For Heavens Sake, be on Time!

[JimandStan]

From the 2011 European Brochure (page 168):

 

Boarding: Guests are required to be onboard two hours prior to the scheduled departure time. Should the (in)actions of any guest(s) result in the vessel not sailing at its scheduled departure time, Oceania Cruises shall assess Late Departure Fees beginning at $1,000.00 per guest to said guest(s) directly responsible for any departure that is delayed more than 15 minutes beyond the scheduled and published departure time, to cover the costs levied against Oceania Cruises by port authorities, governmental and quasi governmental agencies as agreed and liquidated damages.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, we are on notice....... ;)

 

A word to the wise is sufficient.

[Mura]

While I've never deliberately been late (usually early) when we did the Miami-Barcelona TA in March 2009 we WERE ...

 

Because the Passport Bureau dawdled in issuing my new passport. (They kept screwing up their own forms. I should have had my passport at least an hour earlier than I did.)

 

We got to the ship at about 5pm for a 6pm departure, along with another couple who had been delayed because of bad weather in Boston. I'm not sure but I think they were using Oceania's air, but perhaps not.

 

So what happens in cases like that? Probably we get charged the fee regardless!

 

(I should add that the ship ended up leaving at least an hour late because they were loading stores ... given that our first port was about 8 days away this seemed like a good idea.)

[Benita]

We had just departed Kusadasi on the Nautica and the captain made an announcement asking everybody to come on deck on the port side. We complied and saw a boat speeding towards the ship and a couple climbed a rope ladder from the boat onto the ship. The captain told us all to applaud the latecomers and notified us (and them) that a thousand dollars had been charged to their shipboard account for the dropping of anchor. The point was well taken. Later in the cruise, as we passed through the Dardenelles, we again felt the ship drop anchor and went on deck. This time, we saw a boat right next to the ship and suitcases were being passed on board. We all cheered, because this was the luggage that had not made it to the ship when a plane arrived late, so people now had a change of clothing. Who says there is no good entertainment on Oceania?

[A Knitter]

It would be my guess that if you are using Oceania Air, no late fees would be imposed. The same applies when using Oceania's excursions. They wait for you. This may be a tactic to encourage all to use their air? I would rather be two hours early than a minute late anywhere. Perhaps, checking in has improved which IMO is the cause for passengers arriving onboard just in the nick of time.

[Mura]

There is also a difference between causing a real delay as this Kusadasi couple did by returning late from an excursion -- and arriving for the initial departure late (whatever the reason).

 

Actually, when we did our Panama Canal cruise on Regatta in January 2004 there were people using Oceania's air who did not get to the ship in time. The captain did NOT wait because it would have meant losing our slot in the Canal. But that was an exceptional circumstance.

 

I never found out if the people who missed sailing through the Panama Canal on a Panama Cruise got a deduction in their fares -- it wasn't their fault they were late.

[Fetchpeople]

Based on my personal experience of missing a departure because of flight delays, while using O provided air, you can bet there was no fare adjustment for the mentioned Panama Canal passengers.

[rahrah50]

If you are on an excursion, do you need to be back 2 hours before departure??? I am almost always early to everything, but that really cuts your port time for tours, especially some ports who have a 3:00pm departure.....

[Benita]

I don't know if Oceania is different from other lines, but time aboard is usually 30 minutes before sail time with Royal Caribbean, Princess, HAL, and Celebrity while at ports. Time aboard for embarkation ranges from 60 to 90 minutes.

[Mura]

If you are on an excursion, do you need to be back 2 hours before departure??? I am almost always early to everything, but that really cuts your port time for tours, especially some ports who have a 3:00pm departure.....

 

No, I'm positive that two hour limit only pertains to the debarkation port.

[Mura]

Based on my personal experience of missing a departure because of flight delays, while using O provided air, you can bet there was no fare adjustment for the mentioned Panama Canal passengers.

 

Normally I wouldn't think so ... but this was a pretty basic part of their cruise, wasn't it?!

 

But a high school classmate of mine happened to be on the Iceland cruise in 2006 and missed about the first 3 days of the cruise due to flight delays on O-provided air and the best they could do was give her a bottle of champagne. When she objected to champagne since she and her husband were recovering alcoholics the response was "take it or leave it".

 

Needless to say, O lost a couple of future passengers ...

[A Knitter]

I have never used any cruise line's air because I prefer to be in control of my arrival and not a second party. This is why most people arrive a few days in advance of the sailing date. Most reasons are to relax, see the Port departure city and not worry about airline cancellations and/or delays. I have been on numerous cruises where passengers toured with the ship's excursions and were delayed due to an accident, etc. The ship waited. I have met passengers who were delayed and picked up the ship in the next port at their own expense. All the more reason for travel insurance which cover flight delays.

[neepawa]

The same Boarding information is on Page 81 of the 2011 Summer Collection brochure, Alaska, Canada and New England on the Regatta.

 

Don

[wripro]

I wonder if Oceania leaves the embarkation port two hours late if they will credit each of our shipboard accounts with $1000.

[no fuss travel]

I wonder if Oceania leaves the embarkation port two hours late if they will credit each of our shipboard accounts with $1000.

 

One can only dream and hope.:)

[LHT28]

If you are on an excursion, do you need to be back 2 hours before departure???

It is for Embarkation day only & id a U.S. port I believe you must be checked in & on board 90 minutes prior

 

For ports of call it is usually 30to 45 minutes prior to sail away if tendering be sure to allow for last minute crowds;)

 

They have a sign at the end of the gangway telling you what time to be ON BOARD

[pacheco18]

I could not agree more with the title of this thread - on our Mediterranean cruise, the ONLY announcements came around departure time. Every day without fail they were frantically paging passengers who apparently had not checked in.

[brian_uk]

What a brilliant idea but kind of wasted. frankly if I was going to be that late I would let the ship sail and join at the next stop.

 

Yes I know, easier said than done, and in the Med with all the different Countries possibly more difficult, but from Kusadassi the ship normally goes somewhere nearby.

 

I think it far better when on Tours (not that I go on those from the Ship). The Coach doors should be closed at the appointed time and the latecomers should have to pay a fee to get on.

 

Brian

[wripro]

Here, here Brian. Couldn't agree more.

[frqttrvlr09]

Confession: I was one of those passengers who barely made it onto the ship (Insignia, in both instances) before it left port, and I must say, in total truthfulness, that it was NOT MY FAULT. For reasons that are still incomprehensible to me, my guide/driver in Crete, who was very well aware of what time I needed to be back to the ship (I deliberately told him that time and not when the ship actually left), seemed to put the car in slo-mo the closer we got to departure time. I was becoming a nervous wreck and very verbal. He was totally relaxed, seat back, cruising along, hitting every red light, in the slow lane, stuck in road construction, rush hour, etc. etc. When we finally got to the gate where I had to get out, I saw that there were dozens of passengers on their balconies and elsewhere on the dock side of the ship waving and laughing. I did not know at that time what the "paging" of passenger stateroom numbers or names was for before we left port. Being me, I then managed to drop on the ground everything thing I had in my hands at the time, which was a lot: raincoat, umbrella, newspaper, backpack, wallet which I had taken to pay him which I did before I opened the car door, and more. Then I literally ran, with this bundle of stuff in my arms, as the passengers whistled and clapped, and continued to laugh. I stepped onto the boarding plank and it was literally pulled up as I stepped through the doorway. I was pretty well known after that, and I also understood what the paging was for. I was less worried when it was slightly less of a close call at Florence; and my mental process was that if I missed the ship, I would fly to Rome, or my driver would drive me to Rome, and I would catch up with the ship the next day. Boarding it on the fly from a speeding boat would not be my alternative of choice.

[RetiredFL]

If we are on a private tour I always tell them we need to be back at the ship and hour earlier than is the actual case.

It usually helps to calm the nerves and we enjoy our day more.

[Mura]

The fact is that I think lots of even experienced passengers can make this kind of mistake. My first cruise ever was on the old OLD Norwegian Cruise line where we were warned NOT to take the glass bottomed boat trip in Nassau because you couldn't possibly get back in time. Despite that fact, a couple did ... and the ship sailed without them. I was incensed when I learned that the couple threatened to sue unless they were reimbursed for their costs in catching the ship (which necessitated a small plane flight), and the cruiseline caved. These two didn't care how many people they inconvenienced.

 

On our NCL South America cruise in January 2002 we were on a ship's tour when the bus broke down. A replacement bus was supposed to be there in half an hour, but it was more like an hour and a half. Needless to say, the ship waited. Some passengers who had just gone ashore took advantage of the extra time and came back in the tender with us.

 

On our last Renaissance cruise (May 2001) in Oslo we went out to Museum Island and then went to Vigeland Park. We left the park in plenty of time but my husband suddenly needed a bathroom NOW and while he was gone, the bus came and went. Suddenly there were no buses at all. No cabs either. We were fit to be tied. If the berth had been right where the bus stopped (when it finally arrived), we'd have been just on time but because the ships berth further up the pier in Oslo we had a good 10 minute walk-run to get to it. We arrived 20 minutes before departure and they were just starting to haul up the gangway. We'd thought we had plenty of time but circumstances conspired against us. At least we weren't the last people back on board.

 

In November 2005 (non-Libya, Regatta) we had a private guide who took us to Jerez. He went to get the car to return us to the ship in what seemed like plenty of time but got stuck in traffic coming back to us. Needless to say, we were all in a panic. When he did get back, he put the pedal to the metal and we zoomed back at about 140 kph. We were about 15 minutes late but the gangway was still up. Yes, our names had been called.

 

In all of our cruises I think these are the only times when we were technically late (although that first story was not about us!) and we THOUGHT we'd planned adequately. But things do happen and we do need to remember that they might.

 

Of course, it's not just people who are late coming back from tours but there are also those people on bus tours who never seem to get back to the bus in time. And while we tend not to take ships' tours, we have taken some ... and virtually always there have been some passengers who regularly get back late.

 

When we did China with Viking in 2008 I was amazed that out of the 30 people on our bus, no one was EVER late returning to the bus. Never!

[wripro]

I hope you didn't tip him.

[JimandStan]

Yes, our names had been called

 

We've been paged too ((Blush))

One of us, who shall remain nameless, because it was me, misheard the time that the ship was sailing from Grand Turk.

 

You know that it is bad when the guys at the gangway call you by name as you approach the ship.

 

Still, it taught us.......er......me, a valuable lesson about paying better attention and not assuming.

[A Knitter]

I had a similiar experience but made it to the ship within 10 minutes. We had hired a private guide for Florence. Months in advance planned what we would see and do. We told him we wanted to be back 2 hours in advance of sailing. He took his time and due to construction on their highway he missed the offramp twice. Lucca from Hills and Roads kept saying "don't worry, don't worry", I take you to Portofino", our next Port. Well, we didn't go to Portofino due to bad weather and ended up in Genoa. Even though that was doable, what an inconvenience it would have been. Thinking this was an isolated incident with us, we recommended him to another group traveling to Florence the following year. He did the same thing and brought them to the gang plank as the ship was calling their names. Now when making arrangements, it is clear that their payment depends upon arriving back at the ship as agreed. Haven't had any problems since then.

[DOJO466]

We've been paged too ((Blush))

One of us, who shall remain nameless, because it was me, misheard the time that the ship was sailing from Grand Turk.

 

You know that it is bad when the guys at the gangway call you by name as you approach the ship.

 

Still, it taught us.......er......me, a valuable lesson about paying better attention and not assuming.

I remember that. My Jim said " I think they are paging Jim & Stan", we had only met you the day before and it seemed funny that we actually knew who they were paging:p