New COVID check in procedure

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, BarbaraM said:

IMPORTANT EMBARKATION AND CHECK IN UPDATE   Dear Valued Guests and Travel Advisors,   We look forward to welcoming aboard INSIGNIA for your upcoming voyage that will embark on 21DEC2021.    In order to provide for as smooth and efficient an embarkation process for all guests, we kindly request that you do not arrive at the cruise terminal prior to your scheduled check-in time, which can be found on the boarding pass that was emailed to you. The reserved check in time slots were designed to allow the pre-embarkation testing and subsequent check in process to flow without crowding and minimal queueing in lines.    Should you arrive prior to the check in time selected and confirmed by you during the online check in process, you may not be admitted to the testing facility and you may be asked to either return to your vehicle or wait outside. As a reminder, guests may not enter the cruise terminal prior to the pre-embarkation testing and there are no outdoor seating areas.    We thank you in advance for your adherence to the staggered check in times and arriving at the time you selected during your online check in.    Warmest regards,   Carlos E. Ortega Vice President, Guest Services

Contrary to certain other claims here, if having multiple people showing up early, far ahead of the assigned boarding times, was not an issue and contributed to long lines at boarding, Ortega would never have written this letter. 
 

Here’s a managerial hint for you Carlos; until you start leaving all those early arrivals standing out in the rain or sun until their assigned times, and that information becomes widely disseminated, they’ll continue to come. They have years of conditioning, by your staff, that boarding times are to be ignored. You’ll now have to teach them otherwise. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

29 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Contrary to certain other claims here, if having multiple people showing up early, far ahead of the assigned boarding times, was not an issue and contributed to long lines at boarding, Ortega would never have written this letter. 
 

Here’s a managerial hint for you Carlos; until you start leaving all those early arrivals standing out in the rain or sun until their assigned times, and that information becomes widely disseminated, they’ll continue to come. They have years of conditioning, by your staff, that boarding times are to be ignored. You’ll now have to teach them otherwise. 

Not unlike the “pirate code,” many of O’s rules are more a “set of guidelines.”😎

[SquareDancerWashington]

I wonder what will happen to us. Oceania did our flights. We arrive Miami at 9:30. The only time we could choose to board the ship was 12-12:30. We will probably be cooling our heels somewhere.

[zteamtwo]

I am the OP.  I was on the Dec 3 sailing whereby the Covid check-in was terrible. I am reading posts from Dec 13 sailing and they had no problems checking in.  HOWEVER, it looks like there were only about 700 people on board (someone on that cruise correct me if I am wrong) and the check-in went ok.  Future cruises, when full, might experience the same delays we faced. It's all about the numbers booked and the ability for Oceania to process about 250 people each hour thru a process that has several delays (including having to wait 10-20 minutes for Covid results).  What if you went to get a new drivers license and there were 250 people  in line for the hour you were given to show up. AND, there was about 10-12 clerks and each clerk had to spend 3-5 minutes with you and then tell you to sit down for 10-20 minutes?  How long would it take you?

[pinotlover]

6 minutes ago, zteamtwo said:

I am the OP.  I was on the Dec 3 sailing whereby the Covid check-in was terrible. I am reading posts from Dec 13 sailing and they had no problems checking in.  HOWEVER, it looks like there were only about 700 people on board (someone on that cruise correct me if I am wrong) and the check-in went ok.  Future cruises, when full, might experience the same delays we faced. It's all about the numbers booked and the ability for Oceania to process about 250 people each hour thru a process that has several delays (including having to wait 10-20 minutes for Covid results).  What if you went to get a new drivers license and there were 250 people  in line for the hour you were given to show up. AND, there was about 10-12 clerks and each clerk had to spend 3-5 minutes with you and then tell you to sit down for 10-20 minutes?  How long would it take you?

Your points are noted and worthwhile. What happens in the test tube isn’t what happens on the factory floor. A huge difference in processing 2X people versus X in the same time frame in the same facility.

 

For the Square Dancer;

 

On our cruise this summer with the other line, we had to give the line our flight itineraries. They knew when we were arriving or if we already had. Passengers were assigned boarding times based upon certain parameters including European regulations. Those with ship transfers were taken to a comfortable rented facility to await the transfer on to the ship based upon their assigned times. Oceania isn’t currently working under any European protocols so it will be interesting to see how your case is handled.

[msn123]

Seems that this testing is going to be pretty much eliminated at the pier as after the middle of January you have to do your own test in advance of showing up....at least that was what the updated info I read last week said.

[emckeeve]

19 hours ago, msn123 said:

Seems that this testing is going to be pretty much eliminated at the pier as after the middle of January you have to do your own test in advance of showing up....at least that was what the updated info I read last week said.

As Omicron rears its ugly head, I'm wondering how many people will fail the test for the Dec' 23, Jan. 4 and Jan. 14 Miami cruises when they're still testing at the pier!!

[tgg]

7 minutes ago, emckeeve said:

As Omicron rears its ugly head, I'm wondering how many people will fail the test for the Dec' 23, Jan. 4 and Jan. 14 Miami cruises when they're still testing at the pier!!

My husband and I sailing on the January 14 cruise, and plan to get a PCR test four days before we board. We're vaccinated, boosted, and are hoping for the best. With many more yesterdays than tomorrows, we think it's time to cruise again.

[Nymich]

44 minutes ago, emckeeve said:

As Omicron rears its ugly head, I'm wondering how many people will fail the test for the Dec' 23, Jan. 4 and Jan. 14 Miami cruises when they're still testing at the pier!!

It always helps to look at things from the bright side.........

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, emckeeve said:

As Omicron rears its ugly head, I'm wondering how many people will fail the test for the Dec' 23, Jan. 4 and Jan. 14 Miami cruises when they're still testing at the pier!!

It’s reasonable to assume that the rate of positive pier tests will remain unchanged since the bulk of folks will do the pre-test and, if positive, will cancel without penalty.

 

BTW, per the current SailSafe FAQs, pier testing will still be available at $99 pp.

[cruisingxpert]

On 12/16/2021 at 11:32 AM, zteamtwo said:

I am the OP.  I was on the Dec 3 sailing whereby the Covid check-in was terrible. I am reading posts from Dec 13 sailing and they had no problems checking in.

I was also on the Dec 3rd cruise and arrived a few minutes before 11am- my assigned time.  The wait was about 10 min to get in and another 15-20 to get to the wristband part.  People in front of me couldn't understand why they had to have a test- they already had a test- clearly had read nothing online or in emails. As we exited the tent, the line up was at least 150 people long.  Thanks heavens it wasn't raining.

In answer to Zteam about Dec 13 being better,  I spoke with the General Manager and he said that the shoreside people had been instructed to check on boarding time slots for the Dec 13th cruise.  Maybe that and 700 people have improved the process.  

 

Once we entered the usual building for check in, things moved more efficiently and the lines for different classes of cabins were in place.

 

On another note, we spoke with one of the Specialty restaurant managers we knew from previous cruises on Dec 5th.  On Dec 6th he was quarantined and we never saw him the rest of the cruise.  We were only told he was unwell.

 

Cruise was lovely and weather was perfect.