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Cruise Overbooked - How does Oceania handle?

aztex

By aztex,
in Oceania Cruises

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aztex

aztex

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We cruise on Regatta out of Venice on Oct. 18th. The cruise has been overbooked from the beginning and now, after final payments were made the cruise remains overbooked. Offers have been made but it seems that people really want to take this cruise.

Now that we are within a month of departure does anyone know the process that Oceania will use to "clear the decks" in time for sailing, assuming that they are unsuccessful with their offers? This may have been resolved by now but the last that I heard we were still overbooked.

Thanks in advance.

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LHT28 Holiday Sharing Rare

LHT28

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They will keep making offers until someone takes them

Sweetening the pot as they get closer.

Not sure what will happen if no one takes the offers

They usually find enough people that will change cruises or take the deal.

 

Maybe someone in the know will comment

 

lyn

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hoffdahl

hoffdahl

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My dad and I are in the same situation, leaving Venice on the Nautica the same day as your ship. We keep being told "you WILL get a cabin" but no one has said what would happen if we don't! We would never sign up for a cruise with a guarantee again - it is too suspenseful waiting to hear some good news.

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LHT28

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My dad and I are in the same situation, leaving Venice on the Nautica the same day as your ship. We keep being told "you WILL get a cabin" but no one has said what would happen if we don't! We would never sign up for a cruise with a guarantee again - it is too suspenseful waiting to hear some good news.

 

I prefer to book my cabin # upfront also

Too stressful not knowing.

 

Have you checked on the "Already booked" page on O's website

 

I am sure you will be fine

Did they make you any offers to cancel the cruise?

 

Lyn

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Benita

Benita

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About a year ago, there were posts about somebody being forced to give up their cabin because of overbooking by an overzealous Oceania employee. Mr. Delrio, the CEO of Oceania got involved and straightened out the situation, making sure that person got to go on the cruise. I believe the way it is handled now is the offers to give up cabins keep getting better until somebody takes them up on it.

I have been on two cruises where my travel agent called asking if I wanted to give up my cabin. One was on Renaissance, about 10 years ago and another on Lindblad 4 years ago. Each time, I was offered an upgrade to a more deluxe cabin if I would go a few weeks later - I turned each one down and went on my cruises.

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aztex

aztex

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One of the issues with the offers that might be made is cost of airfare. If your air is booked with Oceania I assume thay can handle that with the carrier, but if you booked your own air or made advance pre-paid hotel, rental car or tour reservations there is a problem. For us, it would take one heck of an offer to make us change plans that have been in place for months and months.

On our roll call most have received their tickets but one couple, who made their reservations recently, have yet to receive their tickets or any reason for not receiving their tickets. So, I remain hopeful that other passengers will finally get an offer they can't refuse.

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Friscorays

Friscorays

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.... For us, it would take one heck of an offer to make us change plans that have been in place for months and months.

 

You got me thinking about what my "price" would be.

 

In this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=717433&highlight=overbook+offer , a couple was offered a full refund and a free cabin on the same sailing one year later. I would take that offer in a heartbeat.

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StanandJim

StanandJim

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On our roll call most have received their tickets but one couple, who made their reservations recently, have yet to receive their tickets or any reason for not receiving their tickets

 

I don't believe Oceania issues tickets any longer. :rolleyes:

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Sharicruz

Sharicruz

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I don't believe Oceania issues tickets any longer. :rolleyes:

 

Stan and Jim,

 

You are absolutely right....Oceania sends out a cruise vacation guide by mail and a final cruise vacation summary via e-mail which is a print out summarizing everything that is booked.

 

Shari

ShariCruz6

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StanandJim

StanandJim

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Wow, thanks for setting me straight on that one. How about they haven't received their visas, luggage tags and booklet? Hope that helps.
:rolleyes:

 

I do wish you would not be alarmist about this....

 

There is nothing in that pre-sailing package that you really NEED. It is basically sent out as a courtesy.

 

As long as the passengers name is on the manifest (which can easily be confirmed by telephone at any time after final payment), all that you need to do is arrive at the pier with passport & credit card.

 

The so called "booklet" is a big nothing, very big on Welcome Aboard, very short on information......we just toss them.

 

Although it is not as convenient, luggage tags are also available at the airport &/or pier. If you go that route, just bring some of those pre printed address label stickers that constantly arrive in the mail. After applying one of those, all you'll have to write in is your cabin #.

 

**Note** Oceania does not send out Visas in the pre sailing package, they are inserted into your passport when you submit them at sailing.

 

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hoffdahl

hoffdahl

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In answer to Lyn - I have checked the "Already Booked" section online and it has proven to be of no use. For a while they entered someone else's complete detailed airline info. I informed them of their mistake and the incorrect info was removed, but it showed up again a few days later. It has since been removed again but they haven't added our flight info, even though it was all printed out in the pamphlet sent to us weeks ago.

 

Also, we have received no offers from Oceania to change our booking.

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StanandJim

StanandJim

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The Turkish visa's, as well as the luggage tags do come in the cruise vacation guide

 

I believe that you receive a confirmation that you have purchased the Turkish VISA with the welcome packet.

The pursers office on the ship handles the official visa related documents, however, and they are not mailed.

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katz

katz

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We are on Nautica, embarking from Venice on October 18. (Hey Hoffdahl. I have been thinking about you and wondering if you got a cabin yet.)

 

We have received several emails with different offers trying to get us to change or cancel our reservations. First, we were offered to upgrade, at a cost to us. Then we were offered different amounts of money in credits towards other cruises. Then, we were offered money and a complete refund to cancel. Our last offer was about a week ago, offering to upgrade us to the Owner's Suite on the Insignia for a cruise with the same itinerary,(just backwards) embarking a week later. We thought about the last offer, but figured we would have to pay extra to change our flights and didn't know about our travel insurance. If it would still be valid or if we would have to pay an extra fee for that too. Plus we have already made all our excursion and tour reservations. An upgrade to an Owner's Suite would be fun, but since we would not be spending lots of time in the cabin, it wasn't worth the hassle to make all the changes.

 

This is our first Oceania cruise and have never had this problem on other lines. It is very scary to think that you have planned a cruise and than find out you don't have a cabin.

 

Good luck to everyone who is in this situation.

 

Hoffdahl, let everyone on the Roll Call know how your plans are going. I hope to see you onboard.

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hoffdahl

hoffdahl

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In answer to Katz's question - We are still waiting . . and wondering anxiously. All Oceania will tell us is that we will hear from them 2 weeks before embarcation and that "everyone ALWAYS get a cabin", but waiting to the last moment isn't easy, and isn't there always the possibility of a first time?? We are just trying to be patient :eek:.

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LHT28

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In answer to Katz's question - We are still waiting . . and wondering anxiously. All Oceania will tell us is that we will hear from them 2 weeks before embarcation and that "everyone ALWAYS get a cabin", but waiting to the last moment isn't easy, and isn't there always the possibility of a first time?? We are just trying to be patient :eek:.

There is still time for them to find people to take the offers or things happen at the last minute & people have to cancel.

You TA should be checking on things for you.

 

That is one reason we never book a guarantee CAT ...I cannot take the stress of waiting :eek:

 

Lyn

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