O "Summer Sale" into mix with new "Simply More" program

[SophieM]

I have a request into my TA now to see about repricing a cruise we booked on board. Have any of you had success repricing a previously booked on board cruise, even though the t’s & c’s say new bookings only? If so, what did you lose or keep by going to the summer sale pricing? I feel like I’m getting conflicting answers. Also appreciate your thoughts on how the best price guarantee should work. 
 

Thanks much!

[TAK12]

16 minutes ago, SophieM said:

I have a request into my TA now to see about repricing a cruise we booked on board. Have any of you had success repricing a previously booked on board cruise, even though the t’s & c’s say new bookings only? If so, what did you lose or keep by going to the summer sale pricing? I feel like I’m getting conflicting answers. Also appreciate your thoughts on how the best price guarantee should work. 
 

Thanks much!

I saved about $3K on my 10-night November cruise and then upgraded to a penthouse and still saved about $1,800. My trip includes 3 excursions, $600 OBC, house select beverages and dining reservations window opens weeks earlier. Good luck!

[Jayne E]

18 minutes ago, SophieM said:

I have a request into my TA now to see about repricing a cruise we booked on board. Have any of you had success repricing a previously booked on board cruise, even though the t’s & c’s say new bookings only? If so, what did you lose or keep by going to the summer sale pricing? I feel like I’m getting conflicting answers. Also appreciate your thoughts on how the best price guarantee should work. 
 

Thanks much!

Our 31 day GV repriced to 15 & 16 day B2B. We lose the $800 on board booking discount but will still save $1,880 and we get SM included. We also lose our $250 shareholder shipboard credit but gain double spa certificates and $500 platinum SBC for each cruise.

 

[AMHuntFerry]

9 hours ago, SophieM said:

I have a request into my TA now to see about repricing a cruise we booked on board. Have any of you had success repricing a previously booked on board cruise, even though the t’s & c’s say new bookings only? If so, what did you lose or keep by going to the summer sale pricing? I feel like I’m getting conflicting answers. Also appreciate your thoughts on how the best price guarantee should work. 
 

Thanks much!

By booking onboard you get a price match guarantee, so you can ignore the "new bookings only" (sometimes you need to "push" if an inexperienced TA/O-rep is saying no...talk to a supervisor).

What can disappear is the onboard booking discount and OBC; however, the combinability info on my TA's site does not list the onboard booking so I am hopeful that you can combine the onboard booking promo with the summer-sale promo.

Other things that can disappear or change are other things associated with the cruise like TA offered prepaid gratuities/OBC or other promos that you receive (see my post earlier with the combinability info).

[the mice]

Need some help/advice here.  I've read through so many posts on SM and repricing, but not sure exactly where I'm at and what I need to do if I switch us to SM.

 

We are booked on a GV February 12 - March 9, Bangkok to Seoul.  It's composed of 2 segments - Feb 12-26 Bangkok-Hong Kong and Feb 26-Mar 9 Hong Kong - Seoul.  (2 parts of a long 82 GV).

Now the 2 segments are part of the Summer Sale.  The price of the 2 segments is $1251 pp less than our current booking under O Life.  So far, so good. 

 

My confusion is in regards to the SM Shore Excursion credit vs. our O Life benefit.  Since we will be doing our excursions together, I am breaking this down as per person, instead of per stateroom.

With our OLife booking, we get 7 included shore excursions per person spread over the entire GV.  With SM, Cruise 1 gets $500 pp credit and cruise 2 gets $400 pp.   So less $ value under SM but more flexibility.

 

We booked 7 O Life excursions (pricing out at $1073 pp) plus 3 more (one an OS) getting a 25% discount.   if I break these down by segment, on cruise 1 our 5 O Life excursions before discount are $745, and 1 OS is $279.   On cruise 2 our 4 O Life excursions before discount are $626.  

 

Several points of confusion.:

My TA said the excursions could not be transferred over if we changed to SM.   Is it because the cruise would have to be booked as 2 separate cruises?   Or is there a way around this?

 

Assuming prices are the same, if we decided to “rebook” the same excursions, by my calculation, we would  pay $245 pp more for our O life excursions on cruise 1 and $226 pp more on cruise 2.    Total $471 pp more.   That would still be a savings of $780 pp over our current booking.   And it would include a 2^nd internet (useful) and beverage package (not useful to us since we don’t drink alcohol, although I can but DH cannot so I maybe have a glass of champagne at one of the O events.)

 

Does anyone have any idea how the discount for added shore excursions would work if the booking is split into 2 separate ones?

 

I have booked a couple of private excursions for cruise 1,  but the providers in Vietnam want to be paid in USD cash so I’m limiting those.  Roll call for our segments is very inactive.  Have contacted several vendors in ports for cruise 2 but only 1 responded so far.  But I think I will be able to arrange some private excursions on cruise 2 to keep the shore excursions close to the SM $400 pp. 

 

Also, our 5^th O cruise is in November on Vista.  So we will be bronze on our Feb. cruise.  Our current GV invoice is showing the $50 pp shipboard credit.  If the booking is split, will we get that credit for both cruises? 

 

Hoping that some more experienced O cruisers can provide some guidance here.  Thanks in advance.

    Marilyn

[shepherd really]

12 hours ago, the mice said:

 

My TA said the excursions could not be transferred over if we changed to SM.  

While my cruise was not a GV, my TA switched me to Simply more and Oceania just recalculated the excursions. I ended up $200 ahead of the Olife excursion benefit.

I think your TA is incorrect unless there is something else going on.

[SophieM]

We were successful in moving one of our cruises over to the Summer Sale with very nice savings so, now, a new question. We have a second booked cruise, also in the Summer Sale. For this one, we have a “free” pre-cruise package. Have any of you been able to take advantage of the sale and keep your free land package?

[SophieM]

Forgot to turn on follow. 🤓

[YourWorldWithBill]

I was getting hopeful about the summer sale, then found out that our cruise is sold out, and simply more is simply the same for ours.

[1985rz1]

27 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

I was getting hopeful about the summer sale, then found out that our cruise is sold out, and simply more is simply the same for ours.

Does that mean your cruise is not one on the Summer Sale list?  Being sold out shouldn't disqualify you from taking advantage of the sale.

[YourWorldWithBill]

33 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Does that mean your cruise is not one on the Summer Sale list?  Being sold out shouldn't disqualify you from taking advantage of the sale.

I think you could change to SimplyMore without rebooking, just by repricing. But for the summer sale I would have to rebook, which isn't possible if it's sold out.

[SophieM]

1 hour ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

I was getting hopeful about the summer sale, then found out that our cruise is sold out, and simply more is simply the same for ours.

Did you book on board?

[YourWorldWithBill]

Just now, SophieM said:

Did you book on board?

No, I booked during a special part of the anniversary sale in March that was better than most sales before or since, and changing to SimplyMore would not help or hurt the current booking.

[1985rz1]

27 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

I think you could change to SimplyMore without rebooking, just by repricing. But for the summer sale I would have to rebook, which isn't possible if it's sold out.

Well, I switched to SimplyMore and repriced for the Summer Sale.  I didn't have to rebook.

 

I believe others have posted that they were able to, also, even when everything was waitlisted.

 

 

Edited July 12, 2023 by 1985rz1

[YourWorldWithBill]

5 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Well, I switched to SimplyMore and repriced for the Summer Sale.  I didn't have to rebook.

 

I believe others have posted that they were able to, also.

My TA called O, and they told him that since it's sold out they wouldn't do that. I trust him (after going through others in the past), and O says that I have to talk to him.

But honestly, I think that there wouldn't be any real savings. The March deal was pretty unusual.

Edited July 12, 2023 by YourWorldWithBill

[SophieM]

32 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

My TA called O, and they told him that since it's sold out they wouldn't do that. I trust him (after going through others in the past), and O says that I have to talk to him.

But honestly, I think that there wouldn't be any real savings. The March deal was pretty unusual.

I think you’re probably right. Only way that I know that it might have made a difference would be if you’d done an on board booking. Enjoy!!!

[1985rz1]

2 hours ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

My TA called O, and they told him that since it's sold out they wouldn't do that. I trust him (after going through others in the past), and O says that I have to talk to him.

But honestly, I think that there wouldn't be any real savings. The March deal was pretty unusual.

Interesting.  But since you got a March deal, you are probably right that it wouldn't be any savings.

 

Is your TA one of the Oceania specialists, like a Connoisseur Club? 

Edited July 12, 2023 by 1985rz1

[ORV]

Just a reminder to check to see if your booked cruise or cruises is on the Summer Sale list. Long story short, I changed an onboard booking with the Ultimate Olife perks to Simply More with the summer sale pricing and came out WAY ahead. I still have all the excursions I had booked (8 each), the basic drink package, & 2 wifi accts. Real happy with the outcome. This is worth your time. 

[Queen of DaNile]

One of our cruises was on the Summer Sale so between that and switching to Simply More, we too came out significantly ahead. Plus we moved up two cabin categories because our original category is now wait listed. Worked for us.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Queen of DaNile

[YourWorldWithBill]

On 7/12/2023 at 6:33 PM, 1985rz1 said:

Interesting.  But since you got a March deal, you are probably right that it wouldn't be any savings.

 

Is your TA one of the Oceania specialists, like a Connoisseur Club? 

I have no idea whether they're an O specialist. Probably not, or they would have told me. 

[the mice]

Re: my post #55.   First, a big Thank You to all the posters who said the Summer Sale pricing online was not the REAL price.   I called my TA and the prices were great. 

Got our cruise split into the 2 segments.  And my Shore Excursions were moved over by my TA and Oceania.  The SM 25% discount is the same as the old YWC discount.  And I got the Loyalty credit applied for both segments, instead of just the one cruise.   A huge savings and a total win!

[shepherd really]

2 hours ago, the mice said:

Re: my post #55.   First, a big Thank You to all the posters who said the Summer Sale pricing online was not the REAL price.   I called my TA and the prices were great. 

Got our cruise split into the 2 segments.  And my Shore Excursions were moved over by my TA and Oceania.  The SM 25% discount is the same as the old YWC discount.  And I got the Loyalty credit applied for both segments, instead of just the one cruise.   A huge savings and a total win!

Miami to BA in December-January?  

[Jayne E]

2 hours ago, the mice said:

Re: my post #55.   First, a big Thank You to all the posters who said the Summer Sale pricing online was not the REAL price.   I called my TA and the prices were great. 

It’s a shame that some TA’s are giving clients misinformation. They’re looking at O’s online price and telling them they have no savings. I told three couples we are doing tours with to call for the Summer Sale price. So far all 3 initially received wrong info and one has finally gotten TA to get sale price. Said they’re saving $2,500. The other two are getting no call back from TA. SHAME!! What’s the purpose in O not letting the sale price be transparent for all?

[the mice]

1 hour ago, shepherd really said:

Miami to BA in December-January?  

No - Bangkok to Seoul in February

[the mice]

1 hour ago, Jayne E said:

It’s a shame that some TA’s are giving clients misinformation. They’re looking at O’s online price and telling them they have no savings. I told three couples we are doing tours with to call for the Summer Sale price. So far all 3 initially received wrong info and one has finally gotten TA to get sale price. Said they’re saving $2,500. The other two are getting no call back from TA. SHAME!! What’s the purpose in O not letting the sale price be transparent for all?

My TA is a member of Oceania's Connoisseur Club.  Is their TA? Just wondering if maybe their TA doesn't do a lot of Oceania bookings and doesn't have a good O contact.  Not saying that's the case. And agree, the "marketing" games can drive you nuts - the exact sentiments I said to my TA when I inquired about all this.