emd138

I second checking with the reservations desk once you get on board.  I'm not sure what was up with our last cruise, but we could only get 9pm bookings, and that included shared.  Anyway, one conflicted with an excursion I booked after I made the reservations online, so when I went to change the day onboard, I got a 6:30 2-top on a different day, which was a sea day.  I have also gotten improved times or dates checking back periodically.

I already have mine booked for my November 2024 cruise, so it must vary.  I booked it at least 2 or 3 months ago when I saw it show up.  This was on Riviera.

2 hours ago, Gia2cats said:

Yes, to layers. Just returned from a cruise and our weather was to be 50’s with rain up until 4-5 days before the cruise. In actuality, weather was mid-60’s to near 80. Did not see a drop of rain from the time we boarded the ship. Be prepared for anything and don’t rely on that long range forecast.

We had the same great, but warmer than expected weather, despite the forecast.  With that said, we did a whale-watching tour on an open boat, and were FREEZING!   (It was a speed boat.)  So, I definitely second the advice to be prepared for anything!

On 6/21/2023 at 3:59 PM, pinotlover said:

“Oceania doesn’t do Spicy”

 

Words straight from one of the servers in the Terrace.

 

Bland they do, spicy ( and we’re not talking hot spices) they don’t do. 

We just got back from Regatta, and I was surprised that one of the curry dishes was a bit spicy.  Any that I have gotten before had very little flavor.  This one was a nice improvement, although still nowhere near as spicy as I like.

On the hot spicy side, I am 99% it was a mistake and not sure where it came from, but there was a pepper in my Philippine mango salad that had my nose running like crazy, and we eat very hot spicy food at home all of the time.  It was not a spicy dish, and it was VERY unexpected!  🙂

I know if I am paying $20k for a cruise, I have much higher expectations than if I am paying $3k if I don't already know the product and have base expectations.  Our cruises vary from inside cabins to veranda, and all of the cabins are the exact same size, just some have a window and some have a veranda. I have the same expectations on all of them, regardless of price, because I have already been on several Oceania cruises and know what to expect.  

Our last cruise on Insignia in July 2022 was great, but compared to earlier cruises on the same ship, definitely not as good.  For reference on how bad it was for us, we are booked for Alaska in June and Europe in 2024.  I am a very nitpicky person, but I don't let it ruin my time, but some do, so I can see why they would get some bad reviews.  Some are also paying much higher prices with higher room categories. 

Some examples of my irritations:  I love creme brulee, but it was just the custard without the sugar on top in all venues.  When I asked about it, apparently somebody started a fire and they were not allowed to use kitchen torches.  Service was a bit more hit and miss than before.  Lots of new employees.  Our meal in Polo wasn't good at all, my husband's steak was not the usual quality, but he is very picky, too.  We went to the Terrace and had a great lobster dinner, so it was fine.  

How much you worry about the poor reviews depends on how much you paid and how much you can adjust, I think.  With the current supply issues and labor shortages, you have to be able to make the best of it, but we really did have a great time on our last cruise on Insignia.  The only issue that bothered me was the creme brulee, hahahahaha!

We have done the inside stateroom on Sirena.  It was fine for us, but the showers are TINY!  I am not a small person and still managed, but it is something to be aware of.  I had to turn off the water to shave to keep the shaving cream from rinsing right off, so an electric razor might be good.  The room itself was roomy enough for us, since we spend very little time in the room.  Our cruise was supposed to be port intensive, but it was right as COVID hit and things shut down, so all of the ports were cancelled, and we spent more time than we planned in the cabin watching movies.  As long as you can get past the shower, I think you would be okay with the inside.

The showers on R class are the biggest issue to me, as I am not at an age and wealth level where I can get a room with a bigger one.  I am a large person, and have figured out how to make it work after a few cruises, but if you are somebody that plans to book those levels of rooms and loves a nice relaxing showing, I would avoid the R class.  Calm seas are fine, but when the seas are rocking, it is another story.

8 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

They are not tame.  They are human habituated. There is a difference.  

 

" the process of people or animals becoming used to something, so that they no longer find it unpleasant or think it is a threat: Increased sightings of coyotes are the result of habituation, as coyotes become accustomed to humans and unafraid of them."

 

DON

I agree, that is why I put tame in quotes.  Thanks for the better terminology!

On 2/2/2023 at 6:33 AM, njsmom said:

a 100 lb concrete slab? and they have learned to unlock doors? They are bionic bears!

 

When I visited Alaska many years ago, I went with my then-boyfriend and we visited his sister, who had a B&B in Homer. She had deep scratches on her back door from local bears, who would try to get into the house. She took it in stride but I, a Southern California beach girl at the time, was dumbfounded at the idea of living in an environment where bears just ambled up to your back door and pawed at the wood to get inside. 

Thankfully, they can only open unlocked doors, and of course it depends on the type of door "knob,"  haha!  My doors stay locked.  It is amazing what kind of things they can figure out.  When security told me that it was a bear that moved the slab, I thought he was crazy (and wrong), but the footprints the next day were enormous, along with the teeth marks in the pump.   I think that was the last bear they relocated, and it was over 400 lbs.

I can definitely see them pawing at the door if they smell something good!    

njsmom, we have black bears in our development that have learned to open unlocked doors and keep having to be relocated.  I can't image it with camping!  We have sewage grinder pumps here, and a bear tossed a concrete slab that was over 100 lbs down the hill, and destroyed my pump.  They are very powerful animals.  Distance is good!

On 1/31/2023 at 3:43 PM, njsmom said:

Makes sense. Some friends and I were camping in tents in King's Canyon in Sequoia National Park in California several years ago and after dinner, while taking the trash to the bear-proof trash dumpster, a black bear walked up to take the bag away. Just dropped it and backed up slowly to go back to the campsite. So disturbing! The bear licked all of the dinner wrappers and waddled off to another campsite. We heard people banging on pots and pans all night long to run him off. 

There are some insanely "tame" bears there.  We had one walking through some pretty good crowds when we were there.

Nice, good for you, Astro Flyer!  Unfortunately, the particular cruise that I booked went up in price since I booked as well as losing the gratuities, so I am glad you checked since yours was a gain!   🙂

My travel agent said she could add it, but it was at a higher price and would kick out the pre-paid gratuities I get through the travel company, so it was a wash.  Bummer!

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

And I don't see how this is different from increasing the price of a single wine glass mid cruise. Or spa treatments. Or any other extras that are not pre paid.

It is scale, and timing.  If you took the OLife beverage package knowing that you could upgrade for $X, and now that equation changed, you can't undo the choice to do the OLife beverage package if you are already on board.  For my June cruise, I can still change that equation, because paying for the OLife beverage package offers no value to me.  I still work full time in a non-remote position, so my cruises are short.  For others, this difference is huge.  

8 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Did you take the O Life Beverage package??

or planning to buy a package onboard ?  it does make a difference

 

 I have 2 booked, one with it, and 1 without.  Both are showing the same thing.  I might switch the one with it to excursions, at least I can still get some value from using OLife.  That is assuming, of course, that they haven't changed anything with the excursion option.  I will have to check with my TA. 

7 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

new on the  website

The pricing above is valid for advance purchase prior to embarkation day. For onboard purchases, the charge per guest, per day for the House Select package will be $39.95 and for the Prestige Select package $69.95.

 

scroll down to Beverage Packages for  further info

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/value

Very good to know, I just looked in my booked cruise, and it didn't have any notes that the price was only for advance purchase.  Thanks for sharing!

30 minutes ago, ORV said:

Yes, this is one of the little oddities I've noticed also on the website. 

 

The pre paid gratuity is not an option to pick on the Olife. Or am I misunderstanding what you're saying?

Oops, I meant to say onboard credit!  My bad!  The PPG were from my travel agent.

I looked at my reservation for a June cruise, and it is showing $29.95 for House Select, and $59.95 for the upgraded one, so it is indeed showing a $30 difference now.  Wasn't the House Select $39.95 before, though?  If so, it looks like the O Life beverage package will no longer much of a benefit, like when you pick the pre-paid gratuities.    Thanks for the heads-up on this!

Just FYI for anyone interested, the Black Friday sale for the Oceania Bed Collection has already started.  40% off.  Their stuff isn't cheap even with the 40% off, but I waste so much money trying to tell what pillow might be comfortable in the store that it is well worth it to me to get something that I got to try out for an extended period of time first.

This isn't just an Oceania thing, it is a rule for many countries.  https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-905?language=en_US

2 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

NO RAP! NO RAP!

On our sail away from Manhattan, they played Jay Z's Empire State of Mind....I loved it, but it was NOT a popular choice, hahaha!  We are in our 40's, so definitely in the minority age-wise.  We love older music, too, though!

Besides the onboard credit, another reason to check your account regularly is that sometimes mistakes happen.  We have had drinks show up on our account once even though they were covered under the beverage package that we had.  It was quick to resolve mid-cruise, but a lot of people are settling their accounts at the end.

We used the Binax test where they watch you over the phone for our Oceania cruise to Bermuda in July, and it was fine.

Our recent cruise to Bermuda was 96%, so I don't think they are restricting capacity much at all.