shore excursion availability

[arl_nocaps]

 Cannot remember when shore excursions can be reserved.  For a Sept 1, 2019 Insignia cruise they are listed with prices but not

  available to book,  actually show sold out.  Anyone have this information ??

[LHT28]

anywhere  from 6 mths out  usually sometimes sooner

just keep  checking

[cbb]

when the shorex show with prices that is when i check O's website 2x daily, because they will soon be posted. 

 

I've tried to figure out O's formula for when they become available; sometimes I get it right and other times i miss it by a few days.  But I've learned when the prices show up shorex become available quickly.  Good luck!

 

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

54 minutes ago, cbb said:

when the shorex show with prices that is when i check O's website 2x daily, because they will soon be posted. 

 

I've tried to figure out O's formula for when they become available; sometimes I get it right and other times i miss it by a few days.  But I've learned when the prices show up shorex become available quickly.  Good luck!

 

 

Approx 6 months(+\-) prior to embarkation, Oceania will produce a draft of the excursions PDF that you will eventually receive with your emailed final docs. Most often, it is fairly complete, including prices/times, etc. Closer to final doc date, there may occasionally be one or more tours added to the updated PDF draft.

Whether or not you use a TA, you can call O and have the early (and later) PDF(s) mailed to you.

We always get the PDF since it is far easier to compare, annotate, etc. and then have on hand when we book online.

BTW, with the new ability to use Oceania provided SBC for pre-purchased excursions (for cruises starting after this coming mid-May) and the absolutely excellent booking program (it automatically assigns charges to O Life, SBC and your credit card in a progression most favorable to your wallet) and your marked-up PDF in one hand (wine in the other), it's never been easier to add shore excursions.

Edited December 24, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[ORV]

59 minutes ago, cbb said:

when the shorex show with prices that is when i check O's website 2x daily, because they will soon be posted. 

 

I've tried to figure out O's formula for when they become available; sometimes I get it right and other times i miss it by a few days.  But I've learned when the prices show up shorex become available quickly.  Good luck!

 

 

Ours in Sept has had the prices posted 3 weeks. I just checked and still no availability to book. 

Edited December 24, 2018 by ORV

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Approx 6 months(+\-) prior to embarkation, Oceania will produce a draft of the excursions PDF that you will eventually receive with your emailed final docs. Most often, it is fairly complete, including prices/times, etc. Closer to final doc date, there may occasionally be one or more tours added to the updated PDF draft.

Whether or not you use a TA, you can call O and have the early (and later) PDF(s) mailed to you.

We always get the PDF since it is far easier to compare, annotate, etc. and then have on hand when we book online.

BTW, with the new ability to use Oceania provided SBC for pre-purchased excursions (for cruises starting after this coming mid-May) and the absolutely excellent booking program (it automatically assigns charges to O Life, SBC and your credit card in a progression most favorable to your wallet) and your marked-up PDF in one hand (wine in the other), it's never been easier to add shore excursions.

Anticipating the next question of some readers of this thread:

 

The booking software is very intuitive!!!

 

Pick as many different tours (both allowable O Life freebies and OS/OE extra cost) as you want (even different between individuals in your cabin).

When you go to your cart to look things over, the most expensive of the allowable "O Life" tours will have $0.00 next to them up to your total allotted number of O Life tours. The remainder will show their prices, which can vary depending on whether you had selected the retail, "Passport" or "Your World" option button at the top. Note that each "option button" has the total cost to you listed next to it. And remember that you can pay a flat fee for the Passport which includes all the least expensive tours plus up to 40% off the OE/OS selections or you must have a minimum number of tours (including your freebies to get the 25% off Your World discount on anything beyond the freebies. Note that you can find the minimum number of tours required for "Your World" specific to your itinerary on the PDF of excursions that you should have received with your Oceania invoice (you can also get that PDF as early as 6 months prior to cruising by calling Oceania (though not all tours may be yet listed that far in advance).

 

In our experience (we most often mix ship and private tours), we've never found the Passport option to be worth the total cost.

 

As for O Life perk choice, we always take the SBC (when we book early- usually onboard before "shopping" TAs for transfer) since,  once we start perusing the tours and find the selected freebies to be a better value than $100 each average, you can call Oceania and have them switch your perk from SBC to excursions (I.e., 1 excursion = $100 or vice versa). And now that you can use O Life SBC to pre-buy tours before embarkation date, you can easily do the math as to which perk gives you more value. 

 

Finally, you can play with the variations on the O website tour software without "pulling the trigger" on purchase. And, if you get confused, you can always call Oceania and they will work it out with you (no need to go through your TA).

 

 

[cbb]

ORV, I'm surprised that you haven't been able to book.  Just goes to show you that I'm either lucky or more probably, that I don't know what I'm talking about!!!  

 

 

[PaulMCO]

O can take up to 150 days prior to have them posted.  Most are around 180 days, but our last one was 157 days exactly before booking could be made.