OLife Ulimate- Worth It?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, AMHuntFerry said:

The shorex choice is "worth more" but only if you want to take the shorex that qualify for OLife. Use my "N/A in the Ultimate column" rule of thumb to browse online...if you find 3 per person that you like and they total more than $300/person, then shorex is a better fiscal choice. The shorex pdf may have additional shorex not showing online (I've never experienced this, but FlatbushFlyer has and only fools argue with FF 😉 ).

Great current example: O has started adding “up close and personal” boat tours from the ship to the Hubbard Glacier. At least for the 8/28 and 9/7 2023 Alaska cruises on Regatta, an email was recently sent out to booked passengers regarding this added HUB-001 tour and it has been added to the most recent tours’ PDF. But, it’s nowhere to be seen on O web accounts’ tour lists for those cruises. Call the O phone rep to add it and s/he can see it on their internal system.

As for “only fools argue with FF,” please know that my best buds are no fools and neither are some select folks here on CC.

[marion10]

Yes- but I really, really, really want non stop flights. We are flying from ORD and non- stops are available to Rome and Istanbul- don’t want some crazy routing where we have to be at the airport at 3:00 am and make multiple stops.

[Flatbush Flyer]

24 minutes ago, marion10 said:

Yes- but I really, really, really want non stop flights. We are flying from ORD and non- stops are available to Rome and Istanbul- don’t want some crazy routing where we have to be at the airport at 3:00 am and make multiple stops.

We do a lot of O cruises and would never use O air - particularly for biz class. Just too many negatives in relying on a third party for airfare. Use the search feature here on CC for a zillion  threads on DIY for nonstops, bizclass et al.

[Tarwood3]

21 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Well all of this is clear as mud to someone just now considering Oceania Cruises for the first time.  If is a first time for me as well however I studied O a few years ago, booked it and it got cancelled due to Covid.  I am back booked for November 2023.  

 

When I tell everyone on this blog that O is kind of confusing to new folks like myself, I am really not kidding.  Yet it would be of great value to new bookings and new O guests to read and learn as much as possible on the different plans.  I am by no means an expert on O.  I do like to know what I am buying and if their is a way to make the entire situation less of an investment without taking away value.

 

1. OLife: This was my first lesson.  Choose one of three perks.  Were every other cruise brand I have used provided a full adult drink package, O was beer/wine at lunch/dinner.  Some of the blogs on this were pro/con like everything else on a cruise.  The debate of which perk was the best value were all fun to read.  My decision was $600.00 of onboard credit which I used pre-cruise to purchase the full Adult Drink package called the Prestige Drink Package which was $600 per guest, spirits, wine and beer when ever a bar/restaurant was open.  It also gave discounts on some of the unique dinning opportunities. I paid another $600 for the second guest.  Was this a deal or a value, not really.  About a wash.
2. OLife Ultimate:  I was literally upset when I say this on my cruise, until I went back to the fare I got originally and realized my initial fare was fair less.  In doing a math competition, it seems adding the other two perks, raised the fare about what you would expect.  All that went through my mind was, the Marketing Department strikes again.
3. O Air:  Oh boy was this one debated on this and other social media site.  There are advocates to both.  There are some contributors on this blog for O that are literal experts. I am not.  I am just old and set in my ways.  I thought I knew lots about airfare until I met the experts.  What I did know was to do my best to book my flights directly with the air brand, fully refundable if possible, as early as possible to get the best itinerary and price.  If the fare went down, cancel and rebook since it was fully refundable.  Kind of like with fully refundable cares fare deposits.  For me, not everyone, my strategy worked very well.  By booking directly with the Air Brand, my Cruise Fare was $1,000.00 less per guest which was very close to what I paid.
4. Cruise Only:  Oh boy was this confusing at first.  In my past, cruise only simply meant no air.  With Oceania it meant no OLife and no Air.  I figured it out simply by doing the math.  One perk was worth about $600.  The air credit was $1000.  Take those off and my fare was that much less.  Many say this is the way to go for them.  That is cool.  However just knowing how it seems to work is enough for most of us newbies to make a decent business decision.  
5. Extraordinary Saving Sale: I again did the math however it seems that the PH3 I choose really was not an Extraordinary Saving for my situation.  The lower categories seems to be a very good deal for some.  O marketing needed to sell more cabins and did so by making the lower categories very attractive.  Since everyone when they leave their stateroom are treated the same on an O voyage, if I was booking again, I would definitely consider this.  
6. Four Category Upgrades: The labor day sale was a four category upgrade.  That is when I booked.  Since then all kinds of marketing and promotion has happened including price increases.  When I do the math, I look at my category of PH3 and see where we would be for each promotion. Your situation may differ. 

 

Now this is my experience currently.  As I stated, it was a bit confusing at first.  I kept asking the previous O guest questions to get to this point.  I hope my experience thought this learning curve helps some. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

We have done several Oceania cruises and still get confused with it all.  I think this confusion is what they are hoping for.  I think it’s all a bit deceptive.  In some instances, we have just taken the on board credit, and then doing the math later and reallizing that we paid $100 more for that said OBC …so we were buying OBC upfront and paying for the privilege!  Seems to me, the way to go is “cruise only fare”….we never use their air as we like to be in control of booking, airlines, seats etc..  I love O…but considering going back to our old tried and true lines we used to sail with as we feel they deal with us more honestly.  I have a whole other thread posted today about deceptive pricing…..all I have to say is check your invoices….mine show higher than what is online….they seem to inflate invoices to offset any discounts or other credits they offer….  

[Tarwood3]

21 hours ago, Robson1 said:

Thanks however that isn't my cruise or pricing. The price from one agent quoting without OLife in the promo was $600 cheaper, so no difference. Notice the fine print in the image states that the Cruise Only fair 'does not include airfare' which suggests the other prices do and explains the '$800 pp' difference. We had the air credit applied to the price as we don't need it, so we are paying cruise-only price + Olife Choice of AMENITIES (not flights) as a perk.

Automatic gratuities are going to be $432 and drinks will $840, so the $600 OBC being non-refundable really doesn't matter, its very literally already gone.

Be sure to check your invoice and see what price they used as a starting point.  In both my current trips, they have inflated the starting price (brochure fare/cruise fare) from what is online?  I have spent 3 weeks trying to get an answer from my agent and Oceania to explain the invoices and why they use a higher starting fare…but O refuses to respond.  To me , it looks like they inflate the starting fare to absorb some of the discounts….

[marion10]

13 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

We do a lot of O cruises and would never use O air - particularly for biz class. Just too many negatives in relying on a third party for airfare. Use the search feature here on CC for a zillion  threads on DIY for nonstops, bizclass et al.

Not doing business class ( I wish)- I have done both trip before non-stop (that coming back from Turkey- that's a long one. I feel more comfortable doing air through the cruiseline - the price seems fair and it is just easier - particularly with an open jaw.

[Wynterwynd]

I don’t think Oceania is trying to be “deceptive.”  Can the pricing be confusing?  Yes.  After our first cruise (with Regent Seven Seas) I realized that while all-inclusive might be simpler, it was also more difficult to see what I got for my money.  A nice large room (which I still remember as fantastic!).  Bottles of booze in my room to drink whenever I wanted (left them half-full).  So, I kind of like having the choices; we can each pick what works for us.  There are often sales with anything we want to buy (do I get that new iPad now or wait to see if the price comes down on Black Friday).

So why Oceania?  The food, plain and simple.  Regent had edible food but it was uninspired.  It was mostly impossible to get a table in their ‘specialty’ restaurants and feedback from other cruisers was that it wasn’t really worth it.  Ocean’s meal options and preparation are far superior, in our opinion.  The dress code, the smaller ships and the itineraries are also appealing to us.

 

Oceania lets cruisers pick and choose what makes sense for them.  Airfare included?  Not for us; I have years of experience arranging my business and personal travel.  Prepaying SBC (because that’s really what O-Life is—pay ahead for things you will want while on the ship without any refund at the end of what you didn’t “spend”)?  No; though I do the math with every cruise to see if it might make sense.  Hotels before/after?  No, I can easily evaluate options on line and find my own hotels.  

We generally book private excursions but due to a huge SBC (which our TA got us when the sale prices went down hugely for our cruise this summer), we’re just going to take Ocean’s excursions.  It’s taking some time for private excursion companies to get back up to speed, anyway…better this year than last, but still not all of the choices there were pre-COVID.  In most ports, we prefer just to wander on our own, anyway.  If we like a city, we can always go back sometime and spend a few days.  In fact, a short walk around and I’m ready to go back on board…after all, I’m paying a lot of money to be on the ship, lol.  We often pick our cruise itinerary based on what we will see from our balcony versus spending an entire day in a van or on a bus.

We’ve found that just paying as we go is almost always the best option (rather than O-Life).  Everyone needs to do their own Excel spreadsheet, though, based on what you want your cruise to be.  And once you decide, enjoy!!



 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, Tarwood3 said:

We have done several Oceania cruises and still get confused with it all.  I think this confusion is what they are hoping for.  I think it’s all a bit deceptive.  In some instances, we have just taken the on board credit, and then doing the math later and reallizing that we paid $100 more for that said OBC …so we were buying OBC upfront and paying for the privilege!  Seems to me, the way to go is “cruise only fare”….we never use their air as we like to be in control of booking, airlines, seats etc..  I love O…but considering going back to our old tried and true lines we used to sail with as we feel they deal with us more honestly.  I have a whole other thread posted today about deceptive pricing…..all I have to say is check your invoices….mine show higher than what is online….they seem to inflate invoices to offset any discounts or other credits they offer….  

IMO, what I see you saying is what I always say: Do the math! (to which I add: “find/read/understand the fine print.”

 

Some O fare policies are a moving target. But, I think that’s partly because their pricing strategy is intentional promotion colored by a mix of confusing “howevers” (aka exclusions) subject to bending the rules as needed and subject to an accounting system that is not sophisticated enough to correct the confusion without manual manipulation by humans who themselves may (mis)understand the applicable policy.

 

I can’t tell you how many times I have had to explain a confusing O policy to an O employee or to a TA (even an excellent one).

Take, for example, the current “Extraordinary Savings Sale.” Regardless of what the useless “brochure price” may be, the real fares are significantly different - perhaps some of the best fare drops (from your original purchases) I’ve seen on O. 

But some of the exclusions for the deal are very confusing to anyone who hasn’t studied O policies carefully over the years (and that includes their own employees). For example, people who are getting a “no” to their request for a price adjustment in a previous booking involving a multisegment cruise with one of its segments now on sale are getting all sorts of different reasons why it’s a “no.” And many of the reasons are incorrect. In fact, even some of the correct reasons (exclusions) involve items that can be easily modified in the original booking in a way that removes the exclusion.  
 

The challenge for the affected passenger (and/or their TA) is knowing/understanding all of the snafu points in O policies and having the perseverance to tactfully escalate an issue until it gets to a management level at O where someone actually knows what is the problem and can/will fix it. (FWIW, I’m constantly adding O staff names ti my Rolodex [yes, I am that old]).

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 minutes ago, marion10 said:

Not doing business class ( I wish)- I have done both trip before non-stop (that coming back from Turkey- that's a long one. I feel more comfortable doing air through the cruiseline - the price seems fair and it is just easier - particularly with an open jaw.

Comfort with the process is a reasonable consideration. But, when you fly intercontinentally a lot (which I have done for both work and play) you learn a lot that points you clearly to DIY.

[MEFIowa]

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

...Take, for example, the current “Extraordinary Savings Sale.” Regardless of what the useless “brochure price” may be, the real fares are significantly different - perhaps some of the best fare drops (from your original purchases) I’ve seen on O....

Yes, quite amazing. Thankfully both our 2 cruises on Riviera in the Med are included. To get an Concierge A3 for just $1899 PP on one is amazing. The B3 on the other just $1749. I thought our 12/2021 cruise on Riviera in a Concierge A4 for $2099 from the 2021 Presidents' Day sale would be the cheapest I'd ever see that. As they were desperate for cruisers and to restart. Then inflation hits. And yet...here we are saving a fortune!

[rizello]

22 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Well all of this is clear as mud to someone just now considering Oceania Cruises for the first time.  If is a first time for me as well however I studied O a few years ago, booked it and it got cancelled due to Covid.  I am back booked for November 2023.  

 

 

 

I want to second the 'clear as mud' comment.  I want to try Oceania, but I think they make it difficult for first timers.  It is dizzying to me to figure out all of the miscellaneous items and what they cover, etc.

 

I am a relatively new cruiser and have taken two Viking cruises.  They do make it simple:  beer and wine included at all meals, wifi free with 2 connections per stateroom, one included excursion at each port, clear pricing on the extra drinks package, paid excursions, etc.  

 

I have heard so many good things though about Oceania food and their itineraries so I'm trying to wade through the confusion to see if I can figure it out.  I imagine it is like learning a new language:  extremely challenging at first and then easy once you know it.

[Sthrngary]

1 minute ago, rizello said:

 

I want to second the 'clear as mud' comment.  I want to try Oceania, but I think they make it difficult for first timers.  It is dizzying to me to figure out all of the miscellaneous items and what they cover, etc.

 

I am a relatively new cruiser and have taken two Viking cruises.  They do make it simple:  beer and wine included at all meals, wifi free with 2 connections per stateroom, one included excursion at each port, clear pricing on the extra drinks package, paid excursions, etc.  

 

I have heard so many good things though about Oceania food and their itineraries so I'm trying to wade through the confusion to see if I can figure it out.  I imagine it is like learning a new language:  extremely challenging at first and then easy once you know it.

@rizello I understand however as I am also newbie to Oceania, happy to help you on the research I have done to choose my cruise.  What you have to do is separate different brands.  What I am about to say is only my opinion.  The more we discuss issue on CruiseCritic.com, the more folks challenge opinions which is just fine.  It helps us all understand better.

 

Oceania was attempting to find a place for their small brand.  It wanted to offer luxury features for folks that did not want to pay the same as a new SUV. To do so, they made things much less "All Inclusive".  They created an unofficial category called Premium-Plus.  To me, this means a cut above Mainstream Cruise Brands/experiences; smaller ships that can go into more ports; more refined ports of call; better food/dining experience.  Yet not include gratuities, give a choice of perks, don't pay for all excursions and transfers (unless you take O Air and O pre/post-cruise hotel). The drink package is beer/wine at lunch and dinner unless you pay a bit more for the Prestige Package.  Another words, lots of "Pay for" options if you want or need them for your experience.  

 

By pulling out some items, it lowers the over all costs, making the fair somewhat more reasonable.  This is Premium-Plus for Oceania and Viking that includes a lot of what Oceania does not is a Luxury category.  Try looking at it like that.  The good news is if you do the math, Oceania is still a value.  

 

I hope that makes sense.  Remember, that was my take, someone that has not take Oceania yet but will in November 2023. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

17 minutes ago, rizello said:

 

I want to second the 'clear as mud' comment.  I want to try Oceania, but I think they make it difficult for first timers.  It is dizzying to me to figure out all of the miscellaneous items and what they cover, etc.

 

I am a relatively new cruiser and have taken two Viking cruises.  They do make it simple:  beer and wine included at all meals, wifi free with 2 connections per stateroom, one included excursion at each port, clear pricing on the extra drinks package, paid excursions, etc.  

 

I have heard so many good things though about Oceania food and their itineraries so I'm trying to wade through the confusion to see if I can figure it out.  I imagine it is like learning a new language:  extremely challenging at first and then easy once you know it.

Yes, challenging at first. But, ultimately, it’s not “rocket science.”

As for Viking, it may seem easier. But, then, you have to eat their food.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

@rizello I understand however as I am also newbie to Oceania, happy to help you on the research I have done to choose my cruise.  What you have to do is separate different brands.  What I am about to say is only my opinion.  The more we discuss issue on CruiseCritic.com, the more folks challenge opinions which is just fine.  It helps us all understand better.

 

Oceania was attempting to find a place for their small brand.  It wanted to offer luxury features for folks that did not want to pay the same as a new SUV. To do so, they made things much less "All Inclusive".  They created an unofficial category called Premium-Plus.  To me, this means a cut above Mainstream Cruise Brands/experiences; smaller ships that can go into more ports; more refined ports of call; better food/dining experience.  Yet not include gratuities, give a choice of perks, don't pay for all excursions and transfers (unless you take O Air and O pre/post-cruise hotel). The drink package is beer/wine at lunch and dinner unless you pay a bit more for the Prestige Package.  Another words, lots of "Pay for" options if you want or need them for your experience.  

 

By pulling out some items, it lowers the over all costs, making the fair somewhat more reasonable.  This is Premium-Plus for Oceania and Viking that includes a lot of what Oceania does not is a Luxury category.  Try looking at it like that.  The good news is if you do the math, Oceania is still a value.  

 

I hope that makes sense.  Remember, that was my take, someone that has not take Oceania yet but will in November 2023. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Nice try at an explanation about what you’ve read. A few corrections:

Historically, Oceania was a carefully conceived concept by FDR, Bob Binder et al. who saw a niche market for a la carte luxury serving mostly baby boomers. It works. 
Admittedly, other cruise lines saw the benefit and followed suit. Azamara then became O’s main competition for its niche. Viking, in a somewhat brazen move, started up in ocean cruising and self-promoted itself as “premium” prior to garnering any accolades (or even completing any cruises).

As the “premium” wannabes increased, O had no other option than to add “ultra” to “premium” to maintain the identity it had earned - particularly when it comes to the food.

IMO, based primarily on the reviews of fellow cruisers whose opinions I value, Viking is yet another mainstream line with a better than average package. But, it is no Oceania (nor even an Azamara, which, sadly, got dumped by RCCL and is now owned by Sycamore Partners, an outfit with zero cruise industry experience. 
Bottom line remains that O is in a class by itself - a product so successful that the NCL Holding consortium is peppered with leadership mostly gleaned from Oceania.

 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Tarwood3 said:

Be sure to check your invoice and see what price they used as a starting point.  In both my current trips, they have inflated the starting price (brochure fare/cruise fare) from what is online?  I have spent 3 weeks trying to get an answer from my agent and Oceania to explain the invoices and why they use a higher starting fare…but O refuses to respond.  To me , it looks like they inflate the starting fare to absorb some of the discounts….

On the invoice  they use the  "Brochure price"  then do their discounts  but  my bottom line is the same as the cruise only fare listed on the website

[Tarwood3]

11 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

On the invoice  they use the  "Brochure price"  then do their discounts  but  my bottom line is the same as the cruise only fare listed on the website

Yes that’s my point.  The ‘brochure fare” on my invoice is $2800 higher than the brochure fare online.   I got an air credit and onboard booking credit …but if they artificially inflate the brochure price, it negates the “savings’ they are giving you…so you don’t receive any discount…it’s very deceptive if that’s how they are doing it.  They can’t just make up numbers…they need to explain where these numbers are coming from and so far, they aren’t willing to explain anything. 

[LHT28]

10 minutes ago, Tarwood3 said:

Yes that’s my point.  The ‘brochure fare” on my invoice is $2800 higher than the brochure fare online.   I got an air credit and onboard booking credit …but if they artificially inflate the brochure price, it negates the “savings’ they are giving you…so you don’t receive any discount…it’s very deceptive if that’s how they are doing it.  They can’t just make up numbers…they need to explain where these numbers are coming from and so far, they aren’t willing to explain anything. 

Interesting   Did the prices go up since you booked the cruise?

 

The BROCHURE FARE  listed is  double  what the O fare with air/O life is  for my  cruise 

The Cruise only fare  is $1150 less than The OLife  fare

 

just  an example

[DoulaAnn]

On 4/18/2023 at 6:07 PM, marion10 said:

We just booked Legendary Pathways departing October 21, 2023 and I bought the O Life Ultimate Package and a Concierge Veranda. Ultimate was airfare, transfers, 6 shore excursions. beverage package and 600 shipboard credit. Oceania rep called me and wanted to talk me imto current promotion where I only pick one of the "perks"- beverage, 600 credit or shore excursions.  Difference would be $2000 a person cheaper. Said that beverage pacakge was just beer and wine and not mixed drinks. Is it worth it to go with the cheaper package?

I haven't looked up your point of departure and I don't know where you live, but if Ultitmate included airfare (ignoring the other items) it would seem to be a good deal at $2000.

[marion10]

I still get the airfare- I am content. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, DoulaAnn said:

I haven't looked up your point of departure and I don't know where you live, but if Ultitmate included airfare (ignoring the other items) it would seem to be a good deal at $2000.

All O Life (regular or Ultimate) includes airfare or air credit.

[DoulaAnn]

3 hours ago, DoulaAnn said:

I haven't looked up your point of departure and I don't know where you live, but if Ultitmate included airfare (ignoring the other items) it would seem to be a good deal at $2000.

The airfare could be a good deal  -- look at the cost of your airline and if it's over $2000, the Ultimate would be worth it.

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, DoulaAnn said:

The airfare could be a good deal  -- look at the cost of your airline and if it's over $2000, the Ultimate would be worth it.

The  airfare is  separate from the O Life deal

You can take the O Life perk  with or without the air

[DoulaAnn]

Our O person that we book through has told us the O Life regular (without airfare) is marked up the amount of the on-board credit, so it's really a wash. We look at the cost of the shore excursions we want to do and if the whatever $ is more than the cost of the excursions, we opt for OBC. Otherwise, we choose whatever number of free excursions. Never take the beverage package since I don't drink much and my DH prefers wines that aren't covered by the package.  Just personal preference there.

[LHT28]

5 minutes ago, DoulaAnn said:

Our O person that we book through has told us the O Life regular (without airfare) is marked up the amount of the on-board credit, so it's really a wash. We look at the cost of the shore excursions we want to do and if the whatever $ is more than the cost of the excursions, we opt for OBC. Otherwise, we choose whatever number of free excursions. Never take the beverage package since I don't drink much and my DH prefers wines that aren't covered by the package.  Just personal preference there.

Wouldn't it be more cost effective if not taking the air or   excursions  to just book the cruise only fare ??

Unless you do not mind giving  the $$ to Oceania  to hold for you to spend  in a non refundable credit 🤔

[DoulaAnn]

37 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Wouldn't it be more cost effective if not taking the air or   excursions  to just book the cruise only fare ??

Unless you do not mind giving  the $$ to Oceania  to hold for you to spend  in a non refundable credit 🤔

It might or might not be more cost effective.  Sometimes the airfare is greater than the O air credit, at which point taking the airfare from O would be more cost effective.  And cruise only fare is usually equivalent to O Life minus air credit and shore excursion amount.  So there's really no difference other that terminology.