Paperwork from Oceania prior to cruise?

[frenchef211]

I am leaving on the Regatta on June 2 for the Scandinavian Splendors cruise; am I supposed to be receiving paperwork from Oceania or is this like an eticket for an airplane? It's my very first time on a cruise ship so I have no idea. Thanks in advance for all replies. Frenchef 211:o

[shedevil]

I am leaving on the Regatta on June 2 for the Scandinavian Splendors cruise; am I supposed to be receiving paperwork from Oceania or is this like an eticket for an airplane? It's my very first time on a cruise ship so I have no idea. Thanks in advance for all replies. Frenchef 211:o

 

You should have received a packet of travel documents which include tags for your luggage and information on boarding.

 

Usually, they send them out 45 days prior to your sail date.

 

We have a cruise on June 5th and our travel agent called yesterday to let us know they had arrived.

 

I would call your travel agent and check on their status since you are 30 days out from your sail date.

[1985rz1]

You should have received a packet of travel documents which include tags for your luggage and information on boarding.

 

Usually, they send them out 45 days prior to your sail date.

 

We have a cruise on June 5th and our travel agent called yesterday to let us know they had arrived.

 

I would call your travel agent and check on their status since you are 30 days out from your sail date.

 

In addition to the paper cruise documents which are sent out by Oceania about 45 days before the sailing, Oceania also emails "final" documents with e-tickets, etc. At least that's what the email we received yesterday for our May 24 departure stated. We are doing our own air arrangements, so we didn't get e-tickets with our email, just a reconfirmation of out cruise arrangements and itinerary.

[kinghw]

I am leaving on the Regatta on June 2 for the Scandinavian Splendors cruise; am I supposed to be receiving paperwork from Oceania or is this like an eticket for an airplane? It's my very first time on a cruise ship so I have no idea. Thanks in advance for all replies. Frenchef 211:o

 

For the June 4 cruise on Nautica, our booklet and tags came during the 2nd week of April, about 7-8 weeks out.

 

We never received any confirming e-mail, though. We have had e-mail confirmations of our restaurant reservations.

[Aruba]

Something doesn't sound right -- you should have received them by now.

[Aruba]

15 minutes after I posted the message above, I went to the mailbox and found a package from Oceania containing the cruise documents for our June 27 cruise.

 

To the OP, you said that this is your very first cruise. Welcome aboard...but don't think that Oceania's documents are typical of those received on other cruise lines. Oceania's documents are BY FAR the best prepared you will ever see.

[LHT28]

The documents look like a booklet/brochure.

Did you receive anything like that?

 

You just need your passport to board the ship but the booklet is a nice addition.

You can get baggage tags at the port

If you used O air then your should have e-tickets

I would contact your TA so they can check on things for you

 

Lyn

[RetiredFL]

Have you filled out the Guest Registration form on the web site? If not that may be holding up the documents but Oceania or your travel agent should have contacted you by now or your agent should have filled out the form.

You need to do a follow up with your agent/Oceania.

Did you final payment clear your credit card?

 

Also you luggage tags should come with the Booklet. We always take the booklet along as a back-up but usually upon showing identification you can be registered on board ship and permitted to board.

[robbie21]

We received our packet for the June 2 Regatta from our travel agent last Friday. That's where you should be checking.

 

Ron

[JimandStan]

We received our packet for the June 2 Regatta from our travel agent last Friday. That's where you should be checking.

 

Ron

 

That is true, bacause the documents are typically sent to the TA for forwarding on to the client.

It is my understanding, however, that the Guest Registration form(s) must be filled out before documents will be sent out by Oceania.

[1985rz1]

That is true, bacause the documents are typically sent to the TA for forwarding on to the client.

It is my understanding, however, that the Guest Registration form(s) must be filled out before documents will be sent out by Oceania.

 

Oceania sent our documents were sent directly to us, not through our TA. But our Guest Registration Forms were done well in advance.

[Aruba]

Same for us. Oceania sent the documents directly, not through a TA.

[JimandStan]

Same for us. Oceania sent the documents directly, not through a TA.

 

You say not through "a" TA as opposed to "My" TA does that indicate that you booked the cruise with Oceania directly?

 

If so, then they would have had no choice but to send the documents to you.

 

If one books through an agent, however, I'd be surprised to hear that the documents were not routed through them. The theory being that the Agent then has an opportunity to scan them for errors and/or omissions before the client sees them

 

Even when we booked through one of those "no frills" giant INTERNET agents, our documents went to them first.

[RetiredFL]

We book through an agent and the documents are sent directly to us by Oceania.

I think it is at the agent's discretion.

[JimandStan]

We book through an agent and the documents are sent directly to us by Oceania.

I think it is at the agent's discretion.

 

I am sure that there IS a way for the Agent to arrange for the documents to go directly to the client, if that is the clients preference.

 

Some of us require less handholding than others.

 

I sincerely hope, however, that an Agent would not choose that option when they are dealing with a novice Oceania passenger who will be "on a cruise ship for the very first time".

[Aruba]

You say not through "a" TA as opposed to "My" TA does that indicate that you booked the cruise with Oceania directly?

 

If so, then they would have had no choice but to send the documents to you.

 

If one books through an agent, however, I'd be surprised to hear that the documents were not routed through them. The theory being that the Agent then has an opportunity to scan them for errors and/or omissions before the client sees them

 

Even when we booked through one of those "no frills" giant INTERNET agents, our documents went to them first.

 

I will be more precise in the future in my use of definite vs. indefinite articles. I should have written "the TA" rather than "a TA" in my earlier post.

We too used a giant internet agency, but the documents came to us directly from O, not from the agency.

[kinghw]

15 minutes after I posted the message above, I went to the mailbox and found a package from Oceania containing the cruise documents for our June 27 cruise.

 

To the OP, you said that this is your very first cruise. Welcome aboard...but don't think that Oceania's documents are typical of those received on other cruise lines. Oceania's documents are BY FAR the best prepared you will ever see.

 

I have to agree that the cruise booklet we received from Oceania was in a different league than any we've seen in the past. Now as for the cruise, BRING IT ON!!!

 

Yes, I'm ready.

[RickeyCruz5]

If the guests are booked through an agency and they receive the Cruise Vacation Guide directly from Oceania Cruises it is because the agent requested that it be sent directly to the guests.

 

Rickey Cruz

[LHT28]

In any case hopefully the OP got in touch with their agent & is all set for the cruise

The Cruise Vacation Guide is NOT required to board the ship but it is a nice keepsake & some good information inside

 

Cannot wait for mine to arrive then I know I am ready to pack;)

 

Lyn

[frenchef211]

We received our packet for the June 2 Regatta from our travel agent last Friday. That's where you should be checking.

 

Ron

 

 

Thanks, only I don't have a travel agent; we booked directly with Oceania. I am now on the phone with them; I told them that all the responses on Cruise Critic told me I should have this; they are now checking on it for me; THANKS!!!

[frenchef211]

Something doesn't sound right -- you should have received them by now.

 

Thanks for the heads up; I am on hold with O now on the phone; I just said that folks from Cruise Critic told me I should have had the stuff and now they are doing something (hopefully); yesterday, I called and they told me I didn't need anything; I thought that wasn't right. Thanks again!

[JimandStan]

Thanks for the heads up; I am on hold with O now on the phone; I just said that folks from Cruise Critic told me I should have had the stuff and now they are doing something (hopefully); yesterday, I called and they told me I didn't need anything; I thought that wasn't right. Thanks again!

 

Just to be accurate, what you have been told here is:

 

1) There Are still Pre-Cruise Documents being issued, but they only consist of a personalized Oceania brochure and luggage tags

 

2) If you make your booking through a travel Agent, the Agent has the option of receiving the documents first and forwarding them on to you, OR that Agent may request that the documents are sent directly to you. Naturally if you don't use the services of a TA, the documents go directly to you.

 

3) Your Documents will be issued 6 to 8 weeks before you sail, provided that your Guest Registration Form has been completed.

 

3) Although these Documents are "a nice keepsake and have some good information inside" they are NOT TICKETS and are NOT REQUIRED to board the ship. All that is required to get onto the ship is a photo ID and a credit credit card (or enough cash) to cover tips, your bar bill and other incidentals.

[Jancruz]

Just to be accurate, what you have been told here is:

 

1) There Are still Pre-Cruise Documents being issued, but they only consist of a personalized Oceania brochure and luggage tags

 

2) If you make your booking through a travel Agent, the Agent has the option of receiving the documents first and forwarding them on to you, OR that Agent may request that the documents are sent directly to you. Naturally if you don't use the services of a TA, the documents go directly to you.

 

3) Your Documents will be issued 6 to 8 weeks before you sail, provided that your Guest Registration Form has been completed.

 

3) Although these Documents are "a nice keepsake and have some good information inside" they are NOT TICKETS and are NOT REQUIRED to board the ship. All that is required to get onto the ship is a photo ID and a credit credit card (or enough cash) to cover tips, your bar bill and other incidentals.

 

The majority of cruisers feel much more relaxed with something in their hands when they go to board the ship. Very well traveled people (cruise critic contributors) dont feel the same anxiety. One has to be aware of who they are, as everyone is an individual and has different needs. I do understand what you are saying Jim and of course agree 100% but because we on CC know the ins and outs, that doesnt help the many unsophisticated travelers. It also goes back to people who book air, hotels and tours with a cruise line because it gives them the sense of security they need.

Jancruz1

[Aruba]

I don't know about the rest of you, but on the last 3 Oceania cruises I have taken I (and everyone else in line) was stopped by port security before we even enter the building to check-in and was told to produce that personalized Oceania booklet for inspection. The agent turned right to the "Cruise Vacation Summary" page and checked my name against my passport, the cruise date, and the ship.

In fact, the first time this happened I had packed the booklet in my luggage and was fortunately warned at the last minute by the porter to make sure I had the booklet with me. Good thing he did that -- because a few moments later I was asked to show it to security. I asked what would happen if I had packed it away. The agent said I would need to retrieve my luggage and get it.

 

So I don't know about those of you who consider it merely "a nice keepsake" and not required to board the ship. My experience has been different...repeatedly so.

[JimandStan]

I don't know what to say. We've been asked to show photo ID, but never anything from Oceania.

 

Our last cruise departed from Athens, and they were still doing curbside check in despite recent riots. The porters had manifests that they compared to our luggage tags, but that was it.

 

In fact, come to think of it, they were doing passenger check in on the ship, in the main lounge. We were never asked for anything until then.