susiesan

Simply no more O 😁cruises for you, pinotlover. Check out Windstar, you'd like them.

I did not book these 4 cruises, I just looked at the prices before and after. These are very similar cruises to the Caribbean one I took last December and the upcoming Med/Canary Island cruise in Sept. I only noted the cruise only price, not the O life price as I never use it. I just wanted to see how much more I would have to spend on an Oceania cruise that I would take. As to getting 2 log ins on the wifi, I don't care about that amenity. Is it worth paying an extra from $40 a day pp to $62 a day pp more for included items that I don't want and wouldn't use? Probably not. Since my next cruise in 2024 is with Azamara and I have no other cruises planned after that, I'll see how this plays out. I'm going to be doing more land trips next year, already have a safari in Uganda in January and looking into Smokey Mtn Nat'l Park I spring 2024. I may not be on another cruise for a few years, my husband is getting tired of them.

Here is the unscientific summary of 4 cruises with the before and after pricing. This is cruise only, no air, least expensive outside cabin, per person. This is how I cruise with Oceania. 1. Nov. 6, 2023 Nautica 12 days BCN-BCN original price $2799 SM price $3339 19% increase +$540 2. Nov. 13, 2023 Marina 7 days BCN-LIS original price $2199 SM price $2499 14% increase +$300 3.Dec. 1, 2023 10 days MIA-MIA original price $2499 SM price $2899 16% increase +$400 4. Dec. 17, 2023 12 days Insignia MIA-MIA original price $2599 SM price $3349 29% increase +$750

Here's a hefty price increase for you, the cruise I will be on in 2 months Sirena Sept 2, 2023 10 nights Barcelona to Lisbon. B1 veranda. I paid cruise only $2746 per person. Today cruise only with SM $4449.per person.

I met a couple on a Windstar cruise who were contractors for Xanterra and were on the cruise for free doing reconnaissance for them, getting passenger comments to report on. Their job was to chat up fellow pax.

The issue is all the more comes with a hefty price increase. If I wanted all of those inclusions I would have been cruising with SB or SS or RSS or Viking. There are more of us cruise only customers out here than you think, they are not on CC. We are not happy.

Must be a Canadian thing. I have never found a US TA that would give me a rebate on an Oceania cruise. I am getting one for my AZ cruise next year, $500 after the cruise is taken.

Thanks for that tidbit of info. I did not know that since I have never ordered wine by the glass with meals. Is there a list of what kind of wines are in the current select package? I don't like beer or champagne, I only like sweet white wine like riesling, moscato, and white zinfandel. I know, I'm a wine slob ; )

Why do you want tips included? That's one thing we can get from our TA, prepaid gratuities, since TAs th are not allowed to discount Oceania cruises.. If O starts including tips along with simply more, what would be the benefit to booking with a TA? With shore ex and beverages included, what would we use OBC coming from a TA for?

So the servers won't be walking around with 2 bottles, they will have to take orders and keep running off somewhere to fetch everyone's different wine by the glass choice. Maybe O will set up a self serve wine bar in each dining venue so people can help themselves and take the extra burden off of the overworked servers.

Hurry up and book before July 1. prices are about to increase dramatically with the new simply more program. You could see your cost go up $600-$800 for the same cruise if you book cruise only.

Are you still going to bring extra wine now that it will be included with simply more? is it going to be worth the hassle?

Has anyone thought about this effect once the simply more beverage package goes into force: I always do cruise only and purchase cocktails at happy hour and the occasional bottle of wine to go with dinner. I rarely drink wine by the glass with meals. If I will have an included beverage package that I had to pay for then I will use it. I will start ordering wine with all meals and will not buy any extra bottles. I'm not picky about wine. Will the dining room servers be able to keep up with the demand? Almost everyone will be asking for a glass of wine or 2 or 3 with their dinner, far more people than do now. O will need to add more wine servers to all of the dining venues to keep up with the demand. I predict a service decline in this area.

And when loyal customers leave due to being disappointed they tell everyone they know how poorly they were treated. Negative word of mouth has far more impact than positive.

I have jotted down prices on 4 cruises later this year similar to the one I am taking in Sept and the one I took last December. 2 are Caribbean, 2 are Mediterranean. I noted the price of the least expensive outside view cruise only price shown on O's web site today. I will check the new price after July 1 to see how much simply more would cost me for the same cruise.

And the way the press release reads is that you get "free' airfare meaning there is no option to book your own air and get a credit. A very poorly worded press release which is turning off many many people. If I wanted to pay the price and sail on a Regent type product I would just book Regent from the start. At this rate Oceania raises will be the same price as Regent 7 Seas prices.

I booked my cruise June 1, 2022. O must have changed their policy and lowered the deposit from $750 to $500 on July 25, 2022. They may have lowered it due to competition from Azamara. I am in a balcony cabin for tis cruise.

I have never booked onboard for an Oceania cruise. My current cruise coming up was booked with a TA and the deposit was $1500. The AZ cruise was booked with the same TA and the deposit is $1100.

I have an Azamara cruise booked for Sept. 2024. The non refundable booking fee is $75 pp, $150 for the cabin. Oceania's admin fee at $250 is 3 times as much. If I did cancel within the allotted time to get my deposit back that $150 can be applied to another Azamara cruise in the future. Oceania just took that credit away. Azamara cancellation penalties start at 121 days, not 180 like O. Azamara deposit o the lower rooms is $550, Oceania's is $750. AZ final payment is due at 120 days. I'm very glad I booked this itinerary with AZ and not O as I have a lot more flexibility if I have to cancel for some reason. As the cruise issue a year and a half away, who knows what will happen?

O seems to be doing a good job of driving away long time loyal customers.

When did O change the cancellation window for shorter cruises to 6 months to avoid the $250 admin fee? It was 120 days. Since I only take 14 day or shorter cruises with O, if this is the case to have to cancel at 6 months to avoid any fees, my upcoming Sirena cruise Sept. 2 will be my last with O.

No, this is too much fun now😝

All 3 Windstar yachts have now been cut in half and stretched. They went from 212 pax to 312. The standard cabins are much much bigger than the veranda cabins on the R ships. During the stretching of the yachts and elevator was added. The small sailing ships gave only 4 decks so elevators are not needed for the majority of passengers. All of the 6 Windstar ships have the water sports platform at the back for those who enjoy swimming and water activities.

Windstar does not include alcohol. Why no one on here mentions them as an alternative I don't get. After Oceania, they are my second favorite line. Small ships, great itineraries, large cabins on the yachts. Right now, they are for more expensive than O per day for the cabin I would be in so I haven't sailed with them in a few years. After the coming price increase with Simply More Windstar may price out less money than O.

No, the AZ beverage package included is only beer and wine. The Simply More beverage package has hard liquor included. Currently O charges $40 a day per person for that. That means I have to add $80 a day to a cruise only priced O cabin. I can cover my onboard drinks with the OBC I get, some from O and some from my TA. All bookings include FREE champagne, wine, and more with over 30 alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices for lunch and dinner. Isn't the O Life shore ex option usually $600? So there is another $1200 I save by booking cruise only. Forcing people to take O shore ex is a money maker for them. Since it is a use it or lose it credit, most people will use it so as not to make a donation to Oceania. I have never had a TA who pays me a rebate on an Oceania cruise, I usually get a discount up front.