Flatbush Flyer

If you have a truly legitimate case for refunds or compensation related to travel, a great resource is Elliott.org which is a non-profit consumer advocacy organization started by syndicated travel columnist/ombudsman Christopher Elliott.

Theoretically, thst switch should happen automatically since the onboard accounting system first applies non-refundable assets in your account against the running balance.

Actually, on some cruises, up to four time a day (on sea days): morning, after lunch (e.g., Dottie’s “Men vs Women” Trivia), afternoon and evening.

Apparently, you’re still “missing the boat.” CC is a forum for exchange of info about cruising. That it happens to have TA advertising is how it “pays the bills.”

In addition to the advice in other posts on this thread, you may want to search here for the numerous (and very detailed) posts I (and other O Regulars) have made explaining the idiosyncrasies of (and strategies for) dealing with various O policies and practices including O Life, Simply More, Air Credit, Multi-Segment Cruise bookings, et al.

The bigger picture tells the truth. Searching here on CC confirms over and over again that there are numerous problems with the Web Cart tour purchasing - particularly as regards incorrect tour availability on multi-segment cruises (compared to the individual component segments) and inconsistent agreement of the website listings with the most up-to-date ShoreEx PDF and, most importantly, the actual accounting data visible to the O phone reps. Of course, occasional O cruisers who do shorter single segment cruises may be lucky enough to not encounter the glitches. But, if you do several long single and/or multisegment cruises annually and purchase many many total annual tours (e.g., 100+), it’s a safe bet that you’ll find yourself or your TA (if they truly understand O’s idiosyncrasies) calling O to straighten out the mess.

Excursions begin to be listed 365 days prior to embark. Of course, on day one, there may be no tours listed. So, check back regularly for updates. Same is true for the available shore excursions PDF (constantly changing and a far easier way to view/compare the tours. As for buying tours, always call O and never use the Cart which is extremely glitchy. Also, by calling, you can purchase tours before final payment date. (You also have to call O to cancel prepurchased tours).

We’re in a B3 extended balcony on Riviera right now. They’ve always been the best buy on an O ship - particularly the four open corner ones.

Plus 1

The wine-by-the-glass list (which is both O Life and Simply More) is the same for the basic package and for the upgraded Prestige package and it has always been mostly mediocre stuff with an average U.S. retail price of $10-$15 +\-. We will continue to bring our own - perhaps a bit less if O “ups it’s offerings quality.”

On Saturdays, O does web maintenance-usually afternoon to/through evening EST. At that time, passenger accounts are locked for security.

Hardly unusual anymore. They’re readily available at most banks in $200 packs. And they’re quite common in tourist destinations because they’re far less cumbersome than a fat wad of $1 bills. I doubt that many veteran cruise hotel crew who provide front line service have not seen a $2 bill. And, in any case, $2 is always better than $0.

O’s room service uses regular wait staff. Tipping not required. But, we too have a stash of $2 bills (ordered from our bank).

You lucked out with having Putu serve you!

Your original (first) O invoice will clear things up because it will show both the deposit date and amount along with the date of the invoice and the name of whoever booked it.

With the understanding that the prices you are seeing this close to embarkation are actually “decent” in this day and age, know that the Price difference between air/no air only demonstrates what credit you’d get for DIY. And that $700 is not the cost of the O Air coach tix (the value of which could be more or less than that amount. If you want O Air, you’ll be offered what they’ve got for routing with their contract carrier. If you don’t like it, you can pay a deviation fee (and any price difference from the initially offered flights’ fare) and tell them what carrier and itinerary you want. All that said, I recommend taking the air credit and DIYing it - particularly if you want bizclass (since O’s upgrade cost for bizclass is over and above the coach fare that’s built into the “with air” fare. AND, you’ll get no credit for the original tix purchased! As for the future: when it comes to air travel, cheaper is seldom better, at, least, if you want non-stops, adequate layovers, FF points, etc.

No one is “cabling” (or calling) you a liar. And I, for one, am crystal clear about what the “problem” is perceived/reported to be by the OP. That said, the fact remains that it’s the sum total of OP’s posts beyond his/her original statement concerning a perception of O “wrongdoing” that often confuses, muddies and poorly presents the underpinnings, justifications and culture of evidence for the initial complaint. In short, a lack of OP completeness and clarity has resulted in a need for numerous respondents to keep asking for more information/clarification as they try to formulate and offer solutions. Ergo, what confusion exists here is in OP’s presentation style and content as opposed to confusion in reader comprehension. And NO, that’s not “victim blaming.” It’s merely stating an academic observation that deserves attention. And, thus, the best course of action for the OP (as the clock ticks away), is to digest and apply the most useful of the help that has been offered here, take a break from posting in an attempt to focus on the tasks at hand and report back here on the final outcome of the ordeal.

Knowing what kind of TV connectivity feature(s) are present on the specific set and whether they are available (rather than intentionally disconnected), e.g., headphone Jack, Bluetooth, optical audio, would help to answer your question.

So true. When all else fails (which is usually the case), it’s “first come, first served.” 😳🤔😉😎

Actually, in this case, that’s far from the truth. In any case, let’s hope for the best for OP and also hope that the next OP response is saved for a report of the outcome.

Okay, you’ve done your best to explain it all. Might I suggest that, even though your many many replies are still missing/adding info and the thread grows more confusing each day, it might be a better idea to hold off on posting until you can report on the actual outcome?

IMO, consecutive cruises using two different cruise lines is a waste of time, effort and money. Expand your research to look at Oceania’s multi-segment itineraries (which is their hallmark. They’re a real benefit for O cruisers incl. discount of total fare, same cabin and added O Club perks. Our upcoming 5 week cruise includes three segments starting in Bangkok and ending in Tokyo. Worth checking out what O has since they do many transoceanic cruises that dovetail perfectly with regional offerings.

This was a short-lived, failed O experiment of a separate line (for folks with higher O Club status) at check-in for tours that met in the Lounge. Only problem was there was no enforcement. So, everyone just got in the shortest line. Saw it/used it on two cruises before it disappeared in late 2022 or early 2023.

As I trust you already know: It’s applied to any remaining balance on your account.

Being a member of the Connoisseurs Club is not the same as being part of its Elite segment (top 20). As for “are they really in the CC?” It would be stated on the Oceania invoice. And one would assume the’re not lying if they put the CC banner in their ads.