Boarding arrival times

[terrierjohn]

I'm not trying to be pedantic - honest! But although it is open for lunch, nowhere does it say that lunch is included in the price you booked. For obviously reasons, if some folk don't board until 3.30, OK they can still have something to eat in the buffet, but if you are like me, I would be hungry at 1.30, so basically if we are boarding at 3 or later, I would bring a sandwich.

Not really certain why you keep bringing this up Jean, although I guess there is a cost to providing lunch, in the overall cost of running the ship it is probably so tiny as to be unimportant.

The staff are there and being paid, the kitchens are there, the cost of cooking is probably so marginal as to be insignificant and I doubt the replenishment quantity of food for each cruise would be affected even if they did not provide lunch on embarkation day.

The main issue about P&O's embarkation system is that RCI/Celebrity do the same job with ships mostly bigger than P&O's, and do it so much better that there really is no comparison.

I just fail to understand why Carnival put up with such ineptitude from P&O's management.

[jeanlyon]

John, sorry, but I was just answering somebody else. Personally I couldn't care less if I get lunch or not. If I am boarding late, I bring a sandwich in the car. If we think we would get on board in time for lunch, then we grab something in the buffet.

[john watson]

Not sure how you'd go on if boarding at the Mayflower terminal like we did for dropping your bags off and car, it's a long way back to dock gate 10. Not a lot in that immediate vicinity anyway except Ikea, Mcdonalds and TGI Friday from what we could see.

 

Most people drop of baggage and park the car at about the same time. This is convenient if you then enter the terminal for boarding. However if you intend to board two hours later it will be a reasonable strategy to drop cases off and retain car to drive into town with a plan to return later to park the car void of luggage. Alternatives to this would be drive direct to shopping centre for a few hours with luggage locked in boot, possible risk of cases being pinched, or get taxis to and from terminal after initial luggage drop and parking then at terminal.

 

Regards John

[CRUISIN LINDA]

For our Fjords cruise next month, we have booked the train to Southampton as it is a much easier and more relaxing start to the holiday. To get the best fares you have to book quite early. I have booked the train that arrives at 12.45, so a taxi should get us to the terminal around 1pm.

 

Last time we arrived at 12.45. The train was booked before we knew about the new boarding procedure. We got to the ship around noon, were given a numbered card and sat down to wait. Our boarding time was 1.30 and in the event we were on the ship just after 1pm. I'm not worried if the cabin is ready. We just head for the buffet for a snack and a drink.

 

I don't think P&O allow for the fact that people may be coming by public transport or coming from a long distance or staying in a hotel overnight.

[kevinyork]

Oh dear, back from another Celebrity cruise and find another boarding time thread on P&O. I cannot believe that P&O posters are happy about the company's manipulation re boarding times. Whilst other lines move forward and aim to please their passengers P&O step backwards, again. RCI/CELEBRITY manage the boarding of bigger ships from 11am onwards without issue whilst P&O restrict boarding to random time slots on similar or smaller ships and people on this board roll over and accept it.

 

I've said it before but it must come down to money. P&O don't want to pay for extra check in staff unlike the US lines. The issue re being able to board and have your cabin available is utter twaddle. On the US lines cabins are available at 1pm, a very reasonable time. Well before the 3.30 latest boarding slot that P&O can allocate. P&O must have asked a loaded question 'would you like to board and have your cabin available' rather than ' would you like us to dictate when you can board so that your cabins are ready when you board'. In any case, what's the point of an early available cabin if the bags don't arrive till later.

 

 

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[pkpon]

On Cunard the cabin has always been ready when I have boarded. Sometimes as early as noon.

 

Would definitely put me off doing a cruise out of Southampton with P&O. From the posts it sounds like a total mess.

[the english lady]

Ref the yet another boarding thread.

Are all the people on here who post and post and post about it actually contacting Pando direct and telling them what they think of it.

Coming on CC and moaning does nothing at all. Talking onboard ship about it does nothing at all.fillingin the questionnaire at the end probably will not alter it.

Phone up, email direct and tell them.

A friend of mine sailed recently with pando and had a later boarding time. He said he would just plan his arrival for later.

I will have to ask him when I next see him how it went.

[pkpon]

Should have added to be fair to P&O did the transatlantic on Britannia out of Barbados in March.

 

The whole process from the airport to the ship and embarkation was very smooth and efficient.

[peteukmcr]

Ref the yet another boarding thread.

Are all the people on here who post and post and post about it actually contacting Pando direct and telling them what they think of it.

Coming on CC and moaning does nothing at all. Talking onboard ship about it does nothing at all.fillingin the questionnaire at the end probably will not alter it.

Phone up, email direct and tell them.

A friend of mine sailed recently with pando and had a later boarding time. He said he would just plan his arrival for later.

I will have to ask him when I next see him how it went.

Yes I have and I am still awaiting feedback on several issues, one of which is what is IMHO the shambolic boarding process. I have made constructive suggestions, so I'm not just criticising.

[the english lady]

Yes I have and I am still awaiting feedback on several issues, one of which is what is IMHO the shambolic boarding process. I have made constructive suggestions, so I'm not just criticising.

 

Pete I was told they had a 21 day turnaround once, so they will come back, sometime.

I read your review and you picked up on some good points.

Thing is I guess it will take 10000s or at least 100s, to write to pando complaining about boarding not just 1 or 2, or 10.

[peteukmcr]

Pete I was told they had a 21 day turnaround once, so they will come back, sometime.

 

I read your review and you picked up on some good points.

 

Thing is I guess it will take 10000s or at least 100s, to write to pando complaining about boarding not just 1 or 2, or 10.

 

 

This is the latest SLA from P&O from their acknowledgement of my email. I do believe they will respond so not complaining about that.

 

"We respond to the majority of our guests within 5 days from receipt of your correspondence. However, if further investigation is required, it may take up to 28 days to respond. If your query is of an urgent nature, or if you depart within the next 48 hours, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 0843 374 0111, where one of our Personal Cruise Experts will be happy to help."

[terrierjohn]

Ref the yet another boarding thread.

Are all the people on here who post and post and post about it actually contacting Pando direct and telling them what they think of it.

Coming on CC and moaning does nothing at all. Talking onboard ship about it does nothing at all.fillingin the questionnaire at the end probably will not alter it.

Phone up, email direct and tell them.

A friend of mine sailed recently with pando and had a later boarding time. He said he would just plan his arrival for later.

I will have to ask him when I next see him how it went.

From my experience of e-mailing P&O customer service I would have to say this is probably the least effective method.

Since they now use the on board questionnaires to determine bonus payments to staff, I would expect this to be the most likely to be read and acted upon.

We used this and the on-line after cruise review to highlight our dislike of the system after our Jan cruise. We had also commented about poor boarding procedures even before the current debacle.

In my last on line questionnaire I did suggest that changing security to the beginning of the boarding process (like RCI/Celebrity) would possibly effect the most improvement, and I still think this. It does not matter how many check in desks are open if they have to close them when security backs up.

As to moaning on CC doing nothing to help, I hope you're wrong and that highlighting the difference between P&O's poor boarding procedure and RCI/Celebrities excellent one, will at least make this more of a talking point with passengers and lead to more critical assessments in the end of cruise questionnaire.

[davecttr]

You can't swop the order of security checks and check-in because the terminals P&O use are set up with security between the desks and the ship, a rebuild would be required.

[terrierjohn]

You can't swop the order of security checks and check-in because the terminals P&O use are set up with security between the desks and the ship, a rebuild would be required.

Dave, they have just reconfigured Ocean's security, so another change to switch it to the other end of the check in floor and have check in where security now is, should be relatively easy and inexpensive, but the benefits would be enormous.

[BrianI]

It does not matter whether security is before the checkin or after as the overall time to transit both would be the same.

There is often a queue at security at Ocean terminal due to insufficient channels being open.

Brian

[Scriv]

Whilst discussing how to give feedback to P&O on matters of importance like this, I remain unconvinced about the wording of the more complex questions regarding opinions and views on the on line feedback questionnaires .

 

The ones i am thinking of are the one asking whether we like to dress up and have a formal dress code or a relaxed holiday not worrying about what to wear; the question whether service is important to us or not, whether it should be unobtrusive and do I want to be called Sir/Madam etc.

 

Is it just me who never feels they get my true opinion on these questions without my adding an extra essay to explain and that the answers are open to misinterpretation?

Edited June 7, 2016 by Scriv

[jeanlyon]

Scriv, totally agree. I find the questionaires very skewed. I don't always need to be called madam, but I don't think I should be called by my first name. Now we have the ridiculous notion of Mrs Jean and Mr John!!

 

I always called people Sir and Madam during my flying career and I still do in my current job. It's easier.

[Scriv]

Sir and Madam suit me better too and seems the easiest option - I was not happy with being called by my first name either.

 

 

I want them to be there to serve me or help me when appropiate, but I don't want the formality and distance I felt on Cunard between me and the staff. I want friendly interaction, so I guess I don't want them to be 'unobtrusive', but on the other hand, I don't want them 'in my face' like some portrayed on the Princess Cruise programme a couple of months ago.

 

Difficult to put views like this into words, let alone onto the questionnaire.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Scriv

[gadabout60]

I have no problem with being called by my first name

It is the 21st century and we are all equal

[davecttr]

I like being called Sir Dave by the Filipino staff on Thomson ships

 

Of course calling someone sir dave is being respectful to an elder person in the philipines so it is OK ;)

 

ps - an amusing incident on Ventura, a well spoken man asked me if my peerage was hereditary or lifetime. Of course it was Stella the waitress from the philipines. did I tell him this :D

[Scriv]

Greetings, Sir Dave lol . I like it.

 

Oh do lighten up, gadabout ;) - my not liking being called by my first name by a complete stranger who is bringing me a drink or a bowl of soup has nothing to do with thinking I am above anyone.

[gadabout60]

Greetings, Sir Dave lol . I like it.

 

Oh do lighten up, gadabout ;) - my not liking being called by my first name by a complete stranger who is bringing me a drink or a bowl of soup has nothing to do with thinking I am above anyone.

 

Bit rude - this is a forum on which we are entitled to express a view which I did politely. if they call you Mr X then you should call them the same. or we can all get with it and friendly - we are on our hols - and use first names

[jeanlyon]

Agree,, total rubbish. I don't expect somebody I don't know to call me by my first name. Even if I know someone's first name at the office, I wouldn't dream of calling a customer by that name. They are a customer. Would you expect the person in your bank to use your first name, no of course not. It's no different on a ship and it doesn't mean anyone is above anyone else, it's just normal, mostly because it's an easy form of address and you don't have to remember a name.

 

For instance if you go to a bar on the ship, the waiter obviously says, "would you like a drink sir/madam". You reply yes and give them the order. It's very simple.

Edited June 7, 2016 by jeanlyon

[gadabout60]

Agree,, total rubbish. I don't expect somebody I don't know to call me by my first name. Even if I know someone's first name at the office, I wouldn't dream of calling a customer by that name. They are a customer. Would you expect the person in your bank to use your first name, no of course not. It's no different on a ship and it doesn't mean anyone is above anyone else, it's just normal, mostly because it's an easy form of address and you don't have to remember a name.

 

For instance if you go to a bar on the ship, the waiter obviously says, "would you like a drink sir/madam". You reply yes and give them the order. It's very simple.

 

Well I have no problem with first names. respect is earned by behaviour and attitude and I don't think standards will come tumbling down by the use of first names

[whoops]

If I call a member of staff such as the room steward by his first name why can't he call me by mine?