Running late for your Meet & Greet slot at Southampton

Running late happens. Traffic on the M27, a missed exit, a fuel stop that took longer than expected, a small family emergency that put the morning behind. The honest answer at our operation: text or call, and the driver will wait. The longer answer covers when calling makes the difference and what happens if you do not.

The standard rule

Text or call us on the day. The number is on your booking confirmation. As long as we know you are coming, the driver will wait for you.

We would rather you tell us late than not tell us at all. A short message ("running 20 minutes behind, on the M27") takes the pressure off the slot system and keeps the driver in place for you.

Why telling us early matters

We operate on strict 30-minute time slots from 07:00 to 16:30. The driver assigned to your slot has been planned to be at the terminal for that window.

If you do not show up, the driver waits for a short time and then moves on to the next slot. The next slot is for another customer, and the driver needs to be available for their handover too.

A heads-up changes this. If we know you are 30 minutes late, the driver waits past the standard slot window, the next customer's slot is adjusted, and the day flows.

A no-show with no heads-up forces us to assume you are not coming. By the time you arrive 45 minutes late, the driver may have been redeployed and there is a delay before someone can come back for your handover.

What counts as "late"

A few minutes is barely late. 15 minutes is normal-bad-traffic late. 30 minutes is a planning issue. 60+ minutes is a situation that needs a conversation.

For any delay you can predict more than 20 minutes in advance, send the message. It saves both sides.

What to say in the message

A simple text covers it: "Hi, Cruise Azure booking [reference]. Running about 25 minutes behind. Currently at [location]. Should arrive at [terminal] by [time]."

The booking reference and the new estimated time are the two things we need. Everything else is helpful but optional.

The same message works as a phone call if you prefer. The office number is 07767 227 739.

What we will do

When we hear from you, we update the driver's schedule for the day. Common adjustments:

• The driver waits past the original slot for your handover.
• The next customer's slot is communicated to that customer, and they get a slightly longer or shorter buffer.
• If you are very late (more than an hour), we may switch drivers mid-day to keep things moving.

We do not charge for late arrival as long as you tell us. The standard rate applies.

What if you do not call

If you do not contact us and you arrive late, the situation is more complicated. The driver may have left the terminal for the next slot. There may be a delay before we can get someone back to your handover.

In the worst case, no driver is available for an unexpected late arrival, and you are waiting at the terminal short-stay car park for 30 to 60 minutes before someone can come and take the handover.

We always try to work it out. The system is built to be flexible. But the flexibility depends on the heads-up.

What if you are running very late

If you are running so late that your cruise check-in window is at risk, two things in parallel:

• Call our office. We will get you a handover as fast as possible.
• Call your cruise line directly. The cruise line decides whether to accept a late arrival.

The cruise side is the harder constraint. Most cruise lines stop accepting passengers 60 minutes before departure. The parking handover takes 2 minutes; the cruise check-in is the bigger concern.

What if you miss the cruise

A different but related situation: you arrive at the terminal but the cruise check-in has closed. We have not yet taken the car. What now?

Call us. The car is still yours; the handover did not happen. We work out the cancellation with you. Our refund policy covers the standard terms.

For genuine emergencies that lead to a missed cruise, we deal with the situation honestly. The £25 administrative cancellation fee applies to the standard process, but the conversation is the same.

What if the cruise is delayed

A different situation again: you arrive at the terminal on time, the cruise itself is delayed (later check-in, later sail-away). The handover happens as normal. The cruise then runs late.

Our schedule does not need adjusting for this. The handover happens on your timing; the cruise line handles their side.

What if your flight is delayed (pre-cruise night)

Some customers arrive at Southampton from a UK airport or a flight that landed nearby. If the flight runs late, the pre-cruise night may be shorter than planned, and the morning of the cruise may need an adjustment.

For these, the message thread is the right channel. Let us know what time you actually expect to arrive at the terminal, and we adjust.

Booking

The quote returns the standard rate with the standard 30-minute slot. For questions about running late on a specific cruise, the contact page has the office number.

The shortest version: tell us early, the driver waits, the day works out.