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smalltowner

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. Hi: I am soon embarking on a back to back cruise of 36 nights on Sirena. The first 24 nights consist of two segments but were booked as a single longer cruise and with the Simply More package. The next 12 nights were booked separately because they are our 20th cruise, and have no package. I have already booked excursions for the 24-day cruise using the excursion credits from the Simply More package. Apart from the excursion credits, we have many more shipboard credits available to spend during the first 24 days, and not as many available for the second, 12-day, cruise. I am wondering if anyone on a back-to-back cruise with separately booked segments has ever tried to go to the Destinations counter during the first segment to book excursions for the second segment. I was hoping maybe if I could do that, the excursion cost would be charged to shipboard credit available on the first segment. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Penny
  2. The free cruise is 12 days, and when I averaged out our previous sailings that was the average. We will lose the SM benefits at the end of the previous 2 legs. Apparently we will be issued a new card that indicates we don't have SM. We will have all the loyalty benefits for Platinum level.... $500 SBC, spa credit, prepaid gratuities, bottle of wine in stateroom. But, as these aren't available for our use until shortly before sailing date, excursions can't be booked using SBC at the moment. I am going to visit Reception once we're onboard the first leg to see whether SBC from first 2 legs can be carried over to 3rd or if they have to be used up before then to avoid forfeiting them. If the credits can't be carried over, I will use some of them to purchase a bottles of wine package to keep in the stateroom for later use wherever we want to imbibe. I plan to visit the excursions desk also to see if I can book a couple of third leg excursions ahead of time. Regarding booking the 20th cruise, I booked it in May, paying $1000 to do so, after my TA discussed the whole scenario with an Oceania representative. I had an invoice stating what I owed as if it were any other booking. In September, my TA made the formal nomination, I think. A couple times before final payment date (January 11), my TA was calling them to ask when the approval would be happening, and was told there was a line-up and eventually our turn would come. He was also informed that no payment could be made until the final statement arrived, even if past the final payment date. About a week after final payment date, I received notice that the cruise was approved for our 20th, and they owed me money, since I had prepaid $1000 and the taxes and fees were less than that. Penny
  3. Back here to report that we have officially been given the third leg of a back-to-back-to-back as our free cruise. And it was free, except for taxes. We are in a B2 veranda, which is about the average of what we've been in over our cruise career, from ocean view to veranda to concierge. It's the same room for the whole 3 segments, but the free cruise had to be a separate booking. Once it was finalized, our loyalty club credits disappeared, and when I asked my TA he said that's how Oceania does it, and they will re-appear later. Can anyone tell me when they reappear. Is it after sailing?
  4. Thanks for that information. Our 20th cruise is a 12-day on Sirena. We booked it as cruise-only with no air, as that was what we were told we had to do for the "free cruise". We do have an invoice, because we have to take the two previous B2B cruises before we are eligible for the free one. The final payment date for the 20th cruise is well after the final payment date for the 18th and 19th, and 2 months before we set sail for the whole B2B2B in mid-March 2024. I'm not sure what happens regarding payment for the 20th when it's dependent upon us completing the previous ones. In fact, we haven't even completed our 17th yet. That's happening in a month on Vista. But I do want to take more than 6 excursions on the "free cruise", so it's good to know the discount will be available.
  5. No, it does not. We can book Oceania excursions but they are à la carte. I don't know if there will be a discount for booking 6 or more excursions. Another question waiting for my TA's return.
  6. Yes, my TA has been in conversation with an Oceania agent about the third B2B cruise being the 20th. Currently it is booked as cruise only with an invoice which presumably we won't have to pay. Same stateroom as the previous two B2Bs. We'll see what our TA can find out when he gets back at the end of the month.
  7. My TA is on vacation, so I thought I'd throw this question out to Oceania cruisers with more than 20 cruises under their belts. Our 20th is going to happen as the third in a series of back-to-backs. Because the first two in the series were eligible for a significant discount with the summer sale, we re-booked them with "Simply More". As a result, we have a huge amount of cruise credit, even not counting the excursion credits, and with the drinks package we won't even need to spend for wine at dinner. But on the 20th cruise, we have much less credit, only what we get for our level and the gratuities. My question is; since we will be continuing to be on the ship, can we continue to use credit from the previous segments, or do we have to use it up before the 20th cruise begins? We have been on back-to-backs before and we could carry over credits, but we were paying for the cruises in that case.
  8. Thanks all. We'll be in Miami a day ahead, so I can just go to Walgreens or even Publix which would probably have them too. I don't think chia seeds bought as a dietary supplement can sprout, but don't want to risk getting into a discussion with a border agent.
  9. It would be an international flight, from Canada, so I thought seeds would be prohibited.
  10. In recent months I have discovered the benefits to my digestive system of a spoonful of chia seeds on my cereal. I know I can't transport them on a plane, but I'm wondering if I could buy a sealed bag in Miami and take them onboard Insignia, or perhaps if they might even be available in Terrace Cafe as a cereal add-on? It's been three years since I've cruised and chia seeds were not on my radar then. Penny
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