"All Aboard" and other first timer questions

We are really looking forward to our first Oceania cruise next month, and I've been following various threads on the boards gathering information. I have a couple questions:

On our first night we have an overnight in port and then sail at 6:00 p.m. the following day. What is Oceania's typical policy on the "all aboard" time for sail away day? I'm assuming that they won't do the muster drill until that day, even though we board the day before. I'm arranging a bike trip in Buenos Aires for that day, and I want to make sure we'll have enough time.

Not looking forward to the end of the trip already, I'm also curious about disembarkation. We have another overnight at the end of the trip, and on the last day, we have a guide lined up at 8:30 to take us around Rio for the day. I believe that I read somewhere that getting off the ship early won't be a problem.

When can we expect to receive cruise docs? I understand that O still mails them, and we're now six weeks out.

Thanks!

When can we expect to receive cruise docs? I understand that O still mails them, and we're now six weeks out.

 

Thanks!

You usually get the cruise planner 4-6 weeks out ...nice booklet with luggage tags in the back

About 3 wks out you get the final invoice via email/TA

If you are taking Oceania air package I think you get that about 75 days out ...we usually deviate so know well ahead of time what our flights are

Not looking forward to the end of the trip already, I'm also curious about disembarkation. We have another overnight at the end of the trip, and on the last day, we have a guide lined up at 8:30 to take us around Rio for the day. I believe that I read somewhere that getting off the ship early won't be a problem.

Thanks!

With an overnight in Rio you should have no problem disembarking at 8:30.

You could do so even at 4:30 (if you wanted to :D) as the ship will have been cleared the day before.

Enjoy your first O cruise!

I can't tell you specifically when the "all aboard" would be, but usually it's about an hour before sailing. Good point about the muster drill--I can imagine it both ways--perhaps you should phone and ask--my guess would be that they would have it that first night, to get it out of the way.

I always try to get back nice and early from full-day excursions, just to avoid any anxiety over traffic problems or other glitches. Myself, I'd want to be back by 4 p.m.

As for the docs, make sure that your TA has correct contact information for you--it's a drag when they go to the wrong place or can't be delivered because of incorrect information (this has happened to us.)

I was thinking that they might not do it on the first day since there is the overnight and some may not check in right away (although I can't imagine why!)I just called O, but they don't have any info on the timing yet.

I also don't like to cut it too close with boarding/sail away times. The bike trip we are looking at will be done by 3:30, and the company noted to me that it's about 20 minutes away from the port, so we should have plenty of time.

Usually the muster is done the day you actually sail

If you check in day one you could arrive up to 30 min from sail away ...(I would allow more time but that is me ) ;)

If you plan to check in day 2 then you should be there a lot earlier than sailaway to do all the check in procedures

Enjoy the cruise

Lyn

Finally got our cruise docs! WoooooHooooo! It's about time, too, as O mailed them on the 6th. Really ready to try our first O cruise.

Question - we will be getting premium beverage packages for the trip - is it better to get them in advance or is it easy to take care of it once on board? On other cruises we typically get them in advance, but we have a bit of OBC and I'm not sure what we will need to use it on other than that or perhaps a spa treatment.

Finally got our cruise docs! WoooooHooooo! It's about time, too, as O mailed them on the 6th. Really ready to try our first O cruise.

 

Question - we will be getting premium beverage packages for the trip - is it better to get them in advance or is it easy to take care of it once on board? On other cruises we typically get them in advance, but we have a bit of OBC and I'm not sure what we will need to use it on other than that or perhaps a spa treatment.

Get it once on board, no problem whatsoever. There is a dedicated table near reception where they will take your info, give you a bill then you go over to reception to be issued new cards with the letters BIB next to your names. We usually do this as we board, takes no time at all.

On another note, traffic on the way to the port in RIO can be horrendous. So allow plenty of time.

Get it once on board, no problem whatsoever. There is a dedicated table near reception where they will take your info, give you a bill then you go over to reception to be issued new cards with the letters BIB next to your names. We usually do this as we board, takes no time at all.

On another note, traffic on the way to the port in RIO can be horrendous. So allow plenty of time.

when we disembarked in Rio it was a NIGHTMARE...hundreds of people, milling around for hours...and our pre arranged transfer did not show up!!! It took us 2 hours to find an alternative...and then the pre arranged guy showed up!! and angry that we had found another way to get to the hotel (we had booked a day room). Then that new found person was supposed to come and pick us up at the hotel to go to the airport...and he didn't show up!!! Deb and Jim were planning on joining us at the hotel but the traffic was so bad they couldn't make it. Try and plan well ahead...and have some other options in case they don't show up!!! And do allow plenty of time for all of the transfers to be accomplished....oh...and the Rio airport...what a sorry sight that is...can't imagine they will be ready for the Olympics...This was in December of '12...maybe they have made some progress... let's hope so...it was very, very old and run down. LuAnn

Thanks. We have a private tour booked for that day since our flights out of Rio aren't until later that night. At the end of our tour day she is taking us directly to the airport. Luckily there is an Admiral's Club lounge there so hopefully the wait time will be less chaotic.

With an overnight in Rio you should have no problem disembarking at 8:30.

You could do so even at 4:30 (if you wanted to :D) as the ship will have been cleared the day before.

Enjoy your first O cruise!

Thanks. Do they let you self-disembark - i.e., carry off your own luggage and just go, rather than having to put it out the night before and then retrieving it on the pier?

Thanks. Do they let you self-disembark - i.e., carry off your own luggage and just go, rather than having to put it out the night before and then retrieving it on the pier?

That's always an option (there are no "put out your bag" police) but you'll need to manage your bags by yourself on that last day (there are no porters on the ship) and not having your bags screened with all of the others may cause Customs to look at you differently.....pack with an eye to having your bags opened and searched.

We left Marina in Rio this November. No problem leaving, bags were outside and we just grabbed a cab. On the lounge at the airport- since flights are all late lounges don't open early. They are after security and passport control. And the airlines don't open until 3 hours before their flights.

Thanks for the info. We're touring all day and the guide will take us to the airport that afternoon/evening. She's picking us up at the port, so it will be nice to be able to hand carry our stuff and just go. We've done that on HAL and Celebrity, and it's worked very well.

I would just put your bag(s) out the night before and let Oceania handle them. Unlike some lines that require you to take your own luggage if you're traveling independently, Oceania will take your bags to the terminal for pickup early in the morning. We've done that numerous times earlier than 8:30 (ugh!) and it was easy and worked well. It only takes a few minutes (larger ships or smaller ships) to find the bags in the terminal and be out the terminal door. (I guess there may be times when it takes longer, based on efficiency of the terminal or immigration officials, or maybe if everyone on the ship wants to depart the same time, but we've never had a problem.) Maybe 4-5 days before your last cruise day, your stateroom attendant will put a form in your room to be filled out and returned to the Destinations folks. On the form, you'll fill out the section under "independent traveler" (or something like that), giving when you'd like to leave and I believe info on your flight. You'll get color coded luggage tags which aid in finding your luggage in the terminal/on the pier.

We've never been "required" to do it as independent travelers, but it's worked out well and generally saves some time. I was just curious if it was even an option on O. We get to Rio the day before, so I'm assuming that the ship will be appropriately cleared by the morning of disembarkation. While 8:30 is pretty early on the last day, we really want to hit the ground running as we have a full day in Rio (with long lines, I'm assuming, at the major attractions). Luckily there is only one other ship in Rio that final day.

I was thinking that they might not do it on the first day since there is the overnight and some may not check in right away (although I can't imagine why!)I just called O, but they don't have any info on the timing yet.

 

I also don't like to cut it too close with boarding/sail away times. The bike trip we are looking at will be done by 3:30, and the company noted to me that it's about 20 minutes away from the port, so we should have plenty of time.

Drill will be about 5pm day of sailing..

Jancruz1

when we disembarked in Rio it was a NIGHTMARE...hundreds of people, milling around for hours...and our pre arranged transfer did not show up!!! It took us 2 hours to find an alternative...and then the pre arranged guy showed up!! and angry that we had found another way to get to the hotel (we had booked a day room). Then that new found person was supposed to come and pick us up at the hotel to go to the airport...and he didn't show up!!! Deb and Jim were planning on joining us at the hotel but the traffic was so bad they couldn't make it. Try and plan well ahead...and have some other options in case they don't show up!!! And do allow plenty of time for all of the transfers to be accomplished....oh...and the Rio airport...what a sorry sight that is...can't imagine they will be ready for the Olympics...This was in December of '12...maybe they have made some progress... let's hope so...it was very, very old and run down. LuAnn

Can not stress enough what a nightmare Rio can be! There are far more negative posts about arriving/departing from Rio than positive ones. Although we were on Regent, the issues are the same with any cruise line. Our included transportation left Rio 3 hours to get to the airport (typically a ride of no more than 1 1/2 hours). It took 5 hours to get to the airport -- the plane was held (probably due to the number of passengers that had yet to arrive at the airport). Had we taken our own transportation, we would have missed the plane for sure.

Also -- and this is very important -- do not wear jewelry when you disembark the ship. Some locals have no problem simply ripping your necklace off of your neck. Lest I sound like some kind of alarmist, I should say that we have visited over 80 countries in the world and only have safety concerns in three cities. The top of the list is Rio, followed by Barcelona and Rome. Departing the ship in Rio was particularly a concern as we had our passport and other valuable documents with us. For the first time in our traveling lives I resorted to purchasing a leg pouch which I used to carry my money and passport.

For better or worse, we are departing from Rio on a cruise April 2nd. We have included transportation to our included hotel. Once we get to the hotel, we will not leave until we are transported to the ship the next day. Note: There are many wonderful things to see in Rio -- just make certain that you have a guide with references (or use excursions on the ship). IMO, it is very sad that one of the most beautiful cities in the world is so run down and dangerous. It feels like the residents do not care about their city. There is more graffiti in Rio than we have seen anywhere else in the world.

Not trying to scare anyone -- just hoping that everyone takes precautions and does not make themselves a target. Losing your valuables would not be a good way to end your vacation.

Everything you say about Rio is probably true, Jackie (I have friends who lived in Brazil and this is about what they said..) but I have been to Barcelona several times and never ever felt threatened, nor was I robbed. I think the worst thing you can do in Barcelona is to look like a tourist. That said, I was a tourist... clearly. People were quite charming and I really enjoyed my visits. And modified nothing re jewelry, handbags etc (except whenever I am travelling I use a shoulder bag that I wear "bandoliero style" across my body.)

I know that la Rambla is notorious for pickpockets. But I don't like la Rambla anyway... so I don't go there or, if I am in the neighbourhood, cross the street and keep going elsewhere.

Thanks for the tips on Rio. We'll be on our own exploring the beaches and such on day one and a private tour on disembarkation day.

I have to disagree about Barcelona and Rome, however. We've been to Rome several times - both on cruises and on land vacations where we've stayed in hotels and private apartments. I've never felt unsafe. While Barcelona has a reputation for its pickpockets, we've never felt unsafe there, either - even on Las Ramblas (which is a necessary venture for me as I love that market!). Any place can be unsafe if one isn't aware of their surroundings and doesn't do stupid stuff while traveling :)

We had no trouble in Rio perhaps 6 years ago, but of course, it DOES have a bad reputation, so caution is needed. As to Barcelona, we had heard so much about the pickpockets that my husband took an old, empty wallet in his back pocket just to see how bad it might be. Of course nobody touched it! In Lisbon, we heard that pickpockets were rampant, too, but had no trouble. Of course, caution is needed in any big city, no matter which one it is.

On our South American cruise, one older European woman actually did get beaten up, I think in Montevideo. However, if what we heard was true, she was out walking in the evening by herself, with a regular old fashioned handbag and likely wearing jewelry. We saw her once a couple days later with a black eye. We didn't talk to her so I don't know the details of what happened, but this was the first time I had seen the results of a physical attack while on a cruise, and it was a bit sobering.

A word of caution to all those who feel that the cities discussed above are safe or that you are “street" smarter than the pickpockets.

The only reason you have not been a victim of pickpockets is either that you were not targeted or that you had nothing on you. Those are the only reasons to be safe.

I recall a couple on our S. American land trip in Lima many years ago. They were from Costa Rica and spoke Spanish. They were targeted on a pedestrian street in Lima and she confronted the young men. Her husband was busy protecting his wallet. After the men left they felt they had outsmarted them. That is, until the husband discovered in the hotel that his watch was gone; all he had left on his wrist was a black & blue bruise from the force used to remove his watch. He had absolutely NO clue this was happening.

Bottom line is this – many of these “street artists” are as good as Houdini or David Copperfield and if we are targeted (or have anything on us), we lose most of the time. Carry only that (or as much) that you can easily part with. Otherwise even the most experienced travelers among us can become victims.

When in Rio, our tour guide while walking us through the downtown area would not let us even have a camera exposed while we were walking. He had us remove all watches, earrings etc and leave them on the ship so that we did not targeted. On one street I was surrounded and I accidentally(lol) kicked my leg out behind me and caught someone and the crowd surrounding me miraculously gave me room. The guide also yelled something out to them and they moved even further away.

In Barcelona my husband caught the pickpocket with her hand in his pocket. Her response was Sorry and ran off. The tour guide had warned us about her as she recognized her.

You can be pickpocket anywhere in the world, so as a tourist you have to be aware of your surroundings at all times. Even when you are at home, you have to be alert or you will get stung.

Speaking of Rio ---- how accessible are cabs at the port? Since our first day there is on our own, we'll just take a cab into town, unless it's a walkable distance. Also, how easy is it to get a cab back in town. We'll be going out to dinner somewhere in Rio and need to get back.

Speaking of Rio ---- how accessible are cabs at the port? Since our first day there is on our own, we'll just take a cab into town, unless it's a walkable distance. Also, how easy is it to get a cab back in town. We'll be going out to dinner somewhere in Rio and need to get back.

There should be cabs in port and coming back the restaurant will call for a cab for you.

You may want to ask these questions on the Ports of Call forum for Rio.