Cruseforme

Are softdrinks and Bottled Water free on Oceania? If so even from the mini-bar?

All non alcoholic beverages, including smoothies, and virgin beverages (virgin pina colada..etc), specialty coffee without alcohol, water and soft drinks are complimentary. You can ask your room steward to load your in room refrigerator with the soft drinks of choice.

There are no stores in the port area at all. I remember a thread for folks looking for alcohol to ask their cabdriver or Uber to stop at a liquor store not far away. I am sure someone will chip in that has brought onboard liquor, but no duty free.

Go to your login, click on ‘edit options’, and go down the page, and unclick the option for show avatars. I looked up your history, and found what you are writing about, and when I turned off avatars, it no longer showed. Good luck.

I would accept their money. It is unfortunate that you did not obtain a handicapped cabin, so that you would not have the lip to go over, and that you found the cruise unacceptable. That said, as above, if they were tender ports, this is normal for you not to be able to get off the ship. Your TA should have done more research for you in this situation. The ship has no obligation to ensure you booked the correct cabin, so when you discussed your handicap with the special needs department (or your TA did), they didn’t mention the tender ports, and process?

I think many cruisers new to Oceania, are still using their old TA, who I know in our case, had no clue of premium plus or luxury lines. We have since switched, but there are a lot of TA’s out there that have no clue about anything but mass mkt cruises. This makes it hard to get clear answers to common questions. Don’t get me started about people not searching in this forum or on the Oceania website for answers.

We have them in Florida also, but they are treatable, not sure about your info, You may wish to post on the service dog thread located here for discussion: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=585728

I respectfully ask this. Where do I find the statement no personal booze in public spaces? I could not find it on any Oceania web page. Just asking--be nice.

To be honest, this is the wine stmt in the faq:

We ask that guests let us know they are bringing wine on-board so the ship can be advised. Guests are welcome to enjoy their wine in the comfort and privacy of their stateroom or suite, or, if they prefer, may enjoy their wine in one of the ship’s dining rooms. Any wine consumed in the dining room or a public area will be subject to a corkage fee of $25.00 per bottle.

And this stmt is for other alcohol, so by rights, you CAN have all other alcohol stored for you, if bought outside the ship, and brought on;

Oceania Cruises reserves the right to prohibit and retain all alcohol bought ashore for consumption on board the vessel.

So please be a responsible adult, and NOT consume your alcohol in public spaces, so as to ruin it for the rest.

All this is in the FAQ’s listed on the Oceania website.

What I don’t understand is that you seem to have enough money to cruise a premium plus line, but want to skirt around the policies, and looking at your history, are not young pups, so trying to understand the issue ? Pushing the envelope on RCCL and NCL, is different from cruising on a premium plus line where folks are a bit more reserved and don’t usually “sneak” booze. Chuckle, some like us, don’t drink at all, so wonder what the big deal is anyway! So you want to drink a couple of drinks, fork over the money and enjoy your cruise.

Then again, you are probably sitting back and laughing at us being so serious about your trolling.

Probably shouldn't be taking nutritional advice from an MD - only 20% have taken a single course on nutrition as it is not a requirement in most programs. A vegan diet, done correctly, can absolutely meet the body's requirements without the hormones antibiotics, carcinogens and genetic modifications that come with meat consumption. It's well documented through clinical research that people following a plant-based diet have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer, dementia and cognitive decline along with a higher metabolic rate. Have you ever met an obese vegan?!

obese vegan...yup, seen many. There is as many junk vegan foods, and people over compensating with starch as healthy ones. Everything in moderation, and see a vegan nutritionist. And yup, IF you follow a healthy vegan diet, you can be healthy, however, some folks hack at it, and are detrimental to themselves and others. One cannot generalize on either side of this. As many omnivores are extremely healthy also.

Why waste your time and money. Most cruise lines will not accept luggage hipped that way, so you are going to have to find someplace to take it and hold it until you arrive to pick it up.

??? Not sure where you received that information. Luggage Forward, and Luggage Free are both used commonly on most Cruiselines for their world cruises, and are commonly used by others for cruises worldwide.

To TS (OP), you can google both using the search argument of ship luggage to cruise. We have never shipped our luggage, but searching on CC, there are quite a few threads on the World Cruise Forum, as well as this one, on luggage shipping mechanisms.

We have had this happen to us also. In addition, we have had bad roll call tour experiences (Think bully and narcissist). In the one case where we were in Cartegena, we opted to still go down and meet the tour guide, and found on the pier, 2 more couples that wished to join up us! The tour guide lowered his price, and we had a wonderful time. So, did the “originator” of the tour cancel the tour altogether with the tour guide, or just with you all? If the tour guide was available, and you were available, why did you not take the tour anyway? If canceled altogether with the operator, weren’t there other tour guides at the port to take you where you wanted to go? Or a way to contact the canceled tour guide, to take a smaller group? In our cases, we Always ask the originator of the tour, the tour guide contact information. I am just curious, as it sounds like you may have other opportunities, but chose not to do anything?

If you look at the poster’s history, they haven’t posted anywhere since 2014.

Google is your friend, it’s Carnival Cruises, several ships have them per search results. To OP, you probably would be better asking this question on Carnival fourm.

Here’s my view on the loyalty program. HAL does a very nice circumnavigation of Japan that we’ve been begging Oceania to do for several years. As a loyal Oceania cruiser, if Oceania will approximate or duplicate that cruise in 2021 (the earliest their schedule could now accommodate it) we’ll be signed up as soon as it’s announced and never give a 2nd thought about HAL. Otherwise, we’ll be doing it on HAL in 2021 or maybe 2020. Would we rather sail Oceania? Definitely! But being loyal doesn’t mean we don’t do the itinerary because Oceania doesn’t do it. No loyalty program is that big, even if they throw back in the spa credit! Desired itinerary trumps loyalty program for us.

+1 We also are itinerary driven. After cruising on 10 different lines in a 30 yr timespan, we now cruise for itinerary (or with friends for their or our special occasions).

Yes, that’s it! I was going nuts trying to find it! Yes, it is a suggested list, but to an Oceania newbie, coming from an Oceania Blog, it may look official. IMHO, it confuses the already muddled issue.

Just curious

 

do you have a link to the blog where this is posted

I looked on the O blog but could not find it

What’s funny, is that I found it last night, exactly as put in above by the OP. Today, it’s not there! At least I can’t find it anymore. It was dated June 2018. Hmmmmmm. Maybe I am searching differently. If I find it again, i will link to it here, but it was the Oceania blog itself, and not a TA site. Very odd, not to find it again.

Christmas is a religious holiday, and as such, it is pretty low key. There is a beautiful gingerbread village set up with cookies and candies. Beautiful trees are decorated all over the ship. Dinner, I believe was goose as an extra offering ( We ate in a specialty on both Regatta and Riviera for Christmas). New Years is a celebration on the pool deck with music and dancing until the mini ball drop for the New Year, with a glass of champagne. Can’t remember a special dinner, but everyone was given party favors! Expect more Children on the cruise.

The size of cabins in A and B catagories are the same. The difference is in the amenities. (1-3 (a1, a2...)) is location. See: https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/insignia/suites-staterooms/

For cabin differences. It would be your decision if amenities in Concierge class are worth it for you. We were on the Penthouse floor on Regatta on the A1 cabin, and heard minimal noise. It would be where you are considering the penthouse (1,2 or 3).

On Oceania, all specialty restaurants are included in your cruise fare. You never pay extra. You can eat in one of the four on the Riviera or Marina, every night for no extra charge.

Per the Oceania FAQ:

Guests are permitted to make the following reservations in our specialty restaurants - which vary by ship, category and length of cruise:

Marina and Riviera

Owner’s Suite, Vista Suite and Oceania Suite

Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant

Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant

Penthouse Suite

Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant

Concierge Level Veranda, Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Stateroom

All cruises: 1 reservations at each restaurant

Insignia, Nautica, Regatta and Sirena

Concierge Level Veranda and above

Cruises 7 days or less: 1 reservation at each restaurant

Cruises 8-17 days: 2 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 3 reservations at each restaurant

All other categories

Cruises 17 days or less: 1 reservations at each restaurant

Cruises 18 days or more: 2 reservations at each restaurant

—-

Be sure to make your reservations online as soon as you are eligible (log into “My Account” and it will have a reminder when you can make reservations).FYI, you may be able to make more reservations onboard, go to the reservations desk on Deck 4 on the day you wish an extra reservation, and if you are flexible about time and sharing, they may have some availability.

It is the new menu in La Reserve..it’s “La Cuisine Bourgeoise”. Just misspelled.

We had a B-1 in Jan. It was excellent. The Concierge level rooms are the same, outside of a "better" part of the ship(more centrally located) Basically, you'll get priority boarding. Considering the amount of pax, it's not a big deal. You will get access to your room before the B level rooms. You'll have a concierge lounge & attendant there to help you with anything you might need. You get afternoon Canapés delivered as well & embarkation lunch in the GDR. Your bedding materials will be a little more upscale. If this sounds like a good deal, then go for it, if not then skip it. I'm basing my opinion on the Riviera.

Has this changed recently? Last spring we did not receive canapés, nor was the GDR open on embarkation day???? I think you meant penthouse for canapés, and I am not sure if GDR is ever open on embarkation day. On Riviera, if you do a back to back, we were offered a special lunch in Jacques, but that was ALL passengers on the back to back. The A and B cabins have central locations available and are the exact same size. It’s the amenities that were mentioned by LHT28 that would mean the difference.

It hasn’t changed. I would clear your cookies, (i use Safari, and chrome and still see the “old” format). Select Find a cruise, and it comes back with the months, ships, duration..etc. You sure you are at oceaniacruises.com and not a TA site that looks similar?

Another vote for Oceania. DH and I rarely, if at all drink alcohol, and after traveling on some of the Luxury Class lines (Silversea, Regent, and Crystal), we found we fit better in a Premium line vs all inclusive. On Oceania, you can order virgin Pina Colada, which IMHO, is awesome, as well as other refreshing smoothies, all included in your fare (as well as all non alcoholic specialty coffees, and all soft drinks). Just us, but we prefer not to subsidize drinkers, but do enjoy the food, service, and peace and quiet of smaller ships.

What did the GM say to you when you told them of the situation? You said reception did nothing, but the GM did not get back to you when asked either? Or did you not request a meeting with GM? If not, I believe no one will get back to you regarding your end of cruise questionnaire. We were on 2 Noro Cruises, one on O, and one on Regent last year, and in both cases, they sprayed, and cleansed and cleansed some more. DH is on oxygen and ended up in both cases going outside to breathe, even at night in Alaska last year when we were on Regent. Nothing can be done...they need to clean.

Same attitude as that Group that signs up for shore excursions marked strenuous, knowing full well they can barely manage easy! It’s everyone else’s responsibility to wait on them! “ Oh! We can’t go that fast, you have to wait! You have to slow down!”

 

I often chuckle reading posts talking about how much more sophisticated and well seasoned travelers O has compared to other lines! Probably not!

We went with another couple on their favorite line (Regent) last year to celebrate their milestone anniversary, and the same thing happened on the Regent excursions...sigh....bunches of folks not able to read the level for the excursion, holding the rest of us up. DH purposely does not do excursions because he knows he is slower than others. I think it’s a wider problem than one Cruise line. That’s why I usually book independent tours for us. I control my own and DH pace that way.