How early can we board?

[Sisa]

Hello,

We are leaving on the Explorer next Thursday. The boat leaves at 5 (I think), but they say you can get on board at 12:00. Is 12:00 the very soonest we can board? We would like to board as SOON as possible to enjoy our first day.

 

Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

[geojobes]

Usually you cab board around 11 or so. Depends if the last group of cruisers have gotten off without a hitch. The cabins usually not ready until 1 PM, however. So you may have to carry your carry ons until the cabins are ready.

[dljones]

Hello,

We are leaving on the Explorer next Thursday. The boat leaves at 5 (I think), but they say you can get on board at 12:00. Is 12:00 the very soonest we can board? We would like to board as SOON as possible to enjoy our first day.

 

Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

 

I am all for getting on board as soon as possible heading to the WJ for my first lunch!

[DonnaK]

Hello,

We are leaving on the Explorer next Thursday. The boat leaves at 5 (I think), but they say you can get on board at 12:00. Is 12:00 the very soonest we can board? We would like to board as SOON as possible to enjoy our first day.

 

Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

 

 

As long as there isn't an issue with the previous sailing being late, or slow to clear customs, etc, you should be able to board the ship at around 11 or 11:15 and be enjoying lunch in the Windjammer by noon. You won't have access to your cabins until around 1pm though.

[Ashland]

Usually for a 5pm sail your documents will say 2pm..but it's very likely you will be on anywhere from 11-12 but cabins will not be available till 1pm..Enjoy your lunch in the WJ..that's always the way we start our cruise too....:D

[pltag]

Why not get on around or after 1:00 and go straight to your cabin ?? ;) Sure sounds like more fun than hauling your carryons to the Windjammer !! :D

[ccruisequeen]

Because there are a million cabins & only 500 crew to clean them:D:rolleyes:

[hockeyken]

;) Be there at 5am. Wear a red hat. My cousin Vinny will find you and get you on ahead of everybody. If there is anyone still in your cabin, don't worry, Vinny will take of it, he'll get rid of them.

 

Enjoy your cruise;)

[loverofpv]

I love boarding early, we like to get to the pier by 10:30am and on the ship by 11:00 am.

[Oxymoron]

;) Be there at 5am. Wear a red hat. My cousin Vinny will find you and get you on ahead of everybody. If there is anyone still in your cabin, don't worry, Vinny will take of it, he'll get rid of them.

 

Enjoy your cruise;)

I think I met Vinny at the end of on my last cruise... :D

[Mrsg324]

I was just coming to ask this. We leave Miami on Monday and our docs say 2:00 for a 5:00 sailing. I was hoping we could board earlier.

 

I thought Galveston always said noon even when sailing was at 6:00 but I wasn't positive on that.

[BecciBoo]

Two avenues of thought on that:

Arrive early(10:00) so you can spend more time on the ship...but you have to wait very long to move into your cabin and you could spend a couple hours sitting in the terminal

And

Take your time getting there, waltz into the terminal around 1:00 and more times than I can tell you we have simply walked right onto the ship, straight to our cabin and moved in, then to WJ for the chicken, very leisurely and no waiting.

Needless to say, after doing the former for the first 6 or 7 cruises, we opted for the latter from then on and have never looked back. Newbie enthusiasm wears off after a few. I used to want to be the first in line...now I am laid back dude:cool:

[Pomperaugrr]

Hello,

We are leaving on the Explorer next Thursday. The boat leaves at 5 (I think), but they say you can get on board at 12:00. Is 12:00 the very soonest we can board? We would like to board as SOON as possible to enjoy our first day.

 

Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

 

 

Sisa, we usually get to Bayonne about 11:00 and check in about 11:20 or so. They usually let us board the Explorer starting at 12:00, although the cabins will not be ready until 1:30.

 

We are on the same sailing as you. Pleas join our roll call and sign up for the Meet & Mingle that RCI is putting on for us. Here's the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1047735

 

We have a great group of fun folks that will all be cruising with you. We hope to see you in the roll call and on board the Explorer of the Seas.

 

We are like you. We love to be on board as early as possible and start the cruise right away! See you next Thursday. :)

 

Eric

[Teeara]

I never regret arriving at 10:30 and waiting until close to noon to board. First in the Windjammer and by the time lunch is finished the cabins are ready. I'm taking pix with no people in them because people are still boarding and by 3pm I'm back at my cabin to totally unpack before sailaway.

 

Theresa

[DonnaK]

I was just coming to ask this. We leave Miami on Monday and our docs say 2:00 for a 5:00 sailing. I was hoping we could board earlier.

 

I thought Galveston always said noon even when sailing was at 6:00 but I wasn't positive on that.

 

 

Don't pay attention to the documents. Boarding starts between 11am-12noon unless there is an issue/problem.

[matj2000]

I heard they will be trying out a new system were some can actually board before any of the others from the previous cruise gets off..

[Garyorient]

I love boarding early, we like to get to the pier by 10:30am and on the ship by 11:00 am.

 

Yep

I'm with you.

Early on board

First in Windjammer

No food left for anyone else

[Teeara]

I think it should be Cruise Critic members can board as soon as the ship docks! ;):D

 

Theresa

[Bakincakes]

If you do decide to get there ealy so you can be one of the first to board please eat your lunch and then vacate the tables.

 

Far too many pax use the WJ as a "holding" area and other pax can't find seating so they can eat their lunch. they will eat and then sit there sipping iced tea or picking at things on their plates to give the appearance they are still having lunch.:rolleyes: Meanwhile other pax are wandering about trying to find somewhere to sit so they can eat.

 

Just because you board first and eat first doesn't mean those seats are yours until the cabins are ready.

 

We eat lunch before we board and board as late as possible so we can avoid the WJ and the chaos it can be the first day.

[PattyG12]

I love getting on early and exploring a new ship. My favorite times are when my luggage shows up early enough to be completely unpacked and settled in before the muster drill. We try to be there by 11 or so.

[Mrsg324]

Looks like I will have my brother drop us off by 11 then & hope we don't have to wait too long. This will allow him to get on to work.

Becci, nothing can top our wait for Voyager in Feb.:eek: