Embarkation Times - Recent Experiences?

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

That's an interesting view I hadn't thought about before. The check in and boarding experience cannot be divorced from the cruise itself. At an airport the check in and security is pretty universal across all passengers. At a cruise terminal it is within the control of the cruise line and if you are boarding a 4 star cruise line you would expect a 4 star boarding procedure. Perhaps that's why Celebrity has a 5 star boarding experience being a 5 star cruise line. In any case, it shows check in and boarding is within the remit of the cruise line and not restricted by the cruise port management. The cruise line can define the speed and effectiveness of their own check in and boarding procedures but dependent on how much they want to pay for it.

 

 

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It guess money is a factor. These seem to want to creat an airport ambiance. Grey seating and yellow signs. Could be an airport anywhere. Nothing to differentiate from any other travel experience. Yet a cruise from Southampton is different. I think Eurostar in St Pancras do a good job of creating a better experience but still getting the job done. I use to enjoy waiting at the QE terminal. Ship models and ship pictures. Tilbury, Harwich and Dover all have a certain charm.

 

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Edited May 7, 2017 by stephen@stoneyard.co.uk

[Presto2]

I would probably arrive 15 - 20 minutes early. If you go through the barrier on 3 Mile Lane and just walk down to the car park towards the building you will see where the coaches pick up. I have never actually walked down but we did go down in a car once (a friend of my sister told her the code to open the barrier), it is only a very short distance probable 2-3 minutes to walk.

 

Great - thanks for the help --- will probably aim to get there at 9.30 am :-)

 

Excited, excited, excited !!!

[TOMOGP]

Thanks for your reply - very helpful. Quick question. What's the process for check-in for those requiring assistance? Do you check-in straight away when you arrive and then return to the assistance area to wait for someone to board you? Or do you have to wait until you are told you can check-in and then wait again for the assistance? Thanks.

 

No just to the assistance then when your assistance arrives they take you to check in then security(including passing anybody queuing for security) through security then straight to your cabin.

They are very patient on one occasion my wife including her crutches went through security fine I didn't went through all my pockets etc belt of machine still going, assistance guy suggested I took my shoes of bingo apparent there was metal in the soles and showed up going through machine we thought it was funny anyway.

As a side issue we always drop them £5 as appreciate the help and assistance.

[TOMOGP]

Unlike BMT in some 14 cruises with pando each time using assistance we have always been treated with courtesy and good humour every time both embarking and disembarking - but then we are always polite with them

[daiB]

Unlike BMT in some 14 cruises with pando each time using assistance we have always been treated with courtesy and good humour every time both embarking and disembarking - but then we are always polite with them

Always works well.

 

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[Selbourne]

No just to the assistance then when your assistance arrives they take you to check in then security(including passing anybody queuing for security) through security then straight to your cabin.

They are very patient on one occasion my wife including her crutches went through security fine I didn't went through all my pockets etc belt of machine still going, assistance guy suggested I took my shoes of bingo apparent there was metal in the soles and showed up going through machine we thought it was funny anyway.

As a side issue we always drop them £5 as appreciate the help and assistance.

 

Many thanks for your helpful replies. Was it your perception that you were on board quicker than had you not used assistance? And did you get on board earlier than your allocated time?

[TOMOGP]

Many thanks for your helpful replies. Was it your perception that you were on board quicker than had you not used assistance? And did you get on board earlier than your allocated time?

 

Difficult to answer - it depends how many need assistance judging on the 2 examples I gave Azura definitely earlier and quicker

 

Brttannia quicker and slightly earlier.

 

For example 1 staff member takes you through with you fellow passenger ( the rules allow up to 2 accompanying Though have seen 3 on occasion) to your cabin and return takes at a guess 25 mins so depends on number of staff and your position on ship we are normally B or C deck but Brittania A deck

[NauticalMiss]

Going back to the Thread Title:

Last Friday, we had an embark time of 2:30pm;

Arrived at the terminal at 2:40pm;

Raised our first glass of wine in the Glass House at 3:15pm.

 

Pretty good experience in my opinion ;)

[kikki21]

We have a 3.30 boarding time today! [emoji15] we have to be out of the hotel at 11am so that's a bit of time to kill! Think we will turn up after going to get some Prosecco from Lidl & sit & wait - fingers crossed!

 

 

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[whoops]

We have a 3.30 boarding time today! [emoji15] we have to be out of the hotel at 11am so that's a bit of time to kill! Think we will turn up after going to get some Prosecco from Lidl & sit & wait - fingers crossed!

 

 

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3 weeks ago I had a boarding time of 3pm. I was ejected from the hotel at Noon, arrived at the Port at around 12.45pm but didn't get on the ship until 2.30pm. A couple of months ago I was on a Royal Caribbean ship. I arrived at the Port at 1pm and was checked in the minute I arrived. The problem with P&O is that they have the check-in staff but they are required to hang around until they get the go ahead to start boarding. Clearly it is nothing to do with saving money; it's merely the fact P&O want cabins ready before boarding commences. Frankly I don't give a stuff about having a cabin ready for occupation; I want my lunch.

 

Of course people will say if you turn up on time you will not have a problem. But when you stay overnight and are ejected from your room at either 11am or Noon you just want to get to the Port in the hope you can board early rather than hang around with luggage waiting to get on with your holiday.

 

I don't want to open up this subject again but the moans and groans about P&O's boarding arrangements by fellow passengers must get through to P&O as the current arrangements are simply unacceptable.

[kikki21]

3 weeks ago I had a boarding time of 3pm. I was ejected from the hotel at Noon, arrived at the Port at around 12.45pm but didn't get on the ship until 2.30pm. A couple of months ago I was on a Royal Caribbean ship. I arrived at the Port at 1pm and was checked in the minute I arrived. The problem with P&O is that they have the check-in staff but they are required to hang around until they get the go ahead to start boarding. Clearly it is nothing to do with saving money; it's merely the fact P&O want cabins ready before boarding commences. Frankly I don't give a stuff about having a cabin ready for occupation; I want my lunch.

 

 

 

Of course people will say if you turn up on time you will not have a problem. But when you stay overnight and are ejected from your room at either 11am or Noon you just want to get to the Port in the hope you can board early rather than hang around with luggage waiting to get on with your holiday.

 

 

 

I don't want to open up this subject again but the moans and groans about P&O's boarding arrangements by fellow passengers must get through to P&O as the current arrangements are simply unacceptable.

 

 

I turned up a few years ago ahead of my boarding time pretty early & was on board in 30/40 mins - was expecting a zoo but it was really speedy! Not going to stress about it & just chill out!

 

 

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[BMT]

Unlike BMT in some 14 cruises with pando each time using assistance we have always been treated with courtesy and good humour every time both embarking and disembarking - but then we are always polite with them

 

Hope you are not insinuating that we are not polite?:D As it happens, we knew the lady with the clipboard from previous cruises and she was very upset for us that she was ordered to let all those in suites or on the loyalty scheme to go ahead of us, regardless of their arrival time!! Doesn't happen on other lines - on those all disabled are treated equally in wheelchair allocation. In the end, since the 'list' had not moved for a considerable time due to those given 'priority', she said her conscience would not allow Mum to wait any longer, so off we went with the next available pusher, straight to the cabin for a lie-down and I made her a sandwich from the push'n'shove!

 

 

Perhaps we were just unlucky though. At Christmas, we will wait half-an-hour and if the list is not moving, I will appeal to a strong-looking passenger to give her a push up the initial slope. Of course, if she needs the loo, we are in real trouble.:eek: At 102, as she will be, loo stops are rather frequent and sometimes urgent, especially after a 2-hour car journey.

 

 

Anyway, off Sunday (I hope!) on the Eclipse for a couple of weeks. For a big ship, its classy and the service is excellent - for us cruises are upscale Butlins, as we don't get off at the ports for obvious reasons.

[peteukmcr]

Sorry folks but can't resist. Left hotel at 10:20, arrived at ship in Civitavecchia at 10:35, cleared security scanner, then checked in by 10:45, boarded the ship immediately afterwards. Glass of "champagne" offered, buffet opened for lunch at 11:30, all cabins available at 12:30.

 

That's how Celebrity do it.

[dgs1956]

Sorry folks but can't resist. Left hotel at 10:20, arrived at ship in Civitavecchia at 10:35, cleared security scanner, then checked in by 10:45, boarded the ship immediately afterwards. Glass of "champagne" offered, buffet opened for lunch at 11:30, all cabins available at 12:30.

 

That's how Celebrity do it.

 

Well the simple answer is cruise with Celebrity. I really can't understand all this whinging about P&O. If they give you a boarding time then turn up at that time and get boarded if you tried to board an aeroplane early or book into a hotel early it just wouldn't happen. Alternatively, if you really don't like it then go elsewhere. Simple.

[whoops]

Well the simple answer is cruise with Celebrity. I really can't understand all this whinging about P&O. If they give you a boarding time then turn up at that time and get boarded if you tried to board an aeroplane early or book into a hotel early it just wouldn't happen. Alternatively, if you really don't like it then go elsewhere. Simple.

 

The problem is why it is necessary to be given a boarding time when other cruise lines make the process far simpler. I would hardly describe Royal Carribean as upmarket so if they can do a convenient check in why can't P&O? P&O used to allow more flexibility but in the last couple of years came up with the present daft system of not allowing passengers to board until their cabins are ready. That system needs to change; otherwise people will go elsewhere.

[Somerset Cruiser]

Sorry folks but can't resist. Left hotel at 10:20, arrived at ship in Civitavecchia at 10:35, cleared security scanner, then checked in by 10:45, boarded the ship immediately afterwards. Glass of "champagne" offered, buffet opened for lunch at 11:30, all cabins available at 12:30.

 

That's how Celebrity do it.

 

Sorry Pete but can't resist, drove through the port gates at Southampton 12:05, CPS took the car, checked in, glass of "champagne" (first of many) and Lunch before 12:45. Cabin available be fore we finished lunch.

 

That's how P&O Ventura did it about 4 weeks ago

[tartanexile81]

Sorry folks but can't resist. Left hotel at 10:20, arrived at ship in Civitavecchia at 10:35, cleared security scanner, then checked in by 10:45, boarded the ship immediately afterwards. Glass of "champagne" offered, buffet opened for lunch at 11:30, all cabins available at 12:30.

 

That's how Celebrity do it.

 

We've not really bothered about how other lines do it. We've cruised with Celebrity a few times and with quite a few other lines too, but overall P&O suits us best. So not everything's perfect - but we're looking to have a great time and we get that with P&O. And having cruised so much we're rewarded with early embarkation at 1:00 which we really appreciate.

[dgs1956]

The problem is why it is necessary to be given a boarding time when other cruise lines make the process far simpler. I would hardly describe Royal Carribean as upmarket so if they can do a convenient check in why can't P&O? P&O used to allow more flexibility but in the last couple of years came up with the present daft system of not allowing passengers to board until their cabins are ready. That system needs to change; otherwise people will go elsewhere.

 

Really, what is the point of fretting about it. If its such a big issue then you vote with your feet and go elsewhere. Whether the system needs to change is a matter of opinion because at the end of the day P&O haven't changed it and their ships are still doing OK. Some people are obsessed with getting on board early and the thought of missing lunch almost drives them over the edge. The number of people who post on here that they have a 3pm boarding time but intend to arrive at 12pm and want to board straight away astounds me.

[peteukmcr]

So no surprise is there. I post how efficient Celebrity is and all I get is either, well in that case sail Celebrity or turn up at your allocated time and you'll be ok. Do you lot not understand that other lines do it better than P&O or are you so blinkered to the P&O's ways that you couldn't care less.

 

No wonder I'm cancelling my future P&O cruises. I've even one night and spoken to people who are saying Celebrity are so superior than P&O.

[dgs1956]

So no surprise is there. I post how efficient Celebrity is and all I get is either, well in that case sail Celebrity or turn up at your allocated time and you'll be ok. Do you lot not understand that other lines do it better than P&O or are you so blinkered to the P&O's ways that you couldn't care less.

 

No wonder I'm cancelling my future P&O cruises. I've even one night and spoken to people who are saying Celebrity are so superior than P&O.

 

Why do you need to be so pompous and so arrogant? Are us lot, as you refer to us, not allowed to disagree?

Incidentally, are you actually suggesting that you have cancelled your future P&O cruises because us lot don't accept your view that Celebrity is superior?

[brillo]

So no surprise is there. I post how efficient Celebrity is and all I get is either, well in that case sail Celebrity or turn up at your allocated time and you'll be ok. Do you lot not understand that other lines do it better than P&O or are you so blinkered to the P&O's ways that you couldn't care less.

 

No wonder I'm cancelling my future P&O cruises. I've even one night and spoken to people who are saying Celebrity are so superior than P&O.

 

Maybe you are incapable of understanding that a large number of us prefer the complete P&O package over the Celebrity version !

[daiB]

Maybe you are incapable of understanding that a large number of us prefer the complete P&O package over the Celebrity version !

 

 

No Pete has his big wooden spoon out. He understands very well.

 

 

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[peteukmcr]

Why do you need to be so pompous and so arrogant? Are us lot, as you refer to us, not allowed to disagree?

 

Incidentally, are you actually suggesting that you have cancelled your future P&O cruises because us lot don't accept your view that Celebrity is superior?

 

 

 

Oh and you're not arrogant and pompous? Telling me to sail Celebrity- simple, is that not pompous or arrogant? I'm not cancelling my future P&O cruises because you don't accept my views. It's because of your attitudes in this board where if any of us dare say anything against P&O we are shot down. Simple. You've done it with me and others.

 

 

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[majortom10]

So no surprise is there. I post how efficient Celebrity is and all I get is either, well in that case sail Celebrity or turn up at your allocated time and you'll be ok. Do you lot not understand that other lines do it better than P&O or are you so blinkered to the P&O's ways that you couldn't care less.

 

No wonder I'm cancelling my future P&O cruises. I've even one night and spoken to people who are saying Celebrity are so superior than P&O.

 

Sorry but do not care whoever one cruises with whether it be P&O or Celebrity it is their money so its up to them and we all have different reasons for doing so but your statement is very patronising and arrogant attitude by you.

[dgs1956]

Oh and you're not arrogant and pompous? Telling me to sail Celebrity- simple, is that not pompous or arrogant? I'm not cancelling my future P&O cruises because you don't accept my views. It's because of your attitudes in this board where if any of us dare say anything against P&O we are shot down. Simple. You've done it with me and others.

 

 

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Now you sound like a child in the playground.