ForeverAtSea Posted June 3, 2013 #1 Share Posted June 3, 2013 A friend of mine who does not post on CC was booked on a November 10-day cruise on the Nautica. Their original offer included free airfare, free gratuities, free internet, and $1500 per stateroom OBC for excursions. Full cost per person $2700.00. She has cruised once before, but not on Oceania. She has just received a "move over" offer, at NO EXTRA COST, from a C1 oceanview cabin to a veranda cabin on a 12-night cruise on the Marina in October. The Mediterranean itineraries have some overlap, but are not identical. The "move-over" offer also includes a complimentary hotel room before and after the cruise, which the original offer did not have. The move-over offer came from their TA (large international travel agency with local brick-and-mortar office), and the details of the offer, including the "NO EXTRA COST" description appears to come from OCEANIA. My friend thinks that this is an extraordinary offer for the price she paid. She asked me if there are any hidden concerns that she should be aware of, or questions that she should ask. As I have no experience with exactly this type of substantial "move-over" offer with Oceania, it naturally occurs to me to rely on CC expertise. I did tell her that a timely response to the offer is of the essence with upsell offers. Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoHoHo Posted June 3, 2013 #2 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Their are no hidden surprises from O - the offer is legitimate. But your friends must compare the details of the two. have to decide if the new dates are suitable, the air arrangements, and if there any differences in the offer other than the higher category cabin and additional two days (OBC, gratuities, etc). Any non-refundable deposits they have already made, insurance change possible if they have bought it, etc? For what you have listed it looks like a great offer to me. If they want the offer they need to act fast. The offer is likely made to more than one party and first to accept gets it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverAtSea Posted June 3, 2013 Author #3 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Their are no hidden surprises from O - the offer is legitimate. But your friends must compare the details of the two. have to decide if the new dates are suitable, the air arrangements, and if there any differences in the offer other than the higher category cabin and additional two days (OBC, gratuities, etc). Any non-refundable deposits they have already made, insurance change possible if they have bought it, etc? For what you have listed it looks like a great offer to me. If they want the offer they need to act fast. The offer is likely made to more than one party and first to accept gets it Hi YoHoHo: Thanks so much for your reply. I am glad to hear that you think this is a legitimate offer. Her TA has not provided her with any details, beyond the link to Oceania's Marina offer, which has no details beyond the "at no additional cost" proviso. It does not refer to what was included in her original booking on the Nautica. She has been trying to reach her TA since she received the offer a few hours ago, but no luck so far. Without more information, she can't tell if the original perqs are still included. This would appear, on the face of it, to be quite a considerable upgrade, in terms of relative values of the two cruises. Is this type of offer usual on Oceania these days? Should she request that the TA provide her with a written outline of what she is contracting for, with this move-over? Can she accept the offer, contingent on receiving written confirmation of what the offer really is? She doesn't want to lose the opportunity, but doesn't want to be foolhardy either. I think bottom line, she doesn't want to receive an additional bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtdesilets Posted June 3, 2013 #4 Share Posted June 3, 2013 The upgrades to a newer ship, 2 nights hotel, and a better stateroom are HUGE!! I would book this without a 2nd thought whatsoever. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverAtSea Posted June 3, 2013 Author #5 Share Posted June 3, 2013 The upgrades to a newer ship, 2 nights hotel, and a better stateroom are HUGE!! I would book this without a 2nd thought whatsoever. :) I know, plus the Marina cruise is 2 days longer. It's too bad the TA didn't present the offer with more information, or call my friend directly, who is always available by landline or cell phone. She would have accepted the upsell immediately if she had known the details, but she had some understandable questions, and was just being careful. And now she can't reach the TA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancruz Posted June 3, 2013 #6 Share Posted June 3, 2013 I know, plus the Marina cruise is 2 days longer. It's too bad the TA didn't present the offer with more information, or call my friend directly, who is always available by landline or cell phone. She would have accepted the upsell immediately if she had known the details, but she had some understandable questions, and was just being careful. And now she can't reach the TA. Have her call revenue in the morning..they can tell her about the offer.. Jancruz1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted June 3, 2013 #7 Share Posted June 3, 2013 We accepted such an offer without hesitation not quite two years ago. It sounds good to me AS LONG as you like the new itinerary. Sometimes you are locked into the old one, especially if you have nonrefundable air tix and perhaps hotels (which usually are refundable). That would be my only concern. Listen to Jan, she knows what she is talking about! Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lola911 Posted June 3, 2013 #8 Share Posted June 3, 2013 You know...this ticks me off! Why am I piddling around with the usual free airfare, gratuities and a measly $250 ship board credit, booking well in advance and others out there are getting $1500 towards O tours at the last minute. Did I not u/s the original posting? I know O wants them to move to another cruise, but you have to admit it is a downer to hear what others are getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted June 3, 2013 #9 Share Posted June 3, 2013 You know...this ticks me off! Why am I piddling around with the usual free airfare, gratuities and a measly $250 ship board credit, booking well in advance and others out there are getting $1500 towards O tours at the last minute. Did I not u/s the original posting? I know O wants them to move to another cruise, but you have to admit it is a downer to hear what others are getting. i think their original booking had the $1500 obc not the move over offer Maybe their TA was offering that obc ...I do not recall O having an offer of that much of an OBC There are some cruises with $500 OBC as well as the other perks ...look under PROMOTIONS on the website ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted June 3, 2013 #10 Share Posted June 3, 2013 I too bet some of that OBC came form the TA. I'd be sure to get everything in writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverAtSea Posted June 3, 2013 Author #11 Share Posted June 3, 2013 You know...this ticks me off! Why am I piddling around with the usual free airfare, gratuities and a measly $250 ship board credit, booking well in advance and others out there are getting $1500 towards O tours at the last minute. Did I not u/s the original posting? I know O wants them to move to another cruise, but you have to admit it is a downer to hear what others are getting. I don't know the details about the OBC, except that I believe that the part that came from Oceania was to be used, in whole or in part, for Oceania Shore Excursions. Some of the OBC likely came from the TA as it is a very large agency that operates both on-line and from brick-and-mortar offices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverAtSea Posted June 3, 2013 Author #12 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Have her call revenue in the morning..they can tell her about the offer..Jancruz1 Jan, thank you for your reply. I do know that your posts are highly valued here on CC. My friend was able to reach the TA this morning, who said that she was going to try to lock-in the "move-over" for her. My friend told me that she would let me know when she heard back from the TA. That was five hours ago, and I haven't heard anything yet. The TA didn't confirm anything about whether the original perqs would be honored in this subsequent offer, and if there was any chance that my friend would have to pay any more than she had originally been invoiced, which were her main two concerns. I am guessing that the TA isn't too familiar with Oceania, because she didn't emphasize in the original email to my friend that the offer would be sent to others, and that it would be available to her on a first-come-first-served basis only. To be fair to the TA, the email from Oceania did say that in a minor-sized font. I will post back here to let you know how the issue was resolved. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted June 3, 2013 #13 Share Posted June 3, 2013 My personal experience with a move-over offer, to wit, one. We were originally given $1200 in OBC for our Alaska cruise (when bookings were slow), then another $250 if we accepted the offer. We all of that OBC. Also, it wasn't limited as to how we could use it. True, it had to be something that had to be purchased on board the ship, but for us that meant internet access, wine, a couple of ship's tours. When we still had a fair amount left over at the end of the cruise, DH made some purchases in the shop. It definitely was NOT limited to ship's tours. In making the move, we only got more perqs. We certainly didn't lose any. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoHoHo Posted June 3, 2013 #14 Share Posted June 3, 2013 The OBC restriction might be just that it has to be spent and cannot be taken as cash (hence as an example the 'use for ship excursions) So if it is a 'use-it-or-lose' no cash to take home, or for the casino but forced spending on many other pleasures such as bobble from the shops or a visit to the Spa. Oh the suffering :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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