ak1004

$7398 was the full price for 2 on 5/31? And what is the current price? Which sailing?

Here is my unscientific summary., where the original price is the full price recorded on May 31 2023: Vista May 1 2024 B5 $4,999 $5,549 $550 increase Vista Dec 11 2023 B5 $2.499 $2,849 $350 increase (7 nights) Vista Sep 3 2024 B5 $4,999 $5,549 $550 increase Marina Nov 5 2024 C $3,445 $3,999 $550 increase Marina Oct 26 2024 G $3,099 $3,649 $550 increase Riviera Nov 14 2024 G $2,349 $2,849 $500 increase Riviera Oct 25 2024 G $2,999 $3,499 $500 increase All prices are in CAD for 10 nights sailing (except for the second one). Average increase of $40 USD per night. And this is the only relevant comparison to determine the real price increase. Comparing to the original price paid is relevant only to decide if it's worth to switch to SM.

What is the original price? Was it what you paid or was it the full price on 5/31? But even if this was the full price, for the first 3 cruises it's an increase of $40-45 per day. Which means that you basically get 2 amenities for the price of one, plus the second WiFi. The fourth cruise might be an anomaly, or maybe the original price was a promotion?

$1800 more for one person or two? Compared to what? Was your booked price part of a promotion? Did it have some special credits? The only apples to apples comparison is comparing the full price on 5/31 to the new SM price. Can you tell me what the full price was on 5/31 and what is the price now?

It is 0% discount but you can still use the credit to take it.

Very well said Hank. My comment was a bit humoristic, but it referred to the fact that there is no perfect line. We sailed on 11 lines, and are booked on O, SB, SS and Uniworld in the next 2 years. Personally I believe that O still offers the best value for money, but we are looking for opportunities. Probably not going back to big ships at this point, but who knows.. Everything is case by case basis. We don't believe in loyalty when it comes to cruising. The perks are very small part of the overall fare even at higher levels.

My understanding is that you can still take the Executive Collection, you just won't get the 25% discount.

Looks like we are running out of cruise lines..

When did you book? Was it a regular price or part of some promotion? What was the price yesterday before SM for cruise only?

Thanks for sharing! Looks very attractive. Small ships, casual dress code, just the right inclusions, interesting itineraries. but the ships are over 30 years old. Isn’t it a concern? Heard about some maintenance issues recently. Also the prices in some cases are almost as high as O new prices, without the inclusions.

Well, the thing is that some people here predicted a “hefty price increase”. This just didn’t happen, but of course they are very silent now. But I do agree that this is more an academic exercise now. The only thing that matters now is the current price and how it compares to the competition.

They are a great line if you sail in a suite. Completely different experience, food and service. Sailing in regular cabins, the service and food is very mediocre, and it feels much more crowded than small ships.

The passenger to space ratio on QM2 is 56 compared to 52 on the O ships, so only slightly higher. The ratio on Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth is 44, so significantly lower than O class ships. I was on QM2 twice in regular cabins. It felt much more crowded than Riviera. I assume the food Queens grill is comparable to O. But then again, if you look at prices, you can see that they are higher than PH on O, and comparable to SB and SS. I'm sure the experience in Queens grill is very nice, I just don't see value for money. There are always exceptions of course.

Your analysis is spot on. While I think the new structure is actually beneficial for people who drink and take ship excursions, for the non drinkers it will be easier to find another cruise with comparable prices. I mean, if I have to pay for drinks that I don't consume anyway, I might as well add another $50-100/day and sail on SB or SS..

But this is not apples to apples comparison. You are still on a large ship, with all the crowds, and the price for Princess Grill is typically more than PH on O.. And the perks you get there are included for all guests on O.

Just out of curiosity, if you consider the new prices too high, which "nice ships" would you consider for future sailings? As non drinkers, we are running out of options if we don't want to pay for "stuff we don’t want". Viking already included drinks and excursions, and their prices were higher than O.

I can understand why you like Viking comparing it to mainstream / mass market lines. It would be interesting to see how it compares to O (or another premium line).

Have you cruised with other lines or only Viking?

Actually no.. my comparison was with yesterday prices, not the prices I paid a year ago. So I'm staying with my original booking too because the new prices are more than $1,000 CAD higher compared to what I paid. But you are still missing my point. I understand that your new price is more and you are not switching. But some of us are trying to gather more information to understand what is the real increase per day, as this is the only thing that matters when people book cruises.

This is probably pretty typical, maybe slightly more, but for some reason people cannot do a simple math. Criticizing is always more popular..

And this is unfortunate, personally I'm not loyal to any cruise line and like to have more options. But based on the info we have now, we won't be booking Viking anytime soo.. That said, while I consider the SM increase reasonable considering what you get, the new pricing in some cases gets dangerously close to SB and SS. And lets face it, I love O, but with similar pricing, I would book SB or SS (given the right itinerary of course).

If you click on the question mark near "Simply More Shore Excursion Package", it still says "Minimum of 5 excursions for 25% off"

It depends on the category and what you are comparing to. If you compare to the price that you booked a year ago, then obviously the increase is more. The only apples to apples comparison is comparing the current price to the price yesterday, for cruise only. Here is a screenshot I took yesterday for two cruises next year. https://www.oceaniacruises.com/mediterranean-cruises/venice-to-istanbul-VIS240501/ https://www.oceaniacruises.com/mediterranean-cruises/barcelona-to-lisbon-MNA241105/ As you can see, the increase is $550 CAD or $400 USD. Same for veranda and PH.

It matters to make a fair comparison and get an idea how much fares went up per day in each category. My fare went up by $1,100 CAD for a 10 nights cruise I booked a year ago. But prices already went up by $550 during the year before the switch to Simply More, so Simply More added $550 per person.

Exactly. And if you booked at least 6-12 month ago and prices already went up before today's increase, then it's reasonable to assume that your original deal is better. Comparing the new prices to the previous ones is a nice academic exercise, but the only thing that matters going forward is how the new pricing compares to the competition, considering all inclusions.