Newbie Questions on hDock locations and timing

[Eartha Kitten]

Hello. This August will be our first Oceania cruise. A Baltic cruise on the Marina. How can we learn the location of where the ship will dock at each port? Also, we are not taking any Oceania excursions. So will we be held back from getting off the ship, i.e. have to wait for those on O. excursions to go before us? If so, how much time will we lose in each port? Also, same question for getting back to ship: should we allow extra time? Thank you!

 

 

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[JimandStan]

How can we learn the location of where the ship will dock at each port?

Do a Google Search for the Website for each of your ports. There you will find a calendar which should show the Marina on the date that you are scheduled to dock there. Dock or Tender locations are specified by that Port Authority.

So will we be held back from getting off the ship

No, and with a 1200 passenger ship that would not make much of a difference anyway.

If so, how much time will we lose in each port?

You won''t lose any time.

Also, same question for getting back to ship: should we allow extra time? Thank you!

Passengers are usually required to be back on board about 2 hours before sailing so that paperwork can be completed and submitted before departing. Specifics will be printed in Currents, the ships newspaper.

[Eartha Kitten]

Thank you so much for the info and reassurance. This board is great!

 

 

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[njhorseman]

 

Passengers are usually required to be back on board about 2 hours before sailing so that paperwork can be completed and submitted before departing. Specifics will be printed in Currents, the ships newspaper.

 

Incorrect. The normal "all aboard" time in ports of call is 30 minutes prior to departure. If it's a tender port typically the last tender departs shore about 1 hour prior to departure. There may be the occasional port where "all aboard" is earlier, but it would be an exception, not the rule. You are correct about the specifics being printed in Currents.

 

The two hours you've cited is normally only for the initial embarkation port.

[YoHoHo]

deleted as already addressed. I'm way behind. don't know why this took sooooo long to be posted

[Andee]

On our recent Marina cruise (got home Monday night), we had to be back on board 30 minutes before sailing.

We had to wait as long as an hour+ to get off the ship in the morning, which was annoying.

 

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[JimandStan]

We had to wait as long as an hour+ to get off the ship

Why?

[njhorseman]

Why?

Having just spent 36 days on Marina, long waits for guests not on Oceania excursions was common in tender ports, such as most of French Polynesia.

[Earl Rosebery]

None of the Baltic ports are tender ports so no problem.

[Eartha Kitten]

That's excellent information for this newcomer to hear. Thank you!

[Paulchili]

None of the Baltic ports are tender ports so no problem.

 

While that is true, SPB can be a potential problem due to lengthy immigration process. Oceania in the past made it sound like people participating on O tours had priority in disembarkation. This is not actually true - all passengers can disembark at the same time (in our experience)