My experience is similar to CWS, but it has never been good news though. If we are all fully boarded and the Captain is not doing pre-flight checks and has time to come back into the cabin to address the SLF it always means there is plenty of time before we are going anywhere.

It is usually followed by an invitation for anybody with specific questions about connections to come and speak to him. That the Captain does the announcement is proper, and helps deflect any criticism from pax to CC I presume.

... if a very long delay it is often followed by an invitation to small children to come and have a look round the cockpit.