Allura inaugural update

[KS&JW]

reposted from the book of Face

 

Dear Travel Partner,

We have an important update regarding the first six sailings of Allura’s inaugural season scheduled for the summer of 2025. We have been informed by the shipyard that Allura’s delivery will be delayed. As a result, we will need to cancel her scheduled sailings in June and July of next year. We are as disappointed as you are yet will eagerly await her July arrival.

Travel Advisors and guests impacted by this delay will be notified directly over the next two days. Guests will automatically receive a 100% refund as well as a special rebook offer on a future sailing.

A new 12-day inaugural voyage for Allura is planned, commencing on July 24, 2025, from Athens, Greece, to Monte Carlo, Monaco. This new inaugural sailing will open for sale beginning Monday, February 12. Guests who were booked on one of the now-canceled sailings will have early access to this new inaugural voyage one week prior.

[Snaefell3]

The First Law of Project Management:

• The first half of any project takes 90% of the available time and resources.

• The second half takes the other 90%.

[pinotlover]

I didn’t book until a September sailing for a reason. We’ll see if that one actually goes! 😳

[Treasure Hunter]

Yes we were on the June 25th sailing and are sorely disappointed. We are going to try for the inaugural sailing. Monday will be insane. Although it’s likely to be delayed too. I actually like the ports more. Our original cruise was to Egypt and Israel and was going to be changed anyway. 

[mauibabes]

Every new O ship built by Fincantieri (sp) Shipyards have been delayed for one reason or another by at least two months. When both Vista and Allura we released, we elected to wait for their arrival dates in North America to try them out. Other cruise lines are having the same issues, just the nature of the beast I guess.  
See you on Allura in October 2025.

Mauibabes

[Treasure Hunter]

Hahaha it happened to us once before on Holland America. We never did sail that line. It was right after 9/11 and we ended up doing the National Parks with Tauck instead. 

[BRWolf]

We are upset but are in the process of booking a similar itinerary, but in reverse, on the Vista in later September.  

 

They don't offer much in the way of consideration for the disruption of people's plans, "We are happy to extend a $250 shipboard credit per stateroom on your new booking, whether on Allura or any ship in our fleet sailing in 2024 or 2025."  How generous.

 

 

[jennybenny]

We were on a June sailing that was cancelled. The new inaugural starts on the day our cruise was set to begin but the itinerary has changed. We were notified over a year in advance, I’d say it was generous to give us anything. Not expected, but thanks! 

Sure, I’m disappointed but already have our Plan B picked and waiting for our TA to book it.

No hard feelings here. 

[shepherd really]

Given the delays on Vista's delivery, was anyone really surprised by this?

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, shepherd really said:

Given the delays on Vista's delivery, was anyone really surprised by this?

Absolutely not. The ship yards have been struggling since Covid and their issues have been well publicized. People have been notified well in advanced.

 

We’re booked on the September TA. We definitely won’t buy airline tickets for this cruise until at least six months before hand. In fact, it may be smarter, for this cruise, to use O Air thus eliminating that risk. At this point, an Allura September cruise is still 50-50 imo.

[BAMA_BOY]

6 hours ago, pinotlover said:

 

We’re booked on the September TA. We definitely won’t buy airline tickets for this cruise until at least six months before hand. In fact, it may be smarter, for this cruise, to use O Air thus eliminating that risk. At this point, an Allura September cruise is still 50-50 imo.

We're also booked on the TA.  Good idea to wait until final payment date to think about booking air!

[Wheelhouse]

We are also on the TA.  It would be a good time to use frequent flyer miles for the flight over.  You cancel those at the last second and get your miles reinstated. 

[MoreyCreek]

I had four cabins booked for myself and family members on the June 25th sailing.  I wonder how long it will take to get out deposits back.  I will probably be re-booking on another cruise line.

[rbtan]

On 2/2/2024 at 8:20 PM, mauibabes said:

Every new O ship built by Fincantieri (sp) Shipyards have been delayed for one reason or another by at least two months. When both Vista and Allura we released, we elected to wait for their arrival dates in North America to try them out. Other cruise lines are having the same issues, just the nature of the beast I guess.  
See you on Allura in October 2025.

Mauibabes

Never liked this ship yard. There are constant delays. Also the quality lacks. Was just on the Vista. We had tiles popping off the pool area & a sheet of them fall from the ceiling in the sauna. We noticed 2 window "crackle" up likely from wave action. I feel the ships are not built as sound as they could be. The vibration from waves should not be popping off tiles & breaking windows. The window breaking in Horizons was from the ship shaking in the waves. Not a good sign for ship longevity. The same happened along Waves grill as well. Look at the QM2. It never had that problems to this effect..

[Treasure Hunter]

We just booked the inaugural cruise transferred from June 25, 2025. Totally different ports but we don’t care. Couldn’t get the same stateroom but same category. Fingers crossed and knock on wood. Traveling with friends and it’s our first inaugural cruise in 50+ cruises. Very excited bc and hopeful. 

[LWFM]

It is a good thing I looked at this post. Thank you for reposting. I have not received any notice of the cancelation of the June 25, 2025 sailing. We selected the cruise because it included Egypt and Israel. We were originally booked on the Riviera 9/24/24 and when the itinerary changed we booked the Allura. What concerns me is that I do not have any emails fromTA or Oceania notifying us of the change!😡  Quite frankly posting on a social media website is not an acceptable form of communication from a " luxury" cruise line.  

[basor]

12 hours ago, LWFM said:

It is a good thing I looked at this post. Thank you for reposting. I have not received any notice of the cancelation of the June 25, 2025 sailing. We selected the cruise because it included Egypt and Israel. We were originally booked on the Riviera 9/24/24 and when the itinerary changed we booked the Allura. What concerns me is that I do not have any emails fromTA or Oceania notifying us of the change!😡  Quite frankly posting on a social media website is not an acceptable form of communication from a " luxury" cruise line.  

The post was quoting what a TA posted that they received from O ......the particular site on this specific social media is run by a TA so he post communications he receives from O.  O did not post the cancelation on social media...I would check with your TA as O did send out emails to those affected.

[Treasure Hunter]

We got an email directly from Oceania ( even though we are working with a TA. The gist was that the shipyard informed them that the ship would not be ready until July. They gave us first crack at the inaugural sailing ( a week before the general public) and $250 per stateroom credit. We found out on a Friday and our TA called at nine on Monday. If you look on the website, the maiden voyage is not listed. The first sailing of Allura is August 5, 2025 our end of cruise return. Since we are so far out, I’m not sure two months will make a difference . Oceania transferred our deposit. I had to call our insurance to change the dates. At least airfare wasn’t involved.

[Hlitner]

Over a very long extensive cruise life, we learned (years ago) to avoid any new-build for at least 2 months after its scheduled maiden voyage.  Now, with shipyard delays no uncommon, we prefer to wait for about 6 months.  Also keep in mind that the best cruise ships function like a well-oiled machine with everything in synch.  It takes some time for a crew to come together and work like a team, so this is another reason to give a new build a little time to work out the kinks.

 

Hank

[Treasure Hunter]

I don’t expect everything to be perfect. We just hope to share the excitement and experience of a new ship. And we love the ports. And will be sailing with very adventurous friends. It will be our first maiden voyage and we have a positive outlook about the whole thing. 

[LWFM]

I never got an email from Oceania or my TA. I called the TA and the next day I received the email. We can't travel in August and September so we planed to rebook on the Vista October 3, 2025.  Although we were advised we would keep all of our benefits and get an extra $250.00 credit from OceaniaI have now been told by the TA  our $800 Shore excursion credit is no longer available and the offer is $600.00. Essentially, Oceania is giving us $50.00. I hope that this is a mistake. 

 

[Treasure Hunter]

That's terrible. And very disappointing.

[Zephyr8r]

On 2/3/2024 at 5:24 AM, jennybenny said:

We were on a June sailing that was cancelled. The new inaugural starts on the day our cruise was set to begin but the itinerary has changed. We were notified over a year in advance, I’d say it was generous to give us anything. Not expected, but thanks! 

Sure, I’m disappointed but already have our Plan B picked and waiting for our TA to book it.

No hard feelings here. 

Right. Me too. I can deal with the hassle of well over a year in advance and before airfare booking is even an option.
 

To put it into perspective: Look at those poor SOBs booked on the Sun Princess (notably also a Fincantieri build) cancelled within a week or two of departure. TWICE!

[Treasure Hunter]

And check out the “Antarctica” NCL Star sailing on YouTube. There’s an uprising going on due to a change in itinerary made before the sail by Miami but not told to the passengers until at sea. No Antarctic. ( not weather related)

[Snaefell3]

I've spent too much grief dealing with (b)leading-edge software at work to entrust a precious vacation to the inevitable bugs on an inaugural voyage -- or even the 10th.