Boarding at Southampton

Can anyone tell me if there is a set time to board at Southampton. We are on the repo cruise 22nd March. There is a free coach from Gatwick, but as we live in Oxford, that seems a bit of a roundabout way to do it, so we thought we might get the train to Southampton. It arrives about 1pm so would we be allowed to board then? Fred.Olsen are a bit strict about what time you board, although Princess and Celebrity aren't, so just wondered what P&Os policy is.

Can anyone tell me if there is a set time to board at Southampton. We are on the repo cruise 22nd March. There is a free coach from Gatwick, but as we live in Oxford, that seems a bit of a roundabout way to do it, so we thought we might get the train to Southampton. It arrives about 1pm so would we be allowed to board then? Fred.Olsen are a bit strict about what time you board, although Princess and Celebrity aren't, so just wondered what P&Os policy is.

Yes you will be allowed to board then. You will be directed to the buffet for lunch,as your cabin will not be available until 2-2.30.

Enjoy your cruise.

1pm should be a fine time to get on, the mad rush should have died down by then. They will let you on.

Thanks both of you. I shall be ready for lunch by then :) I will book the train tomorrow.

Yes you will be allowed to board then. You will be directed to the buffet for lunch,as your cabin will not be available until 2-2.30.

Not necessarily!

This year, both P&O and Cunard are going to start enforcing the given embarkation times as too many people have been turning up early causing bottlenecks.

It might be better to find out when this actually starts, otherwise it could be a long wait on uncomfortable plastic seats.

Stewart

Not necessarily!

 

 

 

This year, both P&O and Cunard are going to start enforcing the given embarkation times as too many people have been turning up early causing bottlenecks.

 

 

 

It might be better to find out when this actually starts, otherwise it could be a long wait on uncomfortable plastic seats.

 

 

 

Stewart

At the moment this is only rumour. Some of the other companies have tried it and dropped it. Arriving at 13.00 whatever should not be a problem.

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They cannot really enforce this. Many people arrive by the official coaches from all parts of Britain. Each person on the coach could have a different embarkation time on their tickets. It would never work.

If we caught the coach from Gatwick it would get there about 1.30-2pm, so not much difference really and we might beat the queue from the coach :)

At the moment this is only rumour. Some of the other companies have tried it and dropped it. Arriving at 13.00 whatever should not be a problem.

 

 

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I asked my TA about this following someone posting this rumour on CC and whether we could request an early boarding time. She said that they had definitely not heard anything about this and we should be able to board when we arrived. They are a well respected cruise specialist TA and I am sure they would have heard if there was any truth in the rumour.

At the moment this is only rumour.

No, it was from an official source at Soton.

We were told about this rumour on Cunard last month. No one checked at all when we arrived so not being enforced then.

If the cruise lines start to implement the given boarding times what happens to people with priority boarding who are given later times?

Do they just have to sit and wait it out? This is bound to upset a few Ligurian members.

If the cruise lines start to implement the given boarding times what happens to people with priority boarding who are given later times?

 

Do they just have to sit and wait it out? This is bound to upset a few Ligurian members.

No they would get 12.00 times as would suite passengers.

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No they would get 12.00 times as would suite passengers.

 

 

Of course that was part of the rumour.

 

 

 

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Anyone who arrives early and sits there like a meerkat waiting to get on as if their life depended on it, should be shot.

No, it was from an official source at Soton.

'Official sources' can not be relied on. Just check these forums and find the large number of 'official sources' who were talking a load of rubbish.

Blimey some of you could start an argument in an empty room :D:D

I only asked ;)

Blimey some of you could start an argument in an empty room :D:D

 

I only asked ;)

It's all about the banter!

This has been comprehensively discussed before. It is just not practical and would do nothing more than irritate the customers.

This has been comprehensively discussed before. It is just not practical and would do nothing more than irritate the customers.

....which of course P & O (and Cunard) would never do......:D

It's all about the banter!

Fred do enforce it quite strictly, but they do only have little ships.

Will have to wait and see! ....at least on princess u can go straight to your cabin will be interesting to see on our May cruise how long it takes us to get to our cabin. Never bin on p&o looking forward to trying a new line no pre conceived ideas a cruise is the best holiday so will just enjoy

Anyone who arrives early and sits there like a meerkat waiting to get on as if their life depended on it, should be shot.

I've always arrived early (I'm talking 12ish) and have never had to sit and wait - always shown to the desks... on within half an hour!

We always arrive early as we like to leave in plenty of time in case of bad traffic. We have been on board as early as 12 or 12.30 in the past and just head straight to the buffet, which is quiet at that time. It's much nicer not having to queue for so long which we did originally when we got there a bit later.

I Hi Linda..we usually arrive around 1230ish go straightto our cabin to deposit our hand luggage, then go to lunch in buffet....it's never been a problem in the past..... but will let you know how this routine goes after our upcoming cruise on Oceana!!!

P.s. Obviously if the steward is there we ask if it's ok...but usually they're nowhere to be seen!!