jonthomas

I think the 24/25 will be out earlier... so you can use the 30 day pre cruising rule and get the same perks as you would by booking on board....

We love meeting people and sharing a table but at our last cruise we found it almost impossible to enjoy our meals. Out of the 4 times we shared only once did we have a peaceful enjoyable meal. Controversial political opinions have become the norm in dining venues. We were given a pass since we are Canadians, but otherwise I am sure we would have been tarred and feathered since our opinions varied from the others at the table. Even discussing our Canadian situations became battle grounds. Not an enjoyable way to have a meal. So if we could not get a reservation with those of like minds, or by ourselves, we began to avoid the specialty areas. Perhaps a time will come when you are asked your political affiliations before being sat with others. ( tongue in cheek)

sounds just wonderful....enjoy to the last drop....

dont miss the opportunity to book a cruise within 30 days of sailing...you get the same perks as if on Board...reduced deposit and a discount off the price...I believe it is $200pp... love this topic...thank you for creating it....

looking forward to it....have a good cruise, enjoy.....

Thank you Joe for your post. Enjoy....

Sorry you got covid. Glad to hear O took good care of you.

So good to hear from many of you, that O is still offering best food at sea or that they are making every effort to combat issues of staffing and training.

Glad to hear it. Not the line for me but I bought shares to use for O.

not sure who you are asking if they are Canadian, if it is me, yes. as for me, the more angry I am , the more my voice is quieter, slower and what I say is much more measured. it has served me well.....

"Well as OP appears not to want to comments" there is not much I can say.... you expressed your displeasure in a way I would not have... IMHO, you would have done far better, by quietly talking to someone in charge...and of course pointing it out in the questionnaire...although I must say, nothing I pointed out on the questionnaire received any comment...but there is hope it was noted.... my usual experience has been that when you raise your voice, or are unruly in any way, you lose respect of others and then your requests are ignored.....

Celeb has become a very segregated cruise line, those in suites and those who are not. That is what I meant by "separate". Suite guests are separated from the rest, with their own area for breakfast and other dining. The rest or those not in suites, are not allowed into those venues. Hope that clears it up. On O, I dont feel that there is that separation between those paying for higher staterooms or those in an inside.

as someone with so many years on Celeb, no one gets you coffee, or water, or anything else...and if you ask, they look at you as if to say, you got legs dont you...have never expected it.... those in suites, have a separate Luminae eatery...they do not have breakfast with the "peasants" so maybe they are served ...dont know, I am one of the peasants... so we were so amazed on O, that as we sat down, someone got it for us...and if not, the self serve was right there...no problem getting it... guess it is all the experiences one has had....

lets hope that O is able to find staff and stabilize staff returning, so that not huge numbers constantly need to be trained.... and as many of you have said, the role of the exec chef is huge....

It seems like, when issues were brought to the attention of someone in charge, there was marked improvement. That speaks volumes for Oceania. On Celebrity, when concerns were raised, even if the chef came to the table, nothing changed. Pay for Suites or suffer steerage food is the impression we got from Celeb. And many pay for suites for that reason. NO way, might as well try other lines than cruise with that kind of segregation. Yup there is actually a wall separating the dining room, those in suites and the rest. A special dining venue for the suites passengers, others just look in. Really a disgusting way to cruise. But enough of that, not looking back, just sorry we gave them so much of our loyalty. Now trying to get the loyalty benefits with O. If all goes well, we should have it in another year, by doing 3 or 4 a year. But I digress.

Not the point of going hungry....yes many will eat slop on any ship...any cruise line... We pay more to be on O, for the very reason that the food is supposed to be better...hype, maybe....sloganism, yes of course....

Yes, O has also been known for consistency. No matter what ship or who the exec chef was, you could count on the best food at sea. Of course with that kind of message out there, the expectations are very hard to live up to.

We were so spoiled on the Insignia, the food was the best we had ever had. Yes pre covid. That Insignia cruise had made us give up all other cruise lines. Looking back, I wish we had complimented the staff more. Just amazing. One example comes to mind. I wanted a mac and cheese, but the server said they were all out of it. Which was ok. I got something else which was just delicious. As I sat down, the chef brought to the table a plate of hot mac and cheese and said, they shouldnt have said they are all out, it is no problem to make more. I was just so amazed at that gesture. It was certainly not expected. For us, that incident separated O from all others. I must say, that it is also probably because of the small size of the Insignia. I had always been hesitant to go on a small ship. Now I see them very differently.

We were on the Riviera on a TA in March and only made note of the difference we felt when there was a change in staff. We did it on the questionnaire to which there was no reply.

yes I also agree with that... unless others start saying that the food on other cruise lines is now better than O and O cant make that claim anymore... so far I have not found anyone that could say that..... again, a very subjective issue....so it has to be a generalization...and even that is very difficult... We stopped cruising on Celeb and food was the main reason. Unless you are in a suite, and dine in areas separate from the rest. The food in the regular dining areas was no longer acceptable to us.

In all kinds of sources, not just here on CC. Recently read this from someone on the Nautica. "On the Nautica, Have to say we’ve been very underwhelmed by the quality of the food. We expected so much more. The staff is trying very hard but they seem inexperienced and don’t function cohesively. This is our first cruise on Oceania and have also traveled on NCL, Princess and Uniworld so we have something to compare it to. We were planning a 77 day voyage in late 2023 with Oceania but that’s off the table now." Our own experience, Insignia , 3 years ago, pre covid, amazing. Have never in over 50 cruises with Celebrity and others, including Viking, experienced such deliciousness. Riviera in March of 2022, very good on first leg, mediocre second leg when new, inexperienced staff arrived. We cruise with O exclusively now and hope that, things improve as staff gain more experience. I would like to ask everyone, when you see an issue with the food, or it is not what you expect from O, please bring it to the attention of those in charge. I know we are just a small number here on CC, but any comments brought to attention may make a difference. We now cruise with O exclusively, food taste and quality is our number one priority. O needs to stand behind their slogan of "the best food at sea".

We can chose our seats 24 hours before flight...short flight , 3hrs, 15 min...dont care where we sit... as long as there are no kids behind me...but I cant control that....and ear plugs are always handy....

yes I got it...that makes sense.... and more than that..I booked the flight....it went down $50 pp from yesterday...and I am happy with that....took the 2:45 as the 1:30 was much more... so thats it... thanks to all....

using the map AC provides for booking seats...shows what is available for booking...

yes I think I need to do that...