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perfectpc
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Hi All

 

New to this cruise stuff.

 

How do P&O know what time you should be arriving to board? I take it this is where you must have your ticket printed out. Was wondering if you did show your ticket you could get on earlier as I have a checkin time of 3:30 and I understand if you arrive early they can make you wait until near our time anyway.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

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Hi, you can arrive early, but you will be given a card with a letter on it and will have to sit in the terminal until your card is called.

 

 

By all means get there at 2.30, you might get on early.

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If you have 3:30 boarding you could get there at 12:30 and if lucky be on by 13:00.

 

But you may have to wait until nearer to 3:30 so it is a gamble basically, just don’t moan if you are sat around for a couple of hours waiting.

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IMO no harm in getting there early and wait in the terminal if you have to. No different to getting to the airport early and having to wait. Better than not being able to board because you arrived late due to unexpected delays.

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I am off in 2 weeks and my embarkation time is 3pm

We will likely get to Southampton around 12.30 but still undecided if we are going to head straight to the terminal or go to the shopping centre and have lunch there!

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Our next cruise is just over 3 weeks away but no longer bothered about check in time as we will be Caribbean level on this. However I am wondering whether we will be able to sneak our Canadian relatives, who are P&O virgins, on board at the same time.;)

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Check in times are allocated by P&O so that embarkation runs smoothly, there is theoretically few queues and little waiting around, kind of like the new smart motorways with reduced speeds at peak times.

 

 

 

In reality very few stick to their allotted time and many turn up between 11am and 1pm Once the rush is through by about 2pm check in is quick and smooth. I once turned up at 3.30pm (my allotted time) and they check in staff asked me if I had been delayed as they were waiting on me.

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Our next cruise is just over 3 weeks away but no longer bothered about check in time as we will be Caribbean level on this. However I am wondering whether we will be able to sneak our Canadian relatives, who are P&O virgins, on board at the same time.;)

 

Can I ask how long you waited after your previous cruise to be Caribbean level. We should be after returning from Oriana 3 weeks ago, but nothing as yet and our next cruise we are still listed as Mediterranean

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Can I ask how long you waited after your previous cruise to be Caribbean level. We should be after returning from Oriana 3 weeks ago, but nothing as yet and our next cruise we are still listed as Mediterranean

It was fairly quick Jean, I seem to remember checking the Peninsular data a few days after we returned and it was showing Caribbean.

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Our next cruise is just over 3 weeks away but no longer bothered about check in time as we will be Caribbean level on this. However I am wondering whether we will be able to sneak our Canadian relatives, who are P&O virgins, on board at the same time.;)

 

Hi John

It's hit and miss in our experience. My wife and I are Caribbean tier and my in-laws who go on most cruises with us are not. Sometimes they are allowed to embark early with us on the basis that we are all travelling together and other times our request has been declined.

Have a great cruise.

Damian

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Well it was very quick when we went up to Mediterranean, but so far nothing has changed. My friend should have moved up to Med and we should have moved to Caribbean. I think it might be something to do with this Data Protection thingammy

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Our next cruise is just over 3 weeks away but no longer bothered about check in time as we will be Caribbean level on this. However I am wondering whether we will be able to sneak our Canadian relatives, who are P&O virgins, on board at the same time.;)

 

My in-laws always cruise together (father, mother & son) and only one of them is Carribean tier but they always board together on priority check in and even go to the Peninsular luncheons. Sometimes they share a balcony cabin but not always. I guess its because its either done as one booking or linked bookings.

Sam.

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Hi John

It's hit and miss in our experience. My wife and I are Caribbean tier and my in-laws who go on most cruises with us are not. Sometimes they are allowed to embark early with us on the basis that we are all travelling together and other times our request has been declined.

Have a great cruise.

Damian

 

If you are in the same cabin/ booking then fair enough. If not then I can see why they would not allow it, why should they when there are many others who are not with probably more points.

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I am off in 2 weeks and my embarkation time is 3pm

We will likely get to Southampton around 12.30 but still undecided if we are going to head straight to the terminal or go to the shopping centre and have lunch there!

 

Logistics of taking my luggage around with me would put me off. You could drop off your luggage and go back into town. Taxi would be the most convenient option. I would take a chance with arriving early, waiting a little and boarding earlier than expected.

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My in-laws always cruise together (father, mother & son) and only one of them is Carribean tier but they always board together on priority check in and even go to the Peninsular luncheons. Sometimes they share a balcony cabin but not always. I guess its because its either done as one booking or linked bookings.

Sam.

 

Peninsular luncheon invitations go to everyone sharing the cabin where at least one passenger is in the appropriate tier. Our son who is 7 always gets an invite even though he is way off Caribbean tier.

All the best.

Damian

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If you are in the same cabin/ booking then fair enough. If not then I can see why they would not allow it, why should they when there are many others who are not with probably more points.

 

I agree with you but my in-laws always used to ask and being the dutiful son-in-law that I am I would put in the request on their behalf !

These days my mother-in-law pre-books assisted embarkation and they are usually on board before us anyway.

Cheers

Damian

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Our next cruise is just over 3 weeks away but no longer bothered about check in time as we will be Caribbean level on this. However I am wondering whether we will be able to sneak our Canadian relatives, who are P&O virgins, on board at the same time.;)

 

 

We just received our coach tickets yesterday and our eta is 13.45. Previously all we have had time to do is a quick visit to the toilet and barely enough time to fill our forms out before our ticket was called.

So I am presuming that the coaches get priority when they arrive.

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We just received our coach tickets yesterday and our eta is 13.45. Previously all we have had time to do is a quick visit to the toilet and barely enough time to fill our forms out before our ticket was called.

So I am presuming that the coaches get priority when they arrive.

They do

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

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Can I ask how long you waited after your previous cruise to be Caribbean level. We should be after returning from Oriana 3 weeks ago, but nothing as yet and our next cruise we are still listed as Mediterranean

We have been back 2 weeks and the tier has changed on our next cruise. You may have to give them a ring.

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Still don’t understand why boarding is so slow on P&O

 

Just back from the Bravo music cruise on Celebrity Silhouette. Boarding for everyone from 10.30 am

We arrived 10.45 - straight through security, queued for a minute then on board by eleven and drinking the glass of fizz they give you as you board

 

While the cabins weren’t ready until after 1 ( I never noticed the precise time) there were loads of venues open - couple of places to watch the royal wedding, Oceanview cafe etc. They make it painless and easy

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Still don’t understand why boarding is so slow on P&O

 

Just back from the Bravo music cruise on Celebrity Silhouette. Boarding for everyone from 10.30 am

We arrived 10.45 - straight through security, queued for a minute then on board by eleven and drinking the glass of fizz they give you as you board

 

While the cabins weren’t ready until after 1 ( I never noticed the precise time) there were loads of venues open - couple of places to watch the royal wedding, Oceanview cafe etc. They make it painless and easy

Agree with you totally, City terminal's process is far superior to either Ocean or Mayflower, I only have experience on Celebrity or RCI and wonder if embarkation is as slick for all the other lines using City. I definitely think having security first before check in speeds up the process and have suggested P&O consider changing Ocean and Mayflower to this system on every feedback questionnaire that allows free form comments.

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