Amenity change on Nov 1, 2019

[2552phxcrzr]

I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but can someone clarify what this means about getting the included PPG perk plus PPG's in the loyalty perks.

 

When we go on the RTW 2019 cruise we'll be Gold so entitled to free gratuities but they're also a world cruise perk. Are we supposed to get OBC for the loyalty ones instead ?? If so, how much? Neither Oceania nor our TA has said anything about it. Or am I misunderstanding this?

 

Last year, we skipped silver and jumped to gold when we began the RTW. We received something like $2000 (maybe $2500 ... don’t recall exactly) extra OBC ... non refundable ... after we embarked the ship. Had no idea what it was for since it didn’t show anywhere on our invoice. When we queried, we were told it was for the gold level PPG that we weren’t using due to the RTW PPG amenity.

 

On the 2020 invoice, the RTW PPG wasn’t showing, but the platinum PPG was. When I contacted O to ask about the oversight, the agent sent me a revised invoice showing the RTW PPG and the platinum PPG had been changed to read SBC (OBC in O lingo) in lieu of PPG. The amount? No idea if it will be same as 2017 and there is no amount on the invoice. We’ll find out when we board.

 

At some point in the past, you apparently got the exact amount of the unused PPG as SBC. That changed after a while for those who had not achieved silver prior to the change date. There is an interesting thread (an old one) that describes when and how this happened, but I don’t have a link to it.

[Go-Bucks!]

Last year, we skipped silver and jumped to gold when we began the RTW. We received something like $2000 (maybe $2500 ... don’t recall exactly) extra OBC ... non refundable ... after we embarked the ship. Had no idea what it was for since it didn’t show anywhere on our invoice. When we queried, we were told it was for the gold level PPG that we weren’t using due to the RTW PPG amenity.

 

On the 2020 invoice, the RTW PPG wasn’t showing, but the platinum PPG was. When I contacted O to ask about the oversight, the agent sent me a revised invoice showing the RTW PPG and the platinum PPG had been changed to read SBC (OBC in O lingo) in lieu of PPG. The amount? No idea if it will be same as 2017 and there is no amount on the invoice. We’ll find out when we board.

 

At some point in the past, you apparently got the exact amount of the unused PPG as SBC. That changed after a while for those who had not achieved silver prior to the change date. There is an interesting thread (an old one) that describes when and how this happened, but I don’t have a link to it.

Thanks so much for the explanation! I had no idea that we should be getting more OBC to replace the Gold level PPG. I'll have to call my TA or O about this....sure don't want to miss this benefit....it will help alot.

[2552phxcrzr]

Thanks so much for the explanation! I had no idea that we should be getting more OBC to replace the Gold level PPG. I'll have to call my TA or O about this....sure don't want to miss this benefit....it will help alot.

 

The RTW was our first real cruise on O, having been on Nautica for a test cruise first. I was worried then about things that weren’t showing on the invoice ... like the SBC for PPG, or the Canyon Spa certificates, etc. No worries ... it all fell into place automatically when we embarked the ship. There were little cards in the cabin for each of the amenities we were due. Enjoy the 2019 cruise!

[Go-Bucks!]

The RTW was our first real cruise on O, having been on Nautica for a test cruise first. I was worried then about things that weren’t showing on the invoice ... like the SBC for PPG, or the Canyon Spa certificates, etc. No worries ... it all fell into place automatically when we embarked the ship. There were little cards in the cabin for each of the amenities we were due. Enjoy the 2019 cruise!

But if I do nothing and somehow we don't get the OBC, it will be too late once we're onboard. I'll still call the TA to discuss. Our invoice does say we get the $230 toward spa treatments.

[Go-Bucks!]

This is something your TA should explain to you. If they don't know about them you might look for a better TA, especially since you're doing a RTW.

I don't think you can just switch TA's.....isn't that unethical? When we booked the RTW cruise we didn't know anything about Oceania but had to book quickly when it opened. We used our regular TA but I don't think she's a high volume O TA. I now know (and have talked to) a high volume O TA, but I don't think it's right to just switch after ours has helped us for over a year.

[2552phxcrzr]

I don't think you can just switch TA's.....isn't that unethical? When we booked the RTW cruise we didn't know anything about Oceania but had to book quickly when it opened. We used our regular TA but I don't think she's a high volume O TA. I now know (and have talked to) a high volume O TA, but I don't think it's right to just switch after ours has helped us for over a year.

 

I don't think ORV meant for you to do it now, but in general for the future. You can only switch from O to a TA within a limited time after booking directly with O ... 30 days? 60 days? Not sure. It would be too late for you at this stage since you're on the 2019. T/A to T/A switching would only be something to consider under extraneous circumstances and would probably require some kind of permission paperwork ... never did it.

 

By all means, talk to your TA about the SBC for PPG ... I just meant, don't worry overly much about it as it does work out.

[Go-Bucks!]

I don't think ORV meant for you to do it now, but in general for the future. You can only switch from O to a TA within a limited time after booking directly with O ... 30 days? 60 days? Not sure. It would be too late for you at this stage since you're on the 2019. T/A to T/A switching would only be something to consider under extraneous circumstances and would probably require some kind of permission paperwork ... never did it.

 

By all means, talk to your TA about the SBC for PPG ... I just meant, don't worry overly much about it as it does work out.

I didn't think it would be proper to switch TA's (I always use a TA) unless there was something seriously wrong. My TA is good, but if I sail on O again then I'll use the high volume Oceania TA who I met recently.

[Paulchili]

Thanks so much for the explanation! I had no idea that we should be getting more OBC to replace the Gold level PPG. I'll have to call my TA or O about this....sure don't want to miss this benefit....it will help alot.

 

This will only apply to you on the RWC which has many unique benefits.

On a regular cruise you will only get $250 for a second PPG and not the full value as you are not “grandfathered” into the full value for second PPG.

[Go-Bucks!]

This will only apply to you on the RWC which has many unique benefits.

On a regular cruise you will only get $250 for a second PPG and not the full value as you are not “grandfathered” into the full value for second PPG.

That's good to know.....thx. But it sounds like for our RTW cruise it'll be in the thousands of dollars. :D

[Paulchili]

That's good to know.....thx. But it sounds like for our RTW cruise it'll be in the thousands of dollars. :D

 

Yes - it does sound like it though I don’t know for sure as we have not done RTW cruise.

I am sure that you’ll put all that extra OBC to good use :)

[Ken the cruiser]

This will only apply to you on the RWC which has many unique benefits.

On a regular cruise you will only get $250 for a second PPG and not the full value as you are not “grandfathered” into the full value for second PPG.

I'm curious as to why, if you were a Silver or higher, your TA would not give you either a rebate on the fare or at least refundable OBC equivalent to the amount of the PPG rather than O giving you $250 or am I missing something?

 

For example our current TA gives us PPG and a few dollars when we book with O as we are not at Silver yet. However, we are moving to a new TA which gives us around 10% of the pp rate, either as a rebate or refundable OBC rather the PPG. In the future once we make Silver we will be booking all of our O cruises with our new TA for that reason. On our 32 day GV in a A cabin, the gratuities are $1,024 for both of us. If we were in a PH, it would be $1,472.

Edited March 10, 2018 by Ken the cruiser

[ORV]

I'm curious as to why, if you were a Silver or higher, your TA would not give you either a rebate on the fare or at least refundable OBC equivalent to the amount of the PPG rather than O giving you $250 or am I missing something?

 

For example our current TA gives us PPG and a few dollars when we book with O as we are not at Silver yet. However, we are moving to a new TA which gives us around 10% of the pp rate, either as a rebate or refundable OBC rather the PPG. In the future once we make Silver we will be booking all of our O cruises with our new TA for that reason. On our 32 day GV in a A cabin, the gratuities are $1,024 for both of us. If we were in a PH, it would be $1,472.

 

I'll venture a guess and say that many times the grats that TAs are giving as a perk are actually coming from Oceania. In that instance they frame it so the grats are from the TA, and Oceania gives you the $250 in lieu of grats.

 

Now once you are Silver if you can get a TA to give you the daily amount of grats as OBC or cash and then have the grats covered by Oceania that would be great.

 

On your GV the amount of the grats would be

however many segments it's made up of times $250.

 

I guess on a world cruise depending on the way the TA is set up some people might be able to triple dip on the grats.

 

On the other hand if you use that 10% back TA for a WC then you should get anywhere from 10-30k for a rebate or OBC. I can't believe it when I read about these folks that are booking the WC directly with Oceania.

[RJB]

Wow, just read that Viking will have 6 ships by 2019 with at least 6 more on order. All newer and just as nice as Oceania's. Who needs Oceania with all those choices. They keep taking away things than there will be a lot of empty ships in their fleet. And it will serve them right. Need to show their customers that they want to keep them which is not being done now. Too bad as we love O but will not let them take advantage of us. :(:(:(

[2552phxcrzr]

On your GV the amount of the grats would be

however many segments it's made up of times $250.

 

Thanks for the math. I finally got into my archived documents today and we got $2,000 for club PPG ... we had 8 segments. I had wondered how they arrived at the amount.

[cbb]

I thought grats were on a daily basis and on the order of ~$25 per stateroom.

[ORV]

I thought grats were on a daily basis and on the order of ~$25 per stateroom.

 

They are, but we're talking about the amount you get when you are double dipping on the OBC, or when you get the perk twice. Depending on when you turned silver will determine whether on the extra you get the daily amount or $250 per cruise segment, or simply per cruise if not on a grand voyage or world cruise.

[Ken the cruiser]

I'll venture a guess and say that many times the grats that TAs are giving as a perk are actually coming from Oceania. In that instance they frame it so the grats are from the TA, and Oceania gives you the $250 in lieu of grats.

 

Now once you are Silver if you can get a TA to give you the daily amount of grats as OBC or cash and then have the grats covered by Oceania that would be great.

 

On your GV the amount of the grats would be

however many segments it's made up of times $250.

 

I guess on a world cruise depending on the way the TA is set up some people might be able to triple dip on the grats.

 

On the other hand if you use that 10% back TA for a WC then you should get anywhere from 10-30k for a rebate or OBC. I can't believe it when I read about these folks that are booking the WC directly with Oceania.

Thanks ORV. Not sure we will ever book a WC, but if we ever do, we will definitely go through our new TA rather than directly through the cruise line.

 

BTW at last check the daily gratuities are $16/person/day unless you are in a PH or above. Then it's $23/person/day from what I understand.

[RJB]

Seems to have gotten off the subject of the orrig. poster.

[LAexNY]

Wow, just read that Viking will have 6 ships by 2019 with at least 6 more on order. All newer and just as nice as Oceania's. Who needs Oceania with all those choices. They keep taking away things than there will be a lot of empty ships in their fleet. And it will serve them right. Need to show their customers that they want to keep them which is not being done now. Too bad as we love O but will not let them take advantage of us. :(:(:(

 

I’m not sure how reducing a few perks in a year and a half is taking advantage of you but if that’s how sensitive you are, it’s just as well you move on and find something to complain about with Viking instead.

[RJB]

I’m not sure how reducing a few perks in a year and a half is taking advantage of you but if that’s how sensitive you are, it’s just as well you move on and find something to complain about with Viking instead.

It is removing things that you already have. Not right or even good business. Next thing is they could find a way to raise your fare just before final pay. No one really knows what is in the fine print. This is a backwards move for a company that has been wonderful in the past. Our number one for 12 years. Would be very hard to change.

[Paulchili]

It is removing things that you already have. Not right or even good business. Next thing is they could find a way to raise your fare just before final pay. No one really knows what is in the fine print. This is a backwards move for a company that has been wonderful in the past. Our number one for 12 years. Would be very hard to change.

 

See post #21 above (page 2).

According to one TA, you will keep what you have already earned by the time the change takes place (much like with second PPG in the past).

Why not wait and see the details when the time comes before jumping ship?

[2552phxcrzr]

See post #21 above (page 2).

According to one TA, you will keep what you have already earned by the time the change takes place (much like with second PPG in the past).

Why not wait and see the details when the time comes before jumping ship?

 

It would be nice if the O Club page link that is supposed to show the new amenities and fine print worked. I sent O an email asking for the correct link or a copy of the document ... explaining to them that the current link goes to a page that describes Your World Your Way and the benefits of OLife. We’ll see if they take action.

[Classiccruiser777]

It would be nice if the O Club page link that is supposed to show the new amenities and fine print worked. I sent O an email asking for the correct link or a copy of the document ... explaining to them that the current link goes to a page that describes Your World Your Way and the benefits of OLife. We’ll see if they take action.

Maybe management is rethinking this change.

[cbb]

I'll be curious to see what O has to say about the changes.

 

As I said before, on Mar 7' 18 we made a deposit on ATW2020 while we were aboard Riviera.

 

We are Platinum now, and were Platinum at the time of the ATW2020 deposit.

 

Nevertheless our documentation from the O Ambassador, going through their reservations system, indicates that we have received $500--not $600 as the O Club benefits listed at the time of our deposit.

 

Therefore, I have to assume that even though we made the reservation BEFORE Nov 1 '19, we nonetheless fall into whatever the new guidelines AFTER Nov 1' 19 are going to be.

 

O's website did this so clearly there are going to be changes made.

[Ken the cruiser]

Maybe management is rethinking this change.

That's what they did last year when they offered up to 3 free bags of laundry per leg along with another in-rooming dining perk to make booking a concierge "A" cabin more enticing. After they initially posted the announcement in July, a lot of influential suite regulars wanted to know why they didn't get it too. O temporarily pulled the announcement, had a few meetings, then reposted it only this time including the PH and above cabins.