Flatbush Flyer

Thanks for your attention to detail!

Directly over the kitchen.

Call a travel insurance broker like InsureMyTrip.com (no extra cost to you). Insurance is not “one size fits all.”

Well ORV, let’s not say “quit drinking.” Rather, let’s say “think twice about the O Life booze package (with or without upgrade).” Some folks are forgetting that the O Life pp fare (even without the air component) is higher than the “cruise only” fare by whatever is the amount of 1/2 the SBC option. Thus, if you pick the basic booze perk (at the old $40/person/day) on a cruise with $800 SBC/cabin O Life value, a 10 day cruise has zero value more than if you purchase the package outright. It only has added value if the cruise is long enough and you drink enough. FWIW, we no longer do the booze packages regardless of the cruise length or itinerary. And it has little to do with our average consumption. I’ve occasionally done the math and with Happy Hour pricing, Welcome event plus multiple O Club parties per segment (Platinum folks are generally invited to each repeat O Club night), invited dinners, BYO wine, Bin End wines and “favored” bartenders, we come out way ahead on a la carte purchasing.

Not necessarily questioning your statement (which I know for a fact was true in the past when the upgrade was $20 [difference from $40 to $60]). Rather, let me rant about how this thread continues to be the perfect example of why, when folks post here on CC about O policy changes or updates or confirmations (supposedly based on info coming direct from O), they really do need to provide a copy of the source document (albeit with personal info redacted if do required). As I mentioned in an earlier exchange about the O beverage package purchase web page: Until or unless O adds to (or otherwise changes) what’s on its website, what appears there (as right or wrong or irrational or unclear as it may be) is the “de facto” rule. That said, however, it’s difficult to not surmise that the confusing and missing clarifications often found on the O website and in many of its communications regarding cruise specifics are anything less than intentional - which then leaves lots of room to interpret the rules - often at the passengers’ expense. Want an example? One only needs to look at the deterioration of the SailSafe FAQs throughout 2022 where items regarding what O will/will not pay for in terms of Covid costs slowly disappeared with each update.

So, are you saying that your earlier post regarding what your TA learned from O (I.e., ok to do pre-cruise booze upgrade) was incorrect? If so (or even if not so), this kind of uncertainty just strengthens the argument about having a paper trail that identifies responsible parties.

Still wrong. Call again - “third time’s a charm.” You can also ask your TA to get confirmation (in writing). And, while you are at it, search here on the Oceania forums for a recent thread describing what just occurred for someone currently on the ship. They got a note saying that, if they want to upgrade to “prestige,” for the next segment, it will be $30 instead of the former $20.

Wrong. Sadly (and just like with some TAs), not all O phone reps “have a clue.” Call back to a different rep and you’ll get the correct info. That said, you may want to change your O Life perk to the excursions which (with the right allowable tour selections) can double their face value while also counting toward your cruise’s minimum requirement for the YWYW discount.

While a ship will do its best to wait for its own tours that may be running late, there are no guarantees. Read your T&Cs. “Time and tide wait for no man.” There are instances where sea and port conditions require staying on schedule. That said, the ship may guarantee that it will assist in getting you to the next port and absorb the associated reasonable costs.

No matter how you guesstimate what else it may be, the current selection for “prepaid gratuities” is on the same line as the two beverage packages- Common sense dictates that it is a third booze option as explained above. And it’s right under the header saying “beverage packages” on a page for “beverage packages.” Until such time as O further explains or changes it, suggesting that it’s anything other than a stated beverage related item is conjecture at best. Maybe we’ll hear from someone who actually has used the page and can provide more info. But, for now, the item in question is what it is: a way for a few booze shoppers to either throw their money away (because they will never meet/beat the $100 daily drink price threshold OR they will reduce their over all gratuities costs for anticipated alcohol related purchases (for themselves or a group)v that exceed the $100 line.

Thanks for the reminder. But, it was 18% not very long ago. And didn’t the spa tips also go up recently? The spa services prices (at least, many of them) increased significantly in November. Fortunately, during the preceding segment, we were allowed to pre-assign our coupons for the segment with the new prices and pay only the old price difference.

FWIW: And 18% is/was the a la carte booze gratuity.

Read post 119 above, which includes a screen shot of the booze related packages pricing Until it’s clarified by O as an error or true, the cited flat daily $18 gratuity rate for all booze purchased a la carte is no different than paying the current flat daily “house select” or “prestige” total package price for what is also an unknown number of drinks. In essence, what that page says is that you can buy the existing booze packages which include gratuity OR you can just pre-buy your potential gratuities for all booze related purchases at $18/pp/day. Of course, in this scenario, $100 in daily per person booze prices would be the “break even” point for a passenger (I.e., 18% x $100 = $18). IMO, however, it would be a loser for most folks only drinking a few a la carte wine or spirits items daily. But, it could be a good deal for folks who purchase pricey bottles of wine nightly, do booze tastings, frequent the “wine bar evenings” et al. -many easily topping that $100/day threshold (e.g., one designated person purchasing multiple wine bottles nightly for a travel group).

Normally, yes. But, there’s another thread here on the O forum regarding the pre-cruise booze purchase web page - showing the ability to pre-buy just the booze gratuities as a daily set charge. Perhaps someone who saw that can post a link or remind us where on a cruise account it can be found.

Most likely, you are SOL. But, sometimes classes will be added and an enrollee in an existing class may want to drop out. You’ll just have to check regularly with the instructor once onboard (besides being on the wait list).

For heading into port, you board the tender and ride on it until you reach the pier. Then you get off. For the return trip, you repeat the process. Crew assist you in stepping on or off in what can be a very easy or extremely difficult transition. The ride is smooth as silk unless it’s not.

Use the search feature here on CC to find my several detailed posts about how to find a well-respected Oceania Connoisseurs Club or Preferred Partner Travel Agency.

Before I retired, a number of foreign hotels collected my passport and kept it for the duration of my stay. They Included properties in multiple cities in the PRC and Odessa in the Ukraine.

Gratuities have already been increased.

I thought the country voted to split into two entities😉

Grand Duchy of Fenwick.

What was the O Life SBC option amount? I ask because you paid that extra amount to O before picking which optional perk you want.

Depending on the embarkation port, we pretty much always bring 6-12 bottles onboard and replenish along the itinerary if good wine sources are available. Thus, we often bring our own wine to dinner and pay the $25 corkage (which includes the gratuity). Sadly, there are some real cheapskates onboard who pour glasses of their own wine and carry them to dinner (or to other public spaces). This “low rent” practice violates Oceania’ very liberal booze policy (you’ll see occasional reminders in the daily Currents stating that personal wine/spirits purchased ashore are meant for in-cabin consumption - though bottles of wine can be taken to meals/public spaces as long as the $25 corkage is paid). If you don’t finish your bottle, wine stewards will store it for retrieval at your request.

Some of your consideration also needs to look at wait times for entry to certain antiquities. For example, you can spend well over an hour in Rome on lines for entry to a place like the Colosseum or the Vatican while the right guide has much quicker access. Doing your homework can identify “full” port day excursions that might get you to 4 places with a guide as opposed to only 2 where DIY means the long waits. Not sure what your itinerary will be but, for future reference, always look at Med cruises with different start/end ports in locations where you want to see more (e.g., Rome to Athens). In that way, you can add multi-day land stays for those cities. That may sound expensive - until you compare that one cruise with land extensions to the multiple short cruises it would take to see the same places. Enjoy your trip.

If you truly “love” history, how could you not recognize the need for a historically knowledgeable guide in such complex locations as Istanbul and Sicily - both key crossroads of civilization? In any case, if you do some significant research, you’ll find that the cost of a great guide will, at the very least, often get you “cut the line” privileges plus someone who can peel back layers of history that explain the antiquities in multiple dimensions. BTW: You mention Athens as a must for a guide. Know that, while an Athens visit would definitely be best with a good guide, seeing a wide array of Greek ruins in the most excellent condition would require a trip to Sicily (e.g., Valley of the Temples).