Club class embarkation

I've booked my first club class cabin and I just received my email with my boarding time notification. Boarding starts at noon but my boarding time is set at 2 pm. Club class benefit stipulates priority embarkation. I just assumed priority embarkation would be come whenever you want like full suite passengers. What does priority embarkation mean? Am I just in the first group at 2pm? Hardly seems like a benefit!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

You will have priority check-in and boarding with the club class and full suite and can come in early as 10am

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Priority boarding means you will be the first among your boarding time group to board. If your group is supposed to start boarding at 2 pm, then you will be the first to board at that time. The same goes for those in a full suite. I know because I am in a full suite and I was given notice by Princess that everyone on my deck is to start boarding at 2 pm.

However, these boarding times are suggestions by Princess to make the process of boarding everyone go smoother with less crowding. If you want to board earlier they won't stop you.

As easyboy posted, you can arrive early but not sure where in the boarding order they have Club Class passengers.

There are several levels of priority boarding & my experiences have been that it's first Elite (also suite?) and then Platinum level passengers. My guess would be that Club Class boards with Platinums.

I've also seen wedding parties, Bon Voyage Experience passengers & in transit passengers board the ship ahead of Elite level passengers.

Priority boarding means you will be the first among your boarding time group to board. If your group is supposed to start boarding at 2 pm, then you will be the first to board at that time. The same goes for those in a full suite. I know because I am in a full suite and I was given notice by Princess that everyone on my deck is to start boarding at 2 pm.

However, these boarding times are suggestions by Princess to make the process of boarding everyone go smoother with less crowding. If you want to board earlier they won't stop you.

The most important part of your answer is in RED above.

We've never paid any attention to the "boarding times". Have always arrived at the port between 10 & 11 (LA, FLL & Houston).

Every port is different. In San Pedro, there was a suite/elite sitting area, a platinum sitting area, and a general sitting area. They drained the suite/elite area. Once that was empty, they started draining the platinum area, but if anyone walked up who was suite or elite, they were merged right in. Once the platinum area was empty, then they began draining the general area, but anyone suite/elite/platinum got merged right in with no waiting.

In Seattle, they hand out numbered cards, and they carefully divvy out the cards so that priority boarding people get lower-numbered cards (1,2,3) and therefore get a shorter wait until they get caught up, but all of the seating is mixed.

In Vancouver, well, it's just a mess. ;)

If you want to be one of the first on board, get there early. If you don't want to wait, you can follow the suggested boarding times. I didn't realize Club Class was entitled to Preferred Boarding, but as others have stated, it sounds like it is. Even if it is not part of priority boarding, getting there early will allow an earlier boarding time. Princess does not make you wait until the recommended time. They start with Suites and Elites, followed by Platinum, then do the Bon Voyage Experience group, and finally, General boarding begins after that,

Anyone who arrives after just boards as they arrive.

Enjoy your cruise!

If you want to be one of the first on board, get there early. If you don't want to wait, you can follow the suggested boarding times. I didn't realize Club Class was entitled to Preferred Boarding, but as others have stated, it sounds like it is. Even if it is not part of priority boarding, getting there early will allow an earlier boarding time. Princess does not make you wait until the recommended time. They start with Suites and Elites, followed by Platinum, then do the Bon Voyage Experience group, and finally, General boarding begins after that,

 

Anyone who arrives after just boards as they arrive.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Wrong. BVE's precede Suites and Elites. As do any wedding parties if applicable.

I have asked this before and have not seen an answer.

Where do Club Class Mini-Suite passengers without Princess Captains' Circle status board? Obviously if an Elite they go in that group. Also Platinums can join their group.

Are CC Mini's with NO Princess Status grouped with Platinums, ahead of Platinums, or behind Platinums?

Inquiring minds would like to know. Surely someone has had the experience. Maybe everyone on Cruise Critic who books CC is at least Platinum?

Club Class has priority boarding.

Club Class has priority boarding.

If you thought you were answering my question, that is not an answer. There are lots of different type of priority boarding. Not all priority boarders are treated equally - there are different categories as has been explained. The question is: where to Club Class passengers fit into the scheme of things?

I was reading a thread on a Regal NY-to-New England cruise review and the OP mentioned that in NY as Club Class he was grouped with the Suites & Elites in their pre-boarding holding area. That means they were getting equal treatment as Suites & Elites (IOW if the first arriving passenger is Club Class, they will potentially board ahead of all S&E's if they leave the holding area in order of arrival).

It most certainly indicates that Club Class goes on ahead of Platinums. That puts a bunch more people ahead of Platinums in the pecking order for early boarding. I wonder if FLL does the same thing.

The room upstairs for S&E's wouldn't be able to hold them plus Club Class for some departures I suspect.

Can't say I am surprised, but was hoping CC'ers were grouped with Platinums (writing as a Platinum and not one who books CC). Oh well.

Wrong. BVE's precede Suites and Elites. As do any wedding parties if applicable.

Actually I’ve seen it done both ways out of San Francisco and Los Angeles ... BVEs first or BVEs after platinum

Either way not much difference

And yes, weddings trump everyone [emoji4]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Actually I’ve seen it done both ways out of San Francisco and Los Angeles ... BVEs first or BVEs after platinum

 

Either way not much difference

 

And yes, weddings trump everyone [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Interesting. Have not been on every cruise out of FL/PE.... (I wish).... but always seen and read that BVE's go first there. Of course consistency is not a rule to live or die by.

We have done two BVE's in San Pedro and both times we boarded after any wedding parties but before suites and elites.

The suggested boarding times do not apply to those groups with priority boarding.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Wrong. BVE's precede Suites and Elites. As do any wedding parties if applicable.

Not sure that it is fixed as that as the layout of the terminals sometimes dictates what they can do.

For example, the arrangement at terminal 21 at Port Everglades is such that the Suite/Elite lounge is a small area, with seats and a couple of tables with coffee and sandwiches, right by the airbridge, and everyone has to pass through this area to get to board the ship.

The way it is arranged it is that there is one large 'airport terminal' arrangement with a ramp down to through the Suite/Elite area to the airbridge.

The area closest to the ramp is initially available only to Platinum and above. The entry to the ramp is controlled and only Elites/Suite passengers are to allowed proceed from this area down to the small lounge by the airbridge. Once the people waiting in the Elite/Suite area have boarded, people in the Platinum waiting area go down the ramp and through the Elite/Suite 'lounge' / waiting area and once they have boarded, passengers with general boarding presumably follow the same route.

Because of this arrangement it would appear to be impossible for anyone (including BVE or wedding parties) to board without having to walk through this area and past the waiting Suite/Elite passengers. We have used this terminal on just two occasions. Both times we were early and arrived before the ship was 'zeroed'. I would therefore have noticed if anyone had boarded before the Suite/Elite group and on neither occasion did anyone pass through this area whilst the Elite/Suite passengers were waiting.

I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, just that if it had happened on either of my visits to Terminal 21, I would have noticed if anyone had boarded before the Elite/Suite group commenced boarding and they didn't.

Not sure that it is fixed as that as the layout of the terminals sometimes dictates what they can do.

 

For example, the arrangement at terminal 21 at Port Everglades is such that the Suite/Elite lounge is a small area, with seats and a couple of tables with coffee and sandwiches, right by the airbridge, and everyone has to pass through this area to get to board the ship.

 

The way it is arranged it is that there is one large 'airport terminal' arrangement with a ramp down to through the Suite/Elite area to the airbridge.

 

The area closest to the ramp is initially available only to Platinum and above. The entry to the ramp is controlled and only Elites/Suite passengers are to allowed proceed from this area down to the small lounge by the airbridge. Once the people waiting in the Elite/Suite area have boarded, people in the Platinum waiting area go down the ramp and through the Elite/Suite 'lounge' / waiting area and once they have boarded, passengers with general boarding presumably follow the same route.

 

Because of this arrangement it would appear to be impossible for anyone (including BVE or wedding parties) to board without having to walk through this area and past the waiting Suite/Elite passengers. We have used this terminal on just two occasions. Both times we were early and arrived before the ship was 'zeroed'. I would therefore have noticed if anyone had boarded before the Suite/Elite group and on neither occasion did anyone pass through this area whilst the Elite/Suite passengers were waiting.

 

I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, just that if it had happened on either of my visits to Terminal 21, I would have noticed if anyone had boarded before the Elite/Suite group commenced boarding and they didn't.

In my memory, we have departed from a terminal 2x (not sure it was 21 as that is on the inside, so might have been 25 or nearby as I think the ship was on the outside channel, but I don't exactly recall as it was a long time ago and the CB I think). Anyway, yes, there was just a separate area for priority boarding seated upstairs, along with some non-priority, where the check-in counters were. They closed off access to upstairs pretty quickly after it filled (we were there early as is our custom). When the check-in counters opened, it got kind of mixed up with the priority passengers in a section behind where we were seated and then us. At that time, once we hit check-in, we were heading on board.

I had a clear view of all activity before all of us could check-in and board. There were a few individuals boarding, but I would say family/friends of crew. I don't even know if BVE existed then. [ETA: BVE began 2010 - probably fall - and it was pretty limited back in early days I think ... so this cruise I refer to was probably 2010/2011)]

As for Terminal 2, well I have seen the BVE and wedding groups head onto the ship ahead of everyone else. So it may vary on logistics of a rarely used terminal and it seems to be true with cruising that not everything is exactly the same on every cruise and every ship. This website proves that time and time again.

I'd say we were in a different 20-series terminal than you (29 I am thinking) as the layout sounds different.

I'd still like to see a report on PE Terminal 2 for Club Class boarding.

True, I have only been on 6 Princess cruises(out of FLL, Seattle, LA, SF,) but we have always gotten to the ports around 10:30 am. Have done most of the waiting to get thru security and then efficiently thru to get our stateroom cards, and then waited to board as we were so early. The worst I have gotten is the 2nd general boarding number. Lately, since I am Platinum have gotten on alittle sooner but not that much. So really, CC priority embarkation is NOT worth the extra money. You will be on the ship in time for MDR lunch if you want that with no problem even if general boarder if get there early enough and do the most waiting first.

Now that said, I have gone CC on my next two cruises for two reasons only: having TRUE Anytime Dining without waiting but having the same wait staff; and location of mini-suite. If I can get if for around $20pp more a night I go for it.

I guess to me the whole embarkation process is part of the anticipation and fun of the cruise. Yes, even the waiting.

Pooh