Just got a new brochure and rates lower

[alexandra cruiser]

than what I booked at.Have notified my TA for the reduced rate.Has this happened before with this line?I had it reduced on a Searborn one.:confused:

[wripro]

If you haven't made final payment yet you should be able to get the fare adjusted.

[tanny18]

than what I booked at.Have notified my TA for the reduced rate.Has this happened before with this line?I had it reduced on a Searborn one.:confused:

 

If the price goes down before final payment, you should get the reduction. It happened to us on a 35 day Oceania cruise to the tune of $2000 per person!! I too just booked a cruise, and now the price is lower and I contacted my TA immediately. Arlene

[TKS]

Most cruises do not include the free gratuities, free internet and level of OBC as the last.

 

As HawaiiDan is wont to say - "there is no free lunch." This likely is at least part of the reason for the price change.

[JimandStan]

Most cruises do not include the free gratuities, free internet and level of OBC as the last.

 

As HawaiiDan is wont to say - "there is no free lunch." This likely is at least part of the reason for the price change.

 

Very good point!~ Examine the previous fare carefully before cancelling.

[YoHoHo]

Yes, as others advise, check it out carefully before making changes.

 

I dont know which brochure you are looknig at but we too recently received a new brochure. Get so many of the smaller ones that unless something catches my eye immediately it is not read and goes into recycling. Though Caribbean is not high on our list being as we are looking for a new cruise I did open this most recent and my first thought was like the OPs - prices are down

 

I then noticed the fine print and was very unhappy. Like I said I usually do not look through all of these so don't know if this is something new or I have just missed it before but the prices do not include 'government taxes and fees'

 

These 'taxes and fees' are NOT optional costs and should be included in the price as O used to do. That was one of the tihings I liked about O was I knew what I was getting.

 

Promotions like these are getting like the sandwich surcharge tricks that we have come to know and hate with airline pricing to be able to advertise cheap seats that are not realistic pricing-who now reads their ads anyway??) I don't like doing business with businesses that try to trick me. I hate asterisks (especially when there is no footnote).

 

I admit I overlook O's 'free air' (that WILL cost me an additional $350 as a fly-in-the-day-before-deviation is a must in my book) only because I very much enjoy cruising on O. That said I am a little embarrassed when I do recommend someone consider O as I have to always add a few disclaimers such as ignore the 'free air promotion'.

 

Anyway, I have no interest in slogging through brochures and adding $438 to this cruise and $78 to that one in order to do some 'shopping'. (the amount changed for the 'taxes & fees' does not make sense to me and are not percentage related but PP so cannot even just simply add X% to all or such)

 

That brochure is now in the trash. Rather then telling my agent I am interested in this O cruise or that I'll ask them for their current cruise suggestions now as we have to make a decision soon in order to book vacation time.

[PaulMCO]

Also look at the incentives that might have been removed (internet and gratuities). Oceania's marketing department is one of the "most creative" in the industry.

 

Best way is to check the web site or just call your TA.

Edited January 2, 2014 by PaulMCO

[Jancruz]

than what I booked at.Have notified my TA for the reduced rate.Has this happened before with this line?I had it reduced on a Searborn one.:confused:

 

Yes there are a few that are lower priced..

Jancruz1

[alexandra cruiser]

essentially I got NO ONBOARD BOOKING discount,yes free gratuites and internet WOW.

The onboard discount brings me down to SAME as is now offered,$7600 inbook at time of booking,then take off my pp discount$$200 and $400 air credit.Comes to $5599...as compared to current $6199 brochure listing,,,would NOT THE onboard discount apply here,then,all of the above ??

 

Seems NO acc.to Oceania and my TA,what am I missing here.??Feel I got cheated somehow.As I said before, with Seaborn they HONORED the lower fee,NO HERE.

May cancel since its over 120 days before I lose any money,upset,as you can see.

PS.it s for the Holiday in Tropic,Dec.23.cruise.:confused:

 

Oceania customer service, please feel free to explain this to me.

Edited January 3, 2014 by alexandra cruiser

[LHT28]

essentially I got NO ONBOARD BOOKING discount,yes free gratuites and internet WOW.

The onboard discount brings me down to SAME as is now offered,$7600 inbook at time of booking,then take off my pp discount$$200 and $400 air credit.Comes to $5599...as compared to current $6199 brochure listing,,,would NOT THE onboard discount apply here,then,all of the above ??

 

 

what is the $200 pp discount you mention?

If you booked onboard your last cruise did you get a discount or was that the $200

I have never booked onboard

[alexandra cruiser]

and found out the ONBOARD discount is only the $200.NOT the $1500 I Saw on statement...that was the early booking discount.

 

So basically you only get $200, free gratuities,free internet ..NO OBCs for booking onboard.Not the great deal I thought it was.

 

It just gets confusing when one brochure says one thing,must read fine print to get exact meaning of these fares.My TA essentially told me same thing. I get it now,but upset by whole thing.whew.:confused:

[LHT28]

It just gets confusing when one brochure says one thing,must read fine print to get exact meaning of these fares.

 

Not just read the fine print but understand what you are seeing

 

It is a numbers game & all ends up basically the same $$ in the end ;)

[suec12]

PaulMCO - oh I think pretty much all the cruise lines are quite creative these days - we also cruise on Azamara and Celebrity - so many times I see a deal after booking, call to check it out and it is not what it seems. It makes it pretty frustarting to know when to "pull the trigger"! tho I've found usually earlier is better unless you can do very last minute.

[TKS]

Alexandra cruiser,

 

Sorry you are upset about your treatment, but let's be realistic here. O's (or any other cruise line, for that matter) best chance to get you to book another cruise is while you're still aboard, enjoying your current cruise. You are also relaxed and vulnerable to the sales pitch by their very professional and dedicated "cruise specialists," aka sales representatives. We listened to their offer aboard one time and counted it wasted time - no real "deals" there that weren't available at our pace of decision making, not theirs.

 

And free internet and gratuities do amount to a substantial amount of money. On our recent Nautica cruise they amounted to nearly $1,500 at a PH level cabin. Not all cruises now offer such generous perks.

 

If you're not satisfied with the deal you got, cancel. You can always rebook later if you find something that suits you better.

 

Our theory is we book when we believe we have received a fair deal, in a location and cabin level where we are happy. If anything better happens to fall in our lap (think the "upgrade fairy" here) we thank our lucky stars. If not, we are still content with our decision. We also depend on our very competent TA to assist with our decision making process and save us from making bad decisions - help you can't avail yourself of in onboard booking. Therefore, the onboard booking desk, which, incidentally, lies very near the onboard "art" auction display area on the R ships (don't know on the O ships - haven't sailed them since the art auctions were reinstituted), are two areas of the ship we don't even slow down.

 

Good luck, whatever your decide.

Edited January 3, 2014 by TKS

[alexandra cruiser]

and AMAZINGLY now I ve been offered another $450 in OBC??E mail did NOT say if from TA or O,and I ll take it.Said to help make up for my confusion over fare,,,??Perhaps hearing I called on own for clarification prompted such,who knows.Had sent a blistering email to him in first place,but sent one later after it was cleared up.

This is an internet agency but they do give 5% cash back,no brick and mortar ones near me.Have used them 3 times in past,but I end up doing most of the work(but like to be in control as much as possible).

But am content now,and understand it all better.Have taken 2 prior O cruises and never had this confusion(but never booked onboard ,either).Now i KNOW.PS.I m always leary of the art auctions too(sound too good to be true,in many cases).Love the lectures tho.;)

[kimanjo]

What about if the sailing I booked, which just had pre-paid grats at the time of deposit, now the sailing includes, free internet and an OBC?

 

I am well outside final payment date.

 

Can I get these "added"??

[LHT28]

What about if the sailing I booked, which just had pre-paid grats at the time of deposit, now the sailing includes, free internet and an OBC?

 

I am well outside final payment date.

 

Can I get these "added"??

I would ask your TA (if you used one) or Oceania

 

If after final payment they may be adding incentives to fill the ships

[john2003]

If I understand it correctly the new brochure that we just received does not include any air. I think this is a first for Oceania. I am surprised.

[LHT28]

If I understand it correctly the new brochure that we just received does not include any air. I think this is a first for Oceania. I am surprised.

 

I would be surprised too

What does the brochure cover look like?

 

Lyn

[john2003]

Very striking cover with a red and white striped lighthouse. 2014 The Americas.

[LHT28]

Thanks John

Did not get that one YET ;)

 

Lyn

[ORV]

If I understand it correctly the new brochure that we just received does not include any air. I think this is a first for Oceania. I am surprised.

 

I've seen a few without air. I'm sure they play with different marketing concepts. In the end it probably all works out the same.

[LHT28]

I've seen a few without air. I'm sure they play with different marketing concepts. In the end it probably all works out the same.

 

Yes I just compare with the website

 

Even the promotions on their website include air for most of them

 

I am not sure I like the new game Oceania plays :rolleyes:

starting smell like mass market

 

JMO

[Riverroad]

Yes I just compare with the website

 

Even the promotions on their website include air for most of them

 

I am not sure I like the new game Oceania plays :rolleyes:

starting smell like mass market

 

JMO

Just received an email with an offer for $999 biz class airfare for "New York and New Jersey residents" only. Sounds like mass market to me. It appears to be only for the May 22 NY-London cruise so if you live in NY or NJ, you'd only need the air one-way.

[Jancruz]

Just received an email with an offer for $999 biz class airfare for "New York and New Jersey residents" only. Sounds like mass market to me. It appears to be only for the May 22 NY-London cruise so if you live in NY or NJ, you'd only need the air one-way.

 

Thats true..and a good deal!!

Jancruz1