Tendering

[grifdoglover]

On our last two Oceania cruises the ships gave tickets to Oceania excursion passengers first.  We sometimes book our own excursions and found this very irritating.  Is there a way to request tendering fairly?

[LHT28]

Pre covid  they would  give independent  pax   a tender ticket   for those that were there early & if room on the tender your  ticket would be called

 

They only allow so many pax on a tender so  of course ship's tour take priority  

 

[Wynterwynd]

Since Oceania has arranged those excursions and sold them, those purchasing expect that they will be able to join the excursions at the time they selected.  I see nothing unfair about this.  How in the world could they know who has private excursions and when they are scheduled?  The tenders can only hold so many people. As someone who usually arranges private excursions, I take this into account and prepare accordingly.  I’ve never had an issue.

[grifdoglover]

We have been on other lines who alternate fairly.  I don’t know how you take it into account when you have no idea when they will let you tender off.  Making all other passengers wait until all the O excursions are out is ridiculous.  There were tender boats waiting for an hour one day. Also on our trip to Alaska they never even announced when you could leave the ship or what floor to go to.  I was hopeful someone else might have had experience with destination services to help with this. We hope this isn’t the case on our Vista cruise or we will most definitely choose other lines in the future.  I don’t think of this as fair or unfair just inconsiderate of passengers needs.  

[pinotlover]

No hard fast rule on this. Oceania now rarely runs full day tours anymore. This means there is little need for early tendering. What we found on both our recent O tours was that the first, and sometimes second tenders were primarily people on private excursions. Those tenders may also have a bus load of O shorex people, but they never filled the tender.

 

Now, if you dally around and wait, and miss those early tenders, one will most certainly then wait until all the O tours go out. 
 

I never had a problem getting my entire tour group out on the early tenders. Wait and you lose. Nothing unfair at all.

[grifdoglover]

Pinotlover thankyou. So you are allowed to go out with the excursion staff?  How do you find out what time they do that?  Does destination services tell you or you just show up at port arrival time?  We are early birds no problem with that.  

[pinotlover]

5 minutes ago, grifdoglover said:

Pinotlover thankyou. So you are allowed to go out with the excursion staff?  How do you find out what time they do that?  Does destination services tell you or you just show up at port arrival time?  We are early birds no problem with that.  

We show up in the Lounge to get our tendering tickets while Destination Services is getting set up. This is prior to the start of actual tendering. 

 

They will give you the entire group’s tender tickets, if you demonstrate you have them all present and ready to go. This helps keep their lines down.

[mauibabes]

Perhaps if you are with a group going out on a Private tour, you might consider checking in with the Destinations staff the day/night before and ask what time they might like you to be present in the Ship’s Lounge to get on an early tender ticket. Believe me, they try to be accommodating and do want you to come back for future cruises.  
A little advance planning helps a lot when it comes to meeting expectations so Enjoy you cruise.

Mauibabes

[grifdoglover]

That’s why I asked!  Thank you everyone!

[AMHuntFerry]

The "when" and "where" and other tendering-related information (about a half-column of text) is in the Currents each time a port uses tenders. If you kept the Currents from your last cruise, you can see some of the info. If not, I (or someone else) can post a photo. Knowing this info may help with your planning and discussions with Destination Services.

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 hours ago, grifdoglover said:

On our last two Oceania cruises the ships gave tickets to Oceania excursion passengers first.  We sometimes book our own excursions and found this very irritating.  Is there a way to request tendering fairly?

It is already fair. The ship provides first for its own customers. That’s part of he convenience that comes with the possibly higher priced ship excursions.

[shepherd really]

8 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

It is already fair. The ship provides first for its own customers. That’s part of he convenience that comes with the possibly higher priced ship excursions.

"Its own customers" are a curious choice of words considering every paying passenger on the ship are its customers.   

 

 

[grifdoglover]

Flatbush Flyer I am a customer.  I am a passenger.  I should be able to disembark when I want when in port just as other passengers do.  Time is valuable when only there for a few hours.  

[AMHuntFerry]

It is no more "unfair" to give Oceania shorex customers priority tendering seats than to give suite guests receiving priority embarkation times and lines (has that returned yet?). Pay for it and you can have it.

[gaeltrav]

There really is no problem getting tender tickets to get off when you want as long as you request them from destination services and have all your group ready to disembark.  There is always room along side scheduled tours as long as you ask in good time and are reasonable

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, gaeltrav said:

There really is no problem getting tender tickets to get off when you want as long as you request them from destination services and have all your group ready to disembark.  There is always room along side scheduled tours as long as you ask in good time and are reasonable

I believe this is predominantly correct. Again, go in early, have all your group assembled, and O normally accommodates you. Wait around until later, when O is trying to get its tours out, you wait. Waiting until well after tendering begins is a choice. Don’t complain about the choice you make.

[VA2002]

12 hours ago, grifdoglover said:

On our last two Oceania cruises the ships gave tickets to Oceania excursion passengers first.  We sometimes book our own excursions and found this very irritating.  Is there a way to request tendering fairly?

On our January 2023 cruise, we did not have a problem & were able to get tender tickets for the 2 of us for non O tours.  We had 2 that we had arranged ourselves.   We just arrived early to get tickets.

   

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 hours ago, shepherd really said:

"Its own customers" are a curious choice of words considering every paying passenger on the ship are its customers.   

 

 

Its own “excursion” customers who are paying for convenience and priority. This thread is about O passengers who do or don’t use ship tours.

[Flatbush Flyer]

7 hours ago, grifdoglover said:

Flatbush Flyer I am a customer.  I am a passenger.  I should be able to disembark when I want when in port just as other passengers do.  Time is valuable when only there for a few hours.  

Of course, we’re all O customers. But, are you an optional O Destination Services customer who has paid a premium for ship tours that provide things like booking convenience and priority handling? This is no different than “class of service” treatment anywhere in the travel or hospitality industries.

Pay to Play!😎

[Hambagahle]

I discovered that if you are in an Oceania Suite, Vista Suite or Owners Suite you do not need tender tickets.  You just show your key card to the people running the tender...

[grifdoglover]

Thank you Hambagahle!

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

I discovered that if you are in an Oceania Suite, Vista Suite or Owners Suite you do not need tender tickets.  You just show your key card to the people running the tender...

I wouldn’t count on that always being true.

[Hambagahle]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I wouldn’t count on that always being true.

In fact I have done it every time I have been on Riviera (aside from the first time when I didn't know...) and I have always been in one of those suites.  Been in all three as a matter of fact.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Just now, Hambagahle said:

In fact I have done it every time I have been on Riviera (aside from the first time when I didn't know...) and I have always been in one of those suites.  Been in all three as a matter of fact.

Not saying it may not be the case. Saying that all sorts of O practices can vary significantly depending on who’s running the show and circumstances of the day.

For example, the separate line for elite O Club members to get tender/bus tickets at the morning line up in the Lounge may/may not be there.

[Woofa]

20 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

The "when" and "where" and other tendering-related information (about a half-column of text) is in the Currents each time a port uses tenders. If you kept the Currents from your last cruise, you can see some of the info. If not, I (or someone else) can post a photo. Knowing this info may help with your planning and discussions with Destination Services.