Final Cruise Summary- timing

[Fredalyn]

We are 13 days out and still have not received the blue book or been emailed our Final Cruise Vacation Summary.

Last year, we booked late and direct. We received it within 2 weeks.

This year we booked onboard and transferred the booking to a highly recommended travel agent. Our TA has contacted O several times. Most recently O said it would be sent to our travel agent last week. O said the delay was because it was a b2b. Our agent said when they receive it it will be sent priority. 

2 questions- when working through a TA, will O still send a Final Cruise Summary via email?

Should we be concerned? 

Everything is in order when we login to manage our booking.

 

[LHT28]

the Final cruise summary is usually an email from Oceania

Check your spam/trash folders as well

subject line

Important - Oceania Cruises Final Cruise Vacation Summary: surname/booking number

 

You can get the luggage tags at the dock if all else fails

[azam71209]

Our cruise leaves on August 6. Still no Blue Book. Our TA says she has not received it either. Are they still sending them out?

 

I did get an email with boarding documents.

 

Mary

[Flatbush Flyer]

It's been awhile but, a couple of years back, the blue vacation planner was reported to be printed and mailed from somewhere in Kentucky (apparently a hub for many shippers). I remember this because there was some printing issues that delayed the blue books for our upcoming cruise.

 

Depending on what your travel agent specifies, the blue books are either sent to them and forwarded to you once the TA has made sure all is in order (and perhaps have had business cards or other items like their own perk cards added) OR sent directly from O to you. The same is true for the "final docs" email, which is important in that it shows your embarkation location as well as what dining reservations and prepurchased tours, etc you have in your account. And, for those embarkation ports that may require evidence of your cruise purchase, the "guest statement" is essentially your "boarding pass" (in terms of getting into the terminal building.

 

The only really important thing in the blue book is the preprinted luggage tags (though we like the blue books as momentos). At that time of the printing snafu, someone here on CC made a template for the Oceania tags, which you could then color (e.g., blue border for B veranda cabins) and fill in with your name and cabin number. And if you had access to the blank stock used by airlines, you could actually print duplicates (though paper and lamination worked okay). I'm also betting that, if your TA agency is in the Oceania Connoisseurs Club, someone can get you replacements very quickly  (even if they are blank ones). 

[ORV]

48 minutes ago, azam71209 said:

Our cruise leaves on August 6. Still no Blue Book. Our TA says she has not received it either. Are they still sending them out?

 

I did get an email with boarding documents.

 

Mary

I just got ours for a trip about 65 days from now. 

[Roccaforte]

On the Riviera in March we never received our Blue Book.  It was mailed to an old address and never forwarded.  Oceania charges $25 for a replacement so we opted to wait for our final cruise summary.  It arrived by email 20 days prior to sailing and we printed it out.   At our request, an agent at O mailed name tags for our luggage (not personalized).  We had no problem checking in at the terminal using our printed documents which proved our payment in full.  I think any document you receive from O showing payment in full would do for check in along with your passport.  They will have all of your records.  They are expecting you😄😄😄.

[LHT28]

I usually stick my invoice in my travel docs as a back up

You do not need it for Oceania check in but some ports  want to see the Final cruise Summary or Blue book to allow you access

 

[Mura]

How long has this $25 charge for a replacement booklet been in effect?  Some years ago we never received ours and a replacement was provided to us at no charge.  They even sent it via federal express!

 

Mura

[Roccaforte]

The $25 charge was this past March.  They explained that the printing was done by an outside vendor who would charge O for a reprint.  Made it sound like a very complicated process.   Even elevating it to a supervisor didn't help..  They did comp us a nice bottle of red wine by way of an apology.  Sailing again in November on O so I’ll be watching like a hawk for my Blue Book.

[Fredalyn]

Thank you everyone! Your responses helped a great deal. My TA still hasn't received my Blue Book. However, she did forward the Final Cruise Summary to me via email. Looks like they haven't given our cabin away lol! 

[osandomir]

In our experience with 10+ cruises on Oceania, all we needed for check in at the terminal - our passports and a credit card. No proof of payment in full was required, as Oceania already had all our information.

 

I’ve always been wondering what was the purpose of this fancy Blue Book, especially now as we receive our final documents from Oceania emailed to us with all information that we need. Simple printout is normally sufficient for the port agents worldwide if necessary. I guess the $25 charge for the original booklet that comes in the mail just included in the cruise price.

[sbrito]

On 7/28/2019 at 4:52 PM, azam71209 said:

Our cruise leaves on August 6. Still no Blue Book. Our TA says she has not received it either. Are they still sending them out?

 

I did get an email with boarding documents.

 

Mary

We leave on the 6th as well and no blue book.  Oceania said they sent it to our TA weeks ago.  I don't know why they didn't send it to our home address instead.......

[LHT28]

8 hours ago, osandomir said:

In our experience with 10+ cruises on Oceania, all we needed for check in at the terminal - our passports and a credit card. No proof of payment in full was required, as Oceania already had all our information.

 

I’ve always been wondering what was the purpose of this fancy Blue Book, especially now as we receive our final documents from Oceania emailed to us with all information that we need. Simple printout is normally sufficient for the port agents worldwide if necessary. I guess the $25 charge for the original booklet that comes in the mail just included in the cruise price.

in the old days  the Blue book was more personalized than it is now

It had Captain & other officers listed ..plus any OBC etc listed as well as the luggage tags

now it is more generic  with luggage tags

 

Some ports will ask for the FINAL CRUISE SUMMARY  or Blue book pages 2-4  as proof you are on the cruise before allowing to proceed to the check in area  EG: Miami, Amsterdam

 

for people new to O it is a nice touch  but for me they could just send the luggage tags by mail

jmo

[LHT28]

28 minutes ago, sbrito said:

We leave on the 6th as well and no blue book.  Oceania said they sent it to our TA weeks ago.  I don't know why they didn't send it to our home address instead.......

it is up to your TA  to have it sent to you  or them

these days there in no need for the TA to check over the documents  so it can be sent direct to the PAX

...our TA has it sent to us

[azam71209]

I contacted my TA and she says that she has not received it. So no luggage tags. Hopefully the one page I did get that says "Final Cruise Vacation Summary" will suffice. I do like to get the Blue Book, though. Adds to the excitement and anticipation of the cruise. 

 

Mary

[Jancruz]

Its a shame you havent received it but you really dont need it..It used to have the officers listed but now theofficers and CD move around so much its pointless..

Jancruz1

[azam71209]

Also have not received luggage tags. I do know that they will be available at the dock but that is going to mean standing there on the dock and filling a generic version out by hand. More opportunities for luggage to get misdirected and a waste of time.

 

On our last cruise one of my bags was misdirected because someone else's generic tag had ended up stuck to my correct tag and the bag was sent to his cabin. Probably a problem of an overworked dock worker not attaching it properly.

 

I would definitely like the free bottle of wine that the other poster got for not getting the Blue Book. I haven't changed addresses since 1983! And my TA has also not changed addresses.

 

Mary

[LHT28]

22 minutes ago, azam71209 said:

Also have not received luggage tags. I do know that they will be available at the dock but that is going to mean standing there on the dock and filling a generic version out by hand. More opportunities for luggage to get misdirected and a waste of time.

 

On our last cruise one of my bags was misdirected because someone else's generic tag had ended up stuck to my correct tag and the bag was sent to his cabin. Probably a problem of an overworked dock worker not attaching it properly.

 

I would definitely like the free bottle of wine that the other poster got for not getting the Blue Book. I haven't changed addresses since 1983! And my TA has also not changed addresses.

 

Mary

Ask your TA to have blank tags sent to you 

along with the bottle of wine 😉

[PaulMCO]

You can always ask for a replacement blue book to be sent by email as a PDF.  They did not charge for this.

[Fredalyn]

17 hours ago, azam71209 said:

Also have not received luggage tags. I do know that they will be available at the dock but that is going to mean standing there on the dock and filling a generic version out by hand. More opportunities for luggage to get misdirected and a waste of time.

 

On our last cruise one of my bags was misdirected because someone else's generic tag had ended up stuck to my correct tag and the bag was sent to his cabin. Probably a problem of an overworked dock worker not attaching it properly.

 

I would definitely like the free bottle of wine that the other poster got for not getting the Blue Book. I haven't changed addresses since 1983! And my TA has also not changed addresses.

 

Mary

Hi Mary,

I think we may have been on the same Cottages, Coves,.. Cruise last August?

We haven't changed addresses and neither has our TA. Still no Blue Book but most importantly, the luggage tags. Someone mentioned a template in an earlier response. After an extensive search, I was not able to locate it. Our TA is on the West Coast (she did offer generic ones) and I am not sure if we would get their generic ones in time. 

Misdirected luggage is always a concern for everyone. We try to complete everything in advance to make embarkation a bit easier. 

 

[azam71209]

Yes, I was on the Cottages, Coves cruise last year with my twin grandsons. This time with my sister to Alaska August 6. Is this the cruise you will be on?

 

Mary

[Fredalyn]

9 hours ago, azam71209 said:

Yes, I was on the Cottages, Coves cruise last year with my twin grandsons. This time with my sister to Alaska August 6. Is this the cruise you will be on?

 

Mary

I thought your name and user name were familiar from that Roll Call. I did say a quick hello. There was never a m&g for that cruise, at least to my knowledge.

We are doing a double Bermuda Bliss. DH prefers not to fly for any extended period of time, due to some health issues. We really like to cruise NY-NY area. Bermuda Bliss is only 7 days and we both enjoyed our time on the Insignia so much, we didn't think 7 days was enough. We also like Bermuda. We are still thinking about what to do for next year and perhaps a cruise where we only need to fly one way.  

Based on your response, I reworked our conventional luggage tags so that our name, ship and cabin number can't be missed (I hope). We will attach them to both top and side handles. Interestingly, Oceania is one of the few cruise lines that don't have printable luggage tags. For other lines, the blank ones can even be purchased through Amazon. 

Though my optimism is dwindling, there is still time for us to receive the Blue Book. 

Enjoy your Cruise and may this be the only glitch- a slight inconvenience!