Flatbush Flyer

14 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

The smaller ships (now largely operated by more up-scale lines) generally have seats at the pool and restaurants (which generally serve GOOD food without your having to pay extra for the alternate restaurants now on all mass-market lines), because they allow more public area space per passenger - as opposed to the mass market lines which squeeze as many passengers on as possible.

BINGO!

It would seem that some mass market cruisers  may be unaware of (or just disregard) the reality check called “space ratios.” Sure those newer monstrous ships are physically huge. But, with a 5,000+ cruiser capacity, their passenger/space ratio will pale in comparison to much smaller premium/luxury ships at a 600-1200 passenger load.
Likewise, an unending list of eateries on those same giant mass market ships may appear appealing at first glance. But, it would be very interesting to see their overall per person comparative food budget (which historically falls at the low end of per passenger spending) compared to the other cruise industry segments. 

1 hour ago, crusingrightnow said:

Is a bigger cruise ship always better ?

 

 

Better?
Better for…..??? Based on……???

32 minutes ago, ORV said:

I'm fairly sure you won't be on Oceania. Do any cruise lines go there?

O may include some of them on individual/mulyi-segments that are focused on the Miami to Amazon experience.

2 hours ago, Mags65 said:

My husband and I are thinking of taking this 15 night cruise with stops in Bermuda and the Caribbean, leaving NYC on Nov 19.  I am surprised that this cruise has so much availability still, as it seems that other Oceania cruises book up so far in advance. Does anyone have an idea of why that would be? Is there something going on with this cruise that I should be thinking about?

 

 

While the Caribbean “milk runs” are still profitable for O (and Vista has added cabin availability in that region), the reality remains that there are far more interesting and unusual “exotic” and “tropical” destinations than what has become a Walmart parking lot for floating amusement parks.

I think that you’ll find that many O regulars are opting for other Oceans and longer cruises (e.g., partial/full transpacifics and/or the Indian Ocean). I know that we long ago swore off the Caribbean (and Florida) unless it’s a necessary part of an otherwise enticing itinerary like doing the Amazon or an unusual transatlantic.

5 hours ago, bbqoug said:

We booked an A1 cabin for our upcoming Alaskan cruise on Regatta for the aft view that we enjoy.

Getting to book the specialty restaurants earlier is an added bonus.

For us it's worth the added cost.

the earlier restaurant booking window is only for whatever is your pre-cruise allowance.

3 hours ago, mammajamma2013 said:

The above is in regard to men. Women should cover their heads.

You’re a bit behind the times as regards women covering their heads in a Roman Catholic church: The 1983 Code of Canon Law lifted that head covering requirement for women.

33 minutes ago, roothy123 said:

We have several excursions called "Chef Led....Cooking Class" on our cruise. It looks to be bookable, but I didn't try doing it.  But I have a question about another excursion so maybe tomorrow I'll ask Oceania about booking one of the Chef Led excursions - whether pay full price, use my SM Shorex credit or shipboard credit, get 25% off if I pre-purchase a package, etc. 

if it’s on the excursions PDF and online cart excursions choices, it’s an excursion.

1 hour ago, Smokeyham said:

We are booking a 35 day cruise on board Nautica and the only veranda cabins left are in the A-series.  Comparing an A1 (Concierge Level Verandah) with a B1 (Veranda cabin) we see the additional amenities as those listed below.  The concierge cabins are one deck higher, but A1 and B1 are the same size and layout. Both are in the middle of the ship.

For our particular cruise the additional cost for an A1 is $116/Day.  

For us, the additional cost does not seem to be worthwhile, but I am curious to hear from those who book these cabins as to what makes the additional cost worthwhile for you.   

 

• "In addition to Stateroom amenities"
• Expanded lunch and dinner room service menu from the Grand Dining Room
• Free laundry service – up to 3 bags per stateroom
• Complimentary welcome bottle of Champagne
• Priority online specialty restaurant reservations
• Unlimited access to the Aquamar Spa Terrace
• Complimentary Oceania Cruises logo tote bag
• Cashmere lap blankets, perfect for relaxing on your veranda
• Complimentary pressing of garments upon embarkation (certain limitations apply)
• Complimentary shoe shine service
• All Suites and Staterooms are Smoke-Free

Same exact cabins with a few non-earthshattering perks for $4000 more? No
 

The only time we do Concierge (A) cabins is when the choice of available Veranda (B) cabins are in terrible locations OR the itinerary is long but with a relatively minimal  A cabin price difference. 

5 hours ago, DrHemlock said:

So, the tour you want to take is not a ship's excursion departing Riviera at 11:00, but rather a local tour beginning in Rome at 11:00?  You might be able to make it if you can get off the ship early enough -- but there's the rub.  

 

Depending upon where the ship is arriving from, Italian customs/immigration authorities might want to check everybody's passport and have a look at luggage, etc.  Also, depending on whether the ship arrives on time (weather and harbor traffic permitting) and whether the longshore crew are standing by to grab and tie off the ship's lines.  

 

Safer, IMO, to head directly into Rome as early as possible, take your tour, head back to Riviera to retrieve your luggage, complete disembarkation and take taxi to Fiumicino airport hotel.  It just depends whether you want to roll the dice.

Yes- this is Italy - where schedules are more a set of “guidelines.”

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

The common rule is knees and shoulders must be covered. 

AMEN! And men should remember to please remove your hat whenever you enter a Catholic church. 

2 hours ago, islabahia said:

Both cooking classes on our November Thanksgiving cruise on Marina are sold out.  

It’s a touch late for looking at November (2024) cooking classes!

3 hours ago, kahuna21 said:

Can we apply our simply more credit against the cost of a culinary class?

Good question. The prepaid coking classes do end up on your prepurchased shore excursions PDF. But that doesn’t guarantee they’ll be counted as “tours.”

14 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Just for general knowledge sake, since you start booking ship tours a year in advance, how often, or how many times during the course of that year, do you request a new tour pdf for each cruise?

Basically, for each cruise embark, I have on hand the original and “final pay” O invoices, the most updated version of our prepurchased tours pdf (the one with the math on it) and the version of the shorex pdf in effect at the time of the tours’ pre-purchase. Add to that the “cruise vacation summary” (.e., the emailed “final docs” and luggage tags) and the O boarding passes along with any required visas and, of course, valid passports and any other docs deemed appropriate..
 

That said, there can be numerous O shorex list PDFs over the 365 day pre-bark.” But, like the O fare invoices themselves, all that O passengers really should have onhand (in order to argue onboard account errors/disagreements - e.g., “I bought a very different tour than the one I just experienced”) are the initial booking docs and their most current versions. Note: Though I like hard copies, all my docs are also readily available on my iCloud.

And, finally, anytime either I or my TA does any transaction that generates a newer document version, I’ll end up with a copy. But, usually (as aforementioned), all that is necessarily in my onboard “doc packet” are the above mentioned items.

26 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Today is last full day of my cruise.  They finally posted the discount for excursions booked onboard. Of course, now there is no way that I can spend anything on excursions.  Most are already underway.  Others are likely fully booked.  

For future reference:

If you have/had on hand your prepurchased shore excursions pdf (the one with all the math), you can use it as a worksheet as the excursion situation changes once onboard. If there are tour cancels, I know how much is due back to me (even if they don’t get “posted until the last cruise day). Same goes for added tour purchases for which I’m due a 25% discount (that will also appear late in the cruise).
You can spend money coming back to you before it is posted. So, you don’t have to wait until the last moment.

And just to CYA, get a full account printout from Guest Services midway through the cruise and prior to the last day to make sure call is balanced before leaving the ship.

14 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Was the cruise you refared after final payment ?

This one is prior to final pay. But, the “price drop match” is good up until day of embark (as long as their is cabin availability in your cabin class.

15 hours ago, sunlover12 said:

@Flatbush Flyer thanks for that information.  I agree that the ship excursions are in a continual state of flux.  On my Canada cruise in 4 months it was recently showing some excursions were “not available”.  It’s now showing they’re all available to book. It could mean that those excursions were still being negotiated with the tour provider.  I don’t know….but it pays to keep checking regularly. 

And often getting updated shore excursions PDFs as well. (I find them much easier to work with).

7 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I have found ouTA fully competent in this area. All I have to do is send her an email, anything 24

hours a day, of what we want and it’s done.

“don’t stop believing’”

1 hour ago, Redtravel said:

Changing things during a cruise doesn’t encourage people to book.  It really has a negative feel.  When the onboard offer is generous, you might have booked. If you see prices go up and booking incentives diminish, why book.  Wait and see. I am more inclined to book late if I see a good deal.  Recently I saved $11k by booking a cruise a month before it sailed.  Being flexible has advantages.  

But, that’s why Book Onboard (which might be done a year or two prior to embarkation) has so much added value. Just yesterday, I used the price drop match guarantee (due to the O “flash sale”) for a cruise booked many months ago.

NEVER book your O tours online. Always call O direct and speak to your preferred O “vacation planner.” YES, even if your cruise is booked with your “excellent” TA.

If you’re a regular here, you’ve heard me say that often. And something that happened yesterday reminded me to say it yet again.

Many of us know that there are three main pre-cruise sources of O tour info: the O website, the shore excursions pdf (provided by O) and the internal booking software used by O phone reps (both those reps used by passengers and those reps used by TAs).
 

We also know that those three O tour listing sources are in an independent state of flux, at least, within the 365 days preceding your cruise. Confounding that flux is the reality that the three different entities are sorely lacking in coordination and, even worse, apparent human and technical errors at O may escalate their disagreement about what tours are offered and/or are available.
 

For example, tours not listed in your most recent version of the pdf may not appear on the website (or vice versa). And, if you’re booked on a single segment cruise, you may see availability that I, on a multi-segment version that includes your cruise, may find “full” or otherwise “unavailable.” BTW, a common cause of this issue is human error at O when your booking allowance is opened for a cruise segment but mine (as part of a multi-segment cruise) is not. Simply put, someone forgets to “flip a switch” and you (or your TA) is screwed as regards tours.

So, what happened yesterday?

At just about 365 days prior to embark, I had recently received a surprisingly extensive shore excursions pdf for a future CPT-BCN cruise booked while O Life was still in effect. We went over our choices and I made a list of our desired tours including the O Life tours perk and old YWYW 25% discount calculations. (Whether I do my own tour booking or decide to use my TA, I always do that math).  Next, I looked at the O website to check availability (though I never really trust “full” below the tour  listing) and did my own pencil/paper cost computation (love that little mental exercise).

All looked good except for one tour that was already “full” more than 365 days prior to it date of activity! (apparently, SM has created a rush on early tour booking that will need to be addressed by O). The closed tour was the ultra-popular full day tour to the Alhambra /Granada.

i then called my trusted long serving O phone rep who (like the OCAs I use onboard) I often use for an initial cruise booking before doing the TA transfer (to get him credit since he is in a position to return the favor by taking the most immediate care of any initial booking glitches/questions while I am on the phone with him!) and we solidified our tours selection - except for the Alhambra one.
 

The rep confirmed that the tour was, in fact, “full” and offered to wait list it. But, then he paused and added “let me try something else.” Less than two minutes later, his next comment: “Got it.”

Now, could my “excellent” TA have accomplished the same end? Possibly/probably but, with popular tour booking, timing is often critical. Thus, in the time it would have taken to add another “cook (or two) stirring the broth,” I had already gotten immediate/final confirmation for what I needed within a single communication. And there are other similar examples of the value of the “right” O vacation planner (e.g., getting almost immediate (and reasonable) exceptions to O’s idiosyncratic restrictions) while you are still on that phone call.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got a great TA who is generous with rebates and who can/does handle fixing issues requiring her involvement (like securing fare price drop matches and other grey area $$$ items where her Agency’s relationship with O gives it great latitude).

In any case, at the bottom line, I continue to recommend developing a great relationship - not only with an exceptional TA (or two) but also - with a knowledgeable/well respected O “vacation planner.”

45 minutes ago, jbandkb said:

Don't think I have seen this question discussed on this thread - does the 25% off discount apply to all sailings as long as you are booked with SimplyMore?

Not necessarily- the old 25% YWYW, now called SM tour package, may not be offered on shorter cruises or cruises with few port stops.

5 hours ago, ORV said:

Absolutely, and although you shouldn't have to, I've had multiple times over the years that I've produced the document to back up what I was trying to get to happen, and it did. 

Final O invoice and prepurchased shorex PDF trumps all else.

3 hours ago, EJL2023 said:

Not sure it is always a blanket statement that you have to book a future cruise early to get the higher SBC.  We booked a cruise on Sirena in February and got the $250 SBC and we booked it on the last day of the cruise.  

IMO (and experience) the varying SBC bonus may just be random. I’ve seen it change mid cruise - in either direction.

7 hours ago, Cruisegal5 said:

Thanks for all your kind replies. My invoice does show pre-paid gratuities, but I like to see it on the cruise line website. I don't want to get on the ship and be pointing to a piece of paper. The $660 is for the up graded beverage package. 

I have seen postings for free to town shuttles but most of them are for the Med.

Oceania paper items are the Bible as regards everything. (Invoices, prepurchased excursion, dining reservations….) actual docs (even if stored on your phone) are what win disagreements.

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

People have to understand, they don’t always get to choose in these matters. As FF has frequently posted in the past, Oceania has often taken booked b2b and converted them to an Extended Voyage which typically resulted in fewer cruise credits. For several years there was an array of combinations of segments making b2b even difficult to find. That has now changed when it’s in Oceania’s best interest. The decision on whether a cruise is an Extended Voyage, a Grand Voyage, two Extended Voyages b2b, or multiple b2b lies solely with Oceania. One can have their TA attempt to affect that decision, but in the end, O decides.

I agree but would add one huge clarifying factor:

As regards “O decides,” it’s also WHO at O is making that decision. Sometimes when I or my TA (or even an OCA onboard) “bird dogs” some “open to interpretation” booking/perks policy/practice problem/decision, the simple act of asking for confirmation from the “right” higher placed O manager works wonders (as does tactfully/politely not taking the first NO for an answer). 
It’s often not unlike Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Code where the “rules” are more like a “set of guidelines.”

4 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Thanks for the heads up.

 

Your posting made me check my combination cruise booking.

1 booking, 1 invoice, 2 cruise IDs, total voyage length between 35 - 44 days as shown on the invoice.

I had assumed, incorrectly as it turned out, that this booking would gain 3 credits.

Nope; as each individual segment is less than 25 days so the booking gains only 2 credits.

The bottom line of which way to book remains doing ALL the quantitative math and qualitative analysis. We recently completed a 37 day multisegment - booked as an Extended Journey (published and with single booking number). Fortunately (though somewhat unusual), the fare discount was significant enough to cover the $ value loss of no extra O Club Platinum perks (had I done a Custom Cruise booking with only 5% fare discount) and I got the expected 3 cruise credits instead of 2.