anonymousegirl

Whatever Oceania says, get it in writing. Also, do all your research into traveling with the new name/gender and the TSA/USA re-entry requirements as well as the entry requirements for the country of departure. Good Luck!

Our first cruise was on Celebrity back in 2000. We loved the activities and entertainment, but my husband wasn't a fan of the main dining room fare and we both dislike buffets. Did some cruises with Crystal (pre-bankruptcy) and he liked the food and service much more, but we both agreed the activity level was a little too low-key for us. Have sailed with Windstar (too few dining options), Princess (too mass market and so-so food), Azamara (great itineraries but too few activities and dining venues), and I've done Royal Caribbean (but he hasn't).

Overall, we have yet to find the perfect cruise line for us. Oceania has our business right now for the itineraries and food, and we suck it up about the lack of strong entertainment in the evening--we fell like the whole ship is in bed by 10pm. 

Former TA here. I just retired in 2022. I charged fees for many components of my clients' vacations. Commissions paid to us by our travel suppliers is pretty much a joke. Hotels might give us 10% but they often delayed payouts and we'd have to chase them down, Cruises were very good about commissions, but airlines were bad unless the client is flying business or better and international. I charged fees for flights, train tickets, and custom itineraries, which were my specialty. I did not charge for pre-organized land tours, cruises, or cancelations.

I understand that some people vow never to use a TA that charges fees. No worries, that's your choice, but how do you think I earned a living? Not from those meagre commissions. And all these travel plans take time. When I did air for a client, I have to search multiple airlines, routings and schedules, get pricing, talk to my client, giving them some choices, then hoping the airfare didn't go up in the time it took to get an acceptance. Similarly, booking a cruise, I have to search availability, price it, and price insurance, transfers, and pre-cruise hotels. Then the client calls me for advice on which excursions they should book, the dress code, drinks packages, etc. It's easy enough when you're doing it for yourself, but multiple that by 20 couples. 

Travels agents are not in the business for the money. You won't make much unless you book corporate air. Those clients travel a lot, travel business or First, and often book last minute fares which are stupidly expensive. I have a friend who makes 6 figures because she's been doing this for 30 years, and has big name clients. Many of us are barely making it. I made more during Covid thanks to unemployment than I did working. So try to see that fees are for the TA's time, and more importantly, their expertise, and their industry contacts. 

We're booked on Nautica in 8052 for our June cruise, and I suspect we're going to be bothered by noise. We often don't hit the sheets until midnight, but I do object to 6am noise. I normally avoid being under buffets, bars, casinos, and the pool deck, but IIRC, all the Penthouses on R class ships, are on this deck. I guess we're going to find out if this was a bad decision. 

We're on the Nautica in June, our first R class ship and I've been spoiled by the multiple laundry rooms on Riviera. Now I have to plan to bring enough clothes to hold me over the 3 days it takes to get laundry back. Plus, we're spending a week in London first. We get 3 bags, though, as we're in a PH2. I just really hate having my laundry done--I much prefer doing it myself. I hang dry lots of my clothes, and if I send it out, they machine-dry my linen pants, silk blouses, etc. I once had a super luxury hotel ruin (beyond wearing) a pair of linen/silk trousers. Completely unwearable, so a huge dent in my clothing allotment. Losing a pair of trousers when you only brought 5 "bottoms" is a tragedy.  

For our Singapore to Bangkok cruise on Riviera this coming January, they're recommending Malaria precautions. I won't do it. We have taken the anti-Malaria pills for Africa and India. Both times, our appetites were gone, we were lethargic, and just felt off. We can't take an alternative due to our medical histories, so we'r going to forego the malaria pills. I want to enjoy my cruise and the food--can you imagine sailing with Red Ginger, Jacques, Toscana, et al and never wanting to eat? 

Thanks, Everyone! I appreciate the fast replies as I am packing for a Monday departure to UK to board the ship on July 9.

Hi all,

First time on O and first time trying to bring a hair straightening iron on board. The O FAQ is ambiguous, saying flat irons are prohibited, which could refer to clothing irons, or hair straightening irons. So, I'm going to chance it and bring my hair iron in my carry-on next week. I won't cry buckets if it is confiscated, but I would like it back after the cruise. Anyone have any experience getting a confiscated item returned?

Thanks,

Lori

On 6/28/2023 at 12:12 PM, basor said:

We sit in the back of regular trivia and see if we can answer any.....no pressure and have learned a lot...amazing how many groups of animals we now can name!!  As our favorite CD likes to say - calm down folks, you are only playing for a key chain!

On our first cruise (Celebrity Galaxy April 2000) we played daily (14 day cruise) and won every item they had. Key Ring? Check. Visor? Yep. Water wallet, note pad, lanyards, tee shirts, a gazillion pens? Yes, yes, and yes. Finally, on the last night I brought all the stuff to give back (we play for the honor and the glory, not the prizes) and one of the entertainment staff looked it over, and said, "I have a prize you don't seem to have--I'll trade you all that stuff for it. and he brought out the Celebrity travel alarm clock! Which, back then, was a handy thing to have. 

Hi all,

Husband and I are doing our first O cruise on the Riviera on July 9, Southampton to Reykjavik. We're in a PH3 (with the old bathroom design). We have booked all three La Reserves, and have our four specialty dining booked as well. We've done the online check-in. We're staying in nearby Winchester and will Uber over to the terminal.

What tips do you have that you think I should know, do, download, or whatever?

Thanks!!!

Lori

Speaking with O now. Apparently, the three excursions were canceled by the supplier. We now have nothing available for the first day, and waitlisted on the panoramic bus tour for the second day. 

56 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

I'm not quite following what was cancelled (I thought it was a single tour, but now it sounds like 3?). When on the call, find out if they refunded $100 for the cancelled OLife shorex or if you need to choose something else.

If there are no other available OLife-qualifying tours that interest you, this may be a time to consider switching to the ($600?) OBC OLife choice and utilize the YWC 25% off (but you'd need to add some OE/OS/etc. to get back to the minimum if I'm understanding what you've written). Your deadline to do this switch is very soon (14 days before sailing according to my Pre-Purchased Shore Excursions pdf).

Our excursion in Eskifjordur was canceled by the supplier, that’s two of our 6 free excursions. Our four excursions in the two day stop in the Faroe Islands were paid for but our names were not put on the excursion list. Those excursions (indeed, all excursions for those two days) are sold out. We had originally 10 excursions booked each. Now we have 7 each. 
Also, there is nothing to switch too. Everything is sold out. 

To compound this comedy of errors, one of the "missing" excursions was a free one for me, and two others (of the 6) were canceled by the supplier. So, now I have 3 free of the 6 free to us, and the others we're signed up for don't qualify (OS or OE). SIGH.

15 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I would be amazed if you actually got to someone in Miami who handles Shore Excursions. Your best bet depends on who did your cruise booking and the purchase of your tours.

Hopefully, you didn’t do it online since, as I often report here, because the Cart is EXTREMELY glitchy.

However you booked, I hope you got (and still have) the original/dated “prepurchased shore excusions” PDF which shows all the math in a spreadsheet and confirms (without question) what you bought and when you bought it. 
 

Have that document with you and ready to share a copy with whoever your end up interacting (which, sadly, may be once you board the ship). Of course, if you’re using a top selling TA who belongs to O’s Connoisseurs Club or who is an O Preferred Partner, ask them to champion your pursuit of a “reasonable” fix, that being to add you to the tour list. BTW, from personal experience and being adept at getting what I am due, a little bit of gentlemanly but persistent “al dente” repetition of your complaint at a crowded Destination Services counter can work wonders (so glad I was born/raised in Brooklyn). If you’re an elite level O Club member, that can sometimes “grease the wheel” of solution. But, if you’re not elite and/or have no great TA, (and/or you don’t have the prepurchased shore excursions PDF), you may find yourself SOL.

 

If it was money you were owed, there’d be “light at the end of the tunnel,” since that’s the easiest fix for O. 

Final thought to all reading this. For the zillion threads time, do not buy your O tours online!!! Always make the call and get that PDF.

I do have the PDF and the original email from August 2022. At the time of booking, I was a TA and booked myself. But I worked for an agency in a respected consortium and have a few resources on which to draw. It is my first O cruise, so not elite by any stretch of the imagination. But I am good at being respectfully firm about what I am due, so we’ll see what happens 

2 hours ago, Mura said:

Lori, I feel for you!  O should be able to make accommodations but whether they will or not is a big question. I wouldn't count on it either.  It was much easier to refund your $$$ and not tell you why they had done so.

 

We were there (at the Faroe Islands and Rejavik) a number of years ago -- I think it was 2006 but it may have been a little later.  But we were a group of 8 which allowed us to rent cars and go on our own both places.  You CAN do it independently BUT ... obviously it was cheaper for our group since we were 8.

 

Perhaps you can find others on your cruise (I know it is late) who would want to share with you? That is one use for the roll call ...

 

Good luck!

 

Mura

 

Unfortunately, it is so late that any private touring is full.

Hello everyone,

My husband and I are booked on the July 9th sailing Southampton to Reykjavik. Back in August 2022, I booked shore excursions including the Faroe Islands. I got a confirmation of our bookings. June of this this year, O refunded a mystery $529.50. When I called, they said we had been doubled charged for our Reykjavik excursion. This has now proven to be completely false. 

I discovered last week that we had no confirmed Faroe Islands bookings and now everything is sold out. Today, I pulled up every email from O and found the confirmations, and my husband ran all the numbers. We discovered that O took our money but failed to add our names to the shore excursion list. When they discovered their error, they refunded the money (the mysterious $529.50)--which is not the outcome I want. I want the excursions I bought almost a year ago. I'm not going to be coming back to the Faroes and the excursions are not ones we can just cobble together on our own. 

I am going to be calling O tomorrow, and try to work with the Shorex desk, but realistically, what can they do? I fear we are out of luck through no fault of our own, and I'm wondering what O is going to do. They had our money for a year, and then shafted us. 

Any advice?

Lori

Limit your shoes as shoes are the bulkiest of your clothing. Color coordinate, bring more tops that bottoms and plan on doing laundry. Understand that people will see you wearing the same outfits over the course of the cruise. I admit to having a hard time packing carry-on for a cruise, but I've done 5 weeks in Australia with a 22 inch bag and a day pack. 

Specifically for cruising, I have categories (evening, city, and casual clothes). For evening, I usually bring two black bottoms (pants and skirt) plus black, white and a colored blouse. I bring a black cashmere cardigan as well as a colored, thin cardigan that matches the colored blouse. Cute, flat, black sandals and a dressy evening bag finishes the category.

I usually wear part of the above for city touring where you might want to look a  little smarter than jeans and a tee shirt. Then I look at the activities I have planed for the ports and usually bring jeans, tees, and a warm sweater. Finish the look with sturdy, waterproof or water resistant shoes and a crossbody day bag. Plus a waterproof jacket!

Don't forget a swimsuit and cover-up, and your night things. I also like to bring a small umbrella even if my coat is waterproof. I also bring a sunhat. 

Also, limit your toiletries and only bring approved travel sized items. I don't like using hotel or cruise line toiletries, so I track my usage of a product and bring enough for the whole trip.

Hope this is helpful!

Wonderful to hear (not!) We're embarking from Lisbon June 2024, same day as Azamara Onward and (unfortunately) NCL Viva, so we'll be  boarding with 4200 "new friends". 

My husband has some Ferragamo sneakers he likes wearing--but they are not athletic shoes!

3 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I always bring a sports jacket. My wife always brings a sweater and/or Shaw which we wear to the Specialties. If the venue is warm, I slip it off. However, there have been numerous times I was extremely happy to have it. Sometimes the restaurants are like a meat locker and it is extremely cool/cold. My DW has left with her toes nearly blue and me glad I had on socks and regular shoes. Taking a sports jacket is very inexpensive insurance for what may be a very uncomfortable environment.

 

Fwiw, we dined twice in March in La Reserve on Marina. 100% of the men wore sports jackets at both dinners.

Thanks for the La Reserve mention. We have all three experiences booked for the Riviera in July Southampton to Reykjavik. My husband was dithering on the blazer--I'll make sure he packs one now. 

Thanks for asking this question as I was wondering the same thing. I am familiar with the O "free" shore excursions exclusions by looking at the OS, OE et al, but I'm looking at the Alaska May 30 Regatta departure (haven't booked yet). It is OLife Ultimate offering all three perks included (6 shorex, $600 OBC, and a beverage package) and I'm starting to wonder if I will find the things I want to do among the <$200 shorex.

3 hours ago, 1cruiselvr said:

That’s ridiculous. A woman needs something for her hair. They provide a hair dryer, that gets hot so why not a simple flat iron?

Because a hair dryer will not start a fire if left on a towel or bed. The hair dryer case stays cool while curling irons and flat irons do not. 

On 12/11/2022 at 12:33 AM, PiperHolliday said:

 

Can you please share exactly what kind of boots you bought? 

They were Kamik Canucks. I bought them on Zappos and they still have a couple of sizes left (6,7, and11)

I get cold easily. I'm on the Flora in a couple of weeks, and wondered how strong is the A/C on board, in particular, in the dining room?

I was on last Christmas Antarctica. Backpacks are allowed, just cannot be worn on the zodiacs, as they can interfere with the life jackets. I took a dry bag backpack. You just hand it to a crew member and they put in on the zodiac and then help you. 

Just note you will need longer straps than usual as you are wearing a ton of clothes, a thick parka, and the life vest.