Flatbush Flyer

Register your cruise on the O website and then peruse the various topics and associated FAQs in your newly established “account” which will answer the above questions and far more (I.e., specialty restaurant reservations, excursion packages, booze upgrades, etc) Also, reading your Ticket Contract and T&Cs will cover many items as well. Finally, do a search here on the CC Oceania forums with specific keywords and you’ll get a list of fairly comprehensive threads that explain it all.

“Pre-booking” is nothing new. Many O regulars checkout the new crop of cruises during the “preview period” and then provide specific cruise/cabin/O Life preferences directly to the O reservation system via trusted O sales reps including onboard O Club Ambassadors and long serving phone reps (TAs have their own O reps but you can establish a similar connection if regularly booking direct). Can you or I book direct online at the exact opening date/time? Absolutely. But, I am convinced that the best of those O employees with direct access to the O reservation system have far greater “speed (and experience) of access” than is capable via a web interface. Our usual practice is to prebook (i.e., request a “hold” for a cruise we found in the preview period) from an onboard O Club Ambassador or our regular O phone rep) and then transfer it to our preferred TA during the 30 day transfer window. FWIW, that’s why we’re currently in one of the coveted four open corner extended B balconies on Marina for four consecutive segments.

Oceania ATW = 6 months

You’re confusing your terms: The published “cruise only” fare includes no O Life perk options. The “O Life” fare includes the O Life perk option of your choice plus economy air tix OR a DIY air credit (which you can opt for when you book). That said, as has been pointed out: choosing the O Life SBC perk is a $ wash with the fare paid. In most cases, the best O Life perk remains the allowable excursions which can have a value that is double the SBC perk. Also, O Life tour picks count toward your cruise’s minimum tour buy requirement for the 25% YWYW discount on any paid ones. IMO, the booze choice is only worthwhile if you upgrade it to the “prestige package” with mostly unlimited spirits ($20 pp/per day additional charge). But, even that only gets you mediocre wines on the wine-by-the-glass list.

No “power” needed. 1. Book Onboard (months prior to any future O holiday sale, which we know from experience will be coming). Of course, this would be harder if we’re talking about someone booking their first O cruise. However, it is possible to have a friend or family member do a “book onboard” for you 2. Transfer to TA during the allowable 30 day window). 3. When O sale happens, have TA exercise your original Book Onboard “lower price match guarantee” (if price is actually lower and there’s cabin availability). But, don’t forget to do the math on any changes in air/air credit $ and/or O Life perks.

On Marina now. The quartet will play on deck today for the afternoon arrival at Istanbul.

On Marina now. The quartet will play on deck today for the afternoon arrival at Istanbul.

Read your T&Cs and Ticket Contract.

FWIW: we’re onboard Marina now and are doing two simultaneous “extended journeys”: BCN-FCO and FCO-MIA. So, even though we only have one outbound SFO-FRA-BCN flight itinerary and one return MIA-SFO flight itinerary, we get air credit on each extended journey: That’s $900 per person total air credit for the outbound and $800 per person total air credit for the inbound. Taken together, that’s a $1700 per person air credit that would easily cover a multi-city coach fare. We take that credit and apply it to DIY bizclass tix on our preferred carrier and routing.

The Wine Bar (currently at the LaReserve space on Marina) on select nights is simply called “The Wine Bar.” Perhaps the “15th and Vine” names was from an earlier time when they were “testing” the concept (and names). As for what basic booze package wines-by-the-glass might be found on any menu other than the list found on many dining venue tables (including the Wine Bar menu I posted above), you’ll have to make that comparison once onboard.

Last night, we had an opportunity to check out the new Wine Bar evening now held occasionally in the La Reserve space on Marina and (I assume) Riviera. Hopefully, this will continue -particularly the “relatively” decent pricing - at least for some of the wines by the bottle. Among them (see the pic) was one of our favorite unassuming Sicilian whites: Donnafugata Anthìlia (Catarratto grapes). Back in California, it usually retails for just under $20. On the O Wine Bar menu, it’s $38. Yes, on a cruise ship - a wine markup of only 100%! In any case, the comp hors d’oeuvres are varied including charcuterie items and other small bites including scallops and lox. And, for those who want to try a flight of wines, there’s a reasonable selection of wines that are somewhat more attractive than what is found on the wine-by-the-glass menu. And the price for your choice of three servings is reasonable for the top group of wines (though the pricier group at the bottom of the menu is IMO quite the contrast. Note, however, that, since we no longer do the booze package, I can’t comment on how that translates for the Wine Bar (perhaps someone else will chime in). Bottom line: Worth a try.

“You get what you pay for.” (Well, sorta.) The problem with most mass market lines - particularly the “discount” ones - is that cheap cabin prices have little to do with “value” (or quality). In fact, by the time many mass market cruisers add things like beverages (pay for bottled water? Really?), decent food in the extra cost restaurants, booze, excursions, internet, gratuities, AIRFARE et al. (and don’t forget being bombarded by photogs, phony art auctions and “lectures” that are noting more than sales pitches), their final cost may far exceed what would’ve been the all (or mostly) inclusive fare on true premium lines (sorry folks, HAL, Princess and Celebrity may be among the best of the mass market but, they are not value laden “premium” contenders. Even the cruise lines admit it via their introduction of their “ship within a ship” options that can easily cost more than the real thing. If you want to avoid nickel-diming, thundering herds of thousands of passengers, prom nights, fast food for dinner, etc while adding true informative lectures by experts, daily live entertainment, outstanding crew and space ratios, exotic worldwide itineraries - in essence what mass market TV commercials suggest you’ll find (but don’t), you’re going to need to look at Premium (or even Luxury) cruise lines. Cheap and value are not the same thing.

The second display is the ONLY correct accounting of pre-purchased excursions. It is the “prepurchased shore excursions” PDF you can request be sent directly to you if you purchase the tours from an O rep on the phone (or via your TA if you have the TA do it- which I do not advise because even many “O seasoned” TAs haven’t got a clue about O Life strategies - particularly the tours). There is no way to display that PDF in your online account. In all honesty, the O website Cart and Account display for excursions is VERY glitchy. And the web item shown above could be mistaken for the display if you had chosen the “Passport” tours option (though the numbers are still incorrect). BTW, the PDF display above is for one person. The second person would have a similar listing on the PDF. I’m not sure if that web pic is for one or both people. Bottom line: That PDF rules for prepurchased tours. And once onboard, you can also request a “screen print” of what the Destination Services folks have whenever changes are made with cancellations/refunds etc (though posting of the changes do not occur immediately.

There’s no self-serve in Oceania food venues (pre-Covid, Covid, post-Covid). As with the quality of ingredients and preparation, food safety is paramount.

How is it difficult? Pick a line that offers pier-side testing -either at no cost or for a fee. Alternatively, get tested at your departure or arrival airport. OR purchase a home test and contact On-Point Testing for online proctoring of approved tests (proctoring reasonably priced at <$50). Still too stressed? Contact the concierge at your pre-cruise hotel and s/he will arrange a test for you.

Also, once someone includes you in their reservation (via having your booking number), only that person can delete you from that reservation. You can’t delete it from your account.

Sea days provide the most flexibility which is why they book full the fastest. Port days with the earliest departure are the next most popular. The least popular are forts and last nights of your cruise. Overnights in port are popular with some folks and unpopular with those who prefer to dine on land or do an O evening excursion.

THIS is exactly correct! And this is why it is so important to get a copy of the PrePurchased Shore Excursions PDF. It will show you which items would be next in line to be designated one of your O Life items if an original one is cancelled and/or replaced by an O life choice of higher cost (yet still <$200 retail).

True texting (e.g., SMS texts) requires cellular service (just like cellular voice at home). On many ships, satellite connection for cellular service is available. But, it is far more costly than WiFi (over which you can “instant message”). With WiFi you can use messaging apps like WhatsApp among “friends” who also have the App (and WiFi) or, if you have an iPhone you can instant message (iMessage) with any other iPhone owner when you both have cellular or WiFi internet. Bottom line: unless a ship has an intranet setup (ship-only communications) available for free or at a small cost, you will need WiFi or satellite based cellular service (while at sea) to communicate by “texting”/“instant messaging.”

Do a search here for one of my extensive discussions on O Life/YWYW strategies. And, as always, make sure you get a copy of the full math Prepurchased shore excursions PDF, which will come in handy should there be tour changes once you are onboard.

My understanding from a call to AT&T International Dept is that it’s a max of $100 per 30 days from first use of the $10/day Passport.

If you are O Club Platinum and the TA (or it’s consortium) “pays” your grats directly or by using OCAPP $, the O Club gives you $250/cabin SBC “in lieu.” If you don’t see it on your O invoice, it’s a mistake. Call TA or O direct if you booked direct to get it corrected.

I should’ve been more clear. I was trying to comment only about locked AT&T phones. Thanks for the clarification. Nonetheless, I still recommend the AT&T Daily Passport for those who can organize their cell needs.

Follow the science! Requiring masks, vaccination, boosters, and social distance has already shown to lessen transmission significantly. Each person denied boarding due to a positive pier-side or w/i 48 hr test is one less disease transmitter.

All I would add to this is to actually use the O rep to buy the tours. Their O network will display the latest status of tour stuff, which may not have yet made it to the web. Also, the rep can send you the “prepurchased shore excursions” PDF. It shows all the math in detail and is extremely helpful once you are onboard - should there be any changes in tours resulting in refunds for cancels and new charges for replacements.