Looking at booking our first Oceania Cruise - Experiences with O-Life?

[argyllsock]

Hi Everyone,

 

We are looking at booking an Oceania cuba cruise. The O-Life option with included air looks like a pretty good deal but we were wondering about the flights Oceania would book. There are plenty of direct flight offerings between Toronto and Miami (our departure port) but I'm wondering what others have experienced with regards to flight arrangements.

 

On a different note, the O-life includes one of free ship excursions, cabin credit, or drink package. Is the drink package offered as part of the package all inclusive or restricted? It's not easy to find on Oceania's site!

 

Thanks in advance!

[sitraveler]

First, you can have O'life without air, it's a good option for US cruises. The drink package is wine or beer with meals only. The upgrade to all you can drink is $20.00 per day per person. Both do not have to upgrade.

[LHT28]

We usually fly in a day early so we pay the deviation fee & choose our flights usually the non stop with A/C but now they use Rouge on that route so I would see what other options there are

We are trying AA in Dec but booked our own flights in BUS class

[Andee]

First, you can have O'life without air, it's a good option for US cruises. The drink package is wine or beer with meals only. The upgrade to all you can drink is $20.00 per day per person. Both do not have to upgrade.

We chose OLife without air for our recent cruise. The air credit Oceania gave us was $114pp more than what it cost me to book nonstop flights.

We picked the shore excursion option; I was able to book $1216 of shore excursions, which seemed like a better deal than $800 in shipboard credit.

 

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[LHT28]

We chose OLife without air for our recent cruise. The air credit Oceania gave us was $114pp more than what it cost me to book nonstop flights.

The air credit differs for flights to Europe embarkation port than flights to a US embarkation port

 

I think we got $400 pp credit

flying from YYZ to MIA is not cheap

[Flatbush Flyer]

First, you can have O'life without air, it's a good option for US cruises. The drink package is wine or beer with meals only. The upgrade to all you can drink is $20.00 per day per person. Both do not have to upgrade.

 

 

 

If you prefer to fly biz class, take the air credit and DIY w/ money+points.

 

 

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[Braveheart11]

I booked OLife with air and they gave me direct flights both directions. In fact,the very ones I would have chosen myself.. I have to confess I sweated it out up to the point the flights were chosen, because I made the mistake of not opting to go in a day early.

[argyllsock]

Thanks everyone for the information!

 

I much prefer coming in the night before. However, early May (we are looking at one of the Cuba cruises) won't have the snowstorm issues up north and I think the weather in Miami is pretty stable then as well.

 

My biggest fear is that Oceania routes our airfare through a hub rather than direct, and a 3 hour direct flight becomes 5 or 6 hours!

 

The beverage package doesn't sound like a great deal if it's only lunch and dinner; we like a pre dinner drink and usually a nightcap.

 

Right now the cost difference between base and O-Life is pretty much equivalent to the cost of the airfare (YYZ-MIA is unbelievably costly) so O-Life gives us a better deal.

[LHT28]

Thanks everyone for the information!

 

I much prefer coming in the night before. However, early May (we are looking at one of the Cuba cruises) won't have the snowstorm issues up north and I think the weather in Miami is pretty stable then as well.

 

My biggest fear is that Oceania routes our airfare through a hub rather than direct, and a 3 hour direct flight becomes 5 or 6 hours!

You could ask what the air credit is & check out flights ... then decide

 

You can still get the O Life perks without using O air

[Flatbush Flyer]

Thanks everyone for the information!

 

 

 

I much prefer coming in the night before. However, early May (we are looking at one of the Cuba cruises) won't have the snowstorm issues up north and I think the weather in Miami is pretty stable then as well.

 

 

 

My biggest fear is that Oceania routes our airfare through a hub rather than direct, and a 3 hour direct flight becomes 5 or 6 hours!

 

 

 

The beverage package doesn't sound like a great deal if it's only lunch and dinner; we like a pre dinner drink and usually a nightcap.

 

 

 

Right now the cost difference between base and O-Life is pretty much equivalent to the cost of the airfare (YYZ-MIA is unbelievably costly) so O-Life gives us a better deal.

 

 

 

The best advice I can give you regarding the O Life booze package is to upgrade for $20pp/day extra. That total $60/day per person value, which BTW includes the 18% tip is a great deal, particularly if you only drink better spirits. For example, if you like a "sidecar" (or two) as your pre-dinner cocktail, have the classic: a double shot of Hennessy VSOP with Cointreau and fresh lemon juice (O bartenders will use real juice vs citrus mixer on request). By itself, that is a $30+ drink with tip on O. Do the math.

 

 

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[jw_406]

You could ask what the air credit is & check out flights ... then decide

 

You can still get the O Life perks without using O air

 

The Oceania website states OLife is not included with cruise-only fares. Based on your comment above, am I reading/interpreting this incorrectly?

[Flatbush Flyer]

The Oceania website states OLife is not included with cruise-only fares. Based on your comment above, am I reading/interpreting this incorrectly?

 

 

 

There's the "cruise only" fare (no air, no O Life perks). There's the "O Life" fare (w/air or an air credit , internet and choice of booze, excursions or cruise line OBC). The O Life price you first see is w/air. Once you sign in and continue through mock or real booking, you are given the choice of air/no air. Simple subtraction tells you the value of the air credit.

If it's international flying, we always aim for business class with fly in days early and fly out days after the cruise. Unless DIY air price is too outlandish and we then can't buffer the cost with loyalty points, we always opt for the O air credit to lessen the air ticket cost.

Getting biz class from O direct is almost always way over priced vs DIY.

BTW, learn to use ITA Matrix web software for air comparisons (no ticket sales). Also, take a look at Scott's Cheap Flights website.

 

 

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[LHT28]

The Oceania website states OLife is not included with cruise-only fares. Based on your comment above, am I reading/interpreting this incorrectly?

Yes you have to ask for the pricing for the O Life deal without air

 

Cruise only is different

[ChucktownSteve]

The best advice I can give you regarding the O Life booze package is to upgrade for $20pp/day extra. That total $60/day per person value, which BTW includes the 18% tip is a great deal, particularly if you only drink better spirits. For example, if you like a "sidecar" (or two) as your pre-dinner cocktail, have the classic: a double shot of Hennessy VSOP with Cointreau and fresh lemon juice (O bartenders will use real juice vs citrus mixer on request). By itself, that is a $30+ drink with tip on O. Do the math.

 

I was going to recommend the same thing which is what I plan to do on my upcoming O cruises. Another thing I noticed when I cruised before was that if people didn't have the drinks package, they received a very conservative measured pour. With the package it became a top shelf automatic double for me.

[firenz]

I have the beverage package which I can upgrade for $20 per day per person. The regular package of only wine with dinner does not work for us. The choice is between the upgraded beverage package or no beverage package and take the four (each) free excursions. We usually have a cocktail before dinner, wine with dinner and a nightcap. I can't find the prices of drinks on board. Does anyone know the cost? Any suggestions? It's our first time on Oceania so we need some help with this. Not sure about their excursions either. Do they usually do a good job?

Thanks so much!

[LHT28]

I have the beverage package which I can upgrade for $20 per day per person. The regular package of only wine with dinner does not work for us. The choice is between the upgraded beverage package or no beverage package and take the four (each) free excursions. We usually have a cocktail before dinner, wine with dinner and a nightcap. I can't find the prices of drinks on board. Does anyone know the cost? Any suggestions? It's our first time on Oceania so we need some help with this. Not sure about their excursions either. Do they usually do a good job?

Thanks so much!

You also get beer/wine with lunch

 

The Preismans have menus from last year should be close for pricing

http://www.thepreismans.com/riviera16_menus.htm#main_bar

 

Cannot help with excursions we take the OBC option

[Flatbush Flyer]

I have the beverage package which I can upgrade for $20 per day per person. The regular package of only wine with dinner does not work for us. The choice is between the upgraded beverage package or no beverage package and take the four (each) free excursions. We usually have a cocktail before dinner, wine with dinner and a nightcap. I can't find the prices of drinks on board. Does anyone know the cost? Any suggestions? It's our first time on Oceania so we need some help with this. Not sure about their excursions either. Do they usually do a good job?

Thanks so much!

 

 

 

See my post #10 re: top shelf booze. Better booze will average $10-15/shot while wine by the glass runs from about $10-17/glass. For any alcoholic drink, add 18% tip.

Happy hours are twofers.

We usually do the $60/day prestige package on cruises less than 3 weeks where there are, at least, some sea days and the embarkation port and/or other ports aren't good for buying more wine to bring aboard.

On longer cruises, particularly with stops where we pickup wine, we take the O Life OBC (vs the mealtime wine or excursions option) and pay for individual drinks, which we tend to limit to sea days and pre-dinner happy hours (twofers). Some quick math when first booking figures which way is the best to go for any particular cruise.

 

 

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[janecambridge]

I have the beverage package which I can upgrade for $20 per day per person. The regular package of only wine with dinner does not work for us. The choice is between the upgraded beverage package or no beverage package and take the four (each) free excursions. We usually have a cocktail before dinner, wine with dinner and a nightcap. I can't find the prices of drinks on board. Does anyone know the cost? Any suggestions? It's our first time on Oceania so we need some help with this. Not sure about their excursions either. Do they usually do a good job?

Thanks so much!

 

 

In your scenario,we would want our drinks all paid for,So would take the beverage package and upgrade or take the obc and purchase the full drinks package,which ever is most cost effective.(drinks packages include all the tip).We don't want to waste money on Oceania booked trips as they are expensive and we can do many more ourselves.(the only thing you must think about is being able to get back to ship in time when buying your own). There should be a roll call on cruise critic for your sailing and you will get lots of advice and ideas on d.i.y trips with others..

P.S.The basic drinks package also includes champagne at lunch and dinner.

[Andee]

For us, the excursions nade the mist sense, even though we generally book private ones.

Due to his unstable heart, DH is permitted very little alcohol.

Our TA paid gratuities, so we couldn't figure out how we'd use $800 in OBC.

I booked over $1200 in shore excursions.

 

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[Paulchili]

For us, the excursions nade the mist sense, even though we generally book private ones.

Due to his unstable heart, DH is permitted very little alcohol.

Our TA paid gratuities, so we couldn't figure out how we'd use $800 in OBC.

I booked over $1200 in shore excursions.

 

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This is the case 99% of the time. Most O Life excursions cost more than the $100 value assigned to them by O. Thus, if one doesn't mind O excursions, taking that option gives one good value (especially if one does not drink or drinks little). One can still supplement with private tours for the rest of the ports since O Life excursions are limited to 3 or 4 most of the time.

[HilsTas]

I have the beverage package which I can upgrade for $20 per day per person. The regular package of only wine with dinner does not work for us. The choice is between the upgraded beverage package or no beverage package and take the four (each) free excursions. We usually have a cocktail before dinner, wine with dinner and a nightcap. I can't find the prices of drinks on board. Does anyone know the cost? Any suggestions? It's our first time on Oceania so we need some help with this. Not sure about their excursions either. Do they usually do a good job?

Thanks so much!

 

Is the wine included with the O-Life beverage package the same selection as the wine offered in the prestige package/upgrade? many thanks

[Flatbush Flyer]

Is the wine included with the O-Life beverage package the same selection as the wine offered in the prestige package/upgrade? many thanks

 

 

 

It's all the same "wine by the glass." In general, the 18+\- selections (a mix of red and while with a few sparklers and a rosè or two) usually has a handful of the better end of moderate retail price choices (e.g., the Shramsberg Mirabelle, Arboleda Carmenere and a DonnaFugata blended white)

 

 

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[HilsTas]

It's all the same "wine by the glass." In general, the 18+\- selections (a mix of red and while with a few sparklers and a rosè or two) usually has a handful of the better end of moderate retail price choices (e.g., the Shramsberg Mirabelle, Arboleda Carmenere and a DonnaFugata blended white)

 

 

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Many thanks Flatbush Flyer :champagne-toast:

[LHT28]

Is the wine included with the O-Life beverage package the same selection as the wine offered in the prestige package/upgrade? many thanks

see the link in post #16 for the bar menus it includes wine by the glass some may have changed but you get an idea of what is on offer