Embarkation times - experiences welcome !

[davecttr]

9 hours ago, scarlet ohara said:

We were on G303 with a boarding time of 1.45. Our taxi arrived early and we arrived at 1pm. We started queuing outside and thought it might take a while but nobody looked at the time on the boarding passes and we were in the atrium onboard within 30minutes. Didn’t even get a chance to sit down as our queue just kept moving. We were ahead of the coaches which probably helped. Cabins ready was shortly after we boarded and our cases were already at the cabin. Very smooth

My case went through the hole in the wall at 11.55 and it arrived at the cabin after 5pm

[Angel57]

7 hours ago, davecttr said:

My case went through the hole in the wall at 11.55 and it arrived at the cabin after 5pm

I’ve found that the earlier my case goes thru that hole (I.e. before say 1215), the later it turns up. My thoughts are that the slightly later arriving cases get piled on top of the very early ones - but I could be completely wrong…..

[Sheila127]

8 hours ago, davecttr said:

My case went through the hole in the wall at 11.55 and it arrived at the cabin after 5pm

Same here! I boarded 12.15 p.m and my case arrived after 5 p.m.  I was getting a little worried when I saw everyone's cases outside their cabins and mine hadn't appeared! As I boarded early I expected it to arrive early! But all was well!

[davecttr]

This could be because of the way the baggage handlers do things. They fill those large trolleys and maybe the first ones are left to last as later cases are added and moved to the ship as soon as full leaving early filled ones at the back of the group. This needs fixing

[Guest ccpm]

20 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

We are Caribbean and I have never been given 12 noon.  Usually 1330.

It seems to now be priority boarding at 12 noon now Jean at least on Iona.

[Fionboard]

I am Ligurian and time varies from 1145 to 1215 depending on which cruise and which ship. Luggage has only ever been late arriving once - Iona  (due to size probably).

[jamiebarnzy]

Have seen on one of the facebook groups that someone who work for the port have said they now going to be two line for Iona, one to check in for those at there allotted time and one for those who are early. Who will be slotted in when there space which may be well before the allotted time. Not sure if this will apply to other ships or just the two new ones. 
 

I myself have always gone down for 12:00 as I in a hotel and we alway take a taxi to the port and park the car at the hotel to avoid the CPS queueing and want to get rid of the bags and also to try and get there before the buses turn up and it gets really busy. We alway expect to have to wait and plan on haveing a few drinks at the bar/cafe and people watch as we wait to board. Never very busy at 12:00 however I find and and in last few years since the restart we been straight thought more or less and on the ship. Before that apart from one time were the ship was very late (lots of money spent in the port bar rather then on the ship and a nice lurch in Southampton rather then glasshouse) we never had to wait long and would rather be there check in and ready, we know we may have to wait but there is a bar and never know it to get so busy with people being early that they had to turn people away but many time I heard of delays due to too many people coming later and at the same time. 
 

I do like the idea of the two lanes hopefully it may be a way for P&O to keep everyone more or less happy. But I feel that most people would want a pick you own time for select fare, Which links into CPS and the buses. I hope P&O will in the future offer this service make people pick a time when booking and then saver fares can be slotted in where there space, the buss can then all have the same times and CPS could have limit to the number of people at one time so everyone does not turn up to park there car at once which has delayed the ship more then once. 
 

 

Edited February 22, 2023 by jamiebarnzy

[Slugsta]

Was the 'lurch' in Southampton related to the money spent in the bar?? 😂

[jamiebarnzy]

31 minutes ago, Slugsta said:

Was the 'lurch' in Southampton related to the money spent in the bar?? 😂

We had a email to say the ship was late the day before so we went for lunch before hand and had an early breakfast rather then a large late one well knowing we would not get are glasshouse lunch that day and may not even get dinner, we got on about 5 that day but some did not get on till 11pm. Thankfully this is very rare and only happen once in my nearly 20 years of cruising. 

[happy v]

I didn't know there was a bar in the terminal. Shows how observant I am

[Fionboard]

15 hours ago, happy v said:

I didn't know there was a bar in the terminal. Shows how observant I am

Me neither. Never seen a bar,  although they occasionally have had coffee at the priority waiting area.

[daiB]

2 hours ago, Fionboard said:

Me neither. Never seen a bar,  although they occasionally have had coffee at the priority waiting area.

If you are Ligurian, you will not have time to look for the bar. When we have been in a suite we have often not had time for our tea/coffee in the “lounge” it did not matter how early we got there.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

If you are Ligurian, you will not have time to look for the bar. When we have been in a suite we have often not had time for our tea/coffee in the “lounge” it did not matter how early we got there.

We had priority boarding on Saturday and were directed down the side as we approached the security queue which only had a few people waiting.  We however trudged all the way down to the very end of the security section, only to meet a rather ancient jobsworth who wanted to examine everyones boarding pass in minute detail, resulting in a long queue and a 15-20 minute wait. Then after our security we had to walk all the way  back down because the exit to the ship was at the start of security.

I suppose Paul Ludlow must have designed that feature.

.

[Fionboard]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

If you are Ligurian, you will not have time to look for the bar. When we have been in a suite we have often not had time for our tea/coffee in the “lounge” it did not matter how early we got there.

Fair point, usually whizz through and relax with a drink at the lunch. 

[daiB]

1 hour ago, Fionboard said:

Fair point, usually whizz through and relax with a drink at the lunch. 

Only one???  🙂

[daiB]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

We had priority boarding on Saturday and were directed down the side as we approached the security queue which only had a few people waiting.  We however trudged all the way down to the very end of the security section, only to meet a rather ancient jobsworth who wanted to examine everyones boarding pass in minute detail, resulting in a long queue and a 15-20 minute wait. Then after our security we had to walk all the way  back down because the exit to the ship was at the start of security.

I suppose Paul Ludlow must have designed that feature.

.

On Aurora at Christmas we had to check in with the disability team for my scooter to get a tag. Then to checkin then to the holding bay for assistance passengers. Those of us who were assistance and priority got on first. Result. On the cruise were 800 top tier passengers so 3/4 loyalty lunches all packed. Don’t expect this to be the same next month.

[Fionboard]

2 hours ago, daiB said:

Only one???  🙂

Maybe not!

[tring]

On 2/20/2023 at 1:16 PM, jeanlyon said:

We are Caribbean and I have never been given 12 noon.  Usually 1330.

 

Your previous posts seem to have mentioned you only book Aurora and Arcadia, so if that is the case it may well explain why, since people are also saying a lot of very high tier members travel on those ships, so a number could be Baltic or Ligurian.  So then Caribbean will take a while to work through.

 

[Angel57]

14 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Your previous posts seem to have mentioned you only book Aurora and Arcadia, so if that is the case it may well explain why, since people are also saying a lot of very high tier members travel on those ships, so a number could be Baltic or Ligurian.  So then Caribbean will take a while to work through.

 

Not sure if I’ve been lucky, but on cruises from Southampton on Aurora, Arcadia and Azura I’ve always had boarding times of between 1230 and 1330 at Caribbean level….

[majortom10]

On 2/20/2023 at 1:16 PM, jeanlyon said:

 

Posted in error

Edited February 24, 2023 by majortom10

[solentsam]

we are Caribbean level and for the last few cruises have had 12.00 or 12.30 boarding times but they have been on Iona and Arvia

[CliveJ]

Well, I started the thread....wondering whether I could 'gazump' my unappealing 15:45 boarding time next Sat. (Mar. 4th|).

Seem to be as many opinions/experiences as there are members posting !

My conclusion - will arrive quite a bit earlier...& see what transpires - and of course if it doesn't work, I know who to blame ! Happy cruising everyone. 

[jamiebarnzy]

1 hour ago, CliveJ said:

Well, I started the thread....wondering whether I could 'gazump' my unappealing 15:45 boarding time next Sat. (Mar. 4th|).

Seem to be as many opinions/experiences as there are members posting !

My conclusion - will arrive quite a bit earlier...& see what transpires - and of course if it doesn't work, I know who to blame ! Happy cruising everyone. 

I would say if you can turn up before the buses do, do, it say very clearly on P&O website that your welcomed to turn up early just that proity will be given to those at there allotted time and here slot you i where there space which may be well before your time. I think P&O just want to get people on the ship spending money as soon as they can and won’t make people wait or turn them away without a good reason. 
 

“You are welcome to arrive earlier of course, but if you do we will ask you to make yourself comfortable in the terminal until we are able to check you in. This may well be before your allotted time, we promise we won’t make you wait around unnecessarily.

The latest time you can check in is one hour before the ship departs.”

Edited February 24, 2023 by jamiebarnzy

[jeanlyon]

On 2/24/2023 at 11:03 AM, tring said:

 

Your previous posts seem to have mentioned you only book Aurora and Arcadia, so if that is the case it may well explain why, since people are also saying a lot of very high tier members travel on those ships, so a number could be Baltic or Ligurian.  So then Caribbean will take a while to work through.

 

Yes, hadn't thought of that.  1330 or 1400 is fine for us.  We drive to Southampton on the day, having dropped the dog off, so quite happy with time given. 

[tring]

4 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes, hadn't thought of that.  1330 or 1400 is fine for us.  We drive to Southampton on the day, having dropped the dog off, so quite happy with time given. 

 

That is not a bad time we had a check in time much nearer 3.30pm, possibly later for Aurora in Nov and we were on deck B as well in a deluxe balcony cabin. but not quite Caribbean yet and apparently that 28 night Caribbean cruise had a lot of high loyalty passengers on it. 

 

We will be Caribbean for an August Aurora cruise though, but not for our late June fjords one.