Boarding / Embarkation Lunch / Cabin Availability

[pinotlover]

I agree I guess, especially when I always arrive 2-5 days early. I'm mainly asking about the folks that do arrive same day, on O air. They arrive at the airport ~7 and are ready to leave the airport by 8. O is docked in the middle of nowhere with zero facilities or services available for early arrivals. What do they do with the baggage? Perhaps the post above telling them to hook up with a local tour company, to babysit the luggage is a good one, while they site see is a good one. Perhaps O should recommend some of the tour companies, or run the tours themselves, so that passengers have a clue.

 

Last trip was out of Copenhagen. O was docked so far from town I was shocked. The only public transportation around was taxi. I was told it was 50 Euro, one way into town, with about an hour wait for a taxi. Stockholm was no better at the other end for passengers embarking there. In Stockholm there did appear to be a couple tour companies out at the dock to facilitate people. In Copenhagen, we were about a half mile inside of some huge fenced in commerical area. Nothing much was there at all.

[Travelcat2]

I agree I guess, especially when I always arrive 2-5 days early. I'm mainly asking about the folks that do arrive same day, on O air. They arrive at the airport ~7 and are ready to leave the airport by 8. O is docked in the middle of nowhere with zero facilities or services available for early arrivals. What do they do with the baggage? Perhaps the post above telling them to hook up with a local tour company, to babysit the luggage is a good one, while they site see is a good one. Perhaps O should recommend some of the tour companies, or run the tours themselves, so that passengers have a clue.

 

Last trip was out of Copenhagen. O was docked so far from town I was shocked. The only public transportation around was taxi. I was told it was 50 Euro, one way into town, with about an hour wait for a taxi. Stockholm was no better at the other end for passengers embarking there. In Stockholm there did appear to be a couple tour companies out at the dock to facilitate people. In Copenhagen, we were about a half mile inside of some huge fenced in commerical area. Nothing much was there at all.

 

hondorner (a long time Oceania customer and poster on this board) indicated to me (when we met rather than on Cruise Critic) that if you arrive early and there is no line, you will be permitted to board early. This was in response to my statement that I didn't want to see people sitting and waiting for hours while I walked past and boarded the ship - simply because of the type of cabin I was in. He assured me that this does not happen.

[LHT28]

I agree I guess, especially when I always arrive 2-5 days early. I'm mainly asking about the folks that do arrive same day, on O air. They arrive at the airport ~7 and are ready to leave the airport by 8. O is docked in the middle of nowhere with zero facilities or services available for early arrivals. What do they do with the baggage? Perhaps the post above telling them to hook up with a local tour company, to babysit the luggage is a good one, while they site see is a good one. Perhaps O should recommend some of the tour companies, or run the tours themselves, so that passengers have a clue.

 

Last trip was out of Copenhagen. O was docked so far from town I was shocked. The only public transportation around was taxi. I was told it was 50 Euro, one way into town, with about an hour wait for a taxi. Stockholm was no better at the other end for passengers embarking there. In Stockholm there did appear to be a couple tour companies out at the dock to facilitate people. In Copenhagen, we were about a half mile inside of some huge fenced in commerical area. Nothing much was there at all.

 

If you take the transfers provided by Oceania (for a fee) they usually take people on a city tour

 

It can be hard for cruise ships to dock in the centre of the city or near the airport in some locations

Sometimes the water is just not deep enough in those canals

 

Copenhagen you could take the train to the city centre then store your bags until ready to go to the ship

 

 

Lyn

[LHT28]

+1

Those are the folks that then complain that they were not given priority when arriving early. The booklet from O will clearly say when boarding time is.

 

The only time we went early to the port was in Amsterdam one year

We stayed at the Movenpick which is right next to the port

 

It was 30+ C ..we did not feel like travelling around in the heat so we just went & dropped our bags about 11am then went & sat in the port building

along with the others

We did not board early ....the suites etc..went on when scheduled & the rest got to board at 3pm just as the documents stated

 

Not all ports are created equal ;)

 

Lyn

[buggins0402]

If you take the transfers provided by Oceania (for a fee) they usually take people on a city tour

 

It can be hard for cruise ships to dock in the centre of the city or near the airport in some locations

Sometimes the water is just not deep enough in those canals

 

Copenhagen you could take the train to the city centre then store your bags until ready to go to the ship

 

 

Lyn

 

Lyn - we're in the "cheap seats", so we'll have a late boarding in Copenhagen, but have a hotel check out time of 12 p.m. Would it be possible to drop bags at the port and then go view the "Little Mermaid"? Hoping to kill some time until we are able to board.

[pinotlover]

Not Lyn, but depending upon where you are staying, it would be better to leave your luggage with the hotel concierge and tour the town. Do the canal boat tour for sure. You'll be able to see the Little Mermaid from the back side from the boat, but if you want to see it from the front you must walk down to the park. Not all that far from City Center.

 

We stayed at the Marriott, and it was very convienent to walk downtown from there. Mass transportation is easy there also. Let me warn you, the ship is convienent to nothing. It's is way the hell out and is an expensive taxi ride back to town. I would suggest that once you go to the ship plan on staying there.

[buggins0402]

Not Lyn, but depending upon where you are staying, it would be better to leave your luggage with the hotel concierge and tour the town. Do the canal boat tour for sure. You'll be able to see the Little Mermaid from the back side from the boat, but if you want to see it from the front you must walk down to the park. Not all that far from City Center.

 

We stayed at the Marriott, and it was very convienent to walk downtown from there. Mass transportation is easy there also. Let me warn you, the ship is convienent to nothing. It's is way the hell out and is an expensive taxi ride back to town. I would suggest that once you go to the ship plan on staying there.

 

Hmmm, guess I'll scratch that idea. Which port does Oceania use? I thought it was Langelinie - relatively close to the Mermaid. We're ex-marathon runners, so walking just about any distance isn't an issue. We are flying in two days before, so we'll have some time to see the more important sites of the city. I just wanted to leave the Mermaid to some dead time. It's not that important of a sight.

[tropicalkerry2002]

In Sept 2012, on Nautica, we did dock within site of The Mermaid...an easy walk.

[pinotlover]

Buggins;

 

Forgot the name of the pier, but you really can't get anywhere from it. It is in a fenced in industrial area. There is only 1 way in and out and that exit is about 1/2 mile from the ship, over rail road tracks and several turns. At the entrance to the industrial complex, one is about 5 kilometers from the City Centre. There is no port building by the ship. O has a big tent and one does everything in the tent.

[tropicalkerry2002]

That this was a port on our itinerary, not embark or disembarkation port. There were no facilities where we docked, that I saw, that would be suitable for either.

[LHT28]

Depends on where the ship docks if it is Langelinie it is a short walk to the The little mermaid

If you are staying in Nyhaven area also a short walk to see her

 

Frihaven is a bit further from the city centre

http://www.cmport.com/maps/copenhagen

 

the list is not showing yet but check later

http://www.cmport.com/ships-in-port/cruise-ships

 

They do change according to the harbour Master

[buggins0402]

Depends on where the ship docks if it is Langelinie it is a short walk to the The little mermaid

If you are staying in Nyhaven area also a short walk to see her

 

Frihaven is a bit further from the city centre

http://www.cmport.com/maps/copenhagen

 

the list is not showing yet but check later

http://www.cmport.com/ships-in-port/cruise-ships

 

They do change according to the harbour Master

 

Thanks Oceania Godmother.

 

I'll keep checking. We're at the Clarion Mayfair, by the railroad station and near good running routes along the Lakes. Reviews were good, had expiring points on a flexperks card so I went with it. However, the big negative on Tripadvisor was luggage security if rooms weren't ready - so I was concerned leaving luggage at the hotel to do more touring after checkout. We now have enough points to switch to the Radisson Blu, which would have secured luggage storage. Guess I'd only do that if Langelinie is not the port. Thanks for the port link - I'll keep checking.

[LHT28]

Thanks Oceania Godmother.

 

I'll keep checking. We're at the Clarion Mayfair, by the railroad station and near good running routes along the Lakes. Reviews were good, had expiring points on a flexperks card so I went with it. However, the big negative on Tripadvisor was luggage security if rooms weren't ready - so I was concerned leaving luggage at the hotel to do more touring after checkout. We now have enough points to switch to the Radisson Blu, which would have secured luggage storage. Guess I'd only do that if Langelinie is not the port. Thanks for the port link - I'll keep checking.

There is luggage storage in the train station for a fee but if the hotel will do I would go that route

There is also a Clarion in Nyhavn if that would be better...it is a nice area with lots of restaurants

 

Have a great trip

 

Lyn

[pinotlover]

Let me explain a bit of the current problem in Copenhagen, and it not being all of O's fault. We were there last summer 7/13 on the Marina. The docking area, for cruise ships, is under major renovation. We were told the plan is to double the number of berths for cruise ships that can dock in the city. However, the project was to last for a couple of years. Many of the previous docking areas are/were completely torn out with new areas being constructed. Due to this I don't believe one can use historical info on where the ships docked previously. I can only tell you where O was set up to Dock in 2013. By the appearance of the construction, I would not expect there to be any major changes in berthing for 2014 and perhaps 2015.

 

This doesn't explain some of the poor areas the ship docked in at other ports, but the mess at Copenhagen was understandable. One still wonders whether O doesn't get the better berthing areas because of some historical seniority system or whether it just chooses not to pay to dock in the better areas/

[pinotlover]

I forgot to add, If you want to check the map of the area, the ship was docking about midway up in the North Harbor (Nordhavn) area. This is primarily an industrial area. We had ocean going freight haulers on both sides of us loading and unloading ocean carrier containers.