Oceania Hotels and Transfers

[infolady]

I have read with great interest the postings on the hotels offered by Oceania and their pricing. My question is if one books their own hotel (we plan on doing so), and it is one of those offered by Oceania, can we use the transfers offered by Oceania from the ship to the hotel and the hotel to the airport? Has anyone done this? :confused:

[sandbag7]

I'm pretty sure you can do transfers without doing the hotel.

[LHT28]

I would check their prices for transfers as compared to private transfers before commiting.

[infolady]

I have booked the Marriott in Athens and know that a cab from hotel to airport is approximately 25 Euro's, and I think from the port to the hotel is more. This seems to work out to more than Oceania charges for their transfers but as time grows closer, I will verify before I commit. Our TA has said that Oceania will NOT let us book transfers if we don't book the hotel through them but has suggested that we try to do it on the ship.

[digby]

I have read with great interest the postings on the hotels offered by Oceania and their pricing. My question is if one books their own hotel (we plan on doing so), and it is one of those offered by Oceania, can we use the transfers offered by Oceania from the ship to the hotel and the hotel to the airport? Has anyone done this? :confused:

 

 

Last December we tried to do that in Santiago, but were not allowed to. We were staying at the same hotel (Ritz), but we had made our own reservations at a MUCH lower price. We went to the Oceania Room which was set up for those who had booked through Oceania and asked if we could buy the transfer to the ship in Val. We were told there was no room, so we had the concierge book us a minvan for the four of us. It cost us about $15/each. Oceania was charging $39/each.

[Bruin Steve]

Here's the main problem...with any cruise line...

When the cruise line books your flights and hotels, they can send a bus to pick up ALL of their passengers off their flights and hotels...

 

But, when you book your own, you might be flying in ANY time...You may be staying at a hotels ANYWHERE in town...

They are generally not equipped to send a bus to the airport just to pick you up or drive you to your individual hotel...

 

Just doesn't make sense...

 

Of course, there are some exceptions with some cruise lines...

For example, when we sailed with the Celebrity Constellation out of Dover, they did offer transfers to people who booked on their own...But, rather than to any individual hotel, the transfers were to a central point--the Victoria Coach Terminal...and they would not include the airport to hotel or hotel to airport segments...

 

Generally, you should be able to arrange your own transportation for less...of course, it depends on where your hotel is...

[infolady]

I can well understand the denial of transfers if one is booked at a hotel other than those that the cruise line uses. In our case, we are booked (on our own at a tremendous savings) at one of the hotels that Oceania is using. Since Oceania offers the option of one or more nights stays and includes transfers to the hotel from the ship and to the airport from the hotel, I can't understand WHY they would say NO to transferring passengers who did not book through them unless the transfer bus from the ship to the hotel was full as it was in the instance you mention.

[mike35]

FYI, Oceania isn't unique in denying transfers to those who book hotels on their own. We recently booked the Marriott in Copenhagen on our own, and this was one of Crystal's pre/post cruise hotels. Crystal had a desk set up in the hotel, staffed by three people. We were denied Crystal's transfer to the dock, although there was room on the bus and we were more than willing to pay for the transfer. We ended up taking a cab.

 

Mike

[PurpleCow]

On the flip side, I was waiting at the baggage carousel in Istanbul, standing next to a couple who were booked on the same cruise, but did not have Oceania transfers. The man picking up the bags did check my name on a list. He also took the couple who had not booked ship's transfers. My name was again checked off a list when I boarded the bus. I don't know if that couple ended up paying Oceania, made a side deal with the bus driver or just fell through the cracks. I didn't even give it a thought until today.

[Jane110]

I can well understand the denial of transfers if one is booked at a hotel other than those that the cruise line uses. In our case, we are booked (on our own at a tremendous savings) at one of the hotels that Oceania is using. Since Oceania offers the option of one or more nights stays and includes transfers to the hotel from the ship and to the airport from the hotel, I can't understand WHY they would say NO to transferring passengers who did not book through them unless the transfer bus from the ship to the hotel was full as it was in the instance you mention.

 

 

You're right. Why would Oceania, or any company, turn down money? Generally speaking, they wouldn't. However as Bruin Steve points out, there might simply not be enough room on the bus. Oceania rents the buses for their pax who are using Oceania's hotel and booking through Oceania. However, if there is room, I'm sure you can arrange it once you're aboard ship for the ship to hotel transport (if there's room) and then arrange it with them at the hotel for the airport transfers - again, if there's room.

 

On our first Oceania cruise that ended in Dover, we were doing a post-cruise stay in London at the same hotel Oceania was using. Like you, we booked it on our own for a much better rate. Maybe it's because Dover is so far from London but anyone could buy their transfer from Oceania (one bus went to airport, one to hotel) whether or not they used Oceania's air or hotel booking. We opted to hire a private van for 4 of us at the same rate of the Oceania transfer. However, once aboard ship another couple asked to join us and since we knew the van would fit 6 for the same price, they joined us and it lowered the price for everyone.

[shoshona2]

To Infolady,

 

We stayed at the Athens Marriott in July at a better rate than Oceania had posted, also. The ride to the ship was only 12 Euros and the ride to the airport from the hotel was 38 Euros. I can't believe that Oceania will be charging less than what we paid for taxis and did it ourselves. The people at the hotel had to wait in a group for the Oceania bus service to the ship, we just got into a cab at the time we wanted to board.

 

When we disenbarked in Stockholm two years ago, we didn't want to bother with getting a taxi to take us to the airport and Oceania offered to take us to the airport for a fee. When we disenbarked, there were lots of taxis waiting and it would have been much less to take a taxi to the airport.

 

Why get so upset now, if you are saving so much by booking the hotel yourself, so take a taxi to or from the ship or airport and you don't have to wait for the bus service the ship offers or doesn't offer you as someone who booked the hotel themself.

 

Sheila

[ClaudiaF]

I have read with great interest the postings on the hotels offered by Oceania and their pricing. My question is if one books their own hotel (we plan on doing so), and it is one of those offered by Oceania, can we use the transfers offered by Oceania from the ship to the hotel and the hotel to the airport? Has anyone done this? :confused:

I think on some of their cruises they do sell transfers seperately ( since they are not included with most airfare anyway)..I guess it is hit and miss. You might though just ask the hotel if they can arrange them for you.. it would be just as easy, usually easier..

[shoshona2]

Hi Claudia,

 

We called the Athens Ledra Marriott from the U.S. and they suggested we take a cab from the airport since they didn't send cars or taxis for you. It turned out it was just as easy to have a taxi waiting for us. We used Spiros taxiservice and six of us were picked up at three different arrival times and transported to the hotel. Athens is the port about which infolady was concerned and it is an easy port to do by taxi.

 

Sheila

[Mura]

On two Renaissance cruises we lucked out ... that was before transfers became so expensive anyway. In those days they WERE included.

 

When we were leaving Barcelona on our first Ren cruise we asked if we could hitch a ride to the airport because we were going there to pick up a rental car to drive up through Provence whereas other passengers were going home. They did need to check with someone to make sure there was room and there was. No fee.

 

On our second Ren cruise we were arriving in Athens on a flight that was about 1/3 filled with people using Ren air (we weren't, we were just on the same flight). We just walked on to the bus taking people to the Ren hotels. (Remember, Ren gave you a hotel stay back then.) No one checked anything.

 

Since then we have only booked our own air and our own hotels and also arranged for our own transfers. Usually just by getting a cab at the airport but not always.

 

Given the Oceania fees for transfers and hotel stays, you still come out ahead! Now, if I were flying into Hong Kong (for example) -- I'd probably try to arrange for something more formal.

 

We are flying to Barcelona for our 11/5/05 Regatta cruise and to London for our 6/26/06 Insignia cruise, and we will arrange our own transfers for both, just as we have arranged for our own hotels.

 

If the Oceania hotel/transfer charges were close to being reasonable, we'd use them ... but until they are, we won't.