Questions from a first timer on Oceania

We've just booked our first Oceania cruise, having cruised with Celebrity some 20 times. I have a couple of questions for you folks.

Regarding flights: I know they do the flights some 75 days prior to departure. What kind of flights do they pick? Do they take the cheapest; the shortest duration or what?

We want to go down a few days early. Will we have to pay a deviation fee in order to do this?

If we want a specific flight, will we have to pay any additional fees (except for the deviation fee) if the flight is more costly than what Oceania would pay?

Shore excursions: I can see there are three different price levels; an 'al la carte', an unlimited and another cost. Do they automatically charge based on the number of shore excursions you select? Without actually booking an excursion, I don't see anywhere to select the price package you want.

Thanks in advance.

We are also going to be first time cruisers on Oceania, and we chose NOT to take their air, so we got a credit on our cruise fare. We're going early and wanted to do our own flights, rather than hassle with Oceania. We don't do cruise line air anymore after some bad experiences in doing so, like really bad schedules and flights with too many stops.

We've just booked our first Oceania cruise, having cruised with Celebrity some 20 times. I have a couple of questions for you folks.

 

Regarding flights: I know they do the flights some 75 days prior to departure. What kind of flights do they pick? Do they take the cheapest; the shortest duration or what?

 

We have very rarely used O's flights so it's hard for me to answer, I'm sure others will. The flights are MUCH better than Renaissance chose, that's for sure! But it can depend on your departure airport. We leave from NYC which is much easier. However, if you leave from further away this might be a problem.

 

We want to go down a few days early. Will we have to pay a deviation fee in order to do this?

 

Yes. But for many of us, the fee is worth it. We always go in early and leave late.

 

If we want a specific flight, will we have to pay any additional fees (except for the deviation fee) if the flight is more costly than what Oceania would pay?

 

That can depend. Sometimes there will be an extra charge but sometimes not. I think it is a function of whether the airline chosen is one that O normally uses. If O doesn't have a contract with the airline, you may have to pay up extra.

 

Shore excursions: I can see there are three different price levels; an 'al la carte', an unlimited and another cost. Do they automatically charge based on the number of shore excursions you select? Without actually booking an excursion, I don't see anywhere to select the price package you want.

 

Normally we do our own tours. With oLife options these days, it's a bit different. When we have booked ship's tours we have only booked a few so we didn't get a discount. When is your cruise? If it's reasonably soon, you should see the options. If your cruise is in the somewhat distant future, you may not see. We have a cruise in October '16 where we were able to see the options last summer, but regarding our April '17 cruise (at least the last time I checked) there is not yet an indication of what tours will be available or what they will cost.

 

They don't "automatically" charge anything. You would have to indicate that you want to take a package of a certain number of tours. If you want to do your own private tours (see your roll call for people looking for others to share a tour), then I wouldn't book a package of ship's tours. If you want the security of booking ship's tours, that's different. But I would assume you would want to know what is available before you do so.

 

Thanks in advance.

Good luck! If you let us know just what cruise you are looking at, it will be easier for us to give more specific answers.

Mura

I tried to book there air though my TA now they already had the air built in but wanted in addition to add on per ticket $99 for gateway city, $175 air deviation (wanting to go in a couple days early because we leave in a snow belt) than I wanted a airline and times which was going to be another $500. At that point it I had had it and we booked our own and took the credit. Can't believe they don't want to work with the own people whom are sailing with them. To add it up it's total was $1124.

Does anyone know if we book the ships excursions online and than want to cancel/ and or change is there a penalty. Or can we wait till on the ship to book?

We are doing Papeete to Lima on April 11/16. We leave from YUL which is one of their gateways. Before I booked I quickly priced one way air from YUL to Tahiti and the cost was an amazing $3000pp CDN and then I would still have to add the Lima to YUL flight. That prompted me to take Oceania's air, so even if I pay a deviation fee, I think I will still come out ahead.

We've just booked our first Oceania cruise, having cruised with Celebrity some 20 times. I have a couple of questions for you folks.

 

Regarding flights: I know they do the flights some 75 days prior to departure. What kind of flights do they pick? Do they take the cheapest; the shortest duration or what?

If you do not pay the deviation then you will wait & see what they offer they buy bulk tickets or whatever name you want to call them

 

We want to go down a few days early. Will we have to pay a deviation fee in order to do this? yes you will pay the deviation fee if your fly in early or stay longer in the port cities

sometime well worth the $175 pp fee to choose the flights YOU want

sometimes you may incur an upcharge but until you are happy with the flights offered you are not charged the nob refundable fee

If we want a specific flight, will we have to pay any additional fees (except for the deviation fee) if the flight is more costly than what Oceania would pay? YES see upcharge comments

 

 

 

Thanks in advance.

I compare the flights I can get with my airline of choice then get my TA to see if Oceania can get them without an upcharge

Then I can make an informed decision on whether to DIY or take O air

others will comment on other restrictions when using O air

so far taking the deviation has worked for us

do your homework

Lyn

We are doing Papeete to Lima on April 11/16. We leave from YUL which is one of their gateways. Before I booked I quickly priced one way air from YUL to Tahiti and the cost was an amazing $3000pp CDN and then I would still have to add the Lima to YUL flight. That prompted me to take Oceania's air, so even if I pay a deviation fee, I think I will still come out ahead.

When doing open jaw flights try the multi city tab on the airline websites you may get better pricing

I like this site for researching the routings

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

If you are taking O air then pick the flights you want & ask your TA (if you used one ) to see if O can get them for you & if there is any extra fee

do not wait ask soon

We are doing Papeete to Lima on April 11/16. We leave from YUL which is one of their gateways. Before I booked I quickly priced one way air from YUL to Tahiti and the cost was an amazing $3000pp CDN and then I would still have to add the Lima to YUL flight. That prompted me to take Oceania's air, so even if I pay a deviation fee, I think I will still come out ahead.

We did a Polynesian cruise on Marina YUL-LAX-PPT and we opted for the deviation. It was impossible to get better than the O price.

We researched the best flights, asked our TA for the 8a.m. AC YUL-LAX and the afternoon ATN LAX to PPT. The up charge was minimal, around 100pp over the deviation cost. We had our flight details and seats nearly a year out. It took a bit longer to get the LAX-PPT flights settled but it was at least 6mths out.

We asked our TA to pay our deviation cost as a perk, along with PPG and OBC's.

It is important you use a TA who deals with O. They can make it work out for you. Bon Voyage!

When you opt to pay the air deviation fee and provide a preferred flight itinerary, how long before Oceania comes back with their outcome (let you know about possible additional upcharges, confirm or deny your itinerary, etc). Do they wait to book/ticket the air itinerary until 75 days prior like they do without an air deviation fee?

When you opt to pay the air deviation fee and provide a preferred flight itinerary, how long before Oceania comes back with their outcome (let you know about possible additional upcharges, confirm or deny your itinerary, etc). Do they wait to book/ticket the air itinerary until 75 days prior like they do without an air deviation fee?

The passenger and Oceania must come to a meeting of the minds about the Air routing before the Deviation fee is assessed. Any upcharges which may apply are discussed then.

Air tickets are reserved immediately, but are typically purchased (ticketed) at 75 days out, or, when the Cruise fare is paid in full.

We are doing Papeete to Lima on April 11/16. We leave from YUL which is one of their gateways. Before I booked I quickly priced one way air from YUL to Tahiti and the cost was an amazing $3000pp CDN and then I would still have to add the Lima to YUL flight. That prompted me to take Oceania's air, so even if I pay a deviation fee, I think I will still come out ahead.

PPT has a captive flying population with little choice of airlines and the pricing reflects it. It is one situation where we would consider NOT taking the O air credit. However, the business upgrade tix on O's multicity (Santiago outbound and Papeete back) was more than $6K/person! So, on our upcoming Valpo to Tahiti cruise, we're taking the approx $1400/person air credit, using United miles for business tix to Santiago and using the O credit for the $1400 oneway AA coach fare back from PPT to SFO. If I thought we'd be heading back on a cruise starting from Papeete in the foreseeable future, we'd have booked a Papeete/SFO RT coach ticket with some guesstimate return date to PPT for not much more than the cost of the oneway PPT to SFO.

Bottom line, we're at least going business class outbound on miles (several days ahead) and coach inbound (one day post cruise) using O's credit.

Airt fares are allover the map.Prices to the south pacific are as mentioned the highest you will find. In order to determine what to take, O , an O deviation or book your own you need to research the flights and their cost to you.

Do you have the miles for a free ticket, Whats the cost to deviate? Would it be better to take a O flight on one of the legs and purchase on an other.

It all boils down to $$$ you save or spend. If your using miles and knowing they are valued at about 2.5 cents each ,you have to ask is the fare saved by using miles more expensive or or less expensive than what you would spend

with miles

( ie 50,000 miles is $1250 and if the ticket cost $800,spending 50,000 miles is a loss of $450 to you. On the other hand getting a Business class seat to Venice that costs $5800.00 that you can get for 57,000miles is $1450 and your saving $4350 using miles)

You have to mix and match the Oceania offered prices VS the what you can do. You also need to factor in the cost of layovers in hotels and meals and add that to your airfare. You might not want to spend that sort of $$$for an earily or late departure

SO...travel to and from is a composite of a lot of factors. If your flying in early to Tahiti do your know its going to cost about 500-700 a day in land expenses per day? And Scandinavia....about the same.

As to ships tours cost...much of that is now moot because with the new O life you get tours included ( but get no credit if you don't use them)

The passenger and Oceania must come to a meeting of the minds about the Air routing before the Deviation fee is assessed. Any upcharges which may apply are discussed then.

 

Air tickets are reserved immediately, but are typically purchased (ticketed) at 75 days out, or, when the Cruise fare is paid in full.

StanandJim - my final payment is the end of February, would you recommend requesting my preferred air deviation routes/itineraries to my TA (to be summitted to Oceania) sooner rather than later (i.e. now) for a June 2016 cruise? (flying into London and out of Copenhagen) I fully realize it's all a crapshoot, but trying to glean any wisdom. Thanks much for your feedback!

StanandJim - my final payment is the end of February, would you recommend requesting my preferred air deviation routes/itineraries to my TA (to be summitted to Oceania) sooner rather than later (i.e. now) for a June 2016 cruise? (flying into London and out of Copenhagen) I fully realize it's all a crapshoot, but trying to glean any wisdom. Thanks much for your feedback!

Not Jim

But I suggest you submit your requests at the 270 day mark you have a better chance of getting the routing you want

Not Jim

But I suggest you submit your requests at the 270 day mark you have a better chance of getting the routing you want

Thanks LHT28 for the feedback! I'll be submitting my air deviation itinerary ASAP early next week...and crossing my fingers. :)

Airt fares are allover the map.Prices to the south pacific are as mentioned the highest you will find. In order to determine what to take, O , an O deviation or book your own you need to research the flights and their cost to you.

 

 

 

Do you have the miles for a free ticket, Whats the cost to deviate? Would it be better to take a O flight on one of the legs and purchase on an other.

 

 

 

It all boils down to $$$ you save or spend. If your using miles and knowing they are valued at about 2.5 cents each ,you have to ask is the fare saved by using miles more expensive or or less expensive than what you would spend

 

with miles

 

( ie 50,000 miles is $1250 and if the ticket cost $800,spending 50,000 miles is a loss of $450 to you. On the other hand getting a Business class seat to Venice that costs $5800.00 that you can get for 57,000miles is $1450 and your saving $4350 using miles)

 

 

 

You have to mix and match the Oceania offered prices VS the what you can do. You also need to factor in the cost of layovers in hotels and meals and add that to your airfare. You might not want to spend that sort of $$$for an earily or late departure

 

 

 

SO...travel to and from is a composite of a lot of factors. If your flying in early to Tahiti do your know its going to cost about 500-700 a day in land expenses per day? And Scandinavia....about the same.

 

 

 

As to ships tours cost...much of that is now moot because with the new O life you get tours included ( but get no credit if you don't use them)

A "standard" award for business ticket on United from SFO to pretty much anywhere in Europe is 150k each way. "Saver" awards are few and far between and almost non-existent for 0 or 1 connection of ample time at reasonable leave/arrive hours. So even a one way business ticket (with no "hoop jumping" is more likely valued at $3750, which is often a wash for a one way business ticket to the EU.

Though it's more expensive today, the Intercontinental near Papeete could be booked for a post O cruise in January 2016 at just over $200/night oceanview king.

When you opt to pay the air deviation fee and provide a preferred flight itinerary, how long before Oceania comes back with their outcome (let you know about possible additional upcharges, confirm or deny your itinerary, etc). Do they wait to book/ticket the air itinerary until 75 days prior like they do without an air deviation fee?

Put your deviation request in ASAP to your TA. My flights were confirmed far before 75 days. I can't be certain, but I think it was at the earliest booking date (270 days prior) The upcharge was calculated immediately. Give your TA a few flight options. I found the process to be quick, a good TA is important for getting you what you request.

Put your deviation request in ASAP to your TA. My flights were confirmed far before 75 days. I can't be certain, but I think it was at the earliest booking date (270 days prior) The upcharge was calculated immediately. Give your TA a few flight options. I found the process to be quick, a good TA is important for getting you what you request.

Thanks for your feedback canuck.qc - I greatly appreciate it!

A "standard" award for business ticket on United from SFO to pretty much anywhere in Europe is 150k each way. "Saver" awards are few and far between and almost non-existent for 0 or 1 connection of ample time at reasonable leave/arrive hours. So even a one way business ticket (with no "hoop jumping" is more likely valued at $3750, which is often a wash for a one way business ticket to the EU.

 

Though it's more expensive today, the Intercontinental near Papeete could be booked for a post O cruise in January 2016 at just over $200/night oceanview king.

If your a dedicated flyer...and pound the keys daily there are small holes that do open up for hours not days... that youcan snag I wanted to go to Malta Business...150K in september However with 3 people working on it I founda LAX to FRA with a 24 hour layover business for 57,500and out FRA to Maltafor 15,000...sofor72,500 saving 77,000 miles...it can be done but agreed it takes work..... I try topick cruises that have a trans-Atlantic or pacific travel to avoid a lot of air problems.To flying into or out of places like Lyon can open up a lot of possibilities TGV all over from there... plus good food!!!

Asfor PPT you got to add food $200 taxi. and how about drinks I figure 500 a day is the norm for it all $200 a day is darn good must be the euro thing.

A "standard" award for business ticket on United from SFO to pretty much anywhere in Europe is 150k each way. "Saver" awards are few and far between and almost non-existent for 0 or 1 connection of ample time at reasonable leave/arrive hours. So even a one way business ticket (with no "hoop jumping" is more likely valued at $3750, which is often a wash for a one way business ticket to the EU.

 

Though it's more expensive today, the Intercontinental near Papeete could be booked for a post O cruise in January 2016 at just over $200/night oceanview

 

king.

I just for the fun of it looked for flights to Rome, Barcelona, Frankfurt on ual site....and true the colored chart shows no availability.....except for non saver.

OR that's how it looks....if you punch in a day show as non-saver you might be surprised that many times there will be hidden savers for 70K posted on airlines like Lingus, Brussels, Turkish and TAP. as wellas Lufthansa.... it surprised me and it might you...check on several days and don't take the color chart as final....it isn't there are many days I found open all through the summer..to Europe....in fact lots ....just look and don't be dissuaded by the chart...