Boarding again: P and O lies

[janny444]

I hope that with all the atrocities of the last few weeks and the unfolding situation which is happening at this moment in the US that the OP gets the "problem" of someone making a mistake and the over the top reaction of considering cancelling the present cruise and two future cruises into perspective.

[Presto2]

I find it quite amusing that people want to get onboard ASAP to enjoy the ship more and then clamour to disembark at the end of the cruise ASAP as well. Bizarre and contidictary.:)

 

As someone who wants to get on the ship ASAP but leave ASAP let me explain ---- we travel down the day (or 2) before to enjoy Southampton and the build up to the cruise. Just want to get on the ship ASAP then.

Want to get off early to get up the motorway when it is quieter - about 5 hrs if all goes well.

 

Please don't judge people like us - we are all different re our holidays and not one of us is 'right', just different. I may not understand people who want to get on late and get off late, but each to their own.

[bigcj]

Last week we boarded the Britannia with a reported 3700 passengers, I could only imagine the logistics required to do this in only a few hours. Imagine if rather than a very small minority who appear so selfish about their own holiday, the majority had the same self centred approach to life, total chaos. I applaud all the cruise lines that appear able to turn those ships around in about 12 hours. Thanks to the crew and fellow passengers of the Britannia last week for providing my family and I a lovely holiday.

[barriead]

Hi barriead, we have a roll call for Arcadia J616 at

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2360566

 

Come along

 

Dai

 

Have just visited and said hello.:)

[the english lady]

Last week we boarded the Britannia with a reported 3700 passengers, I could only imagine the logistics required to do this in only a few hours. Imagine if rather than a very small minority who appear so selfish about their own holiday, the majority had the same self centred approach to life, total chaos. I applaud all the cruise lines that appear able to turn those ships around in about 12 hours. Thanks to the crew and fellow passengers of the Britannia last week for providing my family and I a lovely holiday.

 

I think that is the problem in a nutshell. Most cruisers on pando ships are British, so one way or another a large majority could turn up by 12 midday, and were starting to (they started this staggered boarding to try and get round this before Britannia came on line)

The huge American lines that sail from Southampton (from what I have read posted) have a more international mix of cruisers, so are more spread arrival time, due to flight arrivals.

The people who post on here sailing with them tend to board early. We have never read a posting from someone who has boarded later in the day to know what happens then. Someone did post once that they were boarding a pando ship and the q for AOTS was huge , so it is possible that they still have problems-but they are slightly later.

Also reading the other boards people have posted on there lines are introducing staggered boarding.

Thank you for posting a positive boarding note. Thing is people tend not to post if things are positive, only if they are negative.

You do realise you are probably hooked now...and this will be the first of many, on whichever line.

[terrierjohn]

I think that is the problem in a nutshell. Most cruisers on pando ships are British, so one way or another a large majority could turn up by 12 midday, and were starting to (they started this staggered boarding to try and get round this before Britannia came on line)

The huge American lines that sail from Southampton (from what I have read posted) have a more international mix of cruisers, so are more spread arrival time, due to flight arrivals.

The people who post on here sailing with them tend to board early. We have never read a posting from someone who has boarded later in the day to know what happens then. Someone did post once that they were boarding a pando ship and the q for AOTS was huge , so it is possible that they still have problems-but they are slightly later.

Also reading the other boards people have posted on there lines are introducing staggered boarding.

Thank you for posting a positive boarding note. Thing is people tend not to post if things are positive, only if they are negative.

You do realise you are probably hooked now...and this will be the first of many, on whichever line.

TEL, the passenger mix on US lines has little impact on the arrival times as most US passengers arrive in the UK days before their cruise.

The RCI lines also start boarding at 11:00, and sometimes earlier if they are ready, they all have large passenger numbers and high numbers of them with loyalty benefit allow checking in anytime between 11:00 and 3:30.

Very rarely are there long queues and car parking is much quicker and easier than P&O.

So the myth that the port of Southampton and the local authority have been involved in staggering arrival times clearly does not apply to them.

Which is why those of us who sail on them, as well as P&O, are left wondering why P&O make such a pigs breakfast of the embarkation process, and regularly give our advice on holiday questionnaires as to how they could improve things. But as with most things they take very little notice of their customers.

These comments are only my opinions, to which I am entitled, I have no issues with those P&O passengers who are happy with the new procedure, they are also entitled to their opinions, however I do take exception to Caribbean and above passengers criticising my complaints about getting a 3:30 check in slot when they can board by 1:00 pm at the latest.

[daiB]

TEL, the passenger mix on US lines has little impact on the arrival times as most US passengers arrive in the UK days before their cruise.

 

The RCI lines also start boarding at 11:00, and sometimes earlier if they are ready, they all have large passenger numbers and high numbers of them with loyalty benefit allow checking in anytime between 11:00 and 3:30.

 

Very rarely are there long queues and car parking is much quicker and easier than P&O.

 

So the myth that the port of Southampton and the local authority have been involved in staggering arrival times clearly does not apply to them.

 

Which is why those of us who sail on them, as well as P&O, are left wondering why P&O make such a pigs breakfast of the embarkation process, and regularly give our advice on holiday questionnaires as to how they could improve things. But as with most things they take very little notice of their customers.

 

These comments are only my opinions, to which I am entitled, I have no issues with those P&O passengers who are happy with the new procedure, they are also entitled to their opinions, however I do take exception to Caribbean and above passengers criticising my complaints about getting a 3:30 check in slot when they can board by 1:00 pm at the latest.

 

 

Sorry John you cannot dictate what people make comment about if that is their opinion as they have the right to that as you have the right to yours.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[davecttr]

TEL, the passenger mix on US lines has little impact on the arrival times as most US passengers arrive in the UK days before their cruise.

The RCI lines also start boarding at 11:00, and sometimes earlier if they are ready, they all have large passenger numbers and high numbers of them with loyalty benefit allow checking in anytime between 11:00 and 3:30.

Very rarely are there long queues and car parking is much quicker and easier than P&O.

So the myth that the port of Southampton and the local authority have been involved in staggering arrival times clearly does not apply to them.

Which is why those of us who sail on them, as well as P&O, are left wondering why P&O make such a pigs breakfast of the embarkation process, and regularly give our advice on holiday questionnaires as to how they could improve things. But as with most things they take very little notice of their customers.

These comments are only my opinions, to which I am entitled, I have no issues with those P&O passengers who are happy with the new procedure, they are also entitled to their opinions, however I do take exception to Caribbean and above passengers criticising my complaints about getting a 3:30 check in slot when they can board by 1:00 pm at the latest.

 

IMO because it saves them money :rolleyes:

 

I was last to leave on my Britannia cruise and that was 10.15. With proper organisation I would have thought they could have commenced boarding at 11am, after all they start preparing cabins at 8am and all they need to do is synchronise cabin preparation with expected boarding times.

Edited July 18, 2016 by davecttr

[terrierjohn]

IMO because it saves them money :rolleyes:

 

I was last to leave on my Britannia cruise and that was 10.15. With proper organisation I would have thought they could have commenced boarding at 11am, after all they start preparing cabins at 8am and all they need to do is synchronise cabin preparation with expected boarding times.

They generally start way before then when passengers have booked self disembarkation, and when they see passengers heading for breakfast with loads of hand luggage. We normally come back to our cabin after breakfast to pick up our hand luggage and the cabin is by then ready for new passengers, and that's normally about 8:00 - 8:30.

[terrierjohn]

Sorry John you cannot dictate what people make comment about if that is their opinion as they have the right to that as you have the right to yours.

I never said you could not comment, just that I would take exception to a Goldie making it.

Edited July 18, 2016 by terrierjohn

[supergran]

Not sure how priority boarding works but we have received our etickets for our Aurora cruise in August. Our tickets say boarding time 12.55. How precise is that. We are Meditteranean if that makes a difference.

[mandylennon]

Not sure how priority boarding works but we have received our etickets for our Aurora cruise in August. Our tickets say boarding time 12.55. How precise is that. We are Meditteranean if that makes a difference.

 

12.55 sounds better than 13.00 a bit like £19.99 sounds cheaper than £20. We boarded Ventura on 22 July our stated time was 3.30 and we arrived around 2.20. Waited around 15 minutes to check-in, security was a bit slow, but got to our cabin well before the 3.30 time. I did hear that a couple of coaches didn't arrive till after 4.00, so I suppose that helped with the queues. Once on-board, we were assured that the buffet was open and serving food and drinks.

[Scriv]

I do not mean to insult anyone's intelligence here, but as this has happened with someone I know very well I have to ask -

When you say your embarkation time is 12 55, does it say this in figures or are you looking at the clock face on the ticket? ..... if it is the clock face, this is just an illustration, not your allocated arrival time.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Scriv

[supergran]

I do not mean to insult anyone's intelligence here, but as this has happened with someone I know very well I have to ask -

When you say your embarkation time is 12 55, does it say this in figures or are you looking at the clock face on the ticket? ..... if it is the clock face, this is just an illustration, not your allocated arrival time.

 

I am quite happy to have my intelligence insulted as I deserve it.:) Lol. I was indeed looking at the clock face on the ticket when I should have read the ticket. My excuse is I wasn't wearing my glasses. I am also blonde! Our time says 3pm and no later than 3.30pm. We have never been given a cutoff time that early before. It is usually something like 4.30 for a sailing at 5 isn't it?:eek:

[Scriv]

LOL :) :) You are not the first to have been caught by that, supergran, and you won't be the last ! As I said, someone I know fell into the same trap.

 

Sorry you have now got a later time though, but as long as you are there by your allocation time you don't have to worry. I think the stated 'board by' time has always been 3 45pm... they want you on board in good time as they need to do Muster Drill before sailaway.

[supergran]

In the days when we first cruised over ten years ago, last boarding was more like 4.30 or even 5pm. Of course muster drill was often after the ship had sailed, but that is no longer allowed. We used to drive down on the day (240 miles) and just arrive whenever. It was always 3pm or later. It was only from reading these boards that we realised some people arrived before noon. As long as I get on I am not bothered about missing lunch. This time we are travelling down the day before. Will check out of the hotel, leave cases, go into town for lunch, then collect cases and arrive around 2 to 2.30. If we have to wait then that's fine. We will peole watch or read the paper.

[dgs1956]

The thought of missing a lunch is too much for some people though.

[terrierjohn]

The thought of missing a lunch is too much for some people though.

I hate the new boarding procedure with a consuming passion as I always want to be on board early, or at least at a time that suits me, but I could not care less about lunch.

We sometimes have a coffee, even a paid for one, and maybe even a little something from the afternoon tea menu but being on in time for a full lunch is not an issue.

I keep hoping that Carnival might sell P&O to RCI then I could enjoy anytime boarding plus the wider range of P&O itineraries instead of the limited Celebrity itineraries.

[supergran]

But other cruiselines won't let you go to your cabin until after 2pm anyway so you have to carry your handluggage everywhere. Also P& O don't want you to leave your cabin at daybreak on the last day. I know some people like to leave the ship at 7am but I don't want my last evening spoilt by thinking I have to get up very early.

[terrierjohn]

But other cruiselines won't let you go to your cabin until after 2pm anyway so you have to carry your handluggage everywhere. Also P& O don't want you to leave your cabin at daybreak on the last day. I know some people like to leave the ship at 7am but I don't want my last evening spoilt by thinking I have to get up very early.

My main comparison is with Celebrity, here generally the cabins are ready about 1:30, but being at Southampton we only carry on board limited hand luggage, valuables, medication and any wine we take, so that never bothers us.

It is also a myth about needing to disembark earlier, normal disembarkation is from 8:00 until 9:30 which is not much earlier than P&O require, and TBH once we have had breakfast we want to be heading back up the motorway ASAP.

[dgs1956]

I hate the new boarding procedure with a consuming passion as I always want to be on board early, or at least at a time that suits me, but I could not care less about lunch.

We sometimes have a coffee, even a paid for one, and maybe even a little something from the afternoon tea menu but being on in time for a full lunch is not an issue.

I keep hoping that Carnival might sell P&O to RCI then I could enjoy anytime boarding plus the wider range of P&O itineraries instead of the limited Celebrity itineraries.

 

Would that possibly be why I said "SOME PEOPLE".

Perhaps its a pity that all cruise companies are not owned by RCI then we wouldn't need to worry about choice.

[NauticalMiss]

I am quite happy to have my intelligence insulted as I deserve it.:) Lol. I was indeed looking at the clock face on the ticket when I should have read the ticket. My excuse is I wasn't wearing my glasses. I am also blonde! Our time says 3pm and no later than 3.30pm. We have never been given a cutoff time that early before. It is usually something like 4.30 for a sailing at 5 isn't it?:eek:

 

Supergran - you have made my day!! :D

[Clodia]

I don't really care about lunch either, especially in the Snatch and Grab! It's boarding early after being kicked out of my hotel that matters to me. I live too far away to travel down on the day.

[terrierjohn]

Would that possibly be why I said "SOME PEOPLE".

Perhaps its a pity that all cruise companies are not owned by RCI then we wouldn't need to worry about choice.

Yes you did say some people but the inference I perceived was that you felt this was the majority requirement.

As regards choice, I just wish that P&O would give their paying passengers some choice on this issue.

[supergran]

I think part of the problem is that if we are given a choice we all choose to arrive between 12 and 1 as most hotels require to us check out by 11am. It was to avoid the crowded terminal that staggered times were introduced. They were trying to be helpful but not everyone appreciates that. Better facilities at the terminal would help. Why not offer refreshments and duty free shops like at airports? I don't mean booze, but there isn't even a newsagents.