2019 itineraries, anyone get a different answer?

[wombatjoey]

I called Oceania to see if they have some approximate idea when the 2019 itineraries will be available. Carib, etc.

 

This is the answer I got.

 

" oh I think they will definitely be available"

 

do you know when?

 

"well maybe in a year"

 

can you be more specific

 

" sure, maybe in 6 or 4 months"

 

when I called last time, I was told it would be in March

 

"oh yes maybe march"

 

at that point, I said thank you and hung up....

[StanandJim]

Although I'm sure that your meant your post to fall somewhere between sarcastic and hilarious, given the state of the World right now, I find their answers to be prudent.

Some people make plans, "come hell or high water", others prefer to wait and see.

[wombatjoey]

Nope, didnt mean either. That WAS the conversation.

 

Prudent? I guess you mean, when you do not know anything, you should hedge/make things up/ rather than just say, I dont know and cant find out for you.

 

As for State of the world, I dont know what that has to do with wanting to know when the next itineraries may come out.

[pinotlover]

Historically, Oceania would released its 1st half of 2019 cruises in September on 2017. It would then release its 2nd half of 2019 cruises around in March or April of 2018. This, of course, excepts their 180 RTW cruise, which they get out first, then release segments of that cruise during the regular release.

 

Some cruise lines, like Viking, are now releasing their schedules 2-3 years in advance, and allowing people to book. IMO, this has been fraught with problems as ports such as those in Turkey have been pulled off, and others, such as in Cuba, have been added. O caught a lot of flack from disgrumbled cruisers that didn't want to miss the ports they had signed up for in the Carribe, to have them switched out for Havana.

 

IMO again, the typical eighteen (18) early window that Oceania provides, has been quite adequate to allow plenty of time for advanced planning and tour bookings. If circumstances require you to plan and book two years+ in advance, then probably Viking, or some of the other lines, may be a better fit for you. I would probably give odds to the proposition that the number of place holder reservations and subsequent cancellations increases dramatically as bookings are allowed further and further into the future. How does that help a cruise line, except to generate extra work for no return?

[aquidneck1]

We were told when on board the Sirena in February that the early 2019 itinerary would come out at the end of March/beginning of April. We prebooked a fake itinerary to take advantage of the on board booking discount.

 

We will just have to wait and see what happens.

[bitob]

Calling Oceania directly is usually a waste of time. The reps are often ill informed. Call your ta and he or she can get an answer from someone who actually knows something

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[rheasue38]

Hi!

We were just on Riviera and were told by the Oceania Club Ambassador that the Caribbean itineraries would be out on April 19th.

Rhea

[JVNYC]

Hi!

We were just on Riviera and were told by the Oceania Club Ambassador that the Caribbean itineraries would be out on April 19th.

Rhea

 

That is correct. I just confirmed with my reliable Oceania contact and she confirmed April 19th as well. Looking forward to seeing them!

[Carol From California]

My TA confirmed April 19 as well. :)

[wombatjoey]

Thank you for posting this information.

[wombatjoey]

Out and ready for booking on same day?

[LHT28]

Out and ready for booking on same day?

Usually some TA & past guests get the new itineraries a week ahead of booking date

 

 

Watch this space :)

[pinotlover]

2019 is way to far in the future to think about booking any cruises. I currently have 3 O cruises and an Uniworld River cruise booked over the next 16 months. Not even looking further out than that!

 

Maybe take a look on one of my sea days, on our upcoming cruise so to pick up extra OBC (which I will already have a lot of) and just do a place holder. Or wait until the cruise after that, or the cruise after that, before doing anything for 2019.

 

I got to figure out the 2nd half of 2018 before I even start worrying about 2019!.

[docmark]

I think there is such a thing as "freedom of choice",and difference of opinions and approaches pinotlover has every right to NOT plan more than a year ahead,and likewise wombatjoy is free and entitled to want to plan 2 years out. And none of us have any business criticizing either of them.

[juhacorno410]

I think there is such a thing as "freedom of choice",and difference of opinions and approaches pinotlover has every right to NOT plan more than a year ahead,and likewise wombatjoy is free and entitled to want to plan 2 years out. And none of us have any business criticizing either of them.

 

Docmark, I totally agree. We always try and book our future cruises well in advance, sometimes on the first day they are released.

 

By booking early, you usually get the best choice of cabins, as well as best pricing.

 

To each his own. No need to ridicule someone for making that choice.

[Bootman4U]

We have often booked early and for the reasons stated in the post above. However, we have sometimes booked more last minute and as a result received big price breaks because the line was discounting heavily. Face it: if a ship leaves with an empty cabin that's lost revenue up front as well as during a voyage. Yeah, we know "other passengers" can get PO'd because "We go the same cabin cheaper than you did" but Oceania discounts their cruises and folks usually like getting things as cheaply as possible.

[MarkieMarkNYC]

If I could book 5 years out I would!

I know I'm not alone in enjoying the planning and dreaming almost as much as the actual experience.

[LHT28]

for me booking too far in advance by the time the cruise comes I do not want to go anymore

I have done so much research I feel I have been there already

:D

 

Like many things in life if is a personal choice & people should do what works best for them :halo:

[pinotlover]

I don't really care, people can book when then want. I'd love to see the curve with months ahead of sailing one one axis and percentage of cancelled cruises on the other axis. Can't be a positive for the cruise lines.

 

I was just looking at a 3rd quarter 2018 cruise. Everything PH and above is waitlist. Maybe I should waitlist? Final payment not do for a year nope, wait until another year. Let some one else play the game. Obviously Oceania doesn't care, they encourage passengers to book placeholders for tours they may never want to take.

 

Typically not interested in waiting until Final Payment date to see how many phony place holders are riding.

 

Catch 22! Don't like making commitments for cruises that it's over a year before I can make plane reservations, but don't like battling the placeholder ,and on the whim reservations, that might clear some day. Still enough on the Bucket List, I just skip the game. Maybe when the Bucket List gets real short I'll have a different attitude. Until then 12-15 months stretch my patience. Each to their own.

[wombatjoey]

Yep. Short and ....

[JVNYC]

Can we hope for a preview this week? Bookings open next Wednesday so hopefully someone will get an advanced copy of the preview link and pdf and post here. Looking forward to seeing them! :)

[JimandStan]

Can we hope for a preview this week? Bookings open next Wednesday so hopefully someone will get an advanced copy of the preview link and pdf and post here. Looking forward to seeing them! :)

 

May I point out that the "advance copies" go to preferred Travel Agents first?

 

Those Agents understandably want their clients to have first choice, so they are very unlikely to post the Itineraries here; in turn clients who get a heads up may have been asked not to share the information publicly, as that would water down the Agents advantage.

 

In short, and it took me five years to learn this valuable lesson, your best bet to get early information is to book through a high volume Oceania TA. :)

[JVNYC]

May I point out that the "advance copies" go to preferred Travel Agents first?

 

Those Agents understandably want their clients to have first choice, so they are very unlikely to post the Itineraries here; in turn clients who get a heads up may have been asked not to share the information publicly, as that would water down the Agents advantage.

 

In short, and it took me five years to learn this valuable lesson, your best bet to get early information is to book through a high volume Oceania TA. :)

 

Thanks for the reply. I do book with a high volume TA but usually someone here posts the link for the itineraries before she sends to me. Each launch of new itineraries, someone on Cruise Critic beats her to it.

[JimandStan]

Thanks for the reply. I do book with a high volume TA but usually someone here posts the link for the itineraries before she sends to me. Each launch of new itineraries, someone on Cruise Critic beats her to it.

 

I wonder if you are on the naughty list?

Loose Lips and all that ;)

[JVNYC]

I wonder if you are on the naughty list?

Loose Lips and all that ;)

 

LOL. Nope, I'm on the good list. She's just super busy and I don't mind that. That's another benefit of Cruise Critic.