Oceania punishes loyalty

Oceania 's free cruise policy punishes frequent cruisers. Oceania states: Pay for 19 cruises and the 20th cruise is free. Pay for 19 more cruises and get the next cruise free. Ergo, if you were to pay for 38 cruises you should receive 2 free cruises. But,*Oceania considers the 20th cruise as non existent. Oceania have adopted a policy where loyal customers are treated worse than new clients. Loyal clients must reach 39 paid cruises before their free 40th cruise. So not only do you not get your second free cruise after paying for 38 as you expected! ... look at what just happened; The new cruiser pays for 19 cruises to get a free cruise and as a loyal customer, you must pay for 20 additional cruises to get from 20 to 39. New cruiser 19. You 20. In reality Oceania offer a free cruise at 20 and the next at 41 (which they call 40 since they did not count 20) but follow the money. There is no getting around the fact that you had to pay for 39 cruises to get your 40th cruise free. To Oceania: In a world that demands transparency why play games with the few that have helped you attract the many.

You're kidding, right?

Surely you don't expect your free cruise to count towards your next free cruise.

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I do not understand your math. Pay for 19 and get one free. Pay for 19 more and get one free. So you paid for 38 cruises and got two free. The only question is why would you take 40 cruises on the same cruise line? Variety is the spice of life!

The lifeboat won't save you from simple math. I have correspondence that says take 19 cruises and get the 20th free. Pay for 19 more and get the next cruise free. 19 + 19 is still 38. Further, I have correspondence that says after your free cruise oceania continue the count from 21 which would again be consistent with their policy. They simply do not practice what they preach. :)

Repeat after me: "Pay for.......pay for........pay for."

I don't get it! I'm with "O" on this one.

Rick

We haven't had our second free cruise as Oceania states we require 39 paid for cruises before our second free cruise.

You're right, we love many cruise lines such as Princess, Holland America, Crystal etc.

How many people does this effect at 39 cruises. As far as we're concerned, loyal but not that loyal!

This is totally idiotic!!! We cruise 19 times we get one free - of course they don't count the 20th in the next 20. What's wrong with 2 freebies out of 38? And how many other cruise lines give you a free cruise??? We have 19 coming up next month. When we take our 20th it will include gratuities, the air deviation and my two spa visits. What could be better than that. I only have to pay for my wine!:D How many cruises does the OP have?? Arlene

We haven't had our second free cruise as Oceania states we require 39 paid for cruises before our second free cruise.

You're right, we love many cruise lines such as Princess, Holland America, Crystal etc.

So you've cruised on Oceania at least 20 times and yet this is your first post to CC/Oceania forum, and it's a complaint?

Not many of us can sympathize with someone who can afford that many cruises, has gotten one free cruise already, and is complaining about having to pay for one more cruise before getting a second free cruise.

By the same token if you use frequent flyer miles to take a flight, you don't get credit for the mileage of that flight.

Freebees rarely count toward awards.

As to orchestrapal's comment, on our last cruise there were several passengers on more than their 40th and quite a few in the 20+ cruise catagory.

I think the highest number we heard of was in the 70s so yes there are VERY loyal Oceania cruisers.

Hi Arlene, you missed the point. Here it is again. p=pay f=free

New client goes ppppp ppppp ppppp ppppf that is 19p 1f

Since the 20th was free, we understand that Oceania do not count this as a paid credit,however, the next new client come and watch,

New client. ppppp ppppp ppppp ppppf = 19p 1f

Return client after 20. Pppppp pppppp ppppp ppppf = 20 paid before next free.

Note this scenario is worse for the loyal customer. Bottom line they portray one thing and practice another. How many cruises do you think you should have to pay for before receiving two free cruises? If you say 38 you agree with us idiots. if you say 39 then you go down with the ship.

P.S. Don't get your hopes up! The "free 20th cruise" does not include spa or shipboard credit.

So you've cruised on Oceania at least 20 times and yet this is your first post to CC/Oceania forum, and it's a complaint?

 

That is very harsh ...a lot of people that cruise have never heard of cruise critic

astonishing I know

By the same token if you use frequent flyer miles to take a flight, you don't get credit for the mileage of that flight.

Freebees rarely count toward awards.

As to orchestrapal's comment, on our last cruise there were several passengers on more than their 40th and quite a few in the 20+ cruise catagory.

I think the highest number we heard of was in the 70s so yes there are VERY loyal Oceania cruisers.

That has not been our experience but it's wonderful to hear.

We have had people on our cruise with 50 + some a lot more

I wonder if they complain about getting a free cruise now & then

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/oceaniaclublogin.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2foceaniaclub%2fdefault.aspx

Thank you for welcoming us to cruise critics. Although this is my first post addressing this issue benefits all passengers as well as Oceania. Policies should be clear. I know that Oceania did not intend to punish me for loyalty. Do the math yourself.... How many cruises do you have to take to get 2 free cruises. If you say 38 which is what their policy says you're with us. If you say 39 or some other number then explain why a first cruiser does 19 paid cruises to get one free, while a loyal customer has to pay for 20. We respect Oceania's right to embrace any policy they want. We also expect compliance with same.

Hi Arlene, you missed the point. Here it is again. p=pay f=free

New client goes ppppp ppppp ppppp ppppf that is 19p 1f

Since the 20th was free, we understand that Oceania do not count this as a paid credit,however, the next new client come and watch,

New client. ppppp ppppp ppppp ppppf = 19p 1f

Return client after 20. Pppppp pppppp ppppp ppppf = 20 paid before next free.

Note this scenario is worse for the loyal customer. Bottom line they portray one thing and practice another. How many cruises do you think you should have to pay for before receiving two free cruises? If you say 38 you agree with us idiots. if you say 39 then you go down with the ship.

 

P.S. Don't get your hopes up! The "free 20th cruise" does not include spa or shipboard credit.

You are the one who is missing the point. 38 and the 2 free is fine with me and would be fine with anyone who cruises on any line. You may have taken many cruises, so why now do you lambast a perfectly wonderful perk that Oceania is giving. I should only live long enough to argue about my 40th cruise. And contrary to your PS, the free cruise INCLUDES air deviation spa treatments and tips -- I never wrote onboard credit. And sir, I do have it in writing. Believe me you will not get any sympathy for your totally unreasonable comments. And why is it at this point that you have decided to partake of cruise critic. Where were you before? Arlene

Hi!

We have sailed with Oceania 19 times. We were sailing on a B2B in July when we had to disembark and miss our 20th cruise. Oceania ha given us another complementary cruise in its place. It's the next cruise we had booked with them.

You do receive your $238pp spa credit as well as your $600 shipboard credit on your 20th cruise.

Oceania treats all its passengers very well.

Rhea

You are the one who is missing the point. 38 and the 2 free is fine with me and would be fine with anyone who cruises on any line. You may have taken many cruises, so why now do you lambast a perfectly wonderful perk that Oceania is giving. I should only live long enough to argue about my 40th cruise. And contrary to your PS, the free cruise INCLUDES air deviation spa treatments and tips -- I never wrote onboard credit. And sir, I do have it in writing. Believe me you will not get any sympathy for your totally unreasonable comments. And why is it at this point that you have decided to partake of cruise critic. Where were you before? Arlene

Hard to believe so many people are posting strange comments regarding having enough money to cruise 40 times and how many cruise lines give a free cruise while missing the point the OP is making?? I'll try:

Policy says free cruise after 19 paid cruise with the 20th free.

OP takes 19 paid cruises and gets the 20th free. He or she then takes another 19 paid cruises yet O states he or she now has to take an additional paid or 20 before now getting the 21st free.

This means 39 paid before the 40th is a free cruise. Arlene comes closest with her comment above about 38 being paid before the 2nd free one. Arlene states that 38 and then the 2nd free one is good enough for her which is the problem the OP has in that 38 isn't enough as O wants the OP to pay for the 39th and then get the 40th free.

Yes, people who cruise on a particular line that many times will cruise again so what's the difference between after the 38th paid or the 39th?? What if the person gets ill or perhaps unfortunately dies after their 39th which should have been free and is now paid for?? All the OP is asking for is for O to follow the rules that O wrote, nothing more or nothing less, yet he or she is blasted by people for simply wanting the rules followed.

...And why is it at this point that you have decided to partake of cruise critic. ...

That's actually pretty simple in many cases (although perhaps not with the OP). When some folks hear the name "Cruise Critic", they think their posts have to have negative criticism. Perhaps they never posted before because everything was positive!

Of course, the truth is that all criticism does not have to be negative; many film critics actually LIKE some films...:p

Let me try.

A person's first cruise is number 1, and at number 19 they have earned a free cruise. One would expect the free cruise to be number 20, but it isn't, because Oceania does not count free cruises.

This means that their first cruise after the free one is now number 20. The next free cruise falls after number 39. Thus, one must only sail 19 cruises to get the first free one, but must sail 20 (numbers 20 through 39) to get the next free one.

The OP is upset about this. I haven't seen anyone really "blasting" him, but I have seen a number of folks saying, essentially, "Big Whoop". The OP has a right to be upset if he wants to; it probably won't make any difference, because none of us sets policy.

But, I can say that I'm pleased that they give the free cruise after number 19. When I first heard of the loyalty program, I assumed the free (un-numbered) cruise would be after 20, and after each following group of 20. So, instead of thinking they're cheating me on the second or third go-arounds, I'm grateful they're giving me a bonus on the first one.

It depends on glass half empty or glass half full.

I just wish I had the time and resources to have racked up 19 cruises with any cruise line! If you add all of our cruises up on the lines we have been on, we are still lacking.

I can't even begin to imagine worrying about whether I need 39 or 40 cruises to get 2 free ones. I would be too old to even know if I were on the boat, or maybe I would be cargo at that point in time. :)

And how many other cruise lines give you a free cruise???

Seabourn and Silversea are the first two lines that come to mind in giving free cruises, but they both base their awards on days sailed and not the number of cruises taken. Seabourn, for instance, gives a free seven-day cruise after only 140 days sailed with them, and a fourteen-day cruise for 250 days. This policy also seems easier to figure out than Oceania's policy.

Personally I think that O is quite generous to give any free cruises. It is an outstanding perk. Like Don, I also thought the free cruise only came after 20, not after 19. Another reason to love O. :)

The O rewards program was not crafted to "punish" anyone. It is clearly stated and one can choose to participate in it or not. This complaint does not IMHO raise to the level of real concern for most cruisers.