2 questions: tipping and excursion selection

[MomC]

It has been several years since we cruised with Oceania.  Can we use our shipboard credit to pay for tips?  What is the going tipping rate for a penthouse or concierge cabin?

 

Also, we have made deposit on our cruise, at what point can we select our excursions?  Can we do it now or do we have to wait until after final payment?

 

Thanking you in advance for your answers.

 

Mom C

[Hawaiidan]

27 minutes ago, MomC said:

It has been several years since we cruised with Oceania.  Can we use our shipboard credit to pay for tips?  What is the going tipping rate for a penthouse or concierge cabin?

 

Also, we have made deposit on our cruise, at what point can we select our excursions?  Can we do it now or do we have to wait until after final payment?

 

Thanking you in advance for your answers.

 

Mom C

Well  yes... you can use on board credit to pay for tips and settle  at final payment at the end of the cruise..   

 However  in a PH your paying $46 per day automatically billed to you and paid by what ever means you have.   

 If you feel that $46 a day ($466 for a 10 days) is not enough  then the sky is the limit but over the  that basic  you will have to pay in cash to the person to whom you wish it to go to..   Bar staff get 20%  on every drink 

  In many cases, most feel that unless some extraordinary service is given that the standard billing is satisfactory.    But...its your money  do as you deem fit.

 

As to  selecting a shore ex,  you can do that I think 180 days prior to the cruise.  However, you must pay in full at the time you select that trip..You pay by credit card or from any balance in a on board account.   it's cash and carry.now.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Hawaiidan

[LHT28]

You can book excursions as soon as they are available

Yes  the gratuities will be deducted from your OBC 

 

PH is $23 PP 

 

https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005307374-How-much-are-Gratuities-and-can-they-be-prepaid-

 

[pinotlover]

Traditionally ship shorex came out about 270 days pre cruise. Now they are being offered 365+ days out on some cruises. They’ll gladly take your money as soon as you’re willing to pay ! 😂

Edited April 13, 2022 by pinotlover

[MomC]

Thank you so much!  I knew I would get an answer from people on Cruise Critic!  Best resource for anyone going on a cruise!

[YoPhilly]

54 minutes ago, MomC said:

Thank you so much!  I knew I would get an answer from people on Cruise Critic!  Best resource for anyone going on a cruise!

As Smokey Robinson said, "I second that emotion!" 😁

[Snuffie]

If you have Olife on board credit (say $400 pp or $800 total) can you reserve Shore ex prior to final payment?

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, Snuffie said:

If you have Olife on board credit (say $400 pp or $800 total) can you reserve Shore ex prior to final payment?

Yes you can use your OBC  for booking shorex   but best to take the Shore excursion option for the O life  perk unless you are booking the more expensive options

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/media/2018/OCEANIA+CRUISES+UNVEILS+NEW+GUEST+EXPERIENCE+ENHANCEMENTS+-+More+Convenient+Ways+to+Plan%2c+Save%2c+Spend%2c+and+Travel+are+part+of+OceaniaNEXT/

[pinotlover]

Perhaps this is separate from the question but for clarification here goes. TA provided OBC is typically not available for spending until actually aboard the ship. Since shore ex, LaReserve, Privee, etc. must all be paid at the time of booking, those anticipated funds are not available as a credit.

 

Separately, I have seen the same with gifted reimbursable OBC. A couple we are friends with got sizable wedding gifts of OBC for their honeymoon. The OBC was reimbursable to them, but I don’t believe O allowed them to credit future ship board expenses with it. They had to wait until aboard to use it. That was in 2017 and I’m not sure if that policy has changed.

[hawkesbaynz]

My usual cruise line allows me to easily cancel excursions and refund my CC  immediately. We have a cruise to the Falkland Islands and O is already taking bookings for excursions (at elevated rates). The local providers are not taking bookings yet as the islands are closed for tourists.  I am a little anxious that options will be limited when it opens, thus am considering hedging my bets by booking an O excursion but cancel if my preferred small group tour opens with a recommend guide.  Views?

[LHT28]

7 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

My usual cruise line allows me to easily cancel excursions and refund my CC  immediately. We have a cruise to the Falkland Islands and O is already taking bookings for excursions (at elevated rates). The local providers are not taking bookings yet as the islands are closed for tourists.  I am a little anxious that options will be limited when it opens, thus am considering hedging my bets by booking an O excursion but cancel if my preferred small group tour opens with a recommend guide.  Views?

I believe if you cancel  before embarkation you get a refund to your CC maybe not  right that minute but with in a few days

If you cancel onboard but within the cancellation time frame (should be on the invoice  page 3  they will give you a REFUNDABLE OBC  which  will be given to you on the last full day of the cruise (if not used) in cash

 

[Hawaiidan]

Yes....  you can book in advance with onboard credit and It will be deducted. from that ballance.   If you charge  on a credit card and cancel, then withing 14 days or so you will get a refund to the card.    Speaking of which  if you charge your cruise/ deposit ( getting a ton of FF or hotel points) and cancel, you will likewise get any refund to the creditcard  .     I only pay with a CC for travel of any sort with a CC because it is insured by the CC, AND as mentioned  gets airline miles which along with normal day to day charges will qucikly add up to free travel in the future.     Be realistic, you like travel right?     So why not start racking up  points that in a year or so will pay off big time.     Like a travel savings account.   Never spend $1 that you do not get $1.25+ back on is my mantra.

[hawkesbaynz]

@Hawaiidan thanks for the advice! You think like me. All my cruise flights are business class with airpoints through Amex spend. Likewise hotel bookings via an airlines portal to hotels.com for airpoints and free hotel night accrual (if the prices comparable). 

[JeffElizabeth]

Our ship was half empty so we waited to book until on board and we weren't denied any excursions.  

[pinotlover]

44 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Our ship was half empty so we waited to book until on board and we weren't denied any excursions.  

The above mentioned cruise to the Falklands is 9-10 months out. Are you predicting half empty ships then also?

 

Some shore excursions are capacity controlled while others are not. The Falklands tour to Volunteer Point, for example, is capacity controlled by the government. Only a smallish number of passes are allowed there daily. With ships in the harbor, demand often exceeds supply.

 

Some tours sell out months early and are not available once aboard. Others may be readily available right up to tour time.

[sunlover12]

58 minutes ago, JeffElizabeth said:

Our ship was half empty so we waited to book until on board and we weren't denied any excursions.  

The cruise I was on last month was 75% full and some excursions were sold out. We made the mistake of waiting until 6 weeks before the cruise to book excursions and saw that a couple of them that we had our eye on were already sold out.  On embarkation day, I went to the shore excursion desk to inquire of availability.  Still sold out. If there is a shore excursion that is of interest to you, I'd book it when it becomes available.  I surely wouldn't wait until I'm on board.

YMMV

[pinotlover]

On 4/15/2022 at 2:00 AM, hawkesbaynz said:

My usual cruise line allows me to easily cancel excursions and refund my CC  immediately. We have a cruise to the Falkland Islands and O is already taking bookings for excursions (at elevated rates). The local providers are not taking bookings yet as the islands are closed for tourists.  I am a little anxious that options will be limited when it opens, thus am considering hedging my bets by booking an O excursion but cancel if my preferred small group tour opens with a recommend guide.  Views?

Not sure if you’re on the same cruise that I am. We go out of BA on 27 Feb on the Marina. If you are, check out our Roll Call. 

 

Our highly recommended Falklands tour company is now taking tour reservations. He says upfront it’s not guaranteed yet that cruise ships will be allowed in next year, but they are feeling confident enough to start taking reservations. The population of the Falklands is 3500 people with a good portion of those being kin. If he’s now feeling confident that’s a good indication it’ll happen, unless another unforeseen event occurs. 
 

No deposits required. If you need more information, check out our roll call. You’ll also find my email address there.

[hawkesbaynz]

Thanks @pinot lover I am in the cruise prior to you. I would love to go to volunteer point but DW not keen on the length of journey.  Actually the O selection is pretty slim. I am reaching out to some tour groups now.