Disembarking southampton

[Presto2]

I'm having nightmares.

 

Some people telling me they had no problems as we didn't last year.but then others telling me their worst experience.

 

Thanks for your input everyone.

 

We will just have to wait and see.

If we miss the train we will just have to pay the price and get the next one.

 

Sorry Brandy if I've been a negative voice. Whatever you decide to do I wish you a great cruise. I suppose the worst that can happen is an extra night's stay in Southampton :-) Happy travelling

[103brandy]

Don't be too put off by the London route to the North East! My daughter and I were forced to use this route to travel from Durham to Southampton in August because I left it a bit late booking and there were no seats left on the direct train to Southampton.

We were dreading it but actually it was very easy. Durham to Kings Cross 2 hours 55 minutes, then 10 minutes in the taxi queue with 2 efficient Marshalls organising people. 17 minutes to Waterloo, and our train came in 5 minutes later; we were allowed straight on and it was just over an hour to Southampton. Really good journey and cheaper than the direct train too! I'd do it again.

 

Thanks Clodia. We hope to get the train we are booked on but if not we wil get the next one.

[103brandy]

Sorry Brandy if I've been a negative voice. Whatever you decide to do I wish you a great cruise. I suppose the worst that can happen is an extra night's stay in Southampton :-) Happy travelling

 

Presto please don't be sorry, I asked for opinions.

 

Thanks again for your input. :)

[Canuker]

1. If you don't fancy dragging your own baggage about, don't self-disembark.

 

2. Find out, the day before, where (deck, location, the first (first!) gangway will be installed. And when. Do not join other, baggage-less people in a lounge somewhere. Go, with your bags, to where the gangway will be about 15 minutes before it is due to open. If you're not sure where this might be, go to an open deck and lean over to watch the stevedores down on the dock.

 

Aim to be the first off the ship. As soon as someone gets into difficulties in that narrow, sloping gangway, and they will, everyone backs up to a snail's pace.

 

This summer we arrived in Southampton on the QM2 at 6:30 am, on schedule.

We were standing in London before 9:00 am. I kid you not.

We took the train up.

When we told people at supper the previous evening what we had planned, we were greeted with laughter.

 

You can do it! but ya gotta think like a scout...

Edited December 6, 2016 by Canuker

[pete14]

1. If you don't fancy dragging your own baggage about, don't self-disembark.

 

2. Find out, the day before, where (deck, location, the first (first!) gangway will be installed. And when. Do not join other, baggage-less people in a lounge somewhere. Go, with your bags, to where the gangway will be about 15 minutes before it is due to open. If you're not sure where this might be, go to an open deck and lean over to watch the stevedores down on the dock.

 

Aim to be the first off the ship. As soon as someone gets into difficulties in that narrow, sloping gangway, and they will, everyone backs up to a snail's pace.

 

This summer we arrived in Southampton on the QM2 at 6:30 am, on schedule.

We were standing in London before 9:00 am. I kid you not.

We took the train up.

When we told people at supper the previous evening what we had planned, we were greeted with laughter.

 

You can do it! but ya gotta think like a scout...

 

I disagree that this is good advice and strongly suspect it would not work. A few days before the end of the cruise, you will be given the chance to request your disembarkation time. All you need to do is go to reception to make the request. If you do this promptly (the Horizon newspaper will tell you when you can begin to do this) you will be allocated the earliest time for general disembarkation if that is what you want. A couple of days from the end of the cruise, you will receive instructions including the venue for all those who have the same embarkation time. These instructions will tell you not to congregate around the corridors and stairs and certainly not near the exit(s) from the ship. People who do this can delay the process for everybody else including themselves. In Southampton, they use an air bridge and not a narrow gangplank and those who have registered with mobility issues are helped by shoreside staff so do not 'back everyone up to a snails pace'.

 

Provided the ship docks on time which is usually the case and that there are no problems ashore, disembarkation will proceed smoothly and on time. One drawback to getting off early is that there wil be more luggage in the reclaim hall to go through to find your own so having distinctive cases is helpful.

[SoupPlease]

Canuker is specifically talking about self-disembarkation i.e. those who who will be first to disembark.

 

The instructions to not congregate around the corridors and stairs are aimed at the those with a scheduled disembarkation time - specifically aimed to the type of person who hits the up and down arrows on a lift to ensure they board the lift as quickly as possible even though it delays others and in fact themselves!

[Izzziee]

We are recently off the Ventura, and about five days before the end of the cruise a letter was delivered to the cabin which encouraged all those wanting an early disembarkation to go to reception and request the time we needed, we go 8am. Hope this helps!