Reality of Simply More Exc Credit

[edgee]

Currently on last day of 16 night Vista cruise. Yesterday at last port our snorkling shore excursion was cancelled..(slightly rough seas). No way to get a refund since excursion was purchased with Simply More excursion credit which can only be used for excursions. I appealed to Destinations team, who said they checked with Miami office,but no way we can use the credit because this was our last port on the cruise. Not a surprise really. Just a reminder of the reality and sometimes questionable value of Simply More.

Edited November 18, 2023 by edgee

[ak1004]

Isn't it the same with Viking, Silversea and Regent, where excursions are "free" (but of course reflected in the price), but if excursions are cancelled, you don't get any credit?

 

Now, I have another question. Lets say you got $400 SM credit per person, but booked excursions worth $700 and paid the difference. I assume in this case you do get a refund?

[edgee]

9 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Isn't it the same with Viking, Silversea and Regent, where excursions are "free" (but of course reflected in the price), but if excursions are cancelled, you don't get any credit?

 

Now, I have another question. Lets say you got $400 SM credit per person, but booked excursions worth $700 and paid the difference. I assume in this case you do get a refund?

I almost put your first point in my original post. I understand your thinking. I was thinking that if I was on Regent (on which we sometimes cruise) dealing with an included tour, I would not view things the same. Perhaps because the O Simply More credit has fixed dollar value to it and is listed on my invoice as money I cannot get back, the situation hits a raw nerve. As to your question, I assume if you have cash paid for part if your tours, I would hope a refund would be given, but who knows. I have a 25 night cruise on Marina coming up this summer and I have used up my full SM excursion credit plus paid significant additional funds for tours. I may find out through real experience if we miss ports or excursions are cancelled..which on a cruise that long could certainly happen.

 

[pinotlover]

I truly don’t understand the issue here. The new SM program is just a revenue enhancement for Oceania. We didn’t get money back for non consumed meals or alcohol when spending two nights and three days ashore in Israel in June. We got nothing back when eating ashore at lunch every day. You get nothing back for missing a shorex. It’s not about us! It’s about a revenue enhancement for Oceania. I don’t understand the underlying misconception some have ! Time to get over it and accept the new facts of cruising on Oceania. 
 

I wonder how many people will take Oceania shorexs they don’t really want to go on solely because of the credit? I view that credit just like the provided lunch aboard ship. If lunch ashore looks better ( which it typically does) , we eat ashore. If a private tour looks better than an O shorex, we’ll take the private tour. 

[GerryL13]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

I truly don’t understand the issue here. The new SM program is just a revenue enhancement for Oceania. We didn’t get money back for non consumed meals or alcohol when spending two nights and three days ashore in Israel in June. We got nothing back when eating ashore at lunch every day. You get nothing back for missing a shorex. It’s not about us! It’s about a revenue enhancement for Oceania. I don’t understand the underlying misconception some have ! Time to get over it and accept the new facts of cruising on Oceania. 
 

I wonder how many people will take Oceania shorexs they don’t really want to go on solely because of the credit? I view that credit just like the provided lunch aboard ship. If lunch ashore looks better ( which it typically does) , we eat ashore. If a private tour looks better than an O shorex, we’ll take the private tour. 

 

I think the discontent is because it is a change. Not that long ago, you could book cruise-only for a lower price, which suits some people. In fact, right now, you can be on a cruise with the SM package pricing and socializing with people who booked under the previous rules. That could extend for a long time. I'm booked on a spring 2025 program as cruise-only. The inconsistency of the current situation may be what is annoying. 

[edgee]

56 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

It’s not about us! It’s about a revenue enhancement for Oceania. I don’t understand the underlying misconception some have !

As I stated in response to ak1004, in a way it is the same as missing a tour on a cruise line where tours are included..or for that matter meal because you are on shore.

I was pointing out it is more irritating when an actual dollar amount is shown on invoice...that's all. Ultimately you are correct that it is all about O's revenue. However it is smart business to run a company that operates in a manner which is customer focused. I believe that the manner in which this Simply More scheme operates is overtly non customer focused. In the effort to "simplify" pricing by getting rid of OLife, they came up with a concept that is nearly as confusing as where they started IMHO.  Not so much in the cruise purchasing decision, but in the actual implementation. Invoice for my current cruise is most confusing. Difficult to sort out which credit is shore excursion credit and which is general on board credit. Perhaps in the future they can at least sort it out a little better. 

 

 

[ak1004]

Based on many data points, I believe that most O guests take at least some of ships excursions. This was true with oLife and still true with SM. If on a 10 day cruise you take 2-3 ships tours, you easily spend $400 per person if not more. So for most people not much has changed. And the cancelled port situation is no different from the previous model if someone took oLife and selected excursions. In both cases there is no refund.

 

Of course for people who book only private tours (and don't drink) it's a big change for worse.

[AMHuntFerry]

41 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

Based on many data points, I believe that most O guests take at least some of ships excursions. This was true with oLife and still true with SM. If on a 10 day cruise you take 2-3 ships tours, you easily spend $400 per person if not more. So for most people not much has changed. And the cancelled port situation is no different from the previous model if someone took oLife and selected excursions. In both cases there is no refund.

 

Of course for people who book only private tours (and don't drink) it's a big change for worse.

O-Life had a $100 refund if not used for another O-Life qualifying excursion.