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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.
Another sweet opportunity, at the time of posting anyway, is the current Oceania Skymiles auctions offering for an 11 day cruise in the Mediterranean. The retail price for this adventure is north of $5000 for two and the current bids are a tiny fraction of that in SkyPennies.
Clearly the ending bids will not be anywhere near the current 160,000 miles bid as you see below. But when you think of the fact that, shamelessly, Delta is charging around half a million SkyPennies to fly Delta One to Europe to get on this ship and home from Atlanta you are starting to understand what an opportunity this is to burn your Delta points for great value! So let’s look at the offer. (<-link to both auctions)
This Oceania Cruise package includes:
An eleven (11)-day cruise for two (2) guests in a double occupancy Veranda Stateroom (BX) aboard the Oceania Marina for the Legendary Pathways Cruise, departing from Rome, Italy and returning to Istanbul, Turkey with ports of call in:
Naples, Italy
Catania, Italy
Bodrum, Turkey
Ephesus, Turkey
Athens, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Thessaloniki, Greece
Kavala, Greece
*Departure Date: Saturday, October 21, 2023
*Return Date: Wednesday, November 1, 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. The legends and goddesses of ancient times will guide this voyage to the region’s most exciting destinations, from the marvels of Ephesus and the Parthenon in Athens to the many intriguing attractions of Istanbul, where you’ll enjoy an overnight stay.
Once onboard, guests will delight in the 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.
Do note the auction ends June 29th and folks do bid last minute on these so you will want to be live at the end if you really want to win (also bidding at the end extends the auction for a little while longer).
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 of Rome and the port is about an hour away, that is, departing Civitavecchia and then home from Istanbul Turkey.
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 the dates don’t work for me. Are you bidding on any of these amazing voyages with your Skypennies? – René
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Friends don’t let friends accumulate Delta miles. Best solution, never ever earn Delta miles in the first place.
@Eds183 – Well there is that but if you have a large pile of them this is a great value.
Fair enough. I’m just lucky that I never accumulated hardly any in the first place because Sky Team benefits/partners were 3rd tier. Even though I am now ATL based, I had only taken 2 DL flights in 9 years having lived here. I have starting booking them more lately, but using VS/AF (with Amex bonuses) redemptions in Y for direct long weekends to EMEA. From where I live I can be doorstep to hotel in London/Madrid in ~10 hours, I can handle that in Y. Especially for 20K Amex pts + $400 or 45K Amex + $50 respectively.
Wow sounds like a great deal as far as cruising…but not airfare…! we will be on the Oceania-Nautica – as our first cruise in ???12 years.
what did these cruises end up going for?
@david – The similar 10 days ones ended around 250k-350k. Very solid value IMO.