The new roll out for 2024, not selling as it used to?

[jonthomas]

Other than the Around the world cruise, seems to me that very little else is selling.

 

I was very eager to book the new itins when they first came out. I was told that the French Balconies on the Vista will be sold out very quickly.

 

I look at the bookings I made and others, 6 in total, everything is available. 

 

In the past, opening prices and choice of cabins  would bring many to make bookings. Seems not to be the case anymore. 

 

Perhaps I should have waited till October for  the 30 day BEFORE sailing to book my 2024 cruises and saved. But then  prices  would have gone up and the French Balconies would be gone. That was my thinking. But now I see very little is selling and much is available. 

 

I know cruise lines are now plagued with shortages of staff and are cancelling sailings and I am sure the covid restrictions, rules, quarantines are really affecting the cruising climate. 

 

Any other  thoughts out there. 

 

 

[CAG]

One thing that could be making a difference is that this is the first time that Oceania has released a full year of sailings at one time.  Usually they would release 1/2 of the year in the winter/spring and the other 1/2 of the year in late summer/fall.  Theoretically they have double the number of sailings available at once and this could be what is making it appear that very little is sailing.  It could be the same amount selling just spread out over twice the number of cruises as usual.

[mauibabes]

Sure, always thoughts 🤪👍

So in October confirm your pricing on the website and using your TA or directly with O Reservations, ask if they can adjust your pricing as if an On Board booking.  If that does not work out, wait until you are on board the ship immediately and sit down with the Club Ambassador and ask if she/he can make the necessary adjustment to your bookings. Sometimes that has worked for our friends in the past. 
Good Luck

Mauibabes

[jonthomas]

I found the pricing for the new releases to be quite good. It was actually a surprise since I expected it to be much higher to make up for lost revenue. So that cant be the reason. 

 

I know many are eager to get out there and live again, but are they actually doing it? Not sure about that.

[jonthomas]

1 minute ago, mauibabes said:

Sure, always thoughts 🤪👍

So in October confirm your pricing on the website and using your TA or directly with O Reservations, ask if they can adjust your pricing as if an On Board booking.  If that does not work out, wait until you are on board the ship immediately and sit down with the Club Ambassador and ask if she/he can make the necessary adjustment to your bookings. Sometimes that has worked for our friends in the past. 
Good Luck

Mauibabes

 

All good ideas. Thank you.

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 hours ago, jonthomas said:

Other than the Around the world cruise, seems to me that very little else is selling.

 

I was very eager to book the new itins when they first came out. I was told that the French Balconies on the Vista will be sold out very quickly.

 

I look at the bookings I made and others, 6 in total, everything is available. 

 

In the past, opening prices and choice of cabins  would bring many to make bookings. Seems not to be the case anymore. 

 

Perhaps I should have waited till October for  the 30 day BEFORE sailing to book my 2024 cruises and saved. But then  prices  would have gone up and the French Balconies would be gone. That was my thinking. But now I see very little is selling and much is available. 

 

I know cruise lines are now plagued with shortages of staff and are cancelling sailings and I am sure the covid restrictions, rules, quarantines are really affecting the cruising climate. 

 

Any other  thoughts out there. 

 

 

Trying to predict the rate/state of return-to-normal is wasted energy. Best strategy (when possible) remains “book onboard” with price drop match guarantee (even if only to buy a Future Cruise Certificate).

[ToxM]

Everyone books on board pretty much I think. or at least gets the certificate. I am rather picky about cabin choice so book early. I doubt O is worried about a slow trickle of sales after the initial grab, as someone mentioned its a full year instead of a 6 month release. 

 

I prefer to have travel sorted out a while in advance as it helps me budget as well. 

[michigankate]

We would love to go back to cruising, but needing a COVID test before returning to the U.S. has stopped us from cruising.

[willoL]

I hemmed and hawed for a couple of weeks about booking as far out as 2024 because I was a Crystal fan and their bankruptcy gave me pause.

 

Then, I let myself be swayed by all the lost opportunities of the past few years and pulled the trigger on a booking 27 months in the future with a line I haven't yet sailed.

 

For me, this decision was made from a place of deciding the joy of anticipation exceeds any distress from losing a $3k deposit if the economy kills another cruise line. Not everyone will see the same calculus on that risk.

[NattilyAttired]

3 hours ago, michigankate said:

We would love to go back to cruising, but needing a COVID test before returning to the U.S. has stopped us from cruising.

MichiganKate: The requirement to test negative before returning to the U.S. is not a cruise-specific requirement. If you fly to any foreign country and spend time there, you will be required to take a Covid test before boarding your flight home, at least for now. Maybe you already know that, and if so I apologize. I just want to make sure that cruising doesn't take all the blame for this controversial U.S. requirement. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, michigankate said:

We would love to go back to cruising, but needing a COVID test before returning to the U.S. has stopped us from cruising.

What’s the big deal? If you pick the right cruise line, it’s provided at no extra charge. And, if you’re staying in the disembarkation port for a few days, just ask the hotel concierge to point you in the right directions or do it at any major airport serving cruise start/stop ports.

[susiesan]

6 hours ago, ToxM said:

Everyone books on board pretty much I think. or at least gets the certificate. I am rather picky about cabin choice so book early. I doubt O is worried about a slow trickle of sales after the initial grab, as someone mentioned its a full year instead of a 6 month release. 

 

I prefer to have travel sorted out a while in advance as it helps me budget as well. 

I have never booked onboard.

[susiesan]

40 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

What’s the big deal? If you pick the right cruise line, it’s provided at no extra charge. And, if you’re staying in the disembarkation port for a few days, just ask the hotel concierge to point you in the right directions or do it at any major airport serving cruise start/stop ports.

You don't get it. It's not the testing that is the problem. It's the possibility of testing positive before flying home and having to stay in Europe or overseas for an additional 10 days at your own expense. This test to return only applies to flying to the US. No other country requires their citizens to get a test to return home.

 

Just this week NCL announced that even if you booked their air and are flying home right after your cruise they will no longer provide the test to return. People are on their own to get one and pay for it themselves at the departure airport. How long before oceania adopts this same policy?

[Flatbush Flyer]

11 minutes ago, susiesan said:

You don't get it. It's not the testing that is the problem. It's the possibility of testing positive before flying home and having to stay in Europe or overseas for an additional 10 days at your own expense. This test to return only applies to flying to the US. No other country requires their citizens to get a test to return home.

 

Just this week NCL announced that even if you booked their air and are flying home right after your cruise they will no longer provide the test to return. People are on their own to get one and pay for it themselves at the departure airport. How long before oceania adopts this same policy?

Another reason to pick your cruise lines carefully.

Some still do disembarkation testing at no extra charge and cover the quarantine costs if you are positive.

 

Still a “head shaker” that some folks care more about their $$ than protecting the public health and want to end testing requirements. Unbelievable!

[osandomir]

17 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Another reason to pick your cruise lines carefully.

Some still do disembarkation testing at no extra charge and cover the quarantine costs if you are positive.

 

Still a “head shaker” that some folks care more about their $$ than protecting the public health and want to end testing requirements. Unbelievable!

Not unbelievable to me. It’s not about $$, but about the possibility to be trapped overseas after your vacation even if you’re false positive. The COVID now is much more like a flew with mostly mild symptoms. Don’t want to believe it, but you can catch a flew on your flight too. It’s better to stay home if you want to be 100% protected. 

[jonthomas]

The being "trapped" is a real possibility as we have read many accounts of that happening much too often. Perhaps that is the main reason for holding off cruise bookings. 

[FetaCheese]

5 hours ago, willoL said:

I hemmed and hawed for a couple of weeks about booking as far out as 2024 because I was a Crystal fan and their bankruptcy gave me pause.

 

Then, I let myself be swayed by all the lost opportunities of the past few years and pulled the trigger on a booking 27 months in the future with a line I haven't yet sailed.

 

For me, this decision was made from a place of deciding the joy of anticipation exceeds any distress from losing a $3k deposit if the economy kills another cruise line. Not everyone will see the same calculus on that risk.

The cruise/travel ins I buy, covers travel supplier bankruptcy.  Read the policy, prior to purchasing.

[PhD-iva]

I’m hearing noises about a lawsuit that would stop the US government from requiring mandatory testing to fly into the US. Hope the lawsuit prevails, so perhaps testing to return to the US will disappear soon.
Also, some EU countries have stopped requiring quarantine if you test positive. Those countries have “moved on.”

So, spend some extra time in your disembarkation city until you retest negative and can fly home. At least some of the costs will be covered by your travel insurance.

[vlthom]

I support efforts to protect public health and do my part, accordingly; however, the head scratcher here is why there's a need for the mandatory testing for re-entry to the U.S. when FLYING home.  The tests are not required when re-entering the U.S. via car, ship or what-have-you, as if COVID can only hitch a ride on an airplane.  We all know that's not the case.  So, the policy doesn't seem well thought out.

[pinotlover]

Honesty, I am now completely booked up for the next two years. Since Oceania changed its release program and made itineraries available two years out, instead of 18 months the game changed.

 

Traditionally I would buy that FCC, as it was a good deal. However, timing is everything and with the requirement to book within a year and sail within two, the timing might not always be right to buy.

 

Unlike some posters here that claim to “ always “ do certain things, I don’t always do anything except review what’s practical at the time.

[JeffElizabeth]

On 6/7/2022 at 4:49 PM, jonthomas said:

I found the pricing for the new releases to be quite good. It was actually a surprise since I expected it to be much higher to make up for lost revenue. So that cant be the reason. 

 

I know many are eager to get out there and live again, but are they actually doing it? Not sure about that.

We just had a nice cruise on Oceania in March and April and normally be looking at booking another cruise but we both got tired of the hoops nations were putting us through with vaccinations and masks, and filling out documents.  Plus airline service has been declining with our flights being late. We will book again when things get back to normal.  

[jonthomas]

To add to all the rules for covid, there are also now issues for getting staff. Seems there are difficulties with Visas. 

 

We are also all booked for the next two years with 3 cruises each year. Hoping to get to the magic number 10. O has a very good loyalty program. 

 

Wish we had not wasted all those years going on Celebrity, reaching almost the highest level with never being able to reach the top. 

[jonthomas]

2 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said:

We just had a nice cruise on Oceania in March and April and normally be looking at booking another cruise but we both got tired of the hoops nations were putting us through with vaccinations and masks, and filling out documents.  Plus airline service has been declining with our flights being late. We will book again when things get back to normal.  

 

Yes that is understood and I think are the major reasons why booking cruises has hit a slump.