How to book free excursions?

[rallydave]

On 8/12/2019 at 8:37 PM, bunzini said:

So I had opted for the 600.00 credit, but now am thinking of getting the 6 excursions instead.  We actually do not drink, so not really sure what we would use the shipboard credit for?  The excursions are pricey and likely would cost more if I booked them with the ship so maybe I should make the switch.  Any thoughts?  We have not been on Oceania for many years, so this is new to us.  We have, however, cruised often on other lines.  So I am not crazy about the excursion offerings since we have been to these islands so many times before (originally booked this cruise as it was going to Cuba).

Believe depending on where you live and how you got O Life you actually paid the $600 they are giving you in OBC.  If so you can simply cancel O Life and your cruise price will be reduced by the $600 and then you can spend or not and not worry about the $600 being non-refundable..

[bunzini]

1 hour ago, rallydave said:

Believe depending on where you live and how you got O Life you actually paid the $600 they are giving you in OBC.  If so you can simply cancel O Life and your cruise price will be reduced by the $600 and then you can spend or not and not worry about the $600 being non-refundable..

You are right!  But I didn't know that.  I called my TA and yes, I can just cancel that part which is likely exactly what I will do!  Thanks!

[Sunseeker1001]

We are already booked on an Oceania cruise on Jan 8 to 18th from Buenos Aires to Rio.  I would prefer to do private excursions at the ports but I have found NO information or suggestions/recommendations of reputable vendors.  IF anyone has any, I would LOVE to have them.  This is the very first time I have not found copious information on these on all our 16 cruises.     

Sadly, I have found that Oceania 'offers' only 1 or possibly 2 excursions at each port that fit into their $600 per cabin offer.  

[Mura]

I haven't checked out your specific itinerary but in 2013 we used Manu Peclat in Rio.  He was excellent. <rioprivatetourguide@gmail.com>

 

We were in Buenos Aires in early 2002 but didn't use any official guides there.  At the time I was in regular email contact with a resident there and he took us around one day, the rest of the time we managed on our own.

 

I just checked your itinerary and other than Rio we haven't done your ports.  We did visit Montevideo on our 2002 cruise but we did it on our own.

 

Mura

 

 

 

 

[Hawaiidan]

On 7/7/2019 at 9:43 AM, 3.14 said:

With the promotion OLife Ultimate we’ve got 6 free Shore Excursions. I’ve never booked our excursions before the cruise, but to get this benefit we need to book in advance.

The conditions are: OLife Ultimate FREE Shore Excursions vary by voyage and exclude Oceania Choice, Oceania Exclusive and Executive Collection. All Shore Excursions must be chosen at least 14 days prior to sailing.

When I go to My Oceania I see the list of all the excursions with 3 prices: ‘tour pricing’, ‘UPC’(unlimited excursions for € 756) and ‘YWC’ (price when minimum of 5 excursions for 25%off).
I’m not familiar with the Unlimited Passport Collection (UPC).
Does this means UPC equals the possible free excursion?
Does the system make it a free excursion automatically when I make a choice?

The ‘OS’ and ‘OE’ excursions are at a lower price under ‘UPC’ then  under the ‘tour price’. It’s this a supplement price  if I order this excursion as part of the free excursions? Or are those excursions of limits as the conditions mention?

Any other suggestions about the excursions I need to know about?

Thanks

 

Yes....Take a deep breath..... they are not free  You paid for them with the O life.  They are limited to tours under $200 USD....    Its not pick of the litter.     If you get the O-Life package  and want to take a more costly tour than $200,   You pay for that tour in full.  You do not get it adjusted  and get credit for $200 and pay the difference...     

   Before you jump into O life...... spend  a little time and maybe see that you could  set up the same  or better tours yourself.....    Nothing  in life is free.    O's  tours are 2 to 3 times that which you could do them  on your own....    Be confident that you could do them  on your own.      What you get with O life  is not having to  make the effort and let them do all the work......  Its your call... 

[Paulchili]

6 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

 

Yes....Take a deep breath..... they are not free  You paid for them with the O life.  They are limited to tours under $200 USD....    Its not pick of the litter.     If you get the O-Life package  and want to take a more costly tour than $200,   You pay for that tour in full.  You do not get it adjusted  and get credit for $200 and pay the difference...     

   Before you jump into O life...... spend  a little time and maybe see that you could  set up the same  or better tours yourself.....    Nothing  in life is free.    O's  tours are 2 to 3 times that which you could do them  on your own....    Be confident that you could do them  on your own.      What you get with O life  is not having to  make the effort and let them do all the work......  Its your call... 

Dan - you are only partially right. It varies from cruise to cruise but often O Life excursions ARE a good deal - especially as Sunseeker has trouble finding their own. Some places in the world are easier to DIY or form a group than others - especially since O Life came to be and roll calls are much smaller in general.

You pay $100/ O Life included excursion and can get up to $199 value. If you than add a couple more to get to Your World package all the others - including the ones with letters - are 25% off.

Blanket statements are seldom true.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Paulchili

[LHT28]

40 minutes ago, Sunseeker1001 said:

 

Sadly, I have found that Oceania 'offers' only 1 or possibly 2 excursions at each port that fit into their $600 per cabin offer.  

Not sure what you mean by $600 per cabin

you are allowed  6  excursions per cabin  usually up to $200 per excursion

I am seeing several  for  some  ports  but not all the excursions  will be listed et in some cases  you may have to check back in a couple of months

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/south-america-cruises/buenos-aires-to-rio-de-janeiro-MNA210108/port-montevideo-MVD/?voyageday=2&sr=#all

 

Have you check the Ports of call forum on cc  for recommendations ?

 

[schmerl]

1 hour ago, Sunseeker1001 said:

We are already booked on an Oceania cruise on Jan 8 to 18th from Buenos Aires to Rio.  I would prefer to do private excursions at the ports but I have found NO information or suggestions/recommendations of reputable vendors.  IF anyone has any, I would LOVE to have them.  This is the very first time I have not found copious information on these on all our 16 cruises.     

Sadly, I have found that Oceania 'offers' only 1 or possibly 2 excursions at each port that fit into their $600 per cabin offer.  

 

Find the "roll call" for your cruise. Sometimes you can share tours with other passengers on the cruise. 

[CintiPam]

Usually there are many recommendations for private excursions or places to go DIY on the Ports of Call forum on these boards.  I check it out for all my cruises and used its recommendations for several of my port days on my early March cruise.  
 

Alternatively, sister website TripAdvisor offers many suggestions as well.
 

 

[Hawaiidan]

16 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Dan - you are only partially right. It varies from cruise to cruise but often O Life excursions ARE a good deal - especially as Sunseeker has trouble finding their own. Some places in the world are easier to DIY or form a group than others - especially since O Life came to be and roll calls are much smaller in general.

You pay $100/ O Life included excursion and can get up to $199 value. If you than add a couple more to get to Your World package all the others - including the ones with letters - are 25% off.

Blanket statements are seldom true.

What  I was trying to say is  a person needs to do comparisons and not assume.   Too, that O life tours are not "FREE"  you pay for them.    Pick O life  tour option  if you , as mentioned can not find your own  or do not want to be bothered with looking on your own.     

 

   Like an income tax refund.....its your money.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Hawaiidan

[ORV]

17 hours ago, Sunseeker1001 said:

We are already booked on an Oceania cruise on Jan 8 to 18th from Buenos Aires to Rio.  I would prefer to do private excursions at the ports but I have found NO information or suggestions/recommendations of reputable vendors.  IF anyone has any, I would LOVE to have them.  This is the very first time I have not found copious information on these on all our 16 cruises.     

Sadly, I have found that Oceania 'offers' only 1 or possibly 2 excursions at each port that fit into their $600 per cabin offer.  

Just an aside, you have seen the news coming out of Brazil?

[rallydave]

16 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Dan - you are only partially right. It varies from cruise to cruise but often O Life excursions ARE a good deal - especially as Sunseeker has trouble finding their own. Some places in the world are easier to DIY or form a group than others - especially since O Life came to be and roll calls are much smaller in general.

You pay $100/ O Life included excursion and can get up to $199 value. If you than add a couple more to get to Your World package all the others - including the ones with letters - are 25% off.

Blanket statements are seldom true.

Just remember the "value" can be misleading.  Yes you pay for excursions up to a $199 Oceania price but, historically Oceania puts extremely high prices on their excursions and the ones included in O Life are generally the 4 hours bus tours that can be bought privately for less than the $100 per excursion you are paying with O Life.   Value is used way too much these days in advertising and other places like here on CC and don't represent the actual cost and can be misleading.

[Sunseeker1001]

On 8/14/2019 at 8:17 PM, bunzini said:

You are right!  But I didn't know that.  I called my TA and yes, I can just cancel that part which is likely exactly what I will do!  Thanks!

thank you for the suggestion.  this is so foreign to me.  ALL our other cruises have offered a number of free excursions and I  could choose which ones I wanted and it was first come, first serve for the excursion and time and the higher category you had, the sooner you could choose.  Viking, for instance, offers one or two free excursions at each port and also ones that do cost.  I was always pleased with the ones they offered for free.  

[Sunseeker1001]

14 hours ago, CintiPam said:

Usually there are many recommendations for private excursions or places to go DIY on the Ports of Call forum on these boards.  I check it out for all my cruises and used its recommendations for several of my port days on my early March cruise.  
 

Alternatively, sister website TripAdvisor offers many suggestions as well.

 

I never thought to look at the Ports of Call Forum;  I will do do.  I do also have Travel Advisor and will try there.
 

 

 

[Sunseeker1001]

18 hours ago, Mura said:

I haven't checked out your specific itinerary but in 2013 we used Manu Peclat in Rio.  He was excellent. <rioprivatetourguide@gmail.com>

 

We were in Buenos Aires in early 2002 but didn't use any official guides there.  At the time I was in regular email contact with a resident there and he took us around one day, the rest of the time we managed on our own.

 

I just checked your itinerary and other than Rio we haven't done your ports.  We did visit Montevideo on our 2002 cruise but we did it on our own.

 

Mura

 

thanks for the name.  I will try to find out if he guides for a company or is independent.  The only real thing I want to see in Rio is the Redeemer statue.  I'd like to see it after disembarkation and before being taken to the airport for a flight home to the US.

 

 

 

[Sunseeker1001]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Just an aside, you have seen the news coming out of Brazil?

YES, I have :(   I'm hoping that changes before January.

[Sunseeker1001]

17 hours ago, schmerl said:

 

Find the "roll call" for your cruise. Sometimes you can share tours with other passengers on the cruise. 

GRRRR with trying to set up a Roll Call.  I've tried multiple times and even tried to get help from Jen who works for CC.  She gave me a description of how to do it and I've again tried.  I do EXACTLY what she says and it always says I've forgotten some 'tab' but I cannot see what tab they are talking about.  Jen @ CC says she cannot do it for me; I have to do it myself.   I am hoping that someone else will be more successful in getting a Roll Call done.  The two cruises after ours are already posted. ;)  

[ORV]

1 minute ago, Sunseeker1001 said:

YES, I have 😞  I'm hoping that changes before January.

Well I cancelled my trip to the Amazon in March 2021, due to various reasons, that issue among them and things have only gotten worse since then

[schmerl]

21 minutes ago, Sunseeker1001 said:

GRRRR with trying to set up a Roll Call.  I've tried multiple times and even tried to get help from Jen who works for CC.  She gave me a description of how to do it and I've again tried.  I do EXACTLY what she says and it always says I've forgotten some 'tab' but I cannot see what tab they are talking about.  Jen @ CC says she cannot do it for me; I have to do it myself.   I am hoping that someone else will be more successful in getting a Roll Call done.  The two cruises after ours are already posted. 😉

 Go to Marina Roll calls and then click on "start new topic" in blue. You should be good to go from there. 

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Sunseeker1001 said:

GRRRR with trying to set up a Roll Call.  I've tried multiple times and even tried to get help from Jen who works for CC. 

There is  a roll call that you set up on the 19th

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2750053-marina-jan-8-18-2021/

[Sunseeker1001]

6 hours ago, LHT28 said:

There is  a roll call that you set up on the 19th

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2750053-marina-jan-8-18-2021/

 

THANK YOU, thank you!!   I was unable to find this until I followed your link.  🙂 🙂  

[LHT28]

22 minutes ago, Sunseeker1001 said:

 

THANK YOU, thank you!!   I was unable to find this until I followed your link.  🙂 🙂  

Maybe bookmark it for  future posts 😉