Sopwith

So after going off HAL, Princess and their ilk we switched to O as our favoured cruise line.  After two good and one bad on-board experiences and remarkably poor customer service from their head office we're rethinking our preferences.

Is there a reasonable facsimile out there in the same range of price and service, i.e. without getting into the next level of price (Regent, Crystal, et al) and their all-inclusive pricing?  (We drink very little, so not keen to pay for included drinks and wine.  We also prefer not to be locked into ship's tours.)

I'm thinking of the likes of Azamara, Cunard, Seabourn, or ???

Any advice or insight will be welcome.

Thanks.

We did an 18 day Marina Cruise earlier this year, our third with O.  The first two were excellent, the recent one was disappointing, to say the least.  I filled out the survey and mentioned that if they wanted to keep my business someone would have to call me to discuss what went wrong and whether we will cruise with O again or not.  After two months of silence I sent an email through the web site re-stating the above and asking if they want my business or not.  The next day I got a call from a very nice lady who was very apologetic, listened to my concerns and repeatedly stated that they value my business and she would look into what they could do and call me back.  That was over two weeks ago and so far nothing.

The conclusion is pretty obvious.

9 hours ago, Sopwith said:

I am a frequent flyer with Air Canada, have flown with them extensively.  Mainline AC is as good or slightly better than the major US airlines.  What you need to be aware of is that the most likely routing from ORD to NCE is through Montreal (YUL).  The AC flight from YUL to NCE is not AC, it is AC Rouge, which is the low-cost version of AC.  You will fly on a 767-300 that was built by Noah just before he built the ark.  The economy cabin is okay, seat pitch is 30", likely the same as most other competing airlines.  There is no business class.  It is "Premium Rouge", which is more or less like the old style business class with better seats, somewhat more recline, but nothing close to the lie-flat seats or pods that you get with international business class on mainline AC or other major airlines.

 

Other routing options offered by AC are code-share flights on Swissair or others.  I can't comment on those.

I just noticed you said you have premium economy.  I doubt this gets you into the Premium Rouge cabin, more likely the so-called "Preferred Seats" at the front of the economy cabin.  If so, you might get a couple of inches extra leg room but not much else.  Check before you book.  (BTW, we AC frequent flyers usually try to avoid Rouge at all cost.  It is known in the community as "Rogue".)

I am a frequent flyer with Air Canada, have flown with them extensively.  Mainline AC is as good or slightly better than the major US airlines.  What you need to be aware of is that the most likely routing from ORD to NCE is through Montreal (YUL).  The AC flight from YUL to NCE is not AC, it is AC Rouge, which is the low-cost version of AC.  You will fly on a 767-300 that was built by Noah just before he built the ark.  The economy cabin is okay, seat pitch is 30", likely the same as most other competing airlines.  There is no business class.  It is "Premium Rouge", which is more or less like the old style business class with better seats, somewhat more recline, but nothing close to the lie-flat seats or pods that you get with international business class on mainline AC or other major airlines.

Other routing options offered by AC are code-share flights on Swissair or others.  I can't comment on those.

We’re seeing this all over, not just cruising.  The riff raff factor is inversely proportional to the cost of travel.

I still have the cough I picked up on the Marina somewhere between Ecuador and Panama last month. 

One of the problems with our legal system (I'm from Canada, but apparently the US system is similarly afflicted) is that we have judges who are prone to operating their mouths without having their brains engaged.

Won't happen.  The economic effect on major cruise ports (Fort L, Miami, Seattle, San Diego, etc) would be devastating.

I was recently on the Marina for 18 days.  The "free" internet was unusable for 90% of the time.  The internet manager was advising passengers not to pay for the upgraded service because you won't notice a difference.

I can think of a couple of things that are much more risky than a yellow fever shot at an age over 60:

1. Taking medical advice from an internet chat forum;
2. Driving to the cruise terminal.

😉

Today is the first day of more or less normal operations since about March 21.

We received an offer to upgrade from A2 to PH for C$2500 each (!) on the current Marina 18 day Lima-NY cruise.  I countered with $500 each, which I didn't expect them to accept.  They didn't.

As it turned out, the Concierge Lounge has been effectively useless for the last ~12 days due to a norovirus outbreak, so I'm going to be looking for a rebate.  Again, I don't expect them to play, but we'll see how much they value my business.

If so, what is the deal?  Any advice?

I'm told that taxis will drop pax at the port gate and then there is a shuttle to the ship.  I've also heard of lengthy queues in the tropical sun while waiting to board.  Hoping to ease the pain.

Thanks...

9 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

My DH speaks Bahasa with the Indonesian crew, from room stewards to managers, and they love it.  He's had some "looks" from pax, though.  

 

 

I have been to Indonesia on business several times and although I am not fluent, I've picked up a few phrases (good morning, thank you, how are you, etc.)  When I greet the crew members this way their reaction is without exception one of pleasure.  They love it and are impressed that (a) I've been to their country, and (b) have the respect to greet them and thank them in their own language.  

If people are concerned that they may be saying some disparaging things about passengers, well, it will happen anyway, if not in front of the passengers, in private. (Frankly, some passengers deserve it.)  But I've seen enough embarrassment in enough countries to know that sooner or later they'll regret it because someone they least expect will understand what they're saying and talk back to them.  I remember one very chagrined French family in London who didn't realize the shop keeper they were dissing was fluent in French.

We have stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street from the cruise terminal, and its fine.  We walked across in the morning with our bags.  It's doable.  Not sure if they have a shuttle from the airport, but it's a short cab ride.

2 hours ago, Janman said:

I find the new Format on these boards to be very lacking. The old format was quick and easy to navigate! Please return to it! 

Yes. Another classic example of fixing something that wasn’t broken.  Very aggravating!

Booked on Marina next March, from Lima visiting Salaverry, Manta and Esmeraldas.  I'm interested in any experience with Travelers Tours Peru for Lima and Salaverry, likelwise for anything in Manta and Esmeraldas, Equador.

Thanks...

https://gcaptain.com/cruise-ship-with-more-than-500-people-on-board-breaks-moorings-and-drifts-from-dock-in-scotland/

I’ll get the popcorn...

If you’re relying on credit card insurance make sure you read the fine print. Some of the ones I’ve looked at have fairly low limits. You need to be aware of the exclusions as well.

Just an FYI, your credit card doesn’t use the sucky bank rate, it’s usually xe rate plus 2.5%

I just checked the last US$ transaction charged on my Visa card, July 24: the rate charged was 1.3499. The EX rate that day was 1.3172, so the difference was 3.27%, so yes, a bit better than 5%.

I’d love to know which currency exchange outlet you are using that offers you a rate 4-5% better than the official Visa or MasterCard rates.

I just checked the rates quoted today. To buy US$ the currency exchange I use is 2.8% better than my bank’s rate. When you add on the 2.5% hidden commission Visa skims, the difference is over 5%.

Yes, some cards are touted as “no fee”, but you really need to read the fine print.

Another point to note if you’re using a stand-alone currency exchange: they make their money in two ways: (1) the spread between their buying rate and selling rate, and (2) some (most) will charge a flat transaction fee, typically $3-5. You need to factor this in. The one I use doesn’t charge the transaction fee.

And never, ever use a currency exchange at an airport unless you’re prepared to get hosed both ways.

A few things to be aware of when using credit cards for foreign transactions:

• The exchange rate used by the credit card issuer is typically 2-3% higher than what you can get at a legitimate currency exchange;
  
• On top of that, they add another 2-3% commission on foreign transactions (unless you have a "no fee" card, but read the fine print to see what the deal actually is), for a total of close to 5%;
  
• Then, if you choose to have the transactions converted at the point of sale, there is another few % tacked on.
  

As a Canadian who frequently travels to the US (less frequently these days!), I carry a Visa card issued by a Canadian bank in US$. So I'm billed in US$ without any markup. I go to a local currency exchange where I get a competitive rate and pay the Visa bill in US$, saving 4-5%. That adds up when you're paying for a cruise.

I can't speak to other ports, but here in Vancouver the longshore employees, including baggage handlers, are unionized and make a wage and benefits package well in excess of that received by many if not most passengers. I have a vague recollection that there are signs indicating that tipping is not required.

I was in Copenhagen last month. If you can handle your baggage it is fairly easy to take the train from the airport to the Nordhavn station near the cruise terminal, but you'll have to change at the Kobenhavn H central station. From Nordhavn Station it is a short taxi trip to the terminal. Cost is DKK16, or ~US$5.

We’re looking at this cruise for next March. I’d be interested in any comments on Salavery, Manta and Esmeraldas.

Thanks...

I have been to Amsterdam many times, used to live in Holland for a few months. If you only have half a day you will only scratch the surface. I would recommend two things: do a canal boat tour, which you can pick up on the Damrak near the Centraal Station. There are other stops if you do your research, but these ones are fairly obvious and centrally located. Second, go to the Rijksmuseum, or, if you're into WW II history, Anne Frank House. Those two will keep you occupied until boarding time.