Unlimited excursion passport - ball park cost?

[TheLizardHouse]

Hi from baking hot Queensland.  😓

 

I'm a regular Celebrity cruiser, but have my first Oceania cruise on the 14th of June 2020.  It's a 14 night round trip Seattle sail, with 8 land stops.  I'm hoping that someone can offer some insights on the cost of the unlimited excursion passport, for a cruise of this length. (The TA won't help).  I understand that the price for this will be quite variable, and depends on many factors etc. but a ball park idea would be great.  Also, do Oceania put limits on what you can pick?  (ie. is it genuinely unlimited?).

 

The Oceania excursions look great, so hoping to do as many as possible.  Thanks ahead, to anyone who has advice.

[LHT28]

this probably will not give the answer you want   but from O website  this describes the Packages

it would be hard to give a ballpark  figure

For our 14 day  cruise  the UPC  is $1166. pp  we have  7 ports

 

Explore More

Our shore excursion collections offer insight into the culture, history and cuisine of the fascinating ports of call you visit, all at substantial savings from the customary à la carte list price. These collections must be reserved prior to sailing, so be sure to book your collection in advance in order to take advantage of these extraordinary savings.

Unlimited Passport Collection

• Enjoy UNLIMITED shore excursions throughout your voyage
• Choose from a wide array of excursions all for one low price
• Save up to 40% per person off à la carte retail prices
• As an added bonus, receive additional savings on Oceania Select and Oceania Exclusive excursions

Your World Collection

• Flexibility to custom design your own collection
• Select desired number of excursions from our entire portfolio
• Save 25% per person off à la carte retail prices, subject to a minimum number of excursions required to be reserved depending on voyage length

Find a Shore Excursion

Maximum Savings

In order to receive maximum pre-cruise savings, you may purchase shore excursions as early as 240 days and up until 72 hours prior to your sail date. Our website safely and securely accepts credit card payments; you will automatically receive confirmation of your online purchase by email. Oceania Cruises strongly recommends that your shore excursions be purchased prior to boarding the ship to take advantage of pre-sailing discounts and to ensure availability.

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

As aforementioned, there is no ballpark figure for the Passport. Cost depends on itinerary ports and cruise length.

 

However, at least six (or more) months prior to embarkation, you can call Oceania and request a PDF of the excursions for your cruise. Fairly complete (though there may be future updates), the first page of this doc will state the cost of the "passport" as well as the minimum number of tours you must purchase in order to qualify for the alternative "your world" 25% discount on the regular cost of allowable tours (I.e., those NOT identified as "exclusive," or otherwise cited with icons [OE, OS, etc] next to the tour name.). Note however that not every cruise may have the "passport" and/or "your world" package option.

 

That said, do recognize that the O Life "excursions" option only includes as "freebies" the "basic" excursions (i.e., no OE, OS, etc) which may range in retail value from $70 to <$200. Likewise, so does the "passport" have that "basic tours" limitation though it will get you approx 40% off the retail price of the OE, OS,  etc. tours. If you go the "Your World" route, it's a straight 25% off any tour.

 

Once you have some idea of the tours you prefer (IMO, the PDF is far easier to use than the website for initial planning), the good news is that the Oceania website is VERY intuitive. If you do a "dry run" of putting your preferred tours in the shopping cart, that top of the cart page will show you the total cost of your choices per each option: Retail, Passport (incl. it's initial cost) and Your World 25% off. And if you've initially selected excursions as your O Life perk it will automatically designate the most expensive of the allowable (no OE, OS etc) basic tours as your O Life choices (thus reducing the maximum number you've been given to $0).

 

Now comes some O Life math: Because the SBC option equals the number of excursions option figured at an average value of $100 (e.g., $800/cabin = 8 excursions/cabin), which O Life option to select (other than the basic booze option - a whole other discussion) depends on the average cost of the most expensive of your standard tour selections (up to your perk number of tours/cabin). Using our $800/8 tours example: if the average tour cost is <$100, take the SBC. If it's >$100, take the tours. BTW, starting in mid-May 2019, if you select SBC as your O Life perk, you can prepurchase excursions and many other onboard options. In fact, any web purchases you make will automatically tap your Oceania provided O LIfe or O Club loyalty SBC with any valance due payable by credit card. (Note that the O website will not list any additional SBC provided by your TA nor will you be able to use TA's SBC until you board the ship).

 

Note that whichever perk you select, you can change it at a later date up to a certain point in time (X?weeks prior to embarkation - read the T&C fine print). And, even if you're using a TA you can make this swap yourself by calling O. And, if the ship cancels a tour you purchased as an O Life choice, your onboard account will be credited with $100 per tour in non-refundable SBC. If you add tours once on board, your initial excursion purchases conditions should apply (e.g., Your World 25% discount).

 

Finally, we have never found the Passport option to be a bargain, particularly since we often mix ship and private tours but even when we do only ship tours.

 

BTW, if your TA has not been helpful (nor knowledgeable) in this matter, get a different one (preferably a member TA in Oceania's Connoisseurs Club). Search here on CC for one of the many posts (including mine) on how to find one (and why).

 

And, yes, you can buy me a "thank you" drink (or three), when our Oceania paths cross.🍸🍸🍸

 

Edited February 15, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[TheLizardHouse]

Wow, that's great. Thankyou Flatbush Flyer, and yes - my shout for sure! 🥂

[wripro]

15 hours ago, TheLizardHouse said:

Hi from baking hot Queensland.  😓

 

I'm a regular Celebrity cruiser, but have my first Oceania cruise on the 14th of June 2020.  It's a 14 night round trip Seattle sail, with 8 land stops.  I'm hoping that someone can offer some insights on the cost of the unlimited excursion passport, for a cruise of this length. (The TA won't help).  I understand that the price for this will be quite variable, and depends on many factors etc. but a ball park idea would be great.  Also, do Oceania put limits on what you can pick?  (ie. is it genuinely unlimited?).

 

The Oceania excursions look great, so hoping to do as many as possible.  Thanks ahead, to anyone who has advice.

If your TA won't  help get a new TA.

[TheLizardHouse]

I need to re phrase  . . .  'the TA can't (rather than wont) help'.  The Oceania TA I've booked through, did actually try to get a quote (I'll spare the long winded explanation), but it wasn't possible.  Hence, an appeal to CC which thanks to Flatbush Flyer and LHT28 has given the info. I was after. 

 

The shore excursions packages through Oceania, do seem to be quite nuanced.  Advice from someone who knows the ropes has been greatly appreciated.

[Paulchili]

On ‎2‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 10:18 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Note that whichever perk you select, you can change it at a later date up to a certain point in time (X?weeks prior to embarkation - read the T&C fine print)

That period is 14 days prior to sailing.

[LHT28]

The  excursions/packages  are  not out for  June 2020  yet

The TA might look at a similar sailing for 2019 & check the PDF file  for  prices

They may vary slightly  but  I suspect the prices  will be very close  for the 2020 cruise excursions

OPTION 2

ask  on the Roll call for the June cruise  this year to look in their account  for the package price

 

[Homerody]

On 2/15/2019 at 1:18 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

As aforementioned, there is no ballpark figure for the Passport. Cost depends on itinerary ports and cruise length.

 

However, at least six (or more) months prior to embarkation, you can call Oceania and request a PDF of the excursions for your cruise. Fairly complete (though there may be future updates), the first page of this doc will state the cost of the "passport" as well as the minimum number of tours you must purchase in order to qualify for the alternative "your world" 25% discount on the regular cost of allowable tours (I.e., those NOT identified as "exclusive," or otherwise cited with icons [OE, OS, etc] next to the tour name.). Note however that not every cruise may have the "passport" and/or "your world" package option.

 

That said, do recognize that the O Life "excursions" option only includes as "freebies" the "basic" excursions (i.e., no OE, OS, etc) which may range in retail value from $70 to <$200. Likewise, so does the "passport" have that "basic tours" limitation though it will get you approx 40% off the retail price of the OE, OS,  etc. tours. If you go the "Your World" route, it's a straight 25% off any tour.

 

Once you have some idea of the tours you prefer (IMO, the PDF is far easier to use than the website for initial planning), the good news is that the Oceania website is VERY intuitive. If you do a "dry run" of putting your preferred tours in the shopping cart, that top of the cart page will show you the total cost of your choices per each option: Retail, Passport (incl. it's initial cost) and Your World 25% off. And if you've initially selected excursions as your O Life perk it will automatically designate the most expensive of the allowable (no OE, OS etc) basic tours as your O Life choices (thus reducing the maximum number you've been given to $0).

 

Now comes some O Life math: Because the SBC option equals the number of excursions option figured at an average value of $100 (e.g., $800/cabin = 8 excursions/cabin), which O Life option to select (other than the basic booze option - a whole other discussion) depends on the average cost of the most expensive of your standard tour selections (up to your perk number of tours/cabin). Using our $800/8 tours example: if the average tour cost is <$100, take the SBC. If it's >$100, take the tours. BTW, starting in mid-May 2019, if you select SBC as your O Life perk, you can prepurchase excursions and many other onboard options. In fact, any web purchases you make will automatically tap your Oceania provided O LIfe or O Club loyalty SBC with any valance due payable by credit card. (Note that the O website will not list any additional SBC provided by your TA nor will you be able to use TA's SBC until you board the ship).

 

Note that whichever perk you select, you can change it at a later date up to a certain point in time (X?weeks prior to embarkation - read the T&C fine print). And, even if you're using a TA you can make this swap yourself by calling O. And, if the ship cancels a tour you purchased as an O Life choice, your onboard account will be credited with $100 per tour in non-refundable SBC. If you add tours once on board, your initial excursion purchases conditions should apply (e.g., Your World 25% discount).

 

Finally, we have never found the Passport option to be a bargain, particularly since we often mix ship and private tours but even when we do only ship tours.

 

BTW, if your TA has not been helpful (nor knowledgeable) in this matter, get a different one (preferably a member TA in Oceania's Connoisseurs Club). Search here on CC for one of the many posts (including mine) on how to find one (and why).

 

And, yes, you can buy me a "thank you" drink (or three), when our Oceania paths cross.🍸🍸🍸

 

@Flatbush Flyer  - thanks for a great post.  As an O newbie, this is a very helpful post as I plan my first O Voyage.

 

I know I'm getting ahead of myself a bit - but for initial planning purposes is the excursion listing on the O website - in the cruise info page under "ports and excursions" a good enough starting point to get a feel for ala carte, Your World and Unlimited Passport options and ball park/order of magnitude cost and options?.  (Noting  that World and Passport exact details and costs will be available at a future point in the process). 

 

And if I choose O's SBC as part of O Life, it will be available for excursion purchases before the cruise, right?  That would be great!

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Homerody said:

And if I choose O's SBC as part of O Life, it will be available for excursion purchases before the cruise, right?  That would be great!

I would read some of the posts on taking the SBC as your O Life perk

You need to do the math to see if you are paying the Non refundable  credit from your pocket or if it truly is  a perk 

you need to do the math

 

[Homerody]

25 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I would read some of the posts on taking the SBC as your O Life perk

You need to do the math to see if you are paying the Non refundable  credit from your pocket or if it truly is  a perk 

you need to do the math

 

True, I need to and will do the math.

 

My question about using O Life  SBC was related to earlier quoted comment about using SBC pre sailing.

 

It is not a question if SBC is better than excursion allowance.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Homerody

[LHT28]

4 minutes ago, Homerody said:

True, I need to and will do the math.

 

My question about using O Life  SBC was related to earlier quoted comment about using SBC pre sailing.

 

It is not a question if SBC is better than excursion allowance.

Yes  they  were allowing you to use OBC to prebook excursions

It was a fairly new before Covid

[Homerody]

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

Yes  they  were allowing you to use OBC to prebook excursions

It was a fairly new before Covid

Thanks!