Flatbush Flyer

What you are not grasping is that: Between the ship and its connection to land based servers there is a satellite communication that is often unpredictable (including dead spots at various ocean locations). Next time you are on the ship, do a speedtest and you’ll find that the “ping” time is huge- which has little to do with the quality of the equipment onboard. So many cruisers (actually, consumers in general), making what they consider to be expensive purchases, neglect to read the Ticket (et al.) Contracts, T&Cs, etc that clearly spell out the limitations/restrictions/specifics of what they are purchasing (as posted in another comment above) and then complain when the disappointment they get is exactly what they were warned might happen. We do a lot of transpacific cruising and dead spots plus ultra slow pings are regular occurrences. It’s a ship in an ocean. And, as much as you might want, a cruise is not a good choice for a trip of any kind if your work relies on flawless satellite communications not associated with the actual operation of that ship.

Kimpton Vividora in the Gothic Quarter.

I think you’ll find that the comments aren’t meant to say “don’t feel that way.” Rather, as is the case with so much else about cruising: it’s just amazing how many folks don’t read the T&Cs and Ticket Contract and then are surprised when normal occurrences like itinerary changes occur. And that is followed by unwarranted upset and second guessing safety/security/public health policies and procedures with which they have zero familiarity.

Which you can cash in for a math lesson? 🤔😉

Cruise lines rely heavily on certified labs to conduct the pre-cruise Covid tests. In many European ports it will be Eurofins. And perhaps more than the Port Authority, it can be the cruise line who determines with which lab they contract. As for Corfu, it’s no different than anyplace else: Who was doing tests yesterday may not be who is doing tests tomorrow. In any case, if you have done “several hundred” tests yourself, you fully understand that the procedure is not exactly “rocket science” and whoever is doing tours probably has done far more than you have.

No one is “pushing a swab up your nose.” It goes in less than an inch and is gently turned. Not that big a deal - especially when you’re thinking first of the public health.

Next time, tell them you’ll be sitting just inside of the Terrace Café. If someone says NO (very unusual), firmly tell them YES and all will be fine.

There appears to be a common thread in more recent Oceania policies regarding the $ value of their items provided to a passenger. Whether we like it or not, that common thread is a corporate dislike for anything that O interprets as “double dipping” a discount or amenity. As ORV pointed out above: years ago, you could opt for TA gratuities and get the full value of the O Club gratuities amenity as SBC. If I remember correctly, the first modification of that was a varying amount of “in lieu” SBC depending on the specific cruise. But, in recent years, it appears that the “in lieu” has settled in on $125 per person (at least for single segments and published “extended journeys”).

LOL I’m sitting here reminded of the stack of O points sitting in my “travel drawer.” I’ve got some from every ship in the O fleet - almost all earned from Trivia. I usually bring my stash on a next cruise. But, like you, I look at that long line on redemption day and often think “maybe next time.” Nonetheless, I will brave the wait when I need a new long sleeve cotton Oceania Cruises tee shirt (or two) - usually only 70 points each.

Try answering the actual OP question rather than making yet another uninformed/erroneous comment about what you think others here on CC may or may not prefer/pursue in their TA relationships. In any case, TA amenities all boil down to qualitative/quantitative value. And knowing “who/how” compensation/resources work can be a major factor in helping the OP on this thread decide what’s best for him/her from a complete menu of possibilities.

It still exists. I’ve got invoices for four of five future cruises with OCAPP on them.

If you reread my post, you’ll see that I was talking about the confusion caused by insurance terminology. Not unlike PreExistingCondition (PEC) which means different things to healthcare and travel insurance, MedEvac means something different in the Insurance Industry than it does in the Maritime World. And the “misleading” that is inherent in that confusion can be quite expensive to a cruise newbie who thinks they need MedEvac insurance to pay for the Coast Guard “field rescue” (which is what insurers would call it). And, as I trust you know: With few exceptions worldwide, ocean nations’ Coast Guards seldom charge cruise ship passengers for what an insurance company would call “field rescue” (which you and I would normally call MedEvac). And, of course, I probably don’t need to explain to you what is the primary purpose of MedEvac insurance.

Not unusual. If you have high enough O Club status to get comp gratuities and TA will pay your gratuities from an incentive source NOT coming from their O commission, take the TA gratuities and O will give you $250 SBC credit for the cabin “in lieu of O Club gratuities.” You can tell if the TA is covering gratuities with incentive $ because you’ll see “OCAPP” and their Agency and/or Consortium name next to the provided gratuity amount(s) in “amenities” section on your Oceania invoice. OCAPP $ are $ provided to TAs by O to use as booking incentives. You could also get the $250 “in lieu” if the TA covers the gratuities from their commission as a purchased gift. But, that is not preferable since the TA may then reduce the amount of any commission sharing they do for you (as added reimbursable SBC or a $ rebate.

Did you get a non-stop price quote and, if so, was it better than DIY.

That’s good news (assuming they’re actual AA or Delta points rather than CC points). Are you talking about good deals on nonstop intercontinental flights? FWIW: We seldom do bizclass for some domestic flights like SFO to LAX and I’ve always found that the O air credit is more than what I pay for those tix.

Nonstops on your preferred airline? FF points earned? Seat assignments at time of booking? Ability to offset cost with some FF points (plus your cash)?

True

Nationwide’s “cruise” specific policies do cover missed ports but there is a total claim limit - I seem to remember $250 from several years ago when our Oceania ship changed final destination at the beginning of the Covid issues.

FWIW: in selecting cruise insurance, look for a policy that reimburses for “missed ports.”

I understand your concern. If you peruse the numerous CC discussions about wonderful TAs, you’ll notice that only some of us maintain a “short list” of individual agents in anticipation of one (or more) of them moving on to retirement (or something else). But that only helps with the next yet-to-be-booked cruise (should the newly assigned TA not impress you). Your more immediate concern suggests that you immediately contact a higher up at the current Agency you are using. If the agency has a Customer Services arm, someone there may also have access to your booking and all notes in your account. In any case, I wouldn’t wait for someone to finish their vacation. In all honesty, however, without a paper trail of emails confirming that the booking “would be made” as directed by you, you are pretty much SOL on getting your original cruise deal (though you might be able to negotiate some added SBC or a FFC to ease the pain of new pricing). FWIW: I suggest that you turn on Credit Card “notices” for your account so that you will be informed immediately when your card is used for a payment. I also suggest that (even with your favorite/trusted TA) you followup every booking related TA conversation with an email detailing the specifics - not because you distrust your favorite TA but rather because tomorrow may find you unexpectedly dealing with a totally different person.

We recently did the last two segments of the most recent Oceania ATW cruise. Those on for the whole ride had experienced so many itinerary changes that they changed the name of the ATW from “Around The World” to “All The Way.”

FWIW: Whether it is you or your TA voicing the concern, having the contact info for specific managers at Oceania’s home office can be very helpful in righting perceived wrongs that deserve attention. Bringing your reasonable issue directly/immediately to the Exec Concierge (or other appropriate manager on the ship may often result in an immediate solution. At the very least if you remain displeased, you can request the contact info for a specific Miami manager (rather than general mailbox), which will usually be honored. That alone should get you a more immediate reply from Miami though you may find that the tenor of the reply will still be along the lines of a form letter with an FCC of $XXX.00. What positive (for passengers) may come of your speaking up is that enough complaints to O about a particular reasonable issue will often affect some change.

See posts 43, 46, 48. Whether it’s excursions, specialty restaurants, La Reserve, Priveé...., there can be human error in Miami when it comes to “opening” bookings for optional purchases on specific cruises. I’ve noticed that it mostly happens with multi-segment cruises where the O functionary in Miami will “press the button” for one cruise segment but not the other. The problem (in all its guises) is often discussed here on CC. (Witness the ongoing fiasco with excursions related to Venice port changes) And cajoling by the right TA or O regional sales Rep or even one of a handful of long-serving O cruise consultants/reservation supervisors can get things corrected. But, that can take time as well.

Everyone is drunk? What other misconceptions do you have?

Changing an itinerary is not as easy as you may think. Port schedules are complex affairs (for the ports themselves as much as, if not more than, for the cruise lines). I had to chuckle at your example. “Up close and personal” with a glacier while experiencing engine problems? Trying it “tomorrow vs today”? Not a very good idea. And don’t forget that other ships may already occupy the “tomorrow” spot for “glacier day.”