Tour booked through Oceania ends after ship departure

[lborne]

Posted in Roll Call, but thought I'd share here too.  Just noticed our tour booked through Oceania in Izmir - Ancient Sardis - ends at 8:15pm but the ship is scheduled to depart at 7:00pm.  I know if you book excursions through the cruise line, they make sure you get back before the ship leaves, but something is not right here.  I called Oceania and they said yes, 7 is the departure time, not the all-on-board time and said they don’t know how to explain the discrepancy but that I should call back Monday when the tour department is open. I’m sure there is a simple explanation, but I’ve never seen this before.

[sunlover12]

Something similar happened with our recent Mediterranean cruise.  We booked an Oceania excursion that was originally scheduled for 10:00 - 3:00 but then was changed to 1-6pm without explanation. The ship was scheduled to depart at 6pm.  When I called Oceania about it, they couldn't offer any information or explanation.  It wasn't until after we boarded that we found out the new departure time was 6:30.   My guess is that your new departure time is going to be around 8:45.

This was the first time this had happened to us as well. 

[Acrusa]

Have no fear the ship will never depart from port until the ships shore excursion returns. That's the piece of mind with ship tours.

[1985rz1]

35 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

Have no fear the ship will never depart from port until the ships shore excursion returns. That's the piece of mind with ship tours.

Unless the tides force it to. Rare, but it can happen.

Edited September 17, 2023 by 1985rz1

[elbowroom]

Same thing happened last year.

In the print-out the schedule and return time were clearly from another cruise. It was corrected, but only a few days beforehand. On a more positive note, we were given a non-programmed lunch, a typical, but excellent kebab, and Sardis is certainly worth a visit. 

[Acrusa]

19 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Unless the tides force it to. Rare, but it can happen.

And you know this as fact 

[1985rz1]

4 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

And you know this as fact 

Bordeaux has tide issues.  That's why it sometimes has to move to a nearby port. I can't say I know any one has been caught in this situation, but O doesn't guarantee it will wait.  They will try their best, though.

Edited September 17, 2023 by 1985rz1

[Acrusa]

Then ship tour passengers would be bussed to that new port that's nearby?

[Redtravel]

Relax.  We were on a ship excursion when our bus broke down. Bus driver threw up his hands, said “it happens”, and left the bus.  Tour guide did nothing. Passengers asked her to call the ship agent. She said that she wouldn’t and would call only her excursion office.  We called the ship agent phone number. A recording said that it was closed.  Eventually a new bus picked us up and got us back to the ship.  We arrived 5 minutes before departure. It was tense.  

[1985rz1]

7 minutes ago, Acrusa said:

Then ship tour passengers would be bussed to that new port that's nearby?

I would assume so. I have to admit it's not a real problem in practice.  It just a little tinkling that occurs in the back of my head when return times are close.  If I don't see a guarantee listed, I assume they are hedging their bets.

[babydrum]

1 hour ago, Acrusa said:

Have no fear the ship will never depart from port until the ships shore excursion returns. That's the piece of mind with ship tours.

Where does it say that?  I have several ships tours on hold in my basket waiting until I finalize my plans in Israel.  I've always assumed this to be true but never actually read it anywhere.

[Acrusa]

Back in 97 on the Royal Viking port of Shanghai, tour group stuck on train coming back from tour. Ship waited 6 hrs so tour group could get back. Departed at 11  pm instead of 5 pm.

Arthur Former always said "take ship tours they won't leave with out you".

[tigerfan75]

5 hours ago, lborne said:

Posted in Roll Call, but thought I'd share here too.  Just noticed our tour booked through Oceania in Izmir - Ancient Sardis - ends at 8:15pm but the ship is scheduled to depart at 7:00pm.  I know if you book excursions through the cruise line, they make sure you get back before the ship leaves, but something is not right here.  I called Oceania and they said yes, 7 is the departure time, not the all-on-board time and said they don’t know how to explain the discrepancy but that I should call back Monday when the tour department is open. I’m sure there is a simple explanation, but I’ve never seen this before.

This occurred several times on the B2B Vista cruise just ended today.  The tour times were adjusted to match the ship’s schedule.  Must review Currents newsletter itinerary port times upon boarding, and compare to excursions tickets printed times provided in stateroom.  Highly unlikely, but if you discover a discrepancy, speak with Destination Services.

[1985rz1]

7 hours ago, lborne said:

Posted in Roll Call, but thought I'd share here too.  Just noticed our tour booked through Oceania in Izmir - Ancient Sardis - ends at 8:15pm but the ship is scheduled to depart at 7:00pm.  I know if you book excursions through the cruise line, they make sure you get back before the ship leaves, but something is not right here.  I called Oceania and they said yes, 7 is the departure time, not the all-on-board time and said they don’t know how to explain the discrepancy but that I should call back Monday when the tour department is open. I’m sure there is a simple explanation, but I’ve never seen this before.

This has happened to us and once on board the excursion was changed to match the cruise schedule.  But it may mean shortening the tour. As occurred in our case.

[YoHoHo]

22 hours ago, Acrusa said:

Then ship tour passengers would be bussed to that new port that's nearby?

We had all pax bussed to the ship's new nearby location not just those on O's shorex. They would not want to move the ship without notice leaving those not on a ship tour behind to fend for themselves.

Happened to us in (we debate where but maybe Positano or not). We tendered ashore for a walk about. We took an early tender back for the scheduled late afternoon all-aboard (due to my timing mistake.)

 

Ride back was extremely rough. They decided that was to be the last tender and moved the ship to a nearby anchorage with less wind.  While we sailed away I looked back to the shore and imagined what those pax must have been thinking as they watched us sail away. I would have been recheck watch, get out the daily sheet with times and port agent info, scratch head, curse, scratch head, recheck watch, panic run to pier though that ship has sailed, relief seeing O team on shore.

 

O arranged busses to transfer pax from the previous tender location to the new one. I was glad we were already on board thanks to my miscalculation.

[ORV]

3 hours ago, YoHoHo said:

We had all pax bussed to the ship's new nearby location not just those on O's shorex. They would not want to move the ship without notice leaving those not on a ship tour behind to fend for themselves.

Happened to us in (we debate where but maybe Positano or not). We tendered ashore for a walk about. We took an early tender back for the scheduled late afternoon all-aboard (due to my timing mistake.)

 

Ride back was extremely rough. They decided that was to be the last tender and moved the ship to a nearby anchorage with less wind.  While we sailed away I looked back to the shore and imagined what those pax must have been thinking as they watched us sail away. I would have been recheck watch, get out the daily sheet with times and port agent info, scratch head, curse, scratch head, recheck watch, panic run to pier though that ship has sailed, relief seeing O team on shore.

 

O arranged busses to transfer pax from the previous tender location to the new one. I was glad we were already on board thanks to my miscalculation.

Had an almost identical situation occur at Monte Carlo. We were tendered and the ship moved to Villefrance. We also were on the last tender before the ship moved, and it was the roughest tender ride I have ever been on. 

[babydrum]

22 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

This has happened to us and once on board the excursion was changed to match the cruise schedule.  But it may mean shortening the tour. As occurred in our case.

If they changed the excursion, then they knew the times had changed.  Why not notify passengers so that those with private tours can adjust if possible?

[Snaefell3]

On 9/17/2023 at 10:59 AM, Acrusa said:

And you know this as fact 

Yep.  You'll find it filed under "Stuff Happens".  😳

 

I've seen folks on a ship's tour (not an O ship) who weren't able to re-board at Dunedin follow us up the east coast of New Zealand's South Island, not be able to re-board at Christchurch, and finally get back on board Picton after 2 days of busses, hastily-arranged meals, and best-available hotels.  They didn't enjoy the detour, but they did enjoy telling stories of their adventure.

 

Those folks found out what is guaranteed is "the ship *really* wants you back aboard before sailing, but there comes a point at which they will sail without you and take care of you as best they can until they can get you back aboard, even if it's two or more ports down the itinerary"