Oceania sneakily trying to make money on visa applications

[Psoque]

So, we are scheduled to be on an Oceania cruise that ends in Istanbul.  We need an electronic visa to enter Turkey.  The government of Turkey has an easy website to get that done and pay for it yourself.  The cost for US citizens is approximately $50 per person.

 

Oceania really wants their (uninformed) passengers to purchase this visa through a company called VisaCentral instead.  VisaCentral, by acting as a middleman, tacks on more fees.

 

We keep getting "reminder" e-mails from Oceania saying that we need to get our Turkey visas.  That's all good and helpful.  However, the e-mail only has an oceania-affiliated link to VisaCentral.  No mentioning on how a normal person can deal directly with Turkey to get the visas for $50.

 

I know that Oceania's main interest is making money, just like any other cruise line.  However, these e-mails are somewhat predatory to those who are not aware that you don't have to use VisaCentral, and that it is equally convenient/inconvenient to just go to the official visa application website maintained by the Turkish government.

 

https://www.evisa.gov.tr

 

So, if you ever need to get an electronic visa to visit Turkey, go to the website above.  Don't let Oceania trick you into paying more for this.

 

 

 

 

[cswhistler]

Some people like the convenience never mind cost.

This is true of all visas offered by O. You can easily do most yourself.

 

 

 

[AMHuntFerry]

I don't find this any more predatory than airlines making customers check a "decline" button for trip insurance. Repeated emails from O may prevent the uninformed consumer from lacking a visa altogether which could be worse long-term than overpaying (although I too would find the emails annoying). Even so, I bet there will be people claiming they didn't know they needed a visa.

[LHT28]

if you do your research  then you will know about applying for VISAs yourself

Some choose  not to  even read the fine print in the cruise contract

Buyer beware

[Psoque]

1 minute ago, AMHuntFerry said:

I don't find this any more predatory than airlines making customers check a "decline" button for trip insurance. Repeated emails from O may prevent the uninformed consumer from lacking a visa altogether which could be worse long-term than overpaying (although I too would find the emails annoying). Even so, I bet there will be people claiming they didn't know they needed a visa.

Yes, I sort of understand that it would be easier to just pay Oceania $$$ at the time of booking so that you never have to go to any website to apply for the visa.  Even though you still probably have to provide Oceania with your passport info, etc. through some sort of a computer interface...so maybe convenient...I have no idea.

 

However, at this stage of the game (way past final payment, cruise in about 6 weeks), there's no convenience in using a third party visa service (basically another website where you enter the exact same type of information online) to obtain the visa.  So if you end up following the Oceania's suggestion in their e-mails, the process would be equally inconvenient, and will cost you more.

 

I guess some people just enjoy paying more for everything.  Good for them.

[Psoque]

6 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

I don't find this any more predatory than airlines making customers check a "decline" button for trip insurance. Repeated emails from O may prevent the uninformed consumer from lacking a visa altogether which could be worse long-term than overpaying (although I too would find the emails annoying). Even so, I bet there will be people claiming they didn't know they needed a visa.

If the intent of these e-mails is to help their passengers obtain the necessary visa, they would not be pushing you to get it using a more expensive and indirect option, when the "normal' option is cheaper and equally easy.  I am not sure if you have seen the e-mails, but it almost sounds like Oceania is doing us a favor by referring us to a company that charges more for what you can get easily without the "help" from this company.  There no mentioning of the fact that everyone can get these electronic visas by going to the Turkey evisa website.  I bet Oceania is counting on the uninformed to choose their company instead of getting the visa directly from Turkey.  And that is predatory business practice, pure and simple.

[AMHuntFerry]

5 minutes ago, Psoque said:

I guess some people just enjoy paying more for everything.  Good for them.

People like you and I will never understand those people, but people in marketing/sale are very happy they exist.

[nparmelee]

Some prefer to have everything taken care of for them, some like to do it themselves. Our first O cruise was a dozen or so years ago, Rome to Istanbul. We knew then we could do the visas on our own or through O. I chose to do it on our own, because I'm one of those crazy planners. Others chose to have O do the visa for them and they were happy. I disagree with the "sneakily" wording because some office person has to do the work if you choose to for through them. It's not a 1-1 transaction, they are paying someone to do this work for those who do not wish to do it themselves and opt or the simplest route.

[pinotlover]

Some people want Mother Oceania to take care of them and hold their hands. They stay in Mother Oceania hotels pre or post cruise. They use Mother Oceania Air even for BC. They only take Mother Oceania shorexs. Yes, they also use VisaCentral at O’s recommendation. Some are capable of doing it themselves.

 

Nothing new here!

Edited October 5, 2023 by pinotlover

[SbbquilterUT]

For many travelers it is more comfortable to have guidance with this process and that is fine.  Admit to using an expensive service for traveling in Russia on our own as you had to visit an embassy for that visa.  The newer availability of visas online is great but many travelers do not explore their options for that (or even local transport, etc).  I love to plan travel, explore ways to see the most while we are traveling, use public transportation,  even visit local grocery stores, but that is what we are confident in doing.

[Elbig]

How much money are we talking about here? What is the difference between the $50 and what VisaCentral charges? It looks to me they charge $79. If so, then the $29 is pretty much noise in comparison to the total trip cost. I assume O gets a small referral fee but I hardly consider this to be a big ripoff. VisaCentral might provide slightly more handholding not sure about that but I assume they are referred as a convenience not as a revenue stream. The referral money would be minimum. Honestly this seems like much ado about nothing to me. 

[Vertygo]

Thanks for the alert! I admit I hadn’t paid too much attention when I initially booked my Vista Istanbul-Athens cruise for 8/24.

O’s charge is $109, Turkey e-visa $50.

 

My TA is having the charge removed & I’ll do the e-visit when the timing works, between 6 months-2 weeks prior to arrival.

It all adds up!!

[Psoque]

14 minutes ago, SbbquilterUT said:

For many travelers it is more comfortable to have guidance with this process and that is fine.  Admit to using an expensive service for traveling in Russia on our own as you had to visit an embassy for that visa.  The newer availability of visas online is great but many travelers do not explore their options for that (or even local transport, etc).  I love to plan travel, explore ways to see the most while we are traveling, use public transportation,  even visit local grocery stores, but that is what we are confident in doing.

Sure, but there’s no “guidance” required in going to the official website for Turkey vs going to a third party company website that actually charges you a fee for you to get NOTHING of value in return.  If Oceania were interested in “guiding” their customers, they should be including the Turkey electronic visa website on the e-mails they have been sending us.  Oceania just wants you to pay more.  The uninformed customers are blissfully unaware that what Oceania is suggesting is a third party company instead of the official visa-granting agency.  I am not sure how someone can be “confident” in using one website vs. the other.  And if any of the customers, who are not confident in getting an electronic visa, are being guided to this third party company and being charged more and getting nothing more in return, I don’t call that good guidance.

[LHT28]

4 minutes ago, Psoque said:

Sure, but there’s no “guidance” required in going to the official website for Turkey vs going to a third party company website that actually charges you a fee for you to get NOTHING of value in return.  I

So why does it matter  to you if others choose to pay  a VISA service   ??

It is not coming from your pocket

many people are uninformed about a lot of things in life  but I am not their  keeper

Just move on 🙄

[halfapair]

Good to know. We also have a cruise ending in Istanbul (other stops in Turkey, and then we plan to spend a couple of days in Ist on our own). I will see about doing the visa ourselves and maybe save $59x2.

[Psoque]

4 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

So why does it matter  to you if others choose to pay  a VISA service   ??

It is not coming from your pocket

many people are uninformed about a lot of things in life  but I am not their  keeper

Just move on 🙄

It matters to me because, based on this, it makes me wonder the usefulness of other information Oceania gives to their customers.

Edited October 5, 2023 by Psoque

[AMHuntFerry]

2 minutes ago, Psoque said:

It matters to me because, based on this, it makes me wonder it really questions the usefulness of other information Oceania gives to their customers.

Treat O like you would a car dealership or cell phone store. Their recommendations do not prioritize  your interests above theirs.

[shepherd really]

6 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

So why does it matter  to you if other choose to pay  a VISA service   ??

It is not coming from your pocket

many people are uninformed about a lot of things in life  but I am not their  keeper

Just move on 🙄

You can turn that question around and ask why does giving this useful information bother you?  You could just choose not to read it or respond to it.

 

 

[shepherd really]

4 minutes ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Treat O like you would a car dealership or cell phone store. Their recommendations do not prioritize  your interests above theirs.

Are those white cloths they put next to the bed after turn down like floor mats?  And what is the equivalent of undercoating?  The overpriced transfers?

 

And let's not even talk about their overpriced "extended warrantee" AKA travel insurance.

Edited October 5, 2023 by shepherd really

[AMHuntFerry]

2 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Are those white cloths they put next to the bed after turn down like floor mats? 

I think this question comes up at least once per cruise.

[Sthrngary]

The topic of Visa's for Turkey has been shared, debated, rehashed and discussed many times.  The website has been disclosed many times on this Oceania thread.  I used to do some documentation for a Florida Company I owned some years ago.  Every year, I would get a email that looked important and official.  It would charge me $250.00 to do a easy online document with a fee of $50.00.  "Let the Buyer Beware".

 

When I originally booked my Oceania cruise, I booked the Athens, Greece Pre-Cruise Hotel with Oceania.  That was over a year ago.  I did it for conveniences.  As time went on, I got the idea, to simply look/check at the cost of booking the same hotel direct, refundable.  The cost was almost half.  I was not upset with Oceania, they made an offer, I found it better doing it myself.  No hard feelings.  Just business. "Let the Buyer Beware". 

 

I asked my Travel Agent about it and she said, "Some folks just don't want to do the due diligence you do Gary. They just want it all done for them." I fully understand and respect that.  The question on the table is, "Is Oceania attempting to take advantage of the ill informed or those that just want it done for them?"  No business stays in business with the strategy of messing around with their customers.  If client think the business is not professional in their approach, always attempting to rip them off, simply go elsewhere.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[PhD-iva]

“Much ado about nothing” pretty much sums it up. 

[basor]

5 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

I think this question comes up at least once per cruise.

we are currently on Vista and no white cloths on the floor at turn down so for those that disliked them - your voices have been heard

[cruiserchuck]

In the Terms and Conditions that all passengers are required to acknowledge and agree to, Oceania discloses that as a for profit entity, it earns a profit on optional services it arranges:

 

For Profit Entity

Notwithstanding that Oceania Cruises, at the guest's option, arranges air transportation, hotel accommodations, ground transfers, shore excursions and other services with independent suppliers of the services, it should be understood that Oceania Cruises, being a for profit entity, earns a profit on the sale of optional services.

[DeanoNorthPerth]

It's the equivalent of being asked "Would you like fries with that?". You can either say "You are trying to coerce me into also buying fries" or you can say "No thanks". I choose the latter.