Check-in times at Southampton

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Are you sure you were at Southampton? Sounds more like Brooklyn, where the "priority" room is too small and they try to keep people out. I remember being in PG (and diamond) and the "gatekeeper" said there was no room. I looked past her and said "Oh! I see some seats." and just walked in. I know that sounds rude and pushy, but she was nasty, and I was not going to sit WAY in the back for hours, when I should be boarding in about 45 minutes. I know from friends' experience that nobody goes back there to announce "Grills passengers may board now."

I can assure you I knew it was Southampton never embarked at Brooklyn, couldn't see Statue of Liberty and QA has never docked at Brooklyn.

Edited August 1 by majortom10

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, Pushpit said:

So to explain this to others, the usual system at Southampton is that you first queue up for check-in. After you are checked in - and assuming boarding hasn't started or has only just started - you are then led off in the seating area, which has invisible blocks in it. Each block represents a cohort of people who arrived a given time, and there is an MC with a microphone who works through the blocks. So when QG is opened for boarding, hopefully they are mostly in an identified set of blocks nearest security, they are approached and led off. Then when those blocks are done they call via the PA for any QG who may have ended up in other blocks further back. Then rinse / repeat for PG, then Diamonds, then Platinums, finally Club.

 

What seems to have happened in your case is that a block of mainly Diamonds was plonked out of sequence and were effectively forgotten about when Platinums were called, Human error? Seems like it. Chaos? I very much doubt it, but I wasn't there on that occasion. You don't need to complain, as soon as you are aware of Platinums moving forward you walk towards security, they will probably ask "Platinum?" and you can smugly reply "Diamond".

 

Alternatively show up slightly later, and all those seated will be onboard and you can walk direct from check-in to security.

I can assure you it was total chaos and when the staff were told that there were still many Diamond who had not boarded and they were calling Platinum. They had not got a clue what to do and how to control Platinum rows getting up to go through security and still many Diamond waiting in rows of seats. What led after that was total confusion and mayhem instigated by incompetent staff.

 

[Pushpit]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Are you sure you were at Southampton? Sounds more like Brooklyn, where the "priority" room is too small and they try to keep people out. I remember being in PG (and diamond) and the "gatekeeper" said there was no room. I looked past her and said "Oh! I see some seats." and just walked in. I know that sounds rude and pushy, but she was nasty, and I was not going to sit WAY in the back for hours, when I should be boarding in about 45 minutes. I know from friends' experience that nobody goes back there to announce "Grills passengers may board now."

I've obviously done many sailing out of Brooklyn, but I was referring here specifically to Mayflower in Southampton. Mayflower has an automated double door system at the entrance, and they have to keep the immediate area just past the second door clear since it's also a cross path over to the disability section on the right, and the main check-in desks on the left. Rather than allow people to get stuck in the middle of the double door area, they will queue people outside so they can safely enter the building. Usually Priority + CWC on the right, everyone else on the left, backing them around the building away from the baggage drop. But I've seen it the other way around, so that's not consistent. There is one individual from Intercruise who has been doing this for years and she arranges this quite tightly, but she's not on every Cunard departure (unfortunately).

 

Brooklyn is indeed different since (a) there isn't a lot of space and (b) strangely New York seems to be home to many New Yorkers! But yes it's a bit similar there too.

 

In Mayflower, once the seated area is clear - so after the boarding of Grills - CWC - Club, that seating area is then rapidly removed from the system since all checked in passengers can just walk straight to security, but that's usually after about 14:30 hrs or so.

Edited August 1 by Pushpit