Question re: Earlier boarding

[durante]

Read Stan and Jim's post again

[no fuss travel]

I remember when I first started cruising in the late 70's that we were escorted to our cabins and that on HAL, we were joined at the table by an officer. It was probably in the 90's when there was no longer crew escorting you to your cabin. When we started cruising with our kids, I don't remember ever being escorted to our cabins when we embarked, but I do remember the head waiters making a huge fuss over our kids and the amazing treats our kids used to get. Mind you both of our kids were well behaved and did not act like hooligans, so maybe that is why the crew used to bend over backwards for them and give them extra treats. At nighttime, there used to be a least 3 chocolates on their pillows, not on ours though.:D

[hypercafe]

I've only seen movies of how things were on cruise ships in the bygone years. It must have been wonderful to have friends and family come on board and stand next to the ship waving goodbye -- with balloons, streamers, etc. On the other hand, my DH sailed to this country (U.S.) in the 50's on the Queen Elizabeth. If you could not afford First Class, you were in accommodations similar to a jail cell (but with doors that open). The beds were little more than covered springs. So, while things have changed, a lot of the changes have been for the better.

 

In terms of being escorted to your cabin, IMO, it is no more difficult finding your cabin on a ship than it is finding your room in a hotel. I'm sure that if someone really needed assistance in finding their cabin, assistance would be provided.

 

 

The original post was about boarding the ship, my point was each line has a different way to do it. I find no fault with Oceania, it's just a marketing deal to get you to buy a better cabin next time, in the end we are all on board before the ship leaves. HL has a different aproach, I find it funny that having a crew member meeting you when you board, takeing your carry on, showing you the ship and your stateroom can be seen as a bad thing, it looks like excellent customer service to me. HL is very costly so I guess you get what you pay for regardless of always staying in upper class cabins or not.

[StanandJim]

I find it funny that having a crew member meeting you when you board, takeing your carry on, showing you the ship and your stateroom can be seen as a bad thing, it looks like excellent customer service to me.

 

I don't believe that anyone called it a bad thing, but if you're secure enough to do without that king of hand....or bottom....kissing, it can seem like a gigantic waste of the crews' time.

<--those cabin corridors aren't exactly a maze, these days.

[Mura]

When we took our first Renaissance cruise (then the R2, now Regatta) we appreciated the service of being shown to our cabin. After that, we didn't need it and didn't want to bother the crew member.

 

By the time we took our first Marina cruise (Oct '11), we had an idea of how to find our cabin. I don't recall if we were offered the service on that cruise or not, but I think no.

 

If it's your first time on a ship, it can be a welcomed assistance. When we took our NCL cruise on GEM a few years ago, I don't recall being escorted to our room but by now we've figured out how to find our cabin. We know if we're forward, midships or aft, and how the numbers work. If we're walking in the wrong direction, that's quickly discerned.

 

Maybe if we were on one of those behemoths we'd feel differently ... but that will NEVER happen. (Well, maybe if I win a trip on Wheel of Fortune ... but even then I think I'd just take the cash value of the trip and pay the taxes!)

 

Mura

[Caroldoll]

I believe you should expect what you pay for...and I too am in agreement with Travelcat's husband. I think that priority boarding is a great thing. My husband and I worked 18 hours or more for over 30 years to get where we are, and we enjoy it. Prior to this we lived from hand to mouth for years to support our employees and we never had a good suite...we worked our way up. I think others can work their way up too...as they get older or work harder. I love priority boarding and frankly when we did all of our Norwegian cruises, I loved all the priority they gave us, so I am not looking at a glass half empty!

[fairbourne]

I believe you should expect what you pay for...and I too am in agreement with Travelcat's husband. I think that priority boarding is a great thing. My husband and I worked 18 hours or more for over 30 years to get where we are, and we enjoy it. Prior to this we lived from hand to mouth for years to support our employees and we never had a good suite...we worked our way up. I think others can work their way up too...as they get older or work harder. I love priority boarding and frankly when we did all of our Norwegian cruises, I loved all the priority they gave us, so I am not looking at a glass half empty!

 

Caroldoll - I couldn't have said this better myself. Enjoy it all, we've worked hard for long enough! ;):D

[PaulMCO]

Caroldoll - I couldn't have said this better myself. Enjoy it all, we've worked hard for long enough! ;):D

 

Amen to that -- except I am still working. :D

 

I do appreciate the priority boarding. Spending 1/2 my year at airports I hate queues and lines.

 

I can get used to Silversea way of escorting their guests to their cabins as well as a quick tour of the ship.

[Hambagahle]

Caroldoll --

 

Sorry about my screen name but I am stuck with it now. If you split it in two, mentally, it makes it easier to write... "Hamba" means to go in Sindabele and "gahle" means softly or carefully. Together it has come to mean "Take it easy" ! Like "Hakuna Matata" in Swahili. Our chalet was called Hambagahle and so I took it over as my screen name...

 

However I am delighted not to be the only one who thinks boarding by suite/cabin category makes sense...

[pinotlover]

I believe one of the larger issues in priority boarding is boarding in a manner most efficient to getting everyone into their suites. I was amazed (shouldn't been) at all the times the announcements were being made :Please do Not go to your rooms until your decks are called. People were ignoring the do not enters and just going to their suites to change clothes, dump luggage, or whatever. It only served to slow the process up even more. One passenger remarked "If Oceania didn't want us going to our rooms, they wouldn't gave us a keycard that opens the door". On the other hand, why would someone want to board at 11:00 and carry all those handhelds around with them until 3:00? :rolleyes: Back to earlier comment. Speaking of which, we board hand carrying as little as possible. Why does O allow some to drag suitcases of varying sizes and other stuff up the gangplank, in lieu of making them check it? The Terrace can get awfully crowded trying to dodge all sorts of bags, suitcases, etc, etc. All part of the circus, that shouldn't be.

[Caroldoll]

I think I grasp it as I loved Africa with Hatu Mahana and breaking it down works. I will try hard from now on. No matter what, you were the one who "sold" me on Oceania after you did the Oceania Suite. I have never looked back...or any other way. We are kind of out of world as to places to go, so we have to retrace our steps...and might cut down quite some after next year. Still love it.

[Hambagahle]

Caroldoll -

You should come on the TA next april - Riviera from Miami to Barcelona. Three ports (Bermuda, Madeira and Gibraltar) and for the rest - all sea days so one can relax and enjoy everything Riviera has to offer. We are on that cruise... can you be tempted?

 

Ken and I are sort of in the same boat as you when it comes to itineraries. We have been just about everywhere we ever wanted to go. And have got to the stage where the ship is the destination I suppose! Anyway living in a landlocked country just sitting and watching the sea is fun!

[Caroldoll]

and then over to Southampton. I would have loved a trip with you. Why not keep us in the loop. In addition we are doing two on the Riviera in September and October in the Med. That is 2015. We have nothing for 2016 yet.

[Caroldoll]

Our email is ciraulo1@earthlink.net. We have never done a TA or a TP, and would love to. We are very quiet people and love life and love one another. We enjoy EVERYTHING the ships have to offer (not loud)! LOL