Later boarding Southampton?

[LadyL1]

I was surprised at my given boarding time for later this month. Is it that boarding is starting a little later at present (perhaps for deep cleaning)? In October pax were not going through security until at least 12.30-12.45.

Interested to what others think who have travelled very recently or to do so in near future. I dislike being in the terminal when it is very crowded.

[bbtablet]

1 hour ago, LadyL1 said:

I was surprised at my given boarding time for later this month.

 

What is it?

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, LadyL1 said:

I was surprised at my given boarding time for later this month. Is it that boarding is starting a little later at present (perhaps for deep cleaning)? In October pax were not going through security until at least 12.30-12.45.

Interested to what others think who have travelled very recently or to do so in near future. I dislike being in the terminal when it is very crowded.

On our last cruise, check in was pretty rapid, then we had to wait about half an hour until the ship was ready. We were still on board by 1, though.

 

If you really want to avoid crowds, the best thing to do is turn up as late as possible, but that is unnerving, and you miss lunch.

Edited November 9, 2022 by exlondoner

[LadyL1]

In QG, and given time is 12.45. I cannot remember ever being this late to board. In the past, has i think it  was usually 12.15, But maybe I am mistaken.

With these times, it certainly puts the other categories back somewhat. Hence why I can imagine a very full terminal.

Providing I am in time for lunch I will be happy!😊

[si_boy]

A week ago at Southampton it was chaotic to get on QV and the only time I have experienced it like this.
No one was allowed to board before 1pm which seemed unusual and caused subsequent delay.

It got worse when they started to call passengers to board, QG and PG first followed by pax that arrived at the terminal earliest.
It was only when a Diamond pax asked what was going on did they adjust to Diamond and Platinum next but by that time it was too late and pax were just joining a queue.

Port staff blamed pax arriving earlier than their allocated arrival time but we saw boarding passes with 12:45 and this was at 1:30. 
Hoping it is better for you @LadyL1

 

[ExArkie]

16 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

In QG, and given time is 12.45. I cannot remember ever being this late to board. In the past, has i think it  was usually 12.15, But maybe I am mistaken.

With these times, it certainly puts the other categories back somewhat. Hence why I can imagine a very full terminal.

Providing I am in time for lunch I will be happy!😊

In 2017, we were upgraded from PG to QG. The e-ticket I saved on my hard drive gives our QG boarding time as 12:30.
 

However, the PG boarding time for 2018 (we used QM2 as our return trip from teaching assignments in the UK and Ireland for a few years in a row) was also 12:30, so the previous one may have been based on our original PG booking such that QG would have been earlier. 

[exlondoner]

We’ve often had a 12.30 time for QG.

[Wonky]

Boarding QV tomorrow and have 1230 on boarding pass but when I looked online it says 1315🤔. 
Will report back tomorrow.

[bunkrest]

Boarding next week  printed off boarding pass says 1300.

Online has now changed to 1545…needless to say I’ll stick with the 1300.

[LadyL1]

21 hours ago, Wonky said:

Boarding QV tomorrow and have 1230 on boarding pass but when I looked online it says 1315🤔. 
Will report back tomorrow.

Wonky. It would be interesting to know what is going, when you board today. By these posts it seems there is a prospect of more chaos.

Very early in October, when we arrived at the terminal (at least in warm sunshine), we had to queue outside and be admitted in groups: no priority at this stage. It seemed to be a late start to boarding, and the wait area was heaving!

I do wish they could enhance this process, but with so many early arrivals, I am not sure what can be done. In winter, waiting outside for one’s boarding time is not an option.

I will find out later this month how things are.

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by LadyL1

[si_boy]

22 hours ago, Wonky said:

Boarding QV tomorrow and have 1230 on boarding pass but when I looked online it says 1315🤔. 
Will report back tomorrow.

Just off QV this morning and had a wonderful time down to the Canaries.
Speaking with other passengers, apparently there are quite a few doing a B2B and staying on for Amsterdam and Bruges.

Hope all goes well and you are onboard smoothly.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, LadyL1 said:

Wonky. It would be interesting to know what is going, when you board today. By these posts it seems there is a prospect of more chaos.

Very early in October, when we arrived at the terminal (at least in warm sunshine), we had to queue outside and be admitted in groups: no priority at this stage. It seemed to be a late start to boarding, and the wait area was heaving!

I do wish they could enhance this process, but with so many early arrivals, I am not sure what can be done. In winter, waiting outside for one’s boarding time is not an option.

I will find out later this month how things are.

 

There have been quite a number of recent reports of straightforward embarkation at Southampton. So it may well be fine.

[Red Ray]

Mrs Red Ray and a friend boarded QV today for the short European cruise. Their boarding time was 1.30 and they actually boarded at 1.15.

[Wonky]

Absolute breeze! In fact beat our record. Left home at 1204, in room on QV 1256! When we arrived at Ocean terminal they had just started to board grills and then by the time we had checked in they had started to board other priority groups.

[Tangoqueen]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:14 PM, si_boy said:

A week ago at Southampton it was chaotic to get on QV and the only time I have experienced it like this.
No one was allowed to board before 1pm which seemed unusual and caused subsequent delay.

It got worse when they started to call passengers to board, QG and PG first followed by pax that arrived at the terminal earliest.
It was only when a Diamond pax asked what was going on did they adjust to Diamond and Platinum next but by that time it was too late and pax were just joining a queue.

Port staff blamed pax arriving earlier than their allocated arrival time but we saw boarding passes with 12:45 and this was at 1:30. 
Hoping it is better for you @LadyL1

 

Yes our experience was exactly the same, as diamond we were asked to sit to the side but would get called once grills etc were boarded. They then sat new arriving people in the former grills seats and then started to board those seats first, it was very frustrating and for a little while they did appear to lose control. We were told by one lady as diamond to move forward only to be literally chased after by another lady asking what we were doing.

[Windsurfboy]

On 11/9/2022 at 5:58 PM, LadyL1 said:

In QG, and given time is 12.45. I cannot remember ever being this late to board. In the past, has i think it  was usually 12.15, But maybe I am mistaken.

With these times, it certainly puts the other categories back somewhat. Hence why I can imagine a very full terminal.

Providing I am in time for lunch I will be happy!😊

 

I was given this time once in QG , turned up at 12.35 ie 10 minutes early,  to find all QG boarded ages ago and stuck at back of huge queue for security. No priority security lane.  Ignore it and get there at just before 12.00 noon

[maz48]

Those of us on a thread for our next Tuesday cruise on QV have all just had our boarding times changed to later. No reason given. A fellow cruiser had theirs changed from 1pm to 3.45!   We are arriving by coach(for the first time) so arriving later anyway and expected to just arrive, check in and board straight away, but it seems the terminal might still be full.

[majortom10]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:14 PM, si_boy said:

A week ago at Southampton it was chaotic to get on QV and the only time I have experienced it like this.
No one was allowed to board before 1pm which seemed unusual and caused subsequent delay.

It got worse when they started to call passengers to board, QG and PG first followed by pax that arrived at the terminal earliest.
It was only when a Diamond pax asked what was going on did they adjust to Diamond and Platinum next but by that time it was too late and pax were just joining a queue.

Port staff blamed pax arriving earlier than their allocated arrival time but we saw boarding passes with 12:45 and this was at 1:30. 
Hoping it is better for you @LadyL1

 

Our boarding pass had a time of 1215 and we arrived handed our car over and then deposited our suitcases at appropriate "hole in the wall" and then had to queue as nobody was allowed into terminal at about 12pm. Never experienced having to queue outside terminal before. We were then allowed to enter after only a short wait and then after check in was directed to PG seating area. There was a delay in boarding and QG started boarding at 1245 and we started boarding at 1300.

[RedMeerkat]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:28 PM, maz48 said:

Those of us on a thread for our next Tuesday cruise on QV have all just had our boarding times changed to later. No reason given. A fellow cruiser had theirs changed from 1pm to 3.45!   We are arriving by coach(for the first time) so arriving later anyway and expected to just arrive, check in and board straight away, but it seems the terminal might still be full.

I’m on QV on the cruise after you and I’ve also got 3.45pm.  How did it turn out for you and anyone whose time was that late?

[Bell Boy]

On 11/9/2022 at 2:05 PM, LadyL1 said:

I was surprised at my given boarding time for later this month. Is it that boarding is starting a little later at present (perhaps for deep cleaning)? In October pax were not going through security until at least 12.30-12.45.

Interested to what others think who have travelled very recently or to do so in near future. I dislike being in the terminal when it is very crowded.

Clarification : In this present climate  (post pandemic)  Embarkation will not often take place any earlier  than 13.00 (my past three cruises -  or can often be later )  This past week  Q.Vic the 'first call' was 13.00  

 

 

The reason;  All staterooms/suites & public venues undergo a good sanitisation including a fogging procedure.

We are just going to have to get use to it whatever category we have booked.  

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

Clarification : In this present climate  (post pandemic)  Embarkation will not often take place any earlier  than 13.00 (my past three cruises -  or can often be later )  This past week  Q.Vic the 'first call' was 13.00  

 

 

The reason;  All staterooms/suites & public venues undergo a good sanitisation including a fogging procedure.

We are just going to have to get use to it whatever category we have booked.  

I imagine this is not helped by passengers waiting in their cabins to disembark.

[BigMac1953]

Last month, our boarding time was 12:15. We were slightly early but already there was a couple of dozen pax ahead in the QG pen.

 

We had to sit until 1:00pm, and when we asked why there was such a delay, we were told it's a new rule from the Port Authority. Not sure if that's true or not.

[Wonky]

Well if it is then they broke it on Friday, was in cabin by 1256!

[Ferretworld]

We are are also going on QV later this month (Britannia class) and have an arrival time of 15:30 with last boarding at 16:00 which seems rather tight. Also seems very late - no chance to get afternoon tea on arrival.

[LadyL1]

Just now, Ferretworld said:

We are are also going on QV later this month (Britannia class) and have an arrival time of 15:30 with last boarding at 16:00 which seems rather tight. Also seems very late - no chance to get afternoon tea on arrival.

No afternoon tea in the Queens Room on boarding day, so don’t worry!

From posts on here it does seem later times are becoming the norm. Yesterday, I heard from friends joining QV, that boarding started at 12.40.