Early morning flight arrival in Rio

[mom kaplan]

First I apologize if this is a much-discussed topic.  I've read through a number of the pages on the Oceania forum/boards and didn't see it mentioned so if I missed it, I'm sorry.  

 

Our OLife flight arrives in Rio at 6:45am. We are using Oceania's airport to port transfer. We chose this because after a long travel day/night we didn't think we'd want to much in terms of a private tour in the morning before boarding. I know it will take a bit to make it out of the airport but does anyone know if they normally have us wait at the airport until nearly embarkation time (12 noon if Concierge/1pm if Standard) or do they bring us to the port in the early morning expecting us to wait there until we can board?  If they do bring us to the port early, will they take our luggage early or at least allow us to store there until board so we can do a little walking (in reportedly safe areas)?  TIA  

[pinotlover]

Oceania will have an Agent to meet you either in baggage claim or after you pass through customs.

 

You may either then proceed directly to the port OR, you will sit and wait in the bus or van depending upon whether or how many others are soon arriving.

 

You will then be taken to the port to wait. If you arrive at port pre 9:00-9:30 while they are still getting the shipped clear, you will be given your luggage back and will have to watch it yourselves until they start accepting/ receiving new luggage. This typically starts 9:30. -10:00. You will then wait , with all your carry-on, until general boarding begins which is normally 11:00 or later.

 

So not a one size fits all answer. You might get out of the airport quickly. You might not. They might start taking luggage as early as 9:00, though they probably won’t.

 

Once aboard, you may have lunch while sitting with all your carry on luggage until your cabin level is called.

 

Personally, we don’t like that plan. We’d take a taxi to a nice Marriot or Hyatt where we gave status, check all our luggage with the concierge, walk around town and have a nice relaxing lunch before proceeding to the port near the time our cabin would be ready. 1. The outrageous fee you pay for the ship transfer would more than pay for all of the above including lunch. 2. My scenario far beats sitting the airport and port for hours, plus we’re not lugging all the crap all day while additionally not being caught up in the mayhem that occurs when boarding begins. That , however, is just us! Each to their own.

[mom kaplan]

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Oceania will have an Agent to meet you either in baggage claim or after you pass through customs.

 

You may either then proceed directly to the port OR, you will sit and wait in the bus or van depending upon whether or how many others are soon arriving.

 

You will then be taken to the port to wait. If you arrive at port pre 9:00-9:30 while they are still getting the shipped clear, you will be given your luggage back and will have to watch it yourselves until they start accepting/ receiving new luggage. This typically starts 9:30. -10:00. You will then wait , with all your carry-on, until general boarding begins which is normally 11:00 or later.

 

So not a one size fits all answer. You might get out of the airport quickly. You might not. They might start taking luggage as early as 9:00, though they probably won’t.

 

Once aboard, you may have lunch while sitting with all your carry on luggage until your cabin level is called.

 

Personally, we don’t like that plan. We’d take a taxi to a nice Marriot or Hyatt where we gave status, check all our luggage with the concierge, walk around town and have a nice relaxing lunch before proceeding to the port near the time our cabin would be ready. 1. The outrageous fee you pay for the ship transfer would more than pay for all of the above including lunch. 2. My scenario far beats sitting the airport and port for hours, plus we’re not lugging all the crap all day while additionally not being caught up in the mayhem that occurs when boarding begins. That , however, is just us! Each to their own.

Thanks Pinotlover for the information.  I have to check the various hotels to see 1.  the location of the hotel  2. if our status is of the level we'd need to qualify for that perk 🙂 

[susiesan]

Why don't you arrange for a private driver to pick you up, take you into the city for a short tour and lunch, then drop you off at the pier to board the ship. You can keep your luggage in the trunk and have the driver wait with the car while you walk around one of the neighborhoods. This would probably cost you far less than two O bus transfers and you can be on your own schedule. 

Edited January 6, 2020 by susiesan

[clo]

6 hours ago, mom kaplan said:

Our OLife flight arrives in Rio at 6:45am.

This is off-topic but where are you flying in from? We've been to Rio a bunch of times, mostly from Houston, and get in between 9 and 10. Oh, wait, what airport are you flying in to? We always come in to the intl one, Jobim, but I've seen some people come into the domestic one, Santos Dumont, having entered Brazil elsewhere.

[Mrs f.]

4 hours ago, susiesan said:

Why don't you arrange for a private driver to pick you up, take you into the city for a short tour and lunch, then drop you off at the pier to board the ship. You can keep your luggage in the trunk and have the driver wait with the car while you walk around one of the neighborhoods. This would probably cost you far less than two O bus transfers and you can be on your own schedule. 

Good idea. We did that in reverse in Rio. Driver picked us and out luggage up, toured with us and dropped us off at airport. Was great.

[Paulchili]

5 hours ago, susiesan said:

Why don't you arrange for a private driver to pick you up, take you into the city for a short tour and lunch, then drop you off at the pier to board the ship. You can keep your luggage in the trunk and have the driver wait with the car while you walk around one of the neighborhoods. This would probably cost you far less than two O bus transfers and you can be on your own schedule. 

Mrs. f and I agree  - good idea 😊

Edited January 6, 2020 by Paulchili

[pinotlover]

4 hours ago, clo said:

This is off-topic but where are you flying in from? We've been to Rio a bunch of times, mostly from Houston, and get in between 9 and 10. Oh, wait, what airport are you flying in to? We always come in to the intl one, Jobim, but I've seen some people come into the domestic one, Santos Dumont, having entered Brazil elsewhere.

Not the OP, but AA out of Miami gets in early like that.

[clo]

2 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Not the OP, but AA out of Miami gets in early like that.

Thanks. It's been probably 20 years since we've flown to Rio from Miami so it didn't cross my mind. That sucks. And I just noticed that it's an O-life flight. I did a little poking around with that before booking and loathed their option(s). (Can't remember f there was more than one.)

[alcpa1]

MomKaplan might be on the ATL - GIG flight that gets in at 6:45. We're on the same flight a couple of days before the cruise.

You still should be able to get a refund for the overpriced and untimely transfer and grab a radio taxi at their kiosk and use the luggage hold at the Copacabana Hilton and head to the ship on Karen's arranged bus at 1. 

Think about it and head back to the Roll Call.

[rallydave]

On 1/6/2020 at 9:24 AM, mom kaplan said:

 

Our OLife flight arrives in Rio at 6:45am.

Just for clarification since this issue rears its' ugly head quite often.  It is NOT and OLife flight.  Flights are for without OLife and OLife; no difference.  OLife has absolutely nothing to do with flights.

 

People keep mistaking that fact and don't want more people to get confused.  You have 4 choices when purchasing your cruise:

 

Cruise only, no air

 

Cruise plus air

 

OLife no air

 

OLife with air

[ORV]

7 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Just for clarification since this issue rears its' ugly head quite often.  It is NOT and OLife flight.  Flights are for without OLife and OLife; no difference.  OLife has absolutely nothing to do with flights.

 

People keep mistaking that fact and don't want more people to get confused.  You have 4 choices when purchasing your cruise:

 

Cruise only, no air

 

Cruise plus air

 

OLife no air

 

OLife with air

Absolutely true, but the fault lies with Oceania in the way they market it. For those new to Oceania their perception of it is understandable. 

[mom kaplan]

12 hours ago, alcpa1 said:

MomKaplan might be on the ATL - GIG flight that gets in at 6:45. We're on the same flight a couple of days before the cruise.

You still should be able to get a refund for the overpriced and untimely transfer and grab a radio taxi at their kiosk and use the luggage hold at the Copacabana Hilton and head to the ship on Karen's arranged bus at 1. 

Think about it and head back to the Roll Call.

You're right, alcpa1, we are on the ATL-GIG flight arriving at 6:45am. I am going to speak to my TA about a refund and look into the before mentioned private driver (which we're doing in BA after disembarkation because we have a 9pm flight but was reluctant to do in Rio fearing flight delays being an issue) or taking you up on your suggestion about the radio taxi, luggage storage and Karen's bus if that's still available.

Thank you so much, everyone, for the "food for thought"! 

I love the CC "family"!  It's so very helpful.

[mom kaplan]

1 hour ago, rallydave said:

Just for clarification since this issue rears its' ugly head quite often.  It is NOT and OLife flight.  Flights are for without OLife and OLife; no difference.  OLife has absolutely nothing to do with flights.

 

People keep mistaking that fact and don't want more people to get confused.  You have 4 choices when purchasing your cruise:

 

Cruise only, no air

 

Cruise plus air

 

OLife no air

 

OLife with air

Rallydave, you're absolutely correct.  I misspoke/miswrote but do know the difference.  It is not an OLife flight.  It is OLife with air.

[mom kaplan]

1 hour ago, ORV said:

Absolutely true, but the fault lies with Oceania in the way they market it. For those new to Oceania their perception of it is understandable. 

ORV, we are not new to Oceania but in no way are we experts, so we do know the difference, I just miswrote, but you're absolutely correct.  Oceania markets it in a confusing way.  You have to be able to ask for the different options rather than have them offer them upfront. Thank you for validating my opinion in that.

[mom kaplan]

On 1/7/2020 at 12:38 PM, mom kaplan said:

ORV, we are not new to Oceania but in no way are we experts, so we do know the difference, I just miswrote, but you're absolutely correct.  Oceania markets it in a confusing way.  You have to be able to ask for the different options rather than have them offer them upfront. Thank you for validating my opinion in that.

ORV, I just reread my response to you (above) and it now comes across to me  as “snippy/snooty”. I apologize if you read it that way. It was certainly not my intention. (After being on CC for a few years, I may be overly sensitive to “snippy/snooty” comments - not on this particular topic posting, but many others -  I try not to make them. I may have failed this time.)

[ORV]

1 hour ago, mom kaplan said:

ORV, I just reread my response to you (above) and it now comes across to me  as “snippy/snooty”. I apologize if you read it that way. It was certainly not my intention. (After being on CC for a few years, I may be overly sensitive to “snippy/snooty” comments - not on this particular topic posting, but many others -  I try not to make them. I may have failed this time.)

No, I didn't read it that way, but I'm not easily offended. No worries. 

 

I myself am frequently direct and am misunderstood. Quite often those of us that are here a lot did to overexplain things or assume others are familiar with procedures, which many people aren't . 

 

Thanks for worrying about it though. 

[azdrydock]

We did the GIG to cruise terminal a few weeks ago. We took a taxi to the cruise terminal for $25. There was an "official" taxi booth after luggage. I showed them the Oceania port information and handed them my credit card. They printed a voucher and sent me to the taxi line. Handed the voucher to the taxi captain and he gave the voucher and instructions to a  driver, and 25 minutes latter we were at the ship.  I think it was around 10AM when they allowed us to board and our room was ready  about  11AM. Between luggage and the taxi line several people asked to help us with our luggage and we politely refused them. Some other people took an Uber for around $15 with good results.

[clo]

8 minutes ago, azdrydock said:

We did the GIG to cruise terminal a few weeks ago.

Thanks for your comments. We used to have an apt. n Rio and always had such good experiences with transpo to and from GIG. EXCEPT when our doorman's cousin who had a taxi and begged to take us. I verified in my poor but adequate Portuguese that he had AC. He didn't and I glowed all the way to the airport 🙂 If you haven't spent time in Rio, I hope you will some day. Again, obrigada 🙂