Southampton embarkation....any queues?

[gah_cruise]

Just wondering if there has been an increase in queues since Princess did away with arrival times recently.?
I know that your arrival group time was not asked for at Southampton, but am curious to know if regular cruisers have noticed any difference...eg for passengers on the terminal or cars waiting for CPS since the change.

Edited September 3, 2023 by gah_cruise

[Purdey16]

I boarded sky on Saturday and apart from the traffic in Southampton because of 4 ships in the ques in the terminal was very good and we checked in at 10.35 boarded at 10.45 but that was elite first then platinum and suite and on board at 10.55 , hardly any ques but it could be different if you are not platinum or elite 

[cr8tiv1]

Thank you for this thread.  May I ask which terminal does Princess use?  On my documents, they list Mayflower and Ocean.  Did you stay at a pre-cruise hotel?  Any assistance and suggestions would be most interesting.

 

As far as Green/Blue lane, did it matter much since many would not have the option to have their medallion shipped to them.

[Bgwest]

GREAT thread! Following. 

[SCX22]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

May I ask which terminal does Princess use?

 

Princess is usually assigned the Mayflower Terminal and Ocean Terminal.  Depending on how busy the port is they might be assigned the QEII Terminal and usually for smaller ships like the Island Princess.  In recent times, the Sky Princess has been assigned Mayflower Terminal and the Regal has been assigned the Ocean Terminal.  The official cruise schedule from the port authority with berth assignments is below:

 

https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

[cr8tiv1]

Yes, I have found similar schedules, but nothing for 2024.  I even wrote to the port authorities...who replied with:  "We will get back to you...." and hasn't.   Hard to make hotel reservations for 2024.  I don't want to wait so long with higher prices and sold out.  

[SCX22]

48 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Yes, I have found similar schedules, but nothing for 2024.  I even wrote to the port authorities...who replied with:  "We will get back to you...." and hasn't.   Hard to make hotel reservations for 2024.  I don't want to wait so long with higher prices and sold out.  

 

If on the Sky in 2024, I'd bet on the Mayflower Terminal.  I was told by the port workers, when asked why the Sky was assigned at the old Mayflower Terminal, that the Sky leaves out of this terminal because of the long term parking situation.  P&O uses the Ocean Terminal.  They are assigned separate terminals so that the Brits that drive to the port have enough parking.  The Regal is assigned the Ocean Terminal with P&O because Brits don't usually book the Regal because it does British Isles itineraries, an area that Brits are trying to get away from for their cruises.

[OTrail]

Apologies for hijacking but this is of interest to me for a future cruise. I'm arriving by train the day before, would my best bet be to stay at the Ibis and then just walk down the road through Gate 10? (looking on Google Maps)

[Steelers36]

12 hours ago, gah_cruise said:

Just wondering if there has been an increase in queues since Princess did away with arrival times recently.?
I know that your arrival group time was not asked for at Southampton, but am curious to know if regular cruisers have noticed any difference...eg for passengers on the terminal or cars waiting for CPS since the change.

My guess is not much change in patterns at all since guests would come to terminal as it suited them.  Those that want to be there early will still come early.

 

9 hours ago, Purdey16 said:

I boarded sky on Saturday and apart from the traffic in Southampton because of 4 ships in the ques in the terminal was very good and we checked in at 10.35 boarded at 10.45 but that was elite first then platinum and suite and on board at 10.55 , hardly any ques but it could be different if you are not platinum or elite 

Elites and Suites board together.  Then Platinum.  If someone at the port let the Platinums on and held back the Suites, then they screwed up.

 

[david63]

8 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Yes, I have found similar schedules, but nothing for 2024.  I even wrote to the port authorities...who replied with:  "We will get back to you...." and hasn't.   Hard to make hotel reservations for 2024.  I don't want to wait so long with higher prices and sold out.  

Southampton VTS is not normally updated for the following year until the end of the current year and then it is phased in.

 

7 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

I was told by the port workers, when asked why the Sky was assigned at the old Mayflower Terminal, that the Sky leaves out of this terminal because of the long term parking situation.  P&O uses the Ocean Terminal.  They are assigned separate terminals so that the Brits that drive to the port have enough parking.  The Regal is assigned the Ocean Terminal with P&O because Brits don't usually book the Regal because it does British Isles itineraries, an area that Brits are trying to get away from for their cruises.

That is totally untrue as there is no long term parking at any cruise terminal at Southampton - all long term parking is off site.

 

Incidentally Ocean Terminal is not exclusive to P&O although Carnival do have first call on it.

[Catchum]

Last month at Southampton, we drove to the terminal listed on our documentation, found the wrong ship was parked there, followed the line of traffic which was turning around drove about a mile to the correct terminal. Fortunately CPS was on the ball and dropping off the car was no problem.

 

If you plan to walk double check where your ship is that morning. We stay at the Moxy which works for us. Rooms are compact so we leave our big cases in the car.

[Tigrou]

8 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Yes, I have found similar schedules, but nothing for 2024.  I even wrote to the port authorities...who replied with:  "We will get back to you...." and hasn't.   Hard to make hotel reservations for 2024.  I don't want to wait so long with higher prices and sold out.  

To be fair, they probably don't have the schedule for 2024 yet.  (Southampton is better than some ports at publishing their schedule, eg Quebec doesn't yet show the berth for my cruise there in early October.)

 

Unless you definitely want to walk to the terminal, it doesn't really matter which hotel you stay in, it's a short taxi ride from any of the central city hotels to any of the cruise terminals.  Personally I always book a hotel as soon as I can, but on a refundable rate so I can take advantage of any price reductions.  Although if it's a busy cruise day or there are other events happening in the city (such as the Boat Show), prices are likely to only keep going up, not down.

 

 

 

[Gettingwarmer]

13 minutes ago, david63 said:

That is totally untrue as there is no long term parking at any cruise terminal at Southampton - all long term parking is off site.

The cars may be moved but CPS parking is within the port area. 

[SCX22]

11 minutes ago, david63 said:

That is totally untrue as there is no long term parking at any cruise terminal at Southampton - all long term parking is off site.

 

Our expat friends that live in London joined us on the Sky in April were able to park their car in the ABParking lots right on Dock property.

[Tigrou]

12 minutes ago, david63 said:

That is totally untrue as there is no long term parking at any cruise terminal at Southampton - all long term parking is off site.

 

 

According to the Associated British Ports parking website there is long term parking at City and Horizon. (Which could presumably also be used for Mayflower as it's in the same area.) 

https://www.abparking.co.uk/faqs/

 

Where are the Long Stay Car Parks?

Long Stay Car Parks are located in the Western Docks and are accessed by either Dock Gate 8 for CITY CRUISE TERMINAL and Dock Gate 10 for HORIZON CRUISE TERMINAL.  The Car Parks are directly adjacent to the Cruise Terminals

[Tigrou]

5 hours ago, OTrail said:

Apologies for hijacking but this is of interest to me for a future cruise. I'm arriving by train the day before, would my best bet be to stay at the Ibis and then just walk down the road through Gate 10? (looking on Google Maps)

 

It depends on which cruise terminal you are sailing from and how far you're okay with walking, potentially with luggage.

 

Earlier in the year I walked from the Holiday Inn to Ocean Terminal.  I did a recce the night before and it was an easy walk.  But when I did it with my luggage (just a medium sized spinner case) the following morning, I quickly wished I'd got a taxi!

 

More recently I stayed at the Novotel when sailing out of Mayflower.  Initially thought I'd walk, thinking it was closer, until I measured the path on Google Earth and realised it was actually a longer walk.  It's mostly within the working port area so you have to follow the designated roads, no shortcuts that I could see.  I opted to take a taxi instead and was glad I did.  I did see several people walking though, with luggage, but it didn't look like much fun to me.

[david63]

7 minutes ago, Tigrou said:

It depends on which cruise terminal you are sailing from and how far you're okay with walking, potentially with luggage.

And what the weather is. A 15 -20 minute walk in the pouring rain lugging a suitcase would not be my ideal way of starting a cruise, or any other holiday for that matter.

[Purdey16]

Sky princess departed from the QE II on Saturday and we will return to the mayflower terminal. I’m certainly glad we didn’t leave the mayflower terminal on Saturday because the traffic was horrendous at 10 in the morning, grid locked .

[terrierjohn]

9 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

If on the Sky in 2024, I'd bet on the Mayflower Terminal.  I was told by the port workers, when asked why the Sky was assigned at the old Mayflower Terminal, that the Sky leaves out of this terminal because of the long term parking situation.  P&O uses the Ocean Terminal.  They are assigned separate terminals so that the Brits that drive to the port have enough parking.  The Regal is assigned the Ocean Terminal with P&O because Brits don't usually book the Regal because it does British Isles itineraries, an area that Brits are trying to get away from for their cruises.

I am not sure that parking is the issue, since on all CPS served terminals the cars are taken away from the terminal to other larger car parks but still within the port confines, then they are returned to the terminal car parks in time for the ships return. 

The main reason IMO is terminal availability, P&O get weekend priority because their passengers are mainly Brits, and weekend departures are the preferred choice. Similarly Sky generally has a majority of Brits, so again gets weekend priority. You were correct that Regal will have less Brits and for N American passengers a midweek departure is no hardship. 

Furthermore since P&O paid for the upgrades at Ocean to handle the Excel class ships, they get priority, and Iona on 7 day fjords cruises, is there every Saturday, and Arvia on 14 day Med cruises every other Sunday. Which leaves few available weekend departures for Princess.