Oceania sneakily trying to make money on visa applications

[ak1004]

30 minutes ago, DeanoNorthPerth said:

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.

 

Silversea tried to charge us almost $1,000 USD extra per person for changing our flights and fly 2 days earlier (something Oceania would do for free). I politely said "thank you, but no thank you" and took an air credit.

 

My philosophy in life is that not everyone is trying to screw me. Businesses exist to make money. It's our job as smart consumers to evaluate their offers and accept or decline. No need to be over dramatic.

[roberts2005]

For those of us that own stock in NCL, don’t we want Oceania to make money?   If a person is retired, maybe they have lots of time.  If not, maybe they can earn more money in the time it would take to do their own Visa’s.

 

 

[ToxM]

If I want to wash my car myself, I do it myself, if I can’t be bothered, or have a bad back or don’t know the best way to do it, I take it to a car wash. 

 

The same thing applies here. The companies that offer services that we could do ourselves wouldn’t exist if people didn’t use them. 

 

This is why you can buy peeled and sliced apples as a snack. 

 

Edited to add: This is really the same as people allowing O to arrange airfare to an extent, we always sort out our own airfare as I do my own due diligence around flights. 

 

This is really down to the due diligence people are prepared to do for their trip. I am an over diligencer (!), so this works out in my favour - I understand that people don’t realise or don’t want to do this, and this is where O sees this as a profit point and takes advantage (as is their right). 

Edited October 6, 2023 by ToxM

[EJL2023]

Bottom line, the OP could have just posted a helpful message to people letting them know there are less costly options. But instead had to go conspiracy theorists on it by including sneaky, tricky and predatory in the post and hence the whole thread went off the rails. 

[Psoque]

26 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Bottom line, the OP could have just posted a helpful message to people letting them know there are less costly options. But instead had to go conspiracy theorists on it by including sneaky, tricky and predatory in the post and hence the whole thread went off the rails. 

Obviously, you have never seen the multiple e-mails we have received from Oceania on this matter.  In each of them, Oceania intentionally giving partial (and false) information to prevent their customers from using the cheapest, most direct, most official way of getting an electronic visa.  It actually says “As an optional service for U. S. and Canadian passport holders, the Turkey eVisa may be purchased through Oceania Cruises.  Guests may also purchase it through their local embassy or by using a visa service.”  It also says that an “international passport holder” is suggested to go to VisaCentral website.  No mentioning of the most direct and cheapest way to get the electronic visa, regardless of your citizenship, which is NOT contacting the local Turkey embassy or using a (third party) visa service.   I am just annoyed that Oceania is sending these thinly veiled sales pitch (for a “product” of no value to anyone) disguised as a friendly reminder, even before we boarded the ship.

I’m not saying that this is a “conspiracy.”. This just reflects very poorly on the business intelligence of those who are running the business end of Oceania.  It is very possible that the poorly worded e-mail is a result of utter incompetence.  Even then, the e-mail is still misleading and mostly inaccurate. Would this somehow deter me from having a great time on the cruise…definitely not.  I have lived long enough to not to let things like that really bother me.  I’m just mentioning it since things like this, in my opinion, need to be called out.

[Psoque]

11 hours ago, DeanoNorthPerth said:

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.

This analogy only works if getting an electronic visa is completely optional.  That is not optional.  What Oceania is eluding in the e-mail is that paying Oceania/VisaCentral is the only advisable options to do so, instead of offering the official Turkish government website for the visa as the first option.

 

If you want to use your analogy, it is like saying “Fries are required.  We will charge you more than we should for it, or you can go to this website and still pay more than you should, but either way, you must buy these fries.”

Edited October 6, 2023 by Psoque

[DeanoNorthPerth]

1 minute ago, Psoque said:

This analogy only works if getting an electronic visa is completely optional.  That is not optional.  What Oceania is saying in the e-mail is that misleading their customers into thinking that paying Oceania/VisaCentral is the only advisable option to do so, instead of offering the official website for the visa as the first option.

I've received that exact same email many times in the last few months and at no time did I feel Oceania was hiding anything. I understood they were offering a service. I just went straight to the Turkish website and organised my eVisa.

No offence but I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

[ToxM]

Due diligence is so important. 

 

I am often flabbergasted at the pickles some people get into when just doing a bit of research or even just reading all the material presented to them regarding a pretty major purchase is just not done. 

 

In all fairness, the information you quoted would have given me the plan to do a simple search online, find the best route to take to get the visa and job done. 

 

If I didn’t feel confident or were nervous about doing such things, I would have let O do it for a few dollars/quid. 

 

So there are two option - O can’t sort it for you, or help you sort it, or you can sort it yourself. Some people like their apple unpeeled, and some like to buy it peeled, I suppose. 

[Sthrngary]

The more on am on this Oceania Blog, the more we all learn about each others styles of writing, commenting and debating.  We are each unique in our approach especially for social media.  I find it very interesting.  Some folks are somewhat critical always calling out the brand for one thing or another.  Yet for some reason, stay with the brand.  Kind of like correction ones children.  I can do that for my kids but you keep your words to yourself. Other are very direct and in your face. 

 

Other only focus on the good like everything thing is perfect with the brand. This also is just as good information but just a bit to unrealistic.  A balanced review, comment or focus knowing not brand is perfect in every way is most folks. I would ask the long time faithful of Oceania to understand the effect that purely negatives comments have for those newly interested future clients.  Play fair, be balanced and if you have huge issue, tell the brand since only they can fix it. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[ToxM]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

The more on am on this Oceania Blog, the more we all learn about each others styles of writing, commenting and debating.  We are each unique in our approach especially for social media.  I find it very interesting.  Some folks are somewhat critical always calling out the brand for one thing or another.  Yet for some reason, stay with the brand.  Kind of like correction ones children.  I can do that for my kids but you keep your words to yourself. Other are very direct and in your face. 

 

Other only focus on the good like everything thing is perfect with the brand. This also is just as good information but just a bit to unrealistic.  A balanced review, comment or focus knowing not brand is perfect in every way is most folks. I would ask the long time faithful of Oceania to understand the effect that purely negatives comments have for those newly interested future clients.  Play fair, be balanced and if you have huge issue, tell the brand since only they can fix it. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

You haven’t been here very long - the cheerleaders are strong on this board, it has got better lately, but this board is famous on cruise critic for it. 

 

I think a better MO would be to use critical thinking, harvest the information, file it away and compare and contrast. 

 

It’s relatively easy to strip down the information and peel away the layers of +ve or -ve. 

[Treasure Hunter]

We were in Ephesus on the Celebrity Constellation in July . We did not need a visa because we arrived by ship and not by air. And it was for less than 48 hours. Check the fine print. 

[Treasure Hunter]

Also Sthrngary when you are in Athens we went to a wonderful restaurant called Zorba's ( what else) in Mikrolimano ( Little Port) on the water a short taxi ride from downtown. The food was terrific and then strolling around the harbor for a gelato after dinner was memorable.

[Sthrngary]

18 minutes ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Also Sthrngary when you are in Athens we went to a wonderful restaurant called Zorba's ( what else) in Mikrolimano ( Little Port) on the water a short taxi ride from downtown. The food was terrific and then strolling around the harbor for a gelato after dinner was memorable.

@Treasure Hunter How kind of you to suggest, thank you.  My only regret is I should have flown into Athens, Greece "Two Days Earlier" instead of one day.  Third world problem I know.  I will put Zorba's on the list.  We have reservations for dinner at Orizontes  Lycabettus  Restaurant which is on the highest mountain over looking Athens.  

 

We arrive in Athens, Greece the day before embarkment at 09:30 AM.  Jetlag city for sure especially for old people like my crew and myself.  Of all the places the ship will travel two, Athens has been the dream.  Thank you again for the suggestions.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.