Question re: Earlier boarding

[DrJW]

I'm aware that one of the perks of the higher stateroom categories [i.e. PH suites, etc] are allowed to board and check into the ship earlier. In our case, our tickets show Noon. Does this mean that after we check in to get our ID's we can go DIRECTLY to our stateroom ;) or does it mean that weneed go to have an earlier lunch at the Terrace or Dining Room and wait for ur cabins to be cleaned :(. I am hoping that 'early boarding' means that our stateroom will be prepared earlier, allowing us to get our luggage delivered earlier prior to the larger groups coming on board.

Thanks for informatiion.

[StanandJim]

The boarding process is staggered according to room category, and judging from your noon boarding time, only the OVO Suites (Owners, Vista, Oceania) are prioritized before you.

 

Housekeeping Staff is reallocated, as needed, to make the various cabins available on or before the promised hour, but they are not magicians and the cabins need to be thoroughly cleaned, the linens completely stripped and replaced, and then the entire room inspected by a supervisor before it will be made available to the next crop of passengers.

 

You may absolutely count on getting aboard the ship at noon, and if your stateroom has not already been "flipped" at that time , an announcement will shortly be made over the public address system.

 

*Note* This process is very dependent on how and when the previous cruise ended.

[PaulMCO]

Your assumptions are wrong.

PH only allows to board at 1100. Rooms are not ready generally until 1pm

Last cruise in July, PH were ready at 1230 and rest were allowed around 130pm. But it depends on ship size and housekeeping efficiency and whether any delays in disembarkation of past cruise

Edited November 17, 2014 by PaulMCO

[potterhill]

We have only ever been in a balcony or lower cabin. Have always boarded when we arrived. Sometimes at 11 am, sometimes later. We go to lunch and sit outside on pool deck if weather allows until rooms are ready. There is also Horizons with lots of seating. Have also dropped luggage with porters and gone off for a few hours. They are usually ready to take luggage around 10, at least on the occasions we have been there that early.

 

Mo

 

 

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[pinotlover]

Seems potterhill is one of those that chooses to ignore the instructions and boarding time on his documents and show up early or at will! :( Helps create the sometime circus atmosphere at the dock on embarkment day. Don't you believe that if Oceania wanted everyone to show up at 11:00, they would put it on the documents to do so? I'm amazed at the number of people showing up pre- 9:00 trying to get on the ship!

[Floridiana]

I'm amazed at the number of people showing up pre- 9:00 trying to get on the ship!

 

Sometimes, the alternative is less attractive than waiting in the cruise terminal. Not everyone's transportation schedule can be timed in sync with boarding.

[LHT28]

We normally go to the port around 1-2pm & miss most of the hub bub

I would rather spend the time in the comfort of the hotel lobby than standing outside the port building or waiting to be called to check in

 

JMO

[potterhill]

Not true. When we have been early, it's because we shared a private transfer that the organizer insisted be waaay too early. But the price was right. ;-).

The time we dropped our luggage we had to return a rental car and ensure we were back in time.

And there was NO HUBBUB!

We are not the ones who push and shove to the front.

Maybe you shouldn't be so judgemental when you don't know the facts....

The earliest we ever arrived at the ship was our very first cruise. Oh wait, that was the time we used Oceania's transfer as we didn't know any better.

I guess you would prefer Oceania made people sit and wait for no reason so you can feel more elite, due to your suite.

 

Mo

 

 

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Edited November 17, 2014 by potterhill

[Travelcat2]

I consider hondorner to be one of the experts on the Oceania board. Prior to booking our first Oceania cruise we discussed early boarding. Although we were eligible to board early, it made no sense to me for people to sit around waiting to board while passengers in the top suites walked right on (I'm used to "first come first served" which is done on all luxury ships).

 

Don explained that anyone can board early - if there is not a crowd. That was one of the reasons we booked our first Oceania cruise. People do not always have a choice to arrive at the "appointed" time. If they use Oceania Air, they probably arrive the day of embarkation. If the flight has an early arrival time, it makes sense to go to the cruise port and wait until they can board.

 

I'm sure that none of us want people to sit for hours waiting to embark - especially when there are few people waiting to board.

 

StanandJim made a very good point about boarding being dependent upon how and when the previous cruise ended. Although we are eligible for early boarding on our cruise this month, due to an inspection, no one will be able to board until at least 2:00 p.m. It should be noted that, according to what we have been told, all housekeeping, etc. will be suspended during this inspection so cabins/suites will not necessarily be available upon boarding.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Travelcat2

[hypercafe]

If your ticket says noon you will most likely get on board around noon. Your cabin will not be ready so you will take your carry on luggage to lunch with you. They will announce when each cabin class can go to your cabin starting at the top. They make a big deal about this in their announcements so people who paid a lot will feel good and those who feel left out will pay more next time. Each line is different. We are going on the Europa2. Boarding is at 4 for all so the ship is 100% ready. As you board you are met by crew including Captain, given drinks and snacks, assigned a crew member that gives you a tour of the ship and takes you to your room all the while carrying your carry on stuff.

 

 

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[StanandJim]

If your ticket says noon you will most likely get on board around noon. Your cabin will not be ready so you will take your carry on luggage to lunch with you. They will announce when each cabin class can go to your cabin starting at the top. They make a big deal about this in their announcements so people who paid a lot will feel good and those who feel left out will pay more next time. Each line is different. We are going on the Europa2. Boarding is at 4 for all so the ship is 100% ready. As you board you are met by crew including Captain, given drinks and snacks, assigned a crew member that gives you a tour of the ship and takes you to your room all the while carrying your carry on stuff.

 

 

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The Captain is supposed to be escorting Passengers to their cabins? :cool:

Seems odd that he won't have other duties to attend to on turn around day.....

[RetiredFL]

After goggling the ship and seeing the passenger capacity and crew size I presume those in lower cabins would be escorted by a member of the laundry staff or dishwasher!!:D

[Mura]

As to being escorted to your cabin, I do recall that this WAS done in the early days (as it was on Renaissance), but certainly not by the Captain! However, since we'd done three cruises on Renaissance before we ever boarded Oceania, we didn't use the service. We knew where our cabin was located. And so recently we hadn't noticed that this service was no longer offered. I'm not sure but I have a vague recollection that we were asked if we needed guidance ... but no doubt I'm wrong on that score.

 

OTOH, we usually are in a PH and we just assume we will be going to Terrace for lunch until our room is ready. On a few occasions we have deliberately boarded late, preferring to visit in town first.

 

I cannot remember a cruise where we just flew in to board the ship, which is another factor (that we cannot speak to).

 

It hasn't seemed to matter WHEN we have checked in, I can't recall long lines of battling passengers. Maybe we've been lucky.

 

Mura

[pinotlover]

Not wanting to be huffy about boarding at all. The ship assigns embarkment times to maintain an orderly pace and flow of passenger's in the process. I have seen ships that the process is a total circus with so many trying to board early, while other times it doesn't seem to matter.

 

I pick my cruises 100% based on the ports to be visited. I realized that many passengers do not. Even though I may have been to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Athens, Istanbul, et. al. before, I still find them fascinating cities and will fly in early to visit them once more, because in some cases it may have been 30 years since I was there. So when people say that it is better to sit in a tent at the dock then drop the bags and visit Athens or Amsterdam and come back later for boarding, I am in amazement. Really! However, that is only me and I recognize not everyone feels that way. I have repeated often, that one of the things that amazes me most about O cruising is the number of people that rarely, if ever, leave the ship for shore tours. They come to sit on the boat, drink, relax, and do whatever ,not really caring where the ship goes. So I shouldn't be surprised when they show up at the dock on embarkment day at pre 9:00 - 11:00 and just sit. Each to his own. :)

[Mura]

Pinot,

 

I'm wondering if you may not be jumping to some conclusions. Like you, we come in early and stay late because we want to see the beginning and ending ports as well as the stops inbetween.

 

But I suspect that many of the people clogging the boarding area early in the morning have just arrived on an overnight flight. They're tired and have luggage to deal with, and just don't see how they can do any touring.

 

I remember our last cruise on Renaissance (may '01) that left from Dover. While we were having breakfast a number of shellshocked passengers from the Ren flight arrived ... killing time until they could board.

 

I know that when I get off an overseas flight, I really just want to take a nap! But that's why we go in early ...

 

And when we're in the city already we don't feel the need to get to the ship immediately ... unless we feel there's nothing more to do, which I don't recall having ever happened.

 

Mura

[Travelcat2]

Agree with Mura regarding boarding early. OTOH, if all passengers were allowed to board "first come first served" there would not necessarily be crowds. Oceania's smaller ships are similar to the size of Regent ships. The only time Regent gets a "crowd" is when they take a bus load of passengers from the included hotel to the ship. Otherwise, it is a fast and simple process.

 

It would be interesting if someone counted the number of "top suites which would show the maximum number of passengers that could board at 11:00 a.m. I suspect that the number would be relatively small. Yet, they are given an hour to board. Then look at PH suites -- again, how long do they really take to board? And, how many are going to show up at the exact time they are "permitted" to board?

 

In terms of the ship being the destination. We did not think that this was possible but, the Riviera is our destination for our Caribbean cruise - departing November 29th. We are fortunate to have been everywhere on our "bucket list" but still want to get away for a couple of weeks now and then. We are not fans of the Caribbean but really enjoy the Riviera. So, we booked a large suite and will spend an hour or so walking around the port and afternoons in our Jacuzzi, reading and relaxing on the ship. We are not doing any Oceania tours but do have a private snorkeling tour (2 hours only) booked at one port. Whether you are sailing on Oceania for the ports, the ship or ???, it is all good (JMHO):D

[amusea]

We are going on the Europa2. Boarding is at 4 for all so the ship is 100% ready. As you board you are met by crew including Captain, given drinks and snacks, assigned a crew member that gives you a tour of the ship and takes you to your room all the while carrying your carry on stuff.

 

I have been trying to locate someone who has sailed or will be sailing on one of the two Hapag-Lloyd Europa ships. The two Europa ships from Hapag-Lloyd had the highest ratings from Berlitz in 2014. In fact, it was the first time since 1989 that two ships belonging to the same company (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa and Europa 2) had achieved a 5-star-plus rating – the last time, twenty-four years ago, it was Royal Viking Line’s Sea and Sky.

I hope you will be kind enough to give us a report upon your return. I don't doubt that the ship will be beautiful and the food excellent but I wonder if English speaking passengers will feel a little isolated even though the Europe ships use both German and English on the ship. Thanks.

 

Jay in Tucson

[azam71209]

We also have not had a problem with boarding earlier than our stated time. Easy to check in the luggage as soon as we arrive. If there is no one at check-in, we can board early. If other passengers are there who have higher status, we just wait our turn patiently. Usually there is a break in the action within 15-30 minutes.

 

Our best suggestion is to take very little onboard with you. Then when you get on the ship, you are free to wander around, have lunch, sit on deck without dragging a carry-on and a bunch of bundles with you. Just keep the essentials with you. The rest will get to your cabin shortly.

 

Mary and Joe

[hypercafe]

Hellow Jay

 

There are some open posts in the other cruise lines and luxury lines categories. I will be leaving in December for two weeks on the Europa2. I will wright a review when I return. The Europa2 is the German/ English ship.

 

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Edited November 18, 2014 by hypercafe

[mpfund]

We, too, are taking an Europa 2 cruise, but not until next October. We've been on Hanseatic twice. Contact me at mpfud6617@aol.com if you want to talk privately.

[Hambagahle]

Agree with Mura regarding boarding early. OTOH, if all passengers were allowed to board "first come first served" there would not necessarily be crowds. Oceania's smaller ships are similar to the size of Regent ships. The only time Regent gets a "crowd" is when they take a bus load of passengers from the included hotel to the ship. Otherwise, it is a fast and simple process. ---

 

This is not true. I can't remember a time when we sailed on Regent when we could just show up at the dock, go through the formalities and board. We showed up at the specified time. We always had to wait to register, then wait to get into our suites. (Wait - for example for 2 and a half hours...)

 

On Oceania on the other hand I was delighted to have some priority. (After all, when we fly Business class we have priority boarding so why not on a ship?) All was well organised. We arrived 10 mins before the time specified. We waited 10 minutes. Our "group" was called. We registered. We boarded and were able to go directly to our suite (Oceania Suite).

 

That to me is "luxury" cruising. "Cattle car" boarding which Regent has, is not.

And - what also seems perfect to me on Oceania was the fact that once the top category suite passengers have been boarded and desks are vacant anyone could move forward. Best of both worlds perhaps?

[Travelcat2]

Gerry, you and I don't see eye to eye on this subject which is okay. My DH agrees with you and so I guess I disagree with both of you. I really cannot compare airlines with cruise ships where you are on board 24/7 for days at a time. There are some people on Oceania that may be in a lower cabin but may have paid for 2-4 suites for their family. They have paid more than you and I have. In terms of Regent, IMO, is it like flying an all Business Class airline -- everyone has a suite - most of them are the same size.

 

It just isn't in me to be an elitist. Yes - we are flying First and Business Class to Miami next week and we will be in a Vista Suite. However, if I saw someone sitting on a bench waiting to get on the ship because they were in a lower category than we are, I would take them with me and make sure they could board (assuming there was not a line of people).

 

Anyway, it is a cultural difference -- we are who we are and are fortunate to be able to travel the world.

[Hambagahle]

And I certainly agree with your last sentence! Fortunate we are, indeed! But glad to know that one member of your family agrees with me on this!!

 

Have a wonderful cruise Jackie and please keep reports coming in!

[hypercafe]

The Captain is supposed to be escorting Passengers to their cabins? :cool:

Seems odd that he won't have other duties to attend to on turn around day.....

 

You must be spoofing. Well traveled people that you claim to be must know that the captain is not escorting people to their cabin but greeting them in the lobby as they board. Nice touch I must say. Being escorted to your cabin was the norm in bygone years. I remember the bellhops lined up on HAL and X as you boarded. I guess HL wants to keep the finesse of years past as much as they can.

 

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

You must be spoofing. Well traveled people that you claim to be must know that the captain is not escorting people to their cabin but greeting them in the lobby as they board. Nice touch I must say. Being escorted to your cabin was the norm in bygone years. I remember the bellhops lined up on HAL and X as you boarded. I guess HL wants to keep the finesse of years past as much as they can.

 

 

 

 

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I've only seen movies of how things were on cruise ships in the bygone years. It must have been wonderful to have friends and family come on board and stand next to the ship waving goodbye -- with balloons, streamers, etc. On the other hand, my DH sailed to this country (U.S.) in the 50's on the Queen Elizabeth. If you could not afford First Class, you were in accommodations similar to a jail cell (but with doors that open). The beds were little more than covered springs. So, while things have changed, a lot of the changes have been for the better.

 

In terms of being escorted to your cabin, IMO, it is no more difficult finding your cabin on a ship than it is finding your room in a hotel. I'm sure that if someone really needed assistance in finding their cabin, assistance would be provided.