New to Oceania. .lots of questions

[mamaofami]

 

Please tell me about air deviation. How does it work? Considering a TA from Barcelona on Riviera.

[aZ4me]

Carol, we just got our air deviation for that cruise last week. We told our TA what flights we'd like (time wise) and what dates we wanted and we also changed the return flight from Miami to Orlando so we can visit some relatives in Orlando area after disembarking in Miami.

By deviating from the cruise dates (and end airport), we're able to spend time in Barcelona before the cruise and time in FL before heading home.

Our TA got in touch with Oceania's air department and within 48 hours Oceania had proposed flights that we were given an opportunity to check out and either approve or ask for further changes. We approved the flights. (They were excellent choices...not the ones we had found, but better.) We told our TA that we wanted the flights that Oceania had chosen and paid a non-refundable $150 / per person air-deviation fee. (The charge would have been the same even if we had only requested a one-way deviation from the cruise's dates.)

We were given 48 hours to approve the flights or request different ones. It is my understanding that had we not approved the flights Oceania picked for us, we would have started all over again with the deviation process, but no fees would have been assessed to that point.

 

We used an air deviation in April '11 and Oceania picked out good flights for us to Barcelona, arriving several days prior to the cruise and good flights home from Rome, several days after the cruise ended. We've been very pleased with the process, even though the fee has increased 50% from two years ago. We could not have purchased the air tickets at the rate Oceania would have credited had we done so on our own. Many folks have enough frequent flyer miles to make getting their own tickets advantageous.

[kimanjo]

Question...

 

My home city is not one of O's Gateway cities.

 

If I did an air deviation (flying early example) could I change airports as well for the same 150.00 fee.

 

Example, my home airpot is MEM, but closest Gateway airport that O's uses is ATL.

 

Could I change my dates (pre or post cruise) and pay the 150.00 fee, AND change from ATL to MEM without incurring the non-gateway fee?

 

If I was only changing the airports, then would I just incur the non-gateway fee.

 

Or do I have to pay both??

 

Make sense?

[mamaofami]

 

Thanks Suzan.Are you using their hotel in Barcelona?

[YoHoHo]

Question...

 

My home city is not one of O's Gateway cities.

 

If I did an air deviation (flying early example) could I change airports as well for the same 150.00 fee.

 

Example, my home airpot is MEM, but closest Gateway airport that O's uses is ATL.

 

Could I change my dates (pre or post cruise) and pay the 150.00 fee, AND change from ATL to MEM without incurring the non-gateway fee?

 

If I was only changing the airports, then would I just incur the non-gateway fee.

 

Or do I have to pay both??

 

Make sense?

If you accept a Deviation proposal there is always the $150 (currently) p.p. administraton fee for the deviation. There is no charge to ask, only if you accept.

 

When O presents you with a routing for your consideration there may or may not be an a charge for additional air fare costs. That would be in addition to the Deviation fee.

 

Sometimes there is additional airfare cost, and likely will be if you are not leaving from one one their airlines gateways, and sometimes not.

 

You can propose certain flights that you like if there is something that you particularly want. Or you can leave it up to O to find flights that meet your request as did az4me and got good flights proposed.

 

When we have requested Deviations we have always let O first suggest a routing. We have then accepted first time or rejected and requested another proposal, perhaps with suggestions.

[aZ4me]

 

Thanks Suzan.Are you using their hotel in Barcelona?

We enjoy staying at Hotel 1898 in Barcelona. It's along La Rambla and very convenient.

[Jancruz]

Question...

 

My home city is not one of O's Gateway cities.

 

If I did an air deviation (flying early example) could I change airports as well for the same 150.00 fee.

 

Example, my home airpot is MEM, but closest Gateway airport that O's uses is ATL.

 

Could I change my dates (pre or post cruise) and pay the 150.00 fee, AND change from ATL to MEM without incurring the non-gateway fee?

 

If I was only changing the airports, then would I just incur the non-gateway fee.

 

Or do I have to pay both??

 

Make sense?

 

You have to pay both as one has nothing to do with another..

Jancruz1

[Mura]

 

Thanks Suzan. Are you using their hotel in Barcelona?

 

 

Many of us do not use O's hotel packages because they charge per person, not per room. Sometimes, say you're using a deviation and coming in one day ahead, using their hotel through O can be beneficial because they include the transfer.

 

I have been known to use O's hotel, but I book it on my own. We ourselves tend not to use O's flights, although we have on a few rare occasions. Usually we book our own air and come in a few days early, leave a few days late.

 

Usually, as far as transfers are concerned, you can do much better than O's fares by just taking a cab. If the port is a long drive from the airport, however, this may not be the case. When we flew into Rome for a departure from Civitavecchia we booked with local limo services, found some others on our cruise to share, and it was far cheaper. Not to mention more comfortable! But if we are, say, arriving in Barcelona, it's a cheap cab ride from the airport to your hotel.

 

Mura

[mamaofami]

Thank you Mura and Suzan for your fast replies.

 

Mura, did I read somewhere (I've read so much today) that you live in NYC? I'm 30 minutes north of the city in Westchester.

[Mura]

Yes, indeed. We're in Brooklyn Heights.

 

But I don't think we're on the same cruise ... No, now I know we are NOT. We're doing the Barcelona to Rio cruise in November on Marina, and then another TA (NYC to Dover) on Marina in May 2014.

 

But feel free to write me with questions!

 

Mura

[mamaofami]

Mura, my daughter and husband lived in Brooklyn Heights when they were first married and my niece lives there now.It's a great area.

 

[Mura]

Mama,

 

We love it! Have been here since 1972. Eight years in a rental apartment in a brownstone, since then in a Coop in an apartment building built in 1907.

 

We must get together some day when we are NOT on a cruise!

 

Mura

[LHT28]

Question...

 

My home city is not one of O's Gateway cities.

 

If I did an air deviation (flying early example) could I change airports as well for the same 150.00 fee.

 

Example, my home airpot is MEM, but closest Gateway airport that O's uses is ATL.

 

Could I change my dates (pre or post cruise) and pay the 150.00 fee, AND change from ATL to MEM without incurring the non-gateway fee?

 

If I was only changing the airports, then would I just incur the non-gateway fee.

 

Or do I have to pay both??

 

Make sense?

Clear as mud :D

I think you pay both

Your TA or Oceania would be the best to answer this question

 

Lyn

[mamaofami]

Mama,

 

We love it! Have been here since 1972. Eight years in a rental apartment in a brownstone, since then in a Coop in an apartment building built in 1907.

 

We must get together some day when we are NOT on a cruise!

 

Mura

 

Would love to get together. And please call me Carol. Somewhere in my post, my name is hiding.

[Mura]

Carol,

 

It's hiding very well. There's a link to my email at the bottom of my posts, but sometimes people say that doesn't work. If it does not, write to me at mura at speakeasy dot net.

 

I don't want to clog up this thread with our personal chit chat!

 

Mura

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Mamafama, I agree with everything said here. We requested a deviation 270 days before embarkation in Barcelona, and got the exact flights we asked for, flying in a week before the cruise (perhaps the same TA that you are thinking about.) O air made sense to us on this route, since it's one-way across the ocean--we are booking our own flights to/from Miami. We also paid for an upgrade to Premium Economy and the price for this was quite reasonable.

 

Remember, there are two reasons for deviating--travelling on different dates, and asking for specific flights. Either one triggers a deviation fee, although you can roll both into one fee.

 

I would never use the cruiseline's pre-cruise hotel--the rates are atrocious. As said, the only time it makes sense is if you want to fly in one day before the cruise anyways, so you save the deviation fee by simply accepting the flights they offer you. You then get transfers included. Which may work out to be a decent deal. Otherwise, take the credit and book your own. We are spending a week in the Barcelona area, and did not want to pay the rates at a place like Hotel 1898, so chose sensible, 3-star hotels with good recommendations on tripadvisor.com.

[pacheco18]

[quote=

I would never use the cruiseline's pre-cruise hotel--the rates are atrocious. .

 

I could not agree more. Same goes for their transfers.

 

You will save many hundreds of dollars booking your own hotel and your own transfers.

[skiladyldp]

We are going to be taking O's air on our next cruise too. Thanks for all these questions and answers it is helping me to understand the process. When do you select your flights? Do you have to make the final payment to begin this process? We did not plan to make the final payment until we have to ( I forget how many days out it is at the moment). If we wait that long will we only be offered seats that are undesirable? Thanks for any help on this.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

No, you don't have to pay in full, nor do you have to wait that long. Assuming you want to deviate, you can choose your flights 270 days before your cruise. If you don't pay the deviation fee, you don't choose, O does, and you don't find out your flight info until quite late.

[skiladyldp]

Wendy thank you for responding to my question. That information was very helpful.

[RuthC]

Thanks to Carol for starting this train of thought. It's prompted a question.

I am on the same TA that Carol has referred to---Riviera from Barcelona to Miami.

My closest international airport is Boston, which is fine for the flight over. However, my closest domestic airport is Providence, which is much more desirable for the flight home.

So, my question is, will Oceania allow a deviation that flies me out of Boston, yet back to Providence??? That would be great if I can do that.

I will also want to fly out a day early, but I know I can do that.

Also, what hotel does Oceania use for their pre-cruise hotel? (I did not ask how much for the hotel, so, please don't answer a question not asked.)

[Playtennis]

It has been indicated that Oceania will allow you to chose the air deviation and give you flight arrangements 270 prior to the cruise's sailing date. Going directly to US Airways (and I assume others) and you can schedule flights 330 days prior.

We would prefer to be able to get our flights arranged as early as possible but I am intrigued by the possibility of having the air arranged through Oceania (and, of course, saving a few $$$).

So two questions: Is 270 days the earliest going through O? What has been the experience of getting (roughly) what you want? We are looking to fly business class.

Thanks

[Mura]

Also, what hotel does Oceania use for their pre-cruise hotel? I did not ask how much for the hotel, so, please don't answer a question not asked.)

 

 

 

The Grand Marina and the Majestic, according to the website.

 

Mura

[Wendy The Wanderer]

... What has been the experience of getting (roughly) what you want? We are looking to fly business class.

Thanks

 

I recently went through this for our crossing this November. We got exactly what we wanted. We asked for and got World Traveller Plus on British Airways (premium economy) at a very good price. No experience asking for Business seats, but I would imagine this is no bargain.

[LHT28]

Also, what hotel does Oceania use for their pre-cruise hotel? (I did not ask how much for the hotel, so, please don't answer a question not asked.)

If you look on the website for your cruise under the tab HOTELS..it gives you the information

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/findcruise/transoceanic/rva131118/hotels.aspx