Oceania’s 20th Anniversary $600 onboard credit

[m1k2s3]

I just saw on the Oceania website that the cruise we’ve booked in May 2023, is now offering this 20th Anniversary $600 onboard credit. For your experience, what are the chances we’ll get that too? We booked this cruise back in September 2022.

[Astro Flyer]

40 minutes ago, m1k2s3 said:

I just saw on the Oceania website that the cruise we’ve booked in May 2023, is now offering this 20th Anniversary $600 onboard credit. For your experience, what are the chances we’ll get that too? We booked this cruise back in September 2022.

My cruise booked in September 2022 for this September is included with this promotion & I contacted my TA who contacted O to add a $400 OBC to our 7 day cruise. All cruises are not included in this promotion & since your cruise is included contact your booking source to have it simply added.

 

Check to see if the cruise fare is the same price which was our experience. In recent discussions some people have posted their cruise fare increased so the 20th anniversary promotion did not provide a lower net price.

 

I’ve just booked a 2024 cruise & we’re receiving an $800 OBC for our 15 day cruise.

Checking the T&Cs for this promotion it includes residents of the US and Canada.

 

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

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Astro Flyer

[gingerspike]

Can anyone tell me if the 20th anniversary offer is combinable with the 10% past guest discount?

 

I'm thinking of booking Exalted East Asia in April 2024.

 

TIA

 

[jonthomas]

It is not combinable...I just tried it today for a new booking...it is one or the other....

 

 

[jonthomas]

Just now, jonthomas said:

It is not combinable...I just tried it today for a new booking...it is one or the other....

 

 

  Take the 10% off price....unless the extra OBCs are of value to you, for tours, drinks etc...

 

we have always done private tours...but after covid and all the changes that are unexpected, I wouldnt dare organize a private tour...so we need our obcs for tours now...

[gingerspike]

Thank you. 

We'll be taking the 10%. Cash in hand is better, IMHO. 

We usually do private tours also.  This will be our first time in Asia, so I'm sure there will be a mix. 

[ORV]

5 hours ago, jonthomas said:

unless the extra OBCs are of value to you, for tours, drinks etc...

Unless I'm missing something that shouldn't matter, only what gives you the biggest discount. 

[loriva]

On 1/25/2023 at 2:00 PM, m1k2s3 said:

I just saw on the Oceania website that the cruise we’ve booked in May 2023, is now offering this 20th Anniversary $600 onboard credit. For your experience, what are the chances we’ll get that too? We booked this cruise back in September 2022.

 

I also found today that our cruise in December 2024 is included in the 20th Anniversary sale.  The base fare went up $100/pp but we received an additional $300/pp OBC--so a net gain of $200/pp.  Contacted our TA who contacted Oceania who "re-fared" our cruise.  Essentially a new booking, but they moved our deposit over so no additional funds out of our pocket now and an extra $400 when we sail.

[jonthomas]

guess I have the wrong agent and agency...they have been trying to unscrew up the screwed up mess created ....still not able to do anything for us....and that is at management level....with the price not having gone up....

 

I really need to talk to some of you while on board  to find out who you deal with....

[MEFIowa]

14 hours ago, loriva said:

... I also found today that our cruise in December 2024 is included in the 20th Anniversary sale.  The base fare went up $100/pp but we received an additional $300/pp OBC--so a net gain of $200/pp....

As someone who does "cruise only" with O, you've been fooled. The "net" was -$100/pp. That is money you have to pay. Out your pocket. Real money. As for OBC, that is NOT money you collect to add to your pocket. It isn't normal money. Given the mark ups by O, you're lucky to get 50 cents on the OBC dollar for whatever it is you're receiving! About the only exception is to pay the gratuity charge with OBC, since you will have to pay real money for that. But on a 10-day cruise the increase in cabin price means even doing that is only what, $60 or $80 saved? Not a net of $200.

 

Do this thought experiment: O says, "We have to raise your fare by $2000 but we'll give you $3000 OBC." What is the net? $-2000? Or +$1000?

[MEFIowa]

On 1/25/2023 at 8:54 PM, ORV said:

Unless I'm missing something that shouldn't matter, only what gives you the biggest discount. 

 

14 hours ago, loriva said:

I also found today that our cruise in December 2024 is included in the 20th Anniversary sale.  The base fare went up $100/pp but we received an additional $300/pp OBC--so a net gain of $200/pp. ...

OBC is not cold hard cash nor really an equivalent, esp. in light of O's mark ups on board and what you can do for yourself (own excursions, bring your own alcohol, etc.). The truest "sale" is the cabin upgrade. Our 11/2023 Riviera cruise on the Memorial Day Sale 2022 dropped the price of a B4 by $650. And since there was a price increase. So today that B4 is $2999/pp. We paid $2249/pp. Cruise only. We're paying $750 less pp. Hardly any amount of OBC will net that to even zero for us. I'll just smile if someone tells me "We got $400/pp OBC." I'll say, we saved $750 pp.

 

Makes me sad that apparently there won't be a 2023 Presidents' Day sale, since this one runs thru the end of February. The 2021 one got me an A4 a 10-night on Riviera for just $2099/pp. Same cruise, same ship next month? $3999/pp. Cruise only.

[jonthomas]

but if the price has not gone up, the extra obcs can go towards gratuities....and if you have gratuities, it can go towards a tour.....

[MEFIowa]

4 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

but if the price has not gone up, the extra obcs can go towards gratuities....and if you have gratuities, it can go towards a tour.....

But what specific price? A non-sale price? Or an actual sale price for your cabin? I can use the money saved on the cabin during a cabin-upgrade sale to pay for airfare. And now we're "up" a couple thousand dollars pp compared to O's prices!

 

I just marvel at how little discussion there is for so many who might cruise A1-G cabins for the cabin upgrade sales. And how so few seem to have realized that this "sale" is hardly anything for anyone who might've enjoyed a prior cabin-upgrade sale. I've done one cabin-upgrade sale cruise, booked one on-board that cruise & have sailed on it from that first cruise for our 2nd, and have 2 more cabin-upgrade sale cruises waiting (2023 & 2024 respectively).

[jonthomas]

very wise ....I will follow your example...

 

as for what specific price, it was the opening price ...when first came out...

 

but yes probably not as good as the cabin upgrade sale....

 

right now I cant get my agency to figure out how to give me any kind of sale...

[loriva]

7 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

As someone who does "cruise only" with O, you've been fooled. The "net" was -$100/pp. That is money you have to pay. Out your pocket. Real money. As for OBC, that is NOT money you collect to add to your pocket. It isn't normal money. Given the mark ups by O, you're lucky to get 50 cents on the OBC dollar for whatever it is you're receiving! About the only exception is to pay the gratuity charge with OBC, since you will have to pay real money for that. But on a 10-day cruise the increase in cabin price means even doing that is only what, $60 or $80 saved? Not a net of $200.

 

Do this thought experiment: O says, "We have to raise your fare by $2000 but we'll give you $3000 OBC." What is the net? $-2000? Or +$1000?

 

We always do the math as well.  The price difference between the Anniversary Sale price (after the air credit is deducted as we do not need it) and the cruise-only fare is $300/pp.  We will be receiving $600/pp in OBC from the Anniversary Sale and the OLife package ($300/pp from each promotion).  We will use that to pay for gratuities, a dinner or two in La Reserve, plus our bar bill including corkage for wines we'll carry on.  I know many people find great value in taking the shorex package (where you could get up to $600/pp in value versus $300/pp OBC), but I found equivalent tours for the shorex that looked of interest to us on our Oceania cruise next month and found the prices much lower when done independently.  One that I was sure was the same provider was $119 from O and $69 directly.  So, a little better than 50 cents on the dollar, but not by much.  We do not drink enough to find the drink packages work out for us, so won't take that OLife option nor buy a package.  While I understand your point about an additional $200 outlay of cold, hard cash the value we'll receive from the $1,200 in OBC provides value to us.  Even if it is only 50 cents on the dollar, we still seem to be ahead by $400 -- $1,200 divided in half equals $600 minus $200 equals $400. 

[MEFIowa]

16 hours ago, loriva said:

 

We always do the math as well. ...

And that is all that counts! Whatever math works for you.

 

Though just as for the Excursions, we do our own. And the O ones don't come close to being what we want. For example, we did a Go With Gus Rio Dulce & Livingston tour in Guatemala (12/2021) and both a Black Point Tunnel on St Vincent & a Puerto Plata City/National Park/Forest/Cable Car tour in the Dominican Republic (11/2022). O had neither and nothing really like them. So often the "value" of their excursions is either zero or negative (if I can't go where I truly want to go I have no desire to waste money on going where I don't want to be).

[loriva]

4 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

For example, we did a Go With Gus Rio Dulce & Livingston tour in Guatemala (12/2021)

 

Do you recall how you booked this, @MEFIowa?  The "Go with Gus" website shows a message of "no online availability" for any dates (whole months) when I try online booking.  I used the "Contact Us" link over a week ago and have not received a response from that.  The number that comes up with the "no availability" is completely different (even different area code) from the contact number on their website.  I've had issues with other tour operators--even those with good reviews on CC.com or TripAdvisor--who have made fraudulent charges on our credit card, so am very careful now in booking.

 

Many thanks,

 

[MEFIowa]

8 minutes ago, loriva said:

 

Do you recall how you booked this, @MEFIowa?  The "Go with Gus" website shows a message of "no online availability" for any dates (whole months) when I try online booking.  I used the "Contact Us" link over a week ago and have not received a response from that. ...

 

My wife does the excursions. She uses Viator a lot. She contacted them in the summer of 2021. A long time ago. For our cruise that was 12/13-23/2021. Also a long time ago. I have no idea if they are still around. Just remember talking with the local guide leader during the tour about the company. For some reason I'm thinking he said the owner was older and may have been trying to sell it. Or close it down. But can't say for sure.

 

I see there is still the web site:

 

Go with Gus Shore Excursions Tours Provider

 

Edited January 28, 2023 by MEFIowa

[jonthomas]

On our last cruise on Marina in the Med, several people had guides that did not show up, deposits lost.

We never give dep on private tours, but more and more companies want it.

 

Also some ports are in flux, bad sea, shortened times, no internet to communicate with private tour guides.

 

Pre covid, I always organized private tours, now too  many ifs....

[makai 7]

FYI it is $600 per cabin, not per person for the anniversary ob credit.

[MSEm]

We were opting for the $600 OBC, but TA added our O Club member numbers.  We were then eligible for the O Club member discount of 10% off cruise fare which isa better deal for us.

Agree, you have to do the math.

[loriva]

20 hours ago, makai 7 said:

FYI it is $600 per cabin, not per person for the anniversary ob credit.

 

Yes, you are absolutely correct--per cabin, not per person.  Shows up on My Account on Oceania.com as ppp.  And the numbers work out even--pp and per cabin--in our case as we are two in a cabin.  Sorry for the mis-statement and any confusion created.  Thank you for the correction!

[loriva]

16 hours ago, MSEm said:

We were opting for the $600 OBC, but TA added our O Club member numbers.  We were then eligible for the O Club member discount of 10% off cruise fare which isa better deal for us.

Agree, you have to do the math.

 

First-time Oceania cruisers, so will be O Club members after our sailing next month.  Can the O Club member discount be combined with other offers?  For example, OLife, OBC offers from TA,, and the NCLH shareholder benefits?  We found in booking our upcoming cruise that the latter two could not be combined with the Florida Residents' fare, so curious if the same applies to O Club fares.

[NewSalty]

1 hour ago, loriva said:

 

First-time Oceania cruisers, so will be O Club members after our sailing next month.  Can the O Club member discount be combined with other offers?  For example, OLife, OBC offers from TA,, and the NCLH shareholder benefits?  We found in booking our upcoming cruise that the latter two could not be combined with the Florida Residents' fare, so curious if the same applies to O Club fares.

Just to temper your expectations, it is my understanding that the O Club member discount only applies to certain cruises, chosen by Oceania's marketing team.

 

If you go to the website, a little ways down you'll see a "Featured Special Offers" with a horizontal scroll menu below it.  One of the pictured specials is the "Oceania Club Savings" - if you click on that, it will bring up a list of cruises that it applies to...  (40 cruises at this moment...)

[MSEm]

NCLH shareholder "benefits" are NOT combinable with any other offers. There are usually better "Offers" than the NCLH OBC.