Simply More Beverage Package Questions

[Carnevale]

We haven’t sailed O for some time and are looking forward to being on Vista in April. We purchased with the Simply More offer and see our SM excursion credits in our online booking but we don’t see any reference to the SM beverage pkg.  Should it be listed somewhere? Am I just not looking in the right part of our online booking?

 

Also, I am hoping someone can tell me how the SM Bev pkg works.  What drinks are we entitled to (e.g., is it all the listed wines by the glass)?  When are they available and are they just in food venues or also in other bars? Is there a limit to the number of drinks?

 

Thanks for any info you can share with us!

[YoHoHo]

The SM included drinks package is for beer and also wine by the glass in dining venues only when eating; no room service, no bars.

 

Yes, all the wines listed in the "by the glass section" on the venue's wine list are included. Note a few unexpected things such as a glass of Port is included in the package but not a glass of sherry which they have put on the liquor menu. Another is exclusion is Saki that is sold in Red Ginger is not included. It is on the RG menu but not the wine by the glass menu. 

 

There is no hard limit to the number of glasses but I've read on CC that folks who have finished eating could have a "final" drink but say, can't just continue to sit in Waves pouring them back. No personal experience.

[shepherd really]

4 hours ago, YoHoHo said:

but I've read on CC that folks who have finished eating could have a "final" drink but say, can't just continue to sit in Waves pouring them back. No personal experience.

I read just about every post on this forum, and I don't recall anyone saying that, but if correct, order a side of fries, problem solved.

 

The "not included" for room service needs verification too.  A room service lunch or dinner during the hours lunch and dinner are served in any of the dining venues is an odd exclusion.   

 

I think the key is "during regular hours" in the dining venues.  

Edited January 5 by shepherd really

[pinotlover]

There is no clear cut rule on when one is cut off from the basic package. It’s like the dress code: on receptionist may allow the obvious casual jeans, while the next one bars you from entry. Same with the basic drinks package; one waiter may allow someone to pound wine until closing and say nothing. Another waiter may take you off the package and present you a bill. The staff makes multiple decisions as they execute their duties. If you want hard fast rules, join the Navy, Oceania isn’t for you.

 

There is the third option in this matter. The waitstaff will stop showing up at your table for refills. They can simply tell management they felt the passenger was getting too inebriated if questioned later.

[Cruisedreamer1]

The only time one is limited to asking for another glass of wine or beer is if the venue is closing. WE ate a late lunch once and the waiter brought us a cheese and cracker plate telling us that the Terrace was closing but advised us to take our time!

 

We never saw anyone drinking over the top. Maybe there were some noisy conversations in Waves!

 

By the way, the wine by the glass list has some very tasty ones with lots of choices. If you are looking for "special" occasion wines buy a bottle.

Edited January 5 by Cruisedreamer1
more information

[EJL2023]

10 hours ago, Carnevale said:

We haven’t sailed O for some time and are looking forward to being on Vista in April. We purchased with the Simply More offer and see our SM excursion credits in our online booking but we don’t see any reference to the SM beverage pkg.  Should it be listed somewhere? Am I just not looking in the right part of our online booking?

 

Also, I am hoping someone can tell me how the SM Bev pkg works.  What drinks are we entitled to (e.g., is it all the listed wines by the glass)?  When are they available and are they just in food venues or also in other bars? Is there a limit to the number of drinks?

 

Thanks for any info you can share with us!

With regards to question on SM Beverage Package not showing on Online Booking. You are correct it does not show on the Online Manage Booking. However, if you look at your invoice pdf received it will be indicated under the Amenities and Gifts section on page 3.  

[ORV]

It's included for everyone that booked after whatever the start date was. No need to put it on your invoice. They don't put that meals are included, they don't put that soda are included. It's a new way of thinking. We have to get used to it. 

[Tranquility Base]

1 minute ago, ORV said:

It's included for everyone that booked after whatever the start date was.

Except for those on their discounted 20th credit cruise.

[Tranquility Base]

6 minutes ago, ORV said:

It's included for everyone that booked after whatever the start date was. No need to put it on your invoice.

As EJL2023 mentioned, it is on the Amenities and Gifts section of the invoice.

[EJL2023]

23 minutes ago, ORV said:

It's included for everyone that booked after whatever the start date was. No need to put it on your invoice. They don't put that meals are included, they don't put that soda are included. It's a new way of thinking. We have to get used to it. 

Except they do include it on the invoice. Have two cruises booked after SM went live and both invoices indicate Simply More House Beverage Package under Amenities and Gifts.  Perhaps they will continue to include so as to be sure everyone knows which package they have included. 

[pinotlover]

I believe the OP’s question directly concerned the SM benefits not being listed on the ONLiNE account page, not elsewhere.  ORV properly addressed the issue as questioned. There are pages of information on the invoice not included on one’s online account page. But that wasn’t the question.

Edited January 5 by pinotlover

[ORV]

You guys are right, it's on my invoice for the 3 cruises I've got booked, but I booked them all before the change date, I think maybe it was Sept 1, so I really didn't know what one booked after that date looked like.  But if I wanted to be one of those people that never admit they're wrong I could say I never said it wasn't on the invoice, I just said there was no need to put it on the invoice for those booked after the change date. But I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong, so yes, it's currently on the invoice. 🫠

[shepherd really]

20 minutes ago, ORV said:

You guys are right, it's on my invoice for the 3 cruises I've got booked, but I booked them all before the change date, I think maybe it was Sept 1, so I really didn't know what one booked after that date looked like.  But if I wanted to be one of those people that never admit they're wrong I could say I never said it wasn't on the invoice, I just said there was no need to put it on the invoice for those booked after the change date. But I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong, so yes, it's currently on the invoice. 🫠

I had to look too, my focus in that section of the invoice is always my OCAAP credits and the filthy lucre from my TA.  

[clo]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

You guys are right,

Are you really all "guys" 🙂 LOL (PS: OT cause so few posts. I actually liked it.)

[EJL2023]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

I believe the OP’s question directly concerned the SM benefits not being listed on the ONLiNE account page, not elsewhere.  ORV properly addressed the issue as questioned. There are pages of information on the invoice not included on one’s online account page. But that wasn’t the question.

Not really. The OP said they did not see it on their online account, and then asked should it be listed SOMEWHERE? We just pointed out where that somewhere is located. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, shepherd really said:

I had to look too, my focus in that section of the invoice is always my OCAAP credits and the filthy lucre from my TA.  

Just to be clear, OCAPP and O Club $ perks are different things. 
OCAPP $ are “pass through” funds from O to a TA and/or it’s consortium (on select cruise segments) who then provides the credit to passengers - primarily as gratuities coverage on one or more cruise segments.

 

O Club $ perks include gratuities coverage for members who are “silver” and above.

 

When a segment of yours gets OCAPP $ and you are silver O Club or higher, the O Club perk becomes $250/cabin “in lieu” SBC. (Many years ago, the “in lieu” was the amount of the actual gratuities. That’s now gone except for some folks who were grandfathered in due to their O Club status at the time the policy changed.

 

OCAPP vs O Club has one major issue though. If you’re silver/above O Club doing a multisegment cruise and only one segment gets TA OCAPP, you should get OCAPP for that segment and O Club gratuities for the other segment (in addition to O Club “in lieu” $250 for the OCAPP segment). However, an O software glitch that never seems to get fixed is that your O invoice will show the OCAPP $ for its segment and will also show the expected O Club “in lieu” $250 for that segment. BUT, the “in lieu” replaces the O Club gratuities for the second segment. NOT NICE!

However, O is aware of the glitch (now years old) and they are supposed to correct it for your shipboard account close to embark day. It’s happened to us on several occasions. But, at the bottom line, we’ve always gotten full gratuities coverage and, except for one occasion where I had to push the $250 O Club “in lieu” for the OCAPP gratuities issue, your onboard account will show things correctly.

BTW, I like everything in writing. Why?

Even if your initial O booking invoice shows all OCAPP AND O Club perks correctly, the booking software glitch will introduce the error on subsequent invoices (e.g., generated by tour purchases). So, since I always initially book onboard or with a long serving O phone rep and then transfer the cruise to my TA (for their perks), I have the initial O rep add a booking notice that states we will receive full gratuities coverage. I also have our TA get a note from her O rep that all will be fixed before embarkation. A bit of extra effort that you probably don’t need? Perhaps (until you do need it someday).

 

Finally, if you’re a newbie reading this, let me alert you to one very important fact. As you’ll read here on CC, there’s quite a number of O policies and procedures that are interpreted/applied differently by different O personnel (particularly when comparing Miami Office to the Ship. If you (or the right TA) know your O stuff inside out, the FUBARS will get corrected.

 

That said, however, when it comes to O policies/procedures, remember the learned words of Captain Jack Sparrow when he explains that the Pirate Code is more realistically a Set of Guidelines. (Aarrghh!🏴‍☠️)

[babysteps]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Are you really all "guys" 🙂 LOL (PS: OT cause so few posts. I actually liked it.)

Lol not all of us. But as a kid many decades ago "guys" was a gender neutral term on the left coast

Edited January 6 by babysteps

[clo]

24 minutes ago, babysteps said:

Lol not all of us. But as a kid many decades ago "guys" was a gender neutral term on the left coast

Aw just kidding. I'm an old Left Coast "gal."

[Carnevale]

I'm the OP and I would like to thank all who posted here - you have provided very rich and useful information. I didn't realize SM is now the norm and thought it was something that was part of the offer when we booked.

I'm sorry if my question about the limit to the number of drinks made me sound like a heavy drinker. If I have more than 2 glasses of wine in a day that's a lot :-).   But I like to know all the rules before I sail so I don't accidentally get out of bounds (I'm a pretty typical Canadian rule follower - a stereotype for sure but fitting for me). Other lines that we often sail have limits per day so I thought perhaps O would as well.

 

I'm impressed with the wine list and see a lot of nice options (as posted on another recent CC thread about the champagne onboard). I was surprised to see some after dinner drinks on the list. They give rise to another question: I'm assuming (but could be wrong) that the listed ports and cognacs are included. If one of these is ordered at the end of a meal do we have to stay in the venue to drink it? I'm thinking of evenings when there is something going on that we want to get to and might want to take a port with us. Or would that be out of bounds?

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, Carnevale said:

I'm the OP and I would like to thank all who posted here - you have provided very rich and useful information. I didn't realize SM is now the norm and thought it was something that was part of the offer when we booked.

I'm sorry if my question about the limit to the number of drinks made me sound like a heavy drinker. If I have more than 2 glasses of wine in a day that's a lot :-).   But I like to know all the rules before I sail so I don't accidentally get out of bounds (I'm a pretty typical Canadian rule follower - a stereotype for sure but fitting for me). Other lines that we often sail have limits per day so I thought perhaps O would as well.

 

I'm impressed with the wine list and see a lot of nice options (as posted on another recent CC thread about the champagne onboard). I was surprised to see some after dinner drinks on the list. They give rise to another question: I'm assuming (but could be wrong) that the listed ports and cognacs are included. If one of these is ordered at the end of a meal do we have to stay in the venue to drink it? I'm thinking of evenings when there is something going on that we want to get to and might want to take a port with us. Or would that be out of bounds?

If you asking about the included drinks with SM, they are only the wine, beer, and champagne that are offered by the glass in dining venues at mealtimes.  No liquors or spirits are included.  If you order a port, cognac, a cocktail, wine, beer, or other spirits or liquors, (and charge it to your stateroom), whether you are in a dining venue or a lounge/bar, you can have it and walk around with it at any time the bars are open. Oceania does not monitor the number of drinks you consume.

Edited January 6 by 1985rz1

[pinotlover]

There is typically ( not always) a port on the “ wine by the glass “ menu, therefore covered by the SM program.

 

Cognac is not a beer or wine, so not on the package. However, if you upgrade to the Premium Package some cognacs are included in the package. Others are not and come with a hefty price tag. Always, Always ask before you order if a beer or wine is included, especially in the Specialties.

[1985rz1]

8 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

There is typically ( not always) a port on the “ wine by the glass “ menu, therefore covered by the SM program.

 

Cognac is not a beer or wine, so not on the package. However, if you upgrade to the Premium Package some cognacs are included in the package. Others are not and come with a hefty price tag. Always, Always ask before you order if a beer or wine is included, especially in the Specialties.

Yes, I forgot that port is a fortified wine and that may qualify.  Best to ask before ordering if unsure.

[Carnevale]

Thanks for this additional info. We do hope that port is included and are surprised they have cognac on the same by the glass menu but it isn't included - it would be so much more helpful if they had a list that was just the included things especially as the cognac is in the same price range as many of the wines and the description of SM is that it includes "champagne, wine and more" (at least that was how it is worded on the O website page describing our sailing). It's the "and more" part that I'd like to know more about. It could just be the "and more" is beer but perhaps it is also cider (?) and  the non-alcoholic wines (?) and, if we are lucky port and cognac....I'll keep wishing!

[1985rz1]

4 minutes ago, Carnevale said:

Thanks for this additional info. We do hope that port is included and are surprised they have cognac on the same by the glass menu but it isn't included - it would be so much more helpful if they had a list that was just the included things especially as the cognac is in the same price range as many of the wines and the description of SM is that it includes "champagne, wine and more" (at least that was how it is worded on the O website page describing our sailing). It's the "and more" part that I'd like to know more about. It could just be the "and more" is beer but perhaps it is also cider (?) and  the non-alcoholic wines (?) and, if we are lucky port and cognac....I'll keep wishing!

If you find the cognac is included, let us know.  Some folks suggest the "more" implied a larger selection of wines by the glass than just the one or two under the old OLife system basic package.  We typically don't drink wine with meals...occasionally at most...so we don't know what is implied, but it is a rather confusing description.

Edited January 6 by 1985rz1

[basor]

We have often ordered a glass of port after dinner and taken it with us to the show - no charge under SM or the House beverage package,