Elbig

I surprised SB was comparable in price to O. They are usually more - closer to Regent. I think comparing SB and Regent is more appropriate as they are more inclusive.

Not sure what your exact concerns are about size of ship but I was on Regent Splendor which holds about 750 pax and it was a great experience and seemed a very reasonable size. I can’t imagine that 900 pax experience would be that different. I strongly suggest you give it try if you can find the right itinerary especially considering you are looking around.

We really like O and Regent. They are very similar experiences except almost everything is prepaid on Regent which makes it an amazingly easygoing experience. It’s hard to articulate the differences but it is somehow very nice to never show your card for drinks, the Butler stocks your stateroom with whatever you want, liquor, mixer, etc. It feels very luxurious and pampered. OTH you pay dearly for all that. Use the itinerary to chose which one to cruise.

Try Regent

My 2025 cruise cost less with SM than the Olife version. It was a no brainer to switch.

How much money are we talking about here? What is the difference between the $50 and what VisaCentral charges? It looks to me they charge $79. If so, then the $29 is pretty much noise in comparison to the total trip cost. I assume O gets a small referral fee but I hardly consider this to be a big ripoff. VisaCentral might provide slightly more handholding not sure about that but I assume they are referred as a convenience not as a revenue stream. The referral money would be minimum. Honestly this seems like much ado about nothing to me.

We have some both. I don’t think its worth the price difference. YMMV.

We plan to take the train from Barcelona to Madrid ( I think that is the better than flying). Anyway the train station seems to be fairly close to the docks. What time would be reasonable to book a train? If disembarkation starts at 8a would 10:30a or 11a be reasonable? Thx.

I’m fine with Simply More. I have two future cruises booked. One is about the same price for SM vs OL. The other is significantly cheaper. I think it is much easier to explain and sell SM to prospects. Olife was very confusing at first. O needs to be competitive and profitable. I think this a smart move. YMMV.

I am confused. Do you often book with the expectation that you might or will likely cancel? What are the reasons you cancel? Doesn’t insurance cover most likely reasons to cancel?

Doesn’t Viking have something like pay in full 12 months in advance?

Thanks for sharing. Interesting review. I always find it fascinating what is important to others and what they focus on. Knowing my name and my drink are not important to me especially on Vista with all the drink options. As far running into people, I don’t get the big deal. What is your point? If you liked them and wanted to meet again the why didn’t you say something at the time. Leaving it up to chance is just that. Anyway I appreciate your comments.

Unfortunately I suspect you are no longer the target market for O. They need to increase the average $ pp in order to compete and stay in business. It will be interesting to see what you will choose instead.

I have booked a 2024 and 2025 cruise through my TA. Can I somehow get Book onboard credit for the 2025 cruise while I’m on my 2024 cruise?

I’m in the same boat as you (literally and figuratively). I would like the larger balcony so I’m going to give it a try. We are early risers so I’m not as concerned about noise in the morning. We are in bed by 10 or 11 so I am concerned about late night noises. My hope is that since it’s not open that late, we will be ok with it.

FYI. We have had very good experiences with Tours by Locals.

I’m confused. Did you book a specific cabin or was it just guarenteed concierge level? I’m not sure they can guarantee something as specific as an extended balcony unless you book a specific cabin.

I agree with previous comments that Oceania may not be for you. You seem to think they have raised their prices too much with SimplyMore. For our two future cruises SimplyMore was actually a better deal. One only slightly better , the other much better.

We simply switched existing bookings from Olife to Simply More. Being waitlisted had no effect on our ability to switch. One cruise was a slightly better deal with SM and the other was significantly better with SM.

My 2024 cruise increased by $800pp but offset by $800pp shorex credit and second Wi-Fi ($500) my 2025 cruise increased by $100pp so it is a much better deal.

Good point. Was your TA helpful in that situation?

I believe they are doing this out of necessity in order to compete with others like Viking and to maintain the premium experience. Unfortunately O may no longer be for you. I hope you enjoy your future cruises with whatever cruise lines you choose.

Absolutely. I think the cabins/suites are a little larger and nicer with Regent. We stay in PH. I haven’t been on Vista yet. As I said , O is a better value but Regent is a wonderful experience. It’s very nice to not have to show your card or give your room number to get a drink and know that almost everything is prepaid. It’s hard to explain but there is a sense of freedom in all that. Is it worth it? Not sure. But it’s definitely worth checking out. We will consider either in the future. Right now we have two cruises booked on Vista because it really seems nice. Hope this helps.

We have been on both. We love Regent as well. The experience is very similar with the exception things are prepaid on Regent. Even all in we find O to be a better value. In many ways, I would let the itinerary be a deciding factor. We are very much looking forward to checking out Vista.

Maybe you’re paying but not enough to sustain the premium experience. Maybe some of the traditional cruise only pax aren’t profitable enough. Maybe they need to compete for pax willing and able to pay more for a more inclusive experience. I wouldn’t view it as pruning customers so much as appealing to different target audience. I don’t assume every price increase is evil. I want them to maintain their standards and stay in business. Let’s wait and see the details. If it turns out the new pricing is not for you then you will need to find other options.