Boarding

[silver service]

Dai, as a fellow wheelchair/scooter user, how did you get on last time?

Did you get taken straight to check in,with assistance?

We go Wednesday on aurora. Would really like to know your experience.

Regards, Mike.

[john watson]

Please excuse my interjection Silver.

 

I have been through the new boarding process a couple of times since the new allocated boarding times have been introduced. I have observed that assisted boarding is done with high priority and appears to be handled very efficiently.

 

Regards John

[Florry]

Good news SS, looks like common sense prevails. Have a wonderful cruise x

[silver service]

Fingers crossed! Thanks you two!

[daiB]

Dai, as a fellow wheelchair/scooter user, how did you get on last time?

 

Did you get taken straight to check in,with assistance?

 

We go Wednesday on aurora. Would really like to know your experience.

 

Regards, Mike.

 

 

We were in a suite this time so we were first on. As I have a scooter I do not need assistance in boarding so I do not ask. However the assistance passengers have their own seating area and are taken on fairly quickly as far as I could see, much as they did in the past.

[silver service]

Thank you dai,to date , the helper always took us to check in. Ocean terminal.

Previously at the mayflower, there was a queue to check in after security

The helpers waited in the lounge, until the call, then boarded all the wheelchairs

In a convoy. Tomorrow, will be interesting! Especially in the surroundings. The new ones that is. The word is the check in time has been put back to 12 .45.

Up to now always been in the terminal by midday. Have decided to arrive

Maybe an hour later. Ticket time 2.30. We shall see! Thanks everyone,

Who has taken an interest. Regards, Mike, here in hythe. Opposite

The berths.

[john watson]

My wife often used wheelchair assistance on cruises and aircraft. If you look at this issue from the operating companies perspective they are providing a wheelchair and an operative. The key to their success is to minimise downtime on the operator and equipment. It makes a lot of sense to them to receive disabled travellers and transfer them to the final place that their service covers in one go. So intermediate stops and waits at a location they need to return to to re-collect people is best avoided; due to double handling as is any waste of time procedure. To them it wastes money. I can remember trying to enter USA at JFK airport and the guy was pushing the wife up to "US Passport Holders Only" and I queried it and said we have UK passports. The operative pointed out that it was a much shorter queue with only about ten in it. The other queue was very long. The immigration Officer just said you come from England and stamped the passports.

 

I think you will find P&O will always be seeking efficiency in assisted boarding and local operatives are more likely to introduce "local practices" that speed it up rather than slow it down.

 

Regards John

Edited October 27, 2015 by john watson

[silver service]

Thanks john, we have also been fast tracked through jfk always first

On the aircraft. New York started our cruising, returned on queen Mary.

Have not flown since. (2006) not missed it!