P&O new check in procedures

[Kendhni]

The dilemma here seems to be going over my head .. maybe it s because I am used to flying.
To me it all seems a perfectly reasonable request for people to aim to arrive when asked. If you are early then you sit in a lounge and read a book or do something until your allotted time, or maybe you stop off somewhere for lunch or visit to the shops for another tasteless hawaiian shirt. The main difference with flying is that if you are a bit late then the plane will be gone, but with a cruise the ship will probably still be waiting there for you. Having read the first post, it appears P&O will endeavour to get late arrivals on board as quickly as possible.

OK I know there will be the myriad of excuses, lies, BS, self-importance etc. whereby people think they should be the first onboard or should not have to wait in a queue like everybody else ... and there will be a very small number that genuinely struggle to wait in queues. But those that are genuine need to get in touch with the call centre to ensure that they have a suitable time slot that works in with their travel plans and, on the day, work to that time slot.

From the outside looking in, it appears most people are moaning over nothing.

[Kendhni]

David, why do they need the cabins ready as you board?

I've no idea - I was only offering a possible reason.

Actually I can see a good reason to have the cabins ready for when you board and that is to stop having passengers "milling around" for a couple of hours with all of their possessions in tow.

One of the reasons for this is that carelessness sometimes means the luggage ends up in walkways and becomes a trip hazard for others.

[qbman1]

Just out of interest, has anyone received their check-in info since the "new" rules were introduced ?

....Furthermore I can't understand why people relate to the buffet as a bun fight or somewhere they would not be seen dead in, on the two P&O cruises I have been on I found the buffet to be well presented and staffed by friendly efficient crew, the same goes for fellow passengers who are queing with you in a polite and orderly manner. No flying buns or disorder just a little bit busy due to the extra volume of passengers all arriving together, unlike some of the VIP lounges I have been in where the "I've paid for it I'm gonna have it all" brigade frequent.

Absolutely agree about the buffet being well-presented and the staff most definitely friendly and efficient. You must have been on different ships to us, though, Ray as many of the passengers are far from polite and orderly, especially on embarkation day. Maybe we hit rush hour but it was usually a case of every man for himself and bugger the others. OK, maybe just a personal preference but I would much rather sit in a quiet and civilised environment than have to battle for a bite to eat !

[Boris+]

Well, Kendhni you make some valid points, but at an airport there is more to do than there is in a Southampton terminal. Ocean is good, so is City, then QEll is a bit further down the scale, and I haven't been in Mayflower since this alleged refurb (has it happened? don't know). However, because airports potentially have a higher throughput in a given day than a Southampton terminal, there are more facilities - a proper magazine/book store, proper other shops and a choice of eateries.

As far as the 'health and safety' idea about carelessness leading to luggage becoming trip hazards - well, I don't think it's got anything to do with that. Much of the baggage gets up to the accommodation areas after passengers have boarded, and many a time we've been and had lunch and a mooch around before we've had our baggage - and that's so-called priority luggage. Ok, a couple of times the bags have been in the suite before we've gone for lunch in the restaurant, but we always used to do embarkation, dump hand luggage in suite, go for lunch, unpack when bags arrive, muster.

Talking about this situation and the 'excuses' given by P&O, we are now wondering about lots of things - and they all have connections to cost saving by the cruise line. Providing less catering on embarkation day - well the initial 'saving' is obvious, but the second one is staff related. In order to allow all the passengers on board maybe (just maybe) there is a requirement for a certain level of staffing (maybe something to do with operating regulations or insurance?). If crew are leaving and crew are joining when it's a turnaround port like Southampton, then quite a bit of cost can be saved by the cruise line by delaying the passengers. Instead of the crew arriving in the UK the previous day, and travelling down to Southampton and staying in an hotel overnight somewhere and therefore being onboard and reported for duty bright and early, the crew would travel to the UK (let's say fly in to LHR or LGW etc) on the actual Southampton embarkation day, and stuck together on a crew bus and taken straight down to the port. That's going to be one good saving.

However, I still reckon that as this is not (repeat not) an aircraft with limited space and therefore requiring a bit of specialised loading methodology - if they PAID (oh good grief, I think the cruise line might feint at the prospect) for MORE check in and HANDLING STAFF, the passengers would arrive in their own good time (like the good old days), feel at ease and make their way through check in and onto the ship.

I'm not sure that the point raised about rooms not being ready is going to wash with us - each and every cruise we've done, we've got our hand luggage ready, put it in a wardrobe - told the steward, gone for breakfast, return to room grab hand luggage and go through disembarkation - always on disembarkation morning, by the time we get back from breakfast to collect our hand luggage, the room is virtually 'ready to go' for the next passengers, needing only flowers, fizz and passenger paperwork. Sometimes we've got back from breakfast and the paperwork (excursion tickets etc) has arrived for the next passengers. The rooms HAVE TO BE sorted out bright and early, so that the laundry can get started, and also so that any big problems (broken furniture etc) can be sorted.

I still say - we've all paid lots of money, no matter what the grade of the accommodation, and no matter whether it's a last minute deal etc., and we should be given a better level of respect and comfort at checkin and boarding.

Rant over. Sorry, I'll shut up now.

[gravy1955]

Well, Kendhni you make some valid points, but at an airport there is more to do than there is in a Southampton terminal. Ocean is good, so is City, then QEll is a bit further down the scale, and I haven't been in Mayflower since this alleged refurb (has it happened? don't know). However, because airports potentially have a higher throughput in a given day than a Southampton terminal, there are more facilities - a proper magazine/book store, proper other shops and a choice of eateries.

As far as the 'health and safety' idea about carelessness leading to luggage becoming trip hazards - well, I don't think it's got anything to do with that. Much of the baggage gets up to the accommodation areas after passengers have boarded, and many a time we've been and had lunch and a mooch around before we've had our baggage - and that's so-called priority luggage. Ok, a couple of times the bags have been in the suite before we've gone for lunch in the restaurant, but we always used to do embarkation, dump hand luggage in suite, go for lunch, unpack when bags arrive, muster.

Talking about this situation and the 'excuses' given by P&O, we are now wondering about lots of things - and they all have connections to cost saving by the cruise line. Providing less catering on embarkation day - well the initial 'saving' is obvious, but the second one is staff related. In order to allow all the passengers on board maybe (just maybe) there is a requirement for a certain level of staffing (maybe something to do with operating regulations or insurance?). If crew are leaving and crew are joining when it's a turnaround port like Southampton, then quite a bit of cost can be saved by the cruise line by delaying the passengers. Instead of the crew arriving in the UK the previous day, and travelling down to Southampton and staying in an hotel overnight somewhere and therefore being onboard and reported for duty bright and early, the crew would travel to the UK (let's say fly in to LHR or LGW etc) on the actual Southampton embarkation day, and stuck together on a crew bus and taken straight down to the port. That's going to be one good saving.

However, I still reckon that as this is not (repeat not) an aircraft with limited space and therefore requiring a bit of specialised loading methodology - if they PAID (oh good grief, I think the cruise line might feint at the prospect) for MORE check in and HANDLING STAFF, the passengers would arrive in their own good time (like the good old days), feel at ease and make their way through check in and onto the ship.

I'm not sure that the point raised about rooms not being ready is going to wash with us - each and every cruise we've done, we've got our hand luggage ready, put it in a wardrobe - told the steward, gone for breakfast, return to room grab hand luggage and go through disembarkation - always on disembarkation morning, by the time we get back from breakfast to collect our hand luggage, the room is virtually 'ready to go' for the next passengers, needing only flowers, fizz and passenger paperwork. Sometimes we've got back from breakfast and the paperwork (excursion tickets etc) has arrived for the next passengers. The rooms HAVE TO BE sorted out bright and early, so that the laundry can get started, and also so that any big problems (broken furniture etc) can be sorted.

I still say - we've all paid lots of money, no matter what the grade of the accommodation, and no matter whether it's a last minute deal etc., and we should be given a better level of respect and comfort at checkin and boarding.

Rant over. Sorry, I'll shut up now.

Points well made once again Boris.Totally agree

[qbman1]

Well, Kendhni you make some valid points, but at an airport there is more to do than there is in a Southampton terminal. Ocean is good, so is City, then QEll is a bit further down the scale, and I haven't been in Mayflower since this alleged refurb (has it happened? don't know). However, because airports potentially have a higher throughput in a given day than a Southampton terminal, there are more facilities - a proper magazine/book store, proper other shops and a choice of eateries.

As far as the 'health and safety' idea about carelessness leading to luggage becoming trip hazards - well, I don't think it's got anything to do with that. Much of the baggage gets up to the accommodation areas after passengers have boarded, and many a time we've been and had lunch and a mooch around before we've had our baggage - and that's so-called priority luggage. Ok, a couple of times the bags have been in the suite before we've gone for lunch in the restaurant, but we always used to do embarkation, dump hand luggage in suite, go for lunch, unpack when bags arrive, muster.

Talking about this situation and the 'excuses' given by P&O, we are now wondering about lots of things - and they all have connections to cost saving by the cruise line. Providing less catering on embarkation day - well the initial 'saving' is obvious, but the second one is staff related. In order to allow all the passengers on board maybe (just maybe) there is a requirement for a certain level of staffing (maybe something to do with operating regulations or insurance?). If crew are leaving and crew are joining when it's a turnaround port like Southampton, then quite a bit of cost can be saved by the cruise line by delaying the passengers. Instead of the crew arriving in the UK the previous day, and travelling down to Southampton and staying in an hotel overnight somewhere and therefore being onboard and reported for duty bright and early, the crew would travel to the UK (let's say fly in to LHR or LGW etc) on the actual Southampton embarkation day, and stuck together on a crew bus and taken straight down to the port. That's going to be one good saving.

However, I still reckon that as this is not (repeat not) an aircraft with limited space and therefore requiring a bit of specialised loading methodology - if they PAID (oh good grief, I think the cruise line might feint at the prospect) for MORE check in and HANDLING STAFF, the passengers would arrive in their own good time (like the good old days), feel at ease and make their way through check in and onto the ship.

I'm not sure that the point raised about rooms not being ready is going to wash with us - each and every cruise we've done, we've got our hand luggage ready, put it in a wardrobe - told the steward, gone for breakfast, return to room grab hand luggage and go through disembarkation - always on disembarkation morning, by the time we get back from breakfast to collect our hand luggage, the room is virtually 'ready to go' for the next passengers, needing only flowers, fizz and passenger paperwork. Sometimes we've got back from breakfast and the paperwork (excursion tickets etc) has arrived for the next passengers. The rooms HAVE TO BE sorted out bright and early, so that the laundry can get started, and also so that any big problems (broken furniture etc) can be sorted.

I still say - we've all paid lots of money, no matter what the grade of the accommodation, and no matter whether it's a last minute deal etc., and we should be given a better level of respect and comfort at checkin and boarding.

Rant over. Sorry, I'll shut up now.

I know the cabin stewards have a ridiculous workload (18 cabins at the last count!) but I have wondered what happens between 8:30 a.m. on disembarkation day when they appear almost ready and 2:00 p.m. when the next lot are allowed in ?!

[towny44]

David, why do they need the cabins ready as you board?

I've no idea - I was only offering a possible reason.

Actually I can see a good reason to have the cabins ready for when you board and that is to stop having passengers "milling around" for a couple of hours with all of their possessions in tow.

One of the reasons for this is that carelessness sometimes means the luggage ends up in walkways and becomes a trip hazard for others.

At Southampton there is very little reason for passengers to take so much carry on luggage aboard, we have seen people taking up 2 extra seats in the buffet with their luggage.....why?

[Raybosailor]

I have only been on Arcadia and Azura gbman and both embarkation experiences were really relaxed and enjoyable, yes it was busy but we never saw any of the behavior that you suggest maybe we have just been lucky.

Comparing the check in and embarkation of both flying and cruising there is no comparison at all, I have traveled to every continent by air in all standards of class from economy to business and from most of the major airports but the cruise terminals of Ocean and Mayflower win hands down for ease of embarkation. Even the security that some on here are moaning about is better or no worse than airports and as I have said earlier most delays are caused by passengers not lack of staff.

We have relatives that have just returned from Majorca after a thirteen and half hour delay and the text message we received last night ended with NEVER AGAIN, perhaps I can convert her to cruising now.

[qbman1]

I'm probably a bit over-sensitive, Ray. We absolutely loathe buffets anyway, whether on a ship or elsewhere

[Kendhni]

I have only been on Arcadia and Azura gbman and both embarkation experiences were really relaxed and enjoyable, yes it was busy but we never saw any of the behavior that you suggest maybe we have just been lucky.

It's like the airport people either allow themselves to become stressed out or they allow themselves to relax.

[qbman1]

Dead right, Ken - I only have to see a buffet to get stressed !!

[Kendhni]

Well, Kendhni you make some valid points, but at an airport there is more to do than there is in a Southampton terminal. Ocean is good, so is City, then QEll is a bit further down the scale, and I haven't been in Mayflower since this alleged refurb (has it happened? don't know). However, because airports potentially have a higher throughput in a given day than a Southampton terminal, there are more facilities - a proper magazine/book store, proper other shops and a choice of eateries.

The difference is that at an airport you have to be there up to 3-4 hours in advance whereas with a cruise you have the choice as to when you decide to arrive.

As far as the 'health and safety' idea about carelessness leading to luggage becoming trip hazards - well, I don't think it's got anything to do with that.

I put that forward based on what someone once told me .. seemed to make some sense.

Talking about this situation and the 'excuses' given by P&O, we are now wondering about lots of things - and they all have connections to cost saving by the cruise line. Providing less catering on embarkation day - well the initial 'saving' is obvious, but the second one is staff related.

You haven't thought this one through ... the number of people on board is dictated by speed of check in ... allotted check in times does not change that, it changes the 'who'. I believe P&O are genuine when they talk about reducing the load and people letting themselves become stressed during the check in procedure. They have made it clear what time check-in starts, the time individuals are expected to arrive at .. and also made it clear if you are late or early they will do their best not to keep you waiting.

In order to allow all the passengers on board maybe (just maybe) there is a requirement for a certain level of staffing (maybe something to do with operating regulations or insurance?). If crew are leaving and crew are joining when it's a turnaround port like Southampton, then quite a bit of cost can be saved by the cruise line by delaying the passengers. Instead of the crew arriving in the UK the previous day, and travelling down to Southampton and staying in an hotel overnight somewhere and therefore being onboard and reported for duty bright and early, the crew would travel to the UK (let's say fly in to LHR or LGW etc) on the actual Southampton embarkation day, and stuck together on a crew bus and taken straight down to the port. That's going to be one good saving.

That is possible .. but would they not have the same issue on port days? I am more inclined to think that (as well as as staff rotation) they may be using staff for tasks unique to turn around days ... e.g. stocking the ship, re-orgnising the captains sock drawer etc.

However, I still reckon that as this is not (repeat not) an aircraft with limited space and therefore requiring a bit of specialised loading methodology - if they PAID (oh good grief, I think the cruise line might feint at the prospect) for MORE check in and HANDLING STAFF, the passengers would arrive in their own good time (like the good old days), feel at ease and make their way through check in and onto the ship.

The question should not be if the cruise line are willing to pay for it, but whether or not the passengers are willing to pay for unnecessary extra staffing costs and increased sizes of terminals etc. This cycle of "I want everything for 'free" vs "I only want to pay for the basic cruise and let those that use services pay for their own extras" keeps going around and around

I'm not sure that the point raised about rooms not being ready is going to wash with us - each and every cruise we've done, we've got our hand luggage ready, put it in a wardrobe - told the steward, gone for breakfast, return to room grab hand luggage and go through disembarkation - always on disembarkation morning, by the time we get back from breakfast to collect our hand luggage, the room is virtually 'ready to go' for the next passengers, needing only flowers, fizz and passenger paperwork. Sometimes we've got back from breakfast and the paperwork (excursion tickets etc) has arrived for the next passengers. The rooms HAVE TO BE sorted out bright and early, so that the laundry can get started, and also so that any big problems (broken furniture etc) can be sorted.

You could be right but we, as passengers, will never fully appreciate the full logistics of these types of operation.

I still say - we've all paid lots of money, no matter what the grade of the accommodation, and no matter whether it's a last minute deal etc., and we should be given a better level of respect and comfort at checkin and boarding.

I have only experienced check-in at Soouthampton on a couple of occasions and felt the staff were very respectful and working as quickly as they could. The question I would be more interested in is whether or not individuals expectations for check-in are actually realistic?

[Kendhni]

Dead right, Ken - I only have to see a buffet to get stressed !!

Does it for me every time as well ... as do queues ... hence why when it comes to flights I usually wait until everybody else has boarded and they are calling remaining passengers to come forward ... the only downside to that is trying to find lockerspace, and how precious some people become about their bags when you shove yours in on top

[Boris+]

David, why do they need the cabins ready as you board?

I've no idea - I was only offering a possible reason.

Actually I can see a good reason to have the cabins ready for when you board and that is to stop having passengers "milling around" for a couple of hours with all of their possessions in tow.

One of the reasons for this is that carelessness sometimes means the luggage ends up in walkways and becomes a trip hazard for others.

At Southampton there is very little reason for passengers to take so much carry on luggage aboard, we have seen people taking up 2 extra seats in the buffet with their luggage.....why?

Regarding why people take so much hand luggage - well it's a matter of taking care of valuables and/or medication. I always have a small wheelie case thing (the sort of thing that fits in a plane locker), and then my camera bag - and that's all. I won't put meds or anything breakable in checked luggage, so meds, bottles of perfume, tablet all have to be in hand baggage. Similarly I won't put valuables in checked luggage. However, I refuse point blank to put my stuff on seating in the waiting lounge - that's just plain selfish and not kind to other passengers. My little wheelie case stands on the floor, and my camera bag sits on my knees.

Meanwhile, we don't have any P&O bookings - and wish all the forumeers who do have P&O reservations a safe trip to the port, a pleasant checking in and embarkation, and above all - a wonderful cruise.

[Stephen]

Strange isn't it, how we are all pleasant people most of the time in our every day lives, yet, when we go on holiday some of us turn into raving lunatics with a me me me, I'll do what I like, s*d everyone else attitude.

I exclude myself, of course

[Gill W]

Absolutely agree about the buffet being well-presented and the staff most definitely friendly and efficient. You must have been on different ships to us, though, Ray as many of the passengers are far from polite and orderly, especially on embarkation day. Maybe we hit rush hour but it was usually a case of every man for himself and bug*er the others. OK, maybe just a personal preference but I would much rather sit in a quiet and civilised environment than have to battle for a bite to eat !

It's a weird thing about buffets.

Throughout the cruise, I quite happily use the buffet for most breakfasts and lunches, and rarely, if ever, see any of this bad behaviour.

Yet people who 'never' go in the buffet, 'always' see bad behaviour!

[Quizzical Bob]

Absolutely agree about the buffet being well-presented and the staff most definitely friendly and efficient. You must have been on different ships to us, though, Ray as many of the passengers are far from polite and orderly, especially on embarkation day. Maybe we hit rush hour but it was usually a case of every man for himself and bug*er the others. OK, maybe just a personal preference but I would much rather sit in a quiet and civilised environment than have to battle for a bite to eat !

It's a weird thing about buffets.

Throughout the cruise, I quite happily use the buffet for most breakfasts and lunches, and rarely, if ever, see any of this bad behaviour.

Yet people who 'never' go in the buffet, 'always' see bad behaviour!

We sometimes use the buffet and have often experienced bad behaviour. Sadly to say it seems to depend on the demographics. I shall leave it there.

[Kenmo1]

I was about to suggest that those people unhappy with the changes to P&Os embarkation procedure and the dumbing down of the loyalty benefits consider trying out Princess cruises as they have a very good loyalty programme, especially on the higher levels. However, I have just noticed on another forum that gratuities on Princess are to be increased from January 2016 to $12.95 per person per day which equates to £8.53 British pounds. Bearing in mind that POs are £5 per person per day, that is approximately £3.50 per day difference and that soon mounts up along with the 15% extra on drinks on Princess.

Perhaps we will stick with P&O after all - We can manage to arrive at whatever time PO say if it means saving £7 per day between us in tips.

I know I'm a tightwad before anyone else tells me that.

Maureen.

PS It is easy for me to travel from the Isle of Wight but all those travelling from further away do have my upmost sympathy.

[Princess]

We would really miss getting on the ship about mid-day. We have got used to in in recent years. Would hate to have to wait to mid to late afternoon to board. I wouldnt know what to do with myself all day as I would be too excited and would not be able to settle to anything.

Years ago though, the kids went to school and husband went to work. Came home, quick shower and change and the taxi would arrive.
(We live about 45 to 60 minutes from Southampton). But now I think we would find this unacceptable. We last cruised with P&O over 3 years ago (as we no long appreciated them and felt they no longer appreciated us) but have one cruise booked with them early next year - I am already beginning to regret it.

[barney]

Cancel it and go with another company is my recommendation

I'd never, ever give my money to a firm that I didn't think appreciated my business.

Don't regret it, cancel it and book with Princess lines

[Princess]

Our P&O cruise is all arranged now - unfortunately. We are Princess converts. Love them (hence my screen name!). Just like P&O used to be, but better, and no more expensive in the long run. But we do want to go from Southampton and not fly, so we are limited. Also have been dabbling with Cunard and Celebrity these last 3 years since we 'left' P&O after 28 years, I was hoping things at P&O had improved, but all these débâcles that arise after they have 'listened to passenger feed back' give cause for concern.

[Dancing Queen]

I haven't ploughed through all the posts so my apologies if the 'obvious' has already been stated, it is all well and good people moaning but with ships getting bigger and bigger the check in procedure has to change whether we like it or not, none of the the terminals have the capacity to hold more than a few hundred passengers ( I'm sure someone will come up with actually how many !! ) where do 4000 people go if they all turn up at the busiest time Ie: 12.00 - 2.00, ideally the answer would be straight onto the ship but then we are forgetting 4000 passengers mean more cabins to clean, more public areas to clean etc so what do they do .. employ more staff ?? fine if people want to see prices go up but I doubt few would.

I appreciate not all ships will have 4000+ passengers but there is no logic in running different check in procedures for different size ships, I remember the days when no-one boarded until 3.00pm there was never a problem then you knew if you arrived at noon you had a 3 hour wait, there was also a very limited afternoon tea once on board but did anyone care ... No !!!

[Quizzical Bob]

I haven't ploughed through all the posts so my apologies if the 'obvious' has already been stated, it is all well and good people moaning but with ships getting bigger and bigger the check in procedure has to change whether we like it or not, none of the the terminals have the capacity to hold more than a few hundred passengers ( I'm sure someone will come up with actually how many !! ) where do 4000 people go if they all turn up at the busiest time Ie: 12.00 - 2.00, ideally the answer would be straight onto the ship but then we are forgetting 4000 passengers mean more cabins to clean, more public areas to clean etc so what do they do .. employ more staff ?? fine if people want to see prices go up but I doubt few would.

I appreciate not all ships will have 4000+ passengers but there is no logic in running different check in procedures for different size ships, I remember the days when no-one boarded until 3.00pm there was never a problem then you knew if you arrived at noon you had a 3 hour wait, there was also a very limited afternoon tea once on board but did anyone care ... No !!!

The ship's we use haven't changed, they are all still the same size.

[Gill W]

I remember the days when no-one boarded until 3.00pm there was never a problem then you knew if you arrived at noon you had a 3 hour wait, there was also a very limited afternoon tea once on board but did anyone care ... No !!!

People have become used to boarding at noon, so that's the expectation - this is one area where people don't want to return to the old days

[Quizzical Bob]

It should be pointed out that the check-in facilities and security checks are provide by ABP and not P&O so they should be very similar for all cruise lines. It's up to P&O to pay for sufficient staff to provide an acceptable service.