Do you really need your O travel docs?

[geologygeek]

Hello,

 

I'm just wondering if you really need the package that O sends you to embark the ship. The problem is that we're leaving home over a month before the cruise so it looks like we're not going to be home in the 21 day window. Does anyone have any experience with getting the ship documentationless?

 

Thanks.

[LAexNY]

I've never been asked to show them.

[WaterView2]

Probably not, they didn't ask for them at check in. I would print out your cruise confirmation and any tours you have booked through them before you leave and take that along.

[LHT28]

You just need your e-tickets if you are flying.

 

The booklet they send I think comes well before a month (I cannot remember the time frame)

 

The only thing we had to do upon check in was give our passports & credit card for the S& S account

 

Lyn

[MightyQuinn]

Our docs for our first Oceania cruise arrived recently. The Cruise Vacation Guide has lotsa pretty pics & marketing stuff that I was going to edit down to bare essentials. From experiences on HAL, I figured we could board the ship by presenting our reservation number & passport. But I was advised on our Roll Call to take the entire Cruise Vacation Guide booklet, as it formed part of the cruise contract. So to take or not?

[A Knitter]

Our docs for our first Oceania cruise arrived recently. The Cruise Vacation Guide has lotsa pretty pics & marketing stuff that I was going to edit down to bare essentials. From experiences on HAL, I figured we could board the ship by presenting our reservation number & passport. But I was advised on our Roll Call to take the entire Cruise Vacation Guide booklet, as it formed part of the cruise contract. So to take or not?

 

 

MightyQuinn, you have your documents? Correct me, but I thought I saw where you leave in Dec.. I leave next month:eek:

[MightyQuinn]

MightyQuinn, you have your documents? Correct me, but I thought I saw where you leave in Dec.. I leave next month:eek:

We leave exactly a month today & we sail on Nov 14/09. I was getting a tad concerned that the docs didn't arrive till now! I understand that a final summary is still to come.

[LHT28]

But I was advised on our Roll Call to take the entire Cruise Vacation Guide booklet, as it formed part of the cruise contract. So to take or not?

I guess it is a personal choice.

I never took mine & nothing bad happened.

 

There is information in the guide that can be useful but it is not required to have at check in unless things have changed since last year :confused:

 

Lyn

[A Knitter]

We leave exactly a month today & we sail on Nov 14/09. I was getting a tad concerned that the docs didn't arrive till now! I understand that a final summary is still to come.

 

Thanks, I feel better now and have in the past received them days before sailing. Have a great cruise!!!!!

[MightyQuinn]

There is information in the guide that can be useful but it is not required to have at check in unless things have changed since last year.

Lovely presentation for sure. But I was planning to take only the single page titled Cruise Vacation Summary. It has reservation details, port & port agent info & the really important stuff like PPG & OBC amounts. :):)

[LHT28]

Lovely presentation for sure. But I was planning to take only the single page titled Cruise Vacation Summary. It has reservation details, port & port agent info & the really important stuff like PPG & OBC amounts. :):)

That is all I took & did not really need it

Handy to have in case of a problem though

Enjoy the cruise

Lyn

[CintiPam]

You do not need any of the these documents, and will never be asked to show them.

 

However, we "recovering attorneys" like to schlep the contract with us.

[MightyQuinn]

However, we "recovering attorneys" like to schlep the contract with us.

LOL. I've found these reassuring words in the Cruise Vacation Guide:

 

"The information within this booklet is not a contract, either expressed or implied. All information is intended for informational purposes only..."

So CintiPam, free yourself! :D:D

[CintiPam]

LOL. I've found these reassuring words in the Cruise Vacation Guide:

 

"The information within this booklet is not a contract, either expressed or implied. All information is intended for informational purposes only..."

 

So CintiPam, free yourself! :D:D

 

Well, thank you very kindly!:)

 

However, the last six pages of the booklets I received for each of my Oceania cruises (September 2008 and June 2009) definitely are labeled as "Terms and Conditions of Contract of Carriage (incorporated in and forming part of Guest Ticket/Contract".

[meow!]

Well, the answer is a little complex:

 

1. You will feel better and more secure if you have it with you.

 

2. If your air is arranged by O, it will be much more convenient if you have the package with you, or a photocopy. At least you should have your airline record locator number, preferably also date, flight time and flight number. Otherwise checking in at the airport may be more problematic.

 

3. After you arrive at the embarkation point, you don't really need your O package, though it will help speed things up. When we arrived at the Venice dock last October, our O package was in the middle of a bundle of other things, brochures, pamphlets etc. The O personnel was right at the water taxi landing asking us for those documents (which included our luggage tags which we had not put on). Kneeling on the ground fumbling with our fingers, we had a hard time finding it. So the O personnel just looked at our passports (to ascertain our names and ensure we were on the passenger list) and let us on the ship without our actually producing it, even later at "check in" before boarding the ship, where we had our pictures taken.

 

So, no, it is not absolutely necessary to have that document if you have the needed information and your passport. Yes, it will be more reassuring if you have it ready for presentation! And remember to put on your printed luggage tags.

[Guest superradiationboy]

Thanks for explaining. We are trying out on Oceania next year and were wondering about the same as well.

 

Sorry if I am drifting away from the original topic, but we do have another related question.

 

What does Oceania's doc package contain? Some lines' come with a "leather" folder and nice bag tags, some with a cloth pouch, some with nothing but a booklet... etc

 

Just wondering how Oceania does it. :)

 

Thanks!

[LAexNY]

Thanks for explaining. We are trying out on Oceania next year and were wondering about the same as well.

 

Sorry if I am drifting away from the original topic, but we do have another related question.

 

What does Oceania's doc package contain? Some lines' come with a "leather" folder and nice bag tags, some with a cloth pouch, some with nothing but a booklet... etc

 

Just wondering how Oceania does it. :)

 

Thanks!

 

No leather. All paper. A booklet with the itinerary and paper bag tags.

[meow!]

Right, a booklet about the size of a "monthly calendar", plain functional.

[RetiredFL]

We print out the final cruise summary and that is all we take except for the luggage tags. The Vacation Guide booklet which comes several months before the cruise is mostly about the ship and excursions, the Final Cruise summary has the most up to date info about port info and time in port. (Believe me they can change since the Vacation guide or original booking. If you are booking private tours check the final times and dates carefully.)

The summary should show all tours pre booked, all credits, boarding location and time, etc.

We then print our our e-ticket also (We usually book our own arrangements)

We have bought several different colored "envelopes", size 9x12, from local office supply stores or K-Mart. There is a Velcro closure. One has our essential documents in it and the other has our "info" papers such as train schedules, port info, etc.

We make sure the essential folder is where we can get to it easily in our carry-on. Being plastic it holds together well and slides in and out of our carry on easily.

We also have a leatherette "Bank Pouch" that is about the size of a business envelope which has our Passports, "foreign" money, back up credit card, etc. That is in our carry-on.

Hope this helps.

[Leonid]

The last two times we sailed from Miami, the "rent-a- cops" at the bottom of the stairs demanded that we show proof that we were booked on the ship. Didn't ask for any personal identification - just that which O sent us. Go figure!

[geologygeek]

Thanks for all your replies - as helpful as ever!

 

Cheers.

[lardor]

MightyQuinn, you have your documents? Correct me, but I thought I saw where you leave in Dec.. I leave next month:eek:

 

I got ours today....

[A Knitter]

I got ours today....

 

 

Just got a call from my agent minutes ago. Documents are also in, but after reading this thread, just more paper:eek:

[Bowie MeMe]

On departure from Nautica they can us a nice "leather" envelope and 2 Oceania bag tags. They were very nice but very heavy medal medallions and so we left them in cabin. Heavy bag tags are a NO now that bag weights are so very important. Paper bag tags that have your cabin number are important so the luggage can get to the cabin before you do!

[Windward Lass]

Our cruise is November 15, and we received them yesterday from our travel agent. I would expect that they would arrive before you leave. That being said, we have never had to show them in three previous Oceania cruises.