Onboard Marina Now

[BrakeawayTakeaway]

On 7/1/2023 at 9:58 AM, Sujormik said:

Not an influencer, just new to O and wanting to share good, bad, ugly.  Our final dinner in GDR was about on par with our other GDR experiences this past week.  First 2 of us were served the wrong appetizer (ordered A, served C), quickly replaced but weird. Entrees came out and my food (chateaubriand) was not hot. I didn’t want to wait further and asked if I could just get some hot (temperature) sauce and I’d be fine with the room temp meat.  Was offered Tabasco and finally someone understood me, insisted on bringing a new plate out. It was delicious.  No manager came to address the one person with no food.  In all the service issues we had, no manager ever came to our table.  Our friends were amazed, had never had the service issues we encountered all week but saw for themselves what we experienced.

 

 

I probably wouldn’t use that cruise line again if I was upset about service like that.  Are you planning on cruising again with Oceania? 

[Sujormik]

2 hours ago, BrakeawayTakeaway said:

I probably wouldn’t use that cruise line again if I was upset about service like that.  Are you planning on cruising again with Oceania? 

No, at this point we are not looking to sail Oceania any time soon.  What I’m trying to convey (unsuccessfully it seems) is that I don’t really feel like I’m “complaining” in that I expect a response/remedy.  More I’ve been trying I guess to summarize the nature of the service we received which was so far below what we’d expected (and imo paid for). I know O isn’t Regent. But I expected just a step below that and I was disappointed.

 

As far as the manager approaching us in the GDR, which I saw you asked about and then deleted, someone above noted that after they said something their service improved considerably and people were all over to better provide.  I was surprised that we didn’t get ANY attention after that first day post-commentary from RedGinger. You know they take your room number when they seat you,  we were clearly flagged the first day but for the manager to NEVER stop at our table?  That’s just bad service and thus I can’t recommend O.

 

Also, we really enjoyed our trip. I see I’m coming across as a whiner and that’s not my feeling, I’m just conscious of things and wanted to share/track them.  We thought overall the food was quite good. Loved our PH. Enjoyed the private deck (much calmer than the pool deck with all the kids on this sailing) and especially the hot tubs, sauna and great towel service everywhere.

 

Another nitpick though, while I’m at it😉, we really craved some popcorn or pretzels a few times and there seemed to be nowhere to get that.  There was a movie one night and we nabbed some popcorn from there, but it seems like an easy thing to have around for an afternoon snack that’s not frou frou tea cakes and sandwiches! We weren’t drinking in the lounge so didn’t see they offered some nibbles in there.  
 

Had no idea room service menu was on the tv, our fault for not carefully looking at it but I don’t think we turned the tv on virtually the whole 10 days.  Not sure we would’ve eaten in our room but I’d think a paper menu or card suggesting we look at the tv wouldn’t be a bad thing.

 

I have no agenda, swear.  Wanted to love O and for now we were underwhelmed. After we try another “almost” luxury line maybe O will look great by comparison. Thanks for letting me express my thoughts, I do appreciate the forum.

[LHT28]

If you were in a PH  why did  you not ask your butler for popcorn/pretzel  or maybe you did  & I missed that  comment

 

There is no perfect cruise line  some suit some people more than others

Enjoy what ever cruise you choose

[SellaVee]

@Sujormik , We're on Marina soon, and I do appreciate your posts, and hearing about the good and the bad.  I was though, surprised about the popcorn and pretzels comment.  Firstly, if I was really craving popcorn or pretzels I might look for some ashore, and, given that Oceania has a huge breakfast offering, Barista's for coffee and cookies, lunch in various venues, afternoon tea and then dinner, I don't know that it's reasonable to expect them to provide everyone's favourite snack as well. Would you expect them to pride Haribo, Maltesers, potato crisps in every variety, and that well known Scottish delicacy, tablet?  Sometimes you just have to make do.

Edited July 4, 2023 by SellaVee

[Sujormik]

10 hours ago, SellaVee said:

@Sujormik , We're on Marina soon, and I do appreciate your posts, and hearing about the good and the bad.  I was though, surprised about the popcorn and pretzels comment.  Firstly, if I was really craving popcorn or pretzels I might look for some ashore, and, given that Oceania has a huge breakfast offering, Barista's for coffee and cookies, lunch in various venues, afternoon tea and then dinner, I don't know that it's reasonable to expect them to provide everyone's favourite snack as well. Would you expect them to pride Haribo, Maltesers, potato crisps in every variety, and that well known Scottish delicacy, tablet?  Sometimes you just have to make do.

I love me some Maltesers so that’s a trick question!  I think we saw popcorn at the bar on another cruise which got us thinking about it.  And you’re right about buying stuff ashore…we giggled about the crew members bringing huge bags of foodstuffs from shore.

[SellaVee]

11 hours ago, Sujormik said:

I love me some Maltesers so that’s a trick question!  I think we saw popcorn at the bar on another cruise which got us thinking about it.  And you’re right about buying stuff ashore…we giggled about the crew members bringing huge bags of foodstuffs from shore.

I saw a programme once about a town that had fairly recently become a cruise port.  The staff in the charity shops (thrift stores?) were interviewed and they said ships' crew would come in and buy quite a lot.  Duvet covers were popular apparently.  Imagine they bring food aboard for variety.

[Sujormik]

8 hours ago, SellaVee said:

I saw a programme once about a town that had fairly recently become a cruise port.  The staff in the charity shops (thrift stores?) were interviewed and they said ships' crew would come in and buy quite a lot.  Duvet covers were popular apparently.  Imagine they bring food aboard for variety.

That’s what we figured. I do wonder what the crew gets fed, not likely miso sea bass right?🤣

[AMHuntFerry]

31 minutes ago, Sujormik said:

That’s what we figured. I do wonder what the crew gets fed, not likely miso sea bass right?🤣

Not O-specific, but this is an interesting view of crew-life:

https://emmacruises.com/do-cruise-ship-employees-get-free-food-insider-guide/

I'm guessing their curries and the like actually have identifiable spices in decent quantities (more than what is served up above).

[pinotlover]

12 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Not O-specific, but this is an interesting view of crew-life:

https://emmacruises.com/do-cruise-ship-employees-get-free-food-insider-guide/

I'm guessing their curries and the like actually have identifiable spices in decent quantities (more than what is served up above).

I asked one of our servers what she thought about the difference in food we got as opposed to the crew. She said she liked the crew food better. Our food was too bland and tasteless for her and her friends. She said the crew has their own really good dedicated cooks that know how to make different cuisine totally unlike what we get upstairs.

 

I guess that means everything isn’t Americanized for them.

[Hanoj]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

I asked one of our servers what she thought about the difference in food we got as opposed to the crew. She said she liked the crew food better. Our food was too bland and tasteless for her and her friends. She said the crew has their own really good dedicated cooks that know how to make different cuisine totally unlike what we get upstairs.

 

I guess that means everything isn’t Americanized for them.

Sounds like an opportunity for an on ship excursion (especially for us cruise only pax). “Crew for a Day.” Get a real behind the scenes look at ship operations and sample some well seasoned and spiced vittles. Perhaps the staff get better cookies too!

 

Before all the naysayers opine why this can’t be done, consider this. There is always a price point that equilibrates supply and demand that adequately compensates an operator’s risk, at least theoretically. As for regulations that may be in the way, these can be changed over time. 
 

I’m being mostly cheek over tongue, and I may be imagining more demand than exists (though there’s the Field of Dreams supply side of “build it and they will come”), but anything is possible, for everything that exists was first imagined. 

[Vineyard View]

I asked our TA to see if she could find out when the new rescheduled dry dock is for Marina. Originally first sailing after was early November. Then I read next that it was early Spring. She checked today. Sometime April-June. Our booked cruise is May. I sincerely hope there is a definitive date before final payment. 

[Jayne E]

15 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

I asked our TA to see if she could find out when the new rescheduled dry dock is for Marina. Originally first sailing after was early November. Then I read next that it was early Spring. She checked today. Sometime April-June. Our booked cruise is May. I sincerely hope there is a definitive date before final payment. 

April 29 to May 18 O website shows no cruise for Marina. This would probably be dry dock dates. 

[Vineyard View]

Cruise date is May 18. Thank you. I appreciate this. Hopefully it holds. Does this sound like enough time to finish that amount of upgrade? I have been watching O itineraries for this timeframe for several months, and I am pretty sure that the itinerary starting May 18th that we booked just showed up in the past couple weeks, or I would  have noticed it sooner. When I first saw it it was basically empty. Not now. 

Edited July 6, 2023 by Vineyard View

[Jayne E]

6 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Cruise date is May 18. Thank you. I appreciate this. Hopefully it holds. 

 

6 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Cruise date is May 18. Thank you. I appreciate this. Hopefully it holds. 

We’ve been on Riviera….refurbished cabins are beautiful 

Edited July 6, 2023 by Jayne E

[Vineyard View]

1 minute ago, Jayne E said:

 

We’ve been in Riviera….refurbished cabins are beautiful 

Renditions I saw looked like they are!  Thanks for confirming that

Edited July 6, 2023 by Vineyard View

[Jayne E]

9 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Cruise date is May 18. Thank you. I appreciate this. Hopefully it holds. Does this sound like enough time to finish that amount of upgrade? I have been watching O itineraries for this timeframe for several months, and I am pretty sure that the itinerary starting May 18th that we booked just showed up in the past couple weeks, or I would  have noticed it sooner. When I first saw it it was basically empty. Not now. 

Several cruises were cancelled over these 20 days and new cruises posted. Riviera dry dock was approx 3 weeks. You’ll love the shower. Just make sure your cabin isn’t one of the ones still with tub…unless you want a tub. I believe most cabins in B4 and A4 have tub remaining.  Friends with us last February unknowingly wound up in A4 with a tub. 

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, Hanoj said:

Sounds like an opportunity for an on ship excursion (especially for us cruise only pax). “Crew for a Day.” Get a real behind the scenes look at ship operations and sample some well seasoned and spiced vittles. Perhaps the staff get better cookies too!

 

Before all the naysayers opine why this can’t be done, consider this. There is always a price point that equilibrates supply and demand that adequately compensates an operator’s risk, at least theoretically. As for regulations that may be in the way, these can be changed over time. 
 

I’m being mostly cheek over tongue, and I may be imagining more demand than exists (though there’s the Field of Dreams supply side of “build it and they will come”), but anything is possible, for everything that exists was first imagined. 

In 17 or 18 on a cruise, we had a passenger that kept going down to Deck 3 and the crew bar. They have their own bar where they can have drinks , relax, and mingle. He kept telling everyone how great the bar was opposed to the dead atmosphere at Martinis or Horizons in the evening. Finally one night, Security had to escort him out and ban him from going into the crew’s quarters. He was distraught, said it was the only place on the ship that showed any life and vitality.

 

I sincerely doubt that the buffet or the bars would want to compete straight up with the crew’s offerings.

[Vineyard View]

I did see that about tubs we are A3 so should be good what I worry about is if the refurb isn’t done on time and we end up with #21 cancelled itinerary. Thanks for the information though. Good to know Jayne. 

Edited July 6, 2023 by Vineyard View

[Vineyard View]

3 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

In 17 or 18 on a cruise, we had a passenger that kept going down to Deck 3 and the crew bar. They have their own bar where they can have drinks , relax, and mingle. He kept telling everyone how great the bar was opposed to the dead atmosphere at Martinis or Horizons in the evening. Finally one night, Security had to escort him out and ban him from going into the crew’s quarters. He was distraught, said it was the only place on the ship that showed any life and vitality.

 

I sincerely doubt that the buffet or the bars would want to compete straight up with the crew’s offerings.

Probably on any ship on any cruise line! Love it!

[YourWorldWithBill]

15 hours ago, Jayne E said:

 

We’ve been on Riviera….refurbished cabins are beautiful 

Thanks for the note; we'll be on Riviera in November.

[iramack]

And I in September!  Can't wait!!

 

S

[jonthomas]

Is anyone that is posting, still on the Marina now, as the topic says?

[vlthom]

56 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Is anyone that is posting, still on the Marina now, as the topic says?

Yes…still onboard until Tuesday

[SellaVee]

Are water bottles being provided, and are there binoculars in the stateroom?

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, SellaVee said:

Are water bottles being provided, and are there binoculars in the stateroom?

What Category are you in?