Oceania Insights Panel?

[tgg]

I got an email from the Oceania Club which asked me to join the Oceania Insights Panel. Here's the text:

 

You're invited to join Oceania Cruises' Insights Panel an exclusive community of
travel enthusiasts and aficionados. We would like to know what experiences,
amenities and features are most meaningful to you, our valued Oceania Cruises
guest. All we ask is a few minutes of your time each month to complete surveys
and offer your opinions on a wide variety of subjects including itineraries,
destinations, shoreside activities and onboard experiences.

 

I followed the link and was asked for lots of demographic information. There was no indication of any benefit to me for participating, however.  Does anyone have an info about this?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, tgg said:

I got an email from the Oceania Club which asked me to join the Oceania Insights Panel. Here's the text:

 

You're invited to join Oceania Cruises' Insights Panel an exclusive community of
travel enthusiasts and aficionados. We would like to know what experiences,
amenities and features are most meaningful to you, our valued Oceania Cruises
guest. All we ask is a few minutes of your time each month to complete surveys
and offer your opinions on a wide variety of subjects including itineraries,
destinations, shoreside activities and onboard experiences.

 

I followed the link and was asked for lots of demographic information. There was no indication of any benefit to me for participating, however.  Does anyone have an info about this?

The benefit is that you will have some input and, if enough other “insightful” panelists agree with your take on stuff, you may see some fruitful outcomes.

So, join. And when O asks about new itinerary ideas, tell them your #1 priority is “circumnavigation of Sicily and the various islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.”

[DrHemlock]

2 hours ago, tgg said:

I followed the link and was asked for lots of demographic information. There was no indication of any benefit to me for participating, however.  Does anyone have an info about this?

Well...sorry to be cynical but it sounds like the information they're requesting from you will be fed into an algorithm leading inevitably to a whole bunch of "targeted" advertising from O and whoever else.  When a corporation mentions that you're "exclusive" and a "connoisseur" and they want your opinion about "experiences, amenities and features" -- oh, and a whole bunch of demographic info about yourself -- you can pretty much assume they want to send plenty of customized advertising: the better to hook you with.  JMO and YMMV.

Edited June 25, 2021 by DrHemlock

[Flatbush Flyer]

6 minutes ago, DrHemlock said:

Well...sorry to be cynical but it sounds like the information they're requesting from you will be fed into an algorithm leading inevitably to a whole bunch of "targeted" advertising from O and whoever else.  When a corporation mentions that you're "exclusive" and a "connoisseur" and they want your opinion about "experiences, amenities and features" -- oh, and a whole bunch of demographic info about yourself -- you can pretty much assume they want to send plenty of customized advertising: the better to hook you with.  JMO and YMMV.

In this case, I’d say I disagree. From what I’ve heard, this Panel invite is targeted at O regulars who don’t need advertising to keep booking O cruises. 
Perhaps some of the O “regulars”’ here will share whether or not they received that same invite(?).

[Jack1]

We're not a "regular"... have only 4 sailings with them and 2 more booked.

Received the same invitation as tgg yesterday.

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, Jack1 said:

We're not a "regular"... have only 4 sailings with them and 2 more booked.

Received the same invitation as tgg yesterday.

Well- there goes my theory!

[RJB]

58 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In this case, I’d say I disagree. From what I’ve heard, this Panel invite is targeted at O regulars who don’t need advertising to keep booking O cruises. 
Perhaps some of the O “regulars”’ here will share whether or not they received that same invite(?).

WE did.  Lets see where this takes us. 

[ORV]

I got it and signed up.

[LHT28]

nothing here

[mauibabes]

Believe me, if I receive it, I will join in.  We are Platinum and have received no invitation so who knows what the criteria is for selection. 
Gerry

[ToxM]

I got it as well … they might as well just read over here….

[nikless]

Got it although I have cruised with O only once, but have 3 more booked.

I joined it.

[govanguy]

I received it and have never sailed "O".  Booked for 2023

[sunlover12]

I didn't receive it.  Have been on 4 O cruises and booked for the 5th.  But then I've never received one piece of snail mail or e-mail from O in the 13 years since our first O cruise.   We are definitely not on their radar.  

[clairol]

41 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

I didn't receive it.  Have been on 4 O cruises and booked for the 5th.  

Have been on four, booked for fifth in October and we did receive! 🤔

 

Always happy to provide constructive feedback... even if it is part of a marketing plan. I am just glad they ask!

Edited June 25, 2021 by clairol

[LHT28]

50 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

But then I've never received one piece of snail mail or e-mail from O in the 13 years since our first O cruise.   We are definitely not on their radar.  

Be thankful  😃

[marieps]

22 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

The benefit is that you will have some input and, if enough other “insightful” panelists agree with your take on stuff, you may see some fruitful outcomes.

So, join. And when O asks about new itinerary ideas, tell them your #1 priority is “circumnavigation of Sicily and the various islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.”

A shocker Flatbush wasn't named chairman.

Edited June 25, 2021 by marieps

[marieps]

29 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Be thankful  😃

OMG.  A mailer every third day for a time it seemed.  Now just about one per week.

[avalong]

23 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

The benefit is that you will have some input and, if enough other “insightful” panelists agree with your take on stuff, you may see some fruitful outcomes.

So, join. And when O asks about new itinerary ideas, tell them your #1 priority is “circumnavigation of Sicily and the various islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.”

You might look at Windstar's "Sicilian Splendors" itinerary. We really enjoyed it.

[PaulMCO]

Yes -- received and Sicily is a big +1.  So would be a real circumnavigation of Japan.

[CintiPam]

On 6/24/2021 at 6:46 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

The benefit is that you will have some input and, if enough other “insightful” panelists agree with your take on stuff, you may see some fruitful outcomes.

So, join. And when O asks about new itinerary ideas, tell them your #1 priority is “circumnavigation of Sicily and the various islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.”

You would have enjoyed my very first Azamara cruise in 2012, booked when I had to cancel an Oceania cruise because our only daughter decided to get married at the end of September, and no way I could cruise a few weeks prior to this auspicious occasion. Our post-wedding October Barcelona to Rome cruise had FOUR stops in Sicily (Palermo, Trapani, Agrigento, and Catania) plus Valletta and Salerno (so easy train to Paestum) then disembarking in Rome. (We previously had an Oceania port day in Naxos for Taormina.) I found out later that this fabulous itinerary partially was due to Azamara’s cancellation before we booked of two stops in North Africa.

Edited June 29, 2021 by CintiPam

[HiFi43]

We have 32 Oceania cruises and did not receive an invite so maybe they already know our opinion!

[Jancruz]

On 6/25/2021 at 1:53 PM, LHT28 said:

Be thankful  😃

plus 1

Jancruz1

[DrHemlock]

On 6/24/2021 at 5:18 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

In this case, I’d say I disagree. From what I’ve heard, this Panel invite is targeted at O regulars who don’t need advertising to keep booking O cruises. 
Perhaps some of the O “regulars”’ here will share whether or not they received that same invite(?).

We've taken 13 cruises with O and have three more booked so presumably we'd be considered "O regulars who don't need advertising," yet we've not been invited.  This would appear to contradict Flatbush Flyer's analysis.  

Other responses above seem to indicate that the invitations are, in fact, not for O regulars but are instead aimed at newer O cruisers.  As HiFi43 wrote, they already know what we want. 

Not that O's strategy is a bad thing -- it's just business -- but it appears the only thing "exclusive" about this Insights Panel is that it's populated exclusively by new(er) fish.  Still, to the extent that it works for all our benefits, it can only be a good thing.  Maybe they will want a circumnavigation of Sicily; we'd book it in a heartbeat!

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, DrHemlock said:

We've taken 13 cruises with O and have three more booked so presumably we'd be considered "O regulars who don't need advertising," yet we've not been invited.  This would appear to contradict Flatbush Flyer's analysis.  

Other responses above seem to indicate that the invitations are, in fact, not for O regulars but are instead aimed at newer O cruisers.  As HiFi43 wrote, they already know what we want. 

Not that O's strategy is a bad thing -- it's just business -- but it appears the only thing "exclusive" about this Insights Panel is that it's populated exclusively by new(er) fish.  Still, to the extent that it works for all our benefits, it can only be a good thing.  Maybe they will want a circumnavigation of Sicily; we'd book it in a heartbeat!

I know for a fact that some Platinum folks got the invite too. So my thoughts now are 

Random sample OR

Random sampling across O Club levels OR

Targeted individuals

 

In any case, as long as the Panel recommends the Sicily circumnavigation, it’s a good thing.