Flatbush Flyer

Knowing what kind of TV connectivity feature(s) are present on the specific set and whether they are available (rather than intentionally disconnected), e.g., headphone Jack, Bluetooth, optical audio, would help to answer your question.

So true. When all else fails (which is usually the case), it’s “first come, first served.” 😳🤔😉😎

Actually, in this case, that’s far from the truth. In any case, let’s hope for the best for OP and also hope that the next OP response is saved for a report of the outcome.

Okay, you’ve done your best to explain it all. Might I suggest that, even though your many many replies are still missing/adding info and the thread grows more confusing each day, it might be a better idea to hold off on posting until you can report on the actual outcome?

IMO, consecutive cruises using two different cruise lines is a waste of time, effort and money. Expand your research to look at Oceania’s multi-segment itineraries (which is their hallmark. They’re a real benefit for O cruisers incl. discount of total fare, same cabin and added O Club perks. Our upcoming 5 week cruise includes three segments starting in Bangkok and ending in Tokyo. Worth checking out what O has since they do many transoceanic cruises that dovetail perfectly with regional offerings.

This was a short-lived, failed O experiment of a separate line (for folks with higher O Club status) at check-in for tours that met in the Lounge. Only problem was there was no enforcement. So, everyone just got in the shortest line. Saw it/used it on two cruises before it disappeared in late 2022 or early 2023.

As I trust you already know: It’s applied to any remaining balance on your account.

Being a member of the Connoisseurs Club is not the same as being part of its Elite segment (top 20). As for “are they really in the CC?” It would be stated on the Oceania invoice. And one would assume the’re not lying if they put the CC banner in their ads.

There is no list. Look for this logo and ask O regulars onboard.

“Slice it or dice it” anyway you want, but a bribe (to get “preferential” treatment) is still a bribe and is still low class. And accepting a bribe for the purpose of treating someone better than the next person could cost a crew member their job. In any case, kind words, a friendly attitude and reasonable requests will always get you more than will trying to buy extra service (or wrongly suggesting that you won’t get great services unless you pay extra).

I know for a fact that new hires on the phone rep staff get training. But, like with any customer service operation, not all reps are created equal. Though we mostly book onboard and then transfer to a well respected Connoisseurs Club “elite” (O top twenty) TA, we still maintain a good working relationship with a long serving O phone rep who knows O inside out and can often get initial issues (particularly the glitchy web cart for tours) quickly fixed. We use our preferred TA for perks and save it for O FUBARS.

Getting the Book Onboard deal within the 30 days prior to your upcoming cruise is nothing new. Over the years, I’ve used it a couple of times when new itineraries (in which I was extremely interested) were opened for booking just prior to an upcoming cruise and I had a particular cabin in mind. However, I can’t remember if I used a Future Cruise Certificate on any of those occasions. That said, I do buy those FCCs on occasion if the current BoB bonus is substantial. And, although I haven’t run into the issue I think you’re citing (I.e., not being allowed to “double dip” the FCC purchase bonus SBC and then get a second BoB bonus SBC when you use it), I would understand O’s position: If you initially indicated you wanted the FCC to be applied to the next cruise along with award of the booking bonus SBC, why would O then give you a duplicate/second bonus SBC for a “new” booking when you already had the FCC bonus applied to that new booking. One future cruise booking (either with cash or FCC deposit) gets you only one booking bonus SBC.

Actually, as a first time O cruiser, the right TA might have had access to a 5% “new O cruise” fare discount. I got one on our first O cruise many many moons ago.

I’m betting that’s correct. I just checked a sampling of my O cruises since pre-pandemic and, though I got $250 in lieu every time the TA covered the grats., the shortest cruise was only 3 weeks.

Oceania Cruises Amenity Partnership Program.

Silver O Club and above get complimentary gratuities. Like other incentive $ and/or sales, OCAPP is intended (at least in part) to encourage bookings where slow sales may be expected. That’s part of the reason why you’ll only see the OCAPP covering only the “least desirable” segment of a multi-segment cruise. One important caveat: If you can get TA grats (OCAPP or otherwise) take them if you also have O Club grats. In that way, O Club will then give you $250 “in lieu” non-refundable SBC.

Most importantly, I’d steer clear of any TA whose advertising an/or comments suggest particular perks are theirs instead of O’s. It’s a not uncommon practice among less than scrupulous TAs. For example, some TAs will make a big deal about covering your O gratuities charge. And, while that statement may be true, when you look at your official O invoice you may find the gratuities coverage listed as associated with your TA but also having the acronym OCAPP cited with it. OCAPP $ paying gratuities are actually Oceania $ incentives passed through to passengers via TAs! Likewise, suggesting that O Life or SM perks or even always included internet, non-alcoholic beverages and specialty restaurants are a “gift” from the TA is nasty bit of misinformation that should alert you to the fact that there will be trouble with that TA. (BTW, you’ll see a lot of that “truth bending” on websites that promote TA competitive bidding for bookings).

So, you want to know if “bribing” someone gets better service? IMO, it’s an insult to suggest to a crew member that they won’t do a good job unless you give them a bribe first. Save that “low rent” move for Vegas (yuck). If a crew member goes “above and beyond” for you, recognize that at the end of the cruise with a nice note including any extra gratuity. And don’t forget to mention their name in your cruise reviews.

Ridiculous. You just happened upon a less than seasoned phone rep. While it’s true that the events were curtailed during the earlier highly restrictive Covid reactions, they’ve been back since soon after the industry restart. In fact, O has added a separate welcome party for first time O cruisers.

Well, when it comes to cruise specializing TAs, at least one has a robust air department in part because it allows them to circumvent trip rebate limits imposed by tour providers (“technically,” the TA can rebate if it also has non-tour-provider services in the total mix). For us, as passengers, it can mean the difference in TA perks between a $250 gift card and a $2500 check. Our primary TA, which is one of O’s top twenty “Elite” members of its Connoisseurs Club, is also the largest North American seller of a popular high end tour company known for its small ship/land combo trips. Their air department doesn’t necessarily beat anyone else’s air prices on non-bulk tix but, it opens the door for doing the rebates for which it is so well known. In addition, it returns us to the yesteryear definition of TAs as “full service.”

You’d think that the first thing anyone considering an O cruise would do is “read the fine print.” 😳

As you said, “appearing to be.” Just because it’s not mentioned, doesn’t mean it’s not “included.” As aforementioned here a zillion times, there is no longer a “cruise only” fare. Rather, there’s now only a choice of w/or w/o air. Think about it: introducing all sorts of exceptions would quickly defeat the whole concept of “simply more.”

It would be “worth it” if you change your travel habits in the next several years and already have GE before Homeland Security suspends acceptance of new applications (which are at an all time high and unlikely to slow down).

Perhaps you missed my post above where I gave you an example of at least one cruise line that does “quiet sales” through their preferred TAs while also giving them “pass through” funds to incentivize their clients. And this is in addition to added pass through incentive funds from certain TAs’ consortia. And all of that is before any commission sharing. In fact, we will soon be leaving on a month long cruise, where our TA is using pass through incentive funds to cover the gratuities while also sending us a rebate check for more than $2k. And that’s on top of a discounted fare to begin with. That said, great TAs are few and far between. But, doing your homework in selecting one (or two) will pay off. Reality check: As for having “control over your booking,” do you not realize that you (like me) are a mere rounding error in a cruise line’s daily bottom line? If you book direct, you may think you are “in control” of your booking while waiting “on hold” with a cruise line phone employee who really can’t bend the rules of the company for which s/he works. At the same time, I speed dial my “top twenty seller” of my preferred cruise line who, in turn, speed dials the regional cruise line rep and gets issues fixed before i hang up. Who’s really “in control?” Take some time to search here on CC for any of my several comprehensive posts on how to find a great TA.

When will folks learn to NEVER use the O Cart to buy tours (particularly if you’re doing a multi-segment cruise). Get the most current excursions pdf, cross check against the web listings and then call O to have a rep confirm which one(s) is/are accurate? and available (according to his/her access to the accounting system).