Robjame

Here is something to stink about. We are on the Riviera right now and our stateroom is on sewer line #2. In the past 11 days this line has had major blockages 4 times resulting in the toilet filling up with other peoples *****. The smell is gagging. On two occasions the toilet has over-flowed flooding the washroom. Just guessing but I am not sure this is a healthy situation. ‘’It is 3 am, our stateroom stinks and we are waiting for someone to address this - one hour and counting.

Sorry I am being thick. Where do you get the $30 a day from? The differential between OLife OBC and OLife Beverage House Select is not a constant. It varies between cruises

Don’t discount Baristas. It is not how you remember it. You can get a nice little lunch there now.

Yes you are right on FF. I wish I remember. I am guessing $600

Not quite sure how you do the math but for this 12 day leg, the House Select would cost you in dollars 12x40x2 = $960. By choosing the OLife House Select we save this amount. We don’t do O excursions and the OBC OLife is worth nothing. But more than that, it is the gate to the House Prestige which allows us to drink cocktails, enjoy Aperetivo at Baristas, choose when we want to drink, drink at any bar and save the gratuity. For the same 12 day cruise Prestige would have cost us 12x20x2 = $480. For us it is worth it. We don’t mind paying that. You cannot get to Prestige without passing through House Select. BTW Our problem has been solved to our satisfaction.

Very few cruisers are savvy like CC cruisers. Very few cruisers are silly enough to say the amount is insignificant. It will be interesting to watch the newly embarked as they go to Reception to upgrade their beverage package. We are setting up lawn chairs and making popcorn.

We asked when we embarked and were denied. Now we know why.

In many restaurants the owner is part of the tip while bus boys and girls are cut out of the loop. I recall one chain promoting many of the servers to hostesses, where they got significantly less. Few have a real view of how tips are handled.

Our December 23 Odyssey La Reserve evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all of our group of 10 CC roll call. The food and wine pairings were great. Unfortunately the New Years Dom Perignon experience was not so enthusiastically accepted. The food was thought to be better at the Odyssey dinner. The menu for Dom Perignon experience was not a Jacques creation. The greater complaint was that the champagne pairing was actually only 3 champagnes, cycled twice. With the massive price increases for the La Reserve offerings, you might want to do some extra research.

As I mentioned to Pinot, this was not an option. We could only upgrade for the one leg. Now we know why.

We didn’t twig to what was coming down. When we upgraded on embarkation day we asked if we could upgrade for the whole cruise or at least for that segment. We were told that was not possible? In retrospect they already knew about the increase.

Lynn this is exactly our plan and I think you are right in your calculations. A visit to Total Wine and More in Miami prior to the second leg is in order. I still can’t believe the number who accept this as standard operating procedure for O. I wait eagerly for the time when changes affect other areas of the Oceania experience and to see if attitudes change. ‘The Italian purser said he and others had voiced concern over a mid-cruise change - ‘like me going to the theatre and finding they wanted more money for me to return to my seat after the break.”

$648 US - $880 CAD Congratulations

Miami is just coming back from the holiday so no response yet. it has been suggested that there are a lot of accounts with a lot of OBC and that the price increase in beverages and upgrade is designed to cut into that.

I checked that one out this morning. House Select will remain at $39.95 pp pd while the upgrade to Prestige will be $30 pp pd.

Thanks that is our plan. The additional $60 a day should give us somE spending room! The purser indicted there is going to be a complete beverage menu and price overhaul. Get ready!

Unfortunately that is not possible if you have chosen the House Select beverage package as your OLife selection. If this 50% price happened before the cruise began, I would do exactly as you suggest. ‘That ship has sailed.

Thanks for your suggestion Jazz. I have never believed that caving to bad business demands or to extortion were effective ways of dealing with this sort of thing. I will continue to use other means of combatting these incorrect price increases mid cruises. I doubt I will ever personally be in a situation to accept a $648US price increase without a fight.

Thanks Robroy. Exactly our thoughts. These costs will be $648 US additional unless we find some solution.

These additional costs amount to $648 US beyond our budgeted amount. ‘What would you do?

Yes please Jan - much appreciated robertjames7022 at aol dot com

Over a year ago we contracted for 4 legs cruise, OLife Hose Select Beverage Package with the understanding that we could upgrade to Prestige for $20 pp per day. 3 days before the completion of the first leg we received this notification - the upgrade will be $30 pp per day, a 50% price increase. Would we have chosen the OLife Beverage package? Of course the people at Reception respond in the only way they know how - Head Office Decision We have fought back in the only way we have available so the $20 extra per day, plus the $4 gratuity per day extra, will not cost us more than what originally contacted for. What a way to do business.

Misinformation again Susie. ‘Checking in online gets you your boarding pass. Your boarding pass and credit card and picture taken gets you your World Card from the Oceania rep preboarding - World Card - the card you need for everything on board. Sheesh.

Why would you not print out the Boarding Pass? We are on board Riviera now - boarded Miami - Terminal J - smooth and quick - 40 minutes from baggage drop to standing on the ship. Categories called for the time slot. Only hold ups were people who did not have documentation - they were sat aside. Get someone to help u be ready - paper - Oceania boarding pass by filling out 72hr ahead (this referred to everything you need) - passport - vaccination records - yes just in case you need them them - why not? - credit card Pick your time Be there Be prepared BTW we chose first boarding time and it was after a transatlantic.

San Juan pilot comes on board - Sunday January 1 - 10:00 am