Oceania Club Status

[rzjc46]

Based on our cruise history, we expected to graduate from Bronze Level to Silver Level on our last cruise. This recent one was back-to-back, and we thought the change would occur when the second part of the cruise began. Our Cruise Ambassador surprised us by informing us that we only received one credit for this entire cruise because it had been booked that way. This had not been our understanding because of what we'd been told and since we were required to pay two deposits. Since returning home, we have tried to call the Oceania Guest Relations number and have also tried to email them. Their initial email response was that it may take up to six weeks for them to look at it. It has now been more than six weeks and they haven't responded. Does anyone know how best to reach them? Thanks.

[osandomir]

41 minutes ago, rzjc46 said:

Based on our cruise history, we expected to graduate from Bronze Level to Silver Level on our last cruise. This recent one was back-to-back, and we thought the change would occur when the second part of the cruise began. Our Cruise Ambassador surprised us by informing us that we only received one credit for this entire cruise because it had been booked that way. This had not been our understanding because of what we'd been told and since we were required to pay two deposits. Since returning home, we have tried to call the Oceania Guest Relations number and have also tried to email them. Their initial email response was that it may take up to six weeks for them to look at it. It has now been more than six weeks and they haven't responded. Does anyone know how best to reach them? Thanks.

If your two B2B cruises were also listed as a single Grand Voyage then you would receive the credit for the entire cruise based on the total number of days. It would also have the same one booking number for both cruises. The deposit is also double for the single cruise if it was listed as a GV.

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, rzjc46 said:

. Does anyone know how best to reach them? Thanks.

Contact the O club Ambassador  or if you used a TA have them contact them for you

[osandomir]

19 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Contact the O club Ambassador  or if you used a TA have them contact them for you

I understand from the original post that the O Club Ambassador on the ship already explained it to them. If they had a TA he/she should be able to explain that as well at the point of booking the cruise. Anyway, everything should be reflected on the Oceania guest copy invoice.

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, osandomir said:

I understand from the original post that the O Club Ambassador on the ship already explained it to them. If they had a TA he/she should be able to explain that as well at the point of booking the cruise. Anyway, everything should be reflected on the Oceania guest copy invoice.

There  is  a top O  Club Ambassador 

Yes if they have a TA that knows how the program works  

It is complicated sometimes 

They could also just read the  T & C 's for the Club Benefits

Just saying

 

[WildWanderers]

Hello to rzjc46,

 

We were on two back-to-back cruises this past August, not listed as two components of a larger voyage, and graduated to Silver on the second of the two cruises.  We had brought with us a letter from our Oceania representative, attesting that we were turning silver, in case there was any confusion.  As a result, by the time our data was loaded onto the online expense and credits tracking system available in our room, it was finally clear we were at the silver level, even if our most recent invoice still said bronze.  I guess it had to say bronze until such time as we had earned the credit from the first of the two cruises.

We too had paid two deposits, one for each cruise.  We had been booked for the same room on both cruises, but negotiated an upgrade for the second one.

Our Oceania representative is not getting quick responses from the Oceania Club folk, and has indicated that the work associated with turmoil in the eastern Mediterranean is taking up a lot of staff time.  No surprise.

I think your point that you had to pay two deposits underlines that it was indeed two cruises.  If you had to get a new room card key at the start of the second cruise, that would also be Oceania acknowledging that you were on two cruises.

Not sure this helps,

Cheers,

Greg of the WildWanderers.

 

 

[osandomir]

18 minutes ago, WildWanderers said:

Hello to rzjc46,

 

I think your point that you had to pay two deposits underlines that it was indeed two cruises.  

 

 

Not really, any two or more individual cruises individual cruises combined in the Grand Voyage are required double amount deposit equal two individual deposits. The better indicator is if it was only one guest invoice reservation number for two cruises or there were two separate invoices with different reservation numbers. In this case the invoices will also reflect the price reduction for booking B2B cruises.

[rzjc46]

3 hours ago, osandomir said:

If your two B2B cruises were also listed as a single Grand Voyage then you would receive the credit for the entire cruise based on the total number of days. It would also have the same one booking number for both cruises. The deposit is also double for the single cruise if it was listed as a GV.

That seems to jibe with what we were told. But that's not the way it was in the past. Thanks.

 

[osandomir]

2 hours ago, rzjc46 said:

That seems to jibe with what we were told. But that's not the way it was in the past. Thanks.

 

I’m truly sorry you were disappointed as your expectations were not met. Yes, it was different in the past before Oceania introduced Grand Voyages. It’s not longer possible to separate reservations for the cruises combined in the GV. On the other hand, most likely you were booked on the cruise that normally would be cheaper than the combination of two separate cruises of the same itinerary. You need to look at the numbers - possibly you weren’t missing that much in the value of that cruise. And if nothing changes you will be able to get your Silver benefits when you book your next voyage with Oceania.

[rzjc46]

9 hours ago, osandomir said:

It’s not longer possible to separate reservations for the cruises combined in the GV. On the other hand, most likely you were booked on the cruise that normally would be cheaper than the combination of two separate cruises of the same itinerary... And if nothing changes you will be able to get your Silver benefits when you book your next voyage with Oceania.

It's true that we saved money with one voyage vs two, and the O Ambassador did explain that to us. She also noted that we'd get silver next time. But once again, this wasn't our understanding when we first booked it. And we'll also be one cruise further away from silver (and later) benefits. Thanks again for the helpful information.

[rzjc46]

14 hours ago, WildWanderers said:

I think your point that you had to pay two deposits underlines that it was indeed two cruises.  If you had to get a new room card key at the start of the second cruise, that would also be Oceania acknowledging that you were on two cruises.

 

Yes, we understood it to be two cruises at the time we booked (that was onboard a previous cruise). We also had a similar experience as you when we graduated to bronze during the second of B2B cruises. Can't remember whether we needed to replace our room card keys. Thanks.

[pinotlover]

5 minutes ago, rzjc46 said:

It's true that we saved money with one voyage vs two, and the O Ambassador did explain that to us. She also noted that we'd get silver next time. But once again, this wasn't our understanding when we first booked it. And we'll also be one cruise further away from silver (and later) benefits. Thanks again for the helpful information.

Perhaps confusing, but don’t confuse cruise credits with cruises. One may receive multiple cruise credits on a single cruise based on length of cruise. Or one may only receive one credit for a b2b ( extended voyage) again depending upon length of cruise. 
 

We recently did a b2b that was 17 days= 1 cruise credit. Have done a single 24 day cruise = 2 credits. There is a chart for this.

[cswhistler]

We booked in May on board for 18 day Caribbean cruise and will only get 1 cruise credit for this BB cruise. We could have booked 2 cruises to get 2 cruise credits but it would have cost us $1200 USD more, Not worth that as we are Platinum and at 23 cruise credits a long way from 40. This has been going on for a few years.

 

[ORV]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Perhaps confusing, but don’t confuse cruise credits with cruises. One may receive multiple cruise credits on a single cruise based on length of cruise. Or one may only receive one credit for a b2b ( extended voyage) again depending upon length of cruise. 
 

We recently did a b2b that was 17 days= 1 cruise credit. Have done a single 24 day cruise = 2 credits. There is a chart for this.

I think it's 25. I'll check. 

 

Yep, definitely 25. It's one credit up to 24 days. I was excited for a second as our next cruise is 24 days. 

Edited November 2, 2023 by ORV

[BarbaraM]

We always book cruises as true B2B -- even if they are offered as a longer cruise. The segments are also available book separately when we do this type of booking.  We always received cruise credit and benefits for each segment.  We always pay a deposit for each cruise and always get separate booking numbers, with  b2b savings is posted later.  We go through a TA, but have also done this on board.   I have never had a problem in this type of booking. ( If one of the voyages is the milestone cruise, we must take the benefit then). For what it's worth, there is never any mention of Grand Voyage by either club ambassador or our TA.  The only time we don't book this way is on ATW cruises.  not sure if that helps.

 

 In the case of that 17 day cruises, we would have booked a 10 day and 7 day separately -- gotten 2 credits and benefits. Not sure how people are getting shorted, maybe it's a recent change?  

[basor]

53 minutes ago, BarbaraM said:

We always book cruises as true B2B -- even if they are offered as a longer cruise. The segments are also available book separately when we do this type of booking.  We always received cruise credit and benefits for each segment.  We always pay a deposit for each cruise and always get separate booking numbers, with  b2b savings is posted later.  We go through a TA, but have also done this on board.   I have never had a problem in this type of booking. ( If one of the voyages is the milestone cruise, we must take the benefit then). For what it's worth, there is never any mention of Grand Voyage by either club ambassador or our TA.  The only time we don't book this way is on ATW cruises.  not sure if that helps.

 

 In the case of that 17 day cruises, we would have booked a 10 day and 7 day separately -- gotten 2 credits and benefits. Not sure how people are getting shorted, maybe it's a recent change?  

Hi Barbara!    We just got off Vista and did the same with the onboard O ambassador.....looked at a Nautica Fall of 2025 cruise that could be booked as one 23 day cruise with 1 booking number, the GV discount and 2 deposits.  We ended up booking it as 2 separate bookings with 2 booking numbers thus receiving 2 cruise credits, B2B discount, 2 sets of loyalty perks, 2 AMEX OBC, 2 NCHL stock OBC, etc......we are money ahead as the double OBC perks with B2B discount is more $$$ that the GV discount..

[tigerfan75]

4 hours ago, basor said:

Hi Barbara!    We just got off Vista and did the same with the onboard O ambassador.....looked at a Nautica Fall of 2025 cruise that could be booked as one 23 day cruise with 1 booking number, the GV discount and 2 deposits.  We ended up booking it as 2 separate bookings with 2 booking numbers thus receiving 2 cruise credits, B2B discount, 2 sets of loyalty perks, 2 AMEX OBC, 2 NCHL stock OBC, etc......we are money ahead as the double OBC perks with B2B discount is more $$$ that the GV discount..

My experience has always been that if the desired itinerary is also being sold as a multi-segment Grand Voyage, then one had no option to book the segments separately.

[basor]

7 minutes ago, tigerfan75 said:

My experience has always been that if the desired itinerary is also being sold as a multi-segment Grand Voyage, then one had no option to book the segments separately.

I was just relating my experience from 4 days ago while booking with the O Ambassador onboard Vista - we looked at it both ways.....a 22 day cruise ( 1 booking number/2 deposits) and 2 cruises - 10 day and a 12 day ( 2 booking numbers/2 deposits).  She booked as 2 cruises/2 booking numbers.  Perhaps the 22 day is not considered a Grand Voyage so that is why it could be booked as 1 or 2 cruises...

[osandomir]

1 hour ago, basor said:

I was just relating my experience from 4 days ago while booking with the O Ambassador onboard Vista - we looked at it both ways.....a 22 day cruise ( 1 booking number/2 deposits) and 2 cruises - 10 day and a 12 day ( 2 booking numbers/2 deposits).  She booked as 2 cruises/2 booking numbers.  Perhaps the 22 day is not considered a Grand Voyage so that is why it could be booked as 1 or 2 cruises...

That’s just another example how confusing and inconsistent Oceania makes the booking process and communication with their customers. Our experience is that often we need to make multiple requests through different channels to make it right with Oceania. That being said, after 15+ cruises with them we’re still getting mostly very enjoyable experience onboard.

[Redtravel]

We had the same thing happen.  We booked a 2 week Med cruise. We were unaware that it was a b2b. It was designated as a grand cruise.  We had to pay double deposits.  We were told that longer cruises had bigger deposits.  It wasn’t until I tried to get restaurant reservations that I realized something was strange.  I could only get dinner reservations for the first week.  When we were onboard, I asked for dinner reservations during the second week.  We were told that we had to wait until the first week cruise was done.  On the change over day, the concierge got us 4 more dinner reservations.  We only got one cruise credit.  I would prefer a loyalty program that counted nights, not the number of cruises.