Simply more's impact on current bookings?

[Jayne E]

7 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

As I noted before not sure if this is just another example of one area of Oceania not being able to communicate with another, but whereas above is what is indicated on their website I just booked a cruise on Monday and BOTH the Invoice and the Ticket Contract (the legal contract) indicate the cancellation penalty for my cruise of under 15 days for the 180-91 days to be only the $250 Application fee. 🤷🏻‍♂️

That really is strange…..however your contract would override the website. I’ll have to look more carefully at our upcoming Ticket Contracts. Thanks for info!!

[Heartfelttraveler]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

 

How many people did you have on average on O excursions? And where was the cruise?

 

The regular excursions had about 30-35.

We like to book the OE that have 16 or fewer.

We take advantage of the three each included (O Life choice benefit) and then the 25% discount for booking more than five excursions.

[ak1004]

1 minute ago, Heartfelttraveler said:

 

The regular excursions had about 30-35.

We like to book the OE that have 16 or fewer.

We take advantage of the three each included (O Life choice benefit) and then the 25% discount for booking more than five excursions.

 

Thank you. On our last cruise from Barcelona to London, they consistently had 40 people on all excursions that we took, and this was the main issue for me. 30 is still reasonable, 40 is way too many. 

[Jayne E]

12 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

 

I believe this can happen with any line.

 

We sailed with SS last year, and less than 2 months prior to the sailing, they cancelled 3 days in Qatar. This was devastating to many guests who wanted to attend the World Cup. They did not provide an option to cancel.

 

 

Got this on October 19 for Dec.8 sailing.

Staying in the UAE is quite different than going from 4 Croatia ports to 3 Turkey ports + sea day. Sorry, not a good comparison. Furthermore, you received an explanation, I just received a different cruise itinerary.  Oh…was offered $250 SBC for “inconvenience”. 

[EJL2023]

On our recent cruise, most of our non OE excursions were in the 25-30 range.  May have been one a bit more but definitely not 40….I seem to recall the tour guide counting to 27 a lot of them. 😉

[ak1004]

9 minutes ago, Jayne E said:

Staying in the UAE is quite different than going from 4 Croatia ports to 3 Turkey ports + sea day. Sorry, not a good comparison. Furthermore, you received an explanation, I just received a different cruise itinerary.  Oh…was offered $250 SBC for “inconvenience”. 

 

Yea.. the only problem with the explanation we got was that Qatar banned cruise ships for the World Cup back in April, and SS waited till October (after final payment) to make the itinerary change.

[ak1004]

10 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

On our recent cruise, most of our non OE excursions were in the 25-30 range.  May have been one a bit more but definitely not 40….I seem to recall the tour guide counting to 27 a lot of them. 😉

 

I remember that this was the case on our previous O sailings, so I was really surprised to see 40 people on every single excursion we booked. Maybe this was an anomaly, not sure.

[Woofa]

I think that once we confirm how the new program will work we will likely see an increase in passengers using O shorex.  While it is not clear, I would think all will see an increase in number of passengers.

[susiesan]

54 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

As I noted before not sure if this is just another example of one area of Oceania not being able to communicate with another, but whereas above is what is indicated on their website I just booked a cruise on Monday and BOTH the Invoice and the Ticket Contract (the legal contract) indicate the cancellation penalty for my cruise of under 15 days for the 180-91 days to be only the $250 Application fee. 🤷🏻‍♂️

When did O change the cancellation window for shorter cruises to 6 months to avoid the $250 admin fee? It was 120 days. Since I only take 14 day or shorter cruises with O, if this is the case to have to cancel at 6 months to avoid any fees, my upcoming Sirena cruise Sept. 2 will be my last with O.

[Woofa]

14 hours ago, Jayne E said:

We have only sailed O since 2007. 20 cruises and 5 pending.  
I understand changes happen…..however if O’s excursions weren’t so utterly terrible, being forced to take some of them wouldn’t be such a disappointment come July 1.

Those on this thread who have never cruised O and comment that they look forward to everything being included haven’t gone on O’s overpriced and underpromised excursions.  Nor have they used O air and been assigned 3 stops to Europe. 
There’s a strong reason why many of us love O, but always book Cruise Only.

 

Question.  

We have only taken one cruise and did not take any excursions.  I assumed that for the most part, excursions were similar across all lines (with some differences.). Was your issue more with the O pricing and the "included" level excursions or did you feel that overall, all excursions were bad?

[ak1004]

SS cancellation policy:

 

• From the date of deposit to 151 days prior to the initial sailing date: USD 250 / CAD 300 per person; this admin fee this admin fee will be automatically converted to a future cruise credit (FCC) 
• 150 – 121 days prior to the initial sailing date: 15% of the total cruise fare per person;

 

Not sure if it's better.. 

[EJL2023]

57 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

On our recent cruise, most of our non OE excursions were in the 25-30 range.  May have been one a bit more but definitely not 40….I seem to recall the tour guide counting to 27 a lot of them. 😉

 

17 minutes ago, susiesan said:

When did O change the cancellation window for shorter cruises to 6 months to avoid the $250 admin fee? It was 120 days. Since I only take 14 day or shorter cruises with O, if this is the case to have to cancel at 6 months to avoid any fees, my upcoming Sirena cruise Sept. 2 will be my last with O.

Honestly, I’m not sure and really not sure if Oceania knows!! I just looked at a cruise I booked last September and have since taken for 12 days and the Invoice said 180 days and Ticket Contract says 120 days! The same with a cruise I booked in February!! Now on most recent one booked this week, they both match at 180.  

[EJL2023]

Perhaps they knew they were changing so put the more aggressive date on the Invoice and left contract at the 120 until the official change since they know most people don’t read the contract?!? 🤷🏻‍♂️. I guess the moral of the story is with these changing times, read the Ticket Contract folks!

[grifdoglover]

They usually give you the guest statement showing details with cancellation dates and you need to search their website to find the ticket contract if you want to review it before final docs arrive.  Advise everyone to read the ticket contract.

[grifdoglover]

@EJL2023You have to pay the $250. Then the 180 day marks the 10% penalty phase.

[EJL2023]

1 minute ago, grifdoglover said:

@EJL2023You have to pay the $250. Then the 180 day marks the 10% penalty phase.

Yes, according to their website. I’m saying that my Ticket Contract says nothing about the 10%, just the $250. 

[grifdoglover]

Depends on cabin category and length of cruise.

[Rainbow3fe]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I believe this can happen with any line.

 

We sailed with SS last year, and less than 2 months prior to the sailing, they cancelled 3 days in Qatar. This was devastating to many guests who wanted to attend the World Cup. They did not provide an option to cancel.

 

 

Got this on October 19 for Dec.8 sailing.

Oceania was not involved. You are confusing us.  This was a specific port on a different cruise line and has nothing to do with Oceania. 

[FetaCheese]

20 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Yes, according to their website. I’m saying that my Ticket Contract says nothing about the 10%, just the $250. 

Recently booked O, my official O invoice does not have a 10% CXL penalty:  Just $250 180-91 days, then 25% 90-76 days.

 

Exact same terms as on O Ticket Contract.

Edited June 23, 2023 by FetaCheese
addl info

[Rainbow3fe]

3 hours ago, QuestionEverything said:

I am awaiting my first and last O cruise this August.

We are not interested in paying for alcohol which we do not use, shore excursions that we rarely use, OBC for stuff or services we never purchase on a ship. 

We do cruise only and customize which is a major reason we moved from Celebrity to Oceania like many others.

So if the intelligence presented thus far here on CC is true, we will not patronize O again.

It appears to me to be a money grab (positive for O) and a money saving as they degrade food and service levels (positive for O). I do not see any upside for me, the Customer.

 

You are projecting without having had the experience. If it's your first, how do you know you're going to be disappointed? Why not travel with an open mind and enjoy the trip?

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Woofa said:

I think that once we confirm how the new program will work we will likely see an increase in passengers using O shorex.  While it is not clear, I would think all will see an increase in number of passengers.

Maybe 

You are probably going to end up paying  the $$  amount  for the excursions  anyway  so people  will book shorex

 

example If you  get the $1000  credit per cabin  you will probably get at least  2=3  shorex PP   so much like the O life  now  except you can book  OE or FT  etc  with the credit 

Of course this is just my interpretation 

8 more days to go 😉

 

[EJL2023]

33 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Recently booked O, my official O invoice does not have a 10% CXL penalty:  Just $250 180-91 days, then 25% 90-76 days.

 

Exact same terms as on O Ticket Contract.

Yes, ours appear to be the same. No mention of 10% on either invoice or Ticket Contract.  My cruise is for A2 category. 

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Rainbow3fe said:

Oceania was not involved. You are confusing us.  This was a specific port on a different cruise line and has nothing to do with Oceania. 

 

My point was to show that itinerary changes are not unique to O, they can happen on any line.

[See_More]

2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

My point was to show that itinerary changes are not unique to O, they can happen on any line.

Read the thread O changes cancellation policies.  A poster said that cruises over $25,000 incur the 10% policy.  So the statement 10% - 250 admin fee, is an either rule. No very clear on there website.

When has O ever sent us all there changes amongst all there constant flyers?

[pinotlover]

13 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Maybe 

You are probably going to end up paying  the $$  amount  for the excursions  anyway  so people  will book shorex

 

example If you  get the $1000  credit per cabin  you will probably get at least  2=3  shorex PP   so much like the O life  now  except you can book  OE or FT  etc  with the credit 

Of course this is just my interpretation 

8 more days to go 😉

 

I specifically asked our OCA this question yesterday. “ Under the new program, can we use the tour credits to book any tour? “

Response: “ You’ll have to wait until 7/1 to find out. We can’t answer that right now.”

 

So any claims or assumptions on how those credits can be used is pure speculation at this point. 
 

This issue matters a lot as to whether we book future cruises under the new program. We completely emancipation ourselves from Oceania shore tours on this cruise, and it is wonderful!