What is this in Cruise Planner?

[ORV]

I was just looking through my booked cruise and under drink packages I found this. Specifically, what is the Prepaid Gratuities? Is this where you can pay for your daily grats? The problem with that is I'm in a standard room, and unless they've gone up while I wasn't paying attention, I think they're $16 a day, per person, not $18 a day. At least that's what the FAQ's say. Are they going up? I have to admit that I haven't paid grats in a long time so wasn't even aware this was on the website. But it really makes no sense that it's in with beverages. It is good to know that gratuity is included when you buy the gratuities. 🙃

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by ORV

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

I was just looking through my booked cruise and under drink packages I found this. Specifically, what is the Prepaid Gratuities? Is this where you can pay for your daily grats? The problem with that is I'm in a standard room, and unless they've gone up while I wasn't paying attention, I think they're $16 a day, per person, not $18 a day. At least that's what the FAQ's say. Are they going up? I have to admit that I haven't paid grats in a long time so wasn't even aware this was on the website. But it really makes no sense that it's in with beverages. It is good to know that gratuity is included when you buy the gratuities. 🙃

 

The only thing that would make sense from a passenger point of view would be an $18 pp/day flat rate gratuity charge for folks w/o booze packages covering ANY purchase related to booze: wine by-the-glass AND/OR by-the-bottle, a la carte cocktails, wine tasting and other bar events, corkage fee (then discounted?), etc. The break even point would be daily purchased items averaging more than $100 pp. 

[pinotlover]

ORV;

 

You’re mixing apples and oranges. Your $16/day grats are for the entire crew for the ship.

 

Here the drinks package has an all inclusive price including the drinks and gratuity. Often, for tax various purposes, the two must be split. This is drink package only. So if any sales or excise taxes are required, Oceania has published what the value of each are.

Edited December 20, 2022 by pinotlover

[LHT28]

Sounds like maybe they are  raising  the daily gratuities  

Looks like pax can opt to pre pay them  or pre purchase  the  beverage packages (for those not taking O life Beverage  deal)  

since you already get the PPG  I would not worry about it

 

JMO

[ORV]

7 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

ORV;

 

You’re mixing apples and oranges. Your $16/day grats are for the entire crew for the ship.

 

Here the drinks package has an all inclusive price including the drinks and gratuity. Often, for tax various purposes, the two must be split. This is drink package only. So if any sales or excise taxes are required, Oceania has published what the value of each are.

This can be purchased separately from any drink package. If you were buying the drink package that already includes grats why would you need to purchase them separately?

 

More than anything I'm just curious about this as I've never seen anyone bring this up on the board. Wondering if it's some type of glitch or actually has a purpose. In case it isn't clear, this is a 10 day cruise. 

 

I can see what FF is saying, it actually makes sense. If a person bought an $80 bottle of wine and and 3 or 4 cocktails they would be ahead of the game by prepaying their tips. Of course you would have to do that everyday. 

On the other hand I've never seen this mentioned or offered as an option. 

[pinotlover]

5 minutes ago, ORV said:

This can be purchased separately from any drink package. If you were buying the drink package that already includes grats why would you need to purchase them separately?

 

More than anything I'm just curious about this as I've never seen anyone bring this up on the board. Wondering if it's some type of glitch or actually has a purpose. In case it isn't clear, this is a 10 day cruise. 

 

I can see what FF is saying, it actually makes sense. If a person bought an $80 bottle of wine and and 3 or 4 cocktails they would be ahead of the game by prepaying their tips. Of course you would have to do that everyday. 

On the other hand I've never seen this mentioned or offered as an option. 

I believe what they are poorly trying to say is that the first beverage package is $39.95 per day all inclusive. That price is broken down as $18/ day gratuities, or service charges, and $21.95 alcohol. It’s internal accounting. 
 

I’m still betting that somewhere along the way Oceania ( or the customer) is required to pay a VAT or other tax on alcohol but not service, so the breakdown. Everyone will still pay $39.95 for the package. Same scheme different numbers for the Premium Package.

[LHT28]

I think you are reading too much into it

If it was included in the bev Packages   there would not be the  option to check  the PPG  box

JMO

[mexicobob]

The same screen comes up in my booked cruises. Assumed this was an option to pre pay gratuities. Had nothing to do with the beverage packages. Confusing why it appears in the Drink Packages menu.

[Flatbush Flyer]

35 minutes ago, ORV said:

This can be purchased separately from any drink package. If you were buying the drink package that already includes grats why would you need to purchase them separately?

 

More than anything I'm just curious about this as I've never seen anyone bring this up on the board. Wondering if it's some type of glitch or actually has a purpose. In case it isn't clear, this is a 10 day cruise. 

 

I can see what FF is saying, it actually makes sense. If a person bought an $80 bottle of wine and and 3 or 4 cocktails they would be ahead of the game by prepaying their tips. Of course you would have to do that everyday. 

On the other hand I've never seen this mentioned or offered as an option. 

I just can’t fathom any other explanation other than a flat rate $18 daily tips deal. But, I’m thinking more along the lines of using it for a plan with better wines-by-the-bottle at $150 +\- along with the tasting events and even the new evening wine bar (on the O ships). Nonetheless, I agree that, just like the Prestige Package, you’d need to keep up a good pace to make it worthwhile.

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

14 minutes ago, mexicobob said:

The same screen comes up in my booked cruises. Assumed this was an option to pre pay gratuities. Had nothing to do with the beverage packages. Confusing why it appears in the Drink Packages menu.

At least for B cabins, the gratuity is still $16 pp/day. And someone would had to have gone out of their way to misplace that gratuity on the booze package web page.

[shepherd really]

6 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

At least for B cabins, the gratuity is still $16 pp/day. And someone would had to have gone out of their way to misplace that gratuity on the booze package web page.

The beverage package specifically gives a price including gratuities, so your speculation is unlikely to be correct.  

 

Most likely possibilities are: Oceania IT giving us an unannounced preview of a hike in gratuities like a number of other cruise lines have done recently or someone in IT flat out screwing up.

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, shepherd really said:

The beverage package specifically gives a price including gratuities, so your speculation is unlikely to be correct.  

My premise of a newly introduced $18 “flat rate booze tips option” is for folks who do NOT want the traditional booze packages but who do consume enough booze to warrant consideration of the new tips only option.

 

Think about it:

 If I buy the “prestige package” at $60/day (or $20 with O Life upgrade), gratuities are included - but only for booze allowed in the package (I.e., most [but not all] spirits and only the mostly mediocre items on the “wine-by-the-glass menu”). I still would pay 18% tip on bottled wine, “top shelf” scotch/cognac, wine/spirit tastings, many “wine bar” selections, etc.

 

If my premise is correct, the $18/day flat rate “booze tips” option would be a consideration for those of us who don’t do the O booze packages but who do any/all of the items mentioned above plus “happy hours,” occasional other cocktails and multiple hosted events/dinners plus corkage fees.

For example: We often do longer cruises exceeding a month and have found that the booze packages have less value for us for varied reasons. Yet having an opportunity to do the math on anticipated booze related purchases (listed above) and finding that booze tips alone would exceed $18/day might peak our interest on the booze “tips only” package - particularly on shorter cruises.

 

It’s just a third option that may entice some folks to buy more non-package booze because they know/think it’s a good deal for their imbibing habits.

Unless it’s truly an IT/web FUBAR, there is no other plausible explanation.

 

[sunlover12]

@ORV It's an IT glitch and a poorly designed page. I checked my future booking and saw the same thing. The $18/day has nothing to do with the beverage package.  You can prepay the beverage package or the gratuities. 

 

Interesting that the gratuities are $18/day, not $16 as has been in the past.  My booking is in a PH and it's showing the usual $23/day/guest. I'll keep checking that if NLCH has announced they're increasing daily gratuities. I''m not at the level where I get complimentary PPG so I pay close attention to what I'm being charged for it.

JMO

[Robroy]

Our first O trip is upcoming in May and must say I find the accounting/"manage my booking" section confusing. Our invoice clearly states the standard beverage package is included as an amenity along with gratuities (thanks to the Black Friday sale - $23/per person) but when I go to the options under the "manage my booking" section under beverage packages, it indicates "none selected". I'm reluctant to go ahead and check off the standard package for fear of screwing anything up. Also - the price indicated for the standard package bears no relation to reality whatsoever, as it's $359 CDN per person. My T/A said that with the invoice being correct not to worry about it but it doesn't make sense that when O makes the invoice that it doesn't update the booking also. Very confusing!

 

Cheers,

Rob

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Robroy said:

Our first O trip is upcoming in May and must say I find the accounting/"manage my booking" section confusing. Our invoice clearly states the standard beverage package is included as an amenity along with gratuities (thanks to the Black Friday sale - $23/per person) but when I go to the options under the "manage my booking" section under beverage packages, it indicates "none selected". I'm reluctant to go ahead and check off the standard package for fear of screwing anything up. Also - the price indicated for the standard package bears no relation to reality whatsoever, as it's $359 CDN per person. My T/A said that with the invoice being correct not to worry about it but it doesn't make sense that when O makes the invoice that it doesn't update the booking also. Very confusing!

 

Cheers,

Rob

Is it noted on your invoice  that you have the Bev package  & PPG?

 

The IT dept  probably has not figured out how to go into individual accounts & remove the options

JMO

[NewSalty]

Given that the 3 Options (House Select, Prestige, Gratuities) are mutually exclusive, I'd have to side with FF's explanation.  Note that there's a mysterious "573_Details" label under the Gratuities option - I believe this is a pointer to a non-existent file (or DB Entry) which is supposed to explain the Gratuities option.

[Robroy]

LHT - Yes - the invoice clearly states that the beverage package and PPG are included so we should be covered. You're likely right about the IT department - I didn't want to mess with it just in case. 

 

Thanks,

Rob

[ORV]

1 hour ago, Robroy said:

LHT - Yes - the invoice clearly states that the beverage package and PPG are included so we should be covered. You're likely right about the IT department - I didn't want to mess with it just in case. 

 

Thanks,

Rob

To the best of my knowledge the drinks package has never shown on the Cruise Planner when you take that as your Olife choice. 

[LHT28]

43 minutes ago, ORV said:

To the best of my knowledge the drinks package has never shown on the Cruise Planner when you take that as your Olife choice. 

I do not buy the packages  but did they previously show  them for purchase online ? (not Olife)

I thought you had to cal  or get your TA to pre book them?

 

[ORV]

2 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I do not buy the packages  but did they previously show  them for purchase online ? (not Olife)

I thought you had to cal  or get your TA to pre book them?

 

That's right, I don't remember how long they've been offered in the Planner, it's been a few years. But a few years ago the option to book them wasn't there. I think you could do it while booking, if you wre booking online, but not once you made a booking.  You still can't upgrade it in the planner, nor through your TA or calling in, only onboard. 

[LHT28]

1 minute ago, ORV said:

That's right, I don't remember how long they've been offered in the Planner, it's been a few years. But a few years ago the option to book them wasn't there. I think you could do it while booking, if you wre booking online, but not once you made a booking.  You still can't upgrade it in the planner, nor through your TA or calling in, only onboard. 

I know  with the OLife perk you cannot upgrade prior  to the cruise  but thought maybe if pax changed their mind after PURCHASING  the House select  they might be able to change it before the cruise

I am a cheap drunk so it does not matter to me 😃🥤

[Sebbiesgrammy]

Newbie here and just received Cruise Planner for Jan 18 cruise. Nice to see personalized shore excursion choices all together, however, there is nothing in the package about the post cruise land tour that we booked through O for 3 days in Bangkok or hotel info.  Anyone with experience on when/if we will receive details appreciated. We booked our own flights, so seeing the details of the land portion would be reassuring. Even the website shows little other than the fact that it is booked and paid for.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

Newbie here and just received Cruise Planner for Jan 18 cruise. Nice to see personalized shore excursion choices all together, however, there is nothing in the package about the post cruise land tour that we booked through O for 3 days in Bangkok or hotel info.  Anyone with experience on when/if we will receive details appreciated. We booked our own flights, so seeing the details of the land portion would be reassuring. Even the website shows little other than the fact that it is booked and paid for.

For future reference: 

You can get a PDF of all shore excursions on your cruise long before the “planner” (aka the “Blue Book”) arrives in the mail. Just call O (note that the PDF is updated periodically as tours are added/deleted).

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Sebbiesgrammy said:

Newbie here and just received Cruise Planner for Jan 18 cruise. Nice to see personalized shore excursion choices all together, however, there is nothing in the package about the post cruise land tour that we booked through O for 3 days in Bangkok or hotel info.  Anyone with experience on when/if we will receive details appreciated. We booked our own flights, so seeing the details of the land portion would be reassuring. Even the website shows little other than the fact that it is booked and paid for.

Is the land tour listed on your invoice ?

Or else where in the Planner?

I would call  your TA  to confirm the details

[Sebbiesgrammy]

29 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Is the land tour listed on your invoice ?

Or else where in the Planner?

I would call  your TA  to confirm the details

Yes. Land tour is on my invoice but the only details I have are what I printed from the original offering last year.  Ill follow up with my TA. Thanks for your reply