"Big Brother" Oceania is apparently watching...

I was just on the Oceania website to look at a cruise I saw in a mailer. When I clicked on the itinerary, it wouldn't show unless I logged into my O account. Within 3 minutes I received a phone call from an Oceania agent, saying "I see you're looking at the 12-day Riviera cruise in May." If I wanted a phone call, I'd request one! I'm really annoyed Oceania is using my information to contact me in this manner. The agent has called me multiple times in the past week, but because I didn't recognize the number I didn't answer (and he didn't leave any messages).

I explained to the agent, who was the agent that told me in an email about ten days ago that secondary gateways were not eligible for the $149 premium economy air upgrade, that due to that policy there was now nothing that made Oceania's itinerary any better than any other line. He told me that we could get ourselves to a gateway and then be eligible for the promotion. He said, "If you booked air through us, the PE upgrade would be over $1200, and certainly it would cost less than that to get to a gateway." That's not the point. Hopefully now he understands that changing the policy that allowed passengers to pay the secondary gateway fee and take advantage of the PE upgrade makes O a no-go for us for Europe.

I was just on the Oceania website to look at a cruise I saw in a mailer. When I clicked on the itinerary, it wouldn't show unless I logged into my O account. Within 3 minutes I received a phone call from an Oceania agent, saying "I see you're looking at the 12-day Riviera cruise in May." If I wanted a phone call, I'd request one! I'm really annoyed Oceania is using my information to contact me in this manner. The agent has called me multiple times in the past week, but because I didn't recognize the number I didn't answer (and he didn't leave any messages).

 

I explained to the agent, who was the agent that told me in an email about ten days ago that secondary gateways were not eligible for the $149 premium economy air upgrade, that due to that policy there was now nothing that made Oceania's itinerary any better than any other line. He told me that we could get ourselves to a gateway and then be eligible for the promotion. He said, "If you booked air through us, the PE upgrade would be over $1200, and certainly it would cost less than that to get to a gateway." That's not the point. Hopefully now he understands that changing the policy that allowed passengers to pay the secondary gateway fee and take advantage of the PE upgrade makes O a no-go for us for Europe.

A follow up phone call after researching a cruise is common with other cruise lines as well. Yes, "Big Brother" is watching.

You really need to get a good independent agent that books a lot of Oceania cruises and not a customer service agent that works for them.

I always "mistype" my telephone number when I register on certain websites.

He said, "If you booked air through us, the PE upgrade would be over $1200, and certainly it would cost less than that to get to a gateway." That's not the point.

.....why is that not the point? :halo:

I always "mistype" my telephone number when I register on certain websites.

Why would you give O a wrong phone number if you're booking cruises with them? You might as well give them a mis-typed email address as well. :D

Then you would be able to complain that they didn't contact you about a booked cruise change.

Why would you give O a wrong phone number if you're booking cruises with them? You might as well give them a mis-typed email address as well. :D

 

Then you would be able to complain that they didn't contact you about a booked cruise change.

They can contact me via email, snail mail, and my TA. Plus I'm one of those people who obsessively check my reservation periodically as the sail date is near.

I do the same thing with my subscriptions to various theater and cultural organizations in NYC. If you give your phone number, they will call!

I was just on the Oceania website to look at a cruise I saw in a mailer. When I clicked on the itinerary, it wouldn't show unless I logged into my O account.

I wonder why you could not view the itinerary without having to log in ?

I look all the time & can see the itinerary

If I "save a cruise" in my account I have gotten the phone call I just tell them I have a TA that I am quite happy with

A follow up phone call after researching a cruise is common with other cruise lines as well. Yes, "Big Brother" is watching.

It was a first for me, and not one I wanted. I have a travel agent--I don't need Oceania or any other line to contact me directly.

I wonder why you could not view the itinerary without having to log in ?

I look all the time & can see the itinerary

 

 

If I "save a cruise" in my account I have gotten the phone call I just tell them I have a TA that I am quite happy with

It's strange--sometimes I can look without logging in, sometimes I can't. I'm assuming cookies or whatever lets them know I have an account. And considering the cruise we took with them was booked through a travel agent, I didn't need them to call. I'm hoping today was the end of it.

:evilsmile:The Devils Advocate in me demands that I ask:

.....why is that not the point? :halo:

We choose cruising to have a (relatively) stress-free vacation with reduced planning on our part. It is NOT stress-free to have to arrange travel to coordinate with whatever the cruise line puts together, when we're at O's mercy as to when we'll get our flight information. It's not something we want to do.

But really the point is that O previously allowed passengers to pay to fly to a gateway and then get the PE air promotion. Now, they don't. I understand it's their prerogative to change the T&Cs of a promotion, but they then need to realize it may impact whether someone chooses to cruise with them for certain itineraries.

Here's a different spin on it - I too got the unsolicited telephone call, an unsolicited email and finally a note in the mail, from someone at Oceania named Juan. Although I do have a TA, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to call to see what he wanted/was offering. I got his voicemail, left a message and he still hasn't returned my call over 2 weeks later lol. :p

Here's a different spin on it - I too got the unsolicited telephone call, an unsolicited email and finally a note in the mail, from someone at Oceania named Juan. Although I do have a TA, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to call to see what he wanted/was offering. I got his voicemail, left a message and he still hasn't returned my call over 2 weeks later lol. :p

(y)

We choose cruising to have a (relatively) stress-free vacation with reduced planning on our part. It is NOT stress-free to have to arrange travel to coordinate with whatever the cruise line puts together, when we're at O's mercy as to when we'll get our flight information. It's not something we want to do.

 

But really the point is that O previously allowed passengers to pay to fly to a gateway and then get the PE air promotion. Now, they don't. I understand it's their prerogative to change the T&Cs of a promotion, but they then need to realize it may impact whether someone chooses to cruise with them for certain itineraries.

Well, if you can get the same deal (or better) with another cruise line - PE for $149 extra - than by all means you should do it.

It's a two way street - they owe you nothing and vice versa.

We choose cruising to have a (relatively) stress-free vacation with reduced planning on our part. It is NOT stress-free to have to arrange travel to coordinate with whatever the cruise line puts together, when we're at O's mercy as to when we'll get our flight information. It's not something we want to do.

 

But really the point is that O previously allowed passengers to pay to fly to a gateway and then get the PE air promotion. Now, they don't. I understand it's their prerogative to change the T&Cs of a promotion, but they then need to realize it may impact whether someone chooses to cruise with them for certain itineraries.

Where to start?

If you were to fly into a Gateway and then buy into the PE air promotion, you would most likely also be purchasing an Air Deviation, in which case you would have full control/choice over your flights and would know exactly what your air arrangements are from word one.

Well, if you can get the same deal (or better) with another cruise line - PE for $149 extra - than by all means you should do it.

It's a two way street - they owe you nothing and vice versa.

Exactly. I don't need Oceania calling me multiple times, telling me "you can get yourself to a gateway." Based on their T&Cs, we don't want to book with them for Europe.

Also, responding to Stan and Jim, we don't do air deviations so we wouldn't have control over our flights, Oceania would. We could, but again, the extra cost puts the O flights on a par with just booking ourselves. At that point, then it comes down to the price of the cruise, and we're seeing similar prices on other lines.

When the rep called me right after logging into the website, I told him I was just searching but already have three O cruises booked. He didn't even know that. Then he said, oh so you have a TA. I said yes and he quickly got off the phone. No money there for him. :D

Only got the phone call once. I listen politely to the spill, got the guys name and then immediately called my TA with the info. Have never received another call from O since. She (my TA) may not have been as polite as I with her phone call to O!:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Oceania agents are pushy. I called just to ask a question. Even though I said that I intended to book with my TA, the guy on the phone told me that he had some great prices. His prices were higher.

We choose cruising to have a (relatively) stress-free vacation with reduced planning on our part. It is NOT stress-free to have to arrange travel to coordinate with whatever the cruise line puts together, when we're at O's mercy as to when we'll get our flight information. It's not something we want to do.

 

But really the point is that O previously allowed passengers to pay to fly to a gateway and then get the PE air promotion. Now, they don't. I understand it's their prerogative to change the T&Cs of a promotion, but they then need to realize it may impact whether someone chooses to cruise with them for certain itineraries.

Might I suggest you book a cruise as "cruise only" with no air package. This way you are free to book any itinerary you so please. I for one rarely use the cruise line's air package. I like getting to the embarkation city several days ahead of time. This allows me to travel totally relaxed without the concern for mis-connections, lost baggage, delayed flights, etc. Also, I am at liberty to choose the airline and class of service I want.

I was just on the Oceania website to look at a cruise I saw in a mailer. When I clicked on the itinerary, it wouldn't show unless I logged into my O account. Within 3 minutes I received a phone call from an Oceania agent, saying "I see you're looking at the 12-day Riviera cruise in May." If I wanted a phone call, I'd request one! I'm really annoyed Oceania is using my information to contact me in this manner. The agent has called me multiple times in the past week, but because I didn't recognize the number I didn't answer (and he didn't leave any messages).

 

 

I'd be annoyed too if that happened to me. However I have been going on Oceania's website regularly recently to look at cruises and I've never had to log in and never have been called. Clicking on View Cruise Details gives me the information I want and it's hassle-free.