What upgrade opportunities may be available, if any?

[Stockjock]

I'll be on Sirena later this year.  I booked a top category ocean view cabin, C1 in the front of the ship, which are larger.  Size of the cabin includes what would otherwise be a veranda.  We have a stripped down rate that includes no extras, and apparently that option is no longer available.

The price difference between Oceanview and a veranda was about $1,000 at the time, and I didn't want to pay that, as I am already treating my GF for her birthday (cruise, flights, hotel, etc.)  I feel like I'm being generous, and I've already spent a decent amount on all of this.

But, some cruise lines have upgrade options, where one *might* get a better deal by bidding on an upgraded cabin.  Does Oceania have this, and if so, can one save money by utilizing it?

I think we're fine on our current larger OV cabin, but always open to looking at options.

Edited June 11 by Stockjock

[sunlover12]

It's probably going to depend on how full the ship is going to be.  FWIW, I've been on 8 Oceania cruises and have never been offered an upgrade opportunity.  For reference, we have been in concierge veranda and PH.  We were on Sirena in 2022 in a PH.  About 2 weeks before the cruise, we were offered quite a bit of money to downgrade to a concierge veranda. 

I think it just depends on your particular cruise. Good luck.  

[MEFIowa]

We're in a big C1, 7006, on Sirena (11/2024), which we upgraded to from a sale in Oct 2022. We originally booked the cruise 5/2022. Always as "cruise only". Today, all the cabins are Wait Listed and have been for some time. Little to no chance of any "upgrade" now since final payment was today, unless lots of cancellations.

 

BUT we're also doing a cruise immediately before this on Sirena in a F, that we booked off the original SM Summer Sale of 2023. This cruise starts late Aug. A1-F cabin levels all show "Available" and the G is "Guaranteed". Final payment was May 31st. And all still show the same availability.

 

When I made final payment I asked my O rep (I always us the same one, Michelle P) if there was an upgrade sale possibility. She claimed her records showed just 30 cabins (out of about 315) were open. BUT she said, you might get a flash offer from the people in O who handle that sometime in the future. We'll see.

 

The offers I've had previously to upgrade pre-cruise were one of two types. First, trade this cruise for an entirely different cruise on a different ship at a different time. I would've in 2022 but we'd already made airfare arrangements and excursions with private companies. Second, upgrade your cabin for a "better" one. But so far the prices offered were pretty poor. Either little or no actual discount. More just O hoping you'll open your wallet to move up at the current price.

[clo]

1 hour ago, Stockjock said:

We have a stripped down rate that includes no extras,

I'm curious what that means please.

[1985rz1]

2 hours ago, Stockjock said:

But, some cruise lines have upgrade options, where one *might* get a better deal by bidding on an upgraded cabin.  Does Oceania have this, and if so, can one save money by utilizing it?

Others have summarized how one might get upgraded, but in answer to this specific question: No, O does not offer upgrade bidding.

[GrammieK]

1 hour ago, clo said:

I'm curious what that means please.

Clo….it means he purchased before SM. No excursion $$$$, no drinks included. 
 

btw….how are you feeling?  Sorry to hear you had to cancel your cruise

k🚢

[clo]

1 minute ago, GrammieK said:

Clo….it means he purchased before SM. No excursion $$$$, no drinks included. 
 

btw….how are you feeling?  Sorry to hear you had to cancel your cruise

k🚢

Thanks. I didn't think of that.

 

And thanks for the kind wishes. I had some surgery 12/23 and still having pain issues. My doctor and I agree that being "at sea" and that far away might be poor timing. I'm pretty darn sad about it.

 

[Stockjock]

1 hour ago, GrammieK said:

Clo….it means he purchased before SM. No excursion $$$$, no drinks included. 
 

btw….how are you feeling?  Sorry to hear you had to cancel your cruise

k🚢

Correct.  Zero perks.  Zero OBC (other than what the travel agent & Amex Cruise Privileges program provided.)

[lorimay]

On our first Oceania cruise on the Marina, we were offered an upgrade from a concierge stateroom to a PH a few weeks before sailing. I don't remember the cost, but it worked out to be less than if we had booked the PH at the time we booked the cruise. 

 

For our July Vista sailing, a couple of weeks ago we changed from an A3 to an A2 for $50 (total) because we were in a stateroom next to the bump out - so the next stateroom had the extended balcony and could see into our regular size balcony. The stateroom we picked had a regular balcony. A couple of days later I discovered they had moved us down a deck from 9 to 8, but put us in an extended balcony cabin. We didn't receive any notification of that upgrade (still an A2 so not technically an upgrade).

 

I suspect that it depends on how many unsold cabins they have if you will be offered any chance to upgrade.