Strict arrival times

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, SarahHben said:

Yes I think we’ll drop our luggage off first if they let us do that. My sister and her family are going on Iona the same day and have 2:15 boarding.

We’re all staying at the Holiday Inn express near the Ageas Bowl the night before so will need to check out at 11am.

We have stayed there several times and more than once we have remained in the bar and had our coffees there until well after lunch time. 

[Windsurfboy]

2 hours ago, 9265359 said:

You don’t have e-Gates with facial recognition at airport departures, they are for passport arrivals. 
 

At departures you scan the boarding card with no human intervention to allow access to the departure area - that would be simple to install at a cruise terminal. 
 

Then you pass through security, which is much more efficient than at cruise terminals as up to six people can be loading the belt for the X-ray at the same time. 
 

And finally just a scan of the passport and a human name check of the passport name against the boarding card, which takes 10 seconds, and again could easily be replicated at cruise terminals in the area after security and before boarding the ship. 
 

if they wanted to cut the queue they could easily do it without making people stand outside in the rain. 

 

So you are suggesting a passport check as we board.  Just moving queue to narrow gangway where only two people can check passports as against 20 or more check in desk, recipe for massive queues.

 

No need to stand in rain if you arrive on time

Edited July 15, 2023 by Windsurfboy

[9265359]

7 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

So you are suggesting a passport check as we board.  Just moving queue to narrow gangway where only two people can check passports as against 20 or more check in desk, recipe for massive queues.

No, I am suggesting that if airlines can board several hundred passengers swiftly by a couple of members of staff taking five seconds to scan a passport and check names match, then it doesn’t require the vastly longer amount of time spent processing passengers with a huge number of staff. 
 

10 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

No need to stand in rain if you arrive on time

Says the person who doesn’t arrive by train. 

[majortom10]

3 hours ago, SarahHben said:

Yes I think we’ll drop our luggage off first if they let us do that. My sister and her family are going on Iona the same day and have 2:15 boarding.

We’re all staying at the Holiday Inn express near the Ageas Bowl the night before so will need to check out at 11am.

You may have to check out of your room but not the hotel. We regularly stay at HIE just off M271 and have often say on lounge/restaurant area and even been allowed free tea/coffee.

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

We have stayed there several times and more than once we have remained in the bar and had our coffees there until well after lunch time. 

We usually use The New Place who have a small lounge where you can wait for the taxi, they have a free drinks machine.

[Bin man]

Just monitoring the queue at the ocean terminal looks rather long at 2.45pm

[Bin man]

The queue has now gone guess that was the peak after a few buses had arrived 

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, 9265359 said:

No, I am suggesting that if airlines can board several hundred passengers swiftly by a couple of members of staff taking five seconds to scan a passport and check names match, then it doesn’t require the vastly longer amount of time spent processing passengers with a huge number of staff. 
 

Says the person who doesn’t arrive by train. 

 

If only airports were that good. Never see queues at airports

 

Anyway the comparison with airports isn't valid. They are far bigger and have much more internal space and seating per passenger compared to  ocean terminal. Take Heathrow , boards 120,000 a day. T5 the busiest terminal boards 40000 a day over 18 hours.    2200 per hour so one Arvia in just under 3 hours. The area before departures alone is bigger than Ocean terminal. After security there are 40 gates including satelites b and c , the central concourse and 8 lounges , altogether providing 10,000 seats. This means seats for 4.5 hours worth of passengers. Plenty of space to let people wait inside.

 

Ocean terminal with 1000 seats has under one hours worth of seats for biggest ships.  

 

Anyway as you say who cares, I come on time at 12.00 and go straight through.

[purplesea]

Arriving on time doesn't mean you will get in on time. Our last boarding time was 12.15 and we were still waiting, when going to enquire nearer 12.30 we were told they haven't called 12.15 yet!

[9265359]

14 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

If only airports were that good. Never see queues at airports

And how long does it take to process the queue of people at the departure gate? A flight of 200 is usually processed within 15 minutes, whereas at Southampton with their old fashioned technology it takes far longer even with dozens of staff. 
 

Why on earth are the desk staff messing around trying to capture passport numbers with a phone camera rather than using an RFID scanner?

 

Why are the security lanes not set up more efficiently?

 

Invest some money and they wouldn’t need to punish people by making them stand in the rain. 
 

And as for the low tech system of not admitting people to the terminal before the time on their printed boarding card - hmm, that’s not hard to overcome if someone was minded to. 

[Windsurfboy]

12 minutes ago, purplesea said:

Arriving on time doesn't mean you will get in on time. Our last boarding time was 12.15 and we were still waiting, when going to enquire nearer 12.30 we were told they haven't called 12.15 yet!

 

We're you waiting to check in or board

[purplesea]

2 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

We're you waiting to check in or board

We were in the queue waiting to check in.

[kalos]

37 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

Anyway the comparison with airports isn't valid. They are far bigger and have much more internal space and seating per passenger compared to  ocean terminal.

 

Did anyone see the queues at the airports around Easter ? The security was mayhem ,

even with the latest technology !

 

[9265359]

5 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Did anyone see the queues at the airports around Easter ? The security was mayhem ,even with the latest technology !

 

The response from the airport operators when there are likely to be queues - please come earlier and sit in our nice terminal and spend money in our shops, restaurants, and bars. 
 

And the response from cruise operators in similar circumstances - how dare you arrive early, go and stand outside in the rain. 
 

I wonder which attracts repeat customers. 

[Windsurfboy]

7 minutes ago, purplesea said:

We were in the queue waiting to check in.

 

25 minutes ago, purplesea said:

Arriving on time doesn't mean you will get in on time. Our last boarding time was 12.15 and we were still waiting, when going to enquire nearer 12.30 we were told they haven't called 12.15 yet!

 

 

Had the 12.00 gone in on time?

[Snow Hill]

5 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

Ooh I’m looking at the Ageas Bowl for March, I wanted to go before but there was cricket on so it was fully booked! I fancy a room with the view over the pitch ☺️

Should be easier in March as Cricket season doesn’t begin until April.

[Windsurfboy]

1 minute ago, 9265359 said:

The response from the airport operators when there are likely to be queues - please come earlier and sit in our nice terminal and spend money in our shops, restaurants, and bars. 
 

And the response from cruise operators in similar circumstances - how dare you arrive early, go and stand outside in the rain. 
 

I wonder which attracts repeat customers. 

 

Yes but Airports have far more internal space per passenger,  4 times as much or more.

 

What we clearly need is far bigger terminals,  but until they are built there isn't room for people to wait in side.

[purplesea]

7 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

 

Had the 12.00 gone in on time?

They were being called as we joined the queue a few minutes after 12.00.

[Megabear2]

I was told with Arvia/Iona that if there is a delay even of a few.minutes in dusembarkation it knocks on to the opening and boarding for the next voyage.  On my arrival back into port pick ups could not get into the port gates and it had a knock on effect to dusembarkation.  I was actually meant to be one of the last off at 10.00am or thereabouts but there were a very large number still.onboard when I finally got off.

 

The port staff were run off their feet trying to move trolley and passengers to get everyone off and clear.  Then at 10.30ish I watched arrivals turning up to drop luggage, some of whom shouted at staff for not having the luggage holes open.  It was actually mayhem, earlier disembarking apparently runs much better, again something most on here prefer to do.

 

Far from having a go at the guys handling luggage, dusembarkation and embarkation I am actually impressed they manage to get any order out of the mess they have to deal with!

[Fionboard]

Wonder what Horizon Terminal is like?

[P&O SUE]

13 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

Should be easier in March as Cricket season doesn’t begin until April.

Yes sad person that I am I actually looked it up!

[9265359]

13 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

What we clearly need is far bigger terminals,  but until they are built there isn't room for people to wait in side.

Improve the check-in and security process and you don’t need more room. 

[Windsurfboy]

21 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

The response from the airport operators when there are likely to be queues - please come earlier and sit in our nice terminal and spend money in our shops, restaurants, and bars. 

 

2 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

Improve the check-in and security process and you don’t need more room. 

 

Yes if everything always goes perfectly,  no hiccups.. 

 

But if there are queues that even airports can't guarantee against, cruise terminals are too small to invite everyone to sit in our nice but small. terminal. So if there is a hiccup and it's full of early birds, no one else can get in even if on time.

[Cathygh]

15 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Wonder what Horizon Terminal is like?

I have been there for an MSC cruise. Boarding started at 10. Security scanners are right inside, go through there to check in then straight on to the ship. Very fast and no waiting out side. 

[kalos]

50 minutes ago, 9265359 said:

The response from the airport operators when there are likely to be queues - please come earlier and sit in our nice terminal and spend money in our shops, restaurants, and bars. 
 

And the response from cruise operators in similar circumstances - how dare you arrive early, go and stand outside in the rain. 
 

I wonder which attracts repeat customers. 

 

The daughter, hubby and kids arrived at 6am MCR airport and she wasn't happy by the time she got through the airport check in /security, she managed to grab a drink for the kids and then running for her flight at 9'00 .The airport put it down to lack of staff .

Going back to Southampton, I suspect they have the same problem ,tied in with the fact they 

now have two mega ships that are not suited to that part of the port .

Note how new ships they only fit in port one way ? 

What the answer is we don't know ,maybe book your arrival as others have said ?

Don't get me wrong same as you, I want to arrive reasonably early knowing they have a 

place for us to reax before being called forward .

Watching the cameras today that is not happening ,.Purplesea said she turned up on time 

and was still put in a queue .

One thing I'd like to think we all agree on is ...It's not good enough is it ?

Edited July 15, 2023 by kalos