A platinum member embarkation question.

[zebra]

We have been platinum members for quite a few cruises and embarkation has been awesome.

This cruise we will have friends from South Africa with us who will be on their first cruise. We would obviously like to be with them to embark the ship but how will this happen if we are both coralled in different embarkation areas? Has anyone had experience with this? We will be sailing out of Fort Lauderdale.

[paul929207]

Assuming there are two of them, they should be able to checkin with you

[choochella]

We are platinum and went on a cruise with 6 other friends that have never cruised before. We were able to take them with us through the platinum line. Not sure if this happens all the time, but since there was no one in the platinum line, they let us go through with them.

[cdngrl]

i've also brought others with me. having said that, the other lines are often faster, as were the other lines for security. there's more and more platinum and elite, so i don't think it makes much difference. bottom line: your friends can stay together with you. now i know i read this somewhere and will check out the princess website and see if i can find it for you.

[cdngrl]

found it in the captains circle membership benefits under platinum:

 

"Preferred Check-In

When you arrive at the port, don’t wait in line. If you are a Platinum Member, you and your family or guests will be invited to use the Preferred Check-In desk to help expedite your embarkation".

[waterbug1]

i've also brought others with me. having said that, the other lines are often faster, as were the other lines for security. there's more and more platinum and elite, so i don't think it makes much difference. bottom line: your friends can stay together with you. now i know i read this somewhere and will check out the princess website and see if i can find it for you.

 

I think I can help here. This is from the Platinum Benefits page

 

Preferred Check-In

When you arrive at the port, don’t wait in line. If you are a Platinum Member, you and your family or guests will be invited to use the Preferred Check-In desk to help expedite your embarkation.

[cdngrl]

hi waterbug, i typed only a wee bit quicker than you it seems. :)

[waterbug1]

hi waterbug, i typed only a wee bit quicker than you it seems. :)

 

Ha! Good job cdngrl! :D

[Pam in CA]

I've found that there are so many guests in the Platinum line that it's just as long, if not longer, than the other lines. You may or may not save a couple of minutes by taking them through the Platinum line.

 

My suggestion is to get into the shortest line, whether it's for Platinum or the regular boarding lines.

[Times Prince]

I believe it will depend on when you arrive at the port. If you arrive at or before the start of boarding, Platinum people can go straight to check-in once it starts, however non Platinum/Elite people will be issued a group number and must wait for that number to be called.

 

I don't know what their policy is for friends tagging along with you.

[geoherb]

The big advantage for us in being Platinum at embarkation was being able to skip the huge queue of people waiting to get into the terminal. We were able to fill in our health questionnaires and go directly to the Platinum/Elite waiting area instead of having to get a number.

 

Once they started the check-in process, since it was all Platinum/Elite and suite folks, we just went to the line for our deck. We were on board within 15 minutes of getting to the port.

[Feelin' Nauti']

They will not split up families or groups traveling together by only letting Platinum, Elites and Suites in the lounge.

[janina]

I agree with Pam, sometimes the platinum/elite priority boarding lines are longer than the regular lines. Just never know. But, they will be alllowed to board with you.

[freetocruise]

They will not split up families or groups traveling together by only letting Platinum' date=' Elites and Suites in the lounge.[/quote']

 

Not always true. My husband and I (both elite) took a cruise with our adult daughter (gold) who was in a separate cabing. In LA, they would not allow her in the lounge with us or allow her to board with us. If we wanted to stay and board with her, we had to sit in the outside waiting area and board when they called her number. So, yes, they will split families and groups traveling together. I don't know if this is the case in FLL but I would make no assumptions.

[Colo Cruiser]

Not always true. My husband and I (both elite) took a cruise with our adult daughter (gold) who was in a separate cabing. In LA, they would not allow her in the lounge with us or allow her to board with us. If we wanted to stay and board with her, we had to sit in the outside waiting area and board when they called her number. So, yes, they will split families and groups traveling together. I don't know if this is the case in FLL but I would make no assumptions.

 

I agree, I have seen some turned away that were with other Elites in LA when they checked at the door to the Elite lounge.

[caber]

I have the same thing this coming cruise. We are bringing a couple on their first Princess cruise. We are Elite. I have printed off the bit in the Captain`s Circle info about bringing family and guests through the prefered check-in just in case they say anything different.

[FLACRUISER99]

We have been platinum members for quite a few cruises and embarkation has been awesome.

This cruise we will have friends from South Africa with us who will be on their first cruise. We would obviously like to be with them to embark the ship but how will this happen if we are both coralled in different embarkation areas? Has anyone had experience with this? We will be sailing out of Fort Lauderdale.

Just board with them in the regular line.

[bubbadog]

It kinda depends on how things are going,sometimes its ok,then on other times they wont go for it,it is not a big deal,doesnt hurt to ask them when you get there;):p

[karatemom2]

We also had a problem boarding in LA. We were traveling with our two children and my husband's elderly parents, both of whom have obvious health challenges. After collecting our boarding cards we were directed to the line for the Platinum, Elite, and Suite embarkation which was significantly shorter than the other two lines for boarding. Upon entering that line and showing our cards, the woman working that line tried to move my frail in-laws to the other long line. She said we could only take two people with us and pointed to our two children. I was really annoyed and pointed out to her that my children, having been on all of our cruises with us are technically platinum as well even though they don't get the privileges until they turn 18. I also told her that the agent at the desk specifically directed all of us to that line and that all the information from Princess says that we could bring our guests with us. She relented and let us continue.

 

Honestly, if it hadn't been for the fact that my in-laws have some mobility problems I would have just moved all of us to the longer line, but it was really sort of ridiculous. It wasn't like I was bringing a mob of people along and abusing the privilege. And it is a perk we have earned. We are traveling with my sister and her husband on our upcoming cruise out of San Francisco on the Sea Princess and I'm hoping things go more smoothly at that port of departure.

[freetocruise]

I have the same thing this coming cruise. We are bringing a couple on their first Princess cruise. We are Elite. I have printed off the bit in the Captain`s Circle info about bringing family and guests through the prefered check-in just in case they say anything different.

 

In LA (not sure about FLL), they will let you take people with you through the preferred checkin which is no big deal, in my mind. As many have remarked, sometimes that is the longest line. The important distinction is access to the lounge and preferred boarding. They allowed my daughter to check in with us but gave her a boarding card with a number on it and not a preferred boarding pass. That is why we choose to wait outside the lounge and board with her when they announced her number.