Need guidance from my friends at O...

OK...here's my situation. I just looked at the "Final Sale" brochure (I know...I should have looked a couple of weeks ago!) and discovered the "Southern Seas" from Cape Town to Rio (11/28/15) had a great price AND a "free" Winelands & Wildlife" excursion. I called O and I can get a cabin BUT they have a wait list of over 100 people on the excursion. O says they can't tell me if they will open up new tours..."we have never done this before"..and I might not know if they create more tours until well after final payment ...which would be too late to cancel and probably too late to try and book a private tour.

This is a long way to go for us...and I don't want to go all that way and not see the animals. "Should I wait or should I go"??? :confused: What does your "gut" say about that wait list? Would you book and then see what happens? Would you wait and see what happens next year? I have always wanted to go to Africa to see the animals...and we are running out of time for this long trip!!

Your thoughts, concerns and guidance would be so appreciated!! LuAnn

LuAnn,

I wouldn't worry. The tour they offer is not that great - as usual, you can do better on your own.

We are on the LIS-CPT segment and chose not to do the offered tour - we got $500/pp credit off the cruise price. Hopefully you can get that as well and for a $1K you can arrange your own tour.

Paul

I would not expect more free tours, maybe pay one however the price would be very high fr them.

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

Here is some information on doing the tour on your own:

http://www.local-cape-town-tours.com/cape-winelands-tours

For the credit you will receive, you could take any number of tours out of Cape Town (and the tours there are amazing!)

All valid and good info!! LuAnn

We're on the CPT to CPT Cruise. We are on the winelands and Safari tour but in all honesty if I had never done a safari before I would definitely be booking a few days safari as a private excursion. Looking at the itinerary it appears as if we'll really only have one game drive of a couple hours duration.

We're on the CPT to CPT Cruise. We are on the winelands and Safari tour but in all honesty if I had never done a safari before I would definitely be booking a few days safari as a private excursion. Looking at the itinerary it appears as if we'll really only have one game drive of a couple hours duration.

Exactly.

It's "free" - just like Oceania air. If you had chosen not to take it, you could have gotten $500/pp off - that's a $1,000 savings that could have gotten you a very nice safari.

The advie you have been given is the best..go and have a great time on your private tour..maybe you can find a few of those 100 on waitlist to join you!! Also call Micato and see if they can get you a tour..they are the best!!

Jancruz1

OK...here's my situation. I just looked at the "Final Sale" brochure (I know...I should have looked a couple of weeks ago!) and discovered the "Southern Seas" from Cape Town to Rio (11/28/15) had a great price AND a "free" Winelands & Wildlife" excursion. I called O and I can get a cabin BUT they have a wait list of over 100 people on the excursion. O says they can't tell me if they will open up new tours..."we have never done this before"..and I might not know if they create more tours until well after final payment ...which would be too late to cancel and probably too late to try and book a private tour.

 

.................LuAnn

Hi Luann, does this mean that you are having second thoughts about the Wake of Columbus cruise on Journey?

Just sometimes wish we in the UK could cancel so easily and without penalty up to final payment :)

"Also call Micato and see if they can get you a tour..they are the best!!"

+1

Exactly.

It's "free" - just like Oceania air. If you had chosen not to take it, you could have gotten $500/pp off - that's a $1,000 savings that could have gotten you a very nice safari.

Because we're on the CPT to CPT cruuse we actually had to pay for the add on. We got it when it was only an additional $99 pp. We chose it primarily because it included two nights hotel and many meals plus a snippet of the sights so it's good value for money spent. Unfortunately there was no additional offer of $500 credit pp if we didn't take it. Regarding the Oceania air, we took the credit for that rather than utilizing their air program.

Because we're on the CPT to CPT cruuse we actually had to pay for the add on. We got it when it was only an additional $99 pp. We chose it primarily because it included two nights hotel and many meals plus a snippet of the sights so it's good value for money spent. Unfortunately there was no additional offer of $500 credit pp if we didn't take it. Regarding the Oceania air, we took the credit for that rather than utilizing their air program.

Ditto for us - on all counts. O's literature candidly admits that the "safari" is a drive into an animal preserve with no guarantee of any animal sightings. But for us it was a no-brainer for the price. [And the hotel gets high ratings on Trip Advisor.]

The credit for not using their air program is $1200 pp. Because this will likely be our only trip to that part of the world we may extend our stay. For the moment at least, I have found fares less than $1200 for what we are contemplating.

For the moment at least, I have found fares less than $1200 for what we are contemplating.

If they are what you want, I would suggest you get them. They won't get cheaper the longer you wait - quite the opposite.

The cabin is the real core.... the tour is fluff and not worth it even for free... animals... you have the SD Zoo. . Wild life....you have TJ.

In this political climate the risks for land travel in all of Africa , to me is way too high. Large groups attractive targets.... small not so.

If you want to hang it out, you can always get better smaller tours to any where cheaper.

Take the credits for as much as you can.

And whatever you do allocate more days than you planned for the safari. If you have never done one it is a magical experience and you will regret it if you cut it short.

And whatever you do allocate more days than you planned for the safari. If you have never done one it is a magical experience and you will regret it if you cut it short.

I agree. Years ago when we went to Kenya and I was making plans for our private safari into the Masai Mara I wasn't sure whether 3 days would be too much. For some reason I expected it to be similar to the park at Disney and after one game drive we'd be bored. Totally the opposite. Getting up at the crack of dawn for the game drive was exciting. Spotting the lions in the tall grass, watching the cheetahs take down an antelope or seeing a leopard lounging in the amongst the tree branches was amazing. One of our best holidays.

For anyone that hasn't already considered doing an extension of their trip and adding on several days to go on safari I would highly recommend it.

My main objective to go to Africa has always, obviously, been to see the animals!! And after reading over the 3 day "safari" it isn't really achieving that at all! I think I will plan to not take the cruise and plan a very comprehensive safari instead...I have heard of "Micato" and will check them out as well as others. For the amount of $$ for the cruise I should be able to have a very comprehensive safari, right? And TBH...I would be spending a lot of $$ on the "crossing" aspect and not the animal aspect with the cruise!! :D LuAnn

Hi Luann, does this mean that you are having second thoughts about the Wake of Columbus cruise on Journey?

Just sometimes wish we in the UK could cancel so easily and without penalty up to final payment :)

See my previous post...going to stay put with the "Wake of Columbus" and plan a REAL safari instead!! ;) LuAnn

My main objective to go to Africa has always, obviously, been to see the animals!! And after reading over the 3 day "safari" it isn't really achieving that at all! I think I will plan to not take the cruise and plan a very comprehensive safari instead...I have heard of "Micato" and will check them out as well as others. For the amount of $$ for the cruise I should be able to have a very comprehensive safari, right? And TBH...I would be spending a lot of $$ on the "crossing" aspect and not the animal aspect with the cruise!! :D LuAnn

Good move LuAnn.

CPT is a very long way to fly into and then just leave for Rio.

Do it when you have more time there or in East Africa.

We did a two week safari trip to Kenya and Tanzania many years ago (1987). We did so because DH's boss had done a private tour shortly before and found it to be a fabulous experience. He recommended that everyone do a trip like this sooner rather than later because of the pressure on the animals (in terms of living space).

So we went in August 1987 with a fabulous outfit that no longer exists ... but the thrill of seeing elephants and giraffes and whatever else just alongside the road was more than I had ever anticipated.

So I will agree that a land trip is better. But if you think that you'll never be able to have the time for a land trip, then do a pre- or post-cruise trip, even if only for a few days. If you do go, be sure to bring little gifts for the natives ...

Students still hunger for pens, pencils and paper to write on. I bargained a sale of a U.S. Navy hat (I'll never forgive my husband for this one!) in return for a "walking mandolin". Everyone we met really wanted my hat ...

But the people do need small, practical gifts, and it's good to be prepared ahead of time.

I noticed (maybe elsewhere) that Oceania doesn't guarantee you'll see animals on the one day tour. Well, of course they cannot! But it's hard to believe you wouldn't see SOME. It's not like taking a Whale Watch tour and not seeing whales ... They're just protecting themselves, methinks.

On all of our game drives we saw MANY animals ... even the Big Five.

Mura

I haven't been there, wish I could some day. But I'd do a land trip. There are lots of specialist TA's who can arrange this for you.

Good move LuAnn.

CPT is a very long way to fly into and then just leave for Rio.

Do it when you have more time there or in East Africa.

I so appreciate you sending me the info on the details of the "3 Day Safari"...really helped me make my decision!!! LuAnn

I so appreciate you sending me the info on the details of the "3 Day Safari"...really helped me make my decision!!! LuAnn

You are welcome - glad it helped.