How many cruise credits should we get for B2B?

[Brentwood Bay]

Just a further note on this topic.

 

My wife and I have booked an 82 day voyage from Abu Dhabi (Dec 29 2023) to Tokyo (Mar 20 2024).  We are Platinum with Oceania.  Reviewing the financial details between booking as a single voyage vs 6 individual segments we have discovered the following:

 

Comparison (PP)                                  Single Voyage (82 days)        6 Individual Segments      Difference

   Cruise Fare (No Air) US$                                 28913                                    29513                       -600 (2.0%)

   SBC                                                                         250                                        1250                    +1000

   Spa Credit                                                              150                                          900                      +750

   Cruise Credits                                                            7                                               6                           +1

 

The Cruise Only fare is discounted by 2% over the sum of the 6 segment fares (not 5% as discussed on this CC thread).  The Shipboard and Spa Credits are significantly less (by $1750) when booking as a single voyage.  The additional Cruise Credit doesn't mean much to us as we are Platinum level.

 

There doesn't seem to be much benefit in booking as a single long voyage.  I suppose avoiding 5 cabin changes is worth something (but we are considering it). 

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

[LHT28]

28 minutes ago, Brentwood Bay said:

There doesn't seem to be much benefit in booking as a single long voyage.  I suppose avoiding 5 cabin changes is worth something (but we are considering it).

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

you may still get the spa credit & the O club SBC for each segment

Maybe some expert here will comment if that is the case or not

[Brentwood Bay]

Our TA (apparently well connected to Oceania) was told no additional SB or Spa credits for the single voyage option.

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, Brentwood Bay said:

Our TA (apparently well connected to Oceania) was told no additional SB or Spa credits for the single voyage option.

That does not seem fair  then

[JKrise]

Brentwood Bay; Very good presentation of the data and analysis. 

So if I read correctly, the single cruise credit is a non-factor/not a deal maker/breaker.

The real savings (cash in wallet) is found by subtracting the cruise fare difference ($600) from the additional obc ($1750); thus $1750-$600 = $1150 (pp) or $2300 for two.

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 5/12/2022 at 9:06 AM, LHT28 said:

you may still get the spa credit & the O club SBC for each segment

Maybe some expert here will comment if that is the case or not

 

On 5/12/2022 at 9:19 AM, LHT28 said:

That does not seem fair  then

Perhaps not “fair” but the answer is No.

If the cruise ID # on the upper right side of an Oceania invoice (NOT a TA invoice) has a single long number with an “A” at the end, it is a published “extended journey.” Price is discounted. But, cruise credits, O Club SBC, spa credits, air credits are ALL based on the total number of days across the included multiple segments.

If the ID # has two long numbers separated by a “/“, it is an unpublished multi-segment cruise that you have made into a “custom cruise”. The fare discount is significantly less (about 5%) than an “extended journey” but, with the exception that cruise credits are still based on the total days of your booking, all the other credits are “per segment.”

Most importantly: if it’s a published “extended journey,” you cannot opt to treat it as a “custom cruise.” 
Occasionally, you’ll see a repeat of two adjacent segments at a different time (or ship). One may be published as an “extended journey” while the other would have to be assembled as a custom cruise. This situation is great for seeing exactly the difference in bottom line value. But, it’s still just an academic exercise since you can’t change the designation of “extended journey” to “custom cruise” just because you are Gold or Platinum O Club where the perks total may be better than the fare discount.

Finally, there is a downside to the pricing of multi-segment cruises: if one segment becomes discounted later on, your multi-segment fare remains the same. And there are some finer points to all this that are too convoluted to explain in a CC post.

 

[shepherd really]

So, if you book a back to back you have to pay two deposits per person, but O will only give you one cruise credit toward your club status?

 

If that is correct it kind of blows.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

So, if you book a back to back you have to pay two deposits per person, but O will only give you one cruise credit toward your club status?

 

If that is correct it kind of blows.  

In the final analysis, the fare is the fare. Double the deposit just means lower final payment. 
 

Though I don’t like it and think it is unfair in certain instances, O’s position is that the “positives” of a reduced fare excuse them from providing additional perks beyond a “single” cruise. In essence, there’s no “double dipping.”

[shepherd really]

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In the final analysis, the fare is the fare. Double the deposit just means lower final payment. 
 

Though I don’t like it and think it is unfair in certain instances, O’s position is that the “positives” of a reduced fare excuse them from providing additional perks beyond a “single” cruise. In essence, there’s no “double dipping.”

In the final analysis restricting the number of credits in this way directly affects the value of future cruises in regard to SBCs and that free cruise perk they offer at the platinum level.  

 

In other words, fanboy spinning aside, O set up a system that makes it more difficult to earn membership perks that directly increase your out-of-pocket expenses.  I guess they see loyalty as a one-way street.  

[LHT28]

30 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

So, if you book a back to back you have to pay two deposits per person, but O will only give you one cruise credit toward your club status?

 

If that is correct it kind of blows.  

If you can book a B2B with 2 booking numbers  you should get  the cruise credit /perks for each segment

Where the water get muddy is when they combine the B2B to one booking number  then the credits/perks may change

[Flatbush Flyer]

52 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

...O set up a system that makes it more difficult to earn membership perks that directly increase your out-of-pocket expenses..

We ALL want the multi-segment fare discounts AND perks/credits for each segment. Trust me- I’ve tried every possible way and with every possible reasoning to get more than usual (but have had only limited success when it comes to getting $-based exceptions to longstanding policies  

Like it or not, the O posture basically comes down to “no double dipping.”

 

Nonetheless, when you hit cruise credit #20 (or #40....), there aren’t many other cruise lines that give you two weeks anywhere they cruise.

 

For me, this has zip to do with “loyalty.” I prefer O for the product, perks, etc. The day O stops “delivering” or my continuous searching finds a better situation overall, it’ll be time to move on.

[Brentwood Bay]

The multi-segment fare discount equals less than one-third of the value of the individual segment perks (SBC and Spa Credit totals).  As a matter of principle we will probably book as 6 B2B cruises.  The 5 cabin changes will give us a chance to really check out the range of Category B3 offerings.

 

By the way our current booking number ends with an "E" which may mean Extended Voyage?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Brentwood Bay said:

The multi-segment fare discount equals less than one-third of the value of the individual segment perks (SBC and Spa Credit totals).  As a matter of principle we will probably book as 6 B2B cruises.  The 5 cabin changes will give us a chance to really check out the range of Category B3 offerings.

 

By the way our current booking number ends with an "E" which may mean Extended Voyage?

“A” is “extended voyage.” I’ve never seen an “E.”

Please ask an O Rep or your TA what it designated and report back here.

As for the O Club perks value vs the multi-segment price break: it all depends on the fare and segment lengths vs your O Club level.

 

For example, a 7.5% price break on an “extended journey” of 36 days (2 eighteen day segments) normally costing $17K per person (A-B cabin) would save $1275 pp. If Platinum, you’d get $250 per person SBC and a $150 spa credit per person plus 3 cruise credits for each person (since >34 days) for the entire cruise.
 

If you booked the segments separately, you’d get another $250 SBC pp and $150 spa credit pp for the second segment but only 1 cruise credit for each person per segment and no fare discount*. You end up losing $875 per person ($1275 fare discount - extra $400 in added perks) in value of the deal and lose a cruise credit overall for each person (each 18 day segment gets only 1 cruise credit pp).

 

*Of course, if it wasn’t a published “extended journey” and you did the two segments as a custom cruise,” you’d at least get a 5% fare discount ($850 per person). However,  O Club platinum would now get $250 SBC per person per segment and $150 spa credit per person per segment (a value of $800 per person - double the extended journey). 
To that $800 pp in perks add the 5% fare discount of $850 pp and your value savings for the custom cruise would be $1650 pp. And you’d get the 3 cruise credits pp (cruise in >34 days).

BTW, this example so far has not taken into account the O air (tix vs credit). Often, taking the air credit in a “custom cruise” will get you more $ than would the equivalent “extended journey.” But airfare is the great unknown in this equation.
 

For this example, if there were similar O segments in other months or on another ship and one cruise was “extended journey” while the other could be “custom cruise” or booked separately, I’d take the “custom cruise” But that’s because it’s a long cruise and we’re platinum and our preference is for B Cabins on intercontinental itineraries. And it would probably be the air credit difference thst would swing the pendulum to the “custom” deal.

 

Obviously, short MIA-MIA cruises in less expensive cabins would produce vastly different math results.

 

Bottom line: You gotta do the math for each trip being considered. 

[KS&JW]

On 5/12/2022 at 8:36 AM, Brentwood Bay said:

Just a further note on this topic.

 

My wife and I have booked an 82 day voyage from Abu Dhabi (Dec 29 2023) to Tokyo (Mar 20 2024).  We are Platinum with Oceania.  Reviewing the financial details between booking as a single voyage vs 6 individual segments we have discovered the following:

 

Comparison (PP)                                  Single Voyage (82 days)        6 Individual Segments      Difference

   Cruise Fare (No Air) US$                                 28913                                    29513                       -600 (2.0%)

   SBC                                                                         250                                        1250                    +1000

   Spa Credit                                                              150                                          900                      +750

   Cruise Credits                                                            7                                               6                           +1

 

The Cruise Only fare is discounted by 2% over the sum of the 6 segment fares (not 5% as discussed on this CC thread).  The Shipboard and Spa Credits are significantly less (by $1750) when booking as a single voyage.  The additional Cruise Credit doesn't mean much to us as we are Platinum level.

 

There doesn't seem to be much benefit in booking as a single long voyage.  I suppose avoiding 5 cabin changes is worth something (but we are considering it). 

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

While saving ~$1000 is nice, no way would I change cabins 5 times for that.  

[ORV]

On 5/15/2022 at 4:16 PM, Brentwood Bay said:

The multi-segment fare discount equals less than one-third of the value of the individual segment perks (SBC and Spa Credit totals).  As a matter of principle we will probably book as 6 B2B cruises.  The 5 cabin changes will give us a chance to really check out the range of Category B3 offerings.

 

By the way our current booking number ends with an "E" which may mean Extended Voyage?

The bigger question will be how Oceania allows it to be booked. Sometimes there's a choice, sometimes not. Have you asked them or your TA if you have that option? 

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, ORV said:

The bigger question will be how Oceania allows it to be booked. Sometimes there's a choice, sometimes not. Have you asked them or your TA if you have that option? 

See my post #38. 
Spoke with a random O phone rep as well as the trusted long time O phone rep we occasionally use for original bookings and optional purchases (in fact, he booked this extended journey [later transferred to a TA] with the two segments that are now each eligible for O Life).
To get the ultimate O Life, the extended journey would need to be rebooked as single segments. The “extended journey” discount loss and the current pricing (not to mention the need to redo ship excursions and logistics and the possibility of losing our current cabin) do not make cancel/rebook an attractive option.
Nonetheless, I did the math and, at the bottom line of our “B3 O Life (excursions) w/o air,” a rebook would pretty much be a wash for us since we don’t usually take/buy the booze package.

I’ve asked our TA to try to do some voodoo with her O contacts (re: adding, at least, the “ultimate” SBC to our existing “extended journey” booking). But, this is a long-standing O policy (i.e., no double dipping “extended journey” discounts) and I don’t expect a positive reply.

[ORV]

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

See my post #38. 
Spoke with a random O phone rep as well as the trusted long time O phone rep we occasionally use for original bookings and optional purchases (in fact, he booked this extended journey [later transferred to a TA] with the two segments that are now each eligible for O Life).
To get the ultimate O Life, the extended journey would need to be rebooked as single segments. The “extended journey” discount loss and the current pricing (not to mention the need to redo ship excursions and logistics and the possibility of losing our current cabin) do not make cancel/rebook an attractive option.
Nonetheless, I did the math and, at the bottom line of our “B3 O Life (excursions) w/o air,” a rebook would pretty much be a wash for us since we don’t usually take/buy the booze package.

I’ve asked our TA to try to do some voodoo with her O contacts (re: adding, at least, the “ultimate” SBC to our existing “extended journey” booking). But, this is a long-standing O policy (i.e., no double dipping “extended journey” discounts) and I don’t expect a positive reply.

I was referring to the situation with Brentwood Bay that I quoted. I'm a little confused by your reply, not that I don't understand it, but how it relates to Brentwood's post. 

[Brentwood Bay]

ORV                                                                                                                        Checked with Oceania through our TA.  We are able to rebook the trip as six separate segments.  The six different cabins would be a bummer (may not be so bad if further cabins open up after full payment date).  However as an "Extended" voyage we have the option of Business Air and home to ship to home luggage transport as a reasonable rate.  After reading HawaiiDan's comments on airfare increases we have decided to stay with our original booking.

Thanks for everyone's comments.

Bruce

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, Brentwood Bay said:

ORV                                                                                                                        Checked with Oceania through our TA.  We are able to rebook the trip as six separate segments.  The six different cabins would be a bummer (may not be so bad if further cabins open up after full payment date).  However as an "Extended" voyage we have the option of Business Air and home to ship to home luggage transport as a reasonable rate.  After reading HawaiiDan's comments on airfare increases we have decided to stay with our original booking.

Thanks for everyone's comments.

Bruce

I trust that, like us, many extended journey folks (booked long ago) have done the math and figured rebooking as segments isn’t worth the time, effort or meager money saved.

Nonetheless, once onboard: if enough of us complain to the O Club Ambassador (regarding our all being booked in both segments- though with a single booking number)  about our being denied the ultimate O Life deal, an exception will be made.

Might I suggest that we discuss this briefly at the “meet and greet” (assuming we have one - can’t remember if anyone has started to put this together).

[Brentwood Bay]

Flatbush Flyer

We look forward to meeting with you at a "Meet and Greet" when onboard.  We've learned a lot over the years from you and many others on CC threads.

Face to face contact would be a treat.

Thanks again

Bruce 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Brentwood Bay said:

Flatbush Flyer

We look forward to meeting with you at a "Meet and Greet" when onboard.  We've learned a lot over the years from you and many others on CC threads.

Face to face contact would be a treat.

Thanks again

Bruce 

 

Likewise. And, if the long cruise you’re talking about is Riviera, we’ll be joining you from Bangkok to Tokyo.

[Brentwood Bay]

That's the one.

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, Brentwood Bay said:

That's the one.

See you then.

[no fuss travel]

I have received 3 credits for my current cruise that I am on. The first one was an extended cruise of 23 days which I got 1 cruise credit for. The next cruise I added in after I booked the extended cruise was 11 days and I got 1 credit for it. The next cruise which I added on after another cruise was cancelled I have received 1 cruise credit. All in all it is 4 segments, 3 booking numbers, 3 cruise credits.   The first two bookings were done within one week of each other, the last booking was done well after the other two. Oceania was very accommodating about changing the flights each time I added on to the cruise I am currently on and the staff on board made sure I got all the benefits I was entitled too. I am so glad to be back cruising and the Nautica is not sailing at capacity