Sthrngary

Thank every one for your excellent feedback, research, and clarification. The whole purpose for Social Media is the free exchange of ideas, opinions and debate. If we can learn one thing from this and other thread, it has been a success. Special thanks to @FlyerTalker for taking the time to provide expert approach, details and feedback. It was most appreciated. Now let's all get to our cruises happy and with the least amount of stress possible. Often times that is by doing a good plan to begin with. Still remember, Murphy's Law sometimes is something we can not predict. I hope to see everyone one day on a cruise I am on. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

If the flight schedule change was minor, they would have done nothing for me at any price ticket. On that we completely agree. Let's start over. If you purchase a Airline Ticket, please consider doing it well in advance. If you do, you will get the best price or miles redemption possible. I do it 330 for Delta because that is when they offer the routes and times. CHECK If you choose an itinerary that is not perfect however it fits your budget best by having long layovers and or extra legs, be happy with your choice. CHECK HOWEVER. If the Airline Changes any part of your flight, it MIGHT key word might, provide you with a way to gain the better Itinerary. This is regardless of full fare, discounted fair that is non-refundable/changeable. This of course has to do with the change and how severe it was made by the airline. Every airline is different and has different rules. If something changes, call the airline and see what they will or could do for you. CHECK. Therefore consider checking often, looking for emails from your air carrier and simply be aware. The best approach is call the air carrier. The worst thing they can say is NO. CHECK I recently did this on two (2) flights and it worked great for me. I consider this a POTENCIAL AIRLINE HACK. Why, because I used to travel for 40 years by air, the longer I had a flight, the more often the Itinerary/times would change. Nothing in life is a guarantee though. Worth the effort if you have the time. This thread was created after hearing all the pros/cons of using the cruise brand air fare. It got me thinking, lets look at ALL the options. For my situation, which may be different from everyone else, buying my own airfare very early, gave me lots of benefits at about the same investment. This may be different then your situation but give a potential path to consider. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FlyerTalker So I can clarify. The flight I booked and purchased for my friends joining was a fully refundable fare. That was by no means a cheap flight. The key and the reason why I called this a heck was, it is my experience, when you purchase a flight WAY in advance, changes get made by the airlines. As soon as they are, even if I would have purchased a non-refundable fare, they would have accommodated me. The whole emphasis here is, if you see a change, and want a different flight, call the carrier and see what they can do for you. The worst thing they can say is, NO/ Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@lgdesign Wow, thank you for the very kind words. Even in todays say of Text an Email, nothing seems to get the job done better then a professionally written letter to the right folks. Extra work but worth the result. The real message you nailed by say things have changed in the last many years. It is more difficult today to fix these customer issue today than in the past. I hope every cruise brand read these post. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I wrote this post twice and deleted it. It was to long and detailed. This is my third attempt. We are booked on an Oceania Mediterranean 10 day cruise for early November 2023. When we originally booked the cruise in September 2022, we included Pre/Post Hotels and Coach Airfare. The air supplement was $1,000.00 for this cruise. Over the next few months, while reading all the many post on using or not using Oceania Air, we decided to cancel the Oceania Air and book directly ourselves and cancel the Pre/Post hotels and book directly with the hotels. The two couples going wanted to leave from Birmingham, AL and not have to drive to the closest hub which is Atlanta, GA. That would have been over a two hour drive and parking costs. We also did not want to pay an additional supplement to Oceania Air to fly out of Birmingham instead of out of the hub Atlanta. This lead to our decision to book directly with Delta Airlines. However like everything in our world, our flights were NOT perfect and all flight legs were not identical for both couples. That was not ideal however, It was a cost decision when booking. We booked the air directly 330 day prior to the cruise date because that was when the air itineraries opened up. On the return we has a 8.5 hour lay over in Atlanta, GA again due to pricing issues making the earlier flight over budget. Yesterday I called Delta directly and had both couples flight in question changed for NO additional costs. The HACK was waiting for Delta to send a message that one or more of our connection legs had a time or equipment change. Once that happens, all bets are off. They gave both couples what would have been the much more expense connections with NO problem at all. I am criticized for spending to much time and effort on my vacation details. I fully understand I can be obsessive at times. Yet it is kind of a sport to get exactly what you want, for in this case a pretty good discount over that it would have originally been. So if you choose to book your own flights, look at it often for the changes by the airline. This was a very pleasant turn of event for my group. Side note, I did not share this positive turn of events with my group. None of them care about the details of this trip until the last possible second. Than the complaints begin and all eyes are on me. Don't worry, I can take the HEAT. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@redmomof4 You are more than welcome. I would like to change something I said in the original posting. Until we here consistent positive comments on the Premium Plus Beverage Package again, that might be an items that MAY not have the same value as it once did. During my last cruise, it did not met up with my expectations. I think in the future it might bounce back but time will tell. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@pinotlover Well said, well written and completely accurate. So if someone has the time, patience and cognitive abilities to do the due diligence, go for it. If not, allow Oceania or what ever cruise brand you choose be your "One-Stop-Shop". Write one check/credit card and let them take care of it. With that sound strategy comes the responsibility to know what you are getting and not getting. My main point is and away will be. Be informed so you can manage your "realistic expectations". That understanding make social media platforms like CruiseCritic.com a kinder and gentler place to visit. Thank you again for what I and other will consider an excellent post. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@pinotlover Shooting Craps is an interesting choose of words. Not really good odds if losing is unacceptable. I think all of this debate on Air Travel for Cruise Lines really come down to confidence of the guest in the area of booking their own Flights. I personally engaged in this stream because of recent post from those who where very unhappy with their air provided by their cruise brand. The tone of those post were who ever the cruise brand were, it was that brands fault. In the last 10 years, the cruise industry has changed a lot. It has been somewhat of a roller-coaster. The cruise lines are having trouble just keeping their supplies stocked of everything you can imagine. The cost for supplies and personnel are higher across the board. They lost huge money during Covid and those loans need to be paid back. There current prices are going up and cutbacks are happening across the board. This does and will effect airfare provided because it is mostly controlled by the cruise brand. In my opinion, they should not offer airfare as part of their fares in todays market. They only do for marketing reasons. It gives the guest a false sense of security that they will get fare and reasonable flights, brands, and times. Where that does happen sometimes, it does not always. This leads to dissatisfaction with the brands. In todays market, we guest have to take back control of aspects of our cruise to insure our vacation will be as stressless as possible. Airfare, Pre/Post Hotels, booking specialty restaurant reservations as soon as available, knowing rules for each port, understanding the brands drink programs, and doing more planning than we ever had to do in the past. Not ideal but better then spending lots of money and becoming disillusioned on in this situation your airfare decision. Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you will have a stress free experience than fining out you have a 24 hour start to end point for a flight that should have taken less than 12 hours; you almost miss the flight because of delays the day of departure; of god forbid you miss the sailing and have to catch up at the first port. Not fun at all. We have to take some accountability for each decision we make and live with the consequences. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@JustAPilot I can see why you and others feel this way. Loyalty goes in levels with the best a brand can achieve is actually called "Advocacy". To be a guest brand "Advocate" means you love the brand so much that you want everyone to know how great it is. All brands have loyal clients and Advocates. What happens is when the brand does not continue to improve overall client expectations, they start losing those guests as clients. The bigger the brand, the harder it for that brand to see they are losing guests. The smaller the brand, the better that brand can see what their clients want and how to improve the experience. Disney Cruises are still small enough to be in touch with client expectations. They also are NOT afraid of being one of the most expensive cruises for families. We all pay it to see Micky and Minnie. What has happen to NCL, Royal, Celebrity, Carnival, and HAL of recent is an increase in cost and a decrease in quality. Not huge but enough to recognize. New ships don't make up for a loss of engagement of the crew member because they have to do more work for the same wages. Team Members build brands not New Ships. When the brand is big, the team members can't handle minor issues because the brand does not want them to do so. That is why the computer applications they use are so rigid. The are to big and could not see any abuses if they were happening until it was too late. Do I buy that, no. I can understand why they feel that way. Where other brands, Disney is one, give empowerment to their team members. Sorry for writing so much on this topic. It is important for all brands of all products to understand your team members make the brand. Give them the opportunity to take care of your guests. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@jonthomas That is a great deal that Oceania has with Premium Coach and I fully understand why it is great choice. After I wrote my post above, I should have added in Premium Coach. You are 100% correct. There is no way you can get a Premium Coach seat for the great offer that Oceania is providing. May I suggest you watch some video's on the air brands out of Toronto and watch the reviews of those airlines Premium product. You will have a GREAT TIME regardless of the airline and details. Something tells me you will be traveling when we get off. I can't want to see Barcelona. We are spending an extra day. Please let us all know how it all works out. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@jonthomas Your question is the same as almost everyone asks when referring to Cruise Brand Air Arrangements. I had the same questions myself. I live two hours away from Atlanta, GA. I researched every airline that traveled to my destination. We are arriving in Athens, Greece and departing from Barcelona, Spain. My focus was more than a Non-Stop flight, it was day/times, and cost. This research showed me there was no direct flights to Athens, Greece. There was one direct flight from Barcelona, Spain to Atlanta however it left two early in the day to safely book. From a pricing stand point, it showed all non-stops were much more expensive than flights with connections. Now take a moment and think like a cruise brand. They will be booking 45 days or so before the cruise which makes all flight more expensive. They want the cheapest cost possible. They will take what every is available which means extra connections and even more than one air line brand. When you read the rules/policies, you are at the cruise brand mercy. Why do I share this information I gathered? To set realistic expectations. If my daughter who is 31 was going on this cruise, she would not care as long as she got to the ship on time and safely. She would look at the whole thing as an adventure. I on the other hand have had some frustrating challenges with airfare through third parties realizing Oceania does provide some options that are usually fee based to gain a better flight. If your flight is far enough away, please consider booking it yourself as far in advance as possible. I assure you, the price will be surprisingly close to the Oceania Supplement. The key as I outlined, the airport you go in and out of, if any airline has a non-stop flight, and how far in advance you can book it. I booked all four of my round trips (Party of 4) 330 days in advance. If you don't have time on your side and want to go with Oceania, please consider Non-Stops are possible but in my experience with other brands highly unlikely. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I always use a travel agent. Mainly because I gain American Express Platinum perks of Dinner for Two and up to $300.00 On Board Credit. I also have had some issues where I thought I had been taken advantage of. My Travel Agent is extremely successful and has been doing her job for over a decade. In each situation, she went up the ladder and got nowhere. I then did what I always do. I wrote a very well thought out letter, used all the information I had to verify my position. I never threatened, ever. That is the trick. I felt that I was done wrong, but I knew if I threatened, it would not help my position. Instead, I asked for a fair resolution as a customer courtesy. I sent those letters out once a week to the top five executives of the cruise brand registered mail. Each and every time in a week or two, the issue was resolved. My Travel Agent always asks me how I did it because it frustrated her that she could not do the same thing for me. The reason my friends is I was passionate about the situation and never gave up. Be nice, be fair and be professional with your approach. Never give up if you really believe you are right. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@uneamie In my career before retirement, I studied some of the best companies in the world. Each focused on team member empowerment. Each company was recognized as a leader in their product or service. The were the gold standard. They were respected so much, each company was purchased for huge money. Now for the rest of the story. Most of those companies are gone now. The moment they were purchased, they stopped doing the things that made them great. In reviewing what happened, those companies were much more concerned about a guest creating fraud which happens but infrequently, than the majority of the clients with a legitimate issues. Sad but true. Now they are no more and the companies that bought them have zero value for the investment. NCL can be a great company. They have show they know who to run a cruise brand across the price point line. Yet they need to now focus on becoming a kinder and gentler place for clients. The way to do that is in and through the team members that have contact with the guests. Let them handle these situations and tell the world how NCL correctly deals with client issues. If not now, than when will all mainstream cruise brands start understanding, we the clients have choices. All we ask is classy treatment. Again, we are on an NCL Blog. This is an industry issue, NCL can be the first to really address it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I read post #12 where NCL finally gave the 20% off. However, the problem is NOT SOLVED. Allow me to explain and everyone that has ever read my posts knows, I do everything to always take the high road. In 44 years of cruising over 25 times I have had my share of issues. Yes with NCL and a few other brands. On each chase, eventually and the key word is eventually the brand made good on the issue. 100% of each of my issues the brand corrected as I originally asked. Now for the rest of the story and hopefully NCL is listening. Your system does not allow your NCL team members to be empowered to handle situations like this. Your systems are designed to take an act of congress to do the simplest thing. The author had to call, write, make copies, get others involved and get frustrated until you finally simply did the right thing to resolve the issue. It should not take a guest that much effort to fix and issue like this. You see, by the time the issue is handled, the guest was so frustrated at what they had to do that it damages your brand in their minds eye. They tell people who tell people. They post the situation. Why not ask for the support documentation you need, have professionals get involved much, much earlier and show your complete commitment to the guest by handling it sooner vs after a fight. Now this is NOT and NCL issue. It is a Mainstream Cruise Brand issue. Listen, Understand, Ask What the Client Feels is fair and empower your team members to make the decision prior to escalating several time. It is Customer Resolution 101. I love the NCL Brand. I wish it would start understanding empowered crew members make great brands. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Installment #3: Pre-Cruise and Post-Cruise Hotels: Overview: The question on the table here is, “Do you book your pre/post-cruise hotel through Cruise Brand or book your own?” If my cruise was in/out of Miami, New York, or New Orleans, I would 100% book it myself. However, when it departs from Athens, Greece and returns in Barcelona, Spain it is more complicated for my mind to grasp. Europe is much less about choosing Marriott, Hilton, or Sheraton. It is much more about the general area you want to stay within. It is time for some of my normal research and I have found that is not as easy as it might seem. Before we begin, always have an endgame in mind. My endgame is: 1. We want to get to Athens, Greece the day before we cruise and in the morning. This allows almost a full day to enjoy the sights of Athens. Realistically, we will have jetlag and even if we got some sleep on the flight, our energy levels will be LOW. 2. We want to get acclimated to the new Europe times zone as quickly as possible. I have traveled to Europe for business many times, and I know getting on a different time zone is NOT easy. You must have a strategic plan taking all things into consideration. I do have such a plan below. Getting Acclimated to Europe Time Zones: 1. You get to Europe early; in our case we arrive at 08:30 am. 2. You get to your hotel by 10:30 AM to simply check your luggage. Usually, the hotel won’t let you check-in until 2:00 PM. 3. Immediately, go see some sites and maybe have a nice lunch. I have studied the foods of Athens so this will not be difficult. 4. Here comes the tough part. We ALL must take a three-hour power nap at 2:30 PM and I mean sleep. It will be hard to get up after the nap, but we must. 5. Following this we need to get dinner and stay up for another three hours. I have a dinner reservation at Kastelorizo for 06:30 PM. The result is, time zone handled. It has worked every time for me. Now that we are all clear on the goals, time to look at the research needed to make a good business decision on the Pre/Post-Cruise Hotel. Note upfront, I changed my mind many times. Pre-Cruise Hotel Research for Athens, Greece: When I booked the cruise back in September 2022 (Oceania Cruises Labor Day Sale), I looked at the Oceania Cruises Pre-Cruise Hotel Option and just like air option took the pre-hotel option initially. Just like airfare with the cruise brand, I can always cancel it and book it myself. However, having this hotel has given me a great starting point to begin my research. The hotel provided was Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Marriott Property with a cost for one night with two guests of $798.00 US. This included transportation from the Hotel to Port and complimentary breakfast. I have watched all the videos on this hotel and it looks and rating by guests are very good. If I book a fully cancelled room (if you prepay, you can save a few dollars) at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, it will cost $440.00 which is slightly less than half as much as the Oceania Rate. My Elite Status with Marriott will provide complementary upgrades based on availability at check-in, free internet, and breakfast. It will not provide ground transportation. You can hire a lot of Taxi’s for $400.00. Since it does not cost me anything to book this hotel myself, I booked the rooms directly. I can now choose to go either way, with Oceania or my own reservation. “I always love options.” Like any large city, Athens, Greece has different areas to stay in. Each area has pros/cons. In each area you have hotels that have a full range of price points, amenities, views, and benefits. About right now, I am saying; “I know that Oceania’s choice is a bit pricy. Maybe I simply save some time and just take it.” In research, none of this is as simple and as easy as you thought. You then rethink the importance of the project. I fought that feeling if simply taking the easy way out and going at it like every other aspect of my planning. A deep and interesting journey that will educate me in many ways. Videos Are My Favorite Research Approach: YouTube.com is our friend. Yet it is NOT as simple as just searching for the best hotels in Athens, Greece. Allow me to explain. Some of these youtube.com content providers making these videos are paid influencers. It reminds me of the Reverse Mortgage TV Commercials with Tom Selleck telling me, if he thought it was bad, he would not do the commercials. What you do get are some facts about the specific hotels they endorse. Like everything in our world, take it with a grain of salt which includes everything I say as well. The next set of videos watched does not even include most of those same hotels shown initially. You must ask yourself, “How can a hotel not make the cut of another list?” The third video series I watch is all about budget hotels followed by all about 5-star hotels. Your head starts to spin like trying to figure out how the Cruise Brand Airfare really works. “Why does everything have to be so complicated? Video after video, google search after google search, blog after blog. The reality is all choices seem good and none of them really stand out. Until you, as I did, end up back at the choice Oceania Cruises suggested in the first place. “Oceania’s Choice seemed as good as any.” To be fair, the hotel was part of the Marriott family and I have the highest lifetime status with Marriott. This means complimentary upgrades, free breakfast, free internet, and extra points for the stay. So, use Oceania or book it myself. Let’s talk about money. The Investment Comparison: The investment when booked through the Oceania was higher at a rate of $799.00 total for both guests. Booking on your own save literally half the price. If you want to pre-pay with no cancellation option, you can save even more. With Oceania, you are ONLY obligated when you make your final payment. One added benefit of Oceania is the provided transfers from the Hotel to the Cruise Port. I know I sound like a broken record. “Simply Do the math!” My Decision: I did the math and decided I will be canceling the hotel option with Oceania Cruise Hotel Booking. Transportation from the hotel to the port can be as low as 10 euro’s each for bus/train or with a cab/private car as much as 40/60 euro for a party of two. Basically, the same hotel, same room, upgrades/breakfast with Marriott Status and much better transportation geared around the guest convenience. I realize not everyone has my Marriott Status, however that is a big money difference. Hard not to consider. Some read my blogs and opinion pieces like this one and think I am looking ONLY for the lowest price and or very best value. That is NOT always true. Sometimes, I will pay more to simply reduce the hassle factor. Just not until I am convinced that the promises made to guests have been kept in the past. Like prompt ground transportation. I researched ground transportation, from the Hotel to the Port through Oceania. I hear mixed opinions/reviews on this aspect of my trip. It made me hesitant especially with the price difference. I like boarding cruise ships as soon as I can. I don’t like waiting for a cruise brand bus to fill for hours before it will go to the destination. I have also heard the coordination/instruction for the transportation is often lacking, leaving guests confused and frustrated. Those items make me feel uncomfortable and yes, I admit out of control. Those and other factors supported my final decision to just book it directly with the hotel. Always Read the Fine Print: When I initially went online, I saw book first room and get the second room for 50% off. This was NOT accurate. It was to buy one room and if you have kids in your family joining you under 16, you gain 50% your second room rate off. Good thing I checked the fine print. No kids, no savings. Yet booking two rooms at the regular members rate was still a savings of $400.00 over Oceania’s hotel rate. To be transparent, this does not vote well when I consider excursion for each port. Making Decisions for a Group: If you have been reading this blog from the beginning, the hardest thing for me is making good business decisions for other people. In my case I am making decisions for our friends joining us on this cruise. If it was just for me, I would just pull the trigger. When others are involved, it simply is not that easy. Every luxury or amenity could have a cost that increases budgets for others. I worry about resentment and feeling like my guest doesn’t have a choice or is not in control. That feeling really bothers me greatly. In the end, I make the best decisions for all involved, however I would be lying to say each decision could not have negative consequences. Onto of the Post-Cruise Hotel: My adult daughter traveled Barcelona, Spain. She said, stay in the “Gothic District”. She then gave me three (3) hotels to choose from, each with a different price point. My process was much the same as with the Pre-Cruise Hotel. Of the price points I was given, I took the higher priced hotel. The location was where my daughter wanted us located and the hotel looked lovely. Our choice was The Barcelona EDITION Hotel. Again, no cancellation fee, correct area, high-end hotel, and Marriott property. The videos are the hotel were outstanding for the higher-level rooms as I would have expected for a 5-star hotel at this price point. I would not have chosen this hotel unless I was confident of gaining an upgrade. When I read reviews, I noticed the scores were 9.2 out of 10. I dived deep to find out why folks were upset. To the person, it was they purchased an cheaper reservation, that was prepaid and had no cancellation option. These kinds of reservations have consequences and are the reason for Travel Insurance. Second was that the rooms were classy but small. That is where the Marriott Status upgrade comes in. Overall Conclusion: Months before the cruise, my preparation happens in a very slow and steady clip. Always keeping my options open, however, also doing my due diligence. I must be sensitive to the way my wife and I travel since it will only be us both for this part of the trip. I also must have an agreement that once we drop off our luggage, we go and see the sites. What normally happens is my wife opens her computer and does not want to move. That dog will not hunt in Barcelona, Spain. The Outdoor Market is waiting for us. If I had a concern, it is, this day is Sunday and many businesses are closed on Sunday. This will be the first time in our history where we stay in a hotel after the cruise is over. The last morning of a cruise is my least favorite part. I feel unkept, rushed, nervous and unhinged. I am hoping this time there will be no rushing or pressure. I am going to look forward to that as well as not having to worry about missing our plane the next day. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@dock Thank you for your kind words. I caution everyone reading my posts. I am only commenting on my personal experience and I have never cruised on Oceania. Sometimes, when I post, some of the great past Oceania Cruise Guest fix some of the errors I might have given. We all win. Oceania seems a nice change for me at this stage in my life. We will see. Learning the ins/outs of a new cruise brand has been quite enjoyable. Thanks again for the kind words. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MEFIowa As always, your lovely bride did her due diligence. Whether booking through a third part like Booking.com of directly with United (In my case Delta) based on Des Moines as your home base (Great town by the way), Study and research was the key. Coach or fully refundable coach are the choices we have to make. My post and your response clearly indicate, think it through and do what is good for you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Installment #2: Airfare for Europe Travel Disclaimer: This post is very long, detailed, and opinionated. It is my experience not yours. My spelling, grammar, and punctuation are horrible. You have been warned. Enjoy. Historical Background: From the time I was 20, until I was in my 60's, I traveled by Air extensively. For decades I left my home on Sunday and came back home very late Friday night or early Saturday morning. I am a Five Million Miler on Delta and over a Million on other airlines. I am also a Lifetime Platinum Elite on Delta. This topic of airfare is about planning my first Mediterranean 10-day cruise. Airfare from the United States is a big Part of it. To add to this challenge, we fly into Athens, Greece and out of Barcelona, Spain which is much harder than round trip to the same locations. Planning air for this cruise, started by saving Airline Miles years ago. Where I have traveled on business to Europe and Japan many times in both First Class and Business Class. My wife has never had the same opportunity. I wanted these saved miles to provide that opportunity for her to enjoy this very rare and exclusive privilege. Every time I would save miles, the family would want to go to Disney World or Cancun, and I would use them. You got to live, right. In retirement, we finally got serious about this “once-in-a-lifetime cruise”. The first attempt was lost due to Covid. Two years later, the second opportunity came up. To say I understand how in this case Delta works would be an understatement. I booked ALL my own travel for all those years. That is the background to my preparation for air travel for both me and our friends that will be joining us. Here is what I had to consider and how I made the decision. The Air Decision Process: Initially I booked Oceania's Air with my Fare: This is a HOT topic on Oceania Cruises and literally every other cruise brand social media. I knew even if I wanted to, due to airline brand policies, I could NOT book airfare on my own so far in advance. My guest joining us did not have the upfront funds nor air miles to gain their airfare prior to final payment for the cruise. Finally, I knew I COULD cancel the Oceania Airfare until final payment giving me time to plan. Sometimes flexibility provides time to think, research, and education oneself. That is exactly what we did. One more thing specific to Oceania Cruises Airfare. One must learn the in's and out's, of the cruise brand airline approach. Deviation fees, change fees, and other ways to gain a bit better control of your reservation. Each time you use an option there is a fee, it increases the overall costs. It becomes a math problem. Know your product as part of your research. By the way, this was not the easiest learning experience. It seems every cruise brand has different policies. I was new to Oceania Cruise and it took a which to figure it out. When Were the Flights Available to Book Directly with the Air Brands: Many people who do not use air travel often don't understand most brands do not offer booking for over 330 days or 47 weeks away (Some brands are longer, some shorter). I went on Delta Airlines website and went as far ahead as I could to see my booking date restrictions. I wrote down the actual day I could book the flight both with miles and with money. My goal was to make the reservation the instant it was available to book. That would get the least number of miles or money. Many Mock Bookings: Just like many of us do with Cruise Fares. I made airfare/air itinerary Mock Bookings. One of the biggest complaints about booking with cruise brands is losing control choosing the airline brand, receiving airline miles for the trip, itinerary choice, seat selection, being charged for checking luggage and the list goes on. Seems this question on cruise brand air never ends. Basically, being controlled by the cruise brand that wants the cheapest possible flight possible is indeed a choice. If you get to the ship safely, before it departs is ALL some folks care about. I personally want and need control and coordination. The first thing I wanted to know was, if I DON’T want to use Oceania Air, how much will it reduce my fare. In my case it was $1,000.00 per guest. Your amounts may vary. Just read the booking page. It is right there. In my mock booking I was learning: 1. How much approximately it would cost to travel both with money and miles. Below I will outline approximate cost and optional fees when leveraging Oceania Air. Key word approximate. 2. Itineraries and connections. This allowed me to control leaving a day earlier and get to Europe early morning to enjoy the day. I could have done this with Oceania by going through some hoops and a few fees. 3. If it would be better and cheaper to leave from air hub like Atlanta or my home base of Birmingham, AL. Sometimes, living from connections point like Birmingham, AL is actually less expensive and much more convenient. You only know if you check. I have learned to appreciate Oceania for the way they give their guest options rather then attempting to be a hugely more expensive “ALL Inclusive” offering like Regent Seven Seas. Yet sometimes, those options are not initially well understood. Allow me to explain because if you got this far, you have some interest in this topic. · Full Normal Cruise Fare: Includes Cruise, Air, Ground Transfers and usually your choice of one of three (3) perks. Depending on the sailing, the approximate retail value of those perks on my specific cruise was $600.00. Other itineraries can be higher. Please take into consideration if you are not looking to leave from a major airline hub, in my case Atlanta, there might be another fee added on to your fare. Just be aware and again I refer this as becoming a math problem. · Full Fare Less Air: If you look on the booking page carefully, it will show you how much of a discount you will receive if you book your own air travel. In my case it was $1,000.00 per passenger. This is NOT a Cruise Only fare and at first this confused me. Again, for me, it was initially NOT user-friendly information. · Cruise Only Fare: This was NO air and NO perks. Once I learned this it made my choices easier. Lots of opinions on which is right or wrong, yet it goes down to personal preference. · Premium Comfort Coach: Our cruise air, but not all cruises have a promotion for $299.00 per guest each way to have Premium Comfort Coach. So, another $1,200.00 per couple for round trip for this improved class of service. Again, I say, do your research. You don’t know the air brand and every brand premium coach are not made the same. I looked at ALL the brands that would fly out of our locations, saw the video reviews, and knew the risks or benefits. With all the options, deviation fees, fees for not being in a hub and option to do Premium Comfort my head was spinning, and I know air travel. I can’t imagine what a person that fly occasionally would have felt. It gave me what I was looking for, which was a budget for my guest and if I wanted to save my miles or just use Oceania Air. The Real Airline Booking Procedure: · The Issue: You can’t book the flight with the airline, in my case Delta, until the return trip is available. Every day you wait, the fare or miles gets more expensive. Some say book the trip for miles one way at a time. My mock test showed clearly that would NOT work. I believe it was because we flew into Athens and out of Barcelona. Regardless, I checked, and it was not the best option to book one way at a time. · 12:01 AM: The day the return flight was open for booking I was online at 12:01 AM. I looked at the options and decided to take a risk. “What If I waited until tomorrow to book the flights.?” My mock research showed lower prices to fly back from Barcelona on Monday rather than when the ship docked on Sunday. Would an extra day same be much? This ended up being a very wise move. · Leave From Home Base or Hub: The points and cash fares were less leaving from Birmingham, AL rather than Atlanta, GA. Who would have thought. Glad I did my due diligence. · Fully Refundable Air Fair for my Guests: Where I could have gotten a non-refundable flight for as low as $800.00 per person for my friends, a fully refundable was $1,250.00. This was an issue because our friend could not come up with the funds now and what if they did then want to cancel the trip. Remember, Oceania was giving a cruise fare discount of $1,000.00 per guest to do your own airfare. Decisions upon decisions. · Important Side Note: Many cruise guests think if you use the Cruise Brands choice of air, and there is a delay on your flights, the cruise ship will wait for you. Not true. They do have an obligation to get you to your next port. No one wants to start a vacation that way. Do your research. Conclusion to the Airfare Decision: My wife and I booked our Delta Airlines Delta One Business class flights to arrive a day early and leave a day after returning. We will leave our home base, Birmingham, AL instead of Atlanta, GA. We used all our air miles and had to transfer some from our American Platinum Rewards account. I personally booked and paid for our friends Delta Coach Tickets with the same itinerary with fully refundable airfare. They could not pay for it, so I fronted the money for the airfare and their cruise deposit. This gains them the advantage of early booking and paying for everything at the time of final payment for the cruise itself. I utilized some credits ($200.00) I had in my Delta Airline wallet which is also refundable to reduce the ticket price by $100.00 per person. I then wrote an email to Delta Airlines asking to have them upgraded to Delta Business Class. Delta called me up and gave them another $200.00 in the form of a Visa Card. Now the Fully refundable airfare is the same as the Oceania Supplement and they also get one free checked in piece of luggage each for an additional saving of $400.00 for the couple. Now it is a much better deal than Oceania had. The question is, was it worth all the time, effort, research and due diligence? For me, yes. I like this kind of stuff. I wanted our friends to travel on the same itinerary as my wife and me. I wanted my wife and I to go Delta One Business Class with the best routing. Worth the effort for sure. I also check daily if the cost goes down or I can do it for less miles. So far, the cost has gone up close to $500.00 per ticket and it would have cost me 500,000 more miles. Again, worth the effort and planning. Hope this journey on airfare due diligence has helped you to make a business decision that suits your specific needs. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MEFIowa Absolutely brilliant. Team work the whole way. Love the way you approach this. I never thought about the Euro exchange. BRILLIANT. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FANC6 I feel the same way with some exceptions. My group choose Oceania for their reputation on dining on the ship. Our experience has be awful to excellent dining on cruise ships. While on the cruise, we will keep our dining options open to lunch in the ports. Breakfast and Dinner will be on the ship. Sea days will be cooking classes that you get to enjoy after words. This allows us to enjoy the value of the cruise and cuisine in the ports. I only share this because this is part of this streams topic of planning our first Mediterranean cruise. We have two Dinner opportunities at ports. First Athens which applies to your question. We get to the port a day early so that was a fun choice as you see on the post I responded to you with. The second is Barcelona, Spain. We are spending an extra day in Barcelona before traveling back. We have not chose the hotel or the dinner place there yet. I am glad Cruise critic allowed the YouTube links. I hope it gives you some nice options. Yes that Athens restaurant was something special. I have Rack of Lamb on the mind. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@LHT28 My wife would no go for it unfortunately. Not her kind of evening either. By the way, you have been most helpful from my first post here, thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@DENIE Wow, and thank you for your post. We seem to be kindred spirits. I am having a really hard time talking my group to consider La Reserve. I absolutely love those kinds of experience. I will work on them. I can be very convincing. Thank you so much for your post and making me feel like I am not the only one doing some of these things. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Keith1010 To Keith and everyone on this and the Old Crystal Cruise Board. I am so happy the the Crystal Brand and its Ocean Ships are back. I also received this announcement, in my email a few days ago. This is unprecedented. I know not everyone will be happy with it however I hope most of the guest that had a financial hardship feel some what pleased. I personally don't know how I would have felt nor the disappointment at the time. Many people taught me so much about Crystal in 2021. You all make a difference and I am glad that the brand you have enjoy so much is back. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@See_More Thank you so much for your suggestion. I have read so many posts on how GREAT the pizza is on the ship. I had no idea they had a special pizza oven. Here is my issue because I want to honor your post. Our trip goes to several places in Italy (I call Italy the promised land for food). As I have indicated, I am in the process of looking at the place to go for different Italian food items. We only intent to have these items for lunch and pizza is on the top of our list. In Sicily you have one type of pizza and in Naples you have a place that created the Margarita Pizza (Brandi). So getting the Pizza on board for dinner will have to come second to getting it in "The Promised Land". Thanks so much for the idea. I appreciate your post. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@mauibabes Like minds think the same. I am going to cut a paste a section of my Travel Document and you will see how well we are thinking together. You will also notice I choose the Polo Grill but I want to tell you why. For my wife and my self, their would be NO QUESTION we would reserve "Red Ginger". However we are going with another couple and to get them to go to Red Ginger even once would be a negotiation which I have already done. On another topic from your post, I am not an engineer but for what ever reason, early in my work life learned Lotus 123 which now the gold standard is Excel. I have done Proformas and other complicated spreadsheets like a mortgage calculator for my adult child. Funny, when I created the Mortgage Calculator for my , she asked me what website I got it from. I told her I made it. Her response was, "Come on dad, really where did you get it from?" No respect, no respect at all. Here is the cut and paste and thank you again for the great post. "I wrote a nice email to Oceania Cruises and 10 months before sailing with ONLY a refundable security deposit on file, I have my reservations completed and confirmed. It is surprising what a well written email can get you. I purposefully did not book one of my four days for day one. Instead, the rules are you CAN get additional days at space available, on a waitlist the day of. I will be on the waitlist for the "Polo Steak House" the moment I get onboard for both couples. That is a strategy unique to Oceania Cruises. Glad I did my due diligence." Cruise well and enjoy every moment.