Gratuities & beverage package

[KevintheIrishDJ]

New to Oceania.  Could not find info about Gratuities & beverage package on the website.  Are gratuities included & what's included in the beverage package?

[AMHuntFerry]

I wasn't sure if you were asking about gratuities and beverage packages as two separate items, or if you were asking about gratuities being included in beverage package prices.

I have roamed the website to death, so here are the useful items:

Gratuities (general)...

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/legal/terms-conditions/

Scroll down to the gratuities section.

 

Beverage packages...

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/value

Scroll down to the lower left and click on beverage packages. It has some info about beverage packages and  a link to a sample menu

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Documents/Menus/1694/Bar-Menu.pdf

 

I think I have seen that the beverage package includes the gratuity, but I'll see if I can dig up something in writing from O.

[AMHuntFerry]

Here we go! I went to a current booking, so here is an example of what you'll see:

View and Shop Beverage Package

Our beverage packages enhance your onboard experience while offering excellent value and the luxury of convenience. In addition, receive a 20% discount on any of our exclusive wine pairing dinners in La Reserve on board with the purchase of a beverage package.

HOUSE SELECT-WINE BY GLASS & BEER W/MEAL

Unlimited champagne, wine and beer with lunch and dinner.

$399.50
($39.95 per guest, per day
Gratuity Included)

PRESTIGE SELECT - WINE, BEER & SPIRITS

Unlimited premium spirits, champagne, wine and beer wherever and whenever you wish.

$599.50
($59.95 per guest, per day
Gratuity Included)

 

The price will of course vary depending on the length of the cruise. Also, many people don't buy the package until 2-3+ days in for various reasons (free booze, BYOB, etc.). One possibly important thing...the 20% off for LaReserve is only available to those who purchase a beverage package, but not for those who choose the beverage package as the O-Life perk (even if they upgrade).

[Flatbush Flyer]

Once you reach O Club “silver,” O covers gratuities. Most O-savvy TAs will cover the gratuities in one way or another (and many of them will share their commissions with you).

FWIW: Though rewarding, many specifics of O policies/practices can appear complicated to newbies. Whatever, your newbie questions may be, learn to use the CC search feature since there’s a zillion useful/detailed threads answering your questions. Likewise, learn to search the O website including perusing the specifics of your Ticket Contract and Terms & Conditions. 

Also, read and digest every line of your O invoice and any post-booking emails your receive from O - directly or via your TA.

[KatieBelle]

18 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Likewise, learn to search the O website including perusing the specifics of your Ticket Contract and Terms & Conditions. 

Also, read and digest every line of your O invoice and any post-booking emails your receive from O - directly or via your TA.

+1 and Ditto.  I might also add to read the FAQs on the O website.  And in the coming months we will be checking and re-reading the Sail Safe policy.  It is being updated quite often.

Katie

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, KatieBelle said:

+1 and Ditto.  I might also add to read the FAQs on the O website.  And in the coming months we will be checking and re-reading the Sail Safe policy.  It is being updated quite often.

Katie

Add to this list reading and copying whatever “Travelers Assurance” policies are in effect at the time of your booking deposit. These policies change often (regarding things like penalty date revisions) and passengers are governed by what was in place when they booked.

[PhD-iva]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Add to this list reading and copying whatever “Travelers Assurance” policies are in effect at the time of your booking deposit. These policies change often (regarding things like penalty date revisions) and passengers are governed by what was in place when they booked.

I thought this was very good advice so I went over to the O website to search “travelers assurance.” I didn’t find anything, and scrolled around for a while. I was able to download the PDF of frequently asked questions to the sail safe program. Is this what you meant? Am I missing something? Thank you in advance.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I thought this was very good advice so I went over to the O website to search “travelers assurance.” I didn’t find anything, and scrolled around for a while. I was able to download the PDF of frequently asked questions to the sail safe program. Is this what you meant? Am I missing something? Thank you in advance.

In the earlier times of the Covid mess, there was also a link on the O home page (along with the SailSafe one). It was called “Travelers Assurance Program.” It explained what, at that point in time, was the policy accommodation the passenger’s consideration of cancellation et al. For example, one version basically said “you can cancel up to 2 weeks prior to embarkation - without penalty.” Of course, a month later, it may have changed (or finally was eliminated). Whatever the case, it was what the site link said on the day of your deposit that governs your cruise. And there are still plenty of folks with upcoming cruises who have that assurance. Hopefully, they made a copy of that policy though I am pretty sure (from conversations with a trusted O booking rep) that bookings made while the Traveler Assurance Program was publicized have a notation on their account IDing which version of the policy they have.

[PhD-iva]

I think that program is no longer active for current bookings, but I could be mistaken.

[Flatbush Flyer]

21 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I think that program is no longer active for current bookings, but I could be mistaken.

It may be that the deadlines on all versions have passed. However, if someone’s version says (for example) something to the effect “on all cruises through November 2022,” that is a “contract” and I doubt O would not honor it in part because it represents a relative “rounding error” in their daily bottom line (even though elsewhere in their fine print, it may say “offer can be rescinded at any time.”

[Nol2929]

As for the gratuity question we are booked on the Riviera for October 2022 (Med) and gratuities were included on this specific cruise along with some other specific cruises as a promo. 

It also appears that only certain travel agents are able to offer the free gratuity on our cruise as I compared with another agency and they were not able to offer it.

(Our free gratuity is for Ship gratuity and not alcohol or packages gratuities) 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Nol2929

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, Nol2929 said:

As for the gratuity question we are booked on the Riviera for October 2022 (Med) and gratuities were included on this specific cruise along with some other specific cruises as a promo. 

It also appears that only certain travel agents are able to offer the free gratuity on our cruise as I compared with another agency and they were not able to offer it.

The Gratuities offered by some Travel Agencies are  the daily  amounts (Waitstaff/Housekeeping)  they do not cover beverages or spa gratuities

[Flatbush Flyer]

4 minutes ago, Nol2929 said:

As for the gratuity question we are booked on the Riviera for October 2022 (Med) and gratuities were included on this specific cruise along with some other specific cruises as a promo. 

It also appears that only certain travel agents are able to offer the free gratuity on our cruise as I compared with another agency and they were not able to offer it.

Your post may easily confuse a lot of folks.

Who specifically is providing the gratuities? 
In general, unless it is a specific sale/special, O does not provide gratuities directly to passengers until you reach the O Club silver level. On the other hand, TA’s can provide gratuities coverage from one or more multiple sources: TA commissions, O incentive funds, TA consortium deals, etc. 

BTW: once you get to O Club Silver, still check to see if your TA has a source (other than from their commission which you’ll hope/ask to share) to cover them. If the TA does cover the gratuities, O will then give Silver and above O Club members $250/cabin SBC “in lieu.”

[Nol2929]

8 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Your post may easily confuse a lot of folks.

Who specifically is providing the gratuities? 
In general, unless it is a specific sale/special, O does not provide gratuities directly to passengers until you reach the O Club silver level. On the other hand, TA’s can provide gratuities coverage from one or more multiple sources: TA commissions, O incentive funds, TA consortium deals, etc. 

BTW: once you get to O Club Silver, still check to see if your TA has a source (other than from their commission which you’ll hope/ask to share) to cover them. If the TA does cover the gratuities, O will then give Silver and above O Club members $250/cabin SBC “in lieu.”

 ...appears only certain TA are able to offer the free gratuity? Don't mean to confuse I apologize if I did and thanks for the additional info. 

My point was that there are free gratuities being offered out there by some TA and only on specific cruises from what I could see.  On our specific cruise I found several who offered and some that did not. Correct it is not offered on the O website for our cruise.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Nol2929 said:

 ...appears only certain TA are able to offer the free gratuity? Don't mean to confuse I apologize if I did and thanks for the additional info. 

My point was that there are free gratuities being offered out there by some TA and only on specific cruises from what I could see.  On our specific cruise I found several who offered and some that did not. Correct it is not offered on the O website for our cruise.  

Any TA can offer gratuities on any cruise. The issue is how will they cover the cost (which I’ve already explained in the earlier post) and whether they want to (for which passenger[s] on which cruise[s]).