OLife Ulimate- Worth It?

[Flatbush Flyer]

40 minutes ago, DoulaAnn said:

Our O person that we book through has told us the O Life regular (without airfare) is marked up the amount of the on-board credit, so it's really a wash. We look at the cost of the shore excursions we want to do and if the whatever $ is more than the cost of the excursions, we opt for OBC. Otherwise, we choose whatever number of free excursions. Never take the beverage package since I don't drink much and my DH prefers wines that aren't covered by the package.  Just personal preference there.

One big caveat folks. If you’re a bizclass flier who likes non-stops on your preferred airline:

Even, if your O Club status gets you free deviations, any bizclass quote you get from O is in addition to the coach airfare you already paid in the cabin fare. You get no credit for that unused coach ticket. And that initial possibly good looking quote is for O’s contract carriers.

Most often, O air for bizclass is not a good deal.

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, DoulaAnn said:

It might or might not be more cost effective.  Sometimes the airfare is greater than the O air credit, at which point taking the airfare from O would be more cost effective.  And cruise only fare is usually equivalent to O Life minus air credit and shore excursion amount.  So there's really no difference other that terminology.

Wrong. The O Life excursions option has the capacity to double its value by selecting the most expensive of the O Life allowable tours (I.e., $<200). Moreover, the O Life tour selections qualify in meeting the minimum tour purchases required for the YWYW 25% discount on additional paid tours. In most cases, the O Life tours option provides the most added value.

As I pointed out above, O air for bizclass can easily end up costing more than DIY.

[sunlover12]

2 hours ago, DoulaAnn said:

Our O person that we book through has told us the O Life regular (without airfare) is marked up the amount of the on-board credit, so it's really a wash. We look at the cost of the shore excursions we want to do and if the whatever $ is more than the cost of the excursions, we opt for OBC. Otherwise, we choose whatever number of free excursions. Never take the beverage package since I don't drink much and my DH prefers wines that aren't covered by the package.  Just personal preference there.

I don't see it as a wash.  Choosing the O Life with shore excursions can be very beneficial.  You're paying $100 per excursion that can have a value of up to $199. I've also taken the O Life beverage package and gotten my money's worth but it does depend on the individual and the cruise.  As others have stated, choosing the O Life OBC has no benefit.  Not that I am aware of anyway.  

JMO

[DoulaAnn]

1 hour ago, sunlover12 said:

I don't see it as a wash.  Choosing the O Life with shore excursions can be very beneficial.  You're paying $100 per excursion that can have a value of up to $199. I've also taken the O Life beverage package and gotten my money's worth but it does depend on the individual and the cruise.  As others have stated, choosing the O Life OBC has no benefit.  Not that I am aware of anyway.  

JMO

You are right.  i had it backward.  Yes, shore excursions make the most sense unless one plans to book many private excursions. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, DoulaAnn said:

You are right.  i had it backward.  Yes, shore excursions make the most sense unless one plans to book many private excursions. 

If you do the combo of O Life tours and YWYW, you may find your bottom line cost for tours to be in the same neighborhood as third party tour providers (and without the hassle of logistics if there are port changes/delays).

[MEFIowa]

Though those shore excursions thru O have to be compared to what you can book yourself, both cost and actual excursion. O's price is retail off of wholesale, so quite inflated compared to booking direct with a provider. And O's offerings seem to cater to the "we sit in a bus and drive around" or "we go to the same old boring spots & drop you off so you can walk around".

 

For our 2 10-night cruises so far (12/2021 & 11/2022) we did all our own. Glad we did. Never saw a single O excursion that compared favorably in price or activity to what we did ourself. And we're doing it again for our 20 nights in the Med in Oct-Nov. Booking all of our own.

[sunlover12]

26 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Though those shore excursions thru O have to be compared to what you can book yourself, both cost and actual excursion. O's price is retail off of wholesale, so quite inflated compared to booking direct with a provider. And O's offerings seem to cater to the "we sit in a bus and drive around" or "we go to the same old boring spots & drop you off so you can walk around".

 

For our 2 10-night cruises so far (12/2021 & 11/2022) we did all our own. Glad we did. Never saw a single O excursion that compared favorably in price or activity to what we did ourself. And we're doing it again for our 20 nights in the Med in Oct-Nov. Booking all of our own.

There is a misconception with some that O's excursions are big-bus, drive around all day, and boring.  Sure some of them are but many are not. We've done O excursions and private tours. Good and bad with both. The best excursion I have ever been on was last year on Regatta in Moorea on an Oceania excursion.  It was not on a big bus and it was definitely not boring. Ironically we chose it because our first choice had been sold out and now we are glad it was. 

 

O's pricing can be reasonable if you choose O Life or YWYW. We just booked some O excursions a few days ago for our August cruise using O Life.  We were satisfied with the total price. 

 

[MEFIowa]

9 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

There is a misconception with some that O's excursions are big-bus, drive around all day, and boring.  Sure some of them are but many are not. ... O's pricing can be reasonable if you choose O Life or YWYW. We just booked some O excursions a few days ago for our August cruise using O Life.  We were satisfied with the total price.

And YET one compares the offerings and prices to what you can book yourself. I've looked over O's excursions on two 10 night cruises and I found ZERO I was interested in. We booked our own. And our prices were a lot less than O's, even heavily discounted. If O takes a $50 excursion that you could pay for, they'll mark it up to $200 and then say it is on "sale" at $100. And if you get it for $50, you merely paid the actual retail price without wholesaler and middleman.

[LHT28]

Many port stops do not have enough private  vendors to  allow  most of the pax  a private tour

How many guides would be needed for   1000 pax  to do small group tours ??

 

Ships tours fill a larger quantity  of people for the same  destination & often employ those that would otherwise  give small private tours

 

I have booked small group tour  up to 12 pax  in many places  but finding  a guide  in some locations can be  tricky

 

If you can find local guides   great   if not a ships tour can work for some

There is  no right or wrong  way

 YMMV

[MEFIowa]

21 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

... If you can find local guides great. if not a ships tour can work for some

There is no right or wrong way  YMMV

So again, the issues are PRICE and EXCURSION OFFERED. So, people have to CHECK out what O offers at what prices and what they could do themselves at what prices.

 

And at the end of most days, O will NOT save you any money on excursions you could buy yourself directly. They want to make a profit and act as a middleman, a wholesaler on top of a wholesaler in some cases. The best you might do is pay for what you could've paid anyway, true "retail", and that if likely rare, since O won't make a profit on that. Which "profit" goes to the tour provider.

 

 

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

42 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

So again, the issues are PRICE and EXCURSION OFFERED. So, people have to CHECK out what O offers at what prices and what they could do themselves at what prices.

 

And at the end of most days, O will NOT save you any money on excursions you could buy yourself directly. They want to make a profit and act as a middleman, a wholesaler on top of a wholesaler in some cases. The best you might do is pay for what you could've paid anyway, true "retail", and that if likely rare, since O won't make a profit on that. Which "profit" goes to the tour provider.

 

 

 

 

We often mix ship and private tours.

 

Making a wholesale statement that “private” is always better than “ship” is ridiculous. Moreover, “better” can be defined in different ways since there are multiple factors to consider. And price is only one of those factors. 
For us, convenience in planning tours (often for 50-75 ports per year), managing logistical challenges related to itinerary modifications (including cancelled or otherwise modified ports) and taking advantage of all O ship promos/perks are key considerations.
 

For example, the combo of the O Life tours option [which has the potential for double value vs the fare item price paid] with the YWYW 25% discount AND, when needed, the use of non-refundable Platinum O Club SBC “bottom lines” favorably to (and, at times, better than), the equivalent private tours. And, with so many itinerary changes currently in the cruise industry, the value of not having to do anything more than “pick a replacement tour” or accept an immediate refund can be priceless.

In addition, many O tours are not “panoramic” big bus tours. Many of the ones we choose use small 16 passenger (or less) vehicles and are very activity oriented. Add to that the fact that, in smaller exotic ports, reputable tour providers may be limited and O will have cornered that market.

 

Again, we mix private and ship tours as appropriate based on “value” that is measured by far more than $ spent.
 

 

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

... Making a wholesale statement that “private” is always better than “ship” is ridiculous. Moreover, “better” can be defined in different ways since there are multiple factors to consider. And price is only one of those factors. ...

 

Where did I say that? I said this:

 

"And YET one compares the offerings and prices to what you can book yourself."

 

AND this:

 

"So again, the issues are PRICE and EXCURSION OFFERED. So, people have to CHECK out what O offers at what prices and what they could do themselves at what prices."

 

And ordinarily O acts as a middleman, not a direct provider of tours. It is rare in the real world to pay less if you have wholesalers and middlemen between you and the provider of a service, since they MARK it up so they can profit.

[Flatbush Flyer]

49 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Where did I say that? I said this:

 

"And YET one compares the offerings and prices to what you can book yourself."

 

AND this:

 

"So again, the issues are PRICE and EXCURSION OFFERED. So, people have to CHECK out what O offers at what prices and what they could do themselves at what prices."

 

And ordinarily O acts as a middleman, not a direct provider of tours. It is rare in the real world to pay less if you have wholesalers and middlemen between you and the provider of a service, since they MARK it up so they can profit.

You are still focused on price in $ and disregarding the very tangible costs of effort and convenience.

 

I don’t know about the value of your time. But, mine does not come cheap. There’s a cost to travelers in time and effort (and, for some folks, even lost income) in doing the research for (and management of) private tours.

Sure, it (private tour logistics) can be fun and a desirable challenge for many cruisers when they’re regular cruise schedule is one (or even two) 2 week +\- cruises every year or two. But, for those of us who spend 1/4 to 1/3 of the year traveling (most often by ship), being able to peruse a PDF, select the ship tours that best meet your needs and then handle purchases and/or modifications often in a single phone call, the convenience alone is a tremendous benefit. It also leaves more time available to focus on selecting those private tours necessary to address your additional needs and preferences.
 

Think about it: Using O’s Destination Services is somewhat similar to using Viator (which many “private tour” fans often use) except that O’s Destination Services is managing the interrelations of ALL tours you’ve booked with them for your cruise itinerary. And it’s that added service that accounts for the “perceived” extra cost. (I say “perceived” because the right use of the aforementioned mix of O Life and YWYW tours supported in part by O Club non-refundable SBC definitely can have a favorable “bottom line” when you look at the bigger picture.

[ssawjo]

3 hours ago, DoulaAnn said:

VIETNAM EXCURSIONS

Okay, confusion on shore excursions is resolved.  I have booked the following trips and we are looking for up to six people to join us.  The names of the tours and links are here. 

All tours are:

4 people: $120/person

6 people: $100/person

8 people: $90/person 

 

Hue 2/5: Hue Shore Excursion           9:30 - 4:00  

https://www.tourwithxuan.com/hue.html

 

Nha Trang 2/6:   Nha Trang City Tour           10:30 - 5:00

https://www.tourwithxuan.com/nha-trang.html

 

Saigon 2/7: Mekong Delta and Ben Tre Excursion          11:00 - 6:30 

https://www.tourwithxuan.com/ben-tre.html

 

Saigon 2/8: Ho Chi Minh Shore Excursion                7:30 - 3:00 

https://www.tourwithxuan.com/hcmc-tour.html

 

2/18: Cu Chi Tunnels                         8:30 - 4:00

https://www.tourwithxuan.com/cu-chi-tunnels.html

 

2/21: Da Nang/Hoi An             10:30 - 6:00

https://www.tourwithxuan.com/hoi-an-da-nang.html

 

Costs will be paid by USD for the total of your tours when we arrive in Saigon. Cancelations will be taken until 31 days before the tour. 

 

If you look at the cost of the Oceania tours, look at the length of them and the fact they have significantly more people boarding the touring vehicle. You may find these to be cheaper or competitive, and they have the advantage of being flexible in each stop.

Ann, I think you posted this in the wrong place.

[DoulaAnn]

Oops, you’re right. Will try to move it. 

[ssawjo]

I emailed you.  Also, just cut/paste onto the roll call.

 

Bill

[SATaxman]

On 4/22/2023 at 11:29 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

We often mix ship and private tours.

 

Making a wholesale statement that “private” is always better than “ship” is ridiculous. Moreover, “better” can be defined in different ways since there are multiple factors to consider. And price is only one of those factors. 
For us, convenience in planning tours (often for 50-75 ports per year), managing logistical challenges related to itinerary modifications (including cancelled or otherwise modified ports) and taking advantage of all O ship promos/perks are key considerations.
 

For example, the combo of the O Life tours option [which has the potential for double value vs the fare item price paid] with the YWYW 25% discount AND, when needed, the use of non-refundable Platinum O Club SBC “bottom lines” favorably to (and, at times, better than), the equivalent private tours. And, with so many itinerary changes currently in the cruise industry, the value of not having to do anything more than “pick a replacement tour” or accept an immediate refund can be priceless.

In addition, many O tours are not “panoramic” big bus tours. Many of the ones we choose use small 16 passenger (or less) vehicles and are very activity oriented. Add to that the fact that, in smaller exotic ports, reputable tour providers may be limited and O will have cornered that market.

 

Again, we mix private and ship tours as appropriate based on “value” that is measured by far more than $ spent.
 

 

What is the 25% off option.

We have the Ultimate package with 6 excursions total for the 2 of us. We have booked a total of 12 so far. Do we use the ones closest to the $199 for the 6 included, and the others are 25% off? Very confusing!

[AMHuntFerry]

13 minutes ago, SATaxman said:

What is the 25% off option.

We have the Ultimate package with 6 excursions total for the 2 of us. We have booked a total of 12 so far. Do we use the ones closest to the $199 for the 6 included, and the others are 25% off? Very confusing!

You should have been sent a pdf with shore excursion information. The intro material (before shorex descriptions) tells you about the discount packages available on your cruise. One is the "Your World Collection" (YWC) which gives you 25% off all shorex that you pay for (although it's not always available). If your O-Life shorex perk is 3/person, I am guessing your pdf will have a minimimum number of 4-6 per person (could be more, so check the pdf) to get the YWC discount. Your O-Life shorex count toward the YWC minimum (ex: If the YWC minimum is 5pp then you need to buy 2 (=5-3) more per person). You do not have to take the same shorex or even have the same total number.

[SATaxman]

33 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

You should have been sent a pdf with shore excursion information. The intro material (before shorex descriptions) tells you about the discount packages available on your cruise. One is the "Your World Collection" (YWC) which gives you 25% off all shorex that you pay for (although it's not always available). If your O-Life shorex perk is 3/person, I am guessing your pdf will have a minimimum number of 4-6 per person (could be more, so check the pdf) to get the YWC discount. Your O-Life shorex count toward the YWC minimum (ex: If the YWC minimum is 5pp then you need to buy 2 (=5-3) more per person). You do not have to take the same shorex or even have the same total number.

Did not receive anything like that.

The person I have been talking to at Oceania (I booked on-line) just told me to let him know when I wanted to select excursions.

[AMHuntFerry]

9 minutes ago, SATaxman said:

Did not receive anything like that.

The person I have been talking to at Oceania (I booked on-line) just told me to let him know when I wanted to select excursions.

Ask for it and insist that it be sent. It should come with your Guest Statement and other docs when you book (or when it becomes available - about one year in advance...if you can see prices and can book online then it exists). It has critical info regarding booking, cancellations (by you or O), etc. that you need.

 

Also, you said you booked shorex already. Did you receive pdfs showing itemized payment info and confirmation of the bookings? Ask for that too.

Edited April 29, 2023 by AMHuntFerry

[Flatbush Flyer]

46 minutes ago, SATaxman said:

What is the 25% off option.

We have the Ultimate package with 6 excursions total for the 2 of us. We have booked a total of 12 so far. Do we use the ones closest to the $199 for the 6 included, and the others are 25% off? Very confusing!

Basically, yes. Search here on CC for my very detailed posts about how to best mix O Life tours option and the YWYW discount offer.

 

On your “shore excursions.pdf” (received with your O invoice or, for the latest version, call O - since it’s updated on occasion) and on your  web account’s (for this cruise) tour shopping cart, you’ll find out how many total tours (per person) are required for the YWYW 25% discount on any paid tours. What’s good about this is that your O Life tour selections count for the YWYW minimum tour requirement on your cruise. With the up-to-$199/tour O Life limit for allowable O Life tours (no OS, OE, etc tours) being twice the base value of the $100/tour you get (e.g., $800 SBC or 8 tours in O Life), this O Life option usually works out best for most folks (while taking the SBC option is worthless since you paid for it in your O life fare - dollar for dollar)

There’s also the tours “Passport” option, which is also discussed in my detailed previous posts. In most instances, it’s not as good a deal as YWYW most of the time (but, it sometimes can work).

 

BTW, some O itineraries don’t have YWYW OR Passport options.

 

If your TA didn’t explain all this to you, get a new “O savvy” TA.

[Flatbush Flyer]

16 minutes ago, SATaxman said:

Did not receive anything like that.

The person I have been talking to at Oceania (I booked on-line) just told me to let him know when I wanted to select excursions.

When he sent you your invoice, there were other documents attached as well, including one called shore excursions.pdf. If not there, call and ask for one. Also, do buy excursions from the O Rep and not online (cart is very glitchy). And when you do buy them, make sure the rep sends you another pdf called “pre-purchased shore excursions,” which will show all the math associated with O Life, YWYW and/or Passport. This is a very important document should you encounter O tour cancellations once onboard. Again, search here for my detailed posts about these items.

 

PS: Hopefully you transferred your booking from the O Rep to an O savvy TA within the 30 day window from initial booking. The right TA can add much to your deal (e.g., 5-10% of the commissionable fare as a rebate or as refundable SBC. That’s a “chunk of change” in your pocket.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Flatbush Flyer

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, SATaxman said:

What is the 25% off option.

We have the Ultimate package with 6 excursions total for the 2 of us. We have booked a total of 12 so far. Do we use the ones closest to the $199 for the 6 included, and the others are 25% off? Very confusing!

best to call Oceania & get  one of the reps to price out the  excursions  to get the  YWC  discount

[SATaxman]

10 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

best to call Oceania & get  one of the reps to price out the  excursions  to get the  YWC  discount

Since I booked this cruise on-line, and was contacted by a guy from Oceania, I guess he is "my rep"? He also booked all of the excursions so far. Never explained the 25% off. All I knew is that any 6 of them under $200 count as the 6 "included". Had no idea that the others could be 25% off. I will email him about this. Thanks everyone. 

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, SATaxman said:

Since I booked this cruise on-line, and was contacted by a guy from Oceania, I guess he is "my rep"? He also booked all of the excursions so far. Never explained the 25% off. All I knew is that any 6 of them under $200 count as the 6 "included". Had no idea that the others could be 25% off. I will email him about this. Thanks everyone. 

I guess tell him you want the YWC  discount   for the other excursions

Or just call the 1 800 number & hope you get a rep that knows what you are talking about 😉