Oceania Boarding

Hi All. Long time cruisers but new to Oceiana. The only cruise line we have been on that actually had a true boarding TIME on the boarding pass was Disney and it kind of made sense with all the young children boarding. We had our grandkids and waiting for a long period would not have been a good thing. Does Oceiana have a true timed boarding like Disney or a starts at about noon boarding like most other cruise lines?? Thanks a lot. Traveler Rick :confused:

Yes, there is a specific boarding time based on your cabin category. The time will be listed on your final cruise documents.

if you show up about 1 pm it should not be a problem unless you are in a suite then you can come earlier

Your cabin may not be ready depending on you category though

If 2 of us are in a suite but traveling with someone who's not can they board with us at 11:00am?

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Maybe, maybe not. Depends upon the port, custom officials, and other factors that may or may not be with in Oceania's control. I would never recommend showing up before one's scheduled boarding time expecting to board early. One might, or they may get to sit and wait.

If 2 of us are in a suite but traveling with someone who's not can they board with us at 11:00am?

 

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In Miami they may not even be allowed into the port building to wait

Those at the door are very selective of who gets in early :)

The boarding time in your cruise documents (based on suite/cabin category) is a goal. But there are factors that may delay boarding such as late arrival of the ship, port, immigration clearance, etc. A few times we have had to wait a bit but O usually kept us informed during the wait.

The boarding time in your cruise documents (based on suite/cabin category) is a goal. But there are factors that may delay boarding such as late arrival of the ship, port, immigration clearance, etc. A few times we have had to wait a bit but O usually kept us informed during the wait.

..and conversely, if there are no lines they will accommodate you before your time but you cannot count on that - it depends on how busy they are.

On a recent cruise on O out of Venice, we took our bags over to the port at about 9AM and checked them in - went out for the next several hours and enjoyed Venice - went back and boarded at about 4PM (lovely, not another person waiting!) and got a snack at the Terrace Grill before we went out for sail away. Doing another cruise out of Stockholm in September and plan on doing the same thing.

We get there when we get there and per experience we have generally been aboard before our scheduled arrival time. They will board by cabin category in descending order. Once the initial suite passengers have been processed they will process those waiting as they can.

On a recent cruise on O out of Venice, we took our bags over to the port at about 9AM and checked them in - went out for the next several hours and enjoyed Venice - went back and boarded at about 4PM (lovely, not another person waiting!) and got a snack at the Terrace Grill before we went out for sail away. Doing another cruise out of Stockholm in September and plan on doing the same thing.

Depends on your dock location. When we were there in 2014, there was not a real "terminal"- just a tent where the medical form/questionnaire was completed and security checks were performed. Everyone had to board the ship, Marina in this case, and be processed in the main lounge. The luggage was taken right from the taxi, so it is possible that you could hold the taxi and return to the city.

On our cruise last spring out of Athens, we watched the folks who were using the Oceania hotel/transfer board their bus around 10 or 11 a.m. to head to the port. We checked our bags with the hotel concierge and walked up to the Acropolis for a few hours and then grabbed a cab around 2. When we reached the port there were no lines and we were able to board immediately. I think our published time was substantially earlier, but we were happy doing the tourist thing.

For our cruise next month, my plan is to send my Mother and my Husband with the luggage to board at/near the scheduled time, while Son and I go on a half day pony trek in Iceland (the ship does not sail until the following day, and the tour organizers will drop us off at the port following our trek). Works well for me as I just have to keep track of passports, wallets and cameras that morning. Husband can be the pack mule.

In Miami there are three lines for boarding - Suites, Concierge and the rest. if there is no one waiting in the Suites line they call the Concierge forward, none in either and the rest comes forward until general boarding starts. Even then someone in the Suites line will be called ahead of the others.

It works well. There is ample seating for those who have not been called. And staf circulate to keep you up to date on what is happening.

Obviously from all the different answers there are always different answers!

Usually we board around noon -- we usually are in a PH but not always, and we like to have lunch on the ship. On those occasions when we have boarded later (say 2pm or later) it was very true that lines just didn't exist.

Back in November 2005 I encountered a couple we'd met on a train returning to Barcelona the day before, waiting to board. I innocently told them to go up with us, not realizing they were in a lower cabin category. They got on fine with us and we all headed to Terrace. But the couple traveling with them ended up being stopped because Terrace was too crowded ...

My bad, but it wasn't intentional! OTOH, I haven't repeated that mistake ...

The point is, though, as has been stressed already, that it really depends on how many are trying to board at the same time. If there is space and you are "too early", you may or may not be able to board when you get there.

Since we usually have spent a few days in port before the cruise, we don't feel the need to do any touring on boarding day. But if we haven't spent enough time there, then we WILL use the morning for touring.

Mura