What's the downside to Simply More?

[Vallesan]

3 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

First, O released 2024 itineraries in early 2022. So, LOTS of people like myself TODAY are actively comparing pre-SM and SM prices to our FUTURE booked cruises. O has had at least 3 major sales alone with SM! I pay close attention to each new sale. Sale after sale. And compare what the cold hard cash cost of each is to us.

 

Second, SM raised prices by about $800 or more, depending upon length of cruise and cabin. You are NOT getting $800 or more in cold hard cash value.

 

So, WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE TO SM for 2024 cruises that have been available for booking since early 2022? You are paying more and getting less. Simple as that.

Have the prices of your booked cruises gone up? If not then you have no problem. Just don’t book new cruises with Oceania. Find a new line with better value and you’ll be happy.

[MEFIowa]

10 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Have the prices of your booked cruises gone up? If not then you have no problem. Just don’t book new cruises with Oceania. Find a new line with better value and you’ll be happy.

The prices of the booked cruise WENT UP HUGELY under SM. That's the basic issue. I can readily compare my pre-SM booked cruise to the ongoing price of the same future cruise (which won't happen until the end of summer). And I DO compare the price for EACH NEW O SALE. So, far I've tracked the price across the original Summer Sale to the later Black Friday and to today's New Year's Sales. All SM.

 

What is weird but telling is that I'M GIVING ACTUAL REAL PRICES, from 2022, 2023 and 2024 for the same cruises in 2024! Pre- and post-SM. Everyone else? Crickets on real prices. Vague statements.

[Vallesan]

7 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

The prices of the booked cruise WENT UP HUGELY under SM. That's the basic issue. I can readily compare my pre-SM booked cruise to the ongoing price of the same future cruise (which won't happen until the end of summer). And I DO compare the price for EACH NEW O SALE. So, far I've tracked the price across the original Summer Sale to the later Black Friday and to today's New Year's Sales. All SM.

 

What is weird but telling is that I'M GIVING ACTUAL REAL PRICES, from 2022, 2023 and 2024 for the same cruises in 2024! Pre- and post-SM. Everyone else? Crickets on real prices. Vague statements.

Have you had to pay  more for your booked cruises since the introduction of SimplyMore? Has SimplyMore actually cost you more in ‘cold, hard dollars’?

Simple answer ….. yes or no!

[ORV]

It’s very hard to listen to any money and cruise advice from someone who doesn’t understand or even begin to listen about the value of using a good TA. And that’s all I’m saying about.

Edited January 25 by ORV

[MEFIowa]

47 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Have you had to pay  more for your booked cruises since the introduction of SimplyMore? Has SimplyMore actually cost you more in ‘cold, hard dollars’?

Simple answer ….. yes or no!

Yes, IF I were to rebook the future 2024 cruise I booked in 2022 SM would cost me the extra amount as I've documented. A truly significant amount of increase. I even gave you the prices from the years and sales. SM did not reduce cabin rates by a penny. Sales may. But SM raised prices pretty much across the board. AND I can compare the SM price increases to the prices I paid in 2021 for 2021 and 2022 cruises. Again, significant increases in price.

[MEFIowa]

46 minutes ago, ORV said:

It’s very hard to listen to any money and cruise advice from someone who doesn’t understand or even begin to listen about the value of using a good TA. And that’s all I’m saying about.

"Southern Gary" and I met on Riviera in 11/2023. He uses his TA. And yet we both booked the same cruise off the Extraordinary Savings Sale. His TA didn't directly get him that price. That was an O sale. And I met people on the cruise who used a TA and paid a lot more than I did, as I watched SALES and used the ESS from earlier in 2023 to get 10 nights in a B3 for just $1749 and 10 nights in an A3 for just $1899. When I told some how LITTLE I paid, they almost teared up. IIRC, one said something like, "I wish I'd paid that little for this cruise!" Southern Gary's booze bill alone was a significant % of the cost of my cruise. And I didn't lack for beer, hard liquor or wine on the cruise or in the suitcase flying home, as I bring my own on board at embarkation and in ports. I didn't need a TA to book a cruise only ESS cabin where we did our own airfare and excursions, again saving a ton.

[Vallesan]

1 minute ago, MEFIowa said:

Yes, IF I were to rebook the future 2024 cruise I booked in 2022 SM would cost me the extra amount as I've documented. A truly significant amount of increase. I even gave you the prices from the years and sales. SM did not reduce cabin rates by a penny. Sales may. But SM raised prices pretty much across the board. AND I can compare the SM price increases to the prices I paid in 2021 for 2021 and 2022 cruises. Again, significant increases in price.

BUT, you haven’t  actually paid MORE? You didn’t answer apart from saying ‘would have cost more’ , but it hasn’t so I’m assuming it  ‘didn’t’.

 

Again I say to you,   if Oceania isn’t for you anymore fine. Find another line that will give you better value. Oceania isn’t going to revert to OLife just to suit you!

[Tranquility Base]

5 hours ago, Psoque said:

For new bookings, we will not have that choice, and for that matter, we can't really quantify the actual "savings" from the program because we will never get a quote without the program.  That's my point. 

Welcome to the club.

 

You seem to be unaware that when 'O Life' was in force that it was mandatory for those people booking from some countries.

IE: There was no 'cruise only' option for them.

Did you read of many complaints from those Oceania  cruisers ?

[Tranquility Base]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

 

Second, SM raised prices by about $800 or more, depending upon length of cruise and cabin. You are NOT getting $800 or more in cold hard cash value.

 

I am.

I would be buying wines by the glass when dining anyway.

I would be doing 2 or 3  shore excursions anyway.

So that is 'cold hard cash' which I will not be paying at the end of the cruise via my account.

 

I suspect there will be many others who see the value, whether they be first time Oceania cruisers, or experienced cruisers more used to the all inclusive aspect of luxury lines.   

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

 

So, WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE TO SM for 2024 cruises that have been available for booking since early 2022? You are paying more and getting less. Simple as that.

Personally I am not getting less.....see answer above.

[sailfar]

Vacations are about choices and freedom!  O life was a wonderful selling point. And the motto "your world, your way."  Someone should be held accountable for this deletion/change. Over the years we have spent hundreds of days and thousands of dollars on Oceania going to wine tastings, and excursions to vineyards around the world. We enjoy trying new wines,craft beers, and new cocktails.  None of this is included in Simply More! Why should we pay for free, inferior wines we do not like or excursions that we do not want or will possibly be cancelled because of sea conditions. We have about 100 more days booked under O life, and won't change back,  Our onboard credit can be used for what we want!  We haven't booked a new cruise since SM was shoved down our throats.  We still love Oceania and also our second choice Regent.  However, you need to seriously adjust your forward thinking.  We would like to gain some money on NCLH shares and this is not going to do it from everything we are hearing from colleagues onboard!

[ak1004]

3 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

 

Second, SM raised prices by about $800 or more, depending upon length of cruise and cabin. You are NOT getting $800 or more in cold hard cash value.

 

So, WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE TO SM for 2024 cruises that have been available for booking since early 2022? You are paying more and getting less. Simple as that.

 

3 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

The prices of the booked cruise WENT UP HUGELY under SM. That's the basic issue. I can readily compare my pre-SM booked cruise to the ongoing price of the same future cruise (which won't happen until the end of summer). And I DO compare the price for EACH NEW O SALE. So, far I've tracked the price across the original Summer Sale to the later Black Friday and to today's New Year's Sales. All SM.

 

What is weird but telling is that I'M GIVING ACTUAL REAL PRICES, from 2022, 2023 and 2024 for the same cruises in 2024! Pre- and post-SM. Everyone else? Crickets on real prices. Vague statements.

 

I don't know which ships, regions and categories you are tracking, but here is an example of we track.

 

Before SM was introduced, I recorded prices for few Vista Med cruises for 2024. Average price for FV (B5) was 5,000 CAD for 10 day cruise, or $500 CAD per day.($370 USD). When SM came into effect, same sailings increased to $5,500-$5,600 CAD ($550-560 CAD per day), so about $400 USD, which is exactly the excursions credit. So you got the drinks for free, plus one extra internet for free.

 

When 2025 sailings went for sale in October, we booked 2 sailings on the Vista:

• June 3-15 2025 London to London at $5,890 CAD for 12 nights or $490 CAD per day
• Oct.29-Nov.9 2025 Rome to Istanbul $4,892 CAD for 11 nights or $444 CAD per day

 

Those prices included 5% early bird discount. The prices now are a bit higher, but still average Vista sailing is around $540-550 CAD per day.

 

So the prices for 2025 stayed essentially the same compared to 2024 (both with SM), but you could book for 5-10% less in the first few months. This compared to most other lines that increased the prices by at least 10-15% (look at SS, Crystal and others).

 

Those are the facts. Numbers don't lie. 

Edited January 25 by ak1004

[shepherd really]

I really wish I did not have to pay for dairy products.  Due to my lactose intolerance, I don't use them and resent having to subsidize other people's milk drinking habits, and don't even start with the Humphrey Dumpfrey frozen ice cream poison I am forced to pay for.  It's robbing me.

 

I may quit O forever because of this, or at least stamp my feet angrily.

[ORV]

5 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I would suggest that the price reduction you enjoyed had nothing to do with OLife versus SM, but that you were/are on a cruise that was sorely under subscribed. So much so that Oceania found it necessary to make significant price cuts. That it was on an earlier Ultimate Sale is an easy indicator of this. Not even the Ultimate Sale was enough and the big price cut then came. Not an appropriate OLife/SM comparison .

 

We have entered an era in cruising of old KMart “ Blue Light Specials “ and gaint Macys Sales. One’s cost of a cruise is dependent upon which sale they caught. People complaining about prices being opaque are missing the entire point. There are no clear comparison in prices except that Oceania will continue to adjust individual cruise prices until they satisfactorily fill the ship. That’s as clear as it gets. There’s nothing new out there today. Oceania is trying to fill cruises that have been available for booking for 15-16 months that hasn’t sold. Expect another huge sale before the next big cruise release.

 

The best indicator we will get will be in April when Oceania is scheduled to do a new set of cruise releases for late 25-26. A comparison between those prices and similar cruises from the last release ( back in 22 I think) will be an accurate indicator of where prices have gone. Then the sales will shortly resume.

Ok yes, it was a SS and a change to SM at the same time. But I did get in lieu of added along with the saving. I’m pretty sure Mikey didn’t get that on any of his. Gotta have a TA for that. 
 

Meanwhile I did change a cruise in Aug to SM from Olife and saved $500, and it wasn’t on the Summer Sale. 

[ak1004]

4 hours ago, sailfar said:

Over the years we have spent hundreds of days and thousands of dollars on Oceania going to wine tastings, and excursions to vineyards around the world. We enjoy trying new wines,craft beers, and new cocktails.  None of this is included in Simply More! Why should we pay for free, inferior wines we do not like or excursions that we do not want or will possibly be cancelled because of sea conditions. We haven't booked a new cruise since SM was shoved down our throats.  We still love Oceania and also our second choice Regent.  However, you need to seriously adjust your forward thinking.  We would like to gain some money on NCLH shares and this is not going to do it from everything we are hearing from colleagues onboard!

 

I thought that you can select any excursion with the excursions credit. Am I wrong?

 

So you won't book O that now includes alcohol at meals and some excursions credit, but will book Regent that includes alcohol anytime, ALL excursions and flights for thousands dollars more? And I guess Regent excursions cannot be cancelled because of sea conditions because you paid for all of them?

 

Makes perfect sense.

Edited January 25 by ak1004

[CJANDH]

If you buy the $30 a day premium drinks package do you get better wines at lunch and dinner plus unlimited drinks at the bars?

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, shepherd really said:

I really wish I did not have to pay for dairy products.  Due to my lactose intolerance, I don't use them and resent having to subsidize other people's milk drinking habits, and don't even start with the Humphrey Dumpfrey frozen ice cream poison I am forced to pay for.  It's robbing me.

 

I may quit O forever because of this, or at least stamp my feet angrily.

 

My wife doesn't eat seafood. Why should we subsidize the lobster other people eat?

 

I don't like Asian food. I think they should start charging for Reg Ginger so I don't have to subsidize people who eat there for free.

 

We also don't use two Wi-Fi accounts. I think they should revert to back to one account so we don't subsidize those who use all the bandwidth. 

 

We usually eat our lunches on shore, I'm really mad that I have to subsidize those who choose to have lunch on the ship.

 

We don't use the gym or the spa. My wife doesn't swim. They should start charging for gym so we don't subsidize those who use it.

 

I may go back to Celebrity where I have to pay for everything separately.

[AMHuntFerry]

8 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

My wife doesn't eat seafood. Why should we subsidize the lobster other people eat?

 

I don't like Asian food. I think they should start charging for Reg Ginger so I don't have to subsidize people who eat there for free.

 

We also don't use two Wi-Fi accounts. I think they should revert to back to one account so we don't subsidize those who use all the bandwidth. 

 

We usually eat our lunches on shore, I'm really mad that I have to subsidize those who choose to have lunch on the ship.

 

We don't use the gym or the spa. My wife doesn't swim. They should start charging for gym so we don't subsidize those who use it.

 

I may go back to Celebrity where I have to pay for everything separately.

And don't get me started on that waste of space for a pool and a bunch of loungers!

[AMHuntFerry]

8 hours ago, CJANDH said:

If you buy the $30 a day premium drinks package do you get better wines at lunch and dinner plus unlimited drinks at the bars?

Same wine and beer selection, but available outside lunch/dinner. The bar menus list the drinks included in the premium package (google the Preisman blog and go to a recent Vista cruise to see menus). There are special drink menus that are not included such as the one with the higher end whiskies, sake in Red Ginger, etc.

[Woodrowst]

11 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

And don't get me started on that waste of space for a pool and a bunch of loungers!

 

 

I wonder if I can get a discount for embarkation boarding with the luggage bins rather than having to pay for the gangway….

Edited January 26 by Woodrowst

[asnaleah]

I’m so confused. We booked our first O cruise with OLife. Then we booked a TA with Simply More. How will this be handled? Likely there will be people on our OLife cruise who booked later and have Simply More. Am I missing something, or will this create a confused crew?

[asnaleah]

Forgot to ask - are there better wines available if we buy a drink package?

[pinotlover]

13 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

Forgot to ask - are there better wines available if we buy a drink package?

NO! Absolutely NO!

 

It’s Oceania, not another line. There is a singular “ Wine by the Glass “ list that is applicable to all wine packages.Read All as those exact wines are available by the glass whether on any beverage package or not. NO separate wines for any package.

[asnaleah]

Great! Thanks @pinotlover

[basor]

51 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

I’m so confused. We booked our first O cruise with OLife. Then we booked a TA with Simply More. How will this be handled? Likely there will be people on our OLife cruise who booked later and have Simply More. Am I missing something, or will this create a confused crew?

No confusion at all on our Vista cruise - your cabin card has the indication of a beverage package if you have one....no different than pre SM when some Olife people chose the beverage package, some people purchased the Select package and some people purchased/upgraded to the prestige package.  There is a 3 letter code on the bottom right corner of your card.....often the server would ask if we had a beverage package prior to our first drink.  After a day or two, they knew we did and did not even ask...we just put our cards on the corner of our table so easy for the server to see and take if they needed.

Edited January 30 by basor

[clo]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:02 AM, Tranquility Base said:

I would be buying wines by the glass when dining anyway.

I would be doing 2 or 3  shore excursions anyway.

So that is 'cold hard cash' which I will not be paying at the end of the cruise via my account.

And that's us and maybe a smidge more so. We will be enjoying that second glass of wine at lunch or dinner that we might not have - outside our cabin. And we've tended to DIY ports so it will be a fun thing to do. Hopefully 🙂 So it's a plus for us.