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Having been a Delta Air Lines-focused travel blogger for well over a decade I have first hand seen the reprehensible and disgusting destruction of the value of their reward points that I call SkyPennies. I use that term because that is what Delta points have become as most awards yield about 1 cent each in value.
That is, unless you can get opportunities to eke out better value, that is, much more than 1 cent per SkyPenny like my recent round trip to Alaska in 1st class for a cruise.
There are currently some sweet opportunities, at the time of posting anyway, with the current Oceania Skymiles auctions offering 15- and 20-day cruises! A balcony room for two is well north of $7,000-$10,000 so you can see the value of the four auctions below!
Clearly, the ending bids will not be anywhere near the current cheapest bids that are just 45,000 miles but that is an opportunity this is to burn your Delta points for HUGE value! The last one of these I blogged about over on FrequentFloaters went for under 300,000 points for a 10 day Mediterranean cruise so I expect the winner for this one to be in the 300,000-500,000 range that still would yield a HUGE value for your SkyPennies! So let’s look at the offer. (<-link to both auctions)
The 15-day Oceania cruise package includes:
A fifteen (15)-day cruise for two (2) guests in a double occupancy Veranda Stateroom (BX) aboard Oceania Cruises’ Marina for Maya & Inca Origins, departing from Miami, Florida and returning to Lima, Peru with ports of call in:
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- Costa Maya, Mexico
- Harvest Caye, Belize
- Santo Tomas, Guatemala
- Roatan, Honduras
- Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
- Panama City, Panama
- Manta, Ecuador
- Salaverry, Peru
- Departure Date: Sunday, December 3, 2023
- Return Date: Monday, December 18, 2023
This voyage includes:
-
- Double occupancy luxury Veranda Stateroom accommodations with Tranquility bed and Bulgari toiletries
- All meals, including 24-hour room service on board and access to up to six (6) dining establishments onboard
- All non-alcoholic beverages on board, including specialty coffees and teas
- Wi-Fi
- Access to onboard spa, pool, and fitness facilities
- Onboard entertainment
Spend two weeks exploring the intriguing lands of the Maya and Inca throughout Latin America, where translucent waters lap gently over pristine reefs and ancient structures evoke bygone empires. Featuring an enchanting range of environments such as tropical rainforests, marshes and coral reefs, this voyage offers both relaxation and adventure amid lush landscapes. At the end of the voyage, enjoy ample time in the glorious 16th-century city of Lima, Peru during an overnight stay.
Once onboard, guests will delight in Marina’s casually elegant ambiance with a contemporary flair. From the sparkling Lalique Grand Staircase and stunning designer touches everywhere, highlighting the finest residential design and furnishings. More than anything, Marina personifies the Oceania Cruises experience.
The 20-day Oceania cruise package includes:
-
- A twenty (20)-day cruise for two (2) guests in a double occupancy Veranda Stateroom (BX) aboard Oceania Cruises’ Nautica for Exotic Eastern Spices, departing from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and returning to Singapore, Singapore with ports of call in:
- Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
- Mumbai, India
- Goa, India
- Mangalore, India
- Cochin, India
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Phuket, Thailand
- Departure Date: Friday, December 8, 2023
- Return Date: Thursday, December 28, 2023
- A twenty (20)-day cruise for two (2) guests in a double occupancy Veranda Stateroom (BX) aboard Oceania Cruises’ Nautica for Exotic Eastern Spices, departing from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and returning to Singapore, Singapore with ports of call in:
This voyage includes:
-
- Double occupancy luxury Veranda Stateroom accommodations with Tranquility bed and Bulgari toiletries
- All meals, including 24-hour room service on board and access to up to six (6) dining establishments onboard
- All non-alcoholic beverages on board, including specialty coffees and teas
- Wi-Fi
- Access to onboard spa, pool, and fitness facilities
- Onboard entertainment
From labyrinthine souks to gilt-domed temples, take in a dazzling array of exotic vistas as you sail from the sand-veiled UAE to the ancient lands of Indochina, with overnight stays in electrifying Mumbai, enigmatic Yangon and alluring Colombo.
When at ports of call, guests may choose to purchase onshore activities during the voyage. Spend time exploring several of the most historical churches in Old Goa and enjoy an overview of Panjim, the charming capital of the state of Goa. While in Thailand, discover the diversity of attractions on Phuket and gain a cultural understanding of Thailand’s only island province.
Sleek and elegantly charming, Nautica’s decks are resplendent in the finest teak, custom stone and tile work, and her lounges, suites and staterooms boast luxurious, neo-classical furnishings. Nautica offers every luxury you may expect on board one of Oceania Cruises’ stylish ships.
It seems, from reading the T&C in the auction, all taxes and normally high port fees and such ARE included so depending on the bids this could be a very good deal for a balcony cabin in what looks like an amazing cruise.
What is NOT included is the daily per-person tips for workers on the ship so it will add $18 per person per day on top of your winning bid in Skymiles. Also notice that this does NOT include adult beverages and without a daily plan that can be very expensive if you have a number of drinks per day. Airfare is NOT covered as part of the auction so you will have to get yourself to and from departure city and home again after the cruise.
You will want to arrive at least 1 day early to the departure port as the ship will leave without you if you do not make it to the ship in time!
I would love to book this but have burned up all my Delta points this year (maybe time to get some more?)! Are you bidding on any of these amazing voyages with your Skypennies? – René
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Would love to bid on these but cannot do December…
One other thing… Cost of VISA is also the cruise passengers’ responsibility. I know for sure, India Visa is required for all USA passengers. No sure about Myanmar. Plus, a lot of the ports may required Fee shuttle from the dock to the city center. That is also the passengers’ responsibility. BTW, to get an India Visa is a very tedious process. You have 2 tries to get all the requisites right including the pixel size of the photo that you will submit for the Visa application; otherwise, you will have to restart the whole application process again, and your initial India Visa application fee is not refundable.
Thanks!
Yeah, I went to India just a couple months ago. I’ve been to India several times, and it’s not an easy tourist destination. I had to pay about USD 30 and fill out pages of personal information and wait a few days for my e-visa. You can’t do visa on arrival, and it’s not visa-free like Western Europe. Although Europe threatens to do it. I remember many years ago when my travel agent had to take my passport and mail it to some French consulate for a French visa and everyone in the tourism industry was angry about that. Yeah, India is fascinating but you can’t be lazy about it, it takes some effort that not every vacationer really wants to do.