Newbie asks: Using shore ex credit: None appear available for my intended cruise

[mary_228]

I don't want to book this cruise (Nov 27 Marina) unless I can utilize the value of the $600 per cabin Simply More shore Ex credit. When looking at the options, there are dollar amounts under the Tour Price and Unlimited headings, but under the Simply More heading, N/A appears. Does this mean the spots are already sold out?

 

If so, is there another way I can purchase the cruise, a more bare bones rate?

[Woofa]

We are on this cruise and just made final payment earlier this week.  As far as I know there is no longer any possibility of booking without simply more.  I checked the website and saw the N/A you are asking about then checked into our account and many excursion options still seem to be open.  Try calling your TA or O direct to get a clarification of why it lists that way.

Hope to see you in this cruise.

Fyi, we are taking the chef select all day excursion although we booked before simply more with cruise only when it was still an option.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, mary_228 said:

I don't want to book this cruise (Nov 27 Marina) unless I can utilize the value of the $600 per cabin Simply More shore Ex credit. When looking at the options, there are dollar amounts under the Tour Price and Unlimited headings, but under the Simply More heading, N/A appears. Does this mean the spots are already sold out?

 

If so, is there another way I can purchase the cruise, a more bare bones rate?

Most importantly, NEVER use the O web cart to buy your tours. The site is very glitchy including sometimes telling you tours are not available (that actually are available).

ALWAYS cross reference the most current shore excursions PDF (they update occasionally) with the current web listings and make a list of what you want. Add the math that figures in the tour SBC and the 25% YWYW discount if you meet your cruise’s minimum tours purchase number.

Then call O (best to identify a good O rep beforehand) and let the rep put together your purchase since his/her accounting system will have what is closest to the most accurate info.

The problem with the inconsistency is lack of communication between the involved O departments. And it particularly plagues multi-segment cruises where someone “turns on” the booking mechanism for segment 1 or segment 2 but then forgets to do it for segment 1 and/or segment 2 of multisegment bookings. 

Also, always get an emailed copy of the full math document that is generated by the sale (prepurchased shore excursions PDF - not the “preselected PDF). It’s important to have if there are any FUBAR situations once you are onboard.

 

Now, someone else will post that they’ve never had a problem with the O Cart. That may be true if you only do single segments once every few years. But, trust me: we often buy as many as 75+\- O tours annually (mostly on multi-segment cruises) and the glitch is for real!!!

 

Also, others will post to let your TA do it. Sadly, they may experience the same glitch and trust that there is no availability. And while the TA tries to straighten the problem out (if they even realize “no availability” might be incorrect), that O phone rep can contact the right colleague to turn on the “availability” while you’re still on the phone.

 

FWIW- just experienced this on a multisegment booking CPT-BCN next May. No availability for many desired tours on both segments. Called our trusted O rep and he messaged someone. Ten minutes later, availability turned on when we logged back in.

[mary_228]

I got a lengthy explanation from an agent on the chat feature, and he said I would simply put available excursions in the cart until I reach $600. Anything over that (and I'm sure there would be a lot!) would be billed to me. At some point I would have enough to be offered a 25% discount on the tours over $600. I guess that is the "unlimited" column? Hopefully I have this right.

 

As far as knowing if excursions are still available, I would have to have a booking number in order so see online availability or contact them with a list of desired tours and have them give me the status. Thank you to Woofa who wrote "I checked the website and saw the N/A you are asking about then checked into our account and many excursion options still seem to be open." 

[basor]

2 hours ago, mary_228 said:

I don't want to book this cruise (Nov 27 Marina) unless I can utilize the value of the $600 per cabin Simply More shore Ex credit. When looking at the options, there are dollar amounts under the Tour Price and Unlimited headings, but under the Simply More heading, N/A appears. Does this mean the spots are already sold out?

 

If so, is there another way I can purchase the cruise, a more bare bones rate?

The Simply More shore excursion credit is a certain amount of money that can be used toward any shore excursion.  There are "no" shore excursions that are for the Simply More Shore excursion credit only.  I checked your cruise and because it short and few ports, the Simply More Excursion package is not available.  The Simply More Excursion package provides a 25% discount if you book a certain number of shore excursions on your cruise.  Your Simply More shore Excursion would be applied towards the "tour price" of any tour you choose.

I hope this clarifies what you are seeing.

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, mary_228 said:

I got a lengthy explanation from an agent on the chat feature, and he said I would simply put available excursions in the cart until I reach $600. Anything over that (and I'm sure there would be a lot!) would be billed to me. At some point I would have enough to be offered a 25% discount on the tours over $600. I guess that is the "unlimited" column? Hopefully I have this right.

 

As far as knowing if excursions are still available, I would have to have a booking number in order so see online availability or contact them with a list of desired tours and have them give me the status. Thank you to Woofa who wrote "I checked the website and saw the N/A you are asking about then checked into our account and many excursion options still seem to be open." 

I need to look at it (now with simply more).  Unlimited used to be the “passport collection” where you paid a set fee upfront (dependent on itinerary) and all O Life qualified tours (e.g., <$200) were included and non-O Life got 40% discount instead of YWYW 25% off the paid ones.

[basor]

5 minutes ago, mary_228 said:

I got a lengthy explanation from an agent on the chat feature, and he said I would simply put available excursions in the cart until I reach $600. Anything over that (and I'm sure there would be a lot!) would be billed to me. At some point I would have enough to be offered a 25% discount on the tours over $600. I guess that is the "unlimited" column? Hopefully I have this right.

 

As far as knowing if excursions are still available, I would have to have a booking number in order so see online availability or contact them with a list of desired tours and have them give me the status. Thank you to Woofa who wrote "I checked the website and saw the N/A you are asking about then checked into our account and many excursion options still seem to be open." 

If you are on the 27NOV 24 Marina sailing, the Simply More Excursion package (25% discount) is not offered as there are not enough ports.  Your choice would be to choose individually or chose the unlimited.  The unlimited package is you pay a certain amount of $$$ and can choose from any of the excursions.  If it shows "NA" under unlimited, that means there would be no additional cost above and beyond what you paid for the "Unlimited excursion package".  If there is an amount under the unlimited tab, then that is the surcharge you pay for that excursion above and beyond what you paid for the "Unlimited Excursion Package"

[AMHuntFerry]

@mary_228 Another way of explaining what has been said above (so repeated info):

The first Tour Price column is the "a la carte" pricing (or full price); your SM shorex credits can be used to pay this price. This is the only column that matters for you for this cruise.

 

The Simply More column (which is a horrible title since it misleads people) is a package that provides a 25% discount with a minimum shorex booking. If prices appear in this column, SM shorex credits can be used to pay this price; however, it is not available for your cruise.

 

The Unlimited column is only available to people who booked under the O-Life (pre-SM) program, so not applicable to you.

 

BTW, follow FF's advice to get the shorex pdf doc and the other docs after you book (either by calling O directly or having your TA do it).

Edited August 30 by AMHuntFerry

[mary_228]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I've gone ahead and booked the cruise. Hopefully I will be able to find shore excursions at this (late) date.

 

If there was a way to stop commenting, I would do this.

[basor]

2 hours ago, mary_228 said:

Thanks everyone for your replies. I've gone ahead and booked the cruise. Hopefully I will be able to find shore excursions at this (late) date.

 

If there was a way to stop commenting, I would do this.

Enjoy your cruise - I am sure you will be able to find plenty of excursions to take advantage of your onboard credit