Assistance boarding

[Babybooface]

Hi we are travelling on Iona with my elderly father who I care for. We are booked in two different cabins next to each other and linked but we have separate booking numbers.  I have just emailed to ask for help for boarding for him . I’m just worried he will be allocated a different boarding time to us as we have separate booking numbers. Does anyone know what would happen If his assisted boarding was say 2pm but my husbands and I say were 4pm. I don’t know If we would be allowed to board with him as I’m his carer. I would be happy to all wait till the later time but would he still be able to get help to board if he didn’t arrive at the time allocated to him. Sorry if that is confusing . 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Babybooface

[Selbourne]

Hopefully you will get the same boarding time, but if not it sounds as though there are two of you plus your father? Whilst there is assisted boarding, it is easy for an able bodied person to embark a wheelchair bound passenger themselves. This gives you two options;
 

If you have an earlier boarding time than your father, explain to the P&O staff member receiving guests at the terminal that your father was allocated a later boarding time but travelled with you and you are his carer, they will let the three of you check in together. You could then use regular boarding, with one of you pushing the wheelchair and the other dealing with any carry on luggage (my wife is happy to have some carry on luggage on her lap in her wheelchair).
 

If your father is given an earlier boarding time than you, you can do the same, or go straight to the assisted boarding area (usually the first cordoned off area that you see as soon as you enter the terminal), explain that you are your fathers carer but were given a later time and I’m sure that they will board you together.

 

EDIT - Just noticed that as well as being linked, your cabins are next to each other. It’s therefore almost certain that you will get the same boarding time as it’s usually done by deck anyway, but the same two boarding options as described above are open to you. 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Selbourne

[Babybooface]

Thank you so much for your brilliant reply. Yeah just the three of us . He will be in a wheelchair . I am just panicking I had visions of him been wheeled on and us left waiting at the terminal for a few hours  and he wouldn’t be able to cope on his own . It’s been so stressful organising all his medical needs and getting insurance for him to go etc. You have really put my mind at rest . Thank you so much . 

 

[Selbourne]

12 minutes ago, Babybooface said:

Thank you so much for your brilliant reply. Yeah just the three of us . He will be in a wheelchair . I am just panicking I had visions of him been wheeled on and us left waiting at the terminal for a few hours  and he wouldn’t be able to cope on his own . It’s been so stressful organising all his medical needs and getting insurance for him to go etc. You have really put my mind at rest . Thank you so much . 

 

You are welcome. You really don’t need to worry. One thing that P&O is brilliant at is making provision for wheelchair users. My wife is a full time wheelchair user and cruising is the only foreign holiday that she will entertain. There is assisted embarkation and disembarkation, most areas of the ships are wheelchair friendly (especially the newer ships, with automated doors etc) and the accessible cabins on Iona look brilliant. There are (limited) wheelchair and companion seats in the theatre. Passengers are asked to give priority to wheelchair users in lifts (most do) and they will even assist wheelchair users on gangways in ports of call. As a carer myself, it’s a great holiday. 
 

There are only two negatives. One is that in the main dining room they will often try to sit you alongside walkways (so as not to have to squeeze between tables), but just say if you don’t like the table as most are easier to get to than they think. Secondly, and this is the biggest negative for us, wheelchair users cannot get off the ship in tender ports. Not really an issue on Iona as, being so big she tends to only goes to ports where she can berth, but it’s a real pain on other ships. Apparently one or two other cruise operators have wheelchair accessible tenders.

[terrierjohn]

25 minutes ago, Babybooface said:

Thank you so much for your brilliant reply. Yeah just the three of us . He will be in a wheelchair . I am just panicking I had visions of him been wheeled on and us left waiting at the terminal for a few hours  and he wouldn’t be able to cope on his own . It’s been so stressful organising all his medical needs and getting insurance for him to go etc. You have really put my mind at rest . Thank you so much . 

 

Other than priority loyalty boarding, P&O seem to allocate boarding times by deck, so it very likely you would receive the same time if your cabins are in the same location.

[sandancer]

We found the assistance staff, extremely helpful at Southampton. They took me right to the cabin and on our return right to the car where our lovely man loaded our luggage into the boot for us. I have no experience of wheelchair use onboard as I was recovering from knee replacement surgery and only needed help to board and disembark. The walk from the car park to cabin was more than I could manage. I did not have a wheelchair so one was provided. 

[purplesea]

My mother and I have always had different booking numbers when in different cabins. We have used assistance for boarding and disembarking many times and others have said we have had not problems. 

[Babybooface]

Thank you so much for the reply’s looks like I was worrying for nothing .