Strict arrival times

[9265359]

Anyway, as for the strict arrival times, will I be arriving at the exact arrival time for my cruise in three weeks time - no I will not.

 

I will be arriving an hour and a half *late*.

 

P&O have kindly allocated me a 12:30 arrival time but as my train doesn't get into Southampton until 13:30 that isn't going to happen.

 

And even if I had known the 12:30 time when I booked the train tickets I would still be arriving at 13:30 because that is the earliest arrival time for off-peak tickets from my home station.

[Son of Anarchy]

11 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

 

Any problems cruising on P&O with a Turkmenistan or Tajikistan passport?

Less problematic than a Russian one!

 

Would love to go to those places as well as Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.  

Edited June 16, 2023 by Son of Anarchy

[grapau27]

12 hours ago, Ardennais said:

I don’t quite understand. If someone has a car, then they’re not pulling suitcases around. One only has to take their luggage out of their car once and that is when they turn up at the terminal. Makes no difference if that is at 12 midday or 4pm or any time in between. If someone can’t manage, then there is assisted boarding. But there is still no need to turn up well before their allocated boarding time. 
 

 

I explained that we always stay at a hotel pre-cruise and can go out into Southampton without our cases which are in our hotel room.

After driving 325 miles in 7 hours to get to Southampton my car is left at the hotel until it is time to drive home and we get a taxi to the port and another taxi back to our hotel after our cruise then drive 325 miles home.

Edited June 16, 2023 by grapau27

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I explained that we always stay at a hotel pre-cruise and can go out into Southampton without our cases which are in our hotel room.

After driving 325 miles in 7 hours to get to Southampton my car is left at the hotel until it is time to drive home and we get a taxi to the port and another taxi back to our hotel after our cruise then drive 325 miles home.

Ahh, you actually didn’t mention that you leave your cases in the hotel room. 
 

The hotels we stay after our 200+ mile journey (which takes almost as long as yours as it’s over 100 miles before we get to a motorway!!) will let us leave our luggage after check out at 11am. But as we park with CPS we take everything in the car and enjoy a few hours mooching around some stores. 

[AndyMichelle]

7 hours ago, 9265359 said:

Anyway, as for the strict arrival times, will I be arriving at the exact arrival time for my cruise in three weeks time - no I will not.

 

I will be arriving an hour and a half *late*.

 

P&O have kindly allocated me a 12:30 arrival time but as my train doesn't get into Southampton until 13:30 that isn't going to happen.

 

And even if I had known the 12:30 time when I booked the train tickets I would still be arriving at 13:30 because that is the earliest arrival time for off-peak tickets from my home station.

Wanna swap😂

[alpha whiskey]

23 hours ago, 9265359 said:

Anyway, as for the strict arrival times, will I be arriving at the exact arrival time for my cruise in three weeks time - no I will not.

 

I will be arriving an hour and a half *late*.

 

P&O have kindly allocated me a 12:30 arrival time but as my train doesn't get into Southampton until 13:30 that isn't going to happen.

 

And even if I had known the 12:30 time when I booked the train tickets I would still be arriving at 13:30 because that is the earliest arrival time for off-peak tickets from my home station.

It would just seem so sensible to let you choose your own arrival time, as other cruise lines do.

We live reasonably local to Southampton and don't want an early boarding time as I plan to work an early morning shift on the day of our cruise.

12.30 would be of little use to us too, and we would be arriving much later. 

 

[happy v]

I don't think this would work for P&O.

 Everyone who couldn't get their first choice would just turn up then anyway. Like they do now 

[Selbourne]

34 minutes ago, happy v said:

I don't think this would work for P&O.

 Everyone who couldn't get their first choice would just turn up then anyway. Like they do now 

I’ve not experienced it myself, but others report that it works well elsewhere. As this thread has proved, some people are given automated boarding times that are earlier than they would choose. I can’t see that it would be any worse than what happens now. 

[grapau27]

24 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I’ve not experienced it myself, but others report that it works well elsewhere. As this thread has proved, some people are given automated boarding times that are earlier than they would choose. I can’t see that it would be any worse than what happens now. 

P&O told my TA that boarding timings are based on what deck you are on except for Suite, Caribbean and higher loyalty passengers who can check in when they want.

[Selbourne]

1 minute ago, grapau27 said:

P&O told my TA that boarding timings are based on what deck you are on except for Suite, Caribbean and higher loyalty passengers who can check in when they want.

There are still times for suite and higher tiers, but yes they are earlier. We have been given 12.15pm for Britannia in a few weeks as Caribbean tier. I presume that suites and Ligurian / Baltic may be a bit earlier, but that’s a guess.
 

On Iona in August we will have early boarding (thank goodness) and I’m hoping that our daughters (who are in adjacent cabins) will have the same time as each other and that it won’t be too late 🤞

[zap99]

On 6/15/2023 at 10:52 PM, 9265359 said:

Only if they can prove a need for one - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/additional-passports/additional-passports-accessible

 

And even if the passport does accept the evidence you have to provide and approves it, it isn’t a card that will fit in a wallet.

I have one passport, I have always had one passport, I have never had need for more than I. I have a friend who has several driving  licences in different names. I understand why.🤣

[grapau27]

3 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

There are still times for suite and higher tiers, but yes they are earlier. We have been given 12.15pm for Britannia in a few weeks as Caribbean tier. I presume that suites and Ligurian / Baltic may be a bit earlier, but that’s a guess.
 

On Iona in August we will have early boarding (thank goodness) and I’m hoping that our daughters (who are in adjacent cabins) will have the same time as each other and that it won’t be too late 🤞

That's lovely having your daughter's with you @Selbourne.

P&O said although high tier have boarding times all they need to do is show their boarding card which shows your loyalty level and they will be waved through.

[Selbourne]

Just now, grapau27 said:

That's lovely having your daughter's with you @Selbourne.

P&O said although high tier have boarding times all they need to do is show their boarding card which shows your loyalty level and they will be waved through.

Thanks Graham. That makes sense. We certainly don’t intend to join any queues outside the terminal! I shall be advising our daughters to try to time their arrival to 30 minutes before their allocated times, so that by the time they have dropped off their cars they should be on time. Obviously that’s easier said than done when travelling a distance and when multiple large ships are in port 🤞

[Scorpio41]

33 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

There are still times for suite and higher tiers, but yes they are earlier. We have been given 12.15pm for Britannia in a few weeks as Caribbean tier. I presume that suites and Ligurian / Baltic may be a bit earlier, but that’s a guess.
 

On Iona in August we will have early boarding (thank goodness) and I’m hoping that our daughters (who are in adjacent cabins) will have the same time as each other and that it won’t be too late 🤞

If you arrive before boarding has started.  Priority passengers are shown into the terminal and checked in. Once checked in you are seated according to your loyalty tier. Ligurian / Baltic in one section and Caribbean in another. They then call you in turn to go through security.

I hope this helps.
  

[jaydee6969]

I can only assume this is a website error, but currently P&O site now states Mediterranean tier get priority arrival time, check in and welcome onboard reception. The T&C's do not, however they are dated 2017.

 

Screengrab from just now.

 

[9265359]

21 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

I can only assume this is a website error, but currently P&O site now states Mediterranean tier get priority arrival time, check in and welcome onboard reception.

 

That explains why I have been allocated a 12:30 arrival time.

[Selbourne]

32 minutes ago, jaydee6969 said:

I can only assume this is a website error, but currently P&O site now states Mediterranean tier get priority arrival time, check in and welcome onboard reception. The T&C's do not, however they are dated 2017.

 

Screengrab from just now.

 

I would also think that’s an error. I should imagine that a very large percentage of the passengers would be Mediterranean tier, so trying to give all of them priority would be a challenge. I’d like to think that it’s true though, as that would mean that our daughters would qualify!

[AndyMichelle]

Uh oh... 

Just read elsewhere that a passenger travelling soon on Britannia called P&O to ask if they could drop their luggage off a bit early and was told absolutely not, they would be turned away... 

If true, that's my solution of dropping the luggage and walking to Oxford Street for lunch out of the window... 

Andy 

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Uh oh... 

Just read elsewhere that a passenger travelling soon on Britannia called P&O to ask if they could drop their luggage off a bit early and was told absolutely not, they would be turned away... 

If true, that's my solution of dropping the luggage and walking to Oxford Street for lunch out of the window... 

Andy 

I think that most likely would be an example of the P&O advisor not understanding how it works Andy or confusing the question as being about arriving before your designated time. If you turn up and say to the parking Marshall’s that you are “dropping off” they don’t question it. They assume you are dropping off passengers and direct you into the drop off lane. As long as the driver stays with the car, the passenger(s) could easily just pop the luggage over to the drop off point and in a few minutes you are off again. 

[david63]

23 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

they would be turned away... 

So the baggage porters are now going to start checking arrival times are they? Or perhaps the "hole in the wall" has some AI that knows what the arrival time should be and will throw the cases out!!!

[AndyMichelle]

5 minutes ago, david63 said:

So the baggage porters are now going to start checking arrival times are they? Or perhaps the "hole in the wall" has some AI that knows what the arrival time should be and will throw the cases out!!!

Yeah, when you put it like that... 😂

I quite like the idea of the hole in the wall spitting out cases😂

Andy 

[Selbourne]

4 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Yeah, when you put it like that... 😂

I quite like the idea of the hole in the wall spitting out cases😂

Andy 

Don’t give them ideas Andy. Early arrivers are already punished enough by having to stand in the naughty queue whilst having to write 100 times “I promise not to arrive early next time” 😂 

[Winifred 22]

I always just drop my luggage and then take my car to where I will be parking it and then get a taxi back. I think the original question was misunderstood. There is no check on your arrival time when you drop off.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

Uh oh... 

Just read elsewhere that a passenger travelling soon on Britannia called P&O to ask if they could drop their luggage off a bit early and was told absolutely not, they would be turned away... 

If true, that's my solution of dropping the luggage and walking to Oxford Street for lunch out of the window... 

Andy 

When we sail with Brittany ferries on the 9.00pm to St Malo, we get a voucher for 3 hours free parking at Gunwharf. Come on P&O, get with it.😂

[sistersontheseasuk]

We've done the luggage drop and gone back into Southampton and come back recently. No issues at all doing that, baggage handlers don't know your arrival time. We did have an issue very recently where we simply couldn't get close to the port area to drop luggage before taking our car to the car park, the traffic was horrendous! For all the planning in the world its extremely difficult to time your arrival with perfect accuracy. 

 

Lots of people don't actually want to queue jump and board early, they just want to be allowed to wait somewhere, like you can in an airport if you arrive early for a flight. The majority of the terminal buildings in Southampton have space to allow this (Ocean certainly does!) so it just seems like P&O are being intentionally difficult by not letting people inside to wait.