lawyertx

Live and Learn. Viking and Regent accommodations made me lazy. As a matter of fact, a convenient Regent booking to Singapore included a plane change in Doha. If I have to spend 9+ hours in an airport, I would choose the airport in Doha. Super nice. (With the World Cup in progress, I'm not so sure about now.)

We have used both Viking and Regent air programs with absolutely no issues. We could not have done better. Obviously, Oceania plays a different tune. Regent and Oceania both owned by NCLH. I guess we've discovered one unfortunate example of the difference in these two cruise lines. Never too old to learn something and hopefully not too old to remember the lesson learned. 😒🧐😏

PINOTLOVER - Either I misunderstand your post or you misunderstand mine. We booked this Oceania Cruise 9 months out. In addition to the cruise fare, we paid Ocenaia $5,300 per person to upgrade to business class air. We assumed, reasonably I believe, that Oceania would have a bulk arrangement with one or more airlines that would secure reasonable travel arrangements. Oceania has had our money -- every dime of it -- since July. We received the air itinerary only last week -- three weeks before the cruise. As soon as we saw this schedule, we set about trying to improve it and were given the choice to spend an additional $10,000. There are at least a half dozen better schedules Dallas to Dubai. And we are flying in 3 days in advance of the cruise for one of the Oceania land programs. Thus our attempts to have conversation with Oceania representatives to avoid 26-30 hours airport to airport. We have no brand loyalty. We try to decide where we want to go and when we want to go and choose a cruise that lines up with our wants. We have cruised with RCL, Carnival, Viking, HAL, Regent and a couple of lines that have gone belly up. We are not inexperienced. But, we have never had issues like this one.

Posted this unflattering comment elsewhere, too. We paid the premium for business class airfare Dallas to Dubai and got an itinerary from Oceania that provided 26 hours travel time, including 9.5 hour layover at airport in Toronto. Trip should be 16-18 total hours top. Offered to pay another reasonable upcharge for better (many available) arrangements. Best offer from Oceania was better air schedule for another $10,000-plus additional fee. 90 minutes on phone with Oceania customer service was like trying to have a conversation with a box of rocks. We are extremely unhappy, but now stuck. I would suggest caution using Olife air arrangements.

We elected to take the business class air option on an upcoming Oceania cruise. When we received the air itinerary, we saw that it is not non-stop. While not ideal, we can handle a plane change if necessary. But, the layover is 9.5 hours. Nine and one-half hours at an airport between flights. Arrangements scheduled by Oceania. There are any number of available (better) alternatives. Never again. Already a really bad taste in my mouth for Oceania, and still more than two weeks before the cruise.