Embarkation

We are doing a 20 day Caribbean cruise and will be traveling with 2 couples, one couple has never cruised and the other is Gold. We are Platinum and was wondering if we can all board together...Thanks

We are doing a 20 day Caribbean cruise and will be traveling with 2 couples, one couple has never cruised and the other is Gold. We are Platinum and was wondering if we can all board together...Thanks

 

It may very according to what Port, certainly when I was Plat and Mrs a Gut wasn't she boarded with me no worries.

We are doing a 20 day Caribbean cruise and will be traveling with 2 couples, one couple has never cruised and the other is Gold. We are Platinum and was wondering if we can all board together...Thanks

 

If all are booked in the same room, then yes. But in your case, it is usually a no. But there is nothing to say that you can wait until it is their turn to board and get on the ship as a group.

We travel with another couple when on longer trips. We were platinum, they were not our last two cruises. Once, they were allowed to board with us, the other, we had to go onboard without or wait till they were called. It just depends on the staff on hand and how they have been instructed.

With 2 companions they will normally let you check in together, with 4 companions you are pushing the envelope but they may allow you to check in together....but it's far from a slam dunk.

Well I hope shes more than a gut. Bet if she reads that you're in the doghouse.

I was wondering the same thing. We're leaving out of Seattle in a few weeks for Alaska. My sister and brother-in-law are traveling with us. We are Platinum and this is their first cruise. I'm hoping they will be able to board with us. If not, then I guess we'll wait and board with them. We plan on getting to the pier early, so if we end up having to wait, at least we should be in one of the first groups of general boarding. But, I'm REALLY hoping they will be allowed to get on with us! Maybe if we ask really, really nice!

I boarded the Royal Princess last month and the Platinum/Elite/Suite waiting areas were overflowing. There wasn't enough room for those who earned the perk to even sit down. If just a few brought another four people each, imagine the chaos. It was bad enough.

Normally, people booked in the same cabin can board with the highest person in that cabin. Friends booked in other cabins usually have to wait until the boarding for their category, especially if there is more than one additional cabin involved.

 

As noted, you are welcome to wait and board with them.

We are doing a 20 day Caribbean cruise and will be traveling with 2 couples, one couple has never cruised and the other is Gold. We are Platinum and was wondering if we can all board together...Thanks

Quoted on the standard email for embarkation:

 

"PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

I boarded the Royal Princess last month and the Platinum/Elite/Suite waiting areas were overflowing. There wasn't enough room for those who earned the perk to even sit down. If just a few brought another four people each, imagine the chaos. It was bad enough.

 

That's been a growing problem in Ft Lauderdale for a while now & since the waiting space is limited the problem is only to get worse in the years to come.

One solution for Term 2 might be is to assign one room to the Suites/Elite only & the other to Platinum.

Quoted on the standard email for embarkation:

 

"PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION

To help facilitate a smooth start to your voyage we have implemented a progressive cruise check-in schedule. Please arrive at the check-in time listed below. If you have purchased a Princess Cruise Plus Package/Transfer, your check-in time will be provided at your hotel or the airport. Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together. Priority check-in will be available to guests with a Preferred Boarding Pass within the allocated check-in times. Boarding will commence shortly after check-in. Please do not arrive prior to the start of cruise check-in as your cabin will not be ready. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you."

So your group can board at the same time. But whether they can be entitled to your priority boarding is uncertain. If not, you have to join them in waiting for their group no. to be called.

 

Unless I'm missing something, this says that the group can be CHECKED IN together. It doesn't say they will be able to BOARD with the higher level guest.

Unless I'm missing something' date=' this says that the group can be CHECKED IN together. It doesn't say they will be able to BOARD with the higher level guest.[/quote']

 

I agree with this assessment.

 

It's funny all the platinums want their non-platinum friends to board early, but only one platinum poster said they'd wait with their non-platinum friends to board.

 

Some people are just greedy. Tell your non-platinum friends too bad they have to wait.

We see this kind of question repeatedly on all lines, either in reference to loyalty levels or concierge/suite bookings. Essentially it amounts to "can I fix it so my friends who have not earned or paid for the perks that I have can get them on my coat tails? I appreciate the lines that have the ethics to say "no." Those perks are for people who have either earned them (loyalty) or paid for them (concierge/suite bookings). No where in the documents for those programs or bookings does it say "and friends." Most say that the perks are based on the highest level person in the room, a few on some lines are per individual (gift shop discount, for example.)

 

If boarding together is important, the higher level persons can waive this perk and wait with their friends. Otherwise, meet up with them on board. And they'll be one more cruise toward perks of their own.

It will probably depend on the priority number waiting to board. If too many and your friends have to wait, you should wait with the newbies. Bring something to do!

If boarding together is important' date=' the higher level persons can waive this perk and wait with their friends. Otherwise, meet up with them on board. And they'll be one more cruise toward perks of their own.[/quote']

 

When it all boils down to it, the little extra time their friends have to wait isn't that long most times.

I boarded the Royal Princess last month and the Platinum/Elite/Suite waiting areas were overflowing. There wasn't enough room for those who earned the perk to even sit down. If just a few brought another four people each, imagine the chaos. It was bad enough.

We have experienced the same "overcrowding" in (and outside) the Platinum/Elite/Suite waiting areas everytime we embark in Ft. Lauderdale.

We had this situation in FLL - we boarded, made all the reservations for dining etc we had discussed and met our travelling companions at our rooms later. We then had lunch at Alfredos and enjoyed our trip. No issues doing it this way at all.

My last cruise out of FLL the Elite/Suite area had no Platinum, only Elites/Suite passengers. Platinum was somewhere else.

 

That was Christmas 2015.

 

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When I boarded Emerald Princess at Port Everglades in March the line at the regular check in entrance moved much, much fast than the line we were standing in outside the Preferred Check-In door. The lady monitoring the door was going over everyone's boarding passes and ID's with a fine-toothed comb. Turned out we learned at the Circle Party there were only 700 Platinum and Elite on the ship--but the preferred check-in line still wasn't any faster than the regular!

 

So your friends in the non-preferred line have at least a 50/50 chance of beating you on the ship.

That's been a growing problem in Ft Lauderdale for a while now & since the waiting space is limited the problem is only to get worse in the years to come.

 

One solution for Term 2 might be is to assign one room to the Suites/Elite only & the other to Platinum.

When Pier 2 reopened a couple of years ago after the remodel there was a separate Elite/Suite Lounge upstairs in addition to the Platinum waiting area upstairs. The general boarding area waiting room was downstairs. Has that changed?

When Pier 2 reopened a couple of years ago after the remodel there was a separate Elite/Suite Lounge upstairs in addition to the Platinum waiting area upstairs. The general boarding area waiting room was downstairs. Has that changed?

 

They have 2 waiting rooms upstairs that I've been in and each appears to be around the same size. I was under the assumption that those lounges were for Elite/Suite/Platinum. Maybe they were only Elite/Suite after all.

I never paid that much attention.

When I boarded Emerald Princess at Port Everglades in March the line at the regular check in entrance moved much, much fast than the line we were standing in outside the Preferred Check-In door.

 

In October at terminal 2 wWe were in the first 1/3 of the preferred check-in line. Both lines were incredibly long when they finally opened the doors shortly after 11 am. At that time (and at least for the next 20 minutes until we got through security and I couldn't watch any longer) they only allowed the preferred check-in line to enter the building. I have no idea when the regular line was allowed in.

 

When Pier 2 reopened a couple of years ago after the remodel there was a separate Elite/Suite Lounge upstairs in addition to the Platinum waiting area upstairs. The general boarding area waiting room was downstairs. Has that changed?

 

That was our experience in October. The elite/suite area is a series of little rooms/hallways while the platinum area is a large room with rows of seats.

That was our experience in October. The elite/suite area is a series of little rooms/hallways while the platinum area is a large room with rows of seats.

 

There will come a day in the near future where the existing lounges will not be capable of handling the Elite crowd which has grown much larger in recent years. I can only wonder what they'll do.

First come, first seated?

Possibly enforced staggered boarding?

There will come a day in the near future where the existing lounges will not be capable of handling the Elite crowd which has grown much larger in recent years. I can only wonder what they'll do.

 

First come, first seated?

 

Possibly enforced staggered boarding?

On the 50th Anniversary cruise there were about 430 Elites boarding in San Pedro. They have a fairly large lounge and waiting area that had been used for Elite/Suite and Platinum passengers but was only for Elite/Suite passengers. Each cabin received one boarding card and for this cruise there were three boarding groups for Elite/Suite passengers.