Embarkation For Pacfic Dawn

[Blue Boys]

Hi,

 

This is my first thread so hopefully I'm doing this right!!!

 

Can someone confirm for me if the embarkation process has changed. We sailed on Pacific Sun last January and the process then was lining up for hours to get on board. I heard that is has all changed where you can roll up at any time, check in your luggage and get right on board. Too good to be true!

 

Ta

Marg

[Ozcruise2]

Hi Blue Boys

 

Welcome to the boards! Just got back from the Pacific Dawn this morning. Embarkation was really good. We got the P&O shuttle from the airport, and arrived at the wharf about 12.45 (embarkation started at 12.30, I think). Luggage is checked through from the shuttle bus by P&O - took us about 30 minutes to get on board. (Including 10 mins at the TRS counter getting our GST rebates from cameras we'd bought a couple of weeks ago).

 

Heaps of people, but very efficient.

[Blue Boys]

Hi Ozcruise2,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Seems things may have changed. We lined up for what seemed like an eternity last time and there were people everywhere complaining about the wait. Standing in que for hours isn't a good way to start the holiday.

 

Here's hoping for a smoother embarkation.

 

Regards

Marg

[mum and son]

Hi there,

 

I also returned from the Pacific Dawn yesterday. For embarkation I was dropped at the terminal at 8.30am and could drop off my bags straight away. I could collect my cruise card at about 9.30am. Had to wait for my friends to show up at around 10 and then sat down and had a coffee after they had their cruise cards. Then was the 20th person in a very quick moving line to board the ship. I was in my cabin by 11.30am and enjoying a buffet lunch by 12 noon before the crowds arrived. It was like getting an extra day onboard for free !!!

[fishtaco]

Yes it has changed a bit and for the good!You can drop off your bags when you like,go into the teminal,sign your life away:D And get your cruise card nice and early,then go have a coffee or whatever then walk through customs whenever you like after 11 and board.

Before you had to que to go through to customs where you also collected your cruise card.

much easier this way.

 

Den.

[Blue Boys]

Thanks Libby & Den for your replies.

 

P & O look like they have it right this time.

 

Marg

[arxcards]

Thanks Libby & Den for your replies.

 

P & O look like they have it right this time.

 

Marg

 

Not exactly.

The key is to get there early (before midday).

There are no queues early, as most are arriving when P&O \ Princess say you can board (12-4pm) - It is still getting busy after noon.

[Blue Boys]

Not exactly.

The key is to get there early (before midday).

There are no queues early, as most are arriving when P&O \ Princess say you can board (12-4pm) - It is still getting busy after noon.

 

Hi Geoff,

 

When we travelled last January on P/S we arrived at the terminal at 10.30 (yeah I know we were excited). They told us to go for a walk and come back at around 2.00. As we where too excited we decided to stay as we thought when they opened the doors we would be first. However, the doors were not opened until 12:45 and by then the que had snaked it's way all through the terminal. We stood in que from around 11:15 and finally made it onto the ship at about 1.30 might have even been closer to 2:00.

 

Maybe P&O just had a bad day! We were supposed to leave at 4:00 but left at 6:30 due to "something fall off the ship".

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Marg

[arxcards]

Hi Geoff,

 

When we travelled last January on P/S we arrived at the terminal at 10.30 (yeah I know we were excited). They told us to go for a walk and come back at around 2.00. As we where too excited we decided to stay as we thought when they opened the doors we would be first. However, the doors were not opened until 12:45 and by then the que had snaked it's way all through the terminal. We stood in que from around 11:15 and finally made it onto the ship at about 1.30 might have even been closer to 2:00.

 

Maybe P&O just had a bad day! We were supposed to leave at 4:00 but left at 6:30 due to "something fall off the ship".

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Marg

Marg,

Our experience on 28th Dec was similar to Den's, as we were there early before any queues formed for registration\collecting cruise cards and were in the first 20 when the door to customs processing was started. While we were through quickly, there was a queue of 500 behind us by the time we boarded. Spoke with other passengers that arrived between 1 and 2 pm, and they were waiting an hour to get onboard.

So while they have improved the flow, they need to get through more passengers than Pacific Sun days. They still only have 1 x-ray machine, and this is the cause of the bottleneck.