When I booked the cruise and paid my deposit, I was stunned to see that final payment was due a few weeks later. I believe Oceania, like all cruise lines, is trying to recoup Covid losses. This effectively reduced my options. It is the combination of being forced to pay in full much earlier than I am used to, plus a subsequent price decrease, that I found irksome. And no, I don't freak out when milk goes on sale, but a $16K cruise is hardly a quart of milk.