Change your cruise offers

[magroo]

It might help if you understand that all the offers are automated so they just keep coming..it is a random selection..

Jancruz1

 

That's what I figured. It looked like a general mailing list type message. But I like that they put them out there. Who knows...there might be a sailing I'd change for, but not likely. We're sailing around Italy and that country has been on my bucket list since I was a kid.

[Hawaiidan]

:DThat's why I choose to sail with them. I recently booked a series of 3 cruises in a 49 day composite.

I got a great extended veranda, however I e-mailed both my agent and Oceania to advise that on any of the legs I would entertain an up-sell/up grade.

I also advised that I also wanted to up grade to Business for the Oceania flights.

I think pre communication and laying out your flexibility and desires well in advance remains a pretty good approach as to relying on random or chance.

Assuming Oceania wants to make me happy as much as I want to be happy with them, I think that's as close to a win-win as you can get.

[JimandStan]

That's what I figured. It looked like a general mailing list type message. But I like that they put them out there. Who knows...there might be a sailing I'd change for, but not likely. We're sailing around Italy and that country has been on my bucket list since I was a kid.

 

Definitely keep your options as open as possible, because as I said before if the cruise that you are booked on is a hot ticket, some amazing offers may come your way.

In order to "move off" our last (10 day) cruise, we were offered 21 days in the South Pacific. Unfortunately, we could not do it, but it was a nice to have those kinds of options.

[JVNYC]

If you are booked on a popular itinerary in 2014 and you receive move-off offers, can you propose to move to another 2014 itinerary? It seems that the move-off offers are only for 2013 sailings. Anyone have any info?

[JimandStan]

If you are booked on a popular itinerary in 2014 and you receive move-off offers, can you propose to move to another 2014 itinerary? It seems that the move-off offers are only for 2013 sailings. Anyone have any info?

 

You may propose whatever you like, and it may work depending on how badly they need to resell your original Cabin. That said, I can tell you from experience that you will get a better "deal" if you agree to go to the Cruise that Oceania wants to move you onto. For that reason, I'd be more likely to ask for a nicer cabin on THAT cruise, than to try to move to another voyage entirely.

[dundeene]

First Jim and Stan are ALWAYS right, and their reply is correct.

My understanding is that this is really all about keeping the ships full.

Which Oceania is VERY good at!

The best deals are going to be the soonest cruise with open space (less time to sell open cabins).

If I am Oceania . . . why would I want to "buy you off" a 2014 cruise that is filling fast with a 2014 cruise that has a year or more to fill all empty cabins?

 

I would want to offer you a great deal on a 2013 cruise with availability that does not have much time left and is less likely to sell out. This way not only are you happy with your longer cruise or posh PH upgrade, but you also have time to consider and book another cruise in 2014;)

[Mura]

It make sense that if O needs to make room on a particular cruise, they are going to make the offers according to the cruiseline's needs ... not the passengers' desires.

 

We haven't received enough such offers to form a hard and fast rule (of our own making, not O's) but the one time we accepted the offer it was relatively last minute -- after final pay-up date. (Offer made in early July for a late August cruise.)

 

We received some more later on but they weren't trying to get us off a cruise, they were trying to get us to make our cruise a B2B by adding on the leg before or after. They did make it worth our while in terms of price (no upgrades or upsells as I recall), but there were reasons why we we couldn't or wouldn't do so.

 

It's awfully early, it seems to me, for them to consider moving people off of a 2014 cruise.

 

Mura

[Jack1]

We have had 2 move over offers for our Jan 2014 miami to lima cruise. It was booked up within a few weeks of opening. Unfortunately they were offering to move us to cruises in april 2013. We already have a cruise booked for april 2013 and the offers weren't all that special.

So they have made these offers for sold out cruises in 2014.

[sitraveler]

O is very good at filling many of their cruises, and will make extremely good offers to do so.

We were booked on the Nov 2012 TA, Rome to Rio. We were offered a O suite on the Riviera July 2012 Barcelona to Istanbul, from a non-concierge veranda. Cost comparison was off the charts. So we took it.

But, after I moved off I was able to re-book to the TA.

Both voyages were full.

We found many on the July cruise were "move overs", and while we weren't smart enough, some even doubled up on the move over cruises.

[Aloha 1]

So here's a slightly different question: Let's say you are in a PH3 for a cruise that fills up but has higher category suites still open. Would O make a move up offer to free a cabin they know they could sell versus one still empty?

[mringenoldus]

Many cruise lines will upgrade or upsell existing reservations to higher categories because it is easier to sell the less expensive cabin as a new reservation as the sail date gets closer.

[JimandStan]

So here's a slightly different question: Let's say you are in a PH3 for a cruise that fills up but has higher category suites still open. Would O make a move up offer to free a cabin they know they could sell versus one still empty?

 

If you are specifically asking about getting a cabin on the same cruise , then up-sells are far more common.

[Aloha 1]

If you are specifically asking about getting a cabin on the same cruise , then up-sells are far more common.

 

Thanks. I assume the upsell would be at an attractive price compared to the original booked cabin?

[JimandStan]

Thanks. I assume the upsell would be at an attractive price compared to the original booked cabin?

 

It would be an attractive offer. Usually, some percentage off of the original difference in price between Room A and Room B.

 

Remember, there are 121 Penthouse Suites and only 19 OVO Suites.

They want interest, but not a stampede ;)

[Xfer2]

We just booked this past weekend (directly with Oceania) for an Oct. 13 Riviera sailing and already received a move-off offer this morning. The offer was for a longer itinerary and move from reg. balcony to concierge balcony.

 

We probably won't take the offer, because the only reason why we booked the balcony was the lower-priced cabins were wait-listed and I wanted to secure the promotional price. I put down a deposit and was put on the wait list for both inside and oceanview cabins.

 

That said, is it possible to negotiate a "downgrade"? I.e. can we ask for a lower-priced cabin for the cruise they offer, and get money back?!