Confusion over OLife prices for UK passengers

[beechwood]

Back in March, I booked a Riviera cruise for August which was advertised as including the OLife Ultimate package.  This included airfare and “free” gratuities, house beverage package, 8 shore excursions per stateroom, and $800 shipboard credit per stateroom. There was no alternative fare shown excluding the OLife extras.

 

As we wanted to arrange our own flight, never go on ship tours and don’t drink much,  I asked our TA whether the price could be reduced to exclude these three items.  There was no problem with the airfare, we received a credit of £480, but our TA was told by Oceania that there was no credit for the tours or drinks package.

 

So my question is have I been stupid?  Was there a basic fare that I should have requested even though the UK Oceania website (and their UK office) gave the impression that the only price was the OLife price.

 

 

 

[Petoonya]

Beechwood, I've become friendly with an Australian couple from the roll call for my cruise who also booked on the Ultimate package promotion. It doesn't sound like it is something you can get a "basic fare" for. Don't know the cost but my friends said theirs was an outstanding deal- you probably did very well even if you don't use all the amenities.

 

But as we've probably both learned on this board promotions like the Ultimate Package are really You Ultimately Pay For It. Which is what I'm sure you are concerned about. This is going to make for an interesting discussion!

[BenMurphy]

Hi All

we too are from The U.K.

We've booked our Christmas cruise onboard Sirena with this same package. It's a brilliant deal,

We took O's air waiver.

The answer to your question Beechwood is no you haven't been stupid, you took what  was available on the cruise that you wanted. You'll have a fab cruise, don't let it play on your mind.

As far as the tours go : take Oceania's they usually go to the same places as private tours and if you are delayed/held up the ship will wait for you.

Have a great cruise

Jxx

[Jay23]

Ben has got there first!!    I was going to say much the same.  We have booked an  Ultimate Package cruise to the Baltic and we believe it is a perfect solution to the very expensive O tours, (especially the two days in ST Petersburg),  to having a nice bottle of wine at dinner without feeling ripped off and  to having a return flight from Copenhagen in a Business Class seat (the cruise sails from Southampton)    What is there not to like?    Enjoy  your cruise Beechwood.  J

 

NB.      We  have had to contact our TA regarding the tours we chose as the website was a bit iffy when we booked them and wanted some using the OBC.   

Edited June 3, 2019 by Jay23

[beechwood]

Thanks for your replies and I appreciate your comments.  The reason I am asking though is that recent posts from the US imply that they have a choice between an OLife package and the basic no frills fare and potential guests are able to therefore calculate whether the package is financially worth it. If this is the case, I’m wondering why in the UK it seems to be all or nothing with the exception of an airfare (which I would not use for a European flight as cheap flights are readily available and economy is fine for a short flight).

 

As an aside, we don’t do tours either through Oceania (this will be our 8th cruise with them) or arranged privately (although we did do one privately arranged tour in Bora Bora) as we prefer to make our own way around by local transport and, in particular, hiking.

 

 

[LHT28]

On the N.A  website & brochures   they list a "Cruise only" fare

Do you have that on the UK site?

 

We rarely get the ultimate package  here for cruises

 

 

[Janet-]

In the UK only O Life price with air is published. I think this must be one of the differences between booking in the UK and the US.

Beechwood, have you looked at Oceania's excursions? There seems to be more hiking ones than there used to be. You may find one you enjoy.

 

[beechwood]

Yes, on the UK site only the brochure price and "promotional" price is shown with the latter obviously being much lower. Personally, I would at least like to see a cruise only fare and then, as in the US, I could decide whether the "promotional" fare was actually good value in terms of the extras I would actually make use off.

 

Thanks Janet for your comment on walking tours. We do aim, however, for about 10 miles of walking a day whenever possible and at a fairly good pace so we'd much rather do our own thing.

Edited June 3, 2019 by beechwood

[Nachosdelux]

Try using a US travel agency.

[Hawaiidan]

1 hour ago, Nachosdelux said:

Try using a US travel agency.

Fares are Zone fares and for residents of specific countries  it is in the contract.....     For example I can buy a London-LAx rt London  for $1500 less than a LAX-London-LAX.      Same out of other countries too.

[jo-b]

We are in the ~UK and you can get the no frills basic price. 

 

If you make a dummy booking you can opt out of the flights and that gives youth price of the cruise with one benefit , simply deduct the OBC from that cost to get "basic price" Then  our TA will  book whichever offer we want with/without air; with /without benefit 

 

 

[beechwood]

So I tried this, taking off the air fare, and get to the page with the additional benefits of the OLife ultimate package, namely free gratuities, standard beverage package and $800 obc and 8 free excursions per stateroom. These are all shown as “complimentary” benefits and you are asked to pick which ones you want. If Oceania are seeing these as “complimentary” are you saying that they would still deduct the $800 obc from the cruise fare if your TA requested this?  I tried following this through on the dummy online booking and, if you elect to exclude all the benefits, there is no revision whatsoever to the promotional less air credit fare.

[LHT28]

Do those in the UK  get the free gratuities on all Oceania cruises  or just under the special offer on certain sailings?

In N.A.  it is not  a perk offered

some will get PPG from their TA  or as a loyalty benefit

plus we only get to choose 1 perk  EG: OBC or Beverage package or  Excursions

everyone gets the free internet

airfare is optional (no air you get a discount)

Just curious

[beechwood]

Only on OLife Plus and OLife Ultimate promotions