Online Check-in query

[Harters]

I've just received the email from O advising what I'll need to complete the online check-in for our forthcoming cruise. I'm curious to know why I'm going to need a "camera-enabled mobile device". Can anyone advise please? At a guess, it's to photograph each other  but what purpose does that serve for O - after all, I'm going to be providing photo ID in the form of a passport when I board. Never been required to do this for any other previous sort of holiday. It's not a problem as such, except that I don't carry a mobile phone of any sort.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

I've just received the email from O advising what I'll need to complete the online check-in for our forthcoming cruise. I'm curious to know why I'm going to need a "camera-enabled mobile device". Can anyone advise please? At a guess, it's to photograph each other  but what purpose does that serve for O - after all, I'm going to be providing photo ID in the form of a passport when I board. Never been required to do this for any other previous sort of holiday. It's not a problem as such, except that I don't carry a mobile phone of any sort.

Though your room key doesn’t have your photo, most of the time you will get off/on the ship using facial recognition. So, a current ID photo is taken. In years past that was done at embarkation.
 

Now, for one thing, you take your own picture during the online check-in. It’s supposed to save time at the actual embark though at some embark ports, the check-in folks still take the picture.

 

Of course, taking your own photo pre-embark also can be done with most desktop/laptop computers. 

Think too about the increasing use of QR codes in all sorts of situations. During Covid times, how often have you received a QR code card rather than a printed menu?

Phone with camera and QR code reader plus other gadgets? Better safe than sorry!

Edited May 24, 2023 by Flatbush Flyer

[MargateKev]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

I've just received the email from O advising what I'll need to complete the online check-in for our forthcoming cruise. I'm curious to know why I'm going to need a "camera-enabled mobile device". Can anyone advise please? At a guess, it's to photograph each other  but what purpose does that serve for O - after all, I'm going to be providing photo ID in the form of a passport when I board. Never been required to do this for any other previous sort of holiday. It's not a problem as such, except that I don't carry a mobile phone of any sort.

We had to do that at the end of March for our NCL cruise although we could load a passport shoulders up shot from PC. They still took our photos at check in though and also copied passport page.

 

[LHT28]

What happens if you do not  give them  a photo ahead of time?

 

 

[Harters]

Thanks both. Makes sense now - I recalled on our last cruise (2017) the photo was taken when boarding. If we can upload a photo direct from the PC that'll be fine.

 

As for QR codes, yes, I've had that a couple of times during Covid but places can usually find a printed menu. Only been once when they didnt have one and I had to leave. Their loss.

[Flatbush Flyer]

18 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

What happens if you do not  give them  a photo ahead of time?

 

 

If you don’t complete the online checkin, it won’t generate the email with the boarding pass. 
And the photo taking part (best to use a desktop to take picture [or upload acceptable image]) can be a bit glitchy.

[pinotlover]

18 minutes ago, Harters said:

 

 

As for QR codes, yes, I've had that a couple of times during Covid but places can usually find a printed menu. Only been once when they didnt have one and I had to leave. Their loss.

OK Boomer! Or maybe their gain. Labor shortages at restaurants are immense. QR codes mean no more hauling around menus. No more sanitizing menus between use. Significantly less paper usage and trash.

 

Paper menus will soon become like branch bank tellers. You can learn to use an ATM, or drive around looking for a teller. 

[CVA34]

We just returned from a TA in April on Marina, and we didn't have a photo of us until we checked in at the terminal. We did however receive our boarding passes with our eDocs along with our luggage tags.

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, CVA34 said:

We just returned from a TA in April on Marina, and we didn't have a photo of us until we checked in at the terminal. We did however receive our boarding passes with our eDocs along with our luggage tags.

Good  to know

[Cape Hernlopen]

Dear Fellow Cruisers:

 

The simple "work around" if you do not have a "camera device" is to click on the "photo on file" option. Oceania will then print your Boarding Pass and at check in they will take a new photo, adding 30 seconds to the check in procedure.

Joel Barry

[Flatbush Flyer]

20 minutes ago, CVA34 said:

We just returned from a TA in April on Marina, and we didn't have a photo of us until we checked in at the terminal. We did however receive our boarding passes with our eDocs along with our luggage tags.

The “cruise vacation summary” in the e-docs does have embark port info. But, it is not the same as the new boarding pass with scannable bar code.

And the luggage tags come with the hard copy blue book (not the emailed “final docs” nor the separately emailed “boarding pass.”

[pinotlover]

Don’t be oblivious to the cruise terminal being used. If you don’t have a boarding pass, then you don’t have an assigned boarding time. If you don’t have an assigned boarding time, terminal security may not let you into the terminal until they desire which might be the last boarding time.

[Snaefell3]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

OK Boomer! Or maybe their gain. Labor shortages at restaurants are immense. QR codes mean no more hauling around menus. No more sanitizing menus between use. Significantly less paper usage and trash.

 

Paper menus will soon become like branch bank tellers. You can learn to use an ATM, or drive around looking for a teller. 

Uhh...  Sorry, QR codes are like URLs embeded in emails.  They do what the author wants, not what the author tells you they will do.

 

(and there are banks that value customers, not revenue-sources  :^)

[di T]

5 hours ago, Harters said:

I've just received the email from O advising what I'll need to complete the online check-in for our forthcoming cruise. I'm curious to know why I'm going to need a "camera-enabled mobile device". Can anyone advise please? At a guess, it's to photograph each other  but what purpose does that serve for O - after all, I'm going to be providing photo ID in the form of a passport when I board. Never been required to do this for any other previous sort of holiday. It's not a problem as such, except that I don't carry a mobile phone of any sort.

Hi, fellow Brit.As we are on the same cruise we got the email today too! The last  few cruises we have taken since Pandemic we have been asked to take a selfie to upload. Last twice they still took the photo at the peer as well, think  it’s for the sea pass card. Dianne

[di T]

3 hours ago, Harters said:

Thanks both. Makes sense now - I recalled on our last cruise (2017) the photo was taken when boarding. If we can upload a photo direct from the PC that'll be fine.

 

As for QR codes, yes, I've had that a couple of times during Covid but places can usually find a printed menu. Only been once when they didnt have one and I had to leave. Their loss.

Hate those QR codes in restaurants, last month we stayed in Malaga for a few weeks, many times we had to do the codes sometimes we would receive a paper menu which was so much easier we were travelling with family including kids. My husband hates mobile phones😂

[AMHuntFerry]

I just filled out our check-in info. For the photo there are options to download and existing photo or to take one with your device's camera. There is also the option to skip the photo upload and I'm fairly sure you can still print a boarding pass (with the caveat that a photo will need to be taken at embarkation), but I have not tried it (although I was tempted since our selfie lighting made us look ill and bug-eyed 🫢).

[avalong]

I skipped the photo step on my recent on-line check-in and we were able to print the boarding pass with no problem. Then they took our photo at the dock. No problem at all. I think there's even wording on that page that says it's optional.

Re QRR menus: per a recent NYTimes article, they are slowly but surely going away. Diners hate them.

[AMHuntFerry]

1 minute ago, avalong said:

I skipped the photo step on my recent on-line check-in and we were able to print the boarding pass with no problem. Then they took our photo at the dock. No problem at all. I think there's even wording on that page that says it's optional.

Re QRR menus: per a recent NYTimes article, they are slowly but surely going away. Diners hate them.

Thanks! I remembered seeing something indicating that a photo was not required, but couldn't remember exactly what it said.

(And since I just can't help myself...) No restaurants I go to have had QR codes since 2020...quickly disappeared after lock-down ended. Maybe corporate eateries still have them...I wouldn't know. Yes, people hated them.

[CVA34]

9 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

I just filled out our check-in info. For the photo there are options to download and existing photo or to take one with your device's camera. There is also the option to skip the photo upload and I'm fairly sure you can still print a boarding pass (with the caveat that a photo will need to be taken at embarkation), but I have not tried it (although I was tempted since our selfie lighting made us look ill and bug-eyed 🫢).

Sounds familiar, I believe that is what we did, I'm looking at our boarding passes and BAR Code that I downloaded along with the info for arrival at terminal, check in time, passports and any visa's that may be required.

[Harters]

Just completed our online check which was very clear that we could upload a photo now or wait and have it done at embarcation. So, we've faffed about for a goodly while this afternoon and failed to get a successful upload. Given up and will wait till boarding and let them  do it. Been able to print the boarding pass with no problem.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

[DoulaAnn]

I think I remember it saying that you can skip the photo, but if you have taken it, you will be able to go through an "express line".  I'm waiting to see if that happens.  Only a few weeks until the "test" of it.  😄 

Enjoy your cruises, everyone.