Simply More Pricing for Shore Excursions

[ak1004]

17 minutes ago, ORV said:

Yeah, that's a pretty known glitch in the reservation system. Most regulars recommend calling in or if you have a competent TA have them take care of it. It will give you the proper discount if you put them all in at once, but if you piecemeal it then it doesn't work right. 

 

By put them all in at once you mean the same day? Same session? 

[ORV]

1 minute ago, ak1004 said:

 

By put them all in at once you mean the same day? Same session? 

Yes, same session, anything else will not give the discount, even the same day. 

[smwp]

Are you a travel agent?  Very knowledgeable!  We have relatives in Southwest MO.  Husband born in Miami, MO.  He went to school at Mizzou.  Maybe we will cross paths on the ship.

[ORV]

14 hours ago, smwp said:

Are you a travel agent?  Very knowledgeable!  We have relatives in Southwest MO.  Husband born in Miami, MO.  He went to school at Mizzou.  Maybe we will cross paths on the ship.

No, I'm not a travel agent. I have cruised on Oceania a lot, and have recently booked excursions for 3 different upcoming cruises. I learned this from trial and error. The errors I had to get my excellent travel agent to fix. 

 

Oddly enough I don't know Miami MO, I do know Miami OK, which is pretty close to us. My wife received her Doctorate degree from Mizzou and I have a nephew that graduated from there. Interestingly enough I grew up in Western TN. Maybe we will meet on board someday. 

[That Said]

That Said, why do I always feel like there are so many travel agents and influencers posting on Cruise Critic? (Not me ... this is my first post!)

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, That Said said:

That Said, why do I always feel like there are so many travel agents and influencers posting on Cruise Critic? (Not me ... this is my first post!)

Maybe they are just people that know  Oceania & how it works 😉

Welcome to CC

[Jockocruiser]

28 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Maybe they are just people that know  Oceania & how it works 😉

Welcome to CC

So there are or aren’t influencers? 

[LHT28]

4 minutes ago, Jockocruiser said:

So there are or aren’t influencers? 

Depends on your perspective 😉

Some people may influence others to try Oceania  but are not paid influencers

YMMV

 

[pinotlover]

14 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Depends on your perspective 😉

Some people may influence others to try Oceania  but are not paid influencers

YMMV

 

While some do receive compensation from the cruise lines including Oceania. On a cruise, pre Covid, had a gentleman laying out the benefits they received from his wife’s diligent on line CC efforts and blogs.

 

Mixed bag. After awhile one will get strong indications. They come and go. Not a job they can do for too long without arousing suspicion.

[smwp]

ORV, Miami is near Marshall, which is not too far from Columbia.

 

We will also be doing August, Nautica, from Edinburgh to Boston.  Not as long as the one from Lima to BA.  Will see how we do on the longest cruise we have ever done.

[ORV]

28 minutes ago, smwp said:

ORV, Miami is near Marshall, which is not too far from Columbia.

 

We will also be doing August, Nautica, from Edinburgh to Boston.  Not as long as the one from Lima to BA.  Will see how we do on the longest cruise we have ever done.

I looked it up on a map. So we will be on the cruise together in Aug, I see you posted yesterday on the Roll Call. We're looking forward to that trip. 

[susiesan]

What happens if your cruise was bookish SM, you have e a large shore ex credit, and most of your ports get cancelled like what's happening now to the pax on revised Middle East cruises. If you can't use your shore ex credit are you just out the money? 

[basor]

Just now, susiesan said:

What happens if your cruise was bookish SM, you have e a large shore ex credit, and most of your ports get cancelled like what's happening now to the pax on revised Middle East cruises. If you can't use your shore ex credit are you just out the money? 

I don't think anyone can answer that question at this time since SM just started one month ago and so little to base any kind of a qualified response...the updated itineraries have been announced ahead of time, so those booked under SM can adjust their chosen shore excursion to use in the ports that have been added.  No one has a crystal ball ....but many will jump in with their theories on how O will screw them.

[pinotlover]

11 hours ago, susiesan said:

What happens if your cruise was bookish SM, you have e a large shore ex credit, and most of your ports get cancelled like what's happening now to the pax on revised Middle East cruises. If you can't use your shore ex credit are you just out the money? 

SM is a price hike. You’re wanting to sweat the minutia. It’s the new cost of cruising Oceania. Take it or leave it.

 

I typically eat ashore in every port. We like to enjoy the local fresh cuisine of the countries we visit, not everyone’s bag. We never got OBC, or other credit, for all those unconsumed ship’s meals, nor for all the wine we didn’t drink while on a drinks package. We still had to pay $25 corkage  to not drink their wine on a premium package! Notwithstanding any of that, we still ate where, and drank as we please.

 

Same goes for shore excursions. We’re not traveling half way around to world to feel obligated to take an Oceania shore excursion which we often don’t enjoy. We’ll look at all our alternatives and choose the tours that best satisfy our wants and desires at each port. If shore excursions credit is left on the table, then it becomes just like that ship lunch I choose not to eat because I found far better elsewhere. 
 

SM is just a fare increase. In 2025, when we have our first SM cruise ( all our 24 cruises are OLife) we can decide 1st hand if SM is worth the price hike for us. Maybe, maybe not.

[susiesan]

28 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

SM is a price hike. You’re wanting to sweat the minutia. It’s the new cost of cruising Oceania. Take it or leave it.

 

 

I will be leaving it. Oceania's massive price increase is not worth it to me. I understand price increases are sometimes necessary, but I would have preferred to see a transparent price hike rather than a misleading  one called Simply More. Oceania no longer fits with my cruising travel style.

[FetaCheese]

A few days ago, I was looking at a specific cruise on O website...Ports

 

3 prices listed:  Reg tour price, Simply More Shore Excursion Package (price was less 25% discount), and Unlimited .

 

All three prices "were listed"

 

Today, Simply More Shore Excursion Package price is N/A, for every tour.  

 

Was assuming that all tours would be SM price, using Shorex credit, if booked under that scheme.

 

Today, not sure if shorex credit to be used at full price.

 

Before I ring up O to ask, does anyone have an explanation of shorex pricing under SM?

 

Thanks

 

(Lots of web maintenance occurring last few days, and tonight)

 

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by FetaCheese
addl info

[EJL2023]

29 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

A few days ago, I was looking at a specific cruise on O website...Ports

 

3 prices listed:  Reg tour price, Simply More Shore Excursion Package (price was less 25% discount), and Unlimited .

 

All three prices "were listed"

 

Today, Simply More Shore Excursion Package price is N/A, for every tour.  

 

Was assuming that all tours would be SM price, using Shorex credit, if booked under that scheme.

 

Today, not sure if shorex credit to be used at full price.

 

Before I ring up O to ask, does anyone have an explanation of shorex pricing under SM?

 

Thanks

 

(Lots of web maintenance occurring last few days, and tonight)

 

 

We have a cruise in January under SM and we used the credits and received the 25% discount when minimum number purchased. Also have a cruise next October in which the excursions just recently became available and looking under our online account it also shows the SM Shorex Pricing for each excursion with 25% discount when indicated number purchased. 

[daydreamer62]

1 hour ago, FetaCheese said:

A few days ago, I was looking at a specific cruise on O website...Ports

 

3 prices listed:  Reg tour price, Simply More Shore Excursion Package (price was less 25% discount), and Unlimited .

 

All three prices "were listed"

 

Today, Simply More Shore Excursion Package price is N/A, for every tour.  

 

Was assuming that all tours would be SM price, using Shorex credit, if booked under that scheme.

 

Today, not sure if shorex credit to be used at full price.

 

Before I ring up O to ask, does anyone have an explanation of shorex pricing under SM?

 

Thanks

 

(Lots of web maintenance occurring last few days, and tonight)

 

 

I just booked the minimum 7 excursions required for the SM discount and the prices were reduced accordingly. 

[FetaCheese]

7 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

A few days ago, I was looking at a specific cruise on O website...Ports

 

3 prices listed:  Reg tour price, Simply More Shore Excursion Package (price was less 25% discount), and Unlimited .

 

All three prices "were listed"

 

Today, Simply More Shore Excursion Package price is N/A, for every tour.  

 

Was assuming that all tours would be SM price, using Shorex credit, if booked under that scheme.

 

Today, not sure if shorex credit to be used at full price.

 

Before I ring up O to ask, does anyone have an explanation of shorex pricing under SM?

 

Thanks

 

(Lots of web maintenance occurring last few days, and tonight)

 

 

Rang up my "personal cruise consultant".  Did not know answer to my question.  Also asked about a Future Cruise Deposit Cert, purchased onboard, re: cabin discount combinability with that cruise, and whether best price guarantee would apply.  Did not know.  Will ask supervisor on Monday and get back to me.

 

Said a minimum # of shorex must be purchased for 25% discount applied.  How many?  Again, will have to ask supervisor. ( I suspected he was talking about Olife shorex scheme, no longer offered.)

 

Friendly and nice enough guy, but why does O put these PCCs out there without proper training?

Edited November 4, 2023 by FetaCheese
Addl info

[EJL2023]

33 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Rang up my "personal cruise consultant".  Did not know answer to my question.  Also asked about a Future Cruise Deposit Cert, purchased onboard, re: cabin discount combinability with that cruise, and whether best price guarantee would apply.  Did not know.  Will ask supervisor on Monday and get back to me.

 

Said a minimum # of shorex must be purchased for 25% discount applied.  How many?  Again, will have to ask supervisor. ( I suspected he was talking about Olife shorex scheme, no longer offered.)

 

Friendly and nice enough guy, but why does O put these PCCs out there without proper training?

Just so clear….you are wanting to know number required on a cruise you are interests in, but not yet booked? How many port days in said cruise?

[Redtravel]

Got itinerary change this week.  Stop in Turkey was changed.  Since we had booked a shore excursion in Turkey which was canceled, we dropped below the minimum required tours for the 25% discount.  Online, we couldn’t add another tour and keep the discount. Called Oceania.  Rep helped us book a replacement excursion.  New total cost was less than previous total.  We were issued a credit for the difference.  

[FetaCheese]

45 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Just so clear….you are wanting to know number required on a cruise you are interests in, but not yet booked? How many port days in said cruise?

15 night cruise, 9 port days,  $1,000 shorex credit.  Not booked yet, just enquiring about FCC Deposit, and how SM Shorex credit would be spent.  

 

Subsequently, I just checked a few random cruises,  and all 3 shorex prices were listed, but not on cruise of interest.

 

But specifically, does 25% discount apply to 1st shorex thru all purchased, or only after a minimum # purchased.

Edited November 5, 2023 by FetaCheese
Correction

[FetaCheese]

8 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Got itinerary change this week.  Stop in Turkey was changed.  Since we had booked a shore excursion in Turkey which was canceled, we dropped below the minimum required tours for the 25% discount.  Online, we couldn’t add another tour and keep the discount. Called Oceania.  Rep helped us book a replacement excursion.  New total cost was less than previous total.  We were issued a credit for the difference.  

Did you book under Olife shorex amenity, or SM?

[Redtravel]

sm

[EJL2023]

29 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

15 night cruise, 9 port days,  $1,000 shorex credit.  Not booked yet, just enquiring about FCC Deposit, and how SM Shorex credit would be spent.  

 

Subsequently, I just checked a few random cruises,  and all 3 shorex prices were listed, but not on cruise of interest.

 

But specifically, does 25% discount apply to 1st shorex thru all purchased, or only after a minimum # purchased.

Just from my past cruises in that general number of port days….this is what I have had to purchase looking at my past excursion pdf…..10 port days>minimum was 6, 8 port days> minimum was 5 and 7 port days> minimum was 4.  So, guessing either 5 or 6 mimimum…..and the outlier is one with 19 port days with minimum of 10.  

Edited November 5, 2023 by EJL2023