Staggered Boarding??

[curiouscat]

when do you find out your boarding time? How does it work if you are using princess air and princess transfers? We are a family of five sailing on the June 7 British Isles cruise out of South Hampton. I haven't heard anything from Princess about this yet. Do they take our luggage or do we have to lug it around for awhile? Our flight arrives at 8:55am I am just trying to figure out my plan.

 

 

They say they will take your luggage..but good question since u booked thru Princess...ask your travel advisor or whoever u booked through?

[dog]

when do you find out your boarding time? How does it work if you are using princess air and princess transfers? We are a family of five sailing on the June 7 British Isles cruise out of South Hampton. I haven't heard anything from Princess about this yet. Do they take our luggage or do we have to lug it around for awhile? Our flight arrives at 8:55am I am just trying to figure out my plan.

 

We did princess transfer from Victoria coach station,not airport. They take your luggage as you check in with princess rep coach will take you to terminal & you will go in. I didn't t hear of or see anyone being turned away. Terminal had lots of chairs to sit in. Outside is also covered at ocean terminal.

 

Next time we will stay in southampton & just show up at our boarding time. This year we didn't t find out our boarding time until 4 days prior to cruise & we were already in london then & had paid for princess transfers.

It wasn't t a big deal at terminal for those who went after 2:30 pm I also spoke to a few others who are platinum or elite & they were sen

L right over to check in even at 1 pm

[JimmyVWine]

Much more effective to bombard upper level management.. :D:eek:

 

Indeed. You do know that my tongue was planted firmly in my cheek!:cool:

[Josy1953]

I have just received the attached reply from Princess. It does not answer my questions about whether pax with preferred boarding have to adhere to the times.

 

Good afternoon

 

Thank you for your email and I apologise for the delay in our response.

I appreciate you taking the time to write to us and I have noted your comments in relation to our decision to introduce a staggered embarkation system in Southampton. This has been implemented following an extensive review and aims to offer our passengers a smoother embarkation process.

 

The times given are operated as a guideline and we would kindly ask that passengers adhere to their allocated time, as this has proven to help prevent any long queues. It also means that check-in is faster and more efficient. This operation was trialled during the summer season of 2011 and proved to be very effective indeed in reducing waiting times at the terminal. That said, we are aware that there are instances when it may not be possible for passengers to meet the times detailed and this has been taken into account. Additionally, I can confirm that a preferred check-in desk will remain open for our Platinum and Elite Captain's Circle members, as well as those booked in a Suite.

 

I hope this information has helped answer your enquiry and look forward to welcoming you on board.

We took 2 cruises in 2011 May and August and did not have staggered boarding so I don't know when it was trialled.

[mr green]

Coral Princess from Vancouver has normal boarding.:)

 

john

[alan44]

I E mailed Princess two weeks ago about this and have just received the very same message.

[KirkNC]

when do you find out your boarding time? How does it work if you are using princess air and princess transfers? We are a family of five sailing on the June 7 British Isles cruise out of South Hampton. I haven't heard anything from Princess about this yet. Do they take our luggage or do we have to lug it around for awhile? Our flight arrives at 8:55am I am just trying to figure out my plan.

 

I am on that cruise and it says it will have staggered boarding times so you can't board until your decks time. What deck are you on?

[JimmyVWine]

I have just received the attached reply from Princess.

 

...The times given are operated as a guideline and we would kindly ask that passengers adhere to their allocated time, as this has proven to help prevent any long queues. It also means that check-in is faster and more efficient...That said, we are aware that there are instances when it may not be possible for passengers to meet the times detailed and this has been taken into account.

 

Certainly does not sound as if they intend to turn people away.

 

It does not answer my questions about whether pax with preferred boarding have to adhere to the times.

 

Why doesn't this answer your question? Looks pretty clear that preferreds can show up whenever and head for the special check-in desk.

Additionally, I can confirm that a preferred check-in desk will remain open for our Platinum and Elite Captain's Circle members, as well as those booked in a Suite.

[dread_pirate]

The problem that they're going to face will be fewer people becoming Platinum or Elite, even if those classes can board without regard to staggering. I know that many of you posting on these threads already are, but I'm scheduled to take my first Princess cruise. Since I plan to board the ship in Whittier late anyway, it's not a big deal on this trip if they have staggered boarding. But if I read that there is staggered boarding in ports in which it might make a difference, this might also be my last Princess cruise.

 

I'm sure there are many of us "little people" with no clout who also feel that way.

[hubofhockey]

I am happy to see the term guideline in that e-mail. We are sharing transportation from London with a couple that is platinum and they are boarding at noon and we will do the same. I will apologize and explain why I am attempting to board outside the time allocated to me.

[5onadime]

I am on that cruise and it says it will have staggered boarding times so you can't board until your decks time. What deck are you on?

We are on deck 8 (i think) Where did you see about the staggered boarding? I haven't seen it in any of our documents

[dutchess43]

First Princess changes the chairs on the balconies making it worse especially for the Caribbe deck. Now this staggered embarkation, well they will have less people checking in if guests start booking other cruise lines. Whats next?

[Cuizer2]

There is a way to crush this system. But it would take a good bit of coordination and cooperation among thousands of people. First, someone needs to get confirmation from Princess that if you show up after your appointed time, that you will still be allowed to board. Of course this has to be the case. The new protocol says that if you show up earlier, you will be turned away. It does not say the same thing for showing up after your selected time. Perhaps Princess would answer this question on its FB page.

 

Next, with confirmation in hand that showing up late is not a problem, everyone on a particular cruise, and I do mean everyone, show up at the latest time slot (2:30, based on Shogun's earlier post). At 12:00...nothing. Crickets. 12:30...nothing. 1:00...same thing. Princess starts to wonder what the heck is happening. Then, at 2:30, thousands of people begin to show up. The boarding process is slow and chaotic, and each and every passenger who checks in makes a point of telling the receptionists that this would not be a problem if people could show up at a time of their own choosing. A natural staggering will occur simply because people operate on their own schedule.

 

The people who volunteer for this mission will suffer a slow, delayed, chaotic boarding process. But they will be heroes, as this would show Princess once and for all that assigned boarding times simply do not work and benefit no one. The new rule would vanish faster than the uncomfortable balcony chairs.

 

Well, now I have an answer to my question of what could be worse than Princess' hair-brained boarding system.

[1 HappyCruiser]

First Princess changes the chairs on the balconies making it worse especially for the Caribbe deck. Now this staggered embarkation, well they will have less people checking in if guests start booking other cruise lines. Whats next?

 

The reduced entertainment like they have on the Emerald could spread to all the other ships.

[Josy1953]

Certainly does not sound as if they intend to turn people away.

 

 

 

Why doesn't this answer your question? Looks pretty clear that preferreds can show up whenever and head for the special check-in desk.

 

Additionally, I can confirm that a preferred check-in desk will remain open for our Platinum and Elite Captain's Circle members, as well as those booked in a Suite.

 

The preferred check-in is available but I wanted to know if we are able to check-in before the scheduled time for our deck because some posts have said that Preferreds still have to respect the schedule they just have preferred boarding within their designated slot. I was also told this by a Princess rep when my TA called them for me yesterday because I had not received a reply to my email. I would like to get a definitive answer in writing.

[JimmyVWine]

Well, now I have an answer to my question of what could be worse than Princess' hair-brained boarding system.

 

Only difference....mine was a joke!;) Theirs is not.:eek:

[Josy1953]

We are on deck 8 (i think) Where did you see about the staggered boarding? I haven't seen it in any of our documents

 

If you go to your cruise personaliser click on "View Itinerary" and scroll down to notifications there is a notification about the check-in information. For our cruise on the Grand 19th May it is :

 

12:00 pm - Dolphin Deck/Cabins D103-D737

12:30 pm - Caribe Deck/Cabins C101-C753

1:00 pm - Lido Deck & Aloha Deck/Cabins L101-L308 & A201-A749

1:30 pm - Baja Deck/Cabins B201-B751

2:00 pm - Emerald Deck/Cabins E101-E733

2:30 pm - Plaza Deck/Cabins P201-P337

[Thejuggler]

I note the response from Princess states this was introduced in summer 2011. If so there must be plenty of passengers who turned up before their allocated time, but I can't find a thread from passengers saying they were turned away for arriving early.

[1 HappyCruiser]

If you go to your cruise personaliser click on "View Itinerary" and scroll down to notifications there is a notification about the check-in information. For our cruise on the Grand 19th May it is :

 

12:00 pm - Dolphin Deck/Cabins D103-D737

12:30 pm - Caribe Deck/Cabins C101-C753

1:00 pm - Lido Deck & Aloha Deck/Cabins L101-L308 & A201-A749

1:30 pm - Baja Deck/Cabins B201-B751

2:00 pm - Emerald Deck/Cabins E101-E733

2:30 pm - Plaza Deck/Cabins P201-P337

 

Do you know if they deny to entering the terminal at the door based on cabins OR do they let you in & then call the boarding by cabins? :confused:

[luvseadays]

We did a cruise on the Star in March out of San Francisco, we were told the same thing and believe me, they stuck by the times. We are Platinum and it didn't make any difference, we were physically turned away at the terminal.

[sez809]

Can GOLD cruisers come back on and tell us of their experience at Southampton. We're Gold and cruise from Southampton on the 20th July. We'll be driving down from South Wales in the morning to arrive around 1130. Our boarding time is currently scheduled for 1430, don't want to be hanging around for 3 hours.

 

David

 

We are gold and cruised last year with my sister, a first timer. We booked separately however, and our decks had a three our difference in boarding times. I chose to ignore this "request" so we could board together, at her time. (The earlier one of course!;)) ;)Not a word was said and we boarded with no problems at all.

 

This August we sail again from Soton, with more newbies to Princess, close friends of ours. As yet, no boarding times assigned.

However,as we plan to share transport but NOT decks,we will arrive together at one or other time and plead ignorance.

 

Should Princess insist on enforcing this ridiculous and frankly unworkable rule, it will be hello to RCI or Celebrity next time for our Silver Wedding cruise!!!

 

I do hope they are reading this board, and take away some of the vitriol here vented.:mad:

[geduffer]

Well this is enough to ensure that I will never, ever try a Princess Cruise. What a load of crap. Give me Celebrity. As soon as the ship is cleaned out of the previous passengers, with my priority boarding, they send me up, hand me a glass of champagne and say welcome aboard, feel free to start eating. :D

[sez809]

Well this is enough to ensure that I will never, ever try a Princess Cruise. What a load of crap. Give me Celebrity. As soon as the ship is cleaned out of the previous passengers, with my priority boarding, they send me up, hand me a glass of champagne and say welcome aboard, feel free to start eating. :D

 

I am sincerely regretting recommending Princess to our friends, this smacks of not giving a hoot what passengers want or need. Hardly a flying start to a holiday. "Its ok mates, you go ahead, We will sit in the rain and wait until they let us in......."

 

Utter pants.

[JimmyVWine]

I am sincerely regretting recommending Princess to our friends, this smacks of not giving a hoot what passengers want or need.

While I cannot support the policy, I think we need to take a deep breath and a step back. 3,000 passengers will be boarding. Think about the percentage of people who post here who give a hoot about early boarding; lining up for the buffet at 12:30; rushing to the Sanctuary to reserve a spot; calling to get on the list for the Chef's Table and what have you. Now think about the percentage of passengers who don't care a bit about these things and who simply want to board swiftly and smoothly without an interminable wait in the terminal. To say that staggered boarding is not what passengers want or need is a huge leap. It may not be what CC posters want. But it is undeniably more efficient and faster if people follow the guidelines. How could it not be? Show up at 11:00 with 2,000 other people, or show up at your appointed time with 500 other people. Easy math. We may not like the idea. But we are not the majority. Far, far from it. As long as Elites and Platinums get preferred boarding, Princess will be looking after the loyalists (and squeaky wheels), so it is hard to argue that it is running contrary to the wants and needs of most customers.

[Captain Canuck]

people here care about boarding early..lots of people don't ..so this rule does not reflect natural behaviour...this reminds me of idiot architects who put in sidewalks where they think it looks nice..smartest thing I ever saw was a building where they did not put in the sidewalk until the path of people walking showed up on the grass..they then put the sidewalk where people wanted to walk

 

cruise lines have computer systems to sell cabins based on occupancy..and they cannot figure out how to react to crowds showing up for boarding

 

this is stupid and we will not be cruising Princess again while this stands