"25% off for > 5 excursions" - but they didn't actually give me the discount....

[samiam0403]

Correction: I am not getting almost $150 back. Just called O, and because we're on an extended cruise, we have to each book 12 excursions before the 25% goes into effect. And we have to have them all booked before we board. Ah well. Worth a shot.

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, samiam0403 said:

Correction: I am not getting almost $150 back. Just called O, and because we're on an extended cruise, we have to each book 12 excursions before the 25% goes into effect. And we have to have them all booked before we board. Ah well. Worth a shot.

For future reference: when you first book your O cruise, and regularly thereafter, call O and get the most recent (up-to-date) Shore Excursions PDF (which will be adjusted for extended journeys as well as single segments). On page 1, you’ll find the minimum tour purchase requirements to get the 25% SM deal (formerly YWYW under O Life).

And, as I always mention: NEVER use the O web cart to purchase your tours! It’s extremely glitchy - particularly if your cruise is a multi-segment one (I’ve explained this in numerous earlier posts over several years- worth searching for). And always get the prepurchased shore excursions PDF, which has all the math showing for your tour purchases and use of O Life or SM SBC.

[roothy123]

Just curious:  My TA sent me a PDF copy of the excursions.  But does the info on that ever change?  I got the document at least a month ago and my cruise isn't until December.  The info seems identical to what's on the website, other than the fact that only the non-discounted price is given, and the fact that there are a few excursions on the pdf that aren't on the cart site. But I've never been sure which is correct and/or most recent - website or pdf!  (I suppose that's one reason having my TA call in the excursions is best!)  Also, I assume I can use my shipboard credit for excursions after the SM credit is used for the required number of excursions.  Is that correct?  And I will get the discounted price for them, right? And can I make changes to the excursions booked with SM credit, once I board, assuming there are slots open and I'm within the CX period?

 

 

Edited May 10 by roothy123

[AMHuntFerry]

1 hour ago, roothy123 said:

Just curious:  My TA sent me a PDF copy of the excursions.  But does the info on that ever change?

 

Yes.

 

 Also, I assume I can use my shipboard credit for excursions after the SM credit is used for the required number of excursions.  Is that correct? 

Sometimes. It depends on the source of the OBC (e.g., my O-Club OBC can be used, but the OBC I received due to a price drop cannot be used)

And I will get the discounted price for them, right?

Yes. If you qualify for the 25% discount, all subsequently booked shorex should be discounted (except, I believe, "executive cars" or whatever they are calling the car/driver combo).

And can I make changes to the excursions booked with SM credit, once I board, assuming there are slots open and I'm within the CX period?

No...the cancellation deadline is in your shorex pdf (embarkation if the whiskey has not altered my memory 😉 ).

[roothy123]

OK, one or two more little questions:  I use a travel agent.  Once I determine what excursions I want, can I call Oceania myself and ask them to book the excursions, or must my travel agent do that?  

 

And I read (perhaps mentioned by Flatbush Flyer in another thread) that if O misses a port, and you paid for an excursion (in part, with SM excursion credit), you get refundable OBC rather than $$ back for the part you paid after using up your excursion credit. If you don't want to use the refundable credit, do you then ask for a $$ credit or how does that work?

Edited May 13 by roothy123

[osandomir]

51 minutes ago, roothy123 said:

OK, one or two more little questions:  I use a travel agent.  Once I determine what excursions I want, can I call Oceania myself and ask them to book the excursions, or must my travel agent do that?  

 

And I read (perhaps mentioned by Flatbush Flyer in another thread) that if O misses a port, and you paid for an excursion (in part, with SM excursion credit), you get refundable OBC rather than $$ back for the part you paid after using up your excursion credit. If you don't want to use the refundable credit, do you then ask for a $$ credit or how does that work?

All funds that were paid with cash/credit card will be returned as refundable OBC. If not used refundable OBC can be cashed out at the reception desk on the last day of the cruise. Otherwise it will be refunded to your credit card on file.

[AMHuntFerry]

1 hour ago, roothy123 said:

OK, one or two more little questions:  I use a travel agent.  Once I determine what excursions I want, can I call Oceania myself and ask them to book the excursions, or must my travel agent do that?  

 

And I read (perhaps mentioned by Flatbush Flyer in another thread) that if O misses a port, and you paid for an excursion (in part, with SM excursion credit), you get refundable OBC rather than $$ back for the part you paid after using up your excursion credit. If you don't want to use the refundable credit, do you then ask for a $$ credit or how does that work?

can I call Oceania myself and ask them to book the excursions, or must my travel agent do that?  

You can call directly (easier for everyome)

If you don't want to use the refundable credit, do you then ask for a $$ credit or how does that work?

I'll give an example that fits your question since it gets messy. Say you have $300 per person of SM shorex credit and you book three $110 shorex for a total of $330. $30 gets charged to your credit card (or other OBC). Case 1: One of the shorex is cancelled by O before embarkation; typically (as in last month) I've received a credit to my CC (for $30 in this case, $330-300) and I'd have $80 ($300-220) in SM shorex credit to use on something else. Case 2: One of the shorex is cancelled during the cruise; you should get $80 in non-refundable SM shorex credit to use on other shorex if possible; the $30 you paid with you CC shows up as a credit on your account (or at least it has in the past but maybe it's changed?) so that should be usable on anything or refundable.

Edited May 13 by AMHuntFerry
or you can be succinct like osandmir ;)

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, roothy123 said:

OK, one or two more little questions:  I use a travel agent.  Once I determine what excursions I want, can I call Oceania myself and ask them to book the excursions, or must my travel agent do that?  

 

And I read (perhaps mentioned by Flatbush Flyer in another thread) that if O misses a port, and you paid for an excursion (in part, with SM excursion credit), you get refundable OBC rather than $$ back for the part you paid after using up your excursion credit. If you don't want to use the refundable credit, do you then ask for a $$ credit or how does that work?

Wasn’t me. Tour SM is tour SBC in SM.

Yes, even with a TA on your account, you can book tours with an O rep. Both get recognition for the tour purchase.

BTW: even with a great TA, establishing a good relationship with a long-serving knowledgeable O phone rep (and a few O Club Ambassadors) is a smart move for all sorts of reasons.

[pinotlover]

A few random comments:

 

1.  Oceania oftentimes adds to and subtracts from ( cancels) tours as situations warrant. I’ve seen shore tours added 5-6 months pre-cruise. Others similarly cancelled.This means that the pdf one requested upon booking, 12+ months out, may not be accurate or up to date.

 

2. For those few exceptional ship tours we choose, I send the tour descriptions to my TA and she books them. I have no desire to spend time on the phone ( including possibly on hold) talking to a phone rep. My way, it’s all in writing so I can compare what I received to what I requested thus eliminating any chances of verbal mis communication. 
 

3.  This 25% off thingy has become a quagmire for some. There may be different results for different folks. If Oceania cancels a port, or more importantly altered port times before you board, this may upset your plans. We boarded the Vista last June to learn 3 or 4 ports had 2 or more hours clipped off them. People likewise learned this resulted in some cases of cancelled tours. If the passengers didn’t rebook tours to get back to their minimum requirements, tour prices were recalculated accordingly. This created havoc. This policy was not employed for tours cancelled because of weather or other reasons after the start of the cruise. Unless one just prefers expensive ship tours, chasing that 25% off can be a fool’s folly. Book what you think you’d like to do and let the chips fall as they may. I’ve seen too many book additional tours, they didn’t really want, just to get 25% off an expensive tour they really wanted, to then have that tour cancelled.

[clo]

16 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

establishing a good relationship with a long-serving knowledgeable O phone rep

I agree. And, honestly, we just enjoy each other's remote company 🙂

[Flatbush Flyer]

23 hours ago, osandomir said:

All funds that were paid with cash/credit card will be returned as refundable OBC. If not used refundable OBC can be cashed out at the reception desk on the last day of the cruise. Otherwise it will be refunded to your credit card on file.

Exactly (except that O calls it Shipboard Credit (I.e., SBC).

[Tranquility Base]

Two questions please re the 25% discount shorex package.

 

1.    My reading indicates that if booking shorex utilising this package, then all shorex become non-refundable upon embarkation.

No matter how many days before a port a tour may be.

Is that correct ?

 

2. Two people on the booking.

Can only ONE person utilise this discount package if they wish and not the other ?

EG: Discount requires 4 shorex.

One person books 4 and has the discount applied, and the other doesn't book any excursions 

Edited Friday at 01:59 AM by Tranquility Base

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Tranquility Base said:

Two questions please re the 25% discount shorex package.

 

1.    My reading indicates that if booking shorex utilising this package, then all shorex become non-refundable upon embarkation.

No matter how many days before a port a tour may be.

Is that correct ?

 

2. Two people on the booking.

Can only ONE person utilise this discount package if they wish and not the other ?

EG: Discount requires 4 shorex.

One person books 4 and has the discount applied, and the other doesn't book any excursions 

You are probably correct regarding number 1 since that was the rule with O Life’s YWYW 25% deal. Any package purchase was not refundable once onboard. Even had the rule printed on the tour tix.

As for number 2, I don’t have a definitive answer. I do know that the old YWYW rule was a minimum number of tours were required  and that the cited number was per person in the cabin. 

[daydreamer62]

Here is the wording from the pdf sent to me with my final cruise details 

"All excursion packages have the added convenience of being fully refundable until sail date and must be purchased in advance of sailing to enjoy the maximum savings. Packages will be non-refundable thereafter. Á la Carte excursions will remain fully refundable up until 36 hours before the excursion. You may pre-purchase shore excursions up until 7 days prior to your sail date."

So from that it would appear they are refundable until boarding date if you have the SM 25%  discount (which I do)

[Tranquility Base]

38 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

You are probably correct regarding number 1 since that was the rule with O Life’s YWYW 25% deal. Any package purchase was not refundable once onboard. Even had the rule printed on the tour tix.

Thanks.

From the info quoted below then yes, it is the same as the old rule.

29 minutes ago, daydreamer62 said:

Here is the wording from the pdf sent to me with my final cruise details 

"All excursion packages have the added convenience of being fully refundable until sail date and must be purchased in advance of sailing to enjoy the maximum savings. Packages will be non-refundable thereafter.

Thanks.

Will have to take this into account.

 

@Flatbush Flyer

I seem to recall you posting somewhere that if you have booked the minimum required for the discount, and Oceania cancels one of those excursions, then the discount still remains on the remainder. Even though you are now below the minimum.

 

Do you know if that is the case even if there are other excursions available to book ?

Either at the same port or a different port ?

Edited Friday at 03:51 AM by Tranquility Base

[Redtravel]

3 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Thanks.

From the info quoted below then yes, it is the same as the old rule.

Thanks.

Will have to take this into account.

 

@Flatbush Flyer

I seem to recall you posting somewhere that if you have booked the minimum required for the discount, and Oceania cancels one of those excursions, then the discount still remains on the remainder. Even though you are now below the minimum.

 

Do you know if that is the case even if there are other excursions available to book ?

Either at the same port or a different port ?

No.  That happened to us.  We prebooked 6 tours. That was the number that got us the 25% discount.  Later a port where we had an excursion got cancelled. It was replaced with another port.  We were down to 5 excursions.  The price of the remaining 5 tours jumped back to full price.  Called O and was told that we had to have 6 tours to reinstate the discount.   We booked an inexpensive 6th tour to recover the 25% discount.  It’s a crazy system.   We are on Marina now. We decided to switch to a different excursion. My account has the refund for the cancellation.  The replacement is posted at full price. Destination services assured us that eventually we would get the 25% discount.  It hasn’t happened yet.  
 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

5 hours ago, Redtravel said:

No.  That happened to us.  We prebooked 6 tours. That was the number that got us the 25% discount.  Later a port where we had an excursion got cancelled. It was replaced with another port.  We were down to 5 excursions.  The price of the remaining 5 tours jumped back to full price.  Called O and was told that we had to have 6 tours to reinstate the discount.   We booked an inexpensive 6th tour to recover the 25% discount.  It’s a crazy system.   We are on Marina now. We decided to switch to a different excursion. My account has the refund for the cancellation.  The replacement is posted at full price. Destination services assured us that eventually we would get the 25% discount.  It hasn’t happened yet.  
 

If you can, please let us know if the amount was adjusted by the end of the cruise. And just curious - for the last minute (I assume) "replacement" port, was Destinations able to arrange excursions in that port? Thanks. 

Edited Friday at 01:48 PM by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[Tranquility Base]

10 hours ago, Redtravel said:

No.  That happened to us.  We prebooked 6 tours. That was the number that got us the 25% discount.  Later a port where we had an excursion got cancelled. It was replaced with another port.  We were down to 5 excursions.  The price of the remaining 5 tours jumped back to full price.  Called O and was told that we had to have 6 tours to reinstate the discount.   We booked an inexpensive 6th tour to recover the 25% discount.

Thanks.

I also think I can manage that in the pre-cruise situation.

10 hours ago, Redtravel said:

   We are on Marina now. We decided to switch to a different excursion. My account has the refund for the cancellation.  The replacement is posted at full price. Destination services assured us that eventually we would get the 25% discount.  It hasn’t happened yet.  

Thanks.

Yes, I was mainly interested about the onboard situation.

Specifically if an excursion is canceled by Oceania.

Eg: missed port.

 

 

Edited Friday at 05:58 PM by Tranquility Base

[Redtravel]

13 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Thanks.

I also think I can manage that in the pre-cruise situation.

Thanks.

Yes, I was mainly interested about the onboard situation.

Specifically if an excursion is canceled by Oceania.

Eg: missed port.

 

 

The cancelled port was replaced before the cruise.  It did change the order of the ports.  For people who arrange private tours, it could create a problem.  We often book private tours.  We didn’t do that on this cruise. We have Simply More excursion credit.  

[Redtravel]

Luckily we haven’t had any itinerary changes while cruising.  I am wondering what happens to SM credit if they skip a port. Hope that it doesn’t happen. Will post if it does happen.  

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

7 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Luckily we haven’t had any itinerary changes while cruising.  I am wondering what happens to SM credit if they skip a port. Hope that it doesn’t happen. Will post if it does happen.  

Thanks.  

 

I started to answer what happens, but it was a bit complicated.  Some day I'll ask my travel advisor to confirm what I was told by someone else. But I think if you lose an excursion due to port OR excursion cancelation (by vendor or O), you get the shore excursion credit back.  But I was told that to maintain the package discount of 25% off the price of excursions in your package (or additional ones you may add), you must maintain the required number of excursions for your cruise. So if the package requires you to book at least 5 per person and you drop to 4, you need to book another or O might re-price the 4 you previously booked. If you paid any money to purchase excursions in the shore excursion package, you get that money back.  I was told it shows up initially as a shipboard credit but you can request a refund at the end of the cruise. 

 

You can kind of use the online booking system to do tentative bookings.  The advice I've read, however, indicates you should call in your excursion choices.  (And yes, you or your TA may do call.)  That's because there have been comments that the system doesn't calculate prices accurately all the time.  I found it a little confusing, though.  I have a good amount of shipboard credit from my loyalty status.  So I couldn't really tell how, or if, the system was using that credit or not, and what happens when I fall below the required number of excursions. 

 

Anyway, I can't say that the above info is entirely correct, as I haven't yet cruised using Simply More.  But at least I can tell you that on our last 2 cruises, both two weeks, one in February, and one a year ago, we only missed 1 port, and luckily it was my least anticipated port.  So I remain optimistic that despite global warming and rising seas, wars, unrest and other challenges, cruise ships WILL likely make all or certainly most ports on their itineraries. 

[ORV]

One thing that gets confusing as I read these posts is that you have pre cruise cancellations and during cruise cancelations, without really knowing which one the posters are talking about. It would help those of us trying to follow if that was made clear 

[Tranquility Base]

The whole:

SM excursion credits restrictions,

the 25% discount package,

the pre cruise situation,

the onboard situation,

the voluntary onboard cancellations,

the Oceania onboard cancellations,

the missed port cancellations,

the different timeframes when tours become non-refundable,

the slow refunds,

the errors in the online booking of the package,

the no online pre cruise cancellation ability, 

the no ability onboard a multi segment cruise to access / amend excursion bookings prior to the next segment.....

 

It certainly has turned into a mission in understanding and perseverance.

One needs a holiday to recover.

Edited Saturday at 07:53 PM by Tranquility Base

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I apologize if my post wasn't clear.  But I was talking about a situation in which a person (like Redtravel) "purchased" (with credit only or $$), the required number of excursions (or more) to qualify to get "shore excursion package" prices (25% lower than a la carte).  Then due to cancellation by Oceania of that critical 5th or whatever excursion, the prior purchases no longer qualified for 25% off the whole package.  If Oceania had to cancel an excursion, you get credits/refunds, but may no longer qualify for 25% off unless you book another excursion.  I suppose if I really want to get my money's worth, I could book all the least expensive excursions for the first half of my trip.  Or I could just not worry about extra dollars I might end up owing at the end of the cruise and book what I want to book, then relax and enjoy the cruise. 

 

[Tranquility Base]

1 hour ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

If Oceania had to cancel an excursion, you get credits/refunds, but may no longer qualify for 25% off unless you book another excursion. 

I wonder about this scenario.

 

1. Booked the minimum (eg 5) excursions to qualify for the package discount;

2. These all become non-refundable at embarkation as per the Ts & Cs;

3. Oceania cancels one of these excursions or the port visit;

4. If the remainder of the excursions revert to full price, do they remain non-refundable or are they now subject to the normal onboard cancelation period ...(about 36 hrs prior to arrival) ?