1985rz1

Other than having a balance to use up on Viber, why don't you simply call as normal using T-Mobile's WiFi Calling. T-Mobile doesn't charge anything for text or talk as it's using your normal data plan, as if you were in the US. No third party app is needed.

Except for when we forget 🤔, we always put our phones into WiFi calling mode when we return to the ship to insure we don't accidentally get connected to the ship's cell service. The warning we got was when we forgot to do that switch immediately.

We worried about this on our last cruise, but T-Mobile alerted us when our phone tried to connect to the ship's service.

We have found that some of the included shore excursion to be quite good, but we avoid the panorama bus tours. If you chose this option, you are effectively paying $100 per tour in the cost of Olife, but you can choose tours up to around $200, so that can be an advantage (Tours above $200, and those with special lettering like OE, OS, etc, are not among the included ones.) The beverage package is only wine and beer with dinner. All non-alcoholic beverages are included in the cruise fare, without the need for any package. The OBC can be used for any onboard charges that post to your account, but recognize that you are paying $200x2 for the OLife option, so there are no savings. In essence you give Oceania $400 in advance for you to spend on board, but it is non-refundable if you don't: use it or lose it. Some folks like the convenience, but it is a financial wash. If you don't like Oceania's included tours, the cruise only option (No-OLife) may be you best bet. You may know that included air is not part of OLife, and you can have cruise only (no OLife or air), OLife without air, or air without OLife.

Servers share in the base daily gratuities that are added to your account automatically.

We recently switched to T-Mobile. Our (old person's plan) plan for 2 lines is $90 per month (all inclusive), unlimited text, talk and data (including 5G) in the US; in Canada unlimited text and talk and 5 GB high speed data per line; internationally, unlimited text, 5 GB data at high speed (5G, where available) , and unlimited 2G if you exceed the 5GB limit and $0.25 per minute calling in 215 countries. WiFi calling is included.

Sigh. I do wish they would have non-red sauce offerings for those who are allergic to tomatoes.

Yes. We did that on our Octantis cruise in October.

Maybe O knows your cooking skills 😁

It would be nice to have better Consumer Protection Laws here in the US, but, purely based on CC postings...no other information... it seems like the UK has more predatory Travel Agents that the US. Or we have just been very lucky in our choice. Hope you haven't had a bad experience.

In the US, deposits with are fully refundable up to 1 month before final payment, then a $250 pp penalty sets in for Oceania. For Viking (in the US) it's a $100 pp cancellation fee.

Yes, we took advantage of that when we were onboard.

If it matters to you, Viking requires full payment 12 months out, compared to Oceania's around 4 months out (dates vary with length of cruise).

Certainly she can make a decision herself...I don't think Heidi13 implied otherwise. What is irresponsible is to suggest to others that her bad experience was the result of the captain making a poor decision when the OP has no knowledge of the basis of the decision....and to suggest without any factual basis that the captain was demoted.

To me the point is that the OP questioned the judgment of the captain without any factual basis other than an unpleasant experience she and fellow pax had on an expedition adventure, and she intimated the captain may have been demoted on another cruise because of her judgment, again without any factual basis. Reporting her unpleasant experience on a cruise is her right and is information that has a place on this board, but blaming the captain without knowing the facts does not.

Thank you for posting this response. I had thought about asking if the poster had any inside, factual knowledge as to why the decisions were made, and wanted to question whether her speculative conclusion about the captain's had any factual basis, but having someone with both experience and knowledge respinding is so much better. Again, thank you.

Post Covid supply chain issues. 🥸

Even young whipper-snappers eventually become very old...if they live long enough. Old is relative to one's own age. 🤔😉

I agree. I would rather trust the professionals than the armchair captains who do not have the expertise or the the full story second-guessing decisions.

Weird. I didn't notice, but yes. Is CC purposely jumbling the quotes...another conspiracy theory is invented. 🔎

No problem...just confused, as normal🙂

Not sure why you listed me as the source of your quote, as the quote is actually from a post by @jonthomas

where is the cruise?

See pinotlover's post, above. #45

Just remember that any wine brought onboard must be consumed in your cabin or in one of the restaurants (with a corkage fee of $25 pb). Walking around the ships public areas or going to a restaurant with a glass of wine from your stash is not permitted. We continue to hope folks will follow the rules and not jeopardize O's generous wine policy.