Boarding Times Southampton

[Winifred 22]

1 hour ago, Bell Boy said:

You are correct,  passing through Security 'AT Mayflower Terminal' takes place after check-in . Probably with all the excitement of embarking QM2 after the major refit the author may have been confused - unless the ship departed from City Terminal  on the day ?   

More confusing. I got off on the 19th and we definitely were at Mayflower.  We left from QEII but most definitely returned to Mayflower. 

[Bell Boy]

33 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

More confusing. I got off on the 19th and we definitely were at Mayflower.  We left from QEII but most definitely returned to Mayflower. 

Even departing from QE11 terminal , Check-In procedure is immediately as one walks through the main door , 'Security' takes place after the check -in waiting lounge .   

[Winifred 22]

42 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

Even departing from QE11 terminal , Check-In procedure is immediately as one walks through the main door , 'Security' takes place after the check -in waiting lounge .   

Yes I had never been there before . Check in was very quick but Security was incredibly slow and then quite a queue on the air bridge. Hopefully won’t have to go there again. Ocean is my favourite just because it’s within walking distance to where I park my car and saves a taxi fare . 

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, Winifred 22 said:

Yes I had never been there before . Check in was very quick but Security was incredibly slow and then quite a queue on the air bridge. Hopefully won’t have to go there again. Ocean is my favourite just because it’s within walking distance to where I park my car and saves a taxi fare . 

 

The Cunard ships have mostly been using the Mayflower Terminal this year. That call by QM2 at the QEII Terminal was one exception after she returned from the drydock in Rotterdam. The Southampton VTS cruise ship schedule is posted through March 2024. There are seven calls by Cunard ships during that time (five by QV and two by QM2). Six of those seven calls will be at the Mayflower Terminal. The one exception is QM2 at the Ocean Terminal on January 11th. That's presumably because QV is also in Southampton that day at the Mayflower Terminal. Will be interested to see the schedule for the rest of 2024 when it's posted.

Edited December 1, 2023 by bluemarble

[Winifred 22]

55 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

 

The Cunard ships have mostly been using the Mayflower Terminal this year. That call by QM2 at the QEII Terminal was one exception after she returned from the drydock in Rotterdam. The Southampton VTS cruise ship schedule is posted through March 2024. There are seven calls by Cunard ships during that time (five by QV and two by QM2). Six of those seven calls will be at the Mayflower Terminal. The one exception is QM2 at the Ocean Terminal on January 11th. That's presumably because QV is also in Southampton that day at the Mayflower Terminal. Will be interested to see the schedule for the rest of 2024 when it's posted.

At the end of the day it’s not really an issue for me. Mayflower is easier to drop luggage off before parking as I come into Southampton that way. ( I only live 20 miles away). I work several days a week in Southampton near the docks  and enjoy ship spotting even the Isle of Wight ferries !! Watching the huge container ships come in and out always fascinates me. 

[colingu]

We've cruised with other lines ftom SOU where your luggage is taken off you before entering the terminal to (await) check in and boarding.

 

What do Cunard do at SOU's Mayflower terminal?  Can luggage be dropped off early?

 

Our check in is not till 330pm, but we will need to be out of our nearby hotel at noon.  We will have a lot of luggage and are worried we will have to wait outside the terminal with it all.

 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by colingu

[Winifred 22]

Yes you can drop your baggage off from 11 15 and then return nearer your boarding time. 

[Down-Unders]

We have had 3 cruises in PG and have had priority boarding with  all 3. In Tokyo May 23 the hall was full off passengers and priority was called, this is why travelling in PG you get the privilege of getting onboard early. Having said that, we are sailing from Southampton as Diamond with a BB balcony later this year,  I certainly will be asking questions regarding priority boarding from someone who can make decisions at the terminal. Remember it is much easier to be Reactive rather than  Proactive.

[Splice the mainbrace]

43 minutes ago, Down-Unders said:

We have had 3 cruises in PG and have had priority boarding with  all 3. In Tokyo May 23 the hall was full off passengers and priority was called, this is why travelling in PG you get the privilege of getting onboard early. Having said that, we are sailing from Southampton as Diamond with a BB balcony later this year,  I certainly will be asking questions regarding priority boarding from someone who can make decisions at the terminal. Remember it is much easier to be Reactive rather than  Proactive.

We departed from Southampton on QV in November and all priority passengers were called in the following order QG, PG, Diamond and Platinum. QG were called at 12.15, we are Platinum and were called at about 12.40. For you the difference between PG and Diamond being called will only be about 5 minute difference. Call times may be different depending on how soon the ship is ready to receive passengers and when security are ready.

[david63]

55 minutes ago, Down-Unders said:

I certainly will be asking questions regarding priority boarding from someone who can make decisions at the terminal.

Good luck with that. The control of boarding at Southampton has been tightened up over recent months and the "jobsworths" do not budge from the script.

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

We departed from Southampton on QV in November and all priority passengers were called in the following order QG, PG, Diamond and Platinum. QG were called at 12.15, we are Platinum and were called at about 12.40. For you the difference between PG and Diamond being called will only be about 5 minute difference. Call times may be different depending on how soon the ship is ready to receive passengers and when security are ready.

I thought BC were supposed to have priority?

[exlondoner]

58 minutes ago, david63 said:

Good luck with that. The control of boarding at Southampton has been tightened up over recent months and the "jobsworths" do not budge from the script.

And what is the script?

[Splice the mainbrace]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

I thought BC were supposed to have priority?

Sorry what’s BC?

[Victoria2]

59 minutes ago, david63 said:

Good luck with that. The control of boarding at Southampton has been tightened up over recent months and the "jobsworths" do not budge from the script.

I don't call monitoring amount of passengers checking in, jobsworth, at all.

If everyone turned up whenever they felt like it , eg, early, mayhem could ensue as we have seen happen in the past.

Now it's more an orderly checking in process. or it seemed so in '23.

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

Sorry what’s BC?

Britannia Club

[Splice the mainbrace]

Just now, Victoria2 said:

Britannia Club

I don’t recall them calling BC but maybe it’s after Platinum?

[Victoria2]

9 minutes ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

I don’t recall them calling BC but maybe it’s after Platinum?

No idea but priority em/disembarkation is a 'benefit' listed.

[Splice the mainbrace]

1 hour ago, david63 said:

Good luck with that. The control of boarding at Southampton has been tightened up over recent months and the "jobsworths" do not budge from the script.

Priority grades tend to arrive from 11.30 but in our experience on 2 Cunard 2023 embarkations non priority were held outside until the priority had cleared from the waiting area, that was full both times with the priority grades.

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 hours ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

Priority grades tend to arrive from 11.30 but in our experience on 2 Cunard 2023 embarkations non priority were held outside until the priority had cleared from the waiting area, that was full both times with the priority grades.

 

My experience was similar to yours. On QV this fall, they were holding early arrivals in a queue outside the building. I'm diamond, so I was waved right in. There were plenty of people there to check in arrivals, most of them with nobody to check in. The priority seating area was filling, but the nonpriority area had nobody sitting there. I think I sat for 10-15 minutes before they called QG, another 5 until they called PG, another 5 until they called Diamond. There seemed to be more priority people still seated after Diamonds left, so I guess Platinum and maybe BC?

 

I know they want to send the message that you need to stick to your assigned time, but it seemed poor use of staff to have so many ready to work and no customers. 

[D&N]

Britannia Club are the lowest level of priority.

We found the biggest benefit was that we avoided a queue for check-in.

Not needing seats we initially stood near the priority seating area then occupied seats for a short period after the QG and PG folk had vacated them. We didn't wait very long to be called to the security queue.

[Winifred 22]

12 hours ago, Down-Unders said:

I certainly will be asking questions regarding priority boarding from someone who can make decisions at the terminal. Remember it is much easier to be Reactive rather than  Proactive.

Not sure where you will find said person. At the end of the day, the inter cruises staff are only doing their jobs and what they have been asked to do. Having said that I have never had any problems with priority boarding and always stick within half an hour of my allocated time. But as I mentioned on another thread in December on QV there was a queue outside for people who had arrived too early. 

[Down-Unders]

14 hours ago, david63 said:

Good luck with that. The control of boarding at Southampton has been tightened up over recent months and the "jobsworths" do not budge from the script.

I do not understand " jobsworth " but I do understand there are senior people who work on the ship always around check in.  when you are proactive it mostly works, not always but it keeps me happy instead of being negative

[Winifred 22]

6 hours ago, Down-Unders said:

I do not understand " jobsworth " but I do understand there are senior people who work on the ship always around check in.  when you are proactive it mostly works, not always but it keeps me happy instead of being negative

I have never seen senior staff from the ship around at check in Southampton.The staff at the terminals are employed by Intercruises They are not Cunard / Carnival employees. They are the gatekeepers to the operation . If they say you need to wait  outside for your turn you have little option but conform unless you have a valid reason for not. No one is suggesting a negative approach but reminding people that boarding times are being more strictly enforced in Southampton these days so the old maxim of turn up when you like no longer applies. W C Priority boarding gets you your own check in desks so the wait may be quicker but doesn’t give you necessarily an earlier boarding time , just priority when you get there for your allocated time. 

Edited January 10 by Winifred 22

[Splice the mainbrace]

1 hour ago, Winifred 22 said:

I have never seen senior staff from the ship around at check in Southampton.The staff at the terminals are employed by Intercruises They are not Cunard / Carnival employees. They are the gatekeepers to the operation . If they say you need to wait  outside for your turn you have little option but conform unless you have a valid reason for not. No one is suggesting a negative approach but reminding people that boarding times are being more strictly enforced in Southampton these days so the old maxim of turn up when you like no longer applies. W C Priority boarding gets you your own check in desks so the wait may be quicker but doesn’t give you necessarily an earlier boarding time , just priority when you get there for your allocated time. 

Priority (QG, PG, Diamond, Platinum and Britannia Club) does give you earlier boarding it normally starts at 12.15 to 12.45 depending on when the ship or security are ready. It doesn’t matter what boarding time it says on your boarding pass they gather all priority in the waiting area and board them first. If priority passengers arrive later than the start of boarding then they get priority check in but I’m not sure about security.

Edited January 10 by Splice the mainbrace

[Winifred 22]

1 minute ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

Priority (QG, PG, Diamond, Platinum and Britannia Club) does give you earlier boarding it normally starts at 12.15 to 12.45 depending on when the ship or security are ready. It doesn’t matter what boarding time it says on your boarding pass they gather all priority in the waiting area and board them first. 

Others on here will say different. I have always had an early time  latest 1 15 I think so  has never had to put it to the test.