Disembarkation in Barcelona

[Marcdc]

Hi All,

 

I am booked on the Riviera Venice-Barcelona in May 2016. The ship overnights in Barcelona. I am wondering about the disembarkation procedures in these cases. I had assumed that disembarkation would occur in the early AM of the second day in Barcelona, but when I look at the May 2015 cruise for the same itinerary, O has shore excursions available on the second day in Barcelona. Can someone help me out with info on disembarkation procedures and what time I should schedule a plane out of BCN. Thanks Marc

[DaisyUK]

I think we are on the same cruise as you and that your assumption is correct, i.e. that we will need to be off the ship by 9am-ish on the 2nd morning in Barcelona.

[DaisyUK]

Whoops. sorry, please disregard my last post - I misread yours. We are on the May 2015 Venice-Barcelona, and we disembark on the 2nd morning in Barcelona.

[Rickey 88]

Hi All,

 

I am booked on the Riviera Venice-Barcelona in May 2016. The ship overnights in Barcelona. I am wondering about the disembarkation procedures in these cases. I had assumed that disembarkation would occur in the early AM of the second day in Barcelona, but when I look at the May 2015 cruise for the same itinerary, O has shore excursions available on the second day in Barcelona. Can someone help me out with info on disembarkation procedures and what time I should schedule a plane out of BCN. Thanks Marc

 

Since you are overnighting, you can proceed to disembark anytime you would like on the second day. Indicate to the ship, that you are disembarking separately and arrange to have your luggage picked up (with indentification) the previous night. Your luggage will be placed on the dock in a separate group. Arrange for your own transportation to the airport - your flight time should be set to allow you sufficient time at BCN to check in - perhaps 10 am or later.....

[Mura]

It sounds like you do not intend to stay over in Barcelona after leaving the ship. In that case, O will send out questionnaires about your plans ... are you an independent traveler? Are you staying on in the departure point? Are you flying out? If you are flying out, they will want to know your departure time and will schedule you accordingly.

 

In any event, as has been said, you need to be off the ship by 9am. Those tours you are seeing are probably meant for people who are staying on in Barcelona, or for those who have later flights.

 

But you cannot stay on board until 5pm! The new passengers will be boarding as of 11am ...

 

The only time we left the ship in Barcelona was with Renaissance back in Oct '99. But it was different then because Ren gave us 2-3 days in a hotel in Barcelona. So we had a city tour offered to us because our hotel rooms would not be ready at 9-10am.

 

Other times we've boarded the ship in Barcelona ... which is a different ball of wax.

 

If your intention now is to fly out on the day you leave the ship I would advise that you not plan on an early flight. (That's because I'm not an early morning person myself!)

 

Allow plenty of time to get to the airport and for check-in time. Bear in mind that you CAN leave very early on that second day if you have an early flight. It's up to you which flight you choose. But you just cannot stay on board the ship past 9am.

 

Mura

[JACKHAWK]

It sounds like you do not intend to stay over in Barcelona after leaving the ship. In that case, O will send out questionnaires about your plans ... are you an independent traveler? Are you staying on in the departure point? Are you flying out? If you are flying out, they will want to know your departure time and will schedule you accordingly.

 

In any event, as has been said, you need to be off the ship by 9am. Those tours you are seeing are probably meant for people who are staying on in Barcelona, or for those who have later flights.

 

But you cannot stay on board until 5pm! The new passengers will be boarding as of 11am ...

 

The only time we left the ship in Barcelona was with Renaissance back in Oct '99. But it was different then because Ren gave us 2-3 days in a hotel in Barcelona. So we had a city tour offered to us because our hotel rooms would not be ready at 9-10am.

 

Other times we've boarded the ship in Barcelona ... which is a different ball of wax.

 

If your intention now is to fly out on the day you leave the ship I would advise that you not plan on an early flight. (That's because I'm not an early morning person myself!)

 

Allow plenty of time to get to the airport and for check-in time. Bear in mind that you CAN leave very early on that second day if you have an early flight. It's up to you which flight you choose. But you just cannot stay on board the ship past 9am.

 

Mura

What is the ball of wax if you are boarding in BCN?

[Mura]

I just meant that boarding is much simpler than timing when and how you leave the ship. We usually arrive at the ship a bit later and rarely have seen a line in front of us.

 

But when everyone has to be off the ship within the same amount of time, it can be more crowded.

 

Mura

[urlaub]

many times. If you are not back to back you must leave the ship at 9 am latest.In the morning there is not too much traffic in direction to the airport but sometimes the taxi lines in port are long. I recoment a flight departure not earlier than 11.30 am. The ship offers excursions which end at the airport for guests with late departures. Your luggage will be on the bus with you. Last time there was an offer for guests who want to be independent in Barcelona and have late flights. In the cruise terminal they offered to bring your luggage to the airport to store there and you are able to spend your day in Barcelona without any suitcases. You take a taxi to the airport and pick up your luggage. It was not very expensive. Taxi from port to airport normally costs 35 € to 40 €.

I hope this helps :)

[PY33]

We disembarked from Riviera after the transatlantic cruise in Barcelona last week. From ship to taxi took less than 5 minutes. Loads of taxis available. Fixed price to airport was 39 euros - a fraction of what Oceania will charge you for a transfer.

[LuAnn]

We disembarked from Riviera after the transatlantic cruise in Barcelona last week. From ship to taxi took less than 5 minutes. Loads of taxis available. Fixed price to airport was 39 euros - a fraction of what Oceania will charge you for a transfer.

 

same cruise...and the taxi line was SMALL..compared to past experiences...maybe because we didn't disembark until around 8"45 AM...in the past it has been a ZOO!! If you need to fly out early...plan to get off early as the taxi line can be difficult on an early disembarkation and a "run" to the airport!! LuAnn

[Toranut97]

I think a previous poster suggested the real difference - some pax may be doing back-to-backs -- and so they would possibly avail themselves of tours in Barcelona on that second day. Those who are disembarking -- no matter where they are going from the ship, or why , or how -- have to get off by 9 a.m..

 

I would pretty much bet on this.

 

Donna

[Marcdc]

Thanks everyone for your responses

[travelingduo]

We disembarked the Seabourn Quest last Thursday in Barcelona and the taxi line took 30 minutes! Guess it depends upon where and when you dock. Just be mindful of that when you make independent plans.

[cruisaloo]

Hi All,

 

I am booked on the Riviera Venice-Barcelona in May 2016. The ship overnights in Barcelona. I am wondering about the disembarkation procedures in these cases. I had assumed that disembarkation would occur in the early AM of the second day in Barcelona, but when I look at the May 2015 cruise for the same itinerary, O has shore excursions available on the second day in Barcelona. Can someone help me out with info on disembarkation procedures and what time I should schedule a plane out of BCN. Thanks Marc

 

Hi. We too, are booked on the May 2016 Venice to Barcelona on the Riveria and had the exact concern about making our 10:30 flight. We did make a reservation at a hotel the last night of the cruise because we heard about the horrendous long taxi lines. But we would rather not have to resort to that. Barbara

[Toranut97]

I think they schedule the shore excursions on disembarkation day for folks who have later flights. You can get off the ship, take a tour and end up at the airport. Your luggage goes with you.

 

Others will correct this if wrong.

 

Donna

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cruisaloo]

I think they schedule the shore excursions on disembarkation day for folks who have later flights. You can get off the ship, take a tour and end up at the airport. Your luggage goes with you.

 

Others will correct this if wrong.

 

Donna

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks Donna. I meant a 10:30 am flight. I'm going to try to arrange a private transfer to the airport. Do you have any experience with any? Barbara

[Toranut97]

We stayed in Barcelona the one time we ended up there, so we just grabbed a taxi. Had no problem getting one, though I know things may have changed. Sorry I can't help more!

 

 

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[Threechicks]

We had a very early flight out of Barcelona on the second day (ship was overnight in port). Everything went like clockwork. We left the ship around 4 am. As anyone who has been to Barcelona knows it is a long way from the ship to the outside of the cruise terminal. I have mobility issues so was dreading the long walk. At the first turn I was met by a staff member with a wheelchair. He took me down to my luggage, arranged for a porter and then escorted me right to a taxi. No traffic that early so we arrived at the airport in very little time.

[ronrick1943]

If you worry about the taxi line, why not hire a car that will be waiting for you. You set the time to be picked up. When you over night on the ship, you can get off pretty early so you wouldn't have a problem getting to the airport.

 

Rick

[fairbourne]

We pre-booked a taxi (not a limo) to pick us up and found that we really shouldn't have bothered as there were lots of taxis available. We could see them starting to arrive and line up almost as soon as the ship docked.

 

However, our taxi was late by about 30 minutes - and it was filthy! We had pre-paid so we did wait, but I was starting to get anxious and we were just about to grab a cab from the line when the driver arrived - strolling along without a care in the world!!!

 

So lesson learnt, for a few euros more we should have booked a limo/private hire! But I just thought a short journey, a taxi will be fine and it should have been! The private hire drivers were all waiting with name boards for their passengers.

 

However, it was a quick 15/20 minutes to the airport and we had allowed plenty of time for an 1100 flight departure - European flight. I seem to remember we booked the taxi for 0830 - it was a Saturday morning, so I don't know if that would make any difference.

 

It is a long walk as you seem to go back and forth almost the length of the ship a couple of times along the covered "gangways" , but it gives you a great view of all the staterooms and those much coveted extended verandas!

 

No passport checks either - trusting lot these Spaniards! :rolleyes:

[cruisaloo]

We pre-booked a taxi (not a limo) to pick us up and found that we really shouldn't have bothered as there were lots of taxis available. We could see them starting to arrive and line up almost as soon as the ship docked.

 

However, our taxi was late by about 30 minutes - and it was filthy! We had pre-paid so we did wait, but I was starting to get anxious and we were just about to grab a cab from the line when the driver arrived - strolling along without a care in the world!!!

 

So lesson learnt, for a few euros more we should have booked a limo/private hire! But I just thought a short journey, a taxi will be fine and it should have been! The private hire drivers were all waiting with name boards for their passengers.

 

 

However, it was a quick 15/20 minutes to the airport and we had allowed plenty of time for an 1100 flight departure - European flight. I seem to remember we booked the taxi for 0830 - it was a Saturday morning, so I don't know if that would make any difference.

 

It is a long walk as you seem to go back and forth almost the length of the ship a couple of times along the covered "gangways" , but it gives you a great view of all the staterooms and those much coveted extended verandas!

 

No passport checks either - trusting lot these Spaniards! :rolleyes:

 

Thanks everyone for all the really helpful feedback. I am very relieved and will book a car service. I won't have to leave till 7:00 am, I think. Whew!

[JMBobB]

Marc & Daisy,

 

SWMbI and I are on that cruise as well. We're doing a B2B Venice to Miami.

 

Anyway, we did the MIA - BCN cruise this last April and were literally stunned at the departure in BCN. It was our 4th cruise and passengers were allowed to disembark as early as 7 am. We chose to have a lovely breakfast in the GDR (open at 7 am) went back up to the room to brush our teeth and pick up our carry on bag and LEISURELY strolled off the ship on the dot of 8 am. :rolleyes:

 

Only one older couple on the gangway across to the boarding building, down one set of stairs, a very brief passport check, then picked up our baggage in an extremely well organized area (by letter and #) and we were outside, into a taxi (lots lined up and ready) on the way to the local banhof in 10 minutes flat from the time we stepped off the ship. Figure a 30 minute ride to the BCN airport.

 

We were virtually alone once we passed the older couple on the gangway all the way to the cabs! We did see many fellow cruisers we recognized later in the train station. :eek:

 

JMBobB

[Marcdc]

JMBobB,

 

Thanks for your post. One question about disembarkation times. You mention that you could disembark as early as 7 am. Other have said they disembarked a similar cruise at 4 am. We have an 8 am plane and just want to be sure we can make it. I was thinking this would not be an issue since we are overnighting in BCN. But if you have some info on this, please share.

 

Thanks, Marc

[Paulchili]

JMBobB,

 

Thanks for your post. One question about disembarkation times. You mention that you could disembark as early as 7 am. Other have said they disembarked a similar cruise at 4 am. We have an 8 am plane and just want to be sure we can make it. I was thinking this would not be an issue since we are overnighting in BCN. But if you have some info on this, please share.

 

Thanks, Marc

 

If the ship is overnighting in port, I believe you can disembark as early as you wish.

However, you best check with the staff re: 2 issues:

1 Will you have to carry your own luggage off the ship (i.e. when will the luggage be offloaded)

2 More importantly, will there be any officials at immigration to clear you at 4 AM.

Personally, I would fly out later or if I had to fly at 8 AM (like that is the only an award ticket available) then I would spend the last night in a hotel.

Just my thoughts.

[Threechicks]

I'm the one who disembarked at 4 am. As long as the ship is docked overnight you can leave whenever you wish. You have special coloured tags for your luggage that shows you are travelling independently and what time you are likely to leave the ship. You are asked this question when you fill out your disembarkation form. You will find your bags fairly close to the exit out of the terminal. There are Oceania staff members there to assist you. As I mentioned in my earlier post I was also provided with a wheelchair. There is no passport control as you are still in the European Zone.