Selecting boarding time

[Shutterlady]

I can’t figure out when/where you do this. Thank you to who can explain.

[canadarocks]

Open the app. Under OceanReady click Personal Information & Documents. Scroll down to the Suggested section. First on the list should be Arrivals. Click . Name of ship & Travel Dates. Click. Scroll down to Arrivals Group  + Choose a group. Click. If it's too soon - message will say Sorry! Arrival groups will be available closer to the start of your journey.

[Shutterlady]

Thank you so much. How far out are you able to do it?

[PacnGoNow]

35 minutes ago, Shutterlady said:

Thank you so much. How far out are you able to do it?

They start about 59 days before to about 12 days before sailing.  I just check starting at 59 days before.

[macmax]

If you don't select an arrival time, don't be concerned because nobody checks anyway. Just show up when you want.

 

[seeyouinthesun]

This may help 

 

 

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, macmax said:

If you don't select an arrival time, don't be concerned because nobody checks anyway. Just show up when you want.

 

The port at Southampton, UK have told me that now the ships are at full capacity this summer they are requesting people stick to arrival times to ease congestion and it may be people get asked to come back later or have to wait in the terminal.

 

How true that will actually be on the day I don’t know.

[snoozecrooze]

1 hour ago, Nicole&Pete said:

The port at Southampton, UK have told me that now the ships are at full capacity this summer they are requesting people stick to arrival times to ease congestion and it may be people get asked to come back later or have to wait in the terminal.

From my experience a few weeks back in Southampton, this isn't happening. It certainly could happen this summer, but I did not get those vibes from my encounter on our sold-out sailing. But they don't even care about the app either; the QR code is like a random souvenir at this point. Honestly, it feels like no port really seems to care about it, so why is Princess still bothering if it's not being adhered to? 

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, snoozecrooze said:

From my experience a few weeks back in Southampton, this isn't happening. It certainly could happen this summer, but I did not get those vibes from my encounter on our sold-out sailing. But they don't even care about the app either; the QR code is like a random souvenir at this point. Honestly, it feels like no port really seems to care about it, so why is Princess still bothering if it's not being adhered to? 

How weird, I get the impression that they might be stricter on summer Saturdays in Southampton with lots of ships in. When we board in 2 weeks there will be 5 ships in. 
 

The port told me (I emailed to ask a question about drop offs) that you will either get asked to go to town and come back later or have to wait at the terminal if you are too early. Maybe they wait to see how busy they are at certain time of the day and then enforce it if they need to.

[UT-Volsfan]

We are sailing In 8 days on Island Princess from Southampton and they have yet to let anybody in our Roll Call choose an arrival time.  Plan to stay at our hotel until checkout time then go to the port. 

[snoozecrooze]

4 hours ago, Nicole&Pete said:

The port told me (I emailed to ask a question about drop offs) that you will either get asked to go to town and come back later or have to wait at the terminal if you are too early. Maybe they wait to see how busy they are at certain time of the day and then enforce it if they need to.

Ah ok! I do have a more specific answer to this part after some thinking. So we traveled to the port independently and wanted to test just how early we could get there by actually visiting the port before the ship even arrived and they did turn us away at the gate to the port. What they sent to you definitely does occur, and they told us to "come back during your arrival group timeframe" (something along those lines). And so we did just that and all went well after that.

 

I had initially viewed what you said when it pertained to arriving at the terminal. Like if you had arrived at 10AM for a initially chosen 12PM arrival group, for example --> this they never checked nor verified at the terminal entrance. 

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, snoozecrooze said:

Ah ok! I do have a more specific answer to this part after some thinking. So we traveled to the port independently and wanted to test just how early we could get there by actually visiting the port before the ship even arrived and they did turn us away at the gate to the port. What they sent to you definitely does occur, and they told us to "come back during your arrival group timeframe" (something along those lines). And so we did just that and all went well after that.

 

I had initially viewed what you said when it pertained to arriving at the terminal. Like if you had arrived at 10AM for a initially chosen 12PM arrival group, for example --> this they never checked nor verified at the terminal entrance. 

Ah so they could turn you away if you are still in the car at the port entrance?

[Expat Cruise]

Sorry, some may not like this, but we do not let Princess herd us like cattle. Have always shown up when we want. It is not about making things easier for the cruise line. It is about what time works best for us, the guests.

 

Princess Cruises made a contract with us, if we cruised with them and become Captain Circle Platinum or Elite we would have priority boarding, and since we made these levels, they need to honor the deal they made. 

 

When we walk up to the airline ticket counter, it does not matter if the economy line is an hour long and no one is in the Business Class line. We just go to that line, because We have earned priority, by status or by paying for it.  So if we want to show up when boarding opens or if we want to pick a time, the same should happen, we get Priority Boarding.

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, Expat Cruise said:

Sorry, some may not like this, but we do not let Princess herd us like cattle. Have always shown up when we want. It is not about making things easier for the cruise line. It is about what time works best for us, the guests.

 

Princess Cruises made a contract with us, if we cruised with them and become Captain Circle Platinum or Elite we would have priority boarding, and since we made these levels, they need to honor the deal they made. 

 

When we walk up to the airline ticket counter, it does not matter if the economy line is an hour long and no one is in the Business Class line. We just go to that line, because We have earned priority, by status or by paying for it.  So if we want to show up when boarding opens or if we want to pick a time, the same should happen, we get Priority Boarding.

I think if your elite you should be allowed to turn up when you want. Celebrity used to do this and now you have to select a boarding time, I think they should bring it back because it was a nice perk!

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

our experience on the last 2 cruises, in the past 8 months,  is that if you turn up early at Southampton, they will ask you to wait in a holding area. The holding areas looked a bit like a theme park queue waiting to one side. With a sign showing those peoples actual boarding time.

 

 

we pay a lot of money to cruise with whoever we choose. However Southampton port & terminals are not outright owned by any of the cruise lines. The staff checking you in are port staff not cruise line staff. The port has final say on who they let in and when

I’ve had several arguments on here about it telling me I’m definitely wrong.

it’s my home port, I know quite a few UK cruisers, & all I’m sharing is my personal experience and theirs. some have been let straight on for some of their cruises and told to wait for others.

 

 you may be let on when you turn up. That’s much more likely outside of school holiday’s when the ships are not only full, they are sailing at way more than double occupancy. I don’t blame people for taking their chances at all. If you do, I hope you get on. I just don’t want anyone to be surprised if you get told to ‘wait over there’ when that’s been our experience thus far. the port are often, but not always, being strict now.

 

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

our experience on the last 2 cruises, in the past 8 months,  is that if you turn up early at Southampton, they will ask you to wait in a holding area. The holding areas looked a bit like a theme park queue waiting to one side. With a sign showing those peoples actual boarding time.

 

 

we pay a lot of money to cruise with whoever we choose. However Southampton port & terminals are not outright owned by any of the cruise lines. The staff checking you in are port staff not cruise line staff. The port has final say on who they let in and when

I’ve had several arguments on here about it telling me I’m definitely wrong.

it’s my home port, I know quite a few UK cruisers, & all I’m sharing is my personal experience and theirs. some have been let straight on for some of their cruises and told to wait for others.

 

 you may be let on when you turn up. That’s much more likely outside of school holiday’s when the ships are not only full, they are sailing at way more than double occupancy. I don’t blame people for taking their chances at all. If you do, I hope you get on. I just don’t want anyone to be surprised if you get told to ‘wait over there’ when that’s been our experience thus far. the port are often, but not always, being strict now.

 

I think Southampton is a bit different from most ports as it is so busy with 5 different port locations and a busy city as well that has to deal with congestion on Saturdays due to cruise ships.
 

I emailed the port recently and they said with cruises now at capacity this summer they want people to stick to arrival times and could send you back to town or make you wait if your too early. However, I reckon the likelihood of this happening on the day will be down to how busy they happen to be, if it’s a busy day/ time when you arrive they might be stricter than at other times, probably depends. This is the first summer in a while they will have had to deal with cruise ships at capacity so we will see.

 

In all my years of cruising Southampton the only embarkation port where I’ve ever had to wait to board so I think it’s a bit different from other places. 
 

I think if you go earlier than your slot you have to be prepared to wait if you are asked to. I wouldn’t take the risk if my boarding time was 3pm but if it’s 12pm it’s probably only an hours wait anyway.

[MissP22]

On 6/2/2023 at 10:12 PM, macmax said:

If you don't select an arrival time, don't be concerned because nobody checks anyway. Just show up when you want.

 

Very true, at this time, but they could change their stance at any time leaving you standing at the gate.

No use in taking any chances by not selecting your desired slot.

[snoozecrooze]

7 hours ago, Nicole&Pete said:

Ah so they could turn you away if you are still in the car at the port entrance?

Yes, from our experience, that's what happened. Same thing if you were to walk as well.

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, snoozecrooze said:

Yes, from our experience, that's what happened. Same thing if you were to walk as well.

Right ok Il make sure I stick to the time then!

[snoozecrooze]

1 hour ago, Nicole&Pete said:

Right ok Il make sure I stick to the time then!

I may have been too literal about us going back to the port at our boarding group time. Given when the ship arrived, we could've very easily entered the port earlier than our selected time; the port people weren't actually checking anything and they just didn't want someone getting into the port 'too early'

[Nicole&Pete]

Just now, snoozecrooze said:

I may have been too literal about us going back to the port at our boarding group time. Given when the ship arrived, we could've very easily entered the port earlier than our selected time; the port people weren't actually checking anything and they just didn't want someone getting into the port 'too early'

Right ok understood

[1160451]

Went out of Southampton on 8th May.

After all the stressing about boarding times and QR codes, we wandered in about 30 minutes prior to our boarding time and was just waved thro.

They only looked at our Passports.