decent deposit refund terms and now they have introduced ‘essentials’, all the onboard facilities but no tours and NO refunds. Starts to make SimplyMore look really simple!

 

I’m sure over the next year or so most lines will get their acts together and work out what the consumer really wants. However, with 50%+ new cruisers on our current cruise and many waitlisted cruises in the coming months it looks as though SimplyMore has not affected bookings!

[daydreamer62]

9 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

 That said, I truly believe that you will have a fantastic trip of a lifetime, and I look forward to hearing about all the fun you are having doing so! 
 

I know I will have a fantastic time. Im a realistic but positive person who really appreciates how amazing it is to be able to travel and see the world in comfort and luxury (despite the 28 hours flying economy each way!!)

[Harters]

3 hours ago, Vallesan said:

it looks as though SimplyMore has not affected bookings!

The move towards O's more inclusive cruises has been advocated and welcomed by the UK cruise travel agency industry. As it says, that reflects customer demand. Britons (and, I think, other European customers) now join Australians and New Zealanders in having what I suppose you could call SM+ - with gratuities now also being "baked" into the upfront cruise fare that we pay. 

[pinotlover]

I only see a few negative reviews here. Perhaps if food is subjective, then negativity is likewise so. When I give a cruise review and say we had a great cruise; here are 9 things that went very well; and here is one shortcoming, I view that as a positive review. Others pick up on the one shortcoming and call it negative. 
 

I relate this to the quagmire in Education with its outrageous grade inflation. GPAs went up while national test scores went down. In 2022 88% of graduates had a 3.0 gpa or above with a median of 3.42. How did a C become a bad grade? Why is near anything lower than straight A’s suddenly looked poorly upon? A “C” is good and good is good. The world isn’t either an A or an F! If someone says something is good not excellent, that’s not intended to be a negative response. It’s OK, it’s acceptable. Not every meal is, or is going to be, excellent and that’s acceptable, especially since most are good.
 

People often read negatively into things that aren’t intended to be negative.

[Harters]

55 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

If someone says something is good not excellent, that’s not intended to be a negative response. It’s OK, it’s acceptable.

Tell that to most folk who post restaurant reviews to Tripadvisor. To me, acceptable is  fine. It's acceptable. That's not a negative. But I've been criticised by restaurant owners for only giving an "average" rating - average is acceptable. It's average - better than some, not as good as others. I can have a very nice time at an average restaurant. But the vast majority of people feels the need to rate a meal as "excellent".

 

Here's an idea for folks. Pick a restaurant in your own home area. One that you consider to be only OK. Mediocre, if you will. Or "average". Then check it out on Tripadvisor. My bet is the vast majority of reviews will have given it an "excellent", followed by "very good". And you know it's neither. 

[EJL2023]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

I only see a few negative reviews here. Perhaps if food is subjective, then negativity is likewise so. When I give a cruise review and say we had a great cruise; here are 9 things that went very well; and here is one shortcoming, I view that as a positive review. Others pick up on the one shortcoming and call it negative. 
 

I relate this to the quagmire in Education with its outrageous grade inflation. GPAs went up while national test scores went down. In 2022 88% of graduates had a 3.0 gpa or above with a median of 3.42. How did a C become a bad grade? Why is near anything lower than straight A’s suddenly looked poorly upon? A “C” is good and good is good. The world isn’t either an A or an F! If someone says something is good not excellent, that’s not intended to be a negative response. It’s OK, it’s acceptable. Not every meal is, or is going to be, excellent and that’s acceptable, especially since most are good.
 

People often read negatively into things that aren’t intended to be negative.

Love your comment about there could be 9 positives and one shortcoming and some will call it negative.  A few posters on here do that with so many posts….there will be a positive post with one negative comment.  And they, one in particular, will see nothing but the negative comment and start their hand wringing and commiserating just like clockwork without fail.  

[edgee]

There are negatives and there are dealbreakers that may only apply to the reviewer/complainer. Examples of dealbreakers for us across many cruise lines include smoking casinos and lack of a dedicated walking track eliminates Seabourn for us. Dining room opening not until 7 or later eliminates Silversea. Tiny bathroom in cabins below PH eliminates Oceania's R ships. "Thin wall" noise issue will eliminate Vista for us. Then there are negatives which are more preference related but would not keep us from sailing on a particular ship/cruise line but could affect our choice if another ship or cruise line has similar timing and itinerary. Examples: no informal evening dining option on Regent, Oceania's very frequent announcements, high cost of Oceania ship tours. That being said, there is a lot to love about Oceania..food, lack of crowds, beauty of ships, the magic of string quartet playing as you walk to GDR in the evening, Baristas, nice libraries...there are so many.

[clo]

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

How did a C become a bad grade? Why is near anything lower than straight A’s suddenly looked poorly upon? A “C” is good and good is good.

A brilliant explanation! I went to Catholic schools and we were told that a C meant 'you're exactly where you ought to be.' Whereas the public school kids who didn't know nearly as much as I did were straight As. I'm going to use your comparison on other things. AND I think it takes longer to explain the negative about something than to simply say "it was great."

[Vallesan]

1 hour ago, edgee said:

There are negatives and there are dealbreakers that may only apply to the reviewer/complainer. Examples of dealbreakers for us across many cruise lines include smoking casinos and lack of a dedicated walking track eliminates Seabourn for us. Dining room opening not until 7 or later eliminates Silversea. Tiny bathroom in cabins below PH eliminates Oceania's R ships. "Thin wall" noise issue will eliminate Vista for us. Then there are negatives which are more preference related but would not keep us from sailing on a particular ship/cruise line but could affect our choice if another ship or cruise line has similar timing and itinerary. Examples: no informal evening dining option on Regent, Oceania's very frequent announcements, high cost of Oceania ship tours. That being said, there is a lot to love about Oceania..food, lack of crowds, beauty of ships, the magic of string quartet playing as you walk to GDR in the evening, Baristas, nice libraries...there are so many.

Must admit we don’t seem to have many announcements apart from usual one and the ship docks or maybe I have just missed them!

[clo]

2 hours ago, Harters said:

Here's an idea for folks. Pick a restaurant in your own home area. One that you consider to be only OK. Mediocre, if you will. Or "average". Then check it out on Tripadvisor. My bet is the vast majority of reviews will have given it an "excellent", followed by "very good". And you know it's neither. 

Or look at Yelp where Taco Bell will likely get a top score 🙂

[Vallesan]

Just wanted to add a bit of an update. Polo tonight for the first time which now has wonderful new leather seats and of course the 7 layer chocolate cake which I’d forgotten about completely. No Oceania trip is complete without sampling that cake!

 

On another note this is the new Waves menu as of today. Quite reduced. But may still have your favourite.

[true45]

12 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Just wanted to add a bit of an update. Polo tonight for the first time which now has wonderful new leather seats and of course the 7 layer chocolate cake which I’d forgotten about completely. No Oceania trip is complete without sampling that cake!

 

On another note this is the new Waves menu as of today. Quite reduced. But may still have your favourite.

Looks good to me - our favorites are safe.