Deceptive Pricing Tactics??

[Tarwood3]

So I have put off this post for a couple weeks now but my frustration with Oceania has gotten the better of me.  Asking everyone to look at their invoices that they have for current bookings and compare them to what’s online.  

 

Long story short:   We were booked on the 20 day Taiwan to Perth April 2025 in an A3 category. While on our transatlantic last month, we decided to upgrade to the PH2.  I contacted my travel agent(his asst…he was on a cruise)  …he completed the upgrade and sent me my new invoice.  Normally, I just “assume” all is fine and am happy that I got what I wanted. Since I had plenty of time to kill on the crossing , I closely looked at the invoice and realized that instead of the starting pricing point being the brochure fare of $25,398, they started it as $28,198…then deducted the same discounts I had on the A3 ( early booking, air credit etc)   So I emailed our agent (his assistant) back and asked why the cruise starting price is $2800 more expensive than what’s posted online    A day later, agent(assistant)  came back and said O’s response was “ Don’t pay attention to the numbers…just the bottom line number is what you need to look at “??  I thought this was a ridiculous statement.  Sounds like a used car salesman!   I asked again…please give me a reason as to why the invoice price has been inflated.   Agent went back to O…same response….   So once our agent was back from a trip, I reached out to him again directly , we spoke on the phone and he made me go through everything again…as if I wasn’t understanding the invoice.  Anyway, he said he would go back to O again and “escalate it”.  So here we are 3 weeks later, still nothing from O.  Someone created that invoice, shouldn’t be that hard to explain why they used a starting number higher than what is online….

 

So after 3 weeks, I see it this way.  They inflated the starting number to absorb some of the discounts.  They are not replying to my repeated requests to explain their numbers because they don’t have an explanation that would fly with any consumer.  So I checked another cruise I have booked with them for next year and same thing…numbers are “made up” to me.   Is the final number a bit lower than what’s online…yes…but nothing close to discounts they promise… Are they inflating invoices to absorb air credits, onboard booking credits and the like??  Perhaps this problem is more widespread and not just isolated to me? Class action lawsuit to find out if they are being deceptive?? …..and btw…my agent is one of O’s top agents …so definitely someone you think they would want to keep in their good graces??? 

[Flatbush Flyer]

26 minutes ago, Tarwood3 said:

So I have put off this post for a couple weeks now but my frustration with Oceania has gotten the better of me.  Asking everyone to look at their invoices that they have for current bookings and compare them to what’s online.  

 

Long story short:   We were booked on the 20 day Taiwan to Perth April 2025 in an A3 category. While on our transatlantic last month, we decided to upgrade to the PH2.  I contacted my travel agent(his asst…he was on a cruise)  …he completed the upgrade and sent me my new invoice.  Normally, I just “assume” all is fine and am happy that I got what I wanted. Since I had plenty of time to kill on the crossing , I closely looked at the invoice and realized that instead of the starting pricing point being the brochure fare of $25,398, they started it as $28,198…then deducted the same discounts I had on the A3 ( early booking, air credit etc)   So I emailed our agent (his assistant) back and asked why the cruise starting price is $2800 more expensive than what’s posted online    A day later, agent(assistant)  came back and said O’s response was “ Don’t pay attention to the numbers…just the bottom line number is what you need to look at “??  I thought this was a ridiculous statement.  Sounds like a used car salesman!   I asked again…please give me a reason as to why the invoice price has been inflated.   Agent went back to O…same response….   So once our agent was back from a trip, I reached out to him again directly , we spoke on the phone and he made me go through everything again…as if I wasn’t understanding the invoice.  Anyway, he said he would go back to O again and “escalate it”.  So here we are 3 weeks later, still nothing from O.  Someone created that invoice, shouldn’t be that hard to explain why they used a starting number higher than what is online….

 

So after 3 weeks, I see it this way.  They inflated the starting number to absorb some of the discounts.  They are not replying to my repeated requests to explain their numbers because they don’t have an explanation that would fly with any consumer.  So I checked another cruise I have booked with them for next year and same thing…numbers are “made up” to me.   Is the final number a bit lower than what’s online…yes…but nothing close to discounts they promise… Are they inflating invoices to absorb air credits, onboard booking credits and the like??  Perhaps this problem is more widespread and not just isolated to me? Class action lawsuit to find out if they are being deceptive?? …..and btw…my agent is one of O’s top agents …so definitely someone you think they would want to keep in their good graces??? 

Very interesting observation.

Of course, O has every right to change prices whenever (just read the T&Cs). And I don’t remember them ever citing a “percentage off” in a sale, which would then be somewhat deceptive or, at least, misleading.

All that said, however, the bottom line is the bottom line. If the price to you is less than before, either you want it or you don’t.

[Tarwood3]

6 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Very interesting observation.

Of course, O has every right to change prices whenever (just read the T&Cs). And I don’t remember them ever citing a “percentage off” in a sale, which would then be somewhat deceptive or, at least, misleading.

All that said, however, the bottom line is the bottom line. If the price to you is less than before, either you want it or you don’t.

Yes, they can change prices whenever …but why is it not showing that online?  It’s no different than you go into a store and buy something and when you get to the cashier , the price is higher than what is advertised …do you just say ok? I will pay more? 

 

Obviously I want to do the cruise… but I don’t think I am asking too much for an explanation of the invoice they sent to me…very simple….where did this random number come from that used to calculate my fare? Ive never had this with any other cruise line?

 

Not sure I understand what you mean by “percentage off “ sale…referring to credits such as air credit, on board booking credit etc)…maybe I didn’t word my original post very well…

[pmatawan]

Could it be you are comparing the cruise only price with the O-life price?

[PhD-iva]

Isn’t the credit also larger so that you get to the “right” bottom line number? 

[Tarwood3]

8 minutes ago, pmatawan said:

Could it be you are comparing the cruise only price with the O-life price?

No….lol…I understand how it all works.  Point is that brochure fare, where all the pricing begins is $2800 higher on my invoice than the starting price brochure fare online.  

[Tarwood3]

10 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Isn’t the credit also larger so that you get to the “right” bottom line number? 

Credit is only higher for the 2 for 1 part…not for air credit etc.   but if my invoice shows brochure fare of $28,198 less the (2 for 1 or early booking; however you want to call it ) of $14,099. Thats $14,099 before air credit, on board booking credit etc.   Whereas online, whenI booked it (and still currently) brochure fare of $25,398 less early booking credit of $12,099…thats clearly more than $14099 then less any discounts of air credit etc….  See my point…where did the $28,198 number come from?  No one can/will explain it.  

[cruisingxpert]

Their invoices are a fancy modern miracle.

I have a booking for me - only me and I am paying double the pp rate but invoice has a supposed SS discount.

Cruise Fare 19,298.00 CAD
Single Supplement 7,624.00
Savings
Early Booking (9,649.00)
Bonus Discount (1,650.00)

 

None of it makes sense so the only thing I go by is am I paying what I can see on the O site pp fare.

If I upgrade, is the difference between the category I had originally and the one I upgraded to the same difference pp that I see on the O site 

[Tarwood3]

5 hours ago, cruisingxpert said:

Their invoices are a fancy modern miracle.

I have a booking for me - only me and I am paying double the pp rate but invoice has a supposed SS discount.

Cruise Fare 19,298.00 CAD
Single Supplement 7,624.00
Savings
Early Booking (9,649.00)
Bonus Discount (1,650.00)

 

None of it makes sense so the only thing I go by is am I paying what I can see on the O site pp fare.

If I upgrade, is the difference between the category I had originally and the one I upgraded to the same difference pp that I see on the O site 

Have you ever questioned them on it?  It’s so unethical to say you are saving X amount of dollars but when you actually book it, they raise the base fare, so you’re not really getting a discount or much less of a discount than you thought.  Discounts are often incentive for people to book, but if they are raising the price and you’re not actually getting the price you thought, that’s very deceptive.   We should be able to understand and see where each number is coming from…. 

[cruisingxpert]

26 minutes ago, Tarwood3 said:

Have you ever questioned them on it?  It’s so unethical to say you are saving X amount of dollars but when you actually book it, they raise the base fare, so you’re not really getting a discount or much less of a discount than you thought.  Discounts are often incentive for people to book, but if they are raising the price and you’re not actually getting the price you thought, that’s very deceptive.   We should be able to understand and see where each number is coming from…. 

No, I've never questioned the fairytale pricing on the invoice.  I look for the total price to verify it is what I expected.  Having said that you made me look a little closer.  It is still a fairytale but the numbers did work out. If you add the first 2 numbers(which they must pull from somewhere I can't mention🤥) and then subtract the rest, you end up with the price I could see when I went to pricing on the O website.

 

Cruise Fare 19,298.00 CAD
Single Supplement 7,624.00
Savings
Early Booking (9,649.00)
Bonus Discount (1,650.00)
Onboard Booking Savings (375.00)
Air Allowance (1,050.00)
Cruise Fare Total 14,198.00

Edited April 20, 2023 by cruisingxpert

[Flatbush Flyer]

16 minutes ago, Tarwood3 said:

Have you ever questioned them on it?  It’s so unethical to say you are saving X amount of dollars but when you actually book it, they raise the base fare, so you’re not really getting a discount or much less of a discount than you thought.  Discounts are often incentive for people to book, but if they are raising the price and you’re not actually getting the price you thought, that’s very deceptive.   We should be able to understand and see where each number is coming from…. 

If you’re considering the full “brochure” fare (not the O Life or cruise only fare) as the base fare, you don’t have much company. 

No one I know has ever cared what that fare is because it’s never charged. In one sense, it’s like a new automobile’s MSRP (when there were new cars aplenty). No one in their right mind would ever pay the MSRP.

 

The only true measure of what percent savings exists is to compare the current sale price to the current non-sale published price for equivalent O Life or “cruise only” cabins. 
The “Extraordinary” brochure we recently received in the mail does just that.

 

That said, there is the possible issue that, while O’s O Life/cruise only prices do regularly increase (often the website warns you that it will soon happen), there may be an occasional price jump just prior to a holiday sale. But, any O regular who follows O trends is well aware when that happens. 

[basor]

2 hours ago, cruisingxpert said:

No, I've never questioned the fairytale pricing on the invoice.  I look for the total price to verify it is what I expected.  Having said that you made me look a little closer.  It is still a fairytale but the numbers did work out. If you add the first 2 numbers(which they must pull from somewhere I can't mention🤥) and then subtract the rest, you end up with the price I could see when I went to pricing on the O website.

 

Cruise Fare 19,298.00 CAD
Single Supplement 7,624.00
Savings
Early Booking (9,649.00)
Bonus Discount (1,650.00)
Onboard Booking Savings (375.00)
Air Allowance (1,050.00)
Cruise Fare Total 14,198.00

So the bottom line price is exactly what you were expecting and what is advertised so they are not charging you more.....

[Flatbush Flyer]

15 minutes ago, basor said:

So the bottom line price is exactly what you were expecting and what is advertised so they are not charging you more.....

Not exactly rocket science….

[Tarwood3]

29 minutes ago, basor said:

So the bottom line price is exactly what you were expecting and what is advertised so they are not charging you more.....

Well in her instance, it does work out ..in mine it does not…

[Tarwood3]

14 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not exactly rocket science….

Maybe in her case, but mine still doesn’t add up. Even my Travel Agent doesn’t understand what they have done and has escalated the issue because as he says “if you heard the explanations I have gotten so far, you wouldn’t like them…I need to escalate. “.  

 

In my case. If all the discounts areadded up….the usual 2 for 1 (also known as early booking )discount, air credit, on board booking discount, the price is $2800 higher than what it should be based on what is being advertised on line.  

[Tarwood3]

39 minutes ago, basor said:

So the bottom line price is exactly what you were expecting and what is advertised so they are not charging you more.....

 

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

If you’re considering the full “brochure” fare (not the O Life or cruise only fare) as the base fare, you don’t have much company. 

No one I know has ever cared what that fare is because it’s never charged. In one sense, it’s like a new automobile’s MSRP (when there were new cars aplenty). No one in their right mind would ever pay the MSRP.

 

The only true measure of what percent savings exists is to compare the current sale price to the current non-sale published price for equivalent O Life or “cruise only” cabins. 
The “Extraordinary” brochure we recently received in the mail does just that.

 

That said, there is the possible issue that, while O’s O Life/cruise only prices do regularly increase (often the website warns you that it will soon happen), there may be an occasional price jump just prior to a holiday sale. But, any O regular who follows O trends is well aware when that happens. 

And so let me put it this way since you don’t seem to understand my point about starting price…btw..My entire career was in Finance with Mercedes Benz Financial Svcs…I know a thing or two about numbers…. ….   If online O life without air is $11,299 (when I upgraded and currently still), why am I being charged $13,699?  

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 minutes ago, Tarwood3 said:

 

And so let me put it this way since you don’t seem to understand my point about starting price…btw..My entire career was in Finance with Mercedes Benz Financial Svcs…I know a thing or two about numbers…. ….   If online O life without air is $11,299 (when I upgraded and currently still), why am I being charged $13,699?  

Not enough info. But, I’ll take a stab without it.

If what you are saying is that your currently booked cruise is advertised on the list for the Extraordinary sale AND you do not have a book onboard price drop match guarantee AND you do not have any excluded perk associated with your current booking (e.g., TA OCAPP coverage of your gratuities) AND their is cabin availability in your currently booked cabin level AND you (or your TA) contact O for the current Sale price modification on the existing booking, AND your CC post statement that the online regular price is the same now for the same cabin class you originally purchased AND the “upgrade” you mention 

didn’t require a rebooking and didn’t add an additional cost, realize that it doesn’t apply to every cruise and is subject to being excluded for certain double dips) is $1000 more than the currently advertised (find it on the web price), something is definitely wrong.

 

However, the more likely situation is that there is something going on with your original booking where the O accounting system is causing you cruise to be excluded (see the previous “ifs,” particularly as regards the “upgrade” you mentioned.

Remember that most fare adjust refusals are related to “double dipping” and, since I hear you saying that the retail price is not unchanged (hmmm? hat upgrade still peaks my interest), there may be an “exclusion” at play OR whoever did the reprice for the sale made an error (incorrect Sale code, typo adding a digit, etc.)

Final thought: Your TA could always do a mock booking and see what bottom line comes up. If  it’s significantly lower, (including any cancel penalty and no negative impact on your O Life perks or air credit, et al., there’s your solution.

 

BTW: I know something about numbers too: “buck stops here” responsibility for 9 figure university budgets. There’s always an explanation. 

 

[Tarwood3]

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not enough info. But, I’ll take a stab without it.

If what you are saying is that your currently booked cruise is advertised on the list for the Extraordinary sale AND you do not have a book onboard price drop match guarantee AND you do not have any excluded perk associated with your current booking (e.g., TA OCAPP coverage of your gratuities) AND their is cabin availability in your currently booked cabin level AND you (or your TA) contact O for the current Sale price modification on the existing booking, AND your CC post statement that the online regular price is the same now for the same cabin class you originally purchased AND the “upgrade” you mention 

didn’t require a rebooking and didn’t add an additional cost, realize that it doesn’t apply to every cruise and is subject to being excluded for certain double dips) is $1000 more than the currently advertised (find it on the web price), something is definitely wrong.

 

However, the more likely situation is that there is something going on with your original booking where the O accounting system is causing you cruise to be excluded (see the previous “ifs,” particularly as regards the “upgrade” you mentioned.

Remember that most fare adjust refusals are related to “double dipping” and, since I hear you saying that the retail price is not unchanged (hmmm? hat upgrade still peaks my interest), there may be an “exclusion” at play OR whoever did the reprice for the sale made an error (incorrect Sale code, typo adding a digit, etc.)

Final thought: Your TA could always do a mock booking and see what bottom line comes up. If  it’s significantly lower, (including any cancel penalty and no negative impact on your O Life perks or air credit, et al., there’s your solution.

 

BTW: I know something about numbers too: “buck stops here” responsibility for 9 figure university budgets. There’s always an explanation. 

 

Thanks…you definitely have some insight…and your last sentence is exactly my point…there’s always an explanation , but why after 3 weeks are they not willing to provide an explanation ?  The upgrade I alluded to just meant that I was upgrading our choice of cabin from A3 to PH2…not like a free upgrade.  So the same “discounts” were carried over to the new higher category cabin.  To me, which could be naive, I should have the price of higher category I asked for, less the same discounts…that doesn’t seem to be the case….well, the same discounts are there, but O life price is inflated.  That’s the confusion.  So hopefully TA will be able to escalate it and advise why this is happening.  Not to mention, my other booking I have is somewhat similar…not exactly what I thought it would be, but so darn close that I am not gonna worry about that one. 

 

If they just don’t want to offer a bit of a discount as they had before…then just tell me…but don’t create random numbers and think I won’t notice. …   That’s the frustrating thing.  An invoice should be a simple thing to understand, very straight forward…but when it’s not, it feels like they’re trying to pull a fast one….

[Flatbush Flyer]

41 minutes ago, Tarwood3 said:

….To me, which could be naive, I should have the price of higher category I asked for, less the same discounts…

….If they just don’t want to offer a bit of a discount as they had before…then just tell me…but don’t create random numbers and think I won’t notice. … 

BINGO!

As I said, probably related to that previous upgrade and/or some other exclusion (actual or perceived by O staff).

As for the delay in O response, your choice of TA can make a hell of a difference as can your O Club status (if you’re an “elite” O regular I.e., Platinum or above using an O “preferred partner” TA), you’d usually have your answer within several hours max. Perhaps not fair in one sense of the word. But, it works for me.

[Tarwood3]

5 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

BINGO!

As I said, probably related to that previous upgrade and/or some other exclusion (actual or perceived by O staff).

As for the delay in O response, your choice of TA can make a hell of a difference as can your O Club status (if you’re an “elite” O regular I.e., Platinum or above using an O “preferred partner” TA), you’d usually have your answer within several hours max. Perhaps not fair in one sense of the word. But, it works for me.

We have one of O’s top agents…if not the  top…so, that has been another thing that has surprised me…

[AMHuntFerry]

Would you be willing to post screenshots of the online prices and the invoice prices so we can understand better? I understand if you don't want to post the invoice (too personal?). My bottom line has always been what I expected...it sounds like yours is not so I'm curious.

[basor]

2 hours ago, Tarwood3 said:

 

And so let me put it this way since you don’t seem to understand my point about starting price…btw..My entire career was in Finance with Mercedes Benz Financial Svcs…I know a thing or two about numbers…. ….   If online O life without air is $11,299 (when I upgraded and currently still), why am I being charged $13,699?  

I am CPA so know a bit about finance too but wasn't asking for your credentials, was trying to understand...

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Tarwood3 said:

We have one of O’s top agents…if not the  top…so, that has been another thing that has surprised me…

Perhaps. But I always chuckle when I hear that someone’s TA is the “top.” If that was the case, you’d not be waiting this long for an answer.

In any case, I wish you a good outcome.

[Tarwood3]

7 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Perhaps. But I always chuckle when I hear that someone’s TA is the “top.” If that was the case, you’d not be waiting this long for an answer.

In any case, I wish you a good outcome.

You’ll just have to trust me then….   Im sure you know who this person is…most are familiar…in any case, thanks for all your insight…. Will update if I ever hear anything back….

[Tarwood3]

7 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Perhaps. But I always chuckle when I hear that someone’s TA is the “top.” If that was the case, you’d not be waiting this long for an answer.

In any case, I wish you a good outcome.

So, right after I posted a reply to you above, I went to my email and voila…finally an explanation from Oceania…it’s rather simple , and it’s basically what I thought was the issue…just don’t understand why they couldnt provide the explanation to me 3 weeks ago when I was on my transatlantic and saved everyone a lot of frustration/aggravation. Here’s the explanation.    And perhaps you might know this…do you know how I can turn off further posts on here now that I have an explanation ?

 

“ …As you know, we had a price change in January and again in April which is why the brochure fare has changed. The bonus savings they received expired so new bookings no longer receive that. The category is not available to book so I can create a mock booking to show the breakdown but at the end of the day, he is paying the lower fare. I can offer $300 SBC to help smooth things over.”