Departing First Leg of 24 Day Oceania Cruise

[Kemoore126]

Hi, In the past a third person travels in our cabin and either departs after the first leg of the cruise or joins us for the second leg due to their available time away.  Oceania said they are no longer allowing early departures from a trip we have scheduled in October 2022 for 24 days.  They offer Barcelona to Athens for 14 days or the combined cruise of Barcelona to Rome of 24 days.  We always pay the cost for the third person for the entire 24 day cruise.  Has anyone else encountered this due to Covid?  Thanks

[ToxM]

I wonder if it is to keep the cohort or bubble of passengers intact?

[PhD-iva]

Sounds similar to the rule that if you miss embarkation, you cannot join the cruise at a later port. My guess is its covid related, and I’ll go further and place the blame on the CDC! (Ok, have no basis to do so, but that won’t stop me).

[njhorseman]

41 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

Sounds similar to the rule that if you miss embarkation, you cannot join the cruise at a later port. My guess is its covid related, and I’ll go further and place the blame on the CDC! (Ok, have no basis to do so, but that won’t stop me).

It is COVID-related but you have no basis to blame the CDC since the cruise in question will take place in Europe, where the CDC has absolutely zero authority.

Also, the reason for not being allowed to join the cruise at other than at the initial embarkation port is because the cruise line will not have the ability to conduct its screening protocols for embarking passengers at any port other than the initial planned embarkation port.

[pinotlover]

With the installation of this new rule, I believe it is now therefore madness to plan flying in on the same day of Embarkment. Flight rescheduling and outright cancellations are now so common place, even in the U.S., it’s just down right stupid to risk everything on an  Embarkment Day arrival. 
 

Ancedotal, a group of us, from around the country, were meeting up in Charleston, SC early in the month for the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. Two couples didn’t make the opening night festivities ( which I believe is the best event) because of flight issues. We purposely came in a day early, but got in 2 hours later than planned. If getting to Charleston is that difficult, how do you consider Istanbul, Athens, or Copenhagen? 
 

As perhaps a side issue, with the combination of this new Oceania policy and the current flight mess, I find it reprehensible that Oceania continues to charge deviation fees for flying in early. Grasp this. One opts for Oceania Air, they get in late and miss the Embarkment, and then has their cruise cancelled because they can’t join it at the second port! You took Oceania Air why???

[ORV]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

If getting to Charleston is that difficult, how do you consider Istanbul, Athens, or Copenhagen? 

After giving this some thought here's my take, they're all a 1 connection flight for me. Or least they have been in the past. All about the same difference of difficulty on making connections. 

[Mura]

On 3/19/2022 at 11:12 AM, pinotlover said:

With the installation of this new rule, I believe it is now therefore madness to plan flying in on the same day of Embarkment. Flight rescheduling and outright cancellations are now so common place, even in the U.S., it’s just down right stupid to risk everything on an  Embarkment Day arrival. 
 

Ancedotal, a group of us, from around the country, were meeting up in Charleston, SC early in the month for the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. Two couples didn’t make the opening night festivities ( which I believe is the best event) because of flight issues. We purposely came in a day early, but got in 2 hours later than planned. If getting to Charleston is that difficult, how do you consider Istanbul, Athens, or Copenhagen? 
 

As perhaps a side issue, with the combination of this new Oceania policy and the current flight mess, I find it reprehensible that Oceania continues to charge deviation fees for flying in early. Grasp this. One opts for Oceania Air, they get in late and miss the Embarkment, and then has their cruise cancelled because they can’t join it at the second port! You took Oceania Air why???

For us it was ALWAYS madness to fly in on the day you board the ship. On our first Ren cruise (Lisbon to Barcelona) we planned on spending a few days in Lisbon, already one of our favorite cities.  We booked our own air since we planned on a couple of days there pre-cruise.  Once on board we heard nightmare stories from other passengers who'd used Ren's free air.  The flight arrangements -- especially for people who were flying from non-direct ports -- were awful.  Then on our next cruise (Dover-Stockholm) again we flew in early and saw shell-shocked passengers arriving at our hotel while we were having breakfast.

 

Since then it has never occurred to us to fly in on the day of departure ... without even considering what happens if there are flight delays and you might miss the ship EVEN with ship-sponsored flights.

 

Agree with you about the deviation fees ... especially since they have vastly escalated since our first Renaissance cruise in October 1999.  I can't say we have NEVER used a deviation flight, but it's very rare ... for us.

 

Mura

[clairol]

On 3/18/2022 at 10:08 PM, PhD-iva said:

Sounds similar to the rule that if you miss embarkation, you cannot join the cruise at a later port. 

On our Oct 2021 trip we know of a passenger who missed embarkation due to a lost/misplaced passport issue at the airport (wife was able to get on) and he was allowed to join the ship at a later port. This was a cruise in the Med and Riviera's restart, so all precautions in place.

[PhD-iva]

24 minutes ago, clairol said:

On our Oct 2021 trip we know of a passenger who missed embarkation due to a lost/misplaced passport issue at the airport (wife was able to get on) and he was allowed to join the ship at a later port. This was a cruise in the Med and Riviera's restart, so all precautions in place.

Interesting!

[TERRIER1]

When I look on the Oceania site there is no Barcelona to Athens cruise. Only the 24 day Barcelona to Rome appears.

[1985rz1]

29 minutes ago, TERRIER1 said:

When I look on the Oceania site there is no Barcelona to Athens cruise. Only the 24 day Barcelona to Rome appears.

Here it is

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/middle-east-cruises/barcelona-to-athens-MNA221018/

[TERRIER1]

45 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Here it is

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/middle-east-cruises/barcelona-to-athens-MNA221018/

Aha. I selected Med cruises since the embarkation port was Barcelona and it did not appear. Thanks.

[1985rz1]

8 minutes ago, TERRIER1 said:

Aha. I selected Med cruises since the embarkation port was Barcelona and it did not appear. Thanks.

You're welcome.

 

I've frequently found that what O lists for a cruises region is often not what I would assume.  So I tend to avoid specifying that in the search and try to limit the search with other parameters.

[clairol]

1 hour ago, TERRIER1 said:

When I look on the Oceania site there is no Barcelona to Athens cruise. Only the 24 day Barcelona to Rome appears.

On Marina leaving October 18th 👍