Docking and all aboard times

[Mervyn and Trish]

Compo form anyone.

Send Towny a dozen.

[towny44]

quoting times that are in many cases pure fiction

But the times quoted are the times that the berth is booked for at that port so they are not fiction but the anticipated times. Obviously events on the day, and sometimes the previous day, can affect those times but they are still the time that the berth is being paid for.

Times anticipated often 2 or more years ahead but rarely if ever amended, even when changes are made. So not really any use to anyone trying, for example, to book private tours. Not really any use even to the accountants because I doubt the cruise lines get a refund if they turn up late, or not at all! I quote again the example of Oceana having "anticipated times" listed for arrival in Funchal on the port website when in fact she was in the Caribbean. That's about as fictional as it gets! Or our QV cruise last year having listed times to be in Dun Laoghaire when in fact we were arriving 12 hours earlier than "anticipated" in Liverpool. I would never ever recommend anyone to book anything or plan anything based on times quoted on cruise or port websites. Hence my view that those lines that do post times are just setting themselves up for disappointments and complaints. I'm quite happy to be told the time the night before, or even on the day if things change. Avoids my life being ruined.

Stephen's very first answer was spot on in my view.

But nobody on other cruise forums seems to complain about the other cruise lines having misleading times. So either ALL the other cruise lines manage to keep to their original ( 2 yr old) docking times, or they have far better IT systems which manage to keep changes updated on their websites.
Whichever way you slice this issue P&O don't come out of it with any plaudits.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Maybe most people just aren't bothered about precise times.

Your supposition all the others keep to their times better than P&O simply isn't true. As you know I spend five weeks a year on shore in Madeira at peak cruise visit times. I keep a firm eye on the expected arrival and departure times via the port websites and I can tell you most definitely that there are frequent deviations from the anticipated times by all the visiting lines, not just P&O.

[Ray B]

Maybe most people just aren't bothered about precise times.


Exactly Merv, it's never really bothered us. The ship will arrive when it does, and can be influenced by many factors. It will depart after the time posted at the gang plank showing what time to be back on board..
We just get on, or should that be off,and enjoy our time ashore.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I would add too in response to Towny's last post, I'm not sure what it has to do with P&O's IT department that port websites around the world show times that turn out not to be accurate!

[towny44]

Maybe most people just aren't bothered about precise times.

Your supposition all the others keep to their times better than P&O simply isn't true. As you know I spend five weeks a year on shore in Madeira at peak cruise visit times. I keep a firm eye on the expected arrival and departure times via the port websites and I can tell you most definitely that there are frequent deviations from the anticipated times by all the visiting lines, not just P&O.

My supposition is based on the number of threads that ocurr regularly on CC, with new to P&O cruisers as well as lots of regular P&O ones, asking why they don't give specific times. Re your arrival survey, are you a very early riser, because most ships dock around 6:30- 7:00 am, at least most of our arrivals have been at that time.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I promise you my info re Funchal arrivals is accurate over 20 years. Plenty of ships come and go (or are supposed to!) while we're awake.

And your CC analysis proves what we always knew. P&O have a lot of moaners.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm not even sure why we're still arguing this. The only correct answer to the original question is "Sorry no. P&O only give approximate times. Any times you find elsewhere may be 2 years out of date and are only estimates. Things can change on the day. Don't be disappointed if any plans you make don't work out. If you book any independent tours make sure you have a guarantee of your money back if you don't turn up, or be prepared to lose your money."

[Ranchi]

Almost certainly not relevant today…but perhaps amusing. Quite a few years ago we were at the loyalty lunch and our table was hosted by a staff capt. Who we had sailed with as a passenger when he was a boy. He told the tale of how P&O office schedules were planned using data from Canberra days ignoring a) the modern ships couldn’t match Canberra’s speed & b) some of the routes went under bridges under which Canberra would fit but modern ships would not necessitating a much longer passage. The schedules were to be taken with a large pinch of (old) salt.