Regatta - not as expected so far

[pacheco18]

Thank you all for your kind words. It appears Oceania do indeed monitor these threads. We have had a meeting with the General Manager (he contacted me) who could not have been more accommodating plus we have a new butler assigned to our room.

 

While I feel bad for posting this here in the first place when I should have taken it to management, I am glad that we can continue to enjoy this wonderful cruise.

 

You beat me to it. I would not give the butler another chance. Ridiculous. He should know his job. I would have asked for a different butler (which apparently you now have) and all will be well. There is no excuse for that behavior. You are on O and you deserve the very best.

[basor]

On the subject of Regatta and butlers...is our most favorite butler, Bagdon, still there? He was so wonderful and made our entire trip "once in a lifetime"! We have had very good and attentive butlers before and after but no one can compare to Bagdon.

 

Thanks in advance

[wassup4565]

Sorry you are having difficulties with your butler.

However, we found getting coffee in the morning was more complicated (or not possible some mornings).

Excuse me? This would be a deal-breaker for me. You had a butler and couldn't be assured of coffee in the morning? Even us schlubs with no butler can get coffee delivered to our rooms in the morning.

 

Am I ever glad I read this thread, because from the sounds of it you could end up with a needy, whiny butler whose sensitivities you have to work around. Not the kind of travelling companion I want on my trip, thanks very much. I think I'm going to stick to room categories with no butlers - I don't need that kind of stupid complication on my vacation.

[PS Caledonia]

I was lucky enough to have a fantastic "butler" on Marina last year.

 

Nothing was too much trouble and quite frankly, it knocked socks off the service on QG on QM2. The service he provided really made the trip. One night leaving port after a long day ashore, we decided to "eat in". We paged him and he suddenly appeared with all the menus and asked us what we would prefer and how we wanted the evening to be managed.

 

This was 5pm..... The evening was so relaxed, everything was perfect, beautifully set up, drinks chilled and the wine ready when we arrived back at the agreed time. You would never have laid that he was serving meals to at least 5 other cabins (sorry, suites). The service was faultless, and best of all when we returned later, the room was turned down. Perfect.

 

If anything, this thread shows how good O is at dealing with issues, try that with Mr. Shanks on Cunard, NO contest as O wins every time....

 

This is one luxurious complication which I am happy to look forward on my holiday. Don't knock it until you've actually experienced it...

[Scottygirl1]

Wow - now that is an amazing butler experience! He did all that? Just makes you realise that we really were correct to complain. Our new butler is faultless so far, extremely attentive. I am very grateful to Oceania's quick response.

[PS Caledonia]

He really was a true professional..... I thought service like that had ended years ago!

 

Hats off to O for resolving your issue in a positive manner.

 

Have a wonderful time and enjoy your trip!

 

:):)

[JimandStan]

I think that what we can all take from this thread is the importance of how we guests communicate with the staff.

 

To begin with, if you're hoping to make a particular occasion special, TELL YOUR BUTLER in advance and enlist him as your ally. Expectations can be very different, and what some people consider perfect service might seem intrusive to others, particularly in this more casual "self service" age.

 

Being MORE SPECIFIC is never a mistake, and if you sense that a situation is going south, say something IMMEDIATELY.

 

Oceania does not get everything right on the first try, no company does, but you will be amazed at the lengths that they will go to to make things right, once they have been alerted to a problem.

[GrammieK]

I totally agree! Until they give lessons in mind reading at butler school, butlers, like everyone else, need communication. That's not to say they never get it wrong, but, again, say something immediately. It has been my experience that they are willing to please. Are some better than others? Definitely! The same is true of all of us, even children.....oh wait, that's another thread!

[sacarr]

I don't know how many suites the butlers take care of, but I suppose that at times they can be very busy. A good thing to do is to give your butler a note with your preferences when you first meet him. He is meeting many people that first day and requests can be forgotten.

 

As far as dinner in the suite, if we had not asked for course by course it probably wouldn't have been served that way. Luckily I did specify that and it was a wonderful evening and Lincoln did a great job.

 

Steve

[milanojosh]

Would love a more thorough review of the ship as a whole once you're all done sailing! Excited for our first cruise (honeymoon!) aboard O this November.

 

Hope you have/had a great rest of your time!

[Paulchili]

Would love a more thorough review of the ship as a whole once you're all done sailing! Excited for our first cruise (honeymoon!) aboard O this November.

 

Hope you have/had a great rest of your time!

 

We all would like to see the review but did you check out the cruise review section of this board with endless reviews of all O ships?

Enjoy your honeymoon.

[gillianrose]

The service was faultless, and best of all when we returned later, the room was turned down. Perfect.

 

You mean the bed linens were turned down? I have cruised for decades and have always returned to find the bed turned down, regardless of cruise line or cabin level.

 

The only way it doesn't happen is if you leave a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign out.

[PS Caledonia]

You mean the bed linens were turned down? I have cruised for decades and have always returned to find the bed turned down, regardless of cruise line or cabin level.

 

The only way it doesn't happen is if you leave a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign out.]

 

 

Your missing the point of my post....

 

I may not have been cruising for as many decades as you, but I do recognise exceptional service and believe me, that evening was superb. Only afterwards did the " DO NOT DISTURB" sign go outside... ;)

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

PSCaledonia....you didn't need to explain yourself any further....:rolleyes:

 

I'm sure the majority of us read between the lines and could see you were describing bit a few aspects of your perfect evening ;)

[LaCroisiereS'amuse]

PSCaledonia....you didn't need to explain yourself any further....:rolleyes:

 

I'm sure the majority of us read between the lines and could see you were describing bit a few aspects of your perfect evening ;)

 

Excuse the typo above....meant to say "but a few". :)

[Scottygirl1]

A little follow up... cruise is perfect. This itinerary is just amazing. This morning we chatted to the GM up on deck and this evening we had the most perfect meal in our room from "Polo" complete with a complimentary bottle of wine (thank you Oceania). What a difference a day or two makes :)

 

I will post a review of our cruise but for those thinking of an Oceania cruise... just book it! There is a wide variety of ages but not so many children. Everyone gets on and age simply does not matter. If you are coming on board for a honeymoon you can be assured of a really relaxing, romantic time. (Oh dear, I now sound like an paid advertisement for O... )

[GrammieK]

Scottygirl,

So glad you are enjoying! We all sound like an ad after we cruise o. It is the best. So glad you agree!

K

[ohmark]

On the Riviera, asked our butler to bring copies of the specialty restaurant menus (which are, of course, the same every day). He said he was only permitted to provide us with one specialty restaurant menu at a time and asked which one we preferred. We remarked to the butler that this seemed odd. But he insisted this was the case. A little later that day we happened to be in the executive lounge and mentioned to our concierge that it seemed odd there was a rule against providing copies of the menu of more than one speciality restaurant at a time. He asked who could have told us that. We mentioned the butler. The concierge said he would take care of the menus. By the time we returned to the room, copies of every specialty restaurant menu were waiting for us.

 

One more curiousity to us (as first time cruisers); when the butler came to our room on the first day to introduce himself, we asked whether there was some place to store our luggage during the cruise. He replied, "under the bed," and pointed in that direction. However, he made no offer to put the luggage there and didn't ask us if we needed help. Thought that was strange.

[Mura]

I would say both things were strange, too!

 

When we boarded Marina last October our butler brought in all of the specialty restaurant menus without being asked. And I'm quite sure that when we've had a suitcase that didn't fit under the bed (I'm talking on the "R" ships now) they have taken away said suitcase and stored it elsewhere.

 

Mura

[Caroldoll]

it is just a "feel good" thing. We were on the Regatta in a Vista Suite for Christmas two years ago, and when we boarded, I decorated the suite and the door to the suite. The butler came in and said he was "surprised and it made him feel good" and he brought a small gingerbread house and put my Mark Roberts Fairy by it. We always tip a butler at least $100 in advance, and then subsequently every several days depending on service. We always tell them it is because we appreciate them and their special services that they perform. In this case, whenever I rang for the butler he never came and no one answered, so I would have to go down the hall and find a housekeeper for whatever little thing I needed. I did ask for reservations once and he made them, but he was so "la de daa" that we only gave him one more tip and didn't tip him at the end. We never ask for room service or anything, so the little things we do ask for, we certainly expect to happen. I just chalked it up to "the luck of the draw". We are now booked on Oceania again and I am thinking of cancelling if I don't get a chance for a better suite, but if we do go, I fervently hope we get "one of the good ones". I didn't go to management--felt that would be too much.

[LHT28]

One more curiousity to us (as first time cruisers); when the butler came to our room on the first day to introduce himself, we asked whether there was some place to store our luggage during the cruise. He replied, "under the bed," and pointed in that direction. However, he made no offer to put the luggage there and didn't ask us if we needed help. Thought that was strange.

thought the PH had large walk in closets???

 

I can store my luggage in a balcony cabins in my much smaller closet or under the bed

[geekybiker]

You mean the bed linens were turned down? I have cruised for decades and have always returned to find the bed turned down, regardless of cruise line or cabin level.

 

The only way it doesn't happen is if you leave a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign out.

 

I went on one cruise (not O) that they laid out my wife's nightgown on the bed. That was a little creepy. Maybe 'above and beyond' service, but still creepy.

[nedward]

Excuse me? This would be a deal-breaker for me. You had a butler and couldn't be assured of coffee in the morning? Even us schlubs with no butler can get coffee delivered to our rooms in the morning.

 

Am I ever glad I read this thread, because from the sounds of it you could end up with a needy, whiny butler whose sensitivities you have to work around. Not the kind of travelling companion I want on my trip, thanks very much. I think I'm going to stick to room categories with no butlers - I don't need that kind of stupid complication on my vacation.

 

Hey Wassup!

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

Perhaps I'm an anomaly, but if I choose to book a PH, it's for the additional space and (supposedly) superior cabin location. I don't need a slave, nor anyone to wipe my behind for me.

 

On my very first cruise, DW and I were surprised to be upgraded to a Sky Suite (Celebrity), and we treated our unexpected butler with respect and dignity, just like a stateroom attendant or any other staffer. I would ASK for, not demand, any special services I desired; and I received everything I asked for and more. If there is a serious gripe, I talk to Guest Relations. But if it's a case of being able to see one menu at a time (for example), I go to the dining room or concierge and take a look for myself.

 

On our upcoming Riviera cruise, we are in an "ordinary" stateroom, and we plan on thoroughly enjoying our "ordinary" pampering, which will be a treat for our mundane selves.

 

Happy sailing,

 

HRH Lord Douchebag

[gillianrose]

I went on one cruise (not O) that they laid out my wife's nightgown on the bed. That was a little creepy. Maybe 'above and beyond' service, but still creepy.

 

I agree, that's very creepy. I don't want my cabin stewards or butlers or anyone else going through my drawers. Oops, that pun was unintended. :D

[Mura]

I guess I beg to differ. Now, if our night gear were in our bureau drawers or in the closet, yes, that could be a bit creepy.

 

But we usually leave our respective garments buried in the pillows and on O it has been typical for both of them to be folded very nicely on the turned down bed ... I don't find that creepy at all!

 

They also nicely fluff up my personal pillow that I always bring with me ... (Once, at a Super 8 in Cleveland, the maid STOLE my pillow! But we did get it back ...)

 

Mura