New to Oceania

[orchestrapal]

That's not allowed, is it? Even B2Bers have to attend both of the muster drills?!?

 

We've been on 3 B2Bs on Oceania and have always been told that we do not have to attend the drill more than one time (the first day). This must be correct because we also have never been called to attend after the first time.:)

[LHT28]

We've been on 3 B2Bs on Oceania and have always been told that we do not have to attend the drill more than one time (the first day). This must be correct because we also have never been called to attend after the first time.:)

 

It must depend on who is in charge that cruise :confused:

We have had to attend when doing B2B's

 

Will check when we do the next cruise

 

Lyn

[Rickey 88]

We've been on 3 B2Bs on Oceania and have always been told that we do not have to attend the drill more than one time (the first day). This must be correct because we also have never been called to attend after the first time.:)

 

Life Boat Drills are mandated by SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) and are administered by whatever Coast Guard service is in the immediate area.

 

As of the 2009 SOLAS revision, Muster Drills are considered absolutely mandatory - however, I'm sure there are times at which someone misses a drill and nothing is done about it. I especially remember an incident on the Nautica where some passenger decided to sit out it in his or her cabin. The captain was not amused and since names were being checked off on attendance, someone was sent to bring them down to the drill.

 

The rest of us were made to wait until this poor soul showed up, and the staff made it no secret as to who they were and how much they inconvenienced everyone!

[potterhill]

We thought there would be a makeup but they left a note on the door saying we had missed it and that we should familiarize ourselves with our lifeboat stations.

 

This was on the Barcelona-Miami TA last Nov.

 

Mo

[StanandJim]

This was on the Barcelona-Miami TA last Nov

 

Another testament to the efficiency of the Spanish Coast Guard......

[Friscorays]

Those poor Mazdas!

[KIWP]

Are there any changes in dining times when the ship leaves its embarkation port later in the evening? On our upcoming transAtlantic, the Regatta is not scheduled to depart Barcelona until 8:00 pm. According to Oceania website FAQ, pax must be on-board at least 1 hour before sailing, which theoretically could be as late as 7:00 pm. Would all venues be open for dinner at the usual times? When would muster drill be scheduled - later that evening or the following morning? I'm sure all will be known once my docs arrive, but in the meantime, I'm curious.

Normally when there is a late departure the Boat Drill could be on the second day as the International rules dictate that the drill must take place within 24 hours of Embarkation. It all depends on the Captain's decision.

 

Regardless of the departure time, all dining venues will be open at 6:30P in order to serve those who wish to eat on board. Enjoy!!

[MightyQuinn]

Normally when there is a late departure the Boat Drill could be on the second day as the International rules dictate that the drill must take place within 24 hours of Embarkation. It all depends on the Captain's decision.

Thanks KIWP. The Captain must have already decided since Oceania has advised a member of our Roll Call that muster will be at 5:00 pm on embarkation day. That's a full 3 hours before sailing. We were hoping for a next day drill so we could max our time in Barcelona before boarding the ship. But no biggie, it's good either way.

[StanandJim]

Thanks KIWP. The Captain must have already decided since Oceania has advised a member of our Roll Call that muster will be at 5:00 pm on embarkation day. That's a full 3 hours before sailing. We were hoping for a next day drill so we could max our time in Barcelona before boarding the ship. But no biggie, it's good either way.[/quote

 

Interesting perspective, Mighty Quinn, everybody else is fighting to get on the ship as early as they can. You're going to need to be super flexible with your specialty restaurant reservations, though.

[KIWP]

Thanks KIWP. The Captain must have already decided since Oceania has advised a member of our Roll Call that muster will be at 5:00 pm on embarkation day. That's a full 3 hours before sailing. We were hoping for a next day drill so we could max our time in Barcelona before boarding the ship. But no biggie, it's good either way.

Most welcome.

 

You can come on board and then go into town again. The pier is very well located, just a 5 minute walk to the Rambla. Additionally you can walk around the new Port area (as you walk down from the pier go right) there are many shops and restaurants and a wonderful sea side promenade to the Old Port where there are also many shops and restaurants. Enjoy and maybe we'll see you on board.

[MightyQuinn]

Interesting perspective, Mighty Quinn, everybody else is fighting to get on the ship as early as they can. You're going to need to be super flexible with your specialty restaurant reservations, though.

Yes it's counterflow for sure. We'd probably join the crush to board early in other ports but not in Barcelona. The port is so accessible & we just can't get enough of that quirky city! :):)

 

We already made our dinner reservations on-line for both Toscana & Polo. I printed our reservation details & figured that was sufficient. Do we still need to line up & confirm the reservations in person as soon as we board?

[Paulchili]

We already made our dinner reservations on-line for both Toscana & Polo. I printed our reservation details & figured that was sufficient. Do we still need to line up & confirm the reservations in person as soon as we board?

 

I didn't know that you can do that. Do you need to be in a suite?

[MightyQuinn]

I didn't know that you can do that. Do you need to be in a suite?

I stumbled upon it quite by accident. I was reviewing our booking summary on-line a few weeks ago when I noticed a new link to "Make Dining Reservations". So I clicked & it opened to a calendar showing only the dates for our sailing, as well as sample menus for both specialty restaurants. I was able to select specific dates & dining times by restaurant. Once done, I printed the reservation details. There was no opportunity to specify table size, just a question whether you were amenable to sharing a table.

 

The "rules" for accessing the reservation engine were as follows:

 

Suites: anytime after final payment

Concierge: 60 days before sailing

All: 45 days before sailing

 

No reservations would be accepted for any pax within 14 days of sailing.

 

So now that it's done, I assumed we were good to go & didn't have to line up for reservations once on-board. I know with HAL it's hit-or-miss with transferring dining reservations made on-line to the ships, but I was hoping Oceania did it right.

[Paulchili]

I stumbled upon it quite by accident. I was reviewing our booking summary on-line a few weeks ago when I noticed a new link to "Make Dining Reservations". So I clicked & it opened to a calendar showing only the dates for our sailing, as well as sample menus for both specialty restaurants. I was able to select specific dates & dining times by restaurant. Once done, I printed the reservation details. There was no opportunity to specify table size, just a question whether you were amenable to sharing a table.

 

The "rules" for accessing the reservation engine were as follows:

 

Suites: anytime after final payment

Concierge: 60 days before sailing

All: 45 days before sailing

 

No reservations would be accepted for any pax within 14 days of sailing.

 

So now that it's done, I assumed we were good to go & didn't have to line up for reservations once on-board. I know with HAL it's hit-or-miss with transferring dining reservations made on-line to the ships, but I was hoping Oceania did it right.

 

That is great news indeed - thank you very much!

I'll mark my calendar.

[wripro]

This must be a new development and it is welcome indeed.

[DOJO466]

That is great news indeed - thank you very much!

I'll mark my calendar.

I'll be marking mine too! Sure beats the mad rush.

[LHT28]

So now that it's done, I assumed we were good to go & didn't have to line up for reservations once on-board. I know with HAL it's hit-or-miss with transferring dining reservations made on-line to the ships, but I was hoping Oceania did it right.

This is new so here's hoping it works out for you.

 

Please post when you return if you got the reservations you booked online?

 

Lyn

[lyndenfa]

Again, thanks MightQuinn for sharing; have marked my calendar as well for our jan.14th sailing. I wonder if the spa will try online reservations now that it is under new management? that would be great!

[MightyQuinn]

Please post when you return if you got the reservations you booked online?

With pleasure! :):)

 

I do intend to bring along my printed reservations & confirm them shortly after boarding. But I hope to avoid the line-ups & confusion that inevitably comes when many folks want to do the same thing at the same time.

[MightyQuinn]

I wonder if the spa will try online reservations now that it is under new management? that would be great!

Not yet. The Canyon Ranch Spa menu is on-line but no pricing & no links for reservations.

Here's the only thing I could find on the Oceania site:

 

Availability of Treatments, Services & Facilities

All treatments, services and facilities are subject to availability. Certain promotional treatments are only available during limited periods of the voyage, for example on a specified port day. While every effort is made to ensure the full availability of spa services, ongoing maintenance, refurbishment or unforeseen circumstances may result in some of the facilities being withdrawn at short notice.

 

Prices

While every effort is made to ensure that printed material is up to date, please note that pricing is subject to change. Please ask one of our staff members for the price of your treatment before you book.

[Nanct]

Yes it's counterflow for sure. We'd probably join the crush to board early in other ports but not in Barcelona. The port is so accessible & we just can't get enough of that quirky city! :):)

 

We already made our dinner reservations on-line for both Toscana & Polo. I printed our reservation details & figured that was sufficient. Do we still need to line up & confirm the reservations in person as soon as we board?

What great news that we can book the specialty restaurants online! I applaud you for discovering this new option . . . our reservations are made and a copy printed out. Thanks!

 

Nancy

[RetiredFL]

We tried on our upcoming cruise and we could not make reservations.

Oceania is apparently only trying this on 2 or 3 cruises before releasing it for all cruises.

So it may not work on your cruise.

[A Knitter]

We tried on our upcoming cruise and we could not make reservations.

Oceania is apparently only trying this on 2 or 3 cruises before releasing it for all cruises.

So it may not work on your cruise.[/quote

 

I was able to book the specialty restaurants without a problem, however you can only book a table for 8 and need your cruise mates booking numbers to do so.

[LHT28]

We tried on our upcoming cruise and we could not make reservations.

Oceania is apparently only trying this on 2 or 3 cruises before releasing it for all cruises.

So it may not work on your cruise.

 

when is your cruise?

[LHT28]

I was able to book the specialty restaurants without a problem, however you can only book a table for 8 and need your cruise mates booking numbers to do so.

I think you can only have a maximum of 8

 

What options do they give when you book?

 

I am much too early to even try to book ;)

 

Lyn