Azura - New Improved Embarkation Process

[Florry]

It has already been posted somewhere that if you are on a coach your boarding time will be as soon as it arrives at the terminal, regardless of what peoples e tickets say. So unless there is a back log of coaches -which there shouldn't be (I wonder how they manage to arrive there or there abouts at a given time, and car drivers can't-national express work to a timetable), your coach arrives you check in and board. How easy is that.

 

Except all the people who don't want this cunning plan to work, so still turn up when they like may be milling around and filling up the terminal until their time arrives.

 

 

Ah I see, wonder if their cabins will still be ready?

[FAB1]

He made a statement (on the P&O page on another social media site which I can't mention here :D) that it would apply with immediate effect.

 

Yes you are correct ! I have read so many posts on the subject I am starting to get confused 😕

[FAB1]

You will be fine. I have read that coach passengers will get on as soon as they arrive.:)

 

Thanks Trish, I know we should be boarded as soon as we arrive but other people on coaches have said they were held back, either at services or made to wait on the coach at the terminal 😧

[Dorset Cruiser]

They aren't starting check in until later Dorset Boy. Didn't realise some coaches arrived as early as yours, so don't know what will happen to you. I was assuming that most coaches arrived in the afternoon.

 

Excuse me Dorset Boy ??? I'm a lady I'll have you know 😉😉😉

 

I fully expect to have to wait to board. Don't have a time yet as no cabin assigned.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Edited October 11, 2015 by Dorset Cruiser

[Florry]

Excuse me Dorset Boy ???

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

 

Lol slip of the keyboard [emoji23]

[wilson2579]

He made a statement (on the P&O page on another social media site which I can't mention here :D) that it would apply with immediate effect.

 

Yes it has started according to the Arcadia embarkation yesterday:eek::eek:

[wilson2579]

Excuse me Dorset Boy ??? I'm a lady I'll have you know 😉😉😉

 

I fully expect to have to wait to board. Don't have a time yet as no cabin assigned.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

Oh sorry, I do apologise. Mind must have been somewhere else:eek:

[Mysticalmother]

..............Except all the people who don't want this cunning plan to work, so still turn up when they like may be milling around and filling up the terminal until their time arrives.

 

"like' ! :D:D

[dsrdsrdsr]

Except all the people who don't want this cunning plan to work, so still turn up when they like may be milling around and filling up the terminal until their time arrives.

 

P&O will have to ensure there are spaces available in the terminal for early arrivals. Airports do it - you don't get airlines saying "your flight is at 6 pm, therefore you must turn up at 5 pm, don't be late or you miss the plane" - airports allow customers to allow for delays. So must cruise lines, or they will lose custom.

[Josy1953]

P&O will have to ensure there are spaces available in the terminal for early arrivals. Airports do it - you don't get airlines saying "your flight is at 6 pm, therefore you must turn up at 5 pm, don't be late or you miss the plane" - airports allow customers to allow for delays. So must cruise lines, or they will lose custom.

 

The difference is that the airports have restaurants, shops etc where passengers an waste the odd couple of hours. I can't imagine spending several hours in the terminal at the port unable to board with nothing to do. Hopefully some of the people who currently turn up very early will realise, after the first few times of having a long boring wait, that they would be better turning up nearer to their allotted time.

 

I appreciate that those of us who live several hours drive from Southampton have to build contingency for traffic conditions into our travel time and so arrive early or else we have to stay the previous night in a Southampton hotel but we can still go to the port nearer to our allotted boarding time. We have found that most hotels will hold luggage after checkout for a few hours while we look around the town or when we used to drive down on the day of departure we would visit a nearby tourist site for a few hours if we were early. We need to get realistic and accept that as more people choose to cruise on ever bigger ship's things will change, life is not as it was 30 years ago when I first cruised.

Edited October 12, 2015 by Josy1953

[the english lady]

We need to get realistic and accept that as more people choose to cruise on ever bigger ship's things will change, life is not as it was 30 years ago when I first cruised.

 

Totally like this comment.

A lot of hotels do not let you into your room until 2pm onwards, what do people do who are staying in a hotel (not in Southampton-any hotel anywhere).Do they turn up at 11.30 and say, well I have nowhere else to go...cannot leave my suitcases in the car...you must let me into my room.

I really think this thread has covered every reason that anyone can give for having to turn up early and board early (surely we must have done)

 

If people wish to take their custom elsewhere soley based on what time they can board the ship ,then so be it.

 

P and O are going down this path. They are trying to spread arrivals throughout the afternoon. Not in one huge blob at 12.30.

I think it would be in their interest to ask people at the terminal, what boarding time were you given...if here hours early, what is your reasoning for this.

[terrierjohn]

English Lady, you missed your vocation you should have been a traffic warden, with your views on why people should follow the strict letter of the "law", or P&O stupidity in this case, you would have been ideal.;):rolleyes:

[the english lady]

English Lady, you missed your vocation you should have been a traffic warden, with your views on why people should follow the strict letter of the "law", or P&O stupidity in this case, you would have been ideal.;):rolleyes:

I see it as common sense myself.

People have been given times to spread the load.

You may all wish to to turn up at 11.30am, cos that is what YOU want, and P and O's idea is just stupid.

However when you have been sat in the terminal for an hour or so each time, and people talk about chaos at the terminal..maybe common sense will start working.

You think its stupid, P and O do not. Some people who have posted on here do not think it is stupid.

You go your own sweet way...if you think you getting to the terminal 1-2 hours early and sitting there as Mr Grumpypants will change their mind.

[FAB1]

I think the main problem with this new process is that a lot of people will now have to board much later and do not got any choice of time.

 

We have to be out of our cabins at 8 like most other cruise lines so should not take till 1pm for cabins to be ready and even if it does most people are not bothered about having access to their cabins earlier than under the previous system.

 

If Celebrity, Royal Caribbean etc can get their passengers boarded much earlier then P&O should be able to too. If its a case that their IT systems cannot cope with an online checkin process then its high time that Carnival invested in new systems.

 

P&O are being left behind with things like this and all inclusive drink packages. To an extent I think they are living in the past and need to modernise, particularly their entertainment and the music where they seem to think that anything from the 70s or 80s is current 😦

 

Still I will be onboard in just over 2 weeks and don't mind if I have a short wait in the terminal. Hopefully it will be working a little better by then but if not I shall still enjoy my cruise 😀

 

I never expected my original post to have so many replies as it was only intended to inform people of the new process. If P&O cannot get it to work then I hope they listen to their passengers comments. I know they monitor the ones on Facebook if not on here.

 

Sue

[jeanlyon]

fred olsen have much smaller ships, but you don't get lunch on embarkation day. Nobody boards until 2 pm. Seems to work just fine.

 

I think English Lady talks a great deal of common sense!

Edited October 12, 2015 by jeanlyon

[silver service]

Enquired on the Cunard section. Everything is just fine there.

No change to their system. Take your turn in the queue check in

Etc.

[CCFC]

I hope they listen to their passengers comments. I know they monitor the ones on Facebook if not on here.

 

Sue

 

Christopher Edgintons forum profile doesn't show him on here very often.

 

General Information Last Activity: November 17th, 2014 01:14 PM

Join Date: December 30th, 2013

[dsrdsrdsr]

We need to get realistic and accept that as more people choose to cruise on ever bigger ship's things will change, life is not as it was 30 years ago when I first cruised.

 

Totally like this comment.

A lot of hotels do not let you into your room until 2pm onwards, what do people do who are staying in a hotel (not in Southampton-any hotel anywhere).Do they turn up at 11.30 and say, well I have nowhere else to go...cannot leave my suitcases in the car...you must let me into my room.

I really think this thread has covered every reason that anyone can give for having to turn up early and board early (surely we must have done)

 

If people wish to take their custom elsewhere soley based on what time they can board the ship ,then so be it.

 

P and O are going down this path. They are trying to spread arrivals throughout the afternoon. Not in one huge blob at 12.30.

I think it would be in their interest to ask people at the terminal, what boarding time were you given...if here hours early, what is your reasoning for this.

Most hotels will let you into the building, though. If you arrive at 11.30 they will let you wait in the lounge. Which is all that I'm asking of P&O, or rather of my fellow passengers who (it appears) don't want to let me.

[Florry]

Christopher Edgintons forum profile doesn't show him on here very often.

 

 

 

General Information Last Activity: November 17th, 2014 01:14 PM

 

Join Date: December 30th, 2013

 

 

Most large companies have people whose job it is to look at social media and what's being said, there will be a summary produced somewhere by someone.

[wilson2579]

fred olsen have much smaller ships, but you don't get lunch on embarkation day. Nobody boards until 2 pm. Seems to work just fine.

 

I think English Lady talks a great deal of common sense!

 

I do have to say that the one and only Fred Olsen cruise I have done had the longest waiting time I have ever had. This was 2 years ago on the Balmoral.:eek:

[jeanlyon]

I've never had that problem with Fred O. Checked in and sat in the terminal, had a coffee, then they called embarkation by deck.

 

I don't think there is a problem turning up early, your bags will be taken and you will just have to wait. Personally I would rather arrive when they say, so much easier.

[wilson2579]

I've never had that problem with Fred O. Checked in and sat in the terminal, had a coffee, then they called embarkation by deck.

 

I don't think there is a problem turning up early, your bags will be taken and you will just have to wait. Personally I would rather arrive when they say, so much easier.

 

Maybe it was a one off. As I said this was our only cruise with FO so nothing to compare. Had a really good cruise though and liked the ship.:cool:

[Mysticalmother]

 

I think English Lady talks a great deal of common sense!

 

So do I.:)

[FAB1]

Just seen on Facebook that someone embarking Ventura today was given a Checkin time of 15:00 but was onboard and in cabin at 13:45 !!!

 

So P&O are you enforcing checkin times or not ? 😟

 

I think I am going to give up commenting now because it would appear P&O are not sticking to their own rules and are going to create even more confusion.

[wilson2579]

Just seen on Facebook that someone embarking Ventura today was given a Checkin time of 15:00 but was onboard and in cabin at 13:45 !!!

 

So P&O are you enforcing checkin times or not ? 😟

 

I think I am going to give up commenting now because it would appear P&O are not sticking to their own rules and are going to create even more confusion.

 

I agree this is just adding to the confusion.