Civitavecchia boarding time?

[sueswny]

I sailed on Oceania out of Civitavecchia several years ago and those who weren't in Penthouse suites had to wait till early afternoon to board. Suites were given definite priority and could board pretty much when they arrived. This was before Concierge category was added.

I will be on another cruise out of Civitavecchia next summer. I wonder what it's like now. Does Oceania still make the "regular" passengers wait till a given time to board?

What's your experience boarding in Civitavecchia these days? thanks

[Scottygirl1]

We sailed from Civitavecchia in July and we were in a Penthouse suite. It took ages waiting in the check-in line and I wasn't impressed. It turns out the people in front of us were not even in a penthouse suite yet held up the queue for ages. Our friends were in an inside cabin got through long before us.

 

Once through you can't go to your cabin anyway so I was just a little disappointed. We went and had lunch and were notified later that our cabin was ready.

[pacheco18]

We have never waited to board but if you get there ridiculously early you probably will have to. Why not just wait until it is close to the time stated in your documents.

 

After that, it's a breeze.

Cabins are cleaned in a pecking order

 

Suites are cleaned first, so those passengers have access to their cabins first.

Makes sense to me -- they paid more, they get more.

 

You can have a leisurely lunch on board while you are waiting for your cabin to be ready. If the weather is good, you can sit outside and just enjoy the good food and service -- and make new friends.

 

If you have not been on the ship before, you can get acclimated -- walk around -- get oriented

 

You can look at the wine packages or just relax and read. You can sit at the pool and sip an iced tea or iced latte or have your first Mojito or Mai Tai.

 

No big deal. Just getting on board gives me a thrill!!!

[Peppyrmynt]

We boarded Riviera in Civitavecchia on 24 Oct 2012. The boarding time stated in our cruise documents (we were in a PH2) was 12pm. We arrived via RomeCabs around 12:30 and were onboard within a half hour - we were held up a little because I had honestly answered the health questionnaire so I had to wait for a very friendly nurse to check my temperature and ask a few questions. All PH suites were ready by the time we got onboard around 1pm.

[Mura]

OP, I have to say that our experience has been different. Many times people in the "lower" cabins can board earlier than announced. It really depends on how many show up when. If there are too many people up in Terrace having their lunch, you could have to wait until the people in "upper" cabins can actually get into their) rooms.

 

When we boarded the non-Libya cruise in Barcelona (November 2005) we were in a suite and saw people we'd bet the day before on the train coming home from Girona who were waiting. So I innocently (I really was!) told them to join us and board, and they did. No one stopped them.

 

On a more recent occasion we were having lunch with a couple who were worried about what had happened to their companions. In turned out that the couple at our table had been the last ones to board before the barrier was set up because of crowds in Terrace. Their friends had to wait.

 

Answer: you can show up earlier than your announced boarding time and be able to board ... or not! You just never know.

 

As Laraine says, it can be better just to do something in town in the morning and show up later. Okay, if you flew in that morning you really want to board asap! I get that. But if you came in a day or two early, then you can arrange to do things in the morning and show up at the ship later.

 

When we boarded Civitavecchia last year we came into Rome a few days early and didn't ask for our van to pick us up until 3pm for a 6pm departure. That worked out perfectly ... except we didn't get lunch ...

 

So that is another consideration! Arrive late enough to avoid the crowds but not so late that Terrace has closed!

 

Mura