Late boarding time allocated

[paulatsea]

Sounds like they are now enforcing the check in times more robustly.

We have always arrived as soon as it opens !! and have been prepared to wait or come back if required - but never had to - so far.

We like to get settled and have lunch on board if we can.

I think 15:30 is unreasonable so I would ignore and turn up when you want.

 

Understand the logistics arguments etc  about arriving as scheduled but I have found it evens itself out naturally with some who prefer later or do not arrive until later - but maybe just got lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

[Megabear2]

1 minute ago, zap99 said:

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.

You're very lucky with TUI.  The tales of whoa on the P&O fly cruises this past season are numerous with cancellations, changed planes with no entertainment and lengthy delays being a theme.

 

My husband flew to Salzburg mid March on a ski package, flight delayed 1 1/2 hours, my last two TUI flights to Greece also over an hour delay.

 

The annual lateness chart from Which? placed TUI at number 3, a very disappointing performance.  Hopefully it will be better this year but I'm not holding my breath as they've already changed the aircraft on my outward July flight to Kefalonia and refunded my seating as the aircraft's a different configuration. Currently 5/10 on Skytrax for past 4 months which is better than this time last year.

[zap99]

12 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

You're very lucky with TUI.  The tales of whoa on the P&O fly cruises this past season are numerous with cancellations, changed planes with no entertainment and lengthy delays being a theme.

 

My husband flew to Salzburg mid March on a ski package, flight delayed 1 1/2 hours, my last two TUI flights to Greece also over an hour delay.

 

The annual lateness chart from Which? placed TUI at number 3, a very disappointing performance.  Hopefully it will be better this year but I'm not holding my breath as they've already changed the aircraft on my outward July flight to Kefalonia and refunded my seating as the aircraft's a different configuration. Currently 5/10 on Skytrax for past 4 months which is better than this time last year.

Our BA flight to Malta was well over an hour late leaving Gatwick..restrictions due to French Air traffic controllers ' strike'. Fact of life unfortunately. Our P&O TUI charter to/from Tenerife was fine, but BiL's jet2 flight was delayed. Risks we accept if we want to travel. Why was the Salzburg flight late?.

Edited April 26, 2023 by zap99
brother in law isn't. BILL

[david63]

23 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

I think 15:30 is unreasonable so I would ignore and turn up when you want.

But isn't this the attitude that they appear to be trying to stop?

 

Why is 15:30 unreasonable? The ship will not be sailing before 17:00 so there is plenty of time to get onboard. If you want to be onboard at 12:00 then the answer is simple - book a suite!

[paulatsea]

2 minutes ago, david63 said:

But isn't this the attitude that they appear to be trying to stop?

 

Why is 15:30 unreasonable? The ship will not be sailing before 17:00 so there is plenty of time to get onboard. If you want to be onboard at 12:00 then the answer is simple - book a suite!

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.

 

 

[happy v]

We were on Iona, and we travel by coach

There is a waiting area upstairs for people arriving too early.

They must start forming a queue outside when this is full. So how long the queue is will depend on how many turn up early 

[terrierjohn]

10 minutes ago, 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.

 

 

Credit cards are already pre registered and photos uploaded, although it seems that P&Os IT system rejects quite a lot of photos, and the check in process now does seem much slicker, especially as the cruise cards ae now in your cabin.

However I have always believed that rules are for the guidance of wise men, and the observance of fools, so like you I usually took a chance and arrived early before I was Caribbean level, fortunately I now get priority boarding and early check in times.

[Megabear2]

40 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Our BA flight to Malta was well over an hour late leaving Gatwick..restrictions due to French Air traffic controllers ' strike'. Fact of life unfortunately. Our P&O TUI charter to/from Tenerife was fine, but BiL's jet2 flight was delayed. Risks we accept if we want to travel. Why was the Salzburg flight late?.

No aircraft availability as the plane wasn't available for the incoming flight due to technical problems.  

[Megabear2]

20 minutes ago, 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.

 

 

But you do pre register your cruise card and upload your photo so just have to show travel documents and boarding pass?

Edited April 26, 2023 by Megabear2

[Megabear2]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

 

 

[Megabear2]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

 

Sorry - double click 

[david63]

22 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

I would pay a premium for early check in though.

But even that would have to be limited otherwise it could get overrun - but yes on a first come basis that could help.

23 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

I think the check in could be more efficient

I have never been able to understand why they do not have a system similar to the airlines where they handle First, Business and Economy classes with separate queues but when one queue is empty they take passengers from the next queue

[Ardennais]

17 hours 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. 

There was a lengthy queue outside the terminal for Britannia last week. A gentleman was going up and down the queue asking for specific boarding times and as we were on time, he told us to go straight in. 

[happy v]

7 minutes ago, david63 said:

But even that would have to be limited otherwise it could get overrun - but yes on a first come basis that could help.

I have never been able to understand why they do not have a system similar to the airlines where they handle First, Business and Economy classes with separate queues but when one queue is empty they take passengers from the next queue

They do. There is a queue for priority. When it is free you are directed from to it the normal queue 

Edited April 26, 2023 by happy v

[paulatsea]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

But you do pre register your cruise card and upload your photo so just have to show travel documents and boarding pass?

Ok thanks - it’s been a few years since I have been on p&o so it’s obviously modernised.

 

[Megabear2]

Part of the problem is they've been lax in the past so people feel entitled.  I also think the wish to get onboard early isn't helped by the panic about booking entertainment and speciality dining.  

 

Personally I have no issue with a late time to board as I live very nearby, others will feel very different.

[Ardennais]

I had never seen queues outside the terminal before getting on Britannia last week. On Iona in Feb, the line kept moving and embarkation was very efficient. If people turn up well before their boarding time, it will be their own fault if they have to stand outside. 

[Ardennais]

CPS were very quick! No waiting at all. 

[david63]

8 minutes ago, happy v said:

They do. There is a queue for priority. When it is free you are directed from to it the normal queue 

It depends on what level of priority you are referring to. There are three levels - Suites, Baltic and above and Caribbean. The priority queue lumps all three together so, depending on the cruise, you can pay extra for a suite (with one of the "perks" being priority boarding and no waiting) but end up in with 1,000 Caribbean. And if you arrive later than 12:00 you just join whatever queue is there at the time.

[zap99]

48 minutes ago, happy v said:

We were on Iona, and we travel by coach

There is a waiting area upstairs for people arriving too early.

They must start forming a queue outside when this is full. So how long the queue is will depend on how many turn up early 

A couple of times our boarding has been too early. If we board on a British Gran Prix W/E a nice pub lunch near Southampton, watch the race and board about 4.00 is fine.

[wowzz]

2 hours 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.

Although my recent experiences with Princess is that absolutely no one checks what boarding time you have selected. 

Turned up just after 11am and no queues at all.

 

[Al_W]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

There was a lengthy queue outside the terminal for Britannia last week. A gentleman was going up and down the queue asking for specific boarding times and as we were on time, he told us to go straight in. 

Thanks that’s really useful so will aim to arrive just before allocated time to sort parking, and have a relaxing morning at home. 

[david63]

40 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Although my recent experiences with Princess is that absolutely no one checks what boarding time you have selected.

That may be so - but the point is that it is possible to have a system of selecting boarding times and it would not be "rocket science" to check them as it appears that P&O are starting to do.

[wowzz]

Just now, david63 said:

That may be so - but the point is that it is possible to have a system of selecting boarding times and it would not be "rocket science" to check them as it appears that P&O are starting to do.

Fair point, although selecting a boarding time through the app is not overly straight forward.

[daiB]

3 hours ago, paulatsea said:

Sounds like they are now enforcing the check in times more robustly.

We have always arrived as soon as it opens !! and have been prepared to wait or come back if required - but never had to - so far.

We like to get settled and have lunch on board if we can.

I think 15:30 is unreasonable so I would ignore and turn up when you want.

 

Understand the logistics arguments etc  about arriving as scheduled but I have found it evens itself out naturally with some who prefer later or do not arrive until later - but maybe just got lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

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.