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Fiascos and Fixes

This is what happens if you don’t want to tip on your cruise

Michelle Couch-Friedman

Consumer reporter and ombudsman

September 22, 2022

What if you don’t want to tip on your cruise? Or maybe you’re not against cruise gratuities but prefer to give on a person-by-person basis. Can the cruise line force you to pay a set amount for the crew’s bonus?

That’s the question Laurie May wants to be answered. She says Oceania recently blindsided her by adding $320 to the cost of her 10-day European cruise. The reason? Automatically added gratuities.

Now she wants our advocacy team to retrieve the crew bonus and put it back in her wallet. But is that something we can do?

Things to keep in mind about cruise gratuities

How much you should tip on your cruise in 2024, surprise automatically added cruise gratuities.

May and her husband set off on Oceania’s Nautica on a cruise from Portugal to England. The couple had a lovely time. However, just before disembarking, a problem came to light.

That’s when May says a crew member slipped the final invoice under her cabin’s door. She was surprised to find a $320 fee automatically added for crew gratuities.

“Oceania says in its brochure that gratuities are discretionary and that passengers can have the tips removed or changed,” May explained. “But they do not provide an invoice of the charges until shortly before disembarkation.”

May was under the impression that there would be no additional fees on her cruise invoice. She says she attempted to have the auto-tips removed immediately before the couple left the Nautica.

“I personally went to the desk in the main lobby within minutes of receiving this invoice,” May reported. “I asked to have the gratuities removed from my bill.”

But with just 5 minutes before disembarkation, no one was able to adjust the invoice.

Cruise tipping confusion: Who will refund this forced gratuity?

Once at home, May tried to determine who was responsible for this cruise tipping confusion. She went on a mission to get the forced gratuities refunded.

First, May contacted her travel agent. She thought the agent might have made an error by not offering her a “tips included” promotion.

Apparently, different travel agents offer a ‘tips included’ option to get people to sign [up] but [they] use this promotion inconsistently. I asked our travel agent repeatedly before making the reservation if there were any other charges or fees. [She] did not orally disclose the $320 fee. [She did tell me about] a $24.99 processing charge. This [auto-tipping practice] is, unfortunately, I believe, pretty widespread, and a stain on the cruise industry. It needs to be exposed. May explaining her efforts to get the forced gratuity refunded

May told her travel agent about the unwanted gratuity charge she discovered at the end of the cruise. She asked the agent to facilitate a refund of the $320 tip she had not intended to give.

Soon May’s travel agent had an answer from Oceania: The cruise line would not refund the cruise gratuities.

Oceania: Gratuities are never refundable after the cruise

An Oceania customer service administrator explained that the cruise line doesn’t include tips in the cost of its cruises. This information is made clear in all pre-cruise documents. Those documents also detail that the cruise line will automatically add a set gratuity per person per day to the passenger’s onboard invoice.

However, these tips are not mandatory. Should a passenger decide they don’t want to tip on the cruise, they can request an adjustment of this fee. But this request must be made before disembarkation. And the cruise line had no record of May asking for a modification of the gratuities before leaving the Nautica.

Oceania’s executive ended her email with the company’s final word on May’s request:

Most importantly, we do have a reasonable expectation for our guests to read and review all documentation Oceania provides about their cruise vacation.  Unfortunately, it is not possible to make any adjustments or refunds post-cruise as we have already disbursed the gratuities among the crew. We regret any disappointment [this couple] experienced in this regard; however, gratuities are non-refundable . Oceania Cruises executive

A credit card dispute over the forced cruise tips

The response from Oceania only served to frustrate May further. Her next move was to file a credit card dispute over the gratuities.

Unfortunately, May’s credit card dispute of the $320 in cruise tips was doomed from the beginning.

The Fair Credit Billing Act allows credit card-using consumers to dispute billing errors . But although this act provides much-needed protection to consumers, credit card chargebacks are often misused. And as we’ve seen time and again, when a consumer uses the credit card dispute mechanism in a way it wasn’t intended, it only leads to more significant problems; including getting banned from the cruise line .

• Surprise! Your favorite cruise line just put you on the Do Not Sail list. Now what?

In May’s case, as other cruisers before her have discovered , she found that filing a credit card dispute to resolve this issue was just a waste of time.

I filed a complaint with Chase Card Services. I provided extensive documentation. After a month of going back and forth, Chase came back and said it wasn’t possible to dispute the automatically added tips. So I wasted a total of two months.  I would like for Oceania to be outed for deceptive practices. They provided [to Chase] only UNDATED invoices and claimed they APPLIED the gratuity charge to our account, four days before disembarkation. But they never shared the invoice or charge with us until we disembarked. It is impossible to dispute a charge of which you have no knowledge. How can a large travel company like this get away with this lack of transparency in their billing? May

Oceania’s terms did not support a billing error for these auto-tips on May’s cruise invoice

But Oceania Cruises’ terms and conditions regarding gratuities did not support a billing error:

May’s credit card dispute ended when Oceania provided that information to Chase. But, still undeterred, she pressed on with her mission to retrieve the tips from Oceania.

“How can I get a refund for these cruise tips?”

May’s next move was to ask our advocacy team to ask the cruise line to refund the tips.

My fellow advocate, Dwayne Coward , is well-versed in all cruise-related matters. He took charge of this case and was soon scouring through May’s extensive paper trail. In her initial request to our team for help, she was sure that she had been bamboozled by not only Oceania but also her travel agent.

“We paid over $10,000 to Oceania Cruises, and they thumbed their noses at us,” May complained. “They said the policy of assessing cruise gratuities was in their [30 page] brochure. But Oceania never acknowledged that their brochure also said the tips on the cruise were discretionary and could be changed.”

Dwayne immediately noticed problems with May’s complaint. Although she said that the automatic gratuity was a surprise and never disclosed until minutes before disembarkation, her paper trail told a different story.

“In your confirmation, Oceania did disclose the gratuities that it would charge to your account,” Dwayne pointed out.

Dwayne went on to explain that today, most cruise companies handle tipping in this way.

The cruise lines do allow passengers to have the automatically added tips removed if they wish. But the request usually must be made before the cruise line closes out your account onboard the ship. I need to have a better idea of why you believe this is a deceptive practice in the cruise industry before we can determine how best to assist you.  

Is auto-tipping in the cruise industry deceptive?

It was evident from the paper trail that Oceania had made its tipping policy clear in multiple pre-cruise documents May had in her possession:

• Her cruise contract
• The pre-cruise documentation, which included the gratuity information directly under the map to her cabin
• The terms and conditions of Oceania Cruises, accessible online

Dwayne soon determined that he had no basis for asking Oceania to refund the tips. The automatic gratuity was not a hidden feature, and there was no record of May ever asking for the refund until after she was home. By then, the cruise line had already given the tips to the crew.

Dwayne broke the news to May. Our team would not be able to mediate her case and retrieve those gratuities.

Finally, giving up on the refund of the tip the cruise line took automatically

She continued to cling to the defense that Oceania had not added the gratuities to her invoice until minutes before disembarkation. But in its official rebuttal to the credit card dispute, Oceania stated that it had applied the tip several days before the end of the cruise.

However, May says she never saw any invoice before the final one she found under her cabin door. She appeared to be unaware that she could have viewed the invoice through her cabin’s TV throughout the cruise. Alternatively, she could have visited guest relations to discuss tipping at any time during her journey on the Nautica.

In the end, May decided to give up on her pursuit of the refund of those tips.

“I am giving up. I just called Oceania again, and they were stern in their reply to me,” May told Dwayne. “The best recourse at this point is to not ever travel with them again and to tell others about their guest relations.”

“We’re not against tipping.”

After we first published this article, May emailed me to provide additional information that she had not mentioned previously to Dwayne.

We left the cash tip in our cruise cabin on the desk before we went to breakfast.  When we got back from breakfast, we found the undated invoice on the door. We had already left the money and did not take it back.  And we believed the cruise line gave us the invoice in error, and we could correct it later. We were not against tipping and tipped our guides as well on land tours. May

• Crew members often rely on tips to supplement low wages.  You might have noticed that many cruise ships fly a “Flag of Convenience.” That means the vessel is registered in a foreign country, often to lower operating costs. It can also allow the company to avoid various labor laws. The crew members aboard your cruise are likely making less than minimum wage and working long hours. When you skip tipping on your cruise, you aren’t hurting the corporation. You’re just lowering the pool of funds that hard-working service employees share at the end of the journey.
• Automatically added gratuities take the confusion out of tipping on your cruise.  Tipping on cruises is a hot topic and a source of confusion, especially among new cruisers. Whom should you tip? How much? When the cruise line discloses the suggested gratuities pre-cruise and adds it automatically to your invoice, it takes the guesswork out of the equation. Just remember, if you want to adjust your tip (up or down), visit guest services  before  the end of the cruise.
• Your cruise contract will explain the gratuity policy.  Many of the travel fiascos you read about here could have been avoided if the consumer had read their contract. In this case, all the information May needed was made available to her weeks before embarkation. Neither Oceania nor her travel agent included gratuities in the cost of her trip. Had she read her contract or the pre-cruise information, the automatically added tips would not have surprised her.
• Consider a cruise line that wraps gratuities into the cruise cost.  If you’re really against tipping, then you may want to consider only using no-tipping cruise lines. Azamara, Regent, and Silversea are among the high-end cruise lines that have a no-tipping policy. Those cruise lines have already worked gratuities into the total cost of the cruise. Of course, you are always free to provide additional gratuities to specific crew members who have been of help to you.

As Dwayne explained to May, automatically adding gratuities to passengers’ onboard invoices has become standard practice in the cruise industry. And although tipping isn’t mandatory on your cruise, it’s proper cruising etiquette to do so. When figuring out your cruise budget, don’t forget to factor in these suggested tips per passenger, per day.

• Aurora Expeditions: All cabins, $15 per day, per person gratuity will automatically be added to your cruise invoice. If you wish to adjust your tips up or down, let reception know prior to the day of disembarkation.
• Carnival Cruise Line: Staterooms: $16 per person each day. Suites: $18 per person each day. Carnival adds an 18 percent service charge to beverage purchases and to various upscale restaurants. The cruise line also recommends that guests tip crew members delivering room service in cash.
• Celebrity Cruises: Standard cabins: $18 per person each day. Concierge Class: $18.50 per person each day. Suites: $23 per person each day. Celebrity adds a 20 percent service charge to all beverage and mini-bar purchases. An 18 percent tip is added to all spa and salon services and most specialty dining.
• Disney Cruise Line: Disney recommends the following gratuities on its cruises: $14.50 per person per night  (including babies and children) for guests staying in regular staterooms. Disney notes that this fee covers tips for the following crew members: Stateroom host and dining room server, assistant server, and head server. For guests in suites, the recommended gratuity is $15.50 per night and this covers the same crew members plus the stateroom’s assistant host.
• Holland America: Staterooms: $16 per day per passenger. Suites: $17.50 per day per passenger.
• MSC Cruises: The daily auto-tip on MSC depends on the region of the world where the cruise is sailing. For North American cruises: $16 per day for adults and $8 daily for children. South American cruises: $14.50 for adults and $7.25 for children. European sailings: 12 Euros per day for adult, 6 Euros per day for children.
• Norwegian Cruise Line : The Haven and suites: $25 per day, per person. $20 per person per day for Club Balcony Suites and all categories below.
• Oceania Cruises: Staterooms: $18 per person per day; $23 per person for guests in suites with butlers. Note: An automatic 20 percent tip is added to all spa services and beverage purchases.
• Princess Cruises : Staterooms: $16 per person per day. Mini-suites and club class: $17 per person per day. Suites: $18 per person per day. Princess refers to cruise tips as “Crew Incentive.”
• Royal Caribbean: Jr suites and below: $18.00 per person per day; Grand Suites and above: $20.50 per person per day.
• Viking: Viking offers a prepaid gratuity package for guests to purchase prior to boarding, and suggested gratuities vary based on the cruise location. For cruises within Europe, the suggested tip is $20 per day per guest. If the passenger doesn’t purchase this package, 20E per person per day will appear on the guest’s invoice. Viking also recommends tipping drivers and excursion hosts in cash, $2 – $5 per day. ( Michelle Couch-Friedman, Consumer Rescue )

( Editor’s note: Last updated and checked for accuracy on April, 5, 2024 )

* Related: Consumer Rescue’s ultimate guide to planning and taking a cruise

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• Oceania Cruises

O life benefits, please explain

By Tn gal , June 30, 2019 in Oceania Cruises

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I am quite confused.  If I do not take the “free” air, do I get my choice of 8 excursions, etc.  how about Internet?  Many thanks in advance.

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Heartfelttraveler

You can take the O'Life package and then NOT take the air.  Oceania will give you a credit on the cabin cost for the air.

We have done this with the two Oceania cruise we have booked.  (One taken, one coming up.)  This worked out for us because we wanted to fly business with pre and post days added, and Oceania's prices were much higher than booking ourselves.

I would compare the cruise only price against the O Life  deal without air  if you are doing your own

sometimes you are paying for the O life perks  that are non refundable

Do the math before you commit

Everyone get the free internet  even those  that do cruise only pricing

1 hour ago, Heartfelttraveler said: Oceania's prices were much higher than booking ourselves.

Our guy at Oceania was totally upfront about that.

2 hours ago, Tn gal said: I am quite confused.  If I do not take the “free” air, do I get my choice of 8 excursions, etc.  how about Internet?  Many thanks in advance.  

There are several choices when booking a cruise with Oceania:

1 Cruise only - no air (you get credit for it), no O Life

2 Cruise with O Life, no air (get credit

3 Cruise with air, no O Life.

4 Cruise with air and O Life.

With O Life you choose one of 3 options:

1 excursions

2 beverage package

Internet is included on all cruises.

1 hour ago, Heartfelttraveler said:  This worked out for us because we wanted to fly business with pre and post days added, and Oceania's prices were much higher than booking ourselves.

rarely is Oceania  Business air any cheaper than you can get  yourself

one exception is IF they have a promo for BUS  air  ..which is rare  IME

1 hour ago, Paulchili said: There are several choices when booking a cruise with Oceania: 1 Cruise only - no air (you get credit for it), no O Life 2 Cruise with O Life, no air (get credit 3 Cruise with air, no O Life. 4 Cruise with air and O Life. With O Life you choose one of 3 options: 1 excursions 2 beverage package 3 OBC Internet is included on all cruises.

We each got $300 credit for no O-life and $1100 for the air.  And our guy at O said if we were interested in business class it wasn't a good idea.  And IIRC on the air they choose the airline and the routing and if you want something else you pay a supplement.  Not a lot but still.

On 6/30/2019 at 6:58 PM, LHT28 said: rarely is Oceania  Business air any cheaper than you can get  yourself one exception is IF they have a promo for BUS  air  ..which is rare  IME

Nevermind ... just found out my answer!

Watch the fine print on Oceania business class as it may be restricted to gateway cities.   

We prefer using a consolidator for business class.  

4 minutes ago, sammiedawg said: Watch the fine print on Oceania business class as it may be restricted to gateway cities.    We prefer using a consolidator for business class .  

Sammie ... drop me an email or a PM if you've had good experience with any that you'd recommend.

bigmjh  dot  cc  at  gmail  dot  com

On 6/30/2019 at 2:27 PM, Heartfelttraveler said: You can take the O'Life package and then NOT take the air.  Oceania will give you a credit on the cabin cost for the air. We have done this with the two Oceania cruise we have booked.  (One taken, one coming up.)  This worked out for us because we wanted to fly business with pre and post days added, and Oceania's prices were much higher than booking ourselves.

I booked 'live' with an Oceania employee and he absolutely discouraged me from booking business with them.  Plus the economy is the booking of their choice, i.e., we strongly prefer United out of Houston going to Rio but there are many other routings with multiple stops.  If you want to have your choice then you pay a supplement.

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• Oceania Cruises

Shore Excursion/OBC advice for newbie

By MnDAL , June 11, 2023 in Oceania Cruises

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When I first booked my October cruise, I looked at applying the OBC option to Shore Excursions vs a Beverage Package. It appeared to be a no-brainer to use for excursions. After doing so, I have read a lot of negative comments here regarding the value, quality and management of O's shore excursions. I am now questioning my decision. I have these requests:

• I would like your opinions - pro and con - of buying ShoreEx from O. 
• Recommendations for companies that specialize in ShoreEx - comments pro/con.
• Will I have an issue cancelling the bookings I have made and reapplying the OBC option from there to the beverage package?

Any input is appreciated. TIA!

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Share on other sites, grifdoglover.

This is a personal choice.  I like to book my own private excursions and don’t drink much so I take the OBC and use it for onboard expenses like the cooking classes or spa or even gratitudes.  You can drive yourself crazy with the O Life.  I like to go to Tripadvisor for port information, recommendations and excursions.  You could just buy a beverage package and keep your excursions.  My best advice is do what is comfortable for you!  Enjoy your trip!

7 minutes ago, MnDAL said: When I first booked my October cruise, I looked at applying the OBC option to Shore Excursions vs a Beverage Package. It appeared to be a no-brainer to use for excursions. After doing so, I have read a lot of negative comments here regarding the value, quality and management of O's shore excursions. I am now questioning my decision. I have these requests:   I would like your opinions - pro and con - of buying ShoreEx from O.  Recommendations for companies that specialize in ShoreEx - comments pro/con. Will I have an issue cancelling the bookings I have made and reapplying the OBC option from there to the beverage package?   Any input is appreciated. TIA!

If you are going to DIY the shore excursions and do not drink or sparingly then your best option is to do cruise only......the cost of O Life versus cruise only is exactly the amount of OBC.  So you are just pre-prepaying to have the OBC and if you purchase via OLife it is non-refundable (use it or lose it).   If you would like to have some OBC already on your account, the best option is to purchase OBC as a gift to yourself and then, if you don't use it, it is refundable.  When we began cruising with O and did not have pre-paid gratuities and little OBC, we would figure out what our onboard spending would look like and then monthly purchase some OBC so when we boarded our cost were already covered.

We always opt for O-Life without Air, and choose the Shore Excursions.  Yes, one will encounter a poor excursion every now and then, but on the whole, we have been VERY satisfied with O's excursions and Land Programs, and Pre and Post Tours.  And we also DIY in places (St. Petersburg comes to mind) when the local DIY tour is vastly superior to O's options.  Another consideration is that with the occasional port change due to weather, political issues, etc., the convenience of an O Tour steps to the front...  Whichever you choose, enjoy your future cruise!

8 minutes ago, tigerfan75 said: We always opt for O-Life without Air, and choose the Shore Excursions.  Yes, one will encounter a poor excursion every now and then, but on the whole, we have been VERY satisfied with O's excursions and Land Programs, and Pre and Post Tours.  And we also DIY in places (St. Petersburg comes to mind) when the local DIY tour is vastly superior to O's options.  Another consideration is that with the occasional port change due to weather, political issues, etc., the convenience of an O Tour steps to the front...  Whichever you choose, enjoy your future cruise!

Absolutely agree - the shore excursion OLife option is the best "bang for the buck" , second is the drink package, if you enjoy wine or beer with your meals.  As you indicated, many of the O shore excursions are well run and enjoyable.  Everyone's cruising style is different and so it is nice to have options to tailor the cruise to your style...

As it sounds like Olife may be heading the way of the dinosaurs, I don't know how much longer this information is good for.  We also don't yet know if the new program will replace Olife immediately or if they will keep Olife as an option for those who have already booked it.

From all of my reading of these threads over time, many of the regulars with alot of experience in travel seem to do their own excursions and choose cruise only.  It seems clear that booking excursions through O, will be more expensive than a similar, if not the same excursion booked privately.  That difference however may be minimal depending on how many excursions you choose and if you can use the YWMW discount.  I think it reasonable to expect a cruise line to charge a fee above the excursion price but many will differ as to what difference is reasonable.

Your question however suggests you are not looking at choosing the excursion option from Olife but rather taking the OBC and using that to pay for O excursions.  I think most would agree this is usually not the best choice.  It is by choosing the Olife excursion option where you can get some benefit.  That benefit is that Olife usually will cost you say $300 per person but allow you to choose three excursions listed at up to $199 per.  So, it is possible you can get some value there.  Some might still argue that the same excursion can be had for less diy.

In regards to the quality of excursions and options.  Everything I have read is that O offers similar excursions to most lines and that it is important to read carefully what is listed to know what you will be getting.

It will also help to know where your cruise is going as we do not know how to help You with local companies at this point.  

It is also a great idea to get on your roll call if you have not already done so as October is right around the corner and I would guess people are already talking about and booking excursions.

18 minutes ago, tigerfan75 said: We always opt for O-Life without Air, and choose the Shore Excursions.  Yes, one will encounter a poor excursion every now and then, but on the whole, we have been VERY satisfied with O's excursions and Land Programs, and Pre and Post Tours....

Our feelings exactly. One other benefit to consider is that the O-Life excursions count towards the total needed to qualify for the 25% discount on excursions.

Flatbush Flyer

42 minutes ago, grifdoglover said: This is a personal choice.  I like to book my own private excursions and don’t drink much so I take the OBC and use it for onboard expenses like the cooking classes or spa or even gratitudes.  You can drive yourself crazy with the O Life.  I like to go to Tripadvisor for port information, recommendations and excursions.  You could just buy a beverage package and keep your excursions.  My best advice is do what is comfortable for you!  Enjoy your trip!

If you are sure you don’t want the booze or tours perks, there’s zero reason to take O Life.

Instead, do Cruise Only w/wo air.

Do the math: The difference in fare price is exactly the value of the SBC perk and that SBC Is non-refundable. It’s a “wash” but not in your favor due to being non-refundable.

I always do cruise only as I like to do my own air too.

19 minutes ago, Woofa said:   Your question however suggests you are not looking at choosing the excursion option from Olife but rather taking the OBC and using that to pay for O excursions.  I think most would agree this is usually not the best choice.  It is by choosing the Olife excursion option where you can get some benefit.  That benefit is that Olife usually will cost you say $300 per person but allow you to choose three excursions listed at up to $199 per.  So, it is possible you can get some value there. 

I left you with the wrong impression....I had the ability to choose one Olife option when I booked (cruise only). That's why ShoreEx seemed a no-brainer (with a possible $597pp value - $199 x 3 - for $300). It is when I hear so many negative comments about O's shoreEx that I began to look at alternatives. Thus the question: if it was possible to opt out of ShoreEx and change to bev package at this point. 

I know you can add in olife up to 30 days out.  Not sure about the changes.  Do you have a TA?  May want to ask them.  Also in regards to change to eliminate olife I think they are coming the end of this week.

For our last cruise and our forthcoming one, we've selected excursions.  Drinks package is no use - I don't drink alcohol and my companion only sparingly. For most ports, we like to do our own thing, usually having a wander round the town. But sometimes, the actual port isnt that interesting, so the O excursions were a decent way of visiting last time. If that proves not to be the case this time around, if there's a future cruise, we'd probably go with the OBC (perhaps treating ourselves to a purchase in the boutiques that we wouldnt usually choose to afford).

YourWorldWithBill

2 hours ago, MnDAL said: I left you with the wrong impression....I had the ability to choose one Olife option when I booked (cruise only). That's why ShoreEx seemed a no-brainer (with a possible $597pp value - $199 x 3 - for $300). It is when I hear so many negative comments about O's shoreEx that I began to look at alternatives. Thus the question: if it was possible to opt out of ShoreEx and change to bev package at this point. 

Just a tip from another Dallasite: A month after I originally booked, O came out with a one-month special that included the OBC, the excursion credit (each worth $600), as well as the beverage package, all at no additional cost, so I was able to change to that. The chances of that happening again soon may be slim, but you never know. I'm using my credits for excursions, hoping that the encouraging comments here are the ones that apply to my cruise!

3 hours ago, MnDAL said:   I left you with the wrong impression....I had the ability to choose one Olife option when I booked (cruise only). That's why ShoreEx seemed a no-brainer (with a possible $597pp value - $199 x 3 - for $300). It is when I hear so many negative comments about O's shoreEx that I began to look at alternatives. Thus the question: if it was possible to opt out of ShoreEx and change to bev package at this point.   

I chose Shorex for our upcoming cruise, then discovered that most of the excursions were fully booked.  Even though our cruise was paid in full (we booked fairly late on), I was able to get my TA to change to the drinks package which was the next best option.  

DurangoWino

Based on a conversation with an O representative, she said I could change which package I had picked 100 times prior to the cruise.  Not sure if there is a time cutoff but changing packages did not seem to be an issue for her.  I am in the same situation as you with respect to which package I choose for our Miami to Miami trip on Dec 1st.  Not blown away by some of the excursion choices so far.

My 2 cents................. I have had to cruise by myself the last 3 cruises as my friend I travel with was undergoing chemo. My deal with my husband was to do the ship excursions for safety. I will say with no hesitancy that the best excursion I ever had was an Oceania one in Ephesas and worst was a private one on Tahiti. I have enjoyed all of the O excursions as except for one they have been as described and as good or better than I expected. Julia

17 hours ago, DurangoWino said: Based on a conversation with an O representative, she said I could change which package I had picked 100 times prior to the cruise.  Not sure if there is a time cutoff but changing packages did not seem to be an issue for her.  I am in the same situation as you with respect to which package I choose for our Miami to Miami trip on Dec 1st.  Not blown away by some of the excursion choices so far.

I would  just opt out of O Life  

The Caribbean is easy to DIY in most ports

I think determining whether Oceania’s excursions or private excursions will work better for you will depend on the itinerary and how ‘in depth’ you want to go.  For Alaska and Scandinavia, we tend to use the Oceania excursions because most of what you want to see is right there near the port (or viewable from the ship).  For Baltic with St. Petersburg (several years ago), we did all private excursions and they were fabulous.  For Mediterranean, we did a mixture depending on whether the port and surroundings were areas we’d visited more in depth on previous trips.   Pre-Covid, there were many more excursion choices—both private and offered by the cruise lines.  Hopefully, it will start to get back to that point again.

My booking is going to fall under the new Simply More pricing. That option to convert is going to put a new wrinkle in my decision. 

In the meantime, I am looking at the established shore excursion operators for alternatives.

Thanks for all the feedback!

On 6/11/2023 at 11:57 AM, MnDAL said: When I first booked my October cruise, I looked at applying the OBC option to Shore Excursions vs a Beverage Package. It appeared to be a no-brainer to use for excursions. After doing so, I have read a lot of negative comments here regarding the value, quality and management of O's shore excursions. I am now questioning my decision. I have these requests:   I would like your opinions - pro and con - of buying ShoreEx from O.  Recommendations for companies that specialize in ShoreEx - comments pro/con. Will I have an issue cancelling the bookings I have made and reapplying the OBC option from there to the beverage package?   Any input is appreciated. TIA!

     You won't have trouble canceling your excursions. You're going to have to call Oceania directly to do it. It's easy to switch from tom Shore Ex to OBC. If you used a TA, then tell her/him. 

    Wait a few weeks to make any decisions because things are changing. 

     We use Oceania excursions in certain places and book private tours in Europe and The Caribbean. 

   Good luck 

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How cruisers can find culinary delights off-shore.

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Happy kid playing with toy sailing boat indoors. Travel and adventure concept

While most diners on cruise ships may focus on meals they can have aboard a ship at its buffets and signature restaurants, the comestible world you can explore while in port is steadily expanding. Off-shore excursions, some years ago, were more of an afterthought when it came to exploring culinary traditions in new destinations as more of them focused on outdoor excursions or cultural visits.

The current crop of cruise lines are steadily expanding their culinary and wine tasting offerings. They vary from chances to shop at local markets and then cook up the ingredients with a chef to a mescal tasting with tacos.

Where it All Started

The culinary leads on cruise ships got smart to the fact that passengers wanted more than the standard offerings. “They would ask what I was doing in port and ask if they could come,” shares Kathryn Kelley, the executive chef and general director of culinary enrichment for both the Regent and Oceania lines. She adds that she creates every single, chef-led culinary tour that the two lines do.

An off-shore excursion to a farmer's market.

Chef Kelly on one of the brand's ships.

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She adds that the lines offer 100s of culinary tours, which could include visits to olive farms, restaurants and other chef-led excursions. They program is changed up every three years and guests are advised what they can do with 4 to 6 hours in every port.

Most of the tours last four to six hours and are “created and designed around people who are super interested in wine and food.” Many of them, she notes, have traveled to these regions before. Currently the brand is focused on Europe but looking into destinations like Thailand and Japan , which are both major culinary destinations.

Freiburg, Germany

It Is All About Local

All the cruise line professionals I spoke to said all the excursions are created and led by local professionals. They “are always conducted in small groups and led by knowledgeable, experienced local guides,” shares Kristin Karst, the executive vice president and co-founder of AmaWaterways.

Guests at a winery visit.

Many of them, according to Melanie Lewis Carsjens, director of shore excursion operations and product development at Holland America, “evolve based on the needs of the guests.” On Holland America and Seabourn lines, she notes that interest in culinary experiences has grown every year and now the ships offer everything from seafood festivals in Alaska to pisco distillery tours in South America.

Melanie heads up off-shore excursions.

Karst empathizes how much planning goes into the trips. “Before introducing an excursion, our product managers test out each one… If the venue is limited in capacity then we arrange for our small groups to arrive at different times or we have several venues lined up.”

A truffle farm excursion with Ama Waterways.

In addition, she notes, that if guests don’t want to go on excursions, “our cruise managers always have great recommendations to give them if they want to try a local restaurant in any towns or cities our ships visit. We are usually docked in the center of town so it’s easy for our guests to explore on their own.”

Many cruises offer cooking classes in a variety of ports.

Interest in digging deeper in the edible soul of a destination has even expanded into pre- and post-cruise options. According to a spokesperson from Norwegian cruise lines, they include “hotel stays, transportation, excursions and more. Cruise tours are now available across 22 destinations, such as Barcelona, Rome and even as far as Singapore, Turkey, Argentina and more, allowing guests more opportunities to immerse themselves in the destination.”

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Oceania cruises relaunches personalized cruise vacation guide.

Cruise Vacation Guide to include a personalized welcome letter, pre-cruise information, reusable luggage tags and inserts. 

MIAMI , June 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --  Oceania Cruises , the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line, has announced the relaunch of its Cruise Vacation Guide, bringing travelers a personalized portfolio inclusive of pre-cruise information before setting sail.

Received by guests prior to embarkation, the newly relaunched Cruise Vacation Guide will include a personalized welcome letter from Oceania Cruises President, Frank A. Del Rio , a 'Welcome Aboard' booklet with general cruise information and a deck-by-deck guide per vessel, four reusable luggage tags and personalized luggage tag inserts that are customized with the guest's name, sail date, ship and stateroom and color coordinated based on booking category.

While previously guests received a shore excursion booklet in their pre-cruise documents mailed directly to them, they will now be able to access a  digital shore excursion overview  booklet on the Oceania Cruises website under Shore Excursions, and through their booking portal, in addition to receiving a digital PDF of shore excursion offerings specific to their voyage.

"It's important to us that travelers sailing with Oceania Cruises enjoy a personalized and seamless experience from the time they book their voyage until their return home," said Frank A. Del Rio , President of Oceania Cruises. "While most other lines are making the shift to a fully digital experience, we are responding to our guests' preference for physical, in-hand documents, showing our dedication to meet the needs of our guests while also providing digital versions."

The Cruise Vacation Guide will be shipped to guests approximately 60 to 70 days prior to their embarkation date.

For additional information on Oceania Cruises' small-ship luxury product, exquisitely crafted cuisine and expertly curated travel experiences, visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 855-OCEANIA, or speak with a professional travel advisor.

About Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is the world's leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise line. The line's eight small, luxurious ships carry a maximum of 1,250 guests and feature The Finest Cuisine at Sea and destination-rich itineraries that span the globe. Expertly curated travel experiences are available aboard the designer-inspired, small ships, which call on more than 600 marquee and boutique ports in more than 100 countries on seven continents, on voyages that range from seven to more than 200 days. Oceania Cruises has two additional ships on order scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028 or 2029[1]. Oceania Cruises is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH). To learn more, visit www.nclhltd.com .

[1] Delivery for the second Oceania Cruises ship is contractually scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2028, but may be delayed to 2029.

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oceania-cruises-relaunches-personalized-cruise-vacation-guide-302163927.html

SOURCE Oceania Cruises

Carnival is known for ultra-cheap cruises. I sailed on its new ship — and I'm not sure that's completely true.

• Carnival Cruise Line is well known for its  relatively affordable fares .
• But my recent Carnival Firenze cruise was filled with enticing pay-to-play amenities.
• Even the complimentary venues had up-charged options, making it easy for travelers to blow past their budget.

If you aren't careful, your Carnival cruise could quickly become as expensive as an Oceania one.

Peruse any of the "US' most budget-friendly cruise lines" lists, and you're sure to find Carnival somewhere near the top. In 2024, its most affordable itinerary is $164 per person for a four-night sailing from Miami — more than $20 cheaper than Royal Caribbean and Norwegian's least expensive ones.

That's about $40 a day for food, accommodations, onboard entertainment, and the ability to see several destinations in one vacation.

Sounds like a steal, right?

Well, not quite.

You'll be met with a flurry of tempting up-charged amenities the moment you board Carnival's ships . So, if you're prone to giving into these little luxuries, you can kiss your budget goodbye.

I went on my first Carnival cruise in mid-May: a four-night sailing from Long Beach, California, on Carnival Firenze.

I paid $735 for a solo interior cabin, including optional gratuities.

If that sounds relatively expensive, you'd be right. Carnival Firenze is the company's latest vessel, and newer cruise ships generally command a pricing premium.

It's also worth noting that I had booked it less than 10 days before embarkation. Oops.

I thought I knew what to expect when it came to the cruise industry's 'pay-to-play' game.

Mass-market cruise lines have been increasingly slapping fees on on-board amenities and activities. I knew excesses like alcohol, WiFi, and specialty dining would cost extra, as is typical across the industry.

The only one I fell for was WiFi, of which the premium package cost me $85 for all four nights. I was there for work, after all.

Cocktails were generally about $13, while beers and seltzers were about $9 each. Specialty restaurants like teppanyaki and Italian cost about $40 per person, while the steakhouse was $49.

None of these were surprising. Even premium cruise lines charge extra for higher-end restaurants and beverages.

But on Carnival, it felt like almost everything beyond the bare minimum carried an additional fee.

Even complimentary dining venues dangled tempting dollar sign-afflicted dishes — including the buffet, where guests had to pay for chicken wings.

Want an empanada? The Empanadas and Pie kiosk sold them for $1.50 apiece.

Craving a lobster roll? The dinnertime Seafood Shack booth (which otherwise has free breakfast and lunch options) sells one for $18.

Looking for some pizza? You could grab a free pepperoni slice at the pizza stand — or pay $6 for the fancier Korean barbecue steak pie.

That darn dollar sign symbol tormented me morning to night, on and off the ship.

I had been craving a juice for breakfast. Too bad it was $5 (in the complimentary main dining room, no less).

I would've loved some popcorn during the evening movie showings. A bag costs $4.

During our second stop in Ensenada, Mexico, I briefly considered taking the shuttle from the port to downtown. However, that would've been another $4.

But the most egregious 'incident' came during afternoon tea.

The daily schedule denoted pay-to-play events with a small dollar sign symbol. "Tea Time" didn't have one, so off I scurried, excited for some free mid-afternoon caffeine and sweet treats.

You can probably guess where this story is headed.

After I took my seat, a waitperson arrived at my table with an organized box of tea bags, giving me just enough time to review my options before announcing they were $1.50 each. On principle, I declined.

A few minutes later, he returned to my table to let me know that he did, in fact, have some free options stashed behind the up-charged bags. They were the same as those available in the buffet: Lipton and Bigelow's green tea.

During breakfast, one of the servers joked that my croissant and Lipton tea would cost $20 each.

I knew he was kidding, but for a split second, I was worried he wasn't. At that point, I expected almost everything I wanted to come with a price tag.

Carnival, I get it. Get that bag, sis!

But not being immediately upfront about the $1.50 tea bag and otherwise free options felt unecessarily deceitful.

In the company's defense, not everything had a price tag. Fun activities like the mini-golf course, waterslides, and fear-of-height-inducing ropes course were complimentary and great for forgetting how annoyed I was about "tea gate."

Carnival is just following the industry trend.

There's a reason onboard spending has skyrocketed over the last year. Mass-market cruise lines have been increasingly adopting a model reminiscent of budget airlines: offer a low base fare and present a slew of irresistible amenities at an additional price.

Competitors like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are repeat offenders, too.

On Norwegian Prima , mini-golf costs $10 per person, while the VR arcade sets guests back $29 for one hour.

On Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas , mini-golf is free! But walk slow if you decide to spend money on the ship's part-agility, part-ziplining course. It costs $49 to participate — and could be completed in a minute or so.

So yes, going on an ultra-cheap Carnival cruise is possible if you’re like me, stubbornly unwilling to spend extra.

But if you're a pushover who easily gives into temptation, be sure to develop a backbone before you cruise with Carnival .

If you don't, mai tais and movie popcorn costs could add up quicker than expected.

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Courtesy of Oceania Cruises |

Find a Cruise on Sirena

with a cruise advisor

Originally launched as a  Princess  ship, the 648-passenger Sirena was revived in 2016 under the Oceania  name. The ship was most recently revamped in 2019 and features many of the amenities found on its sister ships, including the Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center and duty-free shopping boutiques.

Sirena's dining venues include the Red Ginger Asian restaurant and Tuscan Steak, both of which require reservations and an additional fee. Passengers can also choose from four more casual dining options included in the cruise fare. Recent guests gave the food on the ship mixed reviews. After dinner, evening entertainment includes musicals and theatrical productions, as well as games at the casino. 

Passengers can choose from Inside, Ocean View, Veranda and Suite category cabins. While Inside staterooms start at 160 square feet, those who opt for a suite will find more space and added amenities, such as free internet access and butler service. The ship also now offers solo staterooms for those who are traveling alone.

Oceania Sirena offers sailings in the Caribbean, South America, Europe and some transoceanic itineraries.

Pros & Cons

Offers solo staterooms for solo travelers

Recent cruisers warn of pricey, disorganized excursions

• Expert Rating » 4.5
• Traveler Rating » 4.1
• Health Rating » 4.5

Sirena ranks # 4 out of 7 Oceania Cruises Cruise Ships based on an analysis of expert and user ratings, as well as health ratings.

• # 4 in Best Oceania Cruises
• # 24 in Best Cruises to the Caribbean
• # 25 in Best Cruises to the Mediterranean
• # 25 in Best Cruises for Couples
• # 28 in Best Luxury Cruises
• # 30 in Best Cruises to Europe

Sirena contains 9 decks. Find out which features are available on each Sirena deck.

Traveler Reviews

A ship’s traveler rating is provided under license by Cruiseline.com , which manages one of the largest databases of cruise reviews and ratings by travelers. A total of 78 guests have reviewed Sirena , giving it a rating of 4.1 on a scale of 1-5.

Cruiseline Travel Rating:

Reviews by traveler type.

Ship Photos

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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