Paid Gratuities

[sable1]

Booked with agency that provides Gratuities via an arrangement with Oceania.

We receive Gratuities as Gold    

Members.

Travel agent says they can't offer OBC or discount instead.

Does anyone know if Oceania will give us OBC instead of tips?

Asking here to avoid long wait on phone to O.

Thanks, Joanne

[Paulchili]

One of the gratuities will be used as actual gratuities and the second one as OBC.

Caviat - unless you became Silver or above  a long time ago, you will not receive the full value of gratuities as OBC.

IIRC it’s only $150 or $250 depending on the length of the cruise.

Only those “grandfathered” get full value of gratuities as OBC.

Edited December 25, 2020 by Paulchili

[CintiPam]

I am very puzzled by your query because I really do not understand why your travel agent has turned its issue into your issue. When we booked the cruise through which we would become silver members, and thus prepaid gratuities were included by Oceania, it was our travel agent who changed her benefits from prepaid gratuities to additional OBC.
 

Also, IMO it is the travel agent’s job to handle all contact with Oceania. Why should you have to telephone O? 

Edited December 25, 2020 by CintiPam

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 minutes ago, CintiPam said:

... IMO it is the travel agent’s job to handle all contact with Oceania. Why should you have to telephone O? 

Sometimes, it's worth the extra effort to inject yourself in the mix - mostly for clarification of a "gray area".

As for the tips: if the TA covers tips and you also get them as an O Club level perk, O will give you "in lieu" SBC for their commitment (up to $250 for longer cruises). 

You could try to talk the TA into giving you the full value of the tips as SBC and let O provide them as an O Club benefit. But you may find some TA resistance since they are often not really paying for their "contributed" tips (possible that they're using TA consortium $ perk or O incentive funds to cover them).

 

[LHT28]

i no do not have any old invoices but  I think it is $250 or $350  OBC depending on the length of the cruise

it should be listed on your invoice

[ORV]

• I was going to chime in but it looks like everything that needs to be said has already been said. I will add that it appears that the OP's agent might not be real familiar with how Oceania handles this, unless something has changed in the last year. Who knows, it may have. 

Merry Christmas to all, got to start cooking(well helping) and cleaning. 

[KirkNC]

If you are on a longer cruise (20 days or more) you are kind of get screwed by the cap on OBC.  I would rather have my TA ditch the free gratuities and reduce the cost of the base price of the cruise.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

If you are on a longer cruise (20 days or more) you are kind of get screwed by the cap on OBC.  I would rather have my TA ditch the free gratuities and reduce the cost of the base price of the cruise.

Doesn't  work that way.

As aforementioned, many instances of TA "paid" gratuities come from consortia to which they belong (on select cruises) and/or incentive funds provided by Oceania. Thus,  a TA "paying" for the "in lieu" $250 SBC (while letting O Club loyalty cover the gratuities) would actually cost them more money out-of-pocket.

BTW, I can't remember the "in lieu" being anything but $250 for years including on cruises longer than a month.

 

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

If you are on a longer cruise (20 days or more) you are kind of get screwed by the cap on OBC.  I would rather have my TA ditch the free gratuities and reduce the cost of the base price of the cruise.

Please explain the logic in this. All of us starting on our tenth cruise gets PPG. Oceania, at its discretion, additionally adds PPG as a benefit to all cruisers via a Consortium(s) of Travel Agencies . This offering of PPG is actually from Oceania via the Agency not from the Agency. So you believe you are being “ screwed” because Oceania offers the perk to others, you’re getting it anyway!!! and not ADDITIONALLY compensating you to the max!!! That’s your definition of being screwed? Rarified air you live in. 

[KirkNC]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Please explain the logic in this. All of us starting on our tenth cruise gets PPG. Oceania, at its discretion, additionally adds PPG as a benefit to all cruisers via a Consortium(s) of Travel Agencies . This offering of PPG is actually from Oceania via the Agency not from the Agency. So you believe you are being “ screwed” because Oceania offers the perk to others, you’re getting it anyway!!! and not ADDITIONALLY compensating you to the max!!! That’s your definition of being screwed? Rarified air you live in. 

It’s always such a pleasure to respond to your posts.  If a TA gives you something you already have, there is no benefit.  I would prefer something else instead.  Got it?

[KirkNC]

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Doesn't  work that way.

As aforementioned, many instances of TA "paid" gratuities come from consortia to which they belong (on select cruises) and/or incentive funds provided by Oceania. Thus,  a TA "paying" for the "in lieu" $250 SBC (while letting O Club loyalty cover the gratuities) would actually cost them more money out-of-pocket.

BTW, I can't remember the "in lieu" being anything but $250 for years including on cruises longer than a month.

 

The point I was was trying to make was with the cap, you get basically 16 days of free gratuities (if I remember right, it’s $16/day).  So if on a 25 day cruise your free gratuities are worth $400 but those who get them free get $250.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, KirkNC said:

It’s always such a pleasure to respond to your posts.  If a TA gives you something you already have, there is no benefit.  I would prefer something else instead.  Got it?

Of course there's a benefit. O then gives you $250 SBC.

Reread my post, in many (if not most) cases, TAs are not paying out-of-pocket for the gratuities coverage they provide ($ that come from TA incentives provided to TAs by their consortia or directly from O to the TA for their distribution as a TA perk). Paying you the equivalent of O "in lieu" $250 SBC provided to O Club passengers while keeping the tips covered by O would then cost that TA $250 (which would usually appear as a TA paid-out-of-pocket "gift" on the invoice).

In any case, at the bottom line, accepting a TAs gratuities coverage (when the TA isn't really paying anything for them) nets you $250 extra SBC from O.

Why would any TA then prefer to let O cover the tips when it will cost that TA $250 to mirro the overall deal? 

Remember that, whatever substitute perk you would want from a TA most often would need to come from their pocket (e.g., commission sharing).

 

[jagoffee]

15 hours ago, sable1 said:

Booked with agency that provides Gratuities via an arrangement with Oceania.

We receive Gratuities as Gold    

Members.

Travel agent says they can't offer OBC or discount instead.

Does anyone know if Oceania will give us OBC instead of tips?

Asking here to avoid long wait on phone to O.

Thanks, Joanne

Joanne, I do not have a lot of experience with Oceania cruises.  My first bookings was years ago and my current booking is for January 2020.

I understand your question and the answers that were posted.

We do not receive this benefit under the Oceania Loyalty program.  However we are receiving free gratuities from our TA/Oceania.  I am also receiving an OBC from my TA (kind of a discount).

Are you suggesting that you are not receiving OBC from your TA or are you just asking about an additional amount of OBC?

 

Thanks

[Hawaiidan]

For the record......O uses the term "GRATUITIES"   to refer to what are in actuality service charges. They added are made  to diminish the overall impact of the fare $  visually while extracting more revenue.      It, is  thus part and parcel to the cost of the trip hidden in plain site.   

 All cruise lines do this,, Just like some do not add Air, Tax, Port  etc to the cruise fare to  make it look more attractive  to a potential customer. 

While it is true that some of that Gratuity might go to employees from the cruise lines revenue... it is merely an attempt to amortize some of the lines labor cost.       In truth it is not a tip per se.    In many places like restaurants, they are up front and call it what it is "service charge"

Thus when you get Gratuities paid it is really just a smalll discount from the fare and it sound better than say  " we are giving you a 0.25% discount off your fare !!!  (Whoopie-do)

[KirkNC]

2 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Of course there's a benefit. O then gives you $250 SBC.

Reread my post, in many (if not most) cases, TAs are not paying out-of-pocket for the gratuities coverage they provide ($ that come from TA incentives provided to TAs by their consortia or directly from O to the TA for their distribution as a TA perk). Paying you the equivalent of O "in lieu" $250 SBC provided to O Club passengers while keeping the tips covered by O would then cost that TA $250 (which would usually appear as a TA paid-out-of-pocket "gift" on the invoice).

In any case, at the bottom line, accepting a TAs gratuities coverage (when the TA isn't really paying anything for them) nets you $250 extra SBC from O.

Why would any TA then prefer to let O cover the tips when it will cost that TA $250 to mirro the overall deal? 

Remember that, whatever substitute perk you would want from a TA most often would need to come from their pocket (e.g., commission sharing).

 

Please read the response I made to you post, not the one to PL.  I agree there is a benefit but the benefits value is diff depending on your O status.  I understand that O is providing the benefit.

[Hawaiidan]

14 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

The point I was was trying to make was with the cap, you get basically 16 days of free gratuities (if I remember right, it’s $16/day).  So if on a 25 day cruise your free gratuities are worth $400 but those who get them free get $250.  

Kirk..... while the 400 for a 25 day  is perperson.....  the 250 OBC  is for the cabin not person,  Much like the stock holder benefits are per cabin  and the O life benefits are per cabin as I remember  Making the Gratuity ( fare discount really) better.............

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

The point I was was trying to make was with the cap, you get basically 16 days of free gratuities (if I remember right, it’s $16/day).  So if on a 25 day cruise your free gratuities are worth $400 but those who get them free get $250.  

At this point, the most important thing may be to get your math straight. Tips are $16/person/day. So, for a two person cabin,  25 days would mean a gratuities cost of $800 for the cabin.

If your O Club status covers that $800, a TA owes you nothing "in lieu" of their original offer to "pay" those gratuities (which we already know is most often not coming out of their pocket but rather is coming from their TA consortium or from incentive funds O provides to TAs to help their marketing). And, should they buy the argument that you want the O gratuities perk and something else from them (the TA) "in lieu" of their gratuities offer, that would most often be at a cost to them "out-of-pocket." That is why most TAs will say take our TA gratuities offer and the extra $250 "in lieu" from O Club loyalty.

 

BTW, confounding this deal-making for O newbies, are O Life perks, which some unscrupulous TAs will suggest are perks those TAs are providing (NOT!).

 

FWIW to anyone new(et) to Oceania:

My general O "deal rules" start with knowing all that is available to you and who is actually giving you what. That said, here's how I suggest proceeding:

 

When itinerary schedule timing is optimal (e.g.,  newly announced), book onboard and assign the cruise to yourself (rather than automatically to your TA for the current cruise) to get the OBB discount, immediate SBC, price drop guarantee and no penalty transfer option.

 

Armed with that Oceania onboard booking invoice showing all that is coming from O (I.e., OBB discount, any applied FCCs, O Club loyalty perks (e.g., gratuities coverage et al.) and O Life perks plus air credit value (if DIY), as well as your knowing that beverages, internet and specialty restaurants are always included with any O fare, THEN approach your TA(s) regarding what THEY can ADD to the deal (e.g., commission sharing as non-refundable SBC [or rebate check] BEYOND any other TA perks like consortia [or other source] provided gratuities [which then will net some of us the $250/cabin "in lieu" of O Club provided gratuities]. You have 30 days to transfer that onboard booking to whatever TA you choose without it necessarily disturbing your O deal provisions.

 

Finally, remember that the best deal (in buying anything) isn't always the cheapest (for all the obvious reasons). Problem solving by the right Oceania-savvy TA can be priceless.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

The point I was was trying to make was with the cap, you get basically 16 days of free gratuities (if I remember right, it’s $16/day).  So if on a 25 day cruise your free gratuities are worth $400 but those who get them free get $250.  

At one point those that reached status for PPG & the full value  from TA/Oceania  as SBC   but as more people reached that level  it was  like double dipping from Oceania   so they changed the rules

Some people may still get the double PPG 

 

Just like  when they changed the  Oceania club benefits to lower SBC  amounts

It is business

if you do not like how they operate  then do not sail with them

 

To me the Oceania club benefits  are a lot better than other lines

Just saying

 

[KirkNC]

Geez I am starting see why so few post on the Oceania forum.

[ORV]

What someone may have posted, but I'll reiterate, if you reached Silver before a certain date, I think Dec 31, 2013, but don't quote me on that, you will get the full amount of what the gratuities should be instead of the "in lieu of" which is $250. So if the cruise if over a certain amount of days then those folks will come out ahead. Sometimes on a shorter cruise it will not work out as well for them. 

 

Paul is in this situation and maybe can weigh in on the subject. 

Edited December 26, 2020 by ORV

[Waynetor]

So with a booking bonus of free grats, a new O customer gets a $800 benefit on a 25 day cruise while the gold or higher loyal customer gets a $250 benefit from the same promo.  I think  there should be a better way, but it is the O way. 

[Paulchili]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Paul is in this situation and maybe can weigh in on the subject

You are correct although I am not sure if it had to be by the end of 2013 or 2014. People grandfathered by that date do receive full value of PPG as OBC.

Also, when staying in PH or above the gratuity is $23/day/pp - so the value of PPG is greater. One time we had 3 PPGs - that was nice 🙂

Edited December 26, 2020 by Paulchili

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 minutes ago, Waynetor said:

So with a booking bonus of free grats, a new O customer gets a $800 benefit on a 25 day cruise while the gold or higher loyal customer gets a $250 benefit from the same promo.  I think  there should be a better way, but it is the O way. 

Oops - no more "special egg nog" for you!

 

A new O customer only gets the $800 gratuities (25 days) covered if the TA provides it (and that may limit what else the TA may provide depending on how they're covering the gratuities). AND Oceania gives those newbies nothing extra (unless the TA has access to a limited time offer of "new O cruiser" discount - usually about 5%).

 

On the other hand...

The upper level O Club folks would always be provided/offered full gratuities ($800 for 25 days in middle level cabins that charge $16/person/day) from Oceania though those O Club members can choose to take gratuities offered by the TA and O will give the O Club members "in lieu" extra SBC (e.g., $250/cabin). 

 

BTW, those upper level O Club members also get significant extra SBC from Oceania(e.g., Platinum gets $500/cabin plus $150 per person spa credits, discounts on excursions et al.). And don't forget the complimentary 14 day cruise each time you amass 20 cruise credits.

 

O's "loyalty" O Club program remains one of the best in the industry.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Waynetor said:

So with a booking bonus of free grats, a new O customer gets a $800 benefit on a 25 day cruise while the gold or higher loyal customer gets a $250 benefit from the same promo.  I think  there should be a better way, but it is the O way. 

They also get the PPG which is nothing to scoff at

[Hawaiidan]

On 12/24/2020 at 8:52 PM, Paulchili said:

One of the gratuities will be used as actual gratuities and the second one as OBC.

Caviat - unless you became Silver or above  a long time ago, you will not receive the full value of gratuities as OBC.

IIRC it’s only $150 or $250 depending on the length of the cruise.

Only those “grandfathered” get full value of gratuities as OBC.

I dont think you get to choose how your gratuities get used......