Oceania Cruises Adds More Inclusions, Including Airfare and Shore Excursions
(11:00am EDT) -- Oceania Cruises has nudged closer to becoming an all-inclusive luxury product by offering passengers a new series of features included in the cost of the cruise.
Dubbed 'simply MORE,' the premium cruise line's new package includes free roundtrip airfare, free airport transfers, free shore excursions and a free beverage package for all passengers on all reservations beginning July 1, 2023. The new inclusions apply to all sailings departing October 1, 2023 or later.
'Simply MORE' replaces Oceania's optional OLife Choice add-on, which allowed passengers to select one free amenity from several options (up to eight free shore excursions, a free beverage package or up to $800 in onboard credit). The cruise line already offers included amenities such as gourmet dining with no reservation fee or cover charge at specialty restaurants, 24-hour room service, unlimited WiFi, and fitness classes.
"Thanks to the launch of simply MORE, our guests will enjoy even more value, more choice and more convenience than ever before,” said Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises. “We are always seeking to enhance the Oceania Cruises experience and raise the bar in offering the best value in luxury cruising. So, we asked our key audiences, guests and travel partners, what they wanted, and that was simplicity, choice and value. Through our new simply MORE value promise, they now have all three."
The new free shore excursions component works by giving passengers up to $1,600 per cabin in credits to spend on tours of their choice. The amount of shore excursion credit will vary by voyage length, from a minimum of $600 per stateroom for an itinerary of seven to nine days, to a maximum of $1,600 per stateroom on sailings of 31 to 35 days. The credit can be used on all of Oceania's excursions, including the foodie-focused Food & Wine Trails Tours and Culinary Discovery Tours or the sustainability-themed Go Green Tours.
The beverage package included in 'simply MORE' entitles passengers to free premium-label Champagnes and wines, and more than 20 American and international beers, during lunch and dinner.
With Simply MORE, Oceania Edges Closer to Sister Brand Regent Seven Seas
Both Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises are subsidiaries of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which also owns the flagship brand Norwegian Cruise Line.
Within the group, Oceania has always functioned as the premium cruise line, whereas Regent has been the top-line luxury product that offered more inclusions rolled into the price.
While Regent still offers luxury perks that aren't available on Oceania -- including butler service on every cabin, unlimited shore excursions, unlimited beverages, and complimentary valet laundry service -- the latter cruise line's simply MORE package now brings both brands closer together in terms of inclusions.
Oceania had hinted that this move to a more inclusive product was coming in May, when Cruise Critic sailed aboard Oceania's newest vessel, Vista.