Southampton Embarkation Time

[jeanlyon]

Why would you be annoyed to board 2 hours after someone else - what on earth difference does it make apart from lunch?

[babs135]

I know that P&O haven't introduced this yet but I imagine that they will follow all the other cruise lines. As cruisegirl999 says, it would be a good idea to link it to the select fare as a perk of booking early - the later you book the less chance of getting the time you want. As we tend to book well in advance I'd be really unhappy if it was done in deck order and we were boarding at something silly like 3pm when someone who had booked just weeks before and paid half the price boarded at noon just because they were on the deck above. :confused:

 

Here we go again; another case of 'us and them'

[tartanexile81]

We travel down by train the day before and have to be out of our hotel at 12. I really don't know what we'd do with all our luggage (and ourselves!) for 3 hours if we couldn't board till 3:00 p.m. We have to go down to Southampton fairly regularly and it holds no attraction for us whatsoever.

[daiB]

We travel down by train the day before and have to be out of our hotel at 12. I really don't know what we'd do with all our luggage (and ourselves!) for 3 hours if we couldn't board till 3:00 p.m. We have to go down to Southampton fairly regularly and it holds no attraction for us whatsoever.

 

 

You would do what everyone had to do before when boarding started at 14.00. You would wait.

 

 

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[jeanlyon]

It's boarding not check in!! You can check in , you won't have your bags with you, they will already have gone. You wait in the lounge until boarding time.

[daiB]

So what do we do in this scenario. We are travelling in our car with my parents who are both in their late 70's, one who has a mobility disability. We are entitled to priority boarding (Baltic) and time is shown on ticket as 12 noon. Parents are shown at 2.30pm. We are on a linked booking and booked at the same time.

 

 

 

Do we just dump parents outside the terminal and hope it isn't raining or arrive at their time.

 

 

 

I seriously hope that P&O are going to give some thought to this procedure if they do introduce it. Loyal passengers/suite passengers should be entitled to board at 12 in order to use the benefits of their loyalty. I hope that priority is also given to those passengers who have booked a select fare, maybe they choose their time when they book the cruise and the saver fares gets what left.

 

 

Cruisegirl,

 

You may be entitled to priority boarding but that is not at 12.00. Priority means you do not have to queue at whatever time your embarkation is. The only people guaranteed 12.00 boarding times are suite passengers and Ligurian peninsular club members. Caribbean and Baltic members get priority. I would think that if the ship had few higher tier passengers then most would get 12.00 but it is not guaranteed. There must be lots of higher tier members who never get a lunch as they are on a coach.

 

Anyway as I said before P&O are not doing it but if many more people continue to ignore the times stated then it will happen.

 

 

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[jeanlyon]

Well said Dai. Another interesting point. My friend is a Gold member with Fred Olsen so she went to the priority queue. We went to the other one. We were in the lounge just under an hour before her. There were so many Goldies and wheelchairs that she ended up waiting far longer than us.

[kersh]

Cruisegirl,

 

You may be entitled to priority boarding but that is not at 12.00. Priority means you do not have to queue at whatever time your embarkation is. The only people guaranteed 12.00 boarding times are suite passengers and Ligurian peninsular club members. Caribbean and Baltic members get priority. I would think that if the ship had few higher tier passengers then most would get 12.00 but it is not guaranteed. There must be lots of higher tier members who never get a lunch as they are on a coach.

 

Anyway as I said before P&O are not doing it but if many more people continue to ignore the times stated then it will happen.

 

 

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Thanks for that info Dai. That explains why we (Ligurian Tier) got 12 noon boarding time and our friends (Caribbean Tier) got 3 pm boarding time even though our bookings were linked. I hadn't realised that it was only Ligurian that got Priority boarding. Is this new? I know Ligurian & suite pax always got ushered to a different seating area and got on board first but when we were Baltic we were always given a card which enabled us to be next on board after the priority pax.

 

Sue

[Antmadmanda]

We must be lowest of the low, we got 3.15! I'm not bothered mind! :D

[jeanlyon]

Me too! Doesn't bother us, usually get there about 1.30 and often don't bother with lunch, just go for some tea at 4pm.

[daiB]

Me too! Doesn't bother us, usually get there about 1.30 and often don't bother with lunch, just go for some tea at 4pm.

 

 

Well the actual lunch I am not bothered about as we have usually had a hotel breakfast.

 

Now the free champagne ...................... :)

 

 

 

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[jeanlyon]

Ah I had forgotten that Dai, but personally cannot drink before the evening, knocks me out, but that's just me.

[Presto2]

Here we go again; another case of 'us and them'

 

Rubbish ---- there has to be some perks for paying 18 months in advance and more ( sometimes into the thousands more) for your holiday ! Its only the same as saying that, if you book your cruise early you can pick your cabin but if you book late you are in a guarantee cabin. That has nothing whatsoever to do with 'us and them'.

 

I really do NOT see myself as someone who thinks of us as 'us and them' - am really offended by that comment. :(

 

Why do some people on CC take pot shots at other posters..........

Edited May 24, 2014 by Presto2

[Presto2]

Have just read lots of posts about no worrying if they board later on in the day.

 

We just want to get on the ship as soon as we can as we are so excited and want to make the most of every moment. Embarkation day is just one of those magical moments for us, exploring the ship, the first drinks, waiting for the cabins to be ready, checking out the restaurants etc. Is that so bad? :(

[davecttr]

Have just read lots of posts about no worrying if they board later on in the day.

 

We just want to get on the ship as soon as we can as we are so excited and want to make the most of every moment. Embarkation day is just one of those magical moments for us, exploring the ship, the first drinks, waiting for the cabins to be ready, checking out the restaurants etc. Is that so bad? :(

I am with you Presto. Nothing wrong with wanting to start your holiday as soon as possible. I must say i was slightly surprised at the tone of some of the replies about something which might not happen. Next month I intend to arrive at Ocean terminal shortly after 11am as i usually do. if the rest of them want to hang around Southampton in the rain for hours they have my permission to do so. :D:D

[Presto2]

I am with you Presto. Nothing wrong with wanting to start your holiday as soon as possible. I must say i was slightly surprised at the tone of some of the replies about something which might not happen. Next month I intend to arrive at Ocean terminal shortly after 11am as i usually do. if the rest of them want to hang around Southampton in the rain for hours they have my permission to do so. :D:D

 

Thanks - thought it was us who get too excited :D:)

We stay in Southampton the day before we sail and love watching the other ships go out, just to join in with the atmosphere --- it is all part of the build up to our sailaway.

 

Anyway, a much appreciated, friendly post :)

 

Thanks again and happy cruising :)

[jeanlyon]

I;ll try this one more time. You don't have to hang around Southampton. You check in and wait to embark. That's how it works on Fred. You are then called by deck. It's hasn't happened for P&O yet, but I'm sure it will. Don't you think they need some time to clean the ship and get the cabins ready? Arriving at 11.30 is just plain daft.

Edited May 24, 2014 by jeanlyon

[kersh]

I agree Dai, I want to get on early to make the most of the free champagne.

[Presto2]

I;ll try this one more time. You don't have to hang around Southampton. You check in and wait to embark. That's how it works on Fred. You are then called by deck. It's hasn't happened for P&O yet, but I'm sure it will. Don't you think they need some time to clean the ship and get the cabins ready? Arriving at 11.30 is just plain daft.

 

No offence but if I wanted to go with Fred I would and know what to expect at embarkation. Sitting waiting in the terminal is not quite the same as being on the ship though. Perhaps its just me --- each to their own though.

 

Happy cruising though jeanlyon :)

 

:)

[jeanlyon]

Hee hee, We have a 3 hour drive, so usually there at 1300 for P&O and on the ship half an hour later. But I can see embarkation times being enforced at some stage. Have done more P&Os than Freds :-)

 

Perhaps it will become another perk of Select Fares - whadja think? Choose your dining time, choose your cabin, choose your embarkation time?

Edited May 24, 2014 by jeanlyon

[Presto2]

 

Perhaps it will become another perk of Select Fares - whadja think? Choose your dining time, choose your cabin, choose your embarkation time?

 

That's what I think I meant in an earlier post before someone said that it was more about 'us and them'.

 

I just think it will become a 'perk' and another 'carrot' to get people to book early. Suits us as we always book early, but for others it won't be as popular.

 

I just want to get on the ship ASAP :D:);)

[babs135]

Rubbish ---- there has to be some perks for paying 18 months in advance and more ( sometimes into the thousands more) for your holiday ! Its only the same as saying that, if you book your cruise early you can pick your cabin but if you book late you are in a guarantee cabin. That has nothing whatsoever to do with 'us and them'.

 

I really do NOT see myself as someone who thinks of us as 'us and them' - am really offended by that comment. :(

 

Why do some people on CC take pot shots at other posters..........

 

Didn't mean any offence. I'm not bothered about the perks you get if you book early; if I could have booked early I would have done, but that's a different story. I genuinely don't see what difference it makes who boards when, I just want to be on board:)

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Babs135

I have only sailed with P&O from Soton once and that was in 2012, we were given a boarding time I think it was about 1400 hours we arrived about 1230 were given a coloured pass with number and were called to board within about 30 minutes after arrival and well before our notified boarding time.

It is amazing that you ask a simple question and it turns into a debate covering the procedures for other cruise lines. We have also cruised with FO who give boarding times and stick to them.Hope this info is of use to you, have a great cruise.

[daiB]

Hi Babs135

 

I have only sailed with P&O from Soton once and that was in 2012, we were given a boarding time I think it was about 1400 hours we arrived about 1230 were given a coloured pass with number and were called to board within about 30 minutes after arrival and well before our notified boarding time.

 

It is amazing that you ask a simple question and it turns into a debate covering the procedures for other cruise lines. We have also cruised with FO who give boarding times and stick to them.Hope this info is of use to you, have a great cruise.

 

 

It turns into a debate because the other big companies have changed in the past few weeks and there was talk of P&O and Cunard following suit. Remember to be forewarned is to be forearmed. It is not good practice to give out information which could change within the next few weeks or months. Unless you add what could happen.

 

 

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[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Dia

P&O have not notified any change as yet, we can all speculate and use our chrystal balls to read their minds as to what they "might do". As at this time they have not intimated any change so leave it at that.

Edited May 24, 2014 by Sanjam cruisers