Booking whilst on board

From experience the Oceania Travel staff also work evenings. Whether you stop in the travel office on board or send in the cruise request form I'd be surprised if a rep doesn't contact you and invite you to come into the office to go over your options. :)

JMBobB

Hi,

we're from the UK and have booked on board.apart from current cruise credit we found very little (or none) difference booking directly with our t/a

One we booked ,the booking was immediately passed back to our agent in the U.K and left us with very little bargaining power when we got home as the agent knew that they had a secure booking.

In the event,due to unforeseen circumstances, we have to change cruises and what a headache that turned into!

So unless you are certain that , that is the cruise (and flight,unless you do a waiver ) you want. Don't put yourself under pressure and just wait 'till you get home.

Regards,

Josie

Thanks all!

I know we'll be pretty exhausted (but happily so) and we'll watch out for something in our cabin to fill out.

This will be only our second Oceania cruise - I loved the first one and booked this one while on board the last.

We did receive a fairly impressive discount (although I honestly don't remember how much) in addition to on-board credit. We changed the booking a few months later with our travel agent and had no problems getting both the discount and the OBC transferred to the new booking - but as mentioned by others we were told that no additional changes could be made without losing the deals.

Hi,

we're from the UK and have booked on board.apart from current cruise credit we found very little (or none) difference booking directly with our t/a

 

One we booked ,the booking was immediately passed back to our agent in the U.K and left us with very little bargaining power when we got home as the agent knew that they had a secure booking.

 

Josie

I think part of the issue is where you are from ... different booking terms for different Countries

Any onboard booking will go to the TA on record from your last cruise if you are thinking of using another agent tell the Ambassador to leave the booking with Oceania

Then when you get home transfer the booking to an agent of your choosing within the 30 day window

It may or may not work with UK residents but is does with North Americans so do check before you commit

Like LHT28 I booked on board this year and was told by the Sales person that all Oceania conditions would apply to any TA that took up the bookings, including cancellation. I could leave the booking with Oceania until I returned home and had a certain numbers of weeks (cant remember number exactly) to move to a UK TA if I could secure a better price, as I was unsure if I was going to use my existing TA who did not offer great service, I returned home, shopped around to see who would give me the best deal then moved my booking over once I was happy that moving to a TA would offer me sufficient savings. I was reassured by the Oceania Rep on board confirming that the cancellation arrangements for all their cruises, despite what TA's might say are a condition of the booking.

Very helpful thread. I am not a good negotiator. I am moderately pleased with my booking. But I think the option of booking onboard with O then dealing with the TA will allow me to get something extra like the prepaid gratuities ( listed in their advertising but supposedly not allowed on my booking :( ) and waiver of cancellation fees....

I would like to wait a few days of the cruise to start the process, does the onboard booking rep stay busy? Also can you book a wait list category?

Starting in April, of this year, Oceania finally wised up and changed part of the process. They now sell, on board, an advance booking receipt in lieu of doing placeholder bookings. Our on board sales Ambassador said the Revenue Dept finally figured out they were shooting them selves in the leg doing placeholders. Well duh! Been saying that for some time. So unless you want to book a specific cruise, while on board, one pays the $350/person advance reservation fee, and then gets ALL the benefits of on board booking. Your original TA will be notified of the purchase of the advanced booking receipt, but if you want to change TA's when you use it, to actually book a specific cruise, you can do so. Simpler system all the way around.

We bought one such receipt, while on board. It must be used within two years of purchase . The cruise does not have to be within two years, but a new reservation , using the certificate, must be made within two years. Fully refunded if cancelled, less the $100 in onboard credit you got with taking the deal. We will probably use it later in the fall when the latter half 2019 cruises are released.

Happy Cruzer, don't leave it until the end of the cruise to book, allow yourself plenty of time to go through different options and look at the figures, you can go back and forward to the Rep for clarification and they will hold the cabin until you decide, that way there is no last minute pressure. The office was open on The Marina several times a day, the times will be posted in the daily paper.

Just a couple notes pertaining to the above posts.

If you booked your current cruise (the one you are on when doing onboard booking) with a TA, you new booking goes automatically to the TA that booked your current cruise UNLESS you specifically ask not to (at least that is the way it used to be) .

Don't wait till last day to book it unless you have a good size bill. You get $100 OBC with your onboard booking that you must spend before disembarking (or lose it).

Paulchili;

With the new advance booking receipt the on board Sales ambassador asks if you want your current TA notified. It is not automatic. If one books an actual cruise, it is automatic, unless you direct them otherwise. A different in procedure.

I have a O sailing soon. I've already reserved a cruise for 2018. Can I purchase these credits and apply it to my 2018 cruise. Understand the fare is 5% less and also the bonus 100 obc. Appreciate its unlikely but thought to float the question