Excursion question

[Kinkajou]

Some but not all excursions are posted for my upcoming cruise. Is it necessary to book all the excursions at once to get the Your World Collections discount? I don't think I would use the Unlimited Passport Collection flat rate. Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks for any help—usually do private tours.

[JimandStan]

Some but not all excursions are posted for my upcoming cruise. Is it necessary to book all the excursions at once to get the Your World Collections discount? I don't think I would use the Unlimited Passport Collection flat rate. Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks for any help—usually do private tours.

 

The price is contingent on the number of tours taken, but the good news is that if you add tours later in the process, the price is lowered retroactively.

 

Short answer, you pay the higher price now to secure the tour, but get a refund for the difference in price when you meet the discount threshold.

[Kinkajou]

Excellent! Thanks so much, Jim and Stan. :D

[skiladyldp]

I did that on my last cruise. But my TA did have to get involved to get them to give me the discount. It was a little bit of a headache but it did work out in the end.

[azam71209]

We are going on the Adriatic Embrace cruise August 30. Some of the excursions are listed but no prices and it is not possible to book anything. Nice to at least see what is likely to be available but does anyone know how far in advance prices are listed and when we can begin booking.

 

It seems like a waste of time to have to keep checking. But I do want to know so I have a better idea of whether to keep the excursions or get the OBC instead as an Olife option. Also we probably will want to do some private or small group tours but can't really begin planning until closer to sail date.

 

Anybody been on a Rome to Venice via the Adriatic who has thoughts about tours to be sure to do? I can look at roll calls but they don't include feedback on what was worth it and what was a waste. Generic excursions sites may or may not be talking about what Oceania is offering since I'm guessing that Oceania would choose top quality vendors. It seems hard to find out about the quality/value of Oceania specific excursions.

 

Mary

[JimandStan]

We are going on the Adriatic Embrace cruise August 30. Some of the excursions are listed but no prices and it is not possible to book anything. Nice to at least see what is likely to be available but does anyone know how far in advance prices are listed and when we can begin booking.

 

It seems like a waste of time to have to keep checking. But I do want to know so I have a better idea of whether to keep the excursions or get the OBC instead as an Olife option. Also we probably will want to do some private or small group tours but can't really begin planning until closer to sail date.

 

Anybody been on a Rome to Venice via the Adriatic who has thoughts about tours to be sure to do? I can look at roll calls but they don't include feedback on what was worth it and what was a waste. Generic excursions sites may or may not be talking about what Oceania is offering since I'm guessing that Oceania would choose top quality vendors. It seems hard to find out about the quality/value of Oceania specific excursions.

 

Mary

 

You've made a great many assumptions in your post which I believe to be untrue, such as when you should start planning.

 

Many people start booking private tours a year or more in advance. Tour Guides start booking up 18 months out, so the time to act is immediately, if you want one of the "in demand" Guides.

 

The Ports of Call Boards, or reviews of cruises with similar itineraries to yours, are your best bet if you want to read about what others thought to be worthwhile.

 

[pinotlover]

If you are interested in an independent tour, Stan&Jim are correct, you should book immediately. I am on the 6/25 Nautica cruise that is going up the fjords of Norway and into the Russian White Sea. I started looking at tours in several places, such as Nordkapp back last summer. Our Roll Call, for that cruise, has been the deadest roll call of any Roll Call, on any ship, I have ever taken! :eek: I waited to set up some tours to ensure there would be other participants. Mistake. We are going to be up there in a very popular cruising time of the year, with other ships in those small ports with us. All the local tours have now been booked up since November leaving me looking like a fool for not booking the tours earlier.

 

Oceania is thus far offering absolutely nothing in some of those Norwegian towns, and to add insult to injury, have juggled some of their time schedules so significantly that excursions, I had planned, are now not doable!

 

Don't wait on Oceania to run tours, some towns they do, others they don't. Book them early, because the popular ones don't last, expecially in the busiest tourist months! :)

[azam71209]

Is anybody able to respond to the question of how soon it is possible to book Oceania OLife excursions?

 

I do understand that private excursions need to be booked very early to be certain of getting a specific excursion and a specific guide. Been there, done that on previous Oceania cruises.

 

Right now we have chosen OLife excursions for our Rome to Venice cruise in August. Just looking for information on when Oceania OLife excursions can be booked and any feedback from people who have taken OLife excursions to Italy and Adriatic ports.

 

We took the OLife OBC on our last cruise so booking OLife excursions is new to us. We will have to see whether we regret this choice. Obviously one drawback is that, if we don't like the offerings, it may be too late to get something better through the roll call. And our roll call is totally dead. Probably at least in part due to the OLife excursion option.

 

Mary

[LHT28]

Is anybody able to respond to the question of how soon it is possible to book Oceania OLife excursions?

 

 

Mary

 

I believe as soon as they are posted

Which could be 6-9mths out

Can you see if your TA has the PDF file for excursions/pricing for your cruise?

Or look at other cruises with earlier sailings with the same ports & check the pricing

[pinotlover]

Oceania does not have a set timetable for offering tours. They often become available around 6-8 months out, but have seen them added later. Ine's only option is to continue to watch your sailing under the "manage my account " for when O chooses to release tours. There is no one size fits all answer to your question.

[mare s.]

I'm dealing with the same issue of debating OLife excursions versus OBC (which we may have a hard time spending as we are not huge drinkers and I'm not a spa fan.) I've been told by Oceania that the "free" excursions will be available on the website in a week or so (which would make it 6 months in advance of our sailing) and, according to the website, concierge level and above can book excursions "up to 180 days" in advance. I find it irritating that excursions listed as OC or OE are already listed (although no prices) Meanwhile I've been looking at private excursions in several ports.

[JimandStan]

Is anybody able to respond to the question of how soon it is possible to book Oceania OLife excursions?

 

I do understand that private excursions need to be booked very early to be certain of getting a specific excursion and a specific guide. Been there, done that on previous Oceania cruises.

 

Right now we have chosen OLife excursions for our Rome to Venice cruise in August. Just looking for information on when Oceania OLife excursions can be booked and any feedback from people who have taken OLife excursions to Italy and Adriatic ports.

 

We took the OLife OBC on our last cruise so booking OLife excursions is new to us. We will have to see whether we regret this choice. Obviously one drawback is that, if we don't like the offerings, it may be too late to get something better through the roll call. And our roll call is totally dead. Probably at least in part due to the OLife excursion option.

 

Mary

 

As I understand it, Oceania makes the excursions "bookable" on their site, just as soon as they contract with the Guides to do the work. This is an ongoing process for every port because feedback from passengers is integrated into that process. If last seasons tours went well, it goes quickly, if there were "issues" re-vetting takes time.

 

LHT gave a very good time estimate when she mentioned 9 to 6 months out.

 

I've always found that the Roll Calls are what YOU make of them. If there isn't any action, start a few posts, try taking the the lead (and doing your homework) rather than waiting for the opportunity to join someone else's' tour.

 

Chance is a funny thing, sometimes your fellow passengers will be 90% Lions, other times they are 90% Lambs.

Edited January 22, 2017 by JimandStan

[skiladyldp]

Mine finally posted and it was 6 months and 1 week before the cruise. I have seen them come out as early as 9 months prior. No way to know unless you check. If you contact Oceania you will only get a canned answer. Your TA may not even have a PDF of them prior. I asked mine and she did not and she is very informed about Oceania.

[Kinkajou]

If you change your mind about an excursion you have booked, is the amount you paid refunded to you or must you take it as onboard credit? Thanks. :confused:

[LHT28]

If you change your mind about an excursion you have booked, is the amount you paid refunded to you or must you take it as onboard credit? Thanks. :confused:

depends when you cancel

If you cancel before the cruise you get the refund to your CC

If you cancel onboard but before the penalty kicks in then you get an OBC but it will be refunded in cash the last night if you did not use it up with other things ;)

assuming of course this is not the "free" O Life excursion

Edited January 29, 2017 by LHT28

[Paulchili]

If you change your mind about an excursion you have booked, is the amount you paid refunded to you or must you take it as onboard credit? Thanks. :confused:

 

If you cancel before boarding (7 or 14 days?) then the refund goes back to your CC.

If cancelled onboard, it becomes refundable OBC

PS Cross-posting with Lyn :)

Edited January 29, 2017 by Paulchili