Does Oceania Bump People?

[Tarpeian Rock]

We just received our second invitation from O to swap the cruise we're on next week for another sailing later in the month, with a hefty cash-back and upgrade incentive. I realize this is all optional, and I can just ignore the email, but I got to wondering: What's behind such multIple offers to leave a booked-and-paid-for cruise? Is our cruise oversold, or the alternate cruise suggestions undersold? Even though we've long since paid in full and have a cabin number, is there a chance that we'd get to Miami only to be bumped from an oversold cruise, a la the airlines? As first-time O cruisers assume in an oversold situation prior customers would get preference.

[orchestrapal]

We just received our second invitation from O to swap the cruise we're on next week for another sailing later in the month, with a hefty cash-back and upgrade incentive. I realize this is all optional, and I can just ignore the email, but I got to wondering: What's behind such multIple offers to leave a booked-and-paid-for cruise? Is our cruise oversold, or the alternate cruise suggestions undersold? Even though we've long since paid in full and have a cabin number, is there a chance that we'd get to Miami only to be bumped from an oversold cruise, a la the airlines? As first-time O cruisers assume in an oversold situation prior customers would get preference.

 

No, they don't bump people. It should not matter one bit to you why they are offering you another cruise and cash.

Ignore the offers and just enjoy your cruise.

[Mura]

We've often received such offers to switch cruises and always refused them. Then there was the one offer where it really WAS worth it to us to switch.

 

If you aren't tempted, you are under no obligation to accept the offer. Especially since you've already paid in full.

 

Mura

[hondorner]

We just received our second invitation from O to swap the cruise we're on next week for another sailing later in the month, with a hefty cash-back and upgrade incentive. I realize this is all optional, and I can just ignore the email, but I got to wondering: What's behind such multIple offers to leave a booked-and-paid-for cruise? Is our cruise oversold, or the alternate cruise suggestions undersold? Even though we've long since paid in full and have a cabin number, is there a chance that we'd get to Miami only to be bumped from an oversold cruise, a la the airlines? As first-time O cruisers assume in an oversold situation prior customers would get preference.

The offers you're receiving should themselves indicate the answer. Oceania will never bump anyone -- they WILL keep raising the offers until someone accepts and makes room for the oversold customers.

 

As for overselling itself, it is a respected and logical business practice. Oceania knows there will be cancellations, some at the very last moment (I once had to cancel a cruise 2 days before boarding due to a stroke). Rather than sail with empty staterooms, Oceania accepts additional bookings in the form of guarantees (GTYs). When staterooms become available due to cancellations, they are filled by those with a GTY. The cruise line has actuarial experts, much like those in the insurance industry, who do their best to predict the number of cancellations, based on past history. Sometimes they guess wrong -- and that leads to the offers like you received. Ultimately, everyone with a GTY will be accommodated, no one will be bumped, regardless of what it takes. We know that because the Chairman and CEO, Frank Del Rio, posted here on Cruise Critic and promised it -- and he has never broken a promise to us.

 

Most times, folks with assigned cabins are those who receive the offers, because their cabin category is one of those needed. If you aren't interested in the offer, just ignore it -- you will never lose your room unless you accept an offer.

[Benita]

We just received our second invitation from O to swap the cruise we're on next week for another sailing later in the month, with a hefty cash-back and upgrade incentive. I realize this is all optional, and I can just ignore the email, but I got to wondering: What's behind such multIple offers to leave a booked-and-paid-for cruise? Is our cruise oversold, or the alternate cruise suggestions undersold? Even though we've long since paid in full and have a cabin number, is there a chance that we'd get to Miami only to be bumped from an oversold cruise, a la the airlines? As first-time O cruisers assume in an oversold situation prior customers would get preference.

 

They probably want to switch you to our March 28th sailing. I think we will be rattling around the ship. Loads of people took upsells to concierge and there is lots of availability for everything lower. This is the first time that we have not been given an offer to move to a different sailing. Hope that means we can get extra specialty restaurant reservations

[Mura]

Benita, you will if you move to a higher category cabin on the new sailing.

 

When we were coerced off of Regatta to Alaska in a PH, we were bumped up to a VS on Marina doing a Med cruise a few months later. We already had 1000 in OBC (to encourage us to book the Alaska cruise, that was the first year O went there) and they gave us another 250 if we switched. In addition, we paid for the Marina VS what we would have paid on Regatta for a PH. Which translated to me as half price.

 

In our case, we couldn't resist.

 

But other offers have been easily resistable.

 

Mura

[Benita]

Mira- we are on the sailing with loads of availability, but only for B1 and below. O probably filled up the higher category cabins with people moved over from other sailings. I like my B3- extended balcony, open on two sides. Last year, I took an upsell to a PH1, but prefer the great balcony on the B3. We were still able to get 7:30 reservations at the specialty restaurants, as 45 days out, almost all categories were available- either that or nobody knows how to use the internet. After last year on the Mayan Mystique cruise, looking at the demographics, that may well be the case. Loads of the more seniors use the computer, but many are afraid and most that we met did the bookings once aboard.

[Tarpeian Rock]

They probably want to switch you to our March 28th sailing. I think we will be rattling around the ship. Loads of people took upsells to concierge and there is lots of availability for everything lower. This is the first time that we have not been given an offer to move to a different sailing. Hope that means we can get extra specialty restaurant reservations

 

 

 

Yes, that's exactly the sailing we have been invited to switch to. The cash was attractive but we can't change at this point. Maybe someday we'll have more flexibility in our lives and can take advantage of such offers.

[Benita]

We have never been able to move to a different cruise, either. I guess we could have gotten a great deal if we had booked the earlier sailing to entice us to move to this date, but we both still work, so have to book out long in advance.

[Mura]

Many people cannot take advantage of such offers because they booked their own air. On our Auckland-Sydney cruise in 2008 a large contingent of passengers were also on the next leg to Bangkok. The offers kept going up to leave the ship in Sydney but most could not because they had their own air plans, or were even staying on in Asia.

 

Mura