Waltershipman

40 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We find your view quite interesting.  I cannot help but wonder how much of what you say (and hear) is because some on your cruise expected some kind of normal Caribbean cruise.  There is very little "normal' about EJ and they made that pretty clear in their promotional materials.  Blasting music at the pools is not the norm on luxury lines or in luxury resorts...which is the vibe sought by EJ.  Those that want music are certainly free to use their own ear buds, headphones, etc. which is the norm when we are on other luxury lines.   DW and I are among some frequent cruisers who dislike the blasting "noise" found on many ships at poolside (or elsewhere).  EJ projects the imagine of a quiet refined atmosphere. Similar to what would find at a Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, etc.  

 

In our various posts back in Sept-Oct we also mentioned the lack of a food venue at the main pool as a negative.  Every cruise ship upon which we have cruised (and that would be at least 70 vessels) have had some kind of food venue (such as a grill, buffet, etc) at their main pool.  EJ1 only has the gelato place, and their offerings are very limited!

 

While I do agree that EJ does not provide many things expected by cruisers, they view this as a positive thing.  There are plenty of Carnival, RCI, Princess and Celebrity ships for those seeking tons of activities, lots of noise, art auctions, etc.  That being said, even lines like Seabourn do sometimes have pool parties, outdoor food events, etc.  

 

Hank

Well said. We did enjoy some years ago a white night pool party evening on Azamara which was stellar.  EJ for us really is top shelf refined and lovely 

15 minutes ago, Arizonasunshine said:

We were on Explora in October and loved the cruise, in fact we booked another cruise while on board. I am sitting on the Crystal Serenity now and am also loving this cruise.

 

They are  totally different. Last night we watched a production show with 12 cast members and 6 or 7 band members. There must have been 15 to 20 costume changes, the show was fantastic. With the amount of money Crystal spent on this production I think that it will be around for a while, and the second or third or fourth time I see it I might not be quite as impressed.  

 

That's not to say we didn't enjoy the entertainment on Explora, it was very different but more likely to change. I agree that they need a stronger CD on Explora, when we were on, the timing of the performances was horrible with big gaps where nothing was happening. I enjoyed the lecturers on both ships equally.

 

When it comes to food Explora wins hands down, and this is a comparison with a cruise line known for their food. I keep watching for complaints about service on Explora and so far have not seen any. I was worried that as the ship was loaded with passengers there would be a problem accomodating them, especially in the Marketplace. This doesn't seem to be the case.

 

Explora has a different concept and they are going through a learning curve, no dispute, however we totally enjoyed our cruise.

EJ food was the best we have ever experienced from many years of experience including Crystal and other luxury lines

All the best enjoy

3 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Clearly we sailed on different ships as that was not our experience when on for 16 nights in September 

 

It may be the approach they’ve taken doesn’t suit you and the things you like on a cruise but that’s not to say it’s a miss for many others 

 

I can’t agree about your claim of no lectures and no “real” shows and these days who needs a computer room as we’re all equipped with our own devices and boy their computer network and internet speed is amazing - the best at sea! We didn’t use any of the pools when cruising in Iceland and Greenland so they weren’t a factor in our assessment of the ship

 

The dining options are the best we’ve experienced at sea - I know they will continue to improve on them but they’ve made an amazing start with the current offering  
 

We’ve sailed on Regent, Silversea, Viking and Explora in the last 12 months and will soon sail Crystal again and after all those experiences we definitely rate Explora Journeys in comparison with the other lines. Are there areas for improvement? - undoubtably but the current package is still very compelling 

 

I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on the attributes of Explora and what they’ve chosen to focus on and package 

 

We can’t wait to return 

AGREED Having sailed on EJ in October we found it simply spectacular with magnicificant food and superb crew. All ships are not made for everyone. When we were raising a family our 1st cruises were RCCL and Carnival. As the years went on our tastes evolved as did our finances, thankfully.  Now 43 plus years since our 1st cruise on 18 different cruise lines i can clearly say EJ ranks at the very top end and we have been on O, SS, Crystal Seabourn and others. Going in January on the new Oceania Vista with high hopes yet not sure it will exceed EJ. But that's not the point. Every ship is a unique adventure. In January of this year we revisited Celebrity and had a great cruise as well.

Happy cruising  The sea is a bountiful resource of joy on any vessel

9 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

@Funbobby68 I was just on the Riviera.  Sister ship to Marina.  My wife uses a Dyson Hairdryer.  The dryer on the ship was ok, but if my wife did not have her Dyson, it would have been a tough trip for me emotionally. Just saying. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Explora journeys jave Dyson 

16 hours ago, donaldsc said:

I read the article.  It is a combination of total stupidity with a total lack of any usefulness.  It has not redeeming value at all.It was a waste of 5 minutes of my life that I will never get back.

 

DON

I just read the article  It is silly

Try cruising then write an article  lol

31 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We agree with the theme of the article that there are some folks who should not consider taking a cruise (whether it be 3 days or 300 days).  We have met our share of those folks, on cruises, and they were generally quite miserable.  Years ago, we used to try to convince folks that they should try cruising.  We have since become somewhat wiser, and now suggest that some folks just stay on land :).  Not only will they be happier, but many of us who do spend a lot of time on ships will also be happier that they are not aboard :).

 

Hank

Right on Hank!!!!spot on

7 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Enforce chair use, enforce dress codes, enforce, enforce, enforce.  I'm pretty sure cruise lines have given up on confronting pigheaded, selfish, entitled cruisers who are not at all disposed to following the simplest of rules, policies or 'suggestions' if they don't suit them.

Everything that is to be said on this topic has been said

It would  seem that on expensive cruises pax would be more mindful however financial statement do not measure class kindness nor quality of character

No more posts for me on this topic 

Happy  cruising hope everyone gets the lounger or seat they desire 

23 hours ago, johng75370 said:

They have a NA bubbly called "French Bloom" in white and rose that is not bad, and an array of NA "alcohol" from Ovant.  I believe they have other wines and beers but did nit check them out.  Bartenders happy to mix up custom mocktails. 

Sylvesti in lobby bar will customize your cocktails to your desires  with  input if desired ALL EXCEPTIONAL OPTIONS

38 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@Vineyard View This is my opinion only so other opinions may differ.  The best way to look at comments and reviews on this and other social media boards is taking out the extremes then looking for trends and patterns.  Please forgive me, I assisted in analysis on reviews for companies in my previous life and look at it differently then most consumers.  Allow me to explain.  

 

1. Take out the Extremes:  That means if someone thinks everything was perfect, or someone thinks everything was awful.  That is about 10% on top and 10% below.  No cruise is that extreme. Look towards the 80% in the middle. 
2. Trends and Patterns:  This is when there is an abundance of the same comment over lots of different guests whether good or bad. The most important part of this is the comments are from the guest actual experience vs. their opinion of what other say.  Oceania Cookies are tasteless which some might say but until you tried one, you could not say for sure.  I had several, I kind of liked them but they had less sweet in them then other cookies.
3. Leveraging the Information:  The best way to describe this is with examples.  Prior to my first cruise on Oceania, I heard the Red Ginger had a great Fish dish.  Universally loved. We ate in Red Ginger twice and many in my group got it.  They did enjoy it so that was good information. On the other side, I had read that the lobster grilled to order was not very good for lots of reasons. One member of my group ordered it even after I gave them the information and we can confirm it was not good. So knowing food is relative the concept is sound.  When you read negative comments some like you referred to, you now can avoid those experiences. If you avoid the experience you don't have a negative experience.  That is what I meant be leverage the information.  For me and most of my guest, it was a great strategy. 

My first experience on Oceania Cruise led to booking another cruise while onboard so that says something.  The experience was different then some of what I thought it would be both positive and negative.  As stated, no cruise is perfect.  However, at this stage in my life, it suited my wife and me.  Please don't let the extreme comments stop you from any brand, ship or experience.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Totally true. I do like to focus on the positives in life. From over 45 years in conflict resolution  i do believe that we attract that which we believe to be true and what we anticipate expecting.  That being said i love cruising and do measure one line with another yet many tastes in cruising are  out there and with the right reseach we increase our odds of getting what we want.  Well there is also the excitement of something new. Explora Journeys was brand new for us in October and while far from perfect it was nevertheless spectacular in so many marvelous ways. While we have been on 3 previous O cruises our upcoming cruise on Vista is Totally new as it is a new ship.New experiences

Life is an adventure. In 2020 when we embarked on the Sirena we had no idea the world would close 3 days after debarkation March 8.

Lots  to explore outside ourselves and within.  Happy cruising Sea you on board

14 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

I’m beginning to look at all these people who keep on posting the same negative thing  over and over and over and over again as potential improvements to the Oceania experience. If they truly mean what they say they won’t be cruising any more and therefore fewer whiners on the cruise!! A big win!! My opinion, I assume that is still allowed. 

Maybe hired by competitors to down grade competitors Sounds like a downer job. I have been on some ships after seeing some poor reviews on CC and never saw what they were referring to.

I would like to know who they are just for the heck and to not value their input

14 minutes ago, ORV said:

Dislike, yet they talk about making future bookings. 

Ahh good hint ill keep a lookout

On 12/20/2023 at 8:36 PM, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

I had a fantastic time on Explora and have a much more positive outlook on the entertainment even though I was less than satisfied.  These are all "software" issues that are easily correctable and are being addressed.  It's much simpler than changing interior design!

 

The concept of no show lounge and  associated (generally) awful production shows is excellent - the execution is presently lacking but can be fixed. The piano players around the ship are excellent and ... there are players, (including one who sings too) not just  one!  The house band is excellent but is hampered by the unfortunately not particularly good singers. They just need to hire some more seasoned performers.

 

But - again, the show concepts are good - they just need to be done better.  I think that they will need a slightly more "heavy handed" CD than what they have now to introduce evenings and such but I'm not worried.

 

The overall pro's far outweigh the cons. On top of my next one in a few months, I booked three more!

We were very fortunate to have Steinway artists on board with excellent piano focused entertainment 

Different and talented as well as beautiful 

Just now, ORV said:

It feels like this cruise line is turning into Carnival or Princess. 

Hope not although both lines have their loyal following. I will be able to tell after vista cruise in January. 

1 minute ago, clo said:

Holy cow!!!

Dang maybe reinstitute the midnight buffet poolside to reserve loungers. In the alternative the shipboard activity of the early morning will be musical loungers and winners win. No matter what i am actually surprised this seems like such a big deal.  But who knows since i dont sail until January.  Ill let you know.  Also no matter what I will be fortunate to be on the ship 

12 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

Well lets see.  We now yet again have folks saying, "Because of SM I will not book Oceania again!", other saying "this SM forcing us to take the SM Excursions Credit when we would prefer to do excursions ourselves and save the money." Yet others say, "I will not book Oceania again because all I want is Cruise Only!"  Let's not forget, "Oceania's advertising is a Scam!"

 

Everyone's point of view is important and valuable.  I remember when I got on this board the complaints back then.  One of which was, why does Oceania give you the choice of one of three perks. They should give you ALL the perks.  Why does Oceania only give you one internet device except in upper suites, we want two.  Why doesn't every one get a drink package.  Back then, it made a lot of folks mad and they said some of the same things being said now about never cruising with Oceania again. 

 

If a brand makes a change in there fee structure, some folks will hate it, some will like it.  Can't please everyone, every time. If everyone hated it, the brand would stop selling cabins.  If that happens, which is doubtful, the brand to stay alive would change their fares yet again.  OR the brand would have a huge blowout sale, which is always welcomed. If you don't like the current state of any brand, go to another brand.  Write the brand a letter and explain why they disappointed you.  Make your feelings known with your pocketbook by booking somewhere else.  

 

Cruise well, choose a brand that suits you, tell others why you choose the brand. Help cruise enthusiast find great brands that offer great value.  

Your post is great. My DW and ventured back into cruising with our 1st post Covid cruise on a familier Celebrity ship in January on a cruise previously been to multiple times in an effort to ascertain how we liked cruising in a (sort of(post Covid world ) we loved it and new Celebrity pricing has made us think harder however.. In October we were on the new Explora Journeys and it was exquisite in every way with beyond excellent food.  Now we are set to sail Vista in January. Will see how food compares to EJ which was extraordinary 

We have always booked cruises over the last 43 plus years based upon our needs at the time. Just counted the number of cruise lines we have experienced since 1980 and its 18 with several no longer in business. So check ships out and there is something for every taste. This will be our 1st O since Covid.  We were on the Sirena when Covid hit and returned safely March 8 2020

Cruise well appreciate every moment rejoice in gratitude.  Look forward to meeting up 

12 minutes ago, edgee said:

That is BS. We were told on the ship that they could be used for classes, but all classes were full..thus we lost $196 in value cuz tour at our last port was cancelled. 

We are wait listed for a 1000am class there are 2 available but at 400pm but we dont like the time 

4 hours ago, edgee said:

Certainly wait listing a class or tour is an option with O, but under SM classes and tours are more in demand, as folks are more motivated to book them to use up their excursion credits. All but the most expensive tours and all classes on our late January Vista cruise have been booked for a while, something IME happened to a much lesser degree prior to SM. Considering that many guests on cruises in the next few months booked prior to SM, this issue will only get worse... as time goes on a higher and higher percentage of guests will be booked under SM. O will need to up their capacity for tours and classes, or risk disappointing more and more customers. 

In a call yesterday with O i was told rhat classes cannot be paid with SM credits.  Comments on CC indicate otherwise. Will certainly find out See you on the 31st

7 minutes ago, edgee said:

Looks like O introduced SM without increasing number and variety of tours available. I  occasionally cruise Regent where tours are included. Regent makes a larger volume of tours available in ports than O does, presumably because a much higher percentage of guests take ship tours...encouraged by their all inclusive model. While O's inclusiveness is not near as comprehensive, the need to move a little more in Regent's direction in terms of expanded tour offerings seems obvious.

I called O and was told no additional tour space available 

Agree with your post particularly when excursions can be booked out very very far in advance

5 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Not quite the same.  That (the car/truck example) would be similar if one were trying to price compare, say, Oceania and Viking.

 

Using the Ford/Chevy example, the problem as described here is more like... one can't figure out how much the car (or truck) will actually cost before committing to it.

 

It's looking like Oceania's new pricing is even worse than it seemed.

Having credits that can't be used?

Question:  Is it possible (not, "has it happened") that IF enough pax took the Simply More-or-Less option, there simply would NOT be enough excursion spaces possible for everyone to use all of their credits?

(Or maybe that *has* already happened?)

 

GC

Thats has happened at least in part as many excursions to our liking were alteady booked. The less vigorous excursions book out out the quickest 

5 minutes ago, rbtan said:

Then reserve & hog them for the entire day?

I am not sailing until the end of January and already. I'm worried about not getting a lounger

Perhaps I can get a friend of mine who is sailing in early january to reserve one me..

Joking I'm sure I'll find a place to hit somewhere

12 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

Just went to website and culinary classes under other options to use SM credits 

 

Many thanks

Unfortunately all booked up

6 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

Good question.  I think they would tell you no but, at least in our case, our remaining "non refundable shore excursion credit" wound up offsetting other expenses.  I expected to walk off with a bill for the total of the Gratuities and it was actually about $80.00 less, and yes the Gratuities were charged at full amount.... go figure, but I'm not complaining.

Just went to website and culinary classes under other options to use SM credits 

Many thanks

24 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

There has been a post of someone who booked a cooking class online and was able to use their SM credits (I'm not energetic enough at the moment to battle CC's search engine).
Go to your online account to book cooking classes. They will not be with shorex, but are under one of the other tabs (of course I'm blanking on the name of the tab at the moment). Cooking classes show up online at unpredictable times....sometimes a year out, sometimes of few months out, so keep checking (annoying, but ??). You can also call O to book (if available yet).

Many thanks

7 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

It's happening before 1/1. We just booked a 12 night on board last Friday and we recieved $600 not $800

Can SM be used for cooking classes and any infonon booking them

Thanks

45 minutes ago, Needzavacation said:

We’re on Vista now. In the category of “I thought I’d seen everything,” two

loungers were being saved one morning. One was occupied by a pair of sunglasses and the other by … an apple.  

Odd but real. I hope by the time my cruise arrives the apple would either be eaten or rotted out