Eight excursions or $800 OBC?

Newbie to O seeking advice.

I took the $800 but wonder if I did the right thing (and could possibly change it).

Can you choose any of the excursions offered on your cruise or is it limited to "cheaper" excursions? If it's a limited list, I'll stick with the $800 but if it's any of them, that would be a better option.

Thanks in advance.

The excursions have a top price limit of $199. But if you choose carefully you can get more for your money than the $800 OBC. On our recent Riviera cruise we took the ship's tours which were in the $150-199 price range.

Mura

You can choose any of the excursions that do not have the OC, OE , FW , CD & WT designation next to it

Usually under $200 price point

You can read the T & C

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/legal/promotion-terms/

Yes you can change the perk but not sure what the time frame is

The included excursions should you choose that perk MUST be booked 14 days prior ro the sailing date

You can choose any of the excursions that do not have the OC, OE , FW , CD & WT designation next to it

 

Usually under $200 price point

 

You can read the T & C

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/legal/promotion-terms/

 

 

Yes you can change the perk but not sure what the time frame is

 

The included excursions should you choose that perk MUST be booked 14 days prior ro the sailing date

If one is interested in enough excursions to qualify for the YWYW minimum for that cruise, add up the cost of the most expensive of those allowable for O Life. Multiply by .75. If your O Life number of excursions equals more than $100 average cost of your discounted allowable number, you're better off taking the excursions than the OBC.

So, if you get 5 "allowable" (as cited in above post) excursions and the average cost (regular or YWYW 25% off) is less than $100, take the OBC.

Actually it is a matter of very simple math.

Oceania values this benefit at $100 per excursion.

In reality most allowed excursions are above $100 - some as high as $199. Thus if you don’t mind ship excursions then taking excursions over OBC is a better to much better value.

In addition, if after included number of excursions you choose enough extra excursions to qualify for YWC package, those additional excursions will at a 25% discount.

As Paul said, if you don’t mind ship excursions, taking the excursions rather than the $800 is a better deal. Most excursions are more than $100.

You can also have the OLife benefit deducted from the cost of the cruise.

On our last 2 cruises, there were enough excursions in the $159-$199 range for us to choose that benefit. The Oceania excursions are overpriced, but it still seemed worth it with the Internet included.

For our upcoming cruisrn Internet is included without OLife, and there weren't enough appealing excursions to make it the right choice for us.

Due to DH's bad heart and my struggle to only be 20 pounds overweight, we hardly drink.

The spa treatments seem exorbitant to us, and our TA pays gratuities, so we can't figure out what to do with $800 in OBC.

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Thanks, everyone. Ours is a long cruise and we should not have trouble finding four to do....and if they are up to $199, I should choose the excursions. Just booked this week, so hopefully can change now.

Thanks, everyone. Ours is a long cruise and we should not have trouble finding four to do....and if they are up to $199, I should choose the excursions. Just booked this week, so hopefully can change now.

Just so that you know - it’s not when you booked, it’s when the cruise is.

You can change your options and you have to pre-book O Life excursions no later than 14 days before the cruise.

So, if the excursions are available now, take a look and see if they would work for you. If they are not available now, wait till they are available and make up your mind then.

Also, to get the 25% discount an additional excursion with YWC package, they have to be booked online precruise and not on the ship (when booked onboard they are only 15% off, AFAIK).

Just so that you know - it’s not when you booked, it’s when the cruise is.

You can change your options and you have to pre-book O Life excursions no later than 14 days before the cruise.

So, if the excursions are available now, take a look and see if they would work for you. If they are not available now, wait till they are available and make up your mind then.

Also, to get the 25% discount an additional excursion with YWC package, they have to be booked online precruise and not on the ship (when booked onboard they are only 15% off, AFAIK).

If you purchased YWYW discounted excursion package pre-cruise, you can add cruises onboard at the same 25% discount. Just did it a few weeks ago on Insignia.

Before counting on that 25% off, call to make sure that option is available on your cruise. Our Dec 10 Cuba cruise does not have that option.

Before counting on that 25% off, call to make sure that option is available on your cruise. Our Dec 10 Cuba cruise does not have that option.

Looks like OP's cruise is in 2020 so there is nothing to check at this point in time :halo:

If you purchased YWYW discounted excursion package pre-cruise, you can add cruises onboard at the same 25% discount. Just did it a few weeks ago on Insignia.

That is true.

What I meant is that if one only has the O Life excursions and then wants to add excursions onboard to reach YWYW package, they will not/may not get 25% discount but only 15% discount, AFAIK.

That is true.

What I meant is that if one only has the O Life excursions and then wants to add excursions onboard to reach YWYW package, they will not/may not get 25% discount but only 15% discount, AFAIK.

Agreed

Thanks again everyone. I did the math as the poster suggested and was easily able to switch the perk to excursions.

Much appreciated advice as O seems to have a different approach as compared to the lines I've cruised previously.

Thanks again everyone. I did the math as the poster suggested and was easily able to switch the perk to excursions.

 

Much appreciated advice as O seems to have a different approach as compared to the lines I've cruised previously.

Perhaps the "different approach" is the reasonable "price" to pay for the far better food and service you will experience.

You can choose any of the excursions that do not have the OC, OE , FW , CD & WT designation next to it

 

Usually under $200 price point

 

You can read the T & C

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/legal/promotion-terms/

 

 

Yes you can change the perk but not sure what the time frame is

 

The included excursions should you choose that perk MUST be booked 14 days prior ro the sailing date

The terms exclude excursions labeled "OS," not "OC."

The terms exclude excursions labeled "OS," not "OC."

sorry

yes should be OS & OE

This from the T & C 's just to be clear

OLife Choice free shore excursions vary by voyage and exclude Oceania Select, Oceania Exclusive, Executive Collection, Food & Wine Trails, Wellness and Culinary Discovery Tours.

An Oceania shore tour is my last option, taken only under total duress. First, we are active on our Roll Calls and are able to line up all , or near all, our shore tours, via that methodology. Next, in some places, DIY is best, in that you can easily see: what you want to see; at the pace you want to see, and are not confined by the tour guide or group.

Only after those options have been fully explored and found non practical or available do we consider ship tours. This last option is typically only necessary due to limited infrastructure in the port(s) visited. The OP didn’t state which cruise/ ports they are visiting, therefore accessing any worth the ship’s highly overpriced tours is not a logical exercise. In the vast majority of ports, paying those outrageous fares is illogical, therefore subsequent analysis is flawed . JMO!

An Oceania shore tour is my last option, taken only under total duress. First, we are active on our Roll Calls and are able to line up all , or near all, our shore tours, via that methodology. Next, in some places, DIY is best, in that you can easily see: what you want to see; at the pace you want to see, and are not confined by the tour guide or group.

 

Only after those options have been fully explored and found non practical or available do we consider ship tours. This last option is typically only necessary due to limited infrastructure in the port(s) visited. The OP didn’t state which cruise/ ports they are visiting, therefore accessing any worth the ship’s highly overpriced tours is not a logical exercise. In the vast majority of ports, paying those outrageous fares is illogical, therefore subsequent analysis is flawed . JMO!

As always - different strokes for different folks.

What works best for you may not be a perfect fit for someone else - for any number of reasons.

Can you see that?

An Oceania shore tour is my last option, taken only under total duress. First, we are active on our Roll Calls and are able to line up all , or near all, our shore tours, via that methodology. Next, in some places, DIY is best, in that you can easily see: what you want to see; at the pace you want to see, and are not confined by the tour guide or group.

 

Only after those options have been fully explored and found non practical or available do we consider ship tours. This last option is typically only necessary due to limited infrastructure in the port(s) visited. The OP didn’t state which cruise/ ports they are visiting, therefore accessing any worth the ship’s highly overpriced tours is not a logical exercise. In the vast majority of ports, paying those outrageous fares is illogical, therefore subsequent analysis is flawed . JMO!

That is one way of looking at it. I can see your point of view. But depending on where I'm at and how many port days we have I will take the excursions for Olife, unless I take the drink package, but only do that if I'm planning on upgrading it. I tend to do that on cruises with a lot of sea days.

Jancruz;

I continually meet people on cruises that have never heard of CC, and haven’t a clue what a Roll Call is. We see people coming to this Forum regularly that are redirected to their Roll Call because they don’t know or understand what a Roll Call is and how it can be used. Cruisers are often amazed , and anguished, when they learn that exact tour they’re doing on a bus with 25-30, we’re doing in a small group of 8-10 at less than half the price! The OP not only gave no hint of where they’re going, but also if they’re familiar with CC Roll Call. Do YOu understand that?

What I do understand is money is no object for some. My TA has clients that only sail OS. If OS isn’t available they don’t go or look elsewhere. She loves biking them OS on ATWs! They could care less if they’re paying >2X for a comparable tour. Mother O is holding their hand every step of the way and that’s what is most important to them. Just like the people doing O pre and post hotels and transfer. Cost doesn’t matter, only having their hand held. I understand fully the situation.

Since the OP told us nothing of their personal circumstances, I was only giving them my opinion of what might be better options, if they cared to explore them, in lieu of accepting O’s prices as some rational benchmark.

Do you understand?

Sorry, earlier reply was to Paul, not Jancruz!!

Unless we are on a Food and Wine Trails Cruise on O, or a heavy port intensive cruise with maybe 1 sea day, we take the drink package and upgrade. That or the OBC works better for us on most all cruises.

 

Do you understand?

I understand your point of view but that is all it is - your point of view rather than an absolute fact.

I was questioning this statement by you:

In the vast majority of ports, paying those outrageous fares is illogical, therefore subsequent analysis is flawed .

That seemed to imply to me that any opposing view was flawed.

Let me present a different point of view from yours - my last O cruise from Tokyo to Bangkok is an example.

We do not drink - so drink package option was out. I already made a point that choosing excursions is a better VALUE than OBC.

We had 10 excursions included in O Life. Had we taken the “cruise only” option (no O Life) we could have saved $1000. Taking the 10 excursions gave us a value of $1700 - thus a gain of $700 in value over cruise only.

Not sure how much 5 private excursions in Japan might have cost but they would not be cheap (probably close to $1000 for a private group). If you don’t want those $700 savings that’s OK with me but I did want that.

..And no, Mother Oceania does not have to hold my hand every step of the way. In fact on this cruise I personally organized 5 private excursions in Vietnam for a group of 10 people. There was definitely value in those excursions vs the same ship excursions but we also had some issues (with the company and also with some members of our group). So private excursions are not always better than ship’s excursions though they do tend to save money.

I think we did very well combining O Life excursions and private ones.

Whether to go with private tours or Oceania tours (or a combination of both) is an individual decision. Some people are experienced and adventurous enough to arrange their own (or join) while others are more comfortable with ship’s excursions. There is no right or wrong way - only what is right for the person in question.

That’s all.

BTW, I had answered OP’s specific question - which is better - 8 excursions or $800 OBC.

What I do understand is money is no object for some. My TA has clients that only sail OS. If OS isn’t available they don’t go or look elsewhere. She loves biking them OS on ATWs! They could care less if they’re paying >2X for a comparable tour. Mother O is holding their hand every step of the way and that’s what is most important to them. Just like the people doing O pre and post hotels and transfer. Cost doesn’t matter, only having their hand held.

How patronizing....just because someone books an OS doesn't mean they couldn't care less how much they spend and are immature babies who need their hands held. :rolleyes:

We're doing the next ATW cruise and chose the OLife 36 shore excursions not because we love ship tours, need a hand to hold or hate private tours, but because it's financially foolish not to. We will have 81 ports....if all private tours were only $50pp (which they're not..many cost far more), that's $4,050pp to do all private tours, in addition to our cruisefare. We would get $3,600 OBC each, but none of that can be used for private tours. And with the ATW cruise so nearly all inclusive, we don't need that much OBC (and we don't drink alcohol).

Because we took the 36 ship tours, we have 45 more ports left. We booked a few private tours and the rest we'll do on our own. We'll spend a fraction of what we would have if we'd booked all private tours. We're experienced travelers and have gone to many countries on our own, riding the trains and getting around by ourselves....no hand holding needed here. But we're not rich so we can't afford NOT to use the ship tours! ;)