New final payment deadline and cancellation policy

[shepherd really]

Just got this email:

 

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Advisors,

 

On behalf of your entire Oceania Cruises family, I hope you are doing well and that you are looking forward to your upcoming Oceania Cruises voyage. We know what a great deal of planning goes into a vacation and we are also acutely aware that travelers have many more concerns than they did in the past.

 

In order to provide you with an extra measure of flexibility and peace of mind, we are amending the final payment due date for your voyage to 60 days prior to departure. Additionally, cancellation penalties will not start until the new final payment deadline, at 60 days prior to departure.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Carlos E. Ortega
Vice President, Guest Services

[jeno]

When is the cruise and how long is it? 

[1985rz1]

8 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Just got this email:

 

Dear Valued Guests and Travel Advisors,

 

On behalf of your entire Oceania Cruises family, I hope you are doing well and that you are looking forward to your upcoming Oceania Cruises voyage. We know what a great deal of planning goes into a vacation and we are also acutely aware that travelers have many more concerns than they did in the past.

 

In order to provide you with an extra measure of flexibility and peace of mind, we are amending the final payment due date for your voyage to 60 days prior to departure. Additionally, cancellation penalties will not start until the new final payment deadline, at 60 days prior to departure.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Carlos E. Ortega
Vice President, Guest Services

For which cruise?

[basenji56]

What sailing is this for?

[shepherd really]

Just now, 1985rz1 said:

For which cruise?

Sorry, Jan. 9-28th Polar & Patagonian Quest but I'd be surprised if this is just a one off change.

[Robjame]

Thanks

 

Wow. That would be really good news if it applies to other cruises.

[DanOnboard]

I believe that it is happening for all Marina cruises to South America.  We got notice of our Dec 1 Miami to Lima on July 1, three days before FP.  I take this to mean that O won't know whether it will be going to South America until September/October due to the COVID situation in those countries and doesn't want to have to do lots of refunds.

[mauibabes]

Our son and friends just got the same email for a Riviera, 7 November, Monte Carlo to Rome, 10 day trip. Anyone else on Riviera late 2021 getting emails?

Gerry

[CruiseLibra]

3 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

Our son and friends just got the same email for a Riviera, 7 November, Monte Carlo to Rome, 10 day trip. Anyone else on Riviera late 2021 getting emails?

Gerry

We are on that cruise. Our TA just informed us today of the move to 60 days from 90 days.

[ORV]

Pinot has a theory on this that it is one of the steps to cancellation of a cruise. So far he's been pretty much right, but these are after the announced restart. I personally don't think the SA ones will go, not sure about the Med. 

[Hunding]

 

So.......... 

If Marina's SA voyages, commencing December 1, 20121, are scrapped, where in the world might a few sensible itineraries be created to take their place(s)?  Because, to paraphrase Jancruz's post of a coupla weeks ago, "the ship's gotta go someplace." 

[mauibabes]

🙏 the move to 60 days prior to sailing for the FP is a method they implemented to reduce refund workload and perhaps not tick off the guests. To expedite the repayments they hired a third party company to make the credit card payments.  While 90-120-150 days out may be too far out for O to make a trip cancellation decision, they know they will make all cancellation decisions before the 60 day mark. Win/Win.

Hunding, if South America crashes and burns again, we had 4 SA segments cancel last season. then you could expect Marina to pick up a series of new itineraries in the Caribbean for a few months. Actually that is why we also booked a January 2023 SA trip to cover future bases because we definitely want to see more of South America. 
Gerry

[AMHuntFerry]

2 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Our son and friends just got the same email for a Riviera, 7 November, Monte Carlo to Rome, 10 day trip. Anyone else on Riviera late 2021 getting emails?

Gerry

Our cruise is on Riviera starting Dec. 13, 2021. We have not received the 60-day FP letter, but it sounds like they are possibly being sent a few weeks before FP is due.

[shepherd really]

46 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Our cruise is on Riviera starting Dec. 13, 2021. We have not received the 60-day FP letter, but it sounds like they are possibly being sent a few weeks before FP is due.

Prior to this change my final payment was due August 1st.

[cotto22]

Our Riviera cruise starts November 17th, and we have already submitted the final payment for it.  This is a T/A, and the ship needs to be in the Caribbean. Suppose it could come empty, but hopefully it will carry us and the rest of the passengers!

[Jockocruiser]

Received same for SA 29Jan2022 from Chile to BA and on to Rio. 
Good news 🤪Re delay in final pay.  Bad News😩 Re probability of sail.

[AMHuntFerry]

1 hour ago, shepherd really said:

Prior to this change my final payment was due August 1st.

Mine is only 10 days, so FP not due until mid-September. If I get a 30-day reprieve, I guess I'll know by the beginning of September. I won't complain either way...just hope we're all sailing soon!

[nikless]

18 hours ago, cotto22 said:

Our Riviera cruise starts November 17th, and we have already submitted the final payment for it.  This is a T/A, and the ship needs to be in the Caribbean. Suppose it could come empty, but hopefully it will carry us and the rest of the passengers!

Same for us on Marina.  A "multi-segment" out of Venice departing Nov 9.  Final payment was 150 days out and we paid it.  

We were told by our O agent back in October when we booked it that we are covered by the previous (Covid) refund policy which originally was 48 hours but changed to 15 days prior to sail date.  The contract, however contains the standard statement and does not reflect this.

[jeno]

33 minutes ago, nikless said:

Same for us on Marina.  A "multi-segment" out of Venice departing Nov 9.  Final payment was 150 days out and we paid it.  

We were told by our O agent back in October when we booked it that we are covered by the previous (Covid) refund policy which originally was 48 hours but changed to 15 days prior to sail date.  The contract, however contains the standard statement and does not reflect this.

Where did you see the change from 48 hours to 15 days? I assume the same thing may have happened to us, but I haven’t been notified.  I think you may be confused by the change in the policy. 
We booked on July 31.  That was the last day that Travel Assurance was the cancel anytime after final payment up to 48 hours before sailing for 100% FCC.  It was also any cruise reservations before that date.  
After July 31 the Travel Assurance changed to cruises departing by October 31 and must be cancelled 15 days ahead. The deal changed, but not for people that booked by July 31.  We have the old deal. That’s my thought anyway. 
 Maybe your TA hadn’t realized for some reason that deal changed on August 1.  
Half of our group booked on Friday, July 31 for our cruise on November 7. The others booked on Monday, August 3 and have no travel assurance package because the cruise is departing after Oct 31. 

Edited July 17, 2021 by jeno

[nikless]

14 minutes ago, jeno said:

Where did you see the change from 48 hours to 15 days.  I assume the same thing must have happened to us, but I haven’t been notified.  I think you may be confused by the change in the policy. 
We booked on July 31.  That was the last day that Travel Assurance was the cancel anytime after final payment up to 48 hours before sailing for 100% FCC.  It was also any cruise reservations before that date.  
After July 31 the Travel Assurance changed to cruises departing by October 31 and must be cancelled 15 days ahead. The deal changed, but not for people that booked by July 31.  We have the old deal. That’s my thought anyway. 
When did you book? 

October 9th.  Actually it was moving our deposit and FCC from a cancelled Nov 2020 TA (that we booked in Oct 2019) to this one.

Glad to hear that someone else knows about it.

[TFree]

We booked our first Oceania cruise on June 16, 2021.  The cruise sails on October 16 (out of Venice, waiting to hear what happens with that).  But anyway, on the original invoice, it says that the final payment date is August 17.  So my speculation, as an Oceania newbie, is that the new normal (for now) is a 60 day final payment date.  I certainly don't regard it as a sign that the cruise is likely to be cancelled, as some have suggested.

 

Tom & Judy

[shepherd really]

I agree, this just seems like Oceania is tweaking things based on the "new normal". 

[susiesan]

I booked a cruise for April 4, 2022 on June 30, 2021. My invoice says final payment is due Dec. 24, 120 days before the cruise. That is 101 days. I am assuming the penalties start at 120 days prior unless that policy has changed. How do I get my final payment date rolled back to 60 days? Should I have my TA ask?

[Cruise NH]

I would be interested to see if this starts a trend with Oceania.  We're booked for next July but our final payment is due in February with penalties kicking in almost right away.  It's giving me pause because I could put two Cunard cruises together and cover the same general area without having to pay so far in advance and risk losing money.

 

I was surprised when I saw the terms at booking (this is my first time booking on Oceania).  I hope they do reconsider their final payment policy.

[honumaui]

We are also on the Riviera sailing from Miami Dec 03. It would be the first Riviera cruise out of Miami after the TA. We booked last Sept. because of the "fully vaccinated" policy. Got a good deal but getting cold feet. Have not received anything from O yet. At present cut off date to not have any cancellation penalty is Aug. 04.  Final due Sept. 04.