Couple of questions about Southampton embarkation

[thedarklord]

Sailing from Southampton tomorrow, first time on P&O, so not 100% sure their policies are.
When we said with NCL, we can normally just turn up at the port, ignore the suggested time on the boarding pass, and go check-in.
From what I've read, it seems that P&O are a bit stricter about this sort of thing?  We're driving a few hours to get there, traffic time hard to predict, so if we get their early are they going to send us away and tell us to come back later?
Second question - if they are strict about this sort of thing and are likely to send us away, can we leave our luggage with them at the port, or would we need to take it with us until our return?  If we can leave it, what's the earliest drop-off time they're likely to allow do you think?

[AndyMichelle]

There was a lot of noise about this issue a while back, but seems to have calmed down. 

I don't know if that is because they are being more lenient or passengers are following the rules? 

You can leave your luggage, I think from about 11.

We are boarding today and plan to drop the bags off early and walk across to Oxford Street for some lunch, but if no queues, we might chance our arm... 

I will report back once on board, hopefully before I get too drunk... 

Have a great cruise. 

Andy 

[Angel57]

You can usually deposit your luggage from around 1100.

However, P&O are generally very strict about boarding times. You may be lucky to get on a little earlier if there is a lull, but I would suggest only getting there as early as you are prepared to stand in a queue outside the terminal which is not protected from the elements.

[TigerB]

If you are really early they may direct you to the 'naughty queue' and you will have to wait your turn.

If you are no more than about thirty minutes early they may send you straight in; it will probably depend on how busy it is and who it is you first encounter.

If you have someone in your party that requires special assistance, and if you all need to stay together, you should be directed to wait inside the terminal, or may even be directed to proceed directly to check-in.

 

Either way, you can drop off your luggage and return, if that suits.

[david63]

P&O at Southampton have been enforcing arrival times most of this year so if you do arrive early there is a possibility that you will have to wait in a queue outside - for how long is an unanswerable question. The one exception to having to wait is if you are in a suite.

 

You can drop your luggage off from around 10:30 depending on what is happening on the day and then come back later and check-in.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Angel57 said:

You can usually deposit your luggage from around 1100.

However, P&O are generally very strict about boarding times. You may be lucky to get on a little earlier if there is a lull, but I would suggest only getting there as early as you are prepared to stand in a queue outside the terminal which is not protected from the elements.

We board Arvia at 13.30. We will be early so will go into Mayflower park,  look at the ships and drive round to the Dock about 13.15. No rush to get on as there isn't a Gran Prix to watch on Sky F1.

[Cloudyrain]

You can drop your luggage off and then drive off and get some lunch or wander around the city: there’s lots of easy parking places 😊

[david63]

1 minute ago, Cloudyrain said:

You can drop your luggage off and then drive off

Only when the porters are available - unless you want to just leave your luggage lying around the terminal in the hope that nobody takes

[Cloudyrain]

4 minutes ago, david63 said:

Only when the porters are available - unless you want to just leave your luggage lying around the terminal in the hope that nobody takes

I thought considering the OP has cruises before, and that other people have provided details about luggage drop, that they would be aware of how luggage drop works and didn’t need it spelling out 😉

[grapau27]

5 hours ago, zap99 said:

We board Arvia at 13.30. We will be early so will go into Mayflower park,  look at the ships and drive round to the Dock about 13.15. No rush to get on as there isn't a Gran Prix to watch on Sky F1.

We were 13.15pm for Iona on March 12th and got there at 12.30pm.

They were calling people for 14.00pm check in then.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

We were 13.15pm for Iona on March 12th and got there at 12.30pm.

They were calling people for 14.00pm check in then.

It was March 30th not March 12th sorry.

When we were in the terminal at 12.45pm it was packed.

[majortom10]

We disembarked this morning off Arvia and as we were walking across to CPS car park noticed a queue outside of terminal waiting to embark and there was also a queue of cats waiting  to be checked in by CPS. The time was 1010am and you can understand P&O making strict rules about boarding when people are arriving this early. To be honest cannot understand the logic of people arriving that early or the benefit. Having said that seeing the queue at 1645pm of people waiting outside MDR last week for a restaurant that doesn't open until 1730pm beggars belief.

[Fionboard]

1 minute ago, majortom10 said:

We disembarked this morning off Arvia and as we were walking across to CPS car park noticed a queue outside of terminal waiting to embark and there was also a queue of cats waiting  to be checked in by CPS. The time was 1010am and you can understand P&O making strict rules about boarding when people are arriving this early. To be honest cannot understand the logic of people arriving that early or the benefit. Having said that seeing the queue at 1645pm of people waiting outside MDR last week for a restaurant that doesn't open until 1730pm beggars belief.

Cruise Pussycats Services?!!

[bbtablet]

10 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

We disembarked this morning off Arvia and as we were walking across to CPS car park there was also a queue of cats waiting  to be checked in by CPS.

Wonderful image! No wonder my car always smells a bit iffy when I collect it after a cruise!

[Windsurfboy]

18 hours ago, majortom10 said:

We disembarked this morning off Arvia and as we were walking across to CPS car park noticed a queue outside of terminal waiting to embark and there was also a queue of cats waiting  to be checked in by CPS. The time was 1010am and you can understand P&O making strict rules about boarding when people are arriving this early. To be honest cannot understand the logic of people arriving that early or the benefit. Having said that seeing the queue at 1645pm of people waiting outside MDR last week for a restaurant that doesn't open until 1730pm beggars belief.

 

To quote Victor Meldrew  you can't  believe it !!! .  I bet they were complaining that it was cold they should be let in

[Angel57]

19 hours ago, majortom10 said:

We disembarked this morning off Arvia and as we were walking across to CPS car park noticed a queue outside of terminal waiting to embark and there was also a queue of cats waiting  to be checked in by CPS. The time was 1010am and you can understand P&O making strict rules about boarding when people are arriving this early. To be honest cannot understand the logic of people arriving that early or the benefit. Having said that seeing the queue at 1645pm of people waiting outside MDR last week for a restaurant that doesn't open until 1730pm beggars belief.

On another forum that shall remain nameless, there are so many posts asking how early they can turn up at the terminal to board, and there are so many replies saying to get there early as you’ll probably be let on board. 

[AndyMichelle]

We boarded last Friday 26th. There was absolutely no chance of jumping the queue, but we have since found out there was a problem with the air bridge and the passengers from the coaches etc were waiting inside. 

They did say they always try get people through ASAP but we saw people waiting from before 12 for 3.30 boarding... 

By all means try, but just be prepared to wait outside, standing up. 

Andy 

[purplesea]

18 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

We boarded last Friday 26th. There was absolutely no chance of jumping the queue, but we have since found out there was a problem with the air bridge and the passengers from the coaches etc were waiting inside. 

They did say they always try get people through ASAP but we saw people waiting from before 12 for 3.30 boarding... 

By all means try, but just be prepared to wait outside, standing up. 

Andy 

There was a problem with one of the air bridges when we boarded on the 31st March too!

They were both in use when we disembarked a fortnight later, though.

 

[Clodia]

I literally cannot stop laughing at the thought of a queue of cats waiting to board....

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, Clodia said:

I literally cannot stop laughing at the thought of a queue of cats waiting to board....

 

[FangedRose]

On 4/26/2024 at 12:29 PM, david63 said:

The one exception to having to wait is if you are in a suite.

Caribbean level and above also have priority boarding

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, FangedRose said:

Caribbean level and above also have priority boarding

 

Suites , mini suites,  Caribbean,  Baltic and Ligurian all have priority boarding. That can be a lot of people. So if too many  have priority no one has priority. 

 

Theoretically only Full Suites and Ligurian should  have a 12.30pm boarding time , rest should have  1.00pm. However that is Theoretical and if staff let everyone with priority check-in when they arrive , and go to the front of the the priority queue , then the promise by P&O for full suites, which literally  says "we will whisk you through Embarkation before the other guests" is meaningless.

 

I wait to see, but expect chaos. 

Edited Tuesday at 04:24 PM by Windsurfboy

[Ardennais]

Embarked Iona on Saturday. 4 cabins, different loyalty tiers. The two insides - Atlantic tier/first cruise had 13.30 and the two balconies - Med tier - had 14.45! So we jigged things around in the morning when leaving the hotel so that the 4 couples arrived at the correct time in the two cars. Mooched around West Quays, left there 30 minutes before embarkation time, waited about 10 mins in CPS queue and we were all aboard by the allotted time. Why do people make such a fuss I honestly don’t know. 

[jh1809]

49 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Suites , mini suites,  Caribbean,  Baltic and Ligurian all have priority boarding. That can be a lot of people. So if too many  have priority no one has priority. 

 

Theoretically only Full Suites and Ligurian should  have a 12.30pm boarding time , rest should have  1.00pm. However that is Theoretical and if staff let everyone with priority check-in when they arrive , and go to the front of the the priority queue , then the promise by P&O for full suites, which literally  says "we will whisk you through Embarkation before the other guests" is meaningless.

 

I wait to see, but expect chaos. 

"Theoretically only Full Suites and Ligurian should  have a 12.30pm boarding time , rest should have 1.00pm." I'm Caribbean and am in an "ordinary" outside cabin, but have been given a 12:30 boarding time for my cruise on Aurora sailing on 18th May. Maybe that indicates that there aren't so many passengers on that cruise in the higher loyalty tiers as one might expect?

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Suites , mini suites,  Caribbean,  Baltic and Ligurian all have priority boarding. That can be a lot of people. So if too many  have priority no one has priority. 

 

Theoretically only Full Suites and Ligurian should  have a 12.30pm boarding time , rest should have  1.00pm. However that is Theoretical and if staff let everyone with priority check-in when they arrive , and go to the front of the the priority queue , then the promise by P&O for full suites, which literally  says "we will whisk you through Embarkation before the other guests" is meaningless.

 

I wait to see, but expect chaos. 

We are only Baltic but had a 12:30 boarding time on our March Iona cruise.