How does embarkation work at Southampton

[Windsurfboy]

Just read a few threads about queues, especially for bigger ships , never boarded p&O at Southampton anyway things seems to have changed.

 

My take is , Two queues 

 

Tell me if my understanding via this hypothetical situation is roughly right.

 

Say as an example  boarding starts at 12.00  what time does terminal open.

 

IF say it opens 11.30 , who do they let in then ?,  guess those with 12.30 or earlier, rest queue outside.

 

What happens next,  nothing until things start to move

 

Then one queue for those on time , another for those very early. 

 

If anyone knows how they decide who gets let in , and who goes in each queue please let us know

[Megabear2]

They have staff members with boards with allocated time written on them.  Say 12.00 is the first time  they will call those people to join the left hand queue and you are filtered in through the doors and up the escalator. Your boarding pass time is checked before you can join that queue. If builds up at top staff halt the queue at the bottom of the escalator. On one occasion I saw people queued on the escalator as something happened at the top.

 

If you're early or your time isn't the one moving through you are directed to the outside queue on the right hand side. This curls down the side of the building.  You wait there until your time is called - people walk along calling out the time.  I believe there are 15 minute windows from the calls I heard on my boarding last Sunday.

[tring]

30 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

They have staff members with boards with allocated time written on them.  Say 12.00 is the first time  they will call those people to join the left hand queue and you are filtered in through the doors and up the escalator. Your boarding pass time is checked before you can join that queue. If builds up at top staff halt the queue at the bottom of the escalator. On one occasion I saw people queued on the escalator as something happened at the top.

 

If you're early or your time isn't the one moving through you are directed to the outside queue on the right hand side. This curls down the side of the building.  You wait there until your time is called - people walk along calling out the time.  I believe there are 15 minute windows from the calls I heard on my boarding last Sunday.

 

If there is space inside the terminal, (I am thinking that will be likely much of the time at Mayflower for our Arcadia cruise), do they let those on time straight into the terminal or have they got rid of all waiting area seating?  Do you know what is considered on time?  We have a 3.15pm arrival time with a 3.30pm last embarkation time, so really need to aim to get there a bit earlier than that.  Do you think getting there half an hour early, (i.e 2.45pm), will mean we have a chance of being let into the terminal then?

 

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by tring

[cruising.mark.uk]

5 minutes ago, tring said:

 

If there is space inside the terminal, (I am thinking that will be likely much of the time at Mayflower for our Arcadia cruise), do they let those on time straight into the terminal or have they got rid of all waiting area seating?  Do you know what is considered on time?  We have a 3.15pm arrival time with a 3.30pm last embarkation time, so really need to aim to get there a bit earlier than that.  Do you think getting there half an hour early, (i.e 2.45pm), will mean we have a chance of being let into the terminal then?

 

 

Our experience on Arvia in mid-April suggests that they do.  We had priority boarding (1130) and arrived pretty much exactly on time.  Boarding pass checked on arrival at terminal and went straight to check in from there.  But, they were holding others in a queue outside.  Once we had checked in, we were then sent to the 'priority boarding' waiting area, immediately adjacent to the doors into the security check area.  But, at that time, there were already perhaps a hundred people sitting on the seats opposite the check-in desk.  At a guess, they were passengers who had the first non-priority check in time (1200 perhaps?) who had turned up a little early and they were allowed in while there was space available while those with later times were held outside.

[Megabear2]

I cannot say for the smaller ships or other terminals but at Ocean once your time was called you filed in. The only area I saw people sitting were the assisted passengers.  Once up the escalator I was directed into a queue for the desks.  Again there were two but I was so late priority had no one in it.  However I only waited 5 minutes or so, crossed over had a second photo taken - they didn't like the one I submitted - had my pass stamped and straight to security. 

 

It could be the seats were used earlier but the system seemed to be once you were in the building you were fed through almost immediately.

 

If you are on time you go in straight away.  Those who were early, even 25 minutes or so were held and then directed to the queue to head in.

 

I arrived 50 minutes before my time (4.00pm last boarding 4.30pm).  It was only my registering for assistance that let me get in early and that wasn't up the escalator only to some chairs opposite it.  They were very hot on times but I would think that was only because of the ship size. Sorry can't be more helpful.

[Windsurfboy]

Thanks, it seems to me From What is said above they want a flow through the terminal rather than people sitting round waiting to be called. Which makes sense

[tring]

Thanks for the replies Mark and Megabear.  We will probably arrive about half an hour early and hope for the best.

 

Barbara

[AndyMichelle]

7 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Thanks, it seems to me From What is said above they want a flow through the terminal rather than people sitting round waiting to be called. Which makes sense

All makes sense, until you see queues like yesterday... 

Andy 

[Megabear2]

26 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

All makes sense, until you see queues like yesterday... 

Andy 

Clearly there isn't enough room in the terminal for the percentage of 6,000+ passengers they need to process in an hour so their idea is processing only inside.  If the times are adjusted properly and people adhere to them then it is feasible to get people through in this manner.  However human nature and circumstances with traffic away from the port mean most are not taking the chance on missing the ship so it can and does go seriously amiss.

 

My cruise they apparently had no problems with offloading or delays for disembarkation either so according to the staff it was a smooth operation.  The guy looking after me told me everything hinges on that and they have a very tight timeframe.  Although it looked long and disorganised the "real" queue moved fairly swiftly and once in the terminal dispersed almost immediately. That queue also had shade/cover from weather conditions.

 

The other queue, however, went nowhere fast and stretched way back to the doors where they used to process covid tests/checks during the pandemic.  No respite there from the weather.  I would guess if the delays of 2 hours like yesterdays occurred this could be a most unpleasant experience! 

Edited May 21, 2023 by Megabear2

[Harry Peterson]

I must admit to being a little shocked by this - perhaps stupidly. We always found boarding to be a pretty relaxed, almost pleasurable, experience. Right from first arriving by car.

 

But this was in the days of smaller (!) ships like Azura and Ventura, so I suppose if the terminal facilities aren’t improved and expanded the outcome’s inevitable. We used to tell friends who hadn’t cruised how much more relaxed it was than flying. From reading this, that seems to have changed. 

[davecttr]

Sorry to butt in. My next 3 cruises are on Britannia, Aurora and Arcadia. Which terminals do they use?

[jh1809]

3 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Sorry to butt in. My next 3 cruises are on Britannia, Aurora and Arcadia. Which terminals do they use?

With Aurora and Arcadia, it's mostly Mayflower. (I've never sailed on Britannia.)

[alpha whiskey]

6 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Sorry to butt in. My next 3 cruises are on Britannia, Aurora and Arcadia. Which terminals do they use?

This is a pretty good site to check things out....also gives you an idea of how many other ships will be in on the same day too! 

https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk//Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

[Winifred 22]

9 minutes ago, davecttr said:

Sorry to butt in. My next 3 cruises are on Britannia, Aurora and Arcadia. Which terminals do they use?

 I have always sailed out of Ocean Terminal 2021 2022 and 2023 on Britannia.

[Windsurfboy]

Two questions 

 

Firstly  general question , for the big ships may have to process 6000 people in 5 hours, 1200 an hour , 20 people a minute.  There seem to be enough check in desks, but what about security, would need at least 5 machines , at 15 seconds a person , more like 10 machines if it takes 30 seconds a person, do they have that many?

 

Secondly  Priority Embarkation,  who and how many get priority. Are priority boarders put into queue or is there a third queue.  Theoretically suites and Liguirian went first does this still happen

[Splice the mainbrace]

It must be the larger capacity ships which are causing the queues and the enforcement of boarding times. We cruised on Arcadia last October had a boarding time of 3 pm but arrived at 12pm and there wasn’t a problem.

[tring]

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Clearly there isn't enough room in the terminal for the percentage of 6,000+ passengers they need to process in an hour so their idea is processing only inside.  If the times are adjusted properly and people adhere to them then it is feasible to get people through in this manner.  However human nature and circumstances with traffic away from the port mean most are not taking the chance on missing the ship so it can and does go seriously amiss.

 

My cruise they apparently had no problems with offloading or delays for disembarkation either so according to the staff it was a smooth operation.  The guy looking after me told me everything hinges on that and they have a very tight timeframe.  Although it looked long and disorganised the "real" queue moved fairly swiftly and once in the terminal dispersed almost immediately. That queue also had shade/cover from weather conditions.

 

The other queue, however, went nowhere fast and stretched way back to the doors where they used to process covid tests/checks during the pandemic.  No respite there from the weather.  I would guess if the delays of 2 hours like yesterdays occurred this could be a most unpleasant experience! 

 

Having strict arrival times may have some chance of working if they sail later, so the last arrival time is still a couple of hours before the ship will be pulling up the gangplank.  When you get an embarkation card like we have, on which is printed, "Please do not arrive before  3.15"  with another section that says, "Last boading time  3.30pm", people cannot be expected to comply entirely as the risk of missing the ship is far too high.  We have been stuck in traffic in Southampton itself going that last stretch to the port, so not easy to hole up somewhere on the way, to time an arrival to within 15 mins.

 

Our cruise on 6th June is on Arcadia, so we are hoping we will not have a big problem, but even if we keep an eye on social media to see if there is a delay with embarkation, we cannot leave it later than our embarkation time as things could suddenly move.  We will probably look to arrive soon after 2.30pm, having stopped off nearby as will need to hand car over to CPS.

 

I have seen reports elsewhere about queues for Arcadia, so they are backtracking on what they have quite easily been able to do previously.  We have usually arrived about an hour early, but have been happy to wait to be called for check in, though there are times when that wait was considerable.  The crunch IMO is the availability of facilities.

 

[Fionboard]

4 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Two questions 

 

Firstly  general question , for the big ships may have to process 6000 people in 5 hours, 1200 an hour , 20 people a minute.  There seem to be enough check in desks, but what about security, would need at least 5 machines , at 15 seconds a person , more like 10 machines if it takes 30 seconds a person, do they have that many?

 

Secondly  Priority Embarkation,  who and how many get priority. Are priority boarders put into queue or is there a third queue.  Theoretically suites and Liguirian went first does this still happen

Priority only were allowed to board Arcadia first  on 14th. Then the rest according to times. 

[Fionboard]

4 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Having strict arrival times may have some chance of working if they sail later, so the last arrival time is still a couple of hours before the ship will be pulling up the gangplank.  When you get an embarkation card like we have, on which is printed, "Please do not arrive before  3.15"  with another section that says, "Last boading time  3.30pm", people cannot be expected to comply entirely as the risk of missing the ship is far too high.  We have been stuck in traffic in Southampton itself going that last stretch to the port, so not easy to hole up somewhere on the way, to time an arrival to within 15 mins.

 

Our cruise on 6th June is on Arcadia, so we are hoping we will not have a big problem, but even if we keep an eye on social media to see if there is a delay with embarkation, we cannot leave it later than our embarkation time as things could suddenly move.  We will probably look to arrive soon after 2.30pm, having stopped off nearby as will need to hand car over to CPS.

 

I have seen reports elsewhere about queues for Arcadia, so they are backtracking on what they have quite easily been able to do previously.  We have usually arrived about an hour early, but have been happy to wait to be called for check in, though there are times when that wait was considerable.  The crunch IMO is the availability of facilities.

 

Did  not notice problems with Arcadia, but she is small now!

[Cathygh]

5 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Two questions 

 

Firstly  general question , for the big ships may have to process 6000 people in 5 hours, 1200 an hour , 20 people a minute.  There seem to be enough check in desks, but what about security, would need at least 5 machines , at 15 seconds a person , more like 10 machines if it takes 30 seconds a person, do they have that many?

 

Secondly  Priority Embarkation,  who and how many get priority. Are priority boarders put into queue or is there a third queue.  Theoretically suites and Liguirian went first does this still happen

Your Maths has worked it out the same as I did on another thread. 

Regarding security there is no way they can process 20 people per minute even with 5 machines. It takes ages to take everything off, and put it on again. I am always waiting for my DH to put his shoes and belt back on. 

I am on Iona next week so I shall try to remember to time everything in between booking mmy grandchildren into kids clubs as they are not allowed on until 4 hours later (or 3 if we ever hear back from the medical/accessibilty teams)

[tring]

27 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Did  not notice problems with Arcadia, but she is small now!

 

It was fine for Aurora back in November, but on an Arcadia related social media group, there have definitely been problems in the last month or two. which is when the problems have been mentioned on these boards.  One coach arrived early (1pm) and even everyone form that were made to wait outside for a whole hour, without access to toilets, yet a very long time since they had a rest stop and the coach loo was not flushing.

 

Perhaps P&O want to do similar to all passengers, to make it clear it is now a company policy - would be confusing if the rules can be evaded on some ships, but not others.

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by tring

[davecttr]

IIRC there are a lot of security scanners in the Ocean terminal. what I don't understand is why security does not open until 11.45.

 

on my April Arvia cruise I had a 12 noon boarding time with priority boarding. The case went through the wall at about 11.20 and there was a queue outside the terminal. there was a steward at the head of the queue so i showed her my boarding pass. Go through here she said and up the escalator to the priority boarding desks. I sat in the priority seating area until security opened and on the ship by 12 noon. my cabin was not ready until after 2pm but that is a different story

[TigerB]

1 hour ago, Cathygh said:

Your Maths has worked it out the same as I did on another thread. 

 

He looked over your shoulder when you were writing it; the invigilator didn't see.

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, davecttr said:

IIRC there are a lot of security scanners in the Ocean terminal. what I don't understand is why security does not open until 11.45.

 

on my April Arvia cruise I had a 12 noon boarding time with priority boarding. The case went through the wall at about 11.20 and there was a queue outside the terminal. there was a steward at the head of the queue so i showed her my boarding pass. Go through here she said and up the escalator to the priority boarding desks. I sat in the priority seating area until security opened and on the ship by 12 noon. my cabin was not ready until after 2pm but that is a different story

 

So if you have priority,  be careful not to be sent to back of even the fast queue,  go straight in.

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

So if you have priority,  be careful not to be sent to back of even the fast queue,  go straight in.

If you have priority boarding there should be a separate priority queue. There was no standing queue in my case but there were about 150 people seated in the Suite/Baltic/Ligurian and Caribbean areas. They send assisted boarding through security first then the Suite etc followed by Caribbean. I imagine if you arrive after your priority boarding time you go straight to priority check in and then straight to security, bypassing the assembled masses.

 

So are correct, there was a fast queue, except after it was checked in it was seated awaiting security to open.