Buyer Beware on B2B Bookings

[roothy123]

OK, since I'm considering booking a B2B 31 or 32 day (or night?) cruise, I looked this up on O's website.  Here's what it says: 

 

Cruises up to 24 days will receive one cruise credit

Cruises 25-34 days will receive two cruise credits

Cruises 35-44 days will receive three cruise credits

Cruises 45-54 days will receive four cruise credits

Cruises 55-64 days will receive five cruise credits

Cruises 65-99 days will receive seven cruise credits

Cruises 100-157 days will receive ten cruise credits

Cruises 158 + days will receive fifteen cruise credits

 

Looks like it doesn't make much difference how you book, at least for the cruise credits!  

 

The amenities you get apparently change a little starting this November, though. 

 

I thought an Oceania rep told me I could get a 5% discount for a back to back.  Not sure if that's correct, though.  Goin to ask the travel agent if I decide to book.   

 

 

[Paulchili]

In my mind a true B2B are 2 cruises with different booking numbers = 2 credits.

Otherwise a cruise that has 2 segments that could be booked as separate cruises but have only 1 booking number are NOT B2B but rather an extended or grand voyage. In such a case the number of days of such a cruise will determine the numbers of credits received. If that extended/grand voyage is under 24 days (like two 7 day segments booked as a single cruise) will get only 1 credit; if booked as  2 separate cruises with separate booing numbers you get 2 credits.

Thus, if booking with 2 different booking numbers a 14 day cruise will get 2 credits but a 24 day cruise booked with a single booking number will get only 1 credit.

Unfair? Maybe, but that is how Oceania set it up in the begging and it’s hard to change now. Some other cruise lines simply count the number of nights cruised with a line to establish loyalty level.

Edited January 25, 2019 by Paulchili

[Paulchili]

roothy - see my post above from 1/18 re: benefits received on B2B vs booked as a single grand voyage. You have to do the math to see which way it works out best. Importantly, if booked as B2B with separate numbers you can take advantage of a lower price if either segment becomes discounted.

[LHT28]

we had  a B2B  12 day & 10 day

if combined it would be 1 credit

Our TA got us  2 booking numbers  so 2 credits in the end

If you are over the 24 days for 1 cruise  it probably does not matter 

JMO

[rallydave]

20 minutes ago, ORV said:

No, Roothy is  correct. It's based on number of days. Here's the breakdown

 

• Cruises up to 24 days will receive one cruise credit
• Cruises 25-34 days will receive two cruise credits
• Cruises 35-44 days will receive three cruise credits
• Cruises 45-54 days will receive four cruise credits
• Cruises 55-64 days will receive five cruise credits
• Cruises 65-99 days will receive seven cruise credits
• Cruises 100-157 days will receive ten cruise credits
• Cruises 158 + days will receive fifteen cruise credits

 

 

Actually Orv, you are only partially correct and I am only partially incorrect and as to Roothy, depending on what she meant in her question is not completely correct or incorrect.  You see, most cruise lines give points per day or nite and O is a sort of hybrid in that it gives points per complete cruise yet the number of points are not linear like most lines so for example a B2B2B of 7 days for each cruise would get 3 points if separate cruises or 1 point if a single grand voyage.

 

On other lines it doesn't matter if the B2B is a multiple cruise or grand voyage as the days are the same but, on O it depends on the length of the cruise as to whether you get 1 or more.  Another example is that if the cruise on O is 24 nites, 1 credit the same as any cruise shorter while on other lines 24 nites is 24 points or on some a multiple of 24 points

 

Thus the term hybrid as yes the length comes into play but, except at the break points you posted, no matter the length within the breakpoints, the value is the same.

[pauon]

Really the points debate on this thread is “much ado about nothing” (seems pretty clear to me) and way off topic.  The post was a warning if you book a B2B their computer is unable to let you manage your own booking and they are saying it will not be fixing it.

[Redtravel]

My experience will lead me to look at itineraries carefully before booking again. We booked a 14 cruise on Marina. There was no mention of it really being 2 b2b cruises. We had one booking #.  When I tried to make restaurant reservations on line, I had some problems. It listed that We should get 8 reservations.  I could only get 4 reservations. Most were on the second week. When I tried a few days later, I got one more reservation.  A few weeks later, I got one more reservation. Having sailed on Oceania previously, I knew that there are always reservations put aside for people who don’t use computers. In retrospect this was my first hint that me cruise wasn’t a sole 14 day cruise. Next hint was that there were no excursions listed for the turn around day. That was really odd since it was at a popular port. It was a port that I had visited many times. I really wasn’t interested in doing an excursion. Once on the ship, it became obvious that we were on a b2b when I went to make the missing restaurant reservations.  I was told that I had to wait until a day before the first cruise ended before making more reservations?  The penny dropped .  Even though It was listed as a single cruise and my sea card had one reservation #, it was treated as 2 cruises in many ways.  Luckily, we didn’t have to do a second checkin. We had to do a second lifeboat drill. Menus and entertainment were repeated the second week.  There were no activities on turn around day.  I have done b2b cruises on other lines. While not ideal, I did know that it was a b2b before I booked. That wasn’t the case on Oceania. We got 1 Oceania credit. On the cruise, we met people who had booked it as 2 separate cruises and got 2 credits.  That is not really fair.  It would be more equitable if they had a per night system.  

[LHT28]

they have started  in the past year or so to have  more extended  cruises 

where they will put 2+ popular routes together

but not list it as a GV

This is what happened with us

I had booked one cruise  then a week later  decide to add another leg

 

You have to check each side of your cruise to see if they have other cruises combined

they are  doing some 12 day, 22 day & 36 day cruises  or other combinations  all on the same itinerary

So you may find  they can be sold as   shorter cruise  segments but Oceania  will combine them to one cruise  & you lose cruise credits on some of them

I do not think they are giving the discount  for B2B  either  just the air credit

 

[pauon]

Well said, Redtrsvel.   We have two back 2 back cruises planned in next 7 months.  Our first one is pritty  long, so I am fine on that one.  The second one, I will probably cancel the the second leg.

[Paulchili]

2 hours ago, pauon said:

The post was a warning if you book a B2B their computer is unable to let you manage your own booking and they are saying it will not be fixing it.

I recently completed a B2B on Marina Oct/Nov 2018 and never had to call O for ANYTHING. Booked my restaurant reservations, excursions without any problem when the timeline for booking opened.

We were on a longer cruise on Nautica and were entitled multiple reservations in both specialties. The booking schedule did not allow us to book ALL our allotted reservations within the first week. The booking forced you to book 1/2 of your reservations for the first half of the cruise and the remainder for the second half of the cruise.

I think this is fair and I don’t see a problem with this. Of course, one can try for extra reservations once onboard for anytime one is available. 

Edited January 25, 2019 by Paulchili

[pauon]

3 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

I recently completed a B2B on Marina Oct/Nov 2018 and never had to call O for ANYTHING. Booked my restaurant reservations, excursions without any problem when the timeline for booking opened.

Not any more.  That is from Oceania, my TA, and other posters.  Like I said in my OP;  "Sad and unacceptable".  

[Paulchili]

2 minutes ago, pauon said:

Not any more.  That is from Oceania, my TA, and other posters.  Like I said in my OP;  "Sad and unacceptable".  

See my edit above.

Does that situation maybe apply to your cruise?

[pauon]

No, we had to make all reservations over the phone or through the TA for dinners and excursions when the wait time was to long with the main Oceania numbers.  It is all done now, but I am not willing to do it again for the second B2B for June / July.  

[pauon]

This is the email from Oceania :  

Thank you for contacting the Special Services desk at Oceania Cruises.

 Kindly be advised that due to your Combo Bookings updating can only be done with our Reservations Department.  Our website is unable to handle these types of bookings.

 Please contact our Call Center at 1-800-531-5658 and any Cruise Specialist will be able to assist you.

 Thank you for choosing Oceania Cruises and we look forward to welcoming you onboard.

[roothy123]

I have a different perspective, as I've never (not yet, anyway!!) booked 2 cruises back to back.  I don't think I would mind calling O to get dinner reservations, or having my TA call, unless it really delayed the opportunity to get good days and times.  But I don't know if that would be the case or not since I've never had to do it.  I also have no problem with O or other cruise line limiting how many reservations you can make in the first, second, etc. week.  As it is, when you book an inside cabin as we often do, it's sometimes hard to get decent days/times, so anything that makes it easier is OK with me. Of course, one option is to book a higher-priced cabin, but O's cabin prices go up quickly, and we normally don't want,/can't afford to do that.  On a recent cruise on another similar line, I had more than the usual difficulty getting the dining reservations I was aiming for, and wondered if it was partly because there were a lot of B2Brs on my cruise. 

 

As I ponder booking my first combination/B2B/whatever it is cruise(s), thanks to everyone who has mentioned how booking separately or combined may impact my  pre-cruise experience!

 

By the way, I did see one longer Regatta cruise that appealed to me that was shown with NO cabin categories available.  I was a bit surprised, because I had just looked at a cruise which appeared to be the first part of the cruise (same ship/date/itinerary) and there were plenty of cabin categories available. I looked at the other part of the "unbookable" cruise and cabins WERE available as well.  Strange...but guess that's what LHT28 was describing.  The other cruise line does that all the time, I notice - and what the other cruise line does, O seems to copy.  What O does, the other line seems to copy...

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by roothy123

[pauon]

Roothy123,

I am glad you found the topic useful.  One thing I have learned is that B2B with Oceania has problems that I have never experienced on B2B on Windstar, Holland, or Princess.  They don't even seem to care.   If there is more info you need, let me know.  

David

[Travelcat2]

On 1/25/2019 at 8:56 AM, rallydave said:

Believe O only provides a single point per cruise so if truly a B2B you would get 2 credits but, if the cruises are combined only one.

 

Incorrect. ORV - thanks for checking the website.