Considering Cunard to get to England.

[pepperrn]

I usually have pretty good luck at airports (domestic & abroad), in terms of the security nonsense maybe 1 time out of 10 I'd get held up for something ridiculous (too much toothpaste for example). Otherwise breeze right through.

 

How lucky you have been. Wait till you've turned up at the terminal for a sailing (I'm talking Southampton here).

Get out of the taxi, leave your suitcases with a very helpful guy who steps forward and then places them on a conveyor belt, enter the terminal, be greeted by a smiling face, she directs you to check-in, passport presented, photo taken, pass though security, across the brow, enter the Grand Lobby of your ship. Check out your cabin, drop your hand luggage on the bed, have lunch, go to a bar, get a drink. Say to yourself "I'll never fly the Atlantic again" (as I did) :) .

Have a great voyage, Bon Voyage! :)

[bazzaw]

How lucky you have been. Wait till you've turned up at the terminal for a sailing (I'm talking Southampton here).

Get out of the taxi, leave your suitcases with a very helpful guy who steps forward and then places them on a conveyor belt, enter the terminal, be greeted by a smiling face, she directs you to check-in, passport presented, photo taken, pass though security, across the brow, enter the Grand Lobby of your ship. Check out your cabin, drop your hand luggage on the bed, have lunch, go to a bar, get a drink. Say to yourself "I'll never fly the Atlantic again" (as I did) :) .

 

Have a great voyage, Bon Voyage! :)

 

Hmmm - that sounds nothing at all like our boarding of P&O Arcadia for the start of her World Cruise in Jan 2011. And our arrival at Southampton on P&O Oriana in December 2010 was nothing short of a chaotic nightmare.

 

Are you sure that the ship and shore authorities in Southampton have been doing this for the past 100 years or so - I would have said that they were every new at the practice.

 

Barry

[lannp]

How lucky you have been. Wait till you've turned up at the terminal for a sailing (I'm talking Southampton here).

Get out of the taxi, leave your suitcases with a very helpful guy who steps forward and then places them on a conveyor belt, enter the terminal, be greeted by a smiling face, she directs you to check-in, passport presented, photo taken, pass though security, across the brow, enter the Grand Lobby of your ship. Check out your cabin, drop your hand luggage on the bed, have lunch, go to a bar, get a drink. Say to yourself "I'll never fly the Atlantic again" (as I did) :) .

Have a great voyage, Bon Voyage! :)

 

You left out the part where I stand at the railing in the Grand Lobby on deck 3 and look up and say, "Hi honey, I'm home" and then head for the cabin to drop the carry-on.

[SamuelBronkowitz]

I'll be leaving from Brooklyn--I've heard almost 50/50 that it's either a nightmare or very pleasant (and it all seems to hinge on the behavior/attitude of the Longshormen from the research I did on these forums).

 

Disclosure--part of my last job was booking air travel for the company---a LOT of it over six years, so I got a knack for it. I always try to time my departures/arrivals to specific airports that I know are easier than others, and on the least busiest times of day and during the week.

[pepperrn]

Hmmm - that sounds nothing at all like our boarding of P&O Arcadia for the start of her World Cruise in Jan 2011. And our arrival at Southampton on P&O Oriana in December 2010 was nothing short of a chaotic nightmare. Are you sure that the ship and shore authorities in Southampton have been doing this for the past 100 years or so - I would have said that they were every new at the practice. Barry

 

Hi Barry,

 

My boarding experience at Southampton has been smooth, quick and problem free every time except once (boarding QV when a computer broke down).

Of course, I'm not sure how often you've boarded ships at Southampton, you may have greater experience than me, I've done it once or twice... ... ... and am looking forward to the next time in a few weeks :) .

 

Very best wishes.

[pepperrn]

You left out the part where I stand at the railing in the Grand Lobby on deck 3 and look up and say, "Hi honey, I'm home" and then head for the cabin to drop the carry-on.

 

Sorry :o , you are right of course, I missed that part :o:o:o .

 

Very best wishes,

[bazzaw]

Hi Barry,

 

I'm not sure how often you've boarded ships at Southampton,

 

 

I have boarded once and disembarked once - perhaps it was slightly different in that the passengers for both (including ourselves) had LOTS of luggage (being start and finish of World Cruises. :)

 

It will be interesting to see how our 3 departures and 3 arrivals at Southampton go for shorter cruises. In either case, all I can do is grit my teeth and bear it - no point in getting upset :)

 

Actually it was the arrival on Oriana that was the worst for us.

 

Barry