When can excursion options be viewed?

[Sailnsurf]

I am new to Oceania and wonder when offered excursions are available to view. 

My understanding is that excursions cannot be booked until the cruise fare is paid in full. Our cruise will be on Regatta in Polynesia in August 2025. It would be great to have time to consider all opportunities without having to make a.decision under any pressure. Any information would be appreciated.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Sailnsurf said:

I am new to Oceania and wonder when offered excursions are available to view. 

My understanding is that excursions cannot be booked until the cruise fare is paid in full. Our cruise will be on Regatta in Polynesia in August 2025. It would be great to have time to consider all opportunities without having to make a.decision under any pressure. Any information would be appreciated.

Excursions begin to be listed 365 days prior to embark. Of course, on day one, there may be no tours listed. So, check back regularly for updates. Same is true for the available shore excursions PDF (constantly changing and a far easier way to view/compare the tours.

 

As for buying tours, always call O and never use the Cart which is extremely glitchy. Also, by calling, you can purchase tours before final payment date. (You also have to call O to cancel prepurchased tours).

[Snaefell3]

6 hours ago, Sailnsurf said:

My understanding is that excursions cannot be booked until the cruise fare is paid in full.

Nope.  They'll take your reservation (with cash/OBC) as soon as they've set up the excursion, usually about a year out (or a week or two on a newly substituted port).  Ditto cooking classes.

 

FWIW: I've never been bitten by booking classes or excursions via the website.  YMMV

Edited February 25 by Snaefell3

[thebsinmiss]

It is worth reading some of the other shore excursion threads as there are countless strategies about booking the "right" tours.  One thought is to use your SM excursion credits for tours earlier in the trip as if there are changes such as port cancelations you have the opportunity to use the credits on another excursion later in the trip.  My understanding is that if they cancel your excursion and you paid for it on your credit card you get the full refund on to the card. If you use SM credits and there is nothing of interest (or available) its to bad for you as there is no "refund". 

 

The other thing to keep in mind is you can book non Oceania excursions via the internet. Some even offer guarantees to have you back to the port before the all on board time or they will pay to get you to the next port to re-board.  

 

Booking your own excursions on line is often half the cost of Oceania and in some cases the tour operator is the one providing O with the shore services and guides.

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

…..FWIW: I've never been bitten by booking classes or excursions via the website.  YMMV

The bigger picture tells the truth. Searching here on CC confirms over and over again that there are numerous problems with the Web Cart tour purchasing - particularly as regards incorrect tour availability on multi-segment cruises (compared to the individual component segments) and inconsistent agreement of the website listings with the most up-to-date ShoreEx PDF and, most importantly, the actual accounting data visible to the O phone reps.

Of course, occasional O cruisers who do shorter single segment cruises may be lucky enough to not encounter the glitches. But, if you do several long single and/or multisegment cruises annually and purchase many many total annual tours (e.g., 100+), it’s a safe bet that you’ll find yourself or your TA (if they truly understand O’s idiosyncrasies) calling O to straighten out the mess.  

[Snaefell3]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

But, if you do several long single and/or multisegment cruises annually and purchase many many total annual tours (e.g., 100+)

So...  The website gets it right 99+% of time? 

Not picture normally portrayed here on CC.

[Sailnsurf]

Thanks to all for your very helpful responses.

[Iamthesea]

Is there a specific phone number to call about Oceania excursions?

[mauibabes]

Just call your TA or Oceania Reservation number and ask for them to send you a pdf of the Excursions for your cruise.  I will print them out and pass them around to my wife or others for input, then I go on line and make the reservations and pay any additional fees via SBC or Credit Card. 
Enjoy,

Mauibabes

[Iamthesea]

Thanks, but I know which excursion that I would like to book.  It is full, and has been since we booked the cruise (about 3 months out).  I would like to call and see if there is availability (other than what shows on the website.)

[AMHuntFerry]

1 hour ago, Iamthesea said:

Thanks, but I know which excursion that I would like to book.  It is full, and has been since we booked the cruise (about 3 months out).  I would like to call and see if there is availability (other than what shows on the website.)

mauibabes answer applies. Here is the link with the reservation number:

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/corporate#contact-us

[ec6393]

I have booked a number of O excursions on cruises that we have taken. We have never taken a "package" that O offers. IMHO the prices are "crazy" just as the hotels (even with transportation included) are that O partners with in various ports. We prefer to leave the ship at the time we want to venture off & at explore at our own pace. The guides we've been with walk at a very reasonable pace, especially for absorbing the surroundings.

 

If the port is within walking distance of the town/city and we've never been to it before, we will explore it on our own. However, for various reasons not everyone is comfortable exploring on their own. We do sign up for O's excursions if transportation to a place we want to go to is either not available or getting to it from the port is not convenient or possible.

 

With all that said, I think the packages are very good for passengers who don't want or don't have the time to do research on options getting to places and checking out the "must sees". It's much more relaxing going on O's excursions when you are picked up at the ship, driven to your place of interest, given a tour, & then driven back to the ship.

 

Lastly, I have never had a problem financially with the payments for tours or use of cruise credits.

 

There's no "right way" that fits all. Each to his own.