Rare Pirouette Posted April 4, 2012 #1 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Hi everyone- We usually do not do cruise holidays but the itinerary and price were right. I have made the reservation directly with Oceania and I have paid my deposit. The balance is due in a couple weeks. I had Oceania transfer the file to my local travel agent and I asked her to investigate air options that Oceania would propose. She has suggested that she book my flights and this will give me an $1100 discount on my cabin. The problem is that the minimum cost for flights is about $1750+- a cost that would be borne by Oceania if I let the cruiseline take care of my air arrangements. We will be doing one of the Baltic cruises in July, which is high season for air travel to Europe. My local agent has suggested that Oceania could book us on flights with 2-3 stops (more chance of losing luggage, etc.) She can not get any info from them about a proposed itinerary and I understand that I will not be advised of any air arrangements until about 70 days before travel. I am not sure what to do-I am not keen on incurring additional and unnecessary expenses. Can I assume that Oceania's arrangements will get us to where we are supposed to be in a comfortable and timely manner? Should I buy into my TA's scare scenario and either have her book my flights, or alternatively, request a deviation prior to knowing what arrangements Oceania will propose? We are in Vancouver, Canada and there are no direct flights to Copenhagen or Stockholm. We will have at least one stop in any event in each direction. My TA also tells me that flights leaving Stockholm with decent connections to Vancouver depart very early and that we would not be able to disembark in time for any of them. Who covers the cost of an overnight if required? I would really appreciate your insights on this-I would like to insist on being ticketed as soon as I make my final payment. My TA has also suggested that this is simply not an option with Oceania. Help!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted April 4, 2012 #2 Share Posted April 4, 2012 This is what i do I check the flights that are available using http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ I fly in a day or more early in any case & maybe stay after the cruise I then ask my TA to see what flights O will provide for those dates on a deviation If I do not like the flights presented by O I ask my TA to request the flights I would like I may or may not have to pay an upcharge for specific flights in addition to the deviation fee I can accept the flights or decline (no fee) i would check both options then decide Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAexNY Posted April 4, 2012 #3 Share Posted April 4, 2012 In the past, the air credit from O was pretty generous and often you could book your own flights for about the same amount. In the past year, the air credit has gotten stingier. In your example, taking the credit and booking your own flights will cost you $500 or more. You should consider the deviation. Propose your own itinerary to Oceania through your TA. They will get back to you and tell you if there is any upcharge beyond the $125 deviation fee. In our case, we have always been able to pick our flights and pay only the deviation fee. Another advantage of this is that you will be ticketed many months before your travel dates and will be able to select your seats that much sooner. The only disadvantage of this is that often the tickets O buys for you are not upgradeable with either miles or co-pays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnevale Posted April 4, 2012 #4 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I agree with LAexNY. IMHO the $125 pp fee (USD) is worth it to be able to ensure you get the itinerary you want and to be able to find out right away what your routing will be. Through your TA you can request an air proposal now and find out in a few days what their offer is. You don't have to take their offer if you think the extra cost for the routing you want is too much. And, if it was me, I'd change TA to one that will help you get what you want without it costing the difference between what you've seen flights costing and the airfare allocation from OCL. I haven't seen any flights out of YVR that come close to the amount offered in the airfare allocation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted April 4, 2012 #5 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Actually, the tickets Oceania gets you may be upgradable. The Miami-Barcelona American Airlines flight I got with my deviation is upgradable. The only problem is the ticket needs to be paid for to upgrade and Oceania does not pay for the tickets until about 60 days before the cruise, so those seats may be gone by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted April 5, 2012 #6 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Hi everyone- We usually do not do cruise holidays but the itinerary and price were right. I have made the reservation directly with Oceania and I have paid my deposit. The balance is due in a couple weeks. I had Oceania transfer the file to my local travel agent and I asked her to investigate air options that Oceania would propose. She has suggested that she book my flights and this will give me an $1100 discount on my cabin. The problem is that the minimum cost for flights is about $1750+- a cost that would be borne by Oceania if I let the cruiseline take care of my air arrangements. We will be doing one of the Baltic cruises in July, which is high season for air travel to Europe. My local agent has suggested that Oceania could book us on flights with 2-3 stops (more chance of losing luggage, etc.) She can not get any info from them about a proposed itinerary and I understand that I will not be advised of any air arrangements until about 70 days before travel. I am not sure what to do-I am not keen on incurring additional and unnecessary expenses. Can I assume that Oceania's arrangements will get us to where we are supposed to be in a comfortable and timely manner? Should I buy into my TA's scare scenario and either have her book my flights, or alternatively, request a deviation prior to knowing what arrangements Oceania will propose? We are in Vancouver, Canada and there are no direct flights to Copenhagen or Stockholm. We will have at least one stop in any event in each direction. My TA also tells me that flights leaving Stockholm with decent connections to Vancouver depart very early and that we would not be able to disembark in time for any of them. Who covers the cost of an overnight if required? I would really appreciate your insights on this-I would like to insist on being ticketed as soon as I make my final payment. My TA has also suggested that this is simply not an option with Oceania. Help!!!! The credit from Oceania is $1100 and the estimated cost from your agent is $1750 -- it's unclear whether either figure is per person, but even if both are per couple, the difference is $650 -- and a deviation costs just $250 for a couple. Also, you may request a deviation proposal and not pay the fee unless you accept the proposal. Asking for a deviation proposal is therefore a no-brainer, and if your agent is reluctant to do so, you should 1uickly get a new agent who is concerned about you, not their pocketbook. Also, as soon as you make the final payment, you may request Ocenaia to do the ticketing. Any question about whether there are decent connections are resolvbed by requesting a deviation proposal. In fact, if you don't like their proposal, you may continue (within reason) to suggest different flights until you either get a proposal you like enough to accept or decide not to accept any proposal. Bear in mind that the most reasonable cost propsals will be based on airlines with which Oceania has contracts. Alternative schedules may incur an extra cost. As long as the combination of deviation fee and surcharges is less than you can book yourself, you're money ahead. As far as comfort and timeliness are concerned, only you can make that determination, and only after getting complete information by requesting a deviation proposal. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted April 5, 2012 #7 Share Posted April 5, 2012 And if you want to fly business using Oceania's air you will pay a LOT! If coach is fine with you, I'd go with the deviation. Flights can be chosen, and you might have to pay a little more than the deviation fee to get the schedule you want, but it's not an unreasonable extra fee. Listen to Lyn since she is also flying from Canada ... As to whether tickets purchased by O are upgradeable, it can depend on the airline. My attempt to get upgradeble tix to Athens/Istanbul with Delta from JFK didn't work because O's contract only allows non-upgradeable fares (unless you are a Medallion member and I don't happen to fly 250,000 miles a year). It can depend on your airline, but it never hurts to ask! Check with your preferred airline as to what the codes are for upgradeable fares, and then see what O can offer you. Mura Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Pirouette Posted April 5, 2012 Author #8 Share Posted April 5, 2012 We are fine with economy and not concerned with upgrades. When I consider the prices for air from Vancouver to Copenhagen, with an open jaw return from Stockholm, free air seems too good to be true! I have been to matrix, Kayak and my TA and the cheapest fare is $1795 pp. I appreciate that O purchases from a consolidator but still-there is no way to arrange similar flights independently with an air allowance of $1100. It just makes sense to use O to do the air-I can't get a better deal independently. I wonder how O makes any money offering free air to Europe in high season! My only concern is the potential multiple stop itinerary. I will consider the deviation, but I am not looking to either arrive early or stay on after the cruise due to work commitments. It seems that most people have had reasonable connections using O, even without a deviation. I may ask my TA to do a proposal tomorrow and see where that leads. Thanks for all your suggestions and help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted April 5, 2012 #9 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Well then, Pirouette, the main question about when you get there is make sure you DO get there on time! Flight schedules can be well and good but some people on cruises have run into problems because the airlines just didn't leave when they said they would. Therefore, many of us take the precaution of going in a day early. If you can't, you can't! But it IS a word to the wise. If you can manage it, at least on the day going to the cruise, it's a good precaution. When we took the Iceland cruise in June 2006 I met up with a high school classmate (!) who didn't get to the ship until we were in Oslo (having left from Dover) -- about 2 days late, maybe even 3. Their flight was super delayed and they just couldn't get to Dover in time, even though the schedule said they should have. Too add insult to injury, their luggage was also lost for a couple of days! It wasn't Oceania's fault that United couldn't get the bird off the ground, but Oceania's customer service also was not at all helpful to them. (I'm going by what they told me, and Oceania might well have a different story to tell.) Usually, flying in on the day the ship leaves is just fine ... but if you can work in a cushion, it can be a good idea. It DOES mean an additional night in a hotel but then you may also have a chance to see the departure city. By the way, the few times we have used Oceania air, we haven't had a problem with multi-stops (then again, we leave from NYC). I was horrified at flight schedules people had with Renaissance way back when, with multi stops and long layovers. But Oceania hasn't seemed to make those kinds of schedules. From what I've read on message boards, people usually seem pleased with the arrangements. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoHoHo Posted April 5, 2012 #10 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Perhaps my (and LHT28's) repy to your previous post where your concern was that O might book your flight out on Friday was too wordy (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1605746). I too am from Vancouver though not flown to Copenhagen. I declined an upgrade offer from O for a Baltics cruise because like you, I had concerns making it work flying out with tight work requirements. Now if the lottery would just hit ... Like others here I suggest you request a deviation and accept it if it suits or request something else if not. No charge until you accept. Only time spent. no harm, no foul. Bear in mind what I wrote in the other post that you can request specific flights if there is something particular that suits you best. There may or may not be an additional charge for the air fare (there will always be the $125 per person if you acccept) but you will be told of this with the offer (unless as I suspect they can book it at no additional charge for air fare in which case they automatically book it to ensure you get what you are requesting) Enjoy the cruise, Baltics on O should be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted April 5, 2012 #11 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Both convenience and piece of mind are important to me- especially if I were flying in the day of a cruise. I know $250 a couple is not chump change, but after spending all those thousands for the cruise, I don't want to worry about missing it if an connecting flight is delayed, especially if that flight could have been avoided. The problem with waiting until Oceania gives you the flight information, is that another flight could be already filled and you can't get on it. I was in the same dilemma as you a few weeks ago and saw that there was one nonstop a day to and from my cruise and decided to grab it. Paying the deviation fee and the extra $100 a ticket for the airfare differential is far less than the cost of even one day on the cruise and sure beats a layover. As these flights were on different airlines, taking the air credit and booking it ourselves was VERY expensive. I am not trying to tell you how to spend your money, but in this case I am relating my similar experience and I feel I spent it wisely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribbeansun Posted April 5, 2012 #12 Share Posted April 5, 2012 You seem to have answered your own question. Your TA can't get you there for a price that's equal to or less than O with or without deviation fee so clearly you take O. Decision made. If you are concerned about dates or flight times or connections request the deviation. If your concerns aren't worth $250 to put them to rest then take what they give you. If it is worth $250 give your TA your preferred routings with flight #'s for submission to O knowing that if they can't give you your preferred routings then you can decline and go back to O's default flights. Only you can determine if it is worth it to you or not. Best of luck! We are fine with economy and not concerned with upgrades. When I consider the prices for air from Vancouver to Copenhagen, with an open jaw return from Stockholm, free air seems too good to be true! I have been to matrix, Kayak and my TA and the cheapest fare is $1795 pp. I appreciate that O purchases from a consolidator but still-there is no way to arrange similar flights independently with an air allowance of $1100. It just makes sense to use O to do the air-I can't get a better deal independently. I wonder how O makes any money offering free air to Europe in high season! My only concern is the potential multiple stop itinerary. I will consider the deviation, but I am not looking to either arrive early or stay on after the cruise due to work commitments. It seems that most people have had reasonable connections using O, even without a deviation. I may ask my TA to do a proposal tomorrow and see where that leads. Thanks for all your suggestions and help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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