No more Simply More

[SATaxman]

27 minutes ago, iowananny said:

We were on Nautica a little more than a month ago on a Baltic cruise.  The bars were always crowded during happy hour.  It was hard to find a table in Martinis.  There didn't seem to be a shortage of passengers who liked the atmosphere of a bar and not drinking their own liquor in their room.  

 

My husband took a tour one day to an old Soviet missile site in Lithuania.  I had no interest in this and stayed on the ship during that day.  Most people had to be out doing something because for the most part the ship was pretty empty during most of the day.  Yes, there were some people there for lunch but it sure wasn't that many.  We did take four Oceania excursions that were provided with SM.  We've taken their tours in the past and I don't remember ever being unhappy.  Of course, some were better than others.   And sometimes we just walk around or have a taxi show us around.  We've reached the age where we can't do physically intense tours every day on a port intensive cruise.  

 

I know many on this site want the absolute best price ever.  I really think there are many who want everything Oceania provides but at a Carnival price.  But I think my husband and I are in the majority of most of Oceania's customers.  If we see an itinerary we like, it's a good time for us and we can afford it we book it.  Yes, we have cruised with Carnival.  I get casino discounts and while we prefer Oceania we have had fun on Carnival, especially in the casino. 

 

You have to remember only a small percentage of those on any cruise ever read Cruise Critic and will probably book despite this new change.  We have two cruises booked now and will probably book more.  And we might try some other cruise lines if we see something we like.

 

We don't worry a lot about our cabin.  We have had an inside cabin but also a concierge.  We enjoyed both cruises.  In April we're going to try a PH, just because the price wasn't that much higher than a balcony on Vista.

 

It's so much fun to complain and I know I'm just as guilty as the next guy.  We've had so much fun cruising.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself and remember a little girl growing up in Iowa whose biggest goal was to go to Paris someday.  I've been to Paris at least ten times.  When I think of all the places I've been it's is amazing.  And I didn't have to join the Navy.

We took our first O cruise in October 2023. After dozens of cruises on several lines, we have found our happy place. Our TA provides gratuities and some OBC. We enjoyed wine at lunch and dinner under Simply More; however, I would be just as happy with iced tea at lunch and our own bottles of wine at dinner with the $25 corkage fee. We took enough excursions to receive the 25% off; could also book our own. We have 2 more cruises booked, one this year and one 2025. 

[durberville]

3 hours ago, Harters said:

Absolutely, IMO. 

 

I have no problem with price increases and companies making a profit. Most of us live in  a capitalist society and that's the name of the game.

 

But what I find odd about this is why O didnt just increase prices,as they do all the time, keeping things the same or accounting for the extension of included gratuities to all customers. Instead it has given with one hand and taken away with another. Or, to put it another way, toss a coin - heads you win, tails I lose. 

Agreed. As a first time Oceania cruiser (October) the Simply More amenities attracted me.  I was planning to book another cruise onboard or at the very least research another based on how I enjoyed this one.  (Have several cruises bookmarked). 
 

Now, with this new offering they are taking away my included drink package, my shore excursion credit, and offering nothing more than gratuities (which are a fraction of value) for what seems to be confirmed - the same price. Without a reduction in fare to reflect the missing amenities I have no intent of booking a new cruise. 
 

Taking benefits away, in any environment is always a negative move and difficult to sell. 

[Vineyard View]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I guess it depends on your preferences and parameters like Region, duration, cabin category etc.

 

I just looked at 10-12 nights sailings in Europe for Amy-June 2025.

 

Oceania FV on Vista is around $500/night. SB entry level cabin (OV or veranda) around $700. I think last year the difference was less, but there is no way I'm going to pay $700/night for SB (or any other line), unless the itinerary is really unique (and I don't see this happening).

SS and Crystal are even more expensive. 

 

So to me, the fiscal positive doesn't really matter. What matters is the total price, compared to the overall value and how this value compares to other lines.

I was commenting that I hope you enjoy SB, as we did, and that that are good deals to be had.  Like you, we’ve been able to find a couple on SB in balcony cabins that are suite size, and were comparable in pricing to Oceania Balcony when we added in our preferences and gratuities. Prices are higher now.  On both lines. 
I just looked at Oceania Mar-May ‘26 (our travel window) Europe. Not a lot of options. Only a couple 7 day, which is just too short. There may be b2b options, but I am finding it difficult to locate those as, even in May, they are still doing TA from Miami. 
I completely agree with you that what matters is the total price, compared to the overall value, and how that compares to other lines. 

[jonthomas]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

A good under $300/day cruise is like finding a good under $30 Burgundy. Those days are mostly long gone . You’re more likely to find people living in the past wearing leisure 

Not sure going forward I will still be able to do that. New itins coming out soon..

If anyone is curious about what I will be booking, here is my email

 

Jonthomas100z@gmail.com

[Harters]

Jon - to prevent possible spammers, suggest you replace the @ with "at" and the . with "dot"

[PhD-iva]

1 hour ago, iowananny said:

We were on Nautica a little more than a month ago on a Baltic cruise.  The bars were always crowded during happy hour.  It was hard to find a table in Martinis.  There didn't seem to be a shortage of passengers who liked the atmosphere of a bar and not drinking their own liquor in their room.  

 

My husband took a tour one day to an old Soviet missile site in Lithuania.  I had no interest in this and stayed on the ship during that day.  Most people had to be out doing something because for the most part the ship was pretty empty during most of the day.  Yes, there were some people there for lunch but it sure wasn't that many.  We did take four Oceania excursions that were provided with SM.  We've taken their tours in the past and I don't remember ever being unhappy.  Of course, some were better than others.   And sometimes we just walk around or have a taxi show us around.  We've reached the age where we can't do physically intense tours every day on a port intensive cruise.  

 

I know many on this site want the absolute best price ever.  I really think there are many who want everything Oceania provides but at a Carnival price.  But I think my husband and I are in the majority of most of Oceania's customers.  If we see an itinerary we like, it's a good time for us and we can afford it we book it.  Yes, we have cruised with Carnival.  I get casino discounts and while we prefer Oceania we have had fun on Carnival, especially in the casino. 

 

You have to remember only a small percentage of those on any cruise ever read Cruise Critic and will probably book despite this new change.  We have two cruises booked now and will probably book more.  And we might try some other cruise lines if we see something we like.

 

We don't worry a lot about our cabin.  We have had an inside cabin but also a concierge.  We enjoyed both cruises.  In April we're going to try a PH, just because the price wasn't that much higher than a balcony on Vista.

 

It's so much fun to complain and I know I'm just as guilty as the next guy.  We've had so much fun cruising.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself and remember a little girl growing up in Iowa whose biggest goal was to go to Paris someday.  I've been to Paris at least ten times.  When I think of all the places I've been it's is amazing.  And I didn't have to join the Navy.

IowaNanny, I agree that bars, especially Martinis are full during happy hour and before dinner. I returned on 28 August from Sirena. I went to Horizons after dinner a few times, and there were very few people there after dinner.

[ak1004]

37 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

I was commenting that I hope you enjoy SB, as we did, and that that are good deals to be had.  Like you, we’ve been able to find a couple on SB in balcony cabins that are suite size, and were comparable in pricing to Oceania Balcony when we added in our preferences and gratuities. Prices are higher now.  On both lines. 
I just looked at Oceania Mar-May ‘26 (our travel window) Europe. Not a lot of options. Only a couple 7 day, which is just too short. There may be b2b options, but I am finding it difficult to locate those as, even in May, they are still doing TA from Miami. 
I completely agree with you that what matters is the total price, compared to the overall value, and how that compares to other lines. 

 

I have no doubt we will enjoy SB. I just cannot see us booking it again if we have to pay $200 more per day compared to O.

 

We are also looking at Nay 2026 and yes very few options. Maybe they will add more in the next release. 

[Harters]

36 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

especially Martinis are full during happy hour and before dinner.

We were on Vista for its transatlantic earlier in the year. Martinis was always busy with, generally, no vacant tables until much later in the evening. Perhaps oddly, very few people went to Baristas in the evening when it becomes Barista's Aperitivo. Lovely place to sit and enjoy a pre dinner aperitif and some nibbles. Horizons never seemed busy at any time of the day. 

[MisterBill99]

4 hours ago, SellaVee said:

We had a fabulous cruise on Marina last year and we were planning to do the "follow on" cruise this year.  However, when Simply More arrived, we left.  We rarely book far in advance post Covid, and last year we chose the excursions as our O life perk, only to find there were none left.  The sum for excursions was $800, and although they called it free, I’d disagree.  We were able, last year, to swop the useless excursion choice for the drinks package.  This year I noticed complaints about the non refundable excursion credit when there were cancellations or no availability, so for me it was the right choice to leave.

 

You could have just removed O Life completely and paid $800 less. That was what was great about O Life. Taking the limited drink package was the best value, if you drank wine at meals. The excursion credit was only worth it if you could find some over $100 to use them on. If you booked sub-$100 tours, you were losing money, and if you chose the OBC, you were effectively paying for non-refundable OBC that you had to use. 

 

[MisterBill99]

5 hours ago, Thought2go said:

I’m finding the OBC from my CC agency is nontransferable and sale discounts they were able to get me post booking are not refundable to my credit card, per my invoice, on recent bookings. This is different than my past experience.
I thought these were just changes within my Connoisseur Club Agency. Perhaps not after this announcement. So something is afoot.

 

What do you mean by nontransferable? Not refundable? On the Oceania cruise that I booked recently, my TA  (a CC agent) is sending me a check with my rebate a few weeks before the cruise. Much better than OBC, especially if it turns out to be non-refundable.

 

Also, I'm not sure what you meant about the sale discounts not being refunded. If they're after final payment, you would never get a refund. You might get OBC.

Edited September 6 by MisterBill99

[Ivy sugarplum]

3 hours ago, iowananny said:

We were on Nautica a little more than a month ago on a Baltic cruise.  The bars were always crowded during happy hour.  It was hard to find a table in Martinis.  There didn't seem to be a shortage of passengers who liked the atmosphere of a bar and not drinking their own liquor in their room.  

 

My husband took a tour one day to an old Soviet missile site in Lithuania.  I had no interest in this and stayed on the ship during that day.  Most people had to be out doing something because for the most part the ship was pretty empty during most of the day.  Yes, there were some people there for lunch but it sure wasn't that many.  We did take four Oceania excursions that were provided with SM.  We've taken their tours in the past and I don't remember ever being unhappy.  Of course, some were better than others.   And sometimes we just walk around or have a taxi show us around.  We've reached the age where we can't do physically intense tours every day on a port intensive cruise.  

 

I know many on this site want the absolute best price ever.  I really think there are many who want everything Oceania provides but at a Carnival price.  But I think my husband and I are in the majority of most of Oceania's customers.  If we see an itinerary we like, it's a good time for us and we can afford it we book it.  Yes, we have cruised with Carnival.  I get casino discounts and while we prefer Oceania we have had fun on Carnival, especially in the casino. 

 

You have to remember only a small percentage of those on any cruise ever read Cruise Critic and will probably book despite this new change.  We have two cruises booked now and will probably book more.  And we might try some other cruise lines if we see something we like.

 

We don't worry a lot about our cabin.  We have had an inside cabin but also a concierge.  We enjoyed both cruises.  In April we're going to try a PH, just because the price wasn't that much higher than a balcony on Vista.

 

It's so much fun to complain and I know I'm just as guilty as the next guy.  We've had so much fun cruising.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself and remember a little girl growing up in Iowa whose biggest goal was to go to Paris someday.  I've been to Paris at least ten times.  When I think of all the places I've been it's is amazing.  And I didn't have to join the Navy.

I like your perspective, Iowananny! Aren’t we fortunate to be able to cruise and enjoy this beautiful world!

 

[goletans]

This is our favorite sentence in the Your World promise:

 

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.

 

We read this as Guests may buy .....

 

What a great promise. It somewhat alleviates the loss of included amenities. Clever narratives, indeed. 

 

[basor]

33 minutes ago, goletans said:

This is our favorite sentence in the Your World promise:

 

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.

 

We read this as Guests may buy .....

 

What a great promise. It somewhat alleviates the loss of included amenities. Clever narratives, indeed. 

 

But this is what many people were asking for - back to the "old ways" where every thing was "al a carte" .....be careful what you ask for!  Just look at all of the postings about SM.....hate it, don't use it, don't want it, never sail O again and then when O goes back to the original "al a carte" - postings - hate it, never sail O again.  Not talking about pricing but exactly what you want included in the base price....

[ORV]

I think I might have been misquoted. I think I said “other” than Happy Hour the bars are dead. 

[MisterBill99]

33 minutes ago, basor said:

But this is what many people were asking for - back to the "old ways" where every thing was "al a carte" .....be careful what you ask for!  Just look at all of the postings about SM.....hate it, don't use it, don't want it, never sail O again and then when O goes back to the original "al a carte" - postings - hate it, never sail O again.  Not talking about pricing but exactly what you want included in the base price....

 

But apparently, they're not rolling back the prices, they will remain the same.  So, it isn't the "old ways". The prices went up with Simply More since it included more than O Life and that will apparently remain the "base price". You used to be able to book without O Life at a base price.

Edited September 6 by MisterBill99

[Vallesan]

22 minutes ago, basor said:

But this is what many people were asking for - back to the "old ways" where every thing was "al a carte" .....be careful what you ask for!  Just look at all of the postings about SM.....hate it, don't use it, don't want it, never sail O again and then when O goes back to the original "al a carte" - postings - hate it, never sail O again.  Not talking about pricing but exactly what you want included in the base price....

You can please some of the people some of the time ……… !!!

[1985rz1]

A Brief History of (Recent) Time

A long, long time ago, in a land far, far away, a company offered a vacation experience under a program called “OLife.”  One segment of citizens of the land liked and enjoyed the program, but saw and tolerated its weaknesses and complexity.  However, another segment of the citizens complained that the program was too complicated and too confusing, and that other companies had amenities that were not part of this company’s program. Many of the unhappy citizens wished for a different program that was simpler and closer to programs offered by other companies.

The company heard the citizens, and the disgruntled ones were louder than the satisfied ones, so the company, changed the program to make it simpler and have more inclusions, the latter of which resulted in a net increase in cost to the citizens.  It called the program “Simply More.” Again, one segment of the citizens liked the new program but others complained that they didn’t want to pay for amenities they didn’t use and didn’t want to use, as well as the increased cost of the vacation experience. But they didn’t complain about the new WiFi rule of two accounts per cabin. The unhappy citizens wished for a cruise-only program that didn’t force unwanted amenities upon them.

The company again heard the citizens, and the disgruntled ones were, once more, louder than the satisfied ones.  The company responded by changing the program again and called it “Your World Included.”  The new program eliminated the despised included amenities, and replaced them with included gratuities, but kept the two WiFi accounts per stateroom as an inclusion. There was no immediate change in fare for the citizens, neither increase nor a decrease to compensate the net loss of value incurred by the change in amenities.  Again, a segment of the citizens was happy that they didn’t have to pay for unwanted amenities, and that gratuities were included in the price, but others were unhappy because they felt it was not a fair trade, especially loyalty club members who saw a reduction in the value of their loyalty program perks, especially the loyalty club included gratuities.  Some have begun wishing for a return to “OLife”.”

So what is the lesson learned from this history?

Be careful what you wish for.

Edited September 6 by 1985rz1

[Vallesan]

@1985rz1   ….. well said!

[shepherd really]

2 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

The company again heard the citizens, and the disgruntled ones were, once more, louder than the satisfied ones.  The company responded by changing the program again and called it “Your World Included.”  The new program eliminated the despised include amenities, and replaced them with included gratuities, but kept the two WiFi accounts per stateroom as an inclusion. There was no immediate change in cost to the citizens, neither increase nor a decrease to compensate the net loss of value incurred by the change in amenities. 

 

Actually, when you take away an amenity that has value, you are effectively raising the price.  Doesn't matter whether or not you use that amenity.  You were paying for it under simply more, now you're paying the same price, and it's not included, so they raised the price or lowered the value, if you prefer couching it that way.  

 

Either way, the bottom line is Oceania's bottom line, and they are selling a product with a lower value for the same price. 

 

If Kellogg keeps the cost of a box of Rice Crispies the same while decreasing the amount of product, it's a price increase.  

 

 

[1985rz1]

3 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Actually, when you take away an amenity that has value, you are effectively raising the price.  Doesn't matter whether or not you use that amenity.  You were paying for it under simply more, now you're paying the same price, and it's not included, so they raised the price or lowered the value, if you prefer couching it that way.  

 

Either way, the bottom line is Oceania's bottom line, and they are selling a product with a lower value for the same price. 

 

If Kellogg keeps the cost of a box of Rice Crispies the same while decreasing the amount of product, it's a price increase.  

 

 

My intention was that there was no change in fare when I said no change in cost. I thought that was obvious, but I changed the wording to be more specific.

[EJL2023]

Asking for a friend. Can we blame this on the NoNos.? If you don’t like spices, probably more likely to not drink for tummy reasons or spend money for excursions, probably can cause uneasiness spending on those overpriced excursions……which leads to tummy issues.  That is my theory!!😁

[Thought2go]

3 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

What do you mean by nontransferable? Not refundable? On the Oceania cruise that I booked recently, my TA  (a CC agent) is sending me a check with my rebate a few weeks before the cruise. Much better than OBC, especially if it turns out to be non-refundable.

 

Also, I'm not sure what you meant about the sale discounts not being refunded. If they're after final payment, you would never get a refund. You might get OBC.

I could not use the OBC for FCC -it must be used on the booking it was apportioned to. I was able to get a booking reduced due to a sale price. Oceania said that amount (you call it a rebate) would be credited back to my credit card or I could get a check. However the TA was only able to get it in OBC which again must be used on that booking. If this is O’s new SOP on refunds then I will wait to buy any package add ons to make sure I don’t leave anything or as little as possible on the table since I can’t get my discount refunded in cash or even as a FCC on my other bookings. I originally thought it must be a change with the TA- now I’m not so sure.

[SellaVee]

4 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

You could have just removed O Life completely and paid $800 less. That was what was great about O Life. Taking the limited drink package was the best value, if you drank wine at meals. The excursion credit was only worth it if you could find some over $100 to use them on. If you booked sub-$100 tours, you were losing money, and if you chose the OBC, you were effectively paying for non-refundable OBC that you had to use. 

 

I don't think that option was available to UK passengers.  We could take the air credit, which we always did once O started offering included flights, but I never heard of an option to ditch O life completely.  In any case, I did the maths and it turned out taking the drinks package was a great deal, given the cost of drinks.  We only needed to buy 2 drinks to be quids in.

[MisterBill99]

11 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

I could not use the OBC for FCC -it must be used on the booking it was apportioned to. I was able to get a booking reduced due to a sale price. Oceania said that amount (you call it a rebate) would be credited back to my credit card or I could get a check. However the TA was only able to get it in OBC which again must be used on that booking. If this is O’s new SOP on refunds then I will wait to buy any package add ons to make sure I don’t leave anything or as little as possible on the table since I can’t get my discount refunded in cash or even as a FCC on my other bookings. I originally thought it must be a change with the TA- now I’m not so sure.

 

Most cruise lines do not allow you to purchase an FCC with OBC. Crystal was the only one I've sailed it that allowed it. Royal, Holland, Celebrity and Virgin do not. As for the price reduction, you still did not say when it occurred. If after final payment, no cruise line will offer a refund and OBC is the best you can do (if they even allow that). I'm not sure if that OBC is refundable on Oceania or not.  The rebate I referred to was what my TA gave me for booking the cruise with them in lieu of the OBC I'd normally get from them. And yes, you definitely should wait to buy add-ons until you're on the ship if you're expecting to have OBC to spend.

Edited September 6 by MisterBill99

[MisterBill99]

Just now, SellaVee said:

I don't think that option was available to UK passengers.  We could take the air credit, which we always did once O started offering included flights, but I never heard of an option to ditch O life completely.  In any case, I did the maths and it turned out taking the drinks package was a great deal, given the cost of drinks.  We only needed to buy 2 drinks to be quids in.

 

I would agree if it had been a real drink package. But it wasn't. It was the wine and beer and meals package, which you then had to upgrade if you wanted a piña colada or other cocktail while you were at the pool or before (or with) dinner. Not a big difference i you drink wine, but I don't.