MomC Posted April 13, 2022 #1 Share Posted April 13, 2022 It has been several years since we cruised with Oceania. Can we use our shipboard credit to pay for tips? What is the going tipping rate for a penthouse or concierge cabin? Also, we have made deposit on our cruise, at what point can we select our excursions? Can we do it now or do we have to wait until after final payment? Thanking you in advance for your answers. Mom C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted April 13, 2022 #2 Share Posted April 13, 2022 (edited) 27 minutes ago, MomC said: It has been several years since we cruised with Oceania. Can we use our shipboard credit to pay for tips? What is the going tipping rate for a penthouse or concierge cabin? Also, we have made deposit on our cruise, at what point can we select our excursions? Can we do it now or do we have to wait until after final payment? Thanking you in advance for your answers. Mom C Well yes... you can use on board credit to pay for tips and settle at final payment at the end of the cruise.. However in a PH your paying $46 per day automatically billed to you and paid by what ever means you have. If you feel that $46 a day ($466 for a 10 days) is not enough then the sky is the limit but over the that basic you will have to pay in cash to the person to whom you wish it to go to.. Bar staff get 20% on every drink In many cases, most feel that unless some extraordinary service is given that the standard billing is satisfactory. But...its your money do as you deem fit. As to selecting a shore ex, you can do that I think 180 days prior to the cruise. However, you must pay in full at the time you select that trip..You pay by credit card or from any balance in a on board account. it's cash and carry.now. Edited April 13, 2022 by Hawaiidan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted April 13, 2022 #3 Share Posted April 13, 2022 You can book excursions as soon as they are available Yes the gratuities will be deducted from your OBC PH is $23 PP https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005307374-How-much-are-Gratuities-and-can-they-be-prepaid- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted April 13, 2022 #4 Share Posted April 13, 2022 (edited) Traditionally ship shorex came out about 270 days pre cruise. Now they are being offered 365+ days out on some cruises. They’ll gladly take your money as soon as you’re willing to pay ! 😂 Edited April 13, 2022 by pinotlover 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomC Posted April 13, 2022 Author #5 Share Posted April 13, 2022 Thank you so much! I knew I would get an answer from people on Cruise Critic! Best resource for anyone going on a cruise! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare YoPhilly Posted April 13, 2022 #6 Share Posted April 13, 2022 54 minutes ago, MomC said: Thank you so much! I knew I would get an answer from people on Cruise Critic! Best resource for anyone going on a cruise! As Smokey Robinson said, "I second that emotion!" 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snuffie Posted April 14, 2022 #7 Share Posted April 14, 2022 If you have Olife on board credit (say $400 pp or $800 total) can you reserve Shore ex prior to final payment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted April 14, 2022 #8 Share Posted April 14, 2022 7 minutes ago, Snuffie said: If you have Olife on board credit (say $400 pp or $800 total) can you reserve Shore ex prior to final payment? Yes you can use your OBC for booking shorex but best to take the Shore excursion option for the O life perk unless you are booking the more expensive options https://www.oceaniacruises.com/media/2018/OCEANIA+CRUISES+UNVEILS+NEW+GUEST+EXPERIENCE+ENHANCEMENTS+-+More+Convenient+Ways+to+Plan%2c+Save%2c+Spend%2c+and+Travel+are+part+of+OceaniaNEXT/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted April 14, 2022 #9 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Perhaps this is separate from the question but for clarification here goes. TA provided OBC is typically not available for spending until actually aboard the ship. Since shore ex, LaReserve, Privee, etc. must all be paid at the time of booking, those anticipated funds are not available as a credit. Separately, I have seen the same with gifted reimbursable OBC. A couple we are friends with got sizable wedding gifts of OBC for their honeymoon. The OBC was reimbursable to them, but I don’t believe O allowed them to credit future ship board expenses with it. They had to wait until aboard to use it. That was in 2017 and I’m not sure if that policy has changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkesbaynz Posted April 15, 2022 #10 Share Posted April 15, 2022 My usual cruise line allows me to easily cancel excursions and refund my CC immediately. We have a cruise to the Falkland Islands and O is already taking bookings for excursions (at elevated rates). The local providers are not taking bookings yet as the islands are closed for tourists. I am a little anxious that options will be limited when it opens, thus am considering hedging my bets by booking an O excursion but cancel if my preferred small group tour opens with a recommend guide. Views? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted April 15, 2022 #11 Share Posted April 15, 2022 7 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said: My usual cruise line allows me to easily cancel excursions and refund my CC immediately. We have a cruise to the Falkland Islands and O is already taking bookings for excursions (at elevated rates). The local providers are not taking bookings yet as the islands are closed for tourists. I am a little anxious that options will be limited when it opens, thus am considering hedging my bets by booking an O excursion but cancel if my preferred small group tour opens with a recommend guide. Views? I believe if you cancel before embarkation you get a refund to your CC maybe not right that minute but with in a few days If you cancel onboard but within the cancellation time frame (should be on the invoice page 3 they will give you a REFUNDABLE OBC which will be given to you on the last full day of the cruise (if not used) in cash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawaiidan Posted April 15, 2022 #12 Share Posted April 15, 2022 Yes.... you can book in advance with onboard credit and It will be deducted. from that ballance. If you charge on a credit card and cancel, then withing 14 days or so you will get a refund to the card. Speaking of which if you charge your cruise/ deposit ( getting a ton of FF or hotel points) and cancel, you will likewise get any refund to the creditcard . I only pay with a CC for travel of any sort with a CC because it is insured by the CC, AND as mentioned gets airline miles which along with normal day to day charges will qucikly add up to free travel in the future. Be realistic, you like travel right? So why not start racking up points that in a year or so will pay off big time. Like a travel savings account. Never spend $1 that you do not get $1.25+ back on is my mantra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkesbaynz Posted April 16, 2022 #13 Share Posted April 16, 2022 @Hawaiidan thanks for the advice! You think like me. All my cruise flights are business class with airpoints through Amex spend. Likewise hotel bookings via an airlines portal to hotels.com for airpoints and free hotel night accrual (if the prices comparable). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffElizabeth Posted April 16, 2022 #14 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Our ship was half empty so we waited to book until on board and we weren't denied any excursions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted April 16, 2022 #15 Share Posted April 16, 2022 44 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said: Our ship was half empty so we waited to book until on board and we weren't denied any excursions. The above mentioned cruise to the Falklands is 9-10 months out. Are you predicting half empty ships then also? Some shore excursions are capacity controlled while others are not. The Falklands tour to Volunteer Point, for example, is capacity controlled by the government. Only a smallish number of passes are allowed there daily. With ships in the harbor, demand often exceeds supply. Some tours sell out months early and are not available once aboard. Others may be readily available right up to tour time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunlover12 Posted April 16, 2022 #16 Share Posted April 16, 2022 58 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said: Our ship was half empty so we waited to book until on board and we weren't denied any excursions. The cruise I was on last month was 75% full and some excursions were sold out. We made the mistake of waiting until 6 weeks before the cruise to book excursions and saw that a couple of them that we had our eye on were already sold out. On embarkation day, I went to the shore excursion desk to inquire of availability. Still sold out. If there is a shore excursion that is of interest to you, I'd book it when it becomes available. I surely wouldn't wait until I'm on board. YMMV 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted April 16, 2022 #17 Share Posted April 16, 2022 On 4/15/2022 at 2:00 AM, hawkesbaynz said: My usual cruise line allows me to easily cancel excursions and refund my CC immediately. We have a cruise to the Falkland Islands and O is already taking bookings for excursions (at elevated rates). The local providers are not taking bookings yet as the islands are closed for tourists. I am a little anxious that options will be limited when it opens, thus am considering hedging my bets by booking an O excursion but cancel if my preferred small group tour opens with a recommend guide. Views? Not sure if you’re on the same cruise that I am. We go out of BA on 27 Feb on the Marina. If you are, check out our Roll Call. Our highly recommended Falklands tour company is now taking tour reservations. He says upfront it’s not guaranteed yet that cruise ships will be allowed in next year, but they are feeling confident enough to start taking reservations. The population of the Falklands is 3500 people with a good portion of those being kin. If he’s now feeling confident that’s a good indication it’ll happen, unless another unforeseen event occurs. No deposits required. If you need more information, check out our roll call. You’ll also find my email address there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkesbaynz Posted April 16, 2022 #18 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Thanks @pinot lover I am in the cruise prior to you. I would love to go to volunteer point but DW not keen on the length of journey. Actually the O selection is pretty slim. I am reaching out to some tour groups now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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