Dropping off family first

We leave today on the Fantasy and last cruise I dropped of my family and luggage and they just took my picture as we were getting on the ship they let my wife do the rest of the check in while I was dropping off the rental car...do they still allow this? Thanks.

Yes

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Yes, they do and it works great!

Just make sure your wife has your required travel documents - - passport or birth certificate, etc. -- while you go drop off the car.

Need some clarification on having some of the family start the check in process while one family member drops off the rental car... I've read a few comments that this is possible, but don't the check in agents need to match the person to the passport during check in? If the person dropping off the car is not there, how does Disney know they are the actual person that is supposed to be getting on the ship?

I don't want to end up waiting in line only to be told that the missing person needs to be there to complete the check in process.

Sorry if this is a confusing question...I just figure with all the security issues of today, checking in someone who is not physically present would be an issue.

If this is indeed the case, at what point do you meet up with the person dropping off the car? In the terminal before you board? On the ship?

Need some clarification on having some of the family start the check in process while one family member drops off the rental car... I've read a few comments that this is possible, but don't the check in agents need to match the person to the passport during check in? If the person dropping off the car is not there, how does Disney know they are the actual person that is supposed to be getting on the ship?

 

 

I don't want to end up waiting in line only to be told that the missing person needs to be there to complete the check in process.

 

 

Sorry if this is a confusing question...I just figure with all the security issues of today, checking in someone who is not physically present would be an issue.

 

 

If this is indeed the case, at what point do you meet up with the person dropping off the car? In the terminal before you board? On the ship?

OK, dad drops mom/kids & luggage at the port, then returns car to rental location. While he's gone, mom & kids check in. Dad (having kept his ID with him) hops on the shuttle back to the port, uses ID to enter terminal and then must check in himself. Mom & kids can wait in the terminal for dad to return, or, if their boarding number gets called before he gets there can go ahead and board, with dad meeting them later onboard.

That's typically the way it's handled. I've read some recent reports where partial parties were told "everyone must be present to check in at the same time", but it really isn't true.

What I've seen happen is that the CM essentially does a "partial" check in for dad, but does not issue his KTTW card. He'll need the security photo if he is a first timer. I've also seen them fully check in dad and give mom his KTTW if he is a repeat cruiser as his photo is already on file (probably not how it is supposed to happen, but it did!) Of course, mom has to have his passport and dad has kept his license for this to work.

Worst case, dad has to get in line when he returns and do the process from scratch. It is still easier to drop the luggage at the port rather than take it to the car return place, move it to the shuttle and then drop it at the port. And it is easier for dad alone, no luggage to get a spot on the shuttle than a whole family with luggage who may have to wait for the next vehicle...or even the one after that depending on the line. One person, no luggage can almost always fit in the next departure!

The desk is also just DCL check-in, it is not the CBP check point, that is in the tunnel.

So checking in a repeat cruiser at the desk is not getting them past any security check point.

Even doing a partial check-in on dad speeds up the process. On one of the cruises we did his partial check-in and then he had his picture taken at the supervisor station at the end (the station where they deal with issues).

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Oh make sure the person checking in had his passport (signed) and the DCL check-in in paper signed. I think not having ID and the paper contributed to the full group needed check in.

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Thanks for the clarification everyone! This helps.

I'm not a first time cruiser, but am first time on Disney so I wasn't sure what their check in process is like (it threw me that we had to sign up for a port arrival time during online check in).

I think my plan will be dad drops off mom/kid/grandma/luggage and we wait in the terminal for him to come back from dropping off car rental then all check in together. We all would like to board together since it is the first cruise for kid and want to experience the excitement with him!

Or auntie (that's me :D) can ditch the whole group and board way ahead of everyone else and start my vacation early!

It won't be ahead of the group as your boarding card number is determined by your PAT. So if both cabins have the same PAT, you will all be boarding together.

It is just a lot easier for dad to do the drop off and then return the car with no luggage. Just be sure that he keeps his driver's license to get back into the terminal!

Thanks for the clarification everyone! This helps.

 

I'm not a first time cruiser, but am first time on Disney so I wasn't sure what their check in process is like (it threw me that we had to sign up for a port arrival time during online check in).

 

I think my plan will be dad drops off mom/kid/grandma/luggage and we wait in the terminal for him to come back from dropping off car rental then all check in together. We all would like to board together since it is the first cruise for kid and want to experience the excitement with him!

 

Or auntie (that's me :D) can ditch the whole group and board way ahead of everyone else and start my vacation early!

I would go ahead and check in, by the time you get to the front of the check-in line he might be caught up. If not then you can do everything but have his picture taken. And while you are waiting for him, you can do the oceanears club (kid) check in.

You also don't have to board when your number comes up, you can wait for him.

All he needs to have with him is a driver's license and his cell phone. If that is all he has with him, then he can jump thru the security lines quicker.

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I would go ahead and check in, by the time you get to the front of the check-in line he might be caught up. If not then you can do everything but have his picture taken. And while you are waiting for him, you can do the oceanears club (kid) check in.

 

You also don't have to board when your number comes up, you can wait for him.

 

All he needs to have with him is a driver's license and his cell phone. If that is all he has with him, then he can jump thru the security lines quicker.

 

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Just to be clear--he will wait in the security line. When he gets to the front, it will take him only a few seconds as he has nothing with him.

And yes, if you have extra time, you can wait in the OC line to get the kids their bracelets (magic bands) for the programming. However, there is no reason that you need to do this in the terminal. There is virtually no line if you wait and do this on the ship. You can do it either sometime the first afternoon or wait until the first time you wish to drop off the kids.

I agree that you should get in the check in line rather than milling around the terminal waiting for him to return. It will only speed up the process...and as noted, he may be back before you get to the front of the line.

The first cruise(2015) My wife was given my KTTW card and they just took my picture in the tunnel when they scanned our cards for the first time. This past cruise a couple of weeks ago my wife and kids did the whole check in and got their cards and I had to go up and get my own which took all of 2 minutes. It really is a very convenient way of doing it. It took about 45 minutes from when I dropped them off until I got back and checked in and we were all back together. And they were also able to go through the kids club registration line and get that out of the way.

OK, dad drops mom/kids & luggage at the port, then returns car to rental location. While he's gone, mom & kids check in. Dad (having kept his ID with him) hops on the shuttle back to the port, uses ID to enter terminal and then must check in himself. Mom & kids can wait in the terminal for dad to return, or, if their boarding number gets called before he gets there can go ahead and board, with dad meeting them later onboard.

 

 

That's typically the way it's handled. I've read some recent reports where partial parties were told "everyone must be present to check in at the same time", but it really isn't true.

That's basically how I did it in June. We were six adults. I dropped off four at Port Canaveral, while one daughter accompanied me to Avis to drop off the car. My wife checked us in the meantime When we returned, we had to show ID to enter, and just had to get our photo taken for our KTTW card at the concierge desk (I wasn't sure if this was because we were platinum or not, because we weren't concierge).

In 2012, when we sailed out of NYC, I met my wife and mother onboard, coming straight from work. Again, shew checked us in, I just had to fill out the health form and get my KTTW card.

What's a kttw card?

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What's a kttw card?

 

 

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Key to the World card, it is a plastic card with a magnetic strip like a credit card that links to your Disney account. You use it for everything, from room access to buying drinks and the shops to knowing which dining room you are eating at which day.

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What's a kttw card?

 

 

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Key To The World card--a credit card sized device that works for charging on the ship, opening your door, serves as your on board ID, etc. The term is borrowed from Walt Disney WORLD.