Just booked- a few questions

[tmknies]

HI Everyone,

 

Just a quick note of thanks for all the information on this board. DH and I just booked our first Oceania cruise for next May on the Riviera. This will also be our first premium cruise line experience. Taking a leap of faith and hoping it will happen but understand it may be canceled due to COVID. Our youngest is slated to graduate from college in December so we are ready to start our next stage of travels without the kids. This will be a celebration for our 30th anniversary. We took the free excursions as opposed to the other options. Did not go with air and prefer to book our own. Not sure if we should pay for the ultimate beverage package or not (I don't drink wine or beer and prefer a nice martini, hubby drinks wine). Not sure if we should pay as we go or bite the bullet and just get the prestige package. We will be off ship exploring  most days as opposed to sitting docked at an island and drinking on ship a lot. Also, went with a A1 as opposed to a PH3. Besides size differences amenities look close. For those that have stayed in both are the differences worth it?

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Mura]

For me, the PH is definitely worth it -- I like the larger space.  But plenty of others here will disagree with me.  Perhaps it's best to stay with the A1 and try to look at a PH when you are onboard.  As to the drink package, it doesn't sound like you will be using it enough to upgrade.  Then again, I speak as someone who prefers to "pay as we go" as far as drinks are concerned.  Again, there are plenty here who prefer the package.

 

Hope your cruise sails in May!

 

Mura

[LHT28]

Depends on how much you drink  & what  whether to take the drink package or not

 You can check the bar menu prices  at the Preismans blog  to give you an idea

https://www.thepreismans.com/marina19_menus.htm#Bar

Add 18% to those prices for single  drinks

 The Prestige package is $60 pp pd  no added gratuity

 

You can also take wine or spirits for use in your cabin   if you take a bottle of wine to a dining venue it will incur  a corkage fee ($25)  they will store any leftover wine for another time

 

If you want/need  a butler or extra space  go for the PH  a plus for some is insuite dining from the GDR & Specialties

otherwise  an A or B  cabin will be fine depending on the perks the  (A) Concierge cabins offer

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, tmknies said:

HI Everyone,

 

Just a quick note of thanks for all the information on this board. DH and I just booked our first Oceania cruise for next May on the Riviera. This will also be our first premium cruise line experience. Taking a leap of faith and hoping it will happen but understand it may be canceled due to COVID. Our youngest is slated to graduate from college in December so we are ready to start our next stage of travels without the kids. This will be a celebration for our 30th anniversary. We took the free excursions as opposed to the other options. Did not go with air and prefer to book our own. Not sure if we should pay for the ultimate beverage package or not (I don't drink wine or beer and prefer a nice martini, hubby drinks wine). Not sure if we should pay as we go or bite the bullet and just get the prestige package. We will be off ship exploring  most days as opposed to sitting docked at an island and drinking on ship a lot. Also, went with a A1 as opposed to a PH3. Besides size differences amenities look close. For those that have stayed in both are the differences worth it?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Most importantly, immediately find a TA (preferably a member of Oceania's Connoisseurs Club) who is willing to add amenities (e.g., cover gratuities, add refundable SBC, etc). You have 30 days from placing your deposit to do the transfer (which could save you 5-10% of the commissionable fare).

 

Also, as far as O Life value is concerned, the usually best choice is the excursions where you can double the value by selecting the most expensive of the allowable <$200 tours (i.e., if the SBC option is $800, the tour option will be 8 tours. But, if you select eight $199 tours, that's a $1600 value).

Likewise, for the booze package to be worth the $20 pp/day upgrade to Prestige, remember that the "break even" for the retail $60 pp/day  price tag is about 3 double drinks with premium booze.

Also, if you like good wine, bring your own (unlimited allowance for in cabin consumption or $25 corkage in dining et al. public venues.

[Daniel A]

I have booked a PH1 on an Insignia Cruise in July.  What does the butler do that the steward doesn't do on other lines?

[Paulchili]

17 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

I have booked a PH1 on an Insignia Cruise in July.  What does the butler do that the steward doesn't do on other lines?

Almost anything you ask them (within reason) - including en suite dining from specialty restaurants course by course.

[sunlover12]

We've stayed in both. Like Mura, we prefer the PH because of the larger size.  That's important to us.  The butler is a nice perk but that's not the reason we book a PH.  Another advantage of a PH is that you can book the specialty restaurants earlier than with an A1.  You're much more likely to get the times you prefer with a PH.

 

DH gets the prestige package but I don't drink $60/day to make it worth it for me.  I pay as I go. 

 

Enjoy your cruise. 

[Daniel A]

10 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

We've stayed in both. Like Mura, we prefer the PH because of the larger size.  That's important to us.  The butler is a nice perk but that's not the reason we book a PH.  Another advantage of a PH is that you can book the specialty restaurants earlier than with an A1.  You're much more likely to get the times you prefer with a PH.

 

DH gets the prestige package but I don't drink $60/day to make it worth it for me.  I pay as I go. 

 

Enjoy your cruise. 

Does anybody have a bar menu with prices that could be posted?  It would help us decide if it would be worth paying an upgrade of $20/day or pay as you go.  We already have the basic package booked.

[alaskaca]

1 minute ago, Daniel A said:

Does anybody have a bar menu with prices that could be posted?  It would help us decide if it would be worth paying an upgrade of $20/day or pay as you go.  We already have the basic package booked.

See post #3 from LHT28 above and follow the link she included.  Note that in our experience the quoted price is for a single shot.  If you want a double, double the price and then include the 18% gratuity. 

[Daniel A]

27 minutes ago, alaskaca said:

See post #3 from LHT28 above and follow the link she included.  Note that in our experience the quoted price is for a single shot.  If you want a double, double the price and then include the 18% gratuity. 

Thanks, I didn't notice that in the post.  I now know the upgrade will be worth it.

[ORV]

The walk in closet in the PH is much better than the ones in the standard size rooms, which pretty much everything from an inside to the Concierge are. 

 

I would double check the sq ft between an A1 and P3. Oh wait, I'll do it. 282 Sq ft in the A, 420 sq ft in the PH. That's over a third again larger, or 140 sq ft more, which is as large as some insides on the smaller ships. To me that's a substantial difference in size. 

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

Thanks, I didn't notice that in the post.  I now know the upgrade will be worth it.

Don't forget to take into account the 2 for 1  Daily Happy Hours from 5 to 6 pm, and that there will be (or there was pre-COVID) a couple of nights (Captain's Reception, Oceania Club Recognition) where drinks will be free.

 

[tmknies]

Thanks, everyone. Looks like I really want the PH category but not necessarily the drink package.

[Kate-AHF]

I'm aware that some on this board think I'm nuts, but we now book PH suites 1.  for the closet 2. for the room service from the specialties and 3. for the extra room.  We have a tendency to book long cruises.

 

We spent a month on our first Oceania cruise in a concierge.  The closet drove me crazy.  The final sliding door was up againt the beside table so I couldn't get at the back of the closet.  Things kept getting pushed back towards the end and lost.

 

Our next O cruise was a month in a PH.  We were so happy with that cabin,  no going back for us.  The closet was next-level, and it was so nice to come back to the ship after a long day of touring and have a lovely dinner in the cabin in yoga pants and fuzzy socks - with a bottle of wine we picked up that day in port.

 

I really appreciate that O treat us like adults, and we can ring on our own wine.

[Tansy Mews]

The OP says that martinis are a favourite. Do the packages include them?

 

BTW my husband likes the coffee martini on Oceania. 
 

Frances

[giustot]

8 hours ago, tmknies said:

Thanks, everyone. Looks like I really want the PH category but not necessarily the drink package.

Excellent decision. That's what I would have recommended.

 

We enjoyed the larger cabin and more personalized service of the butler and in the concierge lounge. We took advantage of the two for one cocktail hours, ordered wine at dinner and never came close to the $60 pp a day cost of the drink package.

[edgee]

Can't help commenting that it is nice to read a helpful thread like this which would be routine in a normal world, but seems rare in the current sad state of things.

Edited September 9, 2020 by edgee
typo

[Mrs f.]

21 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Most importantly, immediately find a TA (preferably a member of Oceania's Connoisseurs Club) who is willing to add amenities (e.g., cover gratuities, add refundable SBC, etc). You have 30 days from placing your deposit to do the transfer (which could save you 5-10% of the commissionable fare).

 

Also, as far as O Life value is concerned, the usually best choice is the excursions where you can double the value by selecting the most expensive of the allowable <$200 tours (i.e., if the SBC option is $800, the tour option will be 8 tours. But, if you select eight $199 tours, that's a $1600 value).

Likewise, for the booze package to be worth the $20 pp/day upgrade to Prestige, remember that the "break even" for the retail $60 pp/day  price tag is about 3 double drinks with premium booze.

Also, if you like good wine, bring your own (unlimited allowance for in cabin consumption or $25 corkage in dining et al. public venues.

How do you find a TA who is a member of Oceania  Connoisseurs Club?

 

[Daniel A]

6 minutes ago, Mrs f. said:

How do you find a TA who is a member of Oceania  Connoisseurs Club?

 

I just Googled Oceania Connoisseurs Club and carefully looked at a number of TA sites to make sure they said they were admitted to the Club.  You can also try using the following link, but that will produce a more limited list.  

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/find-agent/

 

BTW, the online TA I decided to use did not pop up on the Oceania link (above) so you may want to do both Google and the link.  The online TA I used got me the booking at the published fares but threw in additional onboard credit and comp'd me the gratuities.  It pays to check around even among the Connoisseurs Club agencies.  Good luck with your search!

[ORV]

On 9/8/2020 at 11:28 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Most importantly, immediately find a TA (preferably a member of Oceania's Connoisseurs Club) who is willing to add amenities (e.g., cover gratuities, add refundable SBC, etc). You have 30 days from placing your deposit to do the transfer (which could save you 5-10% of the commissionable fare).

 

Also, as far as O Life value is concerned, the usually best choice is the excursions where you can double the value by selecting the most expensive of the allowable <$200 tours (i.e., if the SBC option is $800, the tour option will be 8 tours. But, if you select eight $199 tours, that's a $1600 value).

Likewise, for the booze package to be worth the $20 pp/day upgrade to Prestige, remember that the "break even" for the retail $60 pp/day  price tag is about 3 double drinks with premium booze.

Also, if you like good wine, bring your own (unlimited allowance for in cabin consumption or $25 corkage in dining et al. public venues.

I don't think the folks you mentioned the other day(in the post that got deleted) want any more friends. I see one travel agency I could mark off my list for non compliance, even if I was looking for one, which I'm not. 

[roothy123]

I have never pursued using a member of the O Connoisseurs Club TA, but just wanted to mention that there are other TAs who will offer you added shipboard credit and/or other goodies, including sometimes a small thank you rebate once your cruise is over.   We're not allowed to mention names or I would recommend the company I use. But don't be shy about contacting a few companies and asking them what they can offer.

 

It sounds like you're going to go for the penthouse suite, but if you don't, keep in mind that it's always possible that closer to sail time, Oceania may have an  extra penthouse suite available, and if so, may call (or TA may call) to ask you if you'd like to upgrade to one. In our experience (though we've never booked a penthouse suite, just lower categories), the price they want is tempting, but not overly so. But I always listen....  

 

Hope you get to sail.  We're thinking of booking on a late July sailing on Riviera. At least Oceania has extended its Travelers Assurance Program through the end of September.  That makes me feel a little bit more confident in making a booking. 

Edited September 9, 2020 by roothy123