Priority Tendering?

I've seen it mentioned various times here that this a perk of Concierge level and up. I can't seem to find it as a perk on the Oceania's website or their booklets for any of the levels. Anyone have a link to it or know how it works?

Thanks.

I wish that was the case, but it wasn't on our O cruise last April. At that time, the folks who paid for O's excursions were the first to board tenders. Otherwise, we were given colored tickets to board. The waiting time varied from just a few minutes to over an hour waiting in Marina Lounge for our ticket color to be called.

The wait to board tenders was the only negative we experienced on our cruise; hopefully, they've improved the system since last spring. (After mentioning this to Mr. Del Rio when he was kind enough to stop by our table at Terrace Cafe, we saw him board a tender the next day, seemingly checking things out. The man truly does stay on top of every situation aboard his ships. We were very impressed.)

On our cruise, ship tours had priority on tenders BUT we found that if we were standing there and ready, we could get on the first tender out when the ship arrived a bit early, before the official ship tour was scheduled to depart. Actually got about an hour more time in port than the first scheduled ship tour.

Actually got about an hour more time in port than the first scheduled ship tour.

Thinking that an extra hour makes any significant difference is what fosters the "me first" attitude that makes people rush the tenders in the first place.

Relax enjoy your vacation, only fight for the extra hour with the life support technician. :cool:

Thinking that an extra hour makes any significant difference is what fosters the "me first" attitude that makes people rush the tenders in the first place.

 

Relax enjoy your vacation, only fight for the extra hour with the life support technician. :cool:

Many times the early tenders leave with empty seats. I don't think the prior poster felt it was "me first"

I believe, and JimandStan can correct me if I am wrong, that there is priority tendering only for OVO suites. Or OV on the R ships.

Many times the early tenders leave with empty seats. I don't think the prior poster felt it was "me first"

Maybe not that poster, but in my experience, there are people who very much have a "me first" attitude. In fact, that's the exact language the people involved used.

We were informed that we would be arriving in port an hour or two later than originally scheduled. Certain people lined up outside the lounge on the Marina prior to the time it was posted the lounge would open to distribute tender tickets. As soon as the lounge opened they rushed to the front and began berating the staff that they were first in line and would be on the first tender because they had private tours arranged (like no one else did). They were asked to sit down, they refused. Everyone was asked to have a seat and tickets would be distributed shortly. The people who did not follow instructions, who were loud and demanding and insulting (almost threatening) to the staff were, in the end, given tickets on the first tender. People who may have arrived at the same time but were polite and followed instructions were given later tender tickets.

This situation, arriving late in port, was known days in advance, yet the staff seemed completely ill prepared to deal with the situation. Attempting to set up the area after people were already in the lounge crowding the table and pushing to get in front of the table.

A little pre-planning (setting up the area before the room was opened, establishing an orderly line and being ready to give out tickets right away), would have gone a long way to alleviating any issues. This was back in late August, early September 2011 on the Marina. Maybe they have their routine down better now.

Eventually everyone was given tender tickets, the difference between the first tender and the tender that people who followed instructions were given, was maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Although the staff tried in many different ways not to say it, people on ship tours get tenders first.

Personally, I try to show up an hour after tickets are first distributed and there's usually little or no wait.

That day we showed up on time because we also had a private tour scheduled, but - believe it or not - even though we were not on the first tender, our guide waited for us, and we had a full enjoyable day.

Maybe not that poster, but in my experience, there are people who very much have a "me first" attitude. In fact, that's the exact language the people involved used.

 

We were informed that we would be arriving in port an hour or two later than originally scheduled. Certain people lined up outside the lounge on the Marina prior to the time it was posted the lounge would open to distribute tender tickets. As soon as the lounge opened they rushed to the front and began berating the staff that they were first in line and would be on the first tender because they had private tours arranged (like no one else did). They were asked to sit down, they refused. Everyone was asked to have a seat and tickets would be distributed shortly. The people who did not follow instructions, who were loud and demanding and insulting (almost threatening) to the staff were, in the end, given tickets on the first tender. People who may have arrived at the same time but were polite and followed instructions were given later tender tickets.

 

This situation, arriving late in port, was known days in advance, yet the staff seemed completely ill prepared to deal with the situation. Attempting to set up the area after people were already in the lounge crowding the table and pushing to get in front of the table.

 

A little pre-planning (setting up the area before the room was opened, establishing an orderly line and being ready to give out tickets right away), would have gone a long way to alleviating any issues. This was back in late August, early September 2011 on the Marina. Maybe they have their routine down better now.

 

Eventually everyone was given tender tickets, the difference between the first tender and the tender that people who followed instructions were given, was maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Although the staff tried in many different ways not to say it, people on ship tours get tenders first.

 

Personally, I try to show up an hour after tickets are first distributed and there's usually little or no wait.

 

That day we showed up on time because we also had a private tour scheduled, but - believe it or not - even though we were not on the first tender, our guide waited for us, and we had a full enjoyable day.

I agree that there are too many people who feel the world revolves around themselves and that no one else matters.

I have been on many cruise and on many lines and tendering is the one thing that seems to bring out the worst in people.

Why cruise lines can't alternane and allow people not on tours to get off early I don't inderstand.

HAL allows their suite passengers to go off anytime.

I reall don't know the best solution.

I agree that there are too many people who feel the world revolves around themselves and that no one else matters.

 

 

HAL allows their suite passengers to go off anytime.

 

I reall don't know the best solution.

Oceania also lets suite guests (owners and vista suites our only experience)

to get off any time no tickets required. We were given a special card to use by our butler for the entire cruise.:)

I believe, and JimandStan can correct me if I am wrong, that there is priority tendering only for OVO suites. Or OV on the R ships.

I've been told that if you have the black bordered OVO Room Key then you don't need a tender ticket, but up until now we have never tested that, as out Butler usually leaves two tender tickets with our copy of Currents on the evening before a tender-port.

If I had an Oceania Butler at home, I could be ruling the World, or at least the Western Hemisphere by now :p

So there is no priority tendering unless you in a Owner's or Vista suite on an R ship?

All of this is very interesting to me since we were in a Vista Suite on our October cruise on Marina, and we didn't get ANY priority with tenders!

Of course, we didn't think to ask! And we only needed a tender in Sorrento ... but we sure could have used priority there!

Mura

I have read and reread the most recent brochures from Oceania and I don't find any mention of priority tendering for suites. I see priority reservations for shore excursions but not for tendering. Can anyone tell me where it is?

On prior cruises the shore excursions left by tender first with other passengers being allowed to fill in if there were places available. Soon after that the tenders were opened to everyone.

Since the tenders are called for boarding in the lounge, I can't see suite passengers being given priority boarding passes by their butler or otherwise and just showing up at the tender. How would they know if there was room without going to the lounge? Certainly they would not bump people on a tour to accommodate suite passengers.

All of that being said, it seems a silly thing as you are on vacation and on a cruise. You are supposed to be relaxing and not rushing to see every sight in town. If you want in depth touring do a land based trip. A half an hour delay in getting on shore should not make a difference. Private tours know to wait.

I thought the Oceania "our tours first" policy was a very large negative. Recently, we did an Azamara and a Celebrity cruise and thought both had much better and fairer tender policies. Yes, even the mass market line was able to come up with an effective plan to alternate tenders between ship's tours and independent tours. In fact, it is one of the reasons, given equal itineraries, I would probably pick Azamara. Since we pick cruises primarily for itineraries, giving tender priority to ship's tours does not enhance the experience for customers who prefer to do independent tours and maximize their time in port.

I was reading this thread;

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=29180506&highlight=gold+card#post29180506

Specifically post #3 stood out. I didn't think this was correct. This is why I asked. I have also read it in other posts from time to time.

All of this is very interesting to me since we were in a Vista Suite on our October cruise on Marina, and we didn't get ANY priority with tenders!

 

Of course, we didn't think to ask! And we only needed a tender in Sorrento ... but we sure could have used priority there!

 

Mura

Also no priority for PH on Marina last August that we were aware of.

Thinking that an extra hour makes any significant difference is what fosters the "me first" attitude that makes people rush the tenders in the first place.

 

Relax enjoy your vacation, only fight for the extra hour with the life support technician. :cool:

To say that people who want to get on a tender without waiting a long time is a "me first" attitude, is something to which I take great exception. I only book private tours, and our tours leave sometimes prior to when the ship's tour leaves. So we have to be off on the first or second tender in order to meet our guide. As it happens, just recently (last cruise of 35 days ended January 27th) we just went to the lounge where the tender tickets were obtained, told them we needed to be off and we were able to get off the ship very easily. Oceania has accepted the fact that not all of its passengers go with the ship, and many of us to those pesky private tours!! So we are given the same consideration as the passengers who pay all that money!! When I don't have a tour planned and just want to walk around, I'll wait for the third or fourth tender!! Arlene;)

On our recent Oceania Marina cruise there was no question that suite passengers had priority boarding on the tenders. I know this because several times we were (purely by chance) in the first half dozen or so people in the queue & on the tender when our colour ticket was called. When we boarded the tender there were already 4-6 passengers on board some of whom we had previously met & knew they were in suites.

We didn't have a problem with this. We never had to wait more than 20 minutes for a tender & usually less - it simply wasn't worth getting worked up about.

When was your cruise? I know for SURE that we didn't get priority in October when we needed to get to Sorrento and had to wait a very long time for our tender to be called. Maybe it didn't matter because even though we were in a VS, the other members of our group had lower level cabins.

In our case losing the extra half hour we sat waiting for our tender to be called DID matter because in the end we also took a half hour too long on our Pompei tour, which meant that we had to cut our Amalfi drive short. It wasn't a terrible loss! But after the fact I thought we should have skipped Valetta (where we really couldn't find a good lunch place) and just gone on to Amalfi where we COULD have.

It wasn't terrible, I just would have preferred Amalfi to Valetta, and if we'd been able to catch that earlier tender that I'd been advised we would when I called Destinations the night before (!), we wouldn't have had a problem.

But you have convinced me to ask if I can priority on our next cruise should we ever be so lucky as to be in a Vista or Owner's Suite!

Mura

Just to clarify, I was referring to a situation in which the ship arrived very early, long before the ship tours were scheduled to depart. When the tenders began leaving, they allowed anyone to go ashore who wanted to. If the ship tours are scheduled to begin boarding tenders at 3pm and the tenders begin going ashore at 2pm, in what way is it "me first" to board. And yes, there were many empty seats. I thought Oceania was being very considerate to send the tenders out early for the independent travelers.

After 2 cruises on Oceania, both in suites, I can say that there is no such thing as priority tendering, no matter what your room category. If there is any tender priority it goes to passengers who have early morning shore excursions.

Never had a suite so not sure how it works

our experience was if you show up as soon as they anchor to the lounge get a tender ticket as soon as the tenders are available they call the ticket number/colour

Ship's excursions go first (if scheduled at the same time as tenders are ready to go) then regular passengers called

If there is still space (they count passengers) on a tender with the ship's tours then they will call independent passengers tickets

After all ship's tours are ashore they will open the tendering you do not need to get a ticket just go to the gangway/tender platform

The private guides will wait for people but some passenger like to get a full day in so are quite anxious to get off

If you show up early you will not wait that long

That is my experience

Lyn

In general that is true. What bothered us on our day in Sorrento was that I asked Destinations when we should be in the lounge if we were to meet our guide at 8:30 and they told me 8:00, so that's when we got there. Actually a few minutes before that.

And then we weren't even called until 8:40, but in the interim one ship's tour after another was called.

If they'd told me 7:45, we'd have been there! And then we probably WOULD have been on time.

C'est la vie.

Mura

Any reference to priority tendering has been removed from the website and the brochures, so it seems that the process is no longer advertised; yet in the sense that ones butler can obtain the required tender tickets in advance, it appears to me that the Suite Passenger does still have an advantage.