Advice needed on when to print etickets/luggage labels when no cabin # assigned

Dear fellow P&O cruisers, although I can quite easily pick up the phone to P&O I want to gauge peoples opinions and first hand experiences...

I am on the saver fare (the lowest grade where the cabin number is yet TBA and I will find out my dining option once on board). However I have now thought of something quite important; as I am travelling at least 24 hours before embarkation I am now worried if my cabin number isn't assigned until the very last minute I wont have been able to print my etickets and luggage labels before I leave. I know I could probably ask the small B&B in Southampton to do this for me if they have the facility (surely most places in Southampton will have been asked this question before - but I don't want to rely on that) but I am of the type where I like to be organised and have all my labels laminated and on the bags well ahead of time...

How late are they realistically likely to allocate the cabin? and could they print anything at the check-in at the terminal or do we need to arrive at the door to the terminal with some sort of proof (last time with P&O was 6-7 years ago so cannot remember that), and with RCCL last year at Southampton we left our bags before we entered the terminal (we definitely also did this with Ventura) although I don't think I needed to show any documentation before I got to a desk... the only thing I will have printed on me if the cruise personaliser wont let me print anything before I depart, is my original booking confirmation email...

Thought and experience appreciated,

Claire

Dear fellow P&O cruisers, although I can quite easily pick up the phone to P&O I want to gauge peoples opinions and first hand experiences...

I am on the saver fare (the lowest grade where the cabin number is yet TBA and I will find out my dining option once on board). However I have now thought of something quite important; as I am travelling at least 24 hours before embarkation I am now worried if my cabin number isn't assigned until the very last minute I wont have been able to print my etickets and luggage labels before I leave. I know I could probably ask the small B&B in Southampton to do this for me if they have the facility (surely most places in Southampton will have been asked this question before - but I don't want to rely on that) but I am of the type where I like to be organised and have all my labels laminated and on the bags well ahead of time...

How late are they realistically likely to allocate the cabin? and could they print anything at the check-in at the terminal or do we need to arrive at the door to the terminal with some sort of proof (last time with P&O was 6-7 years ago so cannot remember that), and with RCCL last year at Southampton we left our bags before we entered the terminal (we definitely also did this with Ventura) although I don't think I needed to show any documentation before I got to a desk... the only thing I will have printed on me if the cruise personaliser wont let me print anything before I depart, is my original booking confirmation email...

 

Thought and experience appreciated,

Claire

Claire, I think the vast majority of people will get their details 7 to 14 days before the sailing. I have not heard of anyone having to wait until they arrived at the terminal.

Agree with Dai, you will probably get your cabin number about 2 weeks before sailing. So you will be able to print everything off then.

Agree with Dai, you will probably get your cabin number about 2 weeks before sailing. So you will be able to print everything off then.

That has always been my thought, but I depart on Arcadia in a few days time and my cabin was upgraded on Friday having originally been allocated three weeks earlier. So, given that there may be a late upgrade, I'd now suggest waiting until 3 or 4 days before departure. My booking was also on a guarantee basis.

Gty cabin assignments are made late on but normally in good time. I should print everything possible as soon as you can. Your check in time may get changed and if you get a better one issued later on you can print that out and go with which is best. So print again later if things change. It is permissible to print out everything several times. 99.9% of the time cabins are allocated in good time but it is possible to board with GTY luggage labels not indicating cabin. They put them in a special place so when you later ask "where's my case?" they actually know where they put it! They do not deliver because they know not where to deliver until you ask. This is extremely unlikely to occur. Similarly; if you have done all the website items that need completing, you can actually board with just a passport and no other documentation but check in will be lengthy.

Regards John

Not P&O but we recently cruised from Southampton with Cunard, same company Carnival UK with same staff and booking system. We had booked a Saver fare and we were told that you might not know until you arrive at the terminal. We were told to leave our luggage outside with somebody while the other person goes into terminal and ask a member of staff and you will be given your stateroom number and luggage labels. You will then return to your luggage attach labels and let porters take them away. In the end we were given our stateroom assignment 4 days before travel but on our arrival at Ocean Terminal noticed a table on ground floor where others who had booked Saver fares were checking in and staff were handing out luggage labels.

thank you all and to majortom10 for the insight. I wasn't aware I could print GTY labels - I guess these will be assigned to me in the cruise personaliser?

A final question - is it a case of keeping checking my cruise personaliser or will they email me before we depart with a cabin number? This is all new to me as we've always pre-booked our cabin number!

Cheers, Claire

Keep checking the cruise personaliser, we sail next week and our cabin number appeared last Tuesday. There is a note against the cabin number that says to keep checking even if you have been assigned as it might change.

A few years ago they 'upgraded' us before we left and the luggage labels still had the old cabin number on them.

We didn't use them obviously but our luggage still found its way to our cabin, no trouble at all. :D

thank you all and to majortom10 for the insight. I wasn't aware I could print GTY labels - I guess these will be assigned to me in the cruise personaliser?

A final question - is it a case of keeping checking my cruise personaliser or will they email me before we depart with a cabin number? This is all new to me as we've always pre-booked our cabin number!

Cheers, Claire

We were allocated our cabin last week for our cruise on 5th Dec. Prior to that our cruise personaliser said we couldn't download e-tickets or luggage labels because we didn't have cabin allocation yet.

Yes P&O did email when cabin number was allocated but it appeared in the cruise personaliser first...just keep checking!

P&O must have heard me as the day after I wrote this I received my cabin number and i'm very happy with it :)

The note advises that I save printing my tickets until as last minute as I can get if things change yet again, but either way i'm happy and i'll at least have the documentation with me when I travel two weeks tomorrow!

Thanks again,

Claire