O Life excursions and YWYW

[Flatbush Flyer]

With only a short time left before O Life fades into the sunset, here’s the current basics regarding the best practices for the purchase of O’s excursions:

 

Firstly, get a copy of the most current “shore excursions” PDF for your cruise (call O). When you do, you’ll find that it is far easier to use for planning than the O website. You’ll also learn that the PDF and the web listings often don’t jive completely. 
 
BTW: on the first page of that PDF, you’ll find your cruise’s required number of tours (per person) you must have to qualify for the 25% Your World Your Way discount if it is available (note that your O Life allotted tours count in that minimum). You may also see the cost of the Unlimited Passport Collection which has a cruise-specific flat fee that gets you your choice of any O Life allowable tours (most of those under $200) plus 40% discount on paid ones. However, note that, in all but the rarest situations, YWYW is always the better deal.
 
Pick your provided perk number of O Life allowable tours per person (remember that the tours perk is per cabin) and any desired extra paid tour per person necessary to qualify for the total four tours/person for YWYW on your itinerary. Next, use the O website tours section to mock book. Then go to the cart and check the YWYW button for each person. The total bottom line cost should then adjust (but the individual $ next to each tour will probably make zero sense). The system online is very glitchy. Do not purchase the tours there.

So, before you put anything in the Cart, do your selection calculations on your own spreadsheet and then proceed to that mock tour booking to see if your total matches the Cart’s total. Make sure that your calculations assign $0 to your allotment of O Life tours with priority given to the most expensive ones. The Cart does that automatically if you select the YWYW button at the top for each person. Note that the Cart will also automatically use any Oceania provided SBC (listed in your cruise’s account) to pay down the balance due (unless you indicate otherwise). If you want to proceed with the purchase, you’ll need to provide your credit card info. BUT…..
 
If your own bottom line calculation and the Cart’s bottom line match you should now NOT buy the tours online. Rather, call O and have the phone rep do the booking. Again, the Cart (including its memory of your choices) is VERY glitchy.
 
Note, sadly, that not all O phone reps are created equal. So, you may need to try several initial calls to find one that works for you (and when you do, get his/her direct phone extension and email address). But there is a core group that are excellent and, even if you used a TA, you can do optional purchases direct with O (which we have done for years). Our TA is extremely knowledgeable. Yet we DIY the tours. Why?  As good as your TA might be, s/he will not be onboard with you when there’s an emergent problem.
AND, perhaps most importantly, DIYing the O Life/YWYW tours gains you a very good understanding of the tour policies (maybe even more than some of the Destination Services staff onboard) and you will /should get (ask nicely but demand if necessary) a PDF of the “pre-purchased shore excursions that shows all the math of your transaction. This document is extremely important -particularly when O misses a port or otherwise cancels one or more of your tours. It trumps everything else in a staff whizzing match when the onboard tour modification “poop hits the fan.”

Some others here may say just let your TA do it. Again, the TA won’t be standing next to you when you have an emergent Destination Services issue. And fully understanding the policies (thanks to DIY and that “prepurchased PDF) puts you way ahead in any disagreement.

[SATaxman]

23 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

With only a short time left before O Life fades into the sunset, here’s the current basics regarding the best practices for the purchase of O’s excursions:

 

Firstly, get a copy of the most current “shore excursions” PDF for your cruise (call O). When you do, you’ll find that it is far easier to use for planning than the O website. You’ll also learn that the PDF and the web listings often don’t jive completely. 
 
BTW: on the first page of that PDF, you’ll find your cruise’s required number of tours (per person) you must have to qualify for the 25% Your World Your Way discount if it is available (note that your O Life allotted tours count in that minimum). You may also see the cost of the Unlimited Passport Collection which has a cruise-specific flat fee that gets you your choice of any O Life allowable tours (most of those under $200) plus 40% discount on paid ones. However, note that, in all but the rarest situations, YWYW is always the better deal.
 
Pick your provided perk number of O Life allowable tours per person (remember that the tours perk is per cabin) and any desired extra paid tour per person necessary to qualify for the total four tours/person for YWYW on your itinerary. Next, use the O website tours section to mock book. Then go to the cart and check the YWYW button for each person. The total bottom line cost should then adjust (but the individual $ next to each tour will probably make zero sense). The system online is very glitchy. Do not purchase the tours there.

So, before you put anything in the Cart, do your selection calculations on your own spreadsheet and then proceed to that mock tour booking to see if your total matches the Cart’s total. Make sure that your calculations assign $0 to your allotment of O Life tours with priority given to the most expensive ones. The Cart does that automatically if you select the YWYW button at the top for each person. Note that the Cart will also automatically use any Oceania provided SBC (listed in your cruise’s account) to pay down the balance due (unless you indicate otherwise). If you want to proceed with the purchase, you’ll need to provide your credit card info. BUT…..
 
If your own bottom line calculation and the Cart’s bottom line match you should now NOT buy the tours online. Rather, call O and have the phone rep do the booking. Again, the Cart (including its memory of your choices) is VERY glitchy.
 
Note, sadly, that not all O phone reps are created equal. So, you may need to try several initial calls to find one that works for you (and when you do, get his/her direct phone extension and email address). But there is a core group that are excellent and, even if you used a TA, you can do optional purchases direct with O (which we have done for years). Our TA is extremely knowledgeable. Yet we DIY the tours. Why?  As good as your TA might be, s/he will not be onboard with you when there’s an emergent problem.
AND, perhaps most importantly, DIYing the O Life/YWYW tours gains you a very good understanding of the tour policies (maybe even more than some of the Destination Services staff onboard) and you will /should get (ask nicely but demand if necessary) a PDF of the “pre-purchased shore excursions that shows all the math of your transaction. This document is extremely important -particularly when O misses a port or otherwise cancels one or more of your tours. It trumps everything else in a staff whizzing match when the onboard tour modification “poop hits the fan.”

Some others here may say just let your TA do it. Again, the TA won’t be standing next to you when you have an emergent Destination Services issue. And fully understanding the policies (thanks to DIY and that “prepurchased PDF) puts you way ahead in any disagreement.

We have booked our first O Cruise. Have all 3 "perks". Booked 6 tours each; the 6 which were the closest to $199 were placed in the 6 per cabin "perk", the other 6 (either less expensive, or more than $200) were laced in OBC. Total amount due: $319. Still have beer and wine at meals "perk". Gratuities and cocktails should be the only additional charges. I think I did well for a first timer.

[cruisemom42]

A good illustration of why Oceania thinks its policies might need simplification....

 

Cruisers shouldn't need nearly 700 words worth of explanation on how to go about booking shore excursions. My IQ is up there, but I feel O makes it unnecessarily complicated for the un-indoctrinated to learn and apply their system. It feels a bit like hazing.

 

[davencl]

Flatbush Flyer advice is good.   The one sentence advice I'd give is: Call in to book.  What I discovered is you qualify for YWYW discount based on total amount of excursions including the "free perk excursions".  The website didn't count the "free perk excursions" toward the total need for YWYW.  The rep corrected my bill and provided the discount for the paid excursions.

[Mrs f.]

Oceania is ending  O Life???

[Snaefell3]

5 minutes ago, Mrs f. said:

Oceania is ending  O Life???

Uhh...  The "memo" you missed is over in    😉

 

[Mrs f.]

3 minutes ago, Snaefell3 said:

Uhh...  The "memo" you missed is over in    😉

 

Thanks. Totally missed it.

[basenji56]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

A good illustration of why Oceania thinks its policies might need simplification....

 

Cruisers shouldn't need nearly 700 words worth of explanation on how to go about booking shore excursions. My IQ is up there, but I feel O makes it unnecessarily complicated for the un-indoctrinated to learn and apply their system. It feels a bit like hazing.

 

Very good explanation but I found it difficult to apply without charting things out on a spreadsheet.  It's supposed to be a vacation.

 

[ORV]

FF what refund should I expect for a tour that I booked with Olife, qualifying for YWYW, that went sideways? Cost was $169. It was booked as one of the free ones. This wasn’t cancelled, just not the tour that was booked and DS acknowledges that and says we will be refunded. 

[LHT28]

4 hours ago, ORV said:

FF what refund should I expect for a tour that I booked with Olife, qualifying for YWYW, that went sideways? Cost was $169. It was booked as one of the free ones. This wasn’t cancelled, just not the tour that was booked and DS acknowledges that and says we will be refunded. 

Hopefully  $100   just  as if it was cancelled  but who knows with O these days

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 hours ago, ORV said:

FF what refund should I expect for a tour that I booked with Olife, qualifying for YWYW, that went sideways? Cost was $169. It was booked as one of the free ones. This wasn’t cancelled, just not the tour that was booked and DS acknowledges that and says we will be refunded. 

“Sideways?”

 

if O cancels an O Life $0 tour onboard, you can immediately request a refund (you sign a form at DS), which will always be the base $100/tour OR you can add a replacement tour. 
Note, however that, whatever you do, your DS account should then auto-adjust and the next most expensive of your already booked/O Life qualifying paid tours (not already an $0 O Life one) will then fill the vacant O Life slot and you will be credited whatever you had paid for it (this is usually done near the end of the segment/cruise). 

If the O cancelled O Life tour was counted in your meeting the minimum number of cruises for YWYW, you should not lose the existing discount on any paid YWYW discounted tours (existing or newly added).

 

“Sideways?” If you are saying that O somehow assigned you to a tour you did not select pre-cruise and admits it, the same as above should happen. 
 

But, if YOU cancelled the O Life tour, O technically owes you zip. But, you can always negotiate and, if the person at the DS desk says no, you can always ask to talk with the DS manager.

 

This is why your having (and understanding) a copy  of the “prepurchased shore excursions” PDF is so important. It allow you to quickly figure out what adjustments should happen for cancellations and how best to do any replacement. And this is another reason why relying on your TA to fix it while your at sea is not the smartest idea.

 

In addition, as a cruise segment nears its end, I strongly recommend requesting a copy of your DETAILED onboard account (the one that lists the details of each tour rather than the simplified version without specific details). Not all DS staff (or even Guest Services staff) know how to retrieve the more detailed account printout. So, a manager can always do it. Also, if you don’t have the “prepurchased shore excursions” PDF, DS should also be able to print it. But, theirs will be updated rather than the original. So do have the original (or most up-to-date precruise one that you know was correct for all that happened with your tours pre-cruise) with you since it trumps everything in any disagreement with DS.

 

This is not as complicated as it may seem. When all goes as it should, there should be no problems. I just want you and others to know the mechanics in case something does go FUBAR.

[ORV]

By sideways I mean the tour wasn’t remotely as advertised, and they admitted it. Total snafu. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, ORV said:

By sideways I mean the tour wasn’t remotely as advertised, and they admitted it. Total snafu. 

In that case, it appears that you are asking for a refund of the tour price as compensation for a bad experience. That has nothing to do with my previous explanation. The mechanics of your O Life/YWYW arrangements won’t change. The only unknown then is what, if anything, you’ll get as compensation (0%, 50%, 100% or something in between). The one definite I can say is get it handled before you leave the ship.

 

[LHT28]

wrong thread

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

some people  do not read the  posts before  they reply with their  dissertation 🤔

 

JMO

Uncalled for. “Sideways” says nothing. 

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Uncalled for. “Sideways” says nothing. 

You are right

 You did not read his other thread to know  the tour was not as advertised

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

You are right

 You did not read his other thread to know  the tour was not as advertised

Not my responsibility to read everyone’s other threads. Comprehensive, freestanding questions and similarly detailed answers are what makes for data-informed cruiser decision making.

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Not my responsibility to read everyone’s other threads. Comprehensive, freestanding questions and similarly detailed answers are what makes for data-informed cruiser decision making.

😂😂

 

The number 1 heard complaint on our current Vista cruise is not food, service, or mechanical problems, it’s dealing with Destination Services and tours not being even remotely as advertised. 
 

Of course certain posters here constantly and aggressively push the Oceania tour option! 🙄 

 

I sat in downtown Limassol today listening to several O passengers complain about how bad their O shore tour was, and had been for the last three days. I gave them clear instructions on how to access the Roll Call here on CC for future cruises. The first thing out of one of their mouths was “ we might miss the ship and be left behind “!  I shut up and thought “ Lady, you deserve whatever Oceania gives you”! 

[ORV]

Here is what is happening on Riviera, we have a large number of alumni groups onboard. At least two of our pre booked tours have been changed from a morning to afternoon and vice versa to accommodate the groups staying together. We weren’t asked, just informed of one once onboard and discovered another after looking at paperwork. 

[LHT28]

7 hours ago, ORV said:

Here is what is happening on Riviera, we have a large number of alumni groups onboard. At least two of our pre booked tours have been changed from a morning to afternoon and vice versa to accommodate the groups staying together. We weren’t asked, just informed of one once onboard and discovered another after looking at paperwork. 

Yikes

Too bad they did not book tours just for the groups  ahead of time

 

Hope you get on your tour  & not bumped or downgraded

[ak1004]

19 hours ago, pinotlover said:

😂😂

 

The number 1 heard complaint on our current Vista cruise is not food, service, or mechanical problems, it’s dealing with Destination Services and tours not being even remotely as advertised. 
 

Of course certain posters here constantly and aggressively push the Oceania tour option! 🙄 

 

I sat in downtown Limassol today listening to several O passengers complain about how bad their O shore tour was, and had been for the last three days. I gave them clear instructions on how to access the Roll Call here on CC for future cruises. The first thing out of one of their mouths was “ we might miss the ship and be left behind “!  I shut up and thought “ Lady, you deserve whatever Oceania gives you”! 

 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you based on our recent experience on the Riviera. Not to mention that they now squeeze 40 people into buses (previously we usually had around 25-30). And the tour guys asked the guests what time the ship is leaving..

 

But the new Simply More model will force you to take at least few tours from the ship, otherwise you just lose the credit. 

Edited June 17, 2023 by ak1004