pinotlover

I meant alternative shore tours. The credit can only be used for shore tours.

Will worry about it in 25. Will not convert any of my 24 cruises to SM. Will have to see what the next release brings. If I’m traveling half way around the world to see a place we want to see, I’ll see it as I want to see and experience it. I certainly wouldn’t do less just to eat up a ship credit. In the great scheme of things that tour credit represents a small portion of the total vacation costs. Letting it trump our actions would be the tail wagging the dog!

We only do O tours under duress, meaning nothing else is available. But thanks for the suggestion. 🥂

🥂 I have none. We have all our cruises booked through 2024 with the OLife package. Not converting any to SM. Maybe by 2025 people will have it figured out.

Do you have a game plan if Tunisia gets cancelled for any reason? Does O get to keep the credit?

None of us know how all this will work out. Maybe in six months or so. SM totally changed everything. We boarded Vista and learned three ports had shortened port times. We boarded Marina to learn a port had been cancelled before we even sailed. Two more ports were later cancelled. Both of these incidents meant that either all or some O shorex had been cancelled. With OLife, a cancelled OLife tour, meant you could either book another one or you get $100 of OBC credit to your account. For me, that meant 4 corkage fees, or a nice bottle of wine, or multiple drinks in Martinis to spend the credit. Under SM, that actual tour dollar credit can only be used for other tours. Does one dare wait and spend most of the credit on a late port which might get cancelled? Is Oceania going to go back and credit your credit cards for all the tours you paid for, up to the unused credit amount? How long is that line At Customer Relations going to be near cruise end? I’m guessing a lot of people will be leaving the ship with tour credits remaining. A planned big tip or bonus for Oceania. FWIW, my TA tells me they already have a pool going on how long the current system will last. Already a number of people spending OPM with no skin in the game. That is people booking up the most expensive tours with the credits. Then walking 3-4 months out at FP time. Bet is O will be forced to only allow credits used after final payment is made. I can’t subscribe a plan currently. If O’s current history of dumping ports and shortening port times wasn’t so abusive, it would be easier. That isn’t the case.

If you’re within the 270 day window, you can ask your TA to work on getting the bookings from Oceania. No costs to ask. Imagine that, going straight to the source with actual dates to get actual up to date information.

No on both.

The Mumm Rose Brut is primarily Pinot Noir while the regular brut is more Chardonnay. Just guessing but the higher acidity Brut is what causes the problems. Try the Brut Rose and see how it does! 🥂

🤮

You need to ask your friends what their reservation number is. Then when making the dinner reservations you will add it to the reservation to get you together. Your TA should be very reluctant to give you anyone’s reservation number!! Ask the party themselves! 🥴

1. They don’t exist. You really don’t know the cost structures of these wines. 2. Quantities required. CA Mumm is probably the only US producer that could come close to meeting NCL/Oceania quantities requirements. They are no less expensive. 3. Logistics. A large majority of O ships do European ports. Germain can get full containers there cheaper than US producers. In fact, they can probably get them to Miami cheaper than CA producers can. I am not a Germaine fan, but I can pretty well tell you the deal Oceania has with them.

The new release of most 2025 cruises will be end of September. My bet, one more Sale to clear out currently released inventory. Then it stops with the new releases which will be all SM. Labor Day Sale it is! 🙄

As far as numbers on a small group tour; as has happened before, we had four fellow passengers join us on one of our private tours on our Vista cruise. There were 14 of us in total. Four from an Oceania tour, and ten of us signed up for a private tour. We paid $150/ couple, they paid Oceania $350 each. They got what they paid for. An excellent small group tour of 16 or less passengers. We also got what we paid for. For planning purposes, have you chosen alternative uses of your SM credits if O cancels either port or tour?

I don’t know your cruise, but sometimes it’s both. Sidney is a good example. Oceania wanted to save port dock fees, so they would tender in the bay, on the last cruise day. All the shore tours would run from the tenders. On Embarkment/Disembarkment Day, the ship would pull into the dock.

Besides totally missing ports, don’t forget about shortening port stays. We got on the Vista and was greeted by a new cruise schedule. Times cut in three of ten ports. How many believe the Captain made those decisions on Embarkment Day?

Viator lost me in Seville. For one of their tours we had to walk about a half mile and be at some non descript hotel by 7:30 to catch the tour bus. The bus drives around town for an hour picking up other tourists, and I’m sure you’ve guessed it, stops at our hotel at 8:45 to pick up a different group. The 8:45 group paid about $25 each less than us, plus had a leisurely breakfast. That was the end of Viator. That hour+ of pickup time was built into the tour time each way. So what was advertised as a 6 hour tour, ended up 2.5 hours shorter. Plus we had an hour plus bus ride to get to Córdoba, and the bus never stopped for a bathroom break. Some of us were in pain when we got there.

They obviously have guarantees sold in your cabin category they need to clear. Wouldn’t put too much in it beyond that. I’ve gotten the offers in A2 before. We didn’t take the offers either. Enjoy your cruise.

Typically specific cabins aren’t overbooked. Oceania has, in the past, got caught selling too many Guarantees and had to change its game plan. Perhaps all the historical data, on which the booking algorithms are based, aren’t working as well post Pandemic. As far as the Nov 19th cruise, I wouldn’t touch it. We missed three ports, purportedly because of weather, last October between Bilboa and Lisbon and that was almost a month before this cruise. Second, my recommendation to avoid AMSTERDAM airport at all costs. This is late in the season, but still AMS!

The other factor with the O shuttle is which Terminal(s) does it go to? Then how long does it take to drop passengers and their luggage at a Terminal before yours. FCO is large, I’d rather pay extra and be delivered to my Terminal, upon airport arrival, than messing with the shuttle with a 12:45 flight.

12:45 is quite doable. I never recommend pre 12:00, even though some work out fine.

Read the OP’s first two sentences in Post #1. 🥂

Not sure where you believe the Canary Isle itineraries aren’t popular. Our Sirena cruise in 10/23 was totally waitlisted for months. I believe they and Morocco are very popular.

On the new Vista, the circular 8 tops have disappeared. This is different than the other ships. Outside of the new private rooms in PG and Toscana, I don’t remember any 8 tops. A 6 top was a rarity in Embers. The new compartmented layout on Vista is new. I would take Lyn’s advice, book yourself and one other couple, then have your TA see if they can get the larger 7 person group together.

Just a note on disembarkment. This is the same as embarkation. It matters little how much planning Oceania puts into planning those two events. Oceania’s customers ignore the instructions. They get into line when and where they feel like regardless of any announcements the CD may be making. They will line up, with luggage, in front of the elevators completely blocking them. They don’t care! If a mob is unruly, outside of extraordinary measures, there is little an organization can do. Unruly is a polite word for the situation. We typically board late and disembark late in the processes. Avoid the mob. Depending upon the port facility, Oceania normally allows those with mobility issues to disembark in Deck 4 away from the main crowds. The CD typically makes announcements directly them to Deck 4, but whoever listens to the CD on Oceania? Small group!