Embarkation times

[peteukmcr]

Hi again, Pete -

 

I am seriously wondering whether you have made the right decision in this cruise with P&O and without being in any way rude to you, I do feel you would be better off sticking with the other lines you mention and those which appeal to the American market.

 

You seem to mention often how this and that would not appeal to Americans, but a lot of us P&O fans like P&O because it targets the English market and not the American markets.

 

Horses for courses and I do fear you have chosen the wrong course here, but I sincerely hope you enjoy your cruise anyway despite everything as it is a long way to travel just for a 2 night cruise.

 

 

Unfortunately I think you're correct and we may have chosen a cruise line that does not suit our tastes or meets our expectations after our great experiences on other lines.

 

I will enjoy the cruise despite the fact that yes we are travelling a distance for 2 nights but we are meeting family who live far closer than we do and P&O appear to put a lot of obstacles in our way, unnecessarily IMHO.

 

However, I do hope P&O cheerleaders won't be offended when I publish my review which will be warts and all afterwards to enable others to make an informed choice when considering P&O.

Edited March 7, 2016 by peteukmcr

[Scriv]

However, I do hope P&O cheerleaders won't be offended when I publish my review which will be warts and all afterwards to enable others to make an informed choice when considering P&O.

 

Yes, I would always recommend that people do lots and lots of research into a cruise and a cruise company before booking - reading all the info in brochures and websites and forums and reading reviews - but bearing in mind that reviews are always subjective.

 

Be prepared for your cruise being a totally British experience with possibly 100% guests being British though. ;)

[Scorpio41]

Unfortunately I think you're correct and we may have chosen a cruise line that does not suit our tastes or meets our expectations after our great experiences on other lines.

 

I will enjoy the cruise despite the fact that yes we are travelling a distance for 2 nights but we are meeting family who live far closer than we do and P&O appear to put a lot of obstacles in our way, unnecessarily IMHO.

 

However, I do hope P&O cheerleaders won't be offended when I publish my review which will be warts and all afterwards to enable others to make an informed choice when considering P&O.

 

You need to go on board with an open mind and make the most of the experience. We all have different aspects of cruising which doesn't appeal but you enjoy the bits you do.

 

I hope you have a good cruise.

[brillo]

I find it strange that some people come on to this board with the sole intention of praising other lines.

When they do I tend to take a look at the boards covering the lines that they are pushing, nine times out of ten there are similar complaints from their Pax !

[daiB]

I find it strange that some people come on to this board with the sole intention of praising other lines.

 

When they do I tend to take a look at the boards covering the lines that they are pushing, nine times out of ten there are similar complaints from their Pax !

 

 

Of course there are that is the nature of forums and things like FB. As Pete has found P&O are different to other lines. Possibly not to his taste. No worse, no better, just different.

 

P&O have a massive advantage, sailing 12 month of the year out of the U.K.

 

 

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[Essex Racer]

Couple of weeks ago had boarding time of 3:30, arrived at 3:30, terminal full took a letter similar to last years arrangements and ended up boarding at just after 4:00 and actually was probably in the last 50 in the terminal. Have boarding time of 2:30 in a couple of weeks time lets see what happens then.

[frenchmartiniplease]

Unfortunately I think you're correct and we may have chosen a cruise line that does not suit our tastes or meets our expectations after our great experiences on other lines.

 

I will enjoy the cruise despite the fact that yes we are travelling a distance for 2 nights but we are meeting family who live far closer than we do and P&O appear to put a lot of obstacles in our way, unnecessarily IMHO.

 

However, I do hope P&O cheerleaders won't be offended when I publish my review which will be warts and all afterwards to enable others to make an informed choice when considering P&O.

 

Oh boy! I've never gone on any holiday, on land or a cruise, expecting to look for "warts and all". I always go to enjoy myself and not sweat the small stuff.

Just go for it and enjoy yourself!

[john watson]

Very true, but most hotels allow check in at 14:00 so you can enjoy most of the day. As I said, most US guests would not accept the restriction on boarding times that appears to be unique to P&O. Not very customer friendly IMHO. But then again if you enjoy losing most of your first day, then fine. I expect more as I have become accustomed to on RCI, Carnival, Celebrity and NCL.

 

If you look at Americans and American Cruise Lines you have got to factor in that Americans will typically board after a much longer journey than UK passengers and need to because of the size of USA. I think American cruise lines gear up universally on this basis. UK cruise lines have a later boarding time schedule. I suspect this is to keep boarding costs down. American Lines in the UK probably want to get people back to UK airports at very early times wheras UK cruisers want to disembark at a later time.

 

Regards John

Edited March 9, 2016 by john watson

[the english lady]

Oh boy! I've never gone on any holiday, on land or a cruise, expecting to look for "warts and all". I always go to enjoy myself and not sweat the small stuff.

Just go for it and enjoy yourself!

 

I wasn't going to comment any more, but cant help myself, so here we go.

Yes if one boards with the idea that everything will be perfect. Nothing will be wrong. Everything is geared to what one enjoys then it may not match up to those ideals.

I have to say if I read reviews that are headed the holiday from hell..I tend to think oh its one of them. Warts and all is similar.

As someone else posted reviews are subjective. Not everyone likes the same thing.

I will look out for your review, but I will compare it with other that are posted from the same cruise so I can make up my own idea of what it was like.

Of course you may go and enjoy it....

[gunn3rs3]

We have just sent off the paper work for assisted boarding as wife uses a wheelchair , so will be interesting to see what happens.

[jeanlyon]

P&O do give you food when you board. Fred Olsen does not board until 1400 and there is no lunch. Doesn't bother us one bit, we take a sandwich. There is tea around 4. Does that spoil my cruise - well of course not. People seem to want to squeeze every last thing out of anything.

[brillo]

Always interesting to look at the other boards, on Carnival one marked "staggered boarding" is about booking opening at 10:30 and boarding commencing at 12:30.

[john watson]

Always interesting to look at the other boards, on Carnival one marked "staggered boarding" is about booking opening at 10:30 and boarding commencing at 12:30.

 

The Op on that post talks about "access to the terminal" at 10.00am. I understand this to mean you can get into the building as the doors open at that time. The check-in time they quote is 10.30am to 11.00am. This seems to mean that you will be checked in between those hours and then I assume you will go through to a holding area beyond the security area or possibly this side of security. Boarding starts at 12.30pm, and it seems this is for people who have already got checked in. I have in the past mentioned that at the various terminals if they split the area into two sections either side of security they could process a large number of people through to a "ready to board" status in the sense of they can just walk on board. This would spread the load but need major redesign of terminals.

 

Regards John

[jeanlyon]

Yes that's how it worked with Fred Olsen. We checked in and then waited in another area to be called by deck. Having said that, Fred's ships are small and so the waiting area was not crowded.

[john watson]

The weirdest arrangement for boarding I have ever experienced was on small cruise line at Dover. Things were not going well on this cruise as we were boarding two days late at a different port to that indicated on the itinerary. We had been staying in a hotel at Southampton on day 1 followed by a hotel at Dover on day 2. When the coach took us to the pier side we were simply counted on to the ship as a bulk number and our luggage was put through security independently. We were told if problems like no passport, etc. occurred during check in on board we would have to get back off. Check in was done on board using camera and printing boarding cards. Normally the line does this themselves in a cruise terminal and has a lorry to put the cases onto.

 

Regards John

[MawganTr]

To be honest, you are quibbling over an hour or two. Holidays are meant to be relaxing so go with the flow over boarding times.

First world problems, eh?

 

 

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[kevinyork]

To be honest, you are quibbling over an hour or two. Holidays are meant to be relaxing so go with the flow over boarding times.

First world problems, eh?

 

 

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A tad flippant. You could quote the line 'first world problems, eh' on every single thread across this whole forum. It doesn't make the debating taking place irrelevant. Imagine if the PM responded to every PMQ's with 'First World Problems, eh' ? Where would we be? Could you not add something constructive to the conversation?

 

It's not quibbling over an hour or two. If you usually arrive at noon, to be told you cannot arrive till 3.30 is a big deal and places inconvenience and pressure on those passengers. It's especially irritating when there isn't a single viable, supportable,logical reason other than the cruise line wants to save money. Other lines look to improve people's check in experience yet P&O look to restrict it for their own benefit.

 

 

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Edited March 9, 2016 by kevinyork

[jeanlyon]

How do you imagine they are trying to save money? What has actually happened is that the ships have got bigger and everyone was arriving at 11.30, well apart from us, as we just like to arrive around 1300. With our choice being second sitting, arriving around 1-1.30 and being on board by 2.30 for some lunch is perfect.

 

If you are one of those that just has to be on board at 1200 in case you miss a meal - dear god - missing a meal?

 

You just can't have over 3000 people arriving at 11.30.

Edited March 9, 2016 by jeanlyon

[peteukmcr]

You just can't have over 3000 people arriving at 11.30.

Well I wasn't going to comment but I can't resist.

 

There are many other lines with ships bigger than those in the P&O fleet who do not impose such rigid check in times on their guests and start the process before 12:30 unlike P&O.

 

At a rough count there are 34 ships with bigger capacity than Ventura (except Britannia who has around 18 ships bigger) currently sailing for at least 6 other lines who manage I understand without rigid check in times. There are at least another 6 ships to launch to join the 4000+ passenger capacity across these lines very soon.

 

I'd like to understand the reasoning for not starting until 12:30 unlike other lines including P&O parent company Carnival and the other brands in that group such as Princess and Costa who all have larger passenger vessels than P&O and who start the check in process before midday.

 

Maybe it's down to the design of the terminal, but other lines have invested heavily in the use of technology, terminal design etc to improve the check in process for their guests.

 

I would have thought it would be of benefit to get your guests onboard as soon as possible because that will get those tills jingling earlier and that means more money in the cruise line coffers. These days this is even more important to a cruise lines bottom line as the amount of ancillary revenue from onboard sales is a significant part of that total.

 

However, it is what it is, and as long as P&O guests are happy, the cruise line won't change.

Edited March 10, 2016 by peteukmcr

[daiB]

Well I wasn't going to comment but I can't resist.

 

There are many other lines with ships bigger than those in the P&O fleet who do not impose such rigid check in times on their guests and start the process before 12:30 unlike P&O.

 

At a rough count there are 34 ships with bigger capacity than Ventura (except Britannia who has around 18 ships bigger) currently sailing for at least 6 other lines who manage I understand without rigid check in times. There are at least another 6 ships to launch to join the 4000+ passenger capacity across these lines very soon.

 

I'd like to understand the reasoning for not starting until 12:30 unlike other lines including P&O parent company Carnival and the other brands in that group such as Princess and Costa who all have larger passenger vessels than P&O and who start the check in process before midday.

 

Maybe it's down to the design of the terminal, but other lines have invested heavily in the use of technology, terminal design etc to improve the check in process for their guests.

 

I would have thought it would be of benefit to get your guests onboard as soon as possible because that will get those tills jingling earlier and that means more money in the cruise line coffers. These days this is even more important to a cruise lines bottom line as the amount of ancillary revenue from onboard sales is a significant part of that total.

 

However, it is what it is, and as long as P&O guests are happy, the cruise line won't change.

 

 

 

The change took place last year when the company moved back boarding to 12.30. The reason for this was to be able to have all cabins ready as passengers boarded. My friends who cruise with RCI etc. Tell me that the cabins are generally not ready until early afternoon. So the company was responding to feedback.

 

 

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[gadabout60]

The change took place last year when the company moved back boarding to 12.30. The reason for this was to be able to have all cabins ready as passengers boarded. My friends who cruise with RCI etc. Tell me that the cabins are generally not ready until early afternoon. So the company was responding to feedback.

 

 

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Gosh the myths that abound

 

On my last two celebrity cruises from Southampton I have arrived at about 12.45. Gone through security and check in. Not had to stop and wait. Greeted on the ship with a glass of bubbly. Cabins ready. Lovely lunch. Unpack. Muster drill. On the top by 4 or 4.30 to enjoy sailaway

 

Last cruise with p and o on a ship with less passengers. Hang about Southampton all morning. Terminal at 2pm. Sit in terminal until 3.30. No lunch. On ship just before 4. Be told to rush to muster drill.

Then be told it has been put back an hour. Rush to get unpacked

 

I know which I prefer

[peteukmcr]

The change took place last year when the company moved back boarding to 12.30. The reason for this was to be able to have all cabins ready as passengers boarded. My friends who cruise with RCI etc. Tell me that the cabins are generally not ready until early afternoon. So the company was responding to feedback.

 

 

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Cabins on RCI are available at 1pm. Lunch is available from 11:30 am in the buffet or in addition (where available) Park cafe. In the majority of cases RCI start boarding as early as 11 am (depending on clearance of previous guests due to immigration). It is clear the number of guests that can be processed in those extra 90 minutes (11 - 12:30) helps reduce pressure on the terminal where there could be 4000+ guests waiting to check in.

 

Are you saying P&O responded to feedback from guests who want their cabins available immediately upon boarding?

[Callyscally]

Gosh the myths that abound

 

On my last two celebrity cruises from Southampton I have arrived at about 12.45. Gone through security and check in. Not had to stop and wait. Greeted on the ship with a glass of bubbly. Cabins ready. Lovely lunch. Unpack. Muster drill. On the top by 4 or 4.30 to enjoy sailaway

 

Last cruise with p and o on a ship with less passengers. Hang about Southampton all morning. Terminal at 2pm. Sit in terminal until 3.30. No lunch. On ship just before 4. Be told to rush to muster drill.

Then be told it has been put back an hour. Rush to get unpacked

 

I know which I prefer

 

Could not have put it better myself.

[Essex Racer]

My preference would be to go back to as before, arrive when it is convenient for you, take a letter and wait my turn, may be onboard by 13:00 or wait until 14:30, explore the ship sit and have a drink or two (money going in the till for P&O) then when cabin is ready go and unpack, muster and Sailaway - all very relaxed and feels like a good start to my holiday.

 

Rather than being told when to arrive, boarding late, rushing around and sailing still half unpacked - just so cabins can be ready for when you board.

 

It does appear that cabins being ready was passengers desire for when they board and is the official line from P&O for the reason to change - IMO not a requirement and I wonder what an appropriate worded survey would conclude now!

[chrisg1uk]

My preference would be to go back to as before, arrive when it is convenient for you, take a letter and wait my turn, may be onboard by 13:00 or wait until 14:30,

 

Thats fine so long as everyone can do the same ie there are no check in times issued by P&O at all and check in opens for all (except priority customers at x o'clock). Those who wanted a less busy embarkation could arrive later. My understanding is that this wasn't how it was previously in that times were allocated and then ignored by some and weren't enforced. Put simply either have times and enforce them or do away with them altogether and make efforts to speed the process up. Choosing times is all well and good but if desired times are not available when choosing, many will still turn up early for all the reasons mentioned here and on the previous repetitive thread.