Priority embarkation in Southampton UK

[Scorpio41]

Is there  Elite priority embarkation from Southampton UK?

What time does boarding start and what time can we arrive?

[majortom10]

Yes as an Elite member you have priority embarkation and we usually arrive at the terminal just after 11am and usually on the ship by about midday and more often than not your cabins will be available so you can go straight to them and drop off hand luggage.

[majortom10]

Following taken from Princess cruises website for Captain Circle members of Platinum level and above-

 

Priority Check-In at Embarkation
When you arrive at the port, don’t wait in line. You, along with your family or guests that are travelling with you in the same stateroom will be invited to use the Priority Check-In desk to help expedite your embarkation.

[moodyb1]

Agree with majortom10. Embarked in Southampton in May and the above is correct.

[Scorpio41]

Thank you 

[Times Prince]

Southampton is the only cruise port we've been to that really has a tiered boarding.  Check in when you arrive, and if boarding has not commenced there is a large hall to wait in. They will call Suite and Elite passengers first for boarding.

[Rascal1]

We got there about 11.30 and they’d just started calling boarding for suites and elite. 

[Scorpio41]

5 minutes ago, Rascal1 said:

We got there about 11.30 and they’d just started calling boarding for suites and elite. 

 

That's the time we were planning on getting there. Last time we just poodled up at 1pm and was directed straight to the check in desks

 

I assume it must say on your boarding pass you have priority boarding 

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Scorpio41
add to...

[sandyoftheseas]

I am glad that the embarkation has changed.  We boarded in South Hampton May 2018.  We has to wait in the general boarding line  (about 1 hour wait) till the line split to go into the elite line.  We asked the employees about elite boarding and they stated there was none until you get inside.  The whole process was a mess!  The xray scanners kept malfunctioning and the passenger ramp kept disconnecting to the ship so they would have to remove everyone on the ramp and have them return to the pier reattach the ramp and start again.  We eventually had to embark via the crew ramp. The entire process took about 4 hours.

[Scorpio41]

2 hours ago, sandyoftheseas said:

I am glad that the embarkation has changed.  We boarded in South Hampton May 2018.  We has to wait in the general boarding line  (about 1 hour wait) till the line split to go into the elite line.  We asked the employees about elite boarding and they stated there was none until you get inside.  The whole process was a mess!  The xray scanners kept malfunctioning and the passenger ramp kept disconnecting to the ship so they would have to remove everyone on the ramp and have them return to the pier reattach the ramp and start again.  We eventually had to embark via the crew ramp. The entire process took about 4 hours.

 

That sounds like the old Mayflower terminal, it's all changed now they check your ticket on arrival to the terminal. The other factors are unusual but would be very frustrating. At least the cruise was yet to come.  

[Scorpio41]

Is there an Elite waiting area if you arrive early at the port?

 

Is there somewhere specific to go once on board?

[majortom10]

8 minutes ago, Scorpio41 said:

Is there an Elite waiting area if you arrive early at the port?

 

Is there somewhere specific to go once on board?

There is a specific area in the terminal where you are directed too after you have checked in and there is tea/coffee and juice and cakes/biscuits but does get very busy so not always guaranteed a seat in the area but they will sit you nearby and you can access drinks/snacks.

 

There is nowhere specific for Elite to go once onboard as you cabin will be available on embarking. It is then a matter of dropping of your hand baggage and going to buffet restaurant or if you prefer, which they keep very quiet, a restaurant will be open for waiter served lunch.

[Corfe Mixture]

Slight variation on the question. At what time can you drop off your bags.

 

Although we are Elite and live near to Southampton we have never cruised from the port with Princess and never left from Ocean Terminal with any line.

 

The reason I ask about bag drop times is that day we embark coincides with the opening day of the Southampton Boat Show and our plan is to drop off our bags around 09.30 -10.00 then go to the show, with just a back pack containing our papers etc. The idea is that we will then return to complete boarding at around 14.00.

[majortom10]

3 hours ago, Corfe Mixture said:

Slight variation on the question. At what time can you drop off your bags.

 

Although we are Elite and live near to Southampton we have never cruised from the port with Princess and never left from Ocean Terminal with any line.

 

The reason I ask about bag drop times is that day we embark coincides with the opening day of the Southampton Boat Show and our plan is to drop off our bags around 09.30 -10.00 then go to the show, with just a back pack containing our papers etc. The idea is that we will then return to complete boarding at around 14.00.

I do not think they will allow you to drop off your suitcases any time before 11am because the terminal and operations will be disembarking previous cruise before then.

[Corfe Mixture]

38 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

I do not think they will allow you to drop off your suitcases any time before 11am because the terminal and operations will be disembarking previous cruise before then.

Thanks for that reply. Unfortunately it is different from the US ports, where, although folks are still disembarking, they nevertheless have locked cages into which you can ask for your bags to be placed from quite early on.

 

I think it might be to accommodate folks arriving on ‘red eye’ flights from the West coast and it is a facility we have frequently used to allow us to drop off our luggage before returning our rental car.

 

No real problem if something similar is not available in Southampton, as the show doesn’t open until 10 and not going to the show until 11 is not a big problem.

 

Your answer does however pose one question. In the US baggage unloading is completed long before disembarkation is complete and quite a fair number of cages holding arriving bags are on the quay alongside the ship waiting to be loaded as soon as boarding commences.

 

OK I appreciate you are saying this doesn’t happen in Sourhampton, but I thought, perhaps erroneously, that first check time was around 11. So my question now is, are you saying that at Southampton you cannot drop off your suitcases until you get to check-in?

Edited June 22, 2019 by Corfe Mixture

[majortom10]

As far has happened to us when sailing from all terminals at Southampton your luggage is taken off you on you arrival outside the terminal by porters and  put through a "hole" where it is collected and loaded onto the ship. We have then proceeded to the terminal and checked in and then waited to be called to board. Boarding according to P&O website starts at 12-30 for suite/Liguarian members and then Baltic/Caribbean and then it depends how busy your order of arrival. There will be a check -in time on your e-ticket which P&O ask you to adhere too but not everybody does. There has also been occasions when embarkation starts before 12-30. I do not see a problem if you turn up at terminal give porters your luggage and you then returned into town and check in at a later time.

[Corfe Mixture]

That’s what I hoped for and expected.

Thanks

[Kingofcool1947]

On 6/19/2019 at 1:40 AM, Scorpio41 said:

Is there  Elite priority embarkation from Southampton UK?

What time does boarding start and what time can we arrive?

 

Yes, there is.

If you are Elite go directly to the head of the queue.  Elite boarding  begins at 9:00 a.m.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

Edited June 23, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[fishnchips]

Elite boarding starts at 11.30am ish .

My experience twice this year .

Elite lounge area to the right as you enter the terminal after checking in ...on Ocean and Mayflower terminals 

And up the esculater in Queen Elizabeth terminal normally directed by terminal staff on the right of terminal ,upstairs after showing Elite card.

 

[majortom10]

54 minutes ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Yes, there is.

If you are Elite go directly to the head of the queue.  Elite boarding  begins at 9:00 a.m.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

Elite boarding doesnt start at 9am at Southampton the ship will be full of people still disembarking and then they have to clean the ship and cabins.

[Kingofcool1947]

16 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Elite boarding doesnt start at 9am at Southampton the ship will be full of people still disembarking and then they have to clean the ship and cabins.

You are correct.  

I was thinking of the Elite lounge?  I recall it opens early for Elite PAXs.

Edited June 23, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[Scorpio41]

Boarding passes printed and luggage labels. Only eleven weeks and five days to go. 😎

[MGillie]

We dropped our bags just before 11 last year. We had cruise and park so they took them from our boot straight through the hole so I think you will be fine to drop them early. 

[Steelers36]

On 6/19/2019 at 8:46 PM, Times Prince said:

Southampton is the only cruise port we've been to that really has a tiered boarding.  Check in when you arrive, and if boarding has not commenced there is a large hall to wait in. They will call Suite and Elite passengers first for boarding.

Er, no.  Port Everglades and other US ports have similar processing.  We have sailed from Sydney and Copenhagen and there was priority processing/boarding.

[NSWP]

On 6/19/2019 at 6:40 PM, Scorpio41 said:

Is there  Elite priority embarkation from Southampton UK?

What time does boarding start and what time can we arrive?

Yes, we priority embarked both Sapphire and Royal in Southampton last year, checked in at 12 noon, on board by 1pm.  A lot of priority boarding though.

Edited June 24, 2019 by NSWP