Oceania Cruises cruise policies
Oceania Cruises Policies: Deposits, Final Payment, Cancellation, Gratuities, Dress Code and Age Rules
Every booking rule that affects your wallet or your packing list, on one page: what you pay when you book, when the balance is due, what it costs to cancel, what the daily gratuity is and when it is already in the fare, what to wear at dinner and the new adults-only rule. Figures are Oceania's own, for bookings made in the United States and Canada.
Deposit
The deposit is per person and depends on the suite category, not the length of the voyage. It must reach Oceania within five days of booking on bookings made more than 150 days out; closer to sailing the whole fare is due almost at once.
| Cruise length | Deposit |
|---|---|
| Inside, Ocean View, Veranda, Concierge and Penthouse Suites | $500 per person |
| Owner's, Vista and Oceania Suites | 20% of the cruise fare per person |
| Grand Voyages | $1,500 per person |
| 180-day voyages, every category | 20% of the cruise fare per person, within 7 days of booking |
Good to know
- Booked more than 150 days before sailing: deposit within 5 days. Booked 90 to 120 days out: the full fare within 3 days. Booked inside 90 days: the full fare by the end of the booking day. A booking that misses its date cancels automatically.
- The deposit is refundable, less Oceania's administration fee, until the percentage schedule starts 150 days before sailing; promotional fares can state otherwise.
- Passport details and special onboard requests are due with the final payment.
- Oceania's Best Value Guarantee lets you move a booking to a new promotion before final payment (and, with conditions, after it): we watch for those.
Final payment
The balance must reach Oceania by the deadline below or the booking cancels automatically. Oceania can charge it automatically to the card used for the deposit if you ask.
Standard schedule
| Cruise length | Balance due |
|---|---|
| Every voyage under 180 days | 150 days before sailing |
| 180-day voyages | 181 days before sailing |
Good to know
- Bookings made inside 150 days follow the deposit rules above: the full fare within 3 days (90 to 120 days out) or the same day (inside 90 days).
- Around the World voyages carry their own payment schedule; we send it with the quote.
Cancellation charges
Charges are a percentage of the cruise fare (and any air booked through Oceania) plus any optional services already incurred, and depend on when Oceania receives your written cancellation. Taxes and fees are refunded. Owner's, Vista and Oceania Suites step up earlier.
Penthouse Suites and below
Every voyage regardless of length, except Around the World voyages.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 181 days or more | $150 per person administration fee |
| Any length | 151 to 180 days | $500 per person administration fee |
| Any length | 121 to 150 days | 25% of the cruise fare |
| Any length | 91 to 120 days | 50% |
| Any length | 61 to 90 days | 75% |
| Any length | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Owner's, Vista and Oceania Suites
Every voyage regardless of length, except Around the World voyages.
| Cruise length | Days before sailing | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Any length | 181 days or more | $150 per person administration fee |
| Any length | 151 to 180 days | 10% of the cruise fare |
| Any length | 121 to 150 days | 25% |
| Any length | 91 to 120 days | 50% |
| Any length | 61 to 90 days | 75% |
| Any length | 60 days or fewer | 100%, no refund |
Good to know
- Cancellations must be in writing and reach Oceania no later than the day before the next penalty step: tell SmartCruiser and we send it the same day.
- Refunds go back to the original credit card, or to SmartCruiser when we made the payment for you, and we pass them straight on.
- No refund for a no-show at embarkation, for leaving the ship early or for cancelling once the cruise has started.
- Hotels, flights, transfers and excursions booked through Oceania carry their own cancellation terms, set out in the Guest Ticket Contract.
- Bookings made before September 1, 2023 keep the older schedule they were booked under.
Gratuities
Oceania adds a daily gratuity for stateroom attendants, butlers and dining staff to your shipboard account unless your fare already includes it. You can prepay it when you book.
| Stateroom | Daily gratuity |
|---|---|
| Concierge Level Veranda and below | $18 per guest, per day |
| Penthouse Suites and above (with butler) | $23 per guest, per day |
Good to know
- Bookings made between October 1, 2024 and September 16, 2025 for sailings from January 1, 2025 carry Your World Included with gratuities in the fare. Bookings made from September 17, 2025 choose an amenity (complimentary wine and beer, or shore excursion credit) instead, and pay the daily gratuity.
- A 20% gratuity is added to bar purchases, spa and salon services and La Reserve wine-pairing dinners whether or not your fare includes the daily gratuity.
- Ask SmartCruiser to prepay the daily gratuity when you book and it appears on your invoice, not on your shipboard account.
Dress code
Oceania calls it elegant casual and keeps it all cruise long: no formal nights, no jackets required, and shorts and T-shirts only in the Terrace Café and Waves Grill after dark.
Daytime
Sundresses, polo shirts, tailored shorts, lightweight slacks. Swimwear at the pool only, with a cover-up in any dining area.
Evening, elegant casual
Dresses or jumpsuits, elegant blouses with slacks or skirts, fashionable jeans and dressy sandals or pumps; collared shirts, knit tops or dressy polos with tailored pants or dressy jeans and loafers or dress shoes. A sport coat is welcome, never required.
Casual venues after 6 pm
The Terrace Café and Waves Grill accept shorts and T-shirts in the evening; the Grand Dining Room and the specialty restaurants do not.
Dress Your Best nights
| Cruise length | Formal nights |
|---|---|
| Any length | 0 |
House rules
- No baseball caps in the Grand Dining Room or specialty restaurants at dinner.
- No athletic shoes or flip-flops in restaurants or public areas after 6 pm; appropriate footwear is required indoors at all times.
- Faded, acid-washed, torn or distressed jeans are not suitable in the evening; robes and slippers stay in the suite.
- Clothing with profane, vulgar or offensive words or graphics is banned in all public spaces and on Oceania excursions.
Age rules
Oceania became an adults-only line for new reservations in 2026. Age is counted on the day of embarkation.
Minimum age to sail without a parent or guardian
| Departure | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every voyage, reservations made on or after January 7, 2026 | 18 (no younger guests at all) |
| Reservations made before January 7, 2026 that include a child | Honored in full; the child shares a suite with an adult of 18 or older |
Stateroom assignment
On reservations made from January 7, 2026 every guest must be 18 or older on the day of embarkation; someone who turns 18 before the sailing can book. Earlier reservations that include children are honored, with each child sharing a suite with an adult of 18 or older who stays responsible for them throughout the cruise; Oceania provides no childcare, youth program or supervision.
Infants
| Sailing | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Reservations made on or after January 7, 2026 | Not carried: adults only |
| Earlier reservations | 6 months on the day of boarding, 12 months on cruises with 3 or more consecutive sea days |
Drinking age
| Departure or destination | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| Every sailing | 21 |
| Guests of 18 to 20: beer and wine only, once the ship is in international waters (never on Alaska or New England sailings; on Caribbean sailings only after the last U.S. port) | 18 |
Good to know
- Casino: 18 and older.
- Guests of 18 to 20 may buy the beverage packages on all itineraries except Alaska and New England, and on Caribbean sailings only from the last U.S. port.
- Spa and fitness facilities: 18 and older.
How SmartCruiser handles the fine print for you
- We put your 150-day final payment date on our calendar and remind you before it, so a booking never cancels by accident.
- Before final payment we watch your sailing for Oceania promotions and use the Best Value Guarantee to move you to a better offer when the line allows it.
- Oceania takes cancellations in writing only, so we handle cancellations, date changes and suite moves with Oceania directly and tell you the exact charge before you decide.
- Prepaid gratuities, flights, hotels and travel protection go on your invoice if you want them, and your Oceania Club number goes on the reservation.
- SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on top of Oceania's own offers on every sailing. Ask for it when you call 1-800-444-1560.
Last verified October 13, 2026 against Oceania Cruises's own pages: Deposit and payment policy, Cancellation and refund policy, Gratuities, Terms and conditions (Your World Included), Dress code, Adults-only policy, Minimum drinking age. These deposit, payment and cancellation terms are the ones Oceania Cruises publishes for bookings made in the United States and Canada. Around the World voyages and 180-day voyages have their own schedules, and other countries have their own booking conditions. Policies change; the cruise line's ticket contract and the terms on your booking confirmation govern.
Questions
Oceania Cruises policy FAQ
How much is the deposit on an Oceania cruise?
When is final payment due?
What does it cost to cancel?
Are gratuities included on Oceania?
Does Oceania have formal nights?
Can children sail on Oceania?
What is the drinking age on an Oceania ship?
Is the Oceania deposit refundable?
Ask a Oceania Cruises specialist
Deposits, deadlines, cancellations and what to pack: one call and it is handled, with SmartCruiser's bonus onboard credit on your booking.