Oceania's Exhorbitant Hotel rates

[shifty]

We are booked on a February 2008 Nautica cruise (Sydney to Bangkok). For a pre-cruise stay at The Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, Oceania is charging $349 - $449 per person per night, depending on view. At the time we booked I thought that Oceania's rates for this hotel were way out of line, even considering that transfers are included.

 

Today I received a mailing from Princess Cruises which lists various hotels and the rates for their cruises, and it underscores my initial impression that Oceania's charges are so unreasonable. For the Sydney Four Seasons Hotel Princess is charging $179 p/p for the 1st night, and additional nights are $129. These rates include "hotel accomodations, porterage, meet and greet services, transfers between airport/hotel, and hotel/pier, and the services of a representative."

 

 

Mike S.

[wripro]

It's always better to make one's own hotel arrangements. It's much cheaper. If you use the cruise line, you're paying a middle man simply to make a reservation for you.

[tgg]

Mike,

 

If the Princess rates you quote for the Four Seasons are for the same time period, you'd have to conclude, I guess, that Oceania just wants to make more money on hotels.

[Aussie Gal]

We have always made our own arrangements.

 

The prices that are being charged at the Four Seasons I presume are in U.S. dollars. The cost of a room at the Four Seasons are: Full Harbour Room is $550AUD which is around $431US, a Opera Room is $ 500AUD which is $392US and a City View Room is $450AUD which is $352US.

 

You have been quoted double the cost of the hotel room. There are probably transfers and a few extras included, but I am sure that they do not cost double the price of the room. Taxis are cheap in Sydney, especially from the airport to the hotel, ($30AUD) and the hotel is very close to the pier so again a taxi ride is not going to be more than $20AUD. I am not sure if breakfasts are included in the tariff, but even if they aren't, they are around $30AUD p.p. if you eat in the hotel and outside the hotel it is less than $20p.p.

 

 

Here is the link: http://www.fourseasons.com/sydney/rates_and_reservations.html

 

You can work out for yourself what you would prefer to do, but I know if I were you, I would go it alone and save the money.

 

Jennie