O Life Benefit - shipboard credit or free shore excursions?

[blackbr]

We just booked our third O cruise in July of 2018. It includes three days in Jerusalem.

 

We booked through a TA and felt that the three free shore excursions (each) would be a greater value than the $300pp shipboard credit.

 

Did we do the right thing?

 

Note that for our first two O cruises we booked our (superb) shore excursions through our travel agent, so we have no feel for the quality of Oceania's. My wife and I are in our early 50's, very active.

 

Advice appreciated!

[JimandStan]

We just booked our third O cruise in July of 2018. It includes three days in Jerusalem.

 

We booked through a TA and felt that the three free shore excursions (each) would be a greater value than the $300pp shipboard credit.

 

Did we do the right thing?

 

Note that for our first two O cruises we booked our (superb) shore excursions through our travel agent, so we have no feel for the quality of Oceania's. My wife and I are in our early 50's, very active.

 

Advice appreciated!

 

We seldom use the Cruise Lines' Shore Excursions, but in areas where there is unrest, they leave the reorganization headaches with them, should Port changes become necessary.

[Paulchili]

Generally speaking and in terms of "value", choosing the excursions is a good choice. If one takes the average cost of a shore excursion to be around $150 (some are more, some are less) then 3 excursions are worth around $450 (a gain of around $150/pp) in your case.

That assumes that you don't mind taking group excursions (some people would never take them , other like them just fine).

Also understand that the excursions you can choose cannot be of the OC or OE variety and are usually only up to $199 in value. Not sure how many of the excursions in Israel will fall into this category.

Why not wait and see what excursions are available for your cruise (when they become available) and then see if that would work for you. You can change your O Life preference till final payment. You must book O Life excursions no later than 2 weeks prior to cruise but if you choose this option, I would book them ASAP.

[ronrick1943]

I think with the unrest in the area you made a good choice- normally I'd do tours myself but not in this case.

[RJB]

We just booked our third O cruise in July of 2018. It includes three days in Jerusalem.

 

We booked through a TA and felt that the three free shore excursions (each) would be a greater value than the $300pp shipboard credit.

 

Did we do the right thing?

 

Note that for our first two O cruises we booked our (superb) shore excursions through our travel agent, so we have no feel for the quality of Oceania's. My wife and I are in our early 50's, very active.

 

Advice appreciated!

I think you did the right thing. The ships tours that we took last summer were very good. Until this O Life thing we never took ships tours and now we were quite happy with Oceania's tours. I thought they were good value, including two full day tours with lunch included. There was also no way that we could have spent the extra shipboard credit we would have had if we did not take the tours. Had a hard time spending all that we had. Try the tours. I think you will like the. Also you are only looking at 3 of them so there is plenty of days to book your own private tours also.

[jlbsw]

We just booked our third O cruise in July of 2018. It includes three days in Jerusalem.

 

We booked through a TA and felt that the three free shore excursions (each) would be a greater value than the $300pp shipboard credit.

 

Did we do the right thing?

 

Note that for our first two O cruises we booked our (superb) shore excursions through our travel agent, so we have no feel for the quality of Oceania's. My wife and I are in our early 50's, very active.

 

Advice appreciated!

 

You can choose shore excursions up to $199 (currently) so if you do the math $199x6=1,194 it is a better deal to take the excursions. Would recommend going to Oceania and seeing if excursions are posted. We are taking a cruise in 3/17 and some of the shore excursions are already unavailable.

[Flatbush Flyer]

You can choose shore excursions up to $199 (currently) so if you do the math $199x6=1,194 it is a better deal to take the excursions. Would recommend going to Oceania and seeing if excursions are posted. We are taking a cruise in 3/17 and some of the shore excursions are already unavailable.

 

 

Know however that, if a tour is cancelled (e.g., tender issue), you only get credited $100/person regardless of the original price/value.

[Paulchili]

Know however that, if a tour is cancelled (e.g., tender issue), you only get credited $100/person regardless of the original price/value.

 

Could you not exchange it for another tour that you had paid for (if still available) and get your money back for the paid tour (as refundable OBC)?

After all, you did not cancel the tour - they did - so there should be no "penalty"

[Flatbush Flyer]

Could you not exchange it for another tour that you had paid for (if still available) and get your money back for the paid tour (as refundable OBC)?

 

After all, you did not cancel the tour - they did - so there should be no "penalty"

 

 

That's a good question. But, I don't know the answer. We've only take excursions for O Life once and bought no additional ship tours (SF-Panama Canal-NY). Two missed ports resulted in $100 credit per tour per person for anyone having chosen O Life excursions.

[Paulchili]

That's a good question. But, I don't know the answer. We've only take excursions for O Life once and bought no additional ship tours (SF-Panama Canal-NY). Two missed ports resulted in $100 credit per tour per person for anyone having chosen O Life excursions.

 

That makes sense in your case as there were no other options -i.e. you had no other excursions. I bet if you had booked other excursions that you paid for you could have exchanged them as long as they were not OE/OC.

Obviously Oceania values O Life excursions at $100 each as the offers are something like 8 excursions or $800 OBC (or 4 excursions or $400 OBC, etc).

[RJB]

That makes sense in your case as there were no other options -i.e. you had no other excursions. I bet if you had booked other excursions that you paid for you could have exchanged them as long as they were not OE/OC.

Obviously Oceania values O Life excursions at $100 each as the offers are something like 8 excursions or $800 OBC (or 4 excursions or $400 OBC, etc).

Sounds about right. The $100 OBC per tour was all you would have gotten if you booked no O Life tours. No harm, No foul.. Have a great time. :):)

[rallydave]

That's a good question. But, I don't know the answer. We've only take excursions for O Life once and bought no additional ship tours (SF-Panama Canal-NY). Two missed ports resulted in $100 credit per tour per person for anyone having chosen O Life excursions.

 

Was the refund in cash or OBC that was non-refundable. Significant difference especially if the OBC was provided at the end of the cruies. If non-refundable OBC, the $100 addition to your OBC certainly isn't worth the full $100.

[newbie60]

Was the refund in cash or OBC that was non-refundable. Significant difference especially if the OBC was provided at the end of the cruies. If non-refundable OBC, the $100 addition to your OBC certainly isn't worth the full $100.

 

Recalling that we missed a port due to a mechanical issue last August and I saw later on CC that one passenger complained about the missed OLife tour and she was credited $100 per person. We were also booked on that OLife tour but it never occurred to me to complain (it was the day before our last port so no other options to rebook) and we did not get the $100 per person credit. It would appear, at least on that particular cruise, that only the squeeky wheel got the grease.

[Jancruz]

That's a good question. But, I don't know the answer. We've only take excursions for O Life once and bought no additional ship tours (SF-Panama Canal-NY). Two missed ports resulted in $100 credit per tour per person for anyone having chosen O Life excursions.

 

Actually that was fair since you only paid $100 toward them..

Jancruz1

[rallydave]

Actually that was fair since you only paid $100 toward them..

Jancruz1

 

So Jan, seems like you are confirming that the excursions in O Life are not free as advertised and about 50% of the value that O puts on them?

[Paulchili]

So Jan, seems like you are confirming that the excursions in O Life are not free as advertised and about 50% of the value that O puts on them?

 

Not Jan but I will give my opinion.

Well - yes and no.

They are definitely not free but usually worth more than $150.

A couple of years ago we had 3 cruises already booked when O Life came out.

We had the choice of staying with our original booking or adding O Life option.

The cost for O life would have resulted in a slightly higher fare but when I added the excursions that I would have chosen they were valued at much more than the difference in the fare. Thus we added O Life on 2 out of the 3 booked cruises. The only reason we did not do that on the third is because it was a shorter cruise and we had enough OBC that we needed to spend (for excursions, etc) - so O Life made no choice there.

Not to mention that the original O Life also added free internet, OBC and PPG (not only a choice of 1 out of three as it does now).

The bottom line for us - excursions were worth a lot more than $100 each. It was only in those early days when one could really compare the fare without and with O Life and the added value of O Life excursion was more than the increase in cruise fare. Of course, today one can chose "cruise only" fare and O Life and see which one makes more sense.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Paulchili

[RJB]

So Jan, seems like you are confirming that the excursions in O Life are not free as advertised and about 50% of the value that O puts on them?

Nothing is free. They are included in your cruise fare. Somewhere we pay for everything even though we do not see it as a line item on our invoices. I think they are worth it for the most part. Happy sailing :):):)

[Paulchili]

 

They are definitely not free but usually worth more than $150.

 

 

Correction - I meant to say "They are usually worth more than $100"

[gomerscsu88]

We just booked our third O cruise in July of 2018. It includes three days in Jerusalem.

 

We booked through a TA and felt that the three free shore excursions (each) would be a greater value than the $300pp shipboard credit.

 

Did we do the right thing?

 

Note that for our first two O cruises we booked our (superb) shore excursions through our travel agent, so we have no feel for the quality of Oceania's. My wife and I are in our early 50's, very active.

 

Advice appreciated!

 

I appreciate this thread and this will be our first O cruise--My wife and I are also in our early 50s and active so I hope we cross paths. Our TA's understanding is that that the shore excursions is for tours up to $200 each tour pp.

[Paulchili]

I appreciate this thread and this will be our first O cruise--My wife and I are also in our early 50s and active so I hope we cross paths. Our TA's understanding is that that the shore excursions is for tours up to $200 each tour pp.

 

Your TA is correct.

O Life ("free") excursions are normally up to $199/pp,

Technically speaking, any excursion that is not labeled OE or OC will qualify for the "free" (or included) excursions and they could be but normally are not over $199.

[LHT28]

something else to check

From some I have looked at the O life ones are usually 2-4 hrs in length

maybe there are some exceptions but I have not seen them yet ;)

[blackbr]

Appreciate the replies, everyone! Sounds like I made the right call. In the past my wife and I booked tours arranged through our travel agent. These have been spectacular (I'll never forget St. Petersburg), albeit pricey!

[tgg]

Recalling that we missed a port due to a mechanical issue last August and I saw later on CC that one passenger complained about the missed OLife tour and she was credited $100 per person. We were also booked on that OLife tour but it never occurred to me to complain (it was the day before our last port so no other options to rebook) and we did not get the $100 per person credit. It would appear, at least on that particular cruise, that only the squeeky wheel got the grease.

 

This has just occurred on the Riviera. We missed the call in the Dominican Republic because tendering wasn't possible. Our next (and last) port is Nassau - and all the tours are sold out. So passengers who booked shore excursions under the OLIFE promotion in the DR have been given $100 NONREFUNDABLE onboard credit which has to be spent in the next few days. For some people, spending $100 is easy. Others have bought everything they want to buy and are not pleased.

[calicatt]

We are on an O cruise 8/17. Been reading each of these posts and still a bit confused. O is offering $600 obc or 6 "free" shore excursions on this cruise.

 

We are on an O cruise that stops at 8 ports in Europe. Still seems to me that the 6 free shore excursions are better than the obc. Are we getting 6 pp, really 12 excursions? If we take the $600 obc and want to take 8 excursions that only equates to $75 per couple, $37.50 each. Probably not much out there for that amount.

 

Am I correct in reading all of the posts that the 6 free excursions are really 12, and a much better deal than the obc? Help me here, comments are welcome.

[durante]

It's $600 OBC per stateroom or 6 shore excursions per stateroom. If you select the shore excursion option, both of you have to sign up for them so it is 3 excursions each.