pinotlover

Is Tex Mex really Mexican? Is Italian food, without all the appropriate herbs and spices, really Italian food? Is Asian Fusion in any way Asian, or just mostly Americanized foods for people not wanting the real thing?

While I could give you some helpful hints, including giving your TA a list of several cabins in order of preference and use a well connected TA, the real answer is no one actually knows. The IT people establish a set of algorithms that eventually takes over. There is also some evidence that the algorithms are modified occasionally to meet goals specified by O management of which we are all clueless. As an example, on some cruise releases in the past, it appeared the system gave preference to cruisers new to O getting their choices while on other releases cruisers status seemed more important. It’s all in the algorithms, and the IT people don’t talk. A couple of observations. The 2025 ATW was initially fully subscribed and Oceania did a huge press release on how quickly it sold out. By about a week after the deposit was due, there was available cabins in most categories. It’s nearly two years until your cruise, watch for new Availability of cabins starting soon.

Matter of opinion. How about how do equate a simple cheese pizza masquerading as a Marguerite Pizza on the Vista and the real thing with the actual ingredients on shore? Is that an equal analysis?

Where is the cost analysis of missed ports and cut port times in those analysis? To hard fast cruisers they may be negligible. To others it’s massive. Until that is quantified in the analysis, it’s useless.

I believe for us land based are typically less expensive. The primary reason is food costs. In the ship, I’m paying the pro rated costs of the average costs of meals served on the ship. On land, I’m charged for what we ordered. I’m taking a wine group to Italy in September. We won’t eat American food in Italy, so any comparison of what that highly Americanized meal costs in Italy isn’t really a comparison at all. Some nights, our dinners at very high end venues may be more that that prorated average cruise meal. Other nights it will be considerably less. For us, local fresh cuisine with local herbs and spices at land based restaurants have most always proven better than cruise food. We can likewise save a mint buying extremely good quality wine, to accompany that meal, at that local restaurant versus onboard. If we just choose to do pizza one night or a charcuterie selection, it will be a lot less than the prorated meal cost onboard. The analysis additionally doesn’t quantify any costs for missed ports or reduced port stays. I pay the cruise line a lot of money to take me to X location, so I can see the area. I believe there is a significant cost to me when Oceania opts to cancel a port. I have never yet experienced a land cruise on Oceania that costs less than a private tour that does the exact same itinerary. Oceania is typically 2-3 times the cost. We cruise for the ports, not the ship. I understand I am paying a price for convenience in getting me to other wise hard to reach locations such as island hopping in the Canary Islands. Overall, with many itineraries, cruising is not less expensive for travelers. Perhaps so for cruisers however.

If this was true Oceania would not be running sales continuously to fill cruises that have been released for nearly two years! Additionally that is/was sale after sale after sale to get to this point.

Cellphones have indeed become contentious objects. It’s now considered rude to take any pictures of any items, or any people, at private functions without the host expressed consent. Same with taking pictures of people without their consent. Of course though, there are a lot of rude people.

It was indeed a great advancement for the US. One aspect, which didn’t follow the German Autobahn system, has proven problematic over the years. For political reasons they ran the systems right through the middle of downtowns in major cities instead of natural by passes. Ripping out homes and industrial areas to build the roads into and through major cities like Atlanta, KC, Denver, etc. was poor planning at the time. Then , she those earlier roads became commuter routes along with national highways, problems developed. Rip out more homes and more industrial areas to widen or increase the size of the highways became the only option. Then, what was homogenous neighborhoods became very divided and self segregating communities.

Fwiw, it’s been posted here multiple times, by multiple cruisers, that lobster on Oceania is typically best avoided. I see you have learned that for yourself.

The discussion is the GDR, not some new restaurant. The GDR posts its menu daily in the mid afternoon for dinner. One can see a sample menu months in advance.

My guess is Oceania knows the ship is arriving at port later than normal and it needs the extra turnaround time. Most hotels will hold your bags while you explore the town. I’d do so in lieu of possibly just sitting in a crowded cruise terminal.

Just thinking outside the box for a moment. On a personal level, I’ve never gone hungry in any cruise ship, so what the GDR will serve next Thursday or a week from Friday was never must know information. On Oceania, I’m always fairly assured I’ll find something I’ll like. I suppose other Inquiring Minds like to know weeks in advance. The current SOP of Oceania is a familiarity of menus between the GDR and the buffet. So if one didn’t like the GDR offerings, then outside of the buffet grill they may not like the Terrace Cafe offering either. Options: the Specialties. Here’s the catch though: the other Lines mostly charge for Specialty reservations while Oceania doesn’t. Therefore, if one doesn’t like the menu for a week from Tuesday, on another line, they can PAY, to do something different. Oceania may not want that long 08:00 lineup at the Specialties Reservations Desk, based on the posted menu, for something they’ll make no money on. Therefore, you learn the dinner menu after lunch when any and all Specialties reservations are typically gone. As Forrest Gump would say “ Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get until you open the box!” Some of us can handle that just fine, as a bit of mystery and surprise enhances life. Others want to know exactly what’s in the box and precisely where each chocolate is located within the box before they buy it. For us, Oceania spending the money to develop and maintain an app that tells me what the GDR will serve a week from next Tuesday would be a waste of funds. Others feel differently.

Which boarding time did you request? Just a guess. If Oceania gave you a later boarding time, as a Concierge, perhaps that means they know the ship is arriving at port later than normal, thus….

I don’t have another A ship booked until our 25 day Alura cruise. Not sure we’ll book Ember again. Ho-hum food and loud.

We have learned to avoid lobster on any Oceania ship. Plenty of good food otherwise and the chances of getting an overcooked rubbery lobster is to great to mess with them.

Getting us prepared for higher prices with the new April release. Don’t worry Mauibabes, the price hike on existing non selling cruises will be followed by a April Fools Day sale, then Mother’s Day Sale, then Memorial Day Sale, then etc.

I believe these are the dollars AZ will reimburse one for a missed port, nothing to do with actual port fees.

I would love to have a recording, or better yet the transcript, of Captain Max’s lunch time messages on the costs of port fees for the ships. It was exorbitant, and far surpassed any earnings the ships may make for the stops. The ports are there for the itineraries to draw customers. Everything beyond that is expense.

With our multiple cruises on Oceania, we have reasonable expectations on what to expect. We know which foods they generally do well, and what to avoid. Therefore, even though we still get some excellent meals, some mediocre, and some poor ones; we generally trend to very good because we don’t reorder those that have proven substandard. We only rarely see less than great service, but it does occasionally happen. They are wine stewards, not sommeliers. Expect no more. Overall, as far as food and services go, I don’t believe Oceania has declined much since Covid. Destination Services has always been a train wreck, so we try to book our own private tours. I believe the greatest difference between now and pre Covid on O is the number of ports now missed and or the number of port hours cut. It went from a rare occurrence, to happening most every cruise. Outside of the debt issues and saving money, this no longer has anything to do with Covid.

Reflecting on some earlier comments, we attended a future cruise OCA event in probably 2016 or 2017. The OCA asked the crowd, after the presentation “ what cruise(s) would any of you like to see or do?” Hands shot up and the first reply was “ A circumnavigation of Japan!” Lots of applause followed. The OCA laughed and said they hear that every time the question is asked, but don’t see it happening in the near future. We’re at 6-7 years later, and Oceania still hasn’t shown interest in it. Personally believe they’d quickly sell out even an O or A ship if they only would offer it. I’m guessing it’s beyond the limits of their current Logistical Supply system.

This isn’t difficult. We had people on O cruises that signed up for three walker ship tours that couldn’t walk 50 yards without a break. We had people reserving loungers and leaving the ship for tours. We’ve had neighbors that are deaf that play their tv on extra loud. While Oceania chooses not to adequately address these issues, the primary problem is actually the quality of attitudes of fellow cruisers not Oceania. Does YWYW mean you can blast your tv 24/7? Seems to be a point of contention. Where is the difference between someone that puts down personal belongings on a lounger at 07:00 and doesn’t show up again until 14:00, and someone turning their tv on full blast at at 05:30 and may or may not turn it off all day? I have a descriptive adjective for both and it doesn’t vary . Separating Oceania short falls from horribly rude passengers is a crapshoot. Define YWYW.

We were in a PH on Deck 10 and didn’t have issues. Friends in a PH on 11 did. The difference wasn’t the Deck, the difference was his neighbors played their tv loudly nearly 24/7. Our neighbors, like us, rarely turned theirs on. Also some people naturally speak in a lower tone, while others feel they have to SHOUT every syllable. I believe these factors are as much the problem as the thin walls. Unless they’re traveling with you, and book next to you: You can’t pick your neighbors.

There was a decent pathway UP to the Virgin Mary House. A wheelchair could never enter the House and anyone with mobility issues would struggle to get through. It would mostly be the uphill climb to view the building from the outside.

We were there last June from off the Vista. I would say that anyone expecting 2,000 year old ruins, in an earthquake zone, to be “ accessible “ has more than physical limitations! 🤔