Booking pre-cruise and transfers online

[Lane412000]

We are booked on the April 15, 2022 cruise out of Rome.  When trying to select the option on the Oceania website to book a pre-cruise hotel and transfers to the port, I only receive a message indicating that I cannot use on board credit to book a pre-cruise hotel or transfers.  I do not want to use OBC to do this. I sent Oceania an email with the issue and received a response that the pre-cruise hotels and transfers are available for booking and they are unsure why I cannot select the hotel.

 

I called Oceania and was told by an Oceania representative that since I booked the cruise through a travel agent I cannot select and book the hotel online myself and needed the travel agent to handle this for me.  I asked the Oceania rep why I was able to book an Oceania cruise in September through the same travel agent and I was able to select and book my pre-cruise hotel online?  The rep said that was impossible, that the travel agent must have done this for me. 🥵

 

I will contact the travel agency and see what can be done.

 

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions?

Edited October 28, 2021 by Lane412000

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Lane412000 said:

We are booked on the April 15, 2022 cruise out of Rome.  When trying to select the option on the Oceania website to book a pre-cruise hotel and transfers to the port, I only receive a message indicating that I cannot use on board credit to book a pre-cruise hotel or transfers.  I do not want to use OBC to do this. I sent Oceania an email with the issue and received a response that the pre-cruise hotels and transfers are available for booking and they are unsure why I cannot select the hotel.

 

I called Oceania and was told by an Oceania representative that since I booked the cruise through a travel agent I cannot select and book the hotel online myself and needed the travel agent to handle this for me.  I asked the Oceania rep why I was able to book an Oceania cruise in September through the same travel agent and I was able to select and book my pre-cruise hotel online?  The rep said that was impossible, that the travel agent must have done this for me. 🥵

 

I will contact the travel agency and see what can be done.

 

Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions?

Well, calling O direct may get you to one of several absolutely EXCELLENT reps who have been with O for years and who are great at unraveling mysteries. When that happens, get their extension number and email!!!

Some of the other reps are “works in progress.”

 

That said, and without knowing all the details in your situation, I can tell you that the O website cart will first try to use any O issued SBC (that you see in your account for that cruise) to pay for your cruise related website purchases (even if you don’t want it too). It could be that issue (and the hotel booking rules) that then gives you the “catch-22” message of “no can do.”.

 

So it may be that you do need to turn to the O phone reps to straighten it out (and hope that you get the right one).

 

As for prohibition of you buying extras if you used a TA: I know excursions, LaReserve, et al. extras (even changing which O Life perk you want) do NOT require it to be done via your TA. So, I question the “use your TA” response. But, since I’d never book pre/post cruise land stays via O (when I can get the same hotel on my own for half the price), I can’t give you a definitive answer on that item.

Edited October 28, 2021 by Flatbush Flyer

[Jockocruiser]

Or…is it job security by the O res agent?  
Can the travel agent portal accommodate the changes?  Or does it still require a travel agent phone call to O res?