Oceania's transfer to ship

[Scout12]

Hello, my husband and I are joining an Oceania cruise in July. We fly in a day before our cruise departs & we booked a hotel with the cruise line. Transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship are included in our package. Has anyone done this before? We'd like to get up early on the day we board & tour Lisbon before we board the ship (the ship does not leave until 9-10 pm). We don't know what time our transfer to the ship will be and if we might be able to send our luggage on the transfer bus/taxi while we tour the city. Anyone have experienced this before & tell us how we should proceed? Thanks.

[Mura]

We've always done DIY transfers from hotel to ship so I can't answer your question about what time Oceania would have you leaving the hotel but my GUESS is that it would be mid-day. Since boarding times are usually starting around 11 or noon, through 2-pm, and they serve lunch on board, it would seem likely (at least to me) that they wouldn't be providing a transfer as late as dinner time even with a late departure.

 

It's a good question though! I look forward to seeing knowledgeable answers as opposed to my guess.

 

Mura

[StanandJim]

Hello, my husband and I are joining an Oceania cruise in July. We fly in a day before our cruise departs & we booked a hotel with the cruise line. Transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship are included in our package. Has anyone done this before? We'd like to get up early on the day we board & tour Lisbon before we board the ship (the ship does not leave until 9-10 pm). We don't know what time our transfer to the ship will be and if we might be able to send our luggage on the transfer bus/taxi while we tour the city. Anyone have experienced this before & tell us how we should proceed? Thanks.

 

Luggage is typically left outside the hotel room door on the night before sailing. Porters collect it overnight, and have it loaded onto the buses as soon as they arrive on embarkation morning.

 

If you are using Oceania's recommended pre-cruise hotel, then there will be an Oceania staffed Reception Desk in the lobby. They would be the people who can tell you if it's possible to send the luggage ahead without claiming it immediately. This was once a no brainer, but these days there are security concerns about unaccompanied luggage which passenger convenience cannot always override.

 

Oceania transfer Busses are timed to coincide with when passengers are "supposed" to arrive at the terminal. Those hours vary by Embarkation Port, but will be listed on Page 4 of your Personalized Cruise Planner (the Blue Booklets which are sent out approximately 3 weeks prior to sailing)

Edited June 11, 2015 by StanandJim
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[StanandJim]

I need to amend my last post, as follows:

 

If you are using Oceania's recommended pre-cruise hotel, then there will be an Oceania staffed Reception Desk in the lobby. They would be the people who can tell you if it's possible to send the luggage ahead without going with it on the bus. This was once a no brainer, but these days there are security concerns about unaccompanied luggage which passenger convenience cannot always override.

[LHT28]

You could always go to the ship check in drop your hang baggage in the cabin then head back ashore for the rest of the day but be sure to be back at least 45 min prior to sailaway

 

We did this in some ports with late departures

[kekilia]

You could always go to the ship check in drop your hang baggage in the cabin then head back ashore for the rest of the day but be sure to be back at least 45 min prior to sailaway

 

We did this in some ports with late departures

 

What about the muster drill, did you miss it?

[ORV]

You could always go to the ship check in drop your hang baggage in the cabin then head back ashore for the rest of the day but be sure to be back at least 45 min prior to sailaway

 

We did this in some ports with late departures

 

Wouldn't this depend on if your room is ready?

[LHT28]

Wouldn't this depend on if your room is ready?

 

True or you can ask reception to store small hand luggage

 

 

We usually just leave the bags at the hotel & check in later on the ship depending on sailaway time or what plans we have

 

 

Make friends with someone in an OS & ask them to store the hand luggage :D

[ChatKat in Ca.]

On a few cruises we we sent our luggage on the Bus, took our hand carries with us and took a cab to the ship in Barcelona and in New York.

 

The delay at the hotel was ridiculous. I did make sure it was loaded on the bus before leaving. Checked in at the port and dropped hand luggage and went off again