What are Oceania's boarding procedures?

Travelcat2

If you look at the Early Boarding tread, still on the front page, you'll get a better feel for the situation.

The problem in the Terrace isn't typically the number of people that are there, but often times the number of suitcases, bags, backpacks, etc., etc. that is there clogging up the aisle ways and open areas. Since people don't want to drag around all the stuff they opted not to check, many will just camp out in the Terrace or in the pool area until their deck is called.

If people would board, at their assigned time, you wouldn't have people in the veranda suites, etc. clogging the areas up from 11:00 until perhaps 3:00 when there room is ready. The Penthouses and above would cycle through and then off to their rooms that are ready first, then the Concierge Class would soon be following with their rooms ready ~ 1:30 ish, then the rest. But that isn't what happens because many don't follow their instructions and purposely come early for their own reasons.

Hope that adequately explains the situation for you. :)

Don,

Thank you for the reminder that check-in is controlled by third parties and NOT by the cruise line.

I've had issues occasionally in both Miami and Ft Lauderdale and have heard so much chatter/grumbling around me blaming the line when they have no control.

Peggy

In terms of generally "forbidding" veranda passengers and lower from boarding early, I think Don is right.

When we boarded Regatta in Nov. '05 we came early because I'd blown out my knee the day before, so we came to the ship earlier than we normally would have. We were in an OS for the only time in our lives which turned out to be very fortunate since I was in a wheelchair or on crutches for that cruise.

However, as we came in (it was very crowded at the check-in area) there were people waiting to go up. We were told to go on ahead since we were in a suite. I saw a couple that we'd met the day before on the train coming back from Girona so I suggested that they come up with us, which they did. It turned out they were in a lower category which was why they'd been told to wait.

No one stopped them, but the couple they were traveling with was -- ostensibly for that "crowded Terrace cafe" reason, and no one's rooms were ready yet.

Mura

Again, thanks for the explanations. I still feel badly for the people that arrive in Miami on the day of embarkation with no where to go other than the cruise terminal to sit and wait. Unless I am mistaken, to have "free air", passengers have to arrive the day of embarkation. In these cases, people are not trying to beat the system -- they simply want to get on board in a comfortable environment to wait until they can go to their stateroom. This method certainly makes it difficult.

Even if people boarded and had to wait a while in the theater, it is better than sitting out in the cold (or hot) weather on a bench somewhere watching others board before them. I wonder if this is done on Azamara (I know it is not done on luxury cruise lines)?

As a matter of interest (or not), this policy was going to be implemented on Regent until the passengers went ballistic. Thankfully, Regent was given a last minute reprieve and the subject has not been broached since. Sometimes it is the little things that can make a new passenger feel welcome when trying a new cruise line while other little things can turn them away from future cruises.

We are hoping that our cruise later this week will give us more insight into the Oceania culture. We had a taste of it last year and liked it enough to return. We will be closely watching how the 3:00 p.m. boarding time will be handled when it is possible that 1,000+ passengers will be waiting to board.

TravelCat,

Our first cruise on an "R" ship was back in Oct '99, on Renaissance. The ship was the R2, now known as Regatta.

We did not opt for their air because we had previously booked an air fare to Milan for a road trip and since the dates were about the same, we just switched to the Renaissance cruise.

Our flight was fine (other than that we missed our departure on Day1 thanks to a super-efficient supervisor who thought he had all day to instruct others on how to change MY tickets, although my husband's change had gone through with no problem. The result was we missed our flight to Lisbon and had to come back the next day. The extra special bonus was that they shipped our luggage to Paris!

(At the time we had two days in a hotel courtesy of Renaissance, and we had planned on coming in two days before that so missing that flight wasn't the disaster that it might have been.)

However, once we were on board we loved the cruise but we were shocked to hear tails from other passengers who used the "free" air. Talk about impossible routings! We decided then never to use the free air ...

But that was Renaissance, and Oceania has not had those same problems ... although ... it is true that getting a direct route, even from NYC, may not happen.

We have on occasion used the ship's air without problems -- but most of the time we book our own.

Mura

Again, thanks for the explanations. I still feel badly for the people that arrive in Miami on the day of embarkation with no where to go other than the cruise terminal to sit and wait. Unless I am mistaken, to have "free air", passengers have to arrive the day of embarkation. In these cases, people are not trying to beat the system -- they simply want to get on board in a comfortable environment to wait until they can go to their stateroom. This method certainly makes it difficult.

 

Even if people boarded and had to wait a while in the theater, it is better than sitting out in the cold (or hot) weather on a bench somewhere watching others board before them. I wonder if this is done on Azamara (I know it is not done on luxury cruise lines)?

 

As a matter of interest (or not), this policy was going to be implemented on Regent until the passengers went ballistic. Thankfully, Regent was given a last minute reprieve and the subject has not been broached since. Sometimes it is the little things that can make a new passenger feel welcome when trying a new cruise line while other little things can turn them away from future cruises.

 

We are hoping that our cruise later this week will give us more insight into the Oceania culture. We had a taste of it last year and liked it enough to return. We will be closely watching how the 3:00 p.m. boarding time will be handled when it is possible that 1,000+ passengers will be waiting to board.

Based on my past experience on Oceania you might be over thinking this. I've always just gone to the ship when I was ready or when I got there. There In 7 cruises there have never been any issues.

TC2 - without wishing to sound anything other than genuine ...... I do wish you would get on that beautiful ship, enjoy all the privileges and perks that come with your beautiful suite, enjoy being treated well (as will everyone else on Oceania) and yes even like a "princess", enjoy the time with your DH, well just enjoy and stop all this wondering and, as ORV said, "over-thinking" everything! Life is way too short Mrs TC2!

Gosh, I'm still dreaming about the milkshakes (thick please!), the miso glazed sea bass, the delicious Dover sole in the GDR, to name but a few - the lovely day we spent lounging around doing nothing very much at all .... So TC2' stop sweating the small stuff and really, although it's very kind of you to be concerned about others, just get on the ship ..... And enjoy it - ALL OF IT! Do you hear me all the way across the seas??? LOL! :D:D

And I will be thinking of you while you sip your champagne and unpack, and ease those worries away "under the stars" - you will know what I mean! ;):D

The cruise on Riviera departing Miami this coming Saturday will be our first experience of cruising. In view of the delayed embarkation we would be grateful to know if we can drop off our bags at the Terminal, say around 1pm, before we return our hire car to Miami Airport? Or do we have to stay with our luggage?

The cruise on Riviera departing Miami this coming Saturday will be our first experience of cruising. In view of the delayed embarkation we would be grateful to know if we can drop off our bags at the Terminal, say around 1pm, before we return our hire car to Miami Airport? Or do we have to stay with our luggage?

Just drive to the terminal building the ports will be there to take your bags

You may want to keep a small carry on with your meds & valuables

Then go drop your car off

Some care rentals have drop off locations near the port you may want to check with them

Enjoy

Lyn

Just drive to the terminal building the ports will be there to take your bags

You may want to keep a small carry on with your meds & valuables

Then go drop your car off

 

Some care rentals have drop off locations near the port you may want to check with them

 

Enjoy

Lyn

Thank you Lyn. That will certainly make things easier. I am sure we will enjoy.

TC2 - without wishing to sound anything other than genuine ...... I do wish you would get on that beautiful ship, enjoy all the privileges and perks that come with your beautiful suite, enjoy being treated well (as will everyone else on Oceania) and yes even like a "princess", enjoy the time with your DH, well just enjoy and stop all this wondering and, as ORV said, "over-thinking" everything! Life is way too short Mrs TC2!

 

Gosh, I'm still dreaming about the milkshakes (thick please!), the miso glazed sea bass, the delicious Dover sole in the GDR, to name but a few - the lovely day we spent lounging around doing nothing very much at all .... So TC2' stop sweating the small stuff and really, although it's very kind of you to be concerned about others, just get on the ship ..... And enjoy it - ALL OF IT! Do you hear me all the way across the seas??? LOL! :D:D

 

And I will be thinking of you while you sip your champagne and unpack, and ease those worries away "under the stars" - you will know what I mean! ;):D

You are probably right -- I am overthinking it. For whatever reason, this has been a hot button for a long time. However, the minute we get on the airplane, we begin to enjoy every moment of our vacation -- may even try a milkshake on board. Based on your description, it may be worth the 1,000,000,000 calories :) Staying in a Vista Suite will definitely be a treat. We plan on taking full advantage of the Jacuzzi, having a friend in for dinner, etc.

Thanks for your words of advice. Now, if I don't get off of the computer, I will never finish packing:-)

JMM99 - I don't know which company you are returning your rented car to but you need to know that when you drop off your bags at the Oceania pier in order to get out of the Cruise Ship port you have to drive a LONG way around the port. A Miami-based friend of ours very kindly drove us to the port last year. She said it took her 20 mins to get out after dropping us just to drive around this "loop". She thought she could just leave us and be on the Miami street in a flash... but no!

JMM99 - I don't know which company you are returning your rented car to but you need to know that when you drop off your bags at the Oceania pier in order to get out of the Cruise Ship port you have to drive a LONG way around the port. A Miami-based friend of ours very kindly drove us to the port last year. She said it took her 20 mins to get out after dropping us just to drive around this "loop". She thought she could just leave us and be on the Miami street in a flash... but no!

She must have taken a wrong turn someplace we were on the highway to the airport in 5 min

We got to Bayside mall in less than 10 min on one trip

Is it easy for pick up by private cars when debarking in Manhattan Terminal? What is the procedure followed? Do you know your debark time early enough to contact your driver? Thanks!!

Is it easy for pick up by private cars when debarking in Manhattan Terminal? What is the procedure followed? Do you know your debark time early enough to contact your driver? Thanks!!

You'll know the time after you get your debarkation assignment, but the place where cars pick up can vary because of security concerns.

Make sure your driver has your cellphone #, so he can tell you where he is waiting.