Fast tracked?

[Strawberry field]

Hi

 

We have now cruised three times all with P&O and another booked. The first two cruises we arrived at the departure terminal about an hour before our due time and waited about half an hour or so before our number was called. The last cruise though we arrived about an hour early again and we were handed a black card which said 'fast track' and we were told to proceed straight to check in? We passed hundreds of people sat there with numbered cards and within 20 minutes were on the ship. Did we do something different this time? I really don't think we did so why did we get fast tracked? I'm not moaning just wondering how do we get that again? We never had a suite or anything different to the first two cruises.

 

As I said we are not moaning as it was great going straight through and this is more out of curiosity than anything else.

[Selbourne]

Hi

 

We have now cruised three times all with P&O and another booked. The first two cruises we arrived at the departure terminal about an hour before our due time and waited about half an hour or so before our number was called. The last cruise though we arrived about an hour early again and we were handed a black card which said 'fast track' and we were told to proceed straight to check in? We passed hundreds of people sat there with numbered cards and within 20 minutes were on the ship. Did we do something different this time? I really don't think we did so why did we get fast tracked? I'm not moaning just wondering how do we get that again? We never had a suite or anything different to the first two cruises.

 

As I said we are not moaning as it was great going straight through and this is more out of curiosity than anything else.

 

It sounds as though embarkation was running early, as often happens, and although you arrived an hour early, your designated boarding time was within the range of the next batch to be embarked, hence the fast tracking. The people waiting in the terminal had most likely arrived more than an hour ahead of their allocated times, as considerable numbers do.

[Strawberry field]

It sounds as though embarkation was running early, as often happens, and although you arrived an hour early, your designated boarding time was within the range of the next batch to be embarked, hence the fast tracking. The people waiting in the terminal had most likely arrived more than an hour ahead of their allocated times, as considerable numbers do.

 

Thanks very much for that. It explains why the departure lounge seemed very quiet compared to our first two departures. There were hundreds of passengers but the ladies working there didn't appear to be over worked as they sometimes do. Also the lines of passengers facing the check in desks were only two or three deep. Excellent explanation, thank you.