New to Oceania --- when can I expect to receive my cruise documents?

[Just2guys]

We have taken many cruises but this will our first on Oceania --- Riviera cruise June of this year.  When can we reasonably expect to receive our cruise documents?

 

Also, is it correct that from 21 days up to 72 hours before the cruise we do an online check-in to select a boarding time?

 

Thanks in advance for the information.

[shepherd really]

4 minutes ago, Just2guys said:

We have taken many cruises but this will our first on Oceania --- Riviera cruise June of this year.  When can we reasonably expect to receive our cruise documents?

 

Also, is it correct that from 21 days up to 72 hours before the cruise we do an online check-in to select a boarding time?

 

Thanks in advance for the information.

Expect them anywhere from 4 weeks prior to a week after embarkation.

 

Yes, you choose a boarding time during online check in, which is then studiously ignored.

[MEFIowa]

For our Sirena cruise 11/18/2022 we received our packet 41 days in advance, 10/8.

 

And for both our Riviera cruise (12/2021) and on Sirena, the boarding times "assigned" in advance seemed to make no difference. More driven by flight times and when people choose to arrive. For those in the B1-G cabins, you stood in one slow moving line. I'd push my bag of 6 bottles of wine slowly with my foot.

[shepherd really]

3 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

For our Sirena cruise 11/18/2022 we received our packet 41 days in advance, 10/8.

 

And for both our Riviera cruise (12/2021) and on Sirena, the boarding times "assigned" in advance seemed to make no difference. More driven by flight times and when people choose to arrive. For those in the B1-G cabins, you stood in one slow moving line. I'd push my bag of 6 bottles of wine slowly with my foot.

The part that makes me smile about embarkation is they literally roll out a red carpet for those in Penthouse or above and don't allow the feet of the great unwashed to tread upon it.

[MEFIowa]

12 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

The part that makes me smile about embarkation is they literally roll out a red carpet for those in Penthouse or above and don't allow the feet of the great unwashed to tread upon it.

That doesn't bother me. They paid a handsome premium for it!

 

I just chuckle, thinking, "I paid $x for my cabin in a cabin upgrade sale and they paid 3-5 times that for their cabin. We'll be eating the same food in the same restaurants and enjoying the same areas around the ship and using the same pool and pretty much the entire ship but their cabin. And I won't even be hardly using mine except to sleep since I'm getting off the ship each day in port for the entire time."

 

To each their own. Enjoy what you paid for. 😉 

[Woofa]

57 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

For our Sirena cruise 11/18/2022 we received our packet 41 days in advance, 10/8.

 

And for both our Riviera cruise (12/2021) and on Sirena, the boarding times "assigned" in advance seemed to make no difference. More driven by flight times and when people choose to arrive. For those in the B1-G cabins, you stood in one slow moving line. I'd push my bag of 6 bottles of wine slowly with my foot.

I actually did the same with our box of wine.  Luckily after a few minutes one of the nice ladies came over and asked if she could hold it until we got our keys.  Much easier after that.  While we may not ever bring wine aboard again (we barely touched it as we are not big drinkers but as this was our first cruise and we were in Miami with time to spare we figured we would try,) we do believe a rolling bag of some kind was a great idea.  

[MEFIowa]

18 minutes ago, Woofa said:

... and we were in Miami with time to spare we figured we would try,)....

We drove down for our first cruise in 2021, so brought my wine from home. Flew for our 2nd in 2022. BUT thankfully the Shell station next to our hotel by the airport had a surprisingly decent selection of inexpensive wines. Our 6 bottles cost about $84. We drank ours. On the veranda at night before going to bed.

[LHT28]

50 minutes ago, Woofa said:

I actually did the same with our box of wine.  Luckily after a few minutes one of the nice ladies came over and asked if she could hold it until we got our keys.  Much easier after that.  While we may not ever bring wine aboard again (we barely touched it as we are not big drinkers but as this was our first cruise and we were in Miami with time to spare we figured we would try,) we do believe a rolling bag of some kind was a great idea.  

Many people have rolling suitcases or boxes for their wine & just check it with the porters

I have only taken 1 or 2 bottles  & we have the single padded bags  & just put them in the checked bag 

We took a special wine  to our cruise in Amsterdam it survived fine

 

[Elendkhay]

We are leaving for our cruise from the Middle East, a place where Oceania stops .  Oceania will not send our documents here.
 This is so disappointing .  
The company has been a challenge this short cruise — usually we took longer cruises and they were much more helpful.
  Any ideas 

 

Helen  

[jennybenny]

3 hours ago, shepherd really said:

Expect them anywhere from 4 weeks prior to a week after embarkation.

 

Yes, you choose a boarding time during online check in, which is then studiously ignored.

Do you actually receive documents in the mail before a cruise? What happens if you don't receive them? Going on our first O cruise in May.

Edited March 21, 2023 by jennybenny

[shepherd really]

1 minute ago, jennybenny said:

Do you actually receive documents in the mail before a cruise? What happens if you don't receive them? 

Yes, if they arrive before the cruise then you have them before the cruise (state the obvious).  

 

If you don't get them on time then you just get luggage tags from a porter when you arrive at the cruise terminal.   

 

It's not a big deal.

[LHT28]

8 minutes ago, Elendkhay said:

We are leaving for our cruise from the Middle East, a place where Oceania stops .  Oceania will not send our documents here.
 This is so disappointing .  
The company has been a challenge this short cruise — usually we took longer cruises and they were much more helpful.
  Any ideas 

 

Helen  

Will they not  send the final cruise summary email to you?

You usually can get  bag tags at the dock

 

 

[jennybenny]

4 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Yes, if they arrive before the cruise then you have them before the cruise (state the obvious).  

 

If you don't get them on time then you just get luggage tags from a porter when you arrive at the cruise terminal.   

 

It's not a big deal.

What if there aren't porters? I guess we could just carry on our bags, if that's the only important paperwork one gets before the cruise. I'm so used to printing my own tags that I didn't even think of this!

[shepherd really]

1 minute ago, jennybenny said:

What if there aren't porters? I guess we could just carry on our bags, if that's the only important paperwork one gets before the cruise. I'm so used to printing my own tags that I didn't even think of this!

I have never embarked a cruise that didn't have porters.  

[jennybenny]

2 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

I have never embarked a cruise that didn't have porters.  

Me either, but international ports, you never know..

[Tranquility Base]

38 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

If you don't get them on time then you just get luggage tags from a porter when you arrive at the cruise terminal.   

 

I would be OK with Oceania saving some money by not mailing documents.

Perhaps they could then redirect those savings into reinstating some of the hours lost whilst docked in port.

Being able to print off luggage tags online would be fine with me.

[DCGuy64]

21 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

That doesn't bother me. They paid a handsome premium for it!

 

I just chuckle, thinking, "I paid $x for my cabin in a cabin upgrade sale and they paid 3-5 times that for their cabin. We'll be eating the same food in the same restaurants and enjoying the same areas around the ship and using the same pool and pretty much the entire ship but their cabin. And I won't even be hardly using mine except to sleep since I'm getting off the ship each day in port for the entire time."

 

To each their own. Enjoy what you paid for. 😉 

Hear, hear! Exactly my thoughts. If someone wants to pay a fortune for a PH, let 'em. We'll save the $1,000s and eat at the same restaurants, get the same drinks, etc.

[MEFIowa]

19 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

... If someone wants to pay a fortune for a PH, let 'em. We'll save the $1,000s and eat at the same restaurants, get the same drinks, etc.

Though will be interesting to see IF I stay in the inside F I've currently booked for on our upcoming Oct cruise on Riviera.  Every time I try to book a G or F or C when the cruise schedule comes out, eventually O has a cabin-upgrade sale and I go to a C or B or A.

 

- Our 12/2021 W Car on Riviera started out as a C but turned into an A4.

- Our 11/2023 Med on Riviera started out as a C but is now a B4.

- Our 9/2024 Baltic on Sirena started out as a G but is now the big C1 7006

 

Since O scrubbed the 2023 Presidents' Day cabin-upgrade sale, I'm more than a bit nervous they're going to do the same for the Memorial Day and Labor Day sales I've also used in the past! O seems to be trying to use the OLife and OBC pretend sale route, which is cents on the dollar compared to the cabit-upgrade sales.

[Robroy]

Just noticed this thread this morning - checked the mail this afternoon and our docs have arrived. We're sailing in seven weeks. As a first-time O client must say I'm impressed with the service thus far. Booked directly with an O agent - smooth transfer to my local T/A and docs arrived in lots of time. Have been following O posts closely since we booked late last fall and lots of great info. More positives than negatives so we're really looking forward to our trip to form our own conclusions.

 

Cheers,

Rob