To get free excursions, my fare goes up?

[ronrick1943]

the excursions are "free" - if you book at that fare. If you booked at older (cheaper) fare, why should one get the "free" excursions?

It's like booking a fare without air and then wanting air included because it's "free" :confused:

It's really not all that complicated.

Edited - to op. O life promo is different from other promotions (like last call) where in order to get the promotion you have to book at a different rate. That is understandable as 5 excursions can cost a lot more than ppg or free internet (which are often part of other promotions). Whether it pays to do so depends on the extra amount you have to pay and how much of that you can recoup with your "free" excursions. Sometimes it is worth it, other times not - as noted by others above.

 

sorry but i disagree with you when it's the same cruise and they offer something for free but you can't get it with the old price it's called a price increase---just a way to increase pricing. That's the way i feel about it.

[Paulchili]

sorry but i disagree with you when it's the same cruise and they offer something for free but you can't get it with the old price it's called a price increase---just a way to increase pricing. That's the way i feel about it.

 

Yes - it is a price increase for NEW bookings, not for existing bookings that can choose not take the O Life.

That price increase, however, can be offset substantially when one adds the value of shore excursions, PPG and free internet.

As noted above, this appeals to some but not all.

On one of my cruises I gained $760/pp or $1,500 for the 2 of us in value by choosing O Life for things I will enjoy - no small change in my book (maybe not the case for you). So I didn't look at it as a "price increase"

YMMV

Edited July 22, 2015 by Paulchili

[LHT28]

Wow! 2010 Lyn? Hard to believe it was that long ago....

 

Murmansk was our first O tour and the second (and the last) was in Colombo.

LOL

Yes does not seem that long ago

HI to your DH

 

Lyn

[hypercafe]

This is why this AI stuff is BS. There is no free ride, this is like free air fare, free internet, gratuities, OBC ect. It's a good deal if you want to take the shore trips, if not you have to find a new line or bite the bullet and pay for something you will not use.

 

Sent from my SM-T320 using Forums mobile app

[canuck.qc]

Yes - it is a price increase for NEW bookings, not for existing bookings that can choose not take the O Life.

That price increase, however, can be offset substantially when one adds the value of shore excursions, PPG and free internet.

As noted above, this appeals to some but not all.

On one of my cruises I gained $760/pp or $1,500 for the 2 of us in value by choosing O Life for things I will enjoy - no small change in my book (maybe not the case for you). So I didn't look at it as a "price increase"

YMMV

 

+1 Paul.

I get approx $1800 worth in value.

Agree that O tours are not my thing but with DIY's plus private tours mixed in the itinerary, we should have a good cruise experience on Sirena.... I'll let you know!

[wripro]

Most bookings will be NEW bookings. That's where the scam comes in. And my gut tells me Olife will become a permanent thing just like Regent. For me that means Adios Oceania.

[Paulchili]

+1 Paul.

I get approx $1800 worth in value.

Agree that O tours are not my thing but with DIY's plus private tours mixed in the itinerary, we should have a good cruise experience on Sirena.... I'll let you know!

 

I feel the same way. I prefer private tours in general but with occasional generous OBC that comes from status and full value of PPG as OBC, we will be taking more O excursions rather than spend it on things we don't need or want.

The bottom line is that I'd rather cruise on O for the full cruising experience (food, ambiance, fellow passengers) than some other line where I would not enjoy myself as much.

Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad if the good is very good :D I am definitely not ready to switch cruise line (yet). :)

Edited July 22, 2015 by Paulchili

[StanandJim]

Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad if the good is very good

 

 

Perfectly stated, Paul!!!

 

Even Mr. Del Rio doesn't get a Cruise Line which is exactly suited to his personal tastes.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

This is why this AI stuff is BS. There is no free ride, this is like free air fare, free internet, gratuities, OBC ect. It's a good deal if you want to take the shore trips, if not you have to find a new line or bite the bullet and pay for something you will not use.

 

Sent from my SM-T320 using Forums mobile app

 

Why I left cruising Regent - higher fares and all inclusive for what is not important to me.

 

However, on my upcoming cruise, it was cost effective to take Olife. For $300 pp I was able to use my Amex Platnium benefit, get PPG and unlimited internet. I have PPG from my TA but could not get the Amex Benefit. So the net to me is $300 difference now for 5 shore excursions and while I prefer the private/shared tours in small groups, some of the ports will be all tied up by Oceania so I am going with the flow.

[TrulyBlonde]

Why I left cruising Regent - higher fares and all inclusive for what is not important to me.

 

However, on my upcoming cruise, it was cost effective to take Olife. For $300 pp I was able to use my Amex Platnium benefit, get PPG and unlimited internet. I have PPG from my TA but could not get the Amex Benefit. So the net to me is $300 difference now for 5 shore excursions and while I prefer the private/shared tours in small groups, some of the ports will be all tied up by Oceania so I am going with the flow.

 

Ditto...although I have not sailed Regent. O life worked for us on our upcoming May 2016 cruise on Sirena and many of the same tours we would have chosen on our own.

Edited July 22, 2015 by portofinoitaly

[RJB]

Sounds like the usual rip off to me. Just another bait and switch movement. :(:(:(

[vaitape]

LOL

Yes does not seem that long ago

HI to your DH

 

Lyn

 

and Hi to Mr Mikey!

 

Re "Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad if the good is very good"

Well, that depends up on your perspective....whether spending $$ for something you don't want is better than NOT spending $$ for something you DON'T want....

 

Will stop commenting on this thread, for now anyway. It is what it is.

[Paulchili]

 

Re "Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad if the good is very good"

Well, that depends up on your perspective....whether spending $$ for something you don't want is better than NOT spending $$ for something you DON'T want....

 

Yes - just another case of YMMV

There is no proof at present that O Life is a permanent feature of O - it seems to be a promotion (though different from previous ones). As pointed out by someone here, there are future cruises bookable now that are not part of this promo.

Speaking for myself, I would rather book O Life with Oceania than book a cruise with X, HAL or Princess, even though nothing is included on those (unless they had a unique itinerary).

I can always use their excursions. I might draw a line when I would have to pay for alcohol (Regent, Seabourn, etc) where I would definitely not use that benefit - so I can see someone not wanting O Life if they are dead set against ship's excursions. But even just PPG and Internet without excursions can be worth more than the up-charge (it was so in my case).

I was lucky that I had a choice - of 3 future cruises I could take or not take O Life and it worked out well for 2 cruises and I did not choose O Life for the third as it didn't make sense on that one.

Would I book that 3rd cruise now at higher price - probably as I like the itinerary, but I am glad I didn't have to make that decision.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Paulchili

[ronrick1943]

O Life is most likely a marketing test to see what people think. If they don't get to much bad feed back they will move it that direction - if the feed back isn't good they would stop it. It's a great way to test the waters. It's also cost effective for them, think about about it you pay more, less people on the ship---less drinking, eating and service people. It's a win win for "O". For us, we don't like tours (so do) so we tend to get off and do what we want then return to the ship as we want......In other words we cruise to cruise, that's number 1 for us---number 2 is to go off ship when we want to see what we want, we don't like having to see other things that don't interest us (called a tour).

 

Rick

[Paulchili]

Is it just me or do others feel that way too?

I don't care for it when the OP never returns after starting a thread.

Did the OP even read our replies but just couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them or just wanted to vent?

Edited July 23, 2015 by Paulchili

[2552phxcrzr]

Is it just me or do others feel that way too?

I don't care for it when the OP never returns after starting a thread.

Did the OP even read our replies but just couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them or just wanted to vent?

 

Ditto ... it's rude and in poor taste to post and not return to at least say thank you.

[ronrick1943]

Don't know but your right---why post if you don't come back.

Rick

[LHT28]

At least say thank you :(

[hrprof]

I read every thread and took time to analyze all that was said. It was clear that I was ticked off by my TA's call. I immediately canceled the cruise and started the thread - you all illuminated all aspects of this marketing thrust. It didn't work for me from the beginning. I'm still going ahead with my Nautica cruise in December - Cape Town to Singapore. Actually, a promo was offered on that cruise - a 3 day tour of the Cape Town area pre-cruise - no increase in fare. We're not doing it - have our own ideas for that time. I still feel good about O - they just caught me at the wrong time. Thank you all for providing added daylight so that I might evaluate my emotional reaction.

[wripro]

imo your reaction was not emotional at all. It was accurate.

[Gsel]

I have to agree! We also will re-evaluate if O decides to keep OLife. We do like their product, but have a problem with paying for something we do not use.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Most bookings will be NEW bookings. That's where the scam comes in. And my gut tells me Olife will become a permanent thing just like Regent. For me that means Adios Oceania.

 

I have been accused of being Chicken Little for a few years since Prestige took Regent over but whether or not the name on the hull changes - the product is effectively moving to be one and the same.

[ronrick1943]

I have been accused of being Chicken Little for a few years since Prestige took Regent over but whether or not the name on the hull changes - the product is effectively moving to be one and the same.

 

I think you right 100%.

[Paulchili]

I have been accused of being Chicken Little for a few years since Prestige took Regent over but whether or not the name on the hull changes - the product is effectively moving to be one and the same.

 

You may prove to be right but not just yet :D

Not all O cruises are part of O Life, only a few excursions are included in O Life and alcohol is not included (the latter two are quite different from Regent).

Time will tell :)

Edited July 24, 2015 by Paulchili

[jazznruby]

We booked an April 2016 TA in March of this year, and have chosen not to pay the difference for the O Life inclusions. Obviously glad to have booked when we did. Agree that it remains to be seen if this will become permanent, so isn't thinking about "abandoning ship" premature at this point? Also, I'm wondering if there would be the same angst and upset if O were to simply raise prices without including the "freebies" or if everyone would take it in stride as something that just happens, from time to time? At least, for some, there is perceived or actual value in the O Life plan.