How early can we get to pier

Hi, everyone! I am sitting in our room at the Doubletree in San Juan, pre-Freedom, brain still on vacation overdrive, realizing that 11:00 am checkout may be a problem with too early arrival at the pier. Should I see if we can have a slightly later checkout, or can we grab an uber about then and be able to board before noon?

I've never joined a cruise at SJ, but I ALWAYS aim to board at 11am!

Last year on Jewel boarding started exactly at 11.00.

Great!! That would work out well!!

11 am..

Depends what deck number you are on.Also thought I could just turn up at 11am{which I have always been able to do with other cruise lines}But because I am on deck 3 I can not board till 3pm!

Depends what deck number you are on.Also thought I could just turn up at 11am{which I have always been able to do with other cruise lines}But because I am on deck 3 I can not board till 3pm!

If you are boarding at a US port, the suggested boarding times have not been enforced. You can show up when you like.

If you arrive before 11am, you will spend too much time waiting and waiting. They don't allow boarding until the ship is cleared of departing passengers....so arrive around 11 and boarding should have begun....little to no waiting at that point. If there are some lines, they move along quickly.

Depends what deck number you are on.Also thought I could just turn up at 11am{which I have always been able to do with other cruise lines}But because I am on deck 3 I can not board till 3pm!

Why can you not board when you get there??? I have never heard of boarding by deck..is this new???

Why can you not board when you get there??? I have never heard of boarding by deck..is this new???

Not new, but also not enforced.

Why can you not board when you get there??? I have never heard of boarding by deck..is this new???

As Bob has already posted the suggested check in time you receive is not enforced at any of the US embarkation ports. Our last RC cruise was 2017 and we showed up at the Pan Am pier at 10:30, turned our luggage over to the porters, stood in the covered short line until the doors to the terminal opened at approximately 11:00 and were on the ship at 11:25.

Depends what deck number you are on.Also thought I could just turn up at 11am{which I have always been able to do with other cruise lines}But because I am on deck 3 I can not board till 3pm!

You will be boarding in Southampton UK, the situation is different for the OP in USA.