A few Newbie questions

[glennbtn]

Hi All

 

Going for our first cruise on Britannia and the end of April. Having never done this before I wondered of you all could answer a few questions

 

We have included parking at the Ocean terminal. How does this work, is it the same as the airport meet and greet service as such. Hoping it's well sign posted

 

I understand you get a boarding time. Does it matter if we get there early as I have heard the traffic can be a nightmare.

 

What is the process with checking in and boarding etc

 

Thanks

 

Glenn

[daiB]

Hi All

 

 

 

Going for our first cruise on Britannia and the end of April. Having never done this before I wondered of you all could answer a few questions

 

 

 

We have included parking at the Ocean terminal. How does this work, is it the same as the airport meet and greet service as such. Hoping it's well sign posted

 

 

 

I understand you get a boarding time. Does it matter if we get there early as I have heard the traffic can be a nightmare.

 

 

 

What is the process with checking in and boarding etc

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Glenn

 

 

OK when you drive in you are directed to a row. There someone from the car parking co. Will come and take your keys and take the car away. As this happens porters will be there to take the luggage you want to be taken to the cabin. Your large cases. You take your hand luggage into the terminal. This is all very slick so you need to have all your luggage labeled up and know exactly what you want them to take and what you are taking yourself.

 

You enter the terminal and go up the escalator and someone will greet you and give you a card with a number/letter on. You wait until you are called and go to check in from there you go to board the ship.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Dai

[kevinyork]

I understand you get a boarding time. Does it matter if we get there early as I have heard the traffic can be a nightmare.

 

 

 

What is the process with checking in and boarding etc

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Glenn

 

 

They have started given arrival times recently however general advice seems to be you can still turn up anytime after midday and should be checked in pretty soon after. You hand over your online check in papers, the check your passport, swipe your credit card and take your photo. You then get your cruise card which is used to open your cabin door and for charging drinks etc and walk through security and up the walkway on on to the ship. Then your holiday begins.

 

This way you can enjoy lunch onboard.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[glennbtn]

Thanks for the info

 

From what I understand they suggest you take your suit/dresses on as hand luggage, is this correct.

 

Are you restricted as to what you can take in hand luggage like on a plane or can you take a bottle of wine for example on with you.

 

Thanks

 

Glenn

[Wiz201]

luggage is not restricted on cruises from southampton, you can take as much as you want, including drinks and food.

I'm going on Ventura 25 April, I think its the mayflower terminal we're boarding from. They have post codes to the ports so you can use your sat nav to get there.

[Big Stevie]

Ive read that some folk carry their suits as hand luggage, but this means they have to carry them around the ship with them until their cabin is ready.

 

Others fold their suit at the last possible minute and put in their suitcase. Once their cases arrive at their cabin they hang their suit up, with minimal creasing.

[Johnno3c]

Liking that idea Big Steve, leave them hanging in the car until next morning, we are at Premier West Quay the night before.

[the english lady]

Liking that idea Big Steve, leave them hanging in the car until next morning, we are at Premier West Quay the night before.

 

Now that's a good idea, except we never travel down the night before..

Suits and dresses in the cases to be delivered to your cabin. They should arrive just after 2pm. Having said that there are always lots of cases by the lifts , so we just wander along there, once we are in our cabin , find ours, and bring them back to our cabin-quicker.

There always seems to be a few cases though missing their owners. They always find each other in the end though.

I now take a little wheel on case-saves carrying anything around. camera/gadgets/box of wine goes in that.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

box of wine goes in that.

Ah that reminds me - did someone say a box of wine fits in the fridge better than a bottle (any excuse :D)

[newbieafloat]

I was planning on taking a box of red wine, but if the boxes fit in the fridge, I might go for a box of white instead :)

[amajaa]

We just take one bag each as hand luggage and put all suits, dresses in the cases to go through the hole in the wall to the ship.

I normally take a small case on wheels which I send with the porters to the hole in the wall but on leaving the ship we take that one off with us. That way we can put our overnight stuff in it from the last night and put the suitcases out for collecting before we go for the evening meal. The first few cruises we rushed back to the cabin before the final collecting time in the evening , took our clothes off, put as much toiletries, make up etc in cases and then put them out. Also small suit case handy for putting the duty free bottles in.

 

We are hoping to arrive about 11.30 to 12 although our ticket says 13.00 hrs.

[daiB]

We just take one bag each as hand luggage and put all suits, dresses in the cases to go through the hole in the wall to the ship.

 

I normally take a small case on wheels which I send with the porters to the hole in the wall but on leaving the ship we take that one off with us. That way we can put our overnight stuff in it from the last night and put the suitcases out for collecting before we go for the evening meal. The first few cruises we rushed back to the cabin before the final collecting time in the evening , took our clothes off, put as much toiletries, make up etc in cases and then put them out. Also small suit case handy for putting the duty free bottles in.

 

 

 

We are hoping to arrive about 11.30 to 12 although our ticket says 13.00 hrs.

 

 

Your ticket says embark at 13.00. You have to be there earlier than that to follow that instruction. I would say an hour before is about right.

[amajaa]

Your ticket says embark at 13.00. You have to be there earlier than that to follow that instruction. I would say an hour before is about right.

 

Well yes we have to be there to have our lunch you know :) :):) We moved house last year and are now an hour further away from Southampton so not as easy now to plan timings as traffic varies

 

(Visiting Britannia tomorrow yay)

[newbieafloat]

Your ticket says embark at 13.00. You have to be there earlier than that to follow that instruction. I would say an hour before is about right.

 

I phoned P&O recently to query my embarkation time. My e-ticket said 13:00, but my Intercruises coach isn't due to arrive till 14:00. I was told this isn't a problem at all, and the embarkation time shown was just a guide based on what deck my cabin is on

[David Owl]

We just take one bag each as hand luggage and put all suits, dresses in the cases to go through the hole in the wall to the ship.

 

And one thing you learn early on in cruising is to split each person's clothes between the 2 suitcases. It wouldn't be the first time the baggage handlers had dropped one in the water.

[newbieafloat]

And one thing you learn early on in cruising is to split each person's clothes between the 2 suitcases. It wouldn't be the first time the baggage handlers had dropped one in the water.

 

Yikes :eek: I hope no one has butterfingers on my cruise as I'll be travelling solo ... no spares for me

[Wiz201]

And one thing you learn early on in cruising is to split each person's clothes between the 2 suitcases. It wouldn't be the first time the baggage handlers had dropped one in the water.

 

Nobody else's clothes would fit me if my suitcase was dropped in the water:eek:

[daiB]

And one thing you learn early on in cruising is to split each person's clothes between the 2 suitcases. It wouldn't be the first time the baggage handlers had dropped one in the water.

 

 

What a wonderful piece of scaremongering. You hear about this happening every other day. NOT.

 

I have heard of a couple in the last 5 years. It is not something to worry about. On any cruise line.

[topbaz]

Hi All

 

Going for our first cruise on Britannia and the end of April. Having never done this before I wondered of you all could answer a few questions

 

We have included parking at the Ocean terminal. How does this work, is it the same as the airport meet and greet service as such. Hoping it's well sign posted

 

I understand you get a boarding time. Does it matter if we get there early as I have heard the traffic can be a nightmare.

 

What is the process with checking in and boarding etc

 

Thanks

 

Glenn

 

Hi Glenn

just checking you have already called cps to book your car in

[Treastacey]

Yikes :eek: I hope no one has butterfingers on my cruise as I'll be travelling solo ... no spares for me

 

 

 

Newbie, if you're on my sailing you can always borrow one of my dresses! [emoji1]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[newbieafloat]

Newbie, if you're on my sailing you can always borrow one of my dresses! [emoji1]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Ha ha ha! Thanks Trea :D

[Ehg]

Thanks for the info

 

 

 

From what I understand they suggest you take your suit/dresses on as hand luggage, is this correct.

 

 

 

Are you restricted as to what you can take in hand luggage like on a plane or can you take a bottle of wine for example on with you.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Glenn

 

 

We always take 2 suit carriers, one each and send them on with the luggage. They only suggest you carry them if you're bothered about them getting damaged as they can get dragged on the ground. Ours have got scratched, but rather that than have to lug them round with us. Have fun!