No more Simply More

[MEFIowa]

6 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

By the end of the year O will be featuring "blue light specials."

 

2 minutes ago, DrHemlock said:

"Attention O-Mart shoppers!!"

Though with NCL (& thus O) sitting on a ticking debt bomb, what do you expect them to do? They can't sell more stock and can't borrow more money. So they have to (1) cut costs and (2) raise revenue. In their case debt has to be repaid with profits.

 

So unless you and 1,000 or your closest rich friends have a couple billion dollars to buy newly-issued shares of stock....

[njhorseman]

Oceania's corporate sibling NCL has used upgrade bidding for years. 

[hubofhockey]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

Oceania's corporate sibling NCL has used upgrade bidding for years. 

 

Oceania's bidding is by invitation.  Azamara (at least previous ownership under RCI) let everyone bid for upgrades.   

[basor]

4 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Same here. Which is why when I see someone touting the unnamed unicorn I ask, "How much money have you spent with them in the past year? In the past 3 years? In the past 5 years?" They don't work for free. And we all know whales get special treatment.

And when people reply with specific answers of how much money they have spend in the past years and are not cash cows to the agents but still receive the great service and perks....crickets from you....sometimes attitude goes a long way towards a positive and rewarding experience for everyone involved...

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

 

Oceania's bidding is by invitation.

That is how NCL does it, so I'm not surprised that Oceania would follow the same procedure.

[hubofhockey]

38 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

That is how NCL does it, so I'm not surprised that Oceania would follow the same procedure.

It would probably benefit them to have more people bidding on upgrades.  Who am I to tell them how to run their business?  Maybe they see it as a loyalty thing.

[WildWanderers]

Hi All,

 

We have travelled twice on Cunard's Queen Mary 2, and been offered the opportunity to bid once on upgrades both times.  Lost once, won once (big time).

 

Over the course of our 13 Oceania cruises, we have been offered upgrades and downgrades, via email, with the amount of money more / less to pay specified in the offer, especially in the earlier cruises.  Nothing ever tempted us.

 

Before we took back-to-back cruises on the Insignia in the summer of 2023, I contacted our Oceania rep to ask him how much it would cost to upgrade to a penthouse.  The increment was way beyond our comfort level.  He checked again before we left...the price went down...it was still too much.

 

While on the first of the two back-to-back we found the shower in the concièrge level room very small (note girth of avatar), so I asked the executive concièrge if she could give me a deal on a penthouse for the second of the two back-to-backs.  She indicated that the prices for such an upgrade / offer are predetermined...that she would look into availability...and if there was any, she would make me a non-negotiable offer.  The next day there was an amazing deal in a letter at our door, much lower than what I referred to earlier as our "comfort level" for an additional payment.  I can't remember the $pecifics, but I may have reported on them in a previous post somewhere.

 

So, there can be upgrade / downgrade offers, not via bidding, and you can ask for and obtain (if there is availability) an upgrade for a reduced fee.

 

We did have to change rooms at the end of the first of the two back-to-back, but with the assistance of the room steward, and the butler we gained by moving to the penthouse, the move was done in an hour after breakfast, as soon as our destination room was cleaned, and it was cleaned as a priority.

 

Cheers,

Greg from the WildWanderers

[EJL2023]

We personally are ok with SM….so we just booked two more cruises with SM today. The clock is ticking. 

[ak1004]

9 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Same here. Which is why when I see someone touting the unnamed unicorn I ask, "How much money have you spent with them in the past year? In the past 3 years? In the past 5 years?" They don't work for free. And we all know whales get special treatment.

 

We typically spend around 30-40 days a year at sea (3-4 8-12 days sailings) and book OV. Our typical cost per cruise is less than $10k USD, so definitely not whales. And we were offered the same perks from day one.

 

No, nobody works for free. The agency we work with is in business for over 20 years, so I assume they can afford to give those perks and still make healthy profit.

[edgee]

13 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Same here. Which is why when I see someone touting the unnamed unicorn I ask, "How much money have you spent with them in the past year? In the past 3 years? In the past 5 years?" They don't work for free. And we all know whales get special treatment.

Not true with my TA. I recommended them to someone because they do give great service and provide 8 to 11 percent rebate check a few weeks prior to the cruise. In addition they often provide onboard credit. She called the agency and the first agent who picked up the phone quoted her the price of the cruise and the amount of the rebate...very straightforward. They are a fairly large agency with helpful agents and a great customer service department. I know you are a firm believer in your "unicorn theory," but believe me, I speak the truth.