Silly question about disembarkation

[LondonLad60]

18 hours ago, GOQ said:

I assume you are referring to disembarkation at Southampton.

 

Your are given a disembarkation time and requested to assemble in a named bar or lounge just before your disembarkation time. Then your group disembarks as an entity and as others have said you find your case in the warehouse grouped by deck number.

 

 

 

That sounds all well and good in theory. However... my wife and I are in the Ligurian tier of the Peninsula Club which (supposedly) gives us priority disembarkation. On our last Arcadia cruise (October 2019) disembarkation was chaotic. We went to our disembarkation venue at the allocated time and passengers were congregating in corridors and stairwells/lift lobbies despite being told in their disembarkation instructions not to. One couple could be heard boasting, "We don't go to our venue, nor do we wait for our allocated time. We wait near the exit and as soon as people begin to move off, we join in". Should we ever cruise with P&O again, it will definitely be self disembarkation for us.

[Britboys]

18 hours ago, GOQ said:

I use two luggage straps at right angles to form a large cross, I can see it from across the room.

Oh and a large Mister Man luggage tag which says "MY BAG".

 

I have one that says "'Scuse me - not your bag!". 😄

[Britboys]

I've only once had my case taken by someone else and after reporting it to staff at the terminal, they got a phone number for the man (none on case) and fortunately he only lived a few miles outside Southampton so they told him to bring my case back. When he arrived, he didn't even have the good grace to apologise...

[Merry25]

3 minutes ago, Britboys said:

I've only once had my case taken by someone else and after reporting it to staff at the terminal, they got a phone number for the man (none on case) and fortunately he only lived a few miles outside Southampton so they told him to bring my case back. When he arrived, he didn't even have the good grace to apologise...

 

Phew - that was lucky.   I bet he was annoyed at having to come back.  😂  Still no excuse for not offering an apology.  Some people....

[Fionboard]

Just off Aurora. Very smooth. Priority got off at 8.45. 

[terrierjohn]

38 minutes ago, Britboys said:

I've only once had my case taken by someone else and after reporting it to staff at the terminal, they got a phone number for the man (none on case) and fortunately he only lived a few miles outside Southampton so they told him to bring my case back. When he arrived, he didn't even have the good grace to apologise...

Did he accuse you of copying his case????😊

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, LondonLad60 said:

That sounds all well and good in theory. However... my wife and I are in the Ligurian tier of the Peninsula Club which (supposedly) gives us priority disembarkation. On our last Arcadia cruise (October 2019) disembarkation was chaotic. We went to our disembarkation venue at the allocated time and passengers were congregating in corridors and stairwells/lift lobbies despite being told in their disembarkation instructions not to. One couple could be heard boasting, "We don't go to our venue, nor do we wait for our allocated time. We wait near the exit and as soon as people begin to move off, we join in". Should we ever cruise with P&O again, it will definitely be self disembarkation for us.

I appreciate that some people may have flights or trains to catch, or possibly a long drive home, but I don't understand this urgent desire to get off the ship.

We ask for a 9am or later disembarkation time. This allows us time to clear the cabin at 8am, have a relaxed breakfast, and then stroll off the ship in a leisurely manner.

Yes, we might arrive an hour or so later than those in the 8am melee, but we will be a lot less stressed when we start our journey.

 

[Britboys]

4 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I appreciate that some people may have flights or trains to catch, or possibly a long drive home, but I don't understand this urgent desire to get off the ship.

We ask for a 9am or later disembarkation time. This allows us time to clear the cabin at 8am, have a relaxed breakfast, and then stroll off the ship in a leisurely manner.

Yes, we might arrive an hour or so later than those in the 8am melee, but we will be a lot less stressed when we start our journey.

 

Being no more than 2 hours drive from Southampton I always request the latest disembarkation time as I really don't want to go straight into rush-hour traffic on the motorways.  I have, on occasion, disembarked when the "Would all remaining passengers now please disembark" announcement...😁

[davecttr]

Late disembarkation for me as it gives the private hire car time to get to Southampton from Kent and I get home about lunchtime.

[majortom10]

We went to dedicated disembarkation lounge after leaving our cabin at 8am and was told we could disembark straight away instead of waiting for our time. The queue to get off the ship was negligible and we soon found out suitcases and loaded our car and was driving off CPS not long after 8-30am. I was expecting a massive queue to get off Iona but was very surprised and non existent.

 

[Ardennais]

7 hours ago, wowzz said:

I appreciate that some people may have flights or trains to catch, or possibly a long drive home, but I don't understand this urgent desire to get off the ship.

We ask for a 9am or later disembarkation time. This allows us time to clear the cabin at 8am, have a relaxed breakfast, and then stroll off the ship in a leisurely manner.

Yes, we might arrive an hour or so later than those in the 8am melee, but we will be a lot less stressed when we start our journey.

 

We feel exactly the same. We do have a 4-5 hour drive, but we’re never in a rush to leave! 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Ardennais said:

We feel exactly the same. We do have a 4-5 hour drive, but we’re never in a rush to leave! 

The same as us then. Getting home at 4pm or 5pm makes no real difference.  

We have beans on toast for supper regardless of when we get home,  accompanied by a Pinot Noir (or equivalent) as officially we are still on holiday !

[terrierjohn]

10 hours ago, wowzz said:

The same as us then. Getting home at 4pm or 5pm makes no real difference.  

We have beans on toast for supper regardless of when we get home,  accompanied by a Pinot Noir (or equivalent) as officially we are still on holiday !

Each to their own, however we like to be off the ship  by 8:30 - 9:00am, then, traffic permitting, we can be home by early to mid afternoon. To be loitering around a gradually emptying cruise ship I find to be a very depressing experience.

[wowzz]

18 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Each to their own, however we like to be off the ship  by 8:30 - 9:00am, then, traffic permitting, we can be home by early to mid afternoon. To be loitering around a gradually emptying cruise ship I find to be a very depressing experience.

I just prefer a relaxed end to the holiday, rather than enduring the 8am scrum.

[terrierjohn]

7 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I just prefer a relaxed end to the holiday, rather than enduring the 8am scrum.

Strangely enough we walked straight off Iona on our last cruise at 8:30, and the baggage hall was not crowded at all, and I managed to grab a porter after only a 5 minute wait, and we were on our way home by 9:15, very relaxing it was.

[Harry Peterson]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Each to their own, however we like to be off the ship  by 8:30 - 9:00am, then, traffic permitting, we can be home by early to mid afternoon. To be loitering around a gradually emptying cruise ship I find to be a very depressing experience.

With you on that one.  Somehow everything changes after dinner on the final night, and you move imperceptibly from valued guest, nothing too much trouble, to visitors who've outstayed their welcome and need to be hurried away before the next ones arrive.

[Dermotsgirl]

23 hours ago, wowzz said:

I appreciate that some people may have flights or trains to catch, or possibly a long drive home, but I don't understand this urgent desire to get off the ship.

We ask for a 9am or later disembarkation time. This allows us time to clear the cabin at 8am, have a relaxed breakfast, and then stroll off the ship in a leisurely manner.

Yes, we might arrive an hour or so later than those in the 8am melee, but we will be a lot less stressed when we start our journey.

 

I hate waiting around to get off the ship. The holiday is done, and I just want to be on my way home. Just want to get on with it . And P&O want me off asap too.

 

before we were retired we used to take our luggage off ourselves at 7.30am or thereabouts, so I could get home and start my washing. Now that we have more time, I’m slightly more relaxed, but would still want to be on the road by 8.30am at the latest 

 

 

[Ardennais]

We had a very leisurely full breakfast in the Coral restaurant on Iona before disembarking. I didn’t want to leave!