Late boarding time allocated

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, daiB said:

Your first statement is quite true There are many reports of a sorting going on before you get into the terminal those at the correct time straight in and boarding inside 20/30 mins and the ones who are early are directed somewhere to wait. Sometimes standing for an hour or two.

Yes, exactly what P&O told me when they advised I ask for assistance as I cant stand for long periods anymore.  I just want a seat, I don't care when I get on!

Edited April 26, 2023 by Megabear2

[Fionboard]

Obviously there has to be some sort of boarding protocol, particularly on the big ships, otherwise it would be chaos and overcrowding. Just turn up at your allotted time. Luckily I am Ligurian and don't use the big ships, so no problem! 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Fionboard said:

Obviously there has to be some sort of boarding protocol, particularly on the big ships, otherwise it would be chaos and overcrowding. Just turn up at your allotted time. Luckily I am Ligurian and don't use the big ships, so no problem! 

Strangely we never experienced long queues on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean or Princess from Southampton, and all 3 lines allow passengers to set their own time of arrival, and we frequently arrived at different times to our predicted arrival, so I guess others possibly arrived at a different time.

It appears that only P&O have problems with handling embarkation to everyones satisfaction. Of course it could be due to P&O not dealing with a speedy disembarcation, thus only starting embarkation around noon, instead of 10:30-11:00am like the others.

[Cloudyrain]

We were on the Iona the other week with different boarding times as a group, but they allowed us all to board at the same (earlier) time: there was never any suggestion of those who were early waiting. I also didn’t see any passengers get their times checked, or see them send anyone off to a naughty corner to wait who had arrived early. However this was around 2pm so I think they just wanted everyone on and out of the way by that point 😂

 

I would recommend anyone with standing issues on the Iona book assistance so they can have a chair while they wait to get off as the queues to leave can be long!

[Waju]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Strangely we never experienced long queues on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean or Princess from Southampton, and all 3 lines allow passengers to set their own time of arrival, and we frequently arrived at different times to our predicted arrival, so I guess others possibly arrived at a different time.

It appears that only P&O have problems with handling embarkation to everyones satisfaction. Of course it could be due to P&O not dealing with a speedy disembarcation, thus only starting embarkation around noon, instead of 10:30-11:00am like the others.

Are the port staff employed by the port or by each individual cruise line?

[windra06]

Starting to get a little worried by the replies! Wish it was more like the airport where you can wait in comfort rather than in the rain.

 

This will be our first holiday since pre-covid and we will absolutely be there early because we have a 4hr drive and nothing is getting in the way of us getting on the cruise. Going to leave plenty of time for traffic/ breakdowns & charging the car en route.

 

Guess ill be packing the umbrellas 😃

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, Waju said:

Are the port staff employed by the port or by each individual cruise line?

Princess use the Carnival terminals of Ocean, Maylower or QE2, so their staff will be the same. Celebrity and Royal Caribbean use City Terminal, so probably different since they have ships in port at the same time as P&O 

[daiB]

4 hours ago, Waju said:

Are the port staff employed by the port or by each individual cruise line?

Intercruises seem to employ many of the staff.

[Waju]

11 hours ago, daiB said:

Intercruises seem to employ many of the staff.

 

11 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Princess use the Carnival terminals of Ocean, Maylower or QE2, so their staff will be the same. Celebrity and Royal Caribbean use City Terminal, so probably different since they have ships in port at the same time as P&O 

It sounds a bit strange that people are saying Celebrity and RC don't have queues but P&O do  - I was trying to fathom how that was possible if it is the same staff at the terminal, or would each cruise line have their own boarding 'rules?'

[david63]

6 minutes ago, Waju said:

is the same staff at the terminal, or would each cruise line have their own boarding 'rules?'

I would be inclined to go for the latter

[yorkshirephil]

8 minutes ago, Waju said:

 

It sounds a bit strange that people are saying Celebrity and RC don't have queues but P&O do  - I was trying to fathom how that was possible if it is the same staff at the terminal, or would each cruise line have their own boarding 'rules?'

In my experience Celebrity and RC start boarding sooner so that will ease the flow.

[Megabear2]

25 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

In my experience Celebrity and RC start boarding sooner so that will ease the flow.

People also select a time in advance so there's no people queuing who should not be there.

[laslomas]

Previous posters have mentioned the simplicity of embarking on Princess. My last few cruises were from Southampton on Celebrity. Boarding for me, with Celebrity, has always been very smooth, with no queues. I understanding the thinking in giving priority to Suites, and also based on the Loyalty programme tiers, but to not be flexible in allowing choice or changes is ridiculous. People are travelling from all parts of the country with different travel times. Also some coming by plane.

 

To find you are expected to board at 12:30 when 3:30 would suit you better could prove stressful for some. Not everyone will be clamouring for the early embarkation, for some that would mean an extra early start, or even an overnight stay pre-cruise involving more expense. Yes, they can turn up late, but someone else could have had their earlier time slot. I really do not see how the current system can ever work any better than just adequately. Suite guests could always be given priority, but a choice is surely the simplest solution to the embarkation process.

 

I shall wait and see how it is for my cruise in September and keep my fingers crossed that I am not given the time to embark when hundreds arrive on coaches and get priority!! 😕

[paulatsea]

18 minutes ago, laslomas said:

Previous posters have mentioned the simplicity of embarking on Princess. My last few cruises were from Southampton on Celebrity. Boarding for me, with Celebrity, has always been very smooth, with no queues. I understanding the thinking in giving priority to Suites, and also based on the Loyalty programme tiers, but to not be flexible in allowing choice or changes is ridiculous. People are travelling from all parts of the country with different travel times. Also some coming by plane.

 

To find you are expected to board at 12:30 when 3:30 would suit you better could prove stressful for some. Not everyone will be clamouring for the early embarkation, for some that would mean an extra early start, or even an overnight stay pre-cruise involving more expense. Yes, they can turn up late, but someone else could have had their earlier time slot. I really do not see how the current system can ever work any better than just adequately. Suite guests could always be given priority, but a choice is surely the simplest solution to the embarkation process.

 

I shall wait and see how it is for my cruise in September and keep my fingers crossed that I am not given the time to embark when hundreds arrive on coaches and get priority!! 😕

Agree  - preferred boarding time option when booking would help  - (not guaranteed obviously !)

[tring]

I have read through this thread and am getting the impression the problem of having to queue outside the terminal is on the larger ships, but that is not entirely clear.  Does anyone know if there are problems embarking Arcadia?  We are on her in June, and whilst we hope to keep to allocated time, we do not yet know when that will be and will not want to risk arriving too late.

 

It is not so much having to queue that would bother me, but will I have access to a toilet if needed? 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by tring

[Selbourne]

2 hours ago, tring said:

I have read through this thread and am getting the impression the problem of having to queue outside the terminal is on the larger ships, but that is not entirely clear.  Does anyone know if there are problems embarking Arcadia?  We are on her in June, and whilst we hope to keep to allocated time, we do not yet know when that will be and will not want to risk arriving too late.

 

It is not so much having to queue that would bother me, but will I have access to a toilet if needed? 

 

I believe that the queuing issues being reported are just on Iona and Arvia and mostly during school holiday cruises. I don’t think you will have any issues with Arcadia. 

[tring]

57 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I believe that the queuing issues being reported are just on Iona and Arvia and mostly during school holiday cruises. I don’t think you will have any issues with Arcadia. 

 

Thank you for the reply, much appreciated.  That looks good for us then, I hope you do not have problems on your cruises,

 

Barbara.

[solentsam]

just got off Brittania today. When we arrived on 16th April there was a queue for early arrivals that had been told to wait until their boarding time, we were ok because we had 12:15 time. So you may have to wait 

[Windsurfboy]

With the big ships they must be strict or there would be absolute chaos. Think if 5000 people turn up at 11am. Cars queuing for miles , terminal overflowing. 

[terrierjohn]

1 minute ago, Windsurfboy said:

With the big ships they must be strict or there would be absolute chaos. Think if 5000 people turn up at 11am. Cars queuing for miles , terminal overflowing. 

I wonder why you think that would happen with P&O when it doesn't seem to happen with most other cruise lines sailing from Southamoton?

[Windsurfboy]

On 4/26/2023 at 10:34 AM, paulatsea said:

Yes I agree and you are right - I can’t defend it- but I prefer to get sorted earlier and have lunch so 15:30 is unreasonable for me.

Wish I could afford a suite.

I would pay a premium for early check in though.

I think the check in could be more efficient -

Pre register credit cards and upload photos for cruise cards which could be sent out perhaps.

 

 

 

Cunard online check in you preregister credit card and upload photos,  thought P&O would be same.  Could also ask to upload covid certificates and any thing else. Don't know about logistics of sending out cruise cards. If the did they need to be smart cards that don't work till your allotted boarding time

[Windsurfboy]

5 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I wonder why you think that would happen with P&O when it doesn't seem to happen with most other cruise lines sailing from Southamoton?

 

By the amount of people that complain about any boarding time after 1pm and say they will turn up when they feel like it. Also the fact when I turn up at my allotted time of 12nòon, terminal is full to the brim of people with later boarding times.

 

I thought every cruise line gave people allotted boarding times.

[Windsurfboy]

Surely  coaches should be made to stick to their allotted arrival times. Grossly unfair to others if they arrive at allotted time and a coach load arrive early and force them to wait.

[wowzz]

1 minute ago, Windsurfboy said:

Surely  coaches should be made to stick to their allotted arrival times. Grossly unfair to others if they arrive at allotted time and a coach load arrive early and force them to wait.

AFAIK coaches don't have an allotted time as such. They leave their various departure points with the expectation that they will arrive early afternoon. It is a little unrealistic to expect a coach coming from Glasgiw to hit a precise arrival time.

[mrsgoggins]

8 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I wonder why you think that would happen with P&O when it doesn't seem to happen with most other cruise lines sailing from Southamoton?

This exactly!  Last year we sailed with Celebrity and Princess out of Southampton and was able to choose our preferred boarding times in both cases. The Sky didn’t fall in.