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@ec6393 I have no idea. Ask Oceania. If you just booked it, have Travel Agent take over the booking. Sorry, I just don't know the exact answer. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@FetaCheese Hello friend. Let me say first, LOL. Yes, I paid every penny but I do understand your reference. On to your question. Allow me to explain below: 5% Off Fare for Booking It So Long In Advance: This benefit changed at the first of the year. That said, when I went from A4 to PH2, I got the 5% off as I would have if I booked it originally on the ship. I was thrilled. On-Board-Credit(OBC): It was $250.00 per stateroom. When I upgraded, it was still $250.00 per stateroom. Extra Money Off: They gave $400.00 off the fare on-board for booking an A4. It was $600.00 for a PH2. They honored the extra money off. $800.00 OBC for Excursions for SimplyMore: If you booked the same cruise today, it would be $600. Yet they honored $800.00. I was again thrilled. Changing to A Different Cruise: I have a one time exception if I want to book another different cruise on Oceania. Going from A4 to PH2 did not effect this in the future. The opinion is still there. Gratuities Complementary from my Travel Agent: My gratuities when up because it cost more when in a PH category due to the butler. No issue and I was credited for the PH gratuities. Now if Oceania has an upcoming sale, it many NOT be compatible with the deal I got. If that happens, the math will win. Hope this answers your questions. Thank you for asking. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I have a cruise already booked for the Oceania Vista, October 13, 2025, for 10-days in the Mediterranean. I booked it on my last cruise on the Oceania Riviera during our cruise on November 2023. Fun to watch how things happen, and although in life, there are NO guarantees, it seem on some level predictable. I am NO expert but it sure seems like the Oceania Sales happen in a certain way/pattern. We guest simply book a cruise, hang back and wait for a sale that might or might not happen. I personally have lots of time before my next cruise happens so this is a long-term study for me. What I Was Interested In Seeing: Similar Itinerary, Ship, Days and Time of the Year: I noticed, if I were doing a similar Itinerary, on the Vista, for 10 days in, a similar time period October 2024; I could save some money. This is important to me because I could assume, we all know what assuming means, that as my October 2025 cruise comes closer, a Oceania Sale could positively effect me. Ships and Fares: No secret here. I like Ocean Vessels like the Riviera, Marina and the Vista. All will have a few years on them before I cruised them or will cruise them. When ever a Cruise Brand has a brand new ship which the Vista was last year, the prices are always higher. Now, the Vista is higher the the gap is much less. The Riviera which I cruised after the Refurbishment was really lovely. The Marina will be Refurbished soon and I would expect the same quality. The Vista will go back for warranty work as I understand it after the cruise I am booked on in October 2025. The best deals NOW is the Riviera and Marina. SimplyMore Program: As most of us know already, the Exclusive Excursion On-Board-Credit (OBC) came down as of the first of the year. For my cruise we got, $800.00. The similar cruise for this year and in the future are currently $600.00. I can see in the future, fares staying the same and perks like OBC/OBC for Excursions becoming the playing card of choice for Oceania. I have not inside information but seems like that strategy cost the brand less then reducing fare. I hope I am wrong on this. Effect of Upgrading My Stateroom Early: I booked with some benefits while on my last cruise. I booked two Concierge (A4). At the time, my concern was my friends joining us for the second time and their budget. What I really wanted was a Penthouse (PH2). Recently I had my Cruise Travel Agent take me from a (A4) to a (PH2). I wanted to see if I lost my perks, amenities, and or discount for early booking now. I did not. I got the all. I was happy and impressed that it was a seamless process with my agent. For me, this is good information for the future. We will see if and when Oceania has some decent sales, this holds true in the future. My fingers are crossed. Timing Seems to be Everything: With my first sailing in November 2023, it seemed clear. If you booked a Mediterranean Cruise in November over October, you got a better fare. That made since to me because the weather is colder in November than October so October would be more desirable. Sales were better in November then October for my first cruise also. My issue this upcoming cruise was we like the Itinerary better in October. We will let the cards fall as they will. We have "Realistic Expectations". Effect on my Air Fare: I have already taken the Oceania Air off my booking. The reduction was $1,400.00 per person plus an addition $99.00 each way to leave from my Home Base, Birmingham, AL. That is a total of $1,598.00. As I did for my first cruise, so far, I shows I can book Fully Refundable Coach fairs on Delta Airlines for less then $1,598.00. I have four (4) very valuable Global Upgrade Certificates in waiting for when my airfares become available. My fares become available, 330 days before the return flight. I am now studying everything I can learn about how to upgrade my "Fully Refundable Coach Fare" to "Delta One Business Class" with those upgrade certificates. If you think cruise fares are confusing, air fare with upgrade certificates if far more unsettling. Wish me luck. PointGuy, I am reading everything you ever wrote on the subject. My Conclusion: Sale or NO sale. We would never have booked the cruise we did if the itinerary was not right or we could not afford the fare we booked at. If and when any sale happens or does not happen, we know the rules and can live with them. "Realistic Expectations" is my mantra. It applies to sales, food/dining, port cancelations, personalized service, bar service and everything else on any cruise with any brand. Just my two cents and I am sticking with it. "Cruise well and enjoy every moment."

@stevesol6718 My wife and best friends just got off the Riviera on November of 2023. It was our first cruise on Oceania and our friends first cruise ever. With regards to main dining rooms, I was a fan of them 44 years ago when we first stated to cruise. Over the years, all of them in my mind have gone down. I usually travel NCL Haven and the Celebrity retreat which has "Suite Only" Dining rooms. When I have gone in a normal stateroom on NCL and Celebrity, I rarely go into the Main Dining Room because I like you tend to be disappointed. For my last experience in November, I eat in the Grand Dining Room every morning for breakfast and each and every meal exceeded my expectation. The service was also great. Now lunch we had once and it was below average. Dinner we had one and it as average at best but the service was very good. There were so many choice for food, we never went hungry nor did we lack for something very nice to eat. For us, it was all in the selection. That was my feedback which I think you were asking for. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Installment: When Your Potential Cruise Seems to have Bad Reviews I have cruise many brands. Some are better then others but all are relative to the cruise experience you are looking to achieve. I have noticed of late, a lot of complaining and folks that are really upset with the cruise the booked, are on or have recently finished cruising. I then see new cruisers to the brand, making post like "After some of the review I read, I don't know if I want to go on Brand X". Not so fast folks, before you make that final decision look a little closer. Allow me to give you some thing to look for and some strategies to take when folks complain about a cruise brand. Look for the following: If someone posts on a cruise brand board, "I will never cruise the brand again". Read their topic and see what their issue was. It might not apply to you. What do folk do a deep complaint online when social media does not fix the issue. The answer is they want folks to be on their side and looking for Social Media Justification that the issue they had, is all the brand fault. This is rarely the fact but folk need to have that justification. Go back on the history of the poster and see if they have a habit of complaining. I think it will surprise you that some contributors especially those that really are over the top upset, are the ones that always seem to complain. Look for trends and patterns with complaints. If it is a one off, let it slide. If it has to do with let's say port cancelation where their is now a war/conflict; don't blame the cruise brand. Thank them. If a lot of the same complaints happen from different guest, have a strategy so it won't effect the quality of your vacation. See my topic below, "Have a Strategy." How to leverage blogs that are complaining: Have a Strategy: Have a strategy to avoid the issue the poster is complaining about. On my recent Oceania Cruise, lots of folk were complaining that ports were cancelled for what the poster said was no real reason. There is always a reason but we the guest might not agree with it. When I heard this was what seemed to be a frequent situation, I told my guest joining me that their was a high likely hood of a port being cancelled. I wanted to provide "realistic expectations". Sure enough, was a port cancelled? Yes, Florence, Italy. Were we disappointed, Yes. It is make our entire cruise bad, NO. We knew it cold happen so it was like "Water off a Duck". Handle Issues Immediately with Empathy: It is a cruise, things happen. Handle the issue with kindness and a smile. If you come across as a harsh primidone, you will be treated like one. My approach is to always look for something good, tell the Cruise Hotel Manager how impressed you are early in the cruise. Then is something happens, later, they are willing to assist you much better. On my cruise, I did just that. Yet some other said that the Guest Services was awful. I found them to be Steller. Leverage Different Brands: When I want a small ship, that has lots of ports, I choose brands like Oceania Cruises. When I want a lot of excitement on a cruise with stellar entertainment, I choose the NCL Haven on the larger ships. My decision is based on the experience I want. So before you cancel a reservation or choose not to use a brand, because of some unkind words you read. Do your due diligence. Be a good consumer and don't fall for the person that just want you to cry with them. Ask yourself a question, could they have planned their cruise better and did they make some mistakes. Was it all the cruise brands fault. Nothing is ever black and white. Cruise never go perfect. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Personal preference. I usually tip $200. Others do less, others do more. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Fogfog as @havoc315 said so well, The tipping situation for the butlers has always been where they have been left off the Automatic Gratuities. Some folks tip them up front, some folks tip them at the end. I personally always tip them upfront and get lots of push back on it. My approach is to develop a letter called a "butler Letter" giving the butler a heads up on my needs. In the letter I put the full gratuities upfront. WHY, I had some bad experience with NCL Butlers. I started to engage with them and found out many guest, were unaware of the gratuities for Butlers. More than half left and never tipped the butler. This changed my tipping to upfront from the last night. Since them I have had much better attention from my butlers. I hope this and what @havoc315 shared with you assists you on your first Haven cruise. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Butler_NCL_Cruises_Template.docx

@edgee I personally would like to thank you for sharing. Many don't like when folks share things that are less then complementary. I on the other hand, really appreciate it. I am on the Vista for a 10 day Mediterranean Cruise. This issue would only bother me at night so I have on my packing list, ear plugs. There will be other things we will learn about the Vista. I look forward to learning them. Good and Bad. Thanks again. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@BornPisces This is such a great story. Thank you for sharing. Hello my lovely, I miss you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

When I started considering Oceania some two plus years ago, I thought the sale I got was fantastic. It was a four category upgrade and I upgraded initially to a Penthouse. I in a million years never thought a future sale would be combinable with the upgrade sale. The extraordinary sale came up and I almost did not call my travel agent to check. So glad I did, it was combinable but I did lose my AMX perks. A fair trade all the way around. I am the author of this thread so allow me to now connect to the topic of "what I learned when I booked my next cruise on the ship". I am looking daily (my thing, I have a lot of time on my hands) for new sales as the come up. Way to far in advance now, but as 2024 moves forward, I am sure Oceania will have some sales especially if the itinerary is not booking quickly. However, since my cruise is in October NOT November, in 2025 for the Mediterranean, my chances to reduce the fare goes down. Less people cruise the Mediterranean in November so that is the sweet spot. I choose to go earlier due to specific places the ship was sailing. The ship I did sale on in 2023 was the newly refurbished Riviera. That added a possibility of a sale because the Vista the newest ship was getting a premium because it was new. This time, I am on the Vista. This again reduces applicable sales even though the Vista will be a couple of years old when I eventually sail her. . So now, I do not have a lot of hope I will catch a combinable sale. That for me falls into the notion of "Realist Expectations". However, if I catch one that works, It will exceed my expectations. How it combines with the benefits I have already received on the ship booking approach, is yet to be determined. If the math works, all I want to know is my options as we all do. The important part is, I would have never booked the cruise at the price I did if I would not felt the fare was acceptable. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Sailing12Away Thank you. Would it surprise you to know that my comment was not the first time I have said the same thing. It seems some exaggerate what is provided, other suggest under promise and hopefully over deliver. If our goal is to have the best cruise possible, simply let your self be surprised, or not. Realistic Expectations change my enjoyment of cruise for the better. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@slavetoabunny One of the things that seems to be true is butlers have some flexibility. Another way of saying that is inconsistencies from one butler to another. A lot of great cruisecritic.com member have provided great feedback to your question. My whole focus when cruising myself or providing feedback to a question is, "Realistic Expectations". Expect for example no drinks delivered complementary and have your expectation exceeded if and when they are. If you would like to have an idea of how to gain the most from a butler, consider a very controversial approach. It is called a Butler letter. When I created this concept, it was because I had some below average butler experiences. Once I did it, the experiences became average to above average. Butler_Crystal_Cruises_Template.docx This link will bring up an example of the butler letter. Some love it, some hate it. I use it every time now. I have had butlers on; Crystal Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, NCL Haven Cruises and Oceania Cruises. In each case, I used the information initially gained on a search of what a butler will and will not do to develop the butler letter. The best butlers by far were on Crystal Cruises and Oceania Cruises. The main reason was they had less cabins, and therefore were always available if and when I had a requestion. My goal in responding is again, to assist in expectations. I hope in some way I did. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@GayleR I wish I could give you an exact answer but I can't. I believe every butler can do for you what you like within reason. On other ships, the butler will give you afternoon tea which NCL does not do. Even if you have a drink package, the butler has to charge you if he brings you wine or spirits. Even in the Haven. So obviously, they won't do things that are against NCL policy. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@MadisonBay My pleasure and so glad you had a good time. Thanks for the updates. Much appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@EmsMom My wife, best friends and I were on the Oceania Riviera from November 9-19, 2023. It was a 10 day cruise in the Mediterranean. Our friends were in PH2 Penthouse, I was in a Vista Suite. I did a real time blog on CruiseCritic.com so take a look. This was my first cruise on Oceania, my usual brand is NCL and we stay in the Haven. I also read all those same negative reviews and I started to get a little upset at my decision. Then I started to pay attention to those that were making the negative comments. With a few exceptions, it seem to be all the same folks. That made me feel better. The key from my perspective is "Realistic Expectations". The second key is if lots of folks say something is not good, look for a way to avoid it. Then it does not negatively effect your vacation. So leverage and embrace the negatives, look for a tread or pattern, then make plans to avoid the issue if possible. Here is an example which I am sure you have heard. Folks said that Oceania had a tendency to miss ports. Enough folks said it to create that trend I was talking about. So I told everyone in my party, pre-cruise that there was a high likelihood we would miss a port or two. Sure enough, we missed one port which was Florence, Italy. We were just fine because we knew it could happen. Were we disappointed, yes. Did it create a bad cruising experience, no. I personally loved Oceania and the ship the Riviera. It exceeded my expectations. Was it perfect, no. Was it a marked improvement with my past cruises, yes. The key again was Realistic Expectations. Here are a few: Food/Dining: I rated it a 8 out of 10 with a couple of misses and a lot of hits. The best food I have ever had on a cruise was on a Crystal Cruise. Entertainment: I rated it a 6 out of 10. The production shows did not compare to NCL big productions Broadway shows which I dearly love. Yet, I knew this prior to boarding so no issues. The special acts were outstanding. The piano player in Martini bar was lovely, not great but lovely. Staterooms: I toured some, visited my friends in their PH2 and loved my Vista Suite with a few exceptions. The Vista Suite had an exercise room which for me was a waste. The front deck was huge but in the front of the ship so they locked down the furniture at night. The rest of the experience was OUTSTANDING. Butler: If you have one was one of the best I had ever had. Bar Service: Was over the top great. Daily Tea: Was a highlight of our cruise. Breakfast: In the Grand Dining room was something I will remember for a while. Not just the food, the service. Dinner was ok but breakfast was my favorite. Now I am going to stop. If you want more information, just ask. Please remember, this is not an all-inclusive ultra-luxury cruise brand. However for my party and I, it was just enough, not to much and the investment did not bankrupt us. Hope this helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@slavetoabunny For me it has gone either way. Sometimes the butler says talk with the Concierge and sometimes the concierge says talk the the butler. Either way, it gets done. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello, before every cruise I do what I call a Journey Document. It takes a long time and usually is in excess of 30 pages. One heading is "Butlers". The information is below and should give you a good idea of what to expect. The Haven Butler: Overview: On day one, I provide the butler a letter that has some of our basic needs. I also tip them upfront which has always worked for me. The Haven Butler is not under the normal gratuities program so what they get from us is their income. What your Haven Butler WILL do for you: 1. Set up your suite: Butlers will do everything from packing and unpacking your luggage to offering pillow menus, and stocking and re-stocking your suite bar with your drink preferences. They will also bring CDs, books, board games and DVDs to your room. They can even draw you a bubble bath if you ask -- or if they sense you could use one. 2. Handle logistics: Butlers will save you from spending your vacation waiting in line or dealing with the minutiae of your trip. They will handle all your reservations for specialty restaurants and book appointments for the spa, salon, and private fitness training. They can book ship or private shore excursions and arrange shoreside dining and entertainment. They will even work with the chef to expedite special dietary requests, such as paleo or gluten-free meals. 3. Make deliveries: Butlers will be your complimentary room service provider. They will deliver fancy canapes daily, like foie gras terrine and crab legs (examples only, always check additional costs), and upgraded turn-down amenities, such as a chocolate box. They can present in-room tea service. They will also bring you room service or morning cappuccinos and espresso, even serving you dinner course-by-course, in your suite or on your balcony. Please always ask for all food deliveries to be ONLY from the Haven Restaurant. 4. Take care of your laundry: Butlers will handle laundry, dry-cleaning and pressing requests, and return your clothes expertly folded and wrapped in tissue paper. There is always a cost to your suite. 5. Have a party: If you are social types, butlers can help you organize cocktail or dinner parties in your suite and even bartend or help while your guests are present. For special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, they might decorate your suite or present bubbly and celebratory cakes. 6. Take care of the little details: Butlers will shine shoes, place bookmarks in books and wrap eyeglasses in cleaning cloths. They will even solve problems for you, such as finding an appropriate crew member to fix broken eyeglasses or stuck luggage locks. 7. Give advice: Butlers know their ships inside out and are often familiar with ports. They might advise on everything from the finest shopping street to the best hours to hit the onboard fitness center. What your Haven Butler WILL NOT do for you: 1. They won't work exclusively for you: Most butlers juggle several suites; for the best service, plan. Make requests, such as for dining reservations, private shore excursions and beauty appointments, well in advance so butlers can manage their time to make your wishes reality. If they do not instantaneously answer a page, they might be busy with another passenger. 2. They won't babysit: Don't expect the butler to watch your kids, although they might assist in hiring a sitter and often play with children, time permitting. 3. They won't act as aides: If physically challenged, travel with a companion. A butler will always assist in an emergency but should not be expected to help you with daily physical needs. 4. They won't be your personal companion: While some butlers can be chatty -- particularly with solo passengers seeking company -- they are not your friend or travel companion. They can escort you to a restaurant or show, but they will not sit with you. 5. They cannot always fulfill challenging requests: If you ask for a miracle, such as dinner reservations in the ship's hottest restaurant 15 minutes before you wish to eat, a butler cannot always meet your request. That said, butlers try to make magic. They can serve you dinner from that restaurant in your suite or secure a table at a later hour, instead. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Thank you for sharing Cruise well, and enjoy every moment

@shepherd really comment makes the most sense. This seems like a travel agent issues. Here is what I did. I actually booked onboard, called my agent and asked if the $200.00 coupon would work for me. The answer was "NO". Not combinable. I figured as much. But again, I booked on the ship. This leads me to something that just happened. I asked to upgrade at my total expense to a Penthouse. I got all the benefits as I did when I booked the Concierge Level when I the ship. My agent sent me an invoice. I noticed the $500.00 down payment given on the ship was not showing. I immediately contacted the agent and I got another invoice within a day. Agents are not perfect even if they are great agents. When we make a request and it is not confirmed in writing within a week, we have to follow up. Shame we have to do this but it seems to be the rules to the game. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@ak1004 I was reading through comments and I read this one. I got a big smile on my face. YEP, I tend to make a choice that seems to not qualify also. I got lucky on my last cruise but that was definitely the acceptation, not the rule. If the math works, it is a good business decision. I was the author of this thread. I kind of figured it would end up focused on the $150 per guest fee for cancelation. Yet while onboard, one of the rules was, I could change the ship, itinerary and date of sailing once at no fee. With the exception of the normal cancelation policy prior to 180 or so before the cruise. Funny thing. Nice to know I can do one change. However, the cruise I choose is the one I want. If I don't go, I will most likely simply pay the $150 penalty. Odds are, all will go smoothly as they do most of the time. My fingers are crossed. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Treasure Hunter First you are a great grand parent. I might have missed something but my I assume the fold out sofa bet is or is not available. If the parents are on that, I get you. You might want to consider a rolla-way since the great room is so huge. Separate the grand kids that way. But you might just be right. Have a GREAT time on the Encore. One hell of a ship. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@RocketMan275 I agree with you. Yet, what the heck. Take a shot if you want to catch a discounted Haven Suite. I personally have NEVER one a Bid. But I only bid for a bargain. Bargain in cruising happen but they tend to be rare. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Traveling Fools I read your post and agree with every single word you said. I support you completely and it is as you said, the principle of the thing. My approach has worked for me and I shared it specifically to give some extremely frustrated guest an avenue to consider other then only Social Media. I will give you no advice on your situation because the way you write, tells me your correspondence was extremely well thought out. I have booked the H2 Deluxe Owners Suite and know the kind of investment you had just on that stateroom. I am not sure of the issue with the specialty restaurants but with what you spent which was a small fortune, it should have been either resolved or explained in a way that you could see the logic. I don't hear from your posting that either was the case. If I was wronged, If I followed the rule like you did and had my back up information. I personally would harbor resentment to any brand. I am taking the time to respond to your post because I don't want anyone to think we guest will ever allow any company to treat us with anything less then respect and fairness. Our money, our choice. Thank you for writing and I hope other will read your comments. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Redtravel That is interesting. On my cruise, there were to plans. One, book a specific cruise, date and itinerary, $250 obc. Two, book a cruise with those items open for a bit, $100 obc. I did not notice the OBC change during my sailing. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Nilbog My wife is an introvert. I am an extravert. It is a very fine balance but we both try to be respectful to the other. Unfortunately for her, I end up finding the most animated couple onboard to hand out with. Drive her nuts. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.