Passport Handling

[gr8aunt]

I think I must have had the same person at Reception mentioned in JFB128's post under "Poor Service in Dining Room Reported".

 

I was very uncomfortable with tossing my passport in a cardboard box at the gangway, but, of course, didn't seem to have any choice.

 

On the day we were to reclaim our passports, I had gone to Reception about 3 in the afternoon to get a copy of my bill. Around 6 p.m. (the time we were to pick up our passports) I went back to Reception to get our passports. The woman behind the desk told me she gave me our passports when I was there earlier. I tried to explain to her that I had no reason to ask for the passports at that time since I knew we weren't supposed to get them until 6 p.m. At that point she really insisted that she gave them to me and directed me to return to my cabin to look for them. Knowing full well that I didn't have them, I did return to my cabin to compose myself. I returned to the lobby about 10 minutes later and, by that time, a table had been set up to dispense everyone's passports. I walked over and, with no problem, was handed our passports. I returned to the same woman at Reception only to tell her that she had given me some very anxious moments and that Oceania did, in fact, have the passports since I had just picked them up. She was very annoyed and looked right at me and said, "No maam, I gave them to you before" and proceeded to dismiss me.

 

I really think the management of Oceania should give serious consideration to giving you a receipt when placing your passport in their care. What do you think the chances are that Oceania would have ever taken any responsibility for our passports if they hadn't been located!

 

I posted a similar message on another board and was attacked by someone who used to work at Reception on a ship as someone who thinks they are on vacation and know all there is to know about customer service. Before anyone reading this thinks that is what I'm doing, let me assure you I am just trying to point out what I consider to be a flaw in the way Oceania handles very important documents. I was neither rude nor abusive to the woman at Reception. She simply could not admit she had made a mistake even when I told her I had just picked up my passport about 8 feet from where she was standing. Some people may not believe this, but, had I found the passports in my cabin, I would absolutely have gone back to the desk and "fessed up". I ran a customer service department for a large corporation for many years and know full well how difficult it can be.

[jazzsea]

We had a problem picking up our passports on the last day of our cruise. We were told that we had already picked them up. After many complaints by us the passports were found filed under the wrong cabin number. I was glad that we were seasoned cruisers and that both my husband and I had copies of our passports in our wallets. Having a photo copy of your passport is a must for cruisers.

 

Having experienced the rude attitude on Insignia I can truly imagine what you went through. It amazes me that other passengers make excuses for this poor behavior. Let's face it, some people do not belong in customer service positions. I wonder how some of these people were ever hired. They can't all have been hired as favors (perks) to the Ocenia investors, can they???

[gr8aunt]

I, too, make sure to have a copy of my passport with me at all times, Jazzsea. Learned that long ago. Not sure, however, it would be that much help getting back into this country if passport couldn't be located. I can only hope that someone with some "clout" with Oceania will see the post and ask Oceania management to change their procedure regarding passports.