Oceania customer service worries

[kljeffers]

Hello, I am in the process of booking a cruise with Oceania and have had nothing but trouble trying to get a reasonable air itinarary. They claim that airfare is included in the cost of the cruise but expect me to take a 6:35am flight. It doesn't seem reasonable to expect a passenger to get up at the crack of dawn, on what should be their 7th and final day on board, to catch such an early flight. When I asked for a later flight I was informed I would have to pay an extra $250.00. How can they say the cost of airfare is included when they expect you to pay extra for any option other than a flight that would ultimately cut your vacation short by a day. The rep I spoke with was terribly rude and unhelpful...and did I mention rude? I was so looking forward to a "luxury" cruise but now I have a really bad feeling toward Oceania.

[Mura]

This may be a case where a good Travel Agent would be of assistance ...

 

I don't know the specifics of your cruise/destination, of course. But the customer service reps should never be rude, not if they want to solicit your business!

 

It sounds to me (and I'm not at all sure) that the $250 they are requesting is the new deviation fee per person ... The deviation usually applies to flying on another day, NOT later in the day ... or at least that has been my impression.

 

In your position I would call a travel agent to do this for me and see what happens. I agree, such an early flight isn't exactly enticing!

 

Mura

[Paulchili]

It sounds to me (and I'm not at all sure) that the $250 they are requesting is the new deviation fee per person ... The deviation usually applies to flying on another day, NOT later in the day ... or at least that has been my impression.

Mura

 

Never having done a deviation (or even an Oceania flight, for that matter) I could be wrong but I believe deviation simply means choosing your own flights/ times/airlines. I believe it could be on the same day but not the "cheap" fare/flight that Oceania has negotiated. Thus you may have to pay a deviation fee plus any difference in the airfare.

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong about this.

Yes, a good TA would be very helpful but O rep should not be rude in any case and should clearly explain how the extra charges break down.

[Mura]

Paul,

 

What you say is certainly valid. We usually do our own flights but we have done O's flights on occasion, and my recollection is that we did have more options. We were NEVER told we had to pay extra to get a flight at a different time of day.

 

We WERE told on occasion that it wasn't possible to have a flight we wanted, but that's something else.

 

Maybe we didn't push ... that's possible too. When they gave us a 7:30am flight to Miami from JFK two years ago we didn't like it but we didn't fuss.

 

O does have deals with various airlines so you can't just take any flight with their "free" air. But I just find it surprising that there seems to be no option as the OP mentions.

 

Again, I could be wrong, too!

 

Mura

[rallydave]

While being rude is certainly unacceptable, before we jump to conclusions regarding the early flight time, it would be good to know where the OP is flying home from and if possibly they are staying overnite in the disembarkation city.

 

There are spots where Regent cruises to and towns where people live that may require that early flight time in order to avoid the OP from staying overnite at some connection city. And, the OP thinking that their cruise is being cut by a day is not correct as they have to be off the ship by around 9 AM anyway. The OP may not be aware of the fact that the last day of a cruise is really a travel day and not a true cruise day. True, they would get breakfast but, it does require an early wake up and with Regent scheduling such an early flight, would expect an early breakfast to be available.

 

We really need more information before we can conclude what the whole story is.

[Paulchili]

While being rude is certainly unacceptable, before we jump to conclusions regarding the early flight time, it would be good to know where the OP is flying home from and if possibly they are staying overnite in the disembarkation city.

 

There are spots where Regent cruises to and towns where people live that may require that early flight time in order to avoid the OP from staying overnite at some connection city. And, the OP thinking that their cruise is being cut by a day is not correct as they have to be off the ship by around 9 AM anyway. The OP may not be aware of the fact that the last day of a cruise is really a travel day and not a true cruise day. True, they would get breakfast but, it does require an early wake up and with Regent scheduling such an early flight, would expect an early breakfast to be available.

 

We really need more information before we can conclude what the whole story is.

 

I seem to remember reading recently about people flying home from Rome (with Oceania air) and having to wake up at 3 AM in order to get ready and leave for the airport early. Am I remebering this right?

[rallydave]

I seem to remember reading recently about people flying home from Rome (with Oceania air) and having to wake up at 3 AM in order to get ready and leave for the airport early. Am I remebering this right?

 

Think you are correct Paul. There have been a few posts concerning people having very early flights home and also people opting to leave the ship the day before the end of the cruise on overnites in order to get to the airport hotel and avoid such an early departure from the ship. Have seen this on both the Oceania and Regent boards which isn't surprising as the same air dept. works both cruise lines.

 

Also forgot to agree that the OP needs a TA to work this for them. Using a cruise line agent is a recipe for possible disaster as they work for the cruise line while the TA works for you.

[LHT28]

The $250 is the deviation fee for 2 pax

 

You can choose the flights you want.... check the flights available before you call or get your TA to call ..you may have to pay an upcharge if the flights are more than Oceania has contracted for

 

Option #2 take the air credit & book whatever flights you feel works best for you

 

Use the search function to read more posts on using the deviation with O

 

I would never take a 6:30am flight either ;)

 

Lyn

[lais]

I called Oceania to inquire about the air inclusive cruise (about the air only) as I am a first time cruiser and just wanted basic info. The Rep I talked to pretended that he couldn't hear me and hung up on me to avoid answering any questions. Rude. When i called back, the next rep answered my simple question but with an attitude that he couldn't care less. Rude. Way to go Oceania. I hope I don't have to call with any additional questions. If I didn't love the itinerary so much I'd tell them where to stick it and cancel. Since most of the reviews about cruising with them are positive I'll let it slide but they need to train their reps in customer service. That is what they are there for and I can't believe they would hire people that couldn't care less when there are probably lots of people with great skills that would love their job. Ok, I'm done ranting now.

[pacheco18]

OK to rant.

 

Your post is the best evidence of why one should never book directly with the cruise line.

 

A good TA will deal with all these issues for you, probably get treated better if they do volume business with O (or any other cruise line), get you an OBC and paid gratuities included.

 

Transfer your booking to a good TA, let them earn commission at no cost to you, deal with the headaches and maybe give you some perks too.

[brlight]

Hello, I am in the process of booking a cruise with Oceania and have had nothing but trouble trying to get a reasonable air itinarary. They claim that airfare is included in the cost of the cruise but expect me to take a 6:35am flight. It doesn't seem reasonable to expect a passenger to get up at the crack of dawn, on what should be their 7th and final day on board, to catch such an early flight. When I asked for a later flight I was informed I would have to pay an extra $250.00. How can they say the cost of airfare is included when they expect you to pay extra for any option other than a flight that would ultimately cut your vacation short by a day. The rep I spoke with was terribly rude and unhelpful...and did I mention rude? I was so looking forward to a "luxury" cruise but now I have a really bad feeling toward Oceania.

KLJeffers,

You're not the only person who has had problems with O's flight department. I really wanted to have extra time in the starting and ending city, so I paid the $100 pp to deviate. I thought O's "free air" could handle this. I gave them dates of 1,2,3 or 4 days before/after the scheduled cruise for flights. I DID have a TA, a very good one, working this. O was unable to provide anything at any time except flights that would require me to pay over $1000 pp difference for the "free air." Since the flight credit was only $750 for 2 international flights and they delay giving you information until one month before you leave, you end up having to take their flights. The only way around this was to then book their shockingly overpriced hotels for 2 nights on each end. This way, they had to give me accommodating flights and, low and behold, they suddenly found them. So I get to stay extra days, but I'm paying terrible prices for hotels that I could easily have booked myself for half the cost. $600 for 2 nights in a Holiday Inn that is far away from the city! Really!! This is a huge weakness of Oceania and one that will make me think twice before I book them again. By the way, my TA encountered the same rudeness described above.

[findacruise]

KLJeffers,

You're not the only person who has had problems with O's flight department. I really wanted to have extra time in the starting and ending city, so I paid the $100 pp to deviate. I thought O's "free air" could handle this. I gave them dates of 1,2,3 or 4 days before/after the scheduled cruise for flights. I DID have a TA, a very good one, working this. O was unable to provide anything at any time except flights that would require me to pay over $1000 pp difference for the "free air." Since the flight credit was only $750 for 2 international flights and they delay giving you information until one month before you leave, you end up having to take their flights. The only way around this was to then book their shockingly overpriced hotels for 2 nights on each end. This way, they had to give me accommodating flights and, low and behold, they suddenly found them. So I get to stay extra days, but I'm paying terrible prices for hotels that I could easily have booked myself for half the cost. $600 for 2 nights in a Holiday Inn that is far away from the city! Really!! This is a huge weakness of Oceania and one that will make me think twice before I book them again. By the way, my TA encountered the same rudeness described above.

 

I don't know if you have paid your final payment, but if not, you should now be able to cancel their hotel arrangements, book your own and still have the flights you want since you paid the deviation fee to get them. That is if I'm reading what you said correctly. I have booked their hotel in the past as a safety net and then canceled B4 final payment. Hope things work out for you.

[LHT28]

KLJeffers,

You're not the only person who has had problems with O's flight department. I really wanted to have extra time in the starting and ending city, so I paid the $100 pp to deviate. I thought O's "free air" could handle this. I gave them dates of 1,2,3 or 4 days before/after the scheduled cruise for flights. I DID have a TA, a very good one, working this. O was unable to provide anything at any time except flights that would require me to pay over $1000 pp difference for the "free air." Since the flight credit was only $750 for 2 international flights and they delay giving you information until one month before you leave, you end up having to take their flights..

Confused also

If you pay the deviation you should get flight details right away before you even agree to pay the deviation fee

I would take the flights since you have it booked now but do some research & book your own hotel & transfers

Join the Roll Call for your cruise others may be willing to share private transfers

 

It is very confusing using the deviation process if you do not know how it works or have a good TA that know how it works with O

 

I have used the included air with a deviation 2 times both time I ask for the the flights I wanted & also ask what O would supply for the dates I wanted then took what worked for me

[neepawa]

On two of our 4 Oceania cruises, we told our TA the exact flights and dates that we wanted. After Oceania agreed to our plans, we paid the deviation fee and received confirmation via our TA many months before the cruise. On our other Oceania cruises, we took the air credit and used FF points.

 

Don

[globevest]

I have got to agree with you about the rude customer service people. I use a TA but on occasions I have delt direct with the Oceania people and I am not happy with them.

A couple who booked an Oceania cruise on my recommendation tried to sort something out with their rep over the phone. They came within a day of cancelling their cruise. I found out they were having problems and helped them out.

 

A couple of observations. Their reps cannot connect to the web site with you and help you navigate. They get frustrated when you can't follow their directions. They sure don't like tough questions. They love new bookings but sorting out issues with existing bookings is a inconvenience for them. Is this something to do with the way they are compensated?

 

I suspect they have less reps than they need. They now have 35-40% more passengers with the addition on Marina and I am sure they did not employ 33-40% additional customer reps. Things are likely to get worse next year.

 

My TA says she has had to deal with rude customer service reps and she has complained to Oceania. It is a good job their cruises are so good.

[kljeffers]

Actually, I have been working through a TA that seems like he is working for Oceania. Everytime I suggest something, he acts reluctant to even ask Oceania if it is possible...I believe this is because he has experience with them as being inflexable. He also imposes incredibly short timelines by which I need to make a decision which doesn't allow me time to consult with my co-travelers. I believe these time limits are also due to Oceania. Since the TA was being so ineffectual, I decided to call Oceania directly. That is when I discovered how incredibly rude they are. I had to ask the rep 5 times to speak to a supervisor. When I finally got a supervisor on the line, she was just as rude and unhelpful.

 

Perhaps I expected too much in thinking that by advertising "free airfare" that I would be offered an itinarary that would not require me to get up at 3am to catch a 6:35am flight out of Venice.

 

I don't have a huge amount of experience with cruising (I've sailed to Alaska, Bermuda and Mexico) but I don't recall being asked to leave the ship at the crack of dawn. When O advertises a "seven day cruise on board the Insignia" I really expected to be on the ship for seven days. When I first booked the cruise, I knew the dates but did not have the time of day for getting on and off the ship. Turns out, the flight O put me on doesn't get me into Rome until late afternoon and the ship sails in the early evening. How can they consider that a day on board...and if the return flight leaves at 6:35 am on the final day of the cruise, how can they consider that a day on board? It just seems to me to be very mis-leading advertising.

 

I can understand paying a $100 deviation fee in order to come in a few days early but I don't think it is fair to charge the customer additional charges just to get on a flight with a more reasonable departure time. When they advertise that the airfare is included with the cost of the cruise, they should honor that statement. It is not acceptable to expect their customers to take what they offer and give them no other option but a crazy early flight or pay more.

 

They really have you over a barrel and behave like they are doing you a favor by charging you an additional $100 deviation fee to get you in early. How much more work could it possibly be to schedule a flight 2 days in advance as oppossed to the day of the cruise? But regardless of the deviation fee, giving only one choice, and a rediculous choice at that, is unacceptable to me. I can only hope the cruise is better than the customer service.

[potterhill]

I booked a cruise directly with O and then subsequently transferred to an agent. However, before I did that I had to call a couple of times with questions and they were great. I also got them to rebill on separate credit cards and they did it cheerfully.

 

This was earlier in the summer, so fairly recent.

 

Mo

[ORV]

KLJeffers,

You're not the only person who has had problems with O's flight department. I really wanted to have extra time in the starting and ending city, so I paid the $100 pp to deviate. I thought O's "free air" could handle this. I gave them dates of 1,2,3 or 4 days before/after the scheduled cruise for flights. I DID have a TA, a very good one, working this. O was unable to provide anything at any time except flights that would require me to pay over $1000 pp difference for the "free air." Since the flight credit was only $750 for 2 international flights and they delay giving you information until one month before you leave, you end up having to take their flights. The only way around this was to then book their shockingly overpriced hotels for 2 nights on each end. This way, they had to give me accommodating flights and, low and behold, they suddenly found them. So I get to stay extra days, but I'm paying terrible prices for hotels that I could easily have booked myself for half the cost. $600 for 2 nights in a Holiday Inn that is far away from the city! Really!! This is a huge weakness of Oceania and one that will make me think twice before I book them again. By the way, my TA encountered the same rudeness described above.

 

Let me say this as kindly as possible. Your TA is not very good at their job.

[ORV]

Actually, I have been working through a TA that seems like he is working for Oceania. Everytime I suggest something, he acts reluctant to even ask Oceania if it is possible...I believe this is because he has experience with them as being inflexable. He also imposes incredibly short timelines by which I need to make a decision which doesn't allow me time to consult with my co-travelers. I believe these time limits are also due to Oceania. Since the TA was being so ineffectual, I decided to call Oceania directly. That is when I discovered how incredibly rude they are. I had to ask the rep 5 times to speak to a supervisor. When I finally got a supervisor on the line, she was just as rude and unhelpful.

 

Perhaps I expected too much in thinking that by advertising "free airfare" that I would be offered an itinarary that would not require me to get up at 3am to catch a 6:35am flight out of Venice.

 

I don't have a huge amount of experience with cruising (I've sailed to Alaska, Bermuda and Mexico) but I don't recall being asked to leave the ship at the crack of dawn. When O advertises a "seven day cruise on board the Insignia" I really expected to be on the ship for seven days. When I first booked the cruise, I knew the dates but did not have the time of day for getting on and off the ship. Turns out, the flight O put me on doesn't get me into Rome until late afternoon and the ship sails in the early evening. How can they consider that a day on board...and if the return flight leaves at 6:35 am on the final day of the cruise, how can they consider that a day on board? It just seems to me to be very mis-leading advertising.

 

I can understand paying a $100 deviation fee in order to come in a few days early but I don't think it is fair to charge the customer additional charges just to get on a flight with a more reasonable departure time. When they advertise that the airfare is included with the cost of the cruise, they should honor that statement. It is not acceptable to expect their customers to take what they offer and give them no other option but a crazy early flight or pay more.

 

They really have you over a barrel and behave like they are doing you a favor by charging you an additional $100 deviation fee to get you in early. How much more work could it possibly be to schedule a flight 2 days in advance as oppossed to the day of the cruise? But regardless of the deviation fee, giving only one choice, and a rediculous choice at that, is unacceptable to me. I can only hope the cruise is better than the customer service.

 

In all fairness to the Cruise Line your major objection here is common practice among all cruise lines. You check in the middle of the day, you get off early in the morning. The last day is not considered one of your days on the trip, generally you count the nights you spend in the cabin. Just like a hotel.

[eddmel]

I have always believed that when a cruise or tour operator has the air "bundled" into the price, the actual air arrangement might not be to my liking.

This may be no doubt a function of the rate O pays or airline contract details.

 

However, O does offer an air credit when you do your own air arrangements and we always do our own air. There is a downside to this as in the case where the airline withdraws from a specific market or changes flight times after we have purchased the tickets. In the case of market withdrawal, we did get the purchase refunded.

[msn123]

We usually book our own air, but have found many flights from Europe do leave pretty early in the morning. Especially if you have to connect somewhere in order to make it home the same day, you don't have a lot of choice about leaving at the crack of dawn even if you book yourselves.

 

I would echo what others have said...the first and last days of a cruise are travel days. They have you board in the afternoon and leave in the morning, just like hotels.

[rallydave]

To further explain cruise days and nites, many cruises run weekly say Sunday thru Sunday or Saturday thru Saturday. They are advertised as 8 day 7 nite cruises. There are only 7 days in a week and if cruises were truly 8 days, they could not leave on a weekly basis which is why cruises should really be rated on the number of nites which is how most cruise frequent cruiser programs work.

 

All cruise lines advertise more days than nites, they don't say full days and in all cases they are less than one less than the number of days advertised due mainly to turn around time for the new passenger.

 

It is not false advertising nor will you get 24 hours times the number of days advertised. You won't even get 24 hours times the number of nites for the reasons above. Whether your return flight is at 6:30 AM or 2:30 PM, you will have close to the same time on the ship.

[leonardofan]

Essentially all airlines fly eastbound transatlantic overnight and return late morning. If you are connecting from elsewhere you have to get up at a horrible hour to make the transatlantic connection. The only way to avoid this is to take a transatlantic flight originating where you are, and if where you are is Venice there isn't enough capacity for 1000 Oceania passengers on the two daily flights, even if Oceania were saints. So what do you do? Take the air only discount, book your own air, and if shipmates have filled the plane, stay in Venice a day or two until reasonably priced space is available. (Delta has a nice connection from Venice to Seattle via JFK at 2 PM) :)

[Operagirl]

Wow, I have to say that I'm reading alot of unrealistic expectations in this thread. You always have to get off the ship early the day you dock, because they have to turn the ship around, clean & perfect, by early afternoon for the next cruises' guests. Every cruise we have taken we have had to disembark by 8-9 am. As for flights, it is common knowledge that when you are getting 2 for 1 and free air (or similar), it is not going to be the best direct route and/or time. If you want perfection, you will have to pay premium to your own travel agent, and turn down the cruise line's air offer. Since you get a good monetary credit for not using their air offer, it is worth it. We love Oceania and I find this all silly compared to the fabulous time you will have on board.

[JimandStan]

As for flights, it is common knowledge that when you are getting 2 for 1 and free air (or similar), it is not going to be the best direct route and/or time. If you want perfection, you will have to pay premium to your own travel agent, and turn down the cruise line's air offer. Since you get a good monetary credit for not using their air offer, it is worth it.

 

Although this has been the conventional wisdom for several years now, I have lately come across several situations where I was not able to "do" the required flights at anywhere near the cruise only air credit.

 

This is particularly true for cruises which depart from and return to ports in different Continents.

 

Do yourself a favor and price it out both ways before making a decision. ;)