Oceania overbooking

What's the deal with Oceania overbooking and then offering ridiculous offers to cancel your current reservation? My TA told me that all cruise lines overbook with the belief that passengers will cancel to accommodate the overbooking. However, I was just offered full refund and monetary compensation to give up my current reservation. Seriously, this is a little concerning. I have been on over 20 cruises and have never had this issue, so I'm thinking that Oceania has more of a problem with overbooking than other lines. Since I can only cruise certain times of the year, cancelling my reservation is not that easy. Hopefully, some retirees will see the cancellation offer as something great!

What is the problem? Just tell your TA that you are not interested in any up sells, down sells or changes, and s/he can decline for you. Nothing to be worried about - your reservation is set and will not change.

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I agree. You are not REQUIRED to accept the offer. And if do not, you will sail as expected.

Also, this does NOT happen on every cruise. Back when O was first doing Alaska (2011), they first lured us on with extra benefits, then found they were oversold. So in the end we accepted an offer to move to a Med cruise on Marina, they upgraded us from a PH on Regatta to a VS on Marina, with even more OBC than we'd already received, and we were happy to accept. That is the only time we have accepted such an offer. (Yes, we've on one or two occasions accepted an "upsell" but that is another matter.)

On our April '15 cruise on Marina, Lima to NYC, we had many offers -- not so much to leave the cruise as to add a leg on before or after, which we declined. We'd already booked our air, and we live in NYC, so these offers weren't attractive to us.

Sometimes the offers are so great (as when we cancelled Alaska on Regatta for the Med on Marina) that it's hard to refuse. But you are never forced to do so and shouldn't worry.

It doesn't happen on every cruise ... if it did, we'd have received such offers far more often. (We've done 12 on O and have rarely had such offers.)

I wouldn't worry. Just don't take the offer if you don't want to, and let your TA know (if you have one) that you are not interested. Then you won't see them.

Mura

Some cruises are more popular than others

Just like airlines the cruise lines overbook but usually some people cancel at final payment time sometimes they do not then a situation occurs where Oceania starts making offers

If you want to accept the offer you can if not just sit tight & enjoy the cruise

There is no conspiracy at work

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2202248

I see you previously started a thread on O overbooking in April, and you were reassured that you will not be compelled to accept any offer against your will. I urge you to tell your TA that you don't want to hear about these offers. It will save you a lot of stress!

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Don't understand why it would be of concern to you -- all it says is that Oceania is so successful, attracts so many wanting to book, that they have to make adjustments to accommodate them all. That should cause pride in your choice, not concern...;)

Don't understand why it would be of concern to you -- all it says is that Oceania is so successful, attracts so many wanting to book, that they have to make adjustments to accommodate them all. That should cause pride in your choice, not concern...;)

Plus 1..why would anyone care how Oceania runs there business if it doesnt affect them??

Jancruz1

Plus 1..why would anyone care how Oceania runs there business if it doesnt affect them??

Jancruz1

+1 Exactly!

I urge you to tell your TA that you don't want to hear about these offers. It will save you a lot of stress!

Early in Oceania's existence, we used to book directly through them. Then, we switched to using a TA recommended by a friend. Our first time dealing with our new TA, she kept forwarding offers to us about switching cruises. The preface she would write with each offer clearly stated that we were under no obligation to accept any of these deals. Since we weren't interested, we did nothing. Finally, about two weeks before the cruise, when she sent yet another offer, her preface changed. She explained that she was legally required to keep forwarding these offers unless and until we directly said we were uninterested. We immediately wrote a follow up email tell her just that. Problem solved.

You are uninterested in switching, but I assure you there are plenty of cruisers who are considering the latest offer they've received at this very minute.

All that matters is that you are in complete control of your existing booking.

What's the deal with Oceania overbooking and then offering ridiculous offers to cancel your current reservation? My TA told me that all cruise lines overbook with the belief that passengers will cancel to accommodate the overbooking. However, I was just offered full refund and monetary compensation to give up my current reservation. Seriously, this is a little concerning. I have been on over 20 cruises and have never had this issue, so I'm thinking that Oceania has more of a problem with overbooking than other lines. Since I can only cruise certain times of the year, cancelling my reservation is not that easy. Hopefully, some retirees will see the cancellation offer as something great!

Thanks for posting your thoughts and experiences. Any discussions of Oceania's booking or business practices is of interest to me - especially considering the NCL Holdings acquisition. I travel 6 cruise lines and can count on one hand the number of upgrade, up-sell or buy-back offers I have gotten from the other five. Oceania is my least traveled line and I cannot count the offers I have gotten from them alone - even taking my shoes off. I do not mind them - it is just curious how many there are. r/Don

Plus 1..why would anyone care how Oceania runs there business if it doesnt affect them??

Jancruz1

Because the OP doesn't understand the process and doesn't understand that this process of making offers doesn't really affect her. Hopefully, by now she understands this important information.

The cruise that we'll be on is one of the under-booked cruises. While we booked well in advance, the cruise didn't fill. As a result, Oceania sweetened their offer. The price was lowered for new bookings and we benefited by receiving increased on-board credit. About three weeks later, our TA wrote us about another offer that included an upgrade in the stateroom and other details that I don't remember.

The exact wording of the offer was an upgrade of up to three levels. We normally sail in a mid-ship veranda stateroom after having had enough cruises impacted by bouts of sea sickness sailing in the PH category, even mid-ships. Against all logic and past experience, we responded to this "up to three level" offer with a proffer on our part to return some of our shipboard credit for the switch to mid-ships PH. Our offer was rejected.

The fine print stated that from our existing reservation our upgrade was limited to one category and no one was being offered any upgrades into any suite category. But the real point of this anecdote is that when our TA came back with the available concierge class staterooms, there were only two or three left and all were seriously forward or aft. In other words, this under-booked ship was under-booked by a mere handful. Even if none of the available staterooms were to become booked, I doubt anyone on the sailing would notice the difference in passenger load.

Oceania would rather make deals and sail with its ships full than sail with its ships even minimally empty. No big whoop!

Plus 1..why would anyone care how Oceania runs there business if it doesnt affect them??

Jancruz1

Actually the offer affected the OP more than this tread affects you. The OP received and unexpected email that she had to evaluate and make a decision on. The format of the email can even be misinterpreted to mean that you have to take some action. The first one I received alarmed me.

On the other hand, you had to take positive action to open and read this thread. Everybody is entitled to express his or her concerns.

r/Don

It does affect you, common sense would tell you that if "O" overbooks and has to make offers it's a cost to them with lower profits. They have to make that profit up to please the stockholders---that cost is in the fares that you pay.

Rick

It does affect you, common sense would tell you that if "O" overbooks and has to make offers it's a cost to them with lower profits. They have to make that profit up to please the stockholders---that cost is in the fares that you pay.

Rick

Not necessarily. Oceania must have a threshold below which they will not go on their offers. If they can get someone on board a ship even at a rock bottom price, Oceania's data must tell them that the bargain bookee's purchases of liquor, ship-sponsored excursions, spa services, internet, etc. will more than justify selling a stateroom at a lower price.

I'm guessing it is a rare person who pays nothing extra when settling the bill the final night. The cost of any cruise I've taken is definitely more than the price of the basic stateroom!

I'm with the OP. Our first ever Oceania cruise is coming up in July and it is a segment of the Insignia World Cruise that must be wildly popular. Our roll call has had frequent posts about offer that so far only one person has accepted.

This leads me to believe that there are truly more cabins confirmed than are available.

What happens if nobody (or not enough people) accept the offers? Nobody HAS to accept one so it is conceivable to me that there will be more people showing up to board than there are cabins. Now I realize that Oceania would probably not let it get to that point, but I can see at least the possibility that they will have to contact someone before sailing that they can't honor the confirmed cabin.

Since all I have is a GTY, that concerns me. How would they go about selecting the unfortunate people to notify "Sorry, you can't go"? I'm sure if it came to that, the compensation would have to be impressive. Full refund, cover any and all non-refundable expenses for air, hotels, etc. plus something pretty good other than a future cruise credit (who would trust them after that?). Especially since that itinerary is the only reason I have my first cruise booked with them and I couldn't take it next year because of conflicts I can't change.

While I agree it is unlikely that I would be faced with that, the question is valid. How would they choose who to disappoint?

No one will sleep in the hallway or reception.

Oceania has gone thru this many times. See you soon.

It does affect you, common sense would tell you that if "O" overbooks and has to make offers it's a cost to them with lower profits. They have to make that profit up to please the stockholders---that cost is in the fares that you pay.

Rick

Like Upgrades, Overbooking is partially seen as a marketing tool, in that Passengers who are shifted from a popular Itinerary to one that is less so by an "unbelievable deal" are now spending their vacation dollars in a cabin that might otherwise go empty but will likely come away with a more positive opinion of the Cruise Line which treated them so royally.

There is also a benefit to introducing passengers to areas of the World that they might not have considered on their own; "You know Martha, flying to Hong Kong wasn't as big a deal as I thought it would be." Research suggests that many of them will book second and third voyages based on that "new" experience, and/or new friends that they have made there.

So, it's not as easy as making a dollars to dollars comparison; entire courses of study are devoted to this in Marketing Schools.

No one will sleep in the hallway or reception.

 

Oceania has gone thru this many times. See you soon.

Thanks.

I'm not nearly as concerned as I am curious. I figure the worst possible case is that we will stay home this summer adequately compensated. But because I was an analyst at one point in my career (my wife says that all I retained from that is the first part - "anal" :eek:), I can see the possibility (if highly unlikely) situation where they did not get enough people accepting offers and wondered what they would do then.

I am well aware of the marketing practice to maximize occupancy. I have been on many flights and heard the offers to accept a voluntary bump (and have accepted a few when my schedule allowed it), but a cruise is a far more complex situation. The airlines have rules for minimum compensation for involuntary bumps but I would bet the cruiselines don't.

It must be a combination of science and art to calculate a good formula to put bodies in cabins with a positive result to the bottom line. There is obviously some very secret number below which they are better off with an empty cabin but if they can't entice enough people to move, the day will come when someone will have to be told "Too bad, so sad, stay home.". Maybe they could have the Captain and hotel Director share and we could take their cabin. I could live with that. :cool:

I'm guessing that hasn't happened or someone would have stepped in and said what happened with them. As I said, I'm not very concerned but wondering how it would be handled. With the depth of experience O cruisers here and nobody seeming to have ever heard of it happening, I expect it won't happen next month, either.

We are not seeing the offers because I told my TA that we weren't interested. Maybe I should give her some fantastic number just to see how desperately they want to get us off the list. I'm thinking $10K and a credit for what we paid for the cruise good for 2 years (maybe we can take it in 2018). :D

Like Upgrades, Overbooking is partially seen as a marketing tool, in that Passengers who are shifted from a popular Itinerary to one that is less so by an "unbelievable deal" are now spending their vacation dollars in a cabin that might otherwise go empty but will likely come away with a more positive opinion of the Cruise Line which treated them so royally.

 

True, but if they do it to much---then planning isn't doing the job that was set out to be done---and it does affect the bottom line. It's a plan that should work anbd sometime helps the bottom line---however it depends on how much they have to give......

Rick

Here's hoping it doesn't happen to you but I was curious to see whether people have posted cases of being bumped off their cruise. Found this one with NCL.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1806299

I know when we were on a Celebrity sailing this past winter and I was chatting with the Hotel Director, he was saying how the upcoming sailing was overbooked and he was hoping someone cancelled last minute. Not sure what the outcome was.

Like Upgrades, Overbooking is partially seen as a marketing tool, in that Passengers who are shifted from a popular Itinerary to one that is less so by an "unbelievable deal" are now spending their vacation dollars in a cabin that might otherwise go empty but will likely come away with a more positive opinion of the Cruise Line which treated them so royally.

 

True, but if they do it to much---then planning isn't doing the job that was set out to be done---and it does affect the bottom line. It's a plan that should work anbd sometime helps the bottom line---however it depends on how much they have to give......

Rick

 

What you have to ask yourself is, how much is "too much". ;)

 

If it didn't drive up profits and improve the bottom line, then every cruise line, airline and hotel would not Universally do it.

Thanks.

 

I'm not nearly as concerned as I am curious. I figure the worst possible case is that we will stay home this summer adequately compensated. But because I was an analyst at one point in my career (my wife says that all I retained from that is the first part - "anal" :eek:), I can see the possibility (if highly unlikely) situation where they did not get enough people accepting offers and wondered what they would do then.

 

I am well aware of the marketing practice to maximize occupancy. I have been on many flights and heard the offers to accept a voluntary bump (and have accepted a few when my schedule allowed it), but a cruise is a far more complex situation. The airlines have rules for minimum compensation for involuntary bumps but I would bet the cruiselines don't.

 

It must be a combination of science and art to calculate a good formula to put bodies in cabins with a positive result to the bottom line. There is obviously some very secret number below which they are better off with an empty cabin but if they can't entice enough people to move, the day will come when someone will have to be told "Too bad, so sad, stay home.". Maybe they could have the Captain and hotel Director share and we could take their cabin. I could live with that. :cool:

 

I'm guessing that hasn't happened or someone would have stepped in and said what happened with them. As I said, I'm not very concerned but wondering how it would be handled. With the depth of experience O cruisers here and nobody seeming to have ever heard of it happening, I expect it won't happen next month, either.

 

We are not seeing the offers because I told my TA that we weren't interested. Maybe I should give her some fantastic number just to see how desperately they want to get us off the list. I'm thinking $10K and a credit for what we paid for the cruise good for 2 years (maybe we can take it in 2018). :D

I can guarantee you..that you will not be bumped..They always up the ante until they get enough people to accept..Im not sure what category your booked in..but as long as there are cabins above what you booked you have no problem..

They have perameters of what they give and what you just quoted would not be accepted by Oceania revenue department..

Jancruz1..

I can guarantee you..that you will not be bumped..They always up the ante until they get enough people to accept..Im not sure what category your booked in..but as long as there are cabins above what you booked you have no problem..

They have perameters of what they give and what you just quoted would not be accepted by Oceania revenue department..

Jancruz1..

As I've said, I am not really worried about it. And my "offer" was very tongue in cheek (hard to demonstrate that in text). Although a friend in a balcony cabin (not sure of the exact category) was offered about $5,000 and an even switch to a cruise that was slightly more expensive than this one. He turned it down because the offer was for a single cruise that he was not interested in.

But the Montreal-Southampton cruise shows wait list in every category so an upgrade for our PH-2 GTY is no more likely than getting a cabin number assigned. We'll be quite happy to be on board in any category at or above our GTY although I wonder about a VS in the North Atlantic :eek:. We have sailed on the R-class on Azamara and understand that there are a few spots that might have a bit of a noise problem but nothing that would ruin a cruise.

I have seen many posts on Cruise Critic where people work themselves into a frenzy worrying about things they have no control over. I am definitely not stressed over it. I was really just curious to know if anyone had any idea how O selected those who might get bumped (if, indeed, it ever happened). I get the distinct impression it hasn't happened yet but I can't imagine that it is impossible. After all, they can't give away the store to avoid making one or two people unhappy. My thoughts is if it ever came up, time of booking would play a big part plus number of cruises you might have with O. Beyond that, I have no clue.

I would probably not even be asking the question if we had a cabin number assigned, but this is the first GTY we have ever had in over 50 cruises. So I have no idea if that changes anything.

Not necessarily. Oceania must have a threshold below which they will not go on their offers. If they can get someone on board a ship even at a rock bottom price, Oceania's data must tell them that the bargain bookee's purchases of liquor, ship-sponsored excursions, spa services, internet, etc. will more than justify selling a stateroom at a lower price.

 

I'm guessing it is a rare person who pays nothing extra when settling the bill the final night. The cost of any cruise I've taken is definitely more than the price of the basic stateroom!

We are preparing to leave on our 4th Oceania cruise and only one time did we have to pay to settle our bill and that was because I needed some Physio therapy on the voyage due to a pulled muscle.

We are preparing to leave on our 4th Oceania cruise and only one time did we have to pay to settle our bill and that was because I needed some Physio therapy on the voyage due to a pulled muscle.

Do you have lots of onboard credit to offset your expenses or do you truly spend nothing on liquor, excursions, spa services, etc.?