Oceania Prices Soar

[Emperor Norton]

... What I don't understand about luxury cruise prices, is why these companies have not been in notable trouble during the recession...

 

Some have parents that can float them (eg: Seabourn) others change their business model (eg: Crystal) others have declining quality allegedly due to cost cutting (Regent, SilverSea). The times (like replacing Dom Perignon with the Nicholas F. stuff) are a changing.

[spindrift]

Ya'll are totally correct about the economy, price increases, etc. etc. I just like to dream that prices could come down a little. :rolleyes: I just felt that their prices were rising faster than some of the other lines.

 

When sailing Silver Seas many years ago, I recall their saying that they would never lower their prices and not offer specials. Guess they are eating those words now.

 

I love O, so I try and take advantage of any special promotions, which I may do since I see some of the trips they are offering a better Business Class rate. Flying is getting harder and harder for us. We are in fairly good health, but knowing that boarding "O" is just ahead for us, we manage. (Then you have to go back home - :eek:)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

... Flying is getting harder and harder for us. We are in fairly good health, but knowing that boarding "O" is just ahead for us, we manage. (Then you have to go back home - :eek:)

 

I'm with you on that one--we just flew Premium Economy return Lisbon a couple of months ago, and it was a trek! I welcome these new Business Class promotions on O, since they have been a huge perk on Regent for us.

[wripro]

Baychilla,

 

I have never, on any luxury line, been offered Dom Perignon as an included champagne. Perhaps you were lucky enough to have this experience. Nicolas Feuillate has always been on e fo the included mainstays even way back when, along with a few others.

[Emperor Norton]

Baychilla,

 

I have never, on any luxury line, been offered Dom Perignon as an included champagne. Perhaps you were lucky enough to have this experience. Nicolas Feuillate has always been on e fo the included mainstays even way back when, along with a few others.

 

I recall on my Silversea cruise I had a bottle of Dom via AmEx and another as the welcome aboard bottle, but maybe it was Dom and Nick F. Hrm.

[spindrift]

Wendy The Wanderer, we actually are looking at a couple of the O trips now because of the BC upgrade cost. That thrills me. I can handle the price increase if I can have a decent BC rate. :p

[vaitape]

Wendy The Wanderer, we actually are looking at a couple of the O trips now because of the BC upgrade cost. That thrills me. I can handle the price increase if I can have a decent BC rate. :p

 

Only available on selected cruises.

[joysav]

Totally agree Paul...I'm here for the ride.

 

But what ride is that ???

[joysav]

Well, it did change here in Canada in 2008, because the stock market crash affected everyone worldwide, especially affecting retirement savings plans. The recession also affected the job market--I was forced into retirement for example. We had no real estate crash here, but there is still lots of austerity to go around--government deficits and budget shortfalls. The fundamentals of our economy remain sound, true enough, but our real estate market in big cities like Toronto and Vancouver remain in a possible future bubble situation, and personal debt is at an all-time high.

 

Sorry for the rant. What I don't understand about luxury cruise prices, is why these companies have not been in notable trouble during the recession, since so many of their customers have experienced some significant personal financial losses. (Remembering 2001-2004 when there were bargains galore--that wasn't a financial crisis but a security one.)

 

"The fundamentals of our economy remain sound, true enough"

Well that is what I meant. No one really has escaped the ravages of the Stock Market crash.

of 2007/2008 but fortunately I did listen to Stephen Roach, Dr Gloom , Dr Gloom and Doom ,

Jim Rodgers ,Soros etc on Bernie Lo's show at that time i think was on Bloomberg .He is now on CNBC.

 

Cash was King and a buying opportunity. ;)

 

"What I don't understand about luxury cruise prices, is why these companies have not been in

notable trouble during the recession"

I don't think they are in good shape, and were probably hanging on for the good times which are not

likely to arrive ever again.

 

Why ? Well I am not going to state the obvious but lets see for instance where you HouseHold/Business

Insurance rates are in 5 years . :eek:

[LuAnn]

We have been doing three major trips a year plus some smaller ones

As prices rise on O I will have to reevaluate whether it is worth it Azamara has increased its prices so I'm not sure they are an alternative in terms of price.

 

We have taken a few Celebrity cruises and they do represent the best value at sea IMO. We manage to enjoy ourselves but we adjust our expectations

 

At this point it is all about itinerary for us. Finding a unique itinerary is challenging. Maybe we will cruise less and do more land trips.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who would be happy to struggle over these decisions. I am just grateful we are healthy and can afford to travel

 

We are so lucky to have to make these types of decisions...Kenneth told me the other day...that when he can't lift a 50 lb suitcase to carry it downstairs...we are done....so trying to go and do while we can!!! ;) LuAnn

[leonardofan]

It's not clear that the huge price increases will stick -- the last brochure I got seemed considerably more reasonable than the ones I got a few months ago.

[wripro]

baychilla,

 

The Dom was from the Amex Platinum benefits. The NF came from SS.

[pacheco18]

We are so lucky to have to make these types of decisions...Kenneth told me the other day...that when he can't lift a 50 lb suitcase to carry it downstairs...we are done....so trying to go and do while we can!!! ;) LuAnn

 

Same here

 

There are a whole bunch of cruisers now on Nautica who are much older and not terribly mobile. While I admire their fortitude and determination to keep doing these somewhat exhausting trips, I'd rather do them now, while we are in good health. We all know life can change in a minute

 

So off we go and go and go

[baldercash]

Yup' I totally agree that you can dig up some bargains on top lux ships like Seabourn, Crystal , Silversea and Regent. My thesis is that the best value will be getting a deal on one of those lines and not the mass market ones which we all know.. Not by slapping your self on the back by getting a low cruise only fare which is only the start . Like the 99 cent breakfasts in Vegas...to get you in the casino the low ball fare is to get you on board where the "games begin" with your wallet.

So, you sailing Silversea with air for $641 Or me On Oceania for$669 are true bargains... but when you compare to Holland or Celebrity at 800to $900+ a day is no bargain for a far ,far lesser experience.

 

Not sure how you worked the price on an X cruise?

We are booked on Millie fall of 2013, Hawaii to Singapore a 35 day cruise booked into a rear 11th deck Aqua Class A1 cabin.

I just ran the price and we are at 410.00 a day for 2 people that includes our air from Toronto to Honolulu and air back from Thailand.

We have rented a house in Hawaii for 8 days pre cruise and after a few days in Singapore we are flying to Thailand for a week thus return air from there.

We were given prepaid gratuities and a $600.00 SBC that we can cash out at the casino if we like. If we applied it to the cost of the cruise we would be close to $195.00 a day per person.

We don't need a drink package as we are Elite and complementary cocktails pre dinner every day is more then we are accustomed to and AC includes bottled water to the cabin.

We don't do group tours as we prefer to tour unhindered by fixed formats and crowds.

We likely will eat at the buffet as we are cruising "mass market" but we enjoyed the buffet on O as well.

Aqua Class includes breakfast and dinner at the private dinning room Blue which caters to only AC and Suites.

 

There will be the added cost of laundry being sent out as the "mass market lines" don't allow you to do your own laundry while vacationing like the higher end cruise lines.

 

I did compare to O which did not do a complete Trans Pacific before booking and it seemed a simple decision to me but I might be wrong.

 

Cheers

[spindrift]

Wow, baldercash. I have never tried Az or X, but I should look into them. We are over 65 cruises and for some reason, we haven't sailed these. I'm going to look into them. I know when we are in port, we have often asked their passengers what they thought of the line, and never have we heard a negative comment.

 

I guess we get caught up in the "benefits" available to us as "loyal" passengers. Shame on us. ;)

I reread your post, and realize that maybe the benefits you are mentioning is because you have sailed them multiple times as we have with other lines. Comments for a "newbie" on X?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Baldercrash, just a question about drinks--you get cocktails before dinner included, but you would have to pay for wine, right?

 

And, how would a $600 obc reduce the cost of your cruise from $410 a day to $195?

[potterhill]

Because he's going to cash it out at the casino.....Sure hope his luck is better than mine. ;-)

 

Mo

[baldercash]

Wow, baldercash. I have never tried Az or X, but I should look into them. We are over 65 cruises and for some reason, we haven't sailed these. I'm going to look into them. I know when we are in port, we have often asked their passengers what they thought of the line, and never have we heard a negative comment.

 

I guess we get caught up in the "benefits" available to us as "loyal" passengers. Shame on us. ;)

I reread your post, and realize that maybe the benefits you are mentioning is because you have sailed them multiple times as we have with other lines. Comments for a "newbie" on X?

 

Some benefits I mentioned are rewarded for being Elite status, I think 10 weeks of cruising gets you that. If you cruise Aqua Class or in a Suite that gives you double credits.

Each loyalty level gets a coupon book for free or reduced laundry cost, drinks, free internet and other amenities.

Elites have a private cocktail party every evening from 5 to 8pm. Open bar, cocktails, beer and wine. The evenings suggested diner wines for pairings are usually offered.

There is a separate breakfast offered to Elites usually in Michael's Club, nothing really special but one can have fruit / yogurt smoothies, Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Screw drivers if one wants to start the day with a drink. Specialty coffee Cappuccino, Cafe latte and such are also offered free of charge.

Sailing Azamara accrues credits towards Elite.

An X Elite status entitles a cruiser to Diamond status on Royal Caribbean which has similar perks. Diamond Plus on RCL is actually closer to X Elite perks.

One must sail RCL and accrue credits to achieve D+ status.

We are almost D+. I booked Oasis 2014 Atlantic crossing Sept 4th FLL to Barcelona and it's return Oct 14th from Rotterdam. I will achieve D+ status on the return we plan to spend a month traveling Europe.

I have always wanted to do a double crossing like this and have never been on Oasis.

 

Aqua Class is a specific class of cabins with special benefits offered only to those staying in this class.

The main benefit is Blue a specialty restaurant designated for AC passengers only.

On a Solstice class ship only 220 guests have access to Blue which offers a "Healthier" / nouveau cuisine and any time dinning.

AC Cabins have a different lay out with up graded linens, towels, bath robes, toiletries, special showers and other features. Specialty iced teas and complementary bottled waters in the cabins daily. Free access to pay areas in the spa and a private area at the front of the ship.

 

X is not the same as cruising on O. But sailing Azamara in my opinion is very similar to O's R class ships.

Sailing in a Aqua Class cabin is a very enjoyable way of cruising especially when combined with Elite level perks.

We chose Celebrity Millennium to cross the Pacific as the Millennium class ships are large but spacious and we thought a smaller ship might get monotonous as we have never cruised for longer then 19 days. As well M class ships that have been Solstisized have AC cabins on the 11th deck which is above the pool deck on the stern, should be awesome on a Trans Pacific.

If O was doing it with Marina we would have had a tough decision and we would have likely chosen O as they would have had more ports on their itinerary.

[Paulchili]

Baldercrash

And, how would a $600 obc reduce the cost of your cruise from $410 a day to $195?

 

as I read it - the $410 is for 2 people and the $195 is /pp ( or $390 for 2).

[baldercash]

Baldercrash, just a question about drinks--you get cocktails before dinner included, but you would have to pay for wine, right?

 

And, how would a $600 obc reduce the cost of your cruise from $410 a day to $195?

 

The $410.00 a day is the cost of 2 people cruising.

If I cash out the On Board Credit the Casino charges a 3% fee and if I deduct it from my total booking cost it reduces the cruise cost to $195.00 a day per person or $390.00 a day for 2 people.

 

Today I was helping a friend ready his boat for launch next weekend and was telling him my travel plans over lunch. He invited my wife and I to come visit him in India at his home for a few weeks after Thailand. He spends the winter months there when the weather is bearable. He said it is cheaper to fly Bangkok to Mumbai and then on to Toronto then fly Bangkok to Toronto.

I verified it this evening and he was correct by about $200.00 per person.

[pacheco18]

We are elite on celebrity. We prefer Oceania but sometimes the price is irresistible. Often we can sail an identical itinerary in a better class cabin for half price

 

We do not book aq. We prefer concierge class (we opt for specific cabins with huge balconies)as we enjoy fixed dining in the MDR. I might try aq in the future

 

In general we get a huge obc from our ta on celebrity which offsets other on board costs such as alcohol (we r not drinkers), laundry, lattes, water and specialty restaurants.

 

We have booked two future cruises on Azamara because of itineraries and elite status credits. We love the r ships

 

On Nautica now. It is certainly my preferred line and ship but we are not slaves to one line. We look for value.

[Paulchili]

He spends the winter months there when the weather is bearable. Hce said it is cheaper to fly Bangkok to Mumbai and then on to Toronto then fly Bangkok to Toronto.

I verified it this evening and he was correct by about $200.00 per person.

 

Deleted by me

[digtexas]

I have noticed this as well. An all inclusive (alcohol and gratuities, not shore excursions) 16 day B2B on the Crystal Serenity, Istanbul to Venice combined with Venice to Rome next October is significantly cheaper than an 11 day Venice to Istanbul cruise on the Riviera around the same time. Oceania was originally billed as a step down cost-wise from the luxury lines. I am not so sure about that anymore.

[pacheco18]

I have noticed this as well. An all inclusive (alcohol and gratuities, not shore excursions) 16 day B2B on the Crystal Serenity, Istanbul to Venice combined with Venice to Rome next October is significantly cheaper than an 11 day Venice to Istanbul cruise on the Riviera around the same time. Oceania was originally billed as a step down cost-wise from the luxury lines. I am not so sure about that anymore.

 

I too have noticed that about crystal. If it weren't for the formal stuff .... Is it formal every night? Ugh

[digtexas]

I too have noticed that about crystal. If it weren't for the formal stuff .... Is it formal every night? Ugh

 

Crystal was never formal every night (only one or two was usual per cruise) and now they have gone "formal optional" meaning a sport jacket suggested on a couple of nights, with the balance similar to O's country club casual. They are moving towards casual like all the other luxury lines. Crystal restricted the indoor smoking this year, removing it from the casino and Avenue Saloon piano bar, and starting in 2014 will restrict it further, only allowing indoor smoking in the cigar bar. Some old timers are not happy that they are chopping cruises into 9, or 7 or 5 day segments and becoming more port intensive, with fewer sea days, but the "Explorer Packages" allow one to combine a couple of these to 14 or 16 days or more at very attractive prices.