Tips for grabbing favorite cabin on a small ship

[Letudo]

Hi All

 

Are there tips and tricks for booking preferred rooms on Oceania before they disappear?

A bit of context: I have not cruised since 2006 and the last time was on a huge ship where it was very easy to get a great cabin in a nice location, even a few months prior to sailing.

I now have two cruises scheduled with Oceania - one in 2024 and another in 2025.  It was a miracle that between me and my TA, we managed to grab my favorite cabin type in my favorite area of the ship for both cruises.  I have found that it is very competitive when it comes to booking certain types of cabins in nice locations.  I assume this is because the Oceania ships are relatively small and so with fewer rooms, and maybe also due to the fact that everyone is travel crazy right now.

My short-term concern is that there is an Oceania cruise I would like to take in 2026.  The 2026 cruises are not yet released/advertised, and I am already concerned about "will I find out about the cruises that go to this country before my preferred types of cabin/location disappear?"  Are there any tips and tricks for knowing when a cruise is released and advertised?  Also, do past cruisers get notified first? For example, is there some kind of "Oceania Preferred Cruisers" group that gets first dibs on the best rooms? 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Leslie

 

 

[1985rz1]

5 minutes ago, Letudo said:

Hi All

 

Are there tips and tricks for booking preferred rooms on Oceania before they disappear?

A bit of context: I have not cruised since 2006 and the last time was on a huge ship where it was very easy to get a great cabin in a nice location, even a few months prior to sailing.

I now have two cruises scheduled with Oceania - one in 2024 and another in 2025.  It was a miracle that between me and my TA, we managed to grab my favorite cabin type in my favorite area of the ship for both cruises.  I have found that it is very competitive when it comes to booking certain types of cabins in nice locations.  I assume this is because the Oceania ships are relatively small and so with fewer rooms, and maybe also due to the fact that everyone is travel crazy right now.

My short-term concern is that there is an Oceania cruise I would like to take in 2026.  The 2026 cruises are not yet released/advertised, and I am already concerned about "will I find out about the cruises that go to this country before my preferred types of cabin/location disappear?"  Are there any tips and tricks for knowing when a cruise is released and advertised?  Also, do past cruisers get notified first? For example, is there some kind of "Oceania Preferred Cruisers" group that gets first dibs on the best rooms? 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Leslie

 

 

Usually the itineraries are released before bookings are open.  Your TA should know when.  Once they are published, have your TA ready to book as soon as the bookings open.  Of course, you have to have a savvy TA who works with O.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Letudo said:

Hi All

 

Are there tips and tricks for booking preferred rooms on Oceania before they disappear?

A bit of context: I have not cruised since 2006 and the last time was on a huge ship where it was very easy to get a great cabin in a nice location, even a few months prior to sailing.

I now have two cruises scheduled with Oceania - one in 2024 and another in 2025.  It was a miracle that between me and my TA, we managed to grab my favorite cabin type in my favorite area of the ship for both cruises.  I have found that it is very competitive when it comes to booking certain types of cabins in nice locations.  I assume this is because the Oceania ships are relatively small and so with fewer rooms, and maybe also due to the fact that everyone is travel crazy right now.

My short-term concern is that there is an Oceania cruise I would like to take in 2026.  The 2026 cruises are not yet released/advertised, and I am already concerned about "will I find out about the cruises that go to this country before my preferred types of cabin/location disappear?"  Are there any tips and tricks for knowing when a cruise is released and advertised?  Also, do past cruisers get notified first? For example, is there some kind of "Oceania Preferred Cruisers" group that gets first dibs on the best rooms? 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Leslie

 

 

Your best chance to get first shot at a popular cabin is to be onboard an Oceania ship when new bookings open. The O Club Ambassador can have all your info and deposit in place plus have your preferred cabin ready to grab the moment bookings open on her direct connection to the O servers in Miami. You can then transfer it to your TA of choice within 30 days. There’s also the bonus of a BoB in that you get a BoB discount, extra SBC and a “price drop match” guarantee.

 

 

[1985rz1]

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Your best chance to get first shot at a popular cabin is to be onboard an Oceania ship when new bookings open. The O Club Ambassador can have all your info and deposit in place plus have your preferred cabin ready to grab the moment bookings open on her direct connection to the O servers in Miami. You can then transfer it to your TA of choice within 30 days. There’s also the bonus of a BoB in that you get a BoB discount, extra SBC and a “price drop match” guarantee.

 

 

Have you had to transfer BOB to your TA post booking?  When we' done BoB the Ambassador transfers it in real time at the time of booking, automatically, unless we say otherwise.  He/she knows our agent from the booking of the current cruise.

Edited September 16, 2023 by 1985rz1

[LHT28]

1 minute ago, 1985rz1 said:

Have you had to transfer BOB to your TA post booking.  When we' done BoB the Ambassador transfers it in real time at the time of booking, automatically, unless we say otherwise.?

I think some shop TA's

 

Ours went to our TA on the current booking

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Letudo said:

 Are there any tips and tricks for knowing when a cruise is released and advertised?  Also, do past cruisers get notified first? For example, is there some kind of "Oceania Preferred Cruisers" group that gets first dibs on the best rooms? 

Thanks in advance,

Leslie

Have you signed up for the special offers & emails ?

 The itineraries usually come out  a week prior  to booking date  so  as soon as you decide  what cruise you want  get your TA to put you on their list   give  a 2nd & 3rd choice of cabins you will take

JMO

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Have you had to transfer BOB to your TA post booking?  When we' done BoB the Ambassador transfers it in real time at the time of booking, automatically, unless we say otherwise.  He/she knows our agent from the booking of the current cruise.

BoBs are auto-assigned to the TA you used for the current cruise unless you choose to self-assign it. 
Although I will most likely transfer it to the same agent, there are situations (e.g., COVID’s negative impact on TA continuity) where I might want to use a different agency or agent. Self-assignment allows me that 30 day buffer to deal with any possible issues. 

[RD64]

Book early - problem solved.

[davencl]

If you haven't booked early and you are more interested in a cabin class rather than an exact cabin I've had success changing my booking just before final payment. Many people cancel, however it will be interesting if the new deposit requirements affect this.  I've gotten an Oceania Suite and PH suites this way.  Originally booked A or B as all suites were waitlisted.

[Flatbush Flyer]

58 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Book early - problem solved.

Let me guess- you’ve never wanted one of the four corner extended balconies on Marina and Riviera. Booked within minutes of new bookings opened.

Edited September 17, 2023 by Flatbush Flyer

[Jayne E]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Your best chance to get first shot at a popular cabin is to be onboard an Oceania ship when new bookings open. The O Club Ambassador can have all your info and deposit in place plus have your preferred cabin ready to grab the moment bookings open on her direct connection to the O servers in Miami. You can then transfer it to your TA of choice within 30 days. There’s also the bonus of a BoB in that you get a BoB discount, extra SBC and a “price drop match” guarantee.

Plus deposit reduced 50% and waiver of $150 pp deposit penalty if you cancel up to 180 days prior to cruise. A nice extra when booking 2 years in advance. 

Edited September 17, 2023 by Jayne E
Typo

[nparmelee]

Book early, I was happily surprised to be able to get our favorite, 7116 on Nautica, for this October. We booked in late December/early January.

[pinotlover]

Oceania has a few very popular itineraries they only run once per year. They can book up almost immediately with just pre bookings. If it is a long cruise and you particularly want a particular cabin for one of those cruises, book a Grand Voyage ( B2B ) with the added cruise before. The algorithms fills all the prebooked GVs before the single segments. I know people wanting the top suites that use this technique regularly to get the cabin they want.

 

Combinations, Permutations, and Probabilities. Use the math to increase your odds.

[shepherd really]

10 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Oceania has a few very popular itineraries they only run once per year. They can book up almost immediately with just pre bookings. If it is a long cruise and you particularly want a particular cabin for one of those cruises, book a Grand Voyage ( B2B ) with the added cruise before. The algorithms fills all the prebooked GVs before the single segments. I know people wanting the top suites that use this technique regularly to get the cabin they want.

 

Combinations, Permutations, and Probabilities. Use the math to increase your odds.

ok. As long as there isn't a test.  

[NewSalty]

Another factor which may be in flux (to your favor) is that Oceania is about to change their cancellation policy, discouraging much of the "over-booking" activity that happens when itineraries first come out.  (There's a whole thread on this somehwere in this forum)