Bookings for Allura?

[no1talks]

Has anyone been able to make an Allura reservation from Oceania's website today?

 

On the website, they claim Allura is open for bookings. However, when I select the desired (and available) room category, the same screen reappears instead of the first screen of the booking process.

Edited September 13, 2023 by no1talks

[LHT28]

Just did  dummy booking  got to the  guest names/payment info 

No problem was for Oct 2025 cruise

[jennybenny]

I did through my TA but still don’t see it on my account. She could not do it through the portal, she had to call. I did receive an automated email from Oceania that it’s been booked but no details about cabin, etc., 

[LHT28]

5 minutes ago, jennybenny said:

I did through my TA but still don’t see it on my account. She could not do it through the portal, she had to call. I did receive an automated email from Oceania that it’s been booked but no details about cabin, etc., 

Give them a day or 2  

Some agents will put  a hold on the cruise then you have  a week to make the deposit   but will not show in your account until Deposit is made

 

[mauibabes]

TA got ours, received the Option email good for a week to make our decision, no Deposit yet so No $150 Administration Fee, yet either. I heard they had about 70 agents on line to help us get bookings in place. It did not seem to be the feeding frenzy of Vista fame. Of course the pent up Covid demand drove that day wild. 
Mauibabes

[pinotlover]

3 hours ago, mauibabes said:

TA got ours, received the Option email good for a week to make our decision, no Deposit yet so No $150 Administration Fee, yet either. I heard they had about 70 agents on line to help us get bookings in place. It did not seem to be the feeding frenzy of Vista fame. Of course the pent up Covid demand drove that day wild. 
Mauibabes

Vista was a new class of ship. Allura is the sister ship of one already sailing. The same level of exuberance shouldn’t be expected.

jennybenny; you have to make the deposit for your cruise to show on the system. Your TA should soon be sending you an email of the contract with all the information.

 

[no1talks]

40 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

"The same level of exuberance shouldn’t be expected."

 

I do hope so. Because of the aforementioned Vista rush, I had some timing concerns.

For example, the new TA we are hoping to use for the reservation transfer has not gotten back to us on the question of whether we have to put off a transfer until our desired cruise appears within his agency's two-year calendar limit. 

[MarkWiltonM]

We booked yesterday through our TA. He confirmed the stateroom number and other particulars but said it would take a day for his agency to get the itineraries entered into their system since it's a new ship. He promised the official confirmation within a day. We had also asked about a current promotion for past guests providing a 10 percent discount, but Oceania told him that they weren't offering that on Allura sailings. Nevertheless, we were surprised that the fare for a 2025 Caribbean cruise in a B3 veranda on Allura was less per day than was being charged for similar 2024 Vista bookings before Simply More. For example, we had priced a B3 on Vista for 2024 at $715 per night for two prior to Simply More (not sure what the current rates are), and we got a B3 on Allura for 2025 at $675 per night for two including the $800 shore excursion credit and alcohol (which we don't drink). We were actually planning on waiting to see Crystal's 2025 itineraries which are due out this week or next, but this was a good deal and we got the exact stateroom we wanted so we went for it. Oceania won our business primarily because they got their 2025 itineraries out before Crystal. (Based on Crystal's 2024 fares, I expect a veranda on Crystal in 2025 in the Caribbean to be at least $890 per night for two.) 

[Cruise Junky]

13 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

We booked yesterday through our TA. He confirmed the stateroom number and other particulars but said it would take a day for his agency to get the itineraries entered into their system since it's a new ship. He promised the official confirmation within a day. We had also asked about a current promotion for past guests providing a 10 percent discount, but Oceania told him that they weren't offering that on Allura sailings. Nevertheless, we were surprised that the fare for a 2025 Caribbean cruise in a B3 veranda on Allura was less per day than was being charged for similar 2024 Vista bookings before Simply More. For example, we had priced a B3 on Vista for 2024 at $715 per night for two prior to Simply More (not sure what the current rates are), and we got a B3 on Allura for 2025 at $675 per night for two including the $800 shore excursion credit and alcohol (which we don't drink). We were actually planning on waiting to see Crystal's 2025 itineraries which are due out this week or next, but this was a good deal and we got the exact stateroom we wanted so we went for it. Oceania won our business primarily because they got their 2025 itineraries out before Crystal. (Based on Crystal's 2024 fares, I expect a veranda on Crystal in 2025 in the Caribbean to be at least $890 per night for two.) 

Crystal’s 2025 cruises were on their site yesterday.  

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 For example, we had priced a B3 on Vista for 2024 at $715 per night for two prior to Simply More (not sure what the current rates are), and we got a B3 on Allura for 2025 at $675 per night for two including the $800 shore excursion credit and alcohol (which we don't drink)

Are  they  the exact same ports ?

 Usually the 10% discount  is  on select sailings  is your cruise  listed under the  savings

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/special-offers/oceania-club-savings

[MarkWiltonM]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Are  they  the exact same ports ?

 Usually the 10% discount  is  on select sailings  is your cruise  listed under the  savings

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/special-offers/oceania-club-savings

 

They weren't the exact same ports. The 2024 Vista cruise is strictly eastern Caribbean. The 2025 Allura sailing is to the ABC islands (our favorites) and also to St. Barts (another favorite), St. Lucia (nice), Tortola (never been), and Grenada (won't get off the ship). For us, the less expensive Allura cruise, which goes to our favorite ports, was a no-brainer, but we are also on a December 2023 cruise on Vista, booked pre-Simply More, that was quite reasonable. 

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

 

They weren't the exact same ports. The 2024 Vista cruise is strictly eastern Caribbean. The 2025 Allura sailing is to the ABC islands (our favorites) and also to St. Barts (another favorite), St. Lucia (nice), Tortola (never been), and Grenada (won't get off the ship). For us, the less expensive Allura cruise, which goes to our favorite ports, was a no-brainer, but we are also on a December 2023 cruise on Vista, booked pre-Simply More, that was quite reasonable. 

The price difference could be port fees 

[pinotlover]

31 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

The price difference could be port fees 

Actual dates of cruise matters a lot also. You can stay and ski in Vail in April or January for a lot less than in February .