THE arrival of Oceania Cruises’ new Vista (CW 02 May) is the first wave of a host of changes for the brand, with senior Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) executives hinting at new value offers, pricing, and commission policies likely to roll out in the coming months. Vista will be...
THE arrival of Oceania Cruises’ new Vista (CW 02 May) is the first wave of a host of changes for the brand, with senior Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) executives hinting at new value offers, pricing, and commission policies likely to roll out in the coming months.
Vista will be formally named tomorrow in Valetta by Italian-American celebrity chef Giada de Laurentiis, and is the first new vessel for Oceania in a decade,
She retains the 1,200 passenger “sweet spot” of Oceania’s existing O-class vessels.
Speaking on board Vista overnight, newly appointed Oceania Cruises Chief Executive Officer Frank Del Rio Jr (pictured) said over the last 12 months “we’ve been looking at opportunities to really streamline things, to come up with a more simple message and one that shows clearly what our value is”.
Del Rio Jr confirmed this will result in the phase-out of Oceania’s longstanding OLife offer, which allows guests to choose between a range of amenities at no additional cost, such as a drinks package, internet access, shore excursions, and shipboard credit.
Details have not been finalised at this stage, but Del Rio Jr confirmed “O-Life, which has been around for quite a while now, will go away.
“We’re making it very easy, because instead of making choices, you’re just going to get it all,” the Oceania CEO said.
It’s expected the revised offer will launch in mid-Jul, aligned with the rollout of Oceania’s 2024/25 season, and passengers with existing bookings will be able to either retain their existing OLife options or switch to the new arrangements.
NCLH Chief Executive Officer-designate, Harry Sommer, also confirmed like its sister contemporary brand Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania is now looking at working with partners to pay commission on non-commissionable fares.
“We’re now experimenting with this on the Oceania brand as well on some of our top accounts.
“Assuming it will work out, and I’m confident it will, we’ll find ways to expand that further to all of our trade partners around the world,” Sommer said.
“Your success is our success, we jointly can reach out to customers in unique ways to generate consumer demand to get guests to come on board,” he added.
Vista’s christening cruise is an eight-day Mediterranean itinerary taking her from Rome to Malta and then onward with port calls in Naples, Sardinia, and Corsica before returning to Rome.
She’s the first in a two-ship order by the line, with sister vessel Allura expected to be delivered in 2025.
More from Oceania on p3 & p4.
