john watson

2 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

But then it wouldn't be hidden 😂 

Very true but this information needs to be revealed.  The spotty lanyard successfully keeps the disability hidden but then not having a lanyard would achieve the same aim.

Regards John

3 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We don't mind being amongst the last off.

To put it bluntly Zap I am beginning to think you are not part of the problem.

Lol John

6 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I doubt I would recognise a hidden disabilities lanyard, and since a lot of people wear cruise lanyards, then recognition might be difficult.

Perhaps we need educating about them, and some publicity to help us recognise them.

I would not have any idea of any message this lanyard might be trying to portray. To be more successful it might say HIDDEN DISABILITY.  I would understand that.

Regards John

29 minutes ago, daiB said:

Good God ….. that much. Is a good reply.

 

😎

I met a couple of guys at a swimming pool at Holiday Inn.  They had just got off a cruise and said they had paid 20% as both their wives worked at Carnival.

Regards John

17 hours ago, Presto2 said:

To the original question my thought is that it isn't the age of the passengers that is important but the nature of the passengers. There is bad and good in all age groups --- 

I think it also depends on how one or your cruising group react to others not behaving as you might. Then there is cruising as a couple, group of besties, taking your elderly mother on a cruise, a family with children of different ages or however and then you encounter loud music venue when it suddenly all goes arms in the air. Same cruise with different cruise mates vastly different experience anytime you encounter anything.

Regards John

6 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Gave me a little chuckle.

 

Just got off Ventura.  SIL was with us on this one.  She had four bags to carry off in addition to the case she collected in the hall.  Ok, one was a handbag, a large one though.  Then three fairly decent shopper/carrier type things.  Combination of spending copious amounts on Spa products, Christmas booze in Gib, stuff for grandkids and general squandering.

I try and work out what I shall be wearing on disembarkation and wear the same clothes in the evening. Work toiletries down to nothing and walk off with any thing left in my pockets.  If you are planning Christmas Shopping cruises I think an organised person would embark with the clothes etc. in a medium size suitcase and put that in a matching large case. Lots of ullage for purchases.

Regards John.

I think the huge majority of passengers who choose to self-disembark do so to get off and away from the peak Southampton traffic and home in a less stressful manner.  I think that any number of passengers who intend to disembark late are not going to choose the self=disembarkation system as you end up with all your luggage wherever you go.  If you do spot peoplelate on with suitcases this may well be their residual luggage load.

Regards John

A colleague at work mentioned I do go on cruises but said she, unfortunately could not do so because she was not a strong swimmer. When I told her I was a non-swimmer she was astounded. I still cannot find any logic in this.

Regards John

1 hour ago, david63 said:

But there are other people around - those going to/from breakfast or just going to their waiting area that cannot get up/down in the lifts because those who are self disembarking are lugging their cases around and taking up space in the lifts that other passengers could use. One case in a lift equates to one passenger.

To be fair these people can walk up/down stairs a lot easier than anyone with a suitcase.

Regards John

Can you get the booking transferred to another date?  Are the cancelled cruise ports still accepting other ships? Does your travel insurance cover you for cancelled ports?  I think the booking conditions are harsh and in extreme cases, like hurricanes all ports might be cancelled.

Regards John

5 minutes ago, maz48 said:

How does disembarkation work for those on coach transfers? It will be our first time with P&O, and having used coaches before with other cruise lines we get a time to be on the coach as they want to be on their way on time, which has been 9am on our previous cruises.

If it were me travelling, I should check with reception to see if there is a special coaches group.  If there is not self disembarkation would be prudent  .

Regards John

7 hours ago, Bill Y said:

 I thought was to assist people getting on the right coach for airport/hotel transfers.

This is correct, passengers for each airport will get on the correct coach for the appropriate airport. Heathrow and Gatwick would be different colours and in some situations the flight times are also factored in creating even more colour groups. Under the colour groups system passengers have requested various disembarkation times irrespective of which deck they have stayed on. The colour groups e.g. Red 3, will give rise to smaller heaps of suitcases in the baggage hall for the passenger to search through.  Once all luggage in a colour group is laid out in the baggage hall that group can be released by radio quietly in the correct disembarkation assembly  location. Lurking near the gangway is pointless as you do not know which group is disembarking. Under a deck by deck system if passengers want to disembark at different times it cannot happen for example until all E Deck cases have been laid out, This is irrespective of whether E Deck pssenger want to disembark at vastly different times.  Last cruise P&O did not even ask me what time I wanted ti disembark

Regards John.

5 hours ago, davecttr said:

The cases are laid out by deck in the baggage hall, however there seems to be no check on you sneaking off early

What people need to realise is that forklift trucks etc. lay out cases whilst self-disembarking passengers walk by with there luggage in hand.  Clearance is given from the Baggage Hall once a complete Deck or Group set has been laid out. Once this has occurred  the relevant station is radioed on board and releases their group. Anybody could pretend to be a self-disembarking passenger and walk off with token luggage.  However once in the Baggage Hall you would find Deck E or whatever suitcases have not been laid out and you would need to wait down there. The Passenger Handlers would not want you stood still and ask you to move on. I know this because we accidently disembarked as told and it was too early.  If you walk past a certain point there is no readmission except through security and their rechecking you

.Regards John

The things I like about Princess cruises is the waterpark and chutes, dodgems at sea, the surfing facility, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and continual announcements not being there.

Regards John

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Britannia and Ventura were both Mayflower when we boarded John and nobody was allowed inside the terminal until called. Was the weather particularly poor on the day you boarded?

Weather was cold but dry. The queue was not long when we arrived.

Regards John

4 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

On Arcadia in October and Ventura last month, only priority boarders allowed in. All others had to queue outside. 

This was Arcadia at Mayflower but Ventura was at another berth. There might be different protocols at different terminals. Space management in the terminal seemed not crowded.

Regards John

I have sailed in 301 (300 is same) with double bed elevated and these are shown on Clipper Deck but in reality up some stairs and cabins ahead are crew cabins.  Excellent  cabins.  342/245 are well aft and in my opinion would avoid there due to slight exhaust fumes and the Caterpillar engine if it is running is noisy. Transatlantic the diesel ran 24/7.

Regards John

Disembarkation groups make sense as the multitude is sub divided into smaller piles of suitcases in the baggage hall.

Regards John

2 hours ago, Selbourne said:

That’s interesting. When was this John and which ship? We have been on Britannia, Iona and Ventura this year and with all 3 ships the boarding pass times were being checked for everyone at the entrance to the terminal and anyone who was early was directed to an outdoor queue. I dare say that many or most got in ahead of their allocated time, but they were still called in boarding time order and there was no facility to wait inside the terminal, other than for those booked for assistance. 

This was Arcadia 3 December Mayflower Terminal. I think it is possible that fewer passenger numbers for the smaller ship and that the terminal was not congested may well have worked in our favour. I should not routinely turn up early but if you are expelled from hotels at 11am it makes sense to go to terminal and wait in the warm.  Conversely if I wanted a rapid boarding process turn up 2 to 3 pm or later dependent on sailing time.

It is a very good feature and best with a smart phone.

Regards  John

I stayed in E54 and the balcony was immense.

Regards John

Age at sailing is rigidly adhered to.  Sometimes during school holidays booking are declined by the cruise line because you are trying to book with a child of an age where the club is full.  If you were all adults then you would be OK or if your child was a different age.

Regards John

On 12/9/2023 at 5:25 PM, Poppy6879 said:

Have just returned from my second cruise on P&O, Arcadia.

I would like some advice from some of the more experienced travellers regarding disembarkation.

We received the itinerary of what to do prior to disembarkation, and followed it to the letter!

Cases outside the cabin door by 10pm, out of cabin by 8am.

And then, assembled in the Palladium theatre just before 9am.

Was shocked to see, barely a dozen people in the theatre.

A member of staff then arrived about 9.10am, to say we could all now leave.

 

I think the problem relates to the length of cruise and disembarkation relates to how quickly the shore staff can arrange all the cases in the baggage hall. If the cruise is under five days many passengers only take a small suitcase and they can easily manage self-disembarkation. If 75% of passengers self-disembark then only 25% of cases need to be handled by staff and transferred to baggage hall. So basically a typical schedule is somewhat unrealistic and the times move up. On a weekender I went down early and was told to just get off now as luggage had all been transferred to baggage hall.  If you went for fourteen days everyone would have heavy suitcases and far fewer would self-disembark and you would find the schedule much more realistic.

Regards John

22 hours ago, bodgerday said:

I am sailing to the Canaries in January.  As of yet we have no boarding times ( I know it's a bit early ).  But I have to book transport to the port ( train, taxi ).  The times that suits us, get's us there about 1.30.  Obviously if we are not boarding until say 3.30, we have a two hour+ wait. Does anyone know if we can book to board early please.

We were checked out of our Southampton hotel at 11.00 with free taxi to quayside. We had a 13.45 boarding time allocation. I booked taxi for 11.30 knowing we can get the luggage through the hole in the wall. Went to join queue at departures and was told we could wait in arrivals area as it is warm and has toilets. We waited there about twenty minutes and a guy came along and said we could now join departures queue.  We went in there and nobody was looking at times on boarding pass. We were ushered into a row of seats and then these rows were sequentially called to go through security after the suites then a couple of loyalty levels which preceded standard passengers.. There was a drinks and chocolate bar machine in the Mayflower.  I should turn up later if you want to get through quick or early and be prepared to wait and see how it goes.

Regards John.

On 11/14/2023 at 2:47 PM, deec said:

what sort of shipboard activities are there during a crossing?  Considering for fall 2024.

There may be as few as 30 to 40 passengers on board. The entertainments team are reduced in number commensurate with this. The other problem is that they do not all speak the same language. Parlour games in the evening with a flip chart sometimes with English and German speaking teams (host is bilingual), Maybe a talks again in more than one language alternating. Daytime activities might include climbing the mast up the rigging, darts on a traditional darts board, walk a mile with a crew member or golf, seriously, they chalk out some holes and bunkers on the wooden decks and use plywood disks as "balls" and have putters cut out of plywood. You have to stop the disk in the marked hole and take penalty shots for stopping in a bunker.  Quizzes, win the trivia quiz and next day you are the guy that sets the next days questions and your answers are right even if they are not!  lol. Talent competition one night and cabaret tends to be bar staff etc If there are significant problems like sea sickness the treatment is free I believe. Doctor has to sail Transatlantic.  If you miss intermediate port or other major problem drinks can be free that night depending on what captain feels. I did St. Maarten to Lisbon via Canary Island.  We ran late so passengers voted to go direct to Lisbon and miss Canary Island so as not to miss flights as we would have been a day late. Captain sits at various tables especially with people having birthdays on board and a big cake for that table.

Regards John

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