Advice for a cruiser new to Oceania

[welshfamily]

We new to Oceania. We have travelled with Azamara for the last few years usually in a club continental suite. Friends have asked us to join them on the insignia this summer. They have booked an ocean view which is waitlisted.

Ocean views are only available in Guaranteed or waitlisted.

We understand what a Guaranteed cabin is but this is not something we would be keen to book but don't understand what waitlisted means. Could someone please explain.

 

Although we do not do everything together when we travel with theses friends we would want to eat together in the evening. If we book a different category of cabin would this make things difficult. By this I mean how does the dining/speciality dining work on Oceania? We are use to eating the majority of our meal in speciality restaurants however it is our friends 60th birthdays ( 2 days apart) and sharing the experience after 44 years of friendship is more important than space. We have been told the food is excellent by our friends in all Venues as they have been on one of the larger Oceania ships twice before.

We are looking for advice.

Our friends have not booked air with Oceania as this cruise is part of a 4 week trip to the states. We would only be joining them for the cruise.

Thank you.

[YoHoHo]

If you really do want to join your friends on the cruise then you need to book a GTY. A waitlist, preferably with a deposit as you will be on the priority list, is simply an ordered list of those to be contacted *IF* space opens after all the other commitments have been filled. Actually that might be a bit of a simplification as they might fill a waitlist before filling a GTY because they will always find room somewhere for the GTY.

 

Bottom line is with a waitlist you might never get offered a cabin and your friends will sail without you.

 

Also a waitlist is priced at the current, at the moment it is offered price, so you might see a price now, or included amenities that are not offered when the waitlist availability is offered.

 

Hope this makes some sense. If not ask again and others will clarify I am sure

[StanandJim]

We new to Oceania. We have travelled with Azamara for the last few years usually in a club continental suite. Friends have asked us to join them on the insignia this summer. They have booked an ocean view which is waitlisted.

Ocean views are only available in Guaranteed or waitlisted.

We understand what a Guaranteed cabin is but this is not something we would be keen to book but don't understand what waitlisted means. Could someone please explain.

 

Although we do not do everything together when we travel with theses friends we would want to eat together in the evening. If we book a different category of cabin would this make things difficult. By this I mean how does the dining/specialty dining work on Oceania? We are use to eating the majority of our meal in specialty restaurants however it is our friends 60th birthdays ( 2 days apart) and sharing the experience after 44 years of friendship is more important than space. We have been told the food is excellent by our friends in all Venues as they have been on one of the larger Oceania ships twice before.

We are looking for advice.

Our friends have not booked air with Oceania as this cruise is part of a 4 week trip to the states. We would only be joining them for the cruise.

Thank you.

 

All passengers are guaranteed a certain number of visits to the Specialty Restaurants on Oceania, after which it becomes "first come first served" when making reservations on the ship.

 

Number of Reservations, Regatta, Insignia, Nautica, Sirena:

Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Stateroom

0-7 Sailing Days: 1 reservations at each restaurant

8-17 Sailing Days: 1 reservations at each restaurant

18+ Sailing Days: 2 reservations at each restaurant

 

More expensive accommodations are able to make reservations earlier, and receive more reservations, but otherwise the process is identical.

 

Each time that a passenger eats in a Specialty Restaurant, it counts against their guaranteed number of reservations.

 

That means that whether you invite them to dinner on your reservation or they invite you on yours makes no difference whatsoever. Each person eating in the restaurant uses some portion of their reservation guarantee, regardless.

 

In order to make Specialty Restaurant Reservations in advance of the cruise, you will need to know the booking number of your friends, and they will need to be aware that any reservations which you make in tandem with them uses their availability as well as yours.

 

Naturally, the person making the reservation should be the person in the highest category cabin as earlier reservations will insure greater availability.

 

Hope this helped, I don't want to offer any more details now, as I'm concerned about confusing you.

If you need anything else, please ask again!

Enjoy your cruise!

[Irish1010]

We new to Oceania. We have travelled with Azamara for the last few years usually in a club continental suite. Friends have asked us to join them on the insignia this summer. They have booked an ocean view which is waitlisted.

Ocean views are only available in Guaranteed or waitlisted.

We understand what a Guaranteed cabin is but this is not something we would be keen to book but don't understand what waitlisted means. Could someone please explain.

 

Although we do not do everything together when we travel with theses friends we would want to eat together in the evening. If we book a different category of cabin would this make things difficult. By this I mean how does the dining/speciality dining work on Oceania? We are use to eating the majority of our meal in speciality restaurants however it is our friends 60th birthdays ( 2 days apart) and sharing the experience after 44 years of friendship is more important than space. We have been told the food is excellent by our friends in all Venues as they have been on one of the larger Oceania ships twice before.

We are looking for advice.

Our friends have not booked air with Oceania as this cruise is part of a 4 week trip to the states. We would only be joining them for the cruise.

Thank you.

 

You have heard correctly that the food on Oceania is superb. If you are unable to book a table at one of the specialty restaurants on your desired evening, I am confident that an evening meal in the Grand Dining Room would be equally wonderful. No reservations are required there; stateroom category is irrelevant. It is quite elegant and the food is beautiful. Notifying Oceania in advance of the occasion may help...we were presented with a lovely small cake on one birthday cruise.

I echo another poster's comment...booking a 'guaranteed' cabin will assure you of accommodation, but you will not be able to select your cabin ahead of time. You will get a cabin at that level or higher, guaranteed. Be aware, though, that some of the ocean view staterooms on Insignia are 'partially obscured' --by lifeboats-- and crew members may randomly appear in your window as they go about their work. It can be a little unnerving.

Overall, you can anticipate a stellar experience. Bon voyage!

[LHT28]

Be aware, though, that some of the ocean view staterooms on Insignia are 'partially obscured' --by lifeboats-- and crew members may randomly appear in your window as they go about their work. It can be a little unnerving.

Overall, you can anticipate a stellar experience. Bon voyage!

 

Those cabins are marked as obstructed view Cat E

unlikely if they booked a CAT "C" (oceanview) GTY they would get one of those cabins