Ovation disembarkation

[JohnGc]

Virgin has changed my domestic flight back to Brisbane to an earlier time and I am now having to change my plans. On arrival to the Sydney OPT at  6am on the Ovation after a N/Z cruise, I now have to get my cases dropped off outside the OPT with OACIS  ( off airport check in ) by 9am. Is it reasonable to join the conga line at 8am allowing an hour to disembark.

 

Cheers John. 

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, JohnGc said:

Virgin has changed my domestic flight back to Brisbane to an earlier time and I am now having to change my plans. On arrival to the Sydney OPT at  6am on the Ovation after a N/Z cruise, I now have to get my cases dropped off outside the OPT with OACIS  ( off airport check in ) by 9am. Is it reasonable to join the conga line at 8am allowing an hour to disembark.

 

Cheers John. 

Last season we were on Ovation the line was pretty bad but we were off by 9:00.

we just carried our bags off

[JohnGc]

Thanks Chilliburn, Can you remember what time you left your cabin to join the queue ? 

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, JohnGc said:

Thanks Chilliburn, Can you remember what time you left your cabin to join the queue ? 

We wanted to get of as soon os possible my daughter had something to go to.

so we were planning 730 but the line was woeful.

I’m thinking it was 8:30-8:45

Theres the key if that would help,  I think that gives priority.I don’t know if it’s available?

 

Edited September 13, 2019 by Chiliburn

[Chiliburn]

The key gives you a early breakfast and priority disembarking,But you have to buy it for the whole cruise.

its in cruise planner under internet and more.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Chiliburn

[The_Big_M]

Yes, exit lines from Ovation are long (unless you're Suite or Key). They extend all the way back through Via, to 270.

 

I'd say 8 a.m. should be okay for 9, but I'd aim for earlier as it's cutting it fine.

[JohnGc]

Thanks Chilliburn, good information there. Unfortunately it is too costly to change flight times as there is four of us,  $90 + admin fees per person. The key idea is good but at $52 a day for four on a 10 day cruise once again to costly.

[JohnGc]

6 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

Yes, exit lines from Ovation are long (unless you're Suite or Key). They extend all the way back through Via, to 270.

 

I'd say 8 a.m. should be okay for 9, but I'd aim for earlier as it's cutting it fine.

 

Thanks Big M ,  Looks like we are just going to have to get on the exit lines as early as we can.

 

Cheers John. 

[Chiliburn]

11 minutes ago, JohnGc said:

Thanks Chilliburn, good information there. Unfortunately it is too costly to change flight times as there is four of us,  $90 + admin fees per person. The key idea is good but at $52 a day for four on a 10 day cruise once again to costly.

That’s $2000 for the key ,to much.

What about travel insurance just in case?

[JohnGc]

1 hour ago, Chiliburn said:

That’s $2000 for the key ,to much.

What about travel insurance just in case?

 

My travel insurance will not cover flights for late check in.

[MicCanberra]

I cannot see any other option (without paying more) than to queue early and do the conga. I suppose the only thing you can really do if you miss the 9 am check-in is to get to the airport asap and check the bags in there.

[Aus Traveller]

8 hours ago, JohnGc said:

Virgin has changed my domestic flight back to Brisbane to an earlier time and I am now having to change my plans. On arrival to the Sydney OPT at  6am on the Ovation after a N/Z cruise, I now have to get my cases dropped off outside the OPT with OACIS  ( off airport check in ) by 9am. Is it reasonable to join the conga line at 8am allowing an hour to disembark.

 

Cheers John. 

As it is Virgin that has changed your flight time, isn't it reasonable to ask Virgin to put you on a later flight for no extra cost? I would be making a very firm representation to them for this to happen.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Aus Traveller

[JohnGc]

1 minute ago, Aus Traveller said:

As it is Virgin that has changed your flight time, isn't it reasonable to ask Virgin to put you on a later flight for no extra cost? I would be making a very firm representation to them for this to happen.

 

Unfortunately I blame myself for this situation. When they emailed me to tell me my flight was changed to 11am from 12.30am they did say if this was not suitable to get in touch. Thinking 11am would be fine I agreed to accept it. I did not realise that OACIS required the cases to be deposited by 9am. If I bypass OACIS I dont think it will be a problem to get to the airport to check in on time as MicCanberra has mentioned. 

[Aus Traveller]

Never give up! I wonder if it is worth contacting Virgin and pleading your case. Maybe they will change your flight.🙂

 

If not, try to disembark as early as you can. We usually catch a taxi to the airport and have sometimes been there by 10am.

[JohnGc]

37 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Never give up! I wonder if it is worth contacting Virgin and pleading your case. Maybe they will change your flight.🙂

 

If not, try to disembark as early as you can. We usually catch a taxi to the airport and have sometimes been there by 10am.

 

Thanks. Could be worth a try, I will phone to tomorrow and see how we go 👍

[MicCanberra]

Good luck.

[gbenjo]

Are you and your family able to carry your own bags off the ship?  ( self assist walk off .)  If so you can get off any time after 7:00am .  The new twin gangways could (may) also speed up  the debark  as there will now  be two exit points from the ship . A good percentage of pass are usually off by 9:00am  and if you cannot do self assist ask for the earliest debark time ie . Low luggage tag  number.

 

Edited September 13, 2019 by gbenjo

[JohnGc]

10 hours ago, gbenjo said:

Are you and your family able to carry your own bags off the ship?  ( self assist walk off .)  If so you can get off any time after 7:00am .  The new twin gangways could (may) also speed up  the debark  as there will now  be two exit points from the ship . A good percentage of pass are usually off by 9:00am  and if you cannot do self assist ask for the earliest debark time ie . Low luggage tag  number.

 

 

Thanks Graham, yes we will be taking our own cases off. Good news about the twin gangways,I wonder if they will cater for that with more customs officers. Will aim for 7am. As stated need to be at the airport about 10 am  so if we miss the deadline for depositing the cases at OACIS by 9 am we will check the cases in ourselves at the airport. I am sure we will be ok so will now leave flight times at 11 am .

 

Cheers John.

 

[JohnGc]

Thank you everyone for your helpful post.👍

[JohnGc]

16 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Never give up! I wonder if it is worth contacting Virgin and pleading your case. Maybe they will change your flight.🙂

 

If not, try to disembark as early as you can. We usually catch a taxi to the airport and have sometimes been there by 10am.

 

Well curiosity got me in the end so I  decided, after making my mind up to stay with the original flight, to follow your suggestion and  phone Virgin Domestic to find out what they would say. To my surprise and at no cost they changed my flights for four of us to 1pm. 😀 So thank you Aus Traveller. I can now relax and have my breakfast in the Windjammer and wait until most of the passengers are off.👍  This CC forum is the best. Thank you for all of your replies.

 

Cheers John.

[MicCanberra]

Great work, you can always have breakfast in the MDR as well.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, JohnGc said:

 

Well curiosity got me in the end so I  decided, after making my mind up to stay with the original flight, to follow your suggestion and  phone Virgin Domestic to find out what they would say. To my surprise and at no cost they changed my flights for four of us to 1pm. 😀 So thank you Aus Traveller. I can now relax and have my breakfast in the Windjammer and wait until most of the passengers are off.👍  This CC forum is the best. Thank you for all of your replies.

 

Cheers John.

Great news. 🙂A leisurely breakfast and stress-free disembarkation will be a great end to your holiday.

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, JohnGc said:

 

Well curiosity got me in the end so I  decided, after making my mind up to stay with the original flight, to follow your suggestion and  phone Virgin Domestic to find out what they would say. To my surprise and at no cost they changed my flights for four of us to 1pm. 😀 So thank you Aus Traveller. I can now relax and have my breakfast in the Windjammer and wait until most of the passengers are off.👍  This CC forum is the best. Thank you for all of your replies.

 

Cheers John.

What a beauty.

You don’t have that in the back of your mind now.

 I love happy endings.

 

[gbenjo]

5 hours ago, JohnGc said:

 

Thanks Graham, yes we will be taking our own cases off. Good news about the twin gangways,I wonder if they will cater for that with more customs officers.

Cheers John.  

 

 

Unfortunately  Border Force  are a law unto themselves so I cannot see them having more officers  just because it would make things easier for the guests. Also  to be fair, there is not enough space  to have extra lines in the customs area at debark  so unless they have somehow reconfigured the set up  for them it will not change  😡  That's the reason I keep saying the two gangways are a waste of money.

 

[JohnGc]

4 minutes ago, gbenjo said:

 

 

Thanks Graham, somehow I thought having two gangways would create a bottleneck at Border force and as you said there is not enough space as it is.