Staggered Check-ins? - Pacific Dawn

[sluggerdog]

Howdy,

 

From some advise we had received from friends who has been on the dawn in the past they told us to get to the Dock well before the 11am initial boarding time so we could register and get on early.

 

I've just logged into the P&O cruise control and it has a new notice with the following details:

 

STAGGERED CHECK-IN WILL BE IN PLACE AT PORTSIDE TERMINAL

Please arrive to the terminal at, or shortly after, your assigned check-in time based on your deck number: Deck 11 - 11AM Deck 10 - 11:30AM Deck 9 & 8 - 12PM Deck 6, 5 & 4 - 12:30PM All guests must be onboard by 1pm. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

We are on Deck 5 with a check-in time of 12:30pm while others we are going with are on Deck 11 with a check-in time of 11:00am. We have already booked our parking for 10:00am. Does anyone know / have they gone though this where they were set a check-in time but got on earlier anyway. I don't want to start the holiday by waiting at the dock for 2+ hours.

 

Thanks!

[sluggerdog]

OOPS: I have double posted this, I thought I did it last night but then I couldn't find it today so I posted it again. Turns out I posted in the Australia and New Zealand Forum instead of this one. Sorry. Mods can delete this one if needed.

 

Thanks

[Adidas4fun]

Yep, we've been advised of staggered boarding in the past but it seems they never enforced it. It appeared to be first checked in first on board.

[sluggerdog]

Yep, we've been advised of staggered boarding in the past but it seems they never enforced it. It appeared to be first checked in first on board.

 

Great thankyou, just what I was hoping to hear!

[Sandielle]

We always get there early and they usually started boarding at 10.30. We have got on by 11 am or earlier. Hope it's still like this. :)

[ratacake]

Hi Sluggerdog,

 

We're on this Saturday's cruise out of Brissie too, and we're also on Deck 5. CANNOT WAIT! :D

 

We're driving up from Nambucca the night before, and are like you, hoping to get on before 12.30 boarding time.

 

Are you having lunch when you get on? Is the main restaurant open, do you know?

 

Hope to share a glass with you .....

 

Patricia & Roy :):)

[sluggerdog]

I'm not 100% sure if the main restaurant is open but I assume it is. I've been told they are serving lunch as soon as we get on anyway. It may just be the buffet.

 

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[Adidas4fun]

In the past the main restaurant has been open, I usually eat there

[bazzaw]

After the shambles of our October 2013 boarding of Pacific Dawn - where everybody was given the same boarding time - from now on, we intend to arrive for boarding 20 minutes earlier than the final time for boarding. Hopefully, the bunfight will be over by then. I can never understand people's rush to board ships and aircraft. Although I do understand the selfishness of those aircraft travelers who wish to fill the overhead lockers with their oversized "carry on" luggage to the detriment of their fellow travelers and want to board first to be able to do so!!! :)

 

 

Barry

[frodo1]

There shouldn't really be a problem with a ship this size. The bigger RCI ships, which have two or three times the number of pax, manage the getting on and off quite well so I suspect it has a lot to do with the port facilities.

 

We're flying in that morning so will take a leisurely trip in with a stop off in Ascot for morning tea before hitting the jetty! The idea of stopping off somewhere for a coffee and arriving about half an hour before the last boarding call seems to be the best option.

 

Just keep an eye out for two gerries running down the wharf as the ship pulls away from the quay (8-))

[horrie33]

We like to get there earlier than the scheduled boarding time. We check our luggage, complete our documentation and then walk around to Portside for a coffee and relax. We we go back, if our number has been previously called we just stroll up and go thru, otherwise we wait our turn. It is all done pretty smoothly and professionally. We too, like to eat lunch in the dining room but last trip, November, it was closed. Hope it is open for this July's cruise

[Seadreams27]

I guess the idea of staggered boarding times is in theory good, but not

everyone can arrive at the designated times, especially those flying

in from interstate. Have always been early and the only time that didn't run smooth was the same one as bazzaw, and that was a shambles.

[frodo1]

Good to hear from fellow CC'ers. Interested to hear what people who have cruised with Pacific Dawn have done on previous cruises.

 

We're waiting to be allocated a cabin. Anyone else on a Guarantee?This is a last minute cruise for us to get away from the Melbourne winter for a couple of weeks now that it's pretty certain that my AFL team (Carlton) won't need my barracking over the next month!

 

A bit apprehensive about the cruise as we usually get a Balcony or mini-suite but non-available; haven't been in a "ocean-view" for a while! I also hear that the ship is full!

 

Noticed from the reviews that it tends to be a bit of a party ship and, as it's school holidays, we should expect it. However, I'm hoping we can get a game of Bridge on the sea days and we're looking forward to the sun.

 

Our experience with P&O & RCI in Europe is, if they say they have staggered starts, then one of two things will happen, depending on the port facilities. Either they will give you a ticket and let you wait (if they have places for you to sit!) or totally ignore it and let you board in order of arrival (huge queues) if they don't have seats(8-)).

 

I haven't boarded here before but I do know Hamilton quite well. My experience of port-side catering facilities in other ports makes me shudder.

 

The one thing you can be sure of is that any time between 10.30 and 12m.d. its going to be full-on down there! Either way, it seems to me that Brisbane is the perfect place to chill out and take it easy. Ascot is a mile or so from the airport; as are the docks at Hamilton (its like a triangle). We are arriving at BNE in the morning about 3 hours before the boarding process concludes and know Ascot quite well so will go there for a late breakfast/early lunch before heading down to the Ship.

 

I would expect that Buffet lunch will be served for those boarding, but it tends to be a bit of a bun-fight. If you're coming from anywhere other than the Brisbane CBD, regardless of what time you've been allocated, how about stopping off somewhere in Brisbane for a coffee and a quiet relax and jumping into a cab around midday (12.15pm from Ascot) which should mean a casual saunter on-board once the crowd has been processed.

 

I'll start a couple of threads about on-board activities to see what interest there is!

[frodo1]

Does anyone know if they have duplicate bridge sets on board?

 

Anyone interest in playing bridge on the sea days?

[frodo1]

Has anyone used the Speciality Restaurants?

 

Is the degustation menu with wine worth it?

 

How about the Thai and Japanese Restaurant? On another cruise they had a part of the main buffet restaurant set aside in the evening where they provided an alternative menu which cost a few bucks more but had silver service - is this the same?

 

Should we book early or can you get into the Restaurants fairly easily?

[Adidas4fun]

Has anyone used the Speciality Restaurants?

 

Is the degustation menu with wine worth it?

 

How about the Thai and Japanese Restaurant? On another cruise they had a part of the main buffet restaurant set aside in the evening where they provided an alternative menu which cost a few bucks more but had silver service - is this the same?

 

Should we book early or can you get into the Restaurants fairly easily?

Well we certainly enjoy the chefs table experience and were pretty much the first booked for it on the second nights sailing. The whole table had fun. The food and wine were good too.

 

La luna, the asian restaurant remains a set aside area in yhe buffet restaurant but the staff and setting are very good. Again good food, just too much food. Particularly as the second night we dud this we had had high tea and then canapes in our suite before going on to the officers cocktail party and then finally la lina; we had to stop at course 5 of 8.

 

And we had no problems bookin only a day or two ahead and this was a school hols trip as well.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Adidas4fun

[frodo1]

The Chef's Table sounds like a no-brainer(8-)). Looking fwd to the Japanese night as well.

 

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