Cruise to Mostly Nowhere--Part 2

[grifdoglover]

Maybe the Captain and officers stay away from passengers to avoid illness.  They are not there for passengers entertainment!  

[grifdoglover]

So to be clear one port was missed so that is a cruise to nowhere?  Did you make it to six ports?

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, grifdoglover said:

Maybe the Captain and officers stay away from passengers to avoid illness.  They are not there for passengers entertainment!  

 

Personally I could never understand the obsession with "officers visibility".. I come to a cruise to see the world, not to socialize with the officers.. maybe they just don't want to hear constant complaints from people who are never happy. 

Edited June 9, 2023 by ak1004

[grifdoglover]

More two cents from me…after reading the original complaint I thought of several things.  First send your letter to Oceania regarding your displeasure.  Second on a scale of 1-10 with ten being the death of a loved one where does this cruise experience get rated?  Third I recommend reading the book “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson.  Adapting to change and making the best of situations leads to a much less stressful and enjoyable life.  Lastly thinking about how fortunate we all are to be healthy and wealthy enough to travel should fill us with all with gratitude.  After all everyday above ground is a good day….

[susiesan]

2 hours ago, grifdoglover said:

So to be clear one port was missed so that is a cruise to nowhere?  Did you make it to six ports?

OP says 3 ports were missed, not one. If the cruise had 6 ports to begin with then half were missed. Like the OP, I'd be very upset too, especially about missing the Portugal ports for no reason and then being lied to by the staff about it.

[ak1004]

1 minute ago, susiesan said:

OP says 3 ports were missed, not one. If the cruise had 6 ports to begin with then half were missed. Like the OP, I'd be very upset too, especially about missing the Portugal ports for no reason and then being lied to by the staff about it.

 

It was 8 ports originally, so still 5 ports left, with added an extra day in Cadiz. Hardly "cruise to nowhere". 

 

People keep saying "missed for no reason", but this was not the case.

 

Instead of being upset and keep complaining, we adapted and made the best of it. Still had a fantastic cruise.

[susiesan]

Now the Lisbon airport is going to be affected by strikes all summer. With many cruises embarking or disembarking in Lisbon, including mine, and passengers flying i and out of LIS, I wonder if Oceania will change cruises using Lisbon as a starting and end port. 

 

The strikes at Humberto Delgado Airport began yesterday (May 22), from 05.0 am until 10.00 am, as well as on the following dates:

• May 27 to May 29
• June 3 to June 5
• June 10 to June 12
• June 17 to June 19
• June 24 to June 26

 

 

[grifdoglover]

When I think of the crashes, deaths, horrible seas, etc. that have happened on cruises I just don’t get complaining about a few missed ports.  Yes it’s disappointing but that’s a risk you take on any vacation.  People have had island weddings ruined by hurricanes…so even land vacations may be perilous.  

[hankandteri]

2 hours ago, grifdoglover said:

More two cents from me…after reading the original complaint I thought of several things.  First send your letter to Oceania regarding your displeasure.  Second on a scale of 1-10 with ten being the death of a loved one where does this cruise experience get rated?  Third I recommend reading the book “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson.  Adapting to change and making the best of situations leads to a much less stressful and enjoyable life.  Lastly thinking about how fortunate we all are to be healthy and wealthy enough to travel should fill us with all with gratitude.  After all everyday above ground is a good day….

I appreciate the life coaching, but I'm already a very happy and highly adaptable human being who is truly grateful to have been blessed with health, resources and loving family and friends. I made the best of the situation and had a good time with my spouse and the other friends who joined us on the cruise. I am not asking for anything from Oceania so I see no need for a third written communication with when my prior efforts were not responded to or acknowledged in any way. I only wanted to share my thoughts about their poor decision and even poorer handling of that poor decision, and I chose this route to send my message when my first two efforts hit dead ends. I've accomplished my goal and can now resume spreading joy and contentment wherever I go.

Edited June 9, 2023 by hankandteri
poor grammar

[hankandteri]

42 minutes ago, grifdoglover said:

When I think of the crashes, deaths, horrible seas, etc. that have happened on cruises I just don’t get complaining about a few missed ports.  Yes it’s disappointing but that’s a risk you take on any vacation.  People have had island weddings ruined by hurricanes…so even land vacations may be perilous.  

It's not about the missed ports. Well, mostly not about that. It's about the cruise line's dissembling around the reasons for them and treating their well-heeled and mostly intelligent customers like dumb sheep without personal agency or the ability to think critically. If that's how you want to be treated, then this was the cruise for you.

[hankandteri]

58 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

People keep saying "missed for no reason", but this was not the case.

Since the cruise line never gave a transparent reason for skipping the first two ports after it was revealed they were open, what can you conclude except that there wasn't one?

 

We also made the best of the situation, but the situation could have and should have been better.

[hankandteri]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

Personally I could never understand the obsession with "officers visibility".. I come to a cruise to see the world, not to socialize with the officers.. maybe they just don't want to hear constant complaints from people who are never happy. 

I said in my original post that I know the officers aren't there to be my pal. I understand that's not their role. My only point was that the aloofness of the officers on this cruise was a little weird--certainly different than what I observed in a dozen or so other cruises.

 

Now to contradict myself a little bit, the captain is the face of the ship and the cruise line. As the ship's master, his responsibilities extend to everything happening on the ship, including the passengers' happiness--they go well beyond "driving the boat," he's got a staff captain for that.

[ak1004]

29 minutes ago, hankandteri said:

Since the cruise line never gave a transparent reason for skipping the first two ports after it was revealed they were open, what can you conclude except that there wasn't one?

 

We also made the best of the situation, but the situation could have and should have been better.

 

As I mentioned, I don't believe any cruise line would cancel ports for no reason. They gave the reason, you just didn't agree with it.

 

And yes, I asked the same questions, and yes, I still have my doubts. But I have to assume that they see the big picture and have a better information than me.

 

And you still didn't answer the most basic question: why would they cancel two ports if there was not reason to do it?

[Harters]

4 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

why would they cancel two ports if there was not reason to do it?

Having read through the thread, I agree that, obviously, there must have been reason to cancel. But it seems that the reason given was not supported by the facts - no actual strikes on the days involved. As such, there has not been transparency with passengers about what the actual reason was. I could speculate on a number of circumstances that prompted a decision to cancel - some good, some probably reflecting less than well on whoever made the decision. But, it seems to me the lack of transparency is a valid criticism.

[hankandteri]

2 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

And you still didn't answer the most basic question: why would they cancel two ports if there was not reason to do it?

Fair enough. There absolutely was a reason. I'll stipulate to that.

 

So, what was the real reason? That's what I'm curious about. Since Oceania is disinterested in telling you, I'm happy to speculate.

 

The most likely thing I can think of is that they pulled these stops well ahead of time (perhaps a week or more prior to the cruise) based on a bad risk management calculation drawn from poor data. Then they bungled the cover up.

 

Without knowing anything about the particulars of the economics of cruise ship operations, my guess is they cancelled early to minimize the losses from the skipped stops. By cancelling their port docking slots and third party vendors (such as the shore excursion companies) within a certain timeframe, they may have avoided having to pay penalties or have gotten deposits refunded. Again, this is all guesswork, but I have a hunch I'm more right than wrong here.

 

Then, when they realized their error, it was too late to undo the mistake. Their docking spots were gone, the excursion companies couldn't wrangle back the guides and buses or spaces at the destination venues.

 

I can't think of another real reason that feels right.

 

The first reason given--that there was a strike--was simply untrue. We've plowed that field a hundred times. No need to cover it again.

 

The reason given two days later--that we might be held hostage in Lisbon--was just silly. I haven't gone into it, but if you read about Portuguese transportation strikes, you'll learn that they typically run for only four or five hours. They snarl traffic at the airport for a day, and then life goes on.

 

There's never been a case where a cruise ship was held captive in Portugal for days on end. It has never happened or we'd all know about. It wasn't going to happen this time either.

[Harters]

11 minutes ago, hankandteri said:

I have a hunch I'm more right than wrong here.

I have a hunch you're more right than wrong here.

 

Your speculation makes sense. What you were told on board doesnt seem to.

[ak1004]

This is all just speculation. The reason given on board was that there is a potential for strikes at those dates since there were strikes on other dates. I admit, this didn't really make sense to me. It still doesn't. But my assumption is, once again, that they had more information that we do. The decision was made based on facts and information they had in real time. Hindsight is always 20/20. Ports are not just being cancelled. Just think about all the angry guests, not to mention lost revenues.

 

Maybe they cancelled a week ahead, but I don't believe so. Why? We had a private excursion in Lisbon booked via Viator. We were charged on May 23th, 2 days before the scheduled visit. If O cancelled a week before, I'm sure the tour operator would know about it and wouldn't charge us.

 

In any case, it doesn't really matter. You cannot say that the ports were cancelled with no reason. There was a reason, you just don't agree with it. Did they tell us the whole story? Probably not. It's annoying, but it is what it is. We had a similar situation on our last cruise on SS when I'm pretty sure they didn't tell us the whole story. So O is not unique, but overall I agree that they need to improve their communication.

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, hankandteri said:

First, for the record, I was not that naked passenger. Happy to have missed that moment.

 

I too have been an independent traveler to some far-flung places, but that doesn't mean that cruising doesn't have a place for me.

 

There are ways to get that feeling of exploration even on a big cruise ship that averages only eight hours or so in any given port. For us the right balance is to research and explore the ports on our own whenever possible, rather than get on the excursion bus. Then, when you're on board, you can enjoy the amenities the ship has to offer.

 

After decades of bashing the cruise industry, fiercely independent traveler Rick Steves took an eastern Med cruise on a mass market cruise line (Celebrity, I think) and made a travel documentary showing how it can be done.

 

This may not have been the right cruise for you or Oceania may not have been the right line. I'd encourage you to give cruising another shot with an eye toward independence. Maybe a line with demographics that skew closer to your age and interests.

 

I think you mentioned you traveled with older relatives, which may have limited your options this time.

 

 

 

Not to mention that you can combine both!

 

We always fly a few days earlier and stay in the embarkation port for a few nights. Land plus sea vacation is the best of both worlds!

[Hanoj]

2 hours ago, hankandteri said:

I said in my original post that I know the officers aren't there to be my pal. I understand that's not their role. My only point was that the aloofness of the officers on this cruise was a little weird--certainly different than what I observed in a dozen or so other cruises.

 

Now to contradict myself a little bit, the captain is the face of the ship and the cruise line. As the ship's master, his responsibilities extend to everything happening on the ship, including the passengers' happiness--they go well beyond "driving the boat," he's got a staff captain for that.

Indeed, maritime law governs here. It would behove cruise lines to capitalize on the captain being the ship’s CEO by providing them training to maximize achieving passenger happiness, if they are not already doing so. Such training should emphasize communication skills development.

Edited June 9, 2023 by Hanoj

[Hanoj]

It seems some are willing to give Oceania the benefit of the doubt regarding port cancellation decisions, and others are doubting the benefits of cruising with Oceania, in part, because of such decisions and ensuing communications.

 

Status quo bias may impact perceptions of pax with either viewpoint. Our perceived objectivity is often more subjective than we realize and admit. We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. One viewpoint (with its biases) is not right and the other wrong (with its biases). Both, and all the variants between, are relevant. These biases reveal themselves during such discourse. Discovering and owing our own biases is valuable, whereas defending such biases (which are belief based) is unproductive. I appreciate the commenting has been civil, though I admit I am prone to poke fun and use hyperbole - though this awareness has moderated these tendencies.

 

I appreciate reading about other cruisers experiences and discussions about such, both positive and negative, in order to inform and hopefully improve my own decision making regarding cruising in general and selecting specific itineraries and or cruise lines (and even different ships in a fleet).

 

I’ve yet to cruise with Oceania. My DW and I are booked for an August 2023 sailing on Vista. My only experience is with Viking. There were many things we liked, but there are enough reasons about dislikes for why we decided to try Oceania. I recognize many of my own biases (and preferences) and I am presently attempting to develop expectations that will increase the likelihood I will be satisfied. And of course the most important expectation is I will be satisfied. Gratitude, not ignorance,is bliss.

 

So, although I hope our upcoming British Isles Splendors cruise arrives safely and timely in each scheduled port, I am better prepared if ports are missed and if communications are poor by reading this thread. 
 

Thanks @hankandteri, et al.

[ak1004]

@Hanoj I couldn't agree more.

 

I can tell you from our experience that small ships lines like Oceania, Azamara, Silversea etc. have more in common than people think. They all provide an upscale experience which in my opinion is in a different league from mainstream lines like Celebrity/HAL. We never had a bad experience on any of the small ships (Oceania, Silversea, Crystal and Azamara).

 

We base our decisions on itinerary and price and would gladly sail on any of the small ships, given the right itinerary and price. We focus mostly on the ship experience (service, food etc) and less on management and communication issues. We accept cancelled ports as the main risk of cruising and try not to take it too personally, and yes, while having some doubts, we try to give the cruise line the benefit of the doubt. This applies not only to Oceania. 

[Jayne E]

Strange that Marina was able to embark in Lisbon 2 days prior to our cancelled ports. Oceania knew they had to get those passengers on board….no cancellation there!
Wasn’t a strike possibly imminent that day also?  I believe from posts that Vista stops in Portugal we’re also cancelled. 

Other than Portugal ports, this was a fairly lackluster itinerary. Overnight in Cadiz underwhelming and 2 additional boring sea days. We were also on the previous cruise and missed Amalfi which was replaced with Salerno….nothing much to see there at all, but at least Oceania attempted to avoid another sea day.

On the positive side, food and service was excellent and fortunately we’ve been to Lisbon and Porto on prior cruise. Majority of passengers very disappointed. 

[sunlover12]

1 hour ago, Jayne E said:

Other than Portugal ports, this was a fairly lackluster itinerary. Overnight in Cadiz underwhelming and 2 additional boring sea days. We were also on the previous cruise and missed Amalfi which was replaced with Salerno….nothing much to see there at all, but at least Oceania attempted to avoid another sea day.

 

May I ask why you missed Amalfi?  My Nautica cruise in August is scheduled to go there.

[Jayne E]

2 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

May I ask why you missed Amalfi?  My Nautica cruise in August is scheduled to go there.

Told due to sea conditions.

[mauibabes]

Nicely said Gary 😇

Based on all your posts that I have read, Yes you do a lot of Strategic Planning 👍👍👍. 
Regrets to OH for their experience and as you said, cruising is not for everyone, just as I would not be comfortable traveling as OH said he likes to travel. 
Keep posting and I look forward to reading of your preparation and execution of your plan. 
Since this Board has “exploded”, I am sure some how, some way it has come to the attention of Oceania and just because we may not see any specific words on this subject from Oceania, they have heard the “roar”.  
Mauibabes