Upcoming cruise availability means...?

[Debbers]

A look at our upcoming cruise (Oslo-Copenhagen, June 29, Marina) shows cabins available in every category except the top and the bottom.  I know there are fewer staterooms in those categories, so they tend to sell out first.  The middle levels are not sold out--does that mean loads of passengers have cancelled?  

[Hawaiidan]

30 minutes ago, Debbers said:

A look at our upcoming cruise (Oslo-Copenhagen, June 29, Marina) shows cabins available in every category except the top and the bottom.  I know there are fewer staterooms in those categories, so they tend to sell out first.  The middle levels are not sold out--does that mean loads of passengers have cancelled?  

No... it just means they are not fully booked....  nothing more.      Some times travel agencies  reserve blocks of rooms and later release them if un sold.     It is normal to see  the top and bottom class cabins to sell first due to the restricted numbers in each class VS the mass of inventory available throughout the ship

[Beagle5]

4 hours ago, Debbers said:

does that mean loads of passengers have cancelled?  

According to my OCC TA, yes. 

We are on Riviera 25th June and it's the same story re cabin availability.

Speciality restaurant bookings also had good availability for 2 tops when I booked the other day (as a B3). Asked my TA the same question - he said its the Putin effect.

Also, I think a few cancelled on our cruise when they swapped Venice for Trieste.

 

O dropped the price on our cruise 15% a couple of weeks ago and added the Ultimate O'life offer.

 

3 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

Some times travel agencies  reserve blocks of rooms and later release them if un sold

These cruises are in 43 days....

Edited May 12, 2022 by Beagle5

[pinotlover]

According to my TA, stories of Covid Jail, on cruise lines, are having a negative effect on bookings and especially cruisers making final payment. The system can’t continue in its present form.

[PhD-iva]

This week NCL said their future bookings were (I forget the exact analogy) as good as pre-Covid. Doesn’t jive w lots of cancellations……

[ToxM]

My Marina trip 25/4 had 320 passengers….it was port intensive med. It was a perfect storm for cancellations, very intensive, short, masks (didn’t bother me but would bother some) and the Putin situation. 

[Cruise Wonderland]

6 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

This week NCL said their future bookings were (I forget the exact analogy) as good as pre-Covid. Doesn’t jive w lots of cancellations……

 

I think this refers to Caribbean, Alaska, or Mediterranean...

No matter it is NCL or Oceania or Regent, there are a lot of cancellation from guests on the Baltic cruises.

[LHT28]

10 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

This week NCL said their future bookings were (I forget the exact analogy) as good as pre-Covid. Doesn’t jive w lots of cancellations……

Do you NCL cruise have a lot of cancellations also??

Or are you comparing with O cancellations?

 

NCL cruises are usually less expensive & shorter 

[PhD-iva]

12 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Do you NCL cruise have a lot of cancellations also??

Or are you comparing with O cancellations?

 

NCL cruises are usually less expensive & shorter 

Sorry that I was not more clear in my statement. I was referring to the holding company, presumably discussing their three cruise lines.
I usually have the financial news playing on TV, and I listen with half of one ear, so by now am not exactly sure what they said. But I remember thinking that their statement didn’t really agree with all the cancellations I’ve heard about on cruise critic. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

8 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Sorry that I was not more clear in my statement. I was referring to the holding company, presumably discussing their three cruise lines.
I usually have the financial news playing on TV, and I listen with half of one ear, so by now am not exactly sure what they said. But I remember thinking that their statement didn’t really agree with all the cancellations I’ve heard about on cruise critic. 

You may have been hearing about this NCLH announcement:

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Predicts Record 2023

[susiesan]

NCL has already cancelled some 2023 Baltic sailings, all the cruises on the Getaway. 2023 Baltics on Dawn are still on the schedule. NCL Dawn summer Baltic cruises starting in June through August2022 are still a go at this point including my cruise Aug. 16. I would expect if things get problematic in the Baltic this summer both O and NCL will cancel at the same time.

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, susiesan said:

NCL has already cancelled some 2023 Baltic sailings, all the cruises on the Getaway. 2023 Baltics on Dawn are still on the schedule. NCL Dawn summer Baltic cruises starting in June through August2022 are still a go at this point including my cruise Aug. 16. I would expect if things get problematic in the Baltic this summer both O and NCL will cancel at the same time.

Wife and I booked the 9/2024 Baltic cruise on Sirena. Figure things will be settled by then.

[Mareblu]

We are booked on Sirena's Whimsical Europe Baltic cruise (Portsmouth-Portsmouth) embarking 17 September this year.  All categories of suites and staterooms are now showing "available", whereas pre-Ukraine invasion and Oceania's subsequent St. Petersburg cancellation there were few showing vacancies.  Our TA has written to Oceania asking whether there is a possibility the cruise may be cancelled, and if so, our situation regarding refunds or FCCs.  Awaiting a reply.

[shepherd really]

53 minutes ago, Mareblu said:

We are booked on Sirena's Whimsical Europe Baltic cruise (Portsmouth-Portsmouth) embarking 17 September this year.  All categories of suites and staterooms are now showing "available", whereas pre-Ukraine invasion and Oceania's subsequent St. Petersburg cancellation there were few showing vacancies.  Our TA has written to Oceania asking whether there is a possibility the cruise may be cancelled, and if so, our situation regarding refunds or FCCs.  Awaiting a reply.

When Oceania cancelled my Antarctica cruise, we were notified 4 days prior to embarkation.  About 12 hours before I was scheduled to board a flight to Buenos Airies.  Some folks were already in the air or in Argentina.  

 

Don't count on them to give you much notice if they cancel. 

[basor]

We were supposed to be on this sailing (booked when first came out 18 months ago) because of the itinerary going to St P and up into the Artic....we canceled when the itinerary eliminated the stops in the Russian ports and going into the Arctic.  We agree with them canceling those ports but not interested in the new itinerary.   The cruise was sold out almost immediately upon release of the itinerary up to Russia invading Ukraine and the elimination of the Russian ports.  There were many cancelations at that time and the cruise had/has lots of availability.  Since they have already released the new itinerary and people are booking for that itinerary, I believe that O will not cancel the cruise unless there is a major change in the war in Ukraine that effects all of Europe.  Go find the roll call for this cruise and you will get a sense of people's thoughts.

[Debbers]

12 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Don't count on them to give you much notice if they cancel. 

That's for sure!  They didn't officially cancel our South America cruise until about 3 days before.  By then, we had canceled our booking--which meant getting FCC, when we would have much rather had the refund offered after THEY canceled.  

 

[Mareblu]

19 hours ago, basor said:

We were supposed to be on this sailing (booked when first came out 18 months ago) because of the itinerary going to St P and up into the Artic....we canceled when the itinerary eliminated the stops in the Russian ports and going into the Arctic.  We agree with them canceling those ports but not interested in the new itinerary.   The cruise was sold out almost immediately upon release of the itinerary up to Russia invading Ukraine and the elimination of the Russian ports.  There were many cancelations at that time and the cruise had/has lots of availability.  Since they have already released the new itinerary and people are booking for that itinerary, I believe that O will not cancel the cruise unless there is a major change in the war in Ukraine that effects all of Europe.  Go find the roll call for this cruise and you will get a sense of people's thoughts.

Maybe you were booked on a somewhat similar cruise, because Sirena's Whimsical Europe does not venture to the Arctic;  or maybe you were doing a b2b which included the Arctic?  Anyway, I do agree that many cancellations would be due to St Petersburg being cancelled.  I applaud their swift move to avoid any Russian port after this terrible, brutal invasion.  We're actually very happy with the revised itinerary, because although we've cruised the Baltic before (with Seabourn), and visited Copenhagen many times on other trips, we've never actually been to Stockholm, so an overnight there suits us perfectly.  St Petersburg was  a wonderful overnight on the Seabourn cruise, so we've no need to revisit at this stage, but I do feel for all those who were looking forward to what would have been for many a highlight.  Our main concern is that it's a long way from Australia to the UK and Europe, and we need far more than a few days' notice of Oceania's decision to cancel this cruise, if that is the intention.  We don't mind a complete repositioning of the cruise, provided it embarks and disembarks in Portsmouth (or Southamptom for that matter).  Our problem is that all our flights and pre and post cruise accommodation bookings are locked in.  Anyhoo.....we'll just have to wait and see.  It would be rather nice if Oceania showed the same enthusiasm for contact now as it did when enticing us all to book our cruises.

[Mareblu]

19 hours ago, basor said:

Go find the roll call for this cruise and you will get a sense of people's thoughts.

I've been posting on this cruise's roll call for over a year.  At the moment, there seems to be only three couples, including ourselves, who are still active.  Even the kind cruisers who started the roll call appear to be missing.  There's no way of knowing, of course, just how many are still sailing, because not all passengers are CC members, but usually a decent proportion of them are.  I can't see Sirena sailing with so few.  When, oh when, will we be advised and informed?🤦‍♀️

[basor]

Here is a link to the roll call for the Viking to Baltics Shores Oslo to Portsmouth 30AUG to 01 OCT that we were originally booked on......your cruise is the second half of this cruise.   So people booked on our cruise canceling would have affected the availability on your cruise - 

 

[Mareblu]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:23 AM, basor said:

Here is a link to the roll call for the Viking to Baltics Shores Oslo to Portsmouth 30AUG to 01 OCT that we were originally booked on......your cruise is the second half of this cruise.   So people booked on our cruise canceling would have affected the availability on your cruise - 

 

Thanks, Basor.  I suspected yours was in fact a b2b, which explains the Arctic component.  Well, our TA has forwarded a reply from Oceania.  In effect, Oceania is determined to proceed with all listed Baltic sailings for this year (although I recall reading very recently the co. has cancelled all Baltic cruises for next year).  The reply stated the political situation would have to escalate dramatically for any change of itinerary.  Oceania also announced in the reply that many of the company's executive staff, including the CEO, will be on board the various 2022 Baltic cruises.  I guess that's one way to fill the ships😉.  Oceania stated further, that should they cancel our cruise, they would refund the deposit and transfer the FCCs they are holding on our behalf to any other cruise.  Our problem is that any such voyage must be taken by the end of 2022 for the FCCs to be honoured.  That would be almost impossible, because Oceania cruises to any other location are almost fully booked, if not completely booked.  We have decided to simply have faith that Whimsical Europe will sail as scheduled ✌️

[Kate-AHF]

11 hours ago, Mareblu said:

Thanks, Basor.  I suspected yours was in fact a b2b, which explains the Arctic component.  Well, our TA has forwarded a reply from Oceania.  In effect, Oceania is determined to proceed with all listed Baltic sailings for this year (although I recall reading very recently the co. has cancelled all Baltic cruises for next year).  The reply stated the political situation would have to escalate dramatically for any change of itinerary.  Oceania also announced in the reply that many of the company's executive staff, including the CEO, will be on board the various 2022 Baltic cruises.  I guess that's one way to fill the ships😉.  Oceania stated further, that should they cancel our cruise, they would refund the deposit and transfer the FCCs they are holding on our behalf to any other cruise.  Our problem is that any such voyage must be taken by the end of 2022 for the FCCs to be honoured.  That would be almost impossible, because Oceania cruises to any other location are almost fully booked, if not completely booked.  We have decided to simply have faith that Whimsical Europe will sail as scheduled ✌️

 

Sigh.  Our problem as well.  The cruise you and I we are both on is nearly completely paid-for by FCC that is supposed to be expiring this year.  The following two cruises (this is a B2B2B for us) are paid for in cash.  If that cancel that first cruise (and, like I've said before, I don't think so because the ship has to be SOMEWHERE during that time) then they had damn well better let me apply it to next year's Riviera cruise.

[Mareblu]

9 hours ago, Kate-AHF said:

 

Sigh.  Our problem as well.  The cruise you and I we are both on is nearly completely paid-for by FCC that is supposed to be expiring this year.  The following two cruises (this is a B2B2B for us) are paid for in cash.  If that cancel that first cruise (and, like I've said before, I don't think so because the ship has to be SOMEWHERE during that time) then they had damn well better let me apply it to next year's Riviera cruise.

My sentiments exactly.

[DENIE]

We are on the Riviera 6/15/2022 Rome to Barcelona.  It is the same....only very bottom level and top level staterooms are full.  Everything else shows availability.