ORV

Sorry, I'd forgotten about that change.

 

You'd still get it by virtue of being a captains' club member, assuming the person asking is one and it's a regular stateroom, not a suite. You could also get this ashore though.

If they book while on a cruise you are going to be a Captain's Club member on your next cruise, whether you were or not starting that cruise so you should be able to get it.

I've never gotten the free upgrade... do you have to specifically tell the TA to do it?

Must be requested at time of original booking.

Hi there - I continue to have issues trying to check-in online - I enter/reenter my personal info/passport info and no matter how many times I try to complete and print my Xpress Pass, the website continues to return an error message saying that my personal information is incomplete.

 

I thought I saw a fix for this in one of the threads a while back, but searching I could not find it again.

 

Appreciate if anyone knows how to fix this.

 

Thanks!

Michelle

When is your cruise? I find the online checkin a bit wonky. There is information they should have stored with your CC # that you always have to reenter.

I can't remember for sure but I think it's not ready until after final payment is made.

The two cruises I had booked before the promo started didn't increase when the promo was introduced, much to the dispute of posters that always think the promo comes with a price increase.

I don't expect them to go down in March either, they are both fairly popular so I expect them to either go up or stay the same as final payment gets closer.

Thanks, I did reserve an alcove for 2 of our at sea days and will chance the other day! Hopefully we will like it!

You do know the alcoves are not anywhere near the pool?

So here are my cruise experience expectations for my June 2014 Reflection Med cruise.

 

1. Cold Beer

2. Daily spot at the Mast Bar and cold beer

3. Good food in Blu. Just bring me a steak or seafood and cold beer and a glass of wine.

4. A spot in the smoking area of the Mast Bar for an occasional cigar and cold beer or glass of scotch.

5. A regular spot at the Mast bar for cold beer and a good hamburger

6. A regular spot at the pool bar and cold beer

7. Nice comfy bead with a working shower and cold beer

8. Spot at Michaels and cold foo-foo beer.

9. Coffee early in the AM followed by an Bloody Mary then cold beer.

 

If X can deliver on these marks I'll be living the dream for 11 nights this summer. Are my expectations for X to high?

As Wine-O pointed out, cigars are not allowed at the Mast bar. The port side of the Sunset bar is more peaceful anyway, especially in the evenings, and you pretty much have a private bartender.

Other than adjusting that one expectation looks like you're good to go.

Just another dress code question. I saw the word muscle shirt. Would that be acceptable in the terrace grill with shorts for a man or is it only waves grill?

This is only personal opinion but I feel a muscle shirt, or what is vulgarly known as a wife beater has no place in any restaurant at any time. I truly don't care for open hairy armpits around food.

As far as what the dress code say about it I'm not sure. Good taste and common sense says no.

I'm going on the Riviera later this year. What was the internet like on the ship? Decent speeds or slow at times

 

thanks

 

Graham

Are you old enough to remember dial up? There you go.

I haven't booked with them before but have booked several with another online TA, and this is a large one also.

 

We were going to do Allure this week, but it was double the price for the cruise AND the air...so we cancelled & were going to do Vegas.

 

Then this promo comes across my email--free drink pkg & gratuities if we book a balcony. AND since it is only 5 days, flights are more reasonable. SOLD.

 

I called Celebrity directly & upgraded the drink pkg to premium--we both love the idea of ordering virtually whatever drinks we like & no tickets to sign!

 

After researching here & checking the website frequently, I called the TA & upgraded from C3 to C1 with the large AFT balcony.

 

Then this week I checked & saw the AQ had come down a lot from $100 more pp to $10 more pp & discussed it w/ DH & he was sold. Called again.

(the prices were more on Celebrity's site)

 

These were all after final payment.

 

So that was my process--we travel frequently, and I am constantly checking & rechecking prices of air & hotel, changing as often as necessary to get the best deal for the best product.

 

5 weeks from Saturday!!! WOO HOO!

Which airline can you get price reductions on?

Just off Eclipse. I still do not understand what Team Earth does. It has a big table and chairs. Never see anyone in it. Is there a purpose for its existence?

I think it's one of the Celebrity Life experiences that are part of Modern Luxury.

Either that or a part of the ship with a globe in it. I can't remember which.

Definitely agree that this is in a bad place, especially on the Riviera. My experience is that you smelled the smoke in the starboard hallway and the stairwell even though there were doors leading to the outside. The biggest issue is that it is in an enclosed space backed up to the artist loft area and no wind comes through there. People that are sensitive or just don't like smoke have a legitimate complaint. There are better places for it, (a deck up comes to mind, or outside Barristas on starboard side) but there is always someone that would not be happy no matter where it's at.

I felt the enclosed area and the public areas leading up to it in Horizons were the absolute worst though. You could start smelling the cigarette smell on the steps on deck 14 and it permeated the whole Horizons lounge. I've noticed people mention before that they didn't smell it in Horizons on the other side. I noticed it every time I was in Horizons, on either side. It didn't bother me, I just find stale cigarette smell unpleasant smelling.

I think Oceania should be like Celebrity and not allow any indoor smoking.

Don't you need 5 people for the FV, at least until they release it for fewer? Or has this changed?

I've stayed in an C1 on Connie, but I haven't stayed in AQ. From a balcony point of view I think you made a mistake, from a food point of view I can't say.

Either way it'll still be great, Enjoy your cruise.

Just goes to show how different people's tastes are. A couple of months ago we spent 26 days on Riviera. We ate 6 times in Red Ginger, 3 times each in all the others. We ate twice in the MDR for dinner, once in the room from Red Ginger, and the rest of the evening meals in the Terrace, which was great. The reason we didn't eat much in the MDR was due to the time it took, especially since you could get all the same food and more in the Terrace.

Here is our order of preference.

Red Ginger

Toscana

Jacques

Polo

Here's what I think the thinking is;

They've already given her the Classic, it's a bonus for them that she won't drink alcohol and will only take advantage of the items that are available on the Classic NON ALCH package. If they allow customers to start substituting the Premium Non ALCH package then they are going to start giving away more expensive coffees, more expensive waters, flavored and normal, Red Bulls etc. that otherwise they would not have to give out. It would add up eventually.

While on face value it might appear cheaper for them to allow it, but it's not, because people that are in this situation are not going to drink the booze anyway. If you were buying it then it makes sense, you certainly wouldn't want to pay for something that you are not going to use. But since it's a promo the other factors come into play.

before, admittedly on other lines, and have never had this happen. It would have been nice for someone to have informed me.

 

It wasn't a quick little trip though...we had been all the way down to the GDR on the bow for the muster drill and had walked all the way back to the OS on the stern, plus climbing from the 6th floor to the 10th!

 

Even the butler didn't tell me.

 

Coupled with everything...the being told to get out and the horrible heating/airconditioning problems, I was more than a little disturbed.

On our B2B in Nov we had to change cabins and received new cards, 2 days early, thought that was a little strange, especially since on turnaround day they told us we had to have the new cards reprogrammed. We moved from one room to another seamlessly and were in the new room by 9am. BUT, our new cards didn't work until around 2 that afternoon, the front desk people said it had to do with the computers closing out one cruise and then loading the next. OK.

My biggest concern is that I had to bother our room attendant or butler whom were both extremely busy on turnaround day getting the other rooms ready to let us in our room.

My experience with the front desk is that there was a young man there that was very courteous and efficient, and there was a lady(English I think) in her late 30's that was extremely friendly and helpful. THEN, there were 2 or 3 young ladies in their mid 20 that the nicest thing I could say about them would be that Cold Fish would be a compliment. This "nose in the air" attitude should be adjusted, not sure who thinks that is proper but it seems to be most prevalent on all cruise lines we've been on with the Guest Relations staff.

My understanding is that goes beyond having just two ships. The crews are loyal to a single ship and do not move between the two. I think it makes a difference

 

But that's no excuse for poor service on Oceania. I have experienced bad food but never poor service on o Completely unacceptable and I agree cause for concern

I would think the fact that Oceania has gone from servicing around 2100 passengers at any given time to around to 4500 in the past 3 or 4 years has taken a toll on their service and quality of staff. It's hard to expect to double your customers and still maintain the intimate service and quality they've been known for. In a few months that will go up to over 5000 passengers. I'm sure it's a challenge for management.

Still our experience on Riviera was excellent, but there were a few snags.

I think the title says it all - any car rental place in the city near cruise terminal?

I have the same issue. We have a port day there on a cruise in April, thinking of renting a car and heading up to Williamsburg. I guess I could figure it out myself with Google but was wondering if anyone had done this.

Apparently not much information here for Norfolk.

Thanks for any info.

I had the classic package on the Equinox Nov 2013 TA, I had Crown Royal for the whole trip :D

I realize things change but I had Glenfiddich on the Classic package, yet it's listed on the Premium. Just like your example.

Best thing to do is ask on board at your favorite bar if what you want is covered on the Classic. If it's something you just can't live without or can't find something else to drink then upgrade the package.

Get a flight!

While fun it's not covered by either package. Of course you could order them one at a time and experience the whole flight. :eek: I wouldn't suggest it all at one sitting though.

a few thoughts:

 

- forums like these will always discuss more about the exceptions (good and bad) than the norm, that's just normal and an avid reader knows how to handle forums and take everything with a grain of salt. the problem is more when let's say someone that rarely uses internet books a cruise and out of interest drops in to read a bit, they might get scared by some hilarious or exaggerated opinions sometimes.

 

- look at it that way, if everything were only positive all the time, expectations by a lot of people would be even much higher, and therefore even harder to meet... rather have people departing on the cruise with slightly lower expectations only to be pleased in a positive way actually is better for the crew, the brand, memories etc...

 

- i'm a 100% realist, so i hate it anytime when something is hailed to the point of being religious or lipstick being put on a pig. but this applies just as much in the other direction. making everything look bad because of minor issues, whining all the time etc... puts things far away from reality.

forums like these however enable realists like myself to build a picture that is closer to reality and more elaborated than a glossy brochure/PR or a nasty article in the media written by some journalist.

 

- i come from a safety background where it is absolutely critical that every issue is being debated, analyzed and constantly improved. sweeping things under the rug is a very bad idea, especially in the long run. lifes depend on that. but this doesn't only need to apply to life/death topics.

i agree with other posters: use the (intermediate) comment cards both for positive and negative things so management and crew actually get a fair chance to improve! saying nothing and then go whining online is bad in many ways.

 

- criticism does not need to be taken personal all the time. having an opinion or impression that something could be done better/is not to ones taste does not mean that there automatically is an issue with the person who is behind. unfortunately many people seem unable to differentiate this.

 

- "the grass is always greener" and "the old days were better" are quite human and one can try to bias and correct this while reading.

 

- relax and enjoy the good things in life. being realistic all the time does not prevent you from enjoying the nice things in life. being a critic does not mean not being nice to hard working crews and a thank you here and there costs nothing!

 

- forums like these are important as a "checks and balances" to the shareholder focus and money first - shortterm focus of management. agreed, a business is there to make money. however we're not dumb cows to be milked. so if there is a reported trend that there are things perceived to be cut, it is likely so and such a forum enable this to not go unnoticed. so something that management previously perceived saw as "free savings" now suddenly has a price tag that each one of us can attach and make the decision whether the value proposition still fits them. power to the user/consumer.

 

so to close out, the worst thing that could be done here is to streamline and silence opinions, censor posts etc... otherwise the site would have to be renamed cruiseline-xyz-fanboys. and us critics would go look elsewhere to get informed.

 

cavok

Haven't seen you around these parts before. Thanks for the well thought out and intelligent post.

BTW - I recognize CC is only used by a small % of all cruisers but how is it not representative "of the total cruising population." ?

Good question.

Cruisecritic isnt a representitive voice of the total cruising population. Plus people are more likely to post their negatives than positives.

On your second point I agree. On your first point not so sure. It is certainly an interesting topic. I will say that some Cruise Critic members are certainly more informed and aware of things involved with cruises and the respective ships and lines they choose to cruise with, others not so much. There are people on ships that rarely if ever use Cruise Critic and are extremely knowledgeable about cruising, others not so much. As a whole though I would say one of the things that set CC members apart is that they are generally more knowledgeable.

It is my experience from my exceedingly unscientific observations on Roll Calls that there is about 10% of the capacity of any given ship that will participate on CC. I have no idea how many are lurkers that are reading for information but never post. I'd guess another 25% to 40%.

With more and more younger people cruising that tend to use the internet and more and more older people using the internet I think you will see even more of the cruising public using CC. I would guess if we had access to the numbers you would see a very substantial growth of members here over the past 5 years or so. Much more than the increase in berths.

Just my .02

I'm also a big fan of the Poulet Rôti.

Thanks sooo much for your advice. We will check out where we dock ( tender or port)and follow your advice for either situation. I believe besides us there is a P&O ship also docking that morning. Thanks again.

What sailing are you on? There are various ways to find out how many ships are in port with you. Also if you check the itinerary on the Oceania website it usually shows what ports are tendered. It may not always work out that way but it's a good guide to go by.

Never again. I booked once with American Express for the benefits. The least of my problems was that every time I needed something they would have to put me on hold to call the cruise line. Annoying.

 

The biggie was that we booked with friends. We each had 2 cabins. One for the parents and the other for the kids. We each paid the same fare except we had an OBC. After final payment, the prices dropped significantly. My friends had both their cabins upgraded to jr suites immediately after calling. Since we booked with a travel agent, our travel agent had to call X and was told we weren't eligible. We were and by the time it all got straightened out there weren't 2 jr suites left near each other, and we couldn't have the kids that far away. Had we booked direct, we would have had the jr suites. Wasn't worth for the little OBC we received.

 

I like being in control of my reservation.

Which Jr Suites did your friends have on X?

Pretty sure St Lucia should be a docked port.

Maybe it's just me, but I've felt the beds on most of the Celebrity cruises I've been on are basically a foam rubber mattress on a metal frame. They're passable and okay to sleep on for a while, but I sure wouldn't want one for my bed at home.

To me I would say they are definitely firm and definitely not a pillow top. But as another poster mentioned your steward is generally happy to get a egg crate topper for you.

I've been on two other cruise lines that I would love to have their mattresses at home. Never been in any room higher than a Concierge class on Celebrity.