Oceania 2023 Sales Offer History: Be paying attention in 2024

[MEFIowa]

Though for so many 2024 cruises both general pricing and that "% off" is rather complicated over time, given how long the cruises have been available and the implementation of Simply More last summer.

 

We booked our upcoming 9/9-19/24 Baltic cruise way back on 7 May 2022, over 2 years before the cruise. And over a year before O implemented Simply More. Our original G cabin (since upgraded by a later sale in Oct 2022 to a C1) was $2,499 PP. General price increases after that raised the book rate, first to $2,599 and then to $2,699. But then when SM came out the least expensive inside cabin was listed at $3,199 in the 2024 Collection of Voyages (I received the big book on 9 Aug 23.)

[chocchic]

On 2/11/2024 at 11:43 AM, MEFIowa said:

If there is ONE CONSTANT with O it is...SALES. Sales after sales. All sales are not created equal. BUT both before you book and certainly after you book, pay very close attention to each and every sale. For the devil is in the details with O's various sales. One sale after another. Which can save you a fortune. Ask anyone who booked off the Extraordinary Savings Sale of 2023. This was the mother of sales for 2023.

 

In 2024 we've got the New Year Sale that ends 29 Feb 24. Sadly, looks like NO Presidents' Day Sale, which ran, for example, in 2021 (from which I rebooked our very first cruise. 

 

I pulled out my pile of saved brochures...

 

2023 Sales:

 

1. 20th Anniversary Sale, January-February.

2. OLife Ultimate Sale, March-April.

3. Explore More (Land Programs), April-June

4. Extraordinary Savings Sale, May

5. 4 Category Upgrade Sale, June.

-----------------------------------------------

6. Summer Sale, July-August. [START OF SIMPLY MORE]

7. 4 Category Upgrade Sale, September.

8. Experience Europe 2024 Sale*, 1 October -20 November.

9. Black Friday Sale, November.

10. Holiday Sale, 6-31 December.

 

I'm not sure I'd count either #3 or #8 as "major sales". So, I'd count at least 8 (eight) major sales in 2023.

 

* "2 for 1 Deposits and up to $1,000 onboard cash"

So If we have already booked and paid for our reservation I was assuming the sales were irrelevant.  Can I ask for the sale price if it is lower than what we paid?

Pam

[MEFIowa]

3 hours ago, chocchic said:

So If we have already booked and paid for our reservation I was assuming the sales were irrelevant.  Can I ask for the sale price if it is lower than what we paid?

If you see a sale price that lowers the cost of your cabin, I'd contact O. I tend to use sales (esp. cabin upgrade sales) to go from a G or F to a better cabin (C-B-A)  for what is a similar price.

 

A bit rare for O sales to impact cruises so close to happening, but I'm guessing it can happen. I forget how many months or days one has before final payment is made. Thinking it is around 90 days. Got one in late May for a late Aug cruise. So I'm watching every sale. A new one should start March 1st. Just in case mine is included.

[clo]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

If you see a sale price that lowers the cost of your cabin, I'd contact O. I tend to use sales (esp. cabin upgrade sales) to go from a G or F to a better cabin (C-B-A)  for what is a similar price.

 

A bit rare for O sales to impact cruises so close to happening, but I'm guessing it can happen. I forget how many months or days one has before final payment is made. Thinking it is around 90 days. Got one in late May for a late Aug cruise. So I'm watching every sale. A new one should start March 1st. Just in case mine is included.

Final payment is due 150 ahead.

[MEFIowa]

28 minutes ago, clo said:

Final payment is due 150 ahead.

Not for all cruises, since O has changed things in the rather recent past. So I'm discussing 2024 cruises. Many booked long before any changes.

 

Just went into my account, our two upcoming cruises have 90 days before final payment.

 

- For our 8/28-9/9, 2024 cruise, final payment is May 30th. 90 days out. Booked 5/2022.

- For our 9/9-9/19, 2024 cruise, final payment is June 11th, 90 days out. Booked 7/2023

[MEFIowa]

Never noticed it before, but the big 2024 Collection of Voyages, 194 pages, shows the "seasons" for the cruise zones, including:

 

Caribbean: "September-April" (p. 29)

South America: "November-March" (p. 49)

Asia & Africa: "October-May" (p. 61)

Mediterranean: "April-November" (p. 89)

Scandinavia & Northern Europe: "April-October" (p. 117)

[clo]

3 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Never noticed it before, but the big 2024 Collection of Voyages, 194 pages, shows the "seasons" for the cruise zones, including:

 

Caribbean: "September-April" (p. 29)

South America: "November-March" (p. 49)

Asia & Africa: "October-May" (p. 61)

Mediterranean: "April-November" (p. 89)

Scandinavia & Northern Europe: "April-October" (p. 117)

No Europe!

[MEFIowa]

13 hours ago, clo said:

No Europe!

This IS Europe: 

 

"Mediterranean: "April-November" (p. 89)

Scandinavia & Northern Europe: "April-October" (p. 117)"

[clo]

6 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

This IS Europe: 

 

"Mediterranean: "April-November" (p. 89)

Scandinavia & Northern Europe: "April-October" (p. 117)"

Oops. Didn't "expand" the article that would have covered that. LOL.

[clo]

On 2/16/2024 at 10:55 AM, goletans said:

 

My husband got laid off and 'offered' early retirement at 53. We made it but our house and cars were paid for and we had no credit card debt.

[Lastdance]

On 2/22/2024 at 5:02 PM, clo said:

My husband got laid off and 'offered' early retirement at 53. We made it but our house and cars were paid for and we had no credit card debt.

Love your photo!

Edited February 25 by Lastdance

[clo]

2 hours ago, Lastdance said:

I have never had credit card debt, but retired at 52, yet keep on working!   My DH thinks that I am crazy, but I need a balance to everything.  That balance includes working part-time, but leaves lots of time for vacations; otherwise, I would not do it!

Yay! We all march to a different beat.

[clo]

2 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Love your photo!

Thanks he says. Hairy Red Dog 🙂

[ppanyan]

I am considering booking a cruise for next summer of 2025 on Vista.  I'm wondering if anyone has comments on the following cabin booking strategy assuming that there will be at least one promotion this year for at least a one category upgrade.

 

I would like to ultimately be in a PH3 or better cabin.  One strategy is to book an A1 category cabin and then count on a category upgrade promotion to kick me up to PH3 for no additional cost.  Another strategy is to book a PH3 cabin and then count on using a cabin upgrade promotion to get a discount (rebate) on my PH3 cabin down to the A1 price.  Thoughts on which is the better strategy?

Edited March 8 by ppanyan

[AMHuntFerry]

PH rarely goes on sale, and only on the worst selling itineraries. Book the category that will make you happy at a price that you are satisfied with. If a sale shows up, bonus $$ for fun activities or other joy.

[MEFIowa]

The sweet spot for most sales, especially the "big ones", tends to be the B and A cabins. The 4 category upgrade sales, for example, bring the price of the Bs and As down much closer to the G and F cabins. I use them to get out of an initially booked G or F into a C, B or A. 

 

And summer with Vista is starting off during peak time on the newer ship, which O isn't normally looking to discount, if they can help it.