Southampton Embarkation Time

[NSWP]

It appears many pax ignore their check in times in order to frantically get on board for lunch, stone the crows, is lunch that important if you are on board for all those days? I am quite happy to miss lunch on embarkation day and quite happy to miss lunch on our shorex, gives the stomach a rest.

 

I thought the Brits were disciplined people and await their turn, never mind the scramble to get on board.

 

Rule Britannia, Charles for King of England !!!

[richleeds]

It appears many pax ignore their check in times in order to frantically get on board for lunch, stone the crows, is lunch that important if you are on board for all those days? I am quite happy to miss lunch on embarkation day and quite happy to miss lunch on our shorex, gives the stomach a rest.

 

 

 

I thought the Brits were disciplined people and await their turn, never mind the scramble to get on board.

 

 

 

Rule Britannia, Charles for King of England !!!

 

 

 

Exactly, as if their life depends on that lunch!

[Brayman]

It appears many pax ignore their check in times in order to frantically get on board for lunch, stone the crows, is lunch that important if you are on board for all those days? I am quite happy to miss lunch on embarkation day and quite happy to miss lunch on our shorex, gives the stomach a rest.

 

I thought the Brits were disciplined people and await their turn, never mind the scramble to get on board.

 

Rule Britannia, Charles for King of England !!!

 

It's those who sit in the departure lounge for two hours beforehand that amaze me!

[daiB]

Exactly, as if their life depends on that lunch!

 

 

Don't care about the lunch I like to get on early for the free champagne. :) :)

 

 

 

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[babs135]

Don't care about the lunch I like to get on early for the free champagne. :) :

 

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Free champagne? Am I missing something here?

[Slugsta]

Free champagne? Am I missing something here?

 

Depends on your loyalty tier level, it's not for us plebs :p

[Brayman]

Free champagne? Am I missing something here?

 

No, DaiB has it all, no chance for the rest of us :)

[the english lady]

Depends on your loyalty tier level, it's not for us plebs :p

 

not just the loyalty tier..we had a mini suite on our last cruise and had it then. more free flowing on the longer 1st cruise, than the shorter 2nd cruise.

[Elviex]

Looking forward to the champagne on Arcadia in July as we have a mini suite....cheers! But I will start a new thread about the excellent disembarkation we had Monday from Azura....we pre-registered for a specific time and (excuse the pun!) it went like clock work. No scramble or unseemly rush.

 

 

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[Presto2]

Exactly, as if their life depends on that lunch!

 

We never go to lunch when we arrive early - we tend to have a wander around, soak up the atmosphere, have a look at the dining venue special offers and then have a glass of bubby to toast our holiday. :) (We have to pay for ours though) ;-)

 

We will have been in Southampton for a day or so anyway so it is no fun waling around the town with your ship sitting infront of you ----- we've done that one.

 

I fail to see why being excited about a holiday and wanting to enjoy every well earned second (having waited 15 months since booking in our case) is such a bad thing. :mad:

Edited May 29, 2014 by Presto2

[davecttr]

We never go to lunch when we arrive early - we tend to have a wander around, soak up the atmosphere, have a look at the dining venue special offers and then have a glass of bubby to toast our holiday. :) (We have to pay for ours though) ;-)

 

We will have been in Southampton for a day or so anyway so it is no fun waling around the town with your ship sitting infront of you ----- we've done that one.

 

I fail to see why being excited about a holiday and wanting to enjoy every well earned second (having waited 15 months since booking in our case) is such a bad thing. :mad:

It isn't a bad thing. Some may give the impression that it is but it isn't. I board by lunchtime. have a small bite to eat, maybe some soup or a ham roll. Then I make inititial contact with the bar staff as they have time for a chat.:D Then a nice nap and boat drill.

[daiB]

It isn't a bad thing. Some may give the impression that it is but it isn't. I board by lunchtime. have a small bite to eat, maybe some soup or a ham roll. Then I make inititial contact with the bar staff as they have time for a chat.:D Then a nice nap and boat drill.

 

 

Yes Dave it is vital to suss out the important people first.

 

 

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[tokyo]

We are on the Aurora leaving from the QE2 terminal. Our check in time is 15.00. We are staying overnight at a hotel. I intend to take the baggage to the terminal for 12.00( Pando said ok) then back to the hotel for lunch. Taxi about 14.30 from hotel to terminal. Our cruise begins.

 

My partner is disabled, so I guess we could play the disable card to get an earlier boarding time, but we are not that bothered.

 

One thing I did notice is that we leave from the QE2 terminal but arrive back at the Mayflower terminal. How will this work with car parking as the 2 terminals are some distance apart. Should add we will leave our car at the hotel.

[BrianI]

 

One thing I did notice is that we leave from the QE2 terminal but arrive back at the Mayflower terminal. How will this work with car parking as the 2 terminals are some distance apart. Should add we will leave our car at the hotel.

If your car is parked at a hotel it wont make any difference which terminal you arrive back. If you park with CPS, then your car will be moved to your arrival terminal.

Brian

[Presto2]

It isn't a bad thing. Some may give the impression that it is but it isn't. I board by lunchtime. have a small bite to eat, maybe some soup or a ham roll. Then I make inititial contact with the bar staff as they have time for a chat.:D Then a nice nap and boat drill.

 

Not sure about your priorities ------ we check out the Champagne and bar staff before the buffet stuff ;)

 

Re having a 'nice nap' --- no chance --- we're too excited :D:)

[mandylennon]

You always get people arriving early and some late, the cruise companies know this, and have the check-in system down to a fine art starting as soon as you enter the terminal and as you say your husband is diabetic they would not turn you way. We arrived over an 1½ hours early on our first cruise and had quite a queue, but that was because the desks were not even open, that was our fault, so I would say up to an hour before is ok. I don't know what happens with all the coaches, presumably they have to stick to their time slots.

[lynnoakwood]

Well, now I'm confused ...

 

We're off to the Fjords on Ruby Princess next Monday, and the documents say check in between 12noon and 4pm - no mention of staggered times at all

 

We fully appreciate that we'll have to wait in the terminal once we've checked in, but other seem to be saying they've been told to actually arrive at different times

 

Does anyone know what the heck's going on???

[jeanlyon]

Well Ruby Princess is obviously different and you can check in whenever you like between those times.

[davecttr]

there is a post on the Princess forum saying that recently they insisted on sticking to the boarding times even when check in desks were vacant. Apparently the result was there were still lots of people to process at check-in close time and they had to delay the muster drill.

 

they just have to keep those desks working :rolleyes:

[CCFC]

I just came back from a Princess cruise at Ocean terminal and here are my thoughts about embarkation from Ocean Terminal. Dock gate 4 isn't the problem, its good and still work in progress.

 

We got there about 11:50 and the place was heaving, nobody appeared to be following the boarding times given. We were handed a number 8 pass until they realised we had preferred boarding and then we got sent straight through to the check in desks which were not busy and given a 5. I asked about the queues up ahead at the security checks and was told customs were stopping anyone boarding the ship, preferred boarders filled up the far end of the terminal. While the young lady was finding our cards I asked the not busy lady to her left what time they started work and when do they start attending to the queue, to which she replied we get here at 11 and once the laptops are all in place they work from 11:20ish onwards. We headed to the fenced off preferred boarding.

 

Once customs allowed us on the security queue was just daft, we all walked past the photo 'opportunity' as we had all been there done that and got in the queue. Only 5 of the 6 scanners were working/manned but everyone that went through beeped and had to start taking things off. It wasn't efficient or helpful as once they got to a certain stage of undress they let you through. We were lucky and on the ship by 12:30.

 

We had a meet and greet on-board and the Princes Guest Relations lady said the security was too slow and not the fault of Princess and I am inclined to agree with her. The ship was late sailing due to queues in Ocean terminal and speaking to some people once on the ship it seems they got there at 10:30 and had to wait for up to 3 hours.

 

They (Princess even though they say they do) don't do staggered boarding and I don't think it would have helped, all the other terminals I have sailed from have been fine but there is something wrong with the inner workings of Ocean terminal.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

PS I have photos of the new entrance and traffic light system at dock gate 4 if anyone is interested.

[Brayman]

I have always found Ocean terminal to be much more efficient than Mayflower but that's always been with P&O.

 

Next month we're going via the QEII terminal and hoping for an easy transition.

[kersh]

We much prefer boarding at Mayflower over Ocean terminal.

 

Ocean terminal is dreadful for hearing announcements. Once they get the priority pax in the holding area there is no communication and then it appears to be a free for all through security, which is always a nightmare.

 

Mayflower although smaller feels much more organised.

 

Sue

[AchileLauro]

We much prefer boarding at Mayflower over Ocean terminal.

 

Ocean terminal is dreadful for hearing announcements. Once they get the priority pax in the holding area there is no communication and then it appears to be a free for all through security, which is always a nightmare.

 

Mayflower although smaller feels much more organised.

 

Sue

 

We feel pretty much the same way. We much prefer Mayflower terminal and it is the right side of town for us and almost just off the motorway so you don't have to work your way through the traffic. As daft as it sounds Mayflower terminal also has sentimental attachments for us. Can't say that we are very impressed with Ocean terminal.

Edited June 13, 2014 by AchileLauro

[davecttr]

I much prefer Ocean terminal to Mayflower. Ocean is big and airy with plenty of seating, refreshments and toilets before you reach the check-in desks. Mayflower needs demolishing and rebuilding to give those facilities as well. Ships are now larger and the terminals need to be able to cope with 3000+ passengers within about 4 hours.

 

I never found any problem with security at Ocean. After check-in you just walk past the photographers and approach the security area. Once there someone will direct you to the next free scanner. Simple :)

[Elviex]

Agree with davectr...always had nothing but good experiences at Ocean terminal. ok, only done three cruises from there but the one time we did Mayflower it was horrendous. Not looking forward to July when I suspect Arcadia will be using it.

 

 

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