Upgrades and Upsells

[PhD-iva]

26 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

 I called my O rep to complain about the lack of notification, but he just said, "Up to you to find the sales." So I changed to an A4 Concierge that was reduced from $2349 per to $2099 per. (The book price later rose to $2,549 for same room.) Never saw another sale and I was checking weekly and always around every holiday.

My TA says her agency uses software that will alert her to any sales affecting my cruise/category……

[Jim and Monika]

I don't agree with the analogy of just upgrading car models with no additional cost, there is a better way to use it. We are talking about a ship that is not sailing to capacity, and having empty higher level cabins as the sailing comes due. The similarity is with dealers having models that are not selling and coming to the end of the model year. Those models are reduced in some way, I believe the cruise line could do something similar. I'm not talking about a free upgrade, but offering an upgrade below what it would have cost in the beginning. We are happy with the veranda we booked for our upcoming cruise in March because of the larger balcony. We do not want to go to a higher level veranda as we would lose the larger veranda. We are very low maintenance while on vacation and would not take advantage of the concierge. Now if they want to put us in a suite, that might be a different story, but not what we expect.

[mauibabes]

MEFIowa,

Maybe your answer to your TA is that perhaps you need a more supportive TA, one who will pay attention to opportunities for their clients. It is a Customer Service business and everyone shops cruises AND Travel Agents.  A quality TA is worth a LOT. I agree with pHDIva, make yours step up or “walk”. Yes the Black Friday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day sales are a MUST watch thing with Oceania and I have had friends go from A to a PH on those sales. 
Good Luck 

Mauibabes

[MEFIowa]

3 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

MEFIowa,

Maybe your answer to your TA is that perhaps you need a more supportive TA, one who will pay attention to opportunities for their clients. It is a Customer Service business and everyone shops cruises AND Travel Agents.  A quality TA is worth a LOT. I agree with pHDIva, make yours step up or “walk”. Yes the Black Friday, Presidents Day, Memorial Day sales are a MUST watch thing with Oceania and I have had friends go from A to a PH on those sales. 
Good Luck 

Mauibabes

This was my very first cruise ever. The big O brochure fell out of my WSJ on Saturday 1/30/21. And instead of just immediately recycling it, I actually opened it up and thought, "I wonder what a cruise would be like." The rest was history. I just called O on 2/1/21 and talked to their service rep. Made the reservation that day. So I certainly do not have a TA. Have always planned all of my vacations. NOW that I know...

[dj_crusin]

On 1/18/2022 at 3:46 PM, sunlover12 said:

I agree with FlyerTalker.  I have learned in my career (which is not in the travel industry) that offering discounts just because it seems to the customer the right thing to do "cheapens the product" in the long run.  It's bad policy. Just because there are cabins available doesn't mean the cruise line should be offering upgrades at reduced prices.  If someone has received a discount or an upgrade in the past, that is great and you should consider yourself lucky. I sure wouldn't come to expect it though. 

How do you explain the 2 for 1 standard pricing structure for Oceania?  Or a 4 category upgrade?

Edited January 22, 2022 by dj_crusin

[MEFIowa]

1 minute ago, dj_crusin said:

How do you explain the 2 for 1 standard pricing structure for Oceania?

When I saw that studying their brochure for the first time in 2021 I realized all it was involved essentially a "fake" price off a top-line book rate, akin to the price you see on the back of your hotel room, the "max rate" they could charge. I laughed when I saw talk of "free" airfare or "free O life" yet I bought my cruise with NO airfare and NO O Life and the price was significantly reduced for both reductions. So nothing "free" about either. When I booked my 2nd cruise while I Riviera I mentioned to the cruise sales person that I didn't need my MBA to laugh at paying $600 for $600 of credits and somehow being told it was a benefit. She chuckled and merely said, "Some people like to pre-pay for these things in advance so they don't have to worry about them." So none of that pre-payment for us. And my wife did our own excursions direct with excursion operators. Plus we didn't drink any of O's booze (brought my 6 bottles on board and beer/hard liquor/wine in ports).

[sunlover12]

15 minutes ago, dj_crusin said:

How do you explain the 2 for 1 standard pricing structure for Oceania?  Or a 4 category upgrade?

The 2 for 1 standard pricing is a marketing ploy.  No one actually pays that price.

 

The 4-category upgrade is, in my experience, a rather limited offer. It depends on the cruise and the cabin category you are trying to upgrade to. I called during the Presidents Day Sale a couple of years ago and was told that the highest cabin category you can upgrade to is an A1. The sale did not apply to PH and higher.

 

Hawaiidan explained it best in #22 of this thread when he said upgrades are a betrayal to customers who paid the full price. I agree completely.

 

If I'm sitting in the economy section of an airplane, I wouldn't expect to be moved to First Class just because there is an empty seat up there.  I know those First Class customers paid quite a bit more for their seat than I did.

[susiesan]

37 minutes ago, dj_crusin said:

How do you explain the 2 for 1 standard pricing structure for Oceania?  Or a 4 category upgrade?

Anyone who pays anywhere close to prices on Oceania's web site is a fool. The only way to find out what just the cruise costs is to ask about a cruise only booking with a TA. Then figure out what DIY airfare is, compare to O's add on airfare, and go with which is cheaper. Agree the 4 category upgrade sales are extremely limited and a come on,  and don't amount to much.

[Hawaiidan]

2 hours ago, dj_crusin said:

How do you explain the 2 for 1 standard pricing structure for Oceania?  Or a 4 category upgrade?

Marketing 101.....  Set an inflated price and offer a discount to the price you really wanted to get. And seldom do you get up graded out of your general cat...like veranda      The key words are " UP TO 4 catagories... if available."

[Hawaiidan]

5 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

The one thing I learned about my very first cruise ever in this regard was to check for periodic "sales". I booked my Dec 13-23/2021 trip on Riviera on 2/1/21. C-Deluxe Outside for $1899. Then without any notice to me, I saw on Oceania's web site a "President's Weekend Sale", that same month. I called my O rep to complain about the lack of notification, but he just said, "Up to you to find the sales." So I changed to an A4 Concierge that was reduced from $2349 per to $2099 per. (The book price later rose to $2,549 for same room.) Never saw another sale and I was checking weekly and always around every holiday.

LESSON in Travel # 1     Always book with a top travel agent who is highly experienced with  and a top Oceania cruise seller.   

 Benifit:     The agent will be on the good side of his Agency O rep ( who is many tiers above that of the Customer O Rep)     

 EFFECT:  O can offer that agent perks for his clients, extra this, priority  up sell offers,  More OBC   etc. to reward them for producing Some agents will even offer you rebates/furthur unpublished discounts  of 5-8% of your paid fare !!!      

.     

You ...contacting a  O sales rep will in most cases be far down the pecking order  to offers and the like , that you would never get from booking direct. 

But, hey...you have control....even if it is in unfamiliar territory that you think you know.      Your odds of the best outcome is  highly in doubt.

 

  It is in O's best interest, to keep their Travel agents happy. and producing..... its called  business      Remember " you done get  what you deserve...you get what you negotiate"

Edited January 22, 2022 by Hawaiidan

[susiesan]

1 hour ago, Hawaiidan said:

LESSON in Travel # 1     Always book with a top travel agent who is highly experienced with  and a top Oceania cruise seller.   

 Benifit:     The agent will be on the good side of his Agency O rep ( who is many tiers above that of the Customer O Rep)     

 EFFECT:  O can offer that agent perks for his clients, extra this, priority  up sell offers,  More OBC   etc. to reward them for producing Some agents will even offer you rebates/furthur unpublished discounts  of 5-8% of your paid fare !!!      

.     

You ...contacting a  O sales rep will in most cases be far down the pecking order  to offers and the like , that you would never get from booking direct. 

But, hey...you have control....even if it is in unfamiliar territory that you think you know.      Your odds of the best outcome is  highly in doubt.

 

  It is in O's best interest, to keep their Travel agents happy. and producing..... its called  business      Remember " you done get  what you deserve...you get what you negotiate"

You keep saying that but many of us have no idea who these top Oceania travel agents are since we are not allowed to get that information here. I'd drop the 2 I go back and forth with using if I knew who to give my business to. Some here seem to be very lucky to have found one of these top O cruise sellers to do business with, some of us have to muddle though with who we have. 

[Hawaiidan]

7 minutes ago, susiesan said:

You keep saying that but many of us have no idea who these top Oceania travel agents are since we are not allowed to get that information here. I'd drop the 2 I go back and forth with using if I knew who to give my business to. Some here seem to be very lucky to have found one of these top O cruise sellers to do business with, some of us have to muddle though with who we have. 

There used to be a listing  for Connosure Club.... the name O gives it top agencies.    When you shop for agents  ask it they are in it.....    You have to do some legwork...  but it pays off   I have used the same agency for 20 years.     Same agent...      loyalty gets results..... you have no idea. I ain't a trust fund kid....  so I and others work for it

[MEFIowa]

At least I learned that if you book a future cruise on a current O cruise you can save a couple hundred dollars and get some free credit. So doing that last month meant saving $500 total for us both, from a $2599 per (or 9.6%). And the book price increased 1/1/22 by $100. So that $2699 room today is just $2399 to us by booking on a cruise before the price increase. Of course, I'll be watching for any future O sales in '22 as I did in '21.

 

I wonder what % you can get from a TA, since they want their cut, too. As if we could find out the "wholesale" price per various TAs depending upon their historical relationship with O.

[mauibabes]

MEFIowa,

Everyone’s offering their valuable 2 cents and are correct in one way or another. Congratulations on actually opening that brochure and taking an Oceania cruise. Everyone is right, NO ONE pays the full price rate, just a “attention grabber”.  It caught my attention 15 years ago and we took our “once in a lifetime” cruise.  I have to say we were so happy to have become a member of the Oceania family.
There are lots of ways to benefit from all the pricing options and YES, the O Life options with SBC or Excursions or Drink Packages “can” provide major cost savings.  There are definitely times when letting Oceania book your Free airfare, especially if there are concerns the cruise may not sail. Why pay for flights and get stuck with credits that may or may not work for you. Run the numbers and see what pencils out in dollars but also look at convenience. While O Life with SBC is a wash, using easily cancellable excursions, especially on Covid cancellable or Mother Nature cancellable port calls, you can benefit.  The value of Free excursions rounds out to about $150 per excursion if you use their tours and if you also qualify for the Your World 25% Discount, can be better off.  We did a number of excursions on a Iceland cruise Pre Covid and our average cost per tour up was under $80. Bottom line, do whatever works best for you, you have options. 

 

I mentioned before about taking our” Once in a Lifetime” cruise 15 years ago, well we just completed our FREE Cruise, number 20, and no cruise line offers a loyalty program amenity comparable.  Just enjoy your O cruises and the guests and staff and ships. When on board, there are lots of guest conversations about TA’s and you never know, you might just get a referral to that well connected, Connoisseur Club Agent.
Ciao,

Mauibabes

[gtaylor]

57 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

<snip>

 

I mentioned before about taking our” Once in a Lifetime” cruise 15 years ago, well we just completed our FREE Cruise, number 20, and no cruise line offers a loyalty program amenity comparable.  Just enjoy your O cruises and the guests and staff and ships. When on board, there are lots of guest conversations about TA’s and you never know, you might just get a referral to that well connected, Connoisseur Club Agent.
Ciao,

Mauibabes

We've had a couple 'Once in a lifetime' cruises, Haven on NCL and then Yacht Club on MSC, that have been repeated time and time again, but now looking forward to a new 'Once in a Lifetime' on Oceania.

 

Note that NCL does offer a free (7 day) cruise when you reach Ambassador Level at 700 points.

 

gary

[mauibabes]

NCL is a part of the NCLH family but 7 days is not 14 like Oceania’s. I don’t know what 700 points mean but ours comes with 20 cruise credits which is based on cruise length. 
 

We were blessed when we found Oceania after some less than great trips on Princess and Celebrity. 
Ciao,

Mauibabes

[Hawaiidan]

17 minutes ago, mauibabes said:

NCL is a part of the NCLH family but 7 days is not 14 like Oceania’s. I don’t know what 700 points mean but ours comes with 20 cruise credits which is based on cruise length. 
 

We were blessed when we found Oceania after some less than great trips on Princess and Celebrity. 
Ciao,

Mauibabes

The dramatic difference between Oceania and, well,NCL/ Celeb. Princess, no matter the cabin class it the numbers of guests you have to wade through.     We are talking not  ships of 2800- to  6000 .... but  600 to 1200!!!   No lines,,, no waiting,  no hassle.   

 

 Rather than promoting Status and cabin class divisions like the others.... Oceania treats everyone outside the cabin, with equal service and  respect.     No one brag's how much they make or what they do. It is a different,  well mannered, well traveled respectful set who enjoy each others company. 

   None of this possible on the "other"  huge ships.       The Numbers alone  make a vast difference you have to experience to appreciate.

 

  There are no roving photographers,  Drink pushing waiters,  or silly pool games.    It is a low key ambiance, pretty much totally child free place to  enjoy adult conversation with your fellow passengers as well as a stunning array of high quality cuisine at every venue at no cost ..    No nickel and dime stuff.     Lobster and fresh seafood?.... Served every day in every restaurant ,even the  pool grill , not  on one special night!   

 

So yes  it is VERY VERY different..... It is a throwback to the golden age of ocean travel and the romance of the the sea................      Enjoy It.... 

v

[mauibabes]

Major Ditto’s Hawaiidan

 

Mauibabes. 

 

[PhD-iva]

9 hours ago, mauibabes said:

We were blessed when we found Oceania after some less than great trips on Princess and Celebrity. 
Ciao,

Mauibabes

Our experience as well.

[MisterBill99]

I know this is going to be a difficult question to answer, but is the upsell price likely to be different if I book a C2 vs. C1? I can save $100pp by taking the C2, and the location is pretty much the same on deck 4. But my hope is to get an upsell to a balcony, so I am wondering if they will get the $100 from me at the upsell or if I actually will end up saving it in the end.

[LHT28]

9 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

I know this is going to be a difficult question to answer, but is the upsell price likely to be different if I book a C2 vs. C1? I can save $100pp by taking the C2, and the location is pretty much the same on deck 4. But my hope is to get an upsell to a balcony, so I am wondering if they will get the $100 from me at the upsell or if I actually will end up saving it in the end.

Depends

If you want a balcony book it now

there  may not be any upsells  on your sailing  or if it does not matter book a C cabin now

Note the C 2's are more forward &  some under the theater 

[ORV]

10 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

I know this is going to be a difficult question to answer, but is the upsell price likely to be different if I book a C2 vs. C1? I can save $100pp by taking the C2, and the location is pretty much the same on deck 4. But my hope is to get an upsell to a balcony, so I am wondering if they will get the $100 from me at the upsell or if I actually will end up saving it in the end.

There is no rhyme or reason in the upsell department. There are a lot of moving parts involved. No way of knowing until it actually happens. 

[MisterBill99]

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Depends

If you want a balcony book it now

there  may not be any upsells  on your sailing  or if it does not matter book a C cabin now

Note the C 2's are more forward &  some under the theater 

 

Thanks. 4021 s available and that's the last C2 before the C1 cabins start and not under the theater. The only downside is that it's a connecting cabin, but we've never had a problem with those before.

 

I would like a balcony, but not for an extra $600 per person.

[MisterBill99]

4 hours ago, ORV said:

There is no rhyme or reason in the upsell department. There are a lot of moving parts involved. No way of knowing until it actually happens. 

 

I know that all of that is true. I was just wondering if anyone had ever compared notes and determined if different people who get upsell offers from different categories within the same class of cabin get different prices.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

I know that all of that is true. I was just wondering if anyone had ever compared notes and determined if different people who get upsell offers from different categories within the same class of cabin get different prices.

There's a human tendency to look for patterns – it has saved us from extinction over the millennia – but it also leads us to 'find' patterns that don't exist.  If there is no rhyme or reason, comparing notes will lead you find a rule that doesn't exist.

 

PS: root for the Rams in the Super Bowl, because if they win the Stock Market will go up this year according to the 'Super Bowl Indicator'

https://www.schaeffersresearch.com/content/analysis/2022/02/09/a-lesson-in-randomness-via-the-super-bowl-indicator