Flatbush Flyer

What I would advise you to do is to make sure the application you’re using is actually the PRC’s actual form - downloaded from an actual PRC consular website. There are tons of visa “services” that try to make themselves sound official and some of them are scams. Same holds true for googled phone numbers. Lots of “pretend” phone numbers. This is the correct webpage for San Francisco: http://sanfrancisco.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/lszj/zgqz/ and here is the correct form. http://sanfrancisco.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/lsbgxz/ Note that you also need to make an appointment for in person submission

If you’re saying 3 excursions per person, the max O Life value for your cabin is just under $200 per each of six tours or $<1200 max. But, it only works for tours $<200 each. SM $800/cabin tour credit allows any tour offered. So, that depends on what’s more important to you. As for the wine, pouring personal wine in a glass and taking it to dinner is prohibited. It’s clearly stated in the O website FAQs: 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. “ANY” wine means just that. Nonetheless, there’s often that handful of cheapskates who cheat the system by carrying glasses out of the cabin. There’s also constant reminders in the daily Currents about the wine rules. The six bottle limit for bring aboard is a CYA statement, which has never been enforced (even years ago when the supposed limit was three)

I prefer getting what I want when I’m paying for it. The missing silverware from another table will be a “learning moment” for whoever screwed up.

Some here don’t have a TA or their TA is not very good. In our case, our TA is quite good and her agency is generous with rebates. But, if I can more easily get an answer directly at any particular point in time, I do (e.g., from the O Ambassador onboard in all of about 3 minutes or in a quick phone call with an O rep I use for excursion purchases). Sometimes, DIY just makes more sense. (Just ask Bob Persig). Kind of like when the waiter is swamped and there’s a delay in getting that missing silverware. It’s just so much easier to reach across and take what you need from the next unseated table.

As could each of us by asking for a “new” booking quote.

OP: Before anything else, you may want to contact both your cruise line and the nearest PCR consulate’s visa office. There is a current visa exemption for tourists from certain countries including the US. who will make brief stays and, perhaps(?) use ship’s authorized tours. Sorry that i don’t have the details (way from home where the paperwork sent by Oceania explained the exemption). If a visa is required, and anyone reading this has an unexpired one from pre-pandemic times, note that many of those visas are currently suspended (based on their issue date. That means, if your cruise circumstances are for any reason making a visa required, you will need to reapply. As for the application, make sure you’re doing the right one (“L”) and, if at all possible, I recommend doing it “in person.” We use the San Francisco PCR consulate and, if there’s any problem with your application, a visa officer will contact you. As for the application questions, all you can do is provide the answers you have and explain the circumstances for which you have no specific answer. If they want more info, they’ll let you know (perhaps another good reason to not add a third party [visa service] to the mix). FWIW: The PCR wants to know as much about you as is possible. They are masterful at knowing everything about everybody who may ever cross their border, especially if you have professional relationships there.

I’m going to disagree with you (slightly) and say “the exception is more likely the rule.” A lot of folks (including many who are new to cruising or even just to foreign travel) extend themselves with a splurge (or three), make novice comparisons to home settings, or buy into upsells. My concern is for those newbies for which choosing a lot of very expensive, empty space could’ve been avoided if they had just thought things through. i have no problem with folks who do the math and place value on a piano they’ll never use. But, I’ll always scratch my head at that decision.

“Huge Space” on any ship (or in any hotel) is such a waste of money for a couple of folks. For that kind of cost, you could do multiple cruises in a more-than-adequate veranda suite.

That was a big mistake. SBC perk is a wash with the added cost of O Life. Had you taken the tours option you could select up to twice their $100/tour base value (i.e,, up to $199 each)

as with so much that is idiosyncratic O, the devil is in the detail.

It’s not the internet. It’s intranet (a LAN).

Aha! (Or is it haha!) So, now we’ve got a conspiracy theory (“Conveniently planned during the time the supposed survey was open.”) that O spends a ton of money on a digital survey capability and then purposefully FUBARs the LAN system used to administer it (for the purpose of….. ?????)🤔😳 In any case, as I posted earlier: I don’t care for the digital survey. But, I do it as often as I can because that’s what’s available (and the results are more efficiently quantifiable than the old way. On those occasions, when I don’t do it (and even some times when I do), I also email significant pans and kudos regarding specific items to one or more of the appropriate O managers in Miami for whom I have good contact info. and, as you might expect, some of those comments achieve zip while others get desired results.

Glad you clarified(?) that. So, you’re saying that the ship’s internal LANs were inoperable? That must have been very interesting for communications between deck and engineering personnel.

The only nonsense here is that, apparently, you don’t realize the survey doesn’t use the internet. It’s on a LAN (i.e., intranet).

I don’t particularly care for the tech version of the final review. That said, people who truly want to respond, will find the time to use that tool (just like they did with the paper one. And for those, who miss that intranet opportunity, they can always send their review comments to Oceania’s Guest Services, Oceania Club et al.

Let’s all remember that, basically, nothing has changed. The old paper review also had to be completed before leaving the ship.

It’s an intranet site (not internet) to allow those without an internet account full access. There are multiple public announcements/reminders with instructions on how to use.

Reread my post. It says “prepurchased” (not repurchased). It is a spreadsheet showing retail, OLife and YWYW pricing and use of O issued SBC to offset the balance due. If you want a comprehensive overview of O Life/YWYW strategies, search here on CC for my numerous explanations in previous threads. But, understand that a lot will change with the move to SM starting in October of this year.

Yes- get the right pdf, the one with the math, which is “prepurchased….” (Not the one that says “preselected….”

News flash folks: Avoiding the PVSA problem on consecutive segments has a workaround which is absolutely legal. Do your homework.

If you have a relationship with a long-serving O phone rep or onboard O Club Ambassador, they’re often in the best position to grab a B extended balcony corner on Day 1 of your desired cruise’s booking availability. The you have a 30 day window to transfer to your TA.

Yes- on O ships, extended balconies (particularly the four corners) are the far better choice/value than concierge.

Forward ones have one rail side angled (so slightly smaller than the pictured aft one). We prefer aft on all O and R ships.

With the understanding that it would, in large part, depend on the size of the passenger population and culture of the cruise line, as well as your/our needs and expectations, I say that it makes a significant difference in the onboard experience, at least, on a premium/luxury small ship line like Oceania. I’d even go as far as to say that some regulars on specific cruise lines, who know a number of the GMs and CDs, consider who will be “running the show” in making a decision about cruise A vs cruise B (assuming similar itineraries et al.) We have our favorites (GMs, CDs and even Skippers and/or Executive Chefs), enough so that I could put my trust in a dream team (or two/three) I know would assure an excellent cruise experience.

Actually, some O Preferred Partner Travel Agencies also receive OCAPP funds regardless of whether they’re in a consortium. I’ve had a few situations where our invoice shows one of two segments with TA OCAPP and the other with Consortium OCAPP. But, when it comes to OCAPP, folks really need to pay attention to the O software glitch I described above in post # 10.