Are you satisfied with Oceania's air arrangements?

[SpelChic2001]

This is our first time on Oceania. We had them book the flight, a fairly short/simple one from point to point. The flight time we received was 6:00 a.m. To be honest, I didn't realize that planes even flew *that* early. We will be at our destination airport very early, at least 5 hours before ship's boarding time.

 

On the minus side, we probably won't even sleep the night before, factoring in travel time to the airport. On the plus side, the TSA lines will hopefully be short, as no one in their right mind would catch a plane that early.

 

Our previous cruises have been on Princess, and we've always used PrincessAir without issue. The flight times have been reasonable, and we never missed our cruise, even traveling on the same day.

 

I'll reserve judgment and see how it goes with Oceania.

 

Karen

[LHT28]

On the minus side, we probably won't even sleep the night before, factoring in travel time to the airport. On the plus side, the TSA lines will hopefully be short, as no one in their right mind would catch a plane that early.

 

 

you might be surprised at the number of people that fly that early :D

 

When we had early flights we would book a hotel close to the airport heck even if I have a noon flight we book an airport hotel ;)

Edited June 5, 2016 by LHT28

[Flatbush Flyer]

This is our first time on Oceania. We had them book the flight, a fairly short/simple one from point to point. The flight time we received was 6:00 a.m. To be honest, I didn't realize that planes even flew *that* early. We will be at our destination airport very early, at least 5 hours before ship's boarding time.

 

 

 

On the minus side, we probably won't even sleep the night before, factoring in travel time to the airport. On the plus side, the TSA lines will hopefully be short, as no one in their right mind would catch a plane that early.

 

 

 

Our previous cruises have been on Princess, and we've always used PrincessAir without issue. The flight times have been reasonable, and we never missed our cruise, even traveling on the same day.

 

 

 

I'll reserve judgment and see how it goes with Oceania.

 

 

 

Karen

 

 

I see that you're from Northern California. If you're flying out of SFO, I think you'll be surprised at the TSA lines for all the 6 AM flights. It's SFO and an awful lot of folks want the first flight out to avoid fog and/or catch a plane that has been sitting there overnight and doesn't depend on a flight arriving from elsewhere.

[ORV]

Thanks...

 

For the record, I will acknowledge that in many, if not most cases, if O were to discontinue the included air program and make you book your own it would end up costing more money when you add it all up, probably significantly more in many cases. So there is merit in the program. My question would be if they made the air program optional, as other cruise lines do, would they be able to offer the same aggregate prices for cruise + air?

 

It is optional on Oceania, it's just not marketed that way.

[LHT28]

My question would be if they made the air program optional, as other cruise lines do, would they be able to offer the same aggregate prices for cruise + air?

 

You can certainly take the air component out & book cruise only but maybe Oceania would not have the buying power with the airlines they do now ?

 

The O air with the deviation works for us in most cases

our recent flight to MIA was over $1300 for the 2 of us the O credit was $400 + $175 deviation =$575 the difference saves enough for the taxi to/from the port/hotel

 

You have to work the numbers & do what works best for you

[tunaman2011]

Greetings

 

I can't say I am pleased with O's flight selections. We are on the upcoming Rome to Valletta cruise in 3 weeks. When it was time to learn of flight details our TA called and said O was having problems getting us a decent return flight. She wanted to know if we were willing to spend an extra night (at our expense) in Valletta and leave the next day. I agreed that an extra day would be ok. When our flights were revealed O had us booked from Valletta to Abu Dhabi then on to NY then finally Miami. Now get our your globes (or use google maps) and notice where Abu Dhabi is with respect to Valletta. Yes, it is totally in the wrong direction. In fact over 7 hours in the wrong direction. The trip home was going to take over 32 hours. This was a "decent" flight after agreeing to spend the night in Valletta?

 

We have ended up staying a night in Valletta, flying from Valletta to Rome then staying a night in Rome all on our nickel. O then booked us from Rome to Miami.

 

So needless to say, O's air arrangements have left a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully the great food aboard will take the bad taste away.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[Rumpymuffin]

I apologize for what you sophisticated cruisers will consider a dumb question, but I don't understand how you can check out alternative flight arrangements before you know what flights you'll be assigned by O included air. By then, isn't it too late to check the air deviation and air credit options to see if you can do better? In other words, haven't you already committed to O included air? Please don't refer me to my TA; I don't have a "real" (i.e., individual) TA, just the agency my alumni group uses. Thanks in advance to some patient person (StanandJim?) for enlightening me.

[oceanbill457]

Go to:http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

You can see every flight to every destination.

[StanandJim]

I apologize for what you sophisticated cruisers will consider a dumb question, but I don't understand how you can check out alternative flight arrangements before you know what flights you'll be assigned by O included air. By then, isn't it too late to check the air deviation and air credit options to see if you can do better? In other words, haven't you already committed to O included air? Please don't refer me to my TA; I don't have a "real" (i.e., individual) TA, just the agency my alumni group uses. Thanks in advance to some patient person (StanandJim?) for enlightening me.

 

 

The Air Deviation Fee only kicks in when the passenger ACCEPTS an Air routing which they are pleased with, so it is always possible to get an idea of pricing and schedule at any time within the 270 day window which most Airline contracts allow.

When you decline their Route suggestion, Oceania will continue to suggest alternative routes until a meeting of the minds takes place, or the passenger opts out of the Air program entirely. If you use their Air, the $350 fee kicks in, if not, the passenger receives the Air allowance.

 

This makes sense to ME, I hope that it makes sense to you. :o

[Rumpymuffin]

The Air Deviation Fee only kicks in when the passenger ACCEPTS an Air routing which they are pleased with, so it is always possible to get an idea of pricing and schedule at any time within the 270 day window which most Airline contracts allow.

When you decline their Route suggestion, Oceania will continue to suggest alternative routes until a meeting of the minds takes place, or the passenger opts out of the Air program entirely. If you use their Air, the $350 fee kicks in, if not, the passenger receives the Air allowance.

 

:o

 

We're almost there; it's just the sequence of events that confuses me. Sounds as if O's first communication (the flights in the included air package) is simply a recommendation that can be accepted or not; I had assumed, apparently incorrectly, that it was a binding contract. So, if I don't like the routing in included air, I have 270 days (from when?) to call Miami and negotiate with them. Is that correct? Or should I contact O and start the negotiations as soon as I sign up for the cruise? (I'm probably making this more difficult than it is.)

[StanandJim]

We're almost there; it's just the sequence of events that confuses me. Sounds as if O's first communication (the flights in the included air package) is simply a recommendation that can be accepted or not; I had assumed, apparently incorrectly, that it was a binding contract. So, if I don't like the routing in included air, I have 270 days (from when?) to call Miami and negotiate with them. Is that correct? Or should I contact O and start the negotiations as soon as I sign up for the cruise? (I'm probably making this more difficult than it is.)

 

You were correct that there is no choice with the flights that you are assigned with the "Included Air". In order to have a choice, or even a say, one must buy into the Air Deviation Program:

 

As soon as you've paid your deposit and have a valid booking number, you may request an Air Deviation from Oceania.

 

Trouble is, their Airline contracts don't permit booking the Air until 270 days prior to flying, so if you booked the Cruise before then, you will have to wait.

 

The Deviation process allows for flying out and back on the dates which you choose, and you will also have input into the specific flights which are chosen. The downside there, is that if the flight which you desire is more expensive than others which would also "work", the passenger may be asked to pay the difference in fares as an up-charge.

 

All of the options remain with the passenger. Oceania will continue to suggest route alternatives until you are pleased enough, with both schedule and cost, to accept one.

 

Alternatively, you may decide that none of their options are right for you, and opt out entirely and at no cost to you.

 

Again: The Air Deviation fee is $350 and is non refundable, but it only kicks in when the Passenger has accepted a suitable route from Oceania. Until that point, no money changes hands.

Edited June 5, 2016 by StanandJim

[LHT28]

I apologize for what you sophisticated cruisers will consider a dumb question, but I don't understand how you can check out alternative flight arrangements before you know what flights you'll be assigned by O included air. By then, isn't it too late to check the air deviation and air credit options to see if you can do better? In other words, haven't you already committed to O included air? Please don't refer me to my TA; I don't have a "real" (i.e., individual) TA, just the agency my alumni group uses. Thanks in advance to some patient person (StanandJim?) for enlightening me.

A good reason just to pay the deviation & fly in early ..you can choose your flights 270 days out ..no surprises

[rallydave]

We're almost there; it's just the sequence of events that confuses me. Sounds as if O's first communication (the flights in the included air package) is simply a recommendation that can be accepted or not; I had assumed, apparently incorrectly, that it was a binding contract. So, if I don't like the routing in included air, I have 270 days (from when?) to call Miami and negotiate with them. Is that correct? Or should I contact O and start the negotiations as soon as I sign up for the cruise? (I'm probably making this more difficult than it is.)

 

Believe some people are missing a key point in your questions. As far as the flights that you will get should you not deviate or opt out and take the credit will NOT be available for you to see until approx 75 days prior to your departure which as you said earlier is most probably too late to get any kind of good deviation at a reasonable price.

 

The deviation process cannot begin until 270 days prior to your departure and the reason many people deviate is that they either want to arrive early or return later than the first or last day of the cruise or do both and know that when they book. Airlines generally post flights approx 330 days prior to their dates and you can begin at that point formulating which flights you might want and which dates work for you and then get them thru your TA to Oceania at the 270 day mark. Since you booked thru a TA they have to work as your intermediary and that is one of the perils of who you booked with. The air department if you have a TA won't work directly with you and offers have to go back and forth with this strange TA in the middle.

 

The major reason for deviating is that it is dangerous to plan on arriving on the day of departure on long haul flights as too often, flights are delayed and it becomes your responsibility if you miss the ship to get to it's next port, not a fun or cost effective process.

 

Another thing missed so far is the recommendation to provide your TA a priority 1, 2, and threes of flights you prefer and then they come back to you thru your TA. Doing it one set of flights at a time will take a lot longer. Also, many people want to spend time in the embarkation or disembarkation city, another reason for the deviation.

 

At the time you deviate, the only thing you will know about your included flights is that they will arrive the day of embarkation and return you home on the day of disembarkation. Also, they may have a number of stops and possibly go the wrong way before heading to your port. They could leave very early in the AM or late in the PM and will be cost effective for the cruise line.

 

It is a relatively simple process once you have the full story which I am trying to give you. Jim and Stan gave you other pieces of the puzzle which were correct but, not the full story or answers to your confusion over the included flights.

 

Any more questions, will be glad to answer.

[Starlaker]

Sorry if I seem a little dense here. Say we choose not to get the air deviation. We then get our flight schedule 75 days out and don't like it, can we then opt for the air deviation?

[rallydave]

Sorry if I seem a little dense here. Say we choose not to get the air deviation. We then get our flight schedule 75 days out and don't like it, can we then opt for the air deviation?

 

Absolutely you can try but, getting your chosen flights without a significant up charge is unlikely if available at all. One thing we didn't tell you is that the cruise line only gets a limited number of seats at their contract price, by the time you get to 75 days, it is likely you will pay extra for a non-contract seat.

 

Remember how airline pricing works, the closer to the flight date the higher the cost and the lesser the availability. Supply and demand.

[StanandJim]

Sorry if I seem a little dense here. Say we choose not to get the air deviation. We then get our flight schedule 75 days out and don't like it, can we then opt for the air deviation?

 

You could, but that's really a false economy because by that point all of the good flights/best seats will be long gone.

[Starlaker]

Well, we just signed up for this cruise and we are 112 days out now so I guess all the good seats are already taken. Thanks for the information. We opted for premium coach so hopefully that will help a little.

[rallydave]

Well, we just signed up for this cruise and we are 112 days out now so I guess all the good seats are already taken. Thanks for the information. We opted for premium coach so hopefully that will help a little.

 

Didn't know that premium economy was an option. Thought included was economy and that you could upgrade to Business for a large sum and if you wanted premium economy, you had to do that with the airlines and that it wasn't always possible depending on the economy ticket that O bought for you.

[StanandJim]

We opted for premium coach so hopefully that will help a little.

I've never heard of that being an option through Oceania, without buying the Deviation. How did you arrange for it?

[DaveFr]

Well, we just signed up for this cruise and we are 112 days out now so I guess all the good seats are already taken. Thanks for the information. We opted for premium coach so hopefully that will help a little.

I wouldn't assume that all the good flights are no longer available. There is no charge if you merely explore the possibility of doing an air deviation. I'd check out an air deviation in your situation, particularly if you don't want to arrive on the day the cruise leaves or fly on the day the cruise disembarks. There may be good flights available. You will only pay the deviation fee if you and Oceania agree on an air deviation schedule.

 

Dave

[Starlaker]

Our Oceania offer included a premium coach upgrade for $99.

 

Dave, Our TA said that the deviation fee was non refundable.

 

All this is giving me a headache. I think I will go wine for awhile! :-)

 

Sylvia

[ORV]

Didn't know that premium economy was an option. Thought included was economy and that you could upgrade to Business for a large sum and if you wanted premium economy, you had to do that with the airlines and that it wasn't always possible depending on the economy ticket that O bought for you.

 

I've never heard of that being an option through Oceania, without buying the Deviation. How did you arrange for it?

 

It has been offered on certain cruises lately. Like when they offer Business for 799 each way.

[rallydave]

 

Dave, Our TA said that the deviation fee was non refundable.

 

 

Yes it is non-refundable after you pay it and you don't pay the deviation fee until you and Oceania agree on your flights. So, no agreement, no payment and you haven't spent a cent to see what is available!!!

[Starlaker]

Yes it is non-refundable after you pay it and you don't pay the deviation fee until you and Oceania agree on your flights. So, no agreement, no payment and you haven't spent a cent to see what is available!!!

That is great! Thank you so much. You (and the wine) have made my day.

[Sopwith]

It is optional on Oceania, it's just not marketed that way.

 

Yes, but there's an obvious difference between how the opt-in and opt-out scenarios are operated.