shore excursions with onboard credit

Can I book online using credit at home before cruise? I'm new to Oceania. I'm use to Celebrity which allows you to do this.

My understanding is that on-board credit can only be used on the ship. If you book excursions on-board they’re more expensive than doing it on-line before you leave.

Can I book online using credit at home before cruise? I'm new to Oceania. I'm used to Celebrity which allows you to do this.

Azamara now allows you to do this, too. It would be a really great additional amenity, wouldn't it? :D

Can I book online using credit at home before cruise? I'm new to Oceania. I'm use to Celebrity which allows you to do this.

Not with OBC

I've never noticed that booking tours on board is more expensive than booking beforehand.

Maybe that's because we tend not to do that many ship's tours.

Mura

Riviera Caribbean - January 2018

Waited and booked excursions once onboard / paid with OBC

Price onboard was the same as (online) pre-embarkation price

OBC can be used to pay daily room gratitudity / drinks / dinner wine

Have to be onboard to use OBC

Thanks everyone for your answers.

Can I book online using credit at home before cruise? I'm new to Oceania. I'm use to Celebrity which allows you to do this.

We usually book an O cruise with the OLife excursion option and prebook all of our O excursions online so we get the 25% YWC discount. Then once onboard we go to the excursion desk and “rebook” enough of the prebooked excursions we paid for with a CC to “launder” our nonrefundable OBC to refundable OBC. I know, it seems a little crude, but it works especially if you got prepaid gratuities included as one of your perks from your TA and don’t plan on spending it during the cruise.

the only problem with waiting to book excursions until you're aboard is that some of the excursions do sell out.

There is a finite # of bus and vans and knowledgeable English speaking guides at some ports so shorex are popular and are reserved pre-boarding.

I think the only difference in price between booking in advance or onboard would be the amount of discount you get with the Your World package

the only problem with waiting to book excursions until you're aboard is that some of the excursions do sell out.

 

There is a finite # of bus and vans and knowledgeable English speaking guides at some ports so shorex are popular and are reserved pre-boarding.

Important points. Also an additional excursion may be added to meet late demand and it may not be at the time of your preference.

Any “must do” shore excursion we book online using a CC shortly after booking the cruise. After we board the ship we have Destination Services cancel the excursion and re-book it using OBC. We are then issued refundable OBC for the price of the excursion. We did this last month on Regatta, worked great.

Any “must do” shore excursion we book online using a CC shortly after booking the cruise. After we board the ship we have Destination Services cancel the excursion and re-book it using OBC. We are then issued refundable OBC for the price of the excursion. We did this last month on Regatta, worked great.

Glad that it worked for you, but if there is a waiting list for that "must do" excursion, that process won't fly.

Glad that it worked for you, but if there is a waiting list for that "must do" excursion, that process won't fly.

That wasn’t the case on the Nautica cruise we’re currently on. We were able to rebook a prebooked excursion on board that had become wait listed. But maybe it depends on the Destination Services person you talk with.

And also the number of people on the wait list for a popular tour. It's going to vary from ship to ship and cruise to cruise.

Thanks for these answers, I had the same question. The total of my cart for excursions is higher than the credit so I think I will buy the ones I especially want and then hope to be able to use the credit to buy the rest on board.

Thanks for these answers, I had the same question. The total of my cart for excursions is higher than the credit so I think I will buy the ones I especially want and then hope to be able to use the credit to buy the rest on board.

Just make sure you prebook enough excursions to qualify for the 25% YWC discount. This way if you buy any additional excursions onboard, the YWC discount will be applied to them as well.