Oceania Hotel Prices!!! 8(

[Paisley12]

Why are Oceania pre and post cruise hotel prices MUCH, MUCH, MORE than if you go on the hotel's web site and book there???? Holy Hotel!!! and PER PERSON!!! WHY!!!????

[HowardB]

I think it's called the profit motive.

 

I would suggest that unless you have money to burn and/or are reticent about making your own plans, skip the packages offered by Oceania and book hotel stays on your own. Ditto for transfers to/from ship.

[ClaudiaF]

Why are Oceania pre and post cruise hotel prices MUCH, MUCH, MORE than if you go on the hotel's web site and book there???? Holy Hotel!!! and PER PERSON!!! WHY!!!????

 

Every ships pre or post cruise hotels run alot more than if you did it on your own.

We usually find that we can get packages on our own directly from the hotel that might include transfers in and sometimes out too, breakfast and other things by checking at the hotels sites and emailing someone direct there .

You can surely get a taxi for less than the ship costs for transfers.

Some of the prices are REALLY high.. Some people just like the idea of having someone at a foreign airport to take their luggage immediately from them and ship personnel to help them get to their hotel or the ship and from ship to airport. It's just how comfortable a traveler you are.:)

[Rickey 88]

Some people are comfortable in taking the cruise line hotel packages since most everything they would worry about is included......Meet & Greet at airport, Tipping, Luggage handling, Transfers to the ship, etc. Thus, to them, taking the hotel package may make sense.

However, it is more expensive and even adding in all the extras, one can usually do much better by booking direct. Many hotels will also include a limo service from the airport to the hotel, if you choose one of the upgrade room levels.

For Beijing, the trip to the port in Tianjin is 2 to 3 hours, so a taxi ride may be quite expensive (and would the driver know where the ship is docked?). But, if you wish, your TA could book you for a transfer to the ship, but it would be your responsibility to get to the correct hotel on time to meet the coach. ;)

[Paisley12]

We are going with about 50 people from a travel agent in Pennsylvania. We would like to go in a day ahead of time to sightsee (Acropolis, etc). We are going on the Insignia - 5/1/2006 - Athens to Rome. We just want the pre hotel in Athens not the post hotel in Rome. I guess this would be a "deviation" from Oceania?? I understand the $50 charge for that ...but to gouge people with PER PERSON room charge @ $249 each... WOW!!! I don't mind a profit but this seems excessive. When I checked the Ledra Marriott web site, I can get a very nice room for 130 EURO for 2 people..not each. Quite a difference from $498 total.

[ClaudiaF]

The fee for deviation has nothing to do with hotels.. you would pay that if you

are changing the "free" air from Oceania to your own schedule.

So if you are using their air and want to come in a day sooner then they charge $50 p/p extra for that service ( plus you may incur additional airfare charges for specific flights that you want if they cost more than what the ship is paying).

 

Your travel agent should be able to help you, with a group of 50 people you probably could get your own buses ;-) for transfers and save a bundle!:D

[Bruin Steve]

This issue is probably the biggest frustration I've had in booking with Oceania so far...

 

But, first, allow me to redefine the issue: It is NOT whether cruise line hotel packages GENERALLY are more expensive than "doing it on your own" (I think we can all agree that you can generally do it cheaper--use priceline, settle for cheap hotels, etc.)...

 

The real issue is why Oceania is so far out of line with other cruise lines...

 

Please note that I am NOT an inexperienced cruiser unable to fathom that this is just the way it is...I am a fairly seasoned traveler who has, at times, either opted in or opted out of cruise line hotel packages with other cruise lines...and that, for me, price is not the sole determinant (it seldom is for those who opt in to the cruise line packages)...I understand that I could save a little money by arranging everything myself--there's a "premium" attached to the cruise line packages--and it may be worth it for the conveniences it affords--Not having to deal with logistics on your own, not dealing with deviations on your cruise air (if that's the way you're going), having the cruise line, basically, cover you for arrival delays and deal with the hotel, having someone at the cruise line to handle problems, etc.

 

But, the question really is, why do Oceania hotel packages cost SO MUCH?

 

As an example, 2 summers ago, we purchased pre- and post- cruise hotels through Celebrity in Venice and Barcelona for our Millie Cruise...

 

Celebrity charged us $359 per person for a TWO-NIGHT stay in Venice at the Carlton--a very nice hotel, one well within the realm of standards for most upscale cruisers...

 

OTOH, Oceania is offering the Gritti Palace at $699 per person for a ONE-NIGHT stay and the Westin at $499 per person for one night...

 

Figuring the included transfers, with either line, being worth about the $52 per person Oceania is charging, the bottom line is that Celebrity was charging approximately $300 per night for the hotel...as of those dates, one could have booked that hotel, on one's own for around $200 per night...So Celebrity was actually charging a "premium" of around $100 per night...Had I gone out on my own, I may have found "acceptable hotels" (I have some fairly nice standards) for as low as $150 per night, so, perhaps, I was really paying a premium of more like $150 per night...

 

Using the same logic, Oceania's Gritti Palace is being sold at around $1300 per night and the Westin at $900 per night...Prices may have gone up a little in Venice, but, from a quick web search, I have found a number of very acceptable hotels (again, to my standards) in the $200 to $250 per night range...(and some very nice smaller hotels as low as 130 Euro--about $160)

 

IOW, even with the Westin, I am, basically, paying a premium of $650 to $700 per night...

 

Now, here's the problem as I see it:

 

Oceania is doing, probably, about three things wrong:

 

1) They are choosing only hotels drastically on the high end of the price range. The Gritti may be the finest hotel in Venice, but not every customer necessarily throws their financial concerns to the wind and requires only the finest, whatever the cost. I am not saying Oceania should book it's customers in to dives and rat-traps, BUT, there are MANY very nice 4 and 5 star hotels that can be booked at much more reasonable rates. As long as you're giving options, why not make one of them a first class, but reasonably priced hotel--like the Carlton or the Sofitel?

 

2) Oceania is probably doing a poor job of negotiating rates with the hotels...They've got three ships with a total of over 2,000 passengers going all the time...If they did a good job of providing for the passengers' hotel needs, they could throw a lot of weight around with hotels and hotel chains...and get lower rates than we do as individual travelers...and

 

3) They are undoubtedly heaping on a larger-than-others "premium"...

 

Now, as I said before, I, for one, am willing to pay a REASONABLE premium for having the cruise line arrange my hotels...I'd rather tie everything up in a neat package and avoid deviations and have the cruise line's contractor meet me at t the airport and get me and my luggage to the hotel...I'd rather pay the entire bill at once in US Dollars and not deal with any of it down the line...

 

But, how much EXTRA am I willing to spend for this?...Seriously, I can rationalize an extra $100 or $150 per night...But, $700 to $1100 a night?

If I wanted to stay an extra 2 days pre-cruise and two post-cruise, as I did in 2003, would I really want to spend an extra THREE OR FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS for that opportunity? I could take another VERY NICE cruise for that money...

 

Or, does Oceania think we are all rich and don't care about the costs?

 

A cruise line should provide pre- and post-cruise hotel deals AS A SERVICE to it's clientele...The concept is to give people reasons to cruise with them and provide them with the ways and means to enhance the cruise...Charge a reasonable amount for the time and effort and coordination services...and give them the opportunity to have a nicer, better rounded stress-free cruise experience--without the premium mark-up.

 

The only thing Oceania's pricing will do will be:

1) To limit the number of customers using the hotel packages

2) To force others to do it "on their own", and

3) To make people think twice when booking a cruise: "I'd love to cruise Oceania again, but I don't want to nearly double my vacation costs just to add a couple of nights of hotel stay...and I don't want to go through all the hassle of doing deviations and booking it on my own".

[confused4now]

Steve,

 

I agree with you 100%. Rome would run about $800 to $1,000 per night if we booked through Oceania. Does not make sense.

[digby]

"For Beijing, the trip to the port in Tianjin is 2 to 3 hours, so a taxi ride may be quite expensive (and would the driver know where the ship is docked?)."

 

I've been quoted $244. for a private car and driver to drive the two of us to the ship from the Grand Hyatt.

 

 

"But, if you wish, your TA could book you for a transfer to the ship, but it would be your responsibility to get to the correct hotel on time to meet the coach. "

 

I tried that last December in Santiago, and we were not allowed to do so by Oceania's representative there. We were in the same hotel (Ritz Carlton) that Oceania was using, but we had made our own arrangements. The concierge arranged a private van for 4 of us which cost 25% of what Oceania was charging.

[confused4now]

Can anyone recommend a 4 star or 5 star hotel in Rome near the Spanish Steps? Oceania offers the Intercontinental at $549 per person per night for a standard room. Deluxe room is $649 per person per night.

 

We will be in Rome in early June 06. Look forward to your input.

[daniela]

You can book the Intercontinental yourself thru their web site and the charge is PER ROOM not per person!

 

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ic/1/en/hd/romha

 

We stayed there, it's a great location right at the top of the Spanish Steps and practically next door to the Hassler (check out prices there too).

 

 

http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury_hotel/rome/hotel_hassler

[confused4now]

Daniela,

 

Thank you for the "heads up". It would be a lot cheaper to book it ourselves, even after taking into consideration the VAT (not included in the room rate for 5 star hotels but computed separately) and transfers from airport (euros 40 for cab and 44 for a limo) and to ship ( guessing about the same as airport).

 

As of now, undecided as to where we will stay because I am having fun checking out the different hotels that have been recommended by you and others. BTW, started a separate thread for this question since this thread is discussing the general question as to why Oceania's add on hotel rates are so outragious.

[tlmlb]

Hopefully this one will not get deleted. I stand by my remarks made on the prior hotel thread that any agent who sells these add-ons to a client without explaining other options with complete pricing information is not doing their job and is not working in the customer's best interest.

[Paisley12]

Thank to you all for your comments. I forwarded this to my travel agent. I am sure she will be checking. She is very experienced. I also sent an email to Oceania. It seems as stated above Oceania can leverage some clout and think of the customer and still make a decent profit.

[Queen of DaNile]

THE place to stay literally atop the Spanish Steps is the Hassler. Too rich for my wallet but supposedly excellent.

[confused4now]

I started a separate thread specifically for hotels in Rome. In her reply, ClaudiaF provided the following web site which is really neat and provides tons of information about hotels in Rome by location .

http://www.venere.com

that is all hotels.. and lots of info w/ pictures

 

Thanks again, Claudia.:)

[ClaudiaF]

You are welcome.

 

Also agree their hotels pricing is so way out there..the Gritti Palace at $700 per night is ( what the hotel usually charges but not per person) and that would be the TOP hotel on the totem pole for Venice.

 

They really need to add some less pricey - much, much less pricey hotel packages to their already in existence packages. ;)

[Jane110]

Can anyone recommend a 4 star or 5 star hotel in Rome near the Spanish Steps? Oceania offers the Intercontinental at $549 per person per night for a standard room. Deluxe room is $649 per person per night.

 

We will be in Rome in early June 06. Look forward to your input.

 

 

The Hassler is the one closest to the Spanish Steps. We stayed at the Excelsior, which is gorgeous and wonderful 5 star hotel on the Via Veneta. It's a short walk to the Spanish Steps.

 

Jane

[Paisley12]

I sent this inquiry to Oceania regarding their high costs for pre cruise hotels on 9/7/05 and received the reply ... see below starting with "Greetings" ... on 9/8/05. I haven't received an answer as of today, 9/20/05. I wonder if I will receive an answer. :rolleyes:

Sent: Wed 9/7/2005 1:51 PM

To: Customer Info

Subject: Pre-Cruise Hotel

In reviewing your hotel selections for pre and post cruises, I felt the prices were very, very high compared with booking online with the hotels.

For example, the Ledra Marriott in Athens, Greece you have listed as $249 PER PERSON. For two people I would be paying $498 for the room for JUST ONE NIGHT and your web site didn’t even say what class of room the price was for.

 

When I logged on to the Ledra Marriott web site I could get a very nice room for Euro 130 for two people if I booked myself.

 

Why are your rates so high? I can understand a profit but this is way out of line.

 

Please let me know why.

 

Thanks.

===============================================================

Greetings:

 

 

At this time, we discovered that we need to forward your request to our Passenger Services Supervisors, who will reply as soon as they are able to answer your inquiry.

 

It will be our pleasure to welcome you onboard.

 

Sincerely,

 

Oceania Cruises

www.OceaniaCruises.com

Your World. Your Way.

 

 

 

[ClaudiaF]

Betcha you won't get a reply about price..

 

in any event.. if you can book it yourself for less then it behooves you to save the $$$$$ and do it yourself.

Also, what is the ship throwing in that the hotel isn't?

 

Is breakfast included? Porterage? Transfers from airport to hotel and ship?

What category room is the ship offering compared to the $180 room the hotel is offering?

[Paisley12]

ClaudiaF, I betcha I won't either .... :rolleyes: .... You have some good questions there! They don't even tell you what class of room is included in the price. I do believe (I hope) the price includes transfers from the airport to the hotel and then from the hotel to the ship on departure day and that the "deviation" fees for airfare are waived.... I think! I don't think breakfast or dinner is included. Even with that ... at an Oceania price of $498 for 2 at the Ledra Marriott is still high. I figure if booked myself ... it would be 130 Euros ($170) for both my cabinmate and I plus the $50 x 2 = $100 "deviation" flight fee plus the transportation to the hotel and then the ship (I figured ... I may be wrong...$100.) ... = $370 ... still high but saves approx. $125. and I don't even know about "taxes" ...ugh! Any way you look at it ... it's big bucks! If they would be honest and forthright and just itemize the costs and items included in that figure I would be more inclined to say ... ya, well, maybe it's worth it........rather than them just presenting a take-it-or-leave-it lump sum!!:eek: Does anyone from the cruise line monitor what customers are commenting on ... on this board?

[Bruin Steve]

The hotel deals INCLUDE transfers (just like on other cruise lines)...

Transfers in Venice, for example, through Oceania, cost $52 per person...

So, the net effect of that $699 per person hotel deal at the Gritti Pallace is really only ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE DOLLARS per night!!!

[shoshona2]

Hi Paisley12,

 

I booked the Ledra Marriott in Athens on line and got our room for a little more than you did (it included breakfast) and we were on the Concierge level. The ride to the dock was 12 euros. I figured we saved a lot of money doing it ourselves and used the balance to book private tours on the cruise.

 

Sheila

[timbo89]

To confirm what Sheila (hi Sheila) just said, we were in a similar situation. We booked our own flights to Athens (using FF miles), and got the credit for air . Here was the breakdown of hotel/transfer costs (Note: this was for 2 people):

 

Taxi Airport to Ledra Marriott: 30 Euros

Concierge Level Room: 150 Euros

Breakfast 0

Taxi to Ship 15 Euros

 

Total: 195 Euros (97.5 Euros pp)

 

Advantages over booking through Cruiseline:

 

1. At airport, grab a cab...no waiting (after exhausting flight)

2. Concierge Level room...free drinks/snacks 1st evening..also meet nice fellow cruisers like Sheila!!!

3. Free Breakfast

4. Get up and go to ship at our leisure...no "herding" onto busses.

5. About HALF the cost!!!

 

Tim

[shoshona2]

Hi Tim

 

It was a pleasure meeting you guys also. I didn't realize who timbo89 was until you posted this morning. How was the rest of your time in Athens? We had Spiro's Taxiservice take us around for two days -- Corinth Canal -- Delphi, new Olympic stadiums, etc. It was wonderful. We are thinking of going back with our granddaughter for her high school graduation. It was an entirely different city than the one we saw 25 years ago.

 

Take care.

Sheila