What time is cabin access?

[Yesimapirate]

5 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

Your room key will work before the formal announcement. IF O really wanted to keep people out, they wouldn't give you room keys that worked once you board

Must be cost cutting. 

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, osandomir said:

With all respect I understand that people have their own preferences on how to cruise and where to spend their money on vacations. But personally we think that the food in Spain including Barcelona is amazing. Then we’re not normally going to the restaurants in the heavily touristy areas in any city. But obviously, not everyone’s taste is the same.

Yep, many O cruisers only want Merican food. None of that Etalian, Mexican ( it’s the same as Spanish right), Frenchie, or other feirun stuff, just Merican. They paid good money to just eat Merican or Americanized food. No use suggesting Spain or Barcelona has some amazing food, it’s not Merican and they’re not interested. All the posts proclaiming how exciting it is to get roasted Turkey on Embarkment Day in the TC! 🙄 Roasted Turkey! 😂

 

Allow those that cherish Boardamania have their own, along with the often chaotic TC Merican lunch. Meanwhile, we’ll experience the delightful specialties of the countries we visit, and show up after Boardamania is clearly over. My unfortunate Tokyo early boarding brought back the horrible experience/memories of Boardamania. I plan on giving lots of time forthwith for Boardamania lovers to enjoy the experience. Each to their own.

 

Boardamania is a choice. We chose poorly in April. Make your choice and go with it, it’s your choice.
 

 

Edited July 31 by pinotlover

[willidc]

14 hours ago, osandomir said:

With all respect I understand that people have their own preferences on how to cruise and where to spend their money on vacations. But personally we think that the food in Spain including Barcelona is amazing. Then we’re not normally going to the restaurants in the heavily touristy areas in any city. But obviously, not everyone’s taste is the same.

I agree about everyone's taste.

 

Since we have already gone off topic, here is something to add to Barcelona comments:

 

Just an interesting tidbit about how tastes vary.  My mother's parents were both born and raised in Spain in the Barcelona region.  My father was born in Andalucia near Seville and came to US as a toddler.  I grew up speaking both English and Castillian spanish at home and am very comfortable just about anywhere in Spain.  

 

Growing up I tried and tried to enjoy the cooking from my mom's side of the family and just never took to it.  However, when she cooked meals that my dad requested, I enjoyed just about every single one.  My husband and I have been in Barcelona quite a few times for land trips and to board some of our O sailings.  Again, I have tried and tried to enjoy that cooking at more restaurants than I can name.  All were highly suggested to us.  However, I can still say that I have never had a 'nice' meal in Barcelona that I have truly enjoyed.  Yes, we even tried El Rey Juan Carlos when Oceania put us up there before one of the first Riviera sailings in 2012.

 

No hope, sadly, for this 100% Spaniard for that Barcelona food. 

[Woodrowst]

19 hours ago, edgee said:

Why pay for lunch off the ship when you have already paid for it on the ship?  

Because it allows you to have the pleasure on embarkation day of an authentic local or regional meal that cannot be duplicated at home in a relaxed atmosphere.  That is much better than trying to find a table when everyone else who has just boarded is doing the same while you figure out what to do with your carry-on luggage while tripping over all the other carry-on luggage and having a tasty but generic lunch.  When you have paid many, many thousands of dollars does it really matter that you have spent another $50 to have the privilege of a quiet, relaxed and authentic meal?

[edgee]

Fair point. For us stress of embarkation day lunch on our last 3 cruises  has disappeared. Addition of Aquamor on Vista and Marina has been most welcome.  We have gone right to Aquamor and enjoyed excellent, efficient wait staff served embarkation day lunch.

[Vallesan]

We are sailing on the Marina in October and could only get a ‘B’ cabin. I realise from reading CC that our cabin is unlikely to be ready before 3pm. Certainly thinking about lunch ashore before we board. Maybe Aquamar could be an answer but then maybe not!

[Woofa]

5 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

We are sailing on the Marina in October and could only get a ‘B’ cabin. I realise from reading CC that our cabin is unlikely to be ready before 3pm. Certainly thinking about lunch ashore before we board. Maybe Aquamar could be an answer but then maybe not!

We board in November and I had not thought about lunch that day in Aquamar.  Can anyone confirm if they serve embarkation day lunch?  On our Riviera cruise last year we had a nice lunch in Waves to start our cruise.

[clo]

12 hours ago, Woodrowst said:

another $50

In Buenos Aires, we had a DINNER of two mains, a bottle of local wine and dessert for US$30! 

[basor]

18 hours ago, clo said:

In Buenos Aires, we had a DINNER of two mains, a bottle of local wine and dessert for US$30! 

Those were the days!!  We have been going to Argentina yearly for the last 25 years (have family that live in San Martin de los Andes) and, unfortunately, those days are gone now (especially with the new government putting the peso on par with the dollar).  

[clo]

1 hour ago, basor said:

Those were the days!!  We have been going to Argentina yearly for the last 25 years (have family that live in San Martin de los Andes) and, unfortunately, those days are gone now (especially with the new government putting the peso on par with the dollar).  

Well, a huge hurray for them and small whimper for us. I always know that's frequently the reason. But I'd go back in a heartbeat. Loved that great Italian food in BA not to mention the STEAK!

[edgee]

On 7/30/2024 at 11:14 PM, MEFIowa said:

The door isn't locked and the hallway isn't blocked off or obstructed in any way.

Not sure you thought about it when you composed this rant, but it certainly is not practical to block off hallways to keep new guests out. Reason is you cannot deny guests continuing from the previous cruise access to their rooms. We are currently part of 280 guest group continuing on for the next sailing on Marina. Our first cruise ends tomorrow and we need normal access tomorrow...first day of the second cruise. Nice that Oceania has a restricted reservation only lunch seating in the Grand Dining room for continuing passengers so we can escape the embarkation day chaos of new guests in the Terrace.

[pinotlover]

I believe our cruise was the third cruise, in a row, of the same identical itinerary. My assumption was that there  were few if any carry over passengers. This was further enforced by the GDR being dark and unoccupied at the normal lunch time for any carry overs.

 

I don’t contend that locking off the area is normal policy, but they did on our cruise. Additionally, no one is guaranteed full time cabin accessibility.  Though again perhaps not common, I have seen ports with mandatory zero counts where passengers weren’t let back on until general boarding.

[edgee]

22 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I believe our cruise was the third cruise, in a row, of the same identical itinerary. My assumption was that there  were few if any carry over passengers. This was further enforced by the GDR being dark and unoccupied at the normal lunch time for any carry overs.

 

I don’t contend that locking off the area is normal policy, but they did on our cruise. Additionally, no one is guaranteed full time cabin accessibility.  Though again perhaps not common, I have seen ports with mandatory zero counts where passengers weren’t let back on until general boarding.

Agree that locking off is a lot easier if very few holdover guests are on the cruise. Obviously on a zero count turnaround, such as I believe happens on any U.S. turnaround, where people have to get off the ship for a period of time, locking off is easier. On a cruise with nearly 300 turnarounds such as one I am currently on, not so much.

[ORV]

Every Oceania cruise I've been on has had the heavy doors closed to the stateroom area until they are available. They are not locked, but they are closed. I have been on multiple B2B where we've had to open them to come and go. We've also been questioned by staff when we open them. Once you tell them you're on a B2B it's fine. But they definitely prefer that you not be in that area if you are just boarding, regardless of your opinion on the subject. 

[clo]

8 hours ago, edgee said:

Not sure you thought about it when you composed this rant, but it certainly is not practical to block off hallways to keep new guests out. Reason is you cannot deny guests continuing from the previous cruise access to their rooms. We are currently part of 280 guest group continuing on for the next sailing on Marina. Our first cruise ends tomorrow and we need normal access tomorrow...first day of the second cruise. Nice that Oceania has a restricted reservation only lunch seating in the Grand Dining room for continuing passengers so we can escape the embarkation day chaos of new guests in the Terrace.

Not to mention emergency evacuation.

[clo]

4 hours ago, ORV said:

They are not locked, but they are closed.

Oh, okay. That's cool. I guess they expect adults understand what a closed door means.