Oceania cruise prices

[skiinglaketahoe]

Hi

 

I've posted a few weeks ago about the same topic and thank you to everyone who replied.

 

We are booked on the Riviera 27th January 2025 Hong Kong to Tokyo. We've cruised a few times before but this is our first Oceania cruise.

 

My angst is over their pricing. We booked an inside cabin (as it was all we could justify-it was very expensive). A few weeks later the price dropped dramatically and I contacted my travel agent (major UK TA) who contacted Oceania who would, apparently, not move us to a better cabin for the same money. Our TA cancelled the cruise part of our package and we rebooked from a guaranteed inside to a guaranteed Concierge A4 for only a very few pounds more. 

 

I was very happy with that albeit not so happy with Oceania.  A few weeks later the price dropped again but our TA said he couldn't do anything and we were still getting a good deal even compared with the reduced prices. I have paid the final total. Now I see that the price has bottomed out again on categories A and B. I know the 'so called included things' have changed a little. The pricing structure for this cruise now shows the verandah and concierge cabins are cheaper than the inside or ocean view!

 

I guess that I am disturbed by this random and frequent price changing. I so wish I had booked later and I think overall I would have paid less without all this angst. I don't recall checking the prices on previous cruise. I guess I have only done it this time as I really did want to be in a cabin with a verandah. 

The whole thing just feels somewhat underhand and odd. I can only assume that the cruise is rather undersold. 

 

This could put me off going with Oceania another time.

Susan and Michael

London UK

[Vallesan]

6 minutes ago, skiinglaketahoe said:

Hi

 

I've posted a few weeks ago about the same topic and thank you to everyone who replied.

 

We are booked on the Riviera 27th January 2025 Hong Kong to Tokyo. We've cruised a few times before but this is our first Oceania cruise.

 

My angst is over their pricing. We booked an inside cabin (as it was all we could justify-it was very expensive). A few weeks later the price dropped dramatically and I contacted my travel agent (major UK TA) who contacted Oceania who would, apparently, not move us to a better cabin for the same money. Our TA cancelled the cruise part of our package and we rebooked from a guaranteed inside to a guaranteed Concierge A4 for only a very few pounds more. 

 

I was very happy with that albeit not so happy with Oceania.  A few weeks later the price dropped again but our TA said he couldn't do anything and we were still getting a good deal even compared with the reduced prices. I have paid the final total. Now I see that the price has bottomed out again on categories A and B. I know the 'so called included things' have changed a little. The pricing structure for this cruise now shows the verandah and concierge cabins are cheaper than the inside or ocean view!

 

I guess that I am disturbed by this random and frequent price changing. I so wish I had booked later and I think overall I would have paid less without all this angst. I don't recall checking the prices on previous cruise. I guess I have only done it this time as I really did want to be in a cabin with a verandah. 

The whole thing just feels somewhat underhand and odd. I can only assume that the cruise is rather undersold. 

 

This could put me off going with Oceania another time.

Susan and Michael

London UK

Sounds like when you rebooked they only had ‘guaranteed’ cabins in the A4 category. It would seem unlikely that they would upgrade you to another ‘guaranteed’ cabin. I know this is too late now but you could have asked for a price reduction on your original cabin. 
 

I’m surprised that when the price dropped again your TA couldn’t do anything about that. Oceania usually  guarantee that if the price falls they will honour the reduction. Could this be do with your TA getting a lower commission on the lower price??!
 

Usually if you have paid in full then Oceania will add some onboard spend in lieu of the price decrease. Try your TA again or even ring Oceania yourself if you get no satisfaction.
 

Another minor point, check your Oceania invoice for the date of final payment it seems to be a little early given your cruise is over 4 months away. Often agents get you to pay the final balance a few weeks before it’s actually due to Oceania. There may still be time to get a further reduction.

[Vallesan]

P.S. price reductions tend to occur most frequently when a cruise isn’t selling well. Booking late on a cruise that sells well isn’t a good idea … poor choice of cabins if any!

[Harters]

7 minutes ago, skiinglaketahoe said:

I guess that I am disturbed by this random and frequent price changing.

All operators and travel agents adjust their prices to reflect how well a particular holiday is selling. Doesnt matter whether it a transatlantic cruise or a fortnight in Benidorm. It happens. Sometimes the prices come down, sometimes they go up. It's a gamble whether by booking early you'll have won or lost.

 

My only comment about leaving it late to book, is that choice of cabin can be limited. For example, our next cruise is in June. We booked last March securing exactly the particular cabin we wanted. Just checked and I see that most categories are already waitlisted and only A1, A2 & A3 are available. I've not kept tabs on any price movements - the contract is the contract is the contract. I wouldnt expect to pay more if Oceania increased their prices and I wouldnt expect a reduction if they came down. 

[Vallesan]

4 minutes ago, Harters said:

 I've not kept tabs on any price movements - the contract is the contract is the contract. I wouldnt expect to pay more if Oceania increased their prices and I wouldnt expect a reduction if they came down. 

Take a look at your ‘contract’ for the cruise you booked on board. I’m sure you will find that Oceania will honour any decrease in price especially when you have  booked onboard ?

[Harters]

You're right, V. I had forgotten that. As it happens there's no decrease and, with the way it's selling, I suspect there won't be. 

[jonthomas]

Sorry that this happened. I can see how you may feel that you are not being treated fairly by O.

 

Keep insisting on the "best price guarantee ", since you booked on board.

 

We had to go back and forth on a price for a cruise that was not selling, then after final pay, a sale dropped the price like a stone.

 

O would only give us half back in OBCs, until the right agent interfered and got the full amount. Yes it is only non refundable OBCs, but better than nothing.

[EJL2023]

8 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Sorry that this happened. I can see how you may feel that you are not being treated fairly by O.

 

Keep insisting on the "best price guarantee ", since you booked on board.

 

We had to go back and forth on a price for a cruise that was not selling, then after final pay, a sale dropped the price like a stone.

 

O would only give us half back in OBCs, until the right agent interfered and got the full amount. Yes it is only non refundable OBCs, but better than nothing.

This is the OP’s first Oceania cruise…so they obviously do not get that benefit for booking onboard.  

[Fleuve51]

Jonthomas

you are very busy answering on these boards

glad you like oceania!

[jonthomas]

17 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

This is the OP’s first Oceania cruise…so they obviously do not get that benefit for booking onboard.  

Ah I didn't see that...sorry...

[jonthomas]

4 minutes ago, Fleuve51 said:

Jonthomas

you are very busy answering on these boards

glad you like oceania!

Yup we like it...

Wasted a lot of years on Celebrity and others, traveled with friends who insisted it was too expensive. 

Until we sailed on the little Regatta, just before covid. Best food we had ever eaten at sea.

They ran out of Mac and cheese at the Terrace Cafe, I said   oh no problem.

The next thing I knew, the chef himself came to the table with a plate of steaming Mac and cheese and said, no one should ever say to you that we have run out.

We were sold.

 

[Fleuve51]

We have done 33 oceania, but now cruise mostly on celebrity

an excellent line, no complaints for food, the best ever entertainment

great loyalty perks 

[jonthomas]

We are elite plus with C, all their perks are included for everyone on O. But you know that.

[Thought2go]

4 hours ago, skiinglaketahoe said:

A few weeks later the price dropped again but our TA said he couldn't do anything and we were still getting a good deal even compared with the reduced prices

Yes, I have unfortunately heard the same line. “Good Deal”  Keep pushing your TA -they should at least be able to get you OBC.

I’m starting to wonder if TAs are getting the same squeeze play on their own returns from Oceania bookings. On one of my bookings the TA actually hasn’t added in their gratuities perk they said I would be receiving. Once I clear what’s on deck, I will be looking elsewhere for my future booking agent.

[Fleuve51]

With simply more being taken away next month, not sure what perks there will be?

[ak1004]

43 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

We are elite plus with C, all their perks are included for everyone on O. But you know that.

 

I wouldn't even put C and O in the same sentence. Different galaxies. Took our friends who are elite plus on C to O. They are not going back to C.

[Harters]

13 minutes ago, Thought2go said:

I’m starting to wonder if TAs are getting the same squeeze play on their own returns from Oceania bookings

Like me, the OP is in the UK. As mentioned here before, our travel agency industry is structured and regulated differently from that in the States. There is much less flexibility to do deals, worsened for Oceania cruises, in that Britons are a small minority of the customer base, so our agents don't get as good deals from O. 

[SbbquilterUT]

We are just back from a very nice 22 day sailing on the Insignia.  As expected the bathroom was small but that did not impact our sailing, the food was excellent and the people we met were mostly well traveled and very nice to spend time with.  We don't drink wine or beer with meals (bar bill was less than $200 total) and do not want their excursions so our Cruise Only was great for us.  Now we need to debate the price among cruise lines and decide when itinerary wins or when price influences our choice.  Did really like the size of ship even on very rough North Atlantic sea and enjoyed all the light and comfortable seating in the Insignia lounge to read or do needlework.

[PhD-iva]

4 hours ago, SbbquilterUT said:

We are just back from a very nice 22 day sailing on the Insignia.  As expected the bathroom was small but that did not impact our sailing, the food was excellent and the people we met were mostly well traveled and very nice to spend time with.  We don't drink wine or beer with meals (bar bill was less than $200 total) and do not want their excursions so our Cruise Only was great for us.  Now we need to debate the price among cruise lines and decide when itinerary wins or when price influences our choice.  Did really like the size of ship even on very rough North Atlantic sea and enjoyed all the light and comfortable seating in the Insignia lounge to read or do needlework.

Good to hear. I am thinking about moving one of my booked on board reservations to an Insignia itinerary. My other reservation went through the Red Sea. Probably not gonna happen….

[ronrick1943]

On 9/8/2024 at 10:09 AM, Harters said:

All operators and travel agents adjust their prices to reflect how well a particular holiday is selling. Doesnt matter whether it a transatlantic cruise or a fortnight in Benidorm. It happens. Sometimes the prices come down, sometimes they go up. It's a gamble whether by booking early you'll have won or lost.

 

My only comment about leaving it late to book, is that choice of cabin can be limited. For example, our next cruise is in June. We booked last March securing exactly the particular cabin we wanted. Just checked and I see that most categories are already waitlisted and only A1, A2 & A3 are available. I've not kept tabs on any price movements - the contract is the contract is the contract. I wouldnt expect to pay more if Oceania increased their prices and I wouldnt expect a reduction if they came down. 

But "O" should give  a rebate the lower cost.

[jagoffee]

Has anyone ever needed to cancel a cruise (and rebook) to receive a price reduction on Oceania prior to final payment?

 

Thanks

[osandomir]

40 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Has anyone ever needed to cancel a cruise (and rebook) to receive a price reduction on Oceania prior to final payment?

 

Thanks

Many times. No need to cancel just have it repriced.

[Vallesan]

2 hours ago, osandomir said:

Many times. No need to cancel just have it repriced.

+ 1, many times!

[willidc]

8 hours ago, jagoffee said:

Has anyone ever needed to cancel a cruise (and rebook) to receive a price reduction on Oceania prior to final payment?

 

Thanks

Yes. We needed to do this at the end of August 2024.

 

Our Dec. 5, 2024 sailing on Vista had a significant price drop with the Flash Sale about a week prior to final payment which was to occur on Sept. 6, 2024. We DID book onboard in June 2023 for this cruise first under O'Life, then months later converted to SM under an early price reduction. With the end of August Flash Sale, the only way they would permit us getting the reduced price (almost $1000pp) was to cancel the cruise and rebook as new with a new booking number.  The only thing we lost was $100pp shorex credit since that was reduced at some previous time for bookings and they did not grandfather us in for the new booking.  

 

We had to PIF immediately since we were booking under the current rules (not those from June 2023) and we were already past that date.  We did NOT lose our original cabin.  We were a bit puzzled since we try to always book onboard and have not had to do this previously when prices dropped since we get the "guaranteed lowest price until date of sailing".  We are not sure why we had to cancel and rebook this time, but Oceania indicated this was how it was to be done and we are still pleased with the outcome.

 

Good luck to you!

Edited September 11 by willidc
addl info

[sailing oldie]

We've just negotiated 2 price reductions on our 2025 cruise, before final payment. Each time, the Oceania agent had to cancel and rebook on a new reference number.