Oceania no longer offering hotel on night before cruise?

[Pirouette]

My TA just told me this and I am wondering if it is true. We did a Baltic cruise two years ago. Oceania offered the night before the cruise in a Copenhagen hotel, presumably to ensure that we would arrive in time for the cruise. My TA says that now guests fly overnight from the west coast of North America and no hotel is offered. Seems risky to arrive the day of......

[orchestrapal]

My TA just told me this and I am wondering if it is true. We did a Baltic cruise two years ago. Oceania offered the night before the cruise in a Copenhagen hotel, presumably to ensure that we would arrive in time for the cruise. My TA says that now guests fly overnight from the west coast of North America and no hotel is offered. Seems risky to arrive the day of......

 

I believe free pre cruise hotel nights were an on and off offer and have not been seen for a long time. They do still offer very expensive pre cruise hotel packages and also deviations from their flights so that you can arrive several days before.

[StanandJim]

My TA just told me this and I am wondering if it is true. We did a Baltic cruise two years ago. Oceania offered the night before the cruise in a Copenhagen hotel, presumably to ensure that we would arrive in time for the cruise. My TA says that now guests fly overnight from the west coast of North America and no hotel is offered. Seems risky to arrive the day of......

 

What actually happened was that Oceania started the "Included Night in a Pre-Cruise Hotel Program" as a method of enhancing our "getting to the ship" experience, but in actual practice, almost everyone opted out and took the hotel credit instead.

 

Passengers may still opt to amend their Air Arrangements, even those provided by Oceania, in order to arrive earlier than embarkation day, but the cost of doing so is no longer subsidized by the Cruise Line.

[canuck.qc]

There were pre/post-cruise hotel-transfer packages offered on this years French Polynesia cruises. In that case it was the 'rare' Oceania arranged charters & limited flight arrivals/departures that were the reasons Oceania offered them. I presume that on destination ports where there are several flight options there would be no reason to offer a special package.

Edited August 12, 2014 by canuck.qc

[Pirouette]

Yes, I just approved our air deviation today in order to have some more time in Lisbon. We did the same in Copenhagen in 2012. I recall at that time I was not keen on O's choice of hotel so I asked for a credit for that one night to apply to a hotel of my choice. That request was denied. We ended up spending two additional nights in the O hotel with the third night (the one before the cruise) covered by O. I always thought this option was offered in recognition that flights from halfway across the world can be delayed etc. or have connections that do not guarantee arrival in time for a late afternoon sailing. Silly me!

[YoHoHo]

What actually happened was that Oceania started the "Included Night in a Pre-Cruise Hotel Program" as a method of enhancing our "getting to the ship" experience, but in actual practice, almost everyone opted out and took the hotel credit instead.

Disappointing that lack of participation is why they dropped the program. I agree about 'enhancing our "getting to the ship" experience'. Granted we could have taken a credit, booked a cheaper hotel, and arranged our own transfer but having it done for us, especially with the offer of that promotion, I thought was great. As you say, it adds to the overall experience. I never thought of asking about a credit. But then do like to be treated a little

Edited August 13, 2014 by YoHoHo

[Mura]

Then again, we were staying post cruise in London at a Marriott Hotel in June and ran into a couple from our cruise. They had paid for the post-cruise hotel stay and the husband was most unhappy when he heard that we were there on our own. He was a Marriot silver member who could have stayed there for far less on his own.

 

It does pay to check up on these matters.

 

Someone pointed out that the hotel should have realized when he checked in that he was a silver member, but he booked through Oceania.

 

Mura

[pinotlover]

I'm a Marriott Platinum. When O confirmed by pre-cruise stay at the Copenhagen Marriott last summer, I immediately call Marriott, which confirmed my reservation, gave them my Member Awards number and received all the benefits thereof (upgraded room, concierge lounge, etc). Since the hotel, as well as the entire town, was booked full, I'm not sure how much Marriott, could have done for anyone that showed up at the door with a reservation, other than give them the points. The reason I took the O pre cruise package was that even as a Platinum I couldn't get a room 5 months out in the hotel! A simple phone call did, however, get me the upgrades.

[Mura]

That sounds like our fellow passenger should have done as you did. As I recall, though, he was unaware he was in a Marriott hotel. You'd think he might have realized that fact once he was there even if the name of the hotel didn't include the word "Marriott" but evidently he had no idea. It was only when we told him that we were staying there independently but paying with points that the light bulb went off.

 

Mura