Question about Oceania Club Benefits

[netpj]

Does anyone know if Oceania club benefits are applied on each segment of a Grand Voyage (depending on your status) or if the benefits apply to to the entire voyage if it is booked as one voyage?  We have tried contacting "O" but have not received a response yet.  Thanks!

[LHT28]

I am going to guess  if  a GV  then it will be applied  when you step foot on the ship

 If you used a TA  ask them  to find out for you

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 hours ago, netpj said:

Does anyone know if Oceania club benefits are applied on each segment of a Grand Voyage (depending on your status) or if the benefits apply to to the entire voyage if it is booked as one voyage?  We have tried contacting "O" but have not received a response yet.  Thanks!

Firstly, let's correct the terminology. There used to be an Oceania cruise category called "grand voyage," which usually consisted of three or more segments (occasionally it applied to two long segments) marketed as a single voyage (sort of a level down from the "world cruise").

 

And it offered a few more perks (e.g., some laundry) than the still existing category -"extended voyages" (which are any number of segments marketed as a single voyage) or a second, unmarketed multisegment category that you assemble as a B2B, which is officially referred to as a "custom cruise" (also with a single booking number).

 

What is confusing about the terms is that the O website still uses the antiquated term (Grand Voyage) when referring to the "extended journeys" (the correct term used in the published Oceania materials).

 

As far as O Club points for multisegment cruises, the rule is simple: If there's a single booking number, it is the total number of cruise days (regardless of segments) that dictates how many cruise credits you earn.

 

So, as an example, if you buy a two segment extended journey (published/one booking number) or a custom cruise (unpublished/one booking number) consisting of two 7 day cruises, you only earn one cruise credit. 

 

And, however you "slice it/dice it," if an upcoming cruise will earn you enough cruise credits to move up one loyalty level, that happens the day you step on the ship and you'll get any higher perks associated with that next level.

 

Now someone might say: "So, why book extended journeys?" Simply put- they are discounted and less expensive that the total of the two included segments. And, while you may potentially lose a cruise credit, you may get double specialty reservations, opportunity to split booze packages (only buy one segment), etc.

 

Bottom line: do the math.

Edited August 8, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[LHT28]

so after all that long winded post  from FF   

 

what  Club benefits  are you asking about ?

OBC,  spa credit ??

 

On O web they still list Grand Voyages ...word games

 

[Flatbush Flyer]

9 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

so after all that long winded post  from FF   

what  Club benefits  are you asking about ?

OBC,  cruise credit ??

On O web they still list Grand Voyages ...word games

it can be  2 + segments  put together  the only difference is the number of credits 

under 24 days you only get 1 credit   where  when you booked 2 B2B or more you got a credit for each segment

To save LHT28 not having to read "long winded" posts (perhaps "comprehensive" would be a better term?😉), I will not explain why "custom cruises" (particularly those "booked onboard") are a far better overall value than "extended journey" or "single segment" cruises.

In the meantime, some of us may need to dust off that dog-eared copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." The world could use more attention to deatail without losing sight of the big picture.

[Kate-AHF]

Until we started to sail Oceania, I never dreamed that applied mathematics would be necessary to book a cruise.  But I now know it's true.

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, Kate-AHF said:

Until we started to sail Oceania, I never dreamed that applied mathematics would be necessary to book a cruise.  But I now know it's true.

yes if you consider taking O air or  O Life  ...that is true 🤣

[Kate-AHF]

Just last week I was on the phone to O to price out a 2020 cruise, "custom".  It was booking an extended voyage with a following segment.  O life and no o-life.... O-life and no air.  You should see my notes.

 

Then, as Flatbush flyer alluded to above, it then occured to me to consider waiting until we qualify for the "on-board discount" which can now be applied a month before you actually get on the ship.

[LHT28]

28 minutes ago, Kate-AHF said:

Just last week I was on the phone to O to price out a 2020 cruise, "custom".  It was booking an extended voyage with a following segment.  O life and no o-life.... O-life and no air.  You should see my notes.

 

Then, as Flatbush flyer alluded to above, it then occured to me to consider waiting until we qualify for the "on-board discount" which can now be applied a month before you actually get on the ship.

yes by the time you go through all that you need a holiday LOL

 

 

[Paulchili]

43 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

are a far better overall value than "extended journey" or "single segment" cruises.

Each case has to be evaluated individually.

Recently we had booked a 14 day cruise as a single voyage but later we broke it into two 7 day segments (as they were also offered as separate voyages).

The overall price was slightly higher for the 2 segments but when everything else was considered, we came out well ahead.

We received 2 cruise credits instead of just one; we got $600 OBC (Plat) twice instead of just once; ditto for 2 spa treatments for each segment. Later the price on the second segment went down and as we had booked it separately, we were able to take advantage of that lower price (if it had remained as a single 14 day cruise, we could not have benefited from this).

Again, in this case we came out well ahead by breaking it into two 7 day segments.

As always, YMMV.

[LHT28]

10 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Each case has to be evaluated individually.

 

I agree

We did  a B2B  10+ 12day 

Oceania decided (after the fact) they would add the 2 together  to make it one cruise

Something they have been doing  lately on popular B2B routes

 

Fortunately my wonderful  TA  got it as the 2 separate bookings  so we got 2 cruise credits instead of one

Yes...

YMMV

[netpj]

Thanks for all the explanations.  Nothing is simple anymore!

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, netpj said:

Thanks for all the explanations.  Nothing is simple anymore!

so what club benefits are you asking about ?

curious minds want to know  😎

[netpj]

The voyage we are looking at is being marketed in segments and also one long voyage.  It sounds like to get more than one lot of Gold status benefits, back to back segments should be purchased.  We will look at overall pricing.

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 hours ago, netpj said:

The voyage we are looking at is being marketed in segments and also one long voyage.  It sounds like to get more than one lot of Gold status benefits, back to back segments should be purchased.  We will look at overall pricing.

OOPS- I should have said "in many cases."

Anyhow, let me repeat (myself and others): do the math.

Of course, the two segment "extended journey" cruises can be booked as individual cruises, I.e., Segment A OR Segment B. But, if the two segments are also marketed as an official "extended journey," you CANNOT book them as two separate cruises (each with their own original booking names/numbers) - each with RT airfare credit, multiple O Club perks, etc. If your TA does this, the error will get caught by the booking software.

However, if the two segments are not sold as an "extended journey," you do have a choice of booking separate segments or creating a "custom cruise." And, while booking a potential custom cruise as separate segments may get you an extra cruise credit and double O Club SBC, booking it as a custom cruise gets a 5% discount on the total cabin price (along with the two air credits and everything else but no double O Club SBC and a possible extra cruise credit). 

So, do the math: For example, on a longer cruise, 5% of $30,000 is $1500. On a short Caribbean cruise, perhaps it's better to do the separate bookings and get gold or platinum O Club SBC. Just remember that, if they are advertised as an "extended journey," there can be no separate booking.

For confirmation of what I have just said, ask any O Club Ambassador once you are onboard. (Also ask them for the onboard booking discount).

 

[Kate-AHF]

FF. you do an outstanding job of explaining these "conditional" pricing options.  But is anyone besides myself amused at just how complicated they have made it? It's not possible to answer the question "How much does this cruise cost?" without writing a technical manual.  

[Classiccruiser777]

“Your world, your way.”  It may be a complicated process for those that get in the weeds but I love the options and booking a cruise sure beats a day at the office!

[StanandJim]

1 hour ago, Kate-AHF said:

FF. you do an outstanding job of explaining these "conditional" pricing options.  But is anyone besides myself amused at just how complicated they have made it? It's not possible to answer the question "How much does this cruise cost?" without writing a technical manual.  

Cruise Lines have recognized that this is a complicated process with dozens of options and hundreds of moving parts for the life of the Industry. 

This is WHY they are willing pay a Professional to guide you through the process-

 

Travel Agents don't earn their money by  looking  pretty and dispensing amenities.  

 

 

 

 

[Kate-AHF]

3 hours ago, StanandJim said:

Cruise Lines have recognized that this is a complicated process with dozens of options and hundreds of moving parts for the life of the Industry. 

This is WHY they are willing pay a Professional to guide you through the process-

 

Travel Agents don't earn their money by  looking  pretty and dispensing amenities.  

 

Standandjim, I hear, and understand, what you are saying.  You make the point that experts in this industry do exist to assist people, and that people need to take advantage of that.  

 

That said...I see the travel agent issue referred to constantly on this board.  Not everyone has found a really good agent, and I don't think it's as easy as some folks make it out to be.  I'd venture to say that the number of "good" agents that specialize in cruising is very, very small.  And if you cruise once per year, it can take a loooong time (years) to find a good one.  Particularly if you are new to cruising and don't yet know what you "don't know".

[Classiccruiser777]

15 minutes ago, Kate-AHF said:

Particularly if you are new to cruising and don't yet know what you "don't know".

 

Just ask, we're here to help.

[wally_bushy]

On 8/8/2019 at 4:07 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Firstly, let's correct the terminology. There used to be an Oceania cruise category called "grand voyage," which usually consisted of three or more segments (occasionally it applied to two long segments) marketed as a single voyage (sort of a level down from the "world cruise").

 

And it offered a few more perks (e.g., some laundry) than the still existing category -"extended voyages" (which are any number of segments marketed as a single voyage) or a second, unmarketed multisegment category that you assemble as a B2B, which is officially referred to as a "custom cruise" (also with a single booking number).

 

What is confusing about the terms is that the O website still uses the antiquated term (Grand Voyage) when referring to the "extended journeys" (the correct term used in the published Oceania materials).

 

As far as O Club points for multisegment cruises, the rule is simple: If there's a single booking number, it is the total number of cruise days (regardless of segments) that dictates how many cruise credits you earn.

 

So, as an example, if you buy a two segment extended journey (published/one booking number) or a custom cruise (unpublished/one booking number) consisting of two 7 day cruises, you only earn one cruise credit. 

 

And, however you "slice it/dice it," if an upcoming cruise will earn you enough cruise credits to move up one loyalty level, that happens the day you step on the ship and you'll get any higher perks associated with that next level.

 

Now someone might say: "So, why book extended journeys?" Simply put- they are discounted and less expensive that the total of the two included segments. And, while you may potentially lose a cruise credit, you may get double specialty reservations, opportunity to split booze packages (only buy one segment), etc.

 

Bottom line: do the math.

Good explanation 👌

[ORV]

3 hours ago, Kate-AHF said:

 

Standandjim, I hear, and understand, what you are saying.  You make the point that experts in this industry do exist to assist people, and that people need to take advantage of that.  

 

That said...I see the travel agent issue referred to constantly on this board.  Not everyone has found a really good agent, and I don't think it's as easy as some folks make it out to be.  I'd venture to say that the number of "good" agents that specialize in cruising is very, very small.  And if you cruise once per year, it can take a loooong time (years) to find a good one.  Particularly if you are new to cruising and don't yet know what you "don't know".

I guess we got lucky. Those that know who ours is knows what I'm talking about. That being said it's still important to know what's best in your situation on each cruise. So there's still a bit of figuring and calculating to do. Everyone's situation is unique to them, your preferences, what market you're flying out of, whether you have included deviations and grats with Oceania, your drinking habits, etc. 

 

We fly out of a regional airport with limited airlines and it's frequently cheaper for us to add the $99 per person per way and use O's air than do our own. Those that fly out of major markets have better options.

 

Ask around on your Oceania cruise for some recommendations. People with a good agent are more than happy to let you know who they use. The only caveat are those that use a company that gives them a spiff for recommendations. 

[Kate-AHF]

Super suggestions Orv!  It was a learning curve for me (us).  I have to admit, we have one agent for one specific line, and another for O.  They both have their strengths, but those strengths don't overlap.

[Classiccruiser777]

43 minutes ago, Kate-AHF said:

Super suggestions Orv!  It was a learning curve for me (us).  I have to admit, we have one agent for one specific line, and another for O.  They both have their strengths, but those strengths don't overlap.

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/find-agent/

 

[Janet-]

On 8/8/2019 at 10:53 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

Of course, the two segment "extended journey" cruises can be booked as individual cruises, I.e., Segment A OR Segment B. But, if the two segments are also marketed as an official "extended journey," you CANNOT book them as two separate cruises (each with their own original booking names/numbers) - each with RT airfare credit, multiple O Club perks, etc. If your TA does this, the error will get caught by the booking software.

 

Has this changed recently.

We booked on board last summer for an autumn departure and received full O life benefits, air credits and cruise credits for each of the 3 b2bs. The second and third cruises were offered as an extended voyage. What we didn't get was the 5% discount on the 2nd and 3rd cruise. We did get it for the 1st though.