OCEANIA'S FALSE PROMISES

[ifield]

I am Platinum Elite with Oceania. I love their onboard product. However I am becoming increasingly concerned with the Head Office management personnel as it relates to their integrity.

Most recently the  fiasco of the so called 'Enhanced Loyalty Benefits', which in reality are a significant REDUCTION to benefits.

These reductions particularly affect the GOLD members and above. Indeed the more loyal to Oceania the bigger the reward programme reduction.

Now I wish to refer to the 'BEST PRICE/AMENITY GUARANTEE' when a cruise is booked on board.

This 'guarantee' is stressed on each cruise that it is ALWAYS beneficial to book on board as you will receive the benefits of any pric e reduction/enhanced amenities up to date of sail. In my experience after 28 cruises with Oceania (which I have loved !) this marketing is at best a SHAM, at worst misleading and /or false advertising to enduce people to book on board.

Every time we have seen a better price and enquired they have always come back with that this 'promotion' does not apply.

In the conditions it does state that certain 'select promotions' may not apply.  Of course the customer does not know what these 'select promotions'  are in advance and what promotions DO APPLY. So this begs the question, 'what price reductions would ever apply?' So far every time there has been a reduction the BEST PRICE GUARANTEE  does not apply!!!

Most recent example is we booked on board and  then subsequently there was a 10% discount came out for Canadian Residents and we were told that, in this promotion, the BEST PRICE guarantee does not apply.

So beware of this very misleading advertising.

[Noxequifans]

Interesting. We always keep checking the latest price for our booked cruises. When we see a difference we contact our TA. In one case the price was lowered and in another we got OBC ..... which was fine for us. Can’t complain. 

[RJB]

2 hours ago, ifield said:

I am Platinum Elite with Oceania. I love their onboard product. However I am becoming increasingly concerned with the Head Office management personnel as it relates to their integrity.

Most recently the  fiasco of the so called 'Enhanced Loyalty Benefits', which in reality are a significant REDUCTION to benefits.

These reductions particularly affect the GOLD members and above. Indeed the more loyal to Oceania the bigger the reward programme reduction.

Now I wish to refer to the 'BEST PRICE/AMENITY GUARANTEE' when a cruise is booked on board.

This 'guarantee' is stressed on each cruise that it is ALWAYS beneficial to book on board as you will receive the benefits of any pric e reduction/enhanced amenities up to date of sail. In my experience after 28 cruises with Oceania (which I have loved !) this marketing is at best a SHAM, at worst misleading and /or false advertising to enduce people to book on board.

Every time we have seen a better price and enquired they have always come back with that this 'promotion' does not apply.

In the conditions it does state that certain 'select promotions' may not apply.  Of course the customer does not know what these 'select promotions'  are in advance and what promotions DO APPLY. So this begs the question, 'what price reductions would ever apply?' So far every time there has been a reduction the BEST PRICE GUARANTEE  does not apply!!!

Most recent example is we booked on board and  then subsequently there was a 10% discount came out for Canadian Residents and we were told that, in this promotion, the BEST PRICE guarantee does not apply.

So beware of this very misleading advertising.

You  are so right.  Their best customers are getting shafted in the new loyalty  program.  I guess it does not pay to be so loyal  Too bad. 

[Paulchili]

28 minutes ago, Noxequifans said:

Interesting. We always keep checking the latest price for our booked cruises. When we see a difference we contact our TA. In one case the price was lowered and in another we got OBC ..... which was fine for us. Can’t complain. 

We too had an instance where the new price was honored with new lower price. That said, it took a little back and forth between our TA & Oceania.

Granted, this is the only time it happened but we rarely book onboard.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Paulchili

[GeezerCouple]

For the first time, last week I spoke with the onboard rep about "what the advantages would be for booking on board".

 

He was straightforward that we could not "combine" promos, such that IF we later saw something else like the Black Friday sale, in order to get it, we'd have to not use the advance purchase promo paid for the coupon.

That was fair enough.

 

However, it didn't seem enough of a compelling "offer" to get the coupon/etc.

 

And although we were fortunate to get that [really good] Black Friday sale for a different cruise next year, those don't apply to many cruises.  Indeed, I think that was one of the few times ever (anywhere!) that "what we had was *not* excluded from a promo" 

 

It would be very disappointing to find out that even this claim (give up the "on board promo" to get the better promo) was, er, false.

 

Bottom line was that on our second cruise with Oceania on Riviera, it was *everything* we remembered.

We loved the ship, and we loved the food, just as we did before.

 

The only disappointment was the quality of our Butler.  He was a disappointment, but we have been fortunate to have had mostly exceptional Butlers before, and we already knew we were spoiled.

 

GC

[Aulanis]

Our next cruise with Oceania is our first and probably out last.

The Landside operation appears to be somewhere between poor and useless.

Just hope the onboard Luxury Category really is! Here is a good example

Yesterday from Bernie

Bernard Carter
Senior Vice President & Managing Director EMEA
Oceania Cruises

Baltic Bliss Southampton TO Stockholm 14 AUG 2019 | 10 DAYS | Marina

- OLIFE ULTIMATE -

Includes: - Airfare & Internet** plus all 3 for FREE: - 6 Shore Excursions - Free House Beverage Package - US$600 Shipboard Credit Amenities are per stateroom   Today Baltic Bliss Southampton TO Stockholm 14 AUG 2019 | 10 DAYS | Marina Includes: - Airfare & Internet* plus choose 1 for FREE: - 6 Shore Excursions - Free House Beverage Package - US$600 Shipboard Credit Amenities are per stateroom   I expect MSC, Marella, P&O to make mistakes     but  at  "O" level  I just expect more.or should be less re the mistakes) -  I wonder if anyone got to book it and if it was honoured!   or is  E & O excepted??

 

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, Aulanis said:

Our next cruise with Oceania is our first and probably out last.

The Landside operation appears to be somewhere between poor and useless.

Just hope the onboard Luxury Category really is! Here is a good example

Yesterday from Bernie

Bernard Carter
Senior Vice President & Managing Director EMEA
Oceania Cruises

Baltic Bliss Southampton TO Stockholm 14 AUG 2019 | 10 DAYS | Marina

- OLIFE ULTIMATE -

Includes: - Airfare & Internet** plus all 3 for FREE: - 6 Shore Excursions - Free House Beverage Package - US$600 Shipboard Credit Amenities are per stateroom   Today Baltic Bliss Southampton TO Stockholm 14 AUG 2019 | 10 DAYS | Marina Includes: - Airfare & Internet* plus choose 1 for FREE: - 6 Shore Excursions - Free House Beverage Package - US$600 Shipboard Credit Amenities are per stateroom   I expect MSC, Marella, P&O to make mistakes     but  at  "O" level  I just expect more.or should be less re the mistakes) -  I wonder if anyone got to book it and if it was honoured!   or is  E & O excepted??

 

 

This happened to us, too.

 

It was between the time we told our TA to book the cruise, and when we got confirmation... less than a day.  I had mentioned the "all" to him; he wrote back with the "one of"... and I thought I had had a dream or something, as I could NOT find it again.

 

NOW... I make COPIES of *ALL* of these to document.

However, IF the switch happened before booking, too bad.  But IF they switched it after our TA had confirmation.... no way.  Alas, I didn't know "when" he contacted them, and thus didn't have an exactly contemporaneous list of the goodies.

 

Thanks.  Good to know this DID happen to someone else, too.  That I wasn't "mistaken".  I just have no proof, and the timing isn't 100% clear, either in our case.

 

However, we just returned from our most recent Oceania cruise.  We had SUCH a wonderful time, again... that we'll be returning, at least in the near future.

 

GC

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Aulanis said:

Our next cruise with Oceania is our first and probably out last.

The Landside operation appears to be somewhere between poor and useless.

Just hope the onboard Luxury Category really is! Here is a good example

Yesterday from Bernie

Bernard Carter
Senior Vice President & Managing Director EMEA
Oceania Cruises

Baltic Bliss Southampton TO Stockholm 14 AUG 2019 | 10 DAYS | Marina

- OLIFE ULTIMATE -

Includes: - Airfare & Internet** plus all 3 for FREE: - 6 Shore Excursions - Free House Beverage Package - US$600 Shipboard Credit Amenities are per stateroom   Today Baltic Bliss Southampton TO Stockholm 14 AUG 2019 | 10 DAYS | Marina Includes: - Airfare & Internet* plus choose 1 for FREE: - 6 Shore Excursions - Free House Beverage Package - US$600 Shipboard Credit Amenities are per stateroom   I expect MSC, MarellaI have  seen, P&O to make mistakes     but  at  "O" level  I just expect more.or should be less re the mistakes) -  I wonder if anyone got to book it and if it was honoured!   or is  E & O excepted??

 

I have heard in the UK  they will get  ALL 3 perks  where the N.A. market gets  just one

not saying this is the case with your cruise

Did you ask your TA to get the better  deal?

 

Not sure what you mean by luxury category

[Aulanis]

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

 

Not sure what you mean by luxury category

 

"Oceania Cruises offers a destination-intensive luxury cruising experience"
"Nautica and Marina uphold the standard of luxury and quality service that Oceania is known for."

 

You are probably correct about the US/UK divide   One of the TAs we use has it with the 3 showing as being included.   I guess it may be because there are many cruises doing this route to those ports and go uk to uk.

We have been to all the ports, some on cruises St P on a land tour so we are considering one  with Marella which goes to a port in Lithuania and another in Latvia that we have not been to. includes gratuities and drinks  but no excursions and returns to the UK. 16 Days  two thirds  price of O for balcony.

Edited December 21, 2018 by Aulanis

[JMM99]

We live in the UK.  Yesterday morning we received an email regarding the Baltic Bliss cruise showing ‘all 3 for free’.  Ten hours later we received a ‘correction’ email changing it to ‘1 for free’.  Therefore the same as the US market.

[Aulanis]

That is the emails I mentioned above.

The TA's site now also reflects  1 not all.

 

But it also carries a reference to luxury " Oceania offer the best value in luxury cruising "

[GeezerCouple]

37 minutes ago, JMM99 said:

We live in the UK.  Yesterday morning we received an email regarding the Baltic Bliss cruise showing ‘all 3 for free’.  Ten hours later we received a ‘correction’ email changing it to ‘1 for free’.  Therefore the same as the US market.

 

We didn't even get any "correction" notice.

It just magically changed.

 

GC

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Aulanis said:

 

"Oceania Cruises offers a destination-intensive luxury cruising experience"
"Nautica and Marina uphold the standard of luxury and quality service that Oceania is known for."

 

You are probably correct about the US/UK divide   One of the TAs we use has it with the 3 showing as being included.   I guess it may be because there are many cruises doing this route to those ports and go uk to uk.

 

 

Thanks  for the explanation

though Oceania  is not  a luxury line  they may have some luxury feel to  them

Hope you enjoy  the cruise no matter what title it is given 😉

 

[petcoke]

On 12/13/2018 at 6:59 PM, ifield said:

I am Platinum Elite with Oceania. I love their onboard product. However I am becoming increasingly concerned with the Head Office management personnel as it relates to their integrity.

Most recently the  fiasco of the so called 'Enhanced Loyalty Benefits', which in reality are a significant REDUCTION to benefits.

These reductions particularly affect the GOLD members and above. Indeed the more loyal to Oceania the bigger the reward programme reduction.

Now I wish to refer to the 'BEST PRICE/AMENITY GUARANTEE' when a cruise is booked on board.

This 'guarantee' is stressed on each cruise that it is ALWAYS beneficial to book on board as you will receive the benefits of any pric e reduction/enhanced amenities up to date of sail. In my experience after 28 cruises with Oceania (which I have loved !) this marketing is at best a SHAM, at worst misleading and /or false advertising to enduce people to book on board.

Every time we have seen a better price and enquired they have always come back with that this 'promotion' does not apply.

In the conditions it does state that certain 'select promotions' may not apply.  Of course the customer does not know what these 'select promotions'  are in advance and what promotions DO APPLY. So this begs the question, 'what price reductions would ever apply?' So far every time there has been a reduction the BEST PRICE GUARANTEE  does not apply!!!

Most recent example is we booked on board and  then subsequently there was a 10% discount came out for Canadian Residents and we were told that, in this promotion, the BEST PRICE guarantee does not apply.

So beware of this very misleading advertising.

MERRY CHRISTMAS YOU MOANING OLD BUGGER LOL HOPE YOU ARE BOTH WELL   PENNY&BRIAN