No more Simply More

[Jancruz]

18 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

 Jan you and Stu were very busy....every time I saw you , you were getting ready to meet with guests....not our style to interfere....

 

would love another opportunity, when you are not as busy....

LOL we are going in September with 40 guests. for my birthday....I am always busy but look forward to someone pulling me away to chat..so next time!!

Jancruz1

[Jancruz]

16 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Your opinion is noted.

The only thing I can say is that was yesterday (not my opionion) heaven only knows what tomorrow will  bring..

and dont shoot the messenger..

Jancruz1

[redshine]

when will the new loyalty amenities be announced?

They have not changed the sheets in a very long time.

Some of the amenities they are showing no longer exist

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, jonthomas said:

we book when itins first come out...so you need to check that pricing not todays prices....

 

our may 1, 2025, vista, cruise was booked Nov 2, 2022, 22 days, $ 5400 pp US...french balc...totally sold out now...yes with an FCC to gain the benefits...

 

as with  all our other cruises, all booked at opening day....so those are the prices to look at...

 

it comes to 250 per day...before TA rebate...

 

we also took Os air, cheaper than we can do ourselves in Canada, with a prem econ for 199 from London. 

 

if you have the brochure for 2022 you can look all that up, although we booked at opening day, so maybe before the brochure...

 

all our next 4 cruises coming up, were done the same way...

 

any questions?

 

 

 

The cruise you referred to is TA. Those are always significantly cheaper. We have no interest in TA cruises. This cruise is still $315 USD. The June 3 cruise we booked on the Vista was booked on the first day as well, as we always do. The cruise was already $350 USD per person for FV, even including the 5% early discount. Same cruise now is $430 USD, I don't believe the new release of 2026 will be cheaper, but I hope I'm wrong.

[Jancruz]

Simply More is still available in September and is paired with an upgrade sell. Book before it goes away!

Jancruz1

[ronrick1943]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Saw this posted on another site -

 

NEW CHANGES COMING OCT 1:

simplyMore will end and "Your World Included" begins

 

From Oceania: "As part of Your World Included, all guests will now receive included shipboard gratuities for stateroom attendants, butlers, and dining waitstaff automatically in their cruise fare. Previously, gratuities had been included selectively as travel partner or loyalty club amenities or for guests from certain regions of the world.

 

Gratuities are in addition to other Your World Included amenities: dining at all gourmet specialty restaurants; sodas, juices, specialty coffees and teas; still and sparkling Vero Water®; unlimited Starlink® WiFi; in-room dining; fruit smoothies, gelato and artisan ice cream; group fitness classes; and laundry services.

 

The updated inclusions will begin on October 1, 2024, for all new reservations on sailings departing on or after January 1, 2025. The line's current simply MORE™ offering will end on September 30, 2024, meaning that a shore excursion credit and beverage package will no longer be automatically included.

 

Guests can personalize their vacation experience with extras such as air transportation and transfers, shore excursions, or a beverage package, to be added according to preference."

Laundry services, does that mean laundry service or laundry room to do it yourself?

[mnocket]

36 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

The only thing I can say is that was yesterday (not my opionion) heaven only knows what tomorrow will  bring..

and dont shoot the messenger..

Jancruz1

No worries.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  However, I thought that was all it was - your opinion.  I was not aware that Oceania had issued a statement regarding the fares remaining unchanged after Your World Included replaces Simply More.  Can you point me toward their statement?  I'm interested because I am considering a 2026 cruise and having this nailed down would allow me to make a decision sooner rather than later.

[ak1004]

So to summarize the BIG CHANGE:

 

For people who don't drink, it's basically a wash.

 

On a 10 nights cruise, SM excursion credit is $300 per person.

 

With the new pricing, you get gratuities included - $180 value, and $125 OBC. That's $305.

 

BUT: with SM you have to use the credit for excursions, while the new OBC can be used for anything.

 

Am I missing something?

[AMHuntFerry]

30 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

Laundry services, does that mean laundry service or laundry room to do it yourself?

The PR is now showing on the O site:

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/media/2024/Oceania+Cruises+Includes+Gratuities+For+All+Guests+As+It++Unveils+Your+World+Included+New+Value+Promise/

"Laundry Services?: With free launderettes included along with laundry services and pressing for Concierge and Suite levels, you’ll always look your finest. ?"

[AMHuntFerry]

16 minutes ago, mnocket said:

No worries.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  However, I thought that was all it was - your opinion.  I was not aware that Oceania had issued a statement regarding the fares remaining unchanged after Your World Included replaces Simply More.  Can you point me toward their statement?  I'm interested because I am considering a 2026 cruise and having this nailed down would allow me to make a decision sooner rather than later.

You can take what Jancruz says as fact. To prove it you can spend a few weeks browsing (over 20) years of old posts or take it as a given (or don't).

[AMHuntFerry]

8 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

So to summarize the BIG CHANGE:

 

For people who don't drink, it's basically a wash.

 

On a 10 nights cruise, SM excursion credit is $300 per person.

 

With the new pricing, you get gratuities included - $180 value, and $125 OBC. That's $305.

 

BUT: with SM you have to use the credit for excursions, while the new OBC can be used for anything.

 

Am I missing something?

Pretty close...although I have some tweaks.

"For people who don't drink, it's basically a wash." We drink but not usually with meals...we're cocktail people for the most part. We had wine with dinner with SM, but probably won't with cruise only (maybe once or twice) so it's a wash for us too (more calories alloted to sweets!).

 

"With the new pricing, you get gratuities included - $180 value, and $125 OBC. That's $305." The $125 OBC is just for those with O-Club (or other?) ppg. I am guessing that the O-Club (and TA) perks will change soon with something replacing the ppg.

Edited September 5 by AMHuntFerry

[EJL2023]

10 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

So to summarize the BIG CHANGE:

 

For people who don't drink, it's basically a wash.

 

On a 10 nights cruise, SM excursion credit is $300 per person.

 

With the new pricing, you get gratuities included - $180 value, and $125 OBC. That's $305.

 

BUT: with SM you have to use the credit for excursions, while the new OBC can be used for anything.

 

Am I missing something?

My understanding at this point is the OBC is only applicable if you get gratuities included in your club level perks.  So if that is case then assume that perk will just go away in the club benefits and be replaced with additional OBC..and that is speculation I believe at this point. But no where in their press release do they refer to any OBC being a new amenity. 

Edited September 5 by EJL2023

[goletans]

42 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

Laundry services, does that mean laundry service or laundry room to do it yourself?

Both; no change to the current laundry "service" 

 

Laundry Services: With free launderettes included along with laundry services and pressing for Concierge and Suite levels, you'll always look your finest.

[jonthomas]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

The cruise you referred to is TA. Those are always significantly cheaper. We have no interest in TA cruises. This cruise is still $315 USD. The June 3 cruise we booked on the Vista was booked on the first day as well, as we always do. The cruise was already $350 USD per person for FV, even including the 5% early discount. Same cruise now is $430 USD, I don't believe the new release of 2026 will be cheaper, but I hope I'm wrong.

They won't be cheaper, but by the time 2026 or 2027 rolls around, they will seem so.

[jonthomas]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

The cruise you referred to is TA. Those are always significantly cheaper. We have no interest in TA cruises. This cruise is still $315 USD. The June 3 cruise we booked on the Vista was booked on the first day as well, as we always do. The cruise was already $350 USD per person for FV, even including the 5% early discount. Same cruise now is $430 USD, I don't believe the new release of 2026 will be cheaper, but I hope I'm wrong.

Yes it IS a TA, very port intensive, with ports we actually have never been to. That is rare for us now.

Love TAs, as we sail mainly for the ship now.

In the Carib we mostly do not get off the ship unless it is Aruba or st barths. Have missed st barths several times but still keep trying. Have been a couple of times before, so it's OK.

[rizello]

I have always been looking to sail on Oceania, but haven't yet because the fare structure was always too convoluted for me.  It still seems that way.

 

I noted that the included gratuities are for room attendants, wait staff.  What about the janitor and all the other staff that work behind the scenes?

 

Frankly, I have been sailing with Viking as their fares are so straightforward, and the cost was less than Oceania when I compared apples to apples.

 

I still would like to give Oceania a try someday.  I'll see how the dust settles with this new structure.  

[ronrick1943]

2 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

The PR is now showing on the O site:

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/media/2024/Oceania+Cruises+Includes+Gratuities+For+All+Guests+As+It++Unveils+Your+World+Included+New+Value+Promise/

"Laundry Services?: With free launderettes included along with laundry services and pressing for Concierge and Suite levels, you’ll always look your finest. ?"

Yes, but it's only three (3) bags of laundry (20 items per bag.

[clo]

I haven't read all SIX pages 😉 of this but has anyone mentioned that their TA gives them gratuities and/or OBC?

[MisterBill99]

4 hours ago, rizello said:

I have always been looking to sail on Oceania, but haven't yet because the fare structure was always too convoluted for me.  It still seems that way.

 

I noted that the included gratuities are for room attendants, wait staff.  What about the janitor and all the other staff that work behind the scenes?

 

Frankly, I have been sailing with Viking as their fares are so straightforward, and the cost was less than Oceania when I compared apples to apples.

 

I still would like to give Oceania a try someday.  I'll see how the dust settles with this new structure.  

 

I don't understand what is convoluted about the fare structure. Maybe with the old O Life, where they showed prices with and without it, but not with Simply More (which I disliked because I did not want the wine package or excursion credit). There's one price, and you used to pay gratuities on top of that. Those were a daily charge ($18/day I think) and covers everyone on the ship that you are expected to tip. I'm pretty sure that janitors do not get gratuities, but if they do, it's part of the daily charge. Those will now be included.

Edited September 6 by MisterBill99

[MisterBill99]

So, I'm confused here. The prices seemed to go up when Simply More replaced O Life (and in fact, I had not booked an Oceania cruise since they did that, until a recent 25% flash sale). The new plan removes the excursion credit and meal wine package and gives you gratuities, which doesn't seem to be as much as the excursion credit was (I am not talking about people who already got them included due to level). And then you're losing the wine package, (which I had no use since I rarely drink wine or beer, but was always the best value for O Life perk when it could be purchased separately). And the cruise price isn't going down? Seems like a major price INCREASE for people who actually wanted the wine package, since they'll have to pay for it now.

[MisterBill99]

3 hours ago, clo said:

I haven't read all SIX pages 😉 of this but has anyone mentioned that their TA gives them gratuities and/or OBC?

 

If your TA gives you gratuities, you'll probably end up with OBC. Clearly something will have to change for the special Connoisseur Club agency sailings which had gratuities included. And you won't be able to use the OBC towards gratuities, since they're already covered.

Edited September 6 by MisterBill99

[hubofhockey]

6 hours ago, ak1004 said:

So to summarize the BIG CHANGE:

 

For people who don't drink, it's basically a wash.

 

On a 10 nights cruise, SM excursion credit is $300 per person.

 

With the new pricing, you get gratuities included - $180 value, and $125 OBC. That's $305.

 

BUT: with SM you have to use the credit for excursions, while the new OBC can be used for anything.

 

Am I missing something?

I got $400 pp credit on a 10-day cruise (Lisbon-Southampton on the Vista)

Agency threw in gratuities + another $1,000 onboard credit.

 

If I were to switch to One World, or whatever they are calling it, I’d be down $550 plus drinks for both of us.  Maybe the agents will now begin to throw in drinks packages instead of gratuities.  Maybe it’s more than $550.  I don’t see the $125 OBC, so that would be $800 I’d be losing.

 

This will be our first cruise on Oceania.  Going in with an open mind on everything and, for future cruises, we’ll always consider total cost to us.  Next up would be Celebrity Edge from Sydney to all around New Zealand.  After that, who knows?

Edited September 6 by hubofhockey

[Vineyard View]

14 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I don't think we are really risking anything.. we sailed on SS 3 times in the last 2 years and enjoyed it very much. SB is pretty similar. Small ships, excellent food and service, unlimited black caviar.. what's not to like?

 

We booked when we saw excellent itinerary at reasonable price. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those lines.

When we compared itineraries for Spring 2025, we narrowed it down to SB and Oceania. 
When we added in gratuities, and upgraded beverage - which are included on SB and not on Oceania (important to us, but I honor not to all), the price difference was fairly negligible. The itinerary and date won out with SB, along with small ship and much larger cabin. We completely enjoyed our SB cruise last year, and hope that you do as well. After all,  precious vacation time is high value. 
I popped back onto this forum thinking about 2026. 
Reading this thread, if Oceania keeps SM pricing levels, adds on gratuity, while reducing aspects of the beverage and excursion piece of SM, the fiscal positive goes to Oceania. And once again, time will tell how that works for them. 

Edited September 6 by Vineyard View

[Thought2go]

On 9/4/2024 at 4:47 PM, 1985rz1 said:

You're such a treasure to have on the board.

+1

[osandomir]

We’ll have to wait a little more, I guess, until the new itineraries are released. I doubt that prices will go down. Inclusions aren’t that important for us. And unlike some others I have never ever calculated the per day price. It’s a bottom line and whether we can afford it or not. We’re itinerary driven and if O prices become too high the only thing not to be very disappointed is that we pretty much have sailed to the places interested to us that O is offering. For us it needs to be a new exciting itinerary so we consider to pay more. But I have a feeling that we aren’t a typical demographic that O is after now days.