Ridiculous Deposit Request

[1985rz1]

3 hours ago, Redtravel said:

 A smaller deposit would be a prudent move.

You might want to check out other premium lines.  For our upcoming cruises, Azamara required more than Oceania would and Silversea required 25% of the cruise fare, both for 17-19 day cruises.  Viking had a relatively modest deposit, but final payment 12 months in advance.  I don't know what mainstream lines charge. But for premium lines, just choose your poison.

Edited July 21, 2021 by 1985rz1

[Flatbush Flyer]

47 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

You might want to check out other premium lines.  For our upcoming cruises, Azamara required more than Oceania would and Silversea required 25% of the cruise fare, both for 17-19 day cruises.  Viking had a relatively modest deposit, but final payment 12 months in advance.  I don't know what mainstream lines charge. But for premium lines, just choose your poison.

Oceania - of course!

[jagoffee]

19 hours ago, Woofbite said:

So, kill me for not being a great typist. 

I don't object to big deposit on cruises.  I do object to big deposits for nothing

more than a spot on a waitlist that may never clear.

As to one cruise or back to backs, the trip was listed as a single cruise until it

came time to pay the deposit when it suddenly became two and the waitlist

deposit doubled.

This was to be our first Oceania, (happy now?), cruise.  We will look for another company.

 

 

 

Why not put yourself on the no deposit wait list until you have completed your evaluation of other options?   It seems you are having an issue because your desired cabin category is not available.  If it was not current waitlisted, you would have been OK providing a deposit for a cabin.  
I understand that paying a deposit gives you priority on the waitlist, but I cannot imagine that I would pay a large deposit just to get on a waitlist.  However I would make a reservation for a category that is available and then ask to be put on a awaiting list for another category.

.I am fairly confident that you can find either another Oceania option or another company option.  Did you look at Regent?  I would willing to pay more for not being on a waitlist.  Perhaps you can book a different cruise (with a refundable deposit) and do the no deposit waitlist on Oceania.

 

The bottom line is that I understand your reluctance.  I would not pay a large deposit just to get on a waiting list.  Too many other options. I am a little surprised that others are shocked by your reluctance.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhD-iva]

2 hours ago, jagoffee said:

. I am a little surprised that others are shocked by your reluctance.  

 

I think I am not the only one that is reacting - not to the OP’s reluctance -but to the outrage and anger detected in the posts. YMMV

[jagoffee]

47 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I think I am not the only one that is reacting - not to the OP’s reluctance -but to the outrage and anger detected in the posts. YMMV

Good point.  They certainly have a better understanding now and options.

[Norseh2o]

Joined a waitlist during Spring, 2020 for a July, 2022 trip from South Africa to NY.  Happily paid the waitlist deposit and regularly checked with our wonderful TA as to our place on the waitlist.  Was delighted to learn that we held the #1 position in 3 of our waitlisted categories. Last week, with civil war raging in South Africa, we asked  our TA about dropping the South Africa - Lisbon portion and boarding in Lisbon with travel to NY. We hoped for a good waitlist position. Imagine our delight to find one of our favorite cabins (Concierge) was available! We booked the cruise, purchased air fare and found a Lisbon hotel.   Looking forward for the rest of the 2023 Oceania Cruise opportunities! 😀

[mauibabes]

Woofbite  and Redtravel,

Just look at my post, #5. You don’t have to put down “double” bookings to get on the waitlists for your desired Oceania cruises. Very simple work around, book the desired two cruise(s) with a deposit for a SINGLE named guest and have your TA Waitlist 4 categories. When your name comes up for the desired category, add the second name to the booking and pay the remaining deposit. 
The standard Oceania deposits are very comparable or less than other Premium level cruise lines. Place your Single deposit and roll the dice.  
mauibabes

[Redtravel]

You may be surprised at how little you can deposit and get a booking.  During the pandemic, all cruise lines will bend if requested.   That includes Oceania.  Most people don’t ask.  A good TA can get you a booking now with a small deposit .  In some cases, you can get a booking without any money.   That may change once cruise lines safely resume sailing.  

[Jockocruiser]

8 hours ago, mauibabes said:

Woofbite  and Redtravel,

Just look at my post, #5. You don’t have to put down “double” bookings to get on the waitlists for your desired Oceania cruises. Very simple work around, book the desired two cruise(s) with a deposit for a SINGLE named guest and have your TA Waitlist 4 categories. When your name comes up for the desired category, add the second name to the booking and pay the remaining deposit. 
The standard Oceania deposits are very comparable or less than other Premium level cruise lines. Place your Single deposit and roll the dice.  
mauibabes

Interesting workaround. How does the pricing work under that scheme?  Single is more.  And is a waitlist price firm, or subject to pricing at time of confirmation?

[GrammieK]

The price is the price at time desired cabin/suite is confirmed, not waitlist price. 
waitlisting as a single does not impact final price, but allows for a 50% deposit as opposed to listing both passengers. 
brilliant idea!  My TA does it for us as well!

[Jockocruiser]

Ok GrammieK, brilliant indeed.

let’s take it a step forward.  Does that work for a booked reservation?  Can you make a booking for a single, pay the single deposit and then convert to two passengers at time of final?

Not a big deal for short duration cruises, but when deposits are more, it can be thousands.  Ex: I have a booking with $3,000 deposit, just read where another poster had 12k down. 
 

Sure Interest rates are low, but on a 12-24 month in advance booking the saved deposit could earn hundreds of dollars with good investing.

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Jockocruiser said:

Sure Interest rates are low, but on a 12-24 month in advance booking the saved deposit could earn hundreds of dollars with good investing.

You can always wait until closer to sailing  but seems like the old days are back

when cruises sold out  when first released 18 mths out

It is  a game you play 😉

[GrammieK]

Jockocruiser....sounds like a question for a travel agent!

 

not sure how a deposit of $1500 saves hundreds in 12-24 months though...

[Robjame]

12 minutes ago, GrammieK said:

not sure how a deposit of $1500 saves hundreds in 12-24 months though...

I, too, have complied with Oceania's convoluted pricing, policy and deposits as I want to travel with them. However that should not stop any of us questioning what they are doing.

We recently reserved a 17 day cruise that is also offered as a 10 and a 7. For purposes of cruise credit and for final payment date (180 days) Oceania treats it as a 17 day cruise. A 7 and a 10 would be final payment 90 days out. Yet for deposit, Oceania treats it as 2 cruises, insisting on $4000 CAD (2 cruises @ $1000 pp each). The cruise is 18 months away.

So, for purposes of deposit it is 2 cruises. For purposes of final payment date it is one - seems the table is tilted.

[Flatbush Flyer]

38 minutes ago, Robjame said:

I, too, have complied with Oceania's convoluted pricing, policy and deposits as I want to travel with them. However that should not stop any of us questioning what they are doing.

We recently reserved a 17 day cruise that is also offered as a 10 and a 7. For purposes of cruise credit and for final payment date (180 days) Oceania treats it as a 17 day cruise. A 7 and a 10 would be final payment 90 days out. Yet for deposit, Oceania treats it as 2 cruises, insisting on $4000 CAD (2 cruises @ $1000 pp each). The cruise is 18 months away.

So, for purposes of deposit it is 2 cruises. For purposes of final payment date it is one - seems the table is tilted.

Not really. The “extended journey” (if marketed as a single multi-segment cruise) price is discounted compared to the total price of the two separate segments. 
Even if not marketed that way, your wanting both of them ends up being a “custom cruise” with an approximate 5% discount (and some other breaks. 
Even if you wanted to book two consecutive cruises separately (maybe more O Club perks but no price break), you can’t. Multi-segment cruises are either “extended journey” or “custom cruise.”

[Robjame]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not really. The “extended journey” (if marketed as a single multi-segment cruise) price is discounted compared to the total price of the two separate segments. 
Even if not marketed that way, your wanting both of them ends up being a “custom cruise”

I think that is what I meant by convoluted. “Extended journey, multi segment cruise, custom cruise, not a b2b, no such thing as a grand voyage” … few understand or can decipher it. This is part of a 48 day “ ???’” (Cruise of some kind) that requires a deposit of $10,000 CAD, well over one-third of the total cruise price simply because of the way it is assembled.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Robjame
Confusion

[KS&JW]

3 hours ago, Robjame said:

I, too, have complied with Oceania's convoluted pricing, policy and deposits as I want to travel with them. However that should not stop any of us questioning what they are doing.

We recently reserved a 17 day cruise that is also offered as a 10 and a 7. For purposes of cruise credit and for final payment date (180 days) Oceania treats it as a 17 day cruise. A 7 and a 10 would be final payment 90 days out. Yet for deposit, Oceania treats it as 2 cruises, insisting on $4000 CAD (2 cruises @ $1000 pp each). The cruise is 18 months away.

So, for purposes of deposit it is 2 cruises. For purposes of final payment date it is one - seems the table is tilted.

Something is messed up if you have to pay two deposits but don't get two cruise credits. 
 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Robjame said:

I think that is what I meant by convoluted. “Extended journey, multi segment cruise, custom cruise, not a b2b, no such thing as a grand voyage” … few understand or can decipher it. This is part of a 48 day “ ???’” (Cruise of some kind) that requires a deposit of $10,000 CAD, well over one-third of the total cruise price simply because of the way it is assembled.

“Confusion” that can save you hundreds to thousands $$$ on pretty much the same itinerary in the same season.

[Robjame]

8 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

Something is messed up if you have to pay two deposits but don't get two cruise credits.

It is because of the method Oceania uses to calculate what is a cruise credit.

A cruise is not a cruise is not a cruise.

One cruise credit is any voyage up to 24 days.

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Images/EmailAssets/domestic/Sales/81604468085/MAR183971_OceaniaClubFlyer_new2.pdf

[Flatbush Flyer]

14 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

Something is messed up if you have to pay two deposits but don't get two cruise credits. 
 

 

Credits are based on total days - not number of segments.

[GrammieK]

Yikes!  This is all above my pay grade!!

 

I could never get my husband on board for a B2B, a grand voyage, a world cruise, 1,001 nites, etc. 

[KS&JW]

27 minutes ago, Robjame said:

It is because of the method Oceania uses to calculate what is a cruise credit.

A cruise is not a cruise is not a cruise.

One cruise credit is any voyage up to 24 days.

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Images/EmailAssets/domestic/Sales/81604468085/MAR183971_OceaniaClubFlyer_new2.pdf

 

23 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Credits are based on total days - not number of segments.

Yes, I am fully aware that a 7 day cruise and a 24 day cruise count as one credit under Oceania's (badly designed) rules.    
However, you pay one deposit for those short or long cruises.  Robjame is booking a B2B, or combined cruise, or whatever marketing gobbledygook you want to call it that is 17 days long.  If Oceania is classifying it as one 17 day cruise  to only receive one cruise credit then he should only have to pay one deposit.  If they want two deposits, then it is not really one cruise and the credit should reflect that.  

Edited July 22, 2021 by KS&JW

[Flatbush Flyer]

56 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

 

Yes, I am fully aware that a 7 day cruise and a 24 day cruise count as one credit under Oceania's (badly designed) rules.    
However, you pay one deposit for those short or long cruises.  Robjame is booking a B2B, or combined cruise, or whatever marketing gobbledygook you want to call it that is 17 days long.  If Oceania is classifying it as one 17 day cruise  to only receive one cruise credit then he should only have to pay one deposit.  If they want two deposits, then it is not really one cruise and the credit should reflect that.  

You seem to be forgetting that he got a sizable discount on the fare. Really, would you prefer 1 extra credit or the $$$?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You seem to be forgetting that he got a sizable discount on the fare. Really, would you prefer 1 extra credit or the $$$? 
 

BTW, if folks want to nitpick 1 credit, it might be worth their time to look at all variations of basically similar itineraries.

It’s interesting to see single segment cruises that fall 1 day below or 1 day above the dividing line between how many credits are attached.

 

[Robjame]

12 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You seem to be forgetting that he got a sizable discount on the fare. Really, would you prefer 1 extra credit or the $$$?

Very true - my point was more that Oceania calls them 2 cruises when asking for the deposit - 2x the deposit. But Oceania calls them a combined cruise when establishing the final payment date, 180 days out vs 90 days. Those extra 3 months without penalty are particularly important for Canadians as vaccination definition is changing, border crossings are in flux,  and insurance is complex and expensive.