A Paladin

Thanks so much for sharing, I particularly appreciated the ones of the light show as we didn't have a very good view from QM2.

Wow! Great photos and memories of such a special day. It was a treat to be sailing on QM2 but as Hattie said, the view of the light show was very restricted from the ship. Thank you!

The OP concluded this thread on a new thread found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2103135

Well spotted Salacia! It seems strange to have started a separate thread to end the saga?

That's interesting and reassuring about airports. I know that on World Cruises there have been problems with visas because people have come on here whingeing about them not being told/being expected to know that they needed visas to travel. ESTAs seem to be treated somewhat differently though, maybe because of the 72 hour clause.

The standard Immigration response is "ignorance is no excuse"!

If anyone relies on a third-party to apply on their behalf, it is always advisable to personally check that everything is in place before departure/check-in.

On a slight tangent, I don't know what any cruise company could do regarding allowing or disallowing embarkation before a transatlantic because you don't need to be in possession of an ESTA at that moment. You need an ESTA when you arrive in the USA and they only require 72 hours notice between the application and arrival. No-one at Southampton or Heathrow has ever enquired of me whether I have an ESTA or not.

I agree that the Southampton check-in process does not appear sophisticated but on my last P&O World voyage 5 passengers (3 separate bookings) were denied boarding as a result of not having all the necessary Visas. They were Australian Nationals that pleaded their travel agent had made the error. Their UK visas were OK so no problem flying Aus-UK to join the ship. P&O stood firm but agreed to hold the cabins and allowed the pax to join the ship at its first port of call after the passengers managed to make an emergency appointment at the London based Embassy (I can't remember which country) who were sympathetic and turned around their in-person and thankfully successful applications within 24 hours!

At UK Airports, however, the check-in system is linked to 'big brother' global immigration and police/security networks. Passport numbers are linked to the US database of ESTA approved passengers and Check-In would be unable to print a boarding pass if the ESTA had not been pre-approved. A second fail safe check is made when boarding passes are scanned at the gate which would immediately flag up a warning sign on the screen if something had been missed at, or identified after, initial check-in. It is a seamless process invisible to passengers.

I really don't understand their stance over OBC. I feel that it is unfair for them to keep the unused portion regardless of the original source. Fortunately I have never been in the position to be impacted by this practice. :D I do wonder at the legality of this though.

Even though they both come under the Carnival umbrella, P&O certainly display 'bully' tactics when replying to complaints and quote a myriad of small print in the hope that the complainant will disappear - which they usually do! Cunard appear more responsive but that may be the result of their US customer base and the more aggressive US legal system? The fare structure across the pond is certainly kinder to the solo passenger than within the UK.

Turning to OBC, why lose it? I blow any remainder in the shops on board - a girl can never have enough perfume... ;)

A biometric passport appears to be an 'open book'...

You may find the following website interesting reading?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/18/global_immigration/

Throwing in a curved ball here, shipping lines and airlines will refuse to even board a passenger not in possession of valid visa/passport/travel documents to avoid them (not the passenger) being heftily fined for trying to land an 'undesirable alien' on overseas territory.

Also be aware that as unfair as it may seem, if your passport has ever been reported lost or stolen, allow yourself additional travel time for potential questioning.

Happy travels!

It's not the tie that counts, it's what goes in it... ;)

The saying "You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time" comes to mind.

On a P&O cruise earlier this year there was a minor stomach bug outbreak on board so passengers were not allowed to self-serve themselves with tea/coffee or help themselves to the buffet. Extra work for the staff but they were efficient and remained cheerful and helpful. But, oh how some passengers complained...

Three days later the all clear was given and passengers (now used to being served) were free to help themselves. But, oh how some passengers complained...!

David Dingle -v- Carol Marlow. Carol would get my shareholder vote. From personal experience, David Dingle's office better get their act together!

Let's balance out the comments here... After being on Arcadia I can now nearly quote "I still call Australia home" and "Waltzing Matilda" word-for-word!

People in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones comes to mind...

I had the pleasure of meeting Neil Oliver (usually on Azura) on the world cruise when he joined Arcadia in Sydney. He came to many of the solo meetings on board and brought other people including the Exec Purser on two ooccasions and produced a couple of bottles of sherry on two occasions for us. I had organised cruise critic get togethers and he came to them and sat and chatted to everyone. He is very much a visible person and is at the forefront at sailaways. He is a total asset to P&O.

I total agree with you Fluffy. Neil is approachable, a true professional, and puts his heart and sole into his work, especially sailaways! I sincerely hope he is back from leave and on Azura in July.