Marketing and on board charges

[Cruseforme]

IMHO, the spa IS expensive, even for some of us in the US. We lived 2 miles from Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson AZ, and they were VERY expensive, even with local rates in the summer, it was twice the price of other high end resort spa's in the area (Think Elizabeth Arden Red Door, and Resort named Spas), and did not impress me much. You are paying for the privilege onboard the ship, and their name. Great for unused non refundable OBC if you want to unload it!

Of course YMMV.

[Hawaiidan]

Most Europeans seem to thing even the spa specials are very expensive, whereas the Americans either don't want to admit it, or they are used to paying such high prices. My usual treatment at home costs about $40. Similar treatment on ship costs about 4 x as much!

 

First, You don't go on a cruise ship for a spa or a haircut....they are obscene

On land a hair cut men..$25 at sea $60 Lady here $45, at sea $350

Spa....dont ever use em... but at sea a facial full is $425....

 

As an ameican, Thats obscene anywhere...

 

Shore ex and transfers.... are going to be expensive if you sit on your duff and want someone else to do all the planning. Whereas if you spend a bit of time and energy, you get stuff for 1/4 to 1/10th the price..

 

Drinks, on O are in reality at or below the average price here in California in a restaurant or hotel, less if in a biker bar Wine prices are in the reasonable mark up expected in any quality establishment Corkage at $25 is friggen cheap.... many better places charge $50 to $150 per bottle and it cant be on their wine list ! Pours are on the short side like the british gill as I recall. It dosent take a math major to figgure that that the $60 a day figure can easily be topped with a martini, and 2 glasses of wine form the top of the list...

 

The basic premise is you take an ocean voyage to travel and enjoy the company of others, not to do a body makeover. Any time you stray from the basic premise of "its a travel trip" and add gambling, hand holding services for stuff you can do your self like shore trips and transfers. and beauty treatments.... your going to pay through the nose..... and any venture into these areas is going to get burned in the wallet......

Remember "its a cruise" ......and you will be happy.

[san diego spartan]

Fresh off my first Oceania cruise on Riviera and I do agree that the spa treatments and shore excursions are over priced. I think that spa treatments on all cruise ships are expensive unless you get find an "in port" deal that seems to be usually discounted enough that it is worth it (didn't see that offered on O but on other lines).

 

Anyway, I have always thought the cruise ships excursions are expensive and on O more so - but I am an independent travelers and rarely use the cruise lines tours. It is easy to plan for ourselves and much cheaper. I had to laugh at what some people on our ship paid for the transfers to/from the Rome and Venice airports. Wow! We had private taxis that worked just fine for a fraction of the price.

 

Re the drink prices - we opted for the prestige beverage package, because as you can see from the prices, a few drinks and your bill will really add up. To be fair to Oceania, the drink prices really didn't seem that much higher (if at all) from other lines we have been on.

[Paulchili]

Fresh off my first Oceania cruise on Riviera and I do agree that the spa treatments and shore excursions are over priced. I think that spa treatments on all cruise ships are expensive unless you get find an "in port" deal that seems to be usually discounted enough that it is worth it (didn't see that offered on O but on other lines).

 

Anyway, I have always thought the cruise ships excursions are expensive and on O more so - but I am an independent travelers and rarely use the cruise lines tours. It is easy to plan for ourselves and much cheaper. I had to laugh at what some people on our ship paid for the transfers to/from the Rome and Venice airports. Wow! We had private taxis that worked just fine for a fraction of the price.

 

Re the drink prices - we opted for the prestige beverage package, because as you can see from the prices, a few drinks and your bill will really add up. To be fair to Oceania, the drink prices really didn't seem that much higher (if at all) from other lines we have been on.

 

Of course, you are completely correct about the spa and shore excursions on Oceania. We never use their transfers or hotels.

That said, some of us have spa credit as part of benefits and some shore excursions as part of O Life or have large OBC. Spa credit is not refundable or changeable to anything else - use it or lose it.

Ditto for most of OBC - so we use both :)

[LHT28]

Personal choices

No one is forcing you to go to the spa (except if you want to use the spa credit)

No one is forcing you to drink or go on the ship's excursions

 

We do not drink at restaurants at home & bar hopping days are over but I did not find the drink prices too out of line

 

Some prices posted above are made up (for shock value I suspect)

 

We did use the spa last cruise as we had OBC that we did not want to leave on the table & the shops are limited for larger sizes

 

Most port days they had spa specials advertised in the daily CURRENTS

 

But it is a personal choice only you can make

If you do not like the prices of things then do not buy them ..simple

Edited November 12, 2016 by LHT28

[English Tim]

There you go then, expected tone of replies from indignant Americans, but none from the more reserved Europeans.

[Paulchili]

There you go then, expected tone of replies from indignant Americans, but none from the more reserved Europeans.

 

Painting with a broad brush - are we?

Seldom a good or a fair thing. :)

I see a number of "Americans" agreeing with your OP.

Edited November 12, 2016 by Paulchili

[Baandb]

There you go then, expected tone of replies from indignant Americans, but none from the more reserved Europeans.

 

 

Perhaps the Gershwin's knew something when they wrote the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off'....

 

You say either and I say either

You say neither and I say neither

Either, either neither, neither

Let's call the whole thing off

 

You like potato and I like potahto

You like tomato and I like tomahto

Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto

Let's call the whole thing off

 

One of the joys of travelling is observing the differences between cultures including those between Europeans & Americans, and indeed between the British and the rest of Europe.

 

PS: As someone neutral from down under, I also think the prices are steep. However, when one holiday, enjoy yourself :)

[DrHemlock]

Currently on Riviera and the boutiques are jam packed with people desperate to spend OBC!

 

There is one other way to dispose of excess use-it-or-lose-it OBC rather than spending it on stuff from the boutiques that you wouldn't otherwise buy:

 

The FAQ page on O's website states, "How much you choose to tip is a personal matter and completely at your discretion. (They then list standard amounts.) Naturally, guests may adjust gratuities while on board the vessel at their sole discretion."

 

We've occasionally had minor non-refundable amounts remaining at the end of a cruise. Do we need or want O tee-shirts or ball caps? No, we do not.

 

So on the final night, I just tell the folks at reception to increase the amount we're charged for gratuities in order to bring our balance to zero. We feel that's a better solution than bringing home unwanted merchandise or effectively donating the unused OBC to NCLH's bottom line.

 

Granted, some cruisers feel the suggested gratuities are already too high. That's their privilege. Maybe they are. (Personally, I feel gratuities should be incorporated into the cruise fare as on Regent, which ends the discussion.) However, since they're not incorporated, then I'm fine with expressing extra gratitude for the crew who have done so much to ensure that we've felt like Lords and Ladies for a few weeks.

 

Just a suggestion. YMMV.

Edited November 12, 2016 by DrHemlock

[LHT28]

So on the final night, I just tell the folks at reception to increase the amount we're charged for gratuities in order to bring our balance to zero.

 

Nice thought

This was discussed before & it is not allowed with NON refundable OBC

 

Maybe they just say OK so they do not have to explain that they cannot do this

[DrHemlock]

You know, that thought occurred to me, too. It's possible that I had some refundable amount that they would use, but it's equally (or more) possible that your assessment is correct.

 

Oh well, maybe it's back to tee-shirts and ball caps.....

[Iamthesea]

Are gratuities not automatically added to the account? :confused:

 

And what is the per person amount for a 7 night cruise in a standard veranda cabin?

 

We are receiving:

OLIFE CHOICE $300 SHIPBOARD CREDIT PER PERSON

 

Is the above non-refundable? I don't see anything that says it is non-refundable. We had planned to use for gratuities billed to our account.

 

Thank you. ;)

Edited November 12, 2016 by Iamthesea

[DrHemlock]

Yes, they are added automatically. BUT, you can adjust them downwards for whatever reason. We heard a gentleman from the UK on our last cruise insisting at the Reception desk that he did not want to have any gratuities added because he felt the service was unworthy. That was his privilege.

 

As I quoted above, Oceania stresses on their FAQ page that gratuities are entirely at the guest's discretion. But they do not otherwise advertise that fact, so most people believe that the standard gratuity is non-negotiable. They simply accept it being added on to their account at the end of the cruise.

 

Standard add-on gratuity is US$16 per person per night for a veranda cabin. So 7 x 32 = $224 total for a seven-night cruise, assuming there are two of you.

 

I'm pretty sure OLife shipboard credit is non-refundable. However, it can be used for anything at all while aboard ship (except in the casino) including your add-on gratuities.

Edited November 12, 2016 by DrHemlock

[LHT28]

We are receiving:

OLIFE CHOICE $300 SHIPBOARD CREDIT PER PERSON

 

Is the above non-refundable? I don't see anything that says it is non-refundable. We had planned to use for gratuities billed to our account.

 

Thank you. ;)

 

I believe ALL OBC given by the cruise line promos as well as ones via your TA as part of their incentive deal is NON REFUNDABLE

 

You should confirm with your TA if you have other OBC that may be refundable

[LHT28]

Yes, they are added automatically. BUT, you can adjust them downwards for whatever reason. We heard a gentleman from the UK on our last cruise insisting at the Reception desk that he did not want to have any gratuities added because he felt the service was unworthy. That was his privilege.

 

As I quoted above, Oceania stresses on their FAQ page that gratuities are entirely at the guest's discretion. But they do not otherwise advertise that fact, so most people believe that the standard gratuity is non-negotiable. They simply accept it being added on to their account at the end of the cruise.

 

 

Then again some of us believe the crew are worthy of the Gratuity amount plus more

 

YMMD

[Iamthesea]

 

Standard add-on gratuity is US$16 per person per night for a veranda cabin. So 7 x 32 = $224 total for a seven-night cruise, assuming there are two of you.

 

I'm pretty sure OLife shipboard credit is non-refundable. However, it can be used for anything at all while aboard ship (except in the casino) including your add-on gratuities.

 

Thank you. :)

 

We give extra gratuity in cash, on top of the auto gratuities. ;)

 

However, we would like the auto grats deducted from our OBC. Will it work that way on Oceania? That's what we do on Celebrity if the gratuities are not already included in our cruise. The OBC is added to our Celebrity account and then the gratuities and what ever else we book (specialty dining, excursions, etc.) get deducted until we are at a zero balance. This last cruise, we had a bill of $11.00 after all was said and done. And that was overage after buying a doll for my granddaughter in one of the shops.

 

 

I believe ALL OBC given by the cruise line promos as well as ones via your TA as part of their incentive deal is NON REFUNDABLE

You should confirm with your TA if you have other OBC that may be refundable

 

The TA OBC is refundable, but not usually the cruiseline. ;)

[Paulchili]

It's really very simple.

Gratuities - together with all other onboard expenses (drinks, excursions, spa, shop purchases, etc) - go on to your onboard account as expenses.

OBC (both from TA and cruise line) goes on your account as a credit. If you spend more than your OBC, then you will have a balance due; if less then you will have credit. OBC from TA can be refundable; that from cruise line is not and has to be spent or lost.

That's it :)

[Hawaiidan]

Personal choices

No one is forcing you to go to the spa (except if you want to use the spa credit)

No one is forcing you to drink or go on the ship's excursions

 

 

Some prices posted above are made up (for shock value I suspect)

 

 

But it is a personal choice only you can make

If you do not like the prices of things then do not buy them ..simple

 

I was shocked....at the price my wife got a haircut and style and a facial...$756 total with tip at 18%. This was not fantasizes numbers for "shock" but hard cold numbere a check up with the ships doctor for a fainting spell required 45 min in ships clinic...$745.00

 

what is fantasy is the denial that these are real and accurate and not subject to the readers personal likes or dislikes.

 

Finaly Most Americans agreed and supported the OP's contention that prices were high. and In my case explaining why they are what they are and how to avoid them.

 

The OP needs to re read the genuine agreement with his premise and quit trying to to "type cast" Americans as the un washed un cooth deplorable he infers.... as he extols his euro counterparts ( I thought Brexit broke ties with Europe and its culture) Gimmie a Break.... who is deriding who???

[Cruseforme]

I was shocked....at the price my wife got a haircut and style and a facial...$756 total with tip at 18%. This was not fantasizes numbers for "shock" but hard cold numbere a check up with the ships doctor for a fainting spell required 45 min in ships clinic...$745.00

 

what is fantasy is the denial that these are real and accurate and not subject to the readers personal likes or dislikes.

 

Finaly Most Americans agreed and supported the OP's contention that prices were high. and In my case explaining why they are what they are and how to avoid them.

 

The OP needs to re read the genuine agreement with his premise and quit trying to to "type cast" Americans as the un washed un cooth deplorable he infers.... as he extols his euro counterparts ( I thought Brexit broke ties with Europe and its culture) Gimmie a Break.... who is deriding who???

 

Wow, did you get ripped off! Looking at their current menu pricing for Canyon Ranch Oceania, the prices aren't even close to yours! See the following link for pricing: http://www.canyonranchdestinations.com/wp-content/uploads/files/i/downloads/atsea/oceania_cruises_menu_to_services.pdf

- if I were you, I would ask what other services were performed!!!!

[English Tim]

 

The OP needs to re read the genuine agreement with his premise and quit trying to to "type cast" Americans as the un washed un cooth deplorable he infers.... as he extols his euro counterparts ( I thought Brexit broke ties with Europe and its culture) Gimmie a Break.... who is deriding who???

 

I have many FB American friends (and from all over the world), who I've cruised with and I'm sure that most have the occasional wash.

 

We're still in Europe but maybe with Trump, we'll all become one united family.

[LHT28]

Wow, did you get ripped off! Looking at their current menu pricing for Canyon Ranch Oceania, the prices aren't even close to yours! See the following link for pricing: http://www.canyonranchdestinations.com/wp-content/uploads/files/i/downloads/atsea/oceania_cruises_menu_to_services.pdf

 

MRS HD must have had the full body works for that price :D

[Iamthesea]

It's really very simple.

Gratuities - together with all other onboard expenses (drinks, excursions, spa, shop purchases, etc) - go on to your onboard account as expenses.

OBC (both from TA and cruise line) goes on your account as a credit. If you spend more than your OBC, then you will have a balance due; if less then you will have credit. OBC from TA can be refundable; that from cruise line is not and has to be spent or lost.

That's it :)

 

Wonderful!

[Hawaiidan]

Wow, did you get ripped off! Looking at their current menu pricing for Canyon Ranch Oceania, the prices aren't even close to yours! See the following link for pricing: http://www.canyonranchdestinations.com/wp-content/uploads/files/i/downloads/atsea/oceania_cruises_menu_to_services.pdf

- if I were you, I would ask what other services were performed!!!!

 

Thats what they were charging...and no kidding it was a rip.... I even reviewed the treatment full facial and a hair cut and style...... thats all amigos.... first and last time ever

[JimandStan]

I have an intuition that the good lady in question would gladly have paid many times that amount for just a few minutes of peace and quiet, without the incessant drone of........but I digress :D

[Silver Sweethearts]

First, You don't go on a cruise ship for a spa or a haircut....they are obscene. The basic premise is you take an ocean voyage to travel and enjoy the company of others, not to do a body makeover.

 

Guess you and your wife forgot that.