Flatbush Flyer

If what you’re looking for is a B2B that starts and ends in different ports without a lot of repeat ports (like you’d get if your B2B was 2 round trips back and forth from one location), get used to the term “multi-segment” which is primarily consecutive cruises moving across a world region from A to B with an exchange of some passengers in each segment’s end/start changeover day. There are cruise lines that specialize in multi-segment cruises. Primary among them is Oceania where you can either purchase an advertised multi-segment cruise (called an extended journey) or, if not advertised as such, construct your own multi-segment “custom” cruise. Either way, your fare is discounted when compared to the total of the two or three (or more) individual segments in your trip. With a few occasional exceptions (like this week’s Oceania Insignia 3 week trek from SF to NY, pretty much all we do is multi-segment Oceania cruises ranging from 3 to 7 weeks +\-. And to that we usually add land stays at each end.

Thanks for your kind remark.

Perhaps you should reread your original post since you used the term OBC. All I did was to inform you that the term OBC is referred to as SBC (and later explained why that happened and why such a minor distinction is important). It had nothing to do with the form of the SBC (in this case, restricted to shore excursions). In any case, as aforementioned, what you (or I) have to say about O terminology is unimportant to O. However, if you (or I) don’t fully understand their terminology (as well as their policies and procedures) it is us who may be S.O.L. at the bottom line of our deals.

What you (or I) think is the correct and/or better terminology is really irrelevant. All that matters is paying careful attention to O’s wording or change of wording in their naming and/or description of products and services they provide. Any savvy longtime O regular will agree with that statement. It’s already becoming apparent that the move to Simply More will not mean jettisoning the fine print of clarifications and exceptions nor will it significantly alter the snafu caused by varying policy interpretations by different O departments and staff/managers. As aforementioned, knowing and understanding that fine print and the finer distinctions of the terminology used allows a savvy passenger and/or TA to more easily fashion a successful argument for getting what you deserve in accordance with the policy’s undeniable attributes.

See post 727.

Important historical distinction - the name changed when O started allowing OBC to be spent before embarkation. Perhaps not as significant as the difference between Extended Journey and Grand Voyage (which designation can easily affect the bottom line $ cost of your trip) but is worthwhile knowing because of O’s myriad idiosyncrasies. If you decide to do more O trips, you’ll want to start paying attention to more of the seemingly small details (like the meaning of any letter that appears at the end of your O invoice’s “Cruise I.D.” number (which may save you more than just chump change). “The devil (and your hard earned cash) is in the detail.”

Small item:,The correct term on Oceania Is SBC (shipboard credit).

OCAPP (I used to remember what was the meaning of the acronym - something like Oceania Cruises Amenities Provision Program[?]) is provided to select travel agencies (most likely O Connoisseur Club and Preferred Partners) and travel agency consortia as incentive funding (most often in the form of gratuities coverage to be passed through to their customers and thus bolster the TA’s Oceania sales. You cannot receive OCAPP funds from a direct booking with an O phone rep or a shipboard O Ambassador. Some folks wonder why O does this on top of the commissions already paid to to TAs (which are on a sliding scale depending on multiple factors such as volume of sales). The answer is very simple. It’s far less expensive for O to outsource the bulk of its marketing/sales operation to contractors (in this case, Travel Agencies) than to broaden its own workforce and incur the additional human resources and other operational expenses. As for the OCAPP policy/practice being available to TAs outside of North America, I haven’t any information. But, as regards other monetary incentives or passenger perks like commission sharing, I do know that pricing of commercial goods and services is negotiable no matter where you reside. Fortunately, at a very young age, growing up in Brooklyn NY, I learned and embraced the mantra “Never Pay Retail.” That said, I certainly have heard from some foreigners that they too have received some forms of financial incentives, rebates and/or other TA perks. Perhaps you need to do more research regarding how/who best to use for booking your O cruises.

Your “herd” insult aside, one of the other posters offered an almost good suggestion. Some of the O tours, designated as OE (Oceania Exclusive) are limited to no more than 10 and often pan out at 4-6. They’re often the same as some of the identical larger group tours (though at a higher price).

Your TA will have a regularly updated list of which cruises they and/or their TA consortium will provide them with OCAPP pass through funding. BTW, there’s only one major snafu with OCAPP: If you’ve booked a multi-segment cruise and your TA’s OCAPP is for only one segment AND you get a new invoice when you transfer your BoB or O direct cruise to that TA, your O Club gratuities for each segment will change to only the OCAPP for the TA segment. Instead of the O Club gratuities for the other segment, the invoice will show that you’re only getting the $250 “in lieu” O $ for the TA OCAPP tip payment. it’s a known glitch in O’s booking software and it’s supposed to get corrected by Special Services about a week before embark when the review the perks for O Club members that would be affected by the glitch. All should be fine when you board. But, I always ask my TA to get a quick email note from O stating that I’m due full gratuities coverage. With or without that note, I always get the full gratuities coverage due.

And, yet anyone’s chance of having a problem is always 50/50. Either you do or you don’t encounter an issue. Odds are different than probability.

Well not so much void the warranty. A company like Briggs &Riley will certainly do the repair to their manufactured item. But, there’s no guarantee that they be able to (or expected to) remove the gooey mess left by duct tape removal. For a few bucks more, gaffer tape is the far better choice for no muss/no fuss.

Nor is the TA(?

Depending on what you want/do beyond the very limited base fare on a mass market ship, you may want to compare actual “bottom lines” in comparisons with Oceania (which includes even air tix or an air credit) or even Azamara.

Compelled to use SBC for gratuities? Not really, As is the case with prepurchased excursions, you can indicate that you’d rather use a credit card (and save the SBC for once onboard. And, in any case, if you’re not at a sufficient O Club level to have your gratuities covered, your TA should be able to cover them using O’s pass through OCAPP incentive $ (on many itineraries) or cover them from the TAs own resources set aside for that perk.

The casinos on Oceania ships are non-smoking (and that includes vaping). In fact, there are only two spots on their ships where smoking/vaping is allowed: one corner of the pool deck and an enclosure in a corner area of the largest bar.

Passports? They’re the “poster child” for “you don’t need them unless you need them.” Din’t be “pennywise and pound foolish.” Get the passports and travel as much as you can as soon as you can.

Unless, of course, you have luggage with lifetime warranties for repair/replacement.

FWIW: I’ve seen that message before and it was long before our cruise dates - perhaps even within the 365 days prior to embark. The easiest way to check is exactly what you’re going to do (which is get the PDF). If the PDF only has Page 1 boilerplate, you have your answer. Either the tours haven’t been loaded OR that cruise’s changeover to the SM pricing (and notation change from YWYW discounted price to the SM one has yet to happen.

Oceania has long defined what is a “Premium” cruise line and they started doing it with those R ships (and their bathrooms). With R ships regularly embarking with full passenger loads (many of whom are R ship repeaters/devotees), at least on popular itineraries and its ATWs, it’s reasonable to assume that bathroom size (or even cabin size) is a minor consideration for the majority of O passengers. Despite the head-scratching reality that more empty space (in the cabin or its bathroom) somehow warrants higher prices, that unnecessary space hardly defines the premium cruise experience.

Do the excursions display? If so, do what I strongly recommend (over and over again). NEVER use the Cart to purchase excursions. Instead, peruse the most recent Shore Excursions PDF (call O to get the newest one- they’re updated from time to time). Make your list of preferences. Then call O to book them and make sure you get a copy of the pre-purchased shore excursions PDF that your purchase generates. It has all the math you need should changes happen once onboard. Establishing a working relationship with an O rep for tour purchases gives you their contact info and a valuable resource when you need to change tours pre-cruise. Do this even if you use a TA (your TA will thank you too).

I always chuckle when anyone says an R ship bathroom is too small. On behalf of all yachties who tread these boards, those R ship marine bath/head facilities are significantly more than adequate.

Sounds like you’re not in the US where this would be no problem at all regardless of where you finish your trip.

NEVER ever use Duct Tape, particularly if you’re thinking of removing it. Way too messy. What you want for a temporary repair is what you’ll easily find in the Entertainment Dept. on your cruise ship (just ask to borrow some). It’s called Gaffer Tape and it’s what they use to tape down wires and other stuff that needs to stay put. It’s just as strong as duct tape but without the mess. As you might expect, it’s also more expensive. Check it our at your local hardware store.

As expected, you booked an “extended journey,” which AMHuntFerry explained nicely above.