beechwood

On 1/7/2024 at 10:08 AM, clo said:

Not at all what you're asking but I'll toss it in just in case. No one - outside of government I suppose - calls it anything other than Saigon. Have a great time.

I’m currently in Vietnam for three weeks on an independently arranged holiday and, out of interest, asked whether “Saigon” is widely used. The answer was that those who were old enough to remember “Saigon” still referred to the city as that but younger people used “Ho Chi Minh”.  So I guess that if you you don’t want to appear old in Vietnam (difficult as everyone looks under 30) use Ho Chi Minh!

16 hours ago, jonthomas said:

Have never experienced changes like this in over 60 cruises. Not with celeb, rcl, azamara, nor 7 with O.

I understand issues with Panama canal, all cruiselines are dealing  with it. But this seems bizarre.

A friend just received an email from O, cancelling an entire cruise on the Riviera in July 2024. He was told the ship is being chartered. 

After some research, he learned that the whole ship was booked by the Atlantis cruises.

Seems very unusual to me, but I am not as savy about O as some others here. Perhaps this is quite normal for O.

It is a great deal of notice, but according to him "still sucks".

This isn’t the first time that Oceania have cancelled a peak season July cruise to substitute it with an Atlantis Cruises cruise.  My 11 day cruise on Vista was scheduled for departure on 5th July 2023 but notification of cancellation was issued in June 2022 citing a charter which turned out to be Atlantis.  As Vista was brand new, I’ve no doubt that many other loyal Oceania clients received the same news.  I would say think twice before you book a July cruise with Oceania, particularly if it’s a special occasion when the cruise date is important.

14 hours ago, Jancruz said:

 Thats what I love people that project ahead of time..remember if its cool it may be empty  why would you even think about that..

Amazing..

Jancruz1

Perfectly valid comment by Wheelhouse. We were on Vista in August and there was far less shaded seating on Vista compared with Riviera and Marina.  The shaded seating that was available was quickly “reserved” each morning which shows that shade is important to many people (although I don’t agree with reserving a shaded seat and then being absent for significant periods). 

5 hours ago, Queen of DaNile said:

We are not in a connecting cabin on Vista and can hear when our neighbors are talking or have their TV on. Not a problem but don't recall being able to hear noise in adjacent cabins on other ships.

We were on Vista (deck 9, non-connecting cabin) in August and also, for the first time on a Oceania ship, heard voices in the adjacent cabin. It was of no consequence during the day but was very irritating late evening when the woman made a daily long phone call with a raised voice and we were trying to sleep (around 10.30pm).  It was a European cruise, she was American, so the reason for the late calls was presumably the time difference.

59 minutes ago, IDL said:

Did you use the Concierge lounge?  Did your husband have any Covid symptoms while on the cruise? 

Yes, we used the Concierge lounge (for coffee as actually preferred the machine coffee to, in our opinion, the relatively tasteless coffee in Vista’s “Barista’s”. We thoroughly enjoyed Barista’s coffee on previous Riviera cruises and we were disappointed that, even after a replacement coffee was made, there was no comparison with Riviera’s.

My husband had no symptoms on the ship but felt tired and headachy whilst walking around Barcelona on the morning of disembarkation.  He definitely caught it during the cruise and, as we didn’t take any tours and used the stairs every time, we think that the most likely source was the shuttle buses.  These tended to look older than the excursion buses, ventilation was not great and we would cite the Marseilles shuttle bus as the most likely culprit ( a long slow journey to and from the ship coupled with a 20 minute wait onboard in the city centre whilst the coach filled up to capacity, plus much coughing all around).

Oh, and I forgot to mention that my husband tested positive for Covid this morning!

Many thanks to the OP for a such a comprehensive review. Myself and husband ( mid 60’s and from the UK)  were on the same cruise and reading and discussing the comments kept us nicely occupied at Barcelona airport yesterday.  Whilst not attempting such a thorough review, these are our main thoughts of our 9th cruise with Oceania and first on Vista.

We had a concierge level cabin and found the cabin’s lighter and more contemporary decor much preferable to the dark wood and clashing paintings of previous trips.  The cabin did seem less soundproof than previously experienced, we could hear people talking in one adjoining cabin which was irritating when trying to sleep in the late evening. We missed the bath but the bathroom was done very well, the closet light was very irritating as it would turn on and off at random times whilst trying to find clothes, and for some strange reason the height of the desk/ dressing table and wall mirror was far too high (and I am 5’7”).

We found the food to be generally good in the MDR although the choice seemed more limited, particularly with the vegetable sides which were “assorted vegetables” (always too soft and looked like they had been boiled from frozen) and an alternative of thin asparagus.  The stand out for us was Red Ginger, the food seemed to come in slightly smaller portions than we recalled but the whole operation there was like a well oiled machine and the service the most attentive we received.  The absolute worst dining experience was in Toscana where the service and food was far below par compared to previous cruises with Oceania.  The terrace was great for breakfast and, unlike the past, orange juice was automatically served as “fresh” rather than having to specify this.

Turning to the deck experience, we can make little comment as we only walked across it to reach somewhere else. We did hear a number of conversations on the deck at around 9am on sea day regarding why there were no loungers in the shade available and, yes, there were far too few seating options in the shade. Speaking as someone who has experienced the worst form of skin cancer, it is difficult to comprehend why Oceania would launch a new ship with a reduced amount of shade over predecessors.

We enjoyed all the ports, although Livorno (as always) was a struggle as we have had both hotel stays and day trips to Florence in the past. We actually ended up having an interesting and cheap day out, we travelled to Montenero Sanctuary by bus and funicular (buses are free on Sunday) and then travelled by train to Lucca. The whole trip cost us 26 euros! It was rather annoying that the cruise itinerary showed both St Tropez and Monte Carlo as docking ports, I even questioned this with my TA as I’d never known St Tropez to be anything other than a tender port, and both ports ended up being tenders.  
 

With regards ship excursions, we can make no comment on these as we never use them.  We always just do our own thing, we walked at least ten miles at each destination as we love the exercise and consider walking to be the best way to get to know somewhere.  Hopefully, we can carry on in this manner and appreciate that we are blessed to be able to do this.

Overall, we had a great cruise and a lovely time. The only downside is that it is likely to be our last time on Oceania because of the introduction of “Simply More” with its inclusive excursions and alcohol with lunch and dinner, neither of which we would use.

41 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Specialty dining with S & M is still included.  

 

Special Offer

With simply MORE*, our new valuable offer, enjoy 2 for 1 Cruise Fares, Free Roundtrip Airfare and Airport Transfers* plus:

FREE $1,200 simply MORE Shore Excursion Credit
FREE Champagne, Wine & More
FREE Gourmet Specialty Dining
FREE Unlimited WiFi
Amenities are per stateroom

Thanks for the reply but my possibly confusing question was will you still get speciality dining included “for free” if you do not change over to the Simply More fare?

We have a 10 day Vista cruise in August and a 23 day Riviera cruise in 2024, both booked before July 1st with the O Life choice of OBC ($600 for the former and $1200 for the latter).  These will be our 9th and 10th Oceania Cruises and to date we’ve never been on an excursion, neither ship or private, as we always do our own thing via local public transport and extensive walking. We may have a glass of wine at dinner but that is all.  With regards a second wi-fi connection, we’re happy to supplement this with our very cheap mobile data roaming service.

In view of the above, it is evident that it is not financially or otherwise worthwhile to change to the Simply More fare.  The one question we can’t find the answer to is what happens about the “free speciality dining” as highlighted in the list of Simply More benefits. We’ve already made reservations for the Vista cruise but what happens with the 2024 Riviera cruise, by not paying the Simply More fare do we lose the ability to use the speciality restaurants without additional charge?

As a general comment, we recognise that Oceania needs to operate at a profit and clearly this is behind the change to Simply More.  As very independent travellers, however, it is evident that we do not fit the model customer profile that Oceania is seeking. Going forward, therefore, it is unlikely we will sail with them after the 2024 cruise and even this maybe cancelled. As for cruising in general, we’ve previously been on Silversea and Seabourn but will probably now move even more towards our independently arranged trekking holidays and city breaks throughout Europe (which to be honest we do find much more memorable) and leave the cruising to our later years.  

34 minutes ago, steamboats said:

 Here's the direct link to the cabin details.

 

steamboats 

Many thanks for the link, cabin looks very relaxing with the muted tones.

5 hours ago, steamboats said:

For those who have been waiting for the cabin - the Concierge Level Veranda is online now.

 

steamboats

Would love to see your concierge cabin photos as in the same category on our Vista cruise in July but can’t see how to access them. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

As it happens, we’ve just returned from a walking holiday in Lanzarote.  We stayed in a villa in the interior but had a good view in the distance of where the cruise ships docked. We never saw more than one ship docked and only rarely was there a second ship and this anchored just off land. On the one day we were in Arrecife, we walked up to the port end of the city where there was a cruise ship docked and can say that this was location very walkable to a nice part of town and then on into the centre.

9 hours ago, ToxM said:

I think Southampton has a big new shiny electrical power coupling thing that newer ships are keen to make use of to save on fossil fuel costs. 

 

Southampton is a great jumping off point for lots of lovely trips. It may not be St Malo, but you have historic Winchester, the New Forest, Stonehenge (although I prefer Avebury and thats just as easy to get to). Oceania persists in calling the port London, but it’s not really and the South of England that is easily accessible from Southampton are much nicer to visit. 

 

At a push you could certainly also do the Cotswolds, or Bath. it’s certainly not just a point to connect to London from. 

 

Keep your lemons or make lemonade I suppose. 

 

 

Thanks for the recommendations for trips to take from Southampton.  As I have lived in the Cotswolds for 35 years I am very familiar with all the locations you mention.  I’m sure anyone from overseas, or even outside of southern England, will enjoy most of the suggested destinations.
 

For myself and husband, the whole point of a cruise is to independently explore both new and  previous destinations outside of the UK. I wouldn’t even consider purchasing a cruise with a UK port of call.  The cost of this cruise works out at around £700 per day so this is what I am paying for the opportunity to spend a day in Southampton or it’s surroundings, albeit recognising that this sum includes food and perhaps the use of a sun lounger if the British weather co-operates.  At least I can be happy in the knowledge that Oceania is able to 

carry out its maintenance obligations without losing any revenue earning time…..

Yes, a cancellation fee of £200 pp is payable 180-91 days prior to the cruise. I would also forfeit the £200 paid for air travel.  In addition, £1500 future cruise credit had been applied to the cruise from the cancelled Vista cruise. This credit had to be used on a cruise booked by 24th May 2023 for a cruise starting before 23rd May 2024 and Oceania have told my travel agent that this still stands.  As the whole point of this cruise was to be in August in the Mediterranean on Vista and there is only one cruise matching this (the one I’m on) there is nothing else suiting my requirements. I only go on Oceania cruises in the summer school holidays as they give a respite from school aged children! The rest of the year I book my holidays independently in Europe.

I would add that this would have been my 9th Oceania cruise and, maybe I  have been lucky, but there has never been a cancelled port or changed itinerary beforehand over the past 8 years.  It does seem that Oceania are now using a variety of excuses (covid excepting) to suit themselves.

Must say, I have just about had enough with Oceania.  First of all they cancelled my June 2023 Vista cruise when, instead of valuing the guests who had already committed to them, they decided to charter the ship to a group. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I received a notification that the end port on my August 2024 cruise on Riviera would no longer be Venice (a big attraction of Venice was that we wanted to add on a few days there independently). Also, the final week’s itinerary had been changed significantly to accommodate the omission of Venice and Civitavecchia was now the disembarkation port.  Now, only several days later, I receive notification that St Malo has been substituted with Southampton on my forthcoming August 2023 cruise. As a  UK citizen living only a couple of hours from Southampton, I have no interest in spending a full day here particularly given that I would be paying Oceania handsomely for this and also helping them to carry out their maintenance work.

Thank you to those who offered supportive comments. To RD64 who mentions those who have had their cruise cancelled the day before, I assume that “recent situations” refers to unavoidable circumstances such as COVID or technical problems and not an optional decision by Oceania to favour a certain group of passengers who had not booked over another group who had. It was not as if the cruise was not selling……

From your reply, it seems that you are unaware of the general availability of Mediterranean cruises in July/ August 2003 with Oceania.  In total, there are only three Mediterranean cruises on the larger Oceania ships (not interested in the smaller ones having already been on Insignia) all of which are on Vista.  One is fully booked and the other two have no availability at penthouse level (which is what we had booked), bearing in mind that this is a brand new ship for 2023 and demand will be high.  I booked the cruise on the day it went on sale, choosing a particular cabin we'd had before and particular date as the cruise was to mark a special anniversary.  So no, it is not possible to just make other similar plans.....

I've just received the news that my Athens to Trieste cruise on Vista, departing 5 July 2023, has been cancelled as it's been chartered. This is only a week after being advised that the final stop had been changed from Venice to Trieste.  As a long standing customer, I am not impressed.

8 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Lyn, Paul, and edger have nailed the reason we avoid O tours as much as possible. Absolutely biggest peeve are people that sign up for tours they are physically unable to do. Doing it once and learning is forgivable , however far too many do it day after day fully cognizant that they are holding groups up and missing sights. Actually my biggest peeve is realizing that even having multiple cruisers complain to O about those individuals, O will do absolutely nothing to stop the offenders from doing it day after day!

 

Fortunately shore tours are not included in the price unless one wants that option.

Unfortunately ship tours are included in the price on many Oceania itineraries sold in the UK. As previously mentioned, my OLife Ultimate cruise included four “free” tours per guest and there was no fare reduction for omitting this “benefit”.  I am an avid hiker with little interest in churches, museums or galleries and, with my husband, want to explore independently.  I’ll join two tours this time just to make use of the transfer but will waste the other two.

Many thanks for your replies. Not sure about a $10 taxi fare getting you very far anywhere in Europe as our only previous experience (we usually use public transport or just walk) was a €20 fare for a 10 minute trip from our Barcelona hotel to the cruise port!  Anyway, the only on your own ship’s tour is to Florence which we have seen several times so don’t want to revisit  but there are two other tours which we will use just for the transport facility either both or one way.  We will, of course, let the tour leader know our intentions when we arrive at the destination!

We are on a Mediterranean cruise with Riviera later this summer and, although we’ve travelled with Oceania several times before, have never taken a ship excursion.  The only reason we are considering them this time is that we have four “free” tours as part of the Oceania Ultimate package. Being from the UK, the cruise was sold with this package and there was no option to remove the benefits for a lower price with the exception of taking an air credit for the included air fare.

The question is can you go on a tour to a specific place and then elect not to take part in the organised  activities but instead do your own thing and then either return on the tour coach, if you’re done by departure time, or make your own way back on public transport.  In effect, we would be using the tour as a means of “free” transport to the destination but we would obviously advise the tour leader of our intentions on arrival.

Only on OLife Plus and OLife Ultimate promotions

So I tried this, taking off the air fare, and get to the page with the additional benefits of the OLife ultimate package, namely free gratuities, standard beverage package and $800 obc and 8 free excursions per stateroom. These are all shown as “complimentary” benefits and you are asked to pick which ones you want. If Oceania are seeing these as “complimentary” are you saying that they would still deduct the $800 obc from the cruise fare if your TA requested this?  I tried following this through on the dummy online booking and, if you elect to exclude all the benefits, there is no revision whatsoever to the promotional less air credit fare.

Yes, on the UK site only the brochure price and "promotional" price is shown with the latter obviously being much lower. Personally, I would at least like to see a cruise only fare and then, as in the US, I could decide whether the "promotional" fare was actually good value in terms of the extras I would actually make use off.

Thanks Janet for your comment on walking tours. We do aim, however, for about 10 miles of walking a day whenever possible and at a fairly good pace so we'd much rather do our own thing.

Thanks for your replies and I appreciate your comments.  The reason I am asking though is that recent posts from the US imply that they have a choice between an OLife package and the basic no frills fare and potential guests are able to therefore calculate whether the package is financially worth it. If this is the case, I’m wondering why in the UK it seems to be all or nothing with the exception of an airfare (which I would not use for a European flight as cheap flights are readily available and economy is fine for a short flight).

As an aside, we don’t do tours either through Oceania (this will be our 8th cruise with them) or arranged privately (although we did do one privately arranged tour in Bora Bora) as we prefer to make our own way around by local transport and, in particular, hiking.