chrisg1uk

My knowledge is from the other side.  The professionalism of the Ents Manager makes the world of difference to those booked to work on the ship.   A good one is there for you when you need their help,  will feed back on how things are going and generally  make the acts time on ship as good as it can be.  They work on the basis that the acts will do better if they are happy.   As with most jobs there are also some that are are less effective.           

2 hours ago, ccpm said:

I have routinely taken a carry on in standard size plus a handbag and had no problem. However last year flying from Birmingham I just had one large handbag as I was not going to have to do any work from the ship so didn't need the carry on suitcase. Good job as it turned out they were being really strict and folks were having to reduce to one hold bag often by repacking or checking it in as hold luggage. Never happened before but something I will keep in mind for next year.

Checks are regular.   Depends on check in agent.   Strictly speaking 1 bag means exactly that.    

We booked on Oct 17 for Jan 19.  At that stage we were told it was very likely we would be flying with TUI (booked direct by phone)  but the times hadn't been confirmed at that stage.  It didn't worry me either way but we then got an email at the beginning of July 18 which gave the flight times etc which wre then reflected in the personaliser.   Plenty of time.    

19 hours ago, Bumbley3 said:

This probably sounds really stupid but is it all easy to see when you get there? Never having done this before I’m getting very anxious about it all. Any tips gratefully received 😊

Seat bookings nearly always at midnight, 14 weeks exactly before you fly.  There are occasionally delays with the systems but as far as I know it is never before except for higher tier members who have done lots of cruises.   Whether it's necessary, good value or a rip off is entirely a matter of opinion and thankfully choice.   It's very easy to do, the seat booking "button" changes from grey to green (if you choose to be up at midnight then you will need to keep refreshing your page) but when it's green and you click on it a seat map will appear and you select your seats by clicking on the ones you want.  If they are available it might ask you whether you want the same seats coming back.  Once selected, you go through to the payment screen and it's done.        

I think you will have to as the maximum per case is 23KG (if a P&O charter)

Can't think of any reason why it should. Most of the staff I have come across take their jobs seriously and do their best for you if you show them respect as well. Whether the auto grats all went to staff at all is far from certain. If they are motivated by cash then they may well be hoping to get a cash tip from their customers.

I would ask P&O direct. There are so many different opinions on here, you will get every answer you want and don't won't.

My case for a 14 night cruise including a dinner jacket or suit weighs less than 17KG so you should be able to manage?

18.5 for me ... no probs.:D:o 😊

Thanks for the replies so far. I am feeling a little more relaxed about this now. I am used to NCL freestyle where any dressing up is completely optional. What are people’s experiences regarding transporting of suits in a suit carrier on TUI airlines in the cabin rather then the hold. Surely they are too big and will need to go in the hold?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Hand luggage in the cabin is stated as 1 piece max 5kg (measurements on personaliser) pp. Many will come up with all sorts of ways of getting round the system (personally never felt the need) or say they have got away with taking additional bags etc etc but others including us have witnessed TUI and TC staff enforcing the advice strictly and asking the ladies in particular to put handbags into other cabin bag leading to some passengers having to put stuff into their hold bag. The funniest is seeing some folk turning up with cabin bags that are obviously over the requested cabin size and then get really angry when challenged by the staff (I have no idea why - the measurements are clear enough). I think it's a matter of luck whether its enforced strictly but don't be surprised if it is. In the end, cabin space is limited on the plane so they have to limit what they allow people to take so everyone gets a fair share. I just fold 2 suits in my hold luggage and they are fine after being hung up for a while. If hold luggage weight is an issue, additional KGs can be purchased direct from the airline.

Can't believe some think prices won't increase due to this.

 

If so many people removed gratuities whilst on the cruise a change was inevitable.

And if they do, there is plenty of choice out there and customers will vote with their feet if prices are not perceived as providing value. P&O are in business like any other to make money. At least it's simpler now. Goo.d change in my view

So, nothing to argue about really, but then again.........

Oh you would have thought so, but get the feeling there probably is (if you work hard enough to find something).

P&O have said that that tipping staff is neither required or expected, how they deal with this regarding staff payment is their concern not ours.

Quite right. I am not aware that any of my customers are overly concerned about my pay or conditions and we should leave P&O to deal with this and get on with enjoying our holiday. If service levels fall then so will customer numbers ... that's how it works - so it's in no ones interest to make things worse for anyone. Despite what some might think, this is not a rushed decision. P&O / Carnival will adjust their income streams as they see fit and customers then have the choice of whether to buy the product or not. I really think some just enjoy being contrary.

Question for the knowledgeable please. Occasionally I see mentioned that suite passengers get priority boarding in the Caribbean. Is this the case please? I have seen passengers requiring assistance quite rightly by-passing the lines but not others.

I think the lack of many comments might be because there was the same question debated to death recently on this forum. Would suggest just scrolling down the page a bit. The bottom line is you are free to turn up when you want and they will try to get you on . Others with earlier allocated times will have priority. Some get on some have to wait.

Or get some one in charge to go over to RCI and Celebrity and see how they do it which is much more quickly and efficiently for everyone.

 

I really dislike the current P&O system but do follow it in spite of this and I certainly don’t consider myself to be a “sheep”, just someone who follows the rules. I am well aware that others don’t.

 

If they do away with the current system and go back to a free for all without addressing the fundamental issue, that their check in is slow and old fashioned, then it will probably just result in very long queues and annoyed passengers.

 

Get people to complete most of the information in advance on line, including card details and have a fast pass then all that needs confirmed is the passport. Cards issued and you are onboard in minutes. Other lines manage to do this.

Quite agree. There is no reason at all why P&O shouldn't be able to match other lines. My tongue in cheek "suggestion" was to reflect that so many folk ignore their allocate time (for whatever reason) why should anyone else worry about it?

Boarding times really do seem to cause debate. To my mind it might be better if P&O scrapped them all together. Letting Suite and higher tier customers on first seems fair enough (no I don't qualify) but let the rest sort out itself. Yes, there may well be chaos early on but those arriving early should not be surprised or complain as everyone would have the same entitlement to be there at their chosen time. So many people currently arrive way ahead of their allocated time anyway but perhaps there wouldn't be that much difference. The folk who would "gain" are those who currently follow the P&O request (sheep?) because they are not aware that others don't. I wonder when the queues would start?

I would urge caution about using rail if you have a lot of luggage. The trains to Southampton are designed as commuter trains with very limited storage capacity for cases ie there is no dedicated luggage areas at the end of the carriages. Think less overhead space than on a plane. You could put them on spare seats and hope the train doesn't get busy which should be ok unless travelling in peak rush hour. Just a thought

I would urge caution about 8 of you + lots of luggage getting the train to London. I live 8 miles from Southampton and the trains in this area (apart from those going to the North) are designed as mainly commuter trains with very little space for luggage. Think slightly larger than overhead storage on a plane and you have to lift them up there. They do not have specific areas for cases. You do see some folk putting cases on spare seats or tables but you could be asked to move them if the train gets crowded down the line. If you do decide to stay in London then my suggestion would be National Express Coach from Southampton then taxis from London Victoria to your hotel. Do book in advance .... you can get some very good prices. It's obviously slower than train but it is comfortable enough and the luggage issue is sorted.

Sounds as if they deliberately overbooked. This is not on.

Probably true but also in true caring for others traditions we saw people in the retreat on Azura "reserving" loungers in both the shaded and sunny areas to ensure they had all bases covered. I actually overheard one guy who had done this say to someone who challenged him that his wife was very particular about how much sun she had so he was making sure she was ok and that he had checked with the on duty staff that it was ok for him to do it as "they knew him from many cruises". Unfortunately we were on the beds next to him during his "shaded" periods and he was a right pain in the backside to all the staff with constant demands so I'm pretty sure he was right that they did know him quite well.

Have also seen long queues forming from 30 mins before opening for the retreat on Azura in the Caribbean especially on sea days.

What do people need to take on that weighs more than 5kg?

Absolutely no idea. I think some just need to just push the boundaries on everything where there is guidance / limits.

Birmingham outward bound 2 weeks ago was very rigid to 1 item hand luggage and 5kg max,likewise on hold weight limits. The line ground to a halt while folks got rearranging their stuff and putting extra bags inside others so they only had one bag and paid for additional weight or rearranged hold stuff. First time I had ever seen that. Add to that problems with their computers and scales and premium priority took me almost 1.5 hours to get through, just annoying as my darn bags had been triple checked at home and stuff left behind and still all that waiting - sometimes you can't win. Coming back folks had multiple heavy bags inside the plane and no-one at Barbados was worried.

Its frustrating especially when computers etc have problems. However the only people to blame for bags being overweight / size are the customers who think the guidance doesn't apply to them and so delay everyone behind them. Everything is pretty clear really. They perhaps should have taken them out of the line while they sorted themselves out.

They do try to keep the same number of passes for each of the 2 main boarding days but after that it's first come first served so you could be struggling if you are on a later flight. Places seem to be in great demand in the Caribbean.

Small world indeed and thinking back it certainly was good fun. I would have offered to pick you up as am literally 10 mins up the road but sadly working that day. We are going on Britannia ourselves but not until early 2019 so have a great time. just try to avoid train to Salisbury as it's the stopper.

I agree. Just up the road from me. If you are staying near the port the night before sailing then I would consider getting a train from the airport (right next door) to Southampton Central and from there you will find plenty of taxis available to take you to your hotel. Taxi from airport to city centre could be a bit painful if traffic heavy. Have a good cruise

Chris and Lynn (2015)

I believe Annie is correct. If you book PE on a P&O chartered flight it does not include lounge access irrespective of cabin grade. To be fair I can't see it publicised anywhere on P&O pages that you do.