Boarding Time

[SDadw01]

Just received E tickets, it states boarding time as 1400, can we board earlier?

 

We only live 5 miles from Southampton so would like to get on-board ASAP!

 

:):):):):)

[purplekim]

Of course you can, we did. You get a card according to what time you get there. Check opens around 11.30 am, we were there around 11'ish. There were a quite a number of people there already. They called the green card first that day.

 

Have wonderful cruise.

 

 

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[Jtristram22597]

I presume this would be the same for us? We're sailing on Azura on 14th August and would like to get on board ASAP :p purplekim, what time would you recommend getting there?

[purplekim]

We arrived at 10.45, the car parking was booked through P&O so from the drop off point just outside the terminal. The bags were taken off there and we walked straight in. The bit that took a few mins longer was checking the car before the attendant drove off with it. We did take our time stopping to go to the loo, pick up the free magazines etc and a smoke, toilets so when we eventually got in it was 11ish. We waited for 30 mins or so before they started to call for check in.

 

The earliest that boarding begins is 11.30 for oriana which is a smaller ship, azura is larger so they may start earlier.

 

 

 

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[shallwe]

Rules are rules. Ask those who take a dim view of trainers.

 

If it say 14:00hrs, then 14:00hrs it must be.

 

No earlier, no later ;)

[SDadw01]

Rules are rules. Ask those who take a dim view of trainers.

 

If it say 14:00hrs, then 14:00hrs it must be.

 

No earlier, no later ;)

 

Trainers? I must be missing something!

[purplekim]

I would just go early - worst would be you have to wait. Take some books have a coffee and chill out when you get there.

 

Ignore the trainers comment. Some people are just plain rude and want to bring others down. You'll get those on the cruise, best to steer clear of those.

 

We were excited, first cruise and all so we went early, and we had a good time doing that.

 

 

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[davecttr]

Trainers? I must be missing something!

It was sort of a joke ;) There are some 'traditionalists,' such as those who take a dim view of those wearing trainers, who would say that if the ticket is 14:00, that is the time you turn up.

 

do not panic, everyone else ignores that ;)

 

I always turn up shortly after 11am, whatever my ticket says, and am on the ship by about noon :D

[shallwe]

Ignore the trainers comment. Some people are just plain rude and want to bring others down. You'll get those on the cruise, best to steer clear of those.

 

:confused:

 

Rude definitely not. Not my style.

 

Flippant, maybe even facetious - yes.

[daiB]

It was sort of a joke ;) There are some 'traditionalists,' such as those who take a dim view of those wearing trainers, who would say that if the ticket is 14:00, that is the time you turn up.

 

do not panic, everyone else ignores that ;)

 

I always turn up shortly after 11am, whatever my ticket says, and am on the ship by about noon :D

 

 

Well I always turn up when I am told, although if it says boarding at 13.00 you have to be there earlier to be able to board at 13.00. As I say I always turn up when I am told to, won't catch me going early.

 

 

BTW, I always get a 12.00 boarding time. :) :) ;)

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

 

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[kersh]

Us too Dai. Always says 12 noon boarding. We are usually on well before that though.

[cazzie107]

omg whats going on, whats wrong with wearing trainers? when people have to travel then there going to be there bit early. im sure theres places to sit and wait. we go next fri on our first ever cruise, i hope i am able to enjoy it without people who go all the time looking down at me|

[SDadw01]

omg whats going on, whats wrong with wearing trainers? when people have to travel then there going to be there bit early. im sure theres places to sit and wait. we go next fri on our first ever cruise, i hope i am able to enjoy it without people who go all the time looking down at me|

 

Glad I don't wear trainers and arrive early ;-)

[bluemug]

Glad I don't wear trainers and arrive early ;-)

I shall wear what I don't want to carry. So what if I turn up wearing my D.J. and hiking boots. Beats waiting in the departure lounge having to carry them.

[the english lady]

omg whats going on, whats wrong with wearing trainers? when people have to travel then there going to be there bit early. im sure theres places to sit and wait. we go next fri on our first ever cruise, i hope i am able to enjoy it without people who go all the time looking down at me|

Goodness gracious nobody will look down at you.

I wear whatever I am comfortable travelling in. Now if someone turned up in their DJ and hiking boots I would probably glance at them, but that's it...

Everybody is too excited to be going on a cruise to look at what others are wearing.

As has been stated you can get there earlier than your tickets says, but you will probably be hanging around the cruise terminal if it is too early.

 

I am beginning to think Fred have the right idea. You can turn up at the terminal anytime you like, but they do not start boarding anyone until 2-2.30pm. By then all cabins are ready,so you can go straight to your cabin. Thing is there is nowhere to eat, until the evening, so people do not turn up too early as they have to fit in eating something somwhere.

Thinking about it, that to me, is more sensible. Mind you I prefer the pando product.

[P&O SUE]

omg whats going on, whats wrong with wearing trainers? when people have to travel then there going to be there bit early. im sure theres places to sit and wait. we go next fri on our first ever cruise, i hope i am able to enjoy it without people who go all the time looking down at me|

 

I think the trainers joke was referring to a thread where people were discussing wearing trainers in the evening!

 

Everyone wears trainers or similar during the day - don't worry!

 

Oh - and back on topic - I've got there 11.30 -12ish both cruises so far and walked almost straight on. (The first time I had a boarding time of 1pm and we were allowing for traffic, the second time I'd read these boards and saw most people just turned up when they could!)

Edited August 2, 2014 by P&O SUE

[SDadw01]

I think the trainers joke was referring to a thread where people were discussing wearing trainers in the evening!

 

Everyone wears trainers or similar during the day - don't worry!

 

Oh - and back on topic - I've got there 11.30 -12ish both cruises so far and walked almost straight on. (The first time I had a boarding time of 1pm and we were allowing for traffic, the second time I'd read these boards and saw most people just turned up when they could!)

 

Thank you we will get to terminal at about 1130!

[jeanlyon]

I think Fred has it right as well. They don't serve lunch on the day of boarding, so you get on board at 2 pm and go straight to your cabin.

[davecttr]

I think Fred has it right as well. They don't serve lunch on the day of boarding, so you get on board at 2 pm and go straight to your cabin.

Freds idea won't work for ships with 2000 to 3600 passengers. They need every minute to process all those people. When I first started cruising with P&O the Ventura check-ins opened just after 11.30 and the Oceana 12.00. Recently Oceana's have opened at 11.30 too.

 

There was talk of making you stick to your arrival time but that is just not practical as some people will arrive early or late for perfectly valid reasons.. What do they do with the 'slot'? leave the desk empty? of course not, they will process the next in the queue, as I say they need all the time they can get.

[majortom10]

Goodness gracious nobody will look down at you.

I wear whatever I am comfortable travelling in. Now if someone turned up in their DJ and hiking boots I would probably glance at them, but that's it...

Everybody is too excited to be going on a cruise to look at what others are wearing.

As has been stated you can get there earlier than your tickets says, but you will probably be hanging around the cruise terminal if it is too early.

 

I am beginning to think Fred have the right idea. You can turn up at the terminal anytime you like, but they do not start boarding anyone until 2-2.30pm. By then all cabins are ready,so you can go straight to your cabin. Thing is there is nowhere to eat, until the evening, so people do not turn up too early as they have to fit in eating something somwhere.

Thinking about it, that to me, is more sensible. Mind you I prefer the pando product.

 

P&O used to be boarding starting at 2pm but changed it a few years ago because of the large ships and so provide buffet lunch and champagne buffet for those in the applicable Peninsular tier. It is easy for Fred Olsen because they have small ships compared to Azura and Ventura and that is exactly the same as what P&O used to do so in effect Fred Olsen are behind the times with boarding.

[Denarius]

To get back to the OPs question, P&O give you a preferred boarding time in an effort to spread arrivals evenly over the afternoon. That is what their check in systems are geared to. They also know that coach transfers are scheduled to arrive at certain times and that individual arrivals might prefer to avoid them, as the queues may be longer at such times. Having said that, the time is a suggestion not an instruction and no one will refuse you access if you arrive earlier (or later) than your designated time. Just don't complain about the queues if you arrive at a busy time.

Edited August 2, 2014 by Denarius
typo

[Invincible]

Last time with P&O we decided to arrive a bit later to avoid the crowds all getting there for 11am we arrived just after 2pm parking was much quieter, still waited around15 minutes to check in but the biggest delay was security, by the time we got on board it was after 3.30 and barely had time to get to our cabin before the muster drill. We too are on Azura on the 14th and our ticket suggests a 3pm check in with the latest check in 3.45, having to drive over 100 miles to get there I daren't risk getting there that late in case of traffic delays or the remote possibility of a breakdown, as we are travelling with our 2 granddaughters this time too who are on their first cruise we aim to arrive between noon and 12.30. We did do a cruise in June on Queen Victoria from the QE2 terminal got there around 1.30 and was on board eating lunch before 2pm.