Promises, promises ....

[hkjudy]

Has anyone else encountered this situation with Oceania ?

 

While on an Oceania cruise last year, we attended an on-board presentation on future cruises. The audience was told that, if we booked on-board, we would get free gratuities and unlimited internet. We were also told that we could make one change and these benefits would be carried over to the new cruise.

 

We booked a cruise while on-board and subsequently changed it to a later cruise that we really wanted. However, Oceania now tells us that we can't get the promised benefits -- apparently because our chosen cruise is too popular. We do feel that Oceania is reneging on its marketing promise by not giving us free gratuities and unlimited internet.

[SellaVee]

How long is your cruise?

 

I'm really surprised to hear this.

[orchestrapal]

Has anyone else encountered this situation with Oceania ?

While on an Oceania cruise last year, we attended an on-board presentation on future cruises. The audience was told that, if we booked on-board, we would get free gratuities and unlimited internet. We were also told that we could make one change and these benefits would be carried over to the new cruise.

We booked a cruise while on-board and subsequently changed it to a later cruise that we really wanted. However, Oceania now tells us that we can't get the promised benefits -- apparently because our chosen cruise is too popular. We do feel that Oceania is reneging on its marketing promise by not giving us free gratuities and unlimited internet.

 

Did you get these "promised " extra benefits in writing and did you read the small print. They usually do not applyi to any cruise when a change in cruises or dates is made.

[Paulchili]

AFAIK, Oceania offers these benefits (Pre-paid gratuities, free internet) on selected cruises only (usually the ones that do not sell well and need other promotions to sell better).

They do not promise this on ANY or ALL future cruises you may book.

They might have promised it on the specific cruise you booked on board (and they would have honored that if you kept your cruise). They also promised that you can change your booking but if that new booking does not offer that promotion, I don't see why you should be entitled to it.

I suspect you might have misunderstood or misinterpreted the offer. Please provide all specific info you were given (especially that which is in writing, not only in your memory).

Edited February 18, 2015 by Paulchili

[Travelcat2]

As with other cruise lines, "special offers" are very limited and rarely transfer to other cruises. We have heard of this happening before. Suggest you cancel the cruise. When you find another cruise that has the offers that you are looking for, book it -- you will re-coop the $$$ that you paid to cancel.

 

Generally when you book onboard, the details are spelled out in your paperwork. Have you double-checked the paperwork that you received when you booked the cruise? Also, when you book onboard, a copy of your details go to your TA. Check with them and see what they say.

[Jancruz]

Has anyone else encountered this situation with Oceania ?

 

While on an Oceania cruise last year, we attended an on-board presentation on future cruises. The audience was told that, if we booked on-board, we would get free gratuities and unlimited internet. We were also told that we could make one change and these benefits would be carried over to the new cruise.

 

We booked a cruise while on-board and subsequently changed it to a later cruise that we really wanted. However, Oceania now tells us that we can't get the promised benefits -- apparently because our chosen cruise is too popular. We do feel that Oceania is reneging on its marketing promise by not giving us free gratuities and unlimited internet.

 

I sincerely doubt that that was said in the future cruise presentation..you probably heard that when you went to book your cruise..what you were promised is a Your World Your Way promotion and not every cruise has that..you can only receive it when you change cruises if it is offered on the cruise you chose..what you do get when you change is the discount that is available for the on board booking of the cruise you chose..

Hope this makes sense..

Jancruz1

[bitob]

When you change your booking to a different cruise (using the one time change), you only get the benefits associated with the new cruise. It has always been that way. If the deal offered on the new cruise is better, you get the better deal. Can work either way. You apparently misunderstood.

[sitraveler]

As others have stated, you misunderstood the terms of your on board booking.

 

What you received by booking on board was a special price and $100.00 on board credit. The other perks were future cruise specific.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Be that as it may, if the OP was told that the benefits would carry over to a transfer, then they should have honoured this. Lesson learned, always get these things in writing. And caveat emptor!

[sitraveler]

You can believe what you want, but OP didn't hear what they thought was said...

[Paulchili]

You can believe what you want, but OP didn't hear what they thought was said...

 

..or they heard what they wanted to hear.

[hypercafe]

I always go by the rule if it is not in writing is does not exist. Since I was not there I can not say what was said and I find it odd others can.

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

[Paulchili]

I always go by the rule if it is not in writing is does not exist. Since I was not there I can not say what was said and I find it odd others can.

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

 

"others" - at least I - am asking for further information from OP as to what was given to him/her in writing, as well as giving general information that is well known on these boards. So far we are yet to hear back from OP.

Certainly Jancruz would know the rules as well as anyone here.

[Viesczy]

Has anyone else encountered this situation with Oceania ?

 

While on an Oceania cruise last year, we attended an on-board presentation on future cruises. The audience was told that, if we booked on-board, we would get free gratuities and unlimited internet. We were also told that we could make one change and these benefits would be carried over to the new cruise.

 

We booked a cruise while on-board and subsequently changed it to a later cruise that we really wanted. However, Oceania now tells us that we can't get the promised benefits -- apparently because our chosen cruise is too popular. We do feel that Oceania is reneging on its marketing promise by not giving us free gratuities and unlimited internet.

 

Well then the choice is do you do the cruise you "really wanted" or keep those perks on a cruise you would be "settling with" taking instead?

[oceanbill457]

"We were also told that we could make one change and these benefits would be carried over to the new cruise."

Everyone assumes that the member was not told the above. It is entirely possible the Oceania representative did state that. If that is the case; they should honor their stated benefits.

[Paulchili]

Everyone assumes that the member was not told the above. It is entirely possible the Oceania representative did state that. If that is the case; they should honor their stated benefits.

 

Yes, but as Clara would say - where is the beef (the proof) ? :D

She said, I said - I could claim that a future cruise salesperson promised just about anything to me but how do I prove that they actually said it?

By having it in writing. Best I can tell, OP was on a cruise in Dec 2013 and presumably that is when the booking took place. That is a long time ago and the memory can play tricks on us, but writing is fool proof.

If OP can provide the said promise in writing, I'll be the first to campaign for his/her cause.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Paulchili

[sitraveler]

It depends on what "these benefits" are.

 

I know the on board booking benefit changed from 5% to the current lesser fixed amounts a couple of years ago. Then it became higher category rooms only.

 

You can transfer the on board benefits, not the cruise perks.

[Jancruz]

"We were also told that we could make one change and these benefits would be carried over to the new cruise."

Everyone assumes that the member was not told the above. It is entirely possible the Oceania representative did state that. If that is the case; they should honor their stated benefits.

 

It is true the BENEFITS will be carried over but NOT THE PROMOTION there is a difference between the two that you the passenger should be aware of..

Jancruz1

[bitob]

It is true the BENEFITS will be carried over but NOT THE PROMOTION there is a difference between the two that you the passenger should be aware of..

 

Jancruz1

 

 

That is indeed the distinction. The op is confusing the two. The onboard benefits eg discount off price will apply to a changed booking. The promotion eg free internet or gratuities is cruise specific. Many people find that confusing

[hondorner]

"We were also told that we could make one change and these benefits would be carried over to the new cruise."

Everyone assumes that the member was not told the above. It is entirely possible the Oceania representative did state that. If that is the case; they should honor their stated benefits.

Totally agree, as long as she can prove it.

[Mura]

Which to get back to earlier comments, can only be proved if WRITTEN.

 

My sympathies to the OP. I do think it was a misunderstanding ...

 

Mura

[hkjudy]

Thanks for all of your posts re. this situation. When we found out that the cruise we wanted wasn't yet advertised, the sales representative suggested we book another just as a "place-holder" until it was advertised (she even suggested the cruise to pick because the date to change was closest to the time the advertisement would come out). We asked specifically if the free internet and gratuities were transferable and she answered in the affirmative. It was important for us to know because, without that, there wasn't much other advantage to booking onboard - the only other perk was a reduced booking fee (which isn't a big deal). So - I can honestly say, we did not misinterpret what she said or "hear what we wanted to hear". BUT....we were stupid enough to just take her word for it without getting it in writing.

 

I wish that Oceania would believe us that their sales person misrepresented the offer but....I guess they have to assume that we misunderstood because we haven't got the paperwork to prove it. We've learned a tough lesson. Hopefully, by posting this, it will be a help to others.

[Mura]

It does sound like you had an agent who really didn't know what she was saying, and you took her at her word.

 

We probably would have made the same mistake in believing what she said and not getting anything in writing.

 

My sympathies.

 

Mura

[hkjudy]

Thanks, Mura!

Judy

[rallydave]

It does sound like you had an agent who really didn't know what she was saying, and you took her at her word.

 

We probably would have made the same mistake in believing what she said and not getting anything in writing.

 

My sympathies.

 

Mura

 

We all need to be honest, only the OP of this thread and the Oceania Rep were there when whatever was said was said. None of us here know if the OP misunderstood what was said or the Rep made an erroneous comment.

 

Either is equally possible so people other than the OP taking either side have no idea what they are saying since they weren't there to hear what was said.

 

Absolutely true that the promise, if there was one should have been in writing but, here we have one word against the other. Don't understand why the OP doesn't request Oceania ask the Rep what was or wasn't said since we've only heard one side of the story so far.

 

While the OP doesn't have anything in writing, a verbal contract for most things is equally valid to one in writing. Only way to solve this is to talk to the Sales Rep and see what he/she does remember saying. Then, if he/she says one thing while the OP says the opposite it really gets down to who is determined to be telling the truth by an independent third party.

 

Seems any company would want to put this issue to bed by talking to the Sales Rep which we don't know if that has happened and good customer relations should come into the equation as well.

 

Bad publicity like what is being said on this thread isn't good for anyone and people denying that the OP could be correct is also not good for anyone either as they really don't know what was or wasn't said.

 

Not on either side as don't know what was or wasn't said and simply suggesting a method to get to the bottom of this issue and stop people from casting stones that have no validity.