Disembarkation in Dover

[ErnieE]

Can anyone please tell me what time passengers started disembarking in Dover , after a Baltic cruise? Our flight time changed to an earlier one and we need to disembark by 8:00AM the latest. Oceania can only tell me that they guarantee we'll be off by 9:00-9:30. Have booked private van for our group at 8:00AM but if they have to wait over an hour they charge 35 pounds /hour. Any info would help.

[JimandStan]

Ernie-

 

We had a group of 15 on the Regatta, Stockholm to Dover, last July. 5 of our group was booked by Oceania onto a 12:30 flight from Heathrow to JFK that was later rescheduled for 11:30 AM!!!

With the airlines telling international passengers to get to the airport 3 hours early, the front desk knew that it would be close.

They were able to disembark at 4AM and they were into their car (luggage and all) by 4:30AM. At that hour of the morning, traffic was nonexistant, and they made great time.

The key here is to make your travel arrangements known to the front desk early on (make several copies of your ship to airport itinerary and carry them with you in case the first set gets mislayed).

An about day 7 fof your 14 day cruise, they distribute a

questionnaire which asks for your plans for leaving the ship so that they can stagger the offloading. On the last full day (for us, it was Bruges), Oceania distributes baggage tags which correspond to an approximate disembarcation time. If the time that you are assigned does not work for you, bring the tags back to the front desk and insist that they reassign you.

 

Enjoy your cruise, we just loved it!

[ErnieE]

Thanks so much for the info. Do you think they'll be as sympathetic seeing that we booked our own air and transfer?

[jfb128]

As I recall the port immediately before Dover on the Baltic cruise is Brugges. It is very close to Dover. Consequently the arrival of Regatta is normally fairly early in the morning. On our cruise we were able to disembark at approximately 6:30 AM for the trip to London. Regatta arrived around 4 AM. Arrivals can vary due to weather, etc. but this was our experience.

[JimandStan]

Do you think they'll be as sympathetic seeing that we booked our own air and transfer?

 

Ernie-

 

You'll find that it makes no difference to them, whatsoever.

Upon leaving the ship everyone has to go somewhere, right?

Well, the front office is just concerned about getting you where you want to be with as little tension as possible :D

I must say that of all the "little things" that endear me to Oceania, the smooth disembarkation with no lines is my favorite. Concierge Bruno deserves a medal.

[mdmgso]

We are disembarking in Dover from the Regatta on July 16, 2008. Can someone recommend a private transpotation provider to Gatwick?

[laurelhollow]

We are disembarking in Dover from the Regatta on July 16, 2008. Can someone recommend a private transpotation provider to Gatwick?

 

 

we'll be on the same cruise but need a ride to heathrow for four pax plus luggage. can anyone recommend whether we would be better off with separate cars or one large van?

[JimandStan]

laurelhollow

 

Either will work depending on the temperments of the people involved. However, BE VERY VERY SPECIFIC about the size of the people and THE SIZE AND QUANTITY OF YOUR LUGGAGE when you make your arrangements.

Europeans picture the typical tourist to have the build of Audrey Hepburn, carrying one rolling bag and a givinchy purse!

A really good money saving technique for this type of transfer, is to check the roll call for the Regatta cruise after yours, and try to coordinate with a company that has brought passengers down from London to bring you back (if their car is earing $$ both ways, the company will generally lower the cost of both legs).

 

Have a fantastic cruise, and, be sure to get up early on the last morning to see the White Cliffs of Dover, they are magnificent!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

"A really good money saving technique for this type of transfer, is to check the roll call for the Regatta cruise after yours, and try to coordinate with a company that has brought passengers down from London to bring you back"

 

How would that work, since you're generally off the ship by 8 or so, and people wouldn't be embarking until at least noon? And since a lot of flights arrive in the morning, they wouldn't arrive at the ship until later. If I was already in London, I would not want to appear first thing in the morning.

 

Yes, do be specific about how much luggage you have, and how many people, I know people who have run into problems that way at Dover in the past.

 

We had an excellent company, great service, but it's changed hands since so I can't vouch for it.

[Nana4x]

We are using Central Taxi in Dover to take us to Gatwick and drop another couple at a hotel in London.

They have vehicles that hold up to 12 persons. The key is the number of suitcases you will be toting along.

We told them 8 large and 2 small suitcases and were assigned an 8 passenger vehicle.

 

Our flight was moved up to 11:30 AM - got the same info from our TA you will be off by 9. Well as you can see getting off earlier should not be a problem.

Central Taxi is scheduled to pick us up at 7 AM sharp.

 

PHull4321@aol.com

www.central-taxis.com

[JimandStan]

How would that work, since you're generally off the ship by 8 or so, and people wouldn't be embarking until at least noon? And since a lot of flights arrive in the morning, they wouldn't arrive at the ship until later. If I was already in London, I would not want to appear first thing in the morning.

 

Wendy-

 

They may not be able to board until noon, but there will be passengers for the next cruise watching the ship sail into port at 4AM! It would not be our cup of tea, either, but "different strokes" as they say....

 

As has been discussed, endlessly, on these boards, a certain percentage of passengers are determined to get on that ship as soon as is humanly possible.

 

Human nature being what it is, this is became particularly true for Oceania passengers when it was realized that early boarding was a suite/concierge privelege.

 

Bruinsteve had a very interesting post about this, from the arriving passengers perspective (although I think his experience was in Barcelona, not Dover).

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Huh, interesting, thanks. Who knew? I certainly wouldn't waste precious holiday time hanging around a dock. I do love that first sight of the ship, and do want to get on board usually asap, but. Then again, I guess if you arrive on an early flight, jetlagged, piling into a car to get where your final destination is would not be a bad thing. Lunch in a pub, a walk around Dover. But what about luggage?

[JimandStan]

Lunch in a pub, a walk around Dover. But what about luggage

Wendy-

When you arrive in Dover, go directly to the dock. Your luggage will have the Oceania tags on it, so you can give it to a porter.

 

Most people follow their luggage into the terminal and check in at that time (which I might be tempted to do, depending on the line).

 

After you've registered, you could get on the ship (again, depending on the time), however, getting on immediatly is certainly not a requirement (there are no security people, for example, insisting that you get on just because you've registered).

 

If you have any carry on luggage (jewelry, money, medicine), you'd have to cart that around, I suppose, but otherwise you'll be infettered!

 

As I recall, though, Dover is fairly spread out (almost more country than city)....I think a cab might be more doable than walking, unless you have a specific destination in mind that's walking distance.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks, I'm not actually going to Dover, just commenting on the early arrival to the ship. But that sounds okay in general--nice to know they will keep your luggage for you.