Oceania Club Amenities Change

[jjeffjb]

When the O Club Amenities change on Nov. 1, 2019, will those who have reached a certain status prior to the change date be grandfathered? For example, if my current status is gold, will I lose the spa credit after Nov. 1, 2019?

[Flatbush Flyer]

When the O Club Amenities change on Nov. 1, 2019, will those who have reached a certain status prior to the change date be grandfathered? For example, if my current status is gold, will I lose the spa credit after Nov. 1, 2019?

 

 

 

Yes. If you now book future cruises with itineraries before and after the change date, you'll see the amenities differences listed on the O invoices.

[wfmom]

No! Oceania has stated that there will be no grandfathering! We’ve just reached our 40th cruise and as of 11/2019, our benefits are being significantly lowered. This is unacceptable to me! We’ve been very loyal and havespent a lot of money with Oceania over the years and have looked forward and appreciated these benefits and to have them taken away is insulting. We’re looking at booking Viking and Silver Seas after 11/2019! Hopefully they will appreciate loyal customers!

[Flatbush Flyer]

No! Oceania has stated that there will be no grandfathering! We’ve just reached our 40th cruise and as of 11/2019, our benefits are being significantly lowered. This is unacceptable to me! We’ve been very loyal and havespent a lot of money with Oceania over the years and have looked forward and appreciated these benefits and to have them taken away is insulting. We’re looking at booking Viking and Silver Seas after 11/2019! Hopefully they will appreciate loyal customers!

 

 

 

Actually, it's "yes" and "no."

No - there is no guarantee that past status amenities will be grandfathered for future cruises when you make new deposits.

Yes - if your original invoice lists the old benefits for a future cruise, they remain the same for THAT booking.

Changing the "future" nature of FF programs without grandfathering is nothing new. Airlines do it all the time.

[Hawaiidan]

No! Oceania has stated that there will be no grandfathering! We’ve just reached our 40th cruise and as of 11/2019, our benefits are being significantly lowered. This is unacceptable to me! We’ve been very loyal and havespent a lot of money with Oceania over the years and have looked forward and appreciated these benefits and to have them taken away is insulting. We’re looking at booking Viking and Silver Seas after 11/2019! Hopefully they will appreciate loyal customers!

 

In 40 cruises I suspect you had 40 wonderful , joyous experiences. Great. That's what you paid for and got. The parsley on the plate was the benefits. in my thinking selecting a cruise, hotel or airline purely for the extra benefits rather than the intrinsic value of the experience is short sighted.

 

Your future experience with something you loved in the past will be just as good with only less extras. The product it's self is not changed. If you took 40 cruise and used the same agent, I suspect he will "help" you by giving you more direct form him !!! If not I'd ask a big why...and be more concerned about that instead of the changes.

On the other hand you can jump ship and start anew on a un tested new experience which may or may not be as pleasing as your O experience For Viking I suggest their agent Ben Dover for an experience un like any other.

[RJB]

No! Oceania has stated that there will be no grandfathering! We’ve just reached our 40th cruise and as of 11/2019, our benefits are being significantly lowered. This is unacceptable to me! We’ve been very loyal and havespent a lot of money with Oceania over the years and have looked forward and appreciated these benefits and to have them taken away is insulting. We’re looking at booking Viking and Silver Seas after 11/2019! Hopefully they will appreciate loyal customers!

Agree with you 100%. We will see what we do at that time but they (Oceania) are giving the shaft to their most loyal customers and if some of them move elsewhere they deserve it.

[golfguyhhi]

I hope that all the people who are so upset with having some benefits removed from the loyalty program, and who have threatened to go to other cruise lines, make good on their threats and leave, because the last thing I want while I'm trying to enjoy my Oceania cruise, is to have some malcontent at the next table complaining and trying to draw me into their whirlpool of unhappiness.

 

I was unaware that Viking had a loyalty program. Regent has nothing like Oceania. And there are no other lines I'd even consider. I know that when I reach my 20th cruise in the end of 2021, I'll be very happy with all the goodies O gives me, and I'll have had 19 great experiences along the way.

[The A Train]

Through the grapevine we have learned that MANY silver plus "O" Club members HAVE NOT booked any post "enhancement" day, 11/1/2019, sailings. And, efforts are being made by many of them to increase that number.....and, to exclude bookings on Regent and NCL.

 

 

 

FDR continues to get numerous emails from the LOYALTY gang to "grandfather"!! He's most astute, and, we'll see what happens.

[LHT28]

Through the grapevine we have learned that MANY silver plus "O" Club members HAVE NOT booked any post "enhancement" day, 11/1/2019, sailings. And, efforts are being made by many of them to increase that number.....and, to exclude bookings on Regent and NCL.

All I can say is GOOD LUCK

 

Things change

 

Maybe they will reduce food quality to keep those Loyal members in perks

 

then they will gripe about how quality of food is slipping to mass market levels

 

You cannot please everyone

JMO

 

YMMV

[ORV]

No! Oceania has stated that there will be no grandfathering! We’ve just reached our 40th cruise and as of 11/2019, our benefits are being significantly lowered. This is unacceptable to me! We’ve been very loyal and havespent a lot of money with Oceania over the years and have looked forward and appreciated these benefits and to have them taken away is insulting. We’re looking at booking Viking and Silver Seas after 11/2019! Hopefully they will appreciate loyal customers!

 

To me the bottom line is will those other cruise lines give you anything close to what you will still be getting when you start with them from square one? :rolleyes:

[cbb]

golfguyhhi-

thank you for stating so succinctly what we believe.

I hope those who are upset find another cruise line that makes them happy.

[RJB]

Through the grapevine we have learned that MANY silver plus "O" Club members HAVE NOT booked any post "enhancement" day, 11/1/2019, sailings. And, efforts are being made by many of them to increase that number.....and, to exclude bookings on Regent and NCL.

 

 

 

FDR continues to get numerous emails from the LOYALTY gang to "grandfather"!! He's most astute, and, we'll see what happens.

Hope he realizes that this is a real issue and that it is hard to go back once there is a program in place to reward customer loyalty. Some will leave, and some won't. Lets see how many stay.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Hope he realizes that this is a real issue and that it is hard to go back once there is a program in place to reward customer loyalty. Some will leave, and some won't. Lets see how many stay.

 

 

Do you honestly think that it will only take loyal O customers' having some perk(s) reduced to decide to "jump ship?" If any do, it will merely represent a "rounding error" in O's bottom line. In addition, there's a good chance their next "favorite" cruise line has done/will do exactly the same thing.

[Classiccruiser777]

Do you honestly think that it will only take loyal O customers' having some perk(s) reduced to decide to "jump ship?" If any do, it will merely represent a "rounding error" in O's bottom line. In addition, there's a good chance their next "favorite" cruise line has done/will do exactly the same thing.

I agree. We will soon be “silver” and the free gratuities will still be in place so any OBC from then on will be mad money. We hardly drink or take shore excursions and, with O-life choice and the shareholder benefit, don’t need so much OBC even though we’ll be getting more then than we do presently at the “bronze” level.

 

I’d be more concerned if food quality, service, ship maintenance, the overall experience were declining. That would be when I’d begin looking around.

 

I can say, from experience, Cunard is nice, Holland OK, and the “luxury” lines are out of our price range. I’m sticking with O.

[kohl57]

Silly me, when I shell out $8000-10000 on an Oceania cruise, I don't even think of the "pat on the head" loyality benefits of a couple of hundred in "on board credit". It's like buying a new car and complaining that they didn't throw in a free air freshener. Oceania has among the most loyal passenger profile in the industry (we started with them as Renaissance Cruises in 2000) so I doubt they even need a loyalty program when people .rebook and come back for all the right (for them) reasons. The consistent and often improving quality is enough to make one not feel taken for granted.

Edited August 21, 2018 by kohl57

[Paulchili]

To me the bottom line is will those other cruise lines give you anything close to what you will still be getting when you start with them from square one? :rolleyes:

 

As usual, I agree with you again.

In addition, there are so many intangibles that the OP would be missing by leaving Oceania. After 40 cruises OP must know many, many staff & crew who in turn know OP and probably they greet each other like old friends. Surely the entire staff is aware of their status and treat them very specially - deservedly so. I have fewer than 40 cruises on Oceania but still feel like I am coming home and am welcomed by many from the past. I saw this huge difference when I cruised on Crystal for the first time where I felt (and was made to feel) like an outsider.

IMO, losing 2 free spa treatments and a couple hundred in OBC is not worth leaving the known and obviously liked entity for “greener pastures” (that may turn out to be not so green when all is considered).

JMO.

[cbb]

paulchili-

 

"IMO, losing 2 free spa treatments and a couple hundred in OBC is not worth leaving" is a great sentence.

 

From our ATW16 cruise we have a thriving social media page that probably close to 100 cruisers, a general manager, more than 1 CD, several staff and crew members, entertainers, and a retired captain and his wife all participate in. We all love and support each other.

 

and you're right.....there is genuine delight when staff/crew recognize us when we board and in my case, there are hugs and squeals as I say 'hello, again.'

 

We've taken 3 O cruises this year, with more in 2019 and ATW20--I'm not going to give this up because i'm losing spa credits and some OBC --my glass is not half-filled, it is overflowing.

[palakika]

We just scheduled a Dec/Jan 2019 cruise on Marina around So Am. We are gold cruisers and the reduction in amenities didn't factor into our decision. In fact, we are looking forward to getting those hats and bags!

[LHT28]

We just scheduled a Dec/Jan 2019 cruise on Marina around So Am. We are gold cruisers and the reduction in amenities didn't factor into our decision. In fact, we are looking forward to getting those hats and bags!

The new program does not start until Nov 2019 so unless you meant Dec/2019-Jan 2020

[palakika]

Oops! I meant Dec 2019 to Jan 2020. Our amenities list on invoice reflects the changes. They call the hats and totes "gold hats and totes". Ha,ha do you suppose they'll be embossed with gold?

[ORV]

Oops! I meant Dec 2019 to Jan 2020. Our amenities list on invoice reflects the changes. They call the hats and totes "gold hats and totes". Ha,ha do you suppose they'll be embossed with gold?

 

Haven't seen a gold hat but I've got a gold tote. I think we got it with big O points.

[Classiccruiser777]

Haven't seen a gold hat but I've got a gold tote. I think we got it with big O points.

I suspect O hats and totes will be showing up on eBay.

[LHT28]

I suspect O hats and totes will be showing up on eBay.

especially if you get one every cruise :evilsmile:

[LHT28]

Haven't seen a gold hat but I've got a gold tote. I think we got it with big O points.

Orv

 

I liked your Big O tote

 

it looked handy

[palakika]

We have at least 5 of the blue totes around here. Besides carrying groceries and stuff for the pool/beach in them..any suggestions on uses?