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Hello All: In reading the posts to this thread are YOU seeing a trend. It seems, the word that best describes the trend or pattern of leaving a brand is the word, "Change". In my previous life, my studies took me to the power that "Change" has on consumers. All Cruise Brand want more profits, and more growth to make more profits in the industry. Things like supply chain issues, increasing costs of all items, increase cost of labor and in the cruise industry increased cost of leverage money especially after the Covid-19 Down Time. All of this has led to "Change". When we as a consumer get used to a brand, they begin to feel like family and a warm comfortable blanket on a cold windy night. Mom's special pancakes on a Sunday morning. Not everyone feels this way yet studies tell us that most folks fear change. Yet all folk crave improvement over what they have received in the past. Just don't change it to the worst, reduce the quality while increasing the price. Who defines when a brand does this? The most loyal and faithful of that brand and they on some level feel "betrayed". Just think if mom, without telling anyone, changed her recipe for pancakes. When we all realize, "The Times They Are A Changing", we look to another source for where to spend our hard earned money. In reading lots of post, on this and other threads including other brands, it is a trend or pattern emerging greater than in the past of jumping brands. The culprit, "Change". I personally, was what many feel is called a cheer leader for NCL especially the Haven. I had a very definable list of reasons why I loved the brand and the category of service provided. One item at a time was changed and noticed. Than another. It was gradual. Noticeable but gradual. When to many thing changes against the things I love about the brand, my mind and money went wandering. I would have never considered this prior, but in my opinion quality went down and price went up. So why not look at other options. So I ended up doing just that and choose Oceania Cruises. Some of the reasons are listed in the first post. Remember my reasons are mine and personal. Now for the interesting part. The new brand chosen can do no wrong. WHY, because all we know about it is what we read. The hype is well outlined. Yet the Reality is yet to be determined. That comes from spending the time, on the ship of choice in the new brand you choose for what every reason it was that you choose it. That is where the "Rubber meets the Road". You will either say, "This is the brand, home I have been looking for." or "This is not what I expected". or "I miss my old brand". or "I guess I have to try a new brand because this one just did not scratch the itch." My point is, things change. Like it or not, they change. If you don't like the change, you may leave the brand. You might even be angry you needed to leave the brand. The Brand will survive because they now are getting the influx of new guest who felt the same way about their old brand. They have no history with, in this case Oceania, so everything is kind of new like going on a first date. Just like a first date, they always don't go as planned so always have "realistic expectations". Just my two cents. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The Author when asked about Travel Insurance brought up "Safire Card". Another words, a credit card. That is kind of Travel Insurance Lite. This would indicate the author does not have a third part Insurance Policy outside of the credit card. My I suggest, when cruising to consider full travel insurance to all that read this. Read the fine print of course but do your due diligence. Long story but I got really lucky and did buy travel insurance and it save me lots of money. The below link takes about travel insurance companies exclusions if an act of war or terrorism. It is an interesting read. https://insuranceblob.com/does-travel-insurance-cover-acts-of-war/ My gut, after some research tells me that canceling is hit/miss with the best of the best result without the War/Terrorism add-on. This is simply a bad situation for a lot of people all around.

Then you have done all you can do and you have your answer.

@1985rz1 I completely agree with you. The Times They Have Changed. Where before they could consider full refunds, today with their debt position it is possible but highly unlikely. The Author made one good point. if something is going to be done, do it sooner vs. later. That is a fair expectation. My absolute guess is not matter if they do something, or nothing many will still be disappointed as I would be. Simply bad timing.

@GeorgiaPeach51 You have every right to be disappointed. You book a cruise, want to go to specific places, choose the cruise based on ports and THIS happens. I don't think one person who replied does not thing you have ever right to be disappointed. Your approach and how your outlined your disappointment was what they were addressing. I see you posted so "O" could possibly read your comments. I am sorry to say, they might read it and they will pay it no mind. I think you posted so you could get others to support your position. That is human nature and the reason why most folks with complaint, post on social media. Their words are for them to vent, to gain others who support their positions, and let the world know they are dissatisfied with the product or brand. "O" owes you nothing. We guest are completely nuts to book cruise but we all do. Most of us don't read the contract, I read it every time to prove, I should have my head examined. Most cruises go pretty well. Some cruises there is one thing or another. Then other cruises well, really bad. You are an experienced cruiser, when you saw what was happening in the area, you knew the timing was simply awful for you and your cruise. You hoped it would not be as bad as it is but well, it is worse then you thought. My advise is if you have Travel Insurance with the Cancel clause, do it before the cruise cancel deadline on the policy. Call "O" and talk strategy with them. Talk to your Travel Agent and talk Strategy. Nobody wanted this, we did not cause this, you don't deserve t his but it is the world we live in.

@bkrickles1 I write about the NCL Haven all the time and know it well. That fact will add value to my next comment. The NCL Vibe Beach Club will make a cruise for my wife and I. Here is why. The Crew: They are their all the time, they look for ways to make sure your week is a great one. The Amenities: They will bring umbrella's to your chair, the chairs have cushions, they even have frozen fruit and ice water they bring to you. The Haven has staff but not many. No frozen fruit or help with umbrella's. Crazy right. The Bar: Just a normal bar but in the Vibe area. Where there is no bar in the Haven sundeck. The Hot Tub: I love the Getaway and stayed in a Haven Spa Suite. The Haven sundeck did not have a Hot Tub because there were two in the Haven courtyard. The Getaway Vibe does have hot tubs. Again, Crazy right. My wife now always insists on the Vibe Beach Club because it makes her cruise. That should get you excited. BTW, I love, love, love the Getaway. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Treasure Hunter How kind of you to suggest, thank you. My only regret is I should have flown into Athens, Greece "Two Days Earlier" instead of one day. Third world problem I know. I will put Zorba's on the list. We have reservations for dinner at Orizontes Lycabettus Restaurant which is on the highest mountain over looking Athens. We arrive in Athens, Greece the day before embarkment at 09:30 AM. Jetlag city for sure especially for old people like my crew and myself. Of all the places the ship will travel two, Athens has been the dream. Thank you again for the suggestions. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

It is where they do the restaurant reservations.

@PATRLR Thank you and of course you are right. I did just go on the breakaway, paid just a tad more and got a cabana in the Vibe. That was nice option and my wife loved it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@smellywax Here are my rules for the Vibe Beach Club. If you are not in the Haven, the Vibe is Excellent. If you want me to comment more just ask. Won't ever do a room outside the Haven without the Vibe. The next rule I have about the vibe is, better on bigger ships. The Joy actually has in my humble opinion the best vibe because it is on both sides of the ship. Again, I call this Haven Lite. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ak1004 Thank you for the kind words. I like the CruiseCritic.com Oceania topic board. For the most part, it seems like most who comment are being respectful and do their research. The 18 months that I have on here, after booking my first Oceania Cruise has been education which is all I can ask. My favorite part was it seems, most posters thought the same way as I did. Always have "Realistic Expectations" and never think that your day dreams of what a cruise would be like, is the actual experience you will have. The why this reason that makes so much sense to me is I messed up very badly by taking another brand and believed the hype. Fool me once, shame on me. Yet when we make a decision, knowing the fact and then complain it seems like we are just wanting to find something wrong. I accept that on Social Media however it disappoints me that it is happening so frequently on this board as of late. Kind of confusing but again, social media. Thanks again. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Capitan Obvious Thank you so much for the clarification. I really appreciate it and how you presented it. I am a veteran cruiser also. I love cruising as most people do on CruiseCritic.com. I am about to go on a 10-Day Mediterranean Cruise with our best friends. I booked it over 18 months ago. My friend have not cruised a lot. The first and I do mean first order of business was not only to make sure they had a passport, to make sure the passport was good for well over six months after we all return from the cruise. I was wrong not to read every single reply and all the information the author provided after the original post. That was lazy of me. I know better. All that said, this one issue is so very important the author needs to accept a certain level of accountability here. That is my only point. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

To the Author, I am sure you are frustrated. Especially with little to no time to gain a passport. I have read many of the replies. I agree with some and kind of confused with others. What confuses me the most is your status on NCL. How can someone who obviously has had so many cruise, not have a passport. The questions of birth certificates vs. passports has been posted so many times. The Benefits of a Passport has been outline, yet with you almost being a Diamond with NCL, you never had one. Your issue is NCL did not give you the rules to the game early enough. They gave you the option to just use your birth certificate. I get that issue and would be upset also well. However, you have to take a certain level of accountability with as much cruising experience as you have had to gain a passport. Just does not make sense you have not. On to a solution. Since sending a federal express letter to NCL would do you know good since you are two days away from the cruise, all you can do is keep calling until you get the right person. It seems all you want is a FCC. NCL will not give you a refund at this late stage. They will do to you what they do to everyone and refer you to their cruise contract. Remember, you can get more with honey. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@pinotlover Don't hold back, just say what you mean. All kidding aside. My comments below do not reflect your post but is made me think. In the sometimes confusing world of cruise brand selection, your ability to find a brand that is PERFECT for you is simply an unrealistic expectations. Some are better values then others, some have a few things that you want that others don't and yes some have items included (never free) in the fare that are of no value to you. What confuses me is why this simple fact has to have a negative spin on it. Anyone that has booked more then three (3) cruises knows what is included and not included in a cruise that they book for the future. Example, I REALLY wanted to go on Regent Seven Seas Cruise for my upcoming 10 day Mediterranean Cruise. Like most things I did my due diligence. Based on what was provided, reviews that I read, people that I talked to and yes to a previous poster the Excel Spreadsheet comparison I did, the value for the price invested was simply not worth it at this time. Glad I did the research. My point, why take/book a brand or complain about a brand if you booked it. Why make fun of someone who looks at the things you think are not a value, where they think based on their previous experience is a value to them. The only answer is "It is social media, where it is a place to vent." That answer is just fine with me. I originally wrote this topic to explain why I left the brand I was so loyal too, a brand that I am know to be a cheer leader for, a brand that brought me back to cruising; I still love that brand. It had been good to me. My tastes and needs have changed and what I wanted in the future was simply a different cruising experience. So, I left it to try Oceania Cruises because for what ever personal reasons Oceania seemed to be and provide what I wanted now in my future cruising experience. Just me, not everyone. Time will tell since my cruise is in 25 days. Simple Motto: "My money, my choice, my decision and my mistake if I made the wrong choice." If you know the rules, complaining is your right however it was your decision to make. That is unless the brand really messed up. You know, missed a port due to weather; has tasteless cookies, charges for wine/beer for lunch and dinner and you don't drink, service a meal that was not Michelin 5-star qualify, changed a menu item, had a bad speaker, provided soda's in staterooms and you don't drink soda's, and the list goes on. Rant over, onto real life. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MEFIowa Absolutely, look forward to meeting you and yours. Thank you for what you did for our country. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Cruzin64647 My Pleasure. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FetaCheese That was a good idea on the Translator. I will keep posting and hope to do some live posts on the ship. Thank you for asking. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@mauibabes Yes, this is one of those things you can't control. I knew that one or more of our ports would be missed. This board establishes that as an expectation. I have managed my guest expectations on that. The moment this conflict happened, I figured Turkey would be that port. This is an adventure so anything is better then going to St. Thomas for the 30th time. Thank you for taking the time to reach out. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Girr Hello, I am this Author of this Crazy Long Stream. I wanted to comment. The reason why I post almost exclusively on CruiseCritic.com is because most members allow for different opinions. Especially on concepts like "A Ship-With-A-Ship" VIP sections like the NCL Haven and Celebrity Retreat. This includes type of Suite or Stateroom. When I have posted on another Social Media Site, I am trolled and ridiculed for my choices. Here on CruiseCritic.com, folks might not agree however they are always very kind with the responses. The Owners Suite or larger upper end suites on cruise ships are very special. As I indicated a few posts back, I stayed with my family of four in the NCL Joy H2 Haven Deluxe Owners Suite. It was for all involved the best cruise of our lives. Part of it was we all simply got along which is unique in my family. I too love the larger suites. My wife especially likes a larger suites although she gets on my case when they are fancy. I also have to kind of hide the cost so she does not get mad at me. We both have come up from humble beginnings and that is a hard experience to forget. There nothing wrong with Inside Staterooms or upper end larger suites. All of our goals should simply be to have the best enhanced experience we can. Life is too short. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

My cruise is less then 30 days away. I created my Journey Document which is over 50 pages. From this my wife and I hosted a dinner with our best friends who are joining us for this cruise. Because the attention span of my wife and friends is like a NAT, I also created a 30 minute YouTube video. Let's say we all had a few drinks prior to putting on the video. Some of us had one to many. Somehow a Old Movie was put on the TV pre-YouTube Cruise Video. It was Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein. Paused that Oscar Winning movie to put on the Cruise Video. I hope all of you reading this learn from my experience. It took one hour to get through 10 minutes then I gave up and just sent them the link. I was so frustrated, all I wanted was some confirmations. I got a few as you will see below. When I get frustrated, I start doing tequila shots. I was very happy about 15 minutes later. All I wanted was a few understandings. They were: Confirm timeframes for Air Transportation. A week later after this dinner, I was ask when we were leaving and coming back. LOL. I asked our friends if they wanted to upgrade their long haul flights. This was the 50th time I asked the same question. I got the same answer yet again, "NO". My wife and I used all our Delta Skymiles for Delta One Business Class, and I did not want to feel guilty. I will get over it. We only have less then a day at most ports, you can only do one or two attractions at most. Once chosen, we can book admission online to eliminate lines. The answers I got was, "You Choose". How to handle Jetlag. I traveled every year to Europe and created an approach to get on the time zone quickly. All I wanted to do was share it and gain agreement. Hard to do with my three guest talking all ever each other so I just gave up. Dinner Pre-Cruise in Athens, Greece has been booked for months. It is on the Highest Mountain overlooking Athens. All of a sudden, my wife is worried about steps when you take the cable car to the top. This was the only 100% agreement we got in this meeting. We all agree, "Just Do It." Finally, I am happy to report that everyone got their covid boosters, updated their passports, provided the cruise line and airline with necessary information, has travel insurance and has paid in full which is Oceania Cruise Favorite part. For all my fellow planners. Don't stop thinking through your trips. Just know, very few folks even the ones you love and joining you will take anything seriously until the day before. Except buying new clothes of course. I knew all this, from past cruises so none of it was a shock. I guest the reason why I do it is to feel a little bit more in control especially when so far away from home. If I miss something that is within my control, I want to make the decision. Simple concept. This will be my last post on this topic. My next post will be a "Semi-Live" blog while on our cruise. I will start that blog on November 7, 2023 with the flights, hotels and actual cruise. Thank everyone for reading this topic and I hope you will watch for the blog when published. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Cruzin64647 Here is a reason which was mine. Remember, to each their own. I was booked in a Haven Two Bedroom Family Villa for my 42 Wedding Anniversary. I was taking my two adult children. To spare everyone a long post, I was cancelled four times due to covid. We started on the Pearl, rebooked the Encore three times and ended up on the Joy. When I took my "THEN" % off, Bonus FCC, and the fact that the Haven H2 Deluxe Owners Suite on the Joy was way less money then the two bedroom on the Encore, I booked it. My family and I enjoyed that experience however at the end, my conclusion was clear. As nice as the Suite was, and it was nice, unless I got it the way I did or did a "NCL Bid" upgrade at a reasonable price, I would never do it again. It was one hell of an experience though. My adult children are now completely spoiled. Side note, My next cruise is a 10-day Mediterranean Cruise on NCL Sister brand, Oceania. We leave in less then 30 days. We booked the trip over a year ago, was able to gain two really great promotional sales, and ended up with what is called a "Vista" Suite. It is about the same size as the H2 Owners Suite on the Encore, Joy, and Bliss. Again, leveraging all the incentives, catching some great sales and staying on top of details we booked this cruise at even less by a far margin then current H2 Owners Suites. My point is, sometime you can catch a deal on some of these huge suite. For me it is sport, I can afford a little more but not full retail. Everyone needs to do what is right for them knowing what they enjoy on a cruise. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I have an idea for you, which I am sure you might have thought about. I recently did my first Solo cruise. Before I do anything, I study the options, rules and how it all works. I choose a ship with NCL that did not have Solo cabins in the hope they would drop the need for me to pay twice. With a few tries, I found a club balcony suite, where the rate was $800.00 for a seven day cruise on the NCL Joy with NCL's Free at Sea. Best of both worlds. It took some investigation, it does not happen all the time. I had a great time. Just a thought. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Zach1213 Here is when folks learn the lesson on flying in the night before and staying in a Hotel. They almost or actually miss the cruise. Only takes once. This ALMOST happened to me decades ago. I was lucky. All this said, I have heard some of the most creative excuses for not coming in the day before. Then, when they miss the ship, it is everyone else fault. On the balcony stateroom, to each his own. I have had a balcony for decades now. I also have done the VIP suites on NCL/Haven, Celebrity/Retreat, MSC/Yacht Club and Oceania in a Vista Suite. I go on less cruises so I treat myself to what I consider a nicer experience. This is my choice, as is the choice to do an inside cabin. As long as I am not criticized for my choice, I say we all do what works for us. Thank you so much for posting. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I have found this thread to be highly informative and Helpful. Here is my situation as of this morning. My cruise is 29 days away. This means that the penalty for all booked on the ship is now 100%. Our group of two staterooms has one PH3 Guarantee not assigned. The ship shows all stateroom except "one" completely waitlisted. The one that is open is a "Oceania Suite". The ship is the Riviera on a 10 day Mediterranean cruise leaving November 9, 2023. It is clear from the posts on this thread, that the Guarantee will clear about one week prior to the departure up to the actual departure day of the 9th. This cruise had a Four Category Upgrade and the Extraordinary Sales Event that could be used as the same time providing a value to all that booked (Double Dip). The cruise really was not part of the "SimplyMore" program. Therefore true Cruise Only staterooms were available. Using other Oceania cruises, with Guarantee's as a benchmark, the odds are that a PH3 will become available and that is what my guest joining will be assigned. The likely hood of a PH2 or PH1 is possible but unlikely. There are many opinions written on each PH category all of which make sense. The possibility of an Oceania, Vista or Owners Suite upgrade is close to a zero possibility unless one asks Oceania for a "Paid Guest" upgrade offer and even then it would be close to impossible and improbable. As I have learned, with a filled ship, someone always cancels in the last 30 days. A number of reason with the outcome of a cancellation. Oceania and other brands are experts in selling every single stateroom and have many methods shared in this thread on how they do it. My thoughts at this point not knowing the actual stateroom is, I am glad we did the Guarantee because it was based on the "Four Category" upgrade. All that was left at the time at the lowest rate was in a PH3 Guarantee. If actual staterooms were available, since the guarantee does not provide a discount, I would in the future choose a actual cabin vs. the Guarantee. Just less to think about. My reasons when assigned might change my mind but the waiting to the last minute is just not me. This has been a learning process which I have enjoyed. Everyone's actual results and opinions have made so much sense. I will do one final post when the stateroom clears just to tie a ribbon on the topic for me. Thank you everyone for helping a new Oceania Guest learn from your experiences. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

You speak my language!! Cruise well and enjoy every moment.