Late boarding time allocated

[Al_W]

Just wondering if anyone can help, we have been allocated 3.15pm for boarding in Southampton, which for us seems quite late, we have never been allocated such a late time, normally we are allocated a time in early afternoon so we can get on and have late lunch.
 

Has anyone been allocated a late board time and either managed to get it changed or arrived early and got on with no problem? Just wondering if we will be sat around waiting until 3.15 in the terminal if we arrive an hour or so early? 

[Megabear2]

16 minutes ago, Al_W said:

Just wondering if anyone can help, we have been allocated 3.15pm for boarding in Southampton, which for us seems quite late, we have never been allocated such a late time, normally we are allocated a time in early afternoon so we can get on and have late lunch.
 

Has anyone been allocated a late board time and either managed to get it changed or arrived early and got on with no problem? Just wondering if we will be sat around waiting until 3.15 in the terminal if we arrive an hour or so early? 

I've been given 4.00pm! If you ring P&O the new voice assistant tells you quite firmly that times can't be changed and when I got through to someone they confirmed it.  I'm also told they're being very firm about it - they split my family last week making some wait nearly three hours with no leeway.

 

Good luck in trying.

[Selbourne]

21 minutes ago, Al_W said:

Just wondering if anyone can help, we have been allocated 3.15pm for boarding in Southampton, which for us seems quite late, we have never been allocated such a late time, normally we are allocated a time in early afternoon so we can get on and have late lunch.
 

Has anyone been allocated a late board time and either managed to get it changed or arrived early and got on with no problem? Just wondering if we will be sat around waiting until 3.15 in the terminal if we arrive an hour or so early? 

The ‘boarding pedants’ seem to be out in force for Iona and Arvia, but I notice that your next cruise is Britannia? As far as I can recall, I’ve not read any 3 hour queue horror stories for any other ships, so you might be OK if you turn up early. 

[Al_W]

28 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I've been given 4.00pm! If you ring P&O the new voice assistant tells you quite firmly that times can't be changed and when I got through to someone they confirmed it.  I'm also told they're being very firm about it - they split my family last week making some wait nearly three hours with no leeway.

 

Good luck in trying.

Thanks MB ah well we will stick with our time then and have a lazy morning. Good luck with getting yours sorted, you have a greater need than us. 

[Al_W]

27 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

The ‘boarding pedants’ seem to be out in force for Iona and Arvia, but I notice that your next cruise is Britannia? As far as I can recall, I’ve not read any 3 hour queue horror stories for any other ships, so you might be OK if you turn up early. 

Yep we are on Britannia again in May.
 

if we have a good run and arrive a little earlier might give it a go but seems they are getting quite strict and don’t fancy hanging around too long in the terminal.

[Selbourne]

5 minutes ago, Al_W said:

Yep we are on Britannia again in May.
 

if we have a good run and arrive a little earlier might give it a go but seems they are getting quite strict and don’t fancy hanging around too long in the terminal.

I think the trick is to arrive either before or after the coaches, as they get priority once they start piling in. 

[AndyMichelle]

17 minutes ago, Al_W said:

Yep we are on Britannia again in May.
 

if we have a good run and arrive a little earlier might give it a go but seems they are getting quite strict and don’t fancy hanging around too long in the terminal.

If only... 

Seems like they are making early arrivers queue outside while the terminal sits empty... 

Doesn’t make any sense, the old system of take a card and wait for a gap seemed to work fine... 

Andy 

[Al_W]

6 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

If only... 

Seems like they are making early arrivers queue outside while the terminal sits empty... 

Doesn’t make any sense, the old system of take a card and wait for a gap seemed to work fine... 

Andy 

That’s a shame we used to like getting there early and getting a card, that system always worked for us. Another one of the Covid things that has stuck unfortunately 🫤

[jeanlyon]

For me the cruise doesn't start until we actually sail, so lunch isn't a priority.  We  normally arrive around 1330 and never had a problem getting on board.  Mind you that's Aurora and not a mega ship.

[NavyPanda]

If you have reasonable computer skills, and the correct software, the time can be changed to one of your choice. Just make the change, print off the 'corrected' pdf and then you won't have to worry about arriving too early. 

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, NavyPanda said:

If you have reasonable computer skills, and the correct software, the time can be changed to one of your choice. Just make the change, print off the 'corrected' pdf and then you won't have to worry about arriving too early. 

Naughty naughty. Brace your self for incoming. There are some on here who get very agitated about folk who arrive earlier than their legitimate boarding time, let alone doctoring the documentation!

[NavyPanda]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

Naughty naughty. Brace your self for incoming. There are some on here who get very agitated about folk who arrive earlier than their legitimate boarding time, let alone doctoring the documentation!

 

Just because one knows it is possible and knows how to do it, doesn't mean one has actually done it! 

For every cruise, I've arrived at the terminal towards the beginning of the embarkation process, between 12-1. Sometimes that has been 'on time', other times it has been early. Always boarded within about 30 minutes or so of arriving. I'm happy to be told to go away and come back at the proper time, as long as I can drop of my luggage first!

[Selbourne]

38 minutes ago, NavyPanda said:

 

Just because one knows it is possible and knows how to do it, doesn't mean one has actually done it! 

For every cruise, I've arrived at the terminal towards the beginning of the embarkation process, between 12-1. Sometimes that has been 'on time', other times it has been early. Always boarded within about 30 minutes or so of arriving. I'm happy to be told to go away and come back at the proper time, as long as I can drop of my luggage first!

Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. Nobody else needs know 😉 

[Durie1989]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I think the trick is to arrive either before or after the coaches, as they get priority once they start piling in. 

I’m on a coach 😏

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, Durie1989 said:

I’m on a coach 😏

No waiting outside for 3 hours for you then! I believe that coach passengers get priority when they arrive?

[Durie1989]

On that I’m not sure, this is only my 2nd cruise so I will let people know when I travel . My first cruise was 5yrs ago and we arrived by coach but I don’t recall it being very busy. We sat in a big hall for about 20mins I think, then before I knew it we were on board 😃

[Al_W]

Interesting this morning my po says my boarding time is to be confirmed, have they been listening to me 🤔😆

[AndyMichelle]

9 hours ago, NavyPanda said:

 

Just because one knows it is possible and knows how to do it, doesn't mean one has actually done it! 

For every cruise, I've arrived at the terminal towards the beginning of the embarkation process, between 12-1. Sometimes that has been 'on time', other times it has been early. Always boarded within about 30 minutes or so of arriving. I'm happy to be told to go away and come back at the proper time, as long as I can drop of my luggage first!

We have always arrived early, mainly out of excitement, but would never have minded waiting but never had to. 

Not so keen on potentially standing, queuing outside, so will now do as I'm told. 

Was always under the impression that the people booking you in never minded, as it enabled them to fill any gaps and get us all through efficiently before the coaches arrived. 

Andy 

[Waju]

There has to be some sort of system otherwise it would be a free for all.  If you thought you had a nice early check in time of 2pm, for instance, and everyone arrived at 1pm you probably wouldn’t get on till 4pm and everyone would be complaining! 
We usually arrive half an hour or so early to allow for traffic and/or parking delays and have never had a problem.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Waju

[Megabear2]

From speaking to them the other day, I get the impression that because Iona in particular and now Arvia haven't been sailing full until recently they haven't needed to be too strict. Now however they're dealing with 5-6000 people they're having to be strict simply because there's nowhere to put them unless they stand in a long queue outside.  The young lady also mentioned there are so many sailing now entitled to priority boarding under the Peninsular Club that quite simply on ships the size of Iona and Arvia they overrun as well, something that hasn't ever happened with the other vessels and this then impacts the coach arrivals, many people on board have been travelling for long hours.  It was an interesting perspective I'd never needed to think of as it's a quick 25 minutes for me either being dropped off, on the train or at a pinch a free bus ride with my bus pass. 

 

I guess I'll find out as both my Iona and Arvia upcoming cruises are showing as sold out.  It may be myb4.00pm might be a blessing, we shall see.

[david63]

Probably not before time that P&O started to try to get this under control and it has not been helped by the likes of this, and other, forums telling people that it does not matter what time you arrive.

 

There is, however, a flaw in the logic that they appear to be using in that unless they have started asking how you are arriving then no matter what time you have been allocated if you are arriving by coach then your allocated slot will be vacant.

 

Surely if P&O were to utilise a system similar to Princess where you can choose your arrival time (on a first come basis) this would go a long way to resolving these problems.

[zap99]

11 hours ago, NavyPanda said:

If you have reasonable computer skills, and the correct software, the time can be changed to one of your choice. Just make the change, print off the 'corrected' pdf and then you won't have to worry about arriving too early. 

They may well check against their system. I'm not that desperate.  Our boarding time for Azura was..any time after 11.00am. That was fine.

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, zap99 said:

They may well check against their system. I'm not that desperate.  Our boarding time for Azura was..any time after 11.00am. That was fine.

We never even have a boarding time for our fly cruises, probably because last two years TUI haven't managed to get the flights anywhere near on time!

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, david63 said:

Surely if P&O were to utilise a system similar to Princess where you can choose your arrival time (on a first come basis) this would go a long way to resolving these problems.

Exactly. I know us Brits love to queue, but if that’s a tried and tested system used by other cruise lines (including within the Carnival group) then you have to question why P&O don’t adopt it. This would also alleviate the current nonsense of couples travelling in the same car ending up with boarding times that are hours apart. 

[zap99]

21 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

We never even have a boarding time for our fly cruises, probably because last two years TUI haven't managed to get the flights anywhere near on time!

We didn't fly with TUI. We flew in a few days early with BA. We have cruised with RC, Celebrity and NCL on self organised fly cruises and never get a boarding time much after midday. We fly quite regularly with TUI and not had much of a problem with punctuality. Air Canada is a different story.