Later boarding Southampton?

[Host Hattie]

Room service or snacks from the Lido until dinner.

[milamber]

2 hours ago, CunarderRon said:

Hmm, I'd like to continue to know how these recent embarkations out of Southampton are turning out. I'm set to embark on the 11th of December, on QV, from the Mayflower Terminal and have a check-in time of 3:45, which is the latest time I have ever been given. I'm a Diamond, although the wife and kids are not. I wonder if we will be permitted to board earlier because of the World Club status.

No logic to that then. We are platinum and have 2.45pm for the same cruise. Like most people we'll need to be out of the hotel by 12pm though so don't have any option, but to arrive earlier. Don't ever recall being given a time later than 12.30pm before

[LadyL1]

Well, this a first!
Tomorrow we board QV at the Mayflower terminal. This morning I have had text from Cunard reminding to bring up to date Covid pass. Also, there is a stipulation to arrive at one’s given time on the boarding pass. This certainly didn’t happen last month for a short cruise to Amsterdam, when boarding was somewhat shambolic. We have very rarely had texts from Cunard.

As I said at the beginning of this thread our time is later than in the past for grade of cabin, and from others who have posted it does rather seem that embarkation is being put back, with some being asked to board much later. Will soon find out how this progresses.

 

[Bell Boy]

Well if it's any comfort to you all,  Bell Boy ( with 53 Cunard cruises - 800 + days) has been give a 15.45pm check-in time at the Mayflower Terminal for the 11th December .🤬

No Way Jose' !  I intend to arrive at the usual time of around 12.30pm as I have done for many years.  

I'll manage the outcome on the day  🙅‍♂️

[techteach]

December 15, QG, cruise #1 for us. Boarding pass says 12:45.

[Victoria2]

26 minutes ago, techteach said:

December 15, QG, cruise #1 for us. Boarding pass says 12:45.

I am so looking forward to your first Cunard encounter.

 

Don't forget, ASK!!!!!

The staff are there for you and no question is too insignificant. 🙂

[LEESRE]

6 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

Well, this a first!
Tomorrow we board QV at the Mayflower terminal. This morning I have had text from Cunard reminding to bring up to date Covid pass. Also, there is a stipulation to arrive at one’s given time on the boarding pass. This certainly didn’t happen last month for a short cruise to Amsterdam, when boarding was somewhat shambolic. We have very rarely had texts from Cunard.

As I said at the beginning of this thread our time is later than in the past for grade of cabin, and from others who have posted it does rather seem that embarkation is being put back, with some being asked to board much later. Will soon find out how this progresses.

 

Please let us know how it goes

[ExArkie]

1 hour ago, techteach said:

December 15, QG, cruise #1 for us. Boarding pass says 12:45.

Same date, same cabin grade, but not our first Cunard crossing (platinum CWC members), and ours says 12:15. Go figure…

 

Pretty much irrelevant, though, since we will already be on board from the Christmas Market voyage and don’t intend to get off the ship (we have a couple of days in Southampton to see things before the first embarkation.) Maybe that factored into the arrival time. 

 

[buchanan101]

23 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

Well, this a first!
Tomorrow we board QV at the Mayflower terminal. This morning I have had text from Cunard reminding to bring up to date Covid pass. Also, there is a stipulation to arrive at one’s given time on the boarding pass. This certainly didn’t happen last month for a short cruise to Amsterdam, when boarding was somewhat shambolic. We have very rarely had texts from Cunard.

As I said at the beginning of this thread our time is later than in the past for grade of cabin, and from others who have posted it does rather seem that embarkation is being put back, with some being asked to board much later. Will soon find out how this progresses.

 

They didn't even bother checking our Covid passes back in October...

 

We must have honest faces?

[Camgirl]

18 hours ago, ExArkie said:

Same date, same cabin grade, but not our first Cunard crossing (platinum CWC members), and ours says 12:15. Go figure…

 

Pretty much irrelevant, though, since we will already be on board from the Christmas Market voyage and don’t intend to get off the ship (we have a couple of days in Southampton to see things before the first embarkation.) Maybe that factored into the arrival time. 

 

What time have you been given for boarding on the 10th? We are diamond and have been given 2.15. 

[ExArkie]

3 hours ago, Camgirl said:

What time have you been given for boarding on the 10th? We are diamond and have been given 2.15. 

We have a 1:00 arrival time on the 10th - as platinum in PG (when we booked, a P2 was only a slight increase over BC, which is where we originally intended to be). Perhaps being in Grills bumps up the time more than CWC status…or are you also in Grills?

 

[Camgirl]

Grills does go before diamond non grills. But we should be boarding straight after pricess grills. It usually goes QG, PG, diamond, platinum, others. 

 

Thanks for telling me your time. I think we will aim for earlier than 2.15. It is all very bizarre.

[buchanan101]

6 hours ago, ExArkie said:

We have a 1:00 arrival time on the 10th - as platinum in PG (when we booked, a P2 was only a slight increase over BC, which is where we originally intended to be). Perhaps being in Grills bumps up the time more than CWC status…or are you also in Grills?

 

BC seems to vary more in price than any other class. Relatively small so impacted more by supply and demand. 

[ExArkie]

18 hours ago, buchanan101 said:

BC seems to vary more in price than any other class. Relatively small so impacted more by supply and demand. 

Yes. On our last crossing pre-COVID, we booked PG because it was actually LESS than BC at the time we looked. 

[DaisyDancer]

On 11/29/2022 at 11:15 AM, Camgirl said:

What time have you been given for boarding on the 10th? We are diamond and have been given 2.15. 

I am also diamond and have been given 3.30 - my friend who is platinum also has 3.30. Our other friend who has no world club status has 1.30! Seems to be random allocation. Can't even say it's down to which deck we're on as we're all on deck 8.🤔

[Camgirl]

1 hour ago, DaisyDancer said:

I am also diamond and have been given 3.30 - my friend who is platinum also has 3.30. Our other friend who has no world club status has 1.30! Seems to be random allocation. Can't even say it's down to which deck we're on as we're all on deck 8.🤔

It gets more weird! We went back and downloaded the boarding passes again, due to a mistake. This time our time was changed to 2.45!! The same as my sister has been given on her first cunard cruise. 

As you say, it just seems to be random. And changes each time you look!!!

[david,Mississauga]

Although not for Southampton, in 2019 we were given a late boarding time for Vancouver. We were not in the Grills but are Diamond members.  Our TA phoned Cunard and was told we should ignore that and plan on boarding at 12:00.  In fact we were on board before 11:30, the earliest we have ever boarded a Cunard ship.  

[MaraHornraven]

Well, spare a thought for us bottom of the rung passengers.  First time I checked, 21 days out, our boarding time was 2:45.  I've just checked again, it's 3:30.  Apparently the ship leaves at 5:00! 

 

Should I be packing my first nights gear in a carry on (I can't remember how long it takes for our cases to arrive at the stateroom!) 

Edited December 5, 2022 by MaraHornraven
Found the actual sail away time (not 4pm!)

[TheOldBear]

Its usually a good idea to wear or bring everything needed for your first night. Embarkation days are not 'gala' or formal nights so mostly I wear suitable casual night attire to board the ship [necktie in my carryon].

 

I am only personally familiar with embarkation in Brooklyn [New York] but you can often check your luggage well in advance of your scheduled embarkation time - most of the time its waiting for you in your room by the time you check in at your muster station..

[exlondoner]

8 minutes ago, TheOldBear said:

Its usually a good idea to wear or bring everything needed for your first night. Embarkation days are not 'gala' or formal nights so mostly I wear suitable casual night attire to board the ship [necktie in my carryon].

 

I am only personally familiar with embarkation in Brooklyn [New York] but you can often check your luggage well in advance of your scheduled embarkation time - most of the time its waiting for you in your room by the time you check in at your muster station..

It usually arrives pretty promptly at Southampton too.

[MaraHornraven]

Thanks chaps, I won't carry too much on then, maybe just a dress and shoes, probably easier for the gents (I know my dad will be defiant and board in his jeans!)  

 

I know we've a good few days on board, I just know our excitement will be brimming and waiting until 3:30 is a bit of a bummer!

[rsquare]

I suspect that the later boarding times are facilitated or even caused by the elimination of formal lifeboat drill.  There is no longer a fixed time to assemble, at least on QM2.  Instead, the drill is to show up at your assembly station and have your ship card scanned by someone.  Life jacket instruction appears to be left to the program running on the room TV when you first enter.

 

Also BTW, Covid testing was available at Mayflower Cruise terminal in early November, in spite of dire warnings that it would not be.

[milamber]

Boarded QV in Southampton today. Had 14.45 on the boarding pass, but turned up at 12.20 as we had to leave the hotel at 12.00. No problem at all. Lady was very pleasant and not at all concerned we were early after we apologised. Got the priority stamp on the pass as Platinum and were on board by around 13.15 I think.

 

No health questionnaire to complete, just asked if we were well. Didn't have to show vaccination certificates or insurance.

 

Ship as lovely as we remember. First time back with Cunard since Covid

Edited December 11, 2022 by milamber

[Jack E Dawson]

On 11/28/2022 at 9:01 AM, Bell Boy said:

Well if it's any comfort to you all,  Bell Boy ( with 53 Cunard cruises - 800 + days) has been give a 15.45pm check-in time at the Mayflower Terminal for the 11th December .🤬

No Way Jose' !  I intend to arrive at the usual time of around 12.30pm as I have done for many years.  

I'll manage the outcome on the day  🙅‍♂️

So, how did boarding go?

 

Jack

[sogne]

On all 3 QM2 cruises from Southampton this year our boarding times have been between 1430 and 1530. We arrived after long drive including M25 by 1230 each time. As diamond we had priority after grills. In fact a board at check in gave order of priority as grills diamond platinum.