Boarding time

I don’t understand why people can’t stick to the boarding time they have been allocated. If your cruise company tells you to arrive at 2.30pm you arrive at 2.30pm, it’s not difficult. Why can’t people stick to rules anymore?:confused:

DW and I are Diamond and we have also been given 14:30 for our forthcoming BTB TA next month. I must say that I've always understood the privilege to be priority embarkation which was supported by the hitherto noon check-in time we have previously been allocated.

 

However, if one reads the benefit blurb verbatim, it actually says priority check-in and I wonder whether Cunard really mean that Platinum and Diamond Cunarders are given priority over others checking-in at the same allotted time as opposed to priority over the entire ship. That said, I suspect the "priority" relevance/benefit gradually reduces as the boarding process proceeds and there are little or no queues.

Interestingly, Cunard uses difference language for the end of the voyage where Diamond members enjoy priority disembarkation.

I did see [in Brooklyn last year] Grills & "higher than gold status" world club folks diverted from the long snaking line to a shorter line on the left side of the waiting area. No one was waiting in the 'priority boarding' lounge when we walked past the entrance on our way to board the ship - if anyone was waiting there, they got to board before the mass of gold, silver & red card folks.

I am a conformist. Well in most things. And when told to arrive at 12.30 pm at the Ocean Terminal for embarkation, that's when we got there... within 3 mins. There were a lot of people standing in various, somewhat defined and inert queues. We showed our tickets and like Moses and the Red Sea, were escorted through and around all of them straight to the counter. We were aboard in maybe 10 mins flat.

So I suppose you can get there anytime you wish but my preference isn't to get to the pier but to get aboard the ship. And with 2000 others trying to do the same thing, I am not sure how getting to the pier well in advance of your scheduled time is going to hasten that.

Dont know why they put a boarding time on customers who have priority boarding. They get priority because they have booked a suite or have reached Platinum or above in CWC so should be allowed to check in at whatever time suits them anytime after the desks have opened.

Dont know why they put a boarding time on customers who have priority boarding. They get priority because they have booked a suite or have reached Platinum or above in CWC so should be allowed to check in at whatever time suits them anytime after the desks have opened.

I wholeheartedly agree but reading the conditions strictly, the CWC benefit we get is priority check-in not anytime boarding per-se. The fact that Cunard put an allotted time of arrival on everyone's e-ticket suggests that that is the time they require us to check-in and, in the event that there are queues, those with priority will be identified and ushered to the front of the line.

Well we were Princess Grill. And we are Platinum World Club members. So we certainly deserved "Priority Boarding" which was embark at 12.30 pm as printed on our ticket. Which I would assumes means we could board from 12.30 pm onwards. Not anytime before that. Frankly, that's plenty early enough, I just pity the poor crew having to get all those cabins ready only four hours after the previous passengers had vacated them.

I am a conformist. Well in most things. And when told to arrive at 12.30 pm at the Ocean Terminal for embarkation, that's when we got there... within 3 mins. There were a lot of people standing in various, somewhat defined and inert queues. We showed our tickets and like Moses and the Red Sea, were escorted through and around all of them straight to the counter. We were aboard in maybe 10 mins flat.

 

So I suppose you can get there anytime you wish but my preference isn't to get to the pier but to get aboard the ship. And with 2000 others trying to do the same thing, I am not sure how getting to the pier well in advance of your scheduled time is going to hasten that.

Smart move. This is what we do as well.

Dont know why they put a boarding time on customers who have priority boarding. They get priority because they have booked a suite or have reached Platinum or above in CWC so should be allowed to check in at whatever time suits them anytime after the desks have opened.

I wholeheartedly agree but reading the conditions strictly, the CWC benefit we get is priority check-in not anytime boarding per-se. The fact that Cunard put an allotted time of arrival on everyone's e-ticket suggests that that is the time they require us to check-in and, in the event that there are queues, those with priority will be identified and ushered to the front of the line.

Well, Cunard's FAQ's seem to confirm our original understanding that we do get priority embarkation.

Q. Do you offer priority check in?

Cunard Grills guests and Cunard Platinum / Diamond World Club members will receive priority check-in and embarkation in New York and Southampton.

Priority embarkation is available to our Platinum and Diamond World Club members for voyages departing from New York or Southampton where operationally possible.

Priority embarkation will begin at approximately 12:30pm.

Priority disembarkation is also available to those in Queens Grill and Princess Grill suites.

I wholeheartedly agree but reading the conditions strictly, the CWC benefit we get is priority check-in not anytime boarding per-se. The fact that Cunard put an allotted time of arrival on everyone's e-ticket suggests that that is the time they require us to check-in and, in the event that there are queues, those with priority will be identified and ushered to the front of the line.

You are reading too much into it and not clearly as stated and advertised that members of QG, PG and Diamond/Platinum members of CWC get priority and that starts at 12-30 so to my way of thinking and have always done with P&O, Princess and Cunard which I have priority check in on all is to arrive and from 1230 possibly earlier we will be checked in straight away without waiting and have had no problems whatsoever.

I am well-versed in the process in New York. Perhaps someone can confirm that the same exists in Southampton.

There is a priority queue for check-in, and Platinum, Diamond and Grills passengers are directed to this priority queue. Following check-in there is a separate boarding lounge for the use of those passengers.

On the Christmas embarkation in New York the priority boarding lounge is quickly filled to capacity (presumably a higher proportion of Platinum and higher guests on this itinerary) but when boarding begins we show our Platinum cruise cards at the lounge entrance and are permitted access through the priority lounge to the boarding passageway.

Odd. I live in the United States and been on Cunard 11 times since 1977 and never once.. not once.. sailed from New York. It's always been from Southampton. But I never recall a separate lounge for priority boarding either at the QEII terminal or the Ocean Terminal, just designated queues. And indeed I've never seen anything resembling a queue standing around for priority boarding. We've just walked up, shown our tickets and maybe waited behind one or two couples and went aboard.

I have an email from Cunard, dated 11 September 2018, in response to my querying our boarding time, so have the facts in writing. We are Diamond, not in the Grills. It says:

"You are absolutely correct, as Diamond Tier members of the World Club, you are entitled to receive priority embarkation - available from 12.30 onwards. However, we do not show this information on our e-tickets. Your loyalty status is shown and you will not be turned away if you arrive early to take advantage of this benefit".

To those suggesting everyone should arrive at their allotted time, we are not talking about people deciding to show up when they feel like it. As has already been pointed out, but ignored, we are talking about people who have spent a fair amount of money with Cunard and wish to have one of the advertised perks of Platinum/Diamond WC membership.

I'm booked on a mini-cruise Soton-Hamburg-Soton on the QV, which it appears to me is the end of one cruise (from the Canaries) and the begining of another (world cruise). My question is whether embarkation at Soton will be as per a full cruise or crossing or are there likely to be many fewer passengers boarding making for a quicker and quieter embarkation?

I have an email from Cunard, dated 11 September 2018, in response to my querying our boarding time, so have the facts in writing. We are Diamond, not in the Grills. It says:

 

"You are absolutely correct, as Diamond Tier members of the World Club, you are entitled to receive priority embarkation - available from 12.30 onwards. However, we do not show this information on our e-tickets. Your loyalty status is shown and you will not be turned away if you arrive early to take advantage of this benefit".

 

To those suggesting everyone should arrive at their allotted time, we are not talking about people deciding to show up when they feel like it. As has already been pointed out, but ignored, we are talking about people who have spent a fair amount of money with Cunard and wish to have one of the advertised perks of Platinum/Diamond WC membership.

But we are talking about people arriving when they feel like it, albeit authorised, due to CWC status and/or Grills status. As Ray66 pointed out in post #24 which I alluded to in my reply, the arrival time for those with Priority was always noon but, for reasons best known to Cunard, it seems they have now started mixing the arrival times of all passengers hence the confusion for those of us who respect the information on the e-ticket. I imagine that is why you sought to query it with Cunard?

But we are talking about people arriving when they feel like it, albeit authorised, due to CWC status and/or Grills status. As Ray66 pointed out in post #24 which I alluded to in my reply, the arrival time for those with Priority was always noon but, for reasons best known to Cunard, it seems they have now started mixing the arrival times of all passengers hence the confusion for those of us who respect the information on the e-ticket. I imagine that is why you sought to query it with Cunard?

If you have paid the money to go in a Queens Grill suite from £600++++ a night I think that gives you the right to be able to arrive and have priority boarding at any time after 1230pm. Also priority boarding at anytime after 1230pm for Diamond/Platinum which is a perk for repeated loyal travelling gives you the same rights. P&O have always put a time on the Priority boarding for suite and higher members of the Peninsular Club but have always said ignore the time and arrive at any time that suits you after check in opens after noon. Princess when sailing from Southampton do not put a time on their e-tickets when sailing from Southampton and just Priority and say turn up at a time to suit you.

Odd. I live in the United States and been on Cunard 11 times since 1977 and never once.. not once.. sailed from New York. It's always been from Southampton. But I never recall a separate lounge for priority boarding either at the QEII terminal or the Ocean Terminal, just designated queues. And indeed I've never seen anything resembling a queue standing around for priority boarding. We've just walked up, shown our tickets and maybe waited behind one or two couples and went aboard.

One issue common to a New York embarkation is that disembarkation following a transatlantic can be significantly delayed, which impacts that day's embarkation as well. On our 2017 Caribbean cruise I think boarding started around 1:15 PM. UK Immigration conducts passport screening on eastbound TAs so there is much less likelihood for a delay in turnover in Soton.

Closed-loop cruises in New York and I assume Southampton are processed much more quickly.