Flatbush Flyer

Actually, about eight years ago, O had a similar promo chart Showing a comparison with two other cruise lines (that have become main “feeders” for O). They were Celebrity and HAL. If I remember correctly, the cabin class was comparable balcony cabins and the chart items were similar to the river cruise chart above. Of course, not everyone needs or wants every single item. But, that’s the beauty of premium lines (not just Oceania): choice vs all-inclusive at luxury lines.

Though it is a dated (2017) chart, that comparison is an equal “eye opener” today. Look at the Oceania fare. O includes airfare or an air credit (sometimes >$1500/person on intercontinental routes), internet, specialty restaurants, all non-alcoholic beverages and a choice of booze, tours or SBC (sometimes - like right now- all three). Their FF program is arguably the best in the cruise industry. With only a few cruises under your belt, you get gratuities paid, onboard SBC, discounts on onboard purchases, and at the milestone platinum level (and upon reaching each level above that), a complimentary cruise for two weeks anywhere O goes. Add to that - excellent cuisine and stellar service on small ships with great crew and space ratios, long-serving crew and high quality cabin amenities as well as numerous unusual itineraries that are hard to come by on many other lines.

Bingo! You’ve figured out that what I call “net daily rate” is the better cost comparison than is cabin fare. And, very often, you will find that premium lines (which are mostly inclusive - some even including air fare or air credit), that have a menu of inclusions that allow you to custom design your cruise offerings, are a far better value (with far better quality) than you’ll ever find on mass market lines. As for your list above: check out Oceania’s “O Life” program.

I have one guy I’ve worked with for years - sometimes to book with when new itineraries roll out (and then transfer it to a TA) and always for tours (never use the O cart - too glitchy). I’ve got his email and phone extension. I also have the emails and phone extensions of several other long-serving O phone reps (and O Club Ambassadors). For the O phone reps, I seldom have to wait for a reply.

Tell them to become with the ITA Matrix air search engine. It’s the far more robust version of Google Flights. It doesn’t sell tix but will show you the costs of pretty much every way there is to get from A to B (… to C and beyond) and all the prices that go with them.

From your profile, it looks like you live in Illinois(?). So, I’m guessing that you’re talking about an approx 1,000 miles minimum driving each way. Not including the value of your time and effort to make that trip, a conservative $0.40 per mile in gas, wear and tear, tolls, etc suggests a starting drive expense of $800. Add to that at least one enroute hotel night each way going and coming for an absolute minimum of $300 total for the two nights (one each way). And then there’s food- let’s add, at least, $100 for “fast food” enroute. In all, the true “cost” of that drive will be $1200. I just checked RT airfares for ORD-MIA. Multiple airlines have current RT July coach fares at under $400/person. Even if there’s 4 of you traveling ($1600 total in air tix), that bottom lines to a cost difference of $100/person to fly vs 2 days of driving. IMO, don’t be “pennywise and pound foolish.”

Most well respected Travel Agencies will have a backup Agent or, their own Customer Services Dept. personnel who could handle things that need to be addressed sooner than later. That said, when it comes to fare based modifications, Oceania will not work directly with a TA’s account. Though we don’t know all your circumstances, the biggest problem delay could cause would be if your cabin class availability disappears between now and whenever your TA contacts O to make any allowable change.

Sounds like you may be ready to move up to a premium cruise line whose inclusive pricing and far better quality might pleasantly surprise you when you compare the true bottom line cost of mass market lines like Celebrity (or those touting “ship within a ship”) with a line like Oceania (or even Azamara).

You are still focused on price in $ and disregarding the very tangible costs of effort and convenience. I don’t know about the value of your time. But, mine does not come cheap. There’s a cost to travelers in time and effort (and, for some folks, even lost income) in doing the research for (and management of) private tours. Sure, it (private tour logistics) can be fun and a desirable challenge for many cruisers when they’re regular cruise schedule is one (or even two) 2 week +\- cruises every year or two. But, for those of us who spend 1/4 to 1/3 of the year traveling (most often by ship), being able to peruse a PDF, select the ship tours that best meet your needs and then handle purchases and/or modifications often in a single phone call, the convenience alone is a tremendous benefit. It also leaves more time available to focus on selecting those private tours necessary to address your additional needs and preferences. Think about it: Using O’s Destination Services is somewhat similar to using Viator (which many “private tour” fans often use) except that O’s Destination Services is managing the interrelations of ALL tours you’ve booked with them for your cruise itinerary. And it’s that added service that accounts for the “perceived” extra cost. (I say “perceived” because the right use of the aforementioned mix of O Life and YWYW tours supported in part by O Club non-refundable SBC definitely can have a favorable “bottom line” when you look at the bigger picture.

We often mix ship and private tours. Making a wholesale statement that “private” is always better than “ship” is ridiculous. Moreover, “better” can be defined in different ways since there are multiple factors to consider. And price is only one of those factors. For us, convenience in planning tours (often for 50-75 ports per year), managing logistical challenges related to itinerary modifications (including cancelled or otherwise modified ports) and taking advantage of all O ship promos/perks are key considerations. For example, the combo of the O Life tours option [which has the potential for double value vs the fare item price paid] with the YWYW 25% discount AND, when needed, the use of non-refundable Platinum O Club SBC “bottom lines” favorably to (and, at times, better than), the equivalent private tours. And, with so many itinerary changes currently in the cruise industry, the value of not having to do anything more than “pick a replacement tour” or accept an immediate refund can be priceless. In addition, many O tours are not “panoramic” big bus tours. Many of the ones we choose use small 16 passenger (or less) vehicles and are very activity oriented. Add to that the fact that, in smaller exotic ports, reputable tour providers may be limited and O will have cornered that market. Again, we mix private and ship tours as appropriate based on “value” that is measured by far more than $ spent.

It’s my understanding that the relatively new “wine bar” concept on the two O ships has been very successful. And it is a great use of the La Reserve space which used to sit empty on many non-dinner evenings. Priveé (at least, on the two O ships) presents the same efficacy challenge and, while I’d hate to see an increase in paid dining venue, nightly use would make more sense from a business perspective. Of course, it could become a mixed use space: some fraction of the week available for “rent” while the rest of the week, it becomes a paid dining venue.

If you do the combo of O Life tours and YWYW, you may find your bottom line cost for tours to be in the same neighborhood as third party tour providers (and without the hassle of logistics if there are port changes/delays).

It took a few early on booking mistakes to catalyze my interest in O policies. Listing prices folks will never have to pay isn’t crazy. Just think of automotive MSRP $. Whoever would’ve foolish enough to pay that “list price.” (pre-COVID’s supply chain issues).

Wrong. The O Life excursions option has the capacity to double its value by selecting the most expensive of the O Life allowable tours (I.e., $<200). Moreover, the O Life tour selections qualify in meeting the minimum tour purchases required for the YWYW 25% discount on additional paid tours. In most cases, the O Life tours option provides the most added value. As I pointed out above, O air for bizclass can easily end up costing more than DIY.

One big caveat folks. If you’re a bizclass flier who likes non-stops on your preferred airline: Even, if your O Club status gets you free deviations, any bizclass quote you get from O is in addition to the coach airfare you already paid in the cabin fare. You get no credit for that unused coach ticket. And that initial possibly good looking quote is for O’s contract carriers. Most often, O air for bizclass is not a good deal.

As the old saying goes: “We need to talk” (about your misconceptions). First- as regards TAs: Remember that you and I (and everyone else in this thread) don’t amount to more than a rounding error in O’s daily bottom line. The right, high volume O selling TA, however, may book $ millions in a single week. So, while you’re on hold waiting for an O phone rep (who works for and is paid/controlled by O), that TA might get your “issue”!fixed with a quick speed dial to the O regional sales manager. Next, are you sure you’re looking at the real O website? Right on the home page, it shows the Extraordinary Savings promo. And, as regards those invoice terms like the brochure “cruise fare,” no one pays that fare - ever. And pretty much everyone gets the “early booking bonus.” The real savings come from “book onboard” and special sales discounts ( to which you add the O Club perks and, separately, your TA perks like commission sharing. For example, one of my current bookings has a book onboard discount plus the extraordinary savings discount plus O Club perks and a hefty rebate check from the TA. Do the research and find a good O savvy TA.

No they’re not. Compare the bottom line pricing of a cruise compared to the equivalent land vacation with all the expenses (including transportation, lodging, meals, tours et al.) you’d incur. Cruising remains a relative bargain. And, interestingly enough, if any cruise industry segment would suffer the most because of a huge exodus of those whose perception is they can no longer afford it, it would be the mass market lines whose basic cabin prices remain the lowest. That said, folks who can afford premium and luxury lines, including those mass market veterans who’ve done the math and have figured out that mostly/all inclusive pricing found in the premium/luxury ranks makes for a truly value laden experience, are booking more cruises than ever. The worst that could come from your concern would be a long overdue rightsizing of an industry that has grown unfettered for too many years.

Except - who knows if this Priveé thing extends to the O ships as well.

If only one current booking cancels, that cabin level will again have availability, which would allow the sale price to be applied to that level cabin.

All O Life (regular or Ultimate) includes airfare or air credit.

As usual 😉, hubby is probably correct😳.

And your TA can’t make an O call while on a cruise - why? Cell phones work on ship or shore (and most major cell carriers now have some form of land calling “passport” for $10/day. With cabin availability in your level a requirement for the price match, time is of the essence. Doesn’t her agency have a 24/7 customer services line you could call instead? Or, can’t she connect with the O Ambassador onboard to make any needed changes or, at least, call O for her on the ship’s phone. I’d be very concerned about using a TA that doesn’t have a mechanism for emergency contact.

Going on a cruise soon? Could be your Blue Book. (But don’t know why postage would be due - unless it went first to your TA who didn’t put the postage. Only other thing I can think of is that you lost something onboard and it’s being returned.

Not sure about Princess but, some lines (e.g., Oceania) issue a “price drop match” guarantee for onboard bookings (and also discount the booking and add bonus SBC on the current or future cruise). Whatever you do, make sure that there’s a transfer window included (e.g., 30 days) during which you can move the booking to a TA who will add perks like commission sharing at 5-10% of the commissionable fare.

If you’re talking about the “bonus that expired,” some of those types of perks (e.g., FCCs, future booking “gift certificates” have an expiration date (e.g., book by, cruise by…).