meow! Posted May 11, 2011 #1 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We received the following in an e-mail from Oceania: Historic Savings Event Enjoy up to 75% Off Cruise Fares plus FREE Airfare* on the voyages listed below for a limited time. Ultimate Panama Canal San Francisco to New York | September 9, 2011 | 21 Days onboard Regatta Sands of Time Istanbul to Athens | September 19, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Roman Revelations Istanbul to Barcelona | October 1, 2011 | 14 Days onboard Nautica Mediterranean Rhapsody Istanbul to Barcelona | October 15, 2011 | 14 Days onboard Insignia Legacies of Antiquity Rome to Istanbul | October 21, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Sands of Time Istanbul to Athens | November 2, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Timeless Treasures Athens to Dubai | November 4, 2011 | 18 Days onboard Nautica Artistic Explorations Venice to Rome | November 12, 2011 | 10 Days onboard Insignia Splendid Escapes Athens to Rome | November 14, 2011 | 10 Days onboard Marina Lands of Grandeur Dubai to Cape Town | November 22, 2011 | 30 Days onboard Nautica Passage to Panama Miami to Los Angeles | November 30, 2011 | 16 Days onboard Regatta Sapphire Seas Miami to Miami | December 10, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Samba Serenade Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires | December 10, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Insignia South American Splendors Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso | January 3, 2012 | 19 Days onboard Insignia Imperial Interludes Bangkok to Beijing | February 28, 2012 | 25 Days onboard Nautica Connoisseur's Collection Hong Kong to Athens | April 9, 2012 | 35 Days onboard Nautica Dynasties and Rising Suns Beijing to Hong Kong | March 24, 2012 | 16 Days onboard Nautica Passage Through Panama San Francisco to Miami | May 24, 2012 | 18 Days onboard Regatta *Offer is not combinable with any other offers except for the dates that have an existing 25% single supplement offer. Offer expires August 31, 2011. All advertised fares, offers and any applicable shipboard credits, upgrades or special amenities shown are per person based ... ----------------- Ships can be large and strong, and very well designed and built, but at the end, they are no match for the sea. ANY cruise line can have very strong will, but it is still no match for the market forces. Good luck to consumers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted May 11, 2011 #2 Share Posted May 11, 2011 WOW - that is amazing. We usually save a bundle by booking early but obviously the times they are achangin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
findacruise Posted May 11, 2011 #3 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I think reality also called a little earlier this year in Alaska. Some of those cruises are still available. They are not alone. We are getting E-mails from other lines with large reductions and added perks. I may have to quit committing our travel budget so early on now. We were always early bookers, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted May 11, 2011 #4 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I wonder if any of these cruises will be cancelled -- especially the ones for 2012. Seems pretty early for such deep discounting. If we were not already fully committed through 2012 (and early 2013) I might be looking at one of these cruises. The Mediterranean itineraries are so repetitive for many that i would bet that that is part of the problem for the 2011 Mediterranean itineraries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
findacruise Posted May 11, 2011 #5 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I wonder if any of these cruises will be cancelled -- especially the ones for 2012. Seems pretty early for such deep discounting. If we were not already fully committed through 2012 (and early 2013) I might be looking at one of these cruises. The Mediterranean itineraries are so repetitive for many that i would bet that that is part of the problem for the 2011 Mediterranean itineraries. Yes, I see you are fully committed, but how wonderful. You are headed to some of our favorite places and some we want to go to. We loved NZ and did it and OZ on 28 day land trip. We have said we WILL go back to NZ some day...and we will. I think your point about the Mediterranean is well taken. Happy travels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted May 11, 2011 Author #6 Share Posted May 11, 2011 The above is also an indication that for many voyages, Oceania is no longer sailing full. So under such circumstances, there is no need to book early, take your time and look around. It further shows that trying to increase prices steeply by throwing in additional included features may or may not work. At the end, prices will have to come down in many cases. There were high hopes by Oceania that the newbuilds will be quantum jumps embraced by existing customers, but as shown in another thread (Paulchili's poll), people who have cruised both the old and the new seem to prefer the old by about 2:1, so Oceania might have mis-predicted customer preference -- customers may prefer a smaller ship to additional restaurants, for example. As you can see on this thread, there are as many (per ship) discounted voyages on the Marina as on the older ships -- this shows the Marina is not the popular favourite, and this situation may worsen as its newbuild curiosity halo wears off in the coming years. All in all, the whole cruise industry (not just Oceania) is facing hard times due to the poor economy. The shipyards had it nice by sealing in those construction contracts before the economic tsunami two and a half years ago. Down the road, it looks like the shipyards' turn to have a full taste of the recession, and those hitherto enjoying shipyard employees should be prepared for the worst for years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DOJO466 Posted May 11, 2011 #7 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We received the following in an e-mail from Oceania: Historic Savings Event Enjoy up to 75% Off Cruise Fares plus FREE Airfare* on the voyages listed below for a limited time. Ultimate Panama Canal San Francisco to New York | September 9, 2011 | 21 Days onboard Regatta Sands of Time Istanbul to Athens | September 19, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Roman Revelations Istanbul to Barcelona | October 1, 2011 | 14 Days onboard Nautica Mediterranean Rhapsody Istanbul to Barcelona | October 15, 2011 | 14 Days onboard Insignia Legacies of Antiquity Rome to Istanbul | October 21, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Sands of Time Istanbul to Athens | November 2, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Timeless Treasures Athens to Dubai | November 4, 2011 | 18 Days onboard Nautica Artistic Explorations Venice to Rome | November 12, 2011 | 10 Days onboard Insignia Splendid Escapes Athens to Rome | November 14, 2011 | 10 Days onboard Marina Lands of Grandeur Dubai to Cape Town | November 22, 2011 | 30 Days onboard Nautica Passage to Panama Miami to Los Angeles | November 30, 2011 | 16 Days onboard Regatta Sapphire Seas Miami to Miami | December 10, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Marina Samba Serenade Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires | December 10, 2011 | 12 Days onboard Insignia South American Splendors Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso | January 3, 2012 | 19 Days onboard Insignia Imperial Interludes Bangkok to Beijing | February 28, 2012 | 25 Days onboard Nautica Connoisseur's Collection Hong Kong to Athens | April 9, 2012 | 35 Days onboard Nautica Dynasties and Rising Suns Beijing to Hong Kong | March 24, 2012 | 16 Days onboard Nautica Passage Through Panama San Francisco to Miami | May 24, 2012 | 18 Days onboard Regatta *Offer is not combinable with any other offers except for the dates that have an existing 25% single supplement offer. Offer expires August 31, 2011. All advertised fares, offers and any applicable shipboard credits, upgrades or special amenities shown are per person based ... ----------------- Ships can be large and strong, and very well designed and built, but at the end, they are no match for the sea. ANY cruise line can have very strong will, but it is still no match for the market forces. Good luck to consumers! I actually just put a hold on a PH3 on the Sapphire Seas. I had absolutely no intention of returning to the Carrib for a while, but due to job constraints can only do no more than 12 days. Just for fun I looked up the original price $6299 w/air, when I priced online w/out air I got a price of $4049, that's $2250 EACH off the original. I then looked online and was able to come up with RT air for $598 for the two of us. We have not been to 4 of the ports so I am thinking why not..an early Christmas present to us. When I went to see if there was a Roll Call..there isn't, so maybe I will be the first to post. Awaiting the return of my T/A who is on Regatta and will book within the week I hope:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted May 11, 2011 Author #8 Share Posted May 11, 2011 On the bright side, the above new prices are becoming more reasonable. For comaprison, our 2004 Regatta 14 days Mediterranean in category B was $3,200 including air fare. Give it 3% per year inflation compounded, its present fare should be $3,935, the advertized "Mediterranean Rhaspody" is $4,899, still more expensive. Our 2008 Nautica 12 days Mediterranean again in category B is $4,200, again give it the same inflation, its present fare should be $4,589, the advertized "Legacy of Antiquity" is $4,449 on the Marina. So the new discounted pricing on the sailings cited has returned to 2008 levels, but not quite 2004 levels, given fair inflation considerations. That is a substantial step in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
findacruise Posted May 11, 2011 #9 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We were thinking about doing Asia in 2013 and then I saw the April 9th 35 days on Nautica and it has been reduced $2000 p/p and our TA is offering free gratuities and a small cabin credit. We put a hold on an A2 to check with friends and think about it and for me to do some research - not sure about weather that time of year. We are doing Caribbean in February (because we have to get away in the winter) and hadn't even thought about doing something so soon after. Wonder if after these reduced prices we'll see the fuel surcharge come back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelglobetrotter Posted May 12, 2011 #10 Share Posted May 12, 2011 We did this cruise last year and loved it. Weather is HOT, humid at first, then desert dry. We're used to heat without humidity in AZ, but the humidity was fierce. Still, we wouldn't trade the experience for anything. And the 3 cruise credits we got for it were welcome, too. We're sailing on Regatta's first voyage to Alaska tomorrow. Will have to look this list over very carefully and maybe book on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmgmd50 Posted May 12, 2011 #11 Share Posted May 12, 2011 On the bright side, the above new prices are becoming more reasonable. For comaprison, our 2004 Regatta 14 days Mediterranean in category B was $3,200 including air fare. Give it 3% per year inflation compounded, its present fare should be $3,935, the advertized "Mediterranean Rhaspody" is $4,899, still more expensive. Our 2008 Nautica 12 days Mediterranean again in category B is $4,200, again give it the same inflation, its present fare should be $4,589, the advertized "Legacy of Antiquity" is $4,449 on the Marina. So the new discounted pricing on the sailings cited has returned to 2008 levels, but not quite 2004 levels, given fair inflation considerations. That is a substantial step in the right direction. Interstingly, we are boooked in a Veranda cabin on the Marina on October11. It is OVERSOLD. We were offered a free upgrade to a Penthouse suite if we would switch to the November 2nd sailing. We declined the offer since we prefer our current sailing date (right after the High Holidays) and the original itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggiefan Posted May 12, 2011 #12 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I can only speculate on the reasons for the fare reductions, other than the obvious one that supply exceeds demand. It is going to take some time to determine the future popularity of the Marina and its new sister ship--I would think that a new ship is in some ways like a new restaurant, and it takes some time to work out problems that arise with a new product. However, in two to three years, Oceania's price structure will reveal the demand for the bigger ships relative to that for the smaller ships. My other comment is that the cruises for which the 75 percent discount is being offered seem to fall in several categories: several take place in November; several are transatlantic cruises; several involve Asia, and there are the recent issues with Japan; and several involve Turkey and the eastern Med, and there are the recent issues with the uprisings in Egypt and in other Arab countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
findacruise Posted May 12, 2011 #13 Share Posted May 12, 2011 We did this cruise last year and loved it. Weather is HOT, humid at first, then desert dry. We're used to heat without humidity in AZ, but the humidity was fierce. Still, we wouldn't trade the experience for anything. And the 3 cruise credits we got for it were welcome, too. We're sailing on Regatta's first voyage to Alaska tomorrow. Will have to look this list over very carefully and maybe book on board. Thanks for your input. We have humid here all summer but not as hot as it gets in AZ. Enjoy Alaska. We did that previously with HAL but would have gone back with O if could have worked it out since deals were so great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potterhill Posted May 12, 2011 #14 Share Posted May 12, 2011 We cancelled Sands of Time Nov 2 about three weeks ago. We had a guarantee booking at that time (booked on first day of release). Decided we did not want to pay the then price and miss out on Egypt, one of the biggest reasons for booking this cruise. We kept the time slot open, even after booking summer trip to Ireland instead. So yesterday we rebooked, as we liked the altered itinerary and the new price. Now we have a room as opposed to a guarantee! So I guess a lot of people had cancelled. You really can't beat Oceania with air included. We are paying over $1800 Cdn each for flights to Dublin. That is a bit high but we are travelling partly with an elderly Uncle so had to accommodate him. In any case it would have been only a couple hundred less. I suspect that trip will cost a fair bit more than the cruise by the time we are finished! Not to mention that the Cdn dollar is up so we finally get a break on the cruise payment as well. Mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xplrcrzn Posted May 12, 2011 #15 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The cruise industry finds itself in the Perfect (bad) Storm. More bargains will be coming on all lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy The Wanderer Posted May 12, 2011 #16 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The cruise industry finds itself in the Perfect (bad) Storm. More bargains will be coming on all lines. So what is the perfect storm this time? The recession is officially over, the markets have recovered. Is it the deficit crisis, the bond markets, the continued deepening of the housing crisis, or the jobless recovery? Or did I just define "perfect storm"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xplrcrzn Posted May 12, 2011 #17 Share Posted May 12, 2011 You're pretty close Wendy. Recession over? Really? Stagnant economy at best. Another big drop in US housing prices. Overcapacity in cruise ships. Over "optimistic" cruise prices. As far as Oceania--potential huge mis-judgement with Marina--wrong ship for O's core market. Wait and see on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy The Wanderer Posted May 12, 2011 #18 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Yeh well, I should have put the "officially over" in quotes. I mean that's what they're telling everybody, right? Oceania, and Regent I guess, should court European markets and perhaps Australian. Let alone Canadian. We have belt-tightening here, for sure, but our economy is in pretty good shape, the job market is on the rise, and we never really did have a housing crisis. Hmm. I thought everybody loved Marina? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted May 12, 2011 #19 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I think the itineraries are what is driving the price reductions. Too much repetition within O and among all the cruise lines. Many who love to cruise are looking to do something different. With turmoil in many of the more exotic locations (Egypt, Libya, Japan) options are more limited. River cruises are getting more consideration -- check the other boards. We had a very hard time finding a non-repetitive O itinerary we liked for a time period we liked for 2012. We found one -- and it was the only one. O cruisers might try Marina or Riviera once -- for the experience and to see if reality lives up to the hype -- but ultimately may not be taken with the larger ships and larger number of passengers. Time will tell. Seems like this all inures to our benefit. Good thing as long as cruises don't get cancelled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino2067 Posted May 12, 2011 #20 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Oceania, and Regent I guess, should court European markets and perhaps Australian. Let alone Canadian. They already are... From the 4-16-11 News and Press Releases: "Marina, Oceania Cruises newest ship will welcome aboard 500 of Spain influential travel partners and VIPs for an extraordinary event." http://clubs.tilllate.es/oceaniacruises/clubsite.php?fuseaction=fototnview&gid=10510208 Kathleen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xplrcrzn Posted May 12, 2011 #21 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Although I haven't sailed Marina it appears to be a truly wonderful ship. I just think it is matched with the wrong line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck.qc Posted May 12, 2011 #22 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I recently booked a cruise on Marina for 2012. If O reduces the prices (similar to what Meow posted) do we get notified & credited the discount? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted May 12, 2011 #23 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Although I haven't sailed Marina it appears to be a truly wonderful ship. I just think it is matched with the wrong line. I think it is too early to tell. I am greatly looking forward to my first TA on Marina this November -- of course I do not mind the larger ships (I love the Celebrity S class ships) and a TA is more about the ship itself than the itinerary (although it's a terrific itinerary too). I think itinerary will always trump the ship itself. If O can come up with truly creative itineraries for the Marina and Riviera I think they will attract not only veteran O cruisers but also cruisers from other lines. As many commented on another thread, even the backs to backs were not as expected as too many traced the same path -- O was known for having non-repetitive back to back itineraries. As O depends a great deal on repeat cruisers they would be well served using one of their many costly mailings to find out what we want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted May 12, 2011 Author #24 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I can only speculate on the reasons for the fare reductions, other than the obvious one that supply exceeds demand. It is going to take some time to determine the future popularity of the Marina and its new sister ship ... With the introduction of the large Riviera, over capacity is likely to increase. Through our decade posting on this board, we have time and again cautioned ALL cruise lines against over expansionism. Among other factors, over expansionism was a key factor in driving the former Renaissance under. Oceania's management had been very bold in planning the addition of three new large ships just several years ago, tripling its capacity (only Seabourn dared do the same). More recently, as Horndoner pointed out, they cancelled the option on the third large ship, and would send the Insignia out, but even then will result in a doubling of capacity. Silversea, for example, is also having difficulty filling its ships with only a 40% increase in capacity with the instroduction of the newbuild Spirit a year and a half ago. Oceania appeared to have so much confidence in their own judgment as to ignore historic experience and followed the usual businessmen's innate inclination in expansionism. They likely also assumed that larger ships with more amenities would be embraced by customers, which has not been backed up by hitherto initial results. Luckily for them, we guess they have stored up huge previous earnings with such high fares in the last several years to weather out the situation, like bears relying on stored fat through the Winter. Only time will tell. On the side of ordinary individual consumers, we would guess that it would be wise to postpone bookings, wait for good deals to come down the road, especially after Riviera starts sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino2067 Posted May 12, 2011 #25 Share Posted May 12, 2011 O cruisers might try Marina or Riviera once -- for the experience and to see if reality lives up to the hype -- but ultimately may not be taken with the larger ships and larger number of passengers. Time will tell. We just finished a B-2-B aboard Marina...the TA followed by Pearls of the Riviera. On the TA, there were about 800 repeat Oceania pax aboard. On the cruise following, there were only about 200 repeat Oceania pax aboard. Both sailings were at (or nearly at) full pax. capacity...roughly 1,000 repeat pax and 1,400 1st time pax with their initial exposure to the Oceania brand aboard Marina. Whether or not one is a fan of the bigger ships, there were a lot of the 1st timers we spoke with that are now smitten with the Oceania product and booked another cruise or two while onboard. As you correctly pointed out...time will tell. Kathleen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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