OLife moves to "all in"

[d9704011]

52 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Are you looking at Oceania site  ?

  they show cruise only fares in CAD

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/

Yes indeed.  The only fare option I have for the cruise I'm interested is O-Life with the choice of one of the three options.  Since I get bottled water, coffee, tea and soft drinks as part of the cruise fare, I'm thinking I'll just take the 400 USD per person onboard credit.  One good thing with never having booked with Oceania previously is that I can make my decision in blissful ignorance of what used to be.

[basor]

Just now, d9704011 said:

Yes indeed.  The only fare option I have for the cruise I'm interested is O-Life with the choice of one of the three options.  Since I get bottled water, coffee, tea and soft drinks as part of the cruise fare, I'm thinking I'll just take the 400 USD per person onboard credit.  One good thing with never having booked with Oceania previously is that I can make my decision in blissful ignorance of what used to be.

OLife is the "what used to be" program....and Simply More is the new program rolling out 01JUL.  You can not book "cruise only", which in your case would be $400.00 pp less expensive. online - call your TA or Oceania and have them book it as cruise only.  If you wait until after 01JUL these options will no longer be avilable

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, basor said:

OLife is the "what used to be" program....and Simply More is the new program rolling out 01JUL.  You can not book "cruise only", which in your case would be $400.00 pp less expensive. online - call your TA or Oceania and have them book it as cruise only.  If you wait until after 01JUL these options will no longer be avilable

I can book the cruise online without airfare.  What I cannot do is choose none of the three options (OBC, Excursions, Drinks); I have to pick one.  I'm happy with that and won't be calling Oceania or using a TA... I'll take the OBC and go from there.

[basor]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

I can book the cruise online without airfare.  What I cannot do is choose none of the three options (OBC, Excursions, Drinks); I have to pick one.  I'm happy with that and won't be calling Oceania or using a TA... I'll take the OBC and go from there.

OK - as long as you know there is another option to be able to book without OLife and you want OLife anyway than enjoy - 

[ak1004]

7 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I can book the cruise online without airfare.  What I cannot do is choose none of the three options (OBC, Excursions, Drinks); I have to pick one.  I'm happy with that and won't be calling Oceania or using a TA... I'll take the OBC and go from there.

why not to use TA? It costs you nothing and most TAs give you some perks. Our gives around 10% rebate. And they call O for any issues.

[SellaVee]

I'm concerned about the compulsory spend on shore excursions for three reasons.
1.  They will have to be paid for when we pay for the cruise.

2,  We prefer private tours to shore excursions

3.  On our upcoming cruise we thought we might try the shore excursions,        only to find that there was no availability on the tours we wanted.  In that case, would we just lose the money?  Based on the published excursion credit we would be looking at $2 000.  Will excursion credit be refundEd?

[ToxM]

I will be interested to see the numbers crunched for this for cruises people already have booked. 

 

Also I do feel that the way they have made a thing about speciality dining being a free perk is troublesome. 

[basor]

2 minutes ago, ToxM said:

I will be interested to see the numbers crunched for this for cruises people already have booked. 

 

Also I do feel that the way they have made a thing about speciality dining being a free perk is troublesome. 

I believe that no up charge for Specialty restaurants has not been publicized much in the past so customers coming from other cruise lines are not aware that there is no charge for the specialty restaurants.  O is using this platform to ensure that new customers are aware there is no charge for specialty restaurants..

[ToxM]

1 minute ago, basor said:

I believe that no up charge for Specialty restaurants has not been publicized much in the past so customers coming from other cruise lines are not aware that there is no charge for the specialty restaurants.  O is using this platform to ensure that new customers are aware there is no charge for specialty restaurants..

 

It reads as is the new deal will give that option. I hope TA’s/O are going to point out that specialities are included anyway. 

[d9704011]

36 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

why not to use TA? It costs you nothing and most TAs give you some perks. Our gives around 10% rebate. And they call O for any issues.

I'd rather not take the TA off-ramp discussion.  Just want to learn about Oceania for now.

[basor]

2 minutes ago, ToxM said:

 

It reads as is the new deal will give that option. I hope TA’s/O are going to point out that specialities are included anyway. 

Since it is the only "deal" then listing what the customer receives when sailing on O makes sense....

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

If you get in before ...July1?, there is a no-OBC, no-Drinks, no-Excursion, no-Air option called "cruise only"  (which does give coffee, tea, softdrinks)

“Cruise only” can also be done with air.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, d9704011 said:

Yes indeed.  The only fare option I have for the cruise I'm interested is O-Life with the choice of one of the three options.  Since I get bottled water, coffee, tea and soft drinks as part of the cruise fare, I'm thinking I'll just take the 400 USD per person onboard credit.  One good thing with never having booked with Oceania previously is that I can make my decision in blissful ignorance of what used to be.

As others are trying to tell you, the SBC option in O Life has zero added value: you get the same $ onboard that you paid extra for in the O Life cabin fare. And it’s non-refundable.

 

in the meantime, what concerns me is that folks here keep talking about a notice on another Social Media platform that, like TAs, cannot be discussed on Cruise Critic. 
Now if they could just take a pic or two of the info (as long as it’s actually coming from Oceania’s own corporate group and not one of the ever growing number of desperate TA’s sponsored groups), I’m guessing that the anonymous info (without any mention of the specific Social Media platform) would be perfectly ok. 

[d9704011]

43 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

As others are trying to tell you, the SBC option in O Life has zero added value: you get the same $ onboard that you paid extra for in the O Life cabin fare. And it’s non-refundable.

I've no idea what you're talking about and, apparently, totally missed/misunderstood what others have been trying to tell me.  

[Woofa]

6 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I've no idea what you're talking about and, apparently, totally missed/misunderstood what others have been trying to tell me.  

You do not need to take any of the olife options. You can choose to purchase cruise only or cruise with air only.  But, you cannot do this booking online.  You need to call Oceania or go through a TA.  It can get complex so the new system is supposed to make it easier for people.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, d9704011 said:

Yes indeed.  The only fare option I have for the cruise I'm interested is O-Life with the choice of one of the three options.  Since I get bottled water, coffee, tea and soft drinks as part of the cruise fare, I'm thinking I'll just take the 400 USD per person onboard credit.  One good thing with never having booked with Oceania previously is that I can make my decision in blissful ignorance of what used to be.

LOL

 well if you book before the new program starts  it is still the "what used to be"

In any case   if you know you will use the OBC  perk  then it is  a wash  as it comes out of your pocket  but becomes   "use it or lose it " 

 I would  just  skip the O Life perk  & pay any expenses you rack up onboard at the end of the cruise

JMO

[LHT28]

just my opinion on the new deal

 Now Oceania did not ask me for my input  but  this is my observation if it  is take or leave deal  with or without air

 

I can see many leaving Oceania because most people like most of the way things are now

 

 I can see adding the wine/beer with lunch & dinner   as people do not need to drink it if they do not want to 

Viking does this  & they are not suffering

 

If the excursion credit  it compulsory  this is where  things hit the fan

Many people do not want ships tours  so have to pay more to get  tours that you will not use  it  is  self defeating

 

If they are going to be more inclusive  & more expensive   people will start going to all inclusive /luxury lines  that will include a lot more bang for the buck

 

I will wait to see how the new deal plays out  but  we do not want to be forced into ships tours   so will be looking elsewhere to spend our  money

 

everyone  will have to decide what works best for them  in the long term

 

Will see  when the  T & C's  comes out for the new deal

 

 

 

[hmorrow]

I think simply more, means, simply more money…..

[rizello]

As a potential new O cruiser, I am pleased by what I see.  I have mentioned that I have been interested in O, but the onramp to the new lingo and way everything was organized currently is daunting.

 

I do compare it to Viking who makes it incredibly easy for a person.  I like that more things are included and I don't need a spreadsheet to determine which option to take.  If O would consider allowing 2 internet connections per stateroom as part of included, would be wonderful. I don't see how 1 connection is any value.

[basor]

3 minutes ago, rizello said:

As a potential new O cruiser, I am pleased by what I see.  I have mentioned that I have been interested in O, but the onramp to the new lingo and way everything was organized currently is daunting.

 

I do compare it to Viking who makes it incredibly easy for a person.  I like that more things are included and I don't need a spreadsheet to determine which option to take.  If O would consider allowing 2 internet connections per stateroom as part of included, would be wonderful. I don't see how 1 connection is any value.

Simply more will include 2 WIFI accounts per stateroom so request provided

[LHT28]

5 minutes ago, rizello said:

.  If O would consider allowing 2 internet connections per stateroom as part of included, would be wonderful. I don't see how 1 connection is any value.

Well  if it was slow before  can't  imagine have  2  connection  for each cabin

 

If you are not paying for it  it is  a value to some

[ak1004]

4 minutes ago, rizello said:

As a potential new O cruiser, I am pleased by what I see.  I have mentioned that I have been interested in O, but the onramp to the new lingo and way everything was organized currently is daunting.

 

I do compare it to Viking who makes it incredibly easy for a person.  I like that more things are included and I don't need a spreadsheet to determine which option to take.  If O would consider allowing 2 internet connections per stateroom as part of included, would be wonderful. I don't see how 1 connection is any value.

I guess everyone is different. To me if they include drinks that are currently $40 a day plus $400 excursions and then increase the prices by $800 for a 10 day cruise, then I would be forced to pay for things I don’t use. And if this is the case, SS or SB would be a better value.

[DachshundsRule]

Are there more details on drinks? "Champagne wine and more" doesn't say if it's still just at lunch and dinner, if more means expanded to hard liquor, what an upgraded package would cost...

 

I'm completely confused now. We're booked for 2025. Won't do any excursions. Picked Olife beverage package and was planning to upgrade since I like a glass of wine before dinner and husband prefers a scotch. If I stick with my Olife choice, will the "Champagne wine and more" not apply to me? Should I switch my Olife to OBC and buy the upgraded beverage package now? Help!

Edited June 15, 2023 by DachshundsRule

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, DachshundsRule said:

Are there more details on drinks? "Champagne wine and more" doesn't say if it's still just at lunch and dinner, if more means expanded to hard liquor, what an upgraded package would cost...

 

I'm completely confused now. We're booked for 2025. Won't do any excursions. Picked Olife beverage package and was planning to upgrade since I like a glass of wine before dinner and husband prefers a scotch. If I stick with my Olife choice, will the "Champagne wine and more" not apply to me? Should I switch my Olife to OBC and buy the upgraded beverage package now? Help!

Take  a deep breath

Wait until all the details come out in July

 By 2025  it could change again 😉

 

[DachshundsRule]

But after July 1 would I still have the option to switch my Olife beverage choice to an Olife OBC choice? Or move to a cruise only fare (or would that cost more)?