OLife Excursions Question

[ano]

Another excursion question. So we have eight free excursions with OLife. We booked the cruise with a TA. I see the cruise in our account, but see nothing about the total cruise cost, or deposit paid or how many free excursions we have. Do we just "purchase" the excursions and hopefully it doesn't charge us for the first 8? This is our first Oceania cruise, and our first with a TA, so maybe not showing any details is normal.

 

I will say the Oceania web site looks much easier to navigate than the Norwegian site, but it also doesn't seem to allow that many options. To register its just passport number, emergency contact and that is it. A much longer registration on Norwegian (and Princess, and Carnival, and RC, etc. )

[travelnn]

What were you expecting then to use?

 

They use regular size buses but I am not sure how many people they allow per bus some say 30 pax

 

 

If you want a smaller group then do private tours

 

JMO

 

Thanks for your response. We will consider doing both if the buses are no more than 30 px and super interesting. Larger than that makes every stop much longer.

[LHT28]

Thanks for your response. We will consider doing both if the buses are no more than 30 px and super interesting. Larger than that makes every stop much longer.

I do not know how many per bus but others have commented they are not packed full

We usually do small private tours or just putter in the port

[LHT28]

Another excursion question. So we have eight free excursions with OLife. We booked the cruise with a TA. I see the cruise in our account, but see nothing about the total cruise cost, or deposit paid or how many free excursions we have. Do we just "purchase" the excursions and hopefully it doesn't charge us for the first 8? This is our first Oceania cruise, and our first with a TA, so maybe not showing any details is normal.

 

I will say the Oceania web site looks much easier to navigate than the Norwegian site, but it also doesn't seem to allow that many options. To register its just passport number, emergency contact and that is it. A much longer registration on Norwegian (and Princess, and Carnival, and RC, etc. )

I believe you just put the excursions you want in the shopping cart then check out

 

You will have to have a CC but the balance should be $0 if you choose all the included ones

 

Someone will correct me if wrong

[Go-Bucks!]

I believe you just put the excursions you want in the shopping cart then check out

 

You will have to have a CC but the balance should be $0 if you choose all the included ones

 

Someone will correct me if wrong

This is correct. If you choose more than 8 you'll have to pay immediately...but if only 8, then it's $0.

[ano]

Thanks.

 

I'm also guessing it gives you the first 8 free, no matter the cost. In other-words, its only order-based, not cost-based. It would be nice if they automatically gave you your most expensive 8 free, assuming you have more than 8, but I'm guessing that isn't the case.

Edited September 3, 2018 by ano

[LHT28]

Thanks.

 

I'm also guessing it gives you the first 8 free, no matter the cost. In other-words, its only order-based, not cost-based. It would be nice if they automatically gave you your most expensive 8 free, assuming you have more than 8, but I'm guessing that isn't the case.

The "FREE" included ones do not include any of the tours with OS OE CD WT or FW after the description next to the walking people

 

Be sure to read the fine print in the O Life offer

[babysteps]

Thanks.

 

I'm also guessing it gives you the first 8 free, no matter the cost. In other-words, its only order-based, not cost-based. It would be nice if they automatically gave you your most expensive 8 free, assuming you have more than 8, but I'm guessing that isn't the case.

 

Would it work to figure out all desired excursions, and then reserve just the number covered by OLife as a first pass (of the most expensive eligible excursions), and then go back and select any remaining less-expensive excursions?

[ano]

The "FREE" included ones do not include any of the tours with OS OE CD WT or FW after the description next to the walking people

 

Be sure to read the fine print in the O Life offer

On our itinerary, with 10 ports, there were maybe 3 or 4 excursions total with these symbols, usually something like a helicopter tour for something like $349 for 40 minutes, or something ridiculous like that. Most ports had 5 or 6 we could pick from. Not a bad selection, actually.

[ano]

Would it work to figure out all desired excursions, and then reserve just the number covered by OLife as a first pass (of the most expensive eligible excursions), and then go back and select any remaining less-expensive excursions?

Yes, that's what we figure too. Of course it can get more complex than that. Say you book 8 free ones, then add 2 more pay ones for say $49 each. But later you change your mind and cancel 2 of the free ones, is the system "smart enough" to let you book two more free ones? I hope so, but don't know for sure.

[Go-Bucks!]

Yes, that's what we figure too. Of course it can get more complex than that. Say you book 8 free ones, then add 2 more pay ones for say $49 each. But later you change your mind and cancel 2 of the free ones, is the system "smart enough" to let you book two more free ones? I hope so, but don't know for sure.

If you book more than the amount included in your OLife perk, the system DOES know to give you the most expensive excursions as your included ones and charge you for the least expensive ones as the extras!

 

You can book them at the same time...no need to do separately. But you will have to pay for the extras immediately.

 

If you later change your mind and decide to cancel some or want to switch to a different one, you have to call Oceania and do it over the phone....not able to do online. (I use a TA, but was able to switch some tours directly with O).

[azam71209]

Was this part of their regular tours or one of the Executive tours?

 

Interestingly, in Bermuda it was a regular tour in a mini-van, available on OLife. As I recall, it was 3 hours, cost about $100. Very nice tour with driver/guide. There were actually 5 of us. Probably could have done it privately cheaper but we had lots of OBC to use up.

 

Other ship tours were usually 20-30 people in a large bus. Very good. You can do better privately but there is something to be said for knowing that everything is taken care of and if the ship is late or the dock is changed at the last minute, you don't have to worry about anything.

 

Never had the experience of anyone I knew missing the departure time but once there were people on what looked like a ski lift, coming down the mountain right to the dock and it got stuck. They were hanging in the air for awhile but the mechanism started up again and they were able to make the ship. But it was a very close call and must have been nerve-wracking to be so close and yet so far. Not sure where we were. Maybe one of the Alaska ports?

 

The one time ship tours seemed essential was in Vietnam and Bangkok. The docking location changed for more than one port and local resources were limited. If you don't know the language and can't even read it and you are in a third world country where the food is suspect and the traffic a nightmare, a ship tour seems like a really good idea.

 

Mary

[LHT28]

Interestingly, in Bermuda it was a regular tour in a mini-van, available on OLife. As I recall, it was 3 hours, cost about $100. Very nice tour with driver/guide. There were actually 5 of us. Probably could have done it privately cheaper but we had lots of OBC to use up.

Mary

Interesting

 

I could not recall if there were buses at the port there

 

We did a private tour with 6 of us

 

the standard rate is $50 per hr per vehicle

 

 

I am sure there are some places where a large bus is just not practical or available

[ano]

If you book more than the amount included in your OLife perk, the system DOES know to give you the most expensive excursions as your included ones and charge you for the least expensive ones as the extras!

 

You can book them at the same time...no need to do separately. But you will have to pay for the extras immediately.

 

If you later change your mind and decide to cancel some or want to switch to a different one, you have to call Oceania and do it over the phone....not able to do online. (I use a TA, but was able to switch some tours directly with O).

Good to know. Thanks.