Cruise Tour Booklet

[wannaberetired]

Hello,

I can't remember when they send out the tour books with the information for your cruise - is it about 60 days prior? Just wondering when I can expect it in the mail.

[Benita]

We received ours on July 11 for our September 2nd sailing on the Riviera. We also received the new Oceania brochure the same day, so it was a great day for reading.

[LHT28]

I think it is 4-6wks depending on if it goes to your TA first or not

[LEESRE]

What about other paperwork, ie luggage tags etc. are these sent out say about 21 days before sailing??

What other paperwork should I expect from Oceania, having not sailed with them in the past.

 

Thanks

[skiladyldp]

I am glad these questions are being asked. I just made the final payment yesterday for my cruise in October. I am a first time cruiser so I have no idea what happens next.

[Benita]

The cruise booklet has the luggage tags, as well as all airline info, shipboard credits, and prebooked shore excursions. It is customized, somewhat, and will even have your cabin highlighted on the deck plans. It also lists all shore excursions offered. Really, quite something.

[YoHoHo]

Our most recent one arrived two months before our upcoming departure date and others on our Roll Call perhaps two weeks later.

 

I too think it is a excellent piece. All the details on the cruise and the ship builds to the anticipation and the personalization is a great touch

[hondorner]

W...What other paperwork should I expect from Oceania, having not sailed with them in the past...

The booklet with all your personalized information as described so well in the other posts is all you'll need, and you can leave it home as a memento of t=your cruise, because everything else is computerized. Your flights, if any, are E-ticketed -- check in and print your boarding passes with the information in the booklet. Checking in at the ship is just giving them your name. A couple of times we've had someone (prior to the actual check-in) ask to see the "paperwork". There is a one page (two-sided) "Vacation Summary" within the booklet; one side has all the embarkation information, port information, phone numbers you might need, etc.; the other side has the flight information if Oceania arranged your flights. It's probably a good idea to photocopy at least the front page and bring it with you; the phone numbers alone could be very important if you're delayed.

 

At check-in they'll consult a list, bring you up on the computer, snap a photo with their web cam and record your credit card information for the on-board account. Then, they issue your "World Card" which is your on-board account card and cabin key card. Yoi'll also need it every time you exit and enter the ship at ports, so they can keep track of who is not on board. Your photo will not be on your card, but every time they swipe it into a computer, your photo will appear on the screen. This is one of the ways they quickly learn people's names. :cool:

 

Prior to checking in, they may also pass out a public health questionaire asking about your current state of health -- cold, flu, coughing, etc. It's very brief. But, be aware that "yes" answers may result in a delay or possibly prevent you from sailing. I hope everyone is aware that a ship is a closed environment and no one should be bringing contagion aboard...:rolleyes:

 

The entire process is very quick and painless. sometimes it's done in the terminal building; occasionally it's been on board in the theater lounge. There are priority lines. As has been reported in the previous posts, sometimes one line is quicker than others. The times for checking in are staggered for different levels of cabins or suites, not to create different "classes" as has been oisinterpreted, but simply for more efficiency. In the early part of the day, when most suites and few below concierge are boarding, the non-concierge line may actually be quicker. But, if a non-cocierge passenger arrives early, they generally won't be denied -- although it has happened at the Port Of Miami once or twice, by Port Officials, not by the cruise line. Later in the day, if the non-concierge lines are crowded and the suite line is not full, they may move the non-concierge folks to the suite check-in. There's no technical difference, the lines all do the same thing, except that earlier the suite passengers get preference and later the suite check-in line is just there to prevent delays.

 

They do x-ray luggage and carry-ons, more for security and to detect possible weapons, not to detect alcohol. They really don't care what you bring on board as long as it doesn't present a danger. In Alaska, when we purchased some Ulu knives for gifts, they were held until the end of the cruise -- but were returned the night before disembarkation, so we could go on a rampage and slice everyone up before morning -- JUST KIDDING!

[Mura]

They do x-ray luggage and carry-ons, more for security and to detect possible weapons, not to detect alcohol. They really don't care what you bring on board as long as it doesn't present a danger. In Alaska, when we purchased some Ulu knives for gifts, they were held until the end of the cruise -- but were returned the night before disembarkation, so we could go on a rampage and slice everyone up before morning -- JUST KIDDING!

 

 

And did you?????

[RetiredFL]

Actually Don, you now receive a final documents e-mail which has copies of the two pages from the booklet attached. They are much easier to print out.

On our last cruise from Miami, they did demand proof we were on the ship before we went through security. We have now run into that several times so it is wise to have copies.

(If two people with different names are traveling together be sure to print out both e-mails so there is no question.)