halfapair

I think the lesson here is that when you get email notifications from airlines that your flights/itineraries have changed, and they want you to click a button to accept it, read it very carefully. Unless the change is minor (a few minutes here & there), I don't click that button.

There have been occasions where I have called and canceled the whole reservation (if the change is major you can do this) and started over. One time an airlines was going to have us do a layover in Detroit on Christmas Day. No, thank you. I got us on a Delta flight routed through CDG (in retrospect, I'm not sure that was the better choice). But it all worked out.

Moral of the story: When you get an email notice from your airline, be wary of clicking on links/buttons to accept changes made by them on your behalf. It's probably in your best interest to call Customer Service and talk to someone directly.

2 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

I’m sorry you’ve gone through this experience and I hope things are getting worked out to your satisfaction. Moral to this saga (IMO). Avoid Turkish Airlines!

While I hear good things about their bizclass experience and their nice biz lounge in Istanbul, the weight of all other comments are Scary/Unsatisfied. 
Unfortunately for me, I am booking a cruise embarking in Istanbul, and I have always used the cruise air. Guess I’ll be paying a deviation fee to secure a better airline than Turkish Air.

This is one person's experience, and it sounds complicated.

I have an O cruise in 2024 from Israel to Istanbul, and just booked our tickets on Turkish Airlines, open jaw SEA - TLV (via IST), and IST - SEA. Our tickets come with the ability to change them once, with a fee.

Caveat Emptor

We did the Panama Canal on the Insignia in December 2022/January 2023. We booked a Concierge level room so we had access to the Spa sun deck, which was PERFECT for watching the canal transit.

O did not change our itinerary.

Move over sugar plum visions...Ice cream sandwiches with cookies!

My favorite perk on the Concierge Verandah is the Unlimited access to the Aquamar Spa Terrace. Others have to pay to get in, but you can go for a steam, or sit on the sun deck (many people don't know it exists😉), etc. You still need to pay for spa treatments (massages, etc), but access to the Spa is included with your stateroom.

Also, you can book your restaurant reservations sooner than others, so you'll have more options of dining times, etc.

The Concierge Lounge is fine - a nice place to stop for coffee drinks, tea, a light snack, or some assistance from the concierge on duty. We also liked reading the newspapers in the Lounge.

16 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

Just off Regatta.  GDR breakfast still has lamb chop.  Enjoyed them many days, will cook to your preference.

 

GDR breakfast, a more relaxed experience, and lots to choose from.

I love the GDR for breakfast, too. My husband says I get too spoiled on our Oceania cruises. They place the serviette in my lap for me, bring round the pastry tray, get me another cappuccino (I got in the habit of bringing in one from Bartista's whilst on the Insignia)... Overall, a lovely way to start the day.

9 hours ago, Hanoj said:

“This is your captain. Due to the overwhelming success of the newly introduced Simply More marketing campaign (designed to drive away cruise only freeloaders), I announce our new port intensive program Missing More! (designed to drive away DIY and private tour freeloaders).”

 

Presently on Vista and we just missed Stornoway due to “sea swells and weather” making tendering unsafe. I’m not qualified to assess the veracity of this reason given, but I have no loss of sarcasm for expressing my disappointment. I saw the harbor pilot leave the ship after heading back out of the port after we had entered the port and stopped (though I don’t think anchors were dropped). The sea appeared calmer than both Newhaven (Edinburgh) and Kirkwall, also tendering ports. I’ve read numerous comments about concerns over dubious reasons communicated for missing ports on Oceania itineraries. If someone wishes to provide independent information supporting this instance, I’m open to giving O the benefit of the doubt, but this is our first O cruise and they now have the ignoble honor of achieving our first missed port in 40 days of cruising. 
 

Coupled with noting 6 hours of reduced port time (across 3 of 10 scheduled calls) per the itinerary published in Currents compared to when booking the cruise (June 2023), I won’t be visiting the O Ambassador about booking any future cruise while onboard.

I don't know the full details of what happened on the Viking ship, but here's the story as it is now:

https://news.sky.com/story/man-dies-after-falling-from-viking-mars-cruise-ship-at-port-of-cromarty-firth-in-invergordon-12944467

1 hour ago, QuestionEverything said:

Greetings everyone:

Hope things are going well for each of you.

This is my 1st O voyage, so this is a mid cruise report from my perspective.

I am on Insignia off Greenland. We have missed 1 port Nuuk due to "high winds" which would impact tender operations. Checking the marine forecast, seemed plausible.

I have no historical record to compare to, so I am asking cruisers aboard their thoughts of todays product aboard Insignia versus the past O product.

First, the vast majority of the long time O cruisers have clearly stated the food has significantly declined in choice, quality and complexity. 

Second, there is much pushback against the Simply More with people stating they are leaving O.

My observations based on O's marketing materials statements/insinuations of what I should expect:

GOOD:

*The bread offerings are awesome. I am not supposed to have gluten, but I can not help myself, truly!!!!!

* The dining staff, simply 100% - kind, energetic, smiling, professional, will do anything. I wrote my mid cruise report only about the staff!

* Horizons is fabulous, the space, the view is essential for a sea voyage. I will never patronize a ship that does not have a forward view for all

* Full access to the ship for all, again, I will not patronize a ship that segregates guests

* High tea, amazing, just love it,  very well done

* The class and decorum of the ship and guests, it is an elegant, civilized experience where people are adults

* The shower head is beyond awesome, best shower head and shower ever!

* Grand Dining Room is magnificent, a splendor

*A1 cabin, well done indeed, less that tiny shower

SO SO:

* I am in an A1 with the tiny shower, oh my, that is small and I am a tiny lady, yikes for bigger folk

* Organization. Todays schedule was delivered last evening. This morning at 8:30 am we were informed of the schedule changes for the morning, events moved back or forward by an hr or more due to...the emergency drill for all staff this am. Q - how did they not know about the impact on guest activities....could we not have been informed last evening? Many talks were poorly attended as a result

* Excursions - well not that impressed. Two days ago, had a walking tour in a tiny Greenland town, the guide knew 5 words of English, the dear sir, to be expected given the locale.  Well we could not understand anything....so could O not have attended to assist with the historical presentation. It was a waste of our $85 x 2......

NOT ACCEPTABLE:

* Food. I must concur with the longtime O patrons, the food does not come close to "the best at sea". I am disappointed in the selection, quality, lack of complexity, taste. The Terrace, or as a group of guests just now commented at the next table, the "terrorist cafe", has never had shrimp anywhere. The soups are watery, chicken soup was actually chicken broth, stirfries are pieces of chicken in a broth, not a sauce with no snow peas etc, small thin steaks, beef mole on Mexican night was square cubes of something in a thick brown paste 0 appeal, there are no appetizer canapés, mushy vegetables obviously from frozen, desserts are obviously mostly pre made and bland, Yes, there are the discarded cookies everywhere around the ship some with 1 bite out of them.....on a good note, the salad power bowels are 100%, excellent food and greens, I have 1 every lunch, offered in the Grand Dining room as well, good sushi, ceasar salads always well done with plenty of cheese, the fresh roasts/chicken at the Terrace are 1st class, generous pours of single servings of wine. 

* Management Approach. I have to concur with other posters, O mgmt is basically non existant to guests, if they happen to be in public areas they ignore guests. The exception is Claudio, the Hotel Mgr, who is everywhere and is friendly and always a big smile.

_____________________

While I am mostly satisfied, I reserve judgement until the end of the cruise. 

My husband and I do not plan to purchase O again given the Simply More situation - we drink little alcohol and never at lunch nor dinner as it affects sleep. We have a glass of wine around 5, so the Simply More will force us to pay for wine we will not use, unless we get it at lunch, put it in the fridge till 5. We can not consume enough wine to justify the plan.

Also, we usually plan some of our own tours, so forcing us to pay for tours is  not acceptable. 

I hope you all find this helpful.

Kindest Regards till after the cruise. We have 1 port in Greenland yet to go, 2 in Newfoundland, Halifax, Bar Harbour Maine, canal transit.

Who knows what will happen!

Stay well! 

We were on the Insignia earlier this year. The seafood in the Terrace Cafe (buffet) was outside on the deck where the outdoor seating is. They had a live grill there every night. Check out there for fresh seafood made to order.

On 6/20/2023 at 4:49 PM, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I never, after 25 Celebrity cruises, though I would be posting this.  What do you like about Oceania? What sets it apart? Can you compare it to other lines, especially Celebrity. If you were jumping ship why would it be to Oceania? Anything else you can share for someone very disappointed in her favorite cruise line?

 

Things we love about O (can't compare to Celebrity, just what we love)

1. The food. Much higher quality in the Main Dining Room and all venues compared to any other cruise line we've been on (Princess, NCL, and RCL)

2. The itineraries. We are itinerary driven, and O's routes are jam-packed with great places to see.

3. The ship ambiance. We've been on Marina & Insignia and loved them both. The decor, the ambiance is elegant and comfortable. My jeans & t-shirt husband feels at home, as does his dressed-up wife.

4. The crew. Just excellent service.

5. Fellow cruisers. Everyone is easy to talk to, well-traveled, and unpretentious.

The unlimited access to the AquaMar Spa is a wonderful perk. Nice sundeck with comfy loungers, w whirlpool, a steam room, spa water while you relax… I loved it.

For me, I like to give cash tips in addition to the gratuities we pay into the pool. And I think it would be nice to give the cash tip in the currency of where the ship is when disembark, if at all possible. That way, if the crew member is departing at that port, they have something in their pocket they can use at the airport, or shopping in port, etc.

We received the massive 2024 book of sailings earlier this week. We already booked on the Vista for 2024, so I’d love to see what’s on offer for 2025-26.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Gdansk, Poland

Los Cabos, Mexico

Puerta Vallarta, Mexico

For men: khakis/chinos, a collared shirt (DH wears polos), and and shoes. My DH hates wearing jackets & ties. 
 

I wear a dress and some dressy sandals. Glam it up a bit with makeup and jewelry. Some ladies wear a dressy pantsuit.

20 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I have seen butlers make deliveries to other than personal suites, but not room service.

 

Consider the practicality of a room service attendant roaming around Horizons, on a busy karaoke night, looking for some unknown guest that ordered a piece of cake! 🥴. Does he take the mic and ask the unidentified guest to come forward? 😂

Room service attendant grabs the mic and belts out, "Will the real cake eater please stand up? Please stand up?"

Although your itinerary says "Berlin, Germany," your ship will dock in Warnemünde, Rostock, Germany which is a 2.5-3 hour drive to Berlin EACH WAY. I would consider doing something closer to the port. There is actually a lively port scene with shops and restaurants nearby. There are docked boats selling fresh seafood dishes (like food trucks, but boats).

Or consider a tour to Lubeck (about a 90 minute drive) with a private tour company.

In Gdańsk you can use the free Oceania shuttle to get into town, and from there you can walk to the train station and take the train to the Old Town area. You can walk around, have breakfast and /or lunch, see the beautiful architecture at your own pace, listen to the buskers, and shop for amber jewelry.

Then take the train back, and walk to the shuttle. It’s a free shore excursion!

Now I can get to the site. Must have been a temporary server problem, or something.

You could book a Concierge level cabin so you have access to the Concierge Lounge where you’ll have access to snacks, small sandwiches, coffee, tea, and cookies during the day.

As others have said, there are several ways to get food when the buffet and dining rooms are closed:

Waves Grill

Baristas

Room Service

Also, when you go ashore during the day you can stop at restaurants and grocery stores in port.

It would be difficult to be hungry on an Oceania Cruise.

I can’t even get to the Oceania site…at all…

must be the weekend 🫨🫨

On 10/5/2020 at 12:20 PM, cloudchaser said:

We're booking first time on Oceania and wonder about the difference between a veranda and concierge level veranda.  Is the extra money worth the upgrade.  Your opinion will be appreciated.

My favorite reason for the Concierge level veranda is: Unlimited access to the Aquamar Spa Terrace

We were on the Insignia going through the Panama Canal. Even though the Insignia is a smaller ship, and does not have the Concierge Lounge, we LOVED being on the Spa Terrace while going through the canal. We could hear the commentary, and had the best view of the action. There was spa water to drink, shaded seating, and easy access to bathrooms. Absolutely ideal, and I am GLAD we paid the price for that amenity.

We also had a Concierge Veranda room on the Marina during our Baltic cruise, and enjoyed popping into the C-Lounge for snacks, to read the newspaper, and extra cappuccinos for me😉

So, it all depends. What do you value? And what ship will you be on? What will make you happiest, and is it worth the extra price for you?

11 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

Absolutely they do.   However I would not want to join a ship for a segment of a RTW cruise unless it were the first one.  From what I read the RTW passengers get very "tight knit" and it can be awkward

for "short timers" on board.  But then maybe this is a smaller ship thing ?  

We were on the Insignia at the beginning of the ATW this year, and there were many ATW passengers on board. We got along very nicely with them - no problems socializing or playing Trivia, etc.

That would be great! We were on the Insignia at the start of ATW 2023, and went through the Panama Canal, but disembarked in San Diego, CA. 
 

I would prefer a larger ship, such as Vista, if I were doing ATW. 
 

Now I need to gotta start saving my pennies….

We pick cruises based on itineraries and value. Generally speaking, we prefer a line such as RCL for the Caribbean. You’re not really going anywhere special on a Caribbean cruise, but someplace like the Baltic, or Panama Canal, or Mediterranean is special. And Oceania will probably have the best itineraries for those types of cruises.

so I would say that it all depends on what you’re looking for in a particular cruise.

12 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Did you book with a sale fare? Every cruise I've checked only went up in price the difference between what the OLife (no air) OBC was and the SM (no air) OBC (e.g., if OLife OBC was $1200, SM OBC is $1400, then the total price went up $200/cabin). This does not apply if you are comparing to a sale fare; so yes, it probably makes no sense for people with sale fares to switch to SM. People who booked OLife with a regular fare may find SM attractive.

We booked the cruise while on the Insignia going through the Panama Canal in January 2023. Our booking included 10 shore excursions (5 each person), and $250 pp OBC.

I looked at the value of the shore excursions I reserved for us ($865 pp), and the ability to use the $250 OBC to pay for part of our gratuities. We did not book airfare through Oceania, so we received a credit for that. And we'll purchase trip insurance through a different provider.