excellent prices on Caribbean cruises 2020

[susiesan]

I got a mailing from O and also saw online about great deals on Caribbean cruises for early 2020. I am assuming that after Cuba cruises were cancelled that these cruises on Sirena and Riviera are thee substitutes that O came up with. Looks like no one is interested in booking them, that O is trying to fill the ships. I wasn't planning on taking another cruise before my next O Baltic cruise in June 2020 but these prices are too good to pass up. They all go from Miami which is an easy cheap place to fly to. I have asked my TA to get me the very best cruise only deal possible, will see what she comes up with. For some reason, If I price similar itineraries out per day cabins on Riviera are 50% more than on Sirena. What's that all about?

[LHT28]

more fuel. more port fees. more mouths to feed 😎

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, susiesan said:

I got a mailing from O and also saw online about great deals on Caribbean cruises for early 2020. I am assuming that after Cuba cruises were cancelled that these cruises on Sirena and Riviera are thee substitutes that O came up with. Looks like no one is interested in booking them, that O is trying to fill the ships. I wasn't planning on taking another cruise before my next O Baltic cruise in June 2020 but these prices are too good to pass up. They all go from Miami which is an easy cheap place to fly to. I have asked my TA to get me the very best cruise only deal possible, will see what she comes up with. For some reason, If I price similar itineraries out per day cabins on Riviera are 50% more than on Sirena. What's that all about?

Having to pay for a much larger scale operation. O ships 1100 passengers vs R ships 670.

FWIW: As much as we love Oceania, we steer clear of the shorter Caribbean cruises for all of the obvious reasons. 

Nonetheless, they do work for some folks.

Edited July 14, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Having to fill far more berths. O 1100 passengers vs R 670

More like 1250 pax

not sure where you keep getting 1100 for the O class ships from

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

More like 1250 pax

not sure where you keep getting 1100 for the O class ships from

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships

Can't remember where I once saw 1100. Maybe it was an average passenger load. In any case, my usual excuse for errors is based on Seinfeld's Uncle Leo: "I'm an old man. I forget."

[Kate-AHF]

Yeah, we've been seeing those prices.  We are struggling NOT to book Sirena on 1/6.  Our Marina cruise ends a couple of days before in Santiago, and we have to pass through Miami anyway on the way home.  So far, we've exercised restraint.

[susiesan]

14 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Dan repeat 3 x in front of the mirror..Its Oceania and inexpensive who cares about ports its Oceania...LOL

Jancruz1

So true, Jan. Since I just went on a 7 day southern Carib cruise with Windstar last December as a cheap week getaway the western Carib makes a nice alternative. All I will be doing in these ports is going to a beach. I have to decide if I'd rather go to Cozumel or key West, the other 3 ports are the same on all of the 4 Sirena 7 day sailings. I'll be booking an inside or guarantee cruise only , no O life, to get the absolute rock bottom price I can.

[KS&JW]

Yes, we saw these great deals and booked a B2B on Sirena in January.  It is a slow business time for us, the prices were hard to pass up, so we jumped.  Plus, our TA has contacted us about lowering the price even more through secret sales or some such thing since we booked.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Kate-AHF said:

Yeah, we've been seeing those prices.  We are struggling NOT to book Sirena on 1/6.  Our Marina cruise ends a couple of days before in Santiago, and we have to pass through Miami anyway on the way home.  So far, we've exercised restraint.

Why restraint? Even though it means staying in Swamplandia a few days between cruises, one can never do too much cruising.

[cotto22]

We did a Seabourn Caribbean several years ago that was dirt cheap. We had a balcony, lots of perks, and had a nice time, except for the customs in Miami. But if we did another one, I would probably stay on the ship and skip the islands. There are reasons for this, but too complicated to describe here. But I agree, view the ship as a floating resort and enjoy the trip.

 

[BenMurphy]

On 7/14/2019 at 4:27 PM, susiesan said:

I got a mailing from O and also saw online about great deals on Caribbean cruises for early 2020. I am assuming that after Cuba cruises were cancelled that these cruises on Sirena and Riviera are thee substitutes that O came up with. Looks like no one is interested in booking them, that O is trying to fill the ships. I wasn't planning on taking another cruise before my next O Baltic cruise in June 2020 but these prices are too good to pass up. They all go from Miami which is an easy cheap place to fly to. I have asked my TA to get me the very best cruise only deal possible, will see what she comes up with. For some reason, If I price similar itineraries out per day cabins on Riviera are 50% more than on Sirena. What's that all about?

£3000,00 Three thousand pounds from Manchester + hotel

Not so cheap for us 

Jxx

[RJB]

8 hours ago, BenMurphy said:

£3000,00 Three thousand pounds from Manchester + hotel

Not so cheap for us 

Jxx

Just a 75.00 Uber for us so it is pretty easy, but on the other hand a bit costly to get to London.  All evens out in the ling run. 

[AtA]

On 7/14/2019 at 1:04 PM, Kate-AHF said:

Yeah, we've been seeing those prices.  We are struggling NOT to book Sirena on 1/6.  Our Marina cruise ends a couple of days before in Santiago, and we have to pass through Miami anyway on the way home.  So far, we've exercised restraint.

I wanted to take my son to Cuba but when that got canned, we booked this cruise. It was too good a deal. 

[Toranut97]

I thought I would never cruise again, but am so pleased to be on one  of these Caribbean cruises in January on Sirena. I know it will be better than January in Illinois! Even if I just get to stroll around in the port areas, enjoy the string quartet and an occasional Big O Martini, and have a reunion with an old trivia teammate, it is worth it. The sweet memories of cruises with my late husband are a bonus. The prices are pretty sweet and I am ready to go!

 

Dan, have fun in Barstow! 😎

Donna

[susiesan]

I just booked the Jan. 25 sailing going west to Belize, Roatan, Mexico, and Key West. I got a cat C2 guarantee cruise only for the same price as an inside, $999 each plus $300 OBC for the cabin. Sweet.RT airfare to Miami from Kansas City coming in the day before is running around $400 pp. I will monitor for price drops before I book plane tickets as the cruise is still 6 months away. Anyone else book Sirena for Jan. 25?

[Go-Bucks!]

On 7/14/2019 at 1:33 PM, susiesan said:

Having been on many many Caribbean cruises, I look at a short 7 day cruise as a winter getaway, equivalent to going to an all inclusive resort. For $999 for 7 days you have a similar experience except the scenery is different every day. Plus the food on Sirena will be better than anything at an all inclusive in Mexico.

 

I saw on a popular cruise booking web site that I can get $300 ship credit in addition to the great prices shown by O. If it is refundable, that's the same as taking $300 off the cost of the cruise. Maybe that will sway you, Kate 

 

I booked the 2 former-Cuba cruises on Insignia after the world cruise (am on the first one now) because they were dirt cheap. Yes, this one is in the W. Caribbean and the next one is the E. Caribbean, but the people on the ship now are so fun and friendly!!  Pretty young demographic and 60 pretty-well-behaved kids...I'm really enjoying it! The Caribbean has many beautiful places and great weather. I just finished going all over the world but this itinerary is relaxing and laid back...glad I stayed another 17 days.

[Go-Bucks!]

On 7/14/2019 at 1:33 PM, susiesan said:

Having been on many many Caribbean cruises, I look at a short 7 day cruise as a winter getaway, equivalent to going to an all inclusive resort. For $999 for 7 days you have a similar experience except the scenery is different every day. Plus the food on Sirena will be better than anything at an all inclusive in Mexico.

 

I saw on a popular cruise booking web site that I can get $300 ship credit in addition to the great prices shown by O. If it is refundable, that's the same as taking $300 off the cost of the cruise. Maybe that will sway you, Kate 

 

I booked the 2 former-Cuba cruises on Insignia after the world cruise (am on the first one now) because they were dirt cheap. Yes, this one is in the W. Caribbean and the next one is the E. Caribbean, but the people on the ship now are so fun and friendly!!  Pretty young demographic and 60 pretty-well-behaved kids...I'm really enjoying it! The Caribbean has many beautiful places and great weather. I just finished going all over the world but this itinerary is relaxing and laid back...glad I stayed another 17 days.

[BenMurphy]

14 hours ago, RJB said:

Just a 75.00 Uber for us so it is pretty easy, but on the other hand a bit costly to get to London.  All evens out in the ling run. 

We've not been to London for 25 years! ...........................now New York yes!

 

We've sailed out of Southampton many times, but we're fresh out of new places to visit from there. And it means travelling down the night before.................................................still can't complain when we have such lovely cruises and ships to look forward to!

Jxxx

[HokiePoq]

Just a word to the wise on the replacement cruises:

 

Beware of Feb. 1 departures.  It's Super Bowl weekend in Miami.  Getting a hotel room will be a problem and flights are likely to be high priced.   Getting O's air might be an option to get around those problems.  We normally drive in and could not get a stay and cruise reservation like we usually do.   Parking at the port may be very interesting that day.

[Go-Bucks!]

53 minutes ago, HokiePoq said:

Just a word to the wise on the replacement cruises:

 

Beware of Feb. 1 departures.  It's Super Bowl weekend in Miami.  Getting a hotel room will be a problem and flights are likely to be high priced.   Getting O's air might be an option to get around those problems.  We normally drive in and could not get a stay and cruise reservation like we usually do.   Parking at the port may be very interesting that day.

 

It's easy and often cheaper to fly into and stay in Ft. Lauderdale. Cheap 30 minute shuttles go right to Port of Miami from either FLL airport or area hotels. 

Edited July 17, 2019 by Go-Bucks!

[HokiePoq]

2 minutes ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

It's easy and often cheaper to fly into and stay in Ft. Lauderdale. Cheap 30 minute shuttles go right to Port of Miami from either FLL airport area hotels. 

Normally yes.  We were unable to get a park and cruise from Ft. Lauderdale either.   A third party has tied up a lot of the hotel rooms and will resell them at inflated prices.  We had this happen to us at the Sugar Bowl one year in NOLA.   

[susiesan]

The Jan. 25 sailing returns to Miami on Feb. 1, a Saturday. Isn't the Super Bowl on Sunday? Hopefully it should be easy to get a flight out of Miami on Feb. 1. Thanks Hokie for the tip. If I don't find decent airfare soon I may change to a different sailing date or I may add O air and live with the crappy flights we would be on. I would have to risk flying in the day of the cruise from Kansas City in the winter, with possible weather problems. If I use O air and I miss the cruise due to weather delays or flight cancellations, will O cover me? If I do my own air I would fly in the day before.

 

I looked at SW flights to FLL as an option, the farthest I can check now is December, and it is way more expensive to fly MCI-FLL than MCI-MIA

Edited July 18, 2019 by susiesan

[Ltctina]

11 hours ago, HokiePoq said:

Just a word to the wise on the replacement cruises:

 

Beware of Feb. 1 departures.  It's Super Bowl weekend in Miami.  Getting a hotel room will be a problem and flights are likely to be high priced.   Getting O's air might be an option to get around those problems.  We normally drive in and could not get a stay and cruise reservation like we usually do.   Parking at the port may be very interesting that day.

Yes--we are on the 1 Feb cruise as well and rethinking how we are getting there--we may do a road trip from MD visiting friends along the way and then park near the airport and uber into the port.

[HokiePoq]

5 hours ago, Ltctina said:

Yes--we are on the 1 Feb cruise as well and rethinking how we are getting there--we may do a road trip from MD visiting friends along the way and then park near the airport and uber into the port.

  Good luck!   I read reviews on parking.   Your Uber idea may be a good one.  Hopefully you can reserve one ahead of time.  Without all the hotel shuttles running I imagine the situation at the port will be hectic.   We cancelled this cruise due to no Cuba itinerary we booked and all the travel problems with the replacement.

[RJB]

10 hours ago, susiesan said:

The Jan. 25 sailing returns to Miami on Feb. 1, a Saturday. Isn't the Super Bowl on Sunday? Hopefully it should be easy to get a flight out of Miami on Feb. 1. Thanks Hokie for the tip. If I don't find decent airfare soon I may change to a different sailing date or I may add O air and live with the crappy flights we would be on. I would have to risk flying in the day of the cruise from Kansas City in the winter, with possible weather problems. If I use O air and I miss the cruise due to weather delays or flight cancellations, will O cover me? If I do my own air I would fly in the day before.

 

I looked at SW flights to FLL as an option, the farthest I can check now is December, and it is way more expensive to fly MCI-FLL than MCI-MIA

Should not find it hard to get out of South Florida on Sat.   Everyone else will be going the other way I would think.