Oceania Cruises
Regatta Cruise Review
The Baltic

Susie Learey

I enjoyed your review. My husband and I were on the Regatta the two weeks before you. I completely agree with all the praise you heaped upon them. We have previously been on Seabourn, Renaissance and Norwegian. This was definitely up there near Seabourn.

We had a couple of interesting things happen to demonstrate their customer service. We celebrated our anniversary on September 7 and reserved a special table for six at the back of Polo so we would have a good view of the sail-a-way from Copenhagen. Unfortunately, the table was taken when we arrived. My husband said he would take a table by the window on the port side, but the hostess said that it was reserved for Mr. Del Rio's party. My husband said he was sure Mr. Del Rio would be more interested in making a customer happy than to dine at that table. She said she was sure that was true and gave us the table.

When we disembarked at 9:30 in Dover and asked which was the bus to Gatwick, we were told that those buses had left at 7:10 and that we did not have a reservation. (We had paid months ago for the transfer.) She told us we would have to take a cab and that the cost would be around $300.

My husband had to open his suitcase there on the dock and retrieve his receipt, which showed we had indeed paid for the transfer. He explained that under the circumstances, Oceania would be paying for the cab. Of course she agreed.

About five minutes later, they directed us to a chauffeur-driven van that was parked near the buses. He said he would drive us to Gatwick.

Why was he waiting there? It was for Mr. Del Rio (complete with newspapers, magazines and apples in the back seat). He apparently was not ready to head for London yet, so we took his car and he ordered another.

We mentioned to the driver that we were told by Oceania that we could not possibly make a noon flight from Gatwick, so we had a hotel reservation that night and were flying out the next day. He said he thought he could get us there in time if we wanted to try it. He used his cell phone to call ahead to see if there were seats on the plane. Continental was not sure, but said they would let us know when we arrived at Gatwick. We made it with minutes to spare. Even had time for a Bloody Mary in the President's Club, where the attendant cancelled the hotel for us. It was heavenly to get home a day early!

The above is what I call "complete customer satisfaction." However, we're afraid Mr. D will have our names taken off their mailing list.

Susie Learey
Indianapolis